tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63433995997396949582024-03-14T20:14:46.611+08:00The Curious TravelogueAn ode to the Golden Age of Travel, when a young man from the Third World could actually go on a marvelous journey around the world.danemancaohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13178459752970764428noreply@blogger.comBlogger193125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6343399599739694958.post-35541113121301294582020-03-06T13:32:00.002+08:002022-01-17T20:16:59.690+08:00Treasures of The MET<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The Metropolitan Museum of Art is America's largest art museum. Located along Manhattan's prestigious Fifth Avenue and right next to Central Park, the "MET" (as it is lovingly called), is home to over 2 million treasures spread out over 17 departments; comprising over 3 thousand years of human history.</div>
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* And along with being the most famous art museum in the United States, the MET is the third most visited museum in the world, after the Louvre and National Museum of China.</div>
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* In fact, the museum is so famous that even its steps are iconic!</div>
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* Being the favorite lunch spot of Blair Waldorf and Serena Ver Der Woodson, fictional characters from Gossip Girl, one of our favorite television series' of yesteryear.</div>
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* It's not a reputable museum if it doesn't have Greek artifacts!</div>
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* Hercules rockin' that lion-skin cardigan! </div>
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* Halt! She's only sixteen!</div>
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* Do I still look pretty?</div>
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* Wardrobe malfunction circa 300 BC.</div>
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* Keeping up with the Joneses.. taken too far.</div>
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* The Instagram models of their day!</div>
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* The Vengabus is coming!</div>
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* Somehow reminded me of the Daft Punk "Around the World" video.</div>
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* Ancient Greek gentleman proudly showing a Funko Pop of his era.</div>
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* It's like shopping in IKEA.. but in classical antiquity!</div>
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* The MET is also home to a priceless collection of African art.</div>
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* Peculiar looking statues and sculptures!</div>
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* Such wild imaginations; not sure if these were gods or aliens to the ancient Africans.</div>
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* That's not... creepy at all...</div>
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* These gents could definitely fit in Mos Eisley Cantina.</div>
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* A typical family balancing on top of a rabbit.</div>
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* That one guy with his back turned.. such a rascal!</div>
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* Might as well have been the setting of the museum scene in Black Panther!</div>
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* To this day, it still astounds me, as to how these treasures ended up in Western museums.</div>
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* An argument could be made that these pieces should be returned and featured in their regions of origin: Greece, Mesopotamia, Egypt, etc.</div>
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* Conversely, an argument can also be made that they belong to ALL of humanity, and deserve the best preservation and conservation efforts that institutions can provide.</div>
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* It is an ongoing debate for serious people, with serious consequences.</div>
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* Nonetheless, I'm just happy that we humans can enjoy, appreciate, and be inspired by the works of our forefathers.</div>
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* For art is meant to be shared to all of mankind.</div>
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* Moving on to that section of IKEA with the amazing home decorations.</div>
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* Back in the day, these items were considered symbols of wealth and power.</div>
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* Reserved only for royalty and nobility; definitely not for peasants.</div>
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* I mean take a look at this room, which was pretty much someone's living area back in the day!</div>
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* You break it, you buy it!</div>
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* Given the United States' European founding roots and shared cultural history, it's no surprise that the MET contains a vast showcase of medieval and Renaissance pieces.</div>
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* From Byzantine (Eastern Roman) mosaics</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6efI4v6vEnsfNxcUX5fCCT5lIN2bgXDA2GI0mIM4kf6ZPlTm-5UHgpjMJEDvaSXMGLz5MwXoWVABoY8akFDjy7wAQmS6tScAoaRXNudVQqf-YuAbCtbbxDP361cKFguuJgUNc84LuYaA/s1600/54-+MET+Museum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6efI4v6vEnsfNxcUX5fCCT5lIN2bgXDA2GI0mIM4kf6ZPlTm-5UHgpjMJEDvaSXMGLz5MwXoWVABoY8akFDjy7wAQmS6tScAoaRXNudVQqf-YuAbCtbbxDP361cKFguuJgUNc84LuYaA/s640/54-+MET+Museum.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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* To religious objects like this statue of Saint Denis, martyred patron saint of Paris, who supposedly walked around preaching the gospel after he was beheaded!</div>
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* To entire Italian courtyards, complete with all the accessories!</div>
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* To items that eventually inspired modern-day brands... Starbucks anyone?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivTDvQWmHGcKjpXTQHv1b2ejypP3vcFsZbRgAfN8xb7qmS6_vUEsvIhMhX5zdR5juJ5KOXagI4aACQJMxqeeNTmEo-WXT32uw3eBr1WADGBaAzXndwbdgt1qxkInEM6xFhDqTntWETx74/s1600/22-+MET+Museum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivTDvQWmHGcKjpXTQHv1b2ejypP3vcFsZbRgAfN8xb7qmS6_vUEsvIhMhX5zdR5juJ5KOXagI4aACQJMxqeeNTmEo-WXT32uw3eBr1WADGBaAzXndwbdgt1qxkInEM6xFhDqTntWETx74/s640/22-+MET+Museum.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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* No more grapes for you, mother!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaNg0Yh8nYYgiPAO1Gq4E5jnEgMOmVhbSyevNY22G7dj88rPHxo2IaRhIXXogxtvTD3MNiZwS3p0M9Ww5wWAjx-sJNFXDTgfcxqswJmk8GrzNhkrnhyphenhyphenOEx5V7TGJQLSB8nVTVCpQTt39c/s1600/20-+MET+Museum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaNg0Yh8nYYgiPAO1Gq4E5jnEgMOmVhbSyevNY22G7dj88rPHxo2IaRhIXXogxtvTD3MNiZwS3p0M9Ww5wWAjx-sJNFXDTgfcxqswJmk8GrzNhkrnhyphenhyphenOEx5V7TGJQLSB8nVTVCpQTt39c/s640/20-+MET+Museum.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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* The John Mayer of ye olden times!</div>
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* Covet not thy neighbor's property!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgLvb17U14FAtAJf3sv99Wv_e2CHLX7xct8nfZJ0bnJ6Y7Wms1pE3ue8vqObuhW2JtFm644ibvVuSbPB2bj6SdKZEs0MADky0dKBakuOHpNrROYeUUnxhxUeuMXpOy0mpGbO6rBAbdhlM/s1600/23-+MET+Museum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgLvb17U14FAtAJf3sv99Wv_e2CHLX7xct8nfZJ0bnJ6Y7Wms1pE3ue8vqObuhW2JtFm644ibvVuSbPB2bj6SdKZEs0MADky0dKBakuOHpNrROYeUUnxhxUeuMXpOy0mpGbO6rBAbdhlM/s640/23-+MET+Museum.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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* How very Germanic!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_mmQqtEemkVVgCKqSgqK48FOaKvhhvLiBK_oXT_yQfnAM6b1yo7Iog1EDmBvZ1aLeYz1OlJXLCSWtofKwB9y5vX460puvVUhfuw7YHapi6wSvvAfw6ep8ztJXXP9KO1hzREz2GerJRA4/s1600/24-+MET+Museum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_mmQqtEemkVVgCKqSgqK48FOaKvhhvLiBK_oXT_yQfnAM6b1yo7Iog1EDmBvZ1aLeYz1OlJXLCSWtofKwB9y5vX460puvVUhfuw7YHapi6wSvvAfw6ep8ztJXXP9KO1hzREz2GerJRA4/s640/24-+MET+Museum.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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* When ivory was still considered "guilt-free luxury".</div>
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* The ending of every Passion Play!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgICKxgzkyrnai8s-7Paw6qA0l5broYYV_TFW5kCnxVWlpDn0Ns3izSaApc-VZ0nooZ8gX1by6HoamZrQ_npvonTyLdubNb0ObW0vo-llQNPIOcromu7EcizfB65xNfYJN4lNDvzfeXk7c/s1600/53-+MET+Museum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgICKxgzkyrnai8s-7Paw6qA0l5broYYV_TFW5kCnxVWlpDn0Ns3izSaApc-VZ0nooZ8gX1by6HoamZrQ_npvonTyLdubNb0ObW0vo-llQNPIOcromu7EcizfB65xNfYJN4lNDvzfeXk7c/s640/53-+MET+Museum.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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* K-Pop group 600 years early!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQD0aX4lPOqBP3M20f6oNPrDNVdeNz0VT8BSRYHWOoSzZHMShFP0czzBlIjPHK5cgOanGQxd9QzLStegHVgfGgyY1v4Z9AtSSfWmCWd0nqdjFuy5qNmrHAr5n8Vie7TInGb5KTPhZl7IQ/s1600/89-+MET+Museum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQD0aX4lPOqBP3M20f6oNPrDNVdeNz0VT8BSRYHWOoSzZHMShFP0czzBlIjPHK5cgOanGQxd9QzLStegHVgfGgyY1v4Z9AtSSfWmCWd0nqdjFuy5qNmrHAr5n8Vie7TInGb5KTPhZl7IQ/s640/89-+MET+Museum.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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* The well-lit Charles Englehard Court.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-eDquiT9xuQFju5ZMvq3Jp_4JFg0ICpmYY29uv05T5QVHZxOrMJgFmjclBN7UcYBraH8crAXT-HGaCk7neaZfh2ctPUi21nuC-GgR3NKHNtFUTj_WUHsJQUBvdrcI68wD8T5emGZmNgI/s1600/77-+MET+Museum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-eDquiT9xuQFju5ZMvq3Jp_4JFg0ICpmYY29uv05T5QVHZxOrMJgFmjclBN7UcYBraH8crAXT-HGaCk7neaZfh2ctPUi21nuC-GgR3NKHNtFUTj_WUHsJQUBvdrcI68wD8T5emGZmNgI/s640/77-+MET+Museum.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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* Offering fantastic views of Central Park from the high-ceiling glass windows!</div>
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* Classical discipline of man's best friend.</div>
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* Philosophizing for centuries now!</div>
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* Posterized after a slam dunk!</div>
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* Always high-five thy guardian angel!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs_F86WfKRhPFtXtCol1245WQDoQRama2OzRmxlxdaPWWnkHVEN4eOT7NeVU2HtYyG2kcqXJKBJefyFKIqmQHirUJgNS6Qx0VC5zoaFjD5tZi_n_y8kPYS1WPAEFfyCoeqq89K-Vj89KA/s1600/79-+MET+Museum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs_F86WfKRhPFtXtCol1245WQDoQRama2OzRmxlxdaPWWnkHVEN4eOT7NeVU2HtYyG2kcqXJKBJefyFKIqmQHirUJgNS6Qx0VC5zoaFjD5tZi_n_y8kPYS1WPAEFfyCoeqq89K-Vj89KA/s640/79-+MET+Museum.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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* One of the more mind-blowing exhibits in the MET is the actual Temple of Dendur, completely lifted from its original spot near Aswan, Egypt.</div>
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* Built in 15 BC, the temple was dedicated to Isis and Osiris, both Egyptian deities. </div>
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* Packing and transporting the entire site from Egypt to America took over 600 crates and an entire freighter; a massive feat of engineering!</div>
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* Emojis of antiquity!</div>
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* Friendship over donuts?</div>
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* Must have enough room for all my toys!</div>
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* Tough crowd!</div>
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* Probably guarded the entrance of some sacred secret chamber!</div>
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* Step right up, kind sir, for the wonders of the orient!</div>
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* It wasn't me, I promise!</div>
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* Good luck reaching-in to recover whatever's inside!</div>
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* Gates to a former world center (Babylon), now in the current world center (New York).</div>
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* Ladies be workin' hard to keep this fireplace up!</div>
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* I'll just take a 20 minute power nap...</div>
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* Classical ring girl to an ancient UFC pay-per-view.</div>
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* Casually trotting down 5th Avenue like..</div>
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* "Hectoooooooor" - Achilles</div>
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* What? Only 300 Spartans stand in our way? LOL</div>
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* Saladin's finest!</div>
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* Lifewear when Empires were forged by blood and steel.</div>
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* Friendship day for these warring Japanese kingdoms.</div>
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* Samurai Showdown!</div>
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* Señor Conquistador wants to know by which blade you wish to get cut with?</div>
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* I'll take the dagger, please!</div>
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* This is America!</div>
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* I.. don't want to know what's going on here..</div>
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* Okay.. moving along..</div>
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* Adrien Brody in better days.</div>
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* Van Gogh showing us how it's done!</div>
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* I swear I saw this on a phonebook cover one time!</div>
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* The wonders of Ancient Pergamon, the highlights of which are now found in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin (more on that on a later blog entry!)</div>
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* A giant among men! Probably the center of his legion's basketball team.</div>
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* I swear I saw an Instagram Story filter of this one time..</div>
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* Ahh my arm.. so near yet so far.<br />
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* While occupying a much smaller space and item count, the Asian exhibit of the Met is still pretty impressive!</div>
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* This way to Enlightenment!</div>
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* Mastering the art of the standing nap.</div>
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* A day in the museum, amongst some of mankind's greatest achievements, is a day well-spent!</div>
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Danenationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13536191751474911307noreply@blogger.com0Manhattan, New York, NY, USA40.7830603 -73.971248840.590684800000005 -74.2939723 40.9754358 -73.6485253tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6343399599739694958.post-45328385307173673572020-02-20T14:15:00.003+08:002022-01-17T14:29:25.882+08:00Snippets of Hong Kong <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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2019 and 2020 have been challenging years for Hong Kong. Protests against the local government, general population unrest, and as of this writing, the threat of a deadly coronavirus have rendered unto this megacity several blows that might take a few years to recover from.</div>
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However, make no mistake about it, Hong Kong is still very much one of the world's great cities. Located at the crossroads of the West and China, this former British crown colony is one of the world's most significant financial centers, busiest commercial ports, and home to the highest number of skyscrapers of any city in the world.</div>
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All photos were taken on a trip with friends, years ago.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK7BSd_yK64S9mdgSzhhEuaO66cvC3elIEqvKjUYyt15QnzWr4KlEHuV8vFTnfWARFX5PlEzL8owtJaMRyFxlQtOiLvpR4SCNuVpC_w9WBQ_p2YnpryoTlj9rGceXVVwS3Bo__M2lLovU/s1600/24-+Hong+Kong.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK7BSd_yK64S9mdgSzhhEuaO66cvC3elIEqvKjUYyt15QnzWr4KlEHuV8vFTnfWARFX5PlEzL8owtJaMRyFxlQtOiLvpR4SCNuVpC_w9WBQ_p2YnpryoTlj9rGceXVVwS3Bo__M2lLovU/s640/24-+Hong+Kong.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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* To get an idea of how skyscraper-dense the HK skyline is, one must head to Victoria Peak, the highest point in the city!</div>
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* What an incredible panoramic view! We were blessed with clear skies and good weather that day.</div>
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* Amazingly (but not surprisingly), Hong Kong also boasts the largest concentration of ultra-wealthy individuals of any city in the world! These gentlemen pictured therein, are rich in friendship.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGM9AQJVOtfXIOttdzp1Z-CThua1wTehrvbBBzTjejGNMbjDvptYAy_Wkiu7SpMA0KOShMdaUXPiTOD84YKBZ7c_FVHauCXGMNSMIE3Sihj_8fc4RG5-QJEQsH4iD3UBhcmbgECc6QUAI/s1600/3-+Hong+Kong.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGM9AQJVOtfXIOttdzp1Z-CThua1wTehrvbBBzTjejGNMbjDvptYAy_Wkiu7SpMA0KOShMdaUXPiTOD84YKBZ7c_FVHauCXGMNSMIE3Sihj_8fc4RG5-QJEQsH4iD3UBhcmbgECc6QUAI/s640/3-+Hong+Kong.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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* And the city has probably (and enviably) the most efficient, convenient, and effective transportation system in the world; beating the metro lines of London, Singapore, and Germany in my opinion.</div>
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* Random statues near our hotel in Hollywood Road. Ni hao!</div>
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* Live turtles on a red plate located randomly outside an antique store.</div>
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* Whose... possession..?</div>
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* Confident choice for branding of a design company!!</div>
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* It isn't a trip to Hong Kong without a sampling of its world famous dimsum!</div>
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* And its plethora of hipster cafes, including one that has the 2nd best barista in the world (for that year)!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ7iPKvRl999kJVpTkdfSB-L0N21YqJeEkV3zR_bBiLr6QtFul4GYc-mnbXT9HW5IE5BkcAXT7DmiLCoMy7HEUHz4xTaUF-r8Pk7MWSbtFIRGN4KbabQzlCLMD8tHgaVs82ZHC0fpCjIs/s1600/10-+Hong+Kong.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ7iPKvRl999kJVpTkdfSB-L0N21YqJeEkV3zR_bBiLr6QtFul4GYc-mnbXT9HW5IE5BkcAXT7DmiLCoMy7HEUHz4xTaUF-r8Pk7MWSbtFIRGN4KbabQzlCLMD8tHgaVs82ZHC0fpCjIs/s640/10-+Hong+Kong.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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* Can't live without our daily cup of brew.</div>
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* Being in a shopper's paradise, I couldn't help but play with some of the latest gadgets at the city's largest Apple Store.</div>
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* And greet the friendly and helpful yet attentive shopkeepers along the way.</div>
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* Asking for directions has never been this sassy.</div>
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* 2nd shot of brew, but this time in a more quiet location.</div>
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* While there's so much to see and do at Hong Kong Island, the adventure eventually continues at Kowloon, Hong Kong's most populated urban area.</div>
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* Ads everywhere you look, and as numerous as the brain can reasonably take note of.</div>
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* 3rd shot of brew but this time in one of Kowloon's largest malls, Harbour City.</div>
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* Despite technically being a part of China, who took control when the British left in 1997, Hong Kong is a special administrative region with its own autonomous governing and economic system under the "one country, two systems" policy. </div>
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* Hong Kong's food scene with its dizzying choice of Asian and Western cuisine is top notch and stacked-full of Michelin Star restaurants (82 as of last year).</div>
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* At night, the city is lit up under a of sea of neon light.</div>
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* And the street of Lan Kwai Fong (or LKF) becomes the most happening place in town.</div>
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* Full of restaurants, bars, and clubs, LKF has something for every discerning taste, musical preference, and budget.</div>
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* From the affordable 711 blasting electronic dance music right in the middle of LKF (aka everyone's favorite pre-gaming and post-hydration place)</div>
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* To the more obscure and hidden places, where bartenders expect you to already know what you want, and how strong you want it served.</div>
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* No wonder everyone loves this place (expatriates most of all!)</div>
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* Wow, even salvation here is well lit!</div>
