Leaning Tower of Pisa – May 30, 2023

The Leaning Tower of Pisa (Italian: torre pendente di Pisa), or simply, the Tower of Pisa is a freestanding bell tower of Pisa Cathedral. It is known for its nearly four-degree lean, the result of an unstable foundation.

To reach Pisa, we took train from Florence. It takes 50 mins to reach h Pisa Centrale at a cost of approx  18£ return fare per person. The Tower of Pisa is just 21 mins walk from the Pisa station. There are also buses/tram or taxis which take you to the tower.

The Pisa Tower is one of three structures in the Pisa’s Cathedral Square which includes the Cathedral and Pisa Baptistry. The tower was never used for defending the city; it was always a part of the religious complex in the Duomo Square and acted as its bell tower. This bell tower had seven bells – one for each musical note.  It stands in the universally renowned Piazza dei Miracoli, of which it is certainly the prize jewel. And this is why it is one of the 7 Wonders of the World.

However, the tower had begun to sink when the second floor construction began. It started to lean during construction in the 12th century, due to soft ground which could not properly support the structure’s weight. It worsened through the completion of construction in the 14th century. By 1990, the tilt had reached 5.5 degrees.The structure was stabilized by temporary work which reduced the tilt.

Numerous efforts have been made to restore the tower to a vertical orientation or at least keep it from falling over. Most of these efforts failed; some worsened the tilt. The bells were removed to relieve some weight, and cables were cinched around the third level and anchored several hundred meters away, and residences in the path of a potential collapse were vacated.  Finally in May 2008, engineers announced that the tower had been stabilized such that it had stopped moving for the first time in its history. They stated that it would be stable for at least 200 years.

Also the government of Italy considered important to retain the current tilt, in promoting the tourism industry of Pisa.

The tower it is more than 185 ft on the high side and has 296 steps; the seventh floor has two fewer steps. There is a ticket counter where you can choose your preference and book vist to Tower or Baptistry or Cathedral or even the Museum. There are all inclusive guided tours also for a cost of approx 59€ per person. You can climb the winding spiral staircase and it takes around 30 minutes to climb the entire tower. It is definitely worthwhile to climb the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Once you climb the steps inside the Leaning Tower of Pisa, you get to witness the stunning panoramic view of the city.

Stibbert Museum – May 27, 2023

The Stibbert Museum (Italian: Museo Stibbert) is located on via Frederick Stibbert on the hill of Montughi in Florence, Italy. To reach the museaum we took tram line T1 from  Santa Maria Novella train station to Careggi and got off at the Muratori stop. The price for ticket one way per person  was 1.50 €. Once you reach the stop its a 14 mins upward walking towards the museum. The museum charges 10€ per adult and 7€ per student. There are volunteers all around the museum to help you with any information you need.

About the museum – the museum contains over 36,000 artifacts, including a vast collection of armour from Eastern and Western civilizations.

This museum was founded by Frederick Stibbert (1838–1906). Frederick Stibbert’s extreme wealth came from Frederick’s grandfather, Giles Stibbert, who was the commander in chief for the British East India Company in Bengal at the end of the 18th century and ruled as governor for many years in India. As Frederick’s father was English and mother Italian, he set-up the museum in Italy.

Frederick Stibbert inherited the entire estate from his grandfather and did not work for the rest of his life. Instead, he dedicated 60 years of his life collecting objects, antiques, and artifacts and turned his villa into a museum. When the size of the collections outgrew the villa, Stibbert hired many renowned architects and painters to add on rooms.

Frederick Stibbert never married and in 1906, when he died, his collection was given to the city of Florence and was opened to the public. Stibbert and his family are buried at Cimitero Evangelico agli Allori, Florence. Stibbert had two younger sisters.

The villa, which was once Stibbert’s home, has 57 rooms that exhibit all of his collections from around the world. Most of the walls are covered in leather  and tapestries and the rooms are crowded with artifacts. Paintings are displayed throughout every room, including still lifes and portraits. There is one original painting of Madonna made by Botecilli and also Monalisa painting made by student of Leonardo Da Vinci.  There are also valuable furniture, porcelains, Tuscan crucifixes, Etruscan artifacts, and an outfit worn by Napoleon I of France during his coronation.

