An Ionian seaside town, Avola is a mix of old and new. The town focuses heavily on the sea, with its history as a tuna fishing port. Today, the remains of the Vecchia Tonnara at the wharf are a stone backdrop to the sandy beaches. Avola dates back to a pre-Greek people called the Sicani.…
Located about 11 kilometres north of Catania, it is the perfect little commune to visit during the ottobrata – the local festivity that occurs every October here in Sicily, celebrating the fruits of the land: frutti di terra. The first encounter went wrong already 🙂 Approaching the booth with fruit, I have noticed quince – one…
If something is worth visiting in life, it is the Aeolian islands. Becasue it makes you think about winter in the south. It makes you think about simplicity of life. And it makes you realise how not to treat the tourists: just some bags of potatoes that need to be shipped from one island to…
I haven’t had a chance to spent a bit more time discovering this city. But just a glimpse and it made me think to re-visit and make it’s due. When the time will come, I promise to update with more photos. But for now, enjoy the story 🙂 Several civilizations settled in Milazzo and left…
I didn’t expect much from this harbour city, to be honest. I knew they have a great beer – Messina cristali di sale: a great Sicilian beer brewed since 1923 and one of the most loved Italian beers. It is the third largest city on the island of Sicily, and the 13th largest city in Italy.…
Senlis is a city in the northern French department of Oise, Hautes de France. Cute, medieval and charming. It offered us great peek into history: The monarchs of the early French dynasties lived in Senlis, attracted by the proximity of the Chantilly forest. Senlis is situated on the river Nonette. Senlis was known in early Roman imperial times as Augustomagus. During the 3rd century, a seven-meter…
The Château de Chantilly is one of the finest jewels in the crown of France’s cultural heritage. It is the work of a man with an extraordinary destiny: Henri d’Orléans, Duke of Aumale, son of the last King of France, Louis-Philippe. This historic French château located in the town of Chantilly, Oise, about 50 kilometres north of Paris. The site…
The Scala dei Turchi is a rocky cliff on the coast of Realmonte, near Porto Empedocle. It has become a tourist attraction, partly due to its mention series of detective stories about Commissario Montalbano. The cliffs lie between two sandy beaches and are a limestone rock formation in the shape of a staircase, hence the name. The latter part…
Picture this episode: we parked on a roundabout. Some local approached us (my brother and me) – we thought because we should have not park in a roundabout, but then again they all did, so… in fact the guy just wanted to ask if we have cigarettes. Ok Sicily, episode n. At the roundabout is…
Enna or as the Sicilians would say Castrugiuvanni; is a city located roughly at the center of Sicily, towering above the surrounding countryside. It has earned the nicknames belvedere (panoramic viewpoint) and ombelico (“navel”) of Sicily. At 931m above sea level, Enna is the highest Italian provincial capital. To arrive there is not a piece of cake. Passing the two viaducts Morello and…
From its dramatic natural surroundings to its historic churches, Sicily has something to offer every traveler. The island of Sicily is a unique part of Italy. Its craggy mountains, wild vegetation, and omnipresent sea have fired the imagination of poets, wayfarers, and visitors alike. Though it is one of 20 Italian regions, its history under…
Aci Castello and the other Acis around are destinations not to be missed in Sicily, especially for lovers of Greek myths and literature. It is here that the poets Virgil and Ovid gave birth to the myth of Galatea and Aci and their love story. In the second half of 1100 the town was destroyed…
So far been there three times and I am pretty sure I will keep visiting this rather Flemish city at the northern France. When you see the architecture, you will […]
So far been there three times and I am pretty sure I will keep visiting this rather Flemish city at the northern France. When you see the architecture, you will know what I am talking about: bricks and gold.
Food is oriented on the fish and shells from the Northern sea. I captured this oyster seller at the streets of Lille, on early Sunday morning just preparing his tent.
That Sunday morning markets, however, were noisy and hectic…
The original inhabitants of this region were the Gauls. Until the Vikings came in 10th century.
The 16th and 17th centuries were marked by a boom in the regional textile industry, the Protestant revolts, and outbreaks of the Plague.
I am particularly in love with the city center of this city! The charm of this city is that, despite being the largest in northern France, it doesn’t behave like a grand French city – no pace for arrogance – only warm hearts here.
Place Charles de Gaulle Opéra de Lille
And then the Bourse just there – the magnificent building open to host the flea market.
Bourse – 17th-century Old Stock Exchang
Then the Post-French Revolution period resulted with another economic growth as being close to the cities like Saint Omer, Brugge or Roubaix. But soon the Europe was back again in World Wars. In the aftermath – the art deco style and the Belle Epoque were present (that was the time of discovery of champagne). 🙂
Lille’s Art Deco city hall (1932)
Lille Cathedral or Basilica of Notre Dame de la Treille is a Roman Catholic church dating from 12th century.
Cathedral of Notre Dame de la Treille
Walking around and across the Old city I stumbled upon the Palace of Justice. Nice building!
Palais de la Justice
The city lays on the river La Doule. Not something particularly amazing but still nice and romantic.
Along the river Doule
Close to it is the citadelle Vauban. Thebuilding was raised in 17th century by one of the notable French kings. However, of course Napoleon used it up most.
Citadelle Vauban
Did you know that Charles de Gaulle was born in Lille?
He was a French army officer and statesman who led the French Resistance against Nazi Germany in World War II.
Time to eat local! As I mentioned, the shells are on the main plate here!
Lille is a beautiful place, with great sight seeing, excellent food and friendly people. There is plenty to do for a couple of days. A place worth visiting once at least.
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Thanks for the sensible critique. Me & my neighbor were just preparing to do some research about this. We got a grab a book from our local library but I think I learned more from this post. I am very glad to see such excellent information being shared freely out there.
Beautiful way of posting I really love it keep going on and thanks for sharing such a wonderful post with us…
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c’est tres belle!
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Lille is a beautiful place, with great sight seeing, excellent food and friendly people. There is plenty to do for a couple of days. A place worth visiting once at least.
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Heart taking place. Don’t know when will I get the chance to visit 😊
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O.m.g! its fabulous …i wanna visit …hope i’ll do
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How does it feel to be in France?
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Fab…
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Perfect work you have done, this internet site is really cool with fantastic information.
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Hi! This is kind of off topic but I need some advice from an established blog. Is it very hard to set up your own blog? I’m not very techincal but I can figure things out pretty quick. I’m thinking about making my own but I’m not sure where to start. Do you have any points or suggestions? Appreciate it
LikeLike
Thanks for the sensible critique. Me & my neighbor were just preparing to do some research about this. We got a grab a book from our local library but I think I learned more from this post. I am very glad to see such excellent information being shared freely out there.
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