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Showing posts from June, 2017

Macau: The Final European Colony in Asia

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Apart from being Asia's gambling and entertainment capital, Macau also has the special distinction of being the last colony in Asia to be granted independence from a European power. * And nothing perfectly shows the coexistence of East and West than Macau's Historic Center , featuring the famous Ruins of St. Paul.

When All The Tourists Have Gone Away

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...Venice becomes eerily beautiful! * People like to joke that Venice is one giant tourist trap!

How To Skillfully Navigate Venice

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Short answer: Don't!  To anyone but local Venetians themselves, Venice might as well be a labyrinth. Built over an archipelago of 118 islands linked by bridges, the city is a real challenge to accurately navigate that one might as well purposely wander around and trust in the gods to find the way back home.  * A few random turns and we find the infamous Bridge of Sighs (in the far background). Local legend has it that it was called so as this was the bridge leading to the prison from the Doge's Palace, and convicts were known to "sigh" as they got one more glimpse of the beauty of Venice before being incarcerated.

The Basilica of St. Mark and the Treasures of Constantinople

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Nothing quite prepares you for the spectacle of seeing the interior of the Basilica of St. Mark for the first time. A symbol of Venetian majesty, wealth, and power, the Basilica has also been referred to as the Church of Gold . * And for good reason! This was probably how the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul (then Constantinople) looked like before it was defaced and converted into a mosque.

Palazzo Ducale - The Doge's Palace

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The Doge was the highest official in the once Most Serene Republic of Venice ; having total control of the city-state and its global empire for over 1,100 years .  * And like most European royal families, the Doge lived in style!