Next up Summer Vacations; Česká Republika; Repubblicca Italiana and Koninkrijk België. At the final week of August, I went to the capital city of Česká Republika, Praha for 4 days. Praha Zoo, seventh best zoo in the world according to Forbes; Karlův most, a 600 meter stone bridge which took almost 200 years to construct; Prague Castle, worlds biggest castle in the Guinness Books of Record; St Vitus Cathedral, Gothic cathedral containing tombs of many Bohemian and Holy Roman Empire kings; Old Town Square, historic square in the heart of Praha; Astronomical Clock, oldest working astronomical clock in the world; Old New Synagogue, Europe oldest working synagogue; Wenceslas Square, center of business and cultural community in the New Town of Praha; Vltava River, flows pass the Bohemian country into Elbe then to the North Sea are among the places visited.
After leaving Česká Republika I arrive at Milano a city situated in the northern regions of Italy. A short night rest and was off early next morning by rail to a city filled with canals and bridges. Venezia was beautiful, Palazzo Ducale, contains one of the largest room in Europe the Chamber of the Great Council; Basilica di San Marco, a symbol of Venetian wealth and power nicknamed Church of Gold; Piazza San Marco, the drawing room of Europe; Campanile di San Marco, a place where Galileo Galilei demonstrated his telescope ; Ponte di Rialto, a bridge with such a bold design that lead to the prediction of future ruin; Ca' Rezzonico, a palace of a powerful Venetian family; Grand Canal, the main "road" of Venice; and Museo Correr, museum reveling art, life and culture of the Venetian Republic.
Firenze was next on the list; a train took me away from the costal city of Venezia to the inland town of Firenze. Florence was at the heart of the Renaissance places such as Galleria dell'Accademia Firenze, founded by the house of Medici and hold Michelangelo's David in its Tribuna; Duomo Santa Maria del Fiore, where it's dome is largest brick dome ever stood on the face of Earth; Piazza della Signoria, focal point of Firenze; Palazzo Vecchio, fortress looking palace is the most impressive town hall in Tuscany; Galleria degli Uffizi, one of the oldest and most well known art museum in the western world; Ponte Vecchio, rumored to be the place where the concept of bankruptcy originated; Bascilica di Santa Croce, place where many famous Italians (Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli, etc) lay rest and Pitti Palace, the chief residence of the ruling families of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. While in Firenze I took a day and travel to the nearby town of Pisa to visit the world famous poor architectural plannning Tower of Pisa and the Cathedral at Piazza dei Miracoli.
After 2 nights in Firenze it was time for me to move on, I left Firenze for the capital city of Italy Roma. Colosseo, a 50,000 seater arena completed in 80AD; Roman Forum, venue for elections and public speech at the heart of ancient Rome; Piazza di Spagna, the widest staircase in Europe; Fontana di Trevi, the teminal of an ancient aqeduct with a famous coin throwing location; Villa Borghese, a place to chill, lie down and have a gelato; Pantheon, temple of all gods the old and the new; Ponte Sant' Angelo, a bridge with statues by Raffaello and Castel Sant' Angelo, mausoleum with archangel Michael were the places I visited in Roma. I also manage to enter the unique soveriegn state of Stato della Citta del Vaticano which is inside the city of Rome. There I amazed at the Piazza San Pietro, one of the most famous squares in the world; Musei Vaticani, containing famous work of arts in it halls (Scuola di Atene, the Gallery of Maps); Bascilica Sancti Petri, one of the holiest place of Catholic sites and Sacellum Sixtinum, The Creation of Adam and The Last Judgement was the crown achievement of Michelangelo .
Another 3 nights went by and it was almost time to say our goodbyes to Repubblicca Italiana but not without taking a stroll around the city I landed Milano. I visited Santa Maria delle Grazie, the church that contains The Last Supper; Duomo di Milano, fifth largest cathedral in the world; Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, oldest shopping mall in Italy on that short day. Later that day, I took a flight to Koninkrijk België where I spent the next 3 days of my life.
