Crystal Beauty

I have a confession to make: I am obsessed with giant crystal chandeliers. No, I don't own any. I also don't own a mansion or palace. Which is exactly where these beauties belong. Or in a theater - and that is where I found the specimen below. It hangs in the Baroque Theatre in the royal palace in Gödöllő, Hungary. The theater was recently restored (one of only two existing baroque theaters in the world) during the latest phase of the palace reconstruction.

Isn't this chandelier gorgeous? 

A Charming Castle Hotel in Central Wales: Craig-Y-Nos Castle

Last summer on our tour of United Kingdom and Ireland we stopped at this lovely castle hotel, situated in central Wales, in the Upper Swansea Valley in Powys. Craig-Y-Nos ("Rock of the Night")  was built between 1840 and 1843 in neo-gothic style. 

An Adventure in the Sonoran Desert

Happy New Year!  My absence over the holidays was due to a 10-day trip over Christmas.  Had a chance to fill up on snow and cold, and of course, ski/snowboard. As soon as we got home, it was time to party and ring in the new year. More on that later.
Today I wanted to share some images of the beautiful Sonoran Desert, taken early December. We went on a two-hour drive with Green Zebra Adventures in Fort McDowell, AZ.

Great Architecture: Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West

Lucky me got to take a short trip to Arizona last week. The entire sojourn lasted only four days, and two of those were really mostly travel. When you live in Hawaii, even the closest thing is five plus hours away by air. The flight from Honolulu to Phoenix was a little under 6 hours. 

Antique Blue Toile Wallpaper

In July my friend Dora and I spent four days in the Netherlands, more specifically, in Amsterdam. One of the sights we visited was the Museum Van Loon. A private residence built in 1672, the former town home is now a museum. The name Van Loon comes from the prominent merchant family who called the house home from 1884 and who were the founders of the museum. 

Amsterdam in the Summer

Dear Readers,  

Summer is just a distant memory now, but here in Hawaii the weather is still plenty hot. Kinda like it was in Amsterdam in the middle of July when I was over there. No, I take it back. It is actually warmer here in Hawaii (and it is already November!) than the Netherlands was in July. We had warm but lovely weather in Amsterdam and spent our four days exploring the city mostly on foot. Below are some of the photos taken during my wanderings.

 Check out the clear blue skies above the picturesque buildings

Fall Color for the First Time

As enjoyable as it is to live surrounded by the warm topical breezes of Hawaii, looking at pictures of fall colors always makes me long for the crisp air and colorful foliage of temperate climates this time of year. It grew up with four seasons, and sometimes wish my kids got to experience the wonder of nature changing throughout the year.

The Perfect Little House in Wales

I came across this bridge and the adorable house attached to it during our summer sojourn in Wales. We had to stop and backtrack just so I could jump out of the car (into the drizzle) to take these pictures. The little house is just PERFECT. It looks like something straight from a fairy tale. What do you think?

Great Architecture: The Reichstag, Germany's Parliament

The pictures below were taken last summer, but I am just now finally now getting organized enough to post them. I had the good fortune last July to take a guided tour of this great building. 

The Reichstag building is a wonderful mixture of old and modern, situated in the heart of Berlin. It has survived having been burned down, looted, and then being (mostly) abandoned for decades. This is where the German parliament met from 1893 to 1933. Having been damaged by a fire in 1933 it stood mostly empty for six decades.  After the reunification of Germany in 1990 the building was thoroughly reconstructed under the direction of British architect Norman Foster.  Since 1999 it serves once again as the seat of Germany's parliament.

Looking up to the cupola from the parliamentary chamber.

Gator Planting

It has been a really busy few weeks, and I have not had much time to update the blog.  Looking through some photos I took this summer, I found the two below,  taken at the greenhouses of the Biltmore in North Carolina.  Thought I would share them. It is a fun way to shape a plant.