The most extensive collection is around 16,000 pieces of European, Oriental, Islamic and Japanese  arms and armour from the 15th century through the 19th century. There is also collection of Samurai armour which contains over 80 suits and hundreds of swords. There is also Sword of Tipu Sultan kept in his collection.

In all its a mesmerising and unbelievable experience when you take a tour around the villa. There are also two gardens, one of which is made into public garden. The vast area and mesmerising artifacts is a “must-to-see” agenda on your visit to Florence.

The museum also contains a cafe and a bookstore.

Piazzale Michelangelo and San Miniato Basilica, Florence – May 26, 2023

Michelangelo’s square or better known in Italian as Piazzale Michelangelo is one of the best viewpoints in Florence.  This Florentine piazza was built in 1869. It is the most famous observation point to appreciate the panorama of the city in all its splendor besides being an attraction that no tourist can miss on their visit to Florence.  The beautiful view from top captures the heart of Florence from Forte Belvedere to Santa Croce, across the lungarni and the bridges crossing the Arno, including the Ponte Vecchio, the Duomo, Palazzo Vecchio and the bell tower.

This square is dedicated to the Renaissance sculptor Michelangelo, which has bronze copies of some of his marble works found elsewhere in Florence; like the David and the four allegories of the Medici Chapel of San Lorenzo.

To reach Piazzale Michelangelo we took bus No. 23 for ticket price of 1.50 € per person. The bus drops you at the foot of the piazza and then it’s an upward walk to reach the square. On the way there are many natural waterfalls made around grotto. It’s an 3.2 mile walk and it takes an average of 1 h 13 min to complete. The entire area is free to visit.

SAN MINIATO
Close to Piazzale Michelangelo, there is a small Romanesque and scenic church on the hill: San Miniato al Monte (St. Minias on the Mountain). It is a 5 minutes further up the hill from the Michelangelo Piazzale and is free to enter. However, when we reached the church was already closed,  although we had a round around the church.

This church was built as early as 1015 on top of the tomb of Saint Minias, a martyr of Christianity, who was beheaded by Emperor Decius in the third century. Saint Minias is alleged to have picked up his head, crossed the Arno and walked up the hill of Mons Fiorentinus to his hermitage. A shrine was later erected at this spot and later a chapel was built.

There is also a monumental cemetery located within the fortified bastion of the Basilica of San Miniato. From the earliest years the most important and rich people in the city were buried there.  Later the property of cemetery was transferred the to the Municipality of Florence and further expansion works, giving the cemetery today’s monumental appearance.

A visit to San Miniato al Monte is certainly worthwhile.

Fiesole – May 24, 2023

Fiesole is a town and commune of the Metropolitan City of Florence in the Italian region of Tuscany, on a scenic height above Florence, 5 km northeast of that city. It has structures dating to Etruscan and Roman times.

We took bus No. 7 to Fiesole which cost around 1.50€ one way per person. The last stop of this bus is Fiesole and it goes around a very scenic path to the top.

About Fiesole….in the 14th century it became known as the new living quarters for the rich and famous Florentines who build their villas surrounded by cypress trees and spectacular gardens. The hillside looms 295 meters above Florence, offering a special and stunning panorama of the Renaissance city. Even today Fiesole remains noted for its very expensive residential properties, just as well as its centuries-old villa. The city is generally considered to be the wealthiest and most affluent suburb of Florence

We visited the archaeological site at Fiesole. The ticket to archaeological site and Roman ampitheatre was 7€ per person. If you also want to visit the museum then it cost 10€ per person. Students get discount at €5. This site shows the remains of its prehistoric walls and ancient structures/temple that has been preserved and an archaeological museum in the town presents artifacts from and information about these cultural periods.

The Roman ampitheatre, below the cathedral, has 19 tiers of stone seats and is 37 yards in diameter. It has been restored partially enough to provide a good idea of its structure. Below the ampitheatre  there are some remains of Roman baths, including five parallel vaults of concrete. There is a pathway made which leads to all these areas. There is also a small museum which contains the objects found in the excavations of the ampitheatre.

We then visited Convento di San Francesco, which is a Franciscan convent. The present complex consists of a beautiful church and convent. The Church has many paintings and artifacts. Entry to the Church and Convent is free.