Between those 3 days I visited the Grote Markt, the most memorable landmark of Brussels, Mini Europe, Europe in 3 hours; Atomium, legacy from the 1958 Brussels World Fair; Les Geleries Saint Hubert, a shopping mall even older than the last 1; Parlamentarium, the visitor's center of the European Parliament, Berlaymont, headquarters of the European Union Commision and Manneken Pi, famous sculpture of urination.
After Brussels I arrived in Liverpool by air at 10pm and had a one of a kind experience at that city waiting outside of the train station till 4 am for my ride back to Glasgow. By then is 16th of September and I 1500 Euros poorer but lot richer in experiences for this was an adventure of a lifetime.
Firenze was next on the list; a train took me away from the costal city of Venezia to the inland town of Firenze. Florence was at the heart of the Renaissance places such as Galleria dell'Accademia Firenze, founded by the house of Medici and hold Michelangelo's David in its Tribuna; Duomo Santa Maria del Fiore, where it's dome is largest brick dome ever stood on the face of Earth; Piazza della Signoria, focal point of Firenze; Palazzo Vecchio, fortress looking palace is the most impressive town hall in Tuscany; Galleria degli Uffizi, one of the oldest and most well known art museum in the western world; Ponte Vecchio, rumored to be the place where the concept of bankruptcy originated; Bascilica di Santa Croce, place where many famous Italians (Michelangelo, Galileo, Machiavelli, etc) lay rest and Pitti Palace, the chief residence of the ruling families of the Grand Duchy of Tuscany. While in Firenze I took a day and travel to the nearby town of Pisa to visit the world famous poor architectural plannning Tower of Pisa and the Cathedral at Piazza dei Miracoli.
After 2 nights in Firenze it was time for me to move on, I left Firenze for the capital city of Italy Roma. Colosseo, a 50,000 seater arena completed in 80AD; Roman Forum, venue for elections and public speech at the heart of ancient Rome; Piazza di Spagna, the widest staircase in Europe; Fontana di Trevi, the teminal of an ancient aqeduct with a famous coin throwing location; Villa Borghese, a place to chill, lie down and have a gelato; Pantheon, temple of all gods the old and the new; Ponte Sant' Angelo, a bridge with statues by Raffaello and Castel Sant' Angelo, mausoleum with archangel Michael were the places I visited in Roma. I also manage to enter the unique soveriegn state of Stato della Citta del Vaticano which is inside the city of Rome. There I amazed at the Piazza San Pietro, one of the most famous squares in the world; Musei Vaticani, containing famous work of arts in it halls (Scuola di Atene, the Gallery of Maps); Bascilica Sancti Petri, one of the holiest place of Catholic sites and Sacellum Sixtinum, The Creation of Adam and The Last Judgement was the crown achievement of Michelangelo .
Another 3 nights went by and it was almost time to say our goodbyes to Repubblicca Italiana but not without taking a stroll around the city I landed Milano. I visited Santa Maria delle Grazie, the church that contains The Last Supper; Duomo di Milano, fifth largest cathedral in the world; Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, oldest shopping mall in Italy on that short day. Later that day, I took a flight to Koninkrijk België where I spent the next 3 days of my life.
Between those 3 days I visited the Grote Markt, the most memorable landmark of Brussels, Mini Europe, Europe in 3 hours; Atomium, legacy from the 1958 Brussels World Fair; Les Geleries Saint Hubert, a shopping mall even older than the last 1; Parlamentarium, the visitor's center of the European Parliament, Berlaymont, headquarters of the European Union Commision and Manneken Pi, famous sculpture of urination.
After Brussels I arrived in Liverpool by air at 10pm and had a one of a kind experience at that city waiting outside of the train station till 4 am for my ride back to Glasgow. By then is 16th of September and I 1500 Euros poorer but lot richer in experiences for this was an adventure of a lifetime.
