Category Archives: PLACES OF INTEREST

Devrent Valley (Cappadocia, Turkey)

Posted on by — Leave a reply

Devrent Valley

After our exploration of the Fairy Chimneys of Pasabag, we returned to our van and made two stopovers, at viewpoints, before proceeding to our hotel.  The first was at the beautiful Devrent Valley in Cappadocia (locally known as Imaginary Valley).

Check out “Fairy Chimneys of Pasabag”

Nestled in the heart of Cappadocia, it is renowned for its surreal and otherworldly landscape (which has earned Devrent Valley the nickname “Lunar Landscape” or “Moonscape”) that sparks the imagination and transports you to a realm of wonder.  This enchanting valley, full of unique rock formations that are some of the best formed and most thickly clustered in Cappadocia, offers a unique experience like no other.

The Camel

Most of the striking and stunning pink-hued or rosy rock cones are topped by flattish, darker stones of harder rock that sheltered the cones from the rain until all the surrounding rock was eaten away, over thousands of years by wind and water, in a process known to geologists as differential erosion, creating intriguing pillar-like shapes.

The Elephant

The beauty of this captivating spot in Cappadocia is that has very easy driving access and isn’t as crowded as the open-air museums and iconic cave dwelling locations. Devrent Valley was never inhabited by humans, making it a unique geological wonder.

The Kissing Ducks

There are no rock-cut churches or castles to explore. It’s essential to keep in mind that the valley can get crowded, especially during peak tourist seasons. To avoid crowds, consider visiting early in the morning, late in the afternoon, or during lunchtime.

The Hand

As we ventured into this mesmerizing realm, we witnessed a natural masterpiece sculpted by centuries of wind and water erosion. At the entrance of the valley, one of the first sights that greet us was an enormous rock which looks like a camel. A lot more imagination is needed to spot the other whimsical animal-shaped (dolphin, seals, lions, bears, tigers, kissing birds, alligator, snake, etc.) rock formations. Other weird rock shapes resemble a Napoleon’s hat and a praying Virgin Mary. Devrent Valley left an indelible mark on my Cappadocia adventure, leaving me awe-inspired.

The Virgin Mary

Devrent Valley: Goreme El Sanatlari Carsisi No: 24 50180, Goreme, Cappadocia, Turkey. Tel: +90 384 271 2166. Fax: +90 384 271 2337. Email: info@newgoreme.com.  The entrance to the valley is free of charge.

How to Get There: Devrent Valley is located 11.3  kms. (a 20-min. drive) from Goreme, aproximately 1 km. from Pasabag Valley, 6.6 kms. from Avanos, and 15.6 kms. from Uchisar. If you’re staying in Urgup, it’s just a short 5.7-kilometer drive to reach this enchanting destination.

The easiest way to get there is by bus or rental car directly from either Göreme or Ürgüp. Buses run regularly throughout the day, every hour departure and take around 10 – 15 minutes. The ‘Blue Route’ on the hop-on-hop-off bus also includes Devrent Valley. Devrent Valley lies on the direct (east) road between Avanos and Ürgüp. There’s no public transport along this route but if it’s not too hot and you don’t mind a roadside walk, it’s easy enough to get here on foot from Zelve. From the Zelve site entrance, go about 200m back down the access road to where the road forks and take the right-hand road marked for Ürgüp. After about 2km you’ll come to the village of Aktepe (Yeni Zelve). Bear right and follow the Ürgüp road uphill for another 2km.To cut down on walking time, the Ürgüp–Avanos dolmuş can drop you off at Aktepe. Devrent Valley is surrounded by marked hiking trails that connect it with other valleys in the region.

Leicester Square (London, England, UK)

Posted on by — Leave a reply

Leicester Square

On our third day in London, we all woke up early and, after breakfast, walked all the way to King’s Cross Underground Station were we took the Piccadilly Tube Line, to Leicester Square Station.  From there, Leicester Square, a pedestrianised square in the West End of London, is just a 5-min.walk away.

The square lies within an area bound, to the north, by Lisle Street; to the east by Charing Cross Road; to the south by Orange Street; and to the west by Whitcomb Street. The park at the centre of the square is bound, to the north, by Cranbourn Street; to the east by Leicester Street; to the south by Irving Street and; to the west, by a section of road designated simply as Leicester Square.

Shakespeare Fountain and Statue

At the center of the square is a statue of William Shakespeare standing on a pedestal flanked by dolphins at the center of a fountain. Sculpted by Giovanni Fontana (after an original by Peter Scheemakers), since 1874, it formed the centerpiece of Leicester Square Gardens.

VUE Theater and the Hippodrome

Laid out in 1670 as Leicester Fields, the square was named after the Leicester House (itself named after Robert Sidney, 2nd Earl of Leicester). Originally a gentrified residential area for nobles (tenants including Frederick, Prince of Wales and the artists William Hogarth and Joshua Reynolds), the square became more down-market in the late 18th century as Leicester House was demolished and retail developments took place, quickly evolving into a hub for entertainment and culture.

Odeon Theatre

Surrounding the iconic and vibrant square are renowned West End theaters (Wyndham’s Theatre, Leicester Square Theatre, Prince of Wales Theatre, etc.), cinemas, fashion boutiques, music stores, souvenir shops, bars, hotels  and restaurants including a Jollibee store which was opened last May 20, 2021.

Map of the interactive “Scenes in the Square”

Upon arrival at the square, we checked out the interactive “Scenes in the Square,” a film-themed sculpture trail which emphasizes Leicester Square’s long association with cinema. Since 1930, the site has been home to cinemas, hosting its first film premiere in 1937.

TKTS

The free exhibition, depicting recognizable classic and contemporary film characters (some even brought to life, at night, with lighting) from the last 100 years of cinema, was organized by the Heart of London Business Alliance, in partnership with Westminster City Council, and is supported by major movie studios. It originally consisted of 8 quirky bronze sculptures.

Mary Poppins Statue

Grace and Paula with the statue of Mary Poppins in the background

On ground level are the statues of Mary Poppins, with her hat, coat, and her bottomless Mary Poppins Bag (depicted landing from flight with her umbrella raised, as featured in the 1964 film Mary Poppins);Looney Tunes’ Bugs Bunny (depicted popping up out of a hole in a flower bed, in front of his mailbox, while eating a carrot); Gene Kelly (depicted, in his role as Don Lockwood, in the 1952 film Singin’ in the Rain), swinging around a lamppost with his raincoat, hat and umbrella smiling for all to see, in an iconic scene where the character sings the title song in the film (Patricia Ward Kelly, Kelly’s wife, granted permission to make the statue).

Bugs Bunny Statue

Statue of Gene Kelly in Singin’ In The Rain

Seated on a benches in the square are the iconic British and well-loved Paddington Bear (Paddington movies premiered in Leicester Square in 2014 and 2017) wearing his signature hat and duffel coat (but has no boots) and eating one of his favorite marmalade sandwiches) and Mr. Bean, who was portrayed by versatile comic performer Rowan Atkinson on television and in film (its erection also marked 30 years since the character’s first appearance).

Jandy seated besidge Paddington Statue ……

…… and beside statue of Mr. Bean

A number of statue are found above street level.  The statue of DC Comics superhero Batman stands 25 m. (82 ft.) above on the roof of the Odeon Leicester Square cinema, keeping watch over London from the rooftops just like he did in the Batman films.

Batman Statue

Wonder Woman (inspired by a scene from the 2017 film Wonder Woman, in which the title character was played by Gal Gadot), another DC Comics superhero, is depicted breaking through the wall of the Vue West End cinema, wielding her Lasso of Truth (which is lit at night).

Wonder Woman Statue

The legendary comedy duo  Laurel and Hardy, perched on top of the TKTS Booth (the best place in London to get cheap theatre tickets) in the square, representing a famous scene from the 1929 film Liberty where the pair playfully teeter and balance on a ledge on a skyscraper.

