Tivoli Christmas Market- Copenhagen, Denmark

I was dressed like I was going to summit Mount Everest. Being a native Californian; anything less than 60°F is dang cold. On this late November night at Tivoli's Christmas market it was a freezing 36°! We were only warmed by the Christmas spirit and hot cocoa.

Tivoli's Christmas market opens mid-November and runs through the very end of December. Tivoli is already a popular destination among visitors and locals; especially in the evenings when it is all lit up. It's open til late in the evening, seven days a week so there is no reason to miss out. Its popularity peaks during the holidays because it becomes even more magical and romantic. Lights, ornaments and Christmas trees sprout in time for the festivities.

Scandanavian handicrafts like ornaments, handmade figurines, and knitwear are available in one of the many rustic huts and stalls on Scandanavian themed side the market. The Russian side is dominated by the basillica with its fanciful onion domes topped by prancing reindeer. Inside is Basils Divan where you can find cookies, goodies and other Christmas treats. Well-trained Russian circus bears form a Christmas tree while holding ornaments. Don't worry, they don't bite! Outside, Russian nesting dolls are the coolest things to take a peak at and they have so many of them.

The setting of Tivoli and the Christmas Market here made me feel like we were inside a fairy-tale during the holidays. It's not difficult to bring out the kid in me. My heart was definitely set alight by the fun and wonder here.

 

Canals and Streets in the Dark- Amsterdam, Netherlands

Something really interesting happens in the evening in Amsterdam. The canals transform into living impressionist canvases. A gentle wind creates brush strokes on the water's surface and mirrors the way Van Gogh created movement with his strokes. It's more than coincidence that the Netherlands was his birthplace and the Van Gogh Museum is found in Amsterdam.

Like the water in its canals, Amsterdam is always moving day or night. The static tram tracks create lines that imply movement. They remind me of metal canals in the cobbled streets.

 

Stockley Road, West Drayton- London, England

It looks like Fall is finally on it's way and suprisingly the gloomy weather doesn't remind me of London. The following photos are usually how London looks when we visit. Bright, warm and sunny a lot like how it was when we left Los Angeles. It's only been one gloomy day and I'm already missing summer and London.

Our home base for a few weeks was West London... very West London. West Drayton is part of the western most border of London. Heathrow is a few miles away and there is not much else out there. That is not to say that it wasn't very beatiful and lush.

Stockley Road mainly connects the business parks, the M4 and the airport. While not a top sight seeing destination, this was my walk from one of the business parks to the bus stop that went to the airport. The airport was the most convenient option to catch the 30 minute tube ride into London proper which will be coming soon.

 

Plaza de Toros de las Ventas - Madrid, Spain

Las Ventas is the famous bullring in the district of Salamanca in Madrid. The plaza de toros or bullring is the third largest in the world. The two largest are in Mexico and Venezuela; where the bullfighting goes after the Spanish season is over in October. Las Ventas was designed by Jose Espeliú in the Neo-Mudéjar style and makes the building look more ancient than its 1931 inauguration.

The bullring is divided by 27 sections called tiendos. More importantly it is divided in two sections called Sol and Sombra or sun and shade. The tickets in the sun are less expensive but it can get very hot and rowdy. It is the perfect place is you want to immerse yourself in local culture. If you prefer shade and cooler attitudes I would recommend the Sombra side. If it is your first bull fight try finding seats in rows 9 or lower on the Sombra side so you can get a closer look at the action and not worry about the heat. I purchased our tickets through taquillatoros.com (serviced by Ticketmaster) and the process was relatively easy and clear. You print out a confirmation and bring it with you to get your tickets. You can also buy tickets when you arrive or through other on-line vendors.

To get here you can walk, take a taxi or like most people take the Metro. The Ventas stop is where lines 2 and 5 intersect and it will put you directly outside the bullring. There are also a lot of taxis waiting too if you don’t want to walk or take the metro. After you pick up your tickets and head to your seats rent a cushion for less than 2 euros. Your butt will thank you for the next couple of hours.

Bullfighting is a tradition that some people don’t agree with these days and there’s a good chance that in the future it won’t be allowed. I would recommend experiencing a bull-fight at least once in your life. Not so much for the actual bull-fight but to be part of an authentic Spanish experience.

 

The Golden Hour - Brussels, Belgium

The view from the top of Kuntsbergplein/Jardin du Mont de Arts with the statue of Albert I and the spire of the City Hall in the distance.

Jardin du Mont de Arts with the MIM and Church of Saint Jacques-sur-Coudenberg visible at the top of the stairs. There is a good concentration of museums and sights in this area. It's one of the best places to knock a lot of places to see off the checklist.

