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.

 

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!