The Artisans of Fez - Fez, Morocco

Carving on a gold plate

The man patiently working on his piece

Rambling in Fez medina would be more meaningful if we understand the history as well as the culture of the locals.  Fez is more than just a religious city, trade and artisans flourish from medieval until today.  It is a paradise of artisans and traditional authentic crafts is all over the Medina.  If you have a lot of time, it would be wonderful to explore the Medina and get yourself lost among the 9,000 little shops but if time is your biggest constraint then hiring a trusted guide is the best option. We tried both, getting ourselves lost in this medieval walled city as well as hiring a professional guide.

We were lucky to have an excellent guide, Khalid, who introduced to us several crafts and artwork available in the city. We stopped to have a glimpse of some artisans working on silver, gold and camel bone.   The artisans are very skillful as they have inherited the trade from one generation to another for hundred of years. The medina though congested, is divided into various sections

Lovely intricate design on the plate

Unlike our earlier experience of getting lost in the crowded Medina, this time with Khalid, we moved from one section of the souk to another with great ease but sharing the narrow streets with the donkeys can be hard. When we heard men shouting "Belek, Belek!" surely behind us will be the heavy laden donkeys trying to make their way.  

Very effective time management - in just half a day, we were able to get to most part of the Medina. We went to the metal section, the tannery for the leathers, the food section, textiles section, copper and wood section. Several names of the sections in Arabic were mentioned by Khalid, like Attarine,  Daraqqin, Saffarin and I lost count of them.

We bought this beautiful piece as a wedding gift for a friend

Copper, silver and gold plated plate for the wall decoration

Beautifully decorated pieces

The chest box is made of camel bone and wood

Mirror decorated with camel bones

Hand-crafted tombstone 

The man working on the tombstone

Beautiful jar made from pieces of camel bones

Hand-made cooking pots

Stunning Architecture and Great History - Roma, Italy

The Grand Amphitheater, Colosseum, looks so imposing in the middle of city traffics

We took the fast train from Naples to Rome in the early morning and arrived in Rome at about 10 am. There are so much to see in Rome but unfortunately we are spending only a night. However, with efficient time management, it wasn't really that bad...we got to see some of the iconic things in Rome and no shopping.  Most of the historical places are within walking distance, and the city train and buses are well connected to these interesting places. We bought a day pass, which is usable on the bus and train.

Rome's historic center was inscribed as the UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980 which encompasses among others the well known Colosseum, Roman Forum, Roman Bath, Vatican and the ancient market.

It is a wonderful city minus the rampant pickpockets which happen almost so casually in any crowded places, the subways and even in the churches. Despite of taking all the necessary precautions,and trying to be extra careful, one of us was pickpocket in the metro. When the train is packed with people and that is just about the right time for them to get in action. How else should we remind ourselves repeatedly, be extra careful!

Trevi Fountain - one of the busiest spot in Rome

Arches of the Colosseum

A street artist painting the Coliseum

'Modern art' on Roma city metro

The graffiti on the train looks cool :)

On guard at the Vatican

Vatican - the world's smallest sovereign state

 

Bathing for Purification - Titra Empul, Tampak Siring, Bali, Indonesia

The locals bathing in holy water of Titra Empul to purify themselves

Registered at UNESCO Heritage Site 6th July, 2012

Titra Empul Pura or also known as Tampak Siring Temple is a holy spring temple in Gianyar district. We stopped at the temple on our way back from Mount Batur. It happened to be a day after the celebration of Kuningan and hence, the temple was full of the locals bathing to purify themselves.  The water is also believed to have healing properties. There were some foreigners joining the event.

It was interesting to watch so many Hindu devotes queuing to enter the pool and we were among the many tourists trying to capture the scene. Looking at how devoted are the Bali Hindus towards their religion, I'm keen to know if there are rule breakers among these people. Our guide told us that it is almost impossible to breach the rules and tradition as there are cultural police who make sure that each and every Balinese observed their religion and culture closely and faithfully. In any circumstances if the people break the law, they will be punished.

People came with their traditional costume (baju adat)

Entrance to the temple

The crowd splash into the pool

Queuing to get closer to the spring source 

Spring water flows into the pool

There was a long queue to enter the pool

The pond in the temple is full of fish

Walking down the memory lane - Bath, UK

The beautiful 18th century Pulteney Bridge over River Avon

Bath is one of the most wonderful city that I had ever lived in my life. Home to great writers such as Jane Austen and Charles Dicken, living in Bath can be very inspiring.  My good old days were spent walking miles and miles along river Avon and sitting by the river banks on a cold autumn day was simply mesmerizing. 

Shops on Pultney Bridge

The shops on Pulteney bridge reminds me of the iconic Ponte Vechio in Florence, Italy but the one in Bath is much smaller. Perhaps the resemblance came from the Roman who conquered Bath in the 9th. century.

The entire city of Bath was inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 due to it international cultural significance. Jane Austen, her parents and sister, Cassandra lived in Bath from 1801 to 1806 and despite that she disliked the city, Bath has honoured her name with Jane Austen Centre and a city walk. Bath with its beautiful architecture has been the backdrop of many films and television programmes.

The cute tea shop in Bath

Milsom Street

Shimmering Murano - Murano Island, Venice, Italy

This huge glass sculpture - a centrepiece on the island

Murano is famous for its lovely shimmering glasses. In 1291, all the Venetian glassmakers in Venice were ordered to move their foundries to Murano because the industry posed a fire threat to Venice. There are many glass workshops, galleries and showrooms all over the island. The artisans produce beautiful and stunning contemporary art work from glass. 

Shimmering Murano glass beads

In those days the glassmakers were not allowed to leave the island or he risked being assassinated or his hands cut off!  As a matter of fact, the Murano's glassmakers were special because they were the only people in Europe who knew how to make glass mirrors. They also developed or refined technologies such as crystalline glass, enameled glass, glass with threads of gold, multicolored glass, milk glass, and imitation gemstones made of glass. 

Today, Murano is one of the attraction that should not be missed when you visit Venice. The easiest and cheapest way to get to this island of glass is to take the Vaporetta (water bus) number; 12, 13, 41, 42, 71 or 72. Taking the private water taxi would be much more expensive.

Glass factory in Murano

Colorful glass bracelets

The canals in Murano

Drying clothes on a sunny day

Necklaces are among items of glass jewelry. 

 

Beautiful Murano glass lamp shade