Laurel and Hardy in Liberty

On September 30, 2020, a statue of Harry Potter  riding a broomstick (Nimbus 2000) and playing Quidditch (the scene was taken from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone which had its world premiere in Leicester Square in 2001) was installed, becoming the ninth statue in the exhibition. In June 2021, a sculpture of the Iron Throne, from the HBO TV series Game of Thrones, was unveiled to mark 10 years since the release of the first episode.

The author with Harry Potter Statue

In July 2021, to mark the July 16 release of Space Jam: A New Legacy in which the character is part of a basketball team, the statue of Bugs Bunny was modified with a basketball and backboard (features a QR code to unlock online content on social media).

In December 2021, ahead of the release of the film of the same name, a bronze statue of Clifford the Big Red Dog was installed, featuring links to pages where visitors can donate to Battersea Dogs & Cats Home. The largest sculpture in the series, measuring 3 m. (9.8 ft.) long and 2 m. (6 ft., 7 in.) high and weighing 600 kgs. (1,300 lbs.), it took a team of 15 people three months to create the sculpture.

On May 31, 2023, a life-sized bronze statue of Indiana Jones, the iconic action movie hero portrayed by Harrison Ford, was added to the collection of famous celebrities immortalized in Leicester Square. The statue, created to coincide with the release of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, the latest and final installment of the Indiana Jones film series, was placed in the square in a crate with his fedora and whip. Found near Greggs’s Bakery, it was officially unveiled on June 2023, closer to the movie’s release on June 28.

Charlie Chaplin Statue

There’s also a statue of Charlie Chaplin, sculpted in 1979 by John Doubleday, portraying the actor, comedian and filmmaker in his best-known role, as The Tramp. The four corner gates of the park have one bust each of the scientist Sir Isaac Newton (designed by William Calder Marshall); Sir Joshua Reynolds, the first President of the Royal Academy (by Henry Weekes); John Hunter, a pioneer of surgery (by Thomas Woolner); and William Hogarth, the painter (by Joseph Durham); all famous former residents in the square.

Leicester Square: City of Westminster, Central London WC2H 7LU. 

How to Get There: The nearest London Underground station is Leicester Square, which opened in 1906. London bus routes 24, 29 and 176 run on nearby Charing Cross Road.

Ross Fountain (Edinburgh, Scotland, UK)

Posted on by — Leave a reply

Ross Fountain with Edinburgh Castle in the background

The highlight of our visit to the Princes Street Gardens was our photo ops at the Ross Fountain, the focus of the western end of the gardens and the park’s most important monument.  This fountain, made from cast-iron, is a shining example of magnificent  19th century sculpture.  Photographs of the view up to the famous Edinburgh Castle from the Gardens, with this fountain in the foreground, has featured heavily in some of the iconic imagery of Edinburgh over the years.

Check out “Princes Street Gardens”

At an exhibit at the Great Exhibition of 1862, an exhibition of modern art, technology and invention in London, it was purchased, on a moment of impulse and as a philanthropic gesture, by Edinburgh gunsmith Daniel Ross (who described it as “obtaining universal admiration”), in September 1869, for £2,000 and, subsequently, gifted to the city of Edinburgh.

The four female, greater than life size figures representing Science, Arts, Poetry, and Industry

That same year, it was transported to Leith, in 122 individual pieces, but sat in storage for a decade while the city council considered where they were going to put it. In 1872, it was reassembled, in its current position, at Princes Street Gardens, only a few hundred yards from the Ross Bandstand. Sadly, David Ross died in January 1871, one year before, missing the opportunity to see the masterpiece displayed in the gardens.

Some of the 8 voluptuous mermaid statues, with bared flesh, holding overflowing urns, and sitting on scallop-shell basins with lion’s heads between

In 2001, as broken pipes had made the fountain inoperational, the fountain had some extensive restoration work completed. In 2008, water was turned off and, from July 2017, it was closed again for further restoration work, costing 1.9 million pounds, undertaken by Lost Art Limited of Wigan on behalf of The Ross Development Trust. On July 8, 2018, it was re-inaugurated by Lord Provost Frank Ross and others, including the Head of Mission at the French Consulate in Edinburgh Emmanuel Cocher.

The beautifully modeled and semi-naked female figure, holding the topmost cornucopia, which scandalized Victorian Edinburgh at the time.

The fountain, now with a new pump that will be switched on permanently, is now painted in eye-catching turquoise, brown and gold which, according to the organizers, should last for at least 20 years. The figures were sculpted by artist Jean-Baptiste Jules Klagmann (b. April 1810) whose other work includes figures for the Louvre and D’ Medici fountains in Luxembourg Gardens in Paris.  It is also unusual in that, rather than having been produced by one of the great Scottish foundries of the day, it was produced at the iron foundry of  Antoine Durenne, ‘Maitre de Forges, Sommevoire Haute Marne’ in Sommevoire, France.

The fountain’s circular basin has curved Craigleith sandstone edges and the first elevated basin is decorated with stylized “walrus” heads round the edge. The first tier of the central column has 8 voluptuous mermaid statues, with bared flesh, holding overflowing urns, and sitting on scallop-shell basins with lion’s heads between. Swags and cornucopia abound, and the bowls above have cherub-faced spouts.

The author (right) with Jandy and Grace (photo: Selena Sta. Maria))

Near the top, with water basins held up by mermaid children, are four female greater than life size figures representing Science, Arts, Poetry, and Industry seated between semicircular basins. The structure is surmounted by a final, beautifully modeled and semi-naked female figure, holding the topmost cornucopia, which scandalized Victorian Edinburgh at the time. All this combines to produce a fountain that is over 40 ft. high and over 100 tons in weight. 

Ross Fountain: West Princes Street Gardens, Princes Street EH2 2HG, Edinburgh. Tel: 0131 529 7921. E-mail: parks@edinburgh.gov.uk.

Princes Street Gardens (Edinburgh, Scotland, UK)

Posted on by — Leave a reply

Princes Street Gardens

Our third (and first and only whole) day in Edinburgh, we planned to visit Edinburgh Castle but, as it was still very early in the morning (the castle opens at 10 AM), we decided to visit and explore the 150,000 sq. m. (37-acre) Princes Street Gardens, one of two adjacent public parks (East Princes Street Gardens and West Princes Street Gardens) and one of the most important urban parks in the center of Edinburgh.

The National Gallery of Scotland (left) and the Royal Scottish Academy (right) buildings

Lying in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle (on its rock towering above the western end), the gardens, running along the south side of Princes Street, is divided into two parts by The Mound, an artificial hill, on which the National Gallery of Scotland and the Royal Scottish Academy buildings are located, that connects the city’s New Town and Old Town.

Check out “National Gallery of Scotland”

St. John’s Church

Lying at center of Edinburgh’s World Heritage Site, set in the valley between New Town and Old Town Outstanding Conservation Areas (the boundary between the two areas being the north fence of the railway), the Princes Street Gardens is in the very center of Edinburgh’s World Heritage Site.

L-R: Paula, Manny, Jandy, Grace and the author at Princes Street Gardens. In the background is St. Cuthbert’s Parish Church

Its landscape, of outstanding refinement and cultural significance, has high geological and some botanical scientific interest. One of the New Town Gardens listed in the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscape in Scotland, it was assessed as outstanding in terms of aesthetic, historical, architectural and scenic values.

Ross Fountain with Edinburgh Castle in the background

The central location of the Gardens makes it a popular choice having the highest awareness and visitor figures for both residents and visitors to the city. Awarded a Green Flag since 2011, the park is beautiful all year round.

