Les Tours de Merle

I miss France and decided to take a little tour of a fascinating place in the south of the Corrèze. The fortress was considered impregnable, but history intervened and parts of it fell in the wrong hands for a while. The lords of Merle prevailed, eventually.

This is from Wikipedia:

The Tours de Merle are the ruins of a castle in the commune of Saint-Geniez-ô-Merle, in the Corrèze department of France. It was a feudal fortress from the twelfth and fifteenth centuries, which was subject of a classification as a historic monument since July 30, 1927.

In the fourteenth century, Merle included seven castles, two chapels and a village, owned by seven noblemen from Merle. 

During the Hundred Years' War, the English took one of the towers and a castle in 1371.

In 1574 the Calvinists took the citadel, where they established a garrison, they were driven out two years later by the co-lords. But the fortress was abandoned by those who preferred to live in places that were more pleasant and certainly more accessible.

Stylish travel - Aveiro

The train station in Aveiro, Portugal, is a work of art:

The rest of the place is a gem...

I wish we were all there...

Ah... Wouldn't it be lovely if we could all meet in a place like Santorini?

No, this is not another planet!

This amazing landscape is not from another world, but in Catamarca, Argentina. It's a pumice stone field, formed after volcanic eruptions.

Beautiful places

Let's do a bit of virtual travel today...

    Tuscany, Italy

    Cappadocia, Turkey 

    Granada, Spain

    Sligachan Glen, Scotland 

    

Fougères, France

    Iguaçu Falls, Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina 

A very tiring but beautiful tourist attraction

Montagne de Bueren, in Liège, Belgium, is a 374-step staircase that connects the city center to an old citadel. With a slope of almost 30 degrees, these stairs are not a real mountain, but you might find that this long, steep climb is almost as challenging as ascending to a summit. 

The staircase was constructed in the late 19th century to allow soldiers to access the city center from the citadel. It was named for Vincent de Bueren, who defended Liège against an attack by the Duke of Burgundy in the 15th century. It honors the 600 soldiers who lost their lives in this battle.

One of the best times of year to visit Montagne de Bueren is during Bueren de Fleurs in June, when the steps are covered with colorful flowers. Another time when the stairs look spectacular is on the first Saturday in October during the Nocturne des Coteaux de la Citadelle. For this event, more than 3,000 candles are placed along the steps to create a mesmerizing evening illumination. 

Whooosh!

I don't like windy days. I don't mind wind if I'm safely indoors, I just dislike being in it. I don't think I would like to go on a vacation to this place, even though it's a very interesting landmark: