Every hero has its main rival; and for the better part of the 20th Century the two great rival powers were the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. It is a story of dualism: West vs. East, NATO vs. the Warsaw Pact, Democracy vs. Communism; and at the heart of the two beasts, Washington DC and Moscow. I was privileged to have had the opportunity to visit Moscow, and these were some of the amazing photos from that journey. * Nothing symbolizes Russia quite like the iconic Saint Basil's Cathedral.

Copenhagen. What started as a small Viking fishing village eventually grew to become the seat of the Dano-Norwegian Empire, and current capital of Denmark. Now while Denmark is well-known for being one of the world leaders in design, clean energy, and sustainability, as well as liberalism, human rights, and modernism (free education, healthcare, and social security for all), its capital contains multiple treasures to its glorious royal past! * Like most people from Scandinavia (the people formerly known as the Vikings), the Danes LOVE the water. One of Copenhagen's most picturesque spots is the waterfront area known as the Nyhavn.

At its height, the Portuguese Empire was one of the largest and most powerful empires in the world. Armed with superior seafaring technology and a lot of bravado, Portuguese explorers helped to establish the very first European colonies in South America, Africa, and Asia - directly starting the Age of Discovery and Colonialism . And at the heart of the Empire was the city of Lisbon . * Imagine yourself standing at the center of the world's most important city 600 years ago, think today's New York City. You would find yourself standing at the Praca do Comercio .

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

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

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

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

In a city full of spires, the Church of Saint Nicholas sure found a way to stand out. Dominating the skyline of Mala Strana , Prague's New Town, the Church is breathtaking both inside and out. * From a distance, St. Nicholas looks very formidable!

Apart from being the home to the Kings of Bohemia , several Emperors of the Holy Roman Empire , and Presidents of Czechoslovakia , Prague Castle also has the distinction of being the largest ancient castle in the world. * Nothing screams WELCOME than two giant sculptures of legendary characters beating their foes to a bloody pulp.

Having had the pleasure of exploring three kingdoms so far ( Polish , Magyar-Hungarian , and Austrian ), we decided to take a detour to Western Europe and explore an old kingdom in one of Europe's most historically fragmented states, Germania . At its peak, the German Confederation was a loose association of 39 Germanic states including the Kingdoms of Prussia (Berlin), Saxony (Dresden), Hanover (Hanover), Wurttemberg (Stuttgart), and Bavaria (Munich).  Since we could only choose one Germanic city, we went for the area with the most castles, traditional villages, sausages, and beer, the home of the Oktoberfest , Munich ! * Arriving at the Marienplatz which has been Bavaria's main square since 1158 !

Because of the sheer efficiency of the Viennese Subway, the U-Bahn , getting around and exploring Vienna was a very pleasurable experience. And while we may have only spent 3 days in the former imperial capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, I felt that we really got to cover a whole lot of ground! * St. Stephen's Cathedral , known in Austria as the Stephansdom , is Vienna's most important religious building and seat of the Roman Catholic Archiocese.

I am a HUGE fan of Cathedrals, Burial Places, and Cathedral-Crypts! See Holy Sepulcher, Jerusalem See Catacombs of Paris See Notre Dame, Paris See Westminster Abbey See Wawel Cathedral and Crypt See San Agustin Church, Manila So when I read in several guide books that there was an Imperial Crypt full of Monarchs from the Holy Roman Empire , as well as members of the House of Habsburg , I just knew that we had to check it out! * The unassuming entrance to the Crypt below. You wouldn't be able to tell at all that 12 Holy Roman Emperors and 18 Empresses are actually entombed here! * Built in 1633 , the Imperial Crypt has been the burial place for family members of the House of Habsburg for Centuries. * The sarcophagi are placed and marked along a series of ten interconnected subterranean vaulted rooms. * All in all, 145 members of the House of Habsburg are buried here, including the aforementioned 12 Emperors and 18 Empresses. A

Modern-day Budapest is actually a combination of two rival medieval cities: Buda and Pest . While flat Pest is located on the eastern bank of the fabled Danube River and has traditionally been Hungarian, Buda , located on the western bank, is hilly, full of trees, and was historically inhabited by Germans, Ottomans, and Serbians before finally being assimilated by the Hungarians.  * Buda was the former capital of the  Kingdom of Hungary  and thus contains  Buda Castle ,  Matthias Church , and the  Fisherman's Bastion .

