I'll get the conversation started . . . One of the most impressive buildings I've ever visited is the Palácio da Pena in Sintra, Portugal. It's a giant colorful castle, with a crazy eclectic clash of different architectural styles, amazing gardens (plants from all over the globe) and elaborate, lush interiors that often border on the surreal. It's basically a monument to 19th-century Romanticism!
It's so hard to pick but I'd have to say that one of the most amazing places we've ever visited, where I was simply transported, was the Cau Ferrat Museum in Sitges, Spain. The home, turned museum, of the Spanish painter Santiago Rusiñol (1861-1931) absolutely changed my life. I was so blown away by the art and décor of the interior of the building, I had one of the most vivid experiences of déjà vu I've ever had. I even wrote an article about it!
I love the Cau Ferrat and I love that great article you wrote about it. I vividly remember walking in with you, and I've *never* seen you react to a place like that before or since. It was truly uncanny . . . even your body transformed . . . you walked around that museum like you owned the place and knew exactly where every single item in that massive collection of art and antiques was supposed to be. You definitely lived there before.
You are my weekly dose of culture and never disappoint. I always look forward to Friday's email and your latest podcast. I feel like I grew up with Cher and have always admired her. I actually saw a Sonny AND Cher concert back in the day.
One of the most amazing displays of architecture I have experienced is Parc Guell in Barcelona designed by Antoni Gaudi
Thank you so much. We're so thrilled to know that our content is landing in this way, it's honestly our goal so we're overjoyed to get your positive feedback. We try!
And...you saw Sonny and Cher AND The Carpenters??? Uhm, jealous!
And Parc Guell was literally one of our choices as well! Gaudi was a genius and everything he built melts my eyes and heart into aesthetic arrest.
Love that you chose Gaudi! Gaudi was on my shortlist as well, and Parc Güell is probably my favorite of his many creations. Such a beautiful place. Like my husband, I am equally jealous that you saw Sonny and Cher! Thank you for your kind words about our podcast. ❤
Jazz harp is AMAZING, RIGHT??? And I think Huysmans and Jodorowsky are cooler than any of US will EVER be! Thank you for chiming in! What's your favorite building you've ever been to in the world? I'm dying to know!
Mz. Fly, you will always be the coolest! We are totally obsessed with jazz harp and hope that you will be too . . . dive down the Alice Coltrane/Dorothy Ashby/Brandee Younger rabbit hole with us! Oh! And while you're at it, check out harpist Nailah Hunter . . . her harp covers of Radiohead's "Talk Show Host" and Donovan's "Guinevere" are everything! Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/album/1o5cUVpzMY2TDpQ3lxCTWh
Notre Dame. I could not believe my eyeballs. I think I floated through the whole cathedral. Like WHAT?! Humans made this? It was so awesome and beautiful.
Could not agree more! Living around the corner to Notre Dame for five years, we never stopped marveling at its magnificence. It was our daily Temple. Then, watching it burn from the window of our friend Elizabeth's apartment the night it was ablaze was one of the most horrific moments ever.
That was such a tragic and depressing moment. I wonder how long the restoration will take? (They're saying the end of 2024, but I'm highly skeptical.) I am extremely worried what the "new" version will look like . . .but damn, the original was amazingly beautiful.
Tough choices. Since I live in Barcelona, I agree about Parc Guell. It's sinewy curves and incorporated mosaics give off a bodily organic feel, corporal? But, I also like some of the churches. The Church up on Monserrat, is breathtaking! But, so is the area around it. The places where the monks used to live, very charming and austere, a hard combination to balance.
The other place is in Rennes le Château, the Priory of Sion church of Berenger Saunier. The Templar mysteries have always intrigued me. The state of the building that was partly re-built by Saunier, is intact. The gardens surrounding Saunier's tomb are beautiful, with little spiral stairways leading up to the top of battlement wall and tower. But, so is the same with Castle Myravet! close to Girona in Myravet Village, one of the most tranquil and charming places I've visited. Tiny cobblestone roads and cottages with flower boxes on the outside sills of windows and the views across the valley are amazing. This is another place where the Templars held up along the trail of the Templars. Last, but not least, in terms of amazing architecture, was the Great Pyramid at Giza.
