Tag: travel

Brazil: Salvador da Bahia

Our last stop in Brazil was in the fascinating city of Salvador.

We arrived just in time for the Pelourinho street party that happens every Tuesday night after 6:00pm mass. The streets are lined with stages and one can view various local acts. Dancing in the street is encouraged.

We were slightly worried about the crime in Salvador (not as much as in Rio) but we had no issue since we stayed in the “tourist” zones and never strayed outside those areas at night. We always made sure to know where we were at all times. People are pretty friendly here. We befriended one kid in particular who was helpful with advice. He wanted to continue to do favors for us, of course for some money. But even we really didn’t give him any money he still stuck around and greeted us whenever we ran into him again.

Old Portuguese style buildings.


Capoeira is huge in Salvador and it is a great place for viewing it. We had many opportunities to see it on the streets.

The importance of religion in the cities past is seen in the ornate churches seen around town.

The past of Salvador is evidenced in the architecture of the lavish homes of Portuguese plantation owners. Now some abandoned buildings lost in time between current dwellings. We witnessed quite a bit of activity in rebuilding some of these abandoned buildings.

Candomble is an afro-Brazilian cult. While in Salvador we were able to go to one of their ceremonies. They usually start in the evening and consist of song and dancing rituals to bring on a trance induced state where some are possessed by one of the many gods or goddesses of the religion. While in the trance, the person changes into costume and takes on the characteristics of that god. During the ceremony there was a break where afro-Brazilian food was shared with all. Due to the intimate nature of the event, we were unable to take photos. I recommend anyone with an open mind to go to one of these events as long as you respect their rituals.

Tuscany: Pisa

A short trip by train from Florence (1.5 hours) gets you to the university town of Pisa, Italy. The historic Italian town is famous for its leaning tower. It proved a great day trip from Florence.

The stairs are worn from usage.

Shadow of the tower

Halfway through the climb

Cathedral

Pisa Baptistry of St. John

Love the river cities

Great mountain views

Romulus and Remus fed by a wolf

Another day in Edinburgh

For my visit to Edinburgh last year I only scheduled a couple of days dedicated to sightseeing. I wish we would have scheduled more. The beginning of our trip is documented in this post.
I think we would have been able to see more if the weather was slightly warmer. I think the frigid temperatures kept us snuggled at our B & B longer than we normally would have.

Our B & B was wonderful. After reading many reviews, we chose the 94DR. The facilities were at a luxury level but at a 3 star hotel price. Each room is charmingly named after scotch whiskies. We happened to stay in the Macallan. The owners and the others who run the B  & B were extremely friendly and welcoming. They gave us great sightseeing advice and the breakfasts were amazing.

 Honor Bar

One of the popular things to do while in Edinburgh is climb Arthur’s Seat. Arthur’s seat was in walking distance from our B & B and one day we decided to make the climb.

Later in the day we decided it was a good idea to do some more climbing. We ascended up to Calton Hill to see all the monuments and views from there.

Cemetery on the way

As I said earlier, we should have scheduled more time in Edinburgh. We didn’t even get to explore the new town. I guess we have another excuse to go back. See you again someday Edinburgh.

Gaudí is Good

If you are not familiar with architect Antoni Gaudí then you are missing out. His work under the Modernisme is some of the most unique that you will ever see. The city of Barcelona is a showcase for his work.

Lampposts around Barcelona

Casa Batlló

La Pedrera (Casa Mila)
We were able to tour the inside of La Pedrera or Casa Mila, an apartment building in Barcelona.

One of the most impressive examples of Gaudi’s work is the still unfinished  la Sagrada Família. There really is nothing else like it in the world. Unfortunately the only day we were able to see it, it was closed for some special event. One day I will return to see the inside and maybe it will be complete then.

We both got sick at the end of the trip (nasty stomach virus) so we never made it to Park Güell. I have many reasons to return to Barcelona sometime in the future.