Great Architecture: The Pannonhalma Benedictine Archabbey

For years I have been looking at it from afar. The town of Pannonhalma in Western Hungary is along the way as I often drive in the summer from Germany to our cottage at Lake Balaton. The abbey sits high atop a hill, clearly visible from the road. When one has just driven (or is about to drive, as in the case of the way back) for eight to ten hours, stopping for a bit of sightseeing is generally out of the question. So this year I took advantage of having flown to Budapest directly, and not having to simply drive by the Pannonhalma Archabbey, I planned a day trip to make it our destination.

The abbey is one of the oldest buildings in Hungary, having been founded in the year 996. Yes, it is over a thousand years old. And it looks mighty well for its age. As expected of a compound structure with such history, the archabbey is a beautiful blend of architectural styles throughout these past thousand years. On the picture above, the building on the left is part of the refectory, built in the 1720s in baroque style.

Great Architecture: The Music City Center in Nashville

On our recent travels in the South, we visited the brand new Music City Center in the downtown Nashville. It is a beautiful building, with special touches of music incorporated throughout. It is an enormous structure, taking up three city blocks. Definitely a great example of 21st century design!

total area: 2.1 million square feet

The Gardens at the Biltmore

Aloha readers! Today's post is of a place we visited toward the end of our summer travels. Instead of going chronologically I am just going to write about these places randomly. The point is not to recreate our trip, it is to share with you some of the lovely spots, great architecture or natural beauty we got to experience.

Today, I am posting some of the pictures I took at the gardens of the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina.

Berlin Flea Market

Dear Readers, I know I have not been posting as often these days. Traveling always makes it more difficult to keep up with the blog. I have been taking lots of pictures however. Here are a few photos  from the Berlin Flea Market. It is a fun place to visit. Ended up not buying anything, as the pair of antique emerald chandelier earrings I liked were just too pricey. 

Visit to Ilcsi Cosmetics

Ilcsi Beautifying Herbs, or as it is known in the United States, Ilike Cosmetics is an organic cosmetics company based in Budapest, Hungary. The company manufactures a wonderful line of skin care products. Last week we visited the laboratory and got a glimpse into what all goes into creating such a successful and outstanding line. 

Temecula Valley - A Southern California Find

During our last trip to San Diego, we wanted to explore a bit. It is always good to find something new. Weighing the options for day-trips from our Del Mar hotel, we decided on Temecula.

Temecula valley is a small wine region a little over an hour north-northeast of Dan Diego. The 30 or so wineries are mostly located along the main road going up the valley, Rancho California Road. We visited four wineries during our time in the valley, plus a restaurant. Our first stop was Thornton Winery (http://www.thorntonwine.com/) Located at the beginning of the drive up the valley, the winery's Cafe Champagne offers not only tastings, but full meals as well in a picturesque setting with a view. They also have jazz concerts occasionally.

Sparkling wine with a view: at Thornton Winery

So You Think I'm Bossy...

Saw this sign at a tasting room in Southern California.  Had so share it because of the quintessential truth in it :-) 

I will post soon about my trip to the Temecula Valley wine region.  Have not heard of the place? You are not alone. We just learnt about it on our last trip to Del Mar, and had to visit, to experience it for ourselves. Details to come soon. Until then, have a great day!

Aloha.

Crete

Time flies, and summer seems like a far-away memory.  To bring it back, here are some of the pictures I took this July on the picturesque island of Crete. Amid the charming old buildings, quaint cafes, and panoramic bays, what struck me was signs of the hardship and poverty the Greek economic meltdown brought to this lovely island. Graffiti abounds, many of the buildings are in disrepair, and there are boarded up storefronts everywhere. Don't get me wrong: Crete is still beautiful and vibrant. We had a great time exploring the market, tasting some wonderful Greek food and wandering the narrow streets. I do hope there will soon be renewed prosperity for this pretty island in the Mediterranean Sea. 

Colorful doors and buildings

Santa Fe

Here are some of the photos from my recent visit to Santa Fe. A picturesque town with many galleries, shops and spas.

Misty day on the Big Island

Last week we hopped over to the Big Island of Hawai'i for a couple of days. One of the places we visited is the Mountain Thunder Coffee Company, in the hills above Kona town. It was a wet and cloudy day, and I enjoyed taking these photos of their picturesque property deep in the rain forest.