Lucca Around the Old Wall

"he historical center of Lucca lies within a unique wall system. These walls, built of small red bricks specifically created for their construction, were many years in the making (16th to 17th century). They were built as a defence against the 'old enemy,' Florence, but were never in fact put to the test in war. However, they have remained in tact." Knowital.Lucca

Old City in Lucca

Arriving in Lucca

Here we are in Lucca. Home of fine Olive Oil and Pucini!

A beautiful "first" view of the historic wall that encircles the old city. There is a world of history waiting to be learnt about this ancient city.

We found a great little cafe and had our breakfasts there during our stay. The coffee was great, I must admit... and they did a beautiful job with the milk design on top! The croissant was a different texture altogether from the ones in France... less crispy on the outside and more like a brioche on the inside. It was delish!

I just LOVED the beautiful architecture in Lucca's old city.

Some views of the park as you walk around the Old Wall. You can still see the reminents of the wall.

On our last morning in Lucca, Lindsey and I took a very relaxing and picturesque walk around the city wall. It was absolutely beautiful and it was a great way to see the city and surrounding mountains...

Looking toward Manarola...

and the doorway at Riomaggiore, too

La Spezia

Corniglia

Corniglia

Manarola by sunset

Gelato e cappucino....

What a perfect mix!

Bright colors in Manarola

Riomaggiore

Beautiful sunset in Vernazza

Vernazza

Here's the lovely town, Vernazza. I think it's the most touristic of the five towns and clearly the one with the most commerce. It's a very charming town.

Headed to Vernazza

from Monterosso.

This path was the hardest of all five, but we didn't know that until AFTER we walked it! It took us about 2 hours and was composed mostly of walking UP the stone stairs that went up and up and up the mountain! It was a beautiful walk, especially coming into Vernazza.

Monterosso

Along the paths in Cinque Terre

This is approaching Riomaggiore, the first of the five towns of Cinque Terre.

Walking back to Manarola from Riomaggiore.

Along the path from away from Manarola.

Our first dinner in Cinque Terre

Look closely and you will see a guy holding a fish. Next to him is the fresh sea bass ravioli that I ordered for dinner. I'm not sure that he used this fish for my order, but I am SURE the fish is very fresh!! It was a delish dinner!

In the vineyards...

Tuscany is well known for it's wines. Well, Cinque Terre is a wine region in Tuscany and the vineyards grow in rows and rows on the mountainsides next to the ocean. It's just so beautiful.

Manarola

Lovers in Love....

Inside the tunnel ....

Riomaggiore to Manarola

Lock in your love in the Town of Love

A coffee break on the trail back to Manarola

Manarola

Manarola, Cinque Terre

This is the town we stayed in... Very charming and no tourists at this time!

Dinner in Belem and the metro back into town.

After a DELISH Italian dinner in Belem, we missed the last bus back to where we were staying so we ended up walking to the train - getting a ticket and then catching a metro back to our area.... It actually wasn't so bad, after all because Metro Queen Lindsey was guiding the way! She did a great job! GOOO Linds!

Beleza Belem!

We ended up in Belem and got to see a GORGEOUS sunset! It was most surprising to see the Golden Gate Bridge in Portugal, though... Let me tell you!

Oceanarium in Lisbon

They rebuilt this entire quartier for the World Expo in '98. It's very chic and modern....

Some sea life we saw at the aquarium.....

Walking along the boardwalk... we spotted several jellyfish in the river Tejo. This huge river is more like the ocean to me than a river because we really had the feel of being at the ocean.....

Tiles in Lisbon

Beautiful tiled buildings can be found all over town. Portugal is famous for its colourful tiles!

Food in Lisbon

Most of this is local cuisine, but a few things are from the Italian resto we ate at.

Lisboa, Portugal

This is where we stayed in Lisboa, The Lisbon Dreams Guest House.... Very nice place!

Sights around town....

Flamengo dresses

Toledo

Shots around Madrid.... by day....

Fine dining in Madrid... by night!

Madrid- night shots

Madrid-- mercado

City sights in Madrid

Balconies and ornates railings

Madrid-- City sights

Sangria y tapas....

