Ramnicu Valcea is the capital city of Valcea County, located in central-south area of Romania.

The area has been inhabited since Roman times and was the site of a castrum. It was first attested during the rule of Reigning Prince Mircea cel Bătrân, as “the princely town of Râmnic“, but if you are passionate about astrology you may know the city as the center and peak point of the path of total darkness of the Solar Eclipse that took place in 1999.

Also, here you can visit one of the most important and popular touristic attractions and cultural landmarks of the city:  The Anton Pann Memorial House. Anton Pann was a Wallachian poet, musicologist, an influential folklorist and collector of proverbs. The building is a beautiful example of 18th century traditional urban architecture and it still is well preserved. It hosts the exhibition dedicated to the life, work and times of Anton Pann.

Ramnicu Valcea was a very picturesque city, but in the 1980s it was completely rebuilt in a socialist architectural style. It still keeps the communist feeling as you may see in some of the photos I’ve took. How do you like them?

1989 Revolution Monument

Ramnicu Valcea city

Ramnicu Valcea city clock

Ramnicu Valcea city hall

Palace of Justice

Ramnicu Valcea market

Ramnicu Valcea Police headquarters by night

Romanian War of Independence monument built in 1915

Trinity Monument

The largest mosque in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and one of the main attractions in Abu Dhabi (for this mosque is open to public).

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is a beautiful monument. “The 22,412 square metre Mosque site is equivalent to around the size of five football fields, and can accommodate 40,960 worshippers – 7,126 in the main prayer hall; 1,960 in the open prayer hall; 980 female worshippers in the open prayer hall female section; 22, 729 in the open Sahan (courtyard); 682 in the main prayer hall entrance and 784 in the mosque’s main hall entrance.”

Also, “The main prayer hall features the world’s largest chandelier under the main dome – being 10 metres in diameter, 15 metres in height and weighing over nine tonnes.” (source)

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is an impressive structure (covers an area of over 22 000 m2, 33 000 tons of steel were used, 120.000 m3 of concrete, 7000 foundation piles), a great experience in Abu Dhabi.

And how words are not enough, here are 2 videos (first is short, the other one is longer) on this monument.

Ever since I visited Karlskirche in Vienna, Austria, I realized I want to make a top 10 Baroque churches in the world, for the baroque architecture is beautiful but, most importantly, due to the fact that the interior of these churches are simply great. There is so much light and white that transmit calm to the visitors of these churches. Even if you are not catholic you can enjoy some peace and quiet visiting such monuments.

Time passed by, I got caught up in different activities and somehow forgot to make this top 10. But I managed to do so today. So please enjoy the selection and tell me which of these churches have you visited.

10 Santuario de Tepalcingo, Morelos, Mexico, North America

“The Santuario was built between 1759 and 1782 to house the miraculous image of Jesus the Nazarene, or El Señor de Las Tres Caidas, whose cult was attracting increasingly large numbers of pilgrims from across the region. The retablo facade is a masterpiece of the barroco poblano style, possibly executed by stucco craftsmen from Puebla, although it is quite unlike any church in that city.” (photo and info source)

9 The Ortaköy Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey
According to Wikipedia, Ortaköy Mosque (Turkish: Ortaköy Camii), officially the Büyük Mecidiye Camii (Grand Imperial Mosque) of Sultan Abdülmecid) in Beşiktaş, Istanbul, Turkey, is situated at the waterside of the Ortaköy pier square, one of the most popular locations on the Bosphorus.
It looks nice and it is a place visited by many tourists.

8  Biserica Petru si Pavel (Saint Peter and Paul Church), Sibiu, Romania
Sibiu is a very beautiful city in Romania. It was cultural capital of the world in 2007. It’s a city that combines modern with old and beautiful areas. One of the attractions is Biserica Petru si Pavel.

photo source

7 San Gaetano, Florence, Italy
The church of San Gaetano, also known as Santi Michele e Gaetano, on the Piazza Antinori, is one of the most important examples of the Baroque style in Florence. (source)

photo source

6 Great Witley Church, UK

One of the finest Italian Baroque churches in UK, Great Witley Church has a very beautiful gilded ceiling with a number of paintings by Antonio Bellucci. It is a nice church that attracts visitors, a nice and calm church. St. Michael and All Angels Church, Great Witley  is located off the A443 Worcester – Tenbury Wells road, about 10 miles north-west of Worcester.  (source)

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5  Il Gesù, Rome, Italy

The Church of the Gesù (Italian: Chiesa del Gesù) is the mother church of the Society of Jesus, a Roman Catholic religious order also known as the Jesuits. Officially named Chiesa del Santissimo Nome di Gesù all’Argentina (English: Church of the Most Holy Name of Jesus), its facade is “the first truly baroque façade”, introducing the baroque style into architecture. (source)

Giacomo della Porta‘s façade of the Church of the Gesù, a precursor of the Baroque

4 Dresden Frauenkirche, Germany

Dresden Frauenkirche “(literally Church of Our Lady) is a Lutheran church in Dresden, eastern Germany.

Built in the 18th century, the church was destroyed in the firebombing of Dresden during World War II. It has been reconstructed as a landmark symbol of reconciliation between former warring enemies.” (source)

3 Peterskirche or St. Peters Catholic Cathedral, Munich, Germany

The oldest parish church in Munich, certainly deserves a visit while in this city. One can, during a visit here, climb a bell tower for a view of the city. The church is very interesting and attracts many visitors.

photo source

2 Karlskirche, Vienna, Austria
A place that inspires calm, a place on white, very luminous, a nice church I truly recommend in Vienna. Yes, I’ve visited it – and told about what’s to be seen inside, including the elevator trip and going all the way to the top here.

1 San Agustin Church, Manila, Philipines

This church was included as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO , under the classification “Baroque Churches of the Philippines” as we find out from Wikipedia. San Agustin Church is also the oldest church still standing in the Philippines.

photo source

Now, what do you think about this selection? Do you have any other recommendations? Which of these churches have you visited already? Which ones do you plan on visiting soon?

Guest post by Ela Krawczykowska

Poland becomes more and more popular among European travellers. The country has been a member of the EU from 2004 and went through huge re-development. It has been going through several political changes since 1989 and now is a liberal, open-minded country. One of the most popular destinations is surprisingly not the capital (Warsaw), but the charming city of Cracow (Polish: Krakow) in the south of the country.

Cracow is located on the banks of the Vistula River and close to Tatra Mountains. It is very hot in summer and super cold in winter, always busy, full of tourists and alive 24/7. Cafes and restaurants seem to occupy every cobble of Cracow’s Main Market Square (Polish: Rynek Główny). Rynek is a beautiful place, I would say it is not only the most important place in the Old Town (which is a UNESCO World Heritage site by the way), but in Cracow in general. There are accommodation options near the place, mostly for cheap lodging, so hostels and B&Bs. The nightlife in Cracow is also centred around the Main Market Square. People go out very late in Poland, so don’t expect clubs to be full before 10 pm!

One of the most charming parts of Cracow is Kazimierz. It was home to the Jewish community from the early 14th century to the Second World War. There are 2 Jewish cemeteries and a beautiful old Synagogue. When talking a walk down the little roads of Kazimierz, you can still feel its old spirit – there are plenty of kosher restaurants, stars of David mark old walls. There are stores with books in Yiddish (a language spoken by German and Easter European Jews before the war) and Judaic souvenirs. Definitely deserves a visit.

On your MUST SEE list you should also put the famous Wawel Castle and Wawel Cathedral, the Jagiellonian University, which is the second oldest university in central Europe, the Czartoryski Museum, which houses Da Vinci’s “Lady with an Ermine”, the Juliusz Theater, the National Art Museum, the Drapers’s Hall (Polish: Sukiennice), the Town Tower Hall, the St. Mary’s Basilica (Polish: Kościół Mariacki) and the Nowa Huta district.

If you’re planning a trip across Europe, don’t forget to stop in Cracow! If you don’t have any plans for summer, consider Cracow if you’re looking for some culture, beautiful old architecture, nice people and great nightlife!

Visit MyDestination Krakow for more info!

About Ela

Ela is a London-based freelance journalist from Poland. She loves learning languages, travelling, music and exploring different cultures

I promised a while ago, in the post about the Karlskirche, that I will present you the experience of visiting Saint Stephan’s Cathedral (Stephansdom) in Vienna.

As some of you may already know, this cathedral is a very famous Gothic monument located in the center of Austria’s capital, in Stephansplatz.

You might say that there shouldn’t be much to tell about visiting a church – even a Gothic one. I beg to differ. Visiting Stephansdom is an experience in itself.

You get there easily. As I already pointed out it’s in downtown Vienna. And yes, near a carriage station (those carriages that take you in short, medium or long city tours – love them!). But let’s get back to the church.

Here we were, in the Stephansplatz, in front of Saint Stephen’s Cathedral. Rather black on the outside – in fact, covering of one of the parts there was a “sheet” with a model of the church for an accurate image of the church to be used for restoration purposes.

Stephansdom - entrance

OK, I have to admit now, I’m not a big fan of black, of darkness. I like light, white, brightness. But this is a Gothic building, meant to impress and to dominate you.

The church looks very impressive indeed – I’ll give you that. And here are the doors – so let’s get in.

Visitors can choose between walking freely, having an audio guide and taking guided tours. When we visited we didn’t buy a guided tour – we just wanted to closely examine the church. As you can imagine, the first word that might describe it is big. I already mentioned that it is impressive – but once you get in you get to see all the tainted windows and their models (usually on blue). Not much light, although sufficient. You will also notice 2 altars, many places to sit and relax, meditate. We also heard the church’s choir performing. You can also see the black organ, another impressive feat. As I already pointed out, an impressive building – see Top 10 Gothic churches.

Stephansdom - mobile shrine

Stephansdom - black organ

Stephansdom - interior

In the end you arrive to an entrance – actually a passage towards a door below the church. You find out that in order to visit the catacombs you have to pay for a guided tour. Hmmm…. My dear husband was interested in such a tour, so we waited for about 10 minutes before the tour began. People from different countries and cultures (of course different religions as well) were part of our group.

What should you expect from some catacombs? That’s a tricky question – for I sure didn’t expect what the tour offered.

You’ll see some sealed coffins containing the bodies of important priests that have served here.
You’ll see some recipients that “host” some internal organs or parts of famous leaders of Austria. You will also see a grave (I’m not going to tell you who’s, however).
You’ll then walk trough different galleries and you will be told interesting historical information / details related to the church and the activities within (or around…) it. For instance, during The Great Plague many bodies were buried under the church, but the stench that followed made it impossible for the church to be used for ceremonies for several years.

You’ll also see the remains (bones collections, former mass graves) of hundreds of people.

The access corridors are getting smaller and smaller. Some might want to get out. Soon, you tell yourself, soon you’ll be out, breathing fresh air, not being surrounded by death.

But there are still some corridors to walk through and then some stairs to climb. And you have to wait in line, for it’s here, at the exit, that you pay for the tour. You hope everyone has change, you want people to move faster. And then you are out – directly in the street! – after an experience you won’t easy forget.

Of course there are some people for whom everything may seem ordinary. But in the end you’ll see that everyone is impressed – one way or the other.

If you’ll need to drink something or to have a coffee or an ice cream to balance your low sugar level you can find some nice places near the church.

Gothic architecture is one of the most interesting ones in the history. “Originating in 12th century France and lasting into the 16th century, Gothic architecture was known during the period as “the French Style,” (Opus Francigenum), with the term Gothic first appearing during the latter part of the Renaissance. Its characteristic features include the pointed arch, the ribbed vault and the flying buttress.” More info here.

During this period were build many churches, some being today greatest attractions in different cities around the world. Let’s see a top 10 Gothic churches.

10. Nidaros Cathedral, Trondheim, Scandinavia
This Cathedral hosts the relics of St. Olav, a Norwegian king and a national hero. Thus is became an important pilgrimage destination. Moreover, this church is the most important in Norway and the largest medieval building in Scandinavia.

photo source

9. Westminster Abbey, London, England
Well this is an interesting one. It’s not a cathedral nor a parish church. So what is it then? Well, i’s a Gothic monastery church that is the traditional place of coronation and burial for English monarchs. Westminster Abbey in London is a place of worship owned by the royal family.

8. Regensburg Cathedral, Bavaria
Regensburg Cathedral (Dom St. Peter) is the most beautiful Gothic building in Bavaria. “The Regensburg Cathedral is the bishop’s church and the principal church of the Regensburg diocese. It is also the home of the Regensburger Domspatzen (“cathedral sparrows”), a choir rich in tradition. The structure is considered the most significant Gothic work in southern Germany.” (source)

photo source: Omnidom 999

7. León Cathedral, Spain

Built in the 13th century over the ruins of ancient Roman baths, León Cathedral (Catedral de Santa María de Regla de León) is located in the north of Spain and it is considered one of the most finest Gothic building in this country.

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6.  Rouen Cathedral, France
Rouen is famous for it’s many churches and edifices. Rouen Cathedral is one of the most visited church and also the seat of the Archbishop of Rouen and Normandy. The cathedral facade was immortalized by Claude Monet in his paintings.

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5. Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris, France
A famous name due to a novel and a story known in the entire world. However, Notre Dame is maybe the most famous monument in Paris. Not to miss.

4.  Cologne Cathedral, Germany
According to Wikipedia, “Cologne Cathedral (German: Kölner Dom, officially Hohe Domkirche St. Peter und Maria, English: High Cathedral of Sts. Peter and Mary) one of the best-known architectural monuments in Germany, and Cologne’s most famous landmark, described by UNESCO as an “exceptional work of human creative genius”. It is Germany’s most visited landmark, attracting an average of 20,000 people a day.”

photo source

3. Reims Cathedral, France
Built in the 13th century, Reims Cathedral is the place where the kings of France were once crowned. Famous all over the world, this cathedral attracts many tourists each year.

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2. Stephansdom, Vienna, Austria
One of the symbols of Austria’s capital, Stephansdom (St. Stephen’s Cathedral) survived many tough years (pestilences, wars and so on). An imposing church, a must see in a trip to Vienna.

1. Milan Duomo, Italy
Build in over 100 years, this church is a mix of styles. It is also a emblematic monument for Milano, Italy.

For all those who fell in love with Tristan and Isolde or with King Arthur, for those who fantasize wandering through time, up to the Dark Middle Ages, there is no better place to be in than the Castle of Warwick in England. I invite all dreaming ladies and brave knights of the 21^st century to join me in a tremendous adventure in Warwick, known as the ultimate Britain’s Castle.

Seated on the river Avon, and easy to reach from Birmingham International Airport, Warwick Castle is perfectly preserved and to visit it you need a full day. Just make sure that you check the weather forecast as sunny time is mandatory for a complete experience (many activities take place outside). I get to Warwick train-station and wonder a little bit through the city, visit the main church and watch groups of people performing traditional dances in the street. It is an amazing show that has the role to immerse you in the medieval world even before entering the Castle’s gates.

Continuing my way, I spot quickly the route to the Castle and in a quarter of an hour by foot I am already in. Built in the 11^th century, the castle has a tumultuous history, its architecture has suffered several changes and it served many years as a prison and even King Edward IV was held prisoner there. Since 1978 it has been open to the public as a touristic site.

The Castle proposes several attractions and, if you are cold blooded, the first one is the horrifying Dungeon, leading you back in 1345, the times of the plague. You can almost experiment here a wide range of medieval torture methods, punishments, and a mirror maze of lost souls and see bloodshed, dead bodies, playing “trick or treat, fear or defeat” games once you descend. The dungeon is particularly interesting as the castle has been known as the prison of the kings. Brrrr, this is scary!

Getting out, there are other milder attractions for everybody. Girls are definitely queuing at the princess Tower to see how to become a real princess. Ladies and gentlemen of all ages are invited to the grand interior: the Hall, the Chapel and the state rooms where noblemen have been entertained for 500 years, and then to the 1898 lavish party, hiding secrets and scandals of high society. Nevertheless, an interesting experience is the Kingmaker, where Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick will show you the preparations for Battle of Barnet in 1471, including weapons’ craft. Apart from the main building, I visit the Museum of the Mill and Engine Houses showing how hydroelectricity has been used to light the castle. As for the out-side landscape and views, I loved the Mound, comprising the oldest parts of the castle, where falcons are tamed, the Victorian style Conservatory and the Peacock and the Rose Gardens.

What I enjoy most is the tournament on the island. Just in front of the castle, brave knights prepare a tournament that makes me keep my breath. Two honorable lords, very handsome men, by the way, fight with swords and spares while riding wild stallions for the hands of the graceful ladies. But just when the competition is getting tighter, all of a sudden, barbarians attack. A true war is taking place just in front of me! Will the knights of Warwick succeed? I will let you discover by yourselves. At sunset, the show ends when the mighty trebuchet (the world’s largest siege machine) is being launched throwing a bowl of fire! Amazing! This year the castle offers a brand new experience where magic and reality come together: the Tower of Merlin. I am looking forward to seeing it!

At the end of my visit, after countless battles, climbing on the walls, descending in the dungeon and participating in so many parties, I just feel hungry. And there is no better place to have an excellent dinner in than one of the many cafes and restaurants that you can find there. Enjoy!

A full gallery of useful information, pictures and the possibility to book tickets is available on the Warwick Castle website: www.warwick-castle.com



(You can read part ! of the article here) If the first two cities are among the landmarks of Belgium and Flanders, the next one I will be in has unjustly been avoided. Luckily, the Lonely Planet guide has done justice to Ghent (its name also being related to water – delta), by including it to the best 10 travel destinations for 2011. I will do the same, by awarding it the image of Odin, the most important Nordic God, and not just as a consolation prize. Odin is a complex God, as the city itself, being the patron of commerce and war, of wisdom and arts. Ghent has been a prosperous citadel, a political centre and nowadays an important economic and artistic point of attraction for Belgium. Ghent is the son of two rivers that become one here, just before reaching the sea, being portrayed by the love story of Scheldt and Lys. The city has a well-preserved medieval architecture as well, among which the Gravensteen Castle dating from the 12th century, and the Romanesque-style Saint Bavo Cathedral, where one can descend in the catacombs and admire the great masterpiece of Hubert and Jan van Eyck, The Adoration of the Mystic Lamb. The city perfectly combines modern life (cafes, libraries, the university, concerts) with the old buildings bearing the signature of famous architects. It is multi-faced indeed, exactly as the soul of the God I have seen in it. The last, but not the least, I make a final twist to Ypres, one of the most important Flemish cities during the Middle Ages along with Ghent and Bruges. Nowadays, after two world wars, it hosts a huge graveyard of heroes and even if it was badly damaged by bombings, it has been fully reconstructed. Due to this fact, I associate it with Thor, the ancient God of both destruction and protection of mankind. I will not make any comments on Ypres; my former professor Ana Adi has already done this for Travel here. Instead, I would like to end this post by sharing with you a short story of what happened to me when visiting it two years ago: It was a lovely 4th of May and people gathered at the Menin Gate were commemorating the victims of the world wars in whose honour the Last Post ceremony was held. I thought I found a good place to film and photograph it, but an elder lady was still not decided where to stand thus, was constantly moving and impeding me to see anything. So, I tried to adapt to this, got a step ahead and put some order in the crowd, but the lady reacted as if she were offended. Without realizing that her English was excellent, far too good to be an inhabitant’s, I started arguing with her. Her peace-making husband intervened and asked her to make room for me, as I deserved it for being that brave and persuasive. The end of story: both were American tourists, having come to commemorate their relatives perished in the world wars. The man told me something that made me feel really proud: “If I had a company, I would immediately hire you to manage my sales team, as you are very convincing”. We took a picture together and they left, wishing me good luck in my future career, assuring me that I would succeed in everything I wanted to do. If they read this article by any chance, I would like to send to them my best wishes.

Ypres

Gent Belfry

Last year, just before Christmas, I followed the sound of music and got to the Castel of Salt – Salzburg – where I participated in an international project on cultural identities. Salzburg is a modern city at the foot of an old city, quite calm, picturesque, with a refined elegance, similar to a musician’s dream of glory. Salzburg can be envisioned as a concert hall, two parallel worlds, structured vertically, perfectly embodied and inter-linked through the city funicular. I will try to lead you, on orchestra music, to the best places in Mozart’s and Haydn’s city. Now, let the music play: Do-Re-Mi!

When I sing Do, I get to the Domplatz or the Cathedral Square, the center of the Old City. Virgin Mary’s statue, Maria Immaculata, the most beautiful attraction, explains the mystery of the Holy Conception in an allegorical way. As Christmas is close, it is here that you can find the specific Germanic market. In Salzburg you will have the opportunity to buy Christmas decorations and a lot o traditional wooden toys or porcelain puppets, while listening to “Silent night”, composed by Josef Mohr, a past inhabitant of the city. I stop to speak to one of the sellers, a kind man who (amazing!) has Romanian origins, his grandma having left Timisoara during communist times and afterwards having married an Austrian gentleman. For this reason, even if the man does not speak Romanian, he is very fond of this country, has visited it several times and helped a lot of Romanian residents in Austria. I like the story and I buy a singing marmot, dressed Christmas-like, the symbol of the Alps and Austria, he claims. I say good-bye and continue my song.

