My Photo Blog

Easter Holiday in Serres and Thessaloniki, Greece

In Serres

My husband Alkis in his hometown, Serres

Serres

Alkis's youngest brother is an expert at preparing and cooking the Easter lamb.

Electra Palace Hotel, Thessaloniki

Aristotelous Square, Thessaloniki

Lefkonas-Serres

Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki

Paphos, Cyprus - February 2012

Coral Bay

Coral Bay

Alkis at Coral Bay Hotel and Resorts

Me at Coral Bay Hotel and Resort

Paphos Harbour

Paphos Harbour

Paphos Harbour

Paphos Harbour

The Medieval Castle in Paphos

Paphos Harbour

Sushi at Samisen Japanese Restaurant, Coral Bay, Paphos

Ricky at Work - Samisen Japanese Restaurant, Coral Bay, Paphos

 

Sunrise Viewed from The Golden Coast Hotel - Protaras, Cyprus

All photos are the courtesy of The Golden Coast Hotel

A Virtual Tour of Paris - January 2012 - Part 2

 

Champs de Mars    

 

Champs-de-Mars is a large greenspace located in the seventh arrondissement between the Eiffel Tower to the northwest and the military school to the southeast. The park is named after Campus Martius in Rome - atribute to the Roman god of war, Mars. The lawns here were formerly used as drilling and marching grounds for the French military.

 

 

Dôme des Invalides

Stretching between Place Vauban and the Esplanade des Invalides, this vast complex of buildings includes the Hôtel des Invalides, the Dôme and the church of Saint Louis. The whole construction ordered by Louis XIV was built to house old and disable soldiers who often had to beg for a living then. Directly under the dome is the entrance to the crypt which contains the tomb of Napoleon Bonaparte.

 

 

Galeries Lafayette

Galeries Lafayette is one of the greatest shopping centres in Paris. If you enjoy shopping, you'll love it! The French know how to turn shopping into a real pleasure - even if you don't buy anything.

 

Place du Trocadéro

Trocadero square is one of Paris's most attractive squares as you can have a splendid view of the Eiffel Tower from there. The equestrian statue of Marshal Foch stands in the centre of the square.

 

Cartier-Champs Elysées

Cartier, one of the world's premium watch and jewellery brands, was founded in Paris in 1847 by Louis-François Cartier when he took over the workshop of his master. In 1874, his son Alfred Cartier took over the administration of the company, but it was Alfred's sons Louis, Pierre and Jacques, who were responsible for establishing the worldwide brand name of Cartier.

 

 

Cartier - Avenue de la Paix

 

Le Jardin des Tuileries

The Gardens of the Tuileries stretch about 1 km from Place du Caroussel to Place de la Concorde. The ground was bought by Catherine de Medici in 1563 to create an English-style garden. The present garden of the Tuileries consists of two large areas connected by a central avenue flanked by flower-beds containing statues.

 

Louis Vuitton

The prestigious Louis Vuitton shop on Champs-Elysées

 

Fouquet - Champs-Elysées

Fouquet's is probably the most well-known bistrot and restaurant in Paris. This is where you will meet celebrities from France and from all over the world.

 

All photos by Anastasia Marou

 

A Virtual Tour of Paris - January 2012 - Part 1

 

 

L'Arc de Triomph - Arch of Triumph

 

The Arch of Triumph, completed in 1836, was ordered by Napoleon as a memorial to the Great Army. It predominates Place Charles de Gaulle at the end of Champs-Elysées. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was placed under the Arch in1920.

 

La Tour Eiffel - Eiffel Tower

 

Undoubteddly, the Eiffel Tower is the symbol of Paris. The tower was erected on the occasion of the World Fair in 1889 and was conceived and designed by the engineer Gustave Eiffel. It's 320 metres high and weighs 7,000 tons while its interlaced structure consists of 15,000 pieces of metal welded together. It stands on four huge pylons with cement bases and has three floors with bars and restaurants where tourists can enjoy a panoramic view of Paris. On a clear day, you can see up to 35 km.

 

Opera

The Opera in Paris is the largest  theatre for lyric opera in the world. It covers an area of 120,000 square feet and can accommodate more than 2,000 people while on its stage there's room for more than 400 performers. It is also, perhaps, the most interesting building from the era of Napoleon III.

 

Le Louvre - The Louvre Museum

 

The collection of works exhibited in the Louvre is so vast that it has often been described as "the world's most important museum".

 

River Seine

 There's nothing like taking a boat trip along the Seine...regardless of the weather.

 

Concorde Square

 

During the French Revolution, la Place de la Concorde became the site of the guillotine. Many personalities of the time lost their heads under its blade: Louis XVI and his queen Marie-Antoinette, Madame Roland, Robespierre and many others. The square became Place de la Concorde in 1795. In the centre of the square there is the Egyptian Obelisk from the temple of Luxor offered to Louis Philippe in 1831 by Mehmet Ali.

 

Notre Dame Cathedral

 The Cathedral of Notre Dame was originally built on the site of a Christian basilica dating back to Roman times. The church was begun in 1163 under Bishop Maurice de Sully. As time passed, the nave and aisles followed and finally the facade was completed in 1200 by Bishop Eudes de Sully.

 

Grand Palais

 The World Fair held in Paris in 1900 was an important step in the city's art and architecture. As a reflection of this era, the two adjacent buildings called the Petit Palais and the Grand Palais were erected.  The Grand Palais, built by  Deglane and Louvet, has a facade with Ionic columns. Important artistic events take place there today.

 

The Equestrian Statue of Marshal Foch

 The Equestrian Statue of marshal Foch stands at the centre of Trocadero Square dominated by the Eiffel Tower.

 

The Bridge of Alexander III

 The bridge of Alexander III joins the Esplanade des Invalides to the Champs-Elysées and was built between 1896 and 1900. It is named after Czar Alexander III whose son Nicholas II inaugurated it. Garlands of flowers, lamps held up by cherubs and deities make up the decorative features of the bridge.  

All photos by Anastasia Marou