Photo Of the Week: Punctual Masai Warrior (Kenya)

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The rich red clothing and colourful jewellery of the Masai tribesmen is wonderful in contrast to the dry grasslands. However the shiny metallic wrist-watch seems totally out of place.

Other South-East African Posts
Rocks and Rhinos (Zimbabwe)
Lake of Stars (Malawi)
Hunting the Imaginery Line (Equator)
Sunrise over the Masai Mara (Kenya)
Top Ten African Travel Wonders

The Mournful Piece of Stone (Lucerne, Switzerland)

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This is the final in a series of three European travel wonders (see also Bologna and Beaune), focussing on less popular travel cities. The series is written by Travel Wonders and kindly sponsored by HotelCalculator.com.

Located in the heart of Switzerland and overlooked by towering peaks, Lucerne is a medieval masterpiece. Built where the town-splitting Reuss River runs into the aquamarine Lake Lucerne, the elegant city has two remarkable landmarks among its collection of museums and its historic centre of quaint alleys and enchanting buildings.

The 14th century covered Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke) is Europe’s oldest wooden bridge. It runs a crooked path across the mouth of the river connecting the two parts of town via the octagonal Water Tower and is richly decorated with over 100 triangular paintings from Lucerne’s long history. Lined with radiant blooms from flower boxes, it is subtlely lit in the evening reflecting in the still waters that run silently below. The stone Water Tower has its own colourful history acting as a torture chamber, prison and treasury at various points throughout its 500 year life.

Sadly, the bridge was near destroyed by fire in 1993, probably from a tourist’s cigarette, losing many of the historic paintings and much of the structure of the bridge. Some signs of the ashen remains are apparent but the Swiss did a remarkable reconstruction job in their typically efficient way.

Nearby is a truly moving monument. Etched into a sheer rock wall, a lion, mortally wounded from a spear, lays peacefully in a cavern, life draining from his pained body. The shields of Switzerland and the French monarchy sit under the lion highlighting the sculpture’s story.

Around 760 Swiss guards died gallantly defending the French royal family (who were unsuccessfully fleeing) in the Bastille uprising that marked the formation of the French republic. An officer in the guard was home in Switzerland on leave when the riot occurred. Some years later after things had settled in both countries, he built this moving monument in honour of his lost comrades marking it Helvetiorum Fidei ac Virtuti ("To the loyalty and bravery of the Swiss"). The name of the killed officers and the number DCCLXX (760) are noted in the inscription below the lion.

Famously described by Mark Twain in his superb A Tramp Abroad as “the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world”, the lion stands around six metres tall hewn from the sheer granite wall, a small sheltered lake reflecting the magnificent memorial.

With Lucerne being small, it is a wonderful town to explore on foot, the river front being lined with cafes overlooking a glorious wooden bridge over 650 years old reborn from the ashes just 15 years ago. The Lion is a sculpture worthy of the short walk to view the poignant memorial an officer commemorated his brave troops.

This series of three hidden European gems (written by Travel Wonders) is sponsored by HotelCalculator.com - the hotel search engine offering accommodation in over 10,000 cities worldwide including hotels in Lucerne, available at the best market prices.

Photo Source: Night Shots

Lucerne Vacations

Palace of the Poor (Beaune, France)

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This is the second in a series of three European travel wonders (first is Bologna), focussing on less popular travel cities. The series is written by Travel Wonders and kindly sponsored by HotelCalculator.com.

Wander through the travel wonder of Burgundy and you will be immediately drawn to the wonderful wines and delectable rich cuisine. Beaune is a typical town in Burgundy offering a variety of wine tastings with its long subterranean caverns and tunnels weaving under the central town holding millions of dusty bottles of the valued nectar (a tour of one of the wineries recommended). However, the highlight is an exquisite and fascinating medieval building topped by a glittering geometrically glazed tile roof in red, brown, yellow and green.