Calle Mayor

Street signs

Often times, when you look UP, you catch the coolest things! I have learned this well from strolling in Paris... I think it's the same all over Europe!

Arches

More inside the Basillica

Beautiful stained glass

Amazing ceiling in the Basillica

Inside the Basillica The ceilings

The beautiful ceiling in the church.

More of El Palacio

King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella are still present at the Palicio.... It was a GORGEOUS palace but we weren't allowed to take photos inside, so you'll just have to come and see it for yourself when you visit Madrid.... I can say that this is a site that should NOT be missed!

El Palicio... Still used today for royal and political functions... Queen Sophia is the reigning queen of Spain as of current times.

The Basillica

Guitar shop and masks

Flan

Paella

This was our first and only paella in Spain. It was pretty good but I'm going to try out my own when I get back!

Le Pain Quotidien en Madrid

On our first night in Madrid, we were greeted by the bio chain of restos called, "Le Pain Quotidien." Our friend, James in the GM at one of these restos in L.A. so I took these pics to show him... Great menu and friendly service!

It's VERY easy to find your way around by metro in Madrid... It has fewer lines than Paris but is the same in principle.

Spanish architecture

In the Plaza

Madrid

Around town....

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El Palacio

Around Madrid

A beautiful sillhouette of some of Spain's prominent style in architechture.

Tapas bar in the mercado

Tapas are to Spain as sandwiches and quiche to France... Go into any bar and you will see a wide array of tapas at the bar. Anyone can find something they are bound to enjoy!

Cafe con leche y pasteles

I cannot begin to tell you just HOW good this cafe was.... Cafe con leche here in Madrid is much stronger than in France... Don't know if it's the coffee itself or the way they prepare it, but it has a strong, rich and bold taste! I ordered a rosaquilla and a little oso de mazapan to go along with it...

Are we back in France? No, but guess that macarons are popular here in Madrid! There are some other treats here - the rosaquillas, for example.... but for now, macarons!

Madrid shows off some Halloween festivities here... In the bottom photo-- the mazapan treats made to look like bones, are a traditional treat here... YUM!

More on the mercado

El Mercado de San Miguel

This was a beautiful indoor famer's market that reminded me a lot of the one in Budapest.

Spanish architecture

Plaza Mayor

A very famous and historical site in Madrid... It was a mere 5 minute walk from where we were staying...

Cafe and Tapas in Madrid.... Day One!

Our first coffee and tapas in Spain.... The resto right on the corner from where we were staying...

Tortilla espanola and a bagette...

Free tapas compliments of the waiter

No trip to Vienna is complete without...

a meal at Coffee Day near the Opera House! This inexpensive and trendy resto offers a WIDE variety of choices on their menu... Including a lot of Indian dishes! Their mango iced tea is YUMMMMM!!!

We're back in Wein again...

This time, it's me and Alex in mid June... I loved it so much when I came here with Mira in April, that I had to bring Alex back to show him around the lovely city! A clear blue sky and a gorgeous day in Vienna... Ahhhh... a city I really love!

Viking River Cruises

How many of you out there has ever been on a "cruise?" I have never done it myself, but over the past few years, the idea of taking a cruise has become a very appealing one to me! I have several friends here in Paris who have been on several different European cruises, and they all come back and talk about how wonderful the experience was! I sold!!!

So, I searched the internet and found this company, Viking River Cruises who offer a wide variety of cruises throughout Europe and even in Egypt, China, and Russia!! Here's their link, Viking River Cruises, and you can check it out and see what they have to offer. They have so many choices listed on their website that it's really hard to decide! One that I would really love to take is a cruise along the Danube! It sounds so enchanting, so relaxing and such a great way to see the sights and scenes of different countries and cultures!

Et voilà, you have it... Or, maybe I have it! A cruise on the Danube awaits... I must go!

A keg of Holy Water, anyone?!!

With no disrespect, I found it hilarious that this church in Blackrock served up batches of holy water like one would serve coffee at a meeting. It actually looks like a very sanitary method... Don't mind the kegs outside the church, they're probably filled with some of that "holy water."

Taking the DART down the Irish Coast

First stop Blackrock.... where we hit up the famous "quaint" flea market in town.