Gardener’s Cottage

East Princes Street Gardens run from The Mound to Waverley Bridge, and cover 3.4 ha. (8.5 acres) while the larger West Princes Street Gardens covers 12 ha. (29 acres) and extends to the adjacent churches of St. John’s and St. Cuthbert’s, near Lothian Road in the west.

Check out “St. Cuthbert Parish Church”

The Scott Monument

The Gardens were created in the 1820s following the long draining of the Nor Loch and building of the New Town, beginning in the 1760s.  Situated on the north side of the town, the loch,  originally an artificial creation forming part of its medieval defenses, has made expansion northwards difficult and its water was habitually polluted from sewage draining downhill from the Old Town. The Princes Street Gardens has a diverse and fascinating collection of public monuments and memorials. Dating mainly from the 1840s to 1990s, there are three types.

Sir James Young Simpson Monument

The first group commemorates influential Scottish men of the 18th and 19th centuries. In the East Princes Street Gardens are the Scott Monument (the most prominent in the garden, this Neo-Gothic spire was built in 1844 to honor Sir Walter Scott) and the statue of explorer David Livingstone.  Also within East Princes Street Gardens are statues of the publisher Lord Provost Adam Black and Professor John Wilson (the essayist who wrote under the pseudonym Christopher North).

Thomas Guthrie Monument

The second group remembers those who have died fighting in wars, including the Royal Scots Greys Regimental Memorial and the Scottish American War Memorial (designed by R. Tait McKensie, it was erected in 1927). The Royal Scots Monument, a large curved monument to the Royal Scots, stands slightly hidden just south of the very picturesque gardener’s cottage at the east end of the West Princes Gardens. Designed by Sir Frank Mears, with sculpture by Pilkington Jackson, it was described as a “modern henge.”   Dating from 1950, it was added to and “finalized” in May 2007 following the termination of the Royal Scots in 2006. This added additional Battle Honors gained since the 1950s.

Monument of the Royal Scots

The third group includes miscellaneous sculptures and monuments such as the cast iron Ross Fountain The focus of the western end of the gardens, the newly refurbished fountain is the park’s most important monument.  Gifted by Edinburgh gunsmith Daniel Ross, this structure was originally installed in 1872, after having been an exhibit at the Great Exposition of 1862 in London, and repaired, restored and unveiled on July 8, 2018 with the help of The Ross Development Trust.

Check out “Ross Fountain”

The Genius of Architecture crowning the Theory and Practice of Art

At the eastern entrance to the Gardens is the world renowned Floral Clock.  The world’s first floral clock, it was first planted in 1903 and each year the planting scheme, designed by the Technical team in the Parks and Greenspace Service, commemorates a special anniversary. The designs of the colorful displays uses a variety of 30,000 flower and foliage plants (including annuals such as Lobelia, Pyrethrum and Golden Moss and succulents such as Echeveria and Sedum), all of a dwarf nature, suitable for carpet bedding.

Ross Theatre

Along the south side of Princes Street are many statues and monuments such as statues of the poet Allan Ramsay, the church reformer Thomas Guthrie, and the obstetric pioneer James Young Simpson. Within East Princes Street Gardens is a small commemorative stone honoring the volunteers from the Lothians and Fife who fought in the Spanish Civil War.

Mortonhall Baby Ashes Memorial

In the center of the West Princes Street Gardens is the Ross Bandstand, named after William Henry Ross (Chairman of the Distillers Company Ltd.) who, in 1877, gifted the first bandstand on the site. The Princes Street proprietors contributed £500 as a goodwill gesture to the cost of the bandstand. The present building and terraces, dating from 1935, is the site of various concerts and other events including the Festival Fireworks Concert, Men’s Health Survival of the Fittest and during the city’s Hogmanay celebrations. The Ross Development Trust proposed to rebuild the bandstand as a Ross Pavilion based on design by architects wHY following an international competition in 2017.

The Royal Scots Greys Monument

The Genius of Architecture, a statuary group on the lower path, represents crowning the Theory and Practice of Art.   Designed by William Brodie originally for the garden of Rockville, the home of his maverick architect son-in-law Sir James Gowans, it was moved here in the 1960s following the demolition of Rockville.   Nearby is the Mortonhall Baby Ashes Memorial, a new monument in the form of a baby elephant by sculptor Andy Scott.  Added to the gardens on February 2, 2019, it is a permanent reminder of the 250 babies and their families affected by the Mortonhall scandal, which was uncovered in 2012.

Norwegian Brigade Memorial

Other statues and memorials include the Norwegian Brigade War Memorial (donated in 1978 by Norwegian veterans trained in Scotland during the Second World War) and the bronze statue, unveiled in 2015, of Wojtek the Bear, a Syrian brown bear adopted by the Polish II Corps during World War II, with a fellow Polish Army soldier walking together.

Wojtek The Soldier Bear Memorial

Princes Street Gardens: Princes Street EH2 2HG, Edinburgh. Tel: 0131 529 7921. E-mail: parks@edinburgh.gov.uk

Commando Memorial (Scotland, U.K.)

Posted on by — Leave a reply

Commando Memorial

Part of Scottish Highland Tour

From Fort Augustus, we all boarded our coach for the 256-km. (3.5-hour) drive back to Edinburgh.  After 30 mins. (34.6 kms.), we made a stopover at the Commando Memorial, one of Scotland’s best-known monuments, both as a war memorial and as a tourist attraction offering views of Ben Nevis and Aonach Mòr.

Check out “Fort Augustus”

This Category A listed monument in Lochaber, Scotland, dedicated to the men of the original British Commando Forces raised during World War II, overlooks the training areas of the former Achnacarry Commando Training Depot established in 1942 at Achnacarry Castle.

The original plaque on the stone plinth

Chosen because it is on the route from Spean Bridge railway station, arriving prospective Commandos would disembark, after a 14-hour journey, load their kit bags onto waiting trucks and then speed-march the 11 kms. (7 mi.) to the training centre in full kit with weapon, weighing a total of 16 kgs. (36 lbs.). Anyone not completing it within 60 minutes was immediately RTU’d (returned to unit).

A plaque, added on November 18, 1993, to mark the Freedom of Lochaber being given to the Commando Association.

The memorial was used as site for memorial services, including the 60th anniversary of D-Day, and Remembrance Day ceremonies.

Here’s the historical timeline of the memorial:

  • In 1949, the sculptor Scott Sutherland won a competition, open to all Scottish sculptors, for the commission of The Commando Memorial. Sutherland’s design won the first prize of £200. It was cast by H. Martyn & Co. of Cheltelham.
  • On September 27, 1952, the monument was officially unveiled by the Queen Mother.
  • On October 5, 1971, the monument was first designated as a listed
  • On August 15, 1996, it was upgraded to a Category A listing.
  • On March 27, 2010 a 3-km. (2 mi.) long war memorial path was opened connecting two local war memorials, the Commando Memorial, and the former High Bridge built by General Wade, where the first shots were fired in the Jacobite Rising of 1745 in the Highbridge Skirmish.
  • On November 18, 1993 a further plaque was added, setting out the story of the Commandos for future generations, to mark the Freedom of Lochaber being given to the Commando Association.

Award-winning Scottish sculptor Scott Sutherland,  born on May 15, 1910 in Wick, Highland, was schooled at Gray’s School of Art, the Edinburgh College of Art and the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. After touring Europe and winning two out of the five open commissions offered for the Empire Exhibition, he served in the Army during World War II, working alongside commandos. In 1947, after the war, he took the post of Head of Sculpture at Duncan of Jordanstone’ College. In 1950, Sutherland was elected ARSA (Associate of the Royal Scottish Academy) and, in 1961, as Fellow of the Royal British Society of Sculptors (FRBS ). In 1975, he retired, and died nine years later, on October 10, 1984, in a hospital in Dundee. Sutherland also later created the Black Watch Memorial at Powrie Brae in Dundee, and the memorial to Air Chief Marshall Hugh Dowding, who was Air Officer Commanding, RAF Fighter Command, during the Battle of Britain, at his birthplace of Moffat.