For over 500 years, the Hôtel-Dieu was a charitable hospital accepting people, rich and poor, nursing them through their illnesses or providing solace in their final days. Moved in the 1970s to a more modern hospital, the building is now a remarkable museum highlighting the extraordinary work of the Sisters for the Hospice of Beaune for over five centuries.

The Hôtel-Dieu contains two huge wards built around a central courtyard, one for the poor (top photo) with small curtained beds running down the flanks, each made for two people (the body heat thought to provide better warmth), and the other ward for rich patients with larger single beds. A small chapel sits at the end of The Pauper’s Ward for patients to pray and prepare for their death. Ironically, the rich ward had no such chapel in the belief that their survival was more likely. Paintings of the time show families camped around the beds of their convalescing loved ones making what must have been a quite noisy and busy hall.

In the centre of each ward is a communal area for dining and meeting. A common kitchen and pharmacy, the latter stocked from a nearby herb garden, served both wards. Today, both are set to past times with model nuns working in a pharmacy lined with ancient bottles of frightening concoctions and the ghoulish medical instruments of the day while others work the evening dinner in the kitchen. Note the ornate gold taps with snake heads as spouts.

The superbly vaulted ceilings are decorated with superb artworks naturally lit by skylights above the draped beds. The opulence of the building and fine medieval reputation as a charitable hospital earned it the moniker of Palace of the Poor.

Started in 1443 by the chancellor to the Duke of Burgundy to counter the effects of poverty, famine and injury from the Hundred Years’ War, the hospital came with a valuable estate of vineyards and salt works to fund the fine work of the hospital and hospice. Every year in November, an auction is conducted for the barrels of wine produced from the vineyards is conducted, the bidding for each barrel remaining open until a candle burns through. To this very day, the hospital continues with the original charter to be received there, fed and cared for, at the expense of the hospital, until they regain their health or are convalescent. As a further mission, white bread must be given to the poor asking for alms before the doors of the hospital.

One highlight is an exceptional masterpiece titled Polyptych of the Last Judgement highlighting heaven and hell. The right panels depict those going to hell, tumbling into a dark abyss while those on the left are ascending towards a glorious golden cathedral. The detail in the painting is incredible, exposed by a clever magnifying glass that travels smoothly over horizontal and vertical rails to the area of interest.

Open every day of the year, the Hospice de Beaune is a treasure highlighting exceptional and visionary charity work (cleverly self-funded through the centuries) in a glorious building of artworks but set up as a medieval hospital. Coupled with a tour of the underground cellars of one of the wineries and set in the rolling hills of Burgundy, Beaune is a hidden gem of France not to be missed.

This series of hidden European gems (written by Travel Wonders) is sponsored by HotelCalculator.com - the hotel search engine offering accommodation in over 10,000 cities worldwide including hotels in Beaune among thousands of hotels in France, available at the best market prices.

The Two Leaning Towers (Bologna, Italy)

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This is the first in a series of three European travel wonders, focussing on less popular travel cities. The series is written by Travel Wonders and kindly sponsored by HotelCalculator.com.

When even a whisper of a leaning tower is mentioned, people immediately think of Pisa’s grand bell tower and the major medieval engineering error. However, central to one of Italy’s liveliest and most dynamic cities are not one, but two leaning towers. The travel wonder of Bologna is home to Europe’s oldest university (over 900 years old and producing students including Thomas à Becket, Copernicus and Dante), one of the world’s largest churches and stands resplendent in the rich red hue of its buildings, kilometres of covered walkways and famous meat and tomato-based pasta sauce. People joke that the rich red is also an indicator of their ties to socialism and communism that is widely known throughout the country.

In the middle ages equivalent of today’s battle to construct the world’s tallest buildings, wealthy families developed a habit of building tall towers in their cities for a combination of pride and defensive reasons. In Bologna, most have disappeared over the centuries but two most famous ones remain in the centre of the city credited to the families who built them. Asinelli Tower stands over 97 metres while the Garisenda Tower stands to around half that height.

