Emeritamanansala

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The Vatican Treasures

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Duration: 9:35
Updated: 09 Dec 2012

In the heart of Rome, the "Eternal City," can be found the world's smallest sovereign city-state, the Vatican. It covers an area of about 1 square km and is surrounded by the city wall which was built to protect the Pope. As the headquarters of the Catholic Church, it draws people from all corners of the globe to St. Peter's Square, St. Peter's Basilica, the Vatican Museums, and the Sistine Chapel. The arrogant opulence of the Vatican is manifested in its treasures. The Vatican Museums are huge and it's impossible to see everything in one visit - even just for the highlights. Our tour started at the domed Quattro Cancelli area, near the entrance, and finished at the Sistine Chapel. Each gallery contains priceless treasures but for this tour, we focused on the Stanza di Raffaello, the Tapestries Gallery, the Gallerie delle Carte Geografiche (Map Gallery) and, of course, the Sistine Chapel. The chapel's ceiling, which was painted by Michelangelo Buonarroti (commissioned by Pope Julius II della Rovere in 1508 and completed in 1512), is an incredible, neck-breaking piece of art! Its two most famous pieces are Michelangelo's Genesis, which is located on the barrel-vaulted ceiling, and the Last Judgement, which is located on the end wall. This is also where the papal conclave is locked to elect a pope. The conclave is one of the most significant functions of the Sistine Chapel. The frescoes down the middle of the chapel represent nine scenes from the book of Genesis, with the ...

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Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia

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Duration: 11:38
Updated: 09 Dec 2012

(Part 2 of the original and complete video on our travelogue) From Jefferson's Monticello at Charlottesville, Virginia, we drove to Colonial Williamsburg in 2.5 hours. Transported 300 years back in time, here we expected to experience the beginning, middle and end of Colonial America in a single day. The Historic Area of Colonial Williamsburg stretches over 301 acres, and includes 88 original 18th-century structures. Here hundreds of houses, shops and public buildings are reconstructed on their original foundations. Some buildings are open to the public, while others are private residences and administrative offices. Colonial Williamsburg is a combination of a historical landmark and a living history museum. But, unlike other living history museums, anyone can walk through the historic district of Williamsburg free of charge at any hour of the day. Charges apply only to those visitors who wish to enter the historic buildings to see arts and crafts demonstrations and to ride the shuttle bus. Our first stop was Bassett Hall, the Rockefeller's home, and to quote his biographer, "perhaps his favorite residence -- the one that most attracted him in his later years -- where he found the satisfaction of creation, of being a part of one of his own great dreams." A simple two-story 18th-century white frame farmhouse nestled on 585 acres of lawn, garden, and woodlands, Bassett Hall was built between 1753 and 1766. At the time of our visit, it was closed. The second stop was at the ...

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Krakow

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Duration: 5:22
Updated: 28 Dec 2012

Krakow is Poland's prime tourist attraction, a must with few equals in the entire Central and Eastern Europe. The place has been settled since the Stone Age at least. In 1038 Krakow became the capital of Poland, and Polish monarchs took up their residence in its Wawel Royal Castle, for centuries the sanctuary of the Piast, Jagiellon and Vasa dynasties. Inside the castle is a unique collection of tapestries owned by king Sigismund August, and on the ceiling of the Envoy Hall, also known as the "Heads Hall," are 194 wooden heads of men and women from all walks of life. Beside the castle is the Wawel Cathedral-Basilica, Poland's national sanctuary with 1000-year-old history. It is arguably the most interesting place in the whole of Poland, home to Pope John Paul II, as Karol Wojtyla, for four decades--practically throughout his entire adult life. It is also the burial ground of most Polish royalty as well as their greatest national heroes, two poets, four saints and countless Krakow bishops. The Old Town historical district in Krakow's heart is actually the medieval city established in 1257 by Prince Boleslav V, the ruler of Poland at the time. Its well preserved original grid of streets with the huge central Grand Square, Europe's largest in the Middle Ages, seems the last stage in the perfection of medieval city planning. Fortunately, the historic city survived the last war almost intact. UNESCO entered the whole of Krakow's Old Town in the list of the world's cultural ...

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Monaco and Nice

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Duration: 7:52
Updated: 09 Dec 2012

Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, one of the 26 regions of France, includes Provence, the former papal territory of Avignon, the county of Nice, whose coastline is known in English as the French Riviera, and in French as the Côte d'Azur, bounded to the east by the Italian border, to the south by the Mediterranean Sea and by the principality of Monaco. This series focuses on Monaco, founded by Francois Grimaldi in 1297, and Nice. Monaco is the world's most populated country and second-smallest independent state after the Vatican City. The principal residential and resort area is Monte-Carlo, created in 1866, and host to the world's first and grandest Old World hotel, Hotel de Paris, built in 1864. beside an internationally famous Casino, surrounded by gardens, museums, and leisure facilities, mostly along the French Riviera. Only minutes from Monaco is Nice, the 5th largest city in France, founded probably around 350 BC by the Greeks of Massilia (Marseille), and received the name of "Nikaia" in honor of a victory over the neighboring Ligurians (Nike being the Greek goddess of Victory). It boasts of a celebrated promenade along the Mediterranean Sea (the Promenade des Anglais), beautiful parks and gardens like Place Massena and Place Garibaldi, museums (Chagall, Matisse), luxury hotels (Negresco, Le Meridien), and churches (St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Cathedral, the oldest Russian church in Western Europe, and Basilique Notre-Dame). The only way to get to know the real Nice is ...

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Imagine Strawberry Fields

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Duration: 10:31
Updated: 09 May 2012

Strawberry Fields is a living memorial to the world-famous singer, songwriter, and social activist John Lennon (1940--1980). This 2.5 acre area of Central Park, which the Lennons adopted as their favorite oasis in the park, was named in 1981, and the re-landscaped Strawberry Fields was dedicated in 1985, and named after his famous song Strawberry Fields Forever. In the 1970s Lennon and Ono settled in New York, and in 1973 moved into the landmark Dakota Mansion (designed by Henry J. Hardenbergh and built in 1881-1884), on 72nd Street and Central Park West. They occupied a series of apartments on the sixth floor; Yoko purchased offices on the first floor for their company, Lenono. On December 8, 1980, obsessed fan Mark David Chapman fatally shot Lennon in front of his home, an event that shocked the city and was felt around the world. At Strawberry Fields, landscape architect Bruce Kelly designed a meditative Garden of Peace, rich in trees, shrubs and flowers, which was integrated with the historic landscape of Frederick Law Olmsted (1822--1903) and Calvert Vaux (1824--1895). There are over 120 different species of plants and trees contained in Strawberry Fields. The path that runs through it is shaped like a tear drop. The slope behind the memorial is called Rose Hill, for the rambling roses amidst the bedrock. At the western apex of the garden, Neopolitan artisans crafted a circular black and white mosaic emblem into the pavement, containing a starburst pattern and the ...

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Beaune

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Duration: 9:59
Updated: 09 Dec 2012

Beaune is a quaint, charming jewel-of-a-town in the midst of a vast medieval countryside, the main town among the sleepy villages of the Cote d'Or region of Burgundy. Burgundy (Bourgogne) only became part of France in 1477: Up until then the region was an independent dukedom that was more affluent and more influential than the Kingdom of France itself during the 14th and 15th centuries. As the wine capital of Burgundy, and the embodiment of the Burgundian spirit, Beaune manages to retain its air of ancient French town while catering to the influx of tourists who come to buy the wine. The old city is enclosed by ramparts and a stream, around which runs the one-way boulevard known by seven different names. Distinctive of Beaune, with its narrow cobbled streets and old houses, ancient trees and hidden gardens, and its steep roofs of multicolored tiles, is this delightful complex building of the poor, the Hospices de Beaune. These historical hospitals mark the very beginning of the history of charity work, and recall, in its elegant originality, the municipal buildings of Flanders ; it is Flemish art at its most brilliant period, transported to Burgundy. The Hospices de Beaune is one of the best preserved examples of medieval architecture in Europe. Built in 1443 by Philippe-le-bon (Philip the Fair), Duke of Burgundy, as a hospital and home for the poor following the Hundred Years War, the Hospice, which has been a working hospital since its founding, is actually two major ...