Scott Sutherland commemorative plaque

The 5.2 m. (17 ft.) tall monument, variously described as a huge, striking and iconic statue, consists of a cast bronze sculpture of three Commandos, in characteristic dress (complete with cap comforter, webbing and rifle), standing atop a stone plinth looking south towards Ben Nevis. The soldier at the front is thought to depict Commando Jack Lewington who frequently attended Remembrance Services at the monument during his lifetime. One of the other two soldiers is Frank Nicholls (rank unknown). The other soldier is Regimental Sergeant Major Sidney Hewlett who originally served with the Welsh Guards. He was handpicked to be one of the founding NCOs of the commandos, and was also held in high regard and noted several times by Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower. The base of the bronze statue is inscribed with the date of 1951.

Inscribed around the top of the stone plinth is “United we conquer” while the original plaque on the stone plinth reads: “In memory of the officers and men of the commandos who died in the Second World War 1939–1945. This country was their training ground.”

A Garden of Remembrance, which was subsequently added to the site, is used by many surviving World War II Commandos as the designated final resting place for their ashes. It has also been used as a place where many families have scattered ashes and erected tributes to loved ones who belonged to contemporary Commando units and who have died in more recent conflicts such as the Falklands War or in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Garden for Tributes

Commando Memorial: Spean Bridge, Lochaber, Scottish Highlands, PH34 4EG, United Kingdom.  Coordinates: 56°53′52.42″N 4°56′38.51″W.

How to Get There: the memorial is located approximately 1.5 kms. (1 mi.) northwest of Spean Bridge, at the junction of the A82 road and the B8004 road.

Loch Ness Cruise (Scotland, U.K.)

Posted on by — Leave a reply

Loch Ness Cruise

Part of Scottish Highlands Tour

The highlight of our Scottish Highlands Tours was our cruise of Loch Ness courtesy of Cruise Loch Ness which has been operating from Fort Augustus since May 1968 as an e-RNLI lifeboat carrying 12 passengers.

Check out “Fort Augustus”

Grace and Jandy waiting to board the Spirit of Loch Ness

One of the leading tour providers in the Scottish Highlands, it offers a range of boat tours on the loch, including scenic cruises and exhilarating high-speed RIB cruises (which can carry 12 passengers). The scenic cruises run daily, all year round, and they are a great way to see the sights of the loch.

The 210-pax Spirit of Loch Ness

The smaller, 108-pax  Legend of Loch Ness

The 56 sq. km. (22 sq. mi.), Loch Ness, an elongated freshwater loch in the Scottish Highlands, is the second-largest Scottish loch by surface area (after Loch Lomond), but due to its great depth it is the largest by volume in Great Britain. Its deepest point is 230 m. (126 fathoms; 755 ft.), making it the second deepest loch in Scotland after Loch Morar.

Now boarding …..

It contains more water than all the lakes in England and Wales combined, and is the largest body of water in the Great Glen, which runs from Inverness in the north to Fort William in the south. With a capacity of 23,000 cu. ft., it is almost three times that of Loch Lomond and more that three times that of Loch Morar.  Its surface is 16 m. (52 ft.) above sea level. There are nine villages around the loch, as well as Urquhart Castle.

The author (left) with Grace and Jandy

L-R: Manny, Paula, Selena and Sean

We boarded the Spirit of Loch Ness, one of two custom built vessels (the other is the smaller Legend of Loch Ness which can carry 108 passengers). It had a top speed of 20 knots,  can carry 210 passengers and had a fully-stocked bar.  It was still raining and quite foggy along the loch when we left the dock.

Loch Ness View Point

The River Oich carries water from Loch Oich (to the SW) to Loch Ness (to the NE) and runs in parallel to a section of the Caledonian Canal for the whole of its 9 km. (5.6 mi.) length.

Loch Ness is best known for claimed sightings of the legendary  cryptozoological Loch Ness Monster, a cryptid, reputedly a large unknown animal, also known affectionately as “Nessie,”  and both ships have state-of-the-art sonar equipment (with 14 sonar monitors) on board, which beams live images from beneath the water.

Eilean Muireach (Cherry Island)

We departed Fort Augustus by 3 PM. Our daytime cruise was to take around 50 minutes.  We cruised past the over 150 year old, 3-storey Inchnacardoch (meaning “field” or “meadow”) House which was formerly a hunting lodge built in 1878 by Lord Lovat and, later, used as a base for the Royal Air Force during World War II.  Today, it is now the 3-star Inch Country House Hotel, with 17 rooms and a restaurant.

Inchnacardoch House

In front of the Inch Hotel is Cherry Island, the loch’s only island. Also called Eilean Muireach, meaning Murdoch’s Island, it is located 140 m. from the shore of the southern end of the loch.  The island, an example of a crannog (a man-made island composed of loose rubble stones, was originally 49 m. by 51 m. but is now smaller since the level of the loch was raised when it became part of the Caledonian Canal.

Fort Augustus Abbey (left) with the Boathouse (a restaurant) on the right

We also had a loch-side view of the impressive Fort Augustus Abbey, a former Benedictine monastery begun in 1876 and completed in 1880.  It has been transformed, in 2012, into The Highland Club, a luxury hotel consisting of 97 apartments and 12 cottages.

Steamship Landing Stage

We also passed the Old Pier, built for paddle steamer ferries, which was built in 1896 and closed in 1924.  Behind is the Old Pier House.  Formerly a small cottage built in 1903 to accommodate the railway station master, it was renovated into a home of the MacKensie family in 1977. It now provides guests with accommodation both in the house and in three log cabins.

Old Pier House

Loch Ness is a clear example of a U-shaped valley (like a bathtub), a characteristic feature of the higher ground in the Scottish Highlands.  This valley was eroded, along its length, by glaciers into a series of rock basins now occupied by the loch.  Its shores are so steep that aquatic vegetation is virtually non-existent.

The steep granite cliffs

When the fog cleared, we saw some of the almost vertical granite cliffs along the sides of the loch, with slight grooves and scratches made by rock fragments as they were dragged along the ice. The absence of islands in the loch shows the power of ice scouring.  It is also too rocky for agricultural improvement.

The diverse flora in the coastal forest includes Caledonian Scots pine, sessile oak, hazel, downy birch, rowan, eared willow and quaking aspen.

Cruise Loch Ness: Caledonian Canal, Fort Augustus, PH32 4BD, United Kingdom. Tel: +44 (0)1320 366277. E-mail: info@cruiselochness.com  Website: www.cruiselochness.com. Rates: £20 (adult), £13 (child), £18 (concession) and £60 (family).

Old Pier House: Fort Augustus PH32 4BX, United Kingdom.  Tel: +44 7593 580373.  E-mail:  bookings@oldpierhouse.com.  Website: www.oldpierhouse.com. 

Inch Country House Hotel: Fort Augustus, Inverness-shire, Scotland PH32 4BL, United Kingdom.  Tel: 44 145-450900.  Fax: 44 1320-366248.  E-mail: happy@inchhotel.com. Website: www.inchhotel.com.

The Highland Club: St.Benedict’s Abbey, The Highland Club, Fort Augustus PH32 4BJ, United Kingdom.  Tel: +44 20 3478 3897. E-mail: reservations@thehighlandclub.co.uk. Website: www.thehighlandclub.co.uk. 

The Hairy Coo:  Suites 6 & 7, Administrative Office Only, St. John’s Studios, 46A Constitution St., Leith, Edinburgh EH6 6RS, United Kingdom.  Tel: +44 131 212 5026.  E-mail: contact@thehairycoo.com. Website: www.thehairycoo.com.

