Blog Archives - Karen Kondazian

From Amsterdam to Rome Cruise Post #18 – Amalfi and Positano, Italy: “The City of the heavenly lemon, muse to both Steinbeck and The Rolling Stones, and home to the most romantic foreign film of the 90’s.”

By Karen Kondazian on April 11, 2015 Leave a Comment

Karen at Positano Beach – Positano, Italy

Ah, Amalfi and Positano… When you are in love, this is the place to come.

Natural Rock Enclave – Amalfi Coast, Italy

Lying in the mouth of a deep ravine at the foot of Monte Cerreto and surrounded by dramatic cliffs, is the coastal town of Amalfi. As our little tender whizzed though the Mediterranean waters, it was instantly clear by my goose bumps, why the majestic beauty of Amalfi has magnetized painters and writers throughout the centuries.Two other times I remember having this “perfect sight” experience…(seeing the Taj Mahal looming in front of me as the sun rose-–and suddenly turning a bend on a dirt road and gazing upon the heart stopping ancient city of Petra.)

Houses Sitting Above the Amalfi Beach – Amalfi, Italy

Greek sailors from past ages admired the breathtaking landscape, even imagining parts of the coastline as home to mythic creatures. Later, wealthy Roman nobleman built seaside villas along the coast and created some of the first settlements. In the 1920s and 30s, the town was a popular holiday destination for British aristocracy. Now it is a city of artists and wealthy bohemians.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Amalfi, Amalfi Coast, Blog, europe, Il Postino, Italy, Karen Kondazian, lemon, Mediterranean, Mick Jagger, Pizza, Positano, ryan oksenberg, Saint Andrew Cathedral, The Postman, The Rolling Stones, Travel, travel blog, travelogue

From Amsterdam to Rome Cruise Post #17 – “Palermo, Sicily: The City of the Cosa Nostra, fabulous Pizza & Gelato and the Great Mount Pellegrino.”

By Karen Kondazian on April 4, 2015 1 Comment

Festive Horse & Carraige - Palermo, Sicily

Festive Horse & Carriage – Palermo, Sicily

Palermo is located on the island of Sicily and is the region’s capital city. It’s history has suffered 13 foreign dominations from which she has taken both the best and the worst. The invasion of so many diverse cultures has made Sicily a fascinating place, quite unlike any other…

Enrico Alfano, one of the first publicly known mobsters in Sicily

Since the mid-19th century, Palermo was known as the hive of Mafioso activity. The genesis of the Mafia began under feudalism, whereby the nobility owned most of the land and enforced law and order through their private armies. In countryside towns that lacked formal law, local elites responded to banditry by recruiting young men into “companies-at-arms” to hunt down thieves and negotiate the return of stolen property, in exchange for a pardon for the thieves and a fee from the victims. These companies-at-arms were often made up of former bandits and criminals, usually the most skilled and violent of them. While this saved communities the trouble of training their own policemen, it may have made the companies-at-arms more inclined to collude with their former brethren rather than destroy them. On the other side of its much-debated history, my grandmother told me that the mafia actually started out as a benign organization. That it was mainly created to protect the women and children.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Blog, Capo Market, Cosa Nostra, Florentine Fountain, Italy, Karen Kondazian, kondazian, Mafia, Mafioso, Maria Callas, Palermo, Pizza, Quattro Canti, ryan oksenberg, Sicily, Teatro Massimo, Teatro Massimo Vittorio Emanuele, Travelblog

From Amsterdam to Rome Cruise Post #15: Palma De Mallorca, Spain: “The City of Olive Tourism, Castle of Kings & Prisoners, And House of Wax & Taxidermy”

By Karen Kondazian on February 23, 2015 1 Comment

Overlooking Palma De Mallorca, Spain

Palma De Mallorca is the capital and largest city of the Balearic Islands in Spain. The name of the island originates from an old Latin phrase ‘insula maior’ that means ‘larger island’. In ancient times, the Romans would use this term to refer to the island because Mallorca is the largest island in Spain. Over time, the phrase was mispronounced and corrupted. The British pronounced it as Majorca, while the rest of world simply referred to it as Mallorca.