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Danenationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13536191751474911307noreply@blogger.com0Hong Kong22.3193039 114.169361121.8493704 113.5239141 22.7892374 114.81480810000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6343399599739694958.post-78787994828289555482020-02-14T13:31:00.001+08:002022-01-17T20:16:43.514+08:00Cordoba - Capital of Caliphates, Kingdoms, and Empires<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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On any journey to the Iberian peninsula, it is easy to focus all of one's time, budget, and attention to the more popular and glamorous cities of Madrid, Barcelona and Lisbon. However one cannot truly appreciate the richness of Spanish culture, without experiencing the city of Cordoba.</div>
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One of the most important cities back in the Middle Ages, yet overlooked today, Cordoba has been inhabited for thousands of years; with its earliest inhabitants thought to be the Neanderthal humans whose fossils can be found all over this area of Spain.</div>
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* Later on becoming a Roman settlement, whose people left their mark by constructing this fascinating and sturdy bridge that still stands to this day running across the Guadalquivir River! </div>
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* When the Roman Empire collapsed, the area was taken over by the Visigoths, descendants of a Germanic barbarian tribe who established a kingdom in today's Southwest France, Spain, and Portugal.</div>
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* Who then got overrun by the Muslim conquest of the 8th Century, turning Cordoba into the Imperial Capital of the Caliphate of Cordoba.</div>
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* Before changing hands multiple times across various Muslim Caliphates starting with the Umayyads, a vast empire that stretched from Spain, through North Africa, the Holy Land, Saudi Arabia and Iran.</div>
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* To the Almohad Caliphate, who ruled in the area comprising present day Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Libya, Tunisia, and Algeria.</div>
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* Until finally the Reconquista happened, where the Christian Kingdoms (all located in Northern Spain) of Asturias, Leon, Aragon, Navarre and Portugal, united under the banner of the Kingdom of Castille and pushed southward to retake the entirety of Muslim territory on Iberia.</div>
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* Bringing an end to centuries of Islamic rule, and ushering in the great age of Christian Kingdoms in Spain.</div>
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* The Kingdom of Castille, celebrating its hard-won trophy, immediately set out to build a Royal Palace known as the Alcazar de los Reyes Christianos.</div>
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* A palace that doubled as a fortress and served as one of the primary residences of Queen Isabella I of Castille and King Ferdinand II of Aragon, the power couple back in those days.</div>
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* Today, the Alcazar is a popular shooting location for film and television series.</div>
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* In fact you might recognize some locales from the hit TV show, Game of Thrones.</div>
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* All over the city, ruins are scattered as a reminder of the various powerful empires that have come and gone.</div>
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* Typical characteristics of southern Spanish palaces include large rooms with huge windows for continuous ventilation, manicured gardens, and lots of water fountains.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXU6xw_xuhimmzFEtIPpqHtGNFTF9cbPnftWUSnGVo7R8T_HIYmsRpN9eUnOfuFKeGUtPGV0YmpkNqk_KYruHdJvcsyMu7LBlZX3WYZiR5fnpY5HetJOrji-3kotD7xbciPJlimI4hf30/s1600/10-+Cordoba+Alcazar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXU6xw_xuhimmzFEtIPpqHtGNFTF9cbPnftWUSnGVo7R8T_HIYmsRpN9eUnOfuFKeGUtPGV0YmpkNqk_KYruHdJvcsyMu7LBlZX3WYZiR5fnpY5HetJOrji-3kotD7xbciPJlimI4hf30/s640/10-+Cordoba+Alcazar.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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* Which come in handy especially since the southern region of Spain tend to have much warmer climates than the rest of Europe.</div>
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* In fact, Cordoba is known to have the highest summer temperature in all o<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">f Europe, reaching <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">37 °C (99 °F) in July and August.</span> </span></div>
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* Making its beaches a favorite tourist destination for Europeans all over the continent.</div>
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* The king is very much pleased, indeed!</div>
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* Formidable castle walls prove that the crusades did not only happen in the Holy Land, but in Iberia as well.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcOWQakUCh0_gtQ5Pu98Gps9lNE5FVGhpU0qLrch4PLEkbFIcdVaWZYuEdI3f1j2DwuD7of1dm6vJluqWCfCeK7ZV1X_vLH33iIn9DBqa1oM97UuHa155g8nkn4VBIJvxicAYOq_gmJEM/s1600/13-+Cordoba+Alcazar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcOWQakUCh0_gtQ5Pu98Gps9lNE5FVGhpU0qLrch4PLEkbFIcdVaWZYuEdI3f1j2DwuD7of1dm6vJluqWCfCeK7ZV1X_vLH33iIn9DBqa1oM97UuHa155g8nkn4VBIJvxicAYOq_gmJEM/s640/13-+Cordoba+Alcazar.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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* The fact that Cordoba is often overlooked today is a crime as it was actually one of the major centers of education and learning in the world, and was the second largest city in Europe by the 10th Century.</div>
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* The truth is the Muslim Caliphates were a very civilized people, arguably more so than their European counterparts during those times; scientific and inquisitive, open to new ideas, and tolerant of other religions.</div>
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* In fact, Muslims, Christians, and Jews here mingled, intermarried, and learned from each other's cultures.</div>
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* This cultural fusion led to Cordoba producing some of the world's greatest Muslim thinkers including Averroes, a philosopher, theologian, astronomer and lawyer, whose works include in-depth studies and commentaries on the teachings of the legendary Greek philosopher, Aristotle. Some might even say, the works of Aristotle might have been lost to history and antiquity were it not for Averroes.</div>
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* Ibn Hazm, who was a Muslim poet and historian, widely regarded as the Father of Comparative Religious Studies (aka the study of the world's religions)</div>
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* And Al-Zahrawi, considered the Greatest Surgeon of the Middle Ages and Father of Surgery. His work on medical practices became the reference guide for Europeans over the next 500 years!</div>
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* And Muhammad Al-Gafequi, who was widely regarded as one of the Pillars of the Science of Ophthalmology (the study of eyes). </div>
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* Have an interesting door, and the wife shall pose!</div>
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* Today, Cordoba is a shining example of the blend of Moorish and Christian architectural and design elements.</div>
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* And no where is this more definitively seen, than in the truly impressive Mezquita of Cordoba (read all about it soon!)</div>
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* Time to brush up on my Spanish!</div>
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* Giant Julio over here, concurs!</div>
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Danenationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13536191751474911307noreply@blogger.com0Córdoba, Spain37.8881751 -4.779383499999994537.7879266 -4.9407449999999944 37.9884236 -4.6180219999999945tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6343399599739694958.post-20560176790357649452020-02-12T15:28:00.001+08:002022-01-17T20:16:26.735+08:00The Two Lives of St. Isaac Cathedral<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Due to decades of Soviet Communist rule, something startling happened to cathedrals and churches across the Russian Federation. With its chief creed of having no religion except the ideology of socialism, all churches within the vast Soviet empire were secularized; meaning they were stripped of their religious significance and turned into museums.</div>
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* And what's truly amazing about all of this is that these churches are not just simple places of worship; a lot of them are among the largest, grandest, and most majestic churches on earth!</div>
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* One such former place of worship turned museum is the imposing Cathedral of St. Isaac located in St. Petersburg, Russia.</div>
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* The Cathedral is the focal point of St. Isaac Square, a major city square that also contains the Mariinsky Palace (right) which was the last Imperial residence to be constructed in St. Petersburg, before the fall of the Russian Tsar.</div>
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* As well as this remarkably detailed equestrian monument to Tsar Nicholas I, Emperor of Russia from 1825 to 1855 and also King of Poland and Grand Duke of Finland.</div>
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* Have a European City, see a statue of an important man on horseback!</div>
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* Of course, being a major tourist attraction, actors (cosplayers?) can be found all over the square, ready to pose for the cameras of willing tourists, for a fee of course!</div>
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* When I said that the Cathedral is imposing and grand, I really did mean it!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbmxDkhHJAXibxhHcm4GCOU0DhnysEY1KlHxKKWtZ7SpQK_AYJjkBYVdgLyN1k0poLhCBvgwUm3E4qT6BeuFQj1sB9GvPKp_sLVwBC_pMr2rsI0eJYpDutNikJY8x160sFGDGlTJ6NYh4/s1600/12+-+St.+Isaac+Cathedral.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbmxDkhHJAXibxhHcm4GCOU0DhnysEY1KlHxKKWtZ7SpQK_AYJjkBYVdgLyN1k0poLhCBvgwUm3E4qT6BeuFQj1sB9GvPKp_sLVwBC_pMr2rsI0eJYpDutNikJY8x160sFGDGlTJ6NYh4/s640/12+-+St.+Isaac+Cathedral.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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* Prepare for your jaw to drop at the spectacle of the Cathedral's interior!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRVa5RZDRkkZgfr3OW_fyAHBI0F5rRBcTqvTSN8E9Kt_nN7JlZGjkn6VnU2FyewK1_fXktzDwocEVKQB3P6fvv51ia8-iLBpb5XZRN0bFqzPpRgXtWk2_-XfwcPNYqTSxnbE22adcCwew/s1600/6+-+St.+Isaac+Cathedral.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRVa5RZDRkkZgfr3OW_fyAHBI0F5rRBcTqvTSN8E9Kt_nN7JlZGjkn6VnU2FyewK1_fXktzDwocEVKQB3P6fvv51ia8-iLBpb5XZRN0bFqzPpRgXtWk2_-XfwcPNYqTSxnbE22adcCwew/s640/6+-+St.+Isaac+Cathedral.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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* Built in 1858, the Cathedral was named after St. Isaac of Dalmatia.</div>
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* Founder of the Dalmatian Monastery in Constantinople (now Istanbul, Turkey) and important saint of both the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches.</div>
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* St. Isaac of Dalmatia was also the patron saint of Emperor Peter the Great, who also named him to be the patron saint of Russia's famous imperial family, the Romanovs.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1rzOZXUy0n9CNM0RQJrrreJupIUYp6E9fW-BD3h4kC88HNXT-dmVI97ic07gEBXdoQahOfn_t9saD-ppe7M3h_TrYtg-Aqxs6GsHs8MBEe2nJO_Ce5du0D7h8Vxcnu8cmCMWOChUHdS8/s1600/10+-+St.+Isaac+Cathedral.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1rzOZXUy0n9CNM0RQJrrreJupIUYp6E9fW-BD3h4kC88HNXT-dmVI97ic07gEBXdoQahOfn_t9saD-ppe7M3h_TrYtg-Aqxs6GsHs8MBEe2nJO_Ce5du0D7h8Vxcnu8cmCMWOChUHdS8/s640/10+-+St.+Isaac+Cathedral.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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* WHAT. A. VIEW.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB2lRKr8tPEOx5YjWWbYipJMiTKg66tkV53WBP1mnRFT0hAnxHCVDb6Af1kAZKKIpWx07TnMvMcgyRtvPlMaA_yXiZZqTzURbGWrEBQxx7hEt6QCuWE5t2KlBSA0ONZjgTIaVwL0tOmk0/s1600/11+-+St.+Isaac+Cathedral.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB2lRKr8tPEOx5YjWWbYipJMiTKg66tkV53WBP1mnRFT0hAnxHCVDb6Af1kAZKKIpWx07TnMvMcgyRtvPlMaA_yXiZZqTzURbGWrEBQxx7hEt6QCuWE5t2KlBSA0ONZjgTIaVwL0tOmk0/s640/11+-+St.+Isaac+Cathedral.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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* The Cathedral easily rivals her sister churches across Europe in grandeur.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe7fYOGjI6R9kEzCFDr4E8Kts0zx_2VJwmA4Yt-EFnjhUaCx01tdnEvO575Glvh2ST3RT4LEG2cvPTFf9Ai5ihyphenhyphen5uljHjh2NoxkrCSDjOO_bbmxs3T7WKdHlA6_WKWqZC624lp1G8mZNU/s1600/14+-+St.+Isaac+Cathedral.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe7fYOGjI6R9kEzCFDr4E8Kts0zx_2VJwmA4Yt-EFnjhUaCx01tdnEvO575Glvh2ST3RT4LEG2cvPTFf9Ai5ihyphenhyphen5uljHjh2NoxkrCSDjOO_bbmxs3T7WKdHlA6_WKWqZC624lp1G8mZNU/s640/14+-+St.+Isaac+Cathedral.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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* And despite being a former place of worship of the Russian Orthodox, the structure shares a lot of similarities with its Roman Catholic cousins.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrBYvC9EKqM48O4GPSawfVMevi_jWdPk2M_nuA8Gyo7SZ8pP9uTHp9V7tSQ6FyKExG5W8o6nIiKg4xHm6O5dqXDB5NEtBz6G8HApeWFmO7XcwahH-Ggu0Ua0cHjXlO-vkAIHJvwEetU8o/s1600/13+-+St.+Isaac+Cathedral.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrBYvC9EKqM48O4GPSawfVMevi_jWdPk2M_nuA8Gyo7SZ8pP9uTHp9V7tSQ6FyKExG5W8o6nIiKg4xHm6O5dqXDB5NEtBz6G8HApeWFmO7XcwahH-Ggu0Ua0cHjXlO-vkAIHJvwEetU8o/s640/13+-+St.+Isaac+Cathedral.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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* Not sure anymore which ones are actual devotees, and which ones are tourists!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9YixcEiFTIVZgpBe-C8EurrauNbvIAJYs9mb8O3a37wvvPS7IZ6b5u_0Xds8pQIoU55eaKGGTMoWKM0k9Px_z8nzBxiPnF5Ug9cQfCF1eYO47ELnrSUkEmXWs1IdWj-vd1wZf1Mvmopw/s1600/15+-+St.+Isaac+Cathedral.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9YixcEiFTIVZgpBe-C8EurrauNbvIAJYs9mb8O3a37wvvPS7IZ6b5u_0Xds8pQIoU55eaKGGTMoWKM0k9Px_z8nzBxiPnF5Ug9cQfCF1eYO47ELnrSUkEmXWs1IdWj-vd1wZf1Mvmopw/s640/15+-+St.+Isaac+Cathedral.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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* But all have come to gaze in amazement and develop a sense of perspective for how truly small we are in the greater scheme of things.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJqykmY74tTXcZ_dxmfGRUk_yxC4ZWa83nmbM29VmG5YinkZdy2QUb8Mn0RxJXxbm6rCLVOY-rcM8ep-8OKRBNAoWDNEyT-ZFjeaWTzdBBhOxi70j-xM_y6WV6W0R5HjBj0VUWLNoFtjM/s1600/16+-+St.+Isaac+Cathedral.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJqykmY74tTXcZ_dxmfGRUk_yxC4ZWa83nmbM29VmG5YinkZdy2QUb8Mn0RxJXxbm6rCLVOY-rcM8ep-8OKRBNAoWDNEyT-ZFjeaWTzdBBhOxi70j-xM_y6WV6W0R5HjBj0VUWLNoFtjM/s640/16+-+St.+Isaac+Cathedral.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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* Interior drone shots would probably be out of this world in here!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqxHDLdxETQ2Z62LBS9V4RHrn7oXJDVFG-ZNm8KJO3O6b33v1InkH1pOtvPNfjOkQa1UHP81628zCNdYvvuDddAgvTX9uMBXcq4OGVzFsj-JAoZL4_J4Rw1xiL6p5o0sDGpD0xQ38Vy38/s1600/17+-+St.+Isaac+Cathedral.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqxHDLdxETQ2Z62LBS9V4RHrn7oXJDVFG-ZNm8KJO3O6b33v1InkH1pOtvPNfjOkQa1UHP81628zCNdYvvuDddAgvTX9uMBXcq4OGVzFsj-JAoZL4_J4Rw1xiL6p5o0sDGpD0xQ38Vy38/s640/17+-+St.+Isaac+Cathedral.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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* Hard to believe that this place is but a museum for the Russian people!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUKYN3PUG5V-CmEHx5Gs-D-pFyis7QqKqJt4OKMDTs47JuayrXMQgYT8rku-aMCp6Pk9vXLv1cex-dfHU-qQccXAzqPo7GOFVf77AGokwpNFaqBOBefBZOpdvVaetAm0h0zsBRMFYcBuM/s1600/18+-+St.+Isaac+Cathedral.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUKYN3PUG5V-CmEHx5Gs-D-pFyis7QqKqJt4OKMDTs47JuayrXMQgYT8rku-aMCp6Pk9vXLv1cex-dfHU-qQccXAzqPo7GOFVf77AGokwpNFaqBOBefBZOpdvVaetAm0h0zsBRMFYcBuM/s640/18+-+St.+Isaac+Cathedral.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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* Welcome All Ye Faithful!</div>
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* A few blocks from the Cathedral stands the Bronze Horseman, an equestrian statue dedicated to the aforementioned Peter the Great.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF8j-S7g1ePIjfBxZIAelW_fXOU7EBN9RTjozic6nQrQOA2i0KJ1q4P8fZBWFO9AQ0T7COucF_kXMoi-LzqDmBGPqSnEvdnvMqqR7_PL6RIcxPTBRykzGsRHBY8T0l2Oww0-R3XUDnVZ8/s1600/21+-+Monument+to+Peter+the+Great.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF8j-S7g1ePIjfBxZIAelW_fXOU7EBN9RTjozic6nQrQOA2i0KJ1q4P8fZBWFO9AQ0T7COucF_kXMoi-LzqDmBGPqSnEvdnvMqqR7_PL6RIcxPTBRykzGsRHBY8T0l2Oww0-R3XUDnVZ8/s640/21+-+Monument+to+Peter+the+Great.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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* The statue rests on a pedestal known as the Thunder Stone, known to be the largest stone ever moved by human beings. Man, them Russians sure go big don't they?</div>
<br />Danenationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13536191751474911307noreply@blogger.com0St Petersburg, Russia59.9342802 30.33509860000003858.916101700000006 27.753311600000039 60.9524587 32.916885600000036tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6343399599739694958.post-13715050482182108372020-02-07T16:22:00.002+08:002022-01-17T20:16:21.021+08:00Sights and Sounds of New York City - Part 1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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There is undoubtedly no other city as iconic as New York City, whose five boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, and Staten Island are rich in history, character, and culture; forever immortalized in numerous movies, TV shows, stories, and songs.</div>
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Originally a Dutch colony settled in 1624 named New Amsterdam, New York City has grown to become what is is now: the most populous and visited city in the US, home to the United Nations and the Statue of Liberty, the fashion, media, and financial capital of the world, the very symbol itself of the great United States of America.</div>
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And it is said that in New York City, even buildings, squares, and streets are world famous.</div>
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Here are some of NYC's most famous tourist locations: Part One</div>
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Times Square</h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqGikiC4J6o5OWg5o6qB0p_MoNBT4OsbGZ4eHNP_wH9QOSp6QLBSXvBHY_uo2dirh38O-4eSd6Xmn_pUwtMGrTc8JsqXgq8zkArUBFU0iWIHrZ_KiZDnCgLpUSncVxO_X2D7Q2WSTpIlw/s1600/1+-+Times+Square.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqGikiC4J6o5OWg5o6qB0p_MoNBT4OsbGZ4eHNP_wH9QOSp6QLBSXvBHY_uo2dirh38O-4eSd6Xmn_pUwtMGrTc8JsqXgq8zkArUBFU0iWIHrZ_KiZDnCgLpUSncVxO_X2D7Q2WSTpIlw/s640/1+-+Times+Square.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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* At the center of New York is the pedestrianized intersection of lights, sound, and spectacle known as Times Square.</div>
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* Located at the hub of the Broadway Theater District, Times Square is a major center of world entertainment, brand advertisements, and pop culture; commonly referred to as "the heart and crossroads of the world." </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKoyNH7ReYEizVAdvkl0AJ8tqr0LwUNf3nReFhlAn-lJ0hWZ3CBVyM4Tmwo7z-bxUFgK19CzlDNtdDxATzYsxKUcXwgJhB9jZrDKv-r73MN8LyULqKbNUMrS93c_vBr7R7TlHpH9jGv98/s1600/3+-+Times+Square.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKoyNH7ReYEizVAdvkl0AJ8tqr0LwUNf3nReFhlAn-lJ0hWZ3CBVyM4Tmwo7z-bxUFgK19CzlDNtdDxATzYsxKUcXwgJhB9jZrDKv-r73MN8LyULqKbNUMrS93c_vBr7R7TlHpH9jGv98/s640/3+-+Times+Square.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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* And easily the most tourist-heavy place on the island!</div>
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Rockefeller Center</h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPcqzKK_u27jQg9uhyxOZqCnFG72rP2GOUJ9sKMAFTIRNmPJ7H88tADV2I-JAaa4ScAg1nboRPDwl4bdKQK5KTweAw1jAu-luqOdxlB7PLVK4Eb24s8HBr2WuaubsPVYw3Ps4HKuVy134/s1600/4+-+Rockefeller+Center.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPcqzKK_u27jQg9uhyxOZqCnFG72rP2GOUJ9sKMAFTIRNmPJ7H88tADV2I-JAaa4ScAg1nboRPDwl4bdKQK5KTweAw1jAu-luqOdxlB7PLVK4Eb24s8HBr2WuaubsPVYw3Ps4HKuVy134/s640/4+-+Rockefeller+Center.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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* The Rockefeller Center is a complex of 19 commercial buildings (14 of which are in the glamorous Art Deco style) built at the apex of the Great Depression by the legendary Rockefeller Family.</div>
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* The Rockefeller Family is one of the wealthiest in the world having made their money in the industrial, banking, and political fields.</div>
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* The Complex itself contains numerous landmarks including: Radio City Music Hall, NBC Studios (where they film The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon and Saturday Night Live)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd9c-rewVEwFgw7C6gn5SvC4jiqQ7K9-Vp3lFrJJYaAMSg3SL6JXrCjUJYw5NI4oYMWEdX1ZKy5RkOHdq_FroyuVVU5lxQ_oK03_s-5E3LSJrn8ZNDFAqqwtBX2hL-cx2fzQn0OjoEfZE/s1600/7+-+Rockefeller+Center.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd9c-rewVEwFgw7C6gn5SvC4jiqQ7K9-Vp3lFrJJYaAMSg3SL6JXrCjUJYw5NI4oYMWEdX1ZKy5RkOHdq_FroyuVVU5lxQ_oK03_s-5E3LSJrn8ZNDFAqqwtBX2hL-cx2fzQn0OjoEfZE/s640/7+-+Rockefeller+Center.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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* And the area which in winter becomes an ice-skating rink; immortalized in numerous movies and TV shows.</div>