My Re stands for Residenzplatz, the Residence Square, hosting the most beautiful fountain in Salzburg, the Residence Fountain, built in a mannerist style. Just before having reached the square, I met two lovely ladies… horses, Mona and Lisa, perfectly matching in the romantic landscape, populated by sledges making city-tours. For the snow sports passionate, there is an enormous ice rink set-up and people of all ages enjoy the evening while graciously skating on the ice.

Leaving the Old City behind, I definitely cannot avoid the Mi, the Mirabel palace and gardens, their construction by Prince Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau in 1606 being a symbol of love for his lady, Salome. Here, the famous Do-Re-Mi scene in the “Sound of Music” was filmed and I can almost see Maria and the Von Trapp children singing and running. The center of the gardens is dominated by the Pegasus Fountain, and completed by a four-element (Fire, Air, Water, Earth) sculptural complex, an old hedge theater, a dwarf garden, all of them having been added in time, as the Mirabel complex has suffered several changes since the 17th century.

Getting back to the city center, I start climbing the stairs leading to the world of the majestic Alps where the echo sings Fa, sounding like a Fo, the Fortress of Hohensalzburg, one of the largest and best preserved castles in Europe, dating back from the 11th century. All Gothic castles are romantic but this one seems to be more than others with its guarding lions and breath-taking view on the city. The castle is impressive, overwhelming, it’s like a gate-keeper traveling through times. “All old and new-all”, would Eminescu say, the castle is eternal. It is as durable as the man feels tiny, transient, and perishable. It seems to have been dug into the rock and has almost become one and the same with the salt-like stones. A part of me remained in the castle, looking over the city, at the light and bustle of life, so different from the silent, but not dead fortress, impassive to the curious and cheerful voices of the visitors.

While descending with the funicular, I feel the need to sing again, Sol for solfeggio, this time, on my way to the Mozart Platz. “Michl march, Mozart is here!” I say in front of the composer’s huge 19th century statue looking over the square. Salzburg is the home town of Mozart and many souvenirs are dedicated to him; I couldn’t help to have some Mozart specific chocolate bonbons. The old house of Mozart’s close friends, the Antretters, hosts now the University Institute of Music and further on there are two Mozart’s museums as well. As I pass by Mozart birth-place, Hagenauer House, I sing La for “La finta semplice”, a controversial opera of Mozart composed when he was just a 12-year old boy, and then get to the Tanzmeisterhaus where he has written many of his major works. The museums offer wide collections of musical instruments and pictures, taking the visitors on a journey in the life of Mozart.

I feel that I still have not had enough, so I reach the Si, the oldest street in Salzburg, the Sigmund Haffner Gasse, at the end of which the City Hall and the Franciscan Church are. It is a perfect shopping area, with buildings dating back to the 15th and 16th century and also sheltering the House of the Elephant (a gift for Prince Maximilian and his wife) and the oldest Austrian bookstore. Hold on, I will stop to buy something from here! After shopping, I feel hungry and I decide to try some specific food and cakes: soups, meat-dishes and a cake similar to an omelet with cherry marmalade. I confess I am not brave enough to have an entire schnaps, a traditional drink apparently curing and keeping colds away.

Unexpectedly, at the end of the day, although I come back to the Do, it is not the one remaining in my mind. The Castle stays with me and paraphrasing Eminescu, I say: “we, humans, live along to perish/ alone, the chance can make us cherish/ but Salz, the castle, reigns above us all/ in his cold, eternal world”…

The historical information on Salzburg that I have used comes from: www.salzburg.info

There are some monuments in the world that you can visit. One often travels to a city having in mind the famous buildings and trying to take as many visiting tours as possible. If in London then you most probably want to visit Big Ben. Guess what: if you are not from UK you can no longer visit this famous monument.

The reason behind this measure is security of the monument. There is a mounting fear over terrorism actions that may affect the monument, as we can see here.

Now, let’s analyze a little bit the situation. Of course, as a traveler, you simply feel you are denied from now on the access to a monument, one that you knew you can always visit. You know what it’s like: it’s there and you’ll visit it sometime. Than again you wouldn’t want to be part of a group with a terrorist detonating a bomb right? Also you wouldn’t probably want for the famous clock to be damaged, right?

What do you think of this measure? Have you visited Big Ben already? Were you planning to visit it soon?