Music and Travel
The Royal Albert Hall is one of the world’s most iconic venues with the unique history and incredible architecture. It was opened by Queen Victoria in 1871 and since then all the greatest artists and performers have appeared on its stage. It was the first time I attended the concert at RAH and it was very memorable experience, auditorium is simply breathtaking and the sound is so clear.
Vienna in spring is something amazing, with all those flowers and trees blooming around!
Vienna is the city of music, music is literally in the air, many famous composers lived here, and nowadays you can find many concert halls, operettas, music museums everywhere in the city. One of the most famous musical genius of all time Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart spent his successful and creative years in Vienna. You can follow his footsteps, for example visit Schonbrunn Palace where he used to perform as a kid or the gothic St. Stephen’s Cathedral where he got married in 1782. Also it’s worth seeing the Mozarthaus, an impressive museum that includes Amadeus’ original apartment.
One of the most famous Mozart memorials is located in Burggarten.
Vienna is also famous to be a point of Ludwig van Beethoven’s life for more than 35 years. Firstly he traveled to Vienna to study under Mozart. His house where he lived between 1804 and 1815 has a very spectacular view of the University and the Ringstrasse boulevard. There are also several monuments of Beethoven around the city, but in my opinion the most beautiful one is located on Beethovenplatz, opposite the Wiener Konzerthaus.
You can find monuments of other legendary composers in “Unsere Garten” in Vienna, this place really makes you feel the music vibes of the city.
The colorful and unusual Hundertwasser House in Vienna is one of the main architectural highlights in Austria. The house was designed by Fredensreuch Hundertwasse between 1983 and 1985 and is known as an extraordinary building and a green oasis in the city with more than 200 trees on the balconies. I was so impressed by this building, it looks like a house from a fairytale where all dreams come true. “Art doesn’t reflect the visible, it makes it visible”. © Paul Klee. The Hunderwasser Village is located right opposite the Hunderwasserhaus and consists of a shopping center, a bar and a village square in the typical Hunderwasser style. This place is absolutely worth seeing.
If you want to visit some traditional Viennese places of interest you can’t miss Schonbrunn Palace, which was the former summer residence of the imperial family. This baroque complex contains a big beautiful park, the Palm House (which was opened in 1882), the Gloriette, a zoo and a Palace itself.
Another place which is impossible to miss while staying in Vienna is Stephansdom gothic cathedral and one of the tallest churches in the world which is located on the Stephansplatz (geographical centre of Vienna). Breathtaking view!
My next stop was Hofburg Palace which is the former imperial palace in the centre of Vienna. It was built in 13th century and expanded in the centuries. Until 1918, the Hofburg was the center of the gigantic Habsburg empire. And today, it is the official seat of the Austrian President.
One of the most famous Vienna’s addresses is probably Berggasse 19 where Sigmund Freud, the founding father of psychoanalysis, lived for 47 years. The former apartment is now a museum, which shows the original furniture, selection of Freud’s private collection of antiques etc.
Vienna is not only a cultural and historical centre but also a very cosy and beautiful city full of great monuments, universities and green parks.
You should also try some traditional Austrian dishes, which include Wiener Schnitzel, potato salad, Apfelstrudel, Sachertorte, different types of chocolate and coffee (Melange becomes my favorite drink even if I’m not a fan of coffee). Every dish that I tried looked and tasted really good.
And finally! I can’t miss vinyl shopping anywhere I’m travelling to! Vienna is a good place for music shopping, you can find many shops selling different kinds of old and new vinyls. My favorite shop is Scout Records which is located on Capistrangasse, 3, found there some great LPs of Eric Clapton, J.J. Cale and Jon Lord.
Chicago is the city of amazing music, great people, breathtaking views, beautiful museums, parks and delicious food. Even if it’s cold and foggy in January sometimes, you can still fully enjoy the city exploring its major touristic places or streets of neighborhoods. I think everyone can find something interesting in this Windy city.
Chicago was and still is a sweet home for blues, that’s why I spent most of the time listening to my favorite music, shooting concerts, and what is the most valuable for me, learning photography from the greatest photographer and the nicest person Paul Natkin who made this trip absolutely unforgettable.
Thailand.. People call it Land of Smiles, which is absolutely true, but for me it’s also a Land of incredibly beautiful sunsets and sunrises, delicious food, crystal clear beaches, and air filled with fragrance of tropical flowers, sweet spices, sea water and something special that is difficult to explain. But this air blows my mind and makes me come back again! Thailand is a country of contrasts, some people love it, some people hate it. For me it’s the best place to escape from reality and kill the stress.
My summer trip to Verona was a great combination of amazing views and amazing music!
Verona is the city of glorious medieval buildings and beautiful bridges. It has been named a UNESCO WORLD Heritage Site because of importance of many historical buildings. All those views amazed me, especially tiny streets which lead to a historic center and very beautiful “piazzas”. Sometimes sightseeing can become boring but it impossible to happen in Verona, you can feel the vibes of the city, its ambiance.
It’s really an incredible feeling when you’re exploring the city, first settlement of which probably dates back to the 1st century BC. It’s even difficult to imagine what happened back then on those streets, in those houses etc, which remain the same until nowadays.
Verona is famous for its Roman amphitheatre, the Arena, found in the city’s largest piazza, the Piazza Bra. It was completed around 30 AD. I was lucky to see this amazing Arena not only from outside, but also inside, attending the concert of legendary David Gilmour.
I was traveling to Verona in July, one of the hottest months there, so it was difficult to explore the city all day long, but it’s absolutely not a problem because you can take a break enjoying a cup of delicious cappuccino or a glass of Aperol Spritz and Italian ice-cream at one of those small and cozy cafes. By the way, once you try Italian ice-cream, you can’t stop eating it!
I will definitely come back to Verona once again!
David Gilmour returns to Pompeii with a thrilling concert at historic and such a mysterious venue. It was totally unexpected venue for 2 his concerts on the 2016 European “Rattle that lock” tour. It’s the first time any of Pink Floyd members played there since filming their cult-hit concert with no audience in 1972.
When I just entered the amphitheater, I was totally amazed by the scenery, beautiful stage, Mr. Screen and blue sky above which suddenly turned to black and fires lit up around the venue. Such a breathtaking view! The sound was amazing, crystal clear and so detailed! Visual effects of the show were also very special, the entire venue was used as a lighting rig.
After “The great gig in the sky” David told the audience “It’s lovely to be back here in this beautiful place after all these years, amongst the audience and ghosts, ancient and recent”, remembering the greatest Richard Wright.
It’s undoubtedly a night to remember, impressive event which happens once in a lifetime. Anfiteatro di Pompei is a very mystical place, you really feel that you’re surrounded by the ghosts of the past there..
Many thanks to David and his band for making it happen, great show that I will never forget!
A great Pink Floyd exhibition was also opened in the underground passages of the Anfiteatro di Pompei. The exhibition, curated by “Live at Pompeii” movie director Adrian Maben, features rare photos, memorabilia and interviews. Absolutely worth seeing!
Pompeii is the most mysterious and mystical place I have ever been. It’s quite a strange feeling to see all those ghostly ruins of Roman streets, houses, temples etc, which were buried by Vesuvius eruption in AD 79, and imagine what they looked like before that awful disaster. The scenery which includes these ruins and Vesuvius on the background in absolutely breathtaking. There are so many stories (both research and myths) regarding what really happened to Pompeii, but seems that nobody knows the full story.
Jane-M Photography 