Destinations

When we looked across Lake Lucerne, the contrast of the style of buildings suddenly changed dramatically.  Lucerne’s historical Old Town has been preserved for everyone to enjoy.  So beautiful, so charming, UNESCO designated this as a World Heritage site!  After a few steps across the bridge, our first stop was at the Chapel Bridge, built in 1330 as part of the cities’ fortifications.  Paintings depicting Swiss and local history were added in the seventeenth century.  The landmark Water Tower rises 111 feet into the air as part of the city wall.  This is the most photographed monument in Switzerland formally used as a prison, torture chamber, and treasury.

With one unique building next to another, we wandered through the maze of winding lanes and alleyways.  The fresco paintings told the stories of the past.  Imagine we can enter these ancient buildings, they are still in use, and best of all, the buildings are now restaurants, shops, hotels, churches, etc.  Each building stands out; one is more dramatic than the other.  Lovely statues and fountains dot the small picturesque town squares.  Since most of the village’s wooden houses were burnt down during fires, Old Town is predominately composed of stone buildings. 

You can reach Old Town easily with walking paths across several bridges; the two historic Chapel Bridge and Mill Bridge with other bridges build at later times.  I especially enjoyed photographing the buildings from different vantage points.  The busy sidewalk cafes along the river and throughout Old Town, the colorful buildings, and boats give us a glimpse of the way life might have been in the middle ages.  Some of these beautiful buildings include the Franciscan Church with its typical medieval Gothic architecture of the 13th Century, the 16th Century Ritterscher Palace now the Cantonal seat of government, and many others. 

Lucerne is a special city where you can savor the essence of the past, it is an open air museum to explore and discover another world.  Of course Lucerne is filled with attractions, both modern and ancient.  Visitors have a wide variety of choices of international cuisine which rank with our finest Las Vegas restaurants.  Stay a few extra days or a week in order to see as much as you can.  

www.luzern.com    www.myswitzerland.com 

I grew up in a small neighbor few yards away from the main historic center of town. I remember my mother taking me to the Borghese Gardens to play in warm summer afternoons and on Sunday all family would attending the afternoon mass in the Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo, where, between the tombs that lay beneath the pavement, there are some amazing paintings of Caravaggio and Pinturicchio.

After mass, on special and happy occasions, we would go for lunch at a small restaurant located across the street from Piazza del Popolo on a little street called Via Margutta. Via Margutta runs parallel to the now elegant Via del Babuino, the street that connects Piazza del Popolo with Piazza di Spagna and the famous steps of Trinita dei Monti. I always loved Via Margutta, off of the beaten tracks rather than the more famous Via del Corso and Via del Babuino, it has a more typical roman flavor, laid back and relaxed. It has always been the streets of Painters and Artists, a little like Montmartre in Paris. My grandfather – who was always involved with artists and whose office was in Piazza di Spagna -  knew many of them…and knew they all congregated at this particular restaurant on Sunday. The restaurant is still there, it’s called Osteria Margutta, and the atmosphere was still the same when I stopped for lunch few months ago.

The street is now peppered with little art galleries and ceramic stores. Every last week in October the  street is filled with art works for a street fair, called  the Festival of the 100 Painters (Festival dei Cento Pittori). It is a chance to admire original works of art and maybe discover new talents. The Hotel de Russie is just around the corner and so is also houses one of new up and coming restaurants in Rome, the Margutta Vegetariano, a full vegetarian restaurant. You can also stay right in Via Margutta, where two family run bed and breakfasts are located both refurbished and upgraded: The Hotel Forte and the Hotel Manfredi. For more upscale Hotels in the area, try the Mozart, in Via dei Greci, the Locarno near Piazza del Popolo and the very nice Piranesi, in via del Babuino, opposite the Grand Hotel de Russie.

from guest blogger Erica Johansson from Travel Blissful

Named after the largest salt-water lagoon in Europe, InterContinental Mar Menor Golf Resort & Spa is a luxurious retreat in Murcia, on south-east Spain’s Costa Calida, only an hour’s drive from Alicante. Redesigned by UK’s interior design guru Hunt Hamilton Zuch, this 5-star resort opened in summer 2006 and attracts visitors from all over the world. When you have indulged in exciting cuisine at Mar Menor’s three unique dining venues, enjoyed ESPA Spa’s signature hot stone treatment and made yourself at home in one of the guest rooms, you will understand why.

The InterContinental Mar Menor offers 57 deluxe rooms and seven suites, all with their own private balcony overlooking the swimming pool and/or the golf course. Decorated in a Moorish style with latticed wooden doors, rich terracotta floors and earthy tones, rooms give a traditional Spanish feel combined with high tech features such as flat-screen televisions, WiFi and separately controlled air-conditioning. Bathrooms feature walk-in showers and large hydro massage baths. What more can you ask for?

Well, if you are a foodie like me I can ensure Mar Menor’s dining options will suit your taste. The cooks pride themselves on using only local organically-grown vegetables and fresh fish from the Mediterranean. Nothing less than the freshest produce is good for the restaurants’ guests. As a vegetarian I prefer the light meals and vegetable grills at Al Fresco next to the pool, or awing over Aqva’s selection of nearly 100 brands of mineral waters including rainwater from the Austrian mountains.

While Aqva serves contemporary Spanish dishes, Nomad offers world cuisine strongly inspired by North Africa and southern Spain. Dishes include Braised Lamb Shank with Steamed Couscous and Sweet Moroccan Spices, and Grilled Baby Squid with Roast Vegetable Escalibada and Chive Oil. For Galician Beef or Iberico Pork Filet, book a table at Aqva – awarded the Four-Fork title, Spain’s highest restaurant rating. When your taste buds are satisfied, relax in the outdoor pool, play a round of golf, or visit nearby Cartagena and watch the sunset over the Mediterranean Sea.