Visit to Hagia Sophia (Holy Wisdom) in Istanbul, Turkey

It was a superb trip we had in Turkey last September 2011. The 10-day trip was worth it. We did visited a lot of historical sites in the different places in Turkey. One of it was Istanbul, the most populous city in this country. It is also the cultural and financial center of Turkey. Istanbul was one of three European Capitals of Culture in 2010.

One of the interesting sites we visited in Istanbul is the Hagia Sophia, literally means "Holy Wisdom" and called in Turkish as Ayasofya. It was once an Orthodox patriarchal basilica, later a mosque and now a museum. It is famous for its massive dome and the it is considered as the epitome of Byzantine architecture.

It was the largest cathedral in the world for nearly a thousand years, until Seville Cathedral was completed in 1520. The current building was originally constructed as a church between 532 and 537 on the orders of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian and was the third Church of the Holy Wisdom to occupy the site, the previous two having both been destroyed by rioters. It was designed by the Greek scientists Isidore of Miletus, a physicist, and Anthemius of Tralles, a mathematician.

Never miss this place when visiting Istanbul. It's truly worthy to visit. There is an entrance fee when going inside. If I am not mistaken, it cost 20 Turkish lira, around 10 Euros.

the Fountain (Şadırvan) for ritual ablutions in the left side front of Hagia Sophia. It was once an Orthodox patriarchal basilica, later a mosque

Interior view of the Hagia Sophia, taken during our visit last September 20, 2011.

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Beautiful Places to Spend Your Honeymoon

Still planning where and what type of honeymoon you want to spend? For newly wed couple, honeymoon is something that you are always dreaming for a long time and you always wanted it to be unforgettable. Even before the wedding, it is already included in your plans.

There are a lot of beautiful places on earth to spend a special and memorable honeymoon. You can surely find affordable Honeymoon Packages especially if you plan your it ahead of time.

the Eiffel Tower in Paris, considered to be the most iconic landmark in this city. Taken during my second visit last summer 2010.

Paris, France

I remembered someone who wish to spend their honeymoon in Europe this summer. One of the cities they wish to visit is Paris. Being one of the most romantic cities in the world, spending a honeymoon in Paris is truly an unforgettable experience. A romantic walk in Champs Elysees, a cruise in Seine river, a dinner on top of Eiffel Tower restaurant are only some of the wonderful things you can experience in Paris.

Maldives

I remember hubby's colleague telling me that he always wanted to go to Maldives. Why not? It is a beautiful place to spend a holiday especially for honeymooners. Maldives is an archipelago in the southern part of Asia which lie south-southwest of India. It has beautiful white fine sand beaches with crystal clear waters. If you want to have an adventurous honeymoon, you can do diving and snorkelling in its abundant underwater life.

people riding a gondola in Venice. I took this image during my third visit three weeks ago.

Venice, Italy

It is one considered to be one of the most interesting and lovely places in the world. That is also the reason why I always keep on coming back to Venice. How romantic it is to take a gondola ride along the narrow canals of Venice with singing gondoliers! A stroll in its famous St. Mark's square or seeing the works of Michelangelo in some of the city's top art galleries. Shopping is also a great experience in Venice. For honeymooners, Venice is simply a perfect place!

Sydney, Australia

This is the most cosmopolitan city in Australia and considered to be one of the world's most beautiful and liveable cities. For this reason spending a honeymoon down under Australia's largest and oldest city is quite an interesting experience. A walk to its national parks or sand beaches, a visit to the famous Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge are only some of things you can do in this city.

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My Europe Travel in Venice, Italy

I had the chance to visit Venice again for the third time. You know why I came back there last weekend? The main reason is to ride the gondola. For me, this is one of the great experience when visiting Venice. The price depends on long you want to ride the gondola. A 30-minutes ride costs 80.00 Euros up to six persons. From 120-150 Euros, you can have a 45 minutes ride. I guess it is not too bad especially if you want to see the narrow canals and want to see more of Venice.

Venice is one of the most interesting and lovely places in the world. I say so because I had been there thrice and I always love it. That is also one of the reasons why Venice is always flocked with tourists every day.

Venice seems to be a small city but it is not.It is made of different districts and visiting it in a day or two is not enough. If you happen to visit Venice, be sure to visit its famous square, the St. Mark's Square.

More updates and images in my future posts.

gondolas in Venice, Italy during my third visit last July 3, 2011.

the Campanilla or Bell tower in the background.

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Looking for Cheap Flights

I am just done having a conversation with a very good friend. There are just important things that we need to talk to especially the projects that we are planning in a couple of weeks. Anyway back to my main topic. I mentioned yesterday that a very good friend from the United States will be visiting us here in Europe this summer. She has been searching for cheap flights online for her travel here. I believed she already booked her ticket. She told me that it is the cheapest one she can find online. She also told me that sometimes international airfares are quite expensive but she is happy to find the cheapest one in the net. I am not so sure now what airline my friend will be flying with from United States to Germany.

We are thankful that nowadays, we can already search online for the cheapest possible fares or any vacation packages we want. Thanks to internet technology and to the different travel sites that offers services like these. I believed that booking earlier is also cheaper as booking on last minute.

If you are coming from Australia or in any part of the globe, you might want to visit Travel.com.au website to find cheap flights to different destinations around the world. They also cater united airlines reservations to 210 destinations in 29 countries around the world. Feel free to visit Australia's oldest travel website for whatever travel needs you want from cruises, travel insurance, flights, hotels, flights, holidays and a lot more.

I am also sharing a picture here taken while boarding a plane from Munich, Germany to Doha, Qatar last November 2009.

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