How to Get There: Fort Augustus is located 161 kms. (100  mi.) from Edinburgh and 692 kms. (430 mi.) from London. The village is served by the A82 road and lies approximately midway between Inverness (56 kms.) and Fort William (51 kms.) in the Scottish Highlands.  Coordinates: 57.1432°N 4.6807°W.

Edinburgh International Airport (Scotland, U.K.)

Posted on by — Leave a reply

The terminal Edinburgh International Airport

After a long layover of 18 hours and 45 minutes at Istanbul Airport (IST) in Turkey, where we joined Touristanbul’s Bosphorus River cruise (from 6:30PM-11PM), we finally departed the airport  at 7:15 AM, Monday, June 17, and arrived at Edinburgh International Airport (EDI) in Edinburgh, Scotland at 9:40AM, that same day, on board Turkish Airlines Flight Number TK1343.  The flight took us 4 hours and 25 minutes.

Check out “Bosphorus Strait Cruise” 

The author, Paula and Grace at Edinburgh International Airport

Edinburgh International Airport (IATA: EDI, ICAO: EGPH), the busiest airport in Scotland in 2019, is also the sixth-busiest airport in the United Kingdom by total passengers in 2019 (despite only having one terminal and two runways), handling over 14.7 million passengers.  However, it is a relatively small airport compared to Heathrow International Airport in London.  Owned and operated by Global Infrastructure Partners, (also a minority shareholder of Gatwick Airport), it has one runway and one passenger terminal and employs about 2,500 people.

Check out “Heathrow International Airport”

Here’s the historical timeline of the airport:

  • In 1916, the small Turnhouse Aerodrome was opened
  • In World War I, it was the northernmost British air defense base used by the Royal Flying Corps.
  • From 1925, it was used to house the 603 (City of Edinburgh) Squadron which consisted of DH 9As, Westland Wapitis, Hawker Harts, and Hawker Hind light bombers. All the aircraft used a grass airstrip.
  • In 1918, the Royal Air Force was formed and the airfield was named RAF Turnhouse and ownership was transferred to the Air Ministry.
  • When the Second World War broke out, RAF Fighter Command took control over the airfield and a runway of 3,900 ft (1,189 m) was paved to handle the Supermarine Spitfire.
  • During the Battle of Britain, 3, 65, and 141 Squadrons were present at the airbase.
  • When the war ended, the airfield remained under military control.
  • On May 19, 1947, it was officially opened for commercial traffic. The first commercial flight to use the airport was a British European Airways service (an 18-seater Douglas C47) from London (Northolt) to Shetland, with Edinburgh and Aberdeen being intermediate stopping points.
  • In 1952, the runway was extended to 6,000 ft. to handle the Vampire FB5soperated by the resident 603 Squadron, and an aircraft arresting barrier net was installed to protect traffic on the adjacent A9 road. The net remained in place until the early 1970s and was used to stop one of the Ferranti Flying Unit Buccaneers which had overrun the runway.
  • In 1956, a new passenger terminal was built to provide an improved commercial service.
  • In March 1957, the 603 Squadron was disbanded
  • In 1960, the Air Ministry transferred ownership to the Ministry of Aviation to offer improved commercial service to the airport. Flying was temporarily diverted to East Fortune, which had its runway extended to accommodate the airliners of the period.
  • In 1961, the passenger terminal was extended.
  • In 1962, international service from Edinburgh began with direct service to Dublin but, for many years, international flights were charter and private only.
  • In 1970, a Meteor TT20, operated by the RN Fleet Requirement Unit, overran the runway and ended up in the net.
  • On April 1, 1971, the British Airports Authority (BAA) took over ownership of the airport at a time when the original terminal building was running at about eight times its design capacity. Immediate improvements to the terminal were cosmetic, such as extra seating and TV monitors for flight information, and it took two years for plans to be proposed for a completely new terminal and runway redesign.
  • In November 1971, public consultation on planning was started
  • In February 1972, the consultation was ended.
  • In June 1973, the initial stages of the redevelopment began. They included a diversion of the River Almond.
  • In 1975, direct services to Amsterdam, in continental Europe, was started.
  • In March 1975, work on the new terminal building, designed by Sir Robert Matthew, was started.
  • In 1977, the new 2,556 m. (8,386 ft.) long 07/25 runway (which has since become 06/24), completely outside the original airfield boundary, was completed, and was able to take all modern airliners including the Concorde. Although the original main runway 13/31 (which is now 12/30) served the airport well, its alignment (NW-SE) had the disadvantage of suffering from severe crosswinds, and the other two minor runways were very short and could not be readily extended.
  • On May 27, 1977, the new terminal building, alongside the new runway, was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II to cater for the additional traffic. The old terminal and hangars were converted into a cargo centre.
  • On May 29, 1977, the building was opened to the public. Since the original terminal upgrade, there have been major reconstructions, including extensions of the two passenger terminal aprons and a major expansion of car parking facilities.
  • By the mid-1980s, direct routes included Paris, Düsseldorf, Brussels, Frankfurt and Copenhagen, but direct transatlantic flights were not yet possible as Glasgow-Prestwick was the only “designated gateway” in Scotland under the US-UK Bermuda II Agreement.
  • In 1987, by the time BAA had been privatized, Edinburgh Airport handled over 1.8 million passengers each year; compared to the 681,000 passengers handled in 1971 when BAA first took control of the airport.
  • In 1997, the RAF Turnhouse, operational near the passenger terminal of the airport for all of the post-war period, was finally closed.
  • In 2005, a new 57-m. (187 ft.) tall air traffic control tower was completed for £10 million.
  • In September 2006, an extension to the terminal, called the South East Pier, was opened. This extension initially added six gates on a new pier to the southeast of the original building.
  • At the end of 2008, a further four gates were added to the South East Pier.
  • On October 19, 2011, BAA Limited announced its intention to sell the airport, following a decision by the UK’s Competition Commissionrequiring BAA to sell either Glasgow Airport or Edinburgh Airport.
  • On April 23, 2012, BAA announced that it had sold Edinburgh Airport to Global Infrastructure Partners(GIP) for a price of £807.2 million (equivalent to £1204 million in 2023).
  • In 2013, a further extension to the passenger terminal was announced, taking the terminal building up to the Edinburgh Airport tram stop.
  • In May 2014, the Edinburgh Trams, running between Edinburgh Airport and York Place, was opened, creating the first rail connection to Edinburgh Airport.
  • In February 2016, consultancy firm Biggar Economics announced that Edinburgh Airport contributes almost £1 billion annually to the Scottish economy.
  • On February 23, 2016, Ryanair announced a growth of 20% in passenger numbers, bringing the airline’s annual passenger capacity at Edinburgh Airport to 2.5 million. This was coupled with the news of six new services to Ryanair’s winter schedule from Edinburgh and more services on its popular European destinations.
  • On March 29, 2018, as part of the expansion works, Runway 12/30 was officially withdrawn from use.
  • In 2004, a multi-storey car park was opened.
  • In 2014, whilst the number of passengers has increased, the number of flights decreased due to planes operating at a higher capacity.
  • In 2015, passenger traffic at Edinburgh Airport reached a record level with over 11.1 million passengers and over 109,000 aircraft movements.
  • On April 17, 2024, Vinci announced that it had reached an agreement with GIP to acquire a 50.01% shareholding of the airport for £1.27 billion, with GIP retaining 49.99%. The transaction is expected to close mid-2024.

The “EDINBURGH” sign greeting visitors to the Scottish capital

The airport has flights to 157 destinations worldwide and 38 airlines (American Airlines, British Airways, Delta Airlines, Lufthansa, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines, etc.) operate in and out of the airport.  It can be particularly busy during summer, the holidays and during popular events such as the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Direct flights are available between several U.S. cities and flights are also available to the Middle East. The airport has won a number of awards including Best European Airport.

