Posts Tagged ‘Europe’
The Park of Monsters in Italy has also been known as the “Villa of Wonders” and Bosco dei Mostri (“Monsters’ Grove”) over the years. Dating from 1552, the park consists of a garden filled with splendid sculpted monsters engraved with enigmatic Italian verses, as well as a twisted house. Designed by architect Pirro Ligorio, the park fell into disarray until it was restored by the Bettini family.
Ancient cavemen would be charmed by the Gamirasu Cave Hotel, modern cave dwellings set in a restored thousand-year-old Byzantine monastery in Turkey. The hotel’s got some cool highlights, such as Turkish cooking courses where you can try your hand at Turkish wine-making or bake artisanal breads in a stone oven.
But perhaps the most unique perk is the chance to witness the meditational dance of Whirling Dervishes. This Sufi worship ceremony, formally known as the Sema, is performed with the aim of reaching religious ecstasy. The spinning of the body in repetitive circles is said to be symbolic of planets orbiting the sun.
In the winter resort of Arosa, Switzerland, at the Tschuggen Grand Hotel, Swiss architect Mario Botta has designed a wellness complex filled with pools, a rock grotto, spa suites, a fitness center, meditation rooms, and sun terraces, plus health and beauty facilities. The wintertime juxtaposition of snow pierced by glass creates a magical atmosphere, perfect for rejuvenation.
Imagine slumbering way up high in a tree amid a soundtrack of birds and windows that show off sky. Well you can do just that at the Treehotel, located near the arctic circle in the tiny Swedish village of Harads. A town with a population of only 600, this is the perfect place to reconnect with nature in a truly unique way.
Looking for a unique travel experience? Try staying in a gypsy caravan! Romantic, fun, and all the rage right now, gypsy caravans, also known as roulottes in French, come decked out in full bohemian chic, creating a dreamy ambiance that global nomads are sure to appreciate.
Check out a couple caravan hotels here and here. Gypsy caravans can also be rented out to tour around in. What a fantastic way to experience the French countryside! And for those who fall in love with les roulottes, you can buy your very own dream wagon from the Gypsy Caravan Company.
[ photos via lesroulottes ]
Check out this stone house in the mountains of Fafe, Portugal!
[ via A Cup of Jo and Feliciano Guimaraes ]
Earlier this week, 1.5 million people filled the streets of Berlin, Germany to watch a several-day performance by France’s Royal de Luxe street theatre company titled “The Berlin Reunion”. Part of the celebrations of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Reunion show featured two massive marionettes, the Big Giant, a deep-sea diver, and his niece, the Little Giantess. The storyline of the performance has the two separated by a wall, thrown up by “land and sea monsters”. The Big Giant has just returned from a long and difficult – but successful – expedition to destroy the wall, and now the two are walking the streets of Berlin, seeking each other after many years apart. I’ll let the photos below tell the rest of the story.
[ Via Boston.com ]
