Venice to Vienna Traveling Experience

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Travelling from Venice to Vienna would be my one of the best travelling experience in Europe in terms of relishing the landscapes of Europe. I took this journey in two parts.

  • Venice to Villach by bus.
  • Villach to Vienna by train.

Villach is the first town at the border of Italy and Austria. I travelled from Venice to Villach by a bus and the rest of the journey was completed by a train.

Venice to Villach experience:

I would say that the journey from Venice to Villach was mostly through the plains of the Europe towards the northern Italy except the last part when we entered the Alps terrain and valleys. The journey shows you one of the most beautiful landscapes of Italy which include villages, grasslands, farming fields etc.

But I did not know that there was more to come when I would leave the bus and board the train to Vienna from Villach.

Villach to Vienna by Train:

I enjoyed this journey more than the first part of the journey for two reasons:

  • The train was running slower than the bus because most of the journey parts were spent in ascending and descending the alps range. So, on a slower train, there was more to see.
  • Second, on this journey, the train crosses one of the most beautiful terrains of the Alps.

Throughout the journey, the train follows the river Mur, as far as I think. Then I explored the Google Maps because I was so intrigued by the train journey. And I found this fact.

Then I further explored the Google Terrain maps and I found out that It would have been a lot easier for the railway engineers to lay the railway tracks along the river Mur. That is show because of the river if you see on the Google Maps, run through the alps terrain and on an almost flat terrain crisscrossing through the mighty mountains.

And, it would surely be easier for the engineers to lay the track along the river on the plains than digging a tunnel through the mountain. This reminds me of my train journey from Berlin to Prague which also runs along the river Elbe.

Train Along the WortherSee:

One of the most remarkable things that I saw along this journey was the train running along the Worthersee. A few minutes just after the train leaves the town of Villach, it starts crawling along the Worthersee.

This whole journey along the Worthersee lake lasts for around 30 Kms. And it is so soothing to the eyes. There were a few huts along the lake. Also, the life seemed so easy.

Some of the most remarkable things that I saw on this Journey are shown in the pictures below:

Vatican City: Strange Facts & Visiting Tips

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Vatican City seemed as cryptic as walking into a mysterious zone where every inch of the foothold holds some stories. When I was a child I came to knew that Vatican city was the world’s smallest country. Just imagine how had that be like to imagine visiting the smallest country in the world?
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Enter into Rome and the most of the tourists just want to go to the Vatican city. I was a no exception. Also, I had no expectation of seeing some barrier or kind of wired fencing around the Vatican city. As I grew up, I had already come to that Vatican city is a kind of place where the Pope lives and it is more like a sacred country.

When you reach nearer to the Vatican City, you see a large fort wall. And that’s the wall which separates a country from a city. Astonishing, is not it? Do not undermine the strength of the Vatican city in terms of the administration and facilities. It has every basic entity which a country needs to be run properly.

Also read: St. Thomas basilica church, Santhome

On another note, if I had to compare Vatican City, I would compare it with the Gosaba island in the Sundarbans but that would be far-related and weird. Moreover, Gosaba island is secluded even though it has a whole municipality of its own.

Some strange facts about Vatican City:

  • Vatican city has its own barracks but that’s for the Swiss Guards which were hired by Pope Julius-three as the mercenary force.
  • Vatican City has a Television Center. Wonder, from where the live telecast and the message of the Pope come from.
  • Vatican city also has other facilities like a super store, Drug store, post office, railway station, Greenhouses, English Gardens, Library, Colleges, Radio station, Italian Garden, Guest house, Audience hall etc.
  • St. Peter’s Basilica and St. Peters Square occupy more than one-tenth of the total area of the Vatican City Alone.
  • St. Peter’s Basilica is believed to be sitting atop a city of the dead. The story goes like this: There was a great fire in Rome in A.D. 64. During that time, the emperor of the Rome was Emperor Nero. Trying not to take the blame on himself, instead, he blamed Christians of the fire. So, to take the revenge, he also burnt them alive in the same fire. St. Peter, after whom the basilica and the square have been named was also one among the victims. St. Peter was one of the most profound disciples of Jesus Christ. Later, when the Christianity was declared as the official religion of Rome, a basilica was made atop the same blaze.
  • Vatican City even before being declared as a sacred area was already being treated as a sacred area.
  • During the second world war, even though the Italy was an integral member of the war, Vatican City expressed a neutrality in the war. The neutrality was waged to such an extent that even if Rome be bombarded, Vatican City, lying almost in the center of the Rome, should not be touched.
  • Unlike citizenship of other states, which is based mostly on the place of birth, citizenship of Vatican City is granted on the grounds of appointment to work in a certain capacity in the service of the Holy See. It usually ceases upon cessation of the appointment. Citizenship is extended also to the spouse, parents, and descendants of a citizen provided they are living with the person who is a citizen.

Other tips to visiting the Vatican City:

  • Vatican City will mostly be crowded on a clear day. So, I am not extrapolating when I say, beware of the pick- pockets.
  • As I mentioned in the beginning that every inch of the sacred land holds some mystery, plus, as a tourist, you would also be allowed not to visit some of the secluded and parked areas, so it is always better to hire a guide.
  • St. Peter’s Basilica is a must. Do not forget to go inside the church as well as on the dome top of the church.
    From the top, you get to see the most of the remaining part of the Vatican city. The view of the St. Peter’s square will just be mesmerizing
  • Also, visit inside the church. It is decorated with a lot of paintings including some of the most famous paintings.
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Some of the pictures from the Vatican City:

An Indian at Colosseum in Rome: Gladiator Movie coming alive

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I was very young when I watched the Gladiator movie for the first time. There were a few scenes which got etched into my mind forever. Especially those fight scenes which take place inside an amphitheater and where Russel Crowe emerges victorious.

Gladiator, Enya, and Celtic Music:

I always wondered. Was the stadium so big during medieval times? Taking some imaginary cues and clues from the Discovery channel and Nat Geo, my inquisitiveness even grew bigger as in how almost close to impossible it had been to erect such a magnificent building. The vividness of the architecture shown in the movie floated over my mind for days.

Years later, when I was doing my masters, that was the first time I got adequately introduced to the Celtic music and learned that “Enya” was one of those singers whose songs echoed in my mind in accord with the emotional resonance.

Those golden wheat fields as shown in the movie in the end and the background soundtrack sung by Enya called “Now we are free” would transport me emotionally into a completely different dimension.

Reaching Colosseum after years watching Gladiator:

During my internship in Berlin, in my last months, I decided to visit colosseum. Though my journey began with Venice but I was actually waiting for to arrive in Rome and see the Colosseum.

When enquired at the hotel about the Colosseum, we got to know that there would usually be a long queue at the entrance. ignoring that fact, we (I and Shayan) decided to go there and deal with our lifetime opportunity. So we arrived at the Colosseum.

Of course, there was a long queue but you beat the wait at the queue with the enthusiasm. The first far glimpse of the colosseum from a distance seems a giant structure from the ancient times. The big pillars, high walls touching the sky is a wonder in its own.

colosseum-1

Colosseum does not seem to be engrafted with the beauty lying inside of it. From the outside, it just looks like an old rickety structure. When we entered inside, there were tier-level structures. The actual grandeur of that magnificent architecture can only be seen when you go inside.

There are tens of entrances to the colosseum. There used to be different entrances for the different class of people. For example, nobles had different entrance than the common man. Also, the sitting arrangement got used to get differentiated among the classes.

The higher hierarchy would sit on the top level while the lower class people used to sit at the lower sitting arrangements. There was also a common ground where gladiators used to fight. When I saw the main arena, that reminded me of the Gladiator movie.

colosseum-6

You can still see the exposed part of the gates and alleys under the arena where gladiators used to stay back before entering the main arena. Those thick walls of small bricks, roman architecture and everything else would take you back centuries ago and force you to think the way it would have been then.

Colosseum in Evening:

It took us a lot of time to visit the colosseum. When the sun went down in the west, we did not realize.
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Once the darkness engulfed the sky, soon the pale yellow lights were being thrown at the outer walls of the colosseum. I and Shayan just decided to sit there for no reason.

Sky turned from dark blue to completely dark. The number of tourists abated gradually. Even the local by shops got closed.
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A few couples were walking hand in hand. And we just sat there on the rocks. I must insist that you should also experience something like that. Then, we again decided to take a round of the colosseum from the outside.

colosseum-3

I don’t know what kind of experience I accumulated within me but that surely was something inexplicable. That was so mystifying in conjugation with the past and the movie Gladiator.

Colosseum Photos:

Charles Bridge, Prague: What to do and What to see?

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Charles Bridge was not lesser than a local synonym for the “one of the must-visit places in Prague”. Intrigued by this catchy name, after doing boating in river Vlatava, I decided to spend some time walking on the bridge and try to understand what people love to do.

Some facts about Charles bridge, Prague:

So, following a tourist guide who was addressing Chinese tourists, I came to know that Charles bridge was the oldest bridge in Prague. While the most of the Prague settled on the west side of the river (towards old town square), the king somehow decided to build a castle on top of the hillock across the river Vltava called Petrin hill.

And that is how Charles bridge came into existence as it was the only way to commute from town to the castle. Well, all were not allowed to cross the river Vltava towards the castle side of the bridge. Also, this side housed the quarters of the people working for the castle.

quarters-near-prague-palace-across-charles-bridge

quarters-near-Prague-palace-across-Charles-bridge

From the protection point of view, Charles bridge, the only way to reach the castle has three watch towers. Two watch towers at the end of the bridge and one in the middle towards the castle side. When you enter from the old town square side, you can see that watch tower.

watch-towers-of-charles-bridge-in-prague

watch-towers-of-Charles-bridge-in-Prague

The story does not end here. One of the most flamboyant and noticeable thing for which Charles bridge was famous because of the two rows of the statues all along the bridge. On the both of the sides of the bridge, you can see statues of the saints and even the famous statue of the Cruxificaiton of the Jesus.

cruxification-of-jesus-statue-on-charles-bridge-in-prague

cruxification-of-Jesus-statue-on-Charles-bridge-in-Prague

statues-of-charles-bridge-in-prague

statues-of-charles-bridge-in-prague

However, these statues were removed later and were replaced by the replicas of the statues. Also, the Charles bridge had to go through a lot of restoration work since medieval times only. These restoration works were mostly employed because of the medieval wars and natural calamities like flood. You can still see those restoration works on the bridge pillars.

Charles bridge in modern days:

Owing to that fact that Charles bridge was not capable of carrying the weight of the modern vehicle because of the number of restoration works it had to go through, the government decided to ban the transport movement across the bridge. So, this bridge is only open for the pedestrians now.

pedestrians-at-charles-bridge

pedestrians-at-Charles-bridge

You can see a lot of artists making a caricature of the people on the bridge. You will have to pay for it. Yes, you can take an ice cream cone and stand on the sidewalks and watch the tourists crossing on the bridge.

charles-bridge-caricatures

charles-bridge-caricatures

caricature-in-progress-at-charles-bridge-in-prague

caricature-in-progress-at-charles-bridge-in-prague

What to see from the Charles bridge, Prague

Charles bridge is an awesome place to enjoy the view of the city along the banks of the river Vltava. The roof of the most of the buildings are red in color and it presents a kind of symmetric structures. Watching the couples walking hand in hand is just a treat to the eye.

If you really want to observe the microexpression of a human face, just stand behind a Skechers who is making a caricature of a person. You will surely love the way the zig-zag lines give a shape to a face.
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If you stand on the sidewalks, you can see tourists’ boats and ships floating slowly on the river. Though the water is not so clear but still that is something you can relish seeing.

river-vltava-in-evening-from-charles-bridge

river-vltava-in-evening-from-charles-bridge

Also Read: Places to See in Potsdam: Potsdam in a day on Bicycle

The best time to spend some time on the Charles bridge would be a clear evening. Just stand on the bridge and watch the sun go down behind the Petrin hill and getting lost somewhere behind the castles. The show is not over yet. You stay there for some more town.
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The cold wind from the river Vltava may tempt you to smoke there or pull up the hood of your jacket and rub your palms together. Or, just enjoy music from a street artist.

a-street-artist-at-charles-bridge

a-street-artist-at-Charles-bridge

In next half hour, the yellow lights of the Prague castle lighten up and certainly, the entire view has gradually turned from a sparkling heaven. It’s not just the yellow lights falling on the wall of the castle but look down at the bright shimmering shadow being formed over the Vlatava river. Those moments are really too hard to resist to not to take a picture of the Prague castle in the evening.

prague-castle-as-seen-in-night-from-charles-bridge

prague-castle-as-seen-in-night-from-charles-bridge

prague-castle-in-night

prague-castle-in-night

Your hands would automatically reach out for the camera and you would make sure that you do not move from there until you get the best shot of the castle.

Later in the evening, you can either decide to walk on the other side of the river or you can simply walk towards the old town square. I always preferred the old town square. That’s the place in the evening where you can sip Pilsner beer with Pomme Frites and watch the life pass by in front of your very eyes.

Also Read: Royal Palace, Budapest

An Evening Boating in River Vltava, Prague

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We had just taken a cruise ride in the Vltava river seeing most of the places along the river which included Charles bridge, Prague castle, some island in the middle of the river Vltava etc. That was almost an hours tour. When we got down after the cruise tour, there was still something missing.

So, I and Vinit decided to take a paddle boat and spend the evening boating in river Vltava. Also, we wanted to relax because most of the places to see in Prague are situated not so far from each other and both of us just loved walking through the streets of Prague so we were tired as well.

So, we walked to a jetty nearby and took a boat. We also bought some beer to add more lax. The boat was rented on per hour basis. we took the boat and began paddling inside the river.

There was some demarcation point marked in the river across which you cannot paddle. There were birds waddling in the water. It was nice to see people walking on the Charles bridge and the sunset setting behind the Prague castle hill.

In the middle of the river, we just decided to stop and watch the sunset. The old buildings towards the Prague castle side are pale in colour. It was remarkably beautiful to see the sun rays shining over the yellowish walls of the old buildings.

The life suddenly stops in the middle of the river. The sun slowed down so were the people walking on the Charles bridge. So was our boat. Time surely had slowed down because of the beer effect. Here are some of the pictures of boating in the river Vltava, Prague:

river-vltava-in-prague-1 river-vltava-in-prague-2 river-vltava-in-prague-3 river-vltava-in-prague-4