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Let’s say again thanks to lockdown I start to discover more places near me and this time I did it by bike. I am not a big fan of bikes but I have to say that by bike you can see more stuff than walking because you move faster, and by car, since it moves too fast.
I come from a small town in Veneto near Venice, Treviso and the beach. For this reason, I consider myself lucky because I grew up with the tranquillity of the countryside and the small city but having the opportunity to move to large cities or the sea whenever I wanted.
In recent years has taken on a lot of tourism on bicycles and Quarto d'Altino, in my opinion, is a fantastic place to start the journey. The town not only has several cycling routes to various destinations, but it is also very well connected with both public transport, train or bus, but also by car having in the village the exit of the highway.
Bike Paths near me
I decided to choose Quarto d'Altino as a starting point to make, in my opinion, the various routes clearer. Keep in mind that these routes cross Quarto d'Altino so they can start from other cities and can go for more miles.
Bike route Sile (Quarto d’Altino - Portegrandi - Quarto d’Altino)
I think I have done this route a myriad of times because I have always found it beautiful and relaxing; it is surrounded by nature and is located above the bank of the River Sile. Going through it, you will cross stretches more in the sun and others under the shade of the trees but always having the river to your left and the beautiful rich fauna and flora to observe. The cycle route runs along the Sile from Quarto d'Altino to Portegrandi (a small fraction of Quarto d'Altino).
Cycle path Quarto d’Altino to Altino
I am particularly attached to this route because it passes right in the street where I lived, which also has historical interest, the Via Claudia Augusta. The road is entirely on gravel and is a beautiful track as it runs along with the river Zero which then leads into Dese river and then arrives in the town of Altino. During the whole journey, the silence reigns with a spectacular view; on the right the river with various animals that inhabit it and on the left stretch of cultivated fields that change colour according to the season and cultivation. Today work is underway to rebuild the bridge to exit at Altino so maybe ask if it is completed before start your journey.
Curiosity? During the track looking at the cultivated fields, you notice a higher field than the others and my grandparents always told me that below there would be the necropolis of Altino. It has never been excavated in that field, so it is not known for sure but reconnaissance flights made in recent years suggest that it is true.
Bike path Quarto d’Altino to Treviso
Taking the Sile cycle path in the opposite direction keeping the river on the right you can get to Treviso. From Quarto d'Altino continue for Casale Sul Sile, Lughignano and Casier and then arrive in Treviso; except temporary closures (if it rains a lot it goes underwater) the bike path is for the most part on gravel and away from cars. This is more a mixed route as there are stretches in the city centre and others immersed in nature and, in my opinion, it is an interesting feature of the road.
There is also another route, always from Quarto d'Altino that leads to Treviso and passes through Musestre. This route is a bit longer than the other, but it is entirely on a bike path without riding between the various villages and keeping the river on the left.
Bike route Quarto d’Altino to Jesolo
Continuing on the Sile bicycle, you can get to Jesolo. The route starts from Quarto d'Altino and continues to Portegrandi, Caposile until you reach Jesolo and then continuing to Jesolo Lido. This cycle path is very interesting because it varied; you start with tree-lined avenues along the Sile and later arrive at Portegrandi where you run alongside the lagoon and the small fishing houses. Once in Caposile, the track continues along the lagoon and the cultivated fields on the other side, here, during the right season you can also see pink flamingos. Once in Jesolo, you should stop for some relax maybe in one of the many kiosks on the beach.
Clycle path Quarto d’Altino to Lio Piccolo
Continuing the cycle path towards Jesolo, you can reach Lio Piccolo (find out more about the beautiful Lio Piccolo here). After Lido di Jesolo you cross Cavallino and Treporti arrived in Treporti you start another cycle path to the small village. From Jesolo Lido to Treporti the track is not finished so you are running on the road. For this reason, it is not entirely suitable for children, from Treporti to Lio Piccolo the bike path is still on the way, but this road is not at all busy.
The cycle path to Lio Piccolo is lovely; it is completely immersed in the Venetian lagoon from where you can admire the animals that live there and also the islands of Venice in the distance. (read more about Burano, Torcello and Murano by clicking the name of the island) 
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I live just 15 minutes by train from Venice city and I was used to going there quite often just for a walk in the afternoon or just for aperitive, I love Venice and, in my opinion, is one of the most original and beautiful cities in the world, originality due to its small streets (calli) and its small canals full of gondolas is amazing, but at the same time a fragile city and everyone should take care of it; the citizen who lives there, but also and in particular the tourist, so please visit the city and enjoy it but respect the place because Venice is unique in the world.