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The Best of France - Versailles

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Duration: 10:00
Updated: 13 Dec 2012

It took just under 60 years to turn the Chateau de Versailles from Louis XIII's modest hunting lodge into the spectacular palace of the Court of France. In that time, from 1624-1683, and until 1789, the estate became the epitome of opulence throughout Europe. Much of it was imitated but never matched. On May 6, 1682, the Château de Versailles became the official residence, replacing the palace at the Louvre. Born out of the will of a "Sun King," Versailles, a wealthy suburb 17 kms. from Paris, has a rational and symmetrical grid of streets. For the standards of the 18th century, it was a very modern European city, and was used as a model for the building of Washington DC by Pierre Charles L'Enfant. Seat of the political power, Versailles naturally became the cradle of the French Revolution. The Estates-General met in Versailles on May 5, 1789. Eventually, a throng from Paris invaded the castle and forced Louis XVI and his royal family to move back to Paris. The Palace drew visitors right from the days of Louis XIV. The museum now receives three million visitors per year, while the grounds attract an estimated six million. The great and famous have always been among such visitors: Peter the Great of Russia (1717), Benjamin Franklin (1766 and 1778), Gustav III of Sweden (1783), Queen Victoria (1842), etc. A whole day's tour took me only to the Grand Apartment and its seven salons named after the planets, the Hall of Mirrors (the most famous of the Chateau's rooms, where the ...

http://wn.com/The_Best_of_France_Versailles

New York, New York!

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Duration: 10:00
Updated: 29 Oct 2012

They don't come any bigger than the Big Apple - king of the hill, top of the heap, New York, New York. Capital of the world, New York has it all. For a closer look at the city, Mara, my 3-year old granddaughter, wandered through Times Square, the streets of Greenwich Village and Soho, and rode on a ferry to Liberty Island. One of her favorite parks, next to Central Park, is Bryant Park. Nestled behind the grand public library is this lovely square of green where local Midtown workers gather for lunch-time picnics on warm afternoons. Among its offerings are impressive skyscraper views, Europe-like coffee kiosks, a carousel and frequent special events. City Hall Park with its gas lamps, fountains, and lovely landscaping is a nice place to have a milk break for Mara. Central Park, an 843-acre carpet of green, is a stunning park, located right in the middle of the borough, definitely a place that is not to be missed. An oasis from the insanity - the lush lawns, cool forests, flowering gardens, glassy bodies of water and meandering, wooded paths provide the dose of serene nature. Mara especially loved the children's playground, Strawberry Fields, and Turtle Pond. This trip also took Mara to the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, the largest place of worship in the USA - and it's not finished. On completion, the 183m (601ft)-long Episcopal cathedral will rank as the third-largest church in the world (after St Peter's Basilica in Rome, and Our Lady of Peace at Yamoussoukro in ...

http://wn.com/New_York,_New_York!

Connecticut 2010

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Duration: 9:54
Updated: 09 Dec 2012

