A Flower in the Spanish City of Malaga
Lying on the Costa Del Sol (Coast of the Sun), within the Mediterranean, is the beautiful Spanish city of Malaga. This southernmost large European city is the birthplace of many notable persons to include Pablo Picasso and Antonio Banderas. Malaga’s history spans back some 2,800 years, making it one of the oldest cities in the world. With my stunning señora by my side, I set out on foot to explore all of the city’s splendor and ageless beauty.
Big John and Rebecca set out to explore the beautiful Spanish city of Malaga. (more…)
Posted in Europe, Adventurous Places and tagged Malaga, Spain by Big John with no comments yet.
Cruising the Mediterranean Aboard the Celebrity Reflection
In June of 2017, I became the luckiest guy alive when I married Rebecca – my best friend and love of my life. To celebrate our joyous occasion, I planned a honeymoon that would be second to none. So, the day following our ceremony we boarded a plane to Rome, Italy and then found our way to the Italian seaport of Civitavecchia. Docked at the port was the Celebrity Reflection, the luxury cruise vessel that would carry us around the Western Mediterranean. The Celebrity Reflection is the largest their Solstice class ship in their entire fleet. The vessel has a 3,046 max occupancy, is 1,047 feet long, and boats an impressive cruising speed of 24 knots. These are just some of the amazing memories we captured while underway.
Big John and Rebecca go cruising the Mediterranean aboard the Celebrity Reflection. (more…)
Posted in Adventurous Places, Europe, Great Dining and tagged Celebrity, Celebrity Reflection, cruise, honeymoon, Mediterranean by Big John with no comments yet.
The Legendary City of Antwerp
In the days of old, there once lived a horrible giant that terrorized all of the Flemish province to include the land that the legendary city of Antwerp rests upon today. The giant, named Antigoon, made his home along the Scheldt River and demanded a toll from all those who desired to cross over its waterway. If anybody encountering the giant was unable to render payment in full, Antigoon would sever one of their hands and toss it straight into the river. For years, the giant guarded the only bridge leading in and out of the city. The local people, many of them amputees, were powerless to drive him away. Even the battle-hardened Roman legionaries in the area dared not challenge the monster; they would rather lose a few coins than lose a hand that carries a sword. The situation eventually became so dire that the Scheldt River was said to contain more hands than it did fishes.
One glorious day, a brave young soldier named Silvius Brabo mustered up enough courage to confront Antigoon. He had grown tired of giving the great beast his meager wages each time he wanted to cross the river to visit the city. You see, the young lad had found his true love in the legendary city of Antwerp and he vowed to put an end to this giant’s savagery once and for all. (more…)
Posted in Tall Tales and Big Fish Stories, Adventurous Places, Europe and tagged Antwerp, Belgium, Europe by Big John with no comments yet.
Cologne and Dusseldorf: Rivalry on the Rhine
Situated on the Rhine, and separated by a mere 27 miles, are the heavily populated cities of Cologne and Düsseldorf. These two German metropolises, while essentially neighbors, are completely at odds with one another. If you ask any resident of Düsseldorf which city is better, he or she will tell you that their city is definitely the best. Not surprisingly, if you were to ask somebody in Cologne that very same question, you’re likely to get a similar response favoring their own neck of the woods. Not only is the architecture and various attractions in each city distinctive, the type of beer consumed in each city differs as well. As you may very well know, when it comes to matters of beer drinking, there are very few things in the Rhineland of greater importance!
Rebecca in the cobble-stoned courtyard of Alter Markt (Old Marketplace), Cologne.
Not to be easily persuaded one way or another, Rebecca and I decided to take a self-guided tour of both Cologne and Düsseldorf to assess the situation ourselves . We would explore the varied sights, dine in the various restaurants, and sample each of the city’s distinct beers. Perhaps then, after some toilsome and extensive research, we could offer our own unbiased assessment and settle this long-winded debate once and for all! (more…)
Posted in Adventurous Places, Europe, Great Dining and tagged Cologne, Dusseldorf, Germany by Big John with no comments yet.
Our Bicycle Ride Through Amsterdam
To begin, I must confess that the title of this post is a bit misleading. Our bicycle ride through Amsterdam makes up only a very small portion of the photographs you will see below. With 1.3 bicycles per person in Amsterdam, it just seemed easier for Rebecca and I to do most of our exploring on foot. Not only is Amsterdam the capital, it is the most populated city in the Netherlands. Its name derives from Amstelredamme, indicative of the city’s origin around a dam in the river Amstel. Just like Venice, Italy and Bruges, Belgium, Amsterdam is a city of beautiful canals and extraordinary history. I know you’ll experience a desire to visit this city yourself once you view some of our pictures.
One of the many splendid sights when on a bicycle ride through Amsterdam. (more…)
Posted in Adventurous Places, Europe and tagged Amsterdam, Holland, Netherlands by Big John with no comments yet.