History of Venice
The history of Venice still puts it in disagreement; It is a mix of legend and real fact. Legend has it that during the VI century the lagoon of Venice became a safe place for the inhabitants of the mainland (Altino, Oderzo and Concordia) from the invasion of the Lombards. When the citizens of the mainland saw their lands and property taken away decided to move to the islands of the lagoon as it was considered a difficult place to navigate for the conquerors. In this way, Venice born. This story is viewed as a legend because there are testimonies attesting human presence in the Venetian islands already in the Roman era with the workers in the Salt Pans.
What we know for sure about Venice is that it had a great history made of a decisive victory, commercial with the Orient and richness that we can see today around the city. Best things to do in Venice
San Marco Venice. Everyone has heard at least one time about San Marco Square, it is the only proper square in Venice and it is a must to visit. If you are coming from the station after a really nice walk between small calles, canals and up and down from many bridges you will arrive in this huge and surprising square surrounded by historic building and portic that frame it like a small bonniere. Just at the first look, you can see the past splendour of Venice with the Cathedral, the Doge Palace, the San Marco tower but also many traditional shops, restaurants with tables and chairs in the middle and the multitude of tourist and people that lives the city. I know, the place is very expensive in general but it is absolutely a must and something that you will remember forever because Venice is unique in its genre.
The San Marco square will not only surprise you for its size and beauty but also for the big white and gold cathedral that makes the square even more unique and beautiful. I absolutely recommend an inside visit because it is even more spectacular with gold decoration, mosaics, sculptures and a lot of history; this is the classic example of elegance, splendour and power of an era gone by. The San Marco Cathedral that we see today was built around 1159, there was a previous Cathedral but a fire destroyed it and it was dated back to 828. The church was built to house the relics of San Marco and, of course, for its dimension to show the big importance of the Serenissima. The Serenissima brought, thanks to its conquest, different type of magnificent objects from other parts of the world like the mosaics, that we can find inside and outside to decorate the Cathedral with San Marco history, marbles and the Horse’s quadriga.
In my opinion, the history of the 4 horses is very interesting; the original horses are in the museum inside the church to avoid that the climate ruin them and a good copy is in front of the Cathedral on the big balcony. The horses were, not sure, from Constantinople and they were brought to Venice around 1204 after the IV crusade to embellish the façade. In 1797 for Napoleon welling they were brought to Paris and they were returned only in 1815. 
Near the Cathedral we can find a white and very nice gothic palace, it is the Palazzo Ducale. It was originally built with the born of the Serenissima and as says the name the Palazzo Ducale was the house of the Doge, (the Doge was the state chief at the time of the Serenissima) the palace, during its history, has been hit many times by fires, that destroyed it more that one time but fortunately it was rebuilt every time so now we can enjoy the fantastic Palazzo Ducale with its Byzantine and Oriental Style. The Ducal Palace during the Republic of Venice was the heart of political and administrative life but since 1797, the year in which the Serenissima fell the functions of the Palace changed and with the annexe of the Regno d’Italia it became a house of some office until 1923 when it was restored and opened to the public has a museum.
Another tourist attractions in Venice you “must to see” is, with no doubt, the Ponte dei Sospiri (Bridge of Sigh). It is the most particular, in my opinion, because a lot of history and people passed through this bridge. We are still in San Marco Square behind Palazzo Ducale; the bridge was built in 1614 link the last one to the new prisons, it is possible to visit the prisons and visit the small tidy cells used in the past and in some of them you can even see the scrawls and graffiti of ancient prisoners. I really love the story behind the name of this bridge; the legend says that at the time of the Serenissima the prisoners sighed above the Ponte dei Sospiri because they were aware of the fact that it would be the last time, before being imprisoned, that they would see the outside world. Actually, the bridge has only a very small window almost impossible to see outside but the I love legend and I think it has, in the deep, something true.
Famous bridge in Venice. There are in total 4 bridges that cross the Canal Grande and the Ponte di Rialto is one of the ancient and most famous. Famous for its form and the design very particular and unique; I love to walk here, up and down from the bridge, between artisan shops and of course an amazing view of Venice. The first Rialto bridge was built, in wood, around 1250 and took the name of the close market that in that years became very important and around 1401 on the sides of the bridge were built two rows of shops like today. During its history, the bridge was damaged multiple times from wars and even for the excessive weight and for this reason Venice decided to re-built it with stone. The beautiful Rialto bridge that we can see now was made by Da Ponte and complete in 1591.
The Jewish Ghetto is another must to see, first of all, because it is the oldest Ghetto in Europe and then because it is a city inside another city; let me clarify, you will enter from a small porch and in front of you a huge campo (it is a square but with another name) where seems that the years never passed away; the Jewish were supposed to live here under a law that the Serenissima Republic established on 29th March 1516 but this wasn’t the only law that was enacted in fact they were obliged to use a symbol for identification and every night they were closed inside in this Ghetto from the Christian people to avoid night escape. In this period Venice became multicultural (also from one Jewish to another). In 1797 with the defeat of the Serenissima the Jewish became at all the effect like the other citizen. Unfortunately, we all know the history and in 1938 started the deportation; 246 were deported from Venice and only 8 people come back to the Ghetto at the end of the war.