Day 1 of our road trip to Boston, we had our first stop at New Haven, Connecticut, to visit Yale University (after 2 hrs and 111 miles of traveling). A walking tour of Yale University offers Yale's rich 300-year history. Our particular interest was to see the Gothic Sterling Memorial Library (at 110 Wall St.) and the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, home to the rare Gutenberg Bible. But at the time of visit, the Library was closed to open only at 1pm. So on to our second stop at Hartford (less than one hour from Yale, 40 miles along I-91), the state capital, with its historic buildings, such as the Old State House, the Center Church, with stained glass windows by Louis Tiffany, and the Wadsworth Atheneum, a castle-like structure with a refurbished sculpture garden and a collection of many fine paintings. Because of time constraints, we did not visit these places and instead proceeded to a must-see highlight of our tour, the home of Samuel L. Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, an eclectic, 19-room mansion on Farmington Avenue (No. 351). And we were not disappointed. This was followed by a rare lunch stop at Quaker Diner, in West Hartford. Situated near the intersection of Park Road and South Quaker Lane, this tiny diner is fashioned like an antique railroad dining-car and has been serving generations of hungry guests since the 1930s. Considering how small the eatery is, our wait time wasnt too bad. The menu didnt offer anything terribly unusual, just a wide ...

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The Best of Spain - Madrid

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Duration: 9:56
Updated: 09 Dec 2012

Spain's headiest city, Madrid was uprooted from rural obscurity to become the capital of Spain and its seat of government only in the second half of the 16th century. With a myriad of truly great art museums to include the Museo del Prado, and buildings like the Palacio Real that span centuries, plus lively plazas like the Plaza Mayor, mighty boulevards like the Gran Via, majestic fountains like Cibeles and Neptune, and monuments like Cervantes, Madrid, brimming with character, has plenty of sights to keep the eyes, ears and mind occupied.

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Salzburg, Austria 2004

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Duration: 10:03
Updated: 09 Dec 2012

Salzburg, the inner city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is spread out below the brooding presence of the Hohensalzburg fortress, the churches, squares and alleyways, which today represents a long-disappeared Europe. For many, Salzburg is the quintessential Austria, offering the best of the country's Baroque architecture, subalpine scenery and a musical heritage largely provided by the city's most famous son, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. I took a journey to Salzburg in August 2004 on the final days of my Vienna sojourn on the occasion of the ICA (International Council on Archives) Congress.

http://wn.com/Salzburg,_Austria_2004

Ilokandia Tour

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Duration: 4:39
Updated: 09 Dec 2012

No other place in the Philippines is as exhilarating as a tour of the Ilocos province. The Cape Bojeador Lighthouse in Burgos, the 17th-century Paoay Church and Sta. Maria Church (both UNESCO World Heritage sites), and the ancestral homes in Vigan like Villa Angela, are but a few must-see places to visit. Vigan, the best-preserved example of a planned Spanish colonial town in Asia. has a unique culture and townscape without parallel anywhere in East and Southeast Asia. The beauty of Ilocos is not merely depicted by these remarkable historical sites. Pagudpud beaches rival that of Boracay's.

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HK Disneyland 2010

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Duration: 10:11
Updated: 11 Aug 2012

We went to HK last March 13-16 for a short pleasure trip so Mara, my granddaughter, can enjoy another Disneyland, this time not so far from home. Hong Kong Disneyland is located on Lantau Island, which is accessible via an extensive transportation network. We took an MTR from Yau Ma Tei and stopped at Lai King to get to the Tung Chung Line. At Sunny Bay station, we took the Disney train. This is Part 1 in a series of Disney videos of this trip, starting from the Disney entrance to the ticket gate. From there, Mara took the Cinderella Carousel with Tita Cres, and we all went for a ride to "It's a small world", where this series ends.

http://wn.com/HK_Disneyland_2010

The Best of Spain - Burgos and Segovia

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Duration: 8:50
Updated: 13 Dec 2012

Typical medieval castilian ambience describes Burgos and Segovia. Burgos was founded in 884, and its historical heritage is evident everywhere. It is a monumental town, the capital of the unified kingdom of Castilla-Leon for five centuries, and boasts of a masterpiece of Spanish Gothic architecture, the cathedral of Santa Maria, a World Heritage. Full of charm and history, the city of Segovia is located 53 miles northwest of Madrid. In December 1985, the old town of Segovia and its Aqueduct were declared World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. The Alcazar (fortress) of Segovia probably dates back to Roman times, although the first documented record is from the twelfth century. The countless monuments, parks and walks and the little streets in the old part of the city make a wander through Burgos and Segovia a truly fascinating experience.

