Goa, dream vacations in India

Continuing with my travel wishlist lets fly from Istambul to Goa, a small province on the Eastern coast of India. Goa was the first place visited by the Portuguese explorers in India and it was from there that they started the sea trading routes to Europe. In fact, although Goa's state capital is a city called Panaji, the largest city in the province has the name of the famous Portuguese explorer, Vasco da Gama.


The Portuguese influence is most visible in the architecture, specially in the many Churches, Monasteries and Cathedrals. These structures that are present throughout the cities of Goa state and have inclusively helped the province to gain an UNESCO world heritage architecture award. Above the beautiful Santa Catarina Cathedral in the city of Velha Goa (Old Goa in English).


Also beautiful and part of Goa's world heritage architecture are the numerous Hindu Temples one can find in the region. A fine example of this temples, just a few miles from the capital Panaji in a village called Kavalem, is the amazing Shantadurga Temple (devoted to the Goddess with the same name).


As always in vacations beautiful beaches are not an optional and Goa is no exception in this mater. The climate is very warm all year so I'm hoping I can find some cheap holidays to Goa. From North to South of Goa's state there are several beach spots perfect for a refreshing dive and catching some sun rays. Without any doubt I would love to try the waters of Praia da Colva :)

One final thanks to Wikimedia for the beautiful photos they share.

Istanbul, Byzantium or Constantinople - dream vacations in Turkey

Today I'll be giving wings to my vacation and travel wishes so instead of a place I already know, I'll be writing about a place that I'm sure I would love to visit! As you may know, I'm much fond of Italy and Greece so, staying in Europe, I would definitively had to dream with the other country in the South Eastern side, Turkey. Much like Italy and Greece, the Republic of Turkey is another one of those countries that breaths history everywhere, in it's case the Ottoman Empire history.


Speaking of Turkish history is of course speaking of Istanbul. In it's earlier days a Greek city called Byzantium, later renamed to Constantinople and made capital of the Roman Eastern Empire. In 1453, after a long siege, the city was conquered by the Sultan Mehmed II and made again capital but this time of the Ottoman Empire. A very well known symbol of this last conquest (know in history books as the Fall of Constantinople) is the Hagia Sophia Mosque (photo above), a former Roman/Greek Orthodox Basilica that was converted to a Mosque in the very first day after the Ottoman victory.


Speaking of Mosques, what to say about the beauty of the Sultan Ahmed Mosque (above) locally know as the Blue Mosque. It's in fact very hard to find words that accurately describe the uniqueness of the architecture of this structure. The numerous cupolas and domes accompanied by the six minarates seen from the Courtyard are absolutely amazing.


Another fine example of the Ottoman architecture is the Dolmabahçe Palace with it's Baroque decorated facade, beautiful. This palace is located on the margins of the Bosphorus, also know as the Istanbul Strait, the Strait that separates the city in two and that also serves as boundary between Europe and Asia.


As if Istambul's historical side wasn't enough to convince me, I must also say that the city streets appear to be filled of life and activity. Above, a view from the İstiklal Avenue in the historical center. For me a reminder of how much I liked the busy streets of Heraklion, the capital of the Greek island of Crete.

Most definitively I'm certain that as soon as I can I'll be making a vacation in Turkey. For now, Istanbul has for sure assured a higher place on my dream vacations wishlist!