1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #516 - Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine, Kyoto, Japan

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #516

- Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine, Kyoto, Japan

 

 

(Kyoto opened up to us on this CNY trip of ours through these bright red torii gates of Fushimi Inari-taisha Shrine. We didn't get to see it in previous trips here - the Kiyomizu Shrine always taking centre-stage then. But these more than 10,000 red tori gates make for mesmerising photos opportunities. These gates were donated by businesses, for making wishes come true, since the 1400s, thus the huge numbers here. The shrine is below Mt Inari, with treks up this 250m high mountain that will take 2 hours to complete. We stopped after 40minutes, with the tour manager calling us back)

 

 

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #515 - Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse, Ushuaia 5

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #515

- Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse, Ushuaia 

 

 

(Called "the lighthouse at the end of the world", Les Eclaireurs Lighthouse guards the entrance of the Beagle Channel into Ushuaia. We hopped onto a small boat for 15people for our final tour here to see some spectacular birdlife and seal colonies amongst the small islands about 5 miles east of Ushuaia. Stopping on one of the islands, we begin to understand why they are uninhabited - strong winds and the bitter cold months would mean nothing can be planted here. Against the Andes mountain background, these islands are wildlife havens)

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #514 - Serravalle Designer Ourlet, Milan

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #514

- Serravalle Designer Outlet, Milan, Italy 

 

 

(We try to make it a point to check out the designer outlets in Europe. They usually put out good deals but being early January, the bargains are even better. Milan is circled by 4 or 5 outlets, but we decided to head out to Serravalle Designer Outlet, some 90min outside of Milan, after reading good reviews in TripAdvisor. We were not disappointed - many were 30 to 40% off the already low outlet prices because of the post-New Year sale period. Taking the outlet's coach for 20euro pp was easy - just 50metre from our hotel. Likewise, we took the coach too to Florence's outlet - the Mall, 75min away. We thought our decision to save our dollars for Milan's outlet was a smart decision)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #513 - Duomo di Milano, Milan

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #513

- Duomo di Milano, Milan, Italy 

 

 

(It is Italy's largest cathedral, and it is our 4th time here. But it is our 1st time scaling the steps to head up to the top called the Duomo Cathedral Terraces. From here, everything looks new. There is even a runway at the very top of the cathedral. Building began in 1386 and took over 600 years to complete. Looking at all the intricacies and the more than 4000 statues and scultpures here - the most in one building in the world - one would not be surprised by how long it took. At  night, with the lightings, the cathedral is literally painted in gold - magnificent)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #512 - Bistecca alla Fiorentina at Trattoria dall'Oste, Florence

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #512

- Bistecca alla Fiorentina at Trattoria dall'Oste, Florence, Italy 

 

 

(It is big, it is wonderful..and it is the real bistecca alla fiorentina - the famous steak from Florence. We got ours from Trattoria dall'Oste, just steps away from the Florence railway station. Why is it famous? For one thing, it is 1kg in weight and 1-inch thick. For another, it is from the Chianina cow, supposedly the largest cow in the world and is rare, even here in Italy. When it came to our table, we couldn't believe the size of it. Even though it was meant for 2, we nearly couldn't finish it. Usually served rare here, we asked for medium rare and even then, we needed the hotplate to cook it up a bit. But yes, it is one of the best steaks we have ever had, helped in part by the very good service from its waiter)

 

 

 

 

 

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour #511 - Michelangelo's David, Florence, Italy

1001 Places/Experiences to See or Savour After Remission #511

- Michelangelo's David, Florence, Italy 

 

 

(It is said that this is the most famous statue in the world - David by Michelangelo. Sculpted in 1501 by the grandmaster, it now stands at the Galleria dell Accademia in Florence. For many years, we thought that the one at the public square outside Palazzo Vecchio was the real thing. Not so. In soft lighting, David stands out, almost life-like. Some would say that Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio is even more famous. Still, seeing it here, up close give a real sense of the genius behind Michelangelo. The Galleria holds many other statues and paintings but you pay the 15euro to the man, for sure)