We are still in the San Marco square and the last but not least attraction to see is the San Marco tower. The first time I went up I was speechless, the view on the Venetian Lagoon and on the square is amazing but you will also have a complete panorama of the Venetian life with millions of gondolas, a lot of small and bigger boats and of course many tourists that throng this amazing city, quit difficult to describe for its beauty and the sensation that can give you the panorama even because the Tower is the tallest building in Venice so, you can only imagine what you can see from there. Originally the tower was built in 1173 and it was used as a lighthouse for the sailors; over the years the tower has suffered serious damage caused by many fires and, in 1511, by a huge earthquake that destroyed completely the tower; immediately the restoration takes place and San Marco tower assumed its definitive amazing shape that we can still see today. On its top is collocated a big gold statue of the Arcangelo Gabriele; at the beginning, the statue was 5 meters high for its big dimensions in few years it had to be replaced, in 1557, by a smaller one of 3 metres, its function is of signalling the direction of the wind. It is absolutely a “must to do” if you want to enjoy an amazing view of Venice from the top, don’t worry an elevator was installed in 1962.
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Venice islands
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On the Atlantic coast of Ireland, hit by strong gusts of wind and with a blue sky, when of course there is the sun, there is the city of Galway.
Every time I have opportunities, I like to discover new places in the country that has hosted me for a couple of years now. Galway was one of the first stops I made in the tour of Ireland, and I must say that I was very impressed with it in a very positive way. 
I went to Galway a couple of times; the first time was an August Bank Holiday while the second time was for Christmas markets. The experience was very different both times because I found three days of full sun that is not too hot but warmed up to the right point to enjoy the day in August. While at Christmas we say it was not one of the best weekends; heavy rains and a lot of wind accompanied almost every day (the wind was so strong that waiting at the traffic light even moved me one step further).
Galway, in my opinion, is very different from other Irish cities that I visited and I loved it for that. The town is formed by the main road that then branches off to the left and right with other more or less large streets until you get to the most medieval part of the city. A beautiful avenue of cobblestones with crafts shops, art, restaurants and street artists that make it very picturesque and beautiful.
Galway is also famous for the many events and festivals they organize throughout the year; the first time I visited the city, its streets were full of food trucks that prepared different types of food and artisans who sell their creations.
How to get to Galway
Galway is the third big city in Ireland and with its, anonymous bay is, in my opinion, the most beautiful city that I visited in Ireland, for now. Getting to Galway, from Dublin, is very simple; the car is the first solution, but where you can not use it, the train from Heuston Station or the bus are an excellent solution as they take you in about 2 h 40 minutes to the city centre.
Best to do
The city itself does not offer many activities to do, and if like me you are not a fan of museums there is not much to visit, but I think it is the streets, the very friendly people and the atmosphere that make Galway a destination not to be missed for a tour in Ireland. It’s especially during the evening when the streets fill up that Galway gives the best of himself. I was impressed as in the streets of the city there were so many street games. I remember one, in particular, there was a man with a bicycle, and you just had to pedal, I thought, piece of cake but no, no one could do a simple pedalling because they could not hold the bike straight.
During the three days on the Atlantic coast, I also decided to make some stops in other places to visit. The first stop was in Kinvara. Kinvara is a small village reachable in about 1 hour by bus from Galway; the town is small with a couple of pubs, a couple of restaurants, a beautiful harbour, a castle open to visitors and sheep. After visiting the castle and taking pictures with the sheep, the best thing was an aperitif looking at the port and the bay with many boats and nature all around.
Another stop were the Mini Cliff.
Last and best stop of all: the Cliff of Moher. I was particularly lucky, I visited the Cliff on a Sunday of sun and 20 degrees, and it is thanks to these weather conditions that the day at the Cliff was beautiful. The Cliff of Moher is a spectacle of nature; these expanses of cliffs plunging into the sea are covered by the emerald green of the Irish grass. You can take a pleasant 8 km walk along the Cliff, observing the nature overlooking the ocean.
You can get to the Cliffs by car, with organized tours or like me with a bus that takes you directly to the parking lot of the Cliff of Moher. The only precaution to take if you want to go by bus is not to take the last bus of the day because you risk being stranded without a way to return. For the rest, enjoy every moment because they are the most famous cliffs for a reason; they are spectacular.
