Do you know that the Banks of the Seine is listed as an Unesco World Heritage Site? Not the Eiffel Tower, not the Louvre, not the Musée d’Orsay, not the Notre Dame; these are but supporting stars – albeit major ones – to the source which fed the city and saw it rose to the grandiose that we enjoy today.
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When you are wealthy and could dictate the kind of legacy that will bear your (brand) name, why not hire Frank Gehry to build a museum with unique vessel-like architecture in the splendid setting of the Bois de Boulogne?
Fondation Louis Vuitton, opened with great fanfare and ticket giveaways last weekend, will house art works from Bernard Arnault’s personal collection as well as those owned by the LVMH group. In return for the permission to erect this monumental building, its ownership will be transferred to the city of Paris in 55 years.
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A crispy autumn day is perfect for exploring Paris. The natural light is softer, the colours of the leaves brighter. It is neither too warm nor too chilly to remain outside. There is a certain spring to the step, so to speak. Last weekend, we retraced the route from our apartment to Montsouris.
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My first year in Paris, I used to meet up with A most Sunday to go together to the market at Auguste Blanqui (13ème). Since I moved to the 6ème and subsequently the 15ème, the market trips have become infrequent. There are a number of markets within walking distance that I could go to at the weekends, but somehow I didn’t. I love going to the market; I’m just not there as often as I’d like.
I guess playing house with a partner does change one’s shopping habit. Any week that there are not enough fresh produce to last till weekend, or too much that it runs through past weekend into a new midweek, means we would be topping up our purchase elsewhere. Or sometimes, there are just household item shortages that necessitate visits to the supermarket so while we are there, why not get the grocery too to save some time?
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I got lucky with a seat by the window on our flight back to Paris from Treviso, flying over the Dolomites, the Alps, and various lakes. Shortly after taking off, I whipped out the camera which was already kitted with a 50mm fixed lens, and started shooting away. No superzooming needed for these gorgeous views!
Of course, I couldn’t tell where I was for most part of the journey, and I think at one point I spotted Lake Garda – the end where Riva del Garda is located – although, frankly, does it matter if I could or could not name places or lakes I saw?
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Tucked away at the foot of Monte Grappa, Bassano del Grappa was the final destination of our Italian Escapade 2014. This was also where we celebrated L&P’s wedding – truly, no better place could have been chosen. We got in a couple of days ahead of the wedding so we could chill out and rest our weary feet – we’ve been walking a lot in 10 days! Good thing this is a small town, easily explored in a few hours.
The most iconic feature of the town is the Ponte degli Alpini, formerly Ponte Vecchio (“old bridge”), a 16th century timber bridge designed by Andrea Palladio. What stands today in River Brenta is a reconstructed bridge, having been destroyed many times, most recently during the World War II. It was the Alpine soldiers who raised the fund to finance the rebuilding of this bridge, and thus they were honoured, with the bridge renamed after them.
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I imagine this could qualify as what the French would say, “jamais deux sans trois“? We spent a couple of hours in Florence in transit, then a couple of hours in Parma also in transit, so why not spare two hours in Padua in transit too? We managed to locate a left luggage at the train station, so we could pretty much move freely in that time.
The only time I was in Padua previously, I was hosted by a friend and was driven and guided everywhere. We got around easily and I didn’t need to figure out where I was or the distance between places. Everything seemed so doable. I was optimistic that F and I could see a good bit of the city, like we did when we were in Florence, before hopping on the train to Bassano del Grappa.
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I have always adored Verona. Memories of summer vacations in the city, leisurely strolling the small streets (and occasionally offered free city tour by Italian boys), staying at a hostel managed by religious order (no mixed dorm and strict curfew), stocking up Fiorucci goodies (back when it was enjoying a brand revival), and importantly, being mesmerised by the opera at the Arena, of candles lit up at the first strike of the orchestra, just as the sun was setting.
How would the memory from my youth hold up to today’s reality? It has been years since I last visited Verona – during the early noughties, I travelled regularly in France and in Italy – as other travel opportunities took me elsewhere, to new countries and other continents. I was secretly afraid that I could not recapture the magic that I’ve built up in my mind. And, what if F doesn’t like Verona, after all the glowing praises I’ve bestowed?
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After our climb up to the top of Asinelli Tower, we enquired at the tourist office the mysterious lone building on a hill top just outside of the city. We were told that it is the Sanctuary of Madonna di San Luca, located approximately 5km to the south-west of the city and easy to get to. There are ways to help cut the journey shorter but we opted to walk the route in entirety.
We started the walk up from at Porta Saragozza, conveniently located about 10 minutes walk away from our B&B. This is one of the several original remaining city gates from the 13th century, largely ignored until the Portico di San Luca was built in the 17th century. It lends itself to be the connecting gate from the city to San Luca and used in annual procession of a Byzantine icon of the Virgin and Child.
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