The terminal building is currently being expanded with an investment of £40 million. A new £25 million expansion project, involving the construction of a new 6,000 sq. m. building, housing a security hall and retail areas, is also currently underway at the airport. In 2005, after a 15-month construction, its new 57 m. (187 ft.) high, £10 million control tower, with its façade of 9,216 hand-installed zinc tiles and crisscross, double helix pattern (which functions as a system of drainage channels), was inaugurated.

The new control tower inaugurated in 2005

Upon claiming our luggage, we proceeded outside the terminal building to Stop A where we boarded an Airlink bus (Edinburgh’s dedicated express service between the airport and the city center), which arrives every 10 mins., to take us into the city.  Fare was £5.50 for a one-way single adult ticket and the trip took us about 30 mins.  Upon reaching the city, we walked for about 10 minutes, from Princes Street, to Frederick House Hotel (42 Frederick St., Edinburgh EH2 1EX, United Kingdom) where we had our luggage stored prior to check in.

Check out “Hotel and Inn Review: Frederick House Hotel”

The Airlink 100 bus that took us, from the airport, to the city center

Edinburgh Airport: Ingliston area, Edinburgh EH12 9DN, Scotland. Tel: 44 131 357 6337 and +44 131 322 5283. Website: www.edinburghairport.com. Coordinates: 55°57′00″N 003°22′21″W / 55.95000°N 3.37250°W.

How to Get There: Edinburgh Airport is located 5 NM (9.3 kms.; 5.8 mi.) west of the city center, just off the M8 and M9 motorways. It is widely served by buses of Airlink 100, Skylink 200 and 400, and Airport Express Services.  Trams also operate from the airport to Edinburgh city center, departing every 7 mins., between 7 AM and 7 PM, and every 10 mins. early in the morning and later in the evening.  The first tram of the day departs the airport at 6:26 AM and the last train departs at 10:48 PM.

Bosphorus Strait Cruise (Istanbul, Turkey)

Posted on by — Leave a reply

Istanbul and the Bosphorus Strait

After a 12 hour, 35 min. long flight from NAIA international Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3, our Turkish Airline (Flight Number TK265) arrived at Istanbul International Airport by 12:30 PM, Sunday, June 16.

Check out “Istanbul International Airport”

The Touristanbul counter at the Istanbul International Airport

Before visiting Turkey, we obtained an e-visa ($30 per pax) at the www.evisa.gov.tr/ website (check your country’s requirements to see if it is necessary to obtain a visa to enter Turkey). If you are eligible for an e-visa, you may obtain it from the Turkish Airlines Sales / Ticket Desks before or on the day of your departure.

Boarding our Touristanbul bus at the airport

Our connecting international flight to Edinburgh Airport, Scotland was still 18 hours and 45 minutes later so we took advantage of our complimentary Touristanbul service to discover Istanbul, the city that never sleeps, during our layover time. According to the time frame best suited to your flight arrival and departure schedule, we selected the 6:30 PM-11 PM tour, one of the eight carefully arranged and planned tours offered by Touristanbul for those with a layover between six and 24 hours.

BUDO Eminonu Pier

With such an abundance of historical sightseeing spots in Istanbul and too little time to squeeze them all into your short holiday, an unforgettable cruise, between two continents (Asia and Europe) along the 32-km. long Bosphorus Strait (not a river) is probably the most overlooked Istanbul tourist attraction. After our Turkish Airlines connecting international flight landed at İstanbul Airport, we proceeded all the way through into international arrivals (past baggage claim), turned right and walk to the end of the hall to TourIstanbul, opposite of the arrival hall of the Turkish Airlines and opposite the passport control at the Transfer Desk.

Boarding the Naral Istanbul

Upon arrival, we all signed up for the free Touristanbul tour at the Hotel Desk in the International Arrivals Terminal of İstanbul Airport (you can also sign up at the Touristanbul Desk Office in the Transfer desk area), using our ticket number issued by Turkish Airlines ticket number starting 235, and got a ticket for the queue.  Istanbul Airport only provides one-hour free wi-fi to fliers that are in the Departure Area.

Paula, Selena, Jandy and Grace on board the Naral Istanbul

The author (right) with Jandy and Grace (photo: Selena Sta. Maria)

Touristanbul is available for Turkish Airlines’ flights, including code share flights. There is no hotel offered. If a guest is unable to make their flight, in cases that are their responsibility, they will ensure that the passenger reaches their destination smoothly via the next flight.

Galata Bridge, the fifth on the same site, was built in 1994. The bridge was named after Galata (the former name for Karaköy) on the northern shore of the Golden Horn. This bascule bridge is 490 m. (1,610 ft.) long with a main span of 80 m. (260 ft.). The deck of the bridge is 42 m. (138 ft.) wide and has two vehicular lanes and one walkway in each direction. Tram tracks running down the middle of it allow the T1 tram to run from Bağcılar, in the western suburbs to Kabataş, a few blocks away from Dolmabahçe Palace.

After signing up and booking our tour, we were picked up by a friendly and well-informed guide named Eray and boarded an airconditioned tourist bus with about 40 other guests. Before joining the tour, we stored our heavy luggage at the luggage office next to the hotel desk ($18 per piece) and just brought our hand-carried bags with us which were stored in the boot of the bus.  The 42.2-km. bus ride, from the airport to the boat landing near the Golden Horn Metro Bridge, took us around 45 mins.

Bosphorus Bridge, the oldest and southernmost of the three suspension bridges spanning the Bosphorus strait, is a gravity-anchored suspension bridge with steel towers and inclined hangers. The aerodynamic deck hangs on steel cables. The bridge is 1,560 m. (5,118 ft.) long, with a deck width of 33.40 m. (110 ft.). The distance between the towers (main span) is 1,074 m. (3,524 ft.) and the total height of the towers is 165 m. (541 ft.). The clearance of the bridge, from sea level, is 64 m. (210 ft.).

The tour covers a lot of territory.  During this unforgettable, two-hour tour experience on board the 24 m. long and 7 m. wide pleasure craft Naral Istanbul, cruising at an average speed of 7.2 knots, having a fabulous view of the legendary Bosphorus Strait and saw some of Istanbul’s most notable and iconic historical sites, structures and monuments. Its rolling hills are covered with a mix of ancient and modern architecture, all of them overlooking the water.

The Maiden’s Tower between Europe and Asia

The Maiden’s Tower (Kiz Kulesi), built in 1725 0n a small islet at the southern entrance of the Bosphorus Strait, between the European and Asian sides, is one of the landmarks and most storied structures of Istanbul.

Maiden’s Tower, a small islet at the southern entrance of the Bosphorus strait, 200 m. (220 yds.) from the coast of Üsküdar, has a café and restaurant with views of the former Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman capital at Sarayburnu. Private boats ply back and forth between the tower and the shore throughout the day. The tower appeared on the reverse of the Turkish 10 lira banknote from 1966 to 1981.

Formerly an observation terrace, a tax collection area for merchants, a hospital and a lighthouse, it now houses a café and restaurant. Recently, it was featured in the 1999 James Bond film The World is Not Enough. From 1966 t0 1981, the tower also appeared on the reverse side of the Turkish 10 lira banknote.

Hatice Sultan Mansion, a historical yalı (waterside mansion) located at Bosporus, in the Ortaköy neighborhood, was named after its original owner Hatice Sultan. It is used today as a water sports club’s building.

Naime Sultan Yalisi was given to Sultan Abdul Hamid II’s favorite daughter Naime upon her marriage to Mehmed Kemaleddin Bey in 1898.

The Bosphorus Strait is home to many beautiful and historical mansions (yalilar).  Many designed by members of the Balyan family (Armenian architects for the Ottoman court for five generations), they are considered an important cultural heritage of Istanbul.   Of the original 600 mansions, about 360 are still standing, with 150 preserved in their original form, each reflecting a particular era and architectural style.