Personally, I do not recommend visiting the Atlantic coast with an organized tour that departs from Dublin. When my parents came to visit me in Ireland I took them to the cliff and we used an organized tour. The one we used wasn’t organized at all well. They had planned too many attractions to show and so the time spent on each place was little, too little to enjoy the landscape at best. Also, to keep the schedule set, the bus driver was very anxious and threatened to leave you on foot even for a minute late. After a while, all passengers began to arrive at least five minutes early at the bus so that the time to visit the coast has become even less.
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OMG so beautiful Marrakech! Didn’t you read my post about this beautiful city? Check it out here Marrakech in the meantime I go on telling you about the incredible tours of Morocco that I did. Some of the best places to visit in the world are definitely these below.
I decided to arrange my tour days with a local agency. I thought to rent a car and go on my own but honestly drive in Morocco is crazy not for the streets because they are good but for the number of people, cars, buses, donkeys and horses and everyone moves so fast, it is mental. At least, I am delighted with this decision because the tours have been unique, I saw a lot of exciting things, and the guy that brought me around was excellent, always ready to answer my questions and pleased and proud to show me his land.
Day trip 1 : Essaouira
During the ride to Essaouira: It takes almost 3 hours to reach Essaouira from Marrakech, but there are also some stops-over to do. The first is absolutely an Argan Oil Cooperative (they are different from the Cooperative in the Atlas Mountains) where you can see the ladies of the Cooperative while producing Argan Oil cream, shampoo and even peanut butter. For the second stop, you have to be lucky because not every day you can see the goats climbing the Argan trees and try to reach the fruit to eat them.
Essaouira was one of the three days trips from Marrakech, I heard and read a lot about this blue city, and I have to say that it is fantastic. The town is authentic and traditional inside the wall of the Medina and more touristic outside, thanks to the enormous beach and the cold and blue ocean. With my tour included a local guide, the guide is not necessary to visit the city, but essential if you want to learn something particular about this place, something that only local people can know. My visit began from the port with the typical blue little boats, that day it was full of people selling the catch of the day, very chaotic but everything was peaceful looking at a fantastic view of the ocean and three islands. The most famous is the island of Mogador because it is a natural reserve with many species of protected animals; indeed, it is not possible to access undisturbed the environment.
After the harbour, we moved into the Medina, just entered the Medina, in small streets we found the fish market, the fantastic textile shops, the spices… and evly one door open. It was a shop where this older man creates the typical musical instrument the Gnaoua. He showed me how he builds them, and then he started to play it, and the sound was so lovely that it is still in my head. After a proper fish lunch, I decide to spend the rest of the day at the beach. It was very windy, so I stayed at the bar in front of the ocean to just chill out and watch the people enjoying the wind and the cold ocean water. As you can imagine, Essaouria beach is home to windsurfing and surfing, but not only there is also the possibility to ride a horse at the beach, or dromedary and even a quad. It is a nice place even to do a relaxing vacation at the beach. . Thanks to my guide, we arrived in this small street with on.
Day trip 2: Ait Ben Haddou and Ouarzazate
Another day trip has been Ait Ben Haddou and Ouarzazate. It is a little crazy going for just one day, they are far away, almost 4 hours from Marrakech but all the trip from the beginning to the end worth every single mile. The Grand part of the street is up and down to the High Altlas Mountain until we reached the highest point of the mountains, then we started to go through the crucial valleys, like the almond valley or the prickly pear region. These valleys are stunning all these green and big trees between red mountains without any kind of shrub, it was surprising.
The first stage has been Ouarzazate. Ouarzazate called the door of the Sahara desert because it is only a few hours from the desert. The city is famous for the Taourirt kasbah, but also the cinema; indeed in this city, a lot of movies were shot like the Mummies or Gladiator and many others. Why a lot of filmmakers decided to recorded at Ouarzazate? Well, especially for two main reasons: first it is a very cheap city even to make a film and second the environment, this place has everything for every kind of movie, like mountains, rivers, valleys and the desert.
The second leg of this trip brought me to Ait Ben Hoddou. This place is important for the huge and well-kept kasbah. The kasbah was important because it was in the middle of the only commercial street from the north to the south and it was used principally for collected taxes from passing caravans full of salt and dates. The kasbah was built at the top of the mountain and surrounded by giant walls. You can walk around the kasbah up and down the hill and if you kindly ask and paying something you can also visit the inside of the kasbah at seeing how they look like.
I liked this trip especially at Ait Ben Haddou, the small village was nice and the kasbah so particular and interesting, but the best part for me has been the ride with a dromedary all around the kasbah with a hilarious guy that took almost 50 pictures of me from every angle. 