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Philadelphia 2011

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Duration: 8:59
Updated: 09 Dec 2012

A 2-hour drive from New York is historic Philadelphia, which I had visited many times in the past but this time, for the first time, with my lawyer-son and wife and their 2 daughters. Upon arrival, we were lucky to get a nice parking spot at Walnut Street, a block away from Independence Hall. At Independence Square, we posed beside Robert Morris's monument and the State House. The State House or, as it is popularly known, Independence Hall, was begun in 1732 and considered finished by 1756 as the Pennsylvania State House. In front of the entrance itself is a familiar statue of Washington erected in 1869. Philadelphia schoolchildren, beginning in 1860, gave their pennies to pay for it. We were about to line up here when we were told to get the tickets at the Visitors Center. So off to the Center, passing by Liberty Bell (where we saw a real loooong queue). At the Independence Visitor Center, we found out that all the tickets to the Independence Hall have run out, and we would have to wait until 5pm when tickets would not be required to visit the Hall. So we decided to make our own walking tour from the Town Hall to Carpenters Hall, to Christ Church, Betsy Ross House, the Quakers Meeting House, and the Row Houses (Todd House and Bishop White House). Not very far from where we parked, on the corner of 4th and Walnut Streets stands the Todd House, home of Dolly Madison. It was built in 1775 and occupied from 1791 to 1793 by John Todd, Jr., and his wife, Dolly Payne. After ...

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Montserrat

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Duration: 1:37
Updated: 09 Dec 2012

Montserrat is a mountain near Barcelona, in Catalonia, Spain, the site of a Benedictine abbey, Santa María de Montserrat, where the Black Virgin is enshrined. The Virgin of Montserrat is a statue of the Virgin Mary and infant Christ venerated at the Santa María de Montserrat monastery. It is one of the black Madonnas of Europe, hence its familiar Catalan name, la Moreneta ("The little dark-skinned one"). Believed by some to have been carved in Jerusalem in the early days of the church, it is a Romanesque sculpture in wood from the late 12th century.

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The Best of Spain - Barcelona

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Duration: 4:50
Updated: 13 Dec 2012

Situated on the northeast coast of Spain not far from the French border, Barcelona, the Paris of Spain, is the capital of the region of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain. With its unique Catalan culture and cutting-edge Art Nouveau, the Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família, designed by Antoni Gaudi, Barcelona is a favorite tourist destination. A side trip to Montserrat, not far from the city, home to the Shrine of Our Lady of Montserrat, the miraculous Black Virgin, or in Spanish, La Moreneta, is an unforgettable pilgrimage.

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The Best of Spain - Sevilla

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Duration: 9:44
Updated: 09 Dec 2012

According to legend, Sevilla was founded by Hercules, and was called Hispalis under the Romans, and Isbiliya with the Moors. One of the largest historical centers in Europe, Sevilla has the minaret of La Giralda, the Cathedral (one of the largest in Christendom), and the Alcázar Palace. Part of its treasure include Torre del Oro, the Town Hall, Archive of the Indies (where the historical records of the Philippines and Spanish colonies in the American continent are kept), the Fine Arts Museum (the second largest picture gallery in Spain) , Plaza de Toros de la Maestranza (a famous bullring), and Plaza de España, the site of an international exhibition (1929). The administrative capital of Andalucía, Sevilla is the largest town in Southern Spain, the city of Carmen, Don Juan and Figaro, and the birthplace of two Roman emperors, Trajan and Hadrian.

http://wn.com/The_Best_of_Spain_Sevilla

Christmas Holidays in Vigan

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Duration: 9:52
Updated: 11 Aug 2012

