"Exploring Arequipa" Khillski's photos about Arequipa, Peru

A TripAdvisor™ TripWow slideshow of a travel blog to Arequipa, Peru by TravelPod blogger Khillski titled "Exploring Arequipa" Khillski's travel blog entry: "Founded on August 15th 1540 by Manuel Garcia de Carbajal, Arequipa is located at 2.325 meters (8792 feet) above sea level. The Main Square is bordered by beautiful arched walkways and the Cathedral. In the center is a bronze fountain of three plates crowned by the figure of a sixteenth century soldier called Tuturutu. The story goes that he was in charge of warning of any new event (town crier). Around the square are three granite portals with brick and limestone bases: : Portal del Cabildo (Portal de la Municipalidad), Portal de las Delicias (Portal de San Agustín), and Portal del Regocijo (Portal de Flores). The Cathedral was built in the seventeenth century out of the same sillar as much of the city center. It was destroyed by fire in 1844 and rebuilt in 1868 using a neoclassical style. In 2001, the Cathedral (primarily one tower) was damaged by an earthquake and rebuilt. The Santa Catalina Monastery was founded in 1580 by a rich widow, Maria de Guzman. It was not opened to the world for nearly 400 years and since 1970 visitors have been able to wander through the streets and cloisters. During the colonial times the monastery was reserved for the daughters of the nobility who had decided to steal themselves away from the real world and dedicate themselves entirely to prayer. Many of the wealthy nobility endowed the ...



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wE6_Dz-B40&hl=en

"Bologna and the Beach" Giulianat's photos about Bologna, Italy

A TripAdvisor™ TripWow slideshow of a travel blog to Bologna, Italy by TravelPod blogger Giulianat titled "Bologna and the Beach" Giulianat's travel blog entry: "So I am settling in quite nicely in Rimini, that's not to say that I never have problems but I am relaxing into the Italian way of life. The main problem I am having at the moment is trying to get something called a "permmesso di soggiorno" in English a "residence permit" from a local police station. I was supposed to go and get this within 8 working days from the date I entered Italy. Evidently I have gone over that time but here's why: My cousins girlfriend has been helping me go to the police station and speak with the policemen so I can get the residence permit. The first time we went (this was after only 6 working days), the policeman told us to come back another day and in the meantime gave me his number on a piece of paper and said to call him to go out for a coffee. Needless to say I chucked that in the bin - he appeared to be obsessed with finding an Australian girlfriend (so if anyone's looking give me a hoy! - no not really he was a few screws loose I think). Anyway we came back on the day he said and another policeman said that it was the wrong day and to come back another day and that we had to queue up at another department building. We did this yesterday, and waited two hours before opening (in a queue of about 60 people) until a woman came out just after it had opened and told everyone that they ...



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWvECCV_AyU&hl=en

"Day of the Immaculate Conception" Superchick530's photos about Lima, Peru

A TripAdvisor™ TripWow slideshow of a travel blog to Lima, Peru by TravelPod blogger Superchick530 titled "Day of the Immaculate Conception" Superchick530's travel blog entry: "I couldn't sleep in Cusco, Machu Picchu or Puno because of the altitude. Now I am back at sea level and I am certainly not having any problem sleeping! I arrived at my hotel in Lima yesterday shortly before noon. After getting settled, I ventured out for a bite to eat and a little window shopping. Then, I came back to my room and slept and read for the rest of the day. At most of the hotels, there are places where people leave books. If you see something you like, you just take it. I think it works like geocaching though: take one, leave one. I happened to spot "The Help" at my hotel in Puno, so I pounced on it...and once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. (That's my story for staying in my room all afternoon yesterday. And I'm sticking to it.) This morning I went on a Lima city tour. We spent some time at the Plaza de Armas (yes, every city in Peru has one). The Plaza Mayor, as it's also called, was the heart of the City when the area was claimed by the Spaniards. Francisco Pizarro to be exact. A bronze fountain erected in 1650 sits in the center of the Plaza, and a number of significant public buildings surround the Plaza. On the south end of the Plaza, there is the Cathedral that sits on the same spot where Pizarro ordered the city's first church built in 1535. The Archbishop's Palace is ...



