Happy 2014 everyone!
I've just come back from Venice: it was my third visit and it's almost becoming a tradition to spend a few days there during Xstmas holidays.
Visiting Venice is always an undeniable pleasure: it's a pretty unique city and I like the fact that you are actually obliged to walk through it, because it hides beauty in every corner and every time it's lovely to discover new spots and sights.
For this reason it hasn't been much easy to write down my usual Top 10 list - since the whole city would be worth a position. But then here it is - with the premise that I should add decimal numbers between all the positions which are given by every other calle and campo between the ones mentioned below ;)
Tuesday, 31 December 2013
Monday, 23 December 2013
The magic of Harry Potter
Did you know that Hogwarts actually exist? That Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade and the Ministery of Magic do exist and that, even if you are a Muggle, you can visit them?
Now that the filming of the Harry Potter's movies is over, just dismantling all the scenographies and/or donating them to cinema museums would have been quite a pity; so Warner Bros Studios has decided to transform the whole Leavesden assembly where the filming of the 8 episodes took place in a huge museum.
And not only the idea itself has been brilliant, but it has also been put in practice in a brilliant way.
If, like me and my friend Ginger Cat, you are a fan, you can't help but feeling in awe while walking around and seeing in front of you all the places, creatures and props that you know very well from the movies (and the books... and your own daydreaming).
Now that the filming of the Harry Potter's movies is over, just dismantling all the scenographies and/or donating them to cinema museums would have been quite a pity; so Warner Bros Studios has decided to transform the whole Leavesden assembly where the filming of the 8 episodes took place in a huge museum.
And not only the idea itself has been brilliant, but it has also been put in practice in a brilliant way.
If, like me and my friend Ginger Cat, you are a fan, you can't help but feeling in awe while walking around and seeing in front of you all the places, creatures and props that you know very well from the movies (and the books... and your own daydreaming).
Saturday, 21 December 2013
Thursday, 19 December 2013
I AMsterdam
For Easter 2012 my goal was to visit a European "capital" (more or less officially so) that I hadn't seen (shamefully?) yet.
So Ginger Cat & me chose Amsterdam.
It's a city that has always affascinated me, although I've always postponed my visit because of - ahem, a totally silly reason. If you promise you won't laugh, I will tell you.
Deal?
Ok. I have to confess I am a bit (...) scared by bikes. Ehm. I used to ride them as a kid; but nowadays I'm just not sure I would even if I were paid. But, besides being afraid of riding a bike myself, I'm scared about bikes ridden by others, and...
Hey!! You had promised you wouldn't have laughed!!!
So Ginger Cat & me chose Amsterdam.
It's a city that has always affascinated me, although I've always postponed my visit because of - ahem, a totally silly reason. If you promise you won't laugh, I will tell you.
Deal?
Ok. I have to confess I am a bit (...) scared by bikes. Ehm. I used to ride them as a kid; but nowadays I'm just not sure I would even if I were paid. But, besides being afraid of riding a bike myself, I'm scared about bikes ridden by others, and...
Hey!! You had promised you wouldn't have laughed!!!
Tuesday, 10 December 2013
Québec City - The best part of France in Canada
Québec City (alas, Ville de Québec!) is one of those places that make you feel like you are stepping straightly into a fairytale, with its cobbled narrow streets and its old trellis houses.
It's definitely the Canadian city I've found most charming among those I've visited.
It reminds me of some places I've seen in Normandy, but it's not really similar to something specifical - it has its own well defined personality.
It's definitely the Canadian city I've found most charming among those I've visited.
It reminds me of some places I've seen in Normandy, but it's not really similar to something specifical - it has its own well defined personality.
Monday, 9 December 2013
Ottawa - aka Little London
I'm a Britaholic black cat and, as soon as I've stepped in Ottawa, I've breathed a somehow familiar atmosphere.
After all Ottawa is the capital of Canada, and I guess that Lizzie and her ancestors wanted it to feel like being at home.
After all Ottawa is the capital of Canada, and I guess that Lizzie and her ancestors wanted it to feel like being at home.
Sunday, 8 December 2013
Thousand Islands
Another interesting excursion you can do while in Toronto is taking a cruise among the Thousand Islands.
The Thousand Islands are an archipelago in the Saint-Lawrence River and they are actually 1864 and they straddle the border between USA and Canada.
The Thousand Islands are an archipelago in the Saint-Lawrence River and they are actually 1864 and they straddle the border between USA and Canada.
Saturday, 7 December 2013
Niagara Falls
While visiting Toronto, you just can't avoid paying a visit also to the nearby most famous attraction, Niagara Falls. And so we did.
The Falls are one of those places that are somehow iconic in everybody's mind, and you can't help picturing them already in your imagination before having actually seen them. Such mental trips risk to lead to a certain degree of disappointment - but actually in this case I hadn't grown too many expectations about them, I was just really curious to see live this famous and amazing natural landmark.
And yes - they were different from what I was expecting.
I was picturing them taller and larger. But alas, I cannot say they were disappointing, because they still were impressive enough to see, expecially when reaching the bottom of it by boat. It's just breathtaking to witness the power of the mass of water, looking at it closeby.
The Falls are one of those places that are somehow iconic in everybody's mind, and you can't help picturing them already in your imagination before having actually seen them. Such mental trips risk to lead to a certain degree of disappointment - but actually in this case I hadn't grown too many expectations about them, I was just really curious to see live this famous and amazing natural landmark.
And yes - they were different from what I was expecting.
I was picturing them taller and larger. But alas, I cannot say they were disappointing, because they still were impressive enough to see, expecially when reaching the bottom of it by boat. It's just breathtaking to witness the power of the mass of water, looking at it closeby.
Friday, 6 December 2013
Toronto (or the first time my paws step overseas)
My visit to Toronto has been made of many first times:
[*] it was the first stay of the fornight Ginger Cat & me were spending in Canada
[*] it was the first time my paws were wandering outside Europe
[*] therefore it was also the first time I was feeling jet-lagged
[*] it was also the first time I was seeing skyscrapers IRL
[*] it was the first stay of the fornight Ginger Cat & me were spending in Canada
[*] it was the first time my paws were wandering outside Europe
[*] therefore it was also the first time I was feeling jet-lagged
[*] it was also the first time I was seeing skyscrapers IRL