The Palace of Justice is getting a makeover!

Brits Oorlogsmonument, Monument Britannique or Anglo-Belgian Memorial commemorates the support of British POW's in WWI from Belgian citizens.

Poelaertplein/Place Poelaert or Poelart Square has the best views at sunset.

 

Haghia Sophia Museum- Istanbul, Turkey

The Haghia Sophia or Aya Sofya in Turkish has been in its present form for 1600 years. There have been churches on this site since 346. It took only five years to build this immense structure and it was completed in 537 under Emporer Justinian I. This was almost continuously the seat of the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople until 1453 (if the Vatican is the physical headquarters of the Catholic Church this would be the equivalent for Orthodox Christians). Then it became the first imperial mosque after the Ottomans took Constantinople and the city became Istanbul. It served as a mosque for 500 more years until in 1931 it became secularized and in 1935 it was transformed into a museum by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

The building is huge and the height of the majestic Byzantine domes are exaggerated by the low hanging lighting. Above, shafts of golden light fills the hall. This is one of the few places in the world where you will see Christian iconography side by side with Islamic calligraphy and patterns. Most notable are the medallions and pendant chandeliers that were added in the mid nineteenth century. When it became a museum, mosaics and frescos were revealed under plaster from around the main dome and uncovered interesting depictions of feathered angels.

 

Onofrio Fountain- Dubrovnik, Croatia

The Onofrio Fountain is said to have better tasting water than store bought bottled water.  I wouldn't know but you'll  see people sipping and filling containers from one of the fountains sixteen spouts.   Each is uniquely decorated with faces or maskerons so there's no mixing them up. The fountain was built in the 15th century by Onofrio della Cava after he designed and built the aqueduct for the city.  The Onofrio Fountain was severely damaged by a 16th century earthquake that toppled the dragon statue that was on the cupola, it was never repaired.  Despite losing its dragon, the fountain was well built. For six centuries it has provided relief for the thirsty and as a meeting point for people.  Can you imagine all the things it has been witness to and the secrets it has to tell?  

I missed one of the maskerons from the Onofrio Fountain!

 

The Louvre Museum- Paris, France

People usually go to the Louvre to see the Mona Lisa and other art from the Masters. That's what we did the first time too. What happens when you luckily get in for free two hours before closing on a Saturday night? You go around and see whatever you can!

Michelangelo Pistoletto decorated the Louvre's pyramid for the first time in its history with a sign against capitalism. Ironically it looks like the All Seeing Eye on the almighty one dollar bill. He has hidden several pieces all over the museum and has a couple more obvious installations each carrying a message or metaphor.

The Louvre is huge and you could/should spend at least one whole day here if you want to see everything. We snapped photos of all the interesting stuff we missed our first visit. Unfortunately, I only recognize Venus de Milo from this interesting bunch of photos.

Feel free to chime in on the comments if you recognize anything else!

 

Preview: Dubrovnik, Croatia

Dear Dubrovnik,

Congratulations! Your country has earned it's place in the E.U. I hope you don't change and remain true to yourself as you've done for hundreds of years. We love you for what's in your walls and outside too. We look forward to seeing you again soon and will hold on to our Croatian Kunas as a keepsake.

Love,

CTTC

To celebrate Croatia joining the European Union today I want to post a peek of Dubrovnik. It's still a preview but all photos are of holes in the city walls and a couple other places.

 

Blue Mosque- Istanbul, Turkey

The Sultan Ahmed Mosque (Turkish: Sultanahmet Camii; Tourist: Blue Mosque) is considered to be one of the last great classical mosques. It took seven years to build and was finished in 1619. It is built in the style of the Süleymaniye Mosque which was built a century earlier. The Sultan Ahmed Mosque is one of the few mosques with six minarets which are difficult to capture all together on the grounds of the mosque itself. I have a photo with five but it's full of trees. I've scoured Google Maps and I have a couple spots picked out to get them all on our next check-in to Istanbul!

It is called the Blue Mosque by tourists because of the blue tiles on the interior ceiling. I thought it would be more blue.

Like most mosques in Istanbul it is open to visitors outside of specific hours when it is in use.

 

Preview: Paris, France

We know another preview... 

They're so much fun to make though!  We'll have more in depth posts soon, pinky swear! 

 

Preview: Istanbul, Turkey

We were bedazzled by the rich history, architecture and culture in Istanbul.  Stay tuned for more!  

P.S. We pray that Istanbul and its people find a resolution to their current difficulties.