Esther's favorite photos

Bonne fête a Toutes les femmes du monde en cette journée internationale de la femme .

THE SILK ROAD WAS A NETWORK OF ASIAN TRADE ROUTES ACTIVE FROM THE SECOND CENTURY BCE UNTIL THE MID-15TH CENTURY. SPANNING OVER 6,400 KM, IT PLAYED A CENTRAL ROLE IN FACILITATING ECONOMIC, CULTURAL, POLITICAL, AND RELIGGIOUS INTERECTIONS BETWEEN THE EASTERN AND WESTERN WORLDS Many thanks for your visit, kind comments and fav

Depuis ma terrasse from the terrace

In the neighbourhood. Love these colours. Beginning of March, and Autumn in Australia.

Decorative, don’t know if edible !

The Lakenhalle (Cloth Hall) is a well-known landmark, located in the heart of Ypres. This large hall was built in Gothic style between 1200 and 1304. It was one of the largest commercial buildings of the Middle Ages, when it served as the main market and warehouse for the Flemish city's prosperous cloth industry. At 125 meters in width, with a 70 meters high belfry tower, it recalls the importance and wealth of the medieval trade city. The Lakenhalle was completely destroyed during World War I. Between 1933 and 1967, it was meticulously reconstructed to its prewar condition, under the guidance of architects J. Coomans and P. A. Pauwels. In 1999, the Lakenhalle was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the Belfries of Belgium and France. Nowadays the building houses the In Flanders Fields Museum, the Yper Museum and the local tourist information office.

I dislike crowded places. However sometimes it’s OK, when visiting iconic, historic places like the Spanish Steps, and Trevi Fountain in Rome. We enjoyed an unexpected visit to Rome (by train) while delayed in Civitavecchia, the port of Rome, in 1986. We were on a yacht delivery trip, and the insurance documents had to be sorted out for our onward voyage to Sicily. Nowadays the Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain are much busier, and people aren’t allowed to sit on them any more. Rome wasn't built in a day (but we managed to visit it in a day) 2019 Sitting, eating and drinking on the Spanish Steps can result in a fine of up to 400 euros ($662). Police officers in yellow vests were this week deployed to the landmark to enforce the ban. The law also applies to other photogenic sites in Rome, like the Trevi Fountain. The Spanish Steps were built by architect Francesco De Sanctis between 1723 and 1726. www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-08/spanish-steps-rome-tourist-sitting-ban-enforced-by-police-fines/11396150 The Spanish Steps (Italian: Scalinata di Trinità dei Monti) in Rome, Italy, climb a steep slope between Piazza di Spagna at the base and Piazza Trinità dei Monti, dominated by the Trinità dei Monti church, at the top. The Trevi Fountain was designed by Italian architect Nicola Salvi and completed by Giuseppe Pannini in 1762… The backdrop for the fountain is the Palazzo Poli. Wikipedia The Spanish Steps Sitting Ban Sitting on the Spanish Steps was banned after the area underwent a major cleaning and restoration project in 2016.12 Sept 2023 www.walksofitaly.com/blog/travel-tips/getting-in-trouble-italy Using our scanned photos, see album 1986 Antibes to Sicily. Sunday challenge 136 – Place or something which you dislike.

An einem nebligen Morgen Ende Oktober, die Sonne war gerade aufgegangen, besuchte ich mal wieder das sogenannte Zeller Tor in Würzburg , das ehemals ein Teil der Stadtbefestigung war. Von hier aus verlief die Straße nach Zell am Main, daher der Name des Tores. Man blickt von hier hinüber zum Zeller Zoll- und Wachthaus aus dem 19. Jahrhundert. Unter dem ausgedienten Zoll- und Wachthaus wurde im 2. Weltkrieg ein Luftschutzbunker angelegt, der beim verheerenden Bombenangriff auf Würzburg am 16.3.1945 vielen Würzburgern das Leben rettete. Die komplette Bunkeranlage ist bis heute erhalten. Heute dient das Haus der russisch-orthodoxen Kirche als Gottesdienstraum und Gemeindezentrum. On a foggy morning in late October, the sun had just risen, I once again visited the so-called Zeller Tor in Würzburg , which was once part of the city's fortifications. The gate was named after the road leading from here to Zell am Main. From this spot, one can look over to the Zeller Customs and Guard House , which dates back to the 19th century. During World War II, an air-raid shelter was built beneath the decommissioned customs and guard house. This shelter saved the lives of many Würzburg residents during the devastating bombing raid on the city on March 16, 1945. The entire bunker complex remains intact to this day. Today, the building serves as a place of worship and community center for the Russian Orthodox Church.