Fizarotti Palace... Bari, Italy

When I traveled to Italy for the first time, North regions, and while sitting at the airport waiting for my next flight, I heard an announcement inviting people to board a plain that was departing to Bari.  I have never heard of Bari before, and  thought: "Bari, where is it?"  Later I learned that Bari is South of Italy, on the Adriatic sea side.  Then after return to the US I learned that some interesting people were born there! One of them I became to know personally, but one other notable person, I would LOVE TO MEET IN person!  I am talking about famous and never boring Editor of Vogue Japan Anna Dello Russo and her BLOG

The reason I brought this my little story about Bari, is the picture above.  This is Fizarotti Palace in Bari.  I came across this image while reading Vogue Italia where they were talking about interesting places to visit.  I was surprised how the architecture of this palace is similar to Doge's Palace in Venice!  Do you see that?

Doge's Palace, Venice, Italy

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Travel Finds... Wooden Box from Belarus

I always loved the wheat for its beautiful golden color and the way wheat kernels finish the stem in the braid pattern.  It reminds me of golden blond hair made into the braid.   Wheat also reminds me of my homeland, Belarus, with its infinite gold wheat fields.

Since Belarus always had abundance of the wheat, Belarus artisans used wheat not only for making bread but also used wheat straw to embellish their traditional wooden boxes.

This wooden box I brought from my travel to Belarus.  If you never seeing these boxes and do not know anything about it, you might think that geometric design is painted on the surface, but it is not.  In fact, this design is all made with inlay technique.  That is right, tiny pieces of the straw are cut and positioned on the surface, glued, and than covered with clear varnish to make the design last.  It is like mosaic, but instead of glass pieces, Belarus artisans use wheat straw to embellish these traditional wooden boxes.  Details of the pattern are so intricate and precise that I cannot stop wondering HOW DO THEY DO IT?

Can you see from this picture how the design is raided over the surface of the top lid? It is hard to believe that it is not paint, isn't it?

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Travel Finds ... from Arnhem, Netherlands

I brought these small coffee cups from Arnhem when traveled to Netherlands. What can be better than hand painted blue irises? I like to see the difference in painter's strokes between these two cups.  This is so much better than a pattern that is reproduced by machinery.  Pin It

Dog Misha... Travel Portrait from Belarus

 While traveling to Belarus, I visited Mir castle.  Outside castle walls, behind souvenir shops, I noticed what looked like a sculpture of black horse and a dog sitting on the back of the horse.  When the horse moved to grab some grass, I realized that both horse and a dog on the top of it were real animals.  Dog was sitting still, rarely reacting to tourists passing by.  Little boy, the owner of this attraction, was offering a horse ride for a small fee.  When I got close to photograph this strange duo, I was amazed with dogs eyes: it reminded me of sad human eyes, understanding and coping with reality.

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Travel Finds... Stormy Sky of Paris and Versailles

Stormy sky looks very beautiful to me.  Especially in Paris and Versailles, when it contrasts with gilded works of art.


Versailles gates

 Paris Opera House

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Travel Finds... Belarus, Castles and Ceramic Tiles

Summer is my favorite time for European travels.  I am from Eastern Europe, and always enjoy going back to visit my family and still exploring the country I came from.  Belarus is not big European destination yet, but I believe it would be real treat for the history lovers to explore Belarus complicated past that shaped Belarus castles and knighthood. 

Belarus lands lie on the crossroads of Europe. The strive of Vikings and later Scandinavians, the attacks of Tartars from South, The Teutonic and later German invasions from West, the continuous onslaught of Muscovy and later Russian Empire from East - all these factors have shaped a system of fortifications across Belarus lands.   Initially a number of smaller principalities it was later united by invited Lithuanian duke into a Slavic Principality with center in Navahrudak, that later grew into an enormous mufti-cultural state - The Grand Duke of Lithuania - which spanned from Baltic to Black Sea. While some of this expansion was voluntary other growth was done through military invasions and battles. And so Belarus military knowledge was acquired through constant clashes with and assimilation of these very different cultures.  During Soviet Era not much was done to preserve Belarus castles, but lately Belarus government invested into restoration projects.  Here are some pics from my last trip.

Mir Castle

 Amazing original ceramic tiles from the Mir Castle.  Belarus kept its tradition of ceramic tiles manufacturing that goes deep into the history.  Modern Belarus tiles are very beautiful and is still under the radar of European consumers.  Significantly lower cost of these tiles does not mean lesser quality or beauty when compared to the best known Italian ceramic tiles.

 Neswish Castle

 

Happy Monday!

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Travel Finds... Naples, Italy

I visited Italy multiple times, but this was my first time in Naples.  I have to tell you, Naples is a world on its own, it is completely different from anything I knew about Italy.  Naples has its own beauty.  If I can sum up my impression of Naples in one sentence - it is beautiful, crazy, charming, simple and complicated all in one.  I would like to go back again.  If you ever go there, enjoy this interesting place, but I suggest you not to rent a car in Naples.  If you were not born there or lived long enough and have nerves to drive their streets the way Neapolitan do, don't even try.  Period.

On my way to Naples, view of beautiful Alps under the wing of the plane

Mount Vesuvius

 Street view 

Orange tree in the backyard of our hotel

I think that Napoli's police uniform is very cool.  Also, I asked policemen to pose for my photo and they DID!  

Famous Neapolitan Pastry - Sfogliatelle

View of the Vomero hill on the background, the best spot to see Naples from the bird eye view.  People use funicular to get up there.

The view of Naples from the Vomero hill. 

The National San Martino Museum, a large monastery complex dating from 1368 that sits atop the Vomero hill

Monastery courtyard.  No, this skull is not real 

Happy Monday!

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