Returning from a whole day of remembrance in Auschwitz , we purposely went straight to a church in order to say a prayer for the millions who were brutally murdered. That church was the majestic St. Mary's Basilica , located right on the Main Market Square of Krakow . * Originally built in the 13th Century, the Basilica's more formal name is the Church of Our Lady Assumed Into Heaven .

Following our morning in the Underground Salt Cathedral of Wieliczka , we decided to go the other direction in the afternoon by going uphill to learn more about the Kings and Queens of the Polish people. Wawel Hill , situated on the banks of the fabled Vistula River , is a castle complex built in the 8th Century serving as the political center of the Polish people for over a millennium. The complex includes the Royal Castle and Wawel Cathedral , which contains the mausoleum of the Polish Monarchs. * The astounding view of the Wawel Cathedral grounds! The castle complex has often been described by observers as one of the most fascinating of all European castles .

One of the must-see excursions while in Poland, the Wieliczka Salt Mine is a one-of-a-kind and unique experience. Apart from being an actual, functional salt mine, there exists an underground Cathedral, made entirely of salt!   * A preview of things to come, a dramatic shot of the loooooooooooong way down.

One of the reasons why I wanted to explore Central and Eastern Europe was to increase my knowledge of European History, particularly with the time period of the Dark Ages. This is the period when various kingdoms, duchies, and principalities popped up, in, and around the continent; all interconnected by power plays, fixed marriages and politics. Before this trip, I had zero knowledge about the Polish Kings and Queens and I was very astonished to learn about how interwoven this line was with the monarchies of Russia (Novgorod), Austria, Prussia and Sweden. * Definitely, the most lively and colorful area in Warsaw is its Castle Square . A popular meeting place for tourists and locals, the area is full of restaurants, cafes, public performers and souvenir stands. It is also very safe especially when compared to squares in other cities (Rome, Paris, Barcelona etc). Since Warsaw was totally destroyed by the Nazis, the Poles actually recreated everything you see here by using old

Well-rested after a long day of flying and the initial exploration of the city, the newlyweds woke up refreshed and proceeded to tour the highlights of Warsaw's imperial history of warfare where they learned about all the tragedies that befell the Polish people in the 20th Century. * Easily one of the most beautiful things seen this whole trip was the monument of Frederic Chopin at Lazienki Park . Every Sunday, a pianist performs free recitals of his compositions.

While Metro Manila may be world class when it comes to shopping malls, entertainment facilities, restaurants, bars, clubs and bargain shopping, its choices of  cultural attractions  is, unfortunately,  very limited . Partly its because of the national government's limited support for our historical sites or maybe its because our people themselves do not really value our cultural and historical heritage, preferring instead Western influences. Nonetheless, I am extremely proud that we more or less have the ancient  walled city of Intramuros  to get our nationalistic fix in, as well as to showcase to our balikbayans and foreign guests who want to catch a glimpse of our history. And at the center of this walled city is my favorite church in the country, the  San Agustin Church . * Built in  1571  by members of the  Order of St. Augustine , the San Agustin Church was the  first religious structure   built  by the Spaniards in the island of Luzon.

If  Rome  has the grandeur of  St. Peter's Basilica ,  London  has the magnificence of  St. Paul's Cathedral . Located in the ancient square mile known as the  City of London   (which is the ancient, historic city located inside the current city of Greater London) , the Cathedral stands tall as a proud icon of the English people. And nowhere was this more apparent than during  World War II , when images of the Cathedral  standing resilient amidst a city devastated  by Nazi bombing became effective propaganda symbols of English resiliency. * Built after the  Great Fire of 1666 , the Cathedral was the masterpiece of   Sir Christopher Wren , one of the most esteemed English architects in history. Having overseen the  reconstruction of at least 52 churches  after the fire, Wren was also popular within the scientific-intellectual community with his contributions to science being highly praised by contemporaries such as  Isaac Newton  and  Blaise Pascal .