During the ride back to Marrakech: As I already told you I was so damn lucky with my guide that during the way back to my Riad he proposed me an extra stop and since I love discovery I accepted it. I went to a Berber village in the High Atlas Mountain called Telouet. Fortunately, I said yes to the extra stop because there is not only a wonderful kasbah but the history behind is even better. The kasbah belonged to El Glaoudi a wealthy pasha family that conditioned the history of Morocco; they became famous when they saved the sultan life from a blizzard, they gave him food and a safe place for many days until the snow was gone. The Sultan decided to thanks El Glaoudu for the hospitality. He gave him the command of the High Atlas tribe, some arms, a lease, and in few times they expanded their borders significantly in the south of Morocco. During the years all the family became more and more important and influential principally the son Thami El Ghaoudi, he had a power greater than the Sultan himself, that, according to the conventions of the protectorate, was deprived of all his ministers. In 30-40 years the pasha was at the top of his glory, he was known all around Europe and started to manipulate the principal market to permitted his luxurious and full life; he died in 1956 after he tried a coup against the king that wanted the Independence form France. The kasbah belonged to this pasha, and the interiors are lovely, colourful and particular. Worth seeing it.
Day trip 3: Ouzoud
My last day trip and also my last full day in Morocco was at the Ouzoud waterfall. Even on my final trip, I went with a tour, and I had a guide, I was fortunate with the tour and guide because even here I did a non-tourist walk around the mountains before arriving at the waterfall. I walked around a single mountain from the top to the base, crossed a river and then reached near a small waterfall, and after a few more steps, I arrived at the great waterfall. The walk was fascinating; my guide explained to me a lot about the villages and the people around these mountains. I remember particularly well about the "Mexican village". It is called Mexican because it is all day in the sun, and the citizens use big caps to cover themself. My guide explained to me also that the village was significant for the minaret school and a lot of young men travelled here from all over Africa to learn the jobs.
While I was walking around the mountains, between the olives trees, he also explained to me how important is this cultivation for the people, every winter all the people of the village start to collect the olive in a way very organized. Indeed every family has their own space that has to manage, usually, the man shakes the tree with a stick, and the women gather fruit from the ground, and after that, they can move into another, but always in an orderly fashion; more than one village, this one, in the Atlas Mountains, is a cooperative where everyone has a job to do for the good of the community.
The environment along all the walking was fantastic to take your breath away. Big and green trees, small olive trees, Carrubba trees, the sound of the water falling from the top of the mountains, the blue water of the waterfall and the jangle of wild monkeys have made all the ride very lovely and absorbed in nature. What to do in Ouzoud?? Chill out listening to the sound of nature (so don't go where there are all the people), take a bath, if you have the opportunity, take pictures from every single different view and must to do, search for the wild monkey.
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My adventure to discover other places in my region Veneto led me to the Sigurtà Park.
I’ve always seen a lot of advertisement about Sigurta Park, but, you know, when something is near us, you never really have the trouble to go and visit it because, at least in my case, I think it will always be there ready for when I want. Anyway, let’s say that thanks to the lockdown and the fact that I could only travel in my region (Veneto) I decided to finally visit this fantastic park. Where is Sigurta’ park?
The park is between two regions, Lombardia and Veneto precisely in the municipality of Valleggio Sul Mincio; around 30km from Verona and 25km from Mantova.
History about the park
The history of the park dates back to 1407 when the owner was the Contarini family. The park, at that time, was a farm with crops, animals there were also houses for farmers, a Domus for the family and a secret garden for the family to relax. Over the years the property has changed a lot of owners and everyone has made changes to the park. The most significant change was the use of water from the Mincio River to irrigate the fields and the park that each year became larger. Around 1902 the park suffered a bad degradation due to internal disputes of the family owner. In 1941 the park was sold to the Sigurtà family. Thus began a great work of redevelopment of the park; thanks to the irrigation of the Mincio (the previous owner forgot this right) the hills returned green, the flowers began to bloom and the buildings, now ruined, were renewed and brought to their own glory. The original park of 22 hectares has become 60 hectares like what we see today.
The actual owner of the Sigurtà park is still the Sigurtà family and it became one of the most beautiful parks of Italy and Europe winning many awards. The park each year host many visitors from all over the globe and it is a perfect stop for a relaxing day inside this beautiful and majestic park.
Finally, in June 2021 I decided to drive over to Valleggio Sul Mincio and visiting the beautiful park. Since the park is very big there are many ways to visit it.
You can:
Personally, I like to walk so I decided on the last option but be prepared because if you want to see every corner of the park is a really long walk. I arrived at the park around 11:30 and spent the whole day inside snooping, sniffing flowers and taking pictures. As soon as you enter the park you are immersed in the colours and scents and it seems to be in another place. With the ticket, you will also have a map of the park where the places "not to be missed", "historical places" and places for children are emphasized.
Things to do
Curiosity about the park
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The answer to " Is Marrakech worth visiting? " is an absolute yes!