It's rather large in photos, but not seemingly as large as I would have expected, so I was kind of "meh" about it at first. After entering, the narrow tunnels that led to the King & Queen's chambers were not challenging, but negotiating it was like taking the form of an insect. There was no stairway, but slats of petrified wood that lay across the floor like a railroad. The acoustics in the king's chamber were amazing. I vibrated some names in Hebrew while there, with a moment alone. There's more to this, but I won't comment here. Only that it was a privilege to visit such a marvel.
Ooooh, the Abbey of Montserrat is spectacular! And I've been all over the South of France but I've never actually been to Rennes-le-Chateau. We'll definitely have to visit next time we're there, it looks stunning.
And Giza...wow! We have always wanted to go. Your experience sounds incredibly mystical. Thank you for sharing these!
Walking around up there at Montserrat turned out to be more of a workout than I expected. Did you know it was one of the stops along the "rat lines" that the key Nazis used to get out of Germany? There are caves up there, where they had permission to hide. Crazy! I went during the hotter months, which beamed in beautiful sunlight through the little windows, made it so picturesque. Glad you got to see it. I do recommend that if you see the Priory of Sion that you also try to make it down into Catalonia to Myravet. Literally- a fairy tale.
Would the Altun Ha Mayan ruins in Belize count? Being able to climb up one of the pyramids, seeing the ancient altars, buildings, learning more about what life was like for the Mayans and seeing it up close and personal was such an incredible experience for me.
Does it count??? Omg, that's amazing! How transformative that must have been. We have to get there someday and see it! We'll pack some pickles for the journey. Hahaha.
I'll get the conversation started . . . One of the most impressive buildings I've ever visited is the Palácio da Pena in Sintra, Portugal. It's a giant colorful castle, with a crazy eclectic clash of different architectural styles, amazing gardens (plants from all over the globe) and elaborate, lush interiors that often border on the surreal. It's basically a monument to 19th-century Romanticism!
More details on Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pena_Palace
Short video of the exterior:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFidK7HU1T8
Oh, what an amazing choice! That is a site not to be missed - absolutely arresting! Couldn't agree more.
It's so hard to pick but I'd have to say that one of the most amazing places we've ever visited, where I was simply transported, was the Cau Ferrat Museum in Sitges, Spain. The home, turned museum, of the Spanish painter Santiago Rusiñol (1861-1931) absolutely changed my life. I was so blown away by the art and décor of the interior of the building, I had one of the most vivid experiences of déjà vu I've ever had. I even wrote an article about it!
https://epicureanvagabonds.substack.com/p/deja-vu-at-cau-ferrat
I love the Cau Ferrat and I love that great article you wrote about it. I vividly remember walking in with you, and I've *never* seen you react to a place like that before or since. It was truly uncanny . . . even your body transformed . . . you walked around that museum like you owned the place and knew exactly where every single item in that massive collection of art and antiques was supposed to be. You definitely lived there before.
You are my weekly dose of culture and never disappoint. I always look forward to Friday's email and your latest podcast. I feel like I grew up with Cher and have always admired her. I actually saw a Sonny AND Cher concert back in the day.
One of the most amazing displays of architecture I have experienced is Parc Guell in Barcelona designed by Antoni Gaudi
Thank you so much. We're so thrilled to know that our content is landing in this way, it's honestly our goal so we're overjoyed to get your positive feedback. We try!
And...you saw Sonny and Cher AND The Carpenters??? Uhm, jealous!
And Parc Guell was literally one of our choices as well! Gaudi was a genius and everything he built melts my eyes and heart into aesthetic arrest.
Love that you chose Gaudi! Gaudi was on my shortlist as well, and Parc Güell is probably my favorite of his many creations. Such a beautiful place. Like my husband, I am equally jealous that you saw Sonny and Cher! Thank you for your kind words about our podcast. ❤
JAZZ HARP! I can't believe this is a thing. Also, well done on the Huysmans and Jodorowsky. You too are so much cooler than I will ever be!!!
Jazz harp is AMAZING, RIGHT??? And I think Huysmans and Jodorowsky are cooler than any of US will EVER be! Thank you for chiming in! What's your favorite building you've ever been to in the world? I'm dying to know!
First thing that popped into my mind was really basic and predictable, so I need to take some time to think it over and come up with a cooler answer!!
Doesn't have to be cool, just something that gave you that aesthetic arrest feeling. Can't wait to hear what you come up with!
