Wandering around the completely over the top Plaza de Espana it’s pretty obvious why so many movies (from Star Wars to The Dictator) have used this structure as a backdrop. This is the view looking out from the central entrance. It took me quite a while to figure out how to get the towers, light posts and fountains framed up under the archways. It involved sitting on the floor and ignoring the strange looks.
Setting out for Sisteron, France I wasn’t sure what I would find following the hour and a half drive there. I also wondered what the roads would be like. I was pleasantly surprised as it turns out there is a nicely paved highway running from Aix-en-Provence most of the way to Sisteron. Once we arrived there, it was immediately clear that the drive was worth it. The town is perched on the bend of the River Durance and works it way up the valley walls. At the top is the Sisteron Citadel, which has significantly hindered the efforts of armies trying to enter Provence from Roman times through to the second world war.
What you see here is the Devil’s Sentry, posted high above the valley on an outcrop of rock. It’s not difficult to understand why it earned this name, especially when you imagine winter winds whipping through the valley and directly into the sentry box.
The photo below shows what is left of the temple of Apollo at Delphi. This temple was home to the Pythia who sat upon a tripod and provided messages from the gods in answer to pilgrims’ questions. Unfortunately the answers were always worded as a riddle and could often be interpreted to align with the results, whichever way they fell!
I didn’t know this before visiting, but it turns out that Delphi means dolphin. Sure enough, while enjoying lunch at a restaurant on the sea not far away three dolphins appeared and spent quite a while playing in the water in front of us.
I was enjoying the colors in the trees so much I decided to take a picture of them. Let me know what you think.
This photo was taken from my balcony at the Hotel Villa Honegg in Switzerland on a cool morning.
I’m in Berlin and it’s really cold so am spending most of my time inside. Yesterday I took a hop on hop off tour bus and got as far as museum island. My first stop was the Berlin Cathedral which I ducked into really to warm up but quickly discovered it’s incredible. I spent about an hour there before moving onto the Altes Museum and then the Neues Museum. I wanted to go to the Pergmon museum but the line was too long and I didn’t want to stand still that long outside!
On my first night in Manarola I was provided with a complimentary bottle of prosecco. I promptly plopped down on my balcony to enjoy it while the sun set. I took this photo just as the last light disappeared behind the horizon.
It seemed like a fairly still day while walking around Cassis, but when I went out onto a pier to take this picture I felt like I was on the verge of getting blown overboard.
I had heard from friends who had visited Delphi that it’s far hillier than you’d expected. Sure enough, it’s built on a steep slope, with the stadium at the top. On the way up to the stadium you get this view back over the theater, giving me a good excuse to stop and catch my breath.
If you google Riomaggiore you’ll find photos taken from this spot numerous times. It’s one of the viewpoints that first got me to notice the Cinque Terre and eventually decide to give the area a visit. While I try not to take the same photos taken by everyone else, I don’t think anyone can disembark from the ferry to Riomaggiore and not stop to take this picture.