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St. Patrick's Cathedral</h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqFEHTwdbteYNGEJEOdeSqxMbxSMF3IukXoM-UTKIYJSCYW1AdJpPVmXqcV02n5cZeenbIcAPlPalpQ6uf-wU2bhMtqnNZVcIsYIs2pXvGZbyiS75dmOvgR4d3xVfr5PHZ_aqLS5CCACY/s1600/9+-+St.+Patrick%2527s+Cathedral.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1068" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqFEHTwdbteYNGEJEOdeSqxMbxSMF3IukXoM-UTKIYJSCYW1AdJpPVmXqcV02n5cZeenbIcAPlPalpQ6uf-wU2bhMtqnNZVcIsYIs2pXvGZbyiS75dmOvgR4d3xVfr5PHZ_aqLS5CCACY/s640/9+-+St.+Patrick%2527s+Cathedral.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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* Across from the Rockefeller Center is the Roman Catholic Cathedral of St. Patrick.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiWQAbAiGm0BHUaf7E_od8w6gLzNfOmhEv0OmG5nJduDxDBoXnsDbEd7s3R6s2w6J8E-xd62naFcsFVH0GzhZMm8XE6tC3FxF-4Po2wEkadKwkUaGLoCSfeLNLXvepS0esohnuvyTI1IY/s1600/10+-+St.+Patrick%2527s+Cathedral.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiWQAbAiGm0BHUaf7E_od8w6gLzNfOmhEv0OmG5nJduDxDBoXnsDbEd7s3R6s2w6J8E-xd62naFcsFVH0GzhZMm8XE6tC3FxF-4Po2wEkadKwkUaGLoCSfeLNLXvepS0esohnuvyTI1IY/s640/10+-+St.+Patrick%2527s+Cathedral.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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* Decorated in the European Neo-Gothic style, the Cathedral is the seat of the Archbishop of New York and the most visible symbol of Catholicism in the United States.</div>
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* And the interior does not disappoint! </div>
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* St. Patrick is famous for being the patron saint of Ireland; universally recognized by the Orthodox, Anglicans, and Lutherans.. meaning he is a saint recognized by all sects of Christianity.</div>
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* Though millennials might know St. Patrick by his holiday, St. Patrick's Day, which is always a good day for cheers and merriment.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5grM9i-e52efjgAz9QO9dxRuKG3aWApj_RCItfhVLqjm9xEyYB0gb6hNNLYtSR25AoxhaB7JknU1UKJp3_PODNgrCPiIvLw41NBChCEIffZj11mfm60II36R-DamjpF_nlJSmQUKfQg8/s1600/16+-+St.+Patrick%2527s+Cathedral.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5grM9i-e52efjgAz9QO9dxRuKG3aWApj_RCItfhVLqjm9xEyYB0gb6hNNLYtSR25AoxhaB7JknU1UKJp3_PODNgrCPiIvLw41NBChCEIffZj11mfm60II36R-DamjpF_nlJSmQUKfQg8/s640/16+-+St.+Patrick%2527s+Cathedral.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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* Very impressive! Stands proudly alongside her European sisters in grandeur.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTsE8uVCCRO6zC_kHtVQZZDItxx7Jzjc7vMJsW40QUOxdpy7TWkryy_cJQHGlr4ktH77btoxH9aPCQzoMXsyU7YYKVc_mvstcpIr74rKZyFWrzi6Y5LzOFs1Q0ZEhV1DH_K1TF6aXk9iA/s1600/17+-+St.+Patrick%2527s+Cathedral.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTsE8uVCCRO6zC_kHtVQZZDItxx7Jzjc7vMJsW40QUOxdpy7TWkryy_cJQHGlr4ktH77btoxH9aPCQzoMXsyU7YYKVc_mvstcpIr74rKZyFWrzi6Y5LzOFs1Q0ZEhV1DH_K1TF6aXk9iA/s640/17+-+St.+Patrick%2527s+Cathedral.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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* Hearing a mass of thanksgiving and gratitude in a Cathedral is always a good idea.</div>
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Flatiron Building</h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLy9IhBPvhEDTEr14Nzhlh7I86R8-4ijHF_zaZaTuMqasevUDYWBjB7mXB7bkvb0KgGtOiDEAN1eZUM5SWv8tv-8JxGvXJBLqbjrCMDhnPZdiAs9JT8PFt7Y1p5eeygQPSGS4bgoDD2J4/s1600/18+-+Flatiron+Building.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLy9IhBPvhEDTEr14Nzhlh7I86R8-4ijHF_zaZaTuMqasevUDYWBjB7mXB7bkvb0KgGtOiDEAN1eZUM5SWv8tv-8JxGvXJBLqbjrCMDhnPZdiAs9JT8PFt7Y1p5eeygQPSGS4bgoDD2J4/s640/18+-+Flatiron+Building.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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* In New York, even buildings are iconic! The Flatiron Building has astounded locals and visitors for over a century with its unique, wedge-shaped design.</div>
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Grand Central Terminal</h2>
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* Grand Central Terminal, located in Midtown Manhattan, connects the city to nearby suburbs by railway, servicing nearly 200,000 commuters every day!</div>
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* And its astounding 44 terminals make it the largest train station in the world!</div>
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* As well as a popular filming location, with favorites such as I Am Legend, John Wick 3, and Gossip Girl shot here. </div>
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* What the world needs is more..</div>
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* This peculiar Romanian-Russian looking building is in fact the Jefferson Market Library. Originally built to be a courthouse, it is currently a public library, though not a market (despite its name).</div>
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Washington Square Park</h2>
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* A favorite meeting place of locals, Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village is a popular center for cultural activity.</div>
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* Outdoor ballroom dancing, chess matches, artists sketching the Washington Arch, and couples making-out were among the activities we spotted while we were in the area.</div>
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* The area of which is surrounded by buildings owned by the world-renowned New York University or NYU, whose list of alumni include Jack Dorsey (founder of Twitter), Donald Glover (Childish Gambino), Anne Hathaway, Angelina Jolie, Martin Scorsese, Woody Allen, JD Salinger (Catcher in the Rye) and Lady Gaga.</div>
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* Good to see a piece of home here, and on 5th Avenue too; one of the most glamorous and expensive streets in the world!</div>
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Central Park</h2>
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* The most visited urban park in the United States and one of the most filmed locations in the world, Central Park welcomes an astonishing 37 million people each year!</div>
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* And for Beatles fans like myself, a portion of Central Park known as Strawberry Fields commemorates the life and music of John Lennon who was assassinated nearby..</div>
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* At the entrance of his residential building, The Dakota, one of New York's most exclusive addresses.</div>
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Food Glorious Food</h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKSct8yXX1G5M7AhyphenhyphenfKv7b-u-CJeZBvyslYFxL7Z6h8JXjWOVVU6WwC6PoDxQH3hkuSl5SkXh-saCJepxpDzn33JqT74ZtGj50Xzn35C2saHgegX1D8G9RgUbXIKF6uwVxju5BnVHgKBE/s1600/19+-+Flatiron+Building.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1201" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKSct8yXX1G5M7AhyphenhyphenfKv7b-u-CJeZBvyslYFxL7Z6h8JXjWOVVU6WwC6PoDxQH3hkuSl5SkXh-saCJepxpDzn33JqT74ZtGj50Xzn35C2saHgegX1D8G9RgUbXIKF6uwVxju5BnVHgKBE/s640/19+-+Flatiron+Building.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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* Not to be missed are the plethora (in fact near-infinite) number of fantastic food choices of every conceivable palate from every country on earth; a testament to how much of a melting pot NYC is.</div>
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* I wonder who's winning!</div>
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* Where do we even begin?!</div>
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* It's not a trip to the US, if you don't gain a few pounds!</div>
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Stay tuned for Part 2!</div>
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Danenationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13536191751474911307noreply@blogger.com0New York, NY, USA40.7127753 -74.005972839.9423093 -75.296866299999991 41.483241299999996 -72.7150793tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6343399599739694958.post-32767974827782031552020-02-05T14:25:00.001+08:002022-01-17T20:16:14.685+08:00Himeji: Japan's Largest and Most Majestic Castle<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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In a country of over 100 castles, one stands-out to be Japan's largest, most visited, and most revered: Himeji. Located an hour away by train from Osaka, Himeji Castle is the finest example of the prototypical Japanese castle architecture.</div>
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* So iconic that the Castle has actually been featured in period movies, television series, and games like Civilization Revolution and Shogun Total War.</div>
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* Built in 1333 as a fort under Akamatsu Norimura, the Castle underwent several expansions and renovations before finally arriving at its present five-structure, heavily fortified, castle complex.</div>
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* And it has been reverently referred to by locals as the White Heron Castle, due to its white exterior and (supposed) resemblance to a bird taking flight.</div>
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* Where armies used to battle and die for power and honor, now only tourists remain.</div>
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* Apart from wandering the grounds of the Castle exterior, tours of the interior are also available.</div>
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* Indeed one can explore the entirety of the structure: from the basement to the 6th floor.</div>
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* But, a word of warning, the climb is steep and claustrophobic; though the elderly Japanese visitors sure didn't mind!</div>
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* Amazing what skilled engineers, architects, and laborers can build with wood!</div>
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* Even here, the legendary Japanese system of queueing persists! What an amazing people.</div>
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* Growing up a fan of arcade games like Samurai Showdown and Bushido Blade, I could easily imagine all the epic battles that could be had here.</div>
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* And of course, there's plenty of room for ninjas to play with!</div>
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* Could have been an awesome obstacle course for Takeshi's Castle.</div>
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* Fortification Walls: a common defensive measure common across Europa, the Middle East, and the Orient.</div>
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* Apart from being a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Castle is also a designated "National Treasure" and considered as one of Japan's three "Premier Castles" along with Matsumoto Castle and Kumamoto Castle. </div>
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* Not sure what card game this is, but I sure am intrigued! Though their backs probably hurt after a while what with the absence of tables and chairs.</div>
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* Good Lord, what a moat! Laying siege on this Castle must have been a pain in the ass!</div>
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* Incredible. One cannot easily take his/her eyes off of this view!</div>
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* A bonus attraction located nearby is the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge.</div>
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* Known for being the longest suspension bridge in the world; beating the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco by over 700 meters!</div>
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* The things that the Japanese have built (and continue to build) never fail to amaze me.</div>
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* For those who dare, tours of the walkways are available.</div>
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* To protect from the strong howling winds, transparent reinforced panels surround the walkways; though for thrilling effect, some sections of the walkway flooring are also transparent, giving one the feeling of perilously standing almost a thousand feet above water.</div>
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* Plus, the walkways are extremely photogenic!</div>
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* Golden Gate who?!</div>
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Danenationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13536191751474911307noreply@blogger.com068 Honmachi, Himeji, Hyogo 670-0012, Japan34.839449 134.693904699999969.3174145000000017 93.385310699999962 60.361483500000006 176.00249869999996tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6343399599739694958.post-87948263355071324112020-01-11T16:38:00.001+08:002022-01-17T20:16:08.747+08:00A Night Walk Around Old Town Sevilla<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Definitely one of the advantages of staying in a hotel right in the middle of the city center is the ability to wander around and experience the city after the sun has gone down.</div>
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A Spanish city changes at night. Somehow it becomes even more vibrant and authentic as locals, offered a temporary respite from the hustle and bustle of the daily barrage of tourists, are now free to come out, dine, and socialize; the Spanish way of rewarding one's self for a hard day's work.</div>
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* And in Old Town Sevilla, the UNESCO World Heritage Site is wonderfully lit and conducive for romance.</div>
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* Spaniards, and actually most people living along the Mediterranean coast like the Italians, Southern French, and Greeks, typically have their dinner at 9pm.</div>
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* And dinner time is the highlight of one's day with meals usually extending until midnight; And bars and bistros serving drinks for toasting, stories for sharing, laughter and merriment along the way.</div>
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* Seville being a smaller city than its sisters, Madrid and Barcelona, can be explored conveniently given that most of its attractions are within walking distance of each other.</div>
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* Carriage rides, or "Kalesas" for Filipinos, are a perfect way to see the city, for these mighty steeds look very much in their element with these surroundings.</div>
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* It is also common to hear wonderful music coming from street performers. My favorites have always been of the operatic variety.</div>
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* Safety is of course always a concern for any tourist, but fortunately in Seville, streets are well-lit, people are friendly and helpful, and police presence is unobtrusive yet felt.</div>
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* The Walls of the Seville Royal Palace looking very much like the Walls of Olde Jerusalem.</div>
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* Another view of Sevilla Cathedral, the world's largest Cathedral.<br />
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* In the absence of huge crowds, one can truly appreciate the architectural and structural details everywhere.</div>
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* And of course, take lots of photographs. Thankfully, technology has given our smartphones the capability to take fantastic looking ones!</div>
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* Spanish Jamon (ham) is the best kind of Jamon!</div>
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Danenationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13536191751474911307noreply@blogger.com0Seville, Spain37.3890924 -5.98445889999993637.1871984 -6.3071823999999364 37.590986400000006 -5.6617353999999356tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6343399599739694958.post-39119261673441386662020-01-08T17:29:00.002+08:002022-01-17T20:16:02.312+08:00The Shocking Origin of Russia's Church on Spilled Blood<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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As far as Russian landmarks go, few rival the spectacular Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, located at the heart of St. Petersburg. </div>
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In fact, this structure along with St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow are top-of-mind for when one thinks of icons that are "authentically Russian".</div>
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* However, this awe-inspiring building holds a very dark and shocking origin story.</div>
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* But before we get into that, let's take a moment to admire the Church's ornately decorated facade.</div>
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* Built in 1907, the Church serves as a perfect example of the Romantic Nationalistic style of architecture, which evokes traditional (even folksy) Russian features such as onion domes.</div>
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* The interior of the Church is strikingly colorful, and richly decorated with artwork depicting scenes from the life of Christ, as well as an assortment of Christian saints, bishops, and holy people.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7J1Vpvq8313FE-qETzTdBHUYOlDwgXwpqMQLR-rEnjYoHLFRz409eKWhcE0XF04uE1ErI0mWtZPI3TPFNGQLlYHpPpSnFRP6o2vKZzvrkfCu9ZI7TEHHTZBfapiWT75czf8zspkUa3R8/s1600/5+-+Church+on+Spilled+Blood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7J1Vpvq8313FE-qETzTdBHUYOlDwgXwpqMQLR-rEnjYoHLFRz409eKWhcE0XF04uE1ErI0mWtZPI3TPFNGQLlYHpPpSnFRP6o2vKZzvrkfCu9ZI7TEHHTZBfapiWT75czf8zspkUa3R8/s640/5+-+Church+on+Spilled+Blood.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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* Serving as a beacon of the Russian Orthodox Church, and sharing all the elements of the Orthodoxy worldwide, but in a whole different level of magnificence.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaCnxerbd6fEZ72FYe0wdCBCVDrMB7GRCX50isuiGFCDARpFSm_bfFPEun617JgmlU4M2sxWKqOYDo2LtNowS1thshgpSwIhQC2A7C8QfXYF_i_BeOKCS3OyW1-9hU_iQsEO8hNFeu_GE/s1600/6+-+Church+on+Spilled+Blood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaCnxerbd6fEZ72FYe0wdCBCVDrMB7GRCX50isuiGFCDARpFSm_bfFPEun617JgmlU4M2sxWKqOYDo2LtNowS1thshgpSwIhQC2A7C8QfXYF_i_BeOKCS3OyW1-9hU_iQsEO8hNFeu_GE/s640/6+-+Church+on+Spilled+Blood.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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* Check out the fantastic detail!</div>
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* Explanation boards can be found everywhere; befitting the church's current status as a museum and tourist attraction, not just a place of worship.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnfizTpaB5WJ6VXpQccVwFiArM-J8J9T_Lb9zWhmiz_e1gLblDpBkhR7i4MtQmxppsuBCr3M575Q8wiH4bIBSQZoIQQ-0niiQ7E58MYmIVka-FL8jn8sG3J_EfpMTdoZemZJ4l-evIoB4/s1600/8+-+Church+on+Spilled+Blood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnfizTpaB5WJ6VXpQccVwFiArM-J8J9T_Lb9zWhmiz_e1gLblDpBkhR7i4MtQmxppsuBCr3M575Q8wiH4bIBSQZoIQQ-0niiQ7E58MYmIVka-FL8jn8sG3J_EfpMTdoZemZJ4l-evIoB4/s640/8+-+Church+on+Spilled+Blood.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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* With tourists and the Orthodox faithful, always seen wearing veils to signify their faith, coexisting in this spiritual place.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHCUhP16FK8N5eLmztEZSMKcW3F94N4KBa0p32SYbO3NNcYI-buSpW5vCIiOcJeH09TCb_-6mHMZBSNVCZfCFb5-tMGmf02d0CplnVa7JvfKDMGtemy35pjsJsrX_1q9m8Z4ezGDctYdc/s1600/9+-+Church+on+Spilled+Blood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHCUhP16FK8N5eLmztEZSMKcW3F94N4KBa0p32SYbO3NNcYI-buSpW5vCIiOcJeH09TCb_-6mHMZBSNVCZfCFb5-tMGmf02d0CplnVa7JvfKDMGtemy35pjsJsrX_1q9m8Z4ezGDctYdc/s640/9+-+Church+on+Spilled+Blood.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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* So many stories, from every point of view!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje1riHJXqdXnD7vqRzR5ZKcbwI6n1fcN1PpqY6_O7wCKHP5xNjTpDGMo1njwK7UDZRlUGeU4KXB0ZX8lv1GdTUlgEcpUzdx_dIweFw9LHTpcQNC_RHMvo5ctrmy6nu1KkIjt_gJpNW5e4/s1600/10+-+Church+on+Spilled+Blood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje1riHJXqdXnD7vqRzR5ZKcbwI6n1fcN1PpqY6_O7wCKHP5xNjTpDGMo1njwK7UDZRlUGeU4KXB0ZX8lv1GdTUlgEcpUzdx_dIweFw9LHTpcQNC_RHMvo5ctrmy6nu1KkIjt_gJpNW5e4/s640/10+-+Church+on+Spilled+Blood.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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* Prepare to spend more than 70% of your time inside, looking up, to admire every nook and cranny.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCcDPrZMBKASVWfXtjjC0JN3ucaO4nYqMn2DlJ23Iqp_vLczody2WQNybl5GeANuYOX06hY8wIBSBmkYhuUkrFYFH4sBOesSfdgeFJiub_sQZ-hgCQg3FEn83cVsOqLrzlInz_9S3Yoh8/s1600/11+-+Church+on+Spilled+Blood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCcDPrZMBKASVWfXtjjC0JN3ucaO4nYqMn2DlJ23Iqp_vLczody2WQNybl5GeANuYOX06hY8wIBSBmkYhuUkrFYFH4sBOesSfdgeFJiub_sQZ-hgCQg3FEn83cVsOqLrzlInz_9S3Yoh8/s640/11+-+Church+on+Spilled+Blood.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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* All in all, the Church containing an astounding 7,500 square meters of mosaics, the most in any church in the world!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgapBHZKBPgAJCik7lJxAG0XaNEa9JN2J7b2FYwTpy4rM4_6gnhwwvqftL4sIyAinTNGXPBMWE2kA_AJC26VyhUX1IDxxs9REmgumT2UGW7D_KjdK6keb-Y5eAyLHYpIM9_HearmE1N4Kc/s1600/12+-+Church+on+Spilled+Blood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgapBHZKBPgAJCik7lJxAG0XaNEa9JN2J7b2FYwTpy4rM4_6gnhwwvqftL4sIyAinTNGXPBMWE2kA_AJC26VyhUX1IDxxs9REmgumT2UGW7D_KjdK6keb-Y5eAyLHYpIM9_HearmE1N4Kc/s640/12+-+Church+on+Spilled+Blood.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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* Kind of like the cast of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but holy!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhldfFtp6jqCcmpBS3hH37m2sm6WMdXNBk4IpRKP9E7YihUw16TgrY8TimIMEceuUZFsA4DByHr_D92Pv4HaYfl-765AVazzIVbrfO_957HeiRhOvkj16jd5fCpheC2H49SCsz74c9b-U/s1600/13+-+Church+on+Spilled+Blood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhldfFtp6jqCcmpBS3hH37m2sm6WMdXNBk4IpRKP9E7YihUw16TgrY8TimIMEceuUZFsA4DByHr_D92Pv4HaYfl-765AVazzIVbrfO_957HeiRhOvkj16jd5fCpheC2H49SCsz74c9b-U/s640/13+-+Church+on+Spilled+Blood.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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* So why is the edifice referred to as the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood? What is its shocking origin?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWM5vMKgwKOFIdr7VIENdN8lzASvuU3QzZVnm5BeexPgU3bDopNMQxHvQGVw4JOOJ149ESeG1AxYL1VaGlQuxmQ1CLVrXLDrPIfVoSDe0CRaX9D7lz3A6Yikjxu2ZtZy5GD4tHV3dnrXI/s1600/15+-+Church+on+Spilled+Blood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWM5vMKgwKOFIdr7VIENdN8lzASvuU3QzZVnm5BeexPgU3bDopNMQxHvQGVw4JOOJ149ESeG1AxYL1VaGlQuxmQ1CLVrXLDrPIfVoSDe0CRaX9D7lz3A6Yikjxu2ZtZy5GD4tHV3dnrXI/s640/15+-+Church+on+Spilled+Blood.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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* The Church was in fact built on the ground that the Russian Tsar, Alexander II, was assassinated on over a century ago.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEird9a-eRXgRg8T_sWdQeZ3ufG9nkbUdSMvCPvJJWPDesRVhtCI4JE_JqxJBWU2gwDVi5F3NWSPpoXQqYlzBHOzA9OOAl9qQWP3Re2KYOWAt6RwsNry4cu7A4AxMo2hC1SM1d-nodO9mbA/s1600/14+-+Church+on+Spilled+Blood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEird9a-eRXgRg8T_sWdQeZ3ufG9nkbUdSMvCPvJJWPDesRVhtCI4JE_JqxJBWU2gwDVi5F3NWSPpoXQqYlzBHOzA9OOAl9qQWP3Re2KYOWAt6RwsNry4cu7A4AxMo2hC1SM1d-nodO9mbA/s640/14+-+Church+on+Spilled+Blood.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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* Back in 1881, on an area that used to be a paved road running on the side of a canal, Russian anarchists, armed with grenades, waited for the carriage containing the Russian Tsar to pass by.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimdz4OhGpoFKlSB2ypnpt1uJBMGvK18C_79qZWaha4zYWbYoJlTLAMPNeLZSf_MmsLklJyyHEzrC-T-7qELdBn96a_GjR8D_ia9IFPDWHHpufUP80h7hs7HHZ1l6LZJmSqet36lF0KLWo/s1600/16+-+Church+on+Spilled+Blood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimdz4OhGpoFKlSB2ypnpt1uJBMGvK18C_79qZWaha4zYWbYoJlTLAMPNeLZSf_MmsLklJyyHEzrC-T-7qELdBn96a_GjR8D_ia9IFPDWHHpufUP80h7hs7HHZ1l6LZJmSqet36lF0KLWo/s640/16+-+Church+on+Spilled+Blood.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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* And as the grenades exploded, leaving the Tsar to bleed all over the area with his legs torn, stomach ripped open, and face mutilated (in the exact area denoted by the memorial above), chaos ensued with the royal guard quickly whisking the dying Emperor away to the Winter Palace (now the Hermitage) where he soon succumbed to his wounds.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk6XySpVlL1qR5I9n5QIanVN1h1AkUyp4Gr06ZIaJr23FoXIOO0zwr2CJrPOwlUXfYukhun3CKKkNQ5sxZpD_c-PuBPs2wlIVnzQinA2yKYYcLJU-2aebiDp0qVpVcSKssJhAadTGLJOk/s1600/17+-+Church+on+Spilled+Blood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk6XySpVlL1qR5I9n5QIanVN1h1AkUyp4Gr06ZIaJr23FoXIOO0zwr2CJrPOwlUXfYukhun3CKKkNQ5sxZpD_c-PuBPs2wlIVnzQinA2yKYYcLJU-2aebiDp0qVpVcSKssJhAadTGLJOk/s640/17+-+Church+on+Spilled+Blood.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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* Leaving the dead Tsar's son and heir, Alexander III, to hunt down, torture, and execute all conspirators. </div>
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* And in the process erect this Church on the grounds of that heinous and bloody attack.</div>
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* Unfortunately, Alexander II would not be the last Tsar to die horribly with the end of the Romanov Dynasty coming over 30 years later.</div>
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* Today the area is one of St. Petersburg's most popular sites with trendy cafes, restaurants, and activities like kayaking being a big hit for all visitors. </div>
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* With one such restaurant, offering fantastic Georgian cuisine resembling kebabs, serving as our lunch and recharge stop that morning.</div>
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Danenationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13536191751474911307noreply@blogger.com0St Petersburg, Russia59.9342802 30.33509860000003858.916101700000006 27.753311600000039 60.9524587 32.916885600000036tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6343399599739694958.post-24149927005643402402020-01-02T13:42:00.002+08:002022-01-17T20:15:54.876+08:00Downtown Helsinki and Other Highlights<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Helsinki, capital of Finland, is your quintessential ideal European city: heavily pedestrianized, fantastic public transportation, full of green open spaces and mid-rise buildings, and a general feeling of safety especially for foreigners.</div>
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It is also known as the credit card capital of Europe; and indeed one can buy anything (even street food) with a Visa or Mastercard on hand! </div>
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* A fact which came in handy in the city's Market Square!</div>
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* Here, vendors sell fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, meat, poultry, and fish; very similar to our markets in Asia, but much less chaotic!</div>
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* Finnish souvenirs and hand-made dolls are also a big hit. Check out the multi-racial selection here!</div>
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* The Finns also share the hipster sensibilities of their Nordic brethren: the Danes and the Swedes.</div>
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* After partaking in a solid Finnish snack of fresh fish and calamari, one can have a cup of joe at any of the outdoor cafes, people-watch over meat pastries (yes, it's a thing here!), or hop-on the numerous ferries offering cruises to nearby islands.</div>
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* Or just take photographs around the picturesque surroundings! A word of warning, beware the wily seagulls as they have been known to swoop down and steal food!</div>
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* A nice walk down the pier past a glimpse of the Finnish Presidential Palace. Hello there, neighbor!</div>
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* Such peaceful seaside settlements, these Viking descendants have!</div>
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* A very Nordic characteristic is the presence of artwork everywhere, including outside washrooms / restrooms!</div>
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* One of Helsinki's most famous attractions is the abstract work-of-art known as the Sibelius Monument dedicated to the late famous Finnish composer, Jean Sibelius. Art critics have debated its organ-looking design for decades, as Mr. Sibelius did not create music using the aforementioned instrument.</div>
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* Perhaps getting tired of defending her work, the artist, Eila Hiltunen, later added this very straight-forward sculpture of Jean Sibelius right next to the main piece.</div>
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* More interesting souvenirs, this time of a vendor selling Finnish elves / dwarves! Credit cards are of course accepted!</div>
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* One of Helsinki's low-key attractions is the colorful and fantastical Uspenski Cathedral.</div>
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* Standing on top of a small hill facing the city, Uspenski Cathedral is the main Orthodox Cathedral of Finland.</div>
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* And it is visually stunning! One can easily see the Russian influence in its architecture, color, and design.</div>
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* The interior of the structure was surprisingly well-lit with natural light; for I have traditionally found Orthodox churches to be darker and "moodier" than Catholic and Protestant ones.</div>
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* The most sacred and venerated artifact in the whole Cathedral is this icon of the Virgin and Child, known as the Theotokos of Kozeltshan, which was stolen in 2010 but miraculously recovered years later.</div>
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* This could very well be the backdrop of a period Russian epic.</div>
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* Family picture on a church on a hill!</div>
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* Finland is a whole different world in terms of brands. The only true Finnish brand that's universally known is Nokia. Yes.. that Nokia, our childhood telecom brand of indestructible phones!</div>
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* Electric trams, bicycles, and subway lines are what efficient and effective mass transportation systems are made of.</div>
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* Walking through downtown Helsinki, I found myself wondering what a random crane was doing in the background.</div>
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* Upon further examination, I realized it was actually a hanging restaurant! Thanks, but no thanks!</div>
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* Is it a factory? Warehouse? Nope, it's a typical Finnish hipster hotel.</div>
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* Finnish is such a uniquely perplexing language, utilizing an odd combination of double vowels and consonants!</div>
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* Go on, try to read it straight!</div>
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* What having a successful city in Sim City looks like!</div>
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* All this walking deserves a well-balanced meal!</div>
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Danenationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13536191751474911307noreply@blogger.com0Helsinki, Finland60.169855699999992 24.9383791000000259.663417699999989 23.647485600000021 60.676293699999995 26.229272600000019tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6343399599739694958.post-88611340660459190362019-12-20T15:31:00.002+08:002022-01-17T20:14:40.312+08:00Nara: City of Sacred Deer<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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No trip to Osaka would be complete without a stopover at the enchanting city of Nara.</div>
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While history and culture buffs will love the collection of temples, shrines, and ruins that altogether make up the UNESCO World Heritage "Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara" list, most travelers come for a different activity all together: <b>the feeding and photo opportunity with wild Japanese deer.</b></div>
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Tōdai-ji Temple</h2>
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* And the most popular location for this activity can be found on the grounds of Todai-ji Temple.</div>
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* To enter the complex, one must go through the Nandaimon, the Great South Gate, which is considered a Japanese national treasure.</div>
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* Agyo, one of two great Nandaimon guardians, bids you salutations and good tidings!</div>
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* Todai-ji is one of the so-called "Seven Great Temples" and was completed in the 8th Century.</div>
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* And the temple is known for having the largest bronze statue of Buddha in the world!</div>
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* No climbing of the Buddha is allowed! This is despite growing up with statues of a laughing Buddha being smothered by happy children!</div>
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* Right next to the Giant Buddha is this fancier Buddha (?) with the trademark sleepy gaze.</div>
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* Along with the no-nonsense Temple Guardians, Komokuten..</div>
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* And his partner, Bishamonten, who I'm guessing is very lethal with that trident (or back scratcher?).</div>
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* A very peculiar attraction in the complex is this lifelike (or fossilized?!) statue of what I'm assuming is a Buddhist monk.</div>
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* "Master of occult powers".... interesting.</div>
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* A grand palatial home, fit for the world's largest bronze Buddha!</div>
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* But of course you can already tell that most of the people here are excited about the deer..</div>
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* And they do not disappoint!</div>
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* But first a word of warning!</div>
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* The deer of Nara aren't just there randomly; in fact, they are considered by locals to be heavenly protectors of the city!</div>
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* And despite being wild animals, these creatures have somehow learned to bow as a means of asking for treats from guests.</div>
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* Though some of them can be naughty and mischievous! Several vendors sell deer crackers for tourists so interacting with them should not be a problem.</div>
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* Ahh the look of a full stomach!</div>
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* Me-time for both these beautiful animals.</div>
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* Still a better love story than Twilight.</div>
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Kasuga Shrine</h2>
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* Another interesting stop in Nara is the Kasuga Grand Shrine.<br />
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* Here the deer are much more wild; with several appearing out of nowhere, demanding snacks without bowing for them, and some actually chasing tourists for treats!</div>
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* The shrine is famous for rows and rows of stone lanterns leading up to the shrine.</div>
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* Like a Japanese RPG Game.. but real life.</div>
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* What a strange sign in a country like Japan that isn't really known for these kinds of incidents!</div>
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* Have dramatic setting, will find dramatically dressed women posing for photographs.</div>
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* Apart from the stone lanterns, the shrine's interior is also full of hanging bronze lanterns.</div>
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* Such strange souvenirs: chips called "Limited of Human" with a teary-eyed deer as its cover photo.</div>
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Danenationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13536191751474911307noreply@blogger.com0Nara, Japan34.685109 135.8048019000000334.47613 135.48207840000003 34.894087999999996 136.12752540000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6343399599739694958.post-54499792341909774512019-11-22T10:51:00.002+08:002022-01-17T20:14:31.982+08:00Sevilla Cathedral: The Largest Cathedral in the World<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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In the medieval competition for recognition of the title of "Champion of Christianity", Spain certainly talked the talk and walked the walk. </div>
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Not content with colonizing the Americas and the Philippine Islands in the name of Christ and waging a crusade to reconquer the Iberian peninsula from the Muslim Moors, Spain also built herself several iconic and unrivaled churches; among which is the Cathedral of Seville.</div>
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Also known as the largest cathedral in the world!</div>
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* And burial place of famed explorer, Christopher Columbus.<br />
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* When we talk about the largest cathedral in the world, we do mean LARGEST cathedral in the world!</div>
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* The title of which, Seville Cathedral won from Constantinople's (now Istanbul) massive Hagia Sophia, which had held the title for nearly a thousand years.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpXdvRP0wB5T1KVaZ6deFfhw2_bX9oDbQWhIbDVmRAYAchaFAXyZ7acvjI1wLZkDKKNxEP9iT7IoWQOKvZ3c20vBjsmt0wPZQKuF3OeW_63eRROyp8OlHWXc3CSODIpEBINbyKUrTuGBE/s1600/4+-+Sevilla+Cathedral.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpXdvRP0wB5T1KVaZ6deFfhw2_bX9oDbQWhIbDVmRAYAchaFAXyZ7acvjI1wLZkDKKNxEP9iT7IoWQOKvZ3c20vBjsmt0wPZQKuF3OeW_63eRROyp8OlHWXc3CSODIpEBINbyKUrTuGBE/s640/4+-+Sevilla+Cathedral.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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* The Spaniards sure weren't messing around with scale!</div>
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* One of the focal points of the Cathedral is the previously mentioned burial catafalque of Christopher Columbus, seen here in all its epic glory!</div>
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* Yes those are four giant adorned kings (representing the kingdoms of Castile, Leon, Aragon, and Navarre.. which altogether make up the Kingdom of Spain) carrying the sarcophagus of the famous explorer!</div>
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* Christopher Columbus, of course, is famous for discovering the Americas from the point of view of American and European historians!</div>
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* Go big or go home! Just imagine the music from this gigantic organ; both classical and electronic dance! </div>
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* You can probably fly a drone in here AND lose signal / range with it!</div>
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* Altar display styling is one of the legacies of Spanish colonization of the Americans and Philippine Islands!</div>
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* The pillars might as well be redwood sequoia trees with how thick they are.</div>
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* The Cathedral of course contains all the trappings of a working and functioning place of worship; such as the Baptistry, setting for that sacred milestone in the life of every Christian boy and girl.</div>
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* And this one, which is a Church WITHIN the Cathedral. </div>
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* Yes this place is THAT huge.<br />
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* And like all grand European churches, the place is filled with chapels of every conceivable purpose and design. From the intricate rococo..</div>
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* To the more traditional Italian Renaissance..<br />
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* To those adorned with religious paintings..</div>
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* To the ones that are REALLY adorned!</div>
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* Yeah they spared no expense in this place!</div>
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* One can spend the whole day just exploring the various chapels, rooms, and halls.</div>
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* Or looking up to gawk at the domes and ceilings of exquisite Renaissance design.</div>
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* Or admiring the rich detail and history of every nook and cranny in the Cathedral's treasury.</div>
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* Containing a rich collection of religious treasures and works-of-art.</div>
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* Including this statue of the Virgin Mary and Infant Jesus from the Philippine Islands.</div>
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* And of course, relics from countless Christian saints.</div>
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* Or just finding a spot to sit quietly, reflect, and maybe say a short prayer of gratitude and thanksgiving.</div>
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* A strange bonus is spotting this crocodile which seems comically out of place!</div>
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Danenationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13536191751474911307noreply@blogger.com0Seville, Spain37.3890924 -5.98445889999993637.1871984 -6.3071823999999364 37.590986400000006 -5.6617353999999356tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6343399599739694958.post-54354966187825546372019-11-20T14:47:00.004+08:002022-01-17T20:14:25.792+08:00The Hermitage: Museum and Former Home of the Russian Emperors<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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If one wants to truly see how diligently focused and meticulous the Russian Tsars and Tsarinas were in trying to outdo their European neighbors in culture, wealth, and grandeur, one only has to look at their insane collection at the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg.</div>
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* The Hermitage Museum is a sprawling art museum that is second only in terms of size to the Louvre in Paris.</div>
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* How sprawling? Well the Hermitage is spread out across a large complex of six interconnected buildings, in a structure that was once formerly known as the Russian Winter Palace.</div>
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* And the Russian Winter Palace was formerly the official residence of the Russian Tsars and Tsarinas!</div>
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* Access to the Museum is via the expansive Palace Square. Once the main square in the whole Russian Empire, Palace Square has been the site of numerous historical events (often tragic and bloody) including the Bloody Sunday Massacre and the October Revolution of 1917.</div>
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* The October Revolution marked the climax of a series of events which began with the overthrow and assassination of the last Russian Emperor, Nicholas II, to the creation of Soviet Russia.</div>
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* Today, the Square is lined with dozens of tanks, artillery, and mechanized infantry units for tourists to take photos / selfies with.</div>
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* At the focal point of the Square, stands the Alexander Column which was built to commemorate Russia's victory against Napoleon's France.</div>
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* As well as this triumphal arc on the General Staff Building, also erected to commemorate Napoleon's defeat, which was a big deal back in the day as Napoleon was the French military genius who almost conquered the whole Continental Europe.</div>
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* Entering the Hermitage, one gets the feeling that this will not be an ordinary museum visit.</div>
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* Thanks to it being the former royal home of the Russian Tsars and Tsarinas, the museum's walls, stairs, and pillars are ornately decorated and masterfully laid-out for maximum awe effect.</div>
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* It's like each succeeding room is competing with the last in majesty and splendor.</div>
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* In fact, the rooms compete with the museum treasures themselves for your attention!</div>
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* "We have come to pay tribute to the Emperor!" As diplomats once did in the strangely named Small Throne Room, as there was nothing small about it at all.</div>
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* Russian valor on full display! </div>
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* As a battle-hardened people, Russians have had to contend with Mongol hordes, Persians, Ottomans, and of course Continental Europeans throughout history.</div>
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* And they looked marvelous doing so!</div>
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* The wife dressed for the occasion!</div>
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* One of the most elaborately decorated rooms in the complex is the Grand Church of the Palace, which was the private place of worship of the royal family.</div>
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* And includes numerous relics and items attributed to the Romanovs, including the bloodied uniform that Emperor Alexander II was wearing when he was assassinated. </div>
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* Finally arriving at the Main Throne Room, located in the Hall of St. George, which was where the most formal ceremonies in the Imperial Court took place. (And thus explains why the aforementioned Small Throne Room was referred to as such)</div>
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* As a museum, the Hermitage boasts an astounding collection of over three million priceless items!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6vOL7XHHWoWcTjgPbtoYGTMxuB9BCtM1qJijo-ksr5EfeHSQILsUWy8M3FAyxcgvei_rVH_B95OnK0RDqbRQ5fUS6ev2gk29QZkvBz2jrNhsa-_qOV5h4vLsSFPpJ2NdJK7H9ypcQA3k/s1600/23+-+The+Hermitage+Museum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6vOL7XHHWoWcTjgPbtoYGTMxuB9BCtM1qJijo-ksr5EfeHSQILsUWy8M3FAyxcgvei_rVH_B95OnK0RDqbRQ5fUS6ev2gk29QZkvBz2jrNhsa-_qOV5h4vLsSFPpJ2NdJK7H9ypcQA3k/s640/23+-+The+Hermitage+Museum.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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* With only a small portion of which on display at any given point in time.</div>
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* Featuring strange and curious artifacts including this mechanized ostrich and bird figures that are covered in gold.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhWDnvYlzrmW25AoVTAtvb8PgdBXDYa8RxkErkSZ17BIx59zoeMU4O0HNAkyxXRvIvTv0pKIJisOjcG0g661PXN99oBBPEWOyHSij8qYtin9S0Dt5N7qL8lS4gzN-mh61SJSmNZ3Y3o_A/s1600/25+-+The+Hermitage+Museum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhWDnvYlzrmW25AoVTAtvb8PgdBXDYa8RxkErkSZ17BIx59zoeMU4O0HNAkyxXRvIvTv0pKIJisOjcG0g661PXN99oBBPEWOyHSij8qYtin9S0Dt5N7qL8lS4gzN-mh61SJSmNZ3Y3o_A/s640/25+-+The+Hermitage+Museum.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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* And the largest collection of paintings in the world! Yes, beating the Louvre, Musee d'Orsay, the MET, etc.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1_o-y3LFQvjXcLp42-hg2ZkQURo5SplKtIg8iJzSYLIxuBaFkxJrKaoWEZqnwvxPSFjB3uK90Iz6KVKjlMebz7rBfJTlSliCCYCOFFPQgkd1PRbvykaZaEogcU8sMsWyWFK2yUFDD-ZI/s1600/26+-+The+Hermitage+Museum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1_o-y3LFQvjXcLp42-hg2ZkQURo5SplKtIg8iJzSYLIxuBaFkxJrKaoWEZqnwvxPSFjB3uK90Iz6KVKjlMebz7rBfJTlSliCCYCOFFPQgkd1PRbvykaZaEogcU8sMsWyWFK2yUFDD-ZI/s640/26+-+The+Hermitage+Museum.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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* Including the Benois Madonna..</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIluSkymJLCOhDVdQJoCCVg2DanmhY9qY9oBNpho_PlBU88SUbvUdIoMjCq1m1JPeBwyMl_elZaJGKixV8xw_EBlpbdT-rw2almO76HIs4NIJ5Hyew0zRotv_lOPU5cLhexIuEMjGtM-4/s1600/27+-+The+Hermitage+Museum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIluSkymJLCOhDVdQJoCCVg2DanmhY9qY9oBNpho_PlBU88SUbvUdIoMjCq1m1JPeBwyMl_elZaJGKixV8xw_EBlpbdT-rw2almO76HIs4NIJ5Hyew0zRotv_lOPU5cLhexIuEMjGtM-4/s640/27+-+The+Hermitage+Museum.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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* And Madonna Litta, both painted by our main man, Leonardo Da Vinci! I wonder if there's some sort of secret code hidden in these..</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW3UeRcU9unSn8ZmymO8QPbkCo3WIkc-mFEedRjyVZwfG_FZjrAdy6xg_5H_J3dwciBFWR49GDGgcb3j-cBToMqC18fcfi9wljmPGbvI5QZ66ubCfM-sx5g6cJFMx7MnsWANVljAyPUAo/s1600/28+-+The+Hermitage+Museum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW3UeRcU9unSn8ZmymO8QPbkCo3WIkc-mFEedRjyVZwfG_FZjrAdy6xg_5H_J3dwciBFWR49GDGgcb3j-cBToMqC18fcfi9wljmPGbvI5QZ66ubCfM-sx5g6cJFMx7MnsWANVljAyPUAo/s640/28+-+The+Hermitage+Museum.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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* This peculiar painting of an old lady eavesdropping on two young people hanging out..</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2yZS6CcqKmvUyPQSE8ZkOLgxSdaWN4bx4XYcz36Pi5a9pmt98iAd-QAAudkRqj0f2DvqAUQ1nKWa-GL8MRlITsGbq_nOwar25WBbYCgqZhgmzQkPAlOaIdbu6wVWqSx9NOmNPBDFN95Y/s1600/29+-+The+Hermitage+Museum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2yZS6CcqKmvUyPQSE8ZkOLgxSdaWN4bx4XYcz36Pi5a9pmt98iAd-QAAudkRqj0f2DvqAUQ1nKWa-GL8MRlITsGbq_nOwar25WBbYCgqZhgmzQkPAlOaIdbu6wVWqSx9NOmNPBDFN95Y/s640/29+-+The+Hermitage+Museum.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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* This incredible mashup of art, geometry and spacing known as the Raphael Loggias. (Good luck taking a selfie here!)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsVMz7RmeL1x6ePn8hyphenhyphen2wYwpIMCJ0EwhJJeeOxudjrRgiy8IXysvmPj9Wqzy0OE-3Gy_KrB77v3AH_vbtVAllV3gvwCLl8hdqqOHpnpwyMyei78p3wRKHJMXxf9ip8wAo90fdOnHKZSsw/s1600/30+-+The+Hermitage+Museum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsVMz7RmeL1x6ePn8hyphenhyphen2wYwpIMCJ0EwhJJeeOxudjrRgiy8IXysvmPj9Wqzy0OE-3Gy_KrB77v3AH_vbtVAllV3gvwCLl8hdqqOHpnpwyMyei78p3wRKHJMXxf9ip8wAo90fdOnHKZSsw/s640/30+-+The+Hermitage+Museum.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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* And works by the prominent masters: Raphael, El Greco, Caravaggio, Van Dyck, Rembrandt, Goya, Monet, Van Gogh, and Picasso!</div>
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* Including a sculpture (The Crouching Boy) by Michaelangelo himself! Which astonishingly didn't have a protective glass or stanchion around it!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPPwxqxKPyLYbHkmnmW6hrleORdiyJk99P5Rg8wQ8N5CyU_8b-VIicEP3hZMR2dZnJ5WShCkg-kEuFUnZyTGUl3Nm09se1IfInd6sosJ7gxtjt6EuDyA5SB5wcTA4CHhoj98lLBhKvcU0/s1600/32+-+The+Hermitage+Museum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPPwxqxKPyLYbHkmnmW6hrleORdiyJk99P5Rg8wQ8N5CyU_8b-VIicEP3hZMR2dZnJ5WShCkg-kEuFUnZyTGUl3Nm09se1IfInd6sosJ7gxtjt6EuDyA5SB5wcTA4CHhoj98lLBhKvcU0/s640/32+-+The+Hermitage+Museum.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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* In fact, most of the priceless works-of-art did not have any protection around them! </div>
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* I got slightly anxious at the thought of one careless tourist in a sea of thousands of tourists that day knocking a statue over!</div>
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* They can probably do this while clothed, but CHOOSE not to!</div>
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* Probably a normal scene back in the middle ages!</div>
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* Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss, by Canova, is one of two pieces built by the aforementioned sculptor, with the other identical piece residing in the Louvre. </div>
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* If you're wondering how the Romanovs got to amass all this wonderful artwork, we can thank Empress Catherine the Great, who reigned over the period known as the "Russian Enlightenment" and the "Golden Age of Russia". </div>
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* Keep your head together! A penny for your thoughts? Don't lose your head!</div>
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* Harry Potter and the Undying (Formerly) Flame</div>
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* Great Zeus! Yet another Ancient Greek sculpture that's not in Athens?</div>
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* Yes it seems that artifacts from the Ancient World are must-haves in any respectable museum!</div>
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* And yes that includes Egyptian ones! Like this exhibition that now inhabits the area which used to be the main buffet of the Winter Palace!</div>
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* Will you let me just sleep?!</div>
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* Ancient Egyptians probably be like "Why are they displaying my bed, upright?!"</div>
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Danenationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13536191751474911307noreply@blogger.com0Palace Square, 2, Sankt-Peterburg, Russia, 19000059.939831700000013 30.31455970000001834.41779720000001 -10.994034299999981 85.461866200000017 71.623153700000017tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6343399599739694958.post-76534013113882670062019-11-16T15:58:00.002+08:002022-01-17T20:14:19.514+08:00Helsinki: One of the World's Most Livable Cities<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Finland is a country of extremely positive circumstances. Despite being the most sparsely populated country in the European Union, it has one of the highest per capita incomes in the world with very high marks in levels of education, economic competitiveness, quality of life, and human development.</div>
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Finland is also consistently on the list of "happiest people in the world", has been awarded "most stable country" continuously for six years (2011-2016), and is at the top of the Global Gender Gap ranking, meaning men and women are treated almost equally in terms of pay, opportunities, and benefits.</div>
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* And this utopia of a country is ruled from its capital Helsinki, which certainly lives up to its country's accolades by being named "world's most livable city" a bunch of times in the past two decades.<br />
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* At the center of Helsinki, is its Senate Square, historically the oldest part of the city where all its landmarks and famous buildings are conveniently located and from where everything else is within walking distance.</div>
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* Dominating Senate Square is this enormous building of the Helsinki Cathedral. Fans of Electronic Dance Music will immediately recognize this backdrop in the video of "Sandstorm" by the popular DJ Darude.</div>
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* Along with the rest of Scandinavia, Finland is staunchly Protestant and follows the Evangelical Lutheran Church.</div>
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* And like most Protestant places of worship, the interior of the Cathedral is very minimalist with the cross and ornate organ serving as the focal point of the edifice.</div>
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* Of course, statues of famous Protestant figures (like Martin Luther) stand resolute on the Cathedral's walls.</div>
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* Other famous buildings on Senate Square include the yellow-hued Government Palace which houses the Office of the Prime Minister, Chancellor of Justice, and Ministry of Finance.</div>
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* And the beige-hued buildings of the University of Helsinki.</div>
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* But at the center of the square stands this splendid statue of Alexander II, who isn't actually Finnish but Russian!</div>
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* You see, Finland also inhabits two worlds, being historically and culturally linked with Scandinavia and Russia.</div>
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* At that time, Finland was part of the Russian Empire, with the aforementioned Alexander II serving as Emperor of Russia, Grand Duke of Finland, and King of Poland.</div>
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* And the Finns loved Alexander II, as he promoted Finnish autonomy from Russia; for example, he encouraged the establishment of their own Parliament, the Diet of Finland.</div>
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* It is not surprising then that Senate Square is the most visited landmark in the country.</div>
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* With numerous travel influencers..</div>
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* And their boyfriend-photographers, angling for the best shots!</div>
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* Of course, the Mrs. did not waste this photo opportunity!</div>
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* Marvelous! Ravishing! Bravo!</div>
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* Yeah.. whatever.</div>
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* Today, the Senate Square is a popular meeting spot for locals; also serving as venue for concerts, art exhibits, and oddly enough, snowboarding competitions.</div>
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Danenationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13536191751474911307noreply@blogger.com0Helsinki, Finland60.169855699999992 24.9383791000000259.663417699999989 23.647485600000021 60.676293699999995 26.229272600000019tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6343399599739694958.post-58090734720636747492019-11-14T13:29:00.001+08:002022-01-17T20:14:12.993+08:00Fushimi Inari and the Shrines of Kyoto<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Along with the futuristic megacity of Tokyo and the foodie heaven of Osaka, no trip to Japan would be complete without visiting its cultural capital, Kyoto.</div>
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Home to the Japanese imperial court for over a thousand years, Kyoto is full of palaces, temples, shrines, and gardens; which thanks to not being targeted by Allied bombing during World War II, has been preserved in all its authenticity. This is Part 3 of our Kyoto Series: Shrines.</div>
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Fushimi Inari-Taisha</h2>
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* And hands-down, the most requested photo spot in all of Kyoto, is this pathway leading to Fushimi Inari-Taisha. Prepare to battle with dozens of tourists over what is essentially the same shot (lol!).</div>
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* The shrine itself though is much more peaceful, inviting visitors to take a moment of reflective silence. </div>
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* Like the paper lanterns we used to make back in grade school, but so much nicer!</div>
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* They say God hears all prayers. I like to think that is true, regardless of religion, so long as your intention is pure.</div>
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* The word Inari refers to the great spirit of rice and agriculture. So when you see adherents of Shintoism praying here, it is for good harvest and business.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT06FNc_YCD8mMPchYF-Cacxsjmm2IIIz3s5V9CTqdPYp_arDdcK5P9wL9cVDOIfk2Fqt9bjHy6UDBRO4wA2lIXLJb4HpS0onIpLwXBTZHR19VmIyqn8QQ-SpOx8LdTaoNU5Bf9vN4Pp8/s1600/6+-+Fushimi+Inari+Taisha.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT06FNc_YCD8mMPchYF-Cacxsjmm2IIIz3s5V9CTqdPYp_arDdcK5P9wL9cVDOIfk2Fqt9bjHy6UDBRO4wA2lIXLJb4HpS0onIpLwXBTZHR19VmIyqn8QQ-SpOx8LdTaoNU5Bf9vN4Pp8/s640/6+-+Fushimi+Inari+Taisha.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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* Wakanda forever! Oh wait wrong country..</div>
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* I could have sworn that this was a level in Street Fighter / Mortal Kombat!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzMIqatHXWT0ac87XU2r-_n1AsT4QUp2YTcmP0cEKZkZapRECKIWf95O4s7Fwyt62FhgnEnT4BXPcwEj_mWF8tM1Dzu8IHkzmRjM9YXOGB6AGUjD_wKhGhJWhZO4lsBcRvp0l0Va4ynDQ/s1600/8+-+Fushimi+Inari+Taisha.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="938" data-original-width="1251" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzMIqatHXWT0ac87XU2r-_n1AsT4QUp2YTcmP0cEKZkZapRECKIWf95O4s7Fwyt62FhgnEnT4BXPcwEj_mWF8tM1Dzu8IHkzmRjM9YXOGB6AGUjD_wKhGhJWhZO4lsBcRvp0l0Va4ynDQ/s640/8+-+Fushimi+Inari+Taisha.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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* The family praying for rice! For what the world needs is more rice!</div>
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Kitano Tenmangū</h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKUgUAY1lj51GC_vi4rt0os6sd7RTvu6DwiY_CJpYzvDG9mkdWTbEUk7nSBugt7bPpGmr92QfAiSN1VSLLxB2h9ySVUXE9el0Po2nxkkoedzyWBUE-BQdD5Q7jG4l1KY8YEzq6VLRZVK8/s1600/9+-+Kitano+Tenmangu+Shrine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKUgUAY1lj51GC_vi4rt0os6sd7RTvu6DwiY_CJpYzvDG9mkdWTbEUk7nSBugt7bPpGmr92QfAiSN1VSLLxB2h9ySVUXE9el0Po2nxkkoedzyWBUE-BQdD5Q7jG4l1KY8YEzq6VLRZVK8/s640/9+-+Kitano+Tenmangu+Shrine.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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* While not as famous as the Fushimi Inari, the Kitano Tenmangu is also very atmospheric and carries with it a truly impressive backstory.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwjqMIi3KplWzzRyKRxEs1HBP07eSXp2gM_5Eb2K20BMKYimq7tSRMGX81DTVt8oIECnAEfTiZ8MC6lTB1pzeuhmk1ZLfMUCDmUwAlexiea0VPrgMY9H054oGhd5TAvlN2x9gPLEY6-NY/s1600/10+-+Kitano+Tenmangu+Shrine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwjqMIi3KplWzzRyKRxEs1HBP07eSXp2gM_5Eb2K20BMKYimq7tSRMGX81DTVt8oIECnAEfTiZ8MC6lTB1pzeuhmk1ZLfMUCDmUwAlexiea0VPrgMY9H054oGhd5TAvlN2x9gPLEY6-NY/s640/10+-+Kitano+Tenmangu+Shrine.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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* Legend states that the shrine was built to appease the angry spirit of an exiled bureaucrat!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_u-yK8clgKlW7CA-l-b3o9nVVFf6EqozQT2QJUXrNNIH_h7ew8ilahyOowi-Y8zB5t1vXj2t7ESr5rya0pnJ56V8PFYbqK49Nz99gMQ0HFj_INPdIsd1pfCpcsId5m_4zhdKXNnPxbpQ/s1600/11+-+Kitano+Tenmangu+Shrine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_u-yK8clgKlW7CA-l-b3o9nVVFf6EqozQT2QJUXrNNIH_h7ew8ilahyOowi-Y8zB5t1vXj2t7ESr5rya0pnJ56V8PFYbqK49Nz99gMQ0HFj_INPdIsd1pfCpcsId5m_4zhdKXNnPxbpQ/s640/11+-+Kitano+Tenmangu+Shrine.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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* Yeah that story really escalated didn't it?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEispMCIf2QV_5fP8HmOs2G1jSkPowE18TeHblmNSTNOkWbVsOwOOQlOod34loFTJ8VTjtlhI_GJt8nO01t_I42C6mXLr1vDT-lkyIirclHhE-euX5EAowC5y0fhjS5ey3mtjiLt0ASojPk/s1600/12+-+Kitano+Tenmangu+Shrine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEispMCIf2QV_5fP8HmOs2G1jSkPowE18TeHblmNSTNOkWbVsOwOOQlOod34loFTJ8VTjtlhI_GJt8nO01t_I42C6mXLr1vDT-lkyIirclHhE-euX5EAowC5y0fhjS5ey3mtjiLt0ASojPk/s640/12+-+Kitano+Tenmangu+Shrine.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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* I said a quick prayer to this statue for more solid beef in our lives! I'm probably wrong, but it's worth the shot!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNMBqhPXOv_WBmDblkVpkvt7f5Uqj0T2yRPE0lz2We_aDlt8J3L_ZIvwW1MneYB3EmTp3OISLat27u1HS52mYOhwhoyJL2rditIDHn34CzdNOI2LounmQaO7_U540TD6NGSjyHFJGJdvc/s1600/13+-+Kitano+Tenmangu+Shrine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNMBqhPXOv_WBmDblkVpkvt7f5Uqj0T2yRPE0lz2We_aDlt8J3L_ZIvwW1MneYB3EmTp3OISLat27u1HS52mYOhwhoyJL2rditIDHn34CzdNOI2LounmQaO7_U540TD6NGSjyHFJGJdvc/s640/13+-+Kitano+Tenmangu+Shrine.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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* Thanks to everyone wearing pretty much the same bundled clothing, it was hard to tell which one was a tourist, a local, and truly here to pray.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6zfZlICmR-DDhv28FJ0A5pl-kQSvobIjJxFY9Us_sWqOU4VSlnGc0WlOvyRt0fPuZFnnt62gaZ2SG9zt4PJz4u6tjh9e8Gf7DO3Hg0suZufsZWKRZZx-niJztG7i79_tTS2yZIyh2qAw/s1600/15+-+Kitano+Tenmangu+Shrine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6zfZlICmR-DDhv28FJ0A5pl-kQSvobIjJxFY9Us_sWqOU4VSlnGc0WlOvyRt0fPuZFnnt62gaZ2SG9zt4PJz4u6tjh9e8Gf7DO3Hg0suZufsZWKRZZx-niJztG7i79_tTS2yZIyh2qAw/s640/15+-+Kitano+Tenmangu+Shrine.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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* For sure though, the tourists are the ones taking lots of photos!</div>
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* Imagining myself as a ninja, scaling this structure for my target inside.</div>
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* The statue of a sacred doggo, protecting this place till the very end.</div>
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* In the Philippines, we have similar structures where they are said to be homes for dwarves and elementals. I wonder if it's the same case in Japan?</div>
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Danenationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13536191751474911307noreply@blogger.com0Kyoto, Japan35.011564 135.7681489000000334.5958405 135.12270190000004 35.4272875 136.41359590000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6343399599739694958.post-18088990007104038482019-11-11T18:11:00.004+08:002022-01-17T20:14:06.941+08:00Royal Alcazar of Seville: Home to Spain's Medieval Kings<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The wonderful thing about Seville is that the city is compact and highly pedestrianized; with all its tourist attractions within walking distance of each other.</div>
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Located in the area heralded as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, next to the imposing Cathedral of Seville and impressive General Archives of the Indies, stands the Royal Alcazar of Sevilla.</div>
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* Also known as the Royal Castle of the Christian Kings.</div>
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* With its massive entrance known as the Puerta del Leon (Gate of the Lion), the Royal Alcazar was built by King Peter of Castille after the city of Seville was retaken from the Muslim Abbadids during the Reconquista, the war of reconquest between the Spaniards and Moors in the Iberian Peninsula.</div>
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* Originally an Abbadid Fortress, the structure was captured, repurposed and renovated by the Christians.</div>
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* Serving as the perfect example of Mudejar Art, the style of decoration across Iberia wherein Islamic and Christian elements are married to create a wholly distinct style.</div>
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* I mean just check out the Patio de la Doncellas, the perfect amalgamation of Islamic and European-Christian design!</div>
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* The Patio de la Doncellas, or Courtyard of the Maidens, was named after the legend that when the Abbadids controlled Andalucia, they supposedly demanded 100 virgins per year as tribute from the Christian kingdoms.</div>
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* Those were very dark times! And yet, sadly, normal for that period.</div>
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* Film buffs will be happy to note that the Royal Alcazar is also a famous film location; serving as the stand-in for the court of the King of Jerusalem in the Ridley Scott film, Kingdom of Heaven, starring Orlando Bloom. One of my favorite films of all time!</div>
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* And pop culture fanatics will also recognize the Royal Alcazar as being a set piece for several scenes of Game of Thrones Season 5.</div>
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* Finally, fans of classic cinema will be happy to recognize the Palace from several scenes in the history epic, Lawrence of Arabia.<br />
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* The centerpiece and most decorated area of the entire compound is the room referred to as the Salon de Embajadores (the Ambassadors Reception Room) where Peter of Castille held court.</div>
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* Make sure to look up to check out the astoundingly breath-taking ceiling! Centuries later, the room served as the wedding ceremony venue of Emperor Charles V, then the most powerful man in the world, and Isabella of Portugal. </div>
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* It wouldn't be an authentic European castle if it didn't have an authentic European garden.</div>
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* Both the Muslims and Christians sure loved their flora and fauna, with the gardens of the Alcazar full of fruit trees and varieties of flowers.<br />
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* And the gardens have epic names too! Among them are Garden of the Poets, Gallery of the Grottoesque, and the snobbishly named Portal of the Privilege!</div>
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* This spitting beaver / bear / otter approves!</div>
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* A nice break from the Islamic-Christian fusion style can be found in the Sala de las Bovedas, built in the familiar Gothic design similar to the rest of Western Europe.</div>
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* Here, authentic medieval tapestries adorn all the walls.</div>
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* And proudly proclaim the glory of the Spanish Kingdom.</div>
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* With scenes of valor, heroism, and glory.</div>
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* I absolutely love tapestries and would happily spend the whole day staring at them, making up stories in my head.</div>
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* Today, the Royal Alcazar is still a lived-in royal palace, with the upper levels off-limits to the general public; serving as the official residence of the Spanish Royal Family in Seville.</div>
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* But that didn't stop us from feasting on tapas and paellas right outside, like royalty!</div>
Danenationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13536191751474911307noreply@blogger.com0Royal Alcázar of Seville, Patio de Banderas, s/n, 41004 Sevilla, Spain37.3830519 -5.990225699999996311.861017399999998 -47.298819699999996 62.9050864 35.3183683tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6343399599739694958.post-37793453332212326532019-11-08T17:05:00.002+08:002022-01-17T20:13:46.467+08:00Other Cultural Attractions of St. Petersburg<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Thanks to its prime location on the Neva River, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea, St. Petersburg has become a cruise ship destination hotspot. </div>
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And when visiting this majestic city, it is not enough to see the sights from its streets, plazas, and squares; for some of St. Petersburg's most majestic views can only be seen from the water!</div>
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* A typical St. Petersburg cruise generally starts along the vast and open Neva River, which is filled with water vehicles of all types: rowboats, sailboats, motorboats, luxury yachts, and massive cruise ships.</div>
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* One can definitely appreciate the very European-style architecture of this amazing city.</div>
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* And see familiar tourist attractions from a different angle; like this view of the formidable Fortress of St. Peter and St. Paul.</div>
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* Taking fantastic photos along the way; of Parisian-looking bridges with intricate designs.</div>
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* And family selfies amidst the fabulous view.</div>
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* Navigating the canals gives us a glimpse of the various influences of St. Petersburg's buildings.</div>
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* Some views look very Western European.</div>
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* Other views look very Eastern European.<br />
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* There are those that look very Bourbon French-Spanish!</div>
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* Others can be straight out of Venice itself!</div>
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* No matter where you look, pastel-colored buildings refreshingly welcome your eyes.</div>
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* Russian authorities have been resolutely and tirelessly working to clean-up the waterways for decades now; in fact for a time its official classification was that it was a "heavily polluted river".</div>
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* But what a great job they have done for as of 2008, 90% of the water is waste-free; making hanging by the river banks a very pleasant and odorless experience (and a favorite pastime of the Russian youth)!<br />
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* In typical Russian style, cruisin' comes with unlimited shots of vodka. Nostrovia!</div>
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* Another must-see attraction when in Russia is its great cultural export, the Russian Ballet.</div>
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* During the reign of Catherine the Great, culture and the arts flourished in St. Petersburg as the great Tsarina herself encouraged its development.</div>
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* Thus museums, galleries, and performance theaters thrived during this period that Russian historians refer to as the "Golden Age of Russia".</div>
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* I wonder if that's also when these peculiar-looking buildings were erected as well!</div>
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* For that evening's performance, we had the pleasure of enjoying the classic ballet production, Swan Lake.</div>
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* Which we watched from the very atmospheric surroundings of St. Petersburg's Alexandrinsky Theater.</div>
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* Built in 1832, the Theater served as the home for the Imperial Troupe of Petersburg, which meant that only the Royal Family and their aristocratic friends could watch performances here.</div>
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* We were in great company that evening!<br />
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* Date night at the ballet! Where for some reason, everyone looked very reddish.</div>
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* Like most European cities, city lighting at night is top-notch!</div>
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* An added treat is a performance from the East Slavic Russian people known as the Cossacks.</div>
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* In an exciting mixture of opera, folk dancing, and aerobic exercise, the cossack show is way more energetic than the graceful ballet.</div>
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* With a lot of kicking with arms folded, acrobatic maneuvers, and jumping around, a Cossack performance will surely leave you amazed and, oddly enough, tired (for the performers).</div>
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Danenationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13536191751474911307noreply@blogger.com0St Petersburg, Russia59.9342802 30.33509860000003858.916101700000006 27.753311600000039 60.9524587 32.916885600000036tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6343399599739694958.post-34887062219306313642019-11-01T14:30:00.002+08:002022-01-17T20:13:40.355+08:00Viking Route on the Baltic Sea: Sailing From Sweden to Finland<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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While sailing across the Baltic Sea has historically been of the raiding type (i.e. Vikings sailing along the coasts of Scandinavia, Northern Germany, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Finland), there is a much more extravagant, comfortable, and blood-less way to get around, and that is via an overnight cruise.</div>
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Here are some memories from our voyage from Stockholm, Sweden to Helsinki, Finland.</div>
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* Our home for tonight, the dazzling Silja Serenade: full of restaurants, indoor pools, duty free shops, a night club, casino, and several drinking spots (hurrah!).</div>
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* With an embarkation port nicer than several airports I've travelled from!</div>
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* As per normal cruisin' rules, cabins with windows facing out into the sea are the priciest, followed by cabins with windows facing into the main deck, and finally cabins with no windows at all following behind in cost.</div>
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* Ice-cold Viking beer perfect with the fresh Viking air!</div>
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* Cruise ship exploration rocks!</div>
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* Getting the steps in for the Fit Bit was no big deal with these surroundings.</div>
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* A big hit with all travelers was checking out the Duty Free section with goods advertised to be "cheaper than if you buy it in the EU".</div>
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* Superior and provocative product branding right here!!</div>
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* Meals were exquisite, plentiful, and filling! Only the freshet salmon and beef were served.</div>
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* By Odin's beard, Vikings at starboard! Prepare to board and confiscate all barrels of ale!</div>
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* The Good Lord seemingly blessing the Nordic Region. Sprinkle some of those blessings on the rest of us, please!</div>
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* At night the sound of live music and casino slots fills the air; enticing night-walkers (like myself) to live a little.. and drink a lot.</div>
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Danenationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13536191751474911307noreply@blogger.com0Baltic Sea58.487952000000007 19.86328100000002949.646817500000004 -0.79101599999997063 67.3290865 40.517578000000029tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6343399599739694958.post-38163500636034143932019-10-30T16:47:00.002+08:002022-01-17T20:13:34.786+08:00The Golden Pavilion and Other Temples of Kyoto<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Along with the futuristic megacity of Tokyo and the foodie heaven of Osaka, no trip to Japan would be complete without visiting its cultural capital, Kyoto.</div>
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Home to the Japanese imperial court for over a thousand years, Kyoto is full of palaces, temples, shrines, and gardens; which thanks to not being targeted by Allied bombing during World War II, has been preserved in all its authenticity. This is Part 2 of our Kyoto Series: Temples.</div>
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Kinkaku-ji Temple: The Golden Pavilion</h2>
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* The most famous of all of Kyoto's Temples, the Golden Pavilion is made of, you guessed it, gold; with the top two floors of the building covered in pure gold leaf.</div>
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* Kinkaku-ji is also famous for housing relics of the Great Buddha, himself! Those sure travelled a long way from India!</div>
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* And for this stunning kick-ass zen pond that is full of freshwater fish.</div>
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* Super Mario 3 inspired world map!</div>
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Ryoan-ji Temple</h2>
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* Ryoan-ji in Northern Kyoto contains one of the finest examples of the dry-landscape - styled zen garden, characterized by large rock formations surrounded by smooth pebbles raked into linear patterns for facilitating meditation.</div>
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* And from the looks of the interiors, is a secret school for ninjas (I wish).</div>
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* Calligraphy here is fancy and top notch!</div>
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* Monicca-san!</div>
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Sanjusangen-do Temple</h2>
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* Sanjusangen-do Temple is famous for its main hall astoundingly (and eerily) lined with over 1000 statues of the multi-armed Kannon. All those eyes.. staring.. as you walk past the long hall.</div>
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Kiyomizu-dera Temple</h2>
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* And finally my favorite, the Kiyomizu-dera Temple built on top of large wooden pillars offering fantastic views of the surrounding forested area.</div>
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* Legend states that if one jumps off the ledge and survives the almost 50 foot drop, his/her wish would be granted.</div>
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* You got to love the statistic-loving Japanese as they were able to deduce that 85% of all jumpers survived, before the act was banned in 1872.</div>
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* Of all the temples we visited, Kiyomizu-dera was the most festive!</div>
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* Is your wish worth the fall? For 15% of jumpers, perhaps not...</div>
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* Coming up: Ryu vs. Ken</div>
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* Now THAT's a dragon statue! Somehow it reminded me of the one in Dragon Ball who grants wishes.</div>
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* The complex is also famous for selling various talismans to help one in whatever quest he/she is currently on. Sort of like the ones you find in Japanese RPGs.</div>
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* Getting to-and-from Kyoto and our base of operations, Osaka, wasn't a headache at all thanks to the ultra-efficient and punctual JR Railway. The Japanese sure know how to build them!</div>
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Danenationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13536191751474911307noreply@blogger.com0Kyoto, Japan35.011564 135.7681489000000334.5958405 135.12270190000004 35.4272875 136.41359590000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6343399599739694958.post-52341791293178584542019-10-25T18:29:00.002+08:002022-01-17T20:13:29.337+08:00The Art of Spanish Bullfighting at the Famous Maestranza<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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A few things come to mind to be as innately and inherently Spanish, as Bullfighting. Also known as corrida de toros (running of the bulls), the blood sport is an icon of Spain. And there's nothing quite like this deadly struggle between man and beast to conjure up the passion and bravado of Spaniards everywhere. </div>
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* At the center of the bullfighting world is this massive stadium of the Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza de Caballeria de Sevilla (whew, what a mouthful), more affectionately referred to as the "Maestranza". </div>
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* With a seating capacity of 12,000 spectators, the stadium is one of Seville's top attractions with locals selling-out shows pretty quickly; leaving us travelers to compete, bull-fighting style, for the remaining seats.</div>
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* As crowds go, Sevilla would have what one would call.. the hardcore crowd: passionate, knowledgeable, loyal, not easily impressed, hard to please. Think: Madison Square Garden for basketball and professional wrestling or MGM Grand for the UFC and boxing.</div>
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* Which means that all matadors (bullfighters) always bring their A-game; because if you can make it here, you can make it everywhere!</div>
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* Bullfighting is so historically and culturally intertwined with Spain that it has actually become one of its greatest exports.</div>
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* With the sport reaching the former Spanish colonies of Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela and Ecuador; as well as Spain's neighbors, Portugal and France.</div>
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* Gladiators, ready position!<br />
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* Hearing the pretend-crowd roar!</div>
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* The wife soaking up the atmosphere and history of the place.</div>
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* Dad having his moment of glory!</div>
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* What a shot! No bad angles with this view.</div>
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* Amazingly, the bullring is almost 300 years old! Construction started in 1749.</div>
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* That's a lot of dead bulls and bullfighters through the centuries.</div>
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* The ghosts of which, for sure, linger on these heavy surroundings.</div>
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* Only the fanciest of costumes for such brave men!</div>
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* What charming home decor to scare the children with!</div>
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* Ticket admission to the bullring also grants one entry to its museum dedicated to the sport.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPQmdj0tkU7dDJ9wKU827NaEZo7WrnP-ksEV0XW720pVNfiH4fZT3U6zuZJToeO1gvp9RHtj3UMfKmFhJq3pLiT74G4oBc93PKyoNRoVW3Hi-ip4JIZK-WYQUb__7E8H14M6bXuRA4Uw8/s1600/18+-+Plaza+de+Toros.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPQmdj0tkU7dDJ9wKU827NaEZo7WrnP-ksEV0XW720pVNfiH4fZT3U6zuZJToeO1gvp9RHtj3UMfKmFhJq3pLiT74G4oBc93PKyoNRoVW3Hi-ip4JIZK-WYQUb__7E8H14M6bXuRA4Uw8/s640/18+-+Plaza+de+Toros.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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* Activists have tried for quite some time to get the sport banned for animal warfare purposes.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVXtwtHCsHgDS36OM8rNYYyZvk1Ue9EcNx0B8TZAoGwkMiw1b8XZE8kFOW081w7a_cFT-2vYEiBvB1ZL3oAQoFf36GEfOuERq1R8AeEEA7sR4twhSZegtTWDB65G3Rn0LAzVwWsSwh4Y4/s1600/19+-+Plaza+de+Toros.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVXtwtHCsHgDS36OM8rNYYyZvk1Ue9EcNx0B8TZAoGwkMiw1b8XZE8kFOW081w7a_cFT-2vYEiBvB1ZL3oAQoFf36GEfOuERq1R8AeEEA7sR4twhSZegtTWDB65G3Rn0LAzVwWsSwh4Y4/s640/19+-+Plaza+de+Toros.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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* But this is not limited to contemporary times, as this call for banning has existed for centuries.<br />
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* In fact, Pope Pius V called for a ban on the sport back in the 16h Century (?!?) on the grounds of the practice being a form of pagan worship; going so far as to threaten excommunication for spectators.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1QgrgNqvPyE-I7XAg3UjwQWy_3PvQggY55ORG3hGWYShL3vBm-Av6B47xgQlyVGp_3ZZs4aKzCTuUbBrJnYuuXeV6nbD56PrngXairejoPXXYL5Mgfj5DXktMi2YZCbMjBsOwJYrT6hE/s1600/21+-+Plaza+de+Toros.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1QgrgNqvPyE-I7XAg3UjwQWy_3PvQggY55ORG3hGWYShL3vBm-Av6B47xgQlyVGp_3ZZs4aKzCTuUbBrJnYuuXeV6nbD56PrngXairejoPXXYL5Mgfj5DXktMi2YZCbMjBsOwJYrT6hE/s640/21+-+Plaza+de+Toros.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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* The Spaniards and Portuguese just laughed at this proclamation and continued on with their tradition. The next Pope softened his stance on this ruling. No one was excommunicated. Bullfighting continues on to this day.</div>
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* Bullfighting season runs from March to October of every year.</div>
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* A traditional bullfighting event features three matadores, each fighting two bulls.</div>
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* And these are no ordinary bulls! By Spanish law, each bull is at least 4 years old (by definition, having lived a full carefree life in an open range), weighing 600 kilos / 1,300 pounds, and is of the Spanish Fighting Bull species. </div>
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* The Spanish Fighting Bull is characterized by its power, aggression, and energy and is bred specifically for bullfighting. Ole! Ole-Ole-Ole!!!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxDAW0tvwCB6cOEUSevxuedRVpaja06fLu5OOzjaHK8qP5eMqc9IjFq2SVHNluP2nU1tLY5_bv6mHzsXJjvwMj4j_A2avt3BviW_E7UhSBOJYBSK1v9q4yB8pInKu9NcFmcFsd4n5v2O8/s1600/26+-+Torre+del+Oro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxDAW0tvwCB6cOEUSevxuedRVpaja06fLu5OOzjaHK8qP5eMqc9IjFq2SVHNluP2nU1tLY5_bv6mHzsXJjvwMj4j_A2avt3BviW_E7UhSBOJYBSK1v9q4yB8pInKu9NcFmcFsd4n5v2O8/s640/26+-+Torre+del+Oro.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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* Located nearby is another of Seville's landmarks, the Torre del Oro (or Tower of Gold).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7J8EEQ7HEYnqy7jSKMv8P0YqSauuNk-wBG-RozYBWMeFZEk8qgs52wYzXYhFpirUORmJD9NMMYtXAEM_NXqjh_feDV5ndJmuK9ElXMOo6nw9Cf3V1PpYpZmosFG0mX26NtJ-u8NeKEvs/s1600/27+-+Torre+del+Oro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7J8EEQ7HEYnqy7jSKMv8P0YqSauuNk-wBG-RozYBWMeFZEk8qgs52wYzXYhFpirUORmJD9NMMYtXAEM_NXqjh_feDV5ndJmuK9ElXMOo6nw9Cf3V1PpYpZmosFG0mX26NtJ-u8NeKEvs/s640/27+-+Torre+del+Oro.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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* And the Tower was built by the city's former Muslim rulers to control access along the Guadalquivir River.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc0OcepGG0_Mo1VI1vSqBmZIVBaCt8u_2d463WBOOCDPWi2cXHfmbDFCxYqMTtakWOEqfkgL8_tl2ziZauykP5olphlHvWfFAezRfn62oEkgqZKFylA8sEsG_fOfNpdhvXdvqp7JH_D0s/s1600/28+-+Torre+del+Oro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc0OcepGG0_Mo1VI1vSqBmZIVBaCt8u_2d463WBOOCDPWi2cXHfmbDFCxYqMTtakWOEqfkgL8_tl2ziZauykP5olphlHvWfFAezRfn62oEkgqZKFylA8sEsG_fOfNpdhvXdvqp7JH_D0s/s640/28+-+Torre+del+Oro.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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* It is also conveniently the location of several river ports for cruising along the Guadalquivir River.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeZaURxidhuAFiARAcy1AUvB7YVnrANO0AkzzuIgZj8FzGJoI54E0dneMgZMYm7YW6UUi4WXwiD_BFeDuzNI-KSm-f_q8TsIzdfKX2vkkw5rCIE399odWGTlVxVaOxtlN66uda_CfEclk/s1600/29+-+Guadalquivir.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeZaURxidhuAFiARAcy1AUvB7YVnrANO0AkzzuIgZj8FzGJoI54E0dneMgZMYm7YW6UUi4WXwiD_BFeDuzNI-KSm-f_q8TsIzdfKX2vkkw5rCIE399odWGTlVxVaOxtlN66uda_CfEclk/s640/29+-+Guadalquivir.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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* Highlighting the importance of waterways on the growth of human civilization, one will note that every major historical city grew along the banks of a river, or shores of a sea.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz05JA8fjxf19mer_7apM3p5D9DRXA-rWime03af1tSQRBpnJqxE5lH2PWjfF_3rgJqY9rnqwjeOqsslHEUM_1bnBpOJixbXC8PDl-UdbG1dtFa1PCK-_mmpGUu1MrMkZ4b1ezbM62Fro/s1600/30+-+Guadalquivir.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz05JA8fjxf19mer_7apM3p5D9DRXA-rWime03af1tSQRBpnJqxE5lH2PWjfF_3rgJqY9rnqwjeOqsslHEUM_1bnBpOJixbXC8PDl-UdbG1dtFa1PCK-_mmpGUu1MrMkZ4b1ezbM62Fro/s640/30+-+Guadalquivir.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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* Have a river cruise, will take a refreshing short nap! These are a few of the photos I managed to take while drifting between the lands of sleep and wakefulness. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2NzhOssbY5NY9EIhz9FqV2AtTtj0fDsw7G6GQva1M0LYdmaIorDqbRTpR4P2hS-Zz4gpwJL2Wwtbwo9Qmp_0ung2M50f_kGVQRrgXpIPSRFHCuj04Ft728uT-Isrxbb5VgfE_1f808kc/s1600/31+-+Guadalquivir.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2NzhOssbY5NY9EIhz9FqV2AtTtj0fDsw7G6GQva1M0LYdmaIorDqbRTpR4P2hS-Zz4gpwJL2Wwtbwo9Qmp_0ung2M50f_kGVQRrgXpIPSRFHCuj04Ft728uT-Isrxbb5VgfE_1f808kc/s640/31+-+Guadalquivir.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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* Is that a mascot holding up a cerveza bottle while balancing on a tight rope?!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_HB4CQQtQOOBE7kaO9Ks1JbrxlsU9_ZF7bHzCtbS-Bxy3sIkl7S0MVANaPO5tD9_Ph-uXlH-pVBUZoPLrPaqDgWveD0APUdzBNL3_0Z7oEo56aBTUoIx-8qEXeIwq31zyuwONV62z9qI/s1600/33+-+Guadalquivir.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_HB4CQQtQOOBE7kaO9Ks1JbrxlsU9_ZF7bHzCtbS-Bxy3sIkl7S0MVANaPO5tD9_Ph-uXlH-pVBUZoPLrPaqDgWveD0APUdzBNL3_0Z7oEo56aBTUoIx-8qEXeIwq31zyuwONV62z9qI/s640/33+-+Guadalquivir.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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* One can never get tired of the fantastic Spanish cuisine.</div>
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* Magnifico!</div>
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Danenationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13536191751474911307noreply@blogger.com0Seville, Spain37.3890924 -5.98445889999993637.1871984 -6.3071823999999364 37.590986400000006 -5.6617353999999356tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6343399599739694958.post-54325277615088914822019-10-23T17:22:00.001+08:002022-01-17T20:13:23.069+08:00Anastasia and the Grand Burial Place of the Romanovs<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Before St. Petersburg became what it is today, the finest of all Russian cities full of magnificent palaces, grand churches, and impressive monuments, the center of power lay in the citadel that Peter the Great himself founded, the Fortress of Peter and Paul.</div>
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It was from here that the Russian Empire exercised its constabulary might; using the island-fortress as a prison for political opponents and execution site for those the empire deemed too dangerous to live. Despite that rather grim reputation; however, the fortress contains what is perhaps the greatest treasure of the former Russian Empire.</div>
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For it is here that all the Russian Emperors and Empresses, Princes and Princesses are entombed.</div>
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* And for contemporary standards, there is no more famous Russian royal family than that of Tsar Nicholas II, the last Emperor of Russia.</div>
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* Who along with his whole family was executed by the Bolsheviks during the revolution that finally ended Imperial rule; an execution that included the Tsar's famous (or infamous) daughter, Princess Anastasia (see upper right tomb)</div>
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* Decades after the execution of the Royal Family, rumors persisted of Princess Anastasia's survival, with plays, television series, and movies immortalizing the tragic story; enduring despite the negative forensic and DNA results gathered from the claimants.<br />
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* Nonetheless, Anastasia and her whole family are entombed in the Peter and Paul Cathedral, located in the heart of the Fortress.</div>
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* Built in 1712, the Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul is St. Petersburg's oldest landmark, and contains the tombs of all Russian Emperors and Empresses save two. The tombs are spaciously laid-out, labelled, and ornately decorated.</div>
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* Emperors entombed include Tsar Peter the Great, founder of St. Petersburg, who led the modernization and westernization of Russia's military, cultural, and governmental institutions; single-handedly building Russia up to be a noble European power in his lifetime.</div>
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* Peter's wife and heir, Catherine I, who became the first female Tsarina of Russia (a leadership trend which would continue), and who, during her lifetime, commanded the largest army in Europe.</div>
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* And their granddaughter, the legendary Catherine the Great, whose efforts made the Empire into one of the great European powers of that period, and whose reign is considered as the Golden Age of Russia or era of the Russian Enlightenment.</div>
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* The Cathedral itself is as grand as its esteemed inhabitants, with gold decorating every wall, pillar, and corner.</div>
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* And the tombs of the other Tsars and Tsarinas organized to showcase over 200 years of Romanov Rule.</div>
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* The Romanovs were the Russian royal family through over 300 years of its history.</div>
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* Ruling at the same time as other legendary European houses: Hanover (UK), Bourbon (France and Spain), Wittelsbach (Bavaria), Hohenzollern (Prussia), and Habsburg (Austria-Hungary).</div>
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* At its greatest height, the Russian Empire reigned over the land that is now part of the Russian Federation, the Baltics (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania), Poland, Finland, and Alaska.</div>
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* Which is a HUGE tract of land! It was incredible that they were able to keep it all together for so lang.</div>
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* A view of the Cathedral from the outside with its splendid bell tower, the tallest Orthodox bell tower in the world.</div>
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* During the Bolshevik Revolution, the fortress, with its role as a prison and execution ground, came to signify the oppression, torture, and suffering that the regular folk endured thanks to the "evil" monarchists.<br />
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* Such dramatic ads!</div>
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* After the overthrow of the Tsar, the fortress became a museum and eventually one of the city's top tourist attractions; a role which it faithfully continues to serve to this day!</div>
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* Also inside the fortress, is the St. Petersburg Mint, once responsible for creating the gold coins of the Empire. It continues to operate to this day, minting ceremonial coins, medals, and badges.</div>
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* The sandy coast surrounding the island-fortress used to signify doom, terror, and incarceration; today sunbathers have converted the entire area into the city's favorite beach.</div>
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* Ode to an Empire.</div>
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Danenationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13536191751474911307noreply@blogger.com0St Petersburg, Russia59.9342802 30.33509860000003858.916101700000006 27.753311600000039 60.9524587 32.916885600000036tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6343399599739694958.post-54599679058896200482019-10-18T16:44:00.001+08:002022-01-17T20:13:17.365+08:00Vasa Museum: The Most Impressive Ship Which Never Sailed<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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What happens when you build a ship so armed to the teeth, that it was meant to be the most powerful vessel of its time; laughing at the face of the scientific theories of buoyancy and weight distribution? </div>
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It sinks, of course! And during its maiden voyage too!</div>
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This is the story of the Swedish warship, the Vasa. </div>
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* And for over 300 years, the Vasa peacefully rested at the bottom of the sea until being successfully raised, whole and intact, in 1961!</div>
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* The Vasa was built under the orders of then Swedish King Gustavus Adolphus to serve as his flagship during his war with the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.</div>
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* Completed in 2 years (1626 - 1628), the Vasa was loaded with an astounding 64 cannons, with the intention of making it a floating fortress behemoth.</div>
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* Think.. Death Star in Star Wars!</div>
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* And it was going to be extremely fancily decorated (apart from being extremely armed)!</div>
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* And so it was on that fateful day in 1628, that the Vasa on its maiden voyage..</div>
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* Sailed... and slowly sunk..</div>
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* Covering a (sadly) laughable distance of 1,300 meters before sinking totally into the bottom of the sea off Stockholm harbor, where it fell into obscurity.</div>
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* How they were able to raise the Vasa is another incredible story in itself! </div>
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* But finally after 300 years, the Vasa stands with all its previous glory and grandeur, faithfully restored to look as it did; a cautionary tale in greed and arrogance in the face of common sense.</div>
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* Today, the Vasa is housed in its own museum, which can proudly claim to be the most visited museum in all of Scandinavia.</div>
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* Dad enjoying the various exhibits, being fascinated with warfare all his life.</div>
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* Me, also fascinated especially with the dioramas and historical trivia.</div>
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* Check out the intricate design of this ship of war!</div>
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* Medieval high-definition!<br />
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* King Gustavus Adolphus looking victorious and smug! Despite the Vasa incident, he went on to become one of Sweden's greatest kings, leading the country to become one of the great European powers of the time.</div>
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* A few of the Vasa's 64 guns.. why you gotta weigh so much?!</div>
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* How... marvelous!</div>
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* Outside and across the Vasa Museum is the equally impressive Nordic Museum, dedicated to the cultural and socio-anthropological history of the Swedish people.</div>
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* Or.. Charles Xavier's School for Gifted Mutants.</div>
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Danenationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13536191751474911307noreply@blogger.com0Stockholm, Sweden59.329323499999987 18.06858080000006359.07010549999999 17.423133800000063 59.588541499999984 18.714027800000064tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6343399599739694958.post-43466956569780467512019-10-16T14:18:00.001+08:002022-01-17T20:13:01.390+08:00The Palaces of Kyoto: Home of the Emperor<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Along with the futuristic megacity of Tokyo and the foodie heaven of Osaka, no trip to Japan would be complete without visiting its cultural capital, Kyoto.</div>
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Home to the Japanese imperial court for over a thousand years, Kyoto is full of palaces, temples, shrines, and gardens; which thanks to not being targeted by Allied bombing during World War II, has been preserved in all its authenticity. This is Part 1 of our Kyoto Series: Palaces.</div>
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Kyoto Imperial Palace</h2>
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* From 794 AD to 1869, Japan was ruled by its Emperor from his Imperial Palace in Kyoto.</div>
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* The Emperor of Japan is considered by the Japanese to be a literal demi-god, and he is worshipped as one! Other titles include: Japanese head of state, highest authority of the Shinto religion, and symbol of Japan.</div>
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* The Imperial House of Japan is the oldest continuing monarchial house in the world, with there being 126 monarchs since the reign of Emperor Jimmu (660 BC).<br />
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* The fact that it has not been broken for all these centuries is an astonishing feat! For reference, the current royal family of the United Kingdom, the Windsors, has only been around since 1917.</div>
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* The current Japanese Emperor is Naruhito, who ascended the throne last May 2019.</div>
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* The previous Emperor, Akihito, is still alive though. Currently referred to as Emperor Emeritus, Akihito abdicated, in favor of his son, to take better care of his health.</div>
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* Visiting the palace reminded me of one of my favorite PC games from back in the day, Shogun Total War.</div>
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* As well as the Playstation game, Tenchu, where you play a ninja who must overcome the odds using stealth.</div>
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* No way to stealthily get past this bridge, except by going under!</div>
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* After 1869, the Imperial Court relocated to Tokyo, where it still reigns to this day.</div>
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* Think of all the incredible stories of shoguns, daimyos, and samurai that must have actually gone down here back in the glory days of medieval Japan.</div>
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* No ninjas allowed!</div>
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* Looks like a level in the old NES game, Ninja Gaiden.</div>
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Nijo Castle</h2>
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* Another Palace in Kyoto, is the Ninomaru located entirely within the fortification of Nijo Castle.</div>
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* Ordered built in 1679 by the head of the Tokugawa Shogunate, Nijo Castle was to be the official Kyoto residence of the Tokugawa shoguns; conveniently located a stone's throw away from the Imperial Palace.</div>
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* Somehow I'm reminded of the adage, "keep your friends close, and your enemies closer".</div>
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* Now THAT is a zen garden!</div>
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* Perfect for meditation, sword fighting, and balancing on rocks!</div>
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Danenationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13536191751474911307noreply@blogger.com0Kyoto, Japan35.011564 135.7681489000000334.5958405 135.12270190000004 35.4272875 136.41359590000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6343399599739694958.post-24786395407250549692019-10-11T08:34:00.001+08:002022-01-17T20:12:55.092+08:00Plaza de Espana: A Tribute to the Spanish Empire<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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At the peak of its height, the Spanish Empire ruled supreme over territory that now includes Western and Southern United States, Mexico, half of South America, the Philippine Islands, Naples and Southern Italy, and the Low Countries (Netherlands and Belgium).</div>
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To showcase the diversity and cultural richness of its formerly vast and far-reaching empire, Spain held the Ibero-American Exposition in 1929 with the city of Seville playing its host. </div>
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* And at the center of the Exposition, stood the splendid Plaza de España, one of Sevilla's main landmarks and an icon of Spanish tourism.</div>
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* The Ibero-American Exposition was a perfect example of a WORLD'S FAIR, which was an international gathering of exhibits featuring the products, achievements, and peoples of different countries and exotic locales.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizC-Y2Mstsf68Te0LVRpFJAddlVnIyOF1GmzzggX8__wOZkVw6pzuzdue9aTGY9WPGAsebk8Qs-URhxKqBPHwDxE0qHcGiS9Q-XJQq-RDYWlAKxpcPvWQc2jhjG32v725B3Gq_vrjLMEM/s1600/3+-+Plaza+de+Espana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizC-Y2Mstsf68Te0LVRpFJAddlVnIyOF1GmzzggX8__wOZkVw6pzuzdue9aTGY9WPGAsebk8Qs-URhxKqBPHwDxE0qHcGiS9Q-XJQq-RDYWlAKxpcPvWQc2jhjG32v725B3Gq_vrjLMEM/s640/3+-+Plaza+de+Espana.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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* And it was a relic of a bygone era of wonder and amazement for other countries' culture and technology; before advancements in travel and communication made the dissemination of information much more convenient and cost-effective.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2LYOuueaK-D__X_ei6IWmfMVpQxLFWd_AKb6e7ky67rZoLoL7qdrtx17Jo8W99YSPImrIB_PZ5X1bLLEm6_RSM0eKxciYoJs86QCrP4IijPd7i6W3hlQO2iIqJ7srt9XvQIfMf7F9-3c/s1600/4+-+Plaza+de+Espana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2LYOuueaK-D__X_ei6IWmfMVpQxLFWd_AKb6e7ky67rZoLoL7qdrtx17Jo8W99YSPImrIB_PZ5X1bLLEm6_RSM0eKxciYoJs86QCrP4IijPd7i6W3hlQO2iIqJ7srt9XvQIfMf7F9-3c/s640/4+-+Plaza+de+Espana.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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* The Plaza de España complex is made up of tiled alcoves, each representing the different provinces of Spain.</div>
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* As you can see, the Plaza is also very picturesque!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8sObE0PWPez7r-6gsdTnfdIFnqaPsw3YKJF8gZIBrpzR9oSfwPpe1x24YEJIGHsfq1zsJCLeuQnVRih-56JtnjqpbhxVmYM9Cfa5a4EQ_NaV49xIuyeTo1REkxfc9Q_T-o0NETK5Bubc/s1600/6+-+Plaza+de+Espana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8sObE0PWPez7r-6gsdTnfdIFnqaPsw3YKJF8gZIBrpzR9oSfwPpe1x24YEJIGHsfq1zsJCLeuQnVRih-56JtnjqpbhxVmYM9Cfa5a4EQ_NaV49xIuyeTo1REkxfc9Q_T-o0NETK5Bubc/s640/6+-+Plaza+de+Espana.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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* So picturesque that numerous movies have been shot here through the years including: Lawrence of Arabia, Star Wars Episode 2 (for scenes in Naboo), and The Dictator.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL9kWloNKEB7l6Rpo7tqz6n7wEb8hOUtaOWQfADoKfx1R-R8VLzMNo8vS2bNbmsVtvmlw-4osLqBiv1ugfJ24cbHyQ6cUOA4wbw8nZwy-H7W5Lgh2dHyMT3cUoYQijS2tAbm1WJCBFU2I/s1600/7+-+Plaza+de+Espana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL9kWloNKEB7l6Rpo7tqz6n7wEb8hOUtaOWQfADoKfx1R-R8VLzMNo8vS2bNbmsVtvmlw-4osLqBiv1ugfJ24cbHyQ6cUOA4wbw8nZwy-H7W5Lgh2dHyMT3cUoYQijS2tAbm1WJCBFU2I/s640/7+-+Plaza+de+Espana.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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* Countries that actually had exhibits for the Ibero-American Exposition included: Portugal, the United States, Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, Colombia, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Bolivia, Panama, Ecuador, El Salvador, and Cuba.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN3pKCG6YWKKvaaROqNX2g6j1Xsvnmd9E9Cqlq3md2ZxGW_FGvK5Hskz4MO15AKUm8_ohsjBrEgxtHf4aBkmcKyho1xSc9pn5I56B45aCr8Fz9D09S1dNm014y-6kxEnGyZTWwLmENmtU/s1600/8+-+Plaza+de+Espana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN3pKCG6YWKKvaaROqNX2g6j1Xsvnmd9E9Cqlq3md2ZxGW_FGvK5Hskz4MO15AKUm8_ohsjBrEgxtHf4aBkmcKyho1xSc9pn5I56B45aCr8Fz9D09S1dNm014y-6kxEnGyZTWwLmENmtU/s640/8+-+Plaza+de+Espana.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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* Las Islas Flipinas, represent!</div>
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* The area around Plaza de España also offers numerous photo-op locations. One is the colorful edifice of the Palace de San Telmo, a former university for navigators, built on land owned by the Tribunal of the Holy Office (the infamous Spanish Inquisitors).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnwH6qklLfg9bQGRYj6vLRa2NqvzQ6uT_XFiAgqqe71W7DYbk3byhz3YT_S_QtzVC8hJUyd1nmRK6L3cRnnU1w9mO7piUwOQucPWnFOp-PAAu7wYN8jHn49aZjTY7AMg_Iqsin3d5xAEA/s1600/10+-+El+Cid+Campeador.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnwH6qklLfg9bQGRYj6vLRa2NqvzQ6uT_XFiAgqqe71W7DYbk3byhz3YT_S_QtzVC8hJUyd1nmRK6L3cRnnU1w9mO7piUwOQucPWnFOp-PAAu7wYN8jHn49aZjTY7AMg_Iqsin3d5xAEA/s640/10+-+El+Cid+Campeador.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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* Another is this outstanding statue of El Cid, warlord of the medieval Spanish kingdom of Castille and most celebrated hero of Spain. El Cid was known for his military genius, exemplified by his leading of the Christian armies during the Reconquista, the retaking of lands conquered by the Muslims.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifS_TB-KkaUAxpWkJ2kDo0R8FAsIb8N9FRD2BIkxEvSpFM5u7weO5ZwyFSVIthZRLm87-TdbqFlgi9B57XM7t-T64TPeDdJvmxwdHfHIQ6SiCguohxOf2_EzBxwrujxC2LUTBT4OZodQE/s1600/11+-+Capitania+General.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifS_TB-KkaUAxpWkJ2kDo0R8FAsIb8N9FRD2BIkxEvSpFM5u7weO5ZwyFSVIthZRLm87-TdbqFlgi9B57XM7t-T64TPeDdJvmxwdHfHIQ6SiCguohxOf2_EzBxwrujxC2LUTBT4OZodQE/s640/11+-+Capitania+General.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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* Yet another is this building belonging to the Captain General, commander-in-chief of the Spanish Army, which looks like a set piece to a Zorro movie.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEkQRlYQaovcWSlIw37zQJ9EaW6VCCVCxYaSztYGkGxlwRKErweN9bZUuk6CgCFzi_HqdIJ61_GAg3ATYtBDTDIUzx8nLVS4H-ysn4QJUBVeKjYHSbwFZ2bWabu4ZG6xjyVzH0sO5oUBw/s1600/12+-+Ibero-American+Exposition+of+1929.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEkQRlYQaovcWSlIw37zQJ9EaW6VCCVCxYaSztYGkGxlwRKErweN9bZUuk6CgCFzi_HqdIJ61_GAg3ATYtBDTDIUzx8nLVS4H-ysn4QJUBVeKjYHSbwFZ2bWabu4ZG6xjyVzH0sO5oUBw/s640/12+-+Ibero-American+Exposition+of+1929.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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* After the Exposition, most of the buildings erected became the consulates of those representative countries to the region of Andalusia, which Seville is the capital of.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzOSrakBMbAR1gnCACFxgdbzBExNsuHYxfpTzAVOKzyT03xIa7mxyocLTb_SENPsWu7-8bQplaPAkdEEPKBoVm31FKRk4DNJVgvqgTWdEdPXZOn3fIHAa6N5LXxaJwCslSYQ5O08FKnvw/s1600/13+-+Ibero-American+Exposition+of+1929.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzOSrakBMbAR1gnCACFxgdbzBExNsuHYxfpTzAVOKzyT03xIa7mxyocLTb_SENPsWu7-8bQplaPAkdEEPKBoVm31FKRk4DNJVgvqgTWdEdPXZOn3fIHAa6N5LXxaJwCslSYQ5O08FKnvw/s640/13+-+Ibero-American+Exposition+of+1929.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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* Still, a lot of the works of art remain to this day, including this peculiar looking pillar.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPJWmvUbuD_6MX3iIWZepvvyXdUqlueWehsdp-G5_NIt0eSunThqqJBWgckSANZL2yVbbCV2qa4tce7Ib_AzPrjt5n40cvOjYJI2ncJGAanoR3H55RT3Pk7zmXUBheD9NDKZuxtQryeZ0/s1600/14+-+Ibero-American+Exposition+of+1929.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPJWmvUbuD_6MX3iIWZepvvyXdUqlueWehsdp-G5_NIt0eSunThqqJBWgckSANZL2yVbbCV2qa4tce7Ib_AzPrjt5n40cvOjYJI2ncJGAanoR3H55RT3Pk7zmXUBheD9NDKZuxtQryeZ0/s640/14+-+Ibero-American+Exposition+of+1929.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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* As well as this pillar representing a Spanish Galleon, symbolic for how the Spaniards came to conquer, colonize, and trade with the rest of its Empire.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjQQblnmFZ3X1yLDDtPRXwSejOm4up9TpSEJC2JU0PxxKwP-edGLWN21Bo_dd0srz-_suCFyQO5TMB5dWhlQu39FI9yRq0igU1G-KUa9r89hmEeF6EDnPQenkpJ-Kw9yjkOecgzs0Ch0o/s1600/15+-+Basilica+de+la+Macarena.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjQQblnmFZ3X1yLDDtPRXwSejOm4up9TpSEJC2JU0PxxKwP-edGLWN21Bo_dd0srz-_suCFyQO5TMB5dWhlQu39FI9yRq0igU1G-KUa9r89hmEeF6EDnPQenkpJ-Kw9yjkOecgzs0Ch0o/s640/15+-+Basilica+de+la+Macarena.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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* Seville is also home to a statue of religious significance.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJDIlTbBsAxpbO7P_svSUYbF5taA1IbS312ARXAz-19h18wqFiRBFXFrFQyG07OHJqx1meRm_06fzbdjmrqwK_ZvYrwiMnFy-EdvCRkIXVwTt4m7aYLWA-2mWXs2NUaU6grm4S-pMq_Gk/s1600/16+-+Basilica+de+la+Macarena.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJDIlTbBsAxpbO7P_svSUYbF5taA1IbS312ARXAz-19h18wqFiRBFXFrFQyG07OHJqx1meRm_06fzbdjmrqwK_ZvYrwiMnFy-EdvCRkIXVwTt4m7aYLWA-2mWXs2NUaU6grm4S-pMq_Gk/s640/16+-+Basilica+de+la+Macarena.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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* Found at the Basilica of our Lady of Hope of Macarena, the statue of the Virgin Mary, commemorates her grief and piety during the events of the Christian Holy Week.</div>
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* As such, La Macarena, as she is fondly referred to, is considered a national treasure in Spain. In fact, "Macarena" is the most popular name for females across Andalusia.</div>
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* La Macarena is also the patroness of bullfighters; with bullfighting being considered the national pastime of Andalusia. </div>
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* Una cerveza, por favor!</div>
Danenationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13536191751474911307noreply@blogger.com0Seville, Spain37.3890924 -5.98445889999993637.1871984 -6.3071823999999364 37.590986400000006 -5.6617353999999356tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6343399599739694958.post-69102310484158585072019-10-09T13:38:00.001+08:002022-01-17T20:12:49.515+08:00Crossing No Man's Land: A Journey from Finland to Russia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The end of the Cold War in the early 90's ushered in a lot of positive changes for Europe: military deescalation, the emergence of democracy in the former Soviet Bloc countries, a more relaxed atmosphere across the continent, and the opening of tourism. Finally, Western tourists found themselves being able to take a peek behind the Iron Curtain and actually visit Russia itself. </div>
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From Finland's capital, Helsinki, we drove past the densely wooded countryside of Finland, into the no man's land that signified the neutral zone between the former adversaries of the Soviet and Western powers, and finally into Russia.</div>
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* Unlike border control procedures within the European Union, the experience of entering Russia is an adventure in itself! Entry can take over a couple of hours with immigration officials having the discretion to take as much time as they wish.</div>
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* Luckily for us that day, our entry procedure was relatively quick and painless. What's amazing is this was despite the fact that there was only ONE immigration officer processing all entries that day. </div>
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* Welcome to the Russian Federation! One will immediately notice a significant increase of military hardware and personnel on this side compared to the last European Union checkpoint in Finland.</div>
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* And after over 6 hours of driving, border checks, and immigration procedures, we finally arrived at our destination, the grand Russian city of St. Petersburg.</div>
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* St. Petersburg is Russia's second largest city (after Moscow), Russia's cultural capital, and the most European of all the cities within the Russian Federation.</div>
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* Founded by Tsar Peter the Great, St. Petersburg was, for the longest time, capital of Imperial Russia and home of the Tsars and Tsarinas.</div>
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* The story goes that Peter the Great was impressed with how his contemporary European neighbors had such rich and varied cultures, and saw how grand their cities were.</div>
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* So he ordered the Westernization of Russian social, political, and cultural institutions, the modernization of Russia's army and navy, and the building of a city that would be even more majestic than the cities of Paris, Vienna, London and others; a city which became St. Petersburg.</div>
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* And of course, everything leveled up.. including the Vodka!</div>
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* Citizens, peasants, and slaves built this grand city with their hands.</div>
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* The city's main street is the EXTREMELY wide (over four lanes per side with a dedicated lane for trams) Nevsky Prospect.</div>
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* Most of the city's landmarks, shopping centers, and cultural galleries can be found along this main street.</div>
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* And the thoroughfare is so integral that over seven metro stations service the entirety of the road.</div>
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* Great Poseidon's Ghost!</div>
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* Hipster cafes, a must in every modern European city.</div>
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* Dad and I appreciating our time in Mother Russia.</div>
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* Souvenir stalls feature authentic Russian gifts likes babushka dolls, Faberge eggs, and Soviet-era paraphernalia.</div>
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* Shirts featuring President Putin and local football teams are popular too!</div>
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* While on Nevsky Prospect, check out the Kazan Cathedral, one of the more eye-catching and enormous structures along the road.</div>
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* Dedicated to Our Lady of Kazan, one of the most venerated icons in Russia, the Cathedral was modeled after St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. (Remember when I mentioned that Tsar Peter wanted the city to be a better version of his neighboring European cities?) </div>
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* Another picturesque spot along the main street is that of Griboyedov Canal with the Church of Spilled Blood dramatically in the distance (more on the church in a future post).</div>
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* "I'm a much better version of my cousins: Paris and Vienna!" said the grand city.</div>
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* To walk the whole Nevsky Prospekt is to walk 4.5 kilometers. Though with these surroundings, I wouldn't mind at all!</div>
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* And like everything in this fantastic city, the Galeria Shopping Mall is enormous, grandiose, and opulent! Perfect for relaxing after a long day.</div>
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Danenationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13536191751474911307noreply@blogger.com0St Petersburg, Russia59.9342802 30.33509860000003858.916101700000006 27.753311600000039 60.9524587 32.916885600000036tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6343399599739694958.post-1273751314422093272019-10-05T15:40:00.002+08:002022-01-17T20:12:43.491+08:00Riddarholm: Burial Place of the Swedish Kings<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Continuing on my personal fascination with medieval European monarchs (their stories, homes, and final resting places) I had the pleasure to spend some time at the burial church of the Kings and Queens of Sweden, Riddarholm Church.</div>
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* And what a fantastic-looking church it is! Located on the island of Riddarholmen, one of Stockholm's fourteen islands, the structure is a nice walk from the Royal Palace and the old medieval area of Stockholm, Gamla Stan.</div>
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* Got to love the Swedes! Even their city maps are artsy.</div>
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* Built in the 13th Century, the Church has served as the final resting place of Swedish monarchs since the time of King Magnus III, who died back in 1290 AD.</div>
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* King and Queen side-by-side.</div>
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* Both on earth, and in heaven.</div>
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* Another monarch who is entombed here is King Gustav II Adolph, King of Sweden from 1611 to 1632; known as the country's greatest ruler.</div>
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* It was during his reign that Sweden became a great power, having achieved major military victories during the devastating Thirty Year's War, thus earning him the most epic of nicknames, "the Lion in the North".</div>
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* Coat of arms of noble families and Knights of the Royal Order of the Seraphim, the foremost order of chivalry in Sweden, adorn the walls of the church.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXpP1oMESUCSiLaWuYGHc70pgIiuqseolgtW7-PgeNxRDQYJDTmrfe-ByylO_0bgLrHnUDQg8G_nMbv_24DfLDTBh3YJDE7V-s4LQ32tCqz_db-S9dbJGm88QGIWjkSgb-mYVTwdoZ79w/s1600/9+-+Swedish+Royal+Crypt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXpP1oMESUCSiLaWuYGHc70pgIiuqseolgtW7-PgeNxRDQYJDTmrfe-ByylO_0bgLrHnUDQg8G_nMbv_24DfLDTBh3YJDE7V-s4LQ32tCqz_db-S9dbJGm88QGIWjkSgb-mYVTwdoZ79w/s640/9+-+Swedish+Royal+Crypt.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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* Group burials are more fun?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyzYvVb6KIKT3hkyNdvBkM3EmcgGMzHa6Coe0Uhz9jeB29spqzfUw2Kml-hEnIENjxYlfdnlXAxNeBZ0M98hFeOOvhMivpYi9BCNdT6aUx6vfk384SkrJWEUT_7978gPfY-egXHC4pPh4/s1600/10+-+Swedish+Royal+Crypt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyzYvVb6KIKT3hkyNdvBkM3EmcgGMzHa6Coe0Uhz9jeB29spqzfUw2Kml-hEnIENjxYlfdnlXAxNeBZ0M98hFeOOvhMivpYi9BCNdT6aUx6vfk384SkrJWEUT_7978gPfY-egXHC4pPh4/s640/10+-+Swedish+Royal+Crypt.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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* Another famous Swedish monarch entombed here is King Gustaf V, who reigned over the country through both World Wars.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDdP6AvCxZ0l_OA1bYomSf7bf_F3qF6dWpaD32naWNu9Sniqt2j6XKIU44aOyr8UIV4T5ywefAexHPODN9A62IO5iiRYP3S926AljbRi5eBjLYCwVaeuQyzZYnd5sX7ss2MN282Z_dP9k/s1600/11+-+Swedish+Royal+Crypt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDdP6AvCxZ0l_OA1bYomSf7bf_F3qF6dWpaD32naWNu9Sniqt2j6XKIU44aOyr8UIV4T5ywefAexHPODN9A62IO5iiRYP3S926AljbRi5eBjLYCwVaeuQyzZYnd5sX7ss2MN282Z_dP9k/s640/11+-+Swedish+Royal+Crypt.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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* And he was also a professional tennis player; representing his country in international sporting events!</div>
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* This unnamed royal; resting in peace, since 1651!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHacLCsoh0JSY7wMAPd95wbqrAjGffOR6utOmzJbbgQuvR_ZfpmM5pnBvxvAV81f42kRPSJy5enw6iPOwyv0oD-KfrVwAmiZEcgFuTdxNawbI3YR2Lxp8GajbuM2l1S8zvT9CtXzMjysk/s1600/15+-+Swedish+Royal+Crypt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHacLCsoh0JSY7wMAPd95wbqrAjGffOR6utOmzJbbgQuvR_ZfpmM5pnBvxvAV81f42kRPSJy5enw6iPOwyv0oD-KfrVwAmiZEcgFuTdxNawbI3YR2Lxp8GajbuM2l1S8zvT9CtXzMjysk/s640/15+-+Swedish+Royal+Crypt.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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* Coat-of-arms design has always fascinated me!</div>
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* Of the Swedish monarchs, only one is noticeably absent here: Queen Christina who reigned from 1632 to 1654.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjstzs42CMG7gu2xltHtJyfJ1rK_OAeTpcMfJcnxCerUgDj7HpFke0uSUVhGFpvHCh24vaz73M3u5RSiCzT8-iyrKqKoaB3k25sgTlW6pLiYJZC2FJ70cO7xGoLRv0lad-HMn9wEyJp7HA/s1600/14+-+Swedish+Royal+Crypt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjstzs42CMG7gu2xltHtJyfJ1rK_OAeTpcMfJcnxCerUgDj7HpFke0uSUVhGFpvHCh24vaz73M3u5RSiCzT8-iyrKqKoaB3k25sgTlW6pLiYJZC2FJ70cO7xGoLRv0lad-HMn9wEyJp7HA/s640/14+-+Swedish+Royal+Crypt.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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* Renowned for being one of the most learned women in the 17th Century (at a time when gender equality was not really a thing), Queen Christina had a reputation for intelligence and brilliance. </div>
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* This fame helped attract scientists from all over Europe to settle in Stockholm, with the goal of making the city the "Athens of the North". With everything the Swedes have invented throughout the centuries, I think they did a damn fine job!</div>
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* Due to her conversion from Protestantism to Roman Catholicism (which was a scandal in a Protestant country like Sweden), Queen Christina was venerated as a symbol of the Counter Reformation. </div>
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* And given the honor of being one of the only few women to be allowed to be buried in the Vatican Grotto in St. Peter's Basilica. A pioneer of feminism if there ever was one!</div>
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Danenationhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13536191751474911307noreply@blogger.com0Kungliga slottet, 107 70 Stockholm, Sweden59.324680600000008 18.06457810000006233.802646100000004 -23.244015899999937 84.846715100000011 59.373172100000062