Dolmabahce Palace was home to six Sultans from 1856, when it was first inhabited, up until the abolition of the Caliphate in 1924: The last royal to live here was Caliph Abdülmecid Efendi. A law that went into effect on March 3, 1924, transferred the ownership of the palace to the national heritage of the new Turkish Republic.

Gracing the edges of the Bosphorus Strait, on the European side, is the beautiful and elegant Dolmabahce Palace, the main administrative center of the Ottoman Empire (from 1856 to 1887 and from 1909 to 1922), was built from 1843 and 1856 and was home to the Sultan up to the end of the Ottoman Empire.

Beylerbeyi Palace, an imperial Ottoman summer residence built between 1861 and 1865, is now situated immediately north of the first Bosphorus Bridge. It was the last place where Sultan Abdulhamid II was under house arrest before his death in 1918.

The Beylerbeyi Palace, at the Asian side, is an imperial Ottoman summer residence built between 1861 and 1865.  Designed in the Second Empire style by Sarkis Balyan, it is now a museum.

Ciragan Palace, built by Sultan Abdulaziz to replace the old Çırağan Palace which was at the same location, was designed by the Armenian palace architect Nigoğayos Balyan and constructed by his sons Sarkis and Hagop Balyan between 1863 and 1867. It is now a five-star hotel in the Kempinski Hotels chain.

Four Seasons Istanbul Hotel, formerly the Atik Pasha Palace, is a renovated 19th century Ottoman palace that sits on the European bank of the Bosphorus Strait. Now a hotel with 170 guestrooms and suites, it has magnificent views of the hills of Asia.

Former 19th century Ottoman palaces, on the European side of the Bosphorus, that have been renovated and converted into hotels include the five-star, 317-room Ciragan Palace Kempink and the Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul. On the other hand, the Shangri-la Bosporus is a restored 1930s tobacco warehouse with a Neo-Classical façade.

Shangri-la Istanbul Hotel, located between Dolmabahce Palace and Naval Museum on the European coast of the Bosphorus, emulates a modern art museum, showcasing more than 1,000 European and Asian pieces.

The city continues its long history as the center of architecture as diverse and rich as its past, with new buildings also being built upon the ancient landscape. The 400,000 sq. m. Galataport Istanbul, a world-class, innovative underground cruise ship port stretching 1.2 kms. along the coastline, is a mixed-use development housing around 250 shops and restaurants, a Peninsula hotel and other cultural and entertainment facilities.

Galataport has space for three large cruise ships to dock side by side behind specially designed screens that rise to ensure that no one can leave the ships without passing through the Customs and Immigration facilities but that are retracted when no ships are in port. Customs and Immigration facilities are located underground, with most of the overground space taken up by shops, restaurants and offices.

Istanbul Museum of Modern Art, inaugurated on December 11, 2004, it is Turkey’s first modern and contemporary art gallery. Focusing on Turkish artists, it is a private venture under the umbrella of the nonprofit Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts.

It also incorporates the Istanbul Modern Art Museum (designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano along the waterfront zone of Karaköy, it was opened last May 2023), the İstanbul State Art and Sculpture Museum of the Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University and the restored Paket Postanesi (Parcel Post Office), now a symbol of Galataport.

Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University, established on January 1, 1882 under the leadership of Osman Hamdi Bey, as the College of Fine Arts, the Ottoman Empire’s first educational institution for fine arts and architecture.

Parcel Post Office (Paket Postanesi), built from 1905 to 1911, was designed by engineer S. Saboureaux. It is one of the oldest structures of the port area and one of the finest in the city with its characteristic slate dome and roof, unique spaces and facades. The restored Post Office, now featuring 73 boutique stores facing the interior and exterior courtyards, has a 180-m. long coastline overlooking the historical peninsula.

Atop Little Camlica Hill in Uskudar is the futuristic, 369 m. high (221 m. of which is a 49-storey reinforced concrete structure with 18 m. below ground) Camlica TV and Radio Tower, the highest structure in Istanbul.

The Camlica Radio and TV Tower has panoramic elevators rising from the ground floor to the top floor. Located on both sides of the main building, these elevators symbolize the Bosphorus, which both separates and integrates the Asian and European continents.

Completed in 2020, this telecommunications tower has observation decks and restaurants.  Designed by Melike Altinisik Architects (MMA) firm, the building was inspired by the tulip flower, a symbol of the Turks during the Ottoman period

The 936 m. long, €146.7 million Golden Horn Metro Bridge, a cable-stayed bridge carrying the M2 line of the Istanbul Metro, is the fourth bridge across the Golden Horn. Entering service on February 15, 2014, its eventual design pays homage to the city’s maritime heritage with support towers shaped to look like horns and hull-shaped supports for the platforms..

The cruise also passed by some of the iconic bridges spanning the Bosphorus River.  The 490 meter long and 80 meter wide Galata Bridge, the fifth on the site, is a bascule bridge completed in December 1994. At the underside of the bridge are a string of restaurants.  The 1,560 meter long and 33.4 meter wide Bosphorus Bridge (officially known as the 15 July Martyrs Bridge), the oldest and southernmost of the three suspension bridges spanning the strait, was completed in 1973.  Underneath it is the Ortakoy Mosque.

The Golden Horn Metro Bridge, a cable-stayed bridge carrying the M2 line of the Istanbul Metro across the Golden Horn, connects Karaköy and Küçükpazarı on the European side of Istanbul. The bridge enables a direct connection between Hacıosman metro station in the Sarıyer district (at the northern end of the M2 line), and the Yenikapı transport hub in the Fatih district (at the southern end of the M2 line.).

Ortakoy Mosque with the Bosphorus Bridge behind it. The mosque was designed in a mixed or eclectic style incorporating contemporary European Revivalist trends such as Neoclassical, along with some details and overall design elements drawn from the earlier Ottoman Baroque style.

Completed around 1854 or 1856, it was designed by the father-and–son team of Garabet and Nikogos Bayan (who also designed the aforementioned nearby Dolmabahce Palace).  It is distinguished from other mosques of the period by its particularly ornate stone-carved decoration.

Besktas Anatolian High School, located on the European side of Istanbul, is one of the best schools in Turkey. Built for Abdulaziz in 1871, the building was an addition to the Çırağan Palace and later used as a harem room.

Another of the best known sights of Istanbul is the Suleymaniye Mosque, a masterpiece of Ottoman architecture and the largest Ottoman-era mosque in the city.  From its location on the Third Hill, it commands an extensive view of the city around the Golden Horn.

The iconic Blue Mosque and its six minarets. Included in the UNESCO World Heritage Site list in 1985 under the name of “Historic Areas of Istanbul,” it was constructed between 1609 and 1617 during the rule of Ahmed I and remains a functioning mosque today.

The iconic Blue Mosque, another popular monument of Ottoman architecture built between 1609 and 1617, is the second mosque in the world, after Mecca, with six minarets.

Suleymaniye Mosque, commissioned by Suleiman the Magnificent (r. 1520–1566), was designed by the imperial architect Mimar Sinan. One of the best-known sights of Istanbul, from its location on the Third Hill, it commands an extensive view of the city around the Golden Horn. Considered a masterpiece of Ottoman architecture, it is one of Mimar Sinan’s greatest works and is the largest Ottoman-era mosque in the city.

Many schools, colleges and universities are also located along the banks of the Bosphorus Strait. They include the Kabatas Boys’ High School (one of the oldest and most prominent high schools in Turkey), Galatasaray University (widely regarded as one of the most prestigious and notable universities in Turkey), Besiktas Anatolian High School (one of the best schools in Turkey), and Kuleli Military High School (the oldest military high school in Turkey).

