Jewel Lake Villa: Fill & Download for Free

Okay, this has to be a 10-way tie! <smile>. So if you start with the cliche Villa D'Este (and that's some cliche) you start with something very hard to top. But then on another trip, my travel agent told me about Villa Feltrinelli on Lake Garda outside of Verona. Believe it or not, it might even be more spectacular (romantic) than Villa D'Este because of it's grounds and isolation and unbelievable service. For sheer beauty, Villa D'Este is hard to top, but there was something more accessable about the grounds and lake at Lake Garda that was hard to top. I wish I could show you pictures here!Next, the hotels with balconies overlooking the Grand Canal in Venice, like the Danielli, and the rooftop restaurant there, that's hard to top, but in an entirely different dimension. Venice is just such a romantic city, it brings a whole different level to every experience. A fun movie to watch to convince you to go to Venice is "Bread and Tulips" both funny and romantic and truly representative of Venice off-season - it's wonderful.Then, of course, there is the whole Amalfi coast, and its tough competition from Portofino. Portofino is so wonderfully compact, and the Amalfi Coast is so wonderfully grand, they are romantic in different ways. It's hard to top the 5-star Il San Pietro outside of Positano on the cliff.Ah, Florence, that jewel of a city. My screen background is currently a panoramic view from the top of the bell tower adjacent to the Duomo. I've climbed that many times with Hasselblad in tow in the 90's, and many gigapixels this century. Standing in the Piazza where Michelangelo won the competition with Da Vinci in 1500 to make the David, and walking along the river, and all the welcoming stores and street artists make this city remarkable. To make Florence even more amazing, read "The Agony and the Ecstasy" first, and then go visit Michelangelo's house and see his first sculpture when he was 13.Rome has so many romantic places, but it's such a big city, that even though it's my favorite place and I try to go once a year, I don't put it at the top of my romantic list.

My hometown looks like this from my second floor balcony.I live in the Indonesian city of Bandung. Bandung - WikipediaIts a medium sized city home to 2.6 million peoples. For those who never been to Bandung, the first thought probably its just another developing city somewhere in Asia. Yes it is true it’s developing rapidly, but in Indonesia and the region of Southeast Asia, Bandung is quite unique.( prepare, this is a long answer )Its the largest highland city in the region. Its located at an elevation of 740 meter above sea level ( most part of the city ). That’s why the suppressing heat that you often associated with lowland tropical cities is somewhat mitigated by the city's location. Most of the year the temperature is balmy at 20 to 28 degree Celsius. Now its the rainy season. Temperature often drops to the low twenties or to the mid teens because of the heavy rains and high winds.Besides the elevation, what makes Bandung unique amongst its peers is the topography and geology of the city. The picture that I've take earlier shows that large part of the city are actually located on the foot of a volcanic mountain chains.Look at the map above, you can clearly see the difference between the low and flat location of Jakarta and the flat but high elevation of Bandung. The city is surrounded by chains of volcanoes, hills & mountains. The flat plateau/basin where Bandung is build is a geological gift because the of the roughness of the West Java highlands. This is the 3D image of Bandung.The green part is actually cultivated paddy fields. Many parts of the Bandung basin where the city is located are still rural in many ways. The dark grey area is the built up part of the city. Oh yeah i almost forgot,roughly 1 million years ago what is now Bandung is actually a giant lake.It was created after a massive eruption of the ancient version of Mount Sunda.The remnants of that ancient volcano is still visible from the north side of the city ( in this picture its the distant left peak ).The eruption was so massive that it blocked the flow of the Citarum river, damming it. The basin then fill up with water and the ancient Bandung lake is born. It wasn't until 8000 years ago that the lake began to drain due to an opening in the natural dam created by an 8–9 Magnitude earthquake that struck the region.Even though the lake emptied thousands of years ago, until recently the remnants of it can still be seen. This is lake Aksan several decades ago, Its the last remnant of the ancient prehistoric lake. Unfortunately the area today has been filled up and develop.Now that i have explained the geological history of Bandung, its time to visit the city it self.Bandung the city is actually not Indonesian by birth, its parents are Dutch. It was chosen, design and build initially by the Dutch colonial administration as their brand new capital, replacing the dilapidated Batavia or Jakarta. The reason why the Dutch wanted to move its colonial capital to Bandung is because of the defensible location of the city. Surrounded by mountains and very difficult to attack, unlike Batavia which is on the coast.The Dutch wanted it to be an “exclusive” city build only for the well connected and the wealthy. They poured millions of “Gulden” to design and build it. Think Bandung as a colonial smart city, ahead of its time.And the most expensive building in the city ? its this monument. Gouvernements Bedrijven (GB) or Gedung Sate in Indonesian. Gedung Sate - WikipediaIt cost the Dutch up to 6 Millions Gulden to construct. Nearly bankrupting the colonial government. Today the building is the official symbol of the city.The colonial past of Bandung is ever present. It what makes Bandung…Bandung. You can still enjoy its colonial past, even though the rapid development of the city is threatening this very identity of Bandung.Even the former office of the Dutch military general Paleis van de Legercommandant still exist. Its my personal favorite.This Vila “Villa Isola” in the upper part of the city is also a favorite spot for tourists. Villa Isola - WikipediaIf you have the money you can stay at the Savoy Homan Hotel. This historical hotel is one of the jewel of Bandung. Its an institution in it self. Savoy Homann Bidakara Hotel - WikipediaIts in this hotel that many of the world leaders went and stay when ever they visited Bandung for the commemoration of the Pan Asia-Africa Conference. Bandung Conference - WikipediaThe conference that took place in 1955 was the first global conference for “colored” people in the world. It is still commemorated every year and world leaders gather every 5 years. They always walk from the hotel to the conference hall just a few hundred meters away.Bandung has a lot of history to offer.Ok first it was the city geology, then its history, whats next that Bandung can offer.Bandung is known for Shopping. Its because of this, the city were once dubbed “Parij Van Java” by the Dutch. The best and newest fashion and trend in the Dutch East Indies were first introduced in the city, similar to Paris. And this tradition lives on to this day.If you prefer to shop and stroll, than Dago or Riau street are the place for you, Shops and boutique line those streets.Searching for a different walking and shopping experience ? what about shopping at an elevated walkway like those in New York. This is Teras Cihampelas. Its an elevated walkway build above the Cihampelas street.Shop till you drop, that's the motto of tourism in the city. But shoppers with their vehicles can cause massive traffic jams though…as the city’s colonial streets are not equip to handle so much traffic. What about mass transport ? There is public bus off course.The buses are modern, safe, clean and efficient. For people with disabilities do not worry, there are ample help and facilities to help you. Bandung is also planning to build a LRT and cable car network. Its still on a planning phase due to the technical challenge presented by the city.OK we’ve touch on shopping and transport. Is there anything else that Bandung is well known for ? Yes, off course.Its the home of Indonesia’s best engineering School. Bandung Institute of Technology - WikipediaBandung is one of three cities that boast the most prestigious institutions for higher learning in the country. The other two cities are Jakarta and Yogyakarta.The city are also known for its dairy farms (legacy of the Dutch), flower fields and off course FOOD !Food is an essential itinerary when you come to Bandung. There are a lot of eateries serving the most authentic Indonesian food. Foreign and fusion food are also well represented as people in the city eat out a lot !So the next time you visit Bandung or planning to visit the city don’t forget to ask locals like me. The city offers a huge array of activities and experience for every one.All pictures courtesy of Google.