Yachts, with the Cathedral Palma Mallorca in the background – Palma De Mallorca, Spain

Today, Mallorca is one of Europe’s major holiday destinations. It is a city of modern hotel chains and flashy shops, yet still retains much of its old architecture. Football is a passion on the island, with the Real Mallorca team competing at its home playing field, the Iberostar Stadium. The island is famous for its many olive groves, which has led to the development of olive tourism on the island.

Bellver Castle – Palma De Mallorca, Spain

Gothic style structure of the Bellver Castle – Palma De Mallorca, Spain

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Balearic Islands, Bellver Castle, Blog, cruise, Els Calderers, europe, Iberostar Stadium, Karen Kondazian, kondazian, Mallorca, Palma De Mallorca, ryan oksenberg, Sant Joan, Spain, Travel, trevlogue

From Amsterdam to Rome Cruise Post #13: ‘The Great Freedom Port of Marseille & the Starry, Starry Night of Van Gogh’s Arles, France.’

By Karen Kondazian on February 6, 2015 1 Comment

Port of Marseille – Marseille, France

Marseille is as cosmopolitan now as when the Phoenicians first founded it. Vital to the Crusades in the Middle Ages and crucial to Louis XIV as a military port, Marseille flourished as France’s market to the world – and still does so to this day. Marseille’s port is the second largest Mediterranean port, with over eighty-six thousand tons of goods transported annually. It has also served many travelers to freedom to America, including my great grandfather and his family – fleeing the Armenian Genocide.

Roman amphitheater built in 90 AD – Arles, France

Our tour began by driving fifty miles northeast of Marseille to the city of Arles, where post-Impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh lived from 1888–1889 and produced over 300 paintings during his time there. Before exploring everything Van Gogh, we learnt about the city’s Roman history. We stopped at the Arles Amphitheatre, a two-tiered Roman amphitheater built in 90 AD – inspired by the Colosseum in Rome (built in 70 AD). The amphitheater was capable of seating over 20,000 spectators, and was built to provide entertainment in the form of chariot races and bloody Gladiator battles.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Arles, Blog, cruise, europe, france, Karen Kondazian, kondazian, Marseille, Provence, ryan oksenberg, Saint-Paul Asylum, Saint-Remy-de-Provence, Travel, travel blog, travelogue, Van Gogh, Vincent Van Gogh

Amsterdam To Rome Cruise Post #11 – ‘Barcelona, Spain: The City of the Never-Ending Church, the Brilliant Gaudí and the 2nd Most Valuable Soccer Team in the World.’

By Karen Kondazian on January 21, 2015 2 Comments

Karen at The Church of Colònia Güell by Antoni Gaudí – Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona, the capital city of Spain and the country’s 2nd largest city, is an important cultural center. Particularly renowned are the architectural works of the great Antoni Gaudí, which have been designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The city has hosted the 1992 Summer Olympics and many other international sport tournaments, including their own famous, home soccer team, Futbol Club Barcelona. Unlike many other football clubs, the fans (which has included Pope John Paul II, an honorary member) operate Futbol Club Barcelona. It is the second most valuable sports team in the world, worth $3.2 billion, and the world’s second-richest football club in terms of revenue, with an annual turnover of $613 million (the richest being Madrid, Spain).

La Sagrada Família by Antoni Gaudí – Barcelona, Spain

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: antoni gaudi, Barcelona, Blog, church, cruise, europe, gaudi, Karen Kondazian, kondazian, Spain, Travel, travel blog, travelogue

Amsterdam To Rome Cruise Post #10 – ‘Valencia, Spain: The City of Oranges, Giant-eyed buildings and Paella’

By Karen Kondazian on December 17, 2014 1 Comment

Turia Fountain, located in the Plaza de la Virgen – Valencia, Spain

There are parts of the ancient city of Valencia, founded as a Roman colony in 138 BC, that have a definite futuristic quality to it. As an example, Valencia houses the bizarre and fascinating City of the Arts and Science complex– the largest leisure and cultural complex in Europe. Several of the buildings that make up this group of six, lay on their sides in water, their elongated windowed-eye gazing towards the seemingly constant Valencian blue sky. The futuristic set of buildings was created by Santiago Calatrava and Felix Candela in 2005… they include:

L’Hemisfèric – Valencia, Spain

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Blog, City of Arts and Science, cruise, europe, Felix Candela, Santiago Calatrava, Spain, Travel, travel blog, valencia

Amsterdam to Rome Cruise Post #9 – ‘Rock Of Gibraltar: The City of Ferocious Macaques and the Wedding of John & Yoko’

By Karen Kondazian on December 4, 2014 1 Comment

Rock of Gibraltar from the Seven Seas Voyager cruise ship

It was a day at sea on the Regent cruise ship, en route to Valencia, Spain. I awoke to a voice on the PA system alerting guests of the Rock of Gibraltar to our north. I opened the curtains and went out onto my balcony, welcomed by the wondrous view of the 1,398ft high limestone rock situated on the Iberian Peninsula. The gigantic, pale-grey monolith, comprised of crystalline and dolomite minerals, shimmered in the morning light. Wanting a closer view of the Rock, I quickly got dressed and headed for the 13th floor observation deck.

Rock of Gibraltar, Spain

While Gibraltar itself was an extraordinary sight, I was overcome by a sense of awe upon entering the mouth of the Mediterranean. So smooth and calm the sea was, compared to the Bay of Biscay, which had caused three rather restless nights due to rocking and rolling in six-meter swells. As I looked out to the north, there was the continent of Europe and when I turned to the south, there was Africa (Tangiers, Morocco), with its arid, chocolate-brown Rif mountain range. I experienced a peculiar sensation, being able to see two very different worlds at the same time – only a small expanse of 50 miles of sea between the continents. What with Ebola, HIV and internal conflicts in Africa, it was quite a contrast to behold that mass of land, so peaceful and serene, from the vantage point of the ship.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: adventure, africa, barbary macaque, Blog, cruise ship, europe, gibraltar, john lennon, kondazian, macaque, morocco, rock, rock of gibraltar, Spain, tangiers, Travel, travel blog, yoko ono

Amsterdam to Rome Cruise Post #8 – ‘Lisbon, Portugal: The City of Light, Art and Egg Tart Pastries’

By Karen Kondazian on December 3, 2014 2 Comments

Karen overlooking Lisbon with Targus River in background

Karen overlooking Lisbon with Tagus River in background

Known as “the white city” because of its clear light and beach-worthy climate, Lisbon is spread over a string of seven hills north of the Tagus River. With its switchback streets and alleyways, pastel-colored houses with laundry hung out to dry, black-and-white mosaic cobblestone sidewalks bordering wide boulevards, red and yellow trams clanking through the streets, blue-and-white painted, glazed ceramic tiles adorning churches and fountains, it is as if the city had been handcrafted for a Cinemascope movie.

Lisbon, Portugal

Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, was colonized by many civilizations such as the Greeks and the Moors, and finally in 1147, by the Portuguese. The city is linked with heroic deeds of the Portuguese maritime exploration in the 15th and 16th centuries. It was the Age of Discoveries and the Golden Era of Portugal, transforming Lisbon into the opulent center of a vast empire. Part of the wealth from these expeditions was used to build monuments and buildings in a unique Portuguese style: the extravagant Manueline architecture, best typified in the Jerónimos Monastery (a UNESCO World Heritage Site).

Jerónimos Monastery – Lisbon, Portugal

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: Blog, europe, karen, Karen Kondazian, kondazian, lisbon, Pastéis de Belém, portugal, Travel, travel blog

Amsterdam to Rome Cruise Post #7 – ‘Oporto, Portugal: The City of Port Wine and Bookstore of Harry Potter Inspiration’

By Karen Kondazian on November 26, 2014 Leave a Comment

Historic Centre of Oporto from the Douro River – Oporto, Portugal

Oporto, also known as ‘Porto’, is the second largest city in Portugal (next to its sister city, Lisbon). Once an important outpost of the Roman Empire, Oporto is now one of the oldest cities in Europe, dating back to 275 BC. The Douro River, which was a Roman trading center, is now hallmarked by an extraordinary double-decker bridge, the work of the famous Parisian engineer, Gustav Eiffel (of the Eiffel Tower, Paris).

