This photograph was captured in the very peak of a German summer’s day. The serene green is deceptive because the heat on that day was almost unbearable, at a sweltering 40 degrees. Captured in the gardens of Sanssouci, the ‘summer palace’ of Frederick the Great, in Potsdam near Berlin.
I decided to add a touch of drama from Shakespeare’s Sonnet –
And summer’s lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines…
Köln in German, or Cologne in English, is Germany’s 4th largest city. Eau de Cologne (Water of Cologne) that is known & used the world over, was birthed in this city. The city is famous for the Cologne Cathedral, a Roman Catholic Church.
Here are some photographs I captured of the Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom, officially Hohe Domkirche St. Peter und Maria if you read the details on the Wiki link).
A World Heritage Site, work on the Cathedral commenced in the year 1248. It is supposed to be Germany’s most visited landmark (details in the link above) & it is alleged to house some relics of the Three Magi who visited Jesus after His birth.
I was fortunate to have visited this Cathedral with its rich Gothic architecture, historic & religious significance.
Bath is a city in the Somerset County of England. A World Heritage Site, this ancient city is famous for its Roman Baths. Below are photos of the Roman Bath from a bygone era. The complex also included the temple of Sulis Minerva; spooky curses that were written have been recovered from the Spring as the photos will tell.
To share an interesting quote from the Wiki article on Bath , “Archaeological evidence shows that the site of the Roman Baths’ main spring was treated as a shrine by the Iron Age Britons, and was dedicated to the goddess Sulis, whom the Romans identified with Minerva; however, the name Sulis continued to be used after the Roman invasion, leading to the town’s Roman name of Aquae Sulis (literally, “the waters of Sulis”).”
Let the photos do the talking…
Rügen is Germany’s largest island located in the Baltic Sea.
Placid & picturesque with cobbled roads, the azure sea, chalky cliffs & brilliant scenery…
Rügen & Stralsund, which is not too far away make for a most memorable visit. Photos are from both places –
Sunlight on the Church at 9PM…
Photos of the world-famous monument of pre-historic times – Stonehenge, UK. Historians estimate the origins of this mysterious setting of stones to 3000 BC…
Amsterdam…quaint & charming houses, the River Amstel flowing through it, a city of beautiful canals & graffiti…one can’t help but click it!
Rewind – few years ago we travelled from Helsinki to Tallinn, the capital of Estonia by the Viking XPRS cruise-ferry. Tallinn is just about 80km away from Helsinki by sea.
The incredible medieval charm of Tallinn Old Town is an experience never to be forgotten. You can spend the entire day just walking through the Old Town. Quaint alleyways with something of history lurking at every turn; streets & buildings with a touch of the medieval; cafés & souvenir stores…it’s simply beautiful!
While in Tallinn, make sure you visit the Olde Hansa, a medieval themed restaurant which will make you feel like you stepped into another era entirely!
Tallinn’s Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tallinn below, through my lens…
Photographs from a visit to Helsinki.
Most of these photos were taken in Suomenlinna, a sea fortress built in the 1700’s when Finland was a part of the Kingdom of Sweden.
Suomenlinna is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Up front & close to history as the pictures will tell.
Enjoy!
And the next day…as we left Helsinki on a cruise line heading to Tallinn, Estonia
wingrish 