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSZabPVD5f0&hl=en

"Suprisingly nice capital" Luxguy's photos about Lima, Peru

A TripAdvisor™ TripWow slideshow of a travel blog to Lima, Peru by TravelPod blogger Luxguy titled "Suprisingly nice capital" Luxguy's travel blog entry: "Lima, the country's frenetic capital is a place of many faces. Being a home to one third of Peru's population, this seaside metropololis offers everything from a beautiful and buzzing city centre to overpopulated neighbroughs full of social problems and criminality. The city is nestled on a strip of desertscape fit between the shore of Pacific Ocean and the nearby mountains. Actually, it is a countryside scenery which can be seen all over Peru: mountains, gigantic sand dunes and bone-dry desert. Lima was put on my RTW list more like a transition hub to access southern part of Peru, rather than a major cultural, or a party place. As I have been experiencing certain minor health problems over the course of past weeks, Lima also became something like a medical examination stop-over. But once I was here would it be a true pity just to sit at the hostel, instead of exploring this pulsing vain of Peruvian social and economic life? But first, I had to make my way to Lima. To get a look at some nice and also frightening Andean sceneries, I decided to take a day bus from Huaraz. My hostal owner advised me to book a seat on a side of the bus driver to catch some awesome Andean views. She was so right. The views at majestic snowcapped Andean peaks were breathtaking. As the bus ride advance, we ended up driving on picturesque, but ...



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xalp2IU4MnY&hl=en

"Villas of Tivoli" Ahartry's photos about Tivoli, Italy

A TripAdvisor™ TripWow slideshow of a travel blog to Tivoli, Italy by TravelPod blogger Ahartry titled "Villas of Tivoli" Ahartry's travel blog entry: "The day dawned clear and bright - lovely. We breakfasted, then left our flat a little before 09.00h. When we arrived at the Trevi Fountain, the crowd was substantially smaller than it had been previously. The fountain was being cleaned ... but, as it was almost 09.00h, we decided to wait to see if they turned it on ... and, indeed, it was not long before the fountain began to flow. The Trevi Fountain is really very absurd. It sits in a very small piazza - really more of an opening between buildings where three roads come together. A giant figure of Neptune seems to burst out of the building, while, below him, two other figures wrestle with massive horses. It seems to epitomize baroque excess. From the Trevi, we walked to the church of Santa Maria Maggiore - our first foray into Vatican Territory (oooh). The main basilica dates back to the 5th century CE, and the original mosaics are intact. Unfortunately, they are so high above the floor that it is impossible to see them much at all. Instead, we went around the outside, gaping at the very elaborate chapels and, beneath the altar, the golden and silver urn that supposedly contains a fragment of Jesus' crib. From the church, we went a few blocks to the train station. The signs to the Rental Cars seemed to lead us in circles, but, after several kilometres of walking, we found ...



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuNGD4mBbgA&hl=en

"Of palaces, castles and cathedrals" Zento's photos about Segovia, Spain

A TripAdvisor™ TripWow slideshow of a travel blog to Segovia, Spain by TravelPod blogger Zento titled "Of palaces, castles and cathedrals" Zento's travel blog entry: "This Sunday's stop was the old city of Segovia. I had been here before once with my Dad when I was 11 years old and I had a few vague memories. Like the medieval tavern-like restaurant with a front view of the Roman Aqueduct where he ordered suckling pig and I refused to eat it because I was so sad for the baby pig. He made me eat it anyway and I loved it. This time, Mom, Dad, Sophie, Ed and I went together to relive my old fading memories. Our first stop was the Palacio Real de la Granja de San Ildefonso. This was the summer palace for the Spanish monarchs of the 18th century. We didn't actually go in the palace as we decided to take the time to visit the gardens which were much more attractive. White marble statues and Neoclassical vases adorned the main gardens together with the beds of perfectly selected flowers. The gardens were a never-ending maze of avenues leading to dazzling pompous fountains with lead statues painted with auburn bronze-like paint. Unfortunately all of the fountains were turned off; since they use up too much water, they are made functional only three times a year. All of the fountains were dedicated to some pagan god or goddess, or mythical figures and animals such as Poseidon, Diana, Apollo, Andromeda, Saturn, dragons in half moons, cherubs riding swans, dolphins spewing water ...



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9N4cTtO1fdg&hl=en

"Gotta adulation that Bolognese Sauce" Carriejustin's photos about Bologna, Italy

A TripAdvisor™ TripWow slideshow of a travel blog to Bologna, Italy by TravelPod blogger Carriejustin titled "Gotta love that Bolognese Sauce" Carriejustin's travel blog entry: "We only had about a day and a half to spend in Bologna but it was well worth it to be able to see the red buildings and eat the rich foods. Bologna is known as La Grassa (The Fat) not because the people are fat OH NO but because of the food and how wonderfully rich it is. We found it hard to discover the real city when our only full day was on Sunday, and as we are sure you must know Italy shuts down on Sundays. We decided we would have to come back to see and taste the real city sometime soon." Read and see more at: www.travelpod.com Photos from this trip: 1. "Bologna Sidewalk" 2. "Did we mention the heat?" 3. "One of the many markets." 4. "The bronze fountain of Neptune" 5. "Things open on a Sunday" See this TripWow and more at tripwow.tripadvisor.com



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0q3TJdmmtb4&hl=en