Happy November first, which is All Saints Day in southern Germany. We get the day off here in Freiburg although up in the north it is not a holiday. Halloween is from All Hallows Eve, so the day before All Hallows day. In the Catholic south of Germany, All Hallows Day (or All Saints Day) [...]
One of the main themes of Ctrl-Alt-Travel is details. Looking at things from unusual angles and really up close to discover places in a new way. Here is a look at the famous Barcelona landmark, the Sagrada Familia, up close. The architect Gaudi has made his mark on Barcelona. His buildings and style, including wonderful [...]
The Sacré Cœur church in the Montmarte neighborhood is at the top of a hill where you can relax and enjoy stunning views of Paris.
One of the most famous attractions in Barcelona, Spain is La Sagrada Familia, a cathedral designed by Antoni Gaudi. Though construction began in 1882, it’s still not completed, and scaffolding and construction equipment are everywhere. Sort of by accident, Andy and I ended up there as the sun was starting to set which made for [...]
Bologna is one of the great overlooked cities in Italy in my opinion. The northern Italian city is home to the country’s oldest university. Also known as Bologna di Grassi (Bologna the fat), it is the birthplace of a lot of the food we associate with Italy. The center of Bologna, like the center of [...]
One of the top tourist attractions in Istanbul, Turkey is Hagia Sophia, and it’s not hard to see why. This building has been a church, a mosque, and is now a museum.
Almost every city has somewhere high to go to see the place spread below you. In some it is a mountain to climb, like my new home of Freiburg. Sometimes like Dubrovnik, the city walls let you survey the land. Other places it is a TV tower or a cathedral tower. In Prague, the best [...]
Meteora is a group of 6 active monasteries on top of rock pillars. The Holy Monastery of Varlaam is second in the row from top to bottom and also the second largest. I went without a tour bus and so walked from the Grand Meteoron along the road to the turn off for Varlaam. On [...]
Meteora is a group of monasteries in central Greece perched on top of mountainous spits. The Holy Monastery of Grand Meteoron is the largest of the remaining active monasteries and one of the first stops of the daytripping groups. It is a fascinating place. The day I went, the building was writhed in fog that [...]
Kalambaka is the Greek town at the base of the mountains that form Meteora. Although most people come here solely to see the monasteries up top, I found the town very cool. It is small and yet due to the tourist draw of Meteora nearby has decent infrastructure. When I was walking around the monastery [...]