Mz. Fly, you will always be the coolest! We are totally obsessed with jazz harp and hope that you will be too . . . dive down the Alice Coltrane/Dorothy Ashby/Brandee Younger rabbit hole with us! Oh! And while you're at it, check out harpist Nailah Hunter . . . her harp covers of Radiohead's "Talk Show Host" and Donovan's "Guinevere" are everything! Listen here: https://open.spotify.com/album/1o5cUVpzMY2TDpQ3lxCTWh
Radical Faeries Forever.
Cheers. To. That. ❤
Notre Dame. I could not believe my eyeballs. I think I floated through the whole cathedral. Like WHAT?! Humans made this? It was so awesome and beautiful.
Could not agree more! Living around the corner to Notre Dame for five years, we never stopped marveling at its magnificence. It was our daily Temple. Then, watching it burn from the window of our friend Elizabeth's apartment the night it was ablaze was one of the most horrific moments ever.
That was such a tragic and depressing moment. I wonder how long the restoration will take? (They're saying the end of 2024, but I'm highly skeptical.) I am extremely worried what the "new" version will look like . . .but damn, the original was amazingly beautiful.
Tough choices. Since I live in Barcelona, I agree about Parc Guell. It's sinewy curves and incorporated mosaics give off a bodily organic feel, corporal? But, I also like some of the churches. The Church up on Monserrat, is breathtaking! But, so is the area around it. The places where the monks used to live, very charming and austere, a hard combination to balance.
The other place is in Rennes le Château, the Priory of Sion church of Berenger Saunier. The Templar mysteries have always intrigued me. The state of the building that was partly re-built by Saunier, is intact. The gardens surrounding Saunier's tomb are beautiful, with little spiral stairways leading up to the top of battlement wall and tower. But, so is the same with Castle Myravet! close to Girona in Myravet Village, one of the most tranquil and charming places I've visited. Tiny cobblestone roads and cottages with flower boxes on the outside sills of windows and the views across the valley are amazing. This is another place where the Templars held up along the trail of the Templars. Last, but not least, in terms of amazing architecture, was the Great Pyramid at Giza.
It's rather large in photos, but not seemingly as large as I would have expected, so I was kind of "meh" about it at first. After entering, the narrow tunnels that led to the King & Queen's chambers were not challenging, but negotiating it was like taking the form of an insect. There was no stairway, but slats of petrified wood that lay across the floor like a railroad. The acoustics in the king's chamber were amazing. I vibrated some names in Hebrew while there, with a moment alone. There's more to this, but I won't comment here. Only that it was a privilege to visit such a marvel.
Ooooh, the Abbey of Montserrat is spectacular! And I've been all over the South of France but I've never actually been to Rennes-le-Chateau. We'll definitely have to visit next time we're there, it looks stunning.
And Giza...wow! We have always wanted to go. Your experience sounds incredibly mystical. Thank you for sharing these!
Walking around up there at Montserrat turned out to be more of a workout than I expected. Did you know it was one of the stops along the "rat lines" that the key Nazis used to get out of Germany? There are caves up there, where they had permission to hide. Crazy! I went during the hotter months, which beamed in beautiful sunlight through the little windows, made it so picturesque. Glad you got to see it. I do recommend that if you see the Priory of Sion that you also try to make it down into Catalonia to Myravet. Literally- a fairy tale.
Great choices! Love your descriptions too . . . and definitely jealous of your mystical Egyptian journey!
Would the Altun Ha Mayan ruins in Belize count? Being able to climb up one of the pyramids, seeing the ancient altars, buildings, learning more about what life was like for the Mayans and seeing it up close and personal was such an incredible experience for me.
I love me some pickles too!
Does it count??? Omg, that's amazing! How transformative that must have been. We have to get there someday and see it! We'll pack some pickles for the journey. Hahaha.
Ha ha - have pickles, will travel!
Yes, it was a very transformative, otherworldly experience.
We can bring these! Image here: https://bit.ly/3BNHXWi
Wow! Great choice. I've always wanted to visit Belize, and Altun Ha sounds absolutely amazing! Mayan culture is so fascinating . . .
Love Dorthy Ashby. Had never heard of her before. You both have such interesting recommendations. Always learn about something new.
Thank you so much! She is really amazing, right? She just gets so much beautiful sound out that harp. So glad you like her!