I decided to go to Marrakech in July, I know it is not the best period for the very high temperature, but I needed sun and a good summer with high degrees; my bones were cold living in Dublin. I had an amazing seven days in the magnificent city of Marrakech; I chose to stay in the same Riad for all the week, and I did some days trip around Marrakech. In the end, I visited: Marrakech, Essaouira, Ait Ben Haddou, Ouarzazate and Ouzoud Waterfalls Things to do in Marrakesh
Something to see is the Jardin Majorelle. It is a botanic garden and a place of arts. It was built for a French artist, Majorelle, in 1923 and bought in 1980 from the famous style artist Yves Saint-Laurent and Pierre Berge. They worked to restore the garden, and the result is fantastic, walking throw seems to enter in a sort of paradise; across particularly plants from all over the world, lakes with big fish and blue building in Oriental style that gives to all the garden a nice colourful atmosphere. Some water-retaining plants are shocking for how big they are.
The only royal palace that can be visited is El Bahia Palace; it was built in the 1860s for wants of Si Mussa grand vizier of Morocco, and It is one of the best palaces for architecture in Marrakech. Bou Ahmed, another Grand Vizier, lived in here with his four wife and 24 concubines. After his death, the court became an official residence for the general of France after the protectorate. El Bahia Palace is in the old Jewish quarter in the southern part of the Medina, we can say that it was a vast Riad, indeed after the first step inside seems to be in another city without all the chaos of the souk; the inside of the palace is in Arabic style with colourful tile, luxury courtyard with fountain and a fantastic garden with orange trees, banana trees and jasmine trees. Some rooms are really nice and still in beautiful conditions like the apartment of the first wife. Unfortunately, they are not so many because when Bou Ahmed died his wife, the concubines and even the staff stole everything from the palace, furniture and interiors ornament... Today Bahia is part of the Royal Palace, and some of the rooms are still used from King Mohammed VI especially for guests, and only a small amount of them can be seen from tourist; a small part but lovely that must be seen.
Close to the Kasbah mosque, we can find the Saadian tombs. They are around 160 tombs and two main mausoleums all in the same unique Oriental style, with colourful tiles, white walls and wood roof. The Saadian arrived in Morocco around the 16th century and chosen Marrakesh as their capital when the dynasty collapsed the tombs were bricked up but not destroyed, and they were rediscovered only in 1917 after a France air parade lap. Now we can admire the amazing Carrara's marble and cedarwood decorated with minimum details. You are not going to spend a lot of time here, but it is a must for the beauty of the place with all the gorgeous decoration.
Another must-see in Marrakesh is absolutely the Badi Palace, today you will see only the ruins of the palace, but with some imagination and the complete photos and description, you will see the great court that was in the past. The palace was built, by the Saadian sultan, in the 16th-century; it took 25 years to finish its construction and some years later arrived sultan Moulay that destroyed the palace and stole the material to build his palace. At the beginning of the visit, you will see some remains of the guests' rooms with the always unique coloured tile floor. After some areas, you will arrive in a massive courtyard with a big fountain in the middle, pools at the corners and all around orange and olives trees. I found it a suggestive place because when you walk into the door, you change entirely landscape, many ruins but also beautiful trees with lemons and orange that gives a lot of colour and the best thing, herons. A lot of white herons with big nests in the walls of the palace or at the tops of the tower, it was a spectacular show.
I arrived in the Jewish cemetery by chance, I was walking through the souk, and at some point, I checked the maps, and I realized that I was in the Jewish neighbourhood and after few steps, I found the cemetery. The cemetery is the largest in Morocco, and an Arabic family guards it; all the area is close to the Royal Palace so that Jewish could benefit from the royal protection. Indeed, King Mohammed VI is still dedicated to protecting Jewish heritage. After the first step inside the gate, you will find an expanse of white decorated and simple tombs all close together.
The heart of Marrakesh is, without a doubt, Jemaa El Fna; it is a vast square where all the people from other parts of Morocco, in the past, used to meet to sell spices, slave and all their products. The first time I arrived in the square was during the daylight. I was a little bit disappointed because I always saw amazing photos of Jemaa El Fna full of people and very lively. Instead, I found juicy vendors, water vendors with a fantastic costume (they wear a red outfit with small bells and a red hat as well), women doing henna tattoos and also some dentists that sells teeth on a table. I realized that it is in the night that the square became crazy. When the sun goes down a lot of people arrived at the square with their little vans, and in a couple of minutes they started to cook delicious food, and all Jemaa El Fna started to smell of meat, fish and other delicious typical food. I ate here only one time because, yes it is strange and different and it is something to do for the delicious food and in particular for the atmosphere. In my opinion, they take benefit from the position in the square to increase the price, especially for the tourist but, of course, it deserves a try at least one time. All around the square, there are a lot of restaurants and a Caffe with a terrace where you can enjoy the sunset and the view of Jemaa El Fna and all the people that crowd it with a mint tea.