The town's local flea market....

Where someone's junk is YOUR treasure!!!

A cute little cafe with the BEST carrot cake I've tasted in a LONGGGG time! And yummy looking scones.

And who can forget, Oliver's wholesome and organic crepes? Yes, the real thing, folks! He's French!! He's from Bretagne! If you stop by, please be sure to try his delicious crepes!

Making friends in Blackrock. Here's a vender who sells a wide variety of sauces in jars. I bought the mango chili sauce and it was nice and spicy!!! YUMMMM!!! He also had a cute little space which Linda found very comfy!

More cool architechture

Lady with a hole in her booby!

I shouldn't have forgotten this because we did the Hop on Hop off tour so many times, but this is a bronze statue of a lady (?? I forget who), who incurred a bullet hole in her booby during the war. If you know, kindly tell me!

Guinness is GOOD FOR YOU! Here's the Guiness Brewery

Very impressive, even to a non beer drinker such as me!!!

St. Patrick's Cathedral

Red brick building!

Sights from the bus tour

Here's Linda enjoying some cool sights and some sun!

Plus, one FUNKY chicken... on exhibit and one we passed many times on our bus tour!

Stephen's Green Park

Pretty flowers and and hommage to those who died during the Great Famine.

Molyy Malone, the Tart with the Cart and other goodies

Looking around the town

Odds and ends....

Doors in Dublin

Ice Cream and bright colors

The Joy of Coffee, Dublin

Follow those KEGS!!!

Just look at all those kegs, will you?!!!

The Famous Temple Bar

Quays Bar in Dublin, Temple Bar

Along the edge of the river

Taking a "nap" on the edge of the river-

or.... "sleeping it off."

Hop on Hop off Dublin

This is a GREAT way to see any city... Grab the Hop On Hop Off Tour Bus and see main points of interest and get off and on anytime you want... These are all day passes and offer something that walking may not cover!

The "Burger King" of bus tours in Dublin

The McDonald's of bus tours.... Why? You ask.... Well, because we thought the green line was a bit more "upscale" than the red line.... Go figure!

Linda getting comfy on the bus... Yes.. we had the lovely front seats to ourselves until they pulled the "bait and switch" on us and made us change to a bus that wasn't as comfy.. Plus, we lost our seats and had to sit in uncovered seats and it was pretty chilly!

Views from the bus.....

What the heck?? An hommage to Herione addicts?? HUHHHH?!!!!!

Pretty things on buildings!

PORTERHOUSE PUB "THE PLACE to be in Dublin!"

This pub was definitely one of my FAVS in Dublin!

Interesting sites next to the Queen of Tarts

Cool art!

A little local marché of odds and ends was taking place outside when we stopped by the Queen of Tarts.

Weird art!

TOTALLY ADORABLE!

And he knew it!

This dress was featured in a shop nearby which had very interesting and original designs.

The Queen of Tarts - A gem of a tea house in Dublin!

Molly Malone isn't the only "Queen of Tarts" in Dublin! Move over, Molly because here is a LOVELY Salon de Thé in Temple Bar that I just LOVED!!! The inside decor is cozy and sweet, and the baked goods are mouth-watering!

Linda and I went in for breakfast on Monday morning and we were not disappointed in the least. Try the delicious scones with cream and jam, and take some home if you'd like! They're best when fresh, so eat them up quickly!!! The staff was very sweet and gracious and we had fun talking to the lovely girls who worked there!! Please stop in and visit The Queen of Tarts when you are in Dublin!!

Outside on the terrace.

Inside the Queen of Tarts

Here's Linda striking a pose!!!

Some interior deco

Here's our DELISH-OUS breakfast- mine was a raspberry scone with cream and jam and Linda had a plum tart! The coffee was great, too!!

Out of this world baked goods....

The possibilites are ENDLESS, I must go back again!

The Temple Bar Food Market- A MUST SEE in Dublin!

They even have GREEN EGGS!!! (Duck's eggs)

Fresh baked bread and cakes!

Cakes and other sweet goodies

Teresa and Mexican goodies!

This lovely lady cooks up a wide variety of True Blue Mexican cuisine... Stop by and check it out!