Above all, the top of the hill of San Francesco, with the terrace next to the Franciscan convent is undoubtedly the most beautiful and best known viewpoint in all of Fiesole. Besides being the most popular viewpoint, it also allows a glimpse of the Duomo, Bell Tower and Cathedral of San Romolo.

There are also few restaurants and cafes around this location. You can also find some souvenir shops around.

Orsanmichele – May 20, 2023

First documented in the year 895, Orsanmichele is a church in the Italian city of Florence. When the original structure was destroyed in 1239, it was rebuilt in wood. This building, made of wood, was again severely damaged in a fire and rebuilt again in 1336 as a market and grain storage area. On the ground floor of the building grain market were walled up, second floor was devoted to offices,  while third floor was city’s municipal grain storehouses maintained to withstand famine or siege.

How is it that a grain storage area transformed into a religious house of worship? Within the original structure of the market, one of the columns held the image of the Blessed Mother (in Italian: Madonna), which was accredited with several miraculous events. The image was damaged during the fire in the 1200’s  and a new image: the “Madonna delle Grazie” was commissioned. Over the course of the years, pilgrims poured into the market to visit and pray in front of the Madonna and even with the “new & improved” image, there were still even more miracles credited to the frescoespecially during the plague of 1348.

At this point, with the steady stream of new worshippers, the loggia could no longer be regarded as a suitable place for a market; it was transformed into a Church.

Orsanmichele Church is located in the Florence City centre, however its museum was temporarily closed.

RHEINFALLS, SWITZERLAND 🇨🇭

After almost 2 and half years of COVID we could finally move out of our country and visit Switzerland and Italy. We had a halt of 2 days in Zurich and visit to Rheinfall was on our priority list. To reach Rheinfall you can go to any nearby station in Zurich and get your ticket to Neuhausen Rheinfall (which is the closest, within walking distance to the falls). We took train from Hardbrucke Station and  paid CHF 42 for 2 tickets – one way. Tickets can be taken on any train station from the user friendly kiosk machines. Their is train every one hour to Neuhausen Rheinfall and it takes 48 mins to reach the falls.

It can also be reached by frequent bus services operated by Verkehrsbetriebe Schaffhausen (vbsh) and PostAuto. The closest bus stops in walking distance to the waterfall are Neuhausen Zentrum (Neuhausen Central) and Schloss Laufen, Rheinfall.

Rheinfall is the most powerful waterfall in Europe, located in Switzerland. The falls are located on the High Rhine on the border between  the cantons of Schaffhausen (SH) and Zürich (ZH) and its situated in northern Switzerland. It is said that the falls cannot be climbed by fish, except by eels that are able to worm their way up over the rocks.

After moving around the falls, you may take 15 or 30 min roundabout boat ride right into the falls. For 15 mins it costs CHF 7 per person. The boat takes you to the deepest point of the fall. Its a mesmerising feeling altogether. There are other boat rides too which take you near the rock which is right in between the falls. You can climb the rock if you dare to. The ‘blue boat’ takes you for the roundabout ride. If you want to go across to other side, you need to take “red boat” which drops/picks you from opposite side. And all this could be done in the one boat ticket we bought.

On the opposite side another tourist attraction is
Laufen Castle, which is a Swiss heritage site of national significance overlooking the Rhine Falls.  The castle contains a restaurant, souvenir shop and a youth hostel. Access to the other side of the river is possible through boat services or via a sidewalk on the railway bridge (Rheinfallbrücke) upstream of the waterfall.

Aside from boat tours to the Rhine Falls’ rock there are also viewing platforms (CHF 5 p/p) with views on the waterfall built on both sides of the Rhine River.  Elevators exist for Rheinfalls and for Castle too.  There is no charge to go to Castle.

In all it was a beautiful day put to good use….we left with happy memories.

DIVAR ISLAND, GOA

Divar Island is dotted with vintage houses built in Portuguese style, littered with traditional churches and is surrounded by evergreen paddy fields. Unlike the loud and hippie party culture of Goa, this place provides the contrasting peace and environment to the travellers.  Divar Island hardly has any particular sightseeing spots, however the innate beauty and charm of the narrow winding roads, the tiny tea stalls and overall aura will make you want never to leave the island. 