Vigan is where the Ilocos Region's myriad of cultures and histories converge to become a living museum of a spirited past - a shrine, a landmark, a heritage house, a garden filled with native burnay jars, a horse-drawn carriage (calesa), cobble-stoned streets, wide open beaches -- they all share space in the timeless land of Ilocos Sur. A long Christmas holiday is well spent here.

http://wn.com/Christmas_Holidays_in_Vigan

Villa Escudero 2006

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Duration: 10:07
Updated: 09 Dec 2012

An interesting two-hour drive South from Metro Manila brought us to one of the Philippines' most popular get-aways, Villa Escudero, where Philippine culture and history comes to life. Villa Escudero is a working coconut plantation founded in 1872 and opened as a resort in 1980. After a welcome drink of fresh young coconut, we were taken around the plantation cum resort onboard carabao-drawn carts while being serenaded by the local folks at the same time. We stayed in two riverside cottages and one apartment-type suite. We feasted on a Filipino buffet lunch, set in a flowing stream amidst lush tropical vegetation, and buffet dinner and breakfast the next day at the huge pavillion. Lunch on the second day was highlighted with a cultural show. To cap the two-day trip, we visited the Escudero family's vast collection of religious art and artifacts housed in a nearby private museum.

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Welcome to Villa Angela Heritage House in Vigan, Ilocos Sur

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Duration: 5:49
Updated: 09 Dec 2012

Mara Verzosa takes us on a tour of Villa Angela Heritage House, a typical 1850's Vigan house, now transformed into the city's most charming pensione hotel. It stands proudly on a 2000 square meter lot as a shining example of a Vigan Heritage House. Being a rich depository of the Verzosa Family's relics and memorabilia acquired through the years, Villa Angela remains a showcase of the family's past and present standing in the Vigan community. The house has been continuously maintained to be as elegant as it was over 100 years ago. The rooms are filled with antique furniture seen only in big colonial houses. The huge garden is used for social functions as well as the vintage carriage. Please visit our website for more info on accommodations and rates: www.villangela.com

http://wn.com/Welcome_to_Villa_Angela_Heritage_House_in_Vigan,_Ilocos_Sur

Dakak 2007

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Duration: 10:01
Updated: 12 Aug 2012

Zamboanga del Norte in northern Mindanao, known for the beauty of the Orchid City of Dipolog and the historical, rustic quaintness of the Shrine City of Dapitan, is today famous for its foremost natural attraction, the very popular Dakak Beach, which boasts of its beautifully shaped cove and powdery white sand, pristine blue warm waters, excellent dive sites with an abundance of coral reefs, and a magnificent sunset horizon. This tropical eden lies on 15 hectares of wooded land, a natural reservoir for native plants and animals, and a 750-meter private white-sand beach, about 40 minutes drive from the Dipolog airport. Here we spent a 3-day holiday enjoying Dakak, a trip to Dapitan City, where Jose Rizal spent the last 4 years of his life in exile before his martyrdom, and of course, Dipolog city center. Part 1 is all on this earthly paradise, Dakak, while Part 2 covers the twin cities of Dapitan and Dipolog (url: www.youtube.com ).

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The Best of Spain - Toledo

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Duration: 7:42
Updated: 09 Dec 2012

Toledo, La Ciudad Imperial (the Imperial City), is Iberia's Rome with a cultural maze of mosques, synagogues, churches, and museums. Known as Toletum, the name the Romans gave to this settlement on the banks of the River Tagus after its conquest in 190 BC, it became the capital of Hispania in the 6th cent. The arrival of the Arabs in the 8th cent., together with the presence of Christians and Jews, made Toledo the "city of the three cultures." Its labyrinthine streets, plazas and inner patios, the dominant Alcázar of the Middle Ages, the imposing Cathedral (the best example of Spanish Gothic art), El Greco's Casa-museo, and the Mudejar-inspired Santa María La Blanca Synagogue, are but a few of the reasons why the entire city was declared in 1986 by UNESCO a monument of world interest.

http://wn.com/The_Best_of_Spain_Toledo

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