Triangle. The Hague.

It was many years ago when I visited Amsterdam for the first and the last time. So, I would like to refresh my memories and to see the canals, narrow streets and Van Gogh inheritance again. Unfortunately, the hotels rates are like Boeing wing there. And I came up with the idea to stay not only in Amsterdam, but also in other cities of the Netherlands.

My first city is the Hague. The Hague is the third-largest city in the Netherlands. It is home to the Dutch royal family’s working palace. And many international organizations are based here. For example, it hosts the International Court of Justice and many embassies.

I should mention, that trains in the Netherlands are fast, clean, and easy to use, with frequent connections between major cities. So, from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, you can take a direct train to The Hague in about 35 minutes.

The Hague features a mix of historic and modern architecture. Modern skyscrapers rise near classic Dutch townhouses from the 17th century here. 

But before exploring the city I have to check-in to the hotel Ibis, located very close to the Binnenhof, the parliament complex.

My hotel is housed in a historic building designed by the renowned Dutch architect Hendrik Petrus Berlage. Constructed in the 1890s, this building showcases Berlage's distinctive architectural style, characterized by robust brickwork and geometric forms. I was astonished by the look of the hotel itself, but most of all I loved the grand view through a big window of my room.

The city has the canals, so many bicycles and very cozy streets with summer cafes. A very relaxed atmosphere today. It feels like Amsterdam already.

 

The weather is perfect for walking. Around four kilometers from the city centre, and I am already can feel the breeze from the North sea. The Scheveningen Beach is the most famous beach district in The Hague. Many local people are sunbathing, making promenade here or even swimming in the cold waters.

It was a very walkable day today. I have made almost 30 thousand steps! Tired, but happy. And tomorrow I set off to another remarkable city of the Netherlands.

Roma, Eternal Beauty

This is my second visit to Roma. And I strongly believe that it will be not the last time when I come to this eternal city. I am endlessly in love with architecture, history, art, beauty and unique atmosphere of the place. Can you imagine that the city is 2775 years old?!

So, we arrived by plane from Prague, and then took the train to the city centre, from where we had underground and some walk to our hotel San Giovanni.

Surprisingly for me, the hotel turned out to be very good, and I am absolutely satisfied with the amenities and personnel there.

To my delight, at this time I have a companion, who I will observe the sights with. Somehow I will be a guide for my friend, because I have already visited the city before, and I can orientate myself here quite easily. Of course, I have not seen all remarkable places in Roma, so for me the new discoveries also will happen for sure.

One of the sights which I have not hit during the previous trip, is the Colosseum. So, for the start we headed there. To say briefly, it is impressive. Just for the information, it is the largest ancient amphitheater ever build, and it is still the largest standing amphitheater in the world. Unfortunately, we did not enter inside, but it will be certainly done during the next visits to Roma.

The second miraculous sight is the Trevi Fountain. Definitely, it is worth visiting at the evening when the illuminations are turned on.

Such a nice beginning of our exciting journey. There will be two more full days of staying here, and I am pretty sure, that with my co-traveler it must be a blast.

Italy, The Best Pizza

I was rather lazy in the morning, so I stayed in bed as much as possible and did not take time to stroll around Incisa as it was planned yesterday. Eventually, I set off at 10 am to the train station, from where I departed to Florence.

Actually, I had no time to stay in Florence, because I had to hurry to the airport.

I arrived to the central station of Pisa in one hour. Now it is only 2 kilometres to the airport, and I decided to make this short trip on foot. Meanwhile, I felt hungry, thus I located the nearest pizzeria with Maps.Me application. It was "Fratelli D'Auria". People at this family-run restaurant do not speak English at all. However, even the language barrier did not prevent me from ordering a pizza. And it was the best pizza I have ever tasted during my trip! It was another example of the fundamental truth, that the best local food can be found on the edge of a town.

Well-fed and absolutely satisfied I got to the airport. My backpack perfectly fitted into the baggage sizer in spite of the purchased sweets and tangerines. I believe, I could buy additional kilos of cheese, which is very limited in my country these days, but I did not.

Finally, I was on board, and in a few hours I came back to Moscow.

Italy, The Italian Vacation

It is Autumn in Russia. To prolong the warm days is the typical wish of any Siberian man. Luckily, there are some countries where Summer is still reigning. And Italy is one of such pleasant countries. So, I headed to this great land to catch more sunny days.

At the same time the heavy rains are highly possible in Italy at this period of time. Nevertheless, it must be comfortable there even at wet season. At least I will be able to find the source of genuine inspiration among these famous Tuscany landscapes and outstanding architecture.

Vnukovo airport positively surprises. Everything was really fast, including the physical inspection and check-in. Even such a small detail as the Aeroexpress arriving to the covered platform deserves a separate respect from my side.

It is the lowcoster Pobeda I am flying with, and the lunch is not provided aboard. So, I went to Burger King for loading with the Double Wooper and extra halapenio. It cost me only 291 rubles. I hope, in Italy there is a healthy food, and it is affordable.

3 hours and 30 minutes is the duration of the flight from Moscow to Pisa. Meanwhile, sitting in the armchair I realized that something was missing in my perception. I felt the lack of something, which always accompanied me during the first day of any journey. Sometimes I name it euphoria, but sometimes I define it as the taste of the forthcoming adventures, or anticipation of joy. Anyways, I do not feel anything like this at the moment. Probably, I am getting old and stale, and there are not many things, which are able to excite me now. It is sad. Still, there is hope, that it is about tiredness and big tension only, and eventually I will find the trip really captivating.

We arrived to Pisa. The airport is extremely close to the city centre, and I have no reason to use any public transport, because I am not in the real rush. In fact, it is only 2 kilometers from the airport to the central train station, from where I am going to continue the way to my first place of staying.

The city of Pisa is located on the west coast of Italy, in Tuscany. It has the unique geographical position, and it might be highly appreciated by those, who are willing to combine such things as seaside and mountains in one trip.

Pisa is divided into two parts the North and the South by the legendary river Arno, which is secondly important in the Central Italy after the Tiber. In fact, Arno starts in the Apennines, goes all along Tuscany, crosses such cities as Empoli and Florence, and flows into the Tyrrhenian Sea near Pisa.

They say that in Pisa there are many interesting monuments, churches and squares to visit. However, the leaning tower is what pops up in people's mind when they hear the city's name. And I also was interested primarily in seeing this tower, which is located in a grassy field known as 'Piazza dei Miracoli' (or 'Square of miracles' in English).

It is a particular kind of entertainment to observe, how the people around are taking the different amusing positions, trying to play up the unusual reclining state of the tower.

It was a big surprise to see that there is something else near the tower. For example, the Cathedral, which is considered to be one of the greatest examples of Romanesque architecture. However, people seem to be not interested in that at all.

Very soon I turned back to the central station, because I have a train ticket to the town of Bagni di Lucca, where my first 'vacation house' is located.

While waiting for the train, you should be aware of the fact that they may change the departure platform. However, there is the panel with online information, and additionally they duplicate the announcement in Italian and English voice.

I was at the station of Bagni di Lucca in 1 hour. There were another 2 kilometres to get to my temporary house.

In general, it seems to be a rural place. At least at 8 pm there were not many people in the streets. Furthermore, the pedestrians areas are not well developed here, but fortunately, the cars do not often drive by. The supermarkets are closing at 8 pm. And on top of that, the mobile network is unstable here. Very rural place, but atmospheric one.

I was warmly met by the hosts Carlos and Cecilia, and after a short conversation I went out to study the new surroundings. One kilometer away from my apartments I discovered the restaurant 'Da MaMo', where I stayed for the long-expected supper.

When visiting the resting room I was confused, how to use a sink. I could not understand for a while how to turn the tap on. As it turned out, there is a special pedal, which controls the water flow.

So, at the restaurant I went for seafood salad and pizza Margherita. I was slightly surprised when they served the first meal. It was not the salad with green vegetables as I expected initially, but the plate with different seafood, and at the bottom they placed a few green leaves. Simple and delicious. Pizza was also good, as well as home white wine and espresso for the dessert. All in all I paid 21.5 euro. Fair enough.

On the way back I enjoyed the silence of the sleeping town. A little bit scary, but charming.