Cliffs of Moher, pure beauty

Beauty

I will gift you with some vintage Ritz today, that is why the pictures have that weird colour. For the moment you will have to enjoy these ones until I scan the old photos.
It was 2002 and I decided to go to Ireland to improve my English. I had just lost a job that should have been for me, but some other girl got it just because she had been living in London for a while and they felt she was just better. You do not know how powerless I felt, but hey, this has changed my life forever.

I was also waiting to start my Travel Agency's degree and I was in waiting list. So I thought, as many other youngsters, that going abroad over the summer would be great.

Hey Ritz, look at the camera, you are going to be famous 11 years later!

Although my first intention was coming to London (I always knew this was my place), I was made change my mind and I ended up in the outskirts of Dublin. It was a place that I did not like at all, although the city is really pretty. We went a weekend away to Galway (a city that by the way, is amazing) and we stopped by the Cliffs of Moher. Even nowadays is one of my favourite places. Ireland looks like Galicia, with all that greenish nature that looks like untouched by humans. And where else can you say that?

The cliffs are stunning, simply wonderful. I have been not long ago in Beachy Head and I loved them, but I could not stop thinking that the ones in Ireland were much better. Nothing less than 8 kms of wild sea, rocks and green of a height of 214 metres. There is little trail that goes all along its length and if you go there by car (something quite likely considering how isolated the place is) there is a car park.

Oh yes, it is nice.

Victoria Peak, see Hong Kong from a different perspective

Kowloon's bay

Victoria Peak or The Peak is a really interesting place to see Hong Kong from, it raises 552 metres, being the tallest peak in Hong Kong Island. Whether you decide to grab a cab, the tram or the local bus, the views from the road are spectacular and the vegetation extensive. It is funny to see among all that crystal and endless skyscrapers Hong Kongers have kept such a green place that remembers to a tropical garden (because the climate in Hong Kong is wonderful and extra warm). One of the reasons why this has remained untouched is, without a doubt, because building must be really difficult in highlands. I have not doubt that having being easy, the population would have already tried .

The peak itself has nothing more and nothing less that stunning views of all the city (what your sight and a clear sky can reach in such huge city) and specially of Kowloon's Bay. You can also see the West Lamma Channel and Victoria Harbour. 

Majorelle Garden: a colorful oasis in Marrakesh

It could be for the minth tea, the African heath of the city, the little oasis in the middle of the desert or the accumulated tiredness. But the truth is that we loved Majorelle Garden. I must confess I love vivid colours and weird combinations, so I loved this. We were coming from Menara that we did not particularly like and we recover from the disappointment with this joy.
I was a bit sceptical about this visit, I did not care too much about this being owned by Yves Saint Laurent (alive at the time), I thought this would be the typical place for tourists. But I was wrong, I discovered this little garden, so pretty, full of colours and pacifying.

The garden takes its name from his creator, Jacques Majorelle, a french paint son of artists that travelled around the world and fell in love of all Arabic and oriental. Until he discovered Marrakech, that became a really important part of his life. He even went on to be ambassador of the city and painted posters for its promotion. He later discovered the Black Africa that he translated into paintings.
But he always came back to the city, until 1924, when he started to build this property. The main residence was done exactly as the palaces in Marrakech: simplicity in design, water fountains and exuberant lush. For years he kept collecting plants brought from everywhere in the world, to form his own botanical garden.

It is open to public from 1947, although it was not until 1980 when Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé bought it to restore it, as it was a bit deteriorated since his creator's death in 1962. Nowadays it also contains the Museum of Islamic Art.
The most interesting part of the garden are the cactus (which I love) as well as the lily pond decorated with colourful and inhabited by goldfishes, turtles and toads. It is really funny being looking at the pond and seeing a swimming turtle peeking from the bottom or a toad croaking in the corner. All really green, colourful and very bright. But over all, really quiet and relaxing. The perfect place to relax from busy Marrakech and a have a little rest relaxing in the cold provided by the shadow of the trees.

