Visiting the Smallest Town in the World (Hum, Croatia)

Visiting the Smallest Town in the World (Hum, Croatia) - With a population variously quoted at seventeen, 18 and 23, the small medieval travel marvel of Hum on the Istrian peninsula in western Croatia is officially listed by the Guinness Book of Records because the smallest city within the world. Such a moniker swells this village of very little over a dozen gray stone homes with many guests within the summer months. The overcast spring day that I visited, there looked as if it would be no over twenty individuals within the city (and let’s face it, you'll see each streets standing in one place within the mini main square).

The size of the city belies its made history of around a thousand years. Its city walls and fortifications remind individuals of the regular battles fought over the centuries.

The Church of St Jerolim is richly adorned with fragments of brightly colored 800 year previous spiritual frescoes and is overseen by a formidable bell tower.

Hum’s main claim is because the final purpose on the Glagolitic path, a walking path through variety of tiny villages over seven kilometres with eleven vital points of interest that commemorates this ancient Croatian script. The Glagolitic alphabet was introduced within the ninth century by Saint Cyril to translate the bible into the native Slavic language. whereas this script has pale into obscurity, this same saint was related to and has named once him the Cyrillic alphabet (used by variety of languages as well as Russian, Serbian and Bulgarian).

In Hum, a large copper door guards the entrance to the main stone passage into the town. The door includes words of welcome on the large door knockers and twelve shields symbolising the calendar months. Through the passageway are a number of stone tablets with ancient Glagolitic engravings.


The small village pub offers a homebrewed aromatic brandy called humska biska made from an ancient secret recipe which incorporates a cocktail of herbs including white mistletoe. The locals claim is has strong medicinal qualities with curative powers for a whole host of internal issues including high blood pressure. It certainly provides a relaxing afternoon tipple overlooking the olive fields and vineyards dreaming of what life must have been in this little Croatian hamlet, now a modern travel wonder with the impressive billing of smallest town in the world.

A Real Voodoo Experience (near Ouidah, Benin)

A Real Voodoo Experience (near Ouidah, Benin) - The truck driver said that it had been solely [*fr1] a kilometre down this rough dirt track. Distance was typically a imprecise concept during this a part of Africa and that i may solely hope that he was correct. it had been solely 9 within the morning and already a searing day. As we tend to walked, discussion was robust on whether or not this one in every of our a lot of stupid ideas or a visit highlight.

In the main town of Ouidah, this little village came strongly counseled as an honest place to check an authentic voodoo ceremony. the general public questioned thought it a wierd request and checked out us oddly, however the story perceived to explore fairly consistently.

After an hour of walking (well beyond the estimated [*fr1] kilometre), shirts drenched in sweat and legs caked in mud, we tend to ventured apprehensively into the village and asked for the village elder. we tend to gave him some eggs and vegetables as gifts bought at the native market in nearby Ouidah and were invited to remain and look at the ceremony. Disappointingly, there was to be fully no photography (something to try and do with the spirits) however the welcome was overwhelmingly friendly. Though being the sole westerners, it appeared the chief’s blessing created the whole village open and friendly.

The mere mention of voodoo back home conjured up pictures of the occult, black magic, juju men, pins being stuck into dolls and human and animal sacrifice. i suppose there have been little parts of a number of these aspects, however voodoo appeared so much deeper and a lot of non secular. The Ouidah markets were filled with fetishes for sale together with animal foetuses and skeletons of native wild animals. The sight of crocodile or monkey skulls obvious back was upsetting however remains a lively ingredient into the population’s life.

Locally, they known as it vodoun, being a political candidate faith of Benin and Togo. An estimated sixty to seventy % of the population follow some variant of vodoun. With the slave trade, this faith migrated to Haiti, Cuba, alternative Caribbean islands and elements of USA and Brazil. Somehow, it had been renamed to voodoo throughout the migration.

Directed to some elegantly woven straw mats, we tend to sat spellbound as offerings of food, chickens and blood to appease the spirits were created. These spirits ruled the villager’s life, providing sustenance, smart weather, protection and well-being. The vodoun ceremonies gave the impression to serve multiple functions from celebrating the birth of a baby, a wedding, important dates, successful crops and to beat back unhealthy omens.

