All posts by chaput@live.com

Spain

Picos de Europa

We went to explore part of the Picos de Europa which is a mountain range extending for about 20 km (12 mi). It forms part of the Cantabrian Mountains in northern Spain.

We drove to the small community of Camaleño. This is where the longest single span cable car aerial lift is located. The cable car known in Spanish as “teleférico de Fuente Dé” .

We lined up and waited for our turn to go up to the top located  1,850-metre (6,070 ft) high.  As we waited  in line we watched the cable car ascended to the top of the mountain. 

We took a selfie just before entering the cable car and heading up the steep incline to the top of the mountain.

The cable car has a capacity of 20 people and the entire trip only takes 3 minutes and 40 seconds.  The cable car moves at around 10-metre (33 ft) per second. 

View from the cable car launch area

We were amazed at just how fast we travelled up to the top. 

The views on the way up were breathtaking  with rugged mountains on all sides. 

teleférico de Fuente Dé cable car

We reached the top in 3 minutes and 40 seconds and were instantly greeted with amazing views of the picos de Europa mountains.

Shelley on top of one of the picos de Europa mountains.

The photos do not give justice to the beautiful, spectacular vistas.

Ray on the top of the Picos de Europe in Cantabria

We walked along the ridge area of the mountain exploring the views that seemed to change at every step. We stopped and took it all in admiring the beauty of nature.

Ray taking in the moment

It was so peaceful and quiet with only the sound of the wind. As we walked and came across different views it was just breathtaking. 

Ray and Shelley on the Picos de Europa

We were very lucky because the lack of clouds made visibility great. It was not too long though and we could see the clouds moving in. 

Clouds starting to gather on top of the mountain range.

At first the clouds covered some far peaks but quickly the clouds rolled in and visibility was almost nil. 

Shelley at the Picos de Europa
No visibility because of the clouds

It was a breathtaking and beautiful day in the mountains, it was a great way to spend the day.

“Cada día es un regalo, disfrútalos”

Spain

A visit to beautiful Santander in Cantabria Spain

We went to Cantabria to visit friends and explore the area over a few days. One of the spots we explored was the city of Santander. Our first stop was the Palacio de la Magdalena. It is located on the Magdalena Peninsula which is a 69-acre  peninsula located near the entrance to the Bay of Santander. 

The palacio was built in 1911 and used as a summer residence for the Spanish Royal family until 1931. It was then used for summer courses for the Menéndez Pelayo International University. 

Today the Palacio is the most visited place in the city of Santander and continues to be used as a conference and meeting hall.

Augustine, Alicia, Shelley and Ray on the stair of the Palacio de Magdalena

The views from the Palacio gardens were spectacular.  Looking over the bay and towards the Cantabrian Sea.

View of the Cantabrian Sea and a Lighthouse in the distance.
View of the bay entrance to Santander.

The City of Santander is the capital of the autonomous community of Cantabria. It is a port city and located in the northern coast of the Iberian Peninsula, facing the Cantabrian Sea.

We walked through the downtown area exploring the beautiful architecture and streets.

The head office of the Santander Bank which the city is named after.
The Gran Casino del Sardinero in Santander
Cathedral of Santander

After exploring the area we decided to stop and enjoy some tapas and a drink at the Mercado de la Esperanza.

Main entrance to the Mercado de la Esperanza in Santander

Inside the mercado were many unique and interesting food stalls.

We walked along the rows until we found a nice spot to stop and enjoy some tapas.

Afterwards we walked along the waterfront exploring that area of the city.  We came across some interesting monuments along the way.

The Raqueros statues along the pier in Santander.

These statues represent the era when children worked the pier to earn  money to survive. The statues pay respect to the children that worked for a living.

Monument Fire Statue in Jardines de Pereda Santander

The Monument Fire Statue in Jardines de Pereda marks the devastating fire that occurred in February 1941 in Santander. The fire destroyed a large part of the historic center of the city,. Fortunately only one person lost their life however thousands of families lost their homes and businesses.

View of a section of the waterfront area of Santander.

We continued our walked along the waterfront and decided to take a break at the local marina. We had a great view and enjoyed a relaxing time watching the ships and boats.

Alicia, Shelley, Ray and Augustine

It was a very enjoyable day in Santander and we really enjoyed exploring this historic city. 

“Disfruta cada día porque cada día es un regalo”

Spain

A few days in Ávila Spain

We went to explore the historic city of Ávila Spain. It is located in the autonomous community of Castile and León and is the capital of the province of Avila.  

We explored the narrow streets and historic centre of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Winding  our way along some of the unique streets inside the walled section of the city.

Main plaza in Ávila

We walked along the streets and came across many interesting architecture buildings and churches.

The 12th century Cathedral of Ávila
The 17th century Convento de Santa Teresa

The city is located more than 1,130 m above sea level and ther enclosed old town is located within  11th -14th century medieval walls.  The walls are very impressive and one of the main landmarks in the city.  We walked along the perimeter of the wall  which is approximately 2,5 Kilometers  (2,734 yd). The imposing walls with its semicircular towers and 12 m (39 ft), high walls is quite impressive. 

Walls of Ávila Spain

One of the nine gates into the walled section of the city.
Main gate of the wall

There are  9 gates in the fortified walls with some providing access to the top walkway of the walls. We went up to the top of the wall and were greeted with stunning views of the city and area. 