Well, I can say that it is not a visit to Marrakech if you don't walk around the souk at least more than one time. The souks are something indescribable, a real labyrinth of streets in the oldest part of the Medina and each route is full of shops and peddlers. You can find unique colourful shops selling typical shoes or dresses or also leather bags, ceramics, of course, spices and a lot of other sensational items. I liked walking among the souk, some stores are beautiful, and some things are wonderfully decorated. You have to prepare yourself because everyone will try to sell you everything from his shop and after a while can be annoying.
Food Tour
A fantastic tour that I did, in the city of Marrakech was the Food Tour. I was a little bit sceptical about this because I booked the tour with a big company that operates all the world and I thought that wasn't good, but I found an exceptional and very prepared guide that not only spoke about food but also explained other exciting things during the tour. The tour started in the main square Jemaa El Fnaa, and we moved around the city; first of all, we went to see a shared bread oven where people are used to bringing the bread dough in the evening and come back in the morning to take the bread now cooked. Then we moved, and I ate the best things I tried in this holiday: Moroccan doughnut and a kind of crepes with onions and peppers inside, it was my first time consuming these specialities because the place where we were is frequented mainly by locals, but the taste was subline and a shocking discovery. After the sublime "starter" we moved for the main course in a small and friendly restaurant, we were on a terrace with Jenna El Fnaa view I ate a succulent and delicious Tajine of meat simmered for 5,6 hours. The tour takes three hours. We not only spoke and discovered food but also some curiosity about the city life and finished in the principal square drinking a decoction based on roots of galanga, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom, star anise, black pepper: a digestive after dinner with also aphrodisiac powers.
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This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy here. After Burano and Torcello (click here to read more BURANO and TORCELLO) the next stop to visit the Venetian lagoon took me to Murano. Compared to Burano and its colourful houses and Torcello where seems to go back in time, Murano seems exactly like a miniature Venice. Murano is not only a beautiful island to spend a day in but it is also very famous all over the world for the beautiful works of art made with glass. I highly recommend visiting Murano if you are visiting Venice’s surroundings because it is a beautiful island with some extraordinary things to do and visit. I love Murano and it is a very interesting place near me so every time I have the opportunity I like to go back.  Murano is the second-largest island in the Venetian lagoon after, of course, Venice. It consists of nine islands, with small canals and a larger one in the centre: the Grand Canal. It gives house to more than 4 thousand citizens and it is quite close to Venice. It depends on which ferry line you take but it takes around 35 minutes to get there.  Why is Murano famous for the glass?Discover Italy glass. We don’t know why Venice and Murano became famous for the processing of glass but it is said that the art of glass was copied from the East during the expeditions of the Serenissima and made unique in Murano. We know, however, with certainty that during the Republic of Venice the processing of glass was in Venice and was transferred to the island because the high temperatures that served to melt the glass often caused large fires (the glass melts at 1400 degrees). The Murano glass is amazing, the colours are beautifully bright, it is elegant and the master glassmakers are artists. Each piece is made from scratch and, of course, all done with hands and without the help of machines. There are no schools to become master glassmakers and glass artists jealously guard their secrets; this art is then handed down to sons who will carry on the family tradition of master glassmakers. A piece of Murano glass can be your perfect souvenir from this island. I know it is an expensive souvenir but there is a lot of work behind it everything is handmade and the result is wonderful.  Murano art glass: How to recognize the authentic Murano glass?
And remember to buy the originals pieces of Murano glass. What to see in Murano?
 What to eat in Murano?I had a fantastic lunch at Fondamenta dei Vetrai in a typical fish restaurant. I love fish so whenever I am in a seaside location or in this case lagoon, I throw myself on good fresh and delicious fish.
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I decided that, until I am living in Dublin I want to visit most of the cities close to it and Edinburgh is one of this. When I booked my flight for Edinburgh I was delighted, I don't know for which reason, but Scotland always fascinated me. Unfortunately, two weeks before the departure I received some bad news, I was sad, and I didn't want to go. I was almost there to cancel everything and spend a tragic weekend at home; fortunately, my friend told me, screw everything, we are going to Edinburgh! I am so happy now to have been in this city because it is not only amazing, but I also spent a fantastic fun weekend.
In my opinion, Edinburgh is the most beautiful city I saw in the UK and for the first time, even if it was raining (weird), I enjoyed it. We arrived in the town on a very early flight on Saturday morning, not the best decision because at 8.30 am we were already in the city centre, and everything was still closed. After a long breakfast, we started to walk around the city. We hadn't any plan ready; we just wanted to enjoy the city, have a relaxing weekend and of course some funny days. I recommend visiting Edinburgh at the end of August (like I did it) because there are a lot of beautiful and interesting events.
