The Arch of August in Rimini (Arco d’Augusto), Italy, is said to be oldest large Roman arch still standing.  So it is is definitely worth to check it out if you are in Rimini. It was dedicated to the founder of the Roman Empire, Caesar Augustus, as mentioned on the description above the archway.  It can be dated back to 27 B.C.  It is almost over 10 meters high! 10.40m to be exact… It was actually a gate of the former city walls. A few pictures of the arch of August during my visit in Rimini, december 2023: See my other posts on Italy here The post Italy: check out the Arch ..read more

After visiting the pyramids (see my blog post here), don’t forget to pay a visit to the Great Sphinx! The statue is made in limestone, which is a quite efritable stone. It might be one of the reason he lost his nose, another story is that Napoléon ‘s army cannonballs did that. Who knows!  though some previous writings found suggest he lost his nose way before that. Just blame the French haha… it’s OK, I’m French The sphinx has the head of a human, and the body of a lion, quite a mythical creature! it is the oldest scupture in Egypt. It might have been created by ancient Egyptians somewhe ..read more

Just in the heart of Chisinau, there is a lovely blue monastery: the Ciuflea monastery, also called the Monastery of Saint Teodor Tiron. It is really a beautiful piece of Russian architecture with 9 onion shape gold domes, and it is standing there since 1858. It is the youngest monastery in Moldova, but its church is the oldest of Chisinau. I went there on a Sunday and saw a baptism, followed by a small wedding. Sunday is the day to see liturgy! It is really small inside the blue church, but you can get an idea of what it looks like from the pictures below. Many people light candles there! Som ..read more

On my last day visiting Tirana, I tumbled on the Resurrection Cathedral (Katedralja Ngjallja e Krishtit in Albanian) as I was walking around the city. It is a beautiful orthodox church with an autonomous bishop. It is the largest in Albania and it actually happens to be one of the largest in the Balkans, the third one, to be precise. It is right in the center of Tirana, between the Skanderbeg Square and the Rinia Park. It is quite a modern building complex, and it is standing there since 2012. They support the community and you can find there: 3 chapels including the one of the Nativity, a 46 ..read more

Have you heard of Tiger & Turtle? I hadn’t until a little while ago. It’s in Germany and luckily just about 1 hour from my place, it’s located on a little hill called Magic Mountain in the Angerpark just south of Duisburg, and it is an art structure and landmark in the area. It is actually like a roller coaster where you can walk on! There are handrails to help you.  Of course you can’t do the whole loop or Mrs. Gravity will call you back down, there are some doors to prevent access to the loop. It is really unique and a fun place to visit! It was designed by Ulrich Genth and Heike Mu ..read more

In the middle of the city center of Pristina, there’s this cube. A rubik’s cube, as a piece of art. Not sure what it’s doing there, but people seem to walk by it without paying attention. It is at the end of the UÇK main street in Prishtina in the direction of the National Library, in front of the A&M clothing store. If anyone has information on what this cube is doing there, please let me know! I couldn’t find any information about it. Some pictures of the rubik’s cube at different times of the day: See my other posts on Kosovo The post Kosovo: check out this rubik’s cube in the cent ..read more

There is a pedestrian tunnel in Zagreb, it is called the Gric tunnel because it is underneath the Gric neighborhood, in the Upper Town. In was built during World War II, in 1943-1944, and was meant to be a shelter for the civilians due to the frequent bombings of the City, and it was also used during the war of Independance. It was renovated in 2016. Nowadays it is used for exhibitions and events, and for us to walk through, of course. And you know what? It’s super fresh there, so if you are there during the summer, it’s much better to walk underground, to avoid the heat above ground. It seems ..read more

Eilean Donan is one of the most important attractions in the Scottish Highlands. This 13th century castle located in the western part of the Highlands stands on an island where 3 great sea lochs meet. I didn’t have time to go inside when I was there, but the scenery definitely was worth it, so I’m sharing a few views of it. It definitely is on my list to check it out inside for when I go back to Scotland. Check out their website! Hope you enjoy a few pictures of Eilean Donan: See my other posts on the United Kingdom The post United Kingdom: discover the Eilean Donan castle in Scotland ap ..read more

I stopped by this castle Ter Elst in Duffel on my way back to the Netherlands from the Hallerbos enchanted forest in Brussels. It is close to the city of Antwerp. This castle dates back to at least the 12th century (the first writings about this castle have been found from that time) . It was used as a residence for nobles. Just after the French revolution in 1789 and after the revolutionaries pillaged the castle, it was sold to Louis Hermans, a lawyer from Antwerp, who restored it.  It was abandoned at the beginning of the 20th century after heavy damage from the First World War. The cit ..read more

Have you heard of Decebalus, the last King of Dacia? But wait.. what’s Dacia? Dacia was a land that was existing from 82BC to 106AD around the middle Danube. It corresponds nowadays more or less to the areas of the current Romania and Moldova together (with some parts of other countries too).  Decebalus was the King of the Dacians, he fought against Roman emperors to keep his country independent. This sculpture, which is located in Orsova, Romania, represents the head of Decebalus. It is the highest rock statue in Europe, laying just above the Danube river. The work was commissioned by a ..read more