Kazakhstan, San Marino & Selva

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Trip start
March 16, 2019
Kazakhstan, San Marino & Selva Traveler
Khan Shatyr Entertainment Centre
March 18, 2019 in Kazakhstan ⋅ ☀️ -5 °C
Khan Shatyr is a huