In 2022, we visited St. Peter’s Basilica, Cathedral of Florence (Basilica di Santa Maria del Fioreon) and St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice. Being the center of Catholicism, it is no surprise that Italy is home to many of the world’s most beautiful churches. I have always enjoyed the beautiful and historical Catholic Churches. I was baptized in a family church in China. Family churches don’t have … Continue reading The Pictures of 2022
There are two reasons for Tower of Pisa is so special. First, it has been leaning for over 900 years. Secondly, Galileo Galilei dropped two cannonballs from the top of Pisa tower and proved the theory of gravity in physics. The Tower began to lean when the construction reached about 23m high some when around the year 1178, due to the soft ground could not properly … Continue reading Leaning Tower of Pisa & Galileo Galilei
My husband and I recently visited Italy for our anniversary. We had wonderful time there. Italy is a fabulous mix of history, religion, archeology, art, delicious food and great music. While traveling from Venice to the south Amalfi, my favorite place is Rome. Rome is a museum itself. There are so many historical places to see: Colosseum, St Peter’s Basilica, Vatican Museum & Sistine Chapel, Trevi Fountain, … Continue reading “Libiamo ne’ lieti calici” (Drink from Joyful Cups) in Rome
Between the two popular places in French Riviera – Nice and Monaco, Eze is a charming medieval village on the hilltop that overlooks Mediterranean Sea. During the winter of 2021, we didn’t go to Monaco because of the surge of Covid omicron. Instead, I took a half hour of bus from Nice to go to this remarkable village of Eze. Eze was built over 400 … Continue reading Eze, France
Today is World Book Day, the day of celebrating of books and joys of reading. My legendary bookstore experience was in Shakespeare & Company in Paris. Located on the bank of the Seine opposite Notre-Dame, it is the one of the most famous booksellers in the world. Sylvia Beach, an American expat established Shakespeare and Company in 1919. In his book “A moveable feast”, Ernest … Continue reading World Book Day-Shakespeare Bookstore in Paris
Art improves our quality of life. It gives us immense pleasure and relief from stress. Although I am fond of traditional paintings, now I have been finding myself enjoying modern art more and more. I learned about the interesting modern art and history at the Musée Matisse in Nice, France. Henri Matisse (1869-1954) is widely regarded as the greatest colorist of the 20th century, … Continue reading Colors from Museums Brought to Life
Saint Paul de Vence is a fairytale village perched high on a hilltop in the French Riviera. It is a little over an hour away from Nice by bus 400. In 1920’s, a group of impressionist painters rediscovered St Paul and it developed into a magnet for artists and art lovers. Among others, Matisse, Chagall, Picasso and Dufy have stayed here and left many artworks. … Continue reading Saint Paul de Vence
It is lovely to spend Christmas Day in Nice, a beautiful city on the French Riviera. It has sunshine, deep blue water, Promenade des Anglais, Vieux Nice, art work, and delicious food. A surprising Christmas gift was the ballet of “Don Quixote“ at Opéra de Nice. The theater is beautiful with an interesting history. I love ballet, but don’t have many opportunities to watch it … Continue reading Merry Christmas from Nice, France
It is not easy to have an international trip during COVID time. Right now, France and the United Kingdom both request international travelers to submit a negative COVID testing within 48 hour departure, plus the certification of vaccination if you have. I went to Nice to visit my daughter who is currently staying in Nice France. Submitted all the paperwork of COVID testing and vaccination … Continue reading First Two Days in Nice France
Antoine Lavoisier (26 August 1743 – 8 May 1794), a French nobleman and chemist, has been widely considered as the “father of modern chemistry”. Lavoisier was central to the 18th-century chemical revolution, which transited from alchemy to modern chemistry. Why Lavoisier was considered as the father of modern chemistry? Antoine Lavoisier determined that oxygen was a key substance in combustion and respiration. He discovered that water … Continue reading Lavoisier & French Revolution
Eiffel Tower: When we went to the Eiffel Tower, there was marathon around Eiffel area. Although many roads were blocked for that, I actually was very happy to spend some time watching the marathon participants’ running and the young girls’ drum and dance cores. The night view of Eiffel Tower is fabulous to see in person. Palais Garner is a place you don’t want to … Continue reading Paris -Eight Days -2
Paris attracts millions of tourists for its history, culture, arts, architectures and foods. My daughter and I spent eight days in Paris together. We thoroughly enjoyed our adventure in Paris. (1) How to get around Paris? The best way to get around Paris is to take metro. Unless you plan to use the Metro several times daily, it is not necessary to buy the day … Continue reading Paris -Eight Days -1
June’s Travels 