Do not expect a massive garden, it is just the opposite a tiny garding, but it is worth a visit. The price of the ticket when we went 7 years ago was around 10-20 dirhams.

Jardín MajorelleMarrakech
Tel : (00212) 024 30 18 52
Fax : (00212) 024 30 18 94
E-mail : jardin.majorelle@menara.ma

Photos: Raquel Ritz ©

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Bodiam Castle- UK

1385, not less. This XIV beautiful castle is one of the best hidden secrets of England. It is even quite far from any population and it's surrounded by fields. And water as well :)  

The setting makes it magic. Green pastures there, clouds and rays of sunlight here and a moat that reflects ones and the others while a lot of ducks swim in their waters waiting for a human to feed them some bread. It looks like taken out of a fantastic story and it really makes you forget about the city's stress.

This places are good to make you exercise your imagination. Not only you spot the walls, you are already thinking about knight in their horses and lances, women dressed in period clothes with their blushed cheeks and how they did spend their time without internet and smartphones. 

I even imagined myself in that time, parties at the castle every week. The truth is that everyone that has visited the castle describes it as a fairy tale. From outside it looks like it's wholly build and from inside the owner will come to receive you with his servants and all their grace. 

Beachy Head- Eastbourne (UK)

There is something about the English's countryside that moves me. Maybe it's the fact that it remembers me to Galicia with the green and damp fields, full of trees, harvest and cows. The climate also helps, of course. So when I proposed my boyfriend doing a weekend trip and he said it was ok, but I had to drive, I did not mind at all. I love driving and I even love it more if there is countryside.

One of our stops were the imponent cliffs of what I have read and seen wonders: Beachy Head.

Surrounded of green pastures full of grazing white sheeps that look at humans with curiosity, this cape is an amazing white giant that surges from the sea. Not less than 162 metres at some points, turning it into the highest chalk cliff in UK.

I haven't been able to find the total lenght of this beauty, it must be around the 3.5 kms of the walk along the coast for the adventurous ones. But you only have to look at this picture in Wikipedia to realise how this giant shines from the coast.

Central Park- New York (USA)

You don't need to spend a lot of time on the park to realise why Newyorkers love their park. In a city full of skyscrapers, neons, long avenues, cars, taxis, noise, concrete and more concrete, having the luck of a green cosy and quiet area like Central Park, is a luxury.

When I say quiet I don't mean it's empty or boring. It's just the opposite. There are so many possible activities for kids, grown ups or pets... you won't get bored.

Unfortunately, I could not see the whole part, only a tenth part as I was travelling with people that have already been there and our agenda was quite strict. To be honest, I thought I would have time to go the following day again, but it was not possible. 48 hours are not enough. What a pity, I will have to come to New York again :)!

The park was finalished in 1873, following the idea of the big European parks like Hyde Park in London or Bois de Boulogne in Paris, to provide Newyorkers with an open air and natural space, away from the noise and the concrete. Although this is not the biggest park in the States (843 acres), is the most visited, 25 million people each year, above The Grand Canyon.

Top of The Rock- New York (USA)

Up there is Top of the Rock!

There are many places in New York from where you can see the skyscrapers from above. You can have a cocktail in one of the hundreds of roof bars in the coolest buildings, see them from your hotel or from one of the classic and massive steel giants. Top of the Rock at the  Rockefeller Center is one of them. Someone told me this, and not the Empire State, is the best place to see the city from the heights. But in my quick 48 hours visit there was no time for everything, so I will have to come back to be able to tell you.

Anyway, Rockefeller won't let you down. This is one of the busiest places in the city. Night and day. In fact, I could see for myself the extreme security, at the corner of the building where the Top of the Rock is, there was a policeman with the biggest gun I have ever seen. Bigger than in the movies, I mean. I tried to take a picture, but he was not keen of showing off and at the end I decided to give up as a picture is not as priceless.

As I was saying, all the area is quite busy. There are loads of people at the complex at night, enjoying the summer terraces, walking around or queueing to go to the top.

The entrance is where it says Observation Deck, 50th Street, next to Radio City Music Hall, other interesting place you might want to visit.