All for Taj Mahal

November 24, 2010July 12, 2018 by elainevitikainen ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Amazing and magnificent as it could be, a bit of the history of Taj Mahal will cause disappointment to those imaginatively romantic. For many of us, little that we know and not really promoted in tourism either, that beside Taj Mahal are several additional mausoleums for the other wives of Emperor Shah Jahan. But of course, these structures are primarily composed of red sandstone and not the marvellous marble.

Halong Bay

July 31, 2010July 11, 2018 by elainevitikainen ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

The Halong Bay in the Gulf of Tonkin is a must place to visit if you are traveling to Vietnam. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Quảng Ninh Province. The bay has some 2,000 islands and islets which are mostly limestone. The limestone in this bay has gone through 500 million years of formation. In literal translation, Halong Bay in Vietnamese means descending dragon bay.

It’s worth to stay overnight on a junk boat in Halong Bay. The magnificent view on the top deck is something not to be missed especially during sunset and sunrise.

The Most Visited Monument

July 25, 2010July 11, 2018 by elainevitikainen ♥ 1 Comment

The Eiffel Tower is my most favourite structure. Don’t ask because I don’t know why. This iron lattice tower is not only the cultural icon of France but it’s one of the most recognisable structures in the world. Erected in 1889, it was initially criticised for its design. Eiffel Tower was named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower.

The Spanish Steps in Rome and John Keats

July 22, 2010July 11, 2018 by elainevitikainen ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

What is your favourite poem? I have a certain attraction to Ode to a Nightingale. Inspired by the bird’s song, the poem was composed in one day. It was written in 1819 by an English Romantic poet named John Keats. In 1820, Keats moved to Rome. He lived on the second floor of a building situated south of the base of the Spanish Steps. It was in this house where he died of tuberculosis at the age of 25 in 1821.

There are always many people on the steps. Though I’m certain that not so many are aware of its relations to Keats. Most of the time the Spanish Steps is associated with the scene from the Roman Holiday film. In the film, Audrey Hepburn was approached by Gregory Peck on the steps while she was eating ice – cream.