Getting from Milano to Rome takes some 4 hours: Rome is just not an option. Getting to Venice takes 2 and a half hours: Venice is a doable daytrip, but still on the far side.You can reach Como in one hour departing from the Cadorna ststion in the center of Milano and arriving at the scenic Como Nord Lago station in one hour for less than 5 euro. Trains depart twice an hour or even more frequently in peak hours. From Como you may take a boat to visit the various lake towns.A daytrip I highly suggest is going to Mantova, the cradle of Renaissance. Mantova, along with Urbino, created the concept of Renaissance well before Milan and Florence jumped on the train. It's a pretty long travel,as the trip from Milano Lambrate to Mantova takes a couple of hours in old and not very comfortable trains, but the cityis stunning and compact. From the station,take a walk to the center, get lost in the maze of streets and squares around central piazza Sordello, visit Palazzo Ducale and its incredible frescoes, then have a light lunch facing the lakes. In the afternoon walk to Palazzo Te and visit this jewel of architecture.An even closer daytrip is Monza, just 15 minutes from Milano and which you can travel to with the 2.40 Mi1-Mi4 local transit ticket. The two visits you can't miss are Villa Reale and the Duomo museum. Villa Reale os the summer residence of king Umberto I and it's located in the Monza park. Instead of taking the train, use the subway to get to Sesto I Maggio and from there take the Z221 bus (it departs every 30 minutes, so check the timetable), which leaves you right in front of the villa entrance. The guided tour of the (very tacky, as befits fin-de-siécle royalty) Royal chambers costs 10 euro and takes 50 minutes, 3 extra euro allow you to also visit the salons on the first floor. Continue your visit with a stroll in the park and lunch at one of the many kiosks, before a short walk to the medieval center of Monza. The Duomo museum, which holds the Corona Ferrea with which both Charlemagne and Napoleon were crowned, suggests to reserve the visit. From the center, the ststion is just an easy walk along a very commercial and lively neighborhood.