Memories and hints of a travelling IT professional.
The most important place in Santiago de Chile, the old coin making palace and later on presidential seat of Chile is located at the Avenida Libertador Bernardo O’Higgins in the center of the city. It is a beautiful palace which was scene for the CIA-backed military coup d’état on September 11, 1973. Today it is seen as a major event of the Cold War with a symbolic power equal to the Cuban Revolution.
Freiburg im Breisgau is a beautiful town in the south of Germany, very close to the border to France. I stopped here on my way to Marseille and got and returned a rental car here. Freiburg dates back to the year 1008, has about 220.000 inhabitants and is located at the river Dreisam.
Maybe the most beautiful building in Avignon, France – the palace of the popes. At the beginning of the 14th century Avignon became the seat of the Catholic popes for about 70 years (because Rome, Italy wasn’t secure enough). Therefore a palace vast in size and strongly fortified was built which was home to seven popes and five antipopes.
I guess everyone has heard the chanson “Sur le Pont d’Avignon” before. Today the Pont Saint-Bénézet in Avignon, France isn’t a real bridge anymore – it is only a ruin, a stub leading on the river Rhône. But it is still the landmark of the town. It was built in the 12th century and was 900 meters long – making it the longest bridge in Europe by that time.
The Pont du Gard is a famous Roman aqueduct crossing the river Gard or Gardon close to the city Vers-Pont-du-Gard, France. It is an impressive building from the 1st century CE and was part of a 50 kilometers long system transporting water to the city of Nîmes. It is 49 meters high and is surrounded by a very good touristic infrastructure.
Surrounding Istanbul, Turkey there is a lot of water: not only the Bosphorus and the Golden Horn – but also the sea of Marmara (Marmara Denizi) in the south and the Black Sea (Karadeniz) in the north. While being so close I could not omit having a guided tour to the shore – visiting the lighthouse in Şile and having a bath at the rocky shore of this sea connecting Eastern Europe and Western Asia.
The Kariye Camii in Istanbul, Turkey; also known as the Church of the Holy Saviour in Chora is the most remote sight I visited in the city. It was a recommendation of my hosts and it really was worth the detour to the northwest end of Fatih. It was once a Byzantine Christian church that was converted into a mosque and is now serving as a museum.
The Dolmabahçe Sarayı in Istanbul, Turkey – translated as the palace of the filled garden – is to me the most beautiful palace of the city. It is located on the European side in Beşiktaş, directly at the Bosphorus. It has been built from 1843 on and is one of the younger palaces, created because Topkapı Sarayı couldn’t adhere to European standards requested by the Sultan.
The Bosporus bridge in Istanbul, Turkey must be a very beautiful view point. It is located high above the Bosporus and connecting the European with the Asian part of the city. From there you’re having a fantastic look on the Golden Horn, Galata and Sultanahmet. Within the pillars of the bridge there are elevators to get to the top, especially from Ortaköy this would be a good visit.
The Maiden’s tower (Kız Kulesi) is a lighthouse at the Bosporus in Istanbul, Turkey. It is located on a very small island 180 meters away from the Asian side, close to Üsküdar. It dates back to the 18th century and has served for different purposes over time. Today you can go by boat to the tower and within it there is also a restaurant and a coffee bar.