Kabatas Boys’ High School. one of the oldest and most prominent high schools in Turkey, was established in 1908 by the Ottoman sultan Abdulhamid II.

T.C. Galatasaray University, built in 1871, during the reign of Sultan Abdülaziz, was designed by Ottoman Armenian architect Sarkis Balyan. The building was used as a dormitory for the female students of the Galatasaray High School until 1992, when it was inaugurated as the Galatasaray University.

Normally, guests also experience a taste of the city by sampling a traditional and authentic Turkish and Ottoman cuisine at an elegant restaurant (depending on the time you choose, you can have breakfast, lunch or dinner but, in our case, we had dinner) but this wasn’t available so, instead, we had our dinner of a Turkish crepe (washed down with soda) on board our coach. After finishing our dinner, we were driven back to Istanbul International Airport.

Kuleli Military High School, the oldest military high school in Turkey, is located in Çengelköy, on the Asian shore of the Bosphorus strait. It was founded on September 21, 1845, by Ottoman Sultan Abdülmecid I.

Touristanbul: E-mail: touristanbul@thy.com. Website: www.touristanbul.com

Nasugbu Landing Monument (Batangas)

Posted on by — Leave a reply

Nasugbu Landing Monument

This monument, along the 4-km. long beachfront, across the street from the Nasugbu Tourism/Information Office, includes a memorial and plaques commemorating the Nasugbu amphibious landings, in January 1945, 5 AM, of 8,000 men of the 11th Airborne Division, that were part of Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s Luzon campaign to capture Manila, aided by guerilla units (ROTC Hunters, Blue Eagle, Fil-American, LICOPA and CAGALAC guerillas).

It commemorates the heroic joint operations of Filipino-American forces involved in the Allied Landing in this area which paved the way for the liberation of South Manila and South Luzon, in general, and Nasugbu in particular, on the January 31, 1945.

The author (left) and his son Jandy

The monument consists of the statues of Lt.-Gen. Robert L. Eichelberger (Eighth United States Army Commander), Maj.-Gen. Joseph M. Swing (11th Airborne Division Commander) and Rear-Admiral William M. Fechteler (Group VIII Phib Commander), walking onshore out of an amphibious landing craft, resembling a LCM-3 (Landing Craft Mechanized MK3, they were about 50 ft. long), with an explanatory plaque in the front.

A second marker, a National Historical Institute (NHI) marker installed in 2007, is located on a concrete pedestal at the rear part of the monument inside the well deck of the replica landing boat.

The plaque in front

The English text, on the plaque in front of the monument, reads:

MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT OF NASUGBU

FIRST DISTRICT BATANGAS

VETERANS FEDERATION OF THE PHILIPPINES

PHILIPPINE VETERANS LEGION

(FIRST BATANGAS VETERANS ASSOCIATION)

In

AMERICAN FORCES

U.S. Eight Army Lt. Gen R. EICHELBERGER, CG

11th Airborne Div.  US Army, Lt. Gen. Joseph SWING, CG

Group VIII ‘Phib- Rear Admiral FECHTELER

FILIPINO FORCES

Col Terry Magtauggol Adevoso, Overall Commander

47th (ROTC) Division – Hunters Guerillas

Calixto Gaglino (Hunters- ROTC) Organizer of

Filipino-American Irregular Troops with

Francisco Orlondo, Mariano Madrid, Miguel David

With the Support of Independent Units:

Filipino American Irregular Troops, Col T. Enriquez, CO 2nd Reg.

Filipino-American Irregular Troops, Col Clemente U. Baum, Co, 1st Reg.

This MEMORIA is dedicated by the Municipal Government of Nasugbu,

Batangas, …… On the 47th Anniversary of the ALLIED LANDING

On the 31st of January 1992.

 

The second historical plaque, written in Filipino, is translated as:

In this area the soldiers of the 1st Battalion and the 188th , 11th Airborne Division led by Lt. General Robert Eichelberger, landed on January 31, 1945. The Filipino guerrillas led by Lieutenant-Colonel Marcelo Castillo and Colonel Eleuterio L. Adevoso served as the Filipino leaders alongside of the American army.

The National Historical Institute (NHI) plaque installed in 2007

Nasugbu Landing Monument: 63 Apacible Blvd., Nasugbu, Batangas. Coordinates: 14.07139°N 120.62513594012702°E.

Church of St. Michael the Archangel (Bacoor City, Cavite)

Posted on by — Leave a reply

Church of St. Michael the Archangel

The original church, in one of the oldest parishes in Cavite (established as a separate parish, from Kawit, on January 18, 1752), was made from wood, stone, bamboo and nipa in 1669 and used to face Bacoor Bay.

The church’s Baroque facade

In October 1762, due to its strategic location, the church and convent was destroyed by the British on their way to occupy Cavite Puerto (now Cavite City).  In 1774, it was rebuilt in stone and, from 1788 to 1820, Fr. Domingo Sevilla Pilapil rebuilt the church in stone and mortar, adding the retablo, bell tower and patio.

Plaza Gomes

After the June 3, 1863 Manila earthquake, the church was reoriented inland (to prevent entry of sea water during high tides),  rebuilt, and enlarged with adobe, from 1863 to 1870, by parish priest (from June 2, 1824 to 1872) Fr. Mariano Gomes delos Angeles (of GOMBURZA fame) and Architect Felix Rojas (who later designed the Neo-Gothic Church of Sto. Domingo in Intramuros, Manila).  In 1872, after Fr. Gomes’ execution on February 17, the administration of the church was turned over to the Augustinian Recollect Fr. Juan Gomez.

The church’s three-storey bell tower

The National Historical Commission plaque installed in 2022

On May 31, 1898, during the Philippine Revolution, revolutionaries raised the Philippine flag on the bell tower.  After the revolution, the church was returned to the secular clergy. 

Important Cultural Property Marker

The present structure is what remained of this once longest church in Cavite, which once measured 20 brazas (33.4 m.) long and 5.5 brazas (9.9 m.) wide), after a third of the church was destroyed, on June 13, 1899, during the Philippine-American War.

The church interior

The choir loft area

On December 28, 2020, the church, as well as the nearby Cuenca House, were declared as an Important Cultural Properties by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, National Historical Commission of the Philippines, and the National Museum of the Philippines.

The main altar

AUTHOR’S NOTES:

The church’s Baroque façade has a segmental arch main entrance (topped by a segmental arch statued niche), flanked by coupled flat pilasters, with Doric capitals and urn-like finials, and narrow, semicircular arched windows.  The triangular pediment has a centrally located, semicircular arch niche with a statue of St. Michael the Archangel.

The three-storey bell tower, on the church’s right, has a square base with coupled flat pilasters (also topped by Doric capitals) and a segmental arch open and blind (where the “Simbahan ng Bacoor” plaque is mounted) windows.  The upper two storeys, in receding planes, are octagonal, with blind and open, semicircular arch windows.

Inside is a narrow nave, exposed roof trusses with no ceiling, a main altar and two side altars.  Along the walls are burial niches.

One of the burial niches along the walls

In 2021, a historical marker and a bust of Fr. Mariano Gomes was installed front of the church convent, built in 1843 by Fr. Gomes.

The convent on the church’s left

The Padre Mariano Gomes Marker

Church of St. Michael the Archangel: Gen. E. Evangelista St., Poblacion, 4102 Bacoor City, Cavite.Tel: (046) 436-0456, 434-5679 (office) and 434-6466 (rectory). E-mail: sanmiguelbacoor@gmail.com.  Feast of St. Michael the Archangel: May 12.

How to Get There: Bacoor City is located 24.5 kms. (a one-hour drive) from Manila and 26.5 kms. (a one-hour drive) from Trece Martires City.  The church, right in front of the city’s Hall of Justice and Justice B. Ocampo Park, is located near the City Hall.