Caernafon castle

This is the place where the Princes of Wales are crowned. In 1284 the English king Edward, who conquered Wales, promised the Welsh that the future Prince of Wales will e somebody born in Wales who does not speak English, and then presented his baby son, also Edward, who had been born in Caernafon only a few months earlier. The prince succeeded his father as the king of England and ever since there is the tradition of crowning the heir to the English throne as the Prince of Wales. The last of those coronations took place in 1969, when Prince Charles was crowned as one.

Being the place of coronations the castle is in good repair and a major tourist attraction. It certainly is photogenic, if one knows where to look.

Zanskar

 A few pictures from Zanskar Valley in Indian Himalayas taken in early 1980s. Nothing special, just a hike in a valley about 4000 metres above sea level, a few Cashmere goats, peasants drying yak dung as a fuel for winter, innumerable stones with sutras and Buddhas etched on them, Buddhist monasteries built into a rock face, and children just being happy and playing in the sand as anywhere in the world.

That was in 1980s, of course. I haven't been there for a long time, possibly nowadays they play with their smart phones.

Malta salt

 Malta is certainly worth its salt. Didn't you know Malta produced salt? Well, here is the proof. Every morning sea water is pumped into the flats and every afternoon dry salt gathered. Must have cost some effort to cut these flats in rock but obviously it was worth its salt.

MAXIMO LAURA

Nobody goes to Cusco to look for modern Peruvian art, which is not famous after all. A possibility that a Gringo visitor will go to a museum of not even a painter, but a weaver who produces tapestries in a traditional manner but with modern designs - is slim indeed.

However, a choice of Cusco for a place where a museum of a modern weaver is - is a rational one, if it is to attract Gringo viewers. There is a chance that somebody may stay in Cusco half a day too long and will wonder where to go one afternoon. Perhaps to a museum of Maximo Laura, who must be somehow important if there is a museum of his works in Cusco. 

This is exactly what happened to me when I was in Cusco half a day too long. 

 Not a bad stuff but it won't be anybody's first impression to share after a journey to Peru. 

Peruvian cuisine

Peru is supposedly famous for its cuisine. The flagship dish is cuy, which is baked guinea pig. They say it tastes a bit like a rat, which I cannot confirm as I have never tasted one (a rat I mean, a guinea pig tasted pretty good). An ordinary pig is apparently also popular here. And maize is amazing, it comes in just about any colour. 

Calligraphy in Hagia Sophia

Here are some pictures from Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. The building was constructed in Byzantine times as an Orthodox church, became a mosque in the Ottoman era, now it is a museum. The Muslims don't believe in hanging images in mosques but they can hang pictures with calligraphy, properly framed, as pictures should be. This is what we see in Hagia Sophia, huge pictures in exquisite calligraphy in Arabic thuluth style. This was the style that was considered right for monumental inscription at the time of Ottomans.

Icons in Istanbul

Istanbul is the centre of the Orthodox Church. There is a Patriarchal Cathedral, very pretty. There I took some pictures of icons. They are Greek icons, as opposed to better known Russian ones. They were around what looked to me as a lectern. They are apparently considered precious, as they are all behind glass.