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Saturday, December 25, 2010

Through the Italian Lakes to Black Forest

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The most famous lakes in Italy are in what is sometimes called the Italian Lake District, in the north of the country not far from the Alps. The northern Italian lakes are beautiful and atmospheric, where mountains descend to meet the lakeshore, and stately grand hotels dominate pretty lakeside towns. 

 

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Dam on lake at Passo Fedaia where the scenes from "The Italian Job" were shot.

 

 

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To many, the famous northern lakes are the 'Italian Lakes', but in fact these are not the only attractive enclosed expanses of water in the Italian peninsula. Lakes don't come much more dramatic than Lakes Garda and Como, but further south in rather tamer surroundings the independent traveller may find some placid gems.

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Lake Garda, Italy's biggest lake, is long and slim with a southern shore of low, rolling hills, and a contrasting northern end which is surrounded by towering mountains.

 

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Lake Como is more tranquil and wooded than Lake Garda, although here too, you can head easily for more rugged terrain. The lake is a reminder of bygone holiday elegance, with a steamer cruising between resort towns and stately gardens open to the public.

 

 

Black Forest

 

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The Black Forest is a wooded mountain range in Baden (southwestern Germany), bordered by the Rhine valley. The name Schwarzwald, i.e. Black Forest, goes back to the Romans who referred to the thickly forested mountains there as Silva Nigra , i.e. "Black Forest," because the dense growth of conifers in the forest blocked out most of the light inside the forest.

 

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The famous River Danube originates in the Black Forest as the confluence of the Brigach and Breg rivers. Black Forest ham also originated from this region, and so, by name and reputation at least, did the Black Forest Cake. It also is known as the "Black Forest Cherry Cake" or "Black Forest Gateau" and is made with chocolate cake, cream, sour cherries and Kirsch.

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Friday, December 17, 2010

Finding Mona (1902-Present)

 

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About halfway between Islamabad and Lahore is Mona, home of Pakistani remounts… an oasis amongst dust and rubble. It is next to the town of Phularwan, located on the Lahore-Islamabad motorway (M2) at the Salam interchange in Sargodha District. Phularwan is known for its oranges.

 

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Rashid's House

 

This Bungalow was built in 1907, more than hundred years old. It still has the original wood work, wood shed, and the fire place. The really thick walls are still standing strong and provide cool environment in the searing summers.

 

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The Car Park

 

 

 

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Farmyard

 

 

 

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The Family

 

 

 

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A Deadly Ludo Match

 

 

 

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The Buggy Ride

 

One of the highlights of stay was a ride on beautiful buggy. The driver holds a local record of assembling and driving a 28 horse-drawn carriage which is up for the Guinness Book of World Records. The current international record is 23 horse-drawn carriage.

During the ride we wandered into donkey territory where the donkeys were not very happy to be called donkeys.

 

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The Remounts!

 

Mona is the biggest remount depot of Pakistan where horses are bred and trained for war and transport purposes by Pakistan Army. These horses are particularly useful in mountainous regions and the battlefields in the Northern Areas. Their beautiful coats shone brightly in the sun.

 

 

   

Friday, December 3, 2010

Riding Our Horses On The Paris Ocean

How did we make it possible?

 

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Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Tuscany and Cinque Terre

The Five Lands


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The Fairytale village of Manarola in Cinque Terre

Even if you have not visited any place in the world all your life, you still cannot justify not having been to Cinque Terre, at least once in life time. Such is its charm and romance, a frozen moment in history. You would never have seen such place, except in paintings.




Vernazza

Located on the western coast of Italian Riviera, "The Five Lands" consists of 5 towns, or villages rather, which are connected by walking trails along the mountains and accessible only by boats or a train track from outside world.





Riomaggiore, Corniglia, Manarola, Vernazza, Monterosso are the five villages that form the Cinque Terre, suspended between sea and land on sheer cliffs upon the beautiful sea, with narrow and crooked streets lined with colorful old houses stacked haphazardly on top of each other, and where farmers have eked out a living over the centuries. All the towns slope down to sea-level except for Corniglia, which is perched on top of a tall cliff.

Manarola Park



Tuscany


This region in central Italy is known for its beautiful landscapes, its rich artistic legacy and vast influence on high culture. Some popular cities include Florence, Pisa, and Siena... Yes, the same Siena where James Bond shot Quantum of Solace.


Piazza del Campo

Piazza del Campo is a unique place in the whole of the world, starting with the very particular conformation of the ground, which turns the square into a big concave shell. Here the Sienese organised their spectacular and terrible 'games', later replaced by the Palio.

Ancient Streets of Siena

Pisa is known worldwide for it's leaning tower, the bell tower of the city's cathedral. It is an ancient historic city, so old that the ancient Roman authors referred to Pisa as an old city!

Leaning Tower of Pisa

Capitoline Wolf with Romulus and Remus





Stylish Italian Auto Rickshaw


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