The most notable point of interest about le Due Torri is that they both lean, the shorter tower very noticeably to the point where the building is closed to the public. Documents show that the Garisenda Tower had over ten metres removed off its top in the 14th century to prevent it from falling over, though it continues to lean at a precarious three degrees.

Asinelli Tower can be climbed via 500 steps to highlight a terracotta-red fabric of roofs across the historic centre with occasional spikes from the numerous church spires and a number of the remaining twenty towers. The arrow-straight streets laid out in Roman times continue to radiate across the city. The top few floors of the tower were once a prison, cruelly locked away but with a staggering view of the prisoner’s home city. Much like its famous cousin in Pisa, the tower has been used for scientific experiments, the tilt making it possible to drop objects from a great height directly to the ground.

Bologna is a wonderful city rich in history, culture, cuisine and knowledge marked by a pair of towers both leaning from poor foundations. It makes for an excellent day visit and a culture-rich weekend when paired with the mosaic travel wonders of Ravenna around 50 kilometres to the east.

Aerial Photo: Google

This series of hidden European gems (written by Travel Wonders) is sponsored by HotelCalculator.com - the hotel search engine offering accommodation in over 10,000 cities worldwide including hotels in Bologna available at the best market prices.

Jumby Bay (Antigua)

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guest post by Elegant Resorts

Located on a 300 acre private island, once a sugar plantation, the island is now a back-to-nature luxury holiday destination. The resort was closed in 2008 and recently reopened following a $28 million resort wide alteration. Jumby Bay has two white sand beaches and the resorts maintained 85 acres ensure the island's environment remains unspoiled. There are no cars permitted on the island, but complimentary golf cart and shuttle service are available. The best way to get around is to use one of many community bicycles, so guests can ride or walk without worry for keeping track of bikes.

Jumby Bay, a Rosewood Resort, is surrounded by gorgeous beaches. Guests are eager to run off into the sun and play in the sand, go sailing or deep-sea fishing, golf on the main island, take an island tour or visit a neighboring island. And with all the celebrities that visit the island, Jumby Bay is truly a playground for the rich and famous. Use of sailboats, snorkel gear, kayaks is included as well as water skiing. The resort has three tennis courts where you can even play on a well-lit court at night. Bicycles are located throughout the resort's grounds. Golf, horseback riding, and helicopter sightseeing are available nearby in Antigua.

The resort's main beach curves along a calm water bay facing Antigua Island. With comfortable lounge chairs on the beach, guests can also take advantage of the large open space for private sun bathing and swimming. Children have their own beach just south of the resort.

The resort is also endowed with on-site spa services, complimentary airport transportation, fitness facilities, multilingual staff, hair salon and babysitting or child care facilities. The resort can also arrange a private beach dinner and a casino night. The resort’s new spa, new spacious suites, and world class dining experiences make it a great spot for a romantic getaway.

Jumby Bay offers forty exquisite suites and a dozen two-bedroom villas each with a private pool. All are air-conditioned, have indoor and outdoor showers, a CD player, safe, internet access, microwave, refrigerator, dishwasher, and more. The resort’s guestrooms and suites situated in three styles of architecture. Mediterranean style white structures with red roofs and octagonal South African style cottages are placed among tropical gardens.

There are two restaurants at Jumby Bay Resort. The Verandah serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner and the Estate House serves Asia, Europe, and the Caribbean dishes in a romantic candle lit setting. There are also two bars, one on the beach and one at the Verandah.

The Jumby Bay staff prides itself on being tactful and is devoted to protect the privacy of all guests. People come to Jumby Bay to break away from and get away from the real world. While spending their holidays on the island celebrities can loosen up assured they won’t have to be concerned about the invasion of their privacy.

Jumby Bay can also cater to weddings. A wedding coordinator can accompany couples while getting a marriage license locally. In addition to the administrative wedding needs, the resort will set up the location, flowers, photography, cake, and of course champagne. You can even rent the entire island for you your friends and family for a wedding celebration that is in the league of celebrities. No wonder they call this place the playground of rich and famous.

Photo Source: Gandhu and Sarah