History of Divar Island says that it was once inhabited by the people of old Goa. They left this island when a dangerous and disastrous plague broke out. It is also said that the Island of Divar was once a site for Hindu devotees. There were several temples here before the 16th century, like the temples of Shri Saptakoteshwar temple, another temple dedicated to Lord Ganesha, Shree Dwarkeshwar and many more. When Goa was Christianized the temples were shifted by Goan Hindus to other places.  Divar was among the first places that were occupied by the Portuguese. Though it is now a flourishing town, you can still spot the remnants of the old buildings and structures.

On the way around the island you will come across villages like Piedade which is the replica of a typical Goan village at the time of the Portuguese. Here you can visit the Church of Our Lady of Compassion. Another village Sao Matian also called ‘a village stuck in time’, where you can visit the beautiful Sao Mathias church in the village of Malar which is 400-year-old.  Naroa villageis one of the three villages of Divar Island. The village is now infamous as a ghost town.

MAYEM LAKE
From Divar Island we came down to Mayem Lake for which you have to again take a ferry. Mayem lake is the most famous lake in Goa. The lake is located in Bicholim taluka in north Goa. The lake provides boating facility and also there is Bungee Jumping site right on the lake for the adventurous.

Tambdi Surla, Valpoi, Goa

Mahadeva Temple, Tambdi Surla is a 12th-century Shaivite temple in the Kadamba style dedicated to Lord Shiva and an active place of Hindu worship. It is an ASI protected Monument of National Importance in Goa. The temple is approximately 65 kilometres from the capital city of Panaji. It is accessible from the main town of Valpoi in Sattari Taluka.

The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is reminiscent of the temples at Aihole in neighbouring Karnataka. There is a linga (symbol of Lord Shiva) mounted on a pedestal inside the inner sanctum, and local legend has it that a huge king cobra is in permanent residence in the dimly lit interior.There is also a  headless Nandi (bull, Shiva’s vehicle) in the centre of the mandap

The festival of Mahashivratri is celebrated with pomp and gaiety at the temple by local people residing in surrounding villages. The temple is built in a place which is quite inaccessible and away from the main settlements of the time. The temple is small compared to the average Goan temple.

Reis Magos Fort, Bardez, Goa

Reis Magos is a village located on the northern bank of the Mandovi River in Bardez, Goa, opposite to the capital city of Panjim. The village is famous for two of Goa’s famous structures – The Reis Magos Fort – which is the Portuguese name for the Three Wise Men from the Bible and the Reis Magos Church – the first church in Bardez.

Reis Magos was erected in 1551 to protect the narrowest point at the mouth of the Mandovi estuary. The Fort, originated as an armed outpost of the Adil Shah of Bijapur in 1493. When Bardez was conquered by the Portuguese in 1541, the Fort was built along with the church.  It was occupied briefly between 1798-1813 by the British Army. It was subsequently abandoned by the military and served as a prison until 1993.

From 1900, it lost its defensive role and was used as a jail and was finally abandoned in 1993.

To visit the Fort you have to pay Rs. 50/- per person. There is a discount for students. There are many pictures and write-ups of the freedom fighters from Goa inside the Fort. An only banyan tree which sprouted from the coconut tree lies besides the Fort. The scenic beauty around the Fort makes it worth a visit.

Male – Day 4 (Conclude….)

Mulee-aage Palace (Presidential Palace)
The Maldives Presidential Palace is located in the heart of Male Island and is a masonry structure. The front is covered with reflective glass, which looks colorful and dazzling in the clear. The red and green Maldivian flag on the square, with the wind swinging freely, reflects on the glass wall, forming an impressive landscape.

The Islamic Centre
The Islamic Centre is an architectural landmark in Malé, and was opened in November 1984. It is also called as The Grand Friday Mosque and is the largest in the Maldives. It is also said to be one of the largest in South Asia admitting over 5,000 people.

Hukuru Miskiy
The Malé Hukuru Miskiy, also known as the Malé Friday Mosque or the Old Friday Mosque is one of the oldest and most ornate mosques in Malé. The Hukuru Miskiy dates back to 1656 and has been added to the UNESCO World Heritage cultural list as a unique example of sea-culture architecture. It has the tomb of Al-Hafiz Abul Yoosuf Al-Barbari of Morocco, who converted Maldives into Islam in 1153 AD.