After the offerings, the ladies began to dance to the rhythmic beating of drums. Slowly 1st, mud sprayed from the rapid-fire steps and swaying of the bodies, the dance growing ever a lot of energetic and vibrant. The dance culminated with the ladies shaking uncontrollably, consumed by the spirits. Arms flailing helplessly, they lost management of their bodies before being guided into a non secular hut.

Several women went through this same experience as the sun sank lower in the sky. Thanking the chief before returning to Ouidah, priests had prepared some potions for us (for a modest fee!), their benefits hidden by a deep-throated French explanation. We paid him and departed, somewhat alarmed at the thoughts of what could be inside these wrapped leaves.

We never rubbed the strange ashen offering into our skins nor kept the tiny objects, but left uplifted and bewildered by this complex spiritual experience.

There was almost no conversation on the road back to Ouidah, both lost in our own worlds having lived a day in a completely different world.

Exploring the Incan Wonderland - Part Two (Machu Picchu, Peru)

Exploring the Incan Wonderland - Part Two (Machu Picchu, Peru) - The sacred district has the foremost important and ma sites of the complicated. Walking from the Temple of the Sun towards Huayna Picchu, you arrive at the Principal Temple (PT on the map). This 3 sided temple boasts some stunning stonework (though some has subsided with earth movement) and a chic stone altar. during this same space is that the equally distinctive 3 Windowed Temple (3W) with characteristic trapezoidal-shaped windows and excellent stonework. Note the rock on the close to aspect as a part of the closest window has 10 sides, nevertheless fits neatly just like the most perfectly fashioned jigsaw.

A little any uphill and up a regally carved stone staircase is that the most exceptional part of Machu Picchu is Intihuatana (IN on the map). Nearly forever surrounded by giant teams, it's a method of ancient sundial. to point out the Incan’s deep understanding of astronomy, calendars and agricultural cycles and their precision stonework, this diamond formed rock casts no shadow solely at 2 time points throughout the year - midday on the 2 equinoxes (March twenty one and September 21) – the sun shining directly onto the rock. Even the guides who tell a similar story daily appear to be moved in describing this beautiful piece of middle age engineering. it's additionally claimed that the four points of the diamond misinform the four main compass points and are directly aligned with four of their most sacred mountains as well as Veronica to the east (photographed in an Inca path post) and Huayna Picchu to the north.

Walking to the tip of the positioning is that the entrance to the climb of Huayna Picchu (Young Mountain). it's a steep, vigorous climb up numerous rough Incan stairs and uneven dirt methods and takes between one and 2 hours (depending on your fitness). it's a well-worthwhile walk (after all, how usually can you be during this majestic location). For the trekkers, encourage those tired legs to bear an added climb. It should be undertaken within the morning (closes within the early afternoon and has daily limits on the quantity of trekkers) and is best suggested for the beginning of Day 2 for those that are visiting for 2 days (strongly suggested approach). The read from the highest offers an excellent understanding of the layout of Machu Picchu, offers an awe-inspiring overall panorama of the Andes and highlights the spectacular terracing of the agricultural sector. elements of this steep-sided mountain are terraced too.

If you aren’t yet tired of walking, a side path takes you to the impressive Temple of the Moon.

Finally, once you are down, I’d suggest you spend time wandering the general urban area (H on the map) where the standard population lived. Many of the houses are still in fine condition, though there are no roofs left as they were made of branches and grasses.

There are numerous other temples, rooms and areas to wander and get lost in this fantasy world of extraordinary stone buildings of the middle ages. Spend time relaxing in the main grassy plaza area and contemplate what a time it must have been, the hub-bub of activity in daily Incan life.

Whether you are mesmerised by the temples, the water-channelling system, the unusual stone sundials, the dry stonework of the walls, the large-scale agriculture or the phenomenal natural mountain setting, the Incan creators have left a remarkable legacy of an awe-inspiring, haunting, mysterious and magical travel wonder in this lost city.