I fell in love with Edinburgh; after a while, the sun appeared, and the city took a fantastic light, it became even more beautiful with illuminated dark Victorian palaces, bright green grass and drops of water everywhere brighten by the sun, a lovely spectacle.
Edinburgh is composed of the Old City at the top of a hill and all around the New City. Both of them are, from 1995, part of the UNESCO world heritage. In my opinion, the Old Town is the best part of Scotland capital. It is in Medieval style, and it seems to still to walk in an ancient city with big, high palaces of bricks, a labyrinth of cobblestone streets, small and characteristic shops, charming and particular cafes and, of course, many pubs. Around 1700 the population started to grow up a lot, and there wasn't space for everyone so, in 1766 was decided to build a New City to host all the new population. The New Town is in the Georgian style and the Old City more in Victorian style. They are linked from the principal street Royal Mile Street that exactly connect the Edinburgh Castell to The Holyrood Palace; it is called Royal Mile because there is precisely one mile between the two crucial building.
Things to do Edinburgh
At the top of the hill, at the end of the Royal Mile in the Old Town, we can find the Edinburgh Castle; it is situated in a strategic point and guards the whole city against above. I didn't visit the inside of the Castle, there were too many people, the queue was huge, and I didn't want to waste too much time; I decided to skip it but for my next time in Edinburgh will be perfect. The Castle is one of the oldest fortified places in Europe, and it has a very long and turbulent story behind it due to conquests by the British and after a short time regained by the Scots. During the Steward dynasty, the Castle became the royal house until they decided to move in another residency and the fortress remained unused for 40 years. When was decided to re-open the Castle, it became a military fortress until 1829. When it was open to the public and became the most crucial attraction of the city. If you plan to visit it, well let me know how it is!
We were walking in the city between the streets and pubs when we arrived at the Greyfriars Cemetery. I am not a fan of visiting cemeteries, but I immediately saw some tour guide dressed up as Harry Potter, and I thought that I needed to see what happened. We passed the gate, and we immersed ourselves in a gothic and mysterious air framed by green grass and a lot of tombs of famous Scottish people and prominent families of Scotland. I honestly have to say that some of these tombs were very creepy; some of them were almost abandoned with climbing grass and skulls. As you probably know Harry Potter author, J.K. Rowling is originally from Edinburgh, and it seems that in this cemetery she took inspiration for some characters names. After a while of searching, I found the tomb of Thomas Riddle, in the book Tom Riddle and also the famous poet William McGonagall that inspired the surname for the Minerva McGonagall. In that period, I was obsessed with Harry Potter because I started to read the book in English, this time, and it was very nice found pieces that connected you to the book.
My curiosity brought me to the Britannia the Royal Yacht. The Yacht was the British Royal Family's house for over 40 years, it was launched in 1953 and brought the Royal Family and the many staff to over 135 countries, in 1997, after the last trip the Yacht has been anchored to the port and now tourists can visit it. The tour starts at the Visitor Centre where you can see pictures of the family in the boat, staff's uniforms and also the photos of the captains who led the Britannia. Before visiting the Yacht, you will receive an audio guide that explains every single step during the visit, from the Queen's apartment to the Engine Room passing through the quarters of commanders and simple sailors. The best part in my opinion, as a travel lover, has been the dining room used for special occasions, because there were a lot of relics that had been given to the Queen or King by other countries and tribes.
My first stop, to enjoy the city from a strategic position, was at Calton Hill. The hill is located in the New Town and to reach it there are some steps to climb, but when you get to the top, the panorama will make you forget the steps. On one side the old town with all the Victoria palace, the Scottish parliament and on the other hand the city of Leith. Calton Hill is not only a panoramic point, but in here you can also find The Observatory, the Nelson Monument and the National Monument of Scotland that seems like an Athens Pantheon and it is a tribute to Scots in the Napoleonic Wars. As I'm not too fond of museums so, for me, the best thing to do here is to take pictures of every single corner of the city because from up here, the view is impressive.
Always in the Old Town behind the Castle, we found Grassmarket an amazingly lively and colourful area with pubs, restaurants and that day there was also a lovely market of jewellery and food. Close to Grassmarket, there is the most beautiful historical street, Victoria street. It is a nice street with a line of colourful palaces with small windows. I did dozens of pictures, of course. I recommend this area for a beer break during your trip and why not for dinner.
3 Curiosity about Edinburgh
If you would like to book travel insurance for your trip to Edinburgh, I recommend checking out Travel Insurance Master!
Looking for activities and tours in Edinburgh? I suggest you check out Get Your Guide. To find out more follow the link below and be inspired :)
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