One day in Vienna

Vienna is a wonderful place to visit. Its historic buildings, palaces and monuments are reminiscent of an imperialist era as the capital of the Austrian Empire. The Belvedere is a historical building complex consisting of two Baroque palaces the Upper and Lower Belvedere and was built from 1696 – 1719 as a summer residence for Prince Eugene of Savoy.

But above all, Vienna is also famous for classical music and in the early 19th century, the city was home to many great composers of the classical music era, such as Joseph Haydn, Ludwig van Beethoven and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Vienna is also the city of the waltz and has been immortalized by the famous Blue Danube Waltz (An der schönen blauen donau) composed by Johann Strauss Jr. Johann Strauss Jr, whose father Johann Strauss Snr was also a composer (famous for the Radetsky March) has become an international Austrian icon...

FRIENDSHIP

Friends are  the ”sunshine of Life...”

Tales and stories about friends

are told time and again to kids,

in order to let them understand

the true meaning of friendship.

Such stories help them know

how precious true friends are.

Some of the stories are timeless

and have been told through

generations. Others are based

on personal experiences.

°

However, one thing is common

in all of them and that is important

morals in life. Every story based

on friendship tells the fact

that true friends are gifts of God.

One should not let small

disputes and misunderstandings

strain friendships.
 

°  

It may be easy to be friends

with everyone, but it is hard

to find friends who are really

true to friendship and would

stand by, during the hardships

of life. Not everyone is blessed

with true friends and if you

have even one,

consider yourself lucky.

°

Even in the blogosphere it is

much more difficult to find

a true friend who will stay

with you not only in the good

time but will stay beside you

also when you have a tough time…

 

Lisbon from a different angle

Lisbon is situated on the north banks of the River Tagus and his charm exists in its strong links to the past. A city set on seven hills, as the legend tells, with its cobble-stoned pavements and narrow streets full of Art Nouveau cafés promises a lot to discover

But the best way to discover Lisbon is to get lost in its narrow streets and up and down roads! Every narrow street will tell you a different story and every story will reach to your heart easily.
When tired of sight-seeing, shopping in Lisbon will take all your tiredness away.

Finally I recommend visiting the Expo center and “Oceonário”. The Oceanarium is not only Portugal's largest indoor aquarium -- but it's Europe's as well. Exhibits correspond to different oceans, including the Tropical Indian, the Temperate Pacific, Antarctic, North Atlantic, as well as the Global Ocean…

TIME FOR THE MODERN LISBON

 Today was spent in the area where the 1998 Lisbon World Exposition was held.

The area today is thriving, modern,

stylish, and safe,

 attracting 18 million tourists a year to

 its gardens, museums, commercial areas

 and modern buildings.

It has also become permanent residency

for up to 25,000 people and

one of Lisbon's premier business centers,

with many multinational corporations

 basing their headquarters

 in its main avenue.

MAKING A WISH

Making a wish at the Lisbon Cathedral,

an austere Romanesque building

that, according to a legend,

was home to a mosque.

This was converted to a cathedral

after the city was conquered

by Crusaders in 1147

AT A BEACH RESORT....

The fine weather seems to be a constant

in this corner of the world.

At the end of the day,

I captured the beach scene

under a beautiful light.