Dom Luís I Bridge over the Douro River – Oporto, Portugal

Porto is registered as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. One of the reasons for its fame is its unique, classical gilt-work architecture, reflecting the baroque-style and romanticism of the 19^th and 20^th century. I remember thinking the lacey balconies gracing many of the buildings, somehow reminded me of New Orleans.

Ribeira Square – Oporto, Portugal

Porto’s most internationally famous export is port wine, which is named for the city. The Portuguese take their wine so seriously, that the guidelines dictated by the ‘European Union of Protected Designation of Origin’ state that only port from Portugal may be labeled as Port Wine. I’ve personally never been a fan of port because of its overwhelming sweetness, but after visiting the Sandeman Winery and tasting a glass, I could possibly do a commercial! The port was memorable… smokey and sweet, delicate and bitter – all at the same time.

Filed Under: Blog Tagged With: adventure, Blog, cathedral, cruise, europe, harry potter, lello bookshop, oporto, port wine, porto, portugal, sandeman, ship, Travel, travel blog, vacation, wine, winery

Notes From Machu Picchu – by Karen Kondazian

By Karen Kondazian on January 31, 2013 4 Comments

It was time for me to finally lay eyes on the mystical Machu Picchu, a place I had always heard about in awed tones, by the people who had been there– although I knew little about. I flew from Lima to Cuzco, high in the Andes at more than 10,000 feet above sea level. When I got off the plane, I felt winded, dizzy, had a bad headache. I was told that I had altitude sickness and was handed a hot cup of coca tea. After several cups, I felt light and chipper, myself again (While there, I drank many cups of this delicious brew… outlawed in the U.S. as it comes from the coca leaf – translated by the US immigration as cocaine). It kept me well… It kept me thriving… Without it, I could not have conquered the altitude.

Cuzco was founded in the 15th century by the Incas, and then later vanquished by the Spaniards. I stayed in an ancient Monastery (1595) the Hotel Monasterio del Cuzco, and at breakfast I heard chanting… beautiful, peaceful chanting – and drank coca tea. Blissful is how I started my day.

Filed Under: Blog, Karen Kondazian, Travel Tagged With: Andes, Blog, city, cuzco, history, Inca, Karen Kondazian, Lima, machu picchu, Monastery, mountain, peru, Santuary Lodge, Spaniards, Travel, Vistadome

From Amsterdam to Rome Cruise Post #18 – Amalfi and Positano, Italy: “The City of the heavenly lemon, muse to both Steinbeck and The Rolling Stones, and home to the most romantic foreign film of the 90’s.”

From Amsterdam to Rome Cruise Post #17 – “Palermo, Sicily: The City of the Cosa Nostra, fabulous Pizza & Gelato and the Great Mount Pellegrino.”

From Amsterdam to Rome Cruise Post #15: Palma De Mallorca, Spain: “The City of Olive Tourism, Castle of Kings & Prisoners, And House of Wax & Taxidermy”

From Amsterdam to Rome Cruise Post #13: ‘The Great Freedom Port of Marseille & the Starry, Starry Night of Van Gogh’s Arles, France.’

Amsterdam To Rome Cruise Post #11 – ‘Barcelona, Spain: The City of the Never-Ending Church, the Brilliant Gaudí and the 2nd Most Valuable Soccer Team in the World.’

Amsterdam To Rome Cruise Post #10 – ‘Valencia, Spain: The City of Oranges, Giant-eyed buildings and Paella’

Amsterdam to Rome Cruise Post #9 – ‘Rock Of Gibraltar: The City of Ferocious Macaques and the Wedding of John & Yoko’

Amsterdam to Rome Cruise Post #8 – ‘Lisbon, Portugal: The City of Light, Art and Egg Tart Pastries’

Amsterdam to Rome Cruise Post #7 – ‘Oporto, Portugal: The City of Port Wine and Bookstore of Harry Potter Inspiration’

Notes From Machu Picchu – by Karen Kondazian

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