Reindeer Paté, Cloudberry Pie and Sweat (Kuopio, Finland)

Reindeer Paté, Cloudberry Pie and Sweat (Kuopio, Finland) - In the centre of the country, Kuopio may be an ad for the travel wonders of Finland. Set among spruce forests and surrounded by sparkling lakes, Kuopio comes complete with ski-jumps, an orthodox church and also the world’s largest smoke sauna. mix that with fascinating native cuisine choices and Kuopio offers a wondrous, single day sample of Finland at its finest.

The best read of Kuopio is from Puijo Tower perched neatly on a hill of a similar name. It offers a panoramic vista showing the sprawling city with its varied lakes and thick forests. On this same hill are the ski-jumps. How folks stand on prime of those, ski down and launch themselves within the air for over a hundred metres defies comprehension and one's mental state. I clung on tightly for concern of obtaining even near the jumping zone.

With its harsh climate, the Finns are terribly sensible with food. each elk and reindeer feature in conjunction with an important stress on fish. If you'll take away the thought of munching on Rudolf’s relatives, reindeer is obtainable in numerous forms from steaks through to sausages. Not feeling too guilty concerning the well-being of Rudolf’s relatives, I had reindeer paté on an important rye bread and it absolutely was decidedly tasty. The reindeer promoting department are effective as 3 totally different Finns in conversation told me that reindeer was extraordinarily smart for you as its meat is remarkably lean, carrying solely 2 % fat.

I also managed to taste a slice of kalakukko which is simply fish baked in a loaf of rye-bread. Despite my description, it tastes quite divine and is very filling.

However, the highlight was dessert. In the short summer months with their long meandering days of sunlight, berries and mushrooms grow everywhere. And of the number of different varieties that grow, cloudberries are the Rolls Royce of Finnish berries. Their creamy, slightly sharp, semi-sweet taste is so popular that it is celebrated on the Finnish two Euro coin. Anyway, it certainly tasted damn good as cloudberry pie.

Jätkänkämppä, which fortunately you don’t have to pronounce to enter, is the world’s largest smoke sauna. It is an experience not to miss. Only open on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, it takes all day to heat and prepare. The smoke collects inside and is released before being opened to the public. With your entrance fee, you get some quick instructions and two towels – one to wear around your waist and one to dry off with at the end.

Simply undress (completely), shower and wander into the wall of heat, which smacks you in the face as soon as you enter. Normally, Finnish saunas are separate and nude, but Jätkänkämppä is mixed with the towel used for modesty. Through the steam and dim light, there is a very eclectic group of people. Several travellers, all looking warily around trying not to commit any social faux pas sit along side local families, couples and men and women of all shapes and sizes. One man the size of a beached whale (which is an unusual sight in Finland) tosses a ladle of water on the coals. There is a shot of steam along with a sharp hissing and the gentle aroma of wood (but no smoke!).

When you feel well-cooked, quickly slip on your swimmers and dash for a quick plunge along a short wooden jetty and into the nearby lake. Don’t get me wrong – the lake is ridiculously cold even in the midst of summer – but the contrast of the water’s temperature gives you a sensational burst of tingling freshness right through your body. In winter, a hole is cut into the ice on the lake. The locals tend to sit outside on a bench for a few minutes relaxing and chatting. This was where I learned about the value of reindeer meat among other broad and varying topics. This exercise is repeated another couple of times until you simply feel great. It is time to settle on the benches outside for one last time and enjoy a therapeutic, cooling, but expensive beer.

Fortunately, English is widespread with quite a number of visitors in summer. Finnish is probably the most incomprehensible language I have heard anywhere in Europe. Sadly after a number of days, my Finnish only extended to sauna (pronounced SOW-na) and kiitos (thank you). As much as I like to learn a few words of the local language wherever I travel, when a local told me (and wrote down) that “hello” was said as hyvää päivää, I simply resigned myself to relying on the English skills of the locals.

Finland tends not to feature on many European itineraries as it is a little further away and a little more mysterious. It is an extraordinary place of friendly, spirited, proud people keen to share the natural beauty and rich culture of their country. Any nation with more saunas than cars must be worth a visit. And Kuopio is a small town that captures Finland so well and should be on a future travel plan.

Note
Source: Cloudberry Photo

The southern Tuscan town of Pitigliano (about 100 kilometres south of Chianti) perches splendidly on a volcanic plateau, its ancient honey-coloured houses, city gates, aqueduct, churches and fortress built right to the edge of the rocky ridge. Etruscan tombs over 1500 years old dot the hill-face. With some of the more timeless Tuscany hotels, it is a wonderful small town that warrants exploring for a day with typical narrow alleys of houses that date back centuries and tiny hidden wine and food bars serving local wines such as the refreshing and light white, Poggia Al Tufo. In a surprise, along with a cathedral and a number of churches, there is also a Jewish history with a synagogue, kosher butchering area and bread oven which date back centuries.

To establish European thinking and religious beliefs with the indigenous Indian population three hundred years ago, the Spanish built a modest mud-brick and wooden church on the site of an old Incan temple in a small village about forty kilometres south of Cusco. Arriving late in the afternoon in dull light, the church certainly didn’t inspire any wonder, and I wished I’d stayed on the bus to Cusco. However the temptation was too great with descriptions likening this colonial church to the Sistine Chapel.

To open the doors is to unveil a dazzling array of wall paintings and frescoes contrasted by a richly glowing gilded altarpiece carved from wood. The artwork, rich in red and gold paint, tell powerful religious stories. One graphic painting highlights the punishments for going to hell and the rewards for getting to heaven. The ceiling is decorated in floral patterns and glitters with gold leaf.

Near the entrance is a baptismal prayer written in five languages including three local Indian languages revealing the Spaniards attempts to convert the population to Catholicism.

While lofty monikers like “the Sistine Chapel of the Americas” are a gross exaggeration, the modest travel wonder of Andahuaylillas is on the road between Lake Titicaca and Cusco and worth a brief stop.

Other Peru Posts
Pathways to the Gods (Nazca Lines)
Raiders of the Lost Tombs (Chauchilla Tombs)
Exploring the Incan Wonderland (Machu Picchu)
Trekking to the Lost City (Inca Trail)
Potatoes with your Guinea Pig, Sir?
Flight of the Condor (Colca Canyon)
Living in Reeds (Lake Titicaca)
Top Ten Travel Wonders of South America

Photo Credit: Fresco image kindly supplied by Ken at randomtruth

While out of season, I recently tripped across this photo from around ten years ago of the small town of Newfane in southern Vermont at the peak of the kaleidoscopic fall colours. The contrast of the white-washed county court house and church with the rich red, bronze and golden leaves makes for a visual feast. More photos from a trip through New England show Vermont in fall.

If John and Mary Shakespeare had not borne a son, William, who proved to be the world’s finest English language writer and playwright of all time, then it is doubtful whether the travel wonder of Stratford would have progressed beyond a pleasant English market town. Rather, people gather in their hordes to make a literary pilgrimage to Stratford-upon-Avon and “The Bard”. Stratford has captured and preserved aspects of the city centre around the early 1600s, especially anything remotely related to the writer and his family.

Doing a circular walk around town (the information centre has suggested walking tours marked on street maps), you can pass most of the major aspects of Shakespeare in time order starting at his half-timbered birthplace, containing an excellent museum detailing the shreds of understanding of Shakespeare’s life. Past Nash’s House, where the writer’s granddaughter lived, the grammar school (where Shakespeare likely schooled, though no-one seems to know for sure), another Shakespeare’s house and you’ll find the stately Hall’s Croft.

This elegant medieval mansion was the home of Shakespeare’s eldest daughter and her doctor husband. It hosts a creaky period feel with an intriguing display on the medicines of the time and a strong encouragement to stay healthy in those times.

Notably, High Street briefly escapes the Shakespeare-mania and is lined with well-preserved Elizabethan half-timbered houses from Shakespeare’s time with their low ceiling beams. Except for the cars, a bit of imagination could take you back to those times with the hubbub of people wandering to and from market for their daily needs.

Walking towards the Avon River, the Holy Trinity Church is the last resting place of William Shakespeare. Lit by fine stained glass windows and laying next to his wife in this stately honeycomb-coloured church, Shakespeare’s simple grave is marked by a curse in verse and a fear of being dug up:

      Good Frend For Iesus Sake Forbeare,
      To Digg The Dvst Encloased Heare.
      Bleste Be Ye Man Yt Spares Thes Stones,
      And Cvrst Be He Yt Moves My Bones.

Along the same river are the main theatres including the Royal Shakespeare and the Swan, the latter being modelled on Shakespeare’s original Globe Theatre. Different plays were on different nights when I was there and are well worth experiencing to complete the Shakespeare experience (though tickets were difficult to get). In sunny weather, punting along the Avon is a popular pastime and shows the town at its best.

A kilometer west of the town along a marked footpath is the steeply-roofed thatched farmhouse of Anne Hathaway (top photo). With a resplendent flower garden, trimmed hedges and superb wood-carved four-poster bed, this is the most photogenic of the Shakespeare houses.

Stratford-upon-Avon has strained every thread of detail about William Shakespeare’s poorly documented life, preserving the half-timbered houses of the time. If The Bard isn’t your thing, there are any number other English town that have richer histories, better sights and are less crowded. But if your school studies sparked even an interest in our most famous playwright, then Stratford is for you and a chance to reacquaint yourself with a play that you studied some years ago. And while you are there, head another ten kilometres north and visit the travel wonder of Warwick with its immense castle and impressive church.

Other British and Irish Posts
Soaking Up Culture (Bath)
The Illuminated Manuscript (Dublin, Ireland)
A Bit of British (Gibraltar)
Jacob's Ladder (Cheddar)
Half-Timbered Houses (Lavenham)

Many years ago I overlanded, hitched, trucked, boated and hiked through Africa, the planet's most adventurous continent. Of the numerous countries travelled, Congo and Central African Republic somehow stole my heart as the real dark continent. Ironically rich in valuable minerals, both are tragically war-torn, underdeveloped and with little semblance of a controlling central government. Regional lords often hold a loose control over a province or area of the country. Poverty and corruption abounds and they are risky to travel to with strong travel advisories from most western countries.

Yet the two countries are full of some of the most stunning wildlife and natural treasures. Magnificent verdant rainforest, untamed rivers, gushing waterfalls and rich and colourful tribal cultures abound. Friendly villagers with beaming smiles and generosity of character hide the harshness of their existence.

This is all encapsulated in the village of Kembé (in the very south of the Central African Republic) and the neighbouring twin Kembé Falls. Stereotypical village life continues on in this simple community of mud huts and grass roofs with the women grinding grain, sorting beans, supervising kids, cooking or cleaning while the men attend to house repairs or organising the village affairs. The odd goat or chicken scavenge for a few tasty morsels among the scrubby bushes and tussocks of grass.

Each afternoon, Kembe Falls provide a haven from the steamy heat of central Africa. Swimming dangerously close to where the falls tumble through a rocky gorge, the children exhilarate as they are swept by the strong current towards the falls before emerging on the shoreline as you imagine they are about to be consumed by the thunderous chutes. The mothers appear relaxed as they complete their washing duties further up stream, as generations of children have undoubtedly diced with pending doom in this stunning location.

Everyone in the village seems neatly coiffured. The local barber with illustrations of their services clip, cut and shear their share of villagers while catching up with gossip and goings-on. As excitable chatter in a mix of French and the tribal dialect filled the air over the rollicking rhythmic music crackling from the radio, there seems more gossiping than cutting with most appearing pretty tidy before any hair was cut. Being rather shaggy, I decided to test the local haircutting service though none of the styles appear very suited to someone with straight, light-coloured hair. To the amusement of several villages, the barber chopped and cut his way through my tangled thatch making me feel much better and neater. Rampaging children dived for locks of hair as they floated to the dusty ground, like I was some kind of rock star.

The late afternoon floated away in the gentle currents of the upper river as the sky turned a vibrant orange in the dusty environment and the luminescent stars quickly dominated the pitch-black environment. This truly is real Africa.

Lavenham is a delightful old English village with a disproportionately large church and delicately balanced medieval half-timbered houses. It looks as if a strong breeze could blow these ones over, though they've probably been there for 400 or 500 years. Ironically, the leaning house was the office of the local real estate agency when I took this photo!

One of the regulars at the local bar jocularly claimed that Twinkle Twinkle Little Star was originally written in Lavenham and offered to sing it. The frowns and stark expressions around me suggested I refuse the offer and it was clear that he'd already enjoyed a few pints. Who knows if he was correct but it is something that I've never forgotten.

Other Photos of the Week
Stave Church (Norway)
Remote Sign (Iceland)
Bad Hair Day
The Asymmetric Chapel (France)

As Christianity spread throughout the Scandinavian countries from the tenth century, numerous churches were built - many from wood (called stave churches) as it was the most readily available building material. Only around 30 of these superb stave churches survive including the one pictured above built around 1150 in the small village of Borgund surrounded by verdant pastures at the end of Norway's largest fjord, Sognefjord. Remarkably, the exterior of this church remains virtually unchanged for the last 850 years - a monument to the architectural and construction skills of these medieval people.

Deep in the Black Forest in south-west Germany, lays a timeless gem of half-timbered houses and cobbled streets. Delightfully untouristy, this medieval travel wonder is a mixture of city gates, narrow laneways, and steep-roofed, romantic houses with scarlet and white blooms dribbling from their window boxes.

In the 24 days up to Christmas, the salmon-pink baroque town hall (rathaus) in the triangular-shaped main square becomes the main feature. Early each evening in the shadows of a huge central Christmas tree, one of the town hall’s 24 backlit windows (two rows of eleven plus the two roof windows) is ritually unveiled showing a colourful festive image – undoubtedly making it the world’s largest Advent calendar.

Behind the town hall, the plain exterior of St Marien’s church is in stark contrast to the richly decorated interior. The walls and ceiling are covered with detailed, colourful frescoes from various stories of the bible and the altar is lit in a shimmering golden light.

This small town is rich in such traditions hosting a rousing street carnival, traditional in this area, called fastnacht or fasend, where participants in garish outfits and large wooden masks dance down the streets in a large parade.

Ease back in one of the small cafes and feast on hearty country lunch from the neighbouring farms or indulge in a large calorific slice of the famed black-forest cake. Enjoy the slow-paced, historic and elegant village of Gengenbach, especially over December with the giant illustrated Advent calendar.

Notes
Photo Source: Advent, fastnacht

Gengenbach Vacations

In a small hamlet only twenty kilometres south from the capital, Ljubljana and twenty kilometres north of the remarkable Škocjan Caves, lays the dramatically sited medieval travel wonder of Predjama Castle. Seemingly growing from a yawning cavern, it was cleverly built in the twelfth century to take advantage of the natural high walls of the rock face.

In the late 1400s, renown thief and baron, Erasmus owned the castle. Murdering one of the close relatives of the ruling Austrian emperor of the day, he was ordered to be captured. For over a year, the emperor’s men lay siege at the castle and its one drawbridge-managed entrance, effectively starving Erasmus out of his castle.

Little did the captors know that the castle was built on a natural limestone cave which Erasmus used to secrete food and water into his fortress. So brazen was Erasmus that he used to throw food at his besiegers to tease and frustrate them. He was finally betrayed by a double-crossing servant who marked the baron’s restroom with a flag. Answering nature’s call, the baron was splattered by a cannonball while perched on the “royal throne” – a truly ignominious way to die.

Today the castle continues to peer out across the delightful small village of the same name. The rooms are lightly furnished with reproductions of what the castle would have been at the time including wax models. You can almost imagine a riotous feast in the Knight’s Hall and feel the pain wrought in the torture chamber. Most intriguing is the ingenious adaption of the castle with the natural rock. A tour of the lightly decorated cave under the castle is conducted by helmeted torchlight (no electric lighting in this cave) and includes graffiti from the 1700s in the form of the owner’s inscribing their names in blood.

To add to the medieval feel, a jousting tournament takes place in the middle of every summer but the highlight is undoubtedly the majestically but improbably sited castle over the inky depths of the surrounding cave.