Aix-en-Provence is a beautiful village, well to me, it's a village ok!. I love it there, the little paved streets, the great smells of good food as you walk past "traiteurs" and restaurants. the architecture of all its buildings, the feeling of togetherness and still an olden feel to the way people communicate to each other, They all looked so sincere when they talked. It is so nice to talk to the locals in the market and taste some of their fantastic local products. I had some of the best Provencial breads there , fresh almonds and cherries. The fresh market is there over the week end I think but what a treat to be able to walk through it.
The old Cathedral looks amazing. And yes I might have looked at it and though to myself, here we go again another church! When you work around the med, on these routes you will visit many, many churches.But walk in you are pleased you did so. it is very well taken care off and it does look more impressive from the inside then the outside. It has beautiful marble columns on the one side, with an impressive wooden organ that, at that moment I wished I could play. I was pleasantly surprised to say the least.
This was followed by a little stroll through the streets of the village. This is a great privilege I find to be able to walk through such beautiful streets and still having the choice to be able to enter in one of these unique little shop with all their great products to offer. I kept on thinking I could live here, which to me does not happen often. I have always had fire under my feet. I can never stay too long at the same spot or doing the same things. It's a curse I tell you.
So after this great little walk that led to the market, we had some free time before getting back on the bus, which only meant one thing at that stage, I need to find coffee, internet and a real croissant!!!
So as I started walking down the street, after taking a quick selfie, I was lucky enough to find one of my colleague.
We found the first open spot at a nearby cafe, and carried on enjoying our pleasant day out in
Aix-en-Provence.
We even got to met Max the pug who, looked just like my doggie.
We often get to go on excursion and see it all but we don't always have time to just enjoy the moment or really appreciate the surrounding you are in as you are working. So today was really, really a fantastic day out at work!
The name Gibraltar is the Spanish derivation of the Arabic name Jabal Ṭāriq, meaning "Mountain of Tariq". It refers to the Rock of Gibraltar, which was named after the Umayyad general Tariq ibn-Ziyad who led the initial incursion into Iberia in advance of the main Umayyad force in 711 under the command of Umayyad Caliph Al-Walid I.
Earlier, it was known as Mons Calpe, a name of Phoenician origin and one of the Pillars of Hercules.
During World War II, Gibraltar's civilian population was evacuated (mainly to London, but also to parts of Morocco, Madeira and Jamaica) and the Rock was strengthened as a fortress. The naval base and the ships based there played a key role in the provisioning and supply of the island of Malta during its long siege.
It is filled with the cheekiest little monkeys... The Barbary Macaque population in Gibraltar is the only wild monkey population in the European continent. Although most populations in Africa are facing declining populations due to hunting and deforestation, the population of Barbary monkeys in Gibraltar is growing. At present, some 300 animals in five troops occupy the Upper Rock area of the Gibraltar Nature Reserve, though occasional forays into the town may result in damage to personal property.
The caves of Gibraltar is also such a big attraction. St. Michael's Cave or Old St. Michael's Cave is the name given to a network of limestone caves located within the Upper Rock Nature Reserve in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar, at a height of over 300 metres (980 ft) above sea level. According to Alonso Hernández del Portillo, the first historian of Gibraltar, its name is derived from a similar grotto in Monte Gargano near the Sanctuary of Monte Sant'Angelo in Apulia, Italy, where the archangel Michael is said to have appeared.
It is the most visited of the more than 150 caves found inside the Rock of Gibraltar,receiving almost 1,000,000 visitors a year.
The park was meant to be a residential block in Gaudi's image but only 1 plot was sold and the project was cut short. The Park Güell is a public park system composed of gardens and architectonic elements located on Carmel Hill. Park Güell is located in La Salut, a neighborhood in the Gràcia district of Barcelona. With urbanization in mind, Eusebi Güell assigned the design of the park to Antoni Gaudí, a renowned architect and the face of Catalan modernism. The park was built between 1900 and 1914 and was officially opened as a public park in 1926. In 1984, UNESCO declared the park a World Heritage Site under "Works of Antoni Gaudí"
Just start walking all the way up the main street. The port of Palermo is right in the city. it is amazing, you can just walk out the ship and in 10 minutes, you are by the nicest little square and the best ice-creams and cannolis ever!!! I found out that in Italy, they don't like it very much if you try and take pictures of their display. I don't know why, but I've been giving the go away gesture quite a few times.
There are so many places to see in the city, it is so busy and crawling with people everywhere. you have the Palatine chapel and its golden interior, one of the building they are most proud of on the island. But for the Sicilians, everything they do is amazing so they always speak about their creations very proudly.
Aix-en-Provence is a beautiful village, well to me, it's a village ok!. I love it there, the little paved streets, the great smells of good food as you walk past "traiteurs" and restaurants. the architecture of all its buildings, the feeling of togetherness and still an olden feel to the way people communicate to each other, They all looked so sincere when they talked. It is so nice to talk to the locals in the market and taste some of their fantastic local products. I had some of the best Provencial breads there , fresh almonds and cherries. The fresh market is there over the week end I think but what a treat to be able to walk through it.
The old Cathedral looks amazing. And yes I might have looked at it and though to myself, here we go again another church! When you work around the med, on these routes you will visit many, many churches.But walk in you are pleased you did so. it is very well taken care off and it does look more impressive from the inside then the outside. It has beautiful marble columns on the one side, with an impressive wooden organ that, at that moment I wished I could play. I was pleasantly surprised to say the least.
So after this great little walk that led to the market, we had some free time before getting back on the bus, which only meant one thing at that stage, I need to find coffee, internet and a real croissant!!!