Ray and Shelley on the walls of Ávila Spain

We walked along the top of the wall exploring the views and fortified sections of the wall.

Ray on the wall of Ávila Spain

View of the 12th century Basilica of San Vincente

It truly was amazing to think of the history and time that has passed on these walls. 

View of the walls of Ávila from the top walkway.

Ray climbing to the top tower section on the wall
View from one of the towers along the wall

The sun was setting and we were able to see a spectacular sunset on the wall of Ávila.

We walked the wall partway then headed down for a well deserved break and something to eat. Back in the main plaza we found ourselves a nice spot to enjoy a meal and drink.

A great way to end the day of exploring and adventure.

“Todos los días puedes emprender una aventura grande o pequeña si quieres”

Austria

Schönbrunn Palace

Today we decided to go and visit the UNESCO world site the Schonbrunn Palace.  The Baroque palace is a massive building with 1,441 rooms and has a long rich history spanning over 300 years. 

view of a section of the Schonbrunn Palace
Ray, Janice, Scott and Shelley at the front of the Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna

We began by walking along the front of the palace until we reached the side entrance to view some of the interior rooms of the palace.  We explored three of the main rooms which had some impressive features. 

The Great Hall in the Schonbrunn Palace

The ceilings were works of art and made the rooms seem almost alive. 

Massive wooden and gilded Chandelier in the Great hall of the Palace

We walked along the corridors admiring the baroque designs of the palace 

Art within the palace

After walking through a small portion of the palace we headed outside to the gardens. We began in the garden pavillion then  headed towards the main garden area.

Privy Garden area of the palace
The garden Pavilion at the Schonbrunn Palace

The gardens were immense and had stunning features. we walked through the main garden area and headed towards the Gloriette on the hill top.

View of the gardens from the rear of the Palace with the <Gloriette on the hill in the background.

Along the way towards the Gloriette we stopped at the Neptune Fountain called the Great Parterre area of the gardens.

The Neptune Fountain

At the rear of the fountain was an area where you could see through the fountain and see the Palace in the distance. 

Scott, Janice Shelley and Ray at the Neptune Fountain with a view of the palace in the background

We continued our walk up the hill and we came to a small pound in front of the Gloriette.

Pond in front of the Gloriette

We continued up the hill until we reached the Gloriette.

The Gloriette which is the garden axis points towards a 60-metre-high (200 ft) hill.

From here there were beautiful views of the Palace and Vienna in the background. It was truly worth the long walk up the hill.

View of the Schonbrunn Palace and Vienna from the Gloriette

The Gloriette structure is one of the iconic parts of the garden. Erected on the top of the  60-metre-high (200 ft) hill, it is a focal point of the garden.

Ornate decoration of the Gloriette
Ceiling area of the Glorietee

Built in 1775 with stone recycled from another site, the military-themed columns and arches are made to represent to glorify Habsburg power. 

We stayed at the Gloriette for a while enjoying a well deserved rest and admiring the views before heading back.  We walked down through a hedged area of the gardens. There were sculptures and statues along the way. 

We worked our way to the exit and then headed back. It was a long day but quite enjoyable.

“den Tag zu genießen”

Austria

Vienna, Austria

We arrived in the centre area of the city of Vienna by train . The city which has a population of over 2 million is the capital of Austria.  

The Schmetterlinghaus, The Butterfly house, Vienna
Donnerbrunnen Fountain in the Neuer Market Square, Vienna.

We walked into the historic centre of Vienna and we were greeted by spectacular architecture and a lively atmosphere. 

Vienna State Opera
Hofburg Palace inside court view
St Micheal’s Church
Emperor Franz I, The Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the ruler of the other states of the Habsburg monarchy

We explored the centre weaving our way through the timeless streets and sites.

Vienna Art Nouveau architecture
Arches of the State Opera Building in Vienna
A caryatid on one of the Vienna buildings in the old quarter

The rich history of Vienna could be seen in the architectures of the buildings.

St Charles Church in Vienna
Hochstrahlbrunnen Fountain and monument in Vienna
Statue out front of the Albertina Museum, Vienna
St Peter’s Church, Vienna

Along the way we came to a museum called Time travel.  We decided to try something different and went into this museum. 

Time Travel Museum in Vienna Austria

Inside the museum we experienced an array of multimedia displays and 3D virtual experiences that were truly amazing.

In the Time Travel museum with 3D virtual glasses
Ray with statue of Roman in the Time Travel Museum

It brought to life the history of Vienna in a way that was truly enjoyable and memorable.  

St Stephen Cathedral in Vienna

We went to see the St Stephen’s Cathedral in the heart of the old quarter of Vienna. The Romanesque and Gothic styled Cathedral was constructed starting in 1138 and is spectacular to see.

View of the roof tile design of the church

One of the features of St. Stephen’s Cathedral is its ornately patterned, richly coloured roof which is covered by 230,000 glazed tiles.

The inside of the church is decorated in ornate Gothic and Romanesque styles. 

After a long day of exploring the city, we decided to go and have a nice meal before heading back to our room for the night. We enjoyed our first day in Vienna and look forward to tomorrow and more adventures. 

“Wir sind hin- und hergerissen zwischen der Sehnsucht nach dem Vertrauten und dem Drang nach dem Fremden und Fremden. Oft haben wir Heimweh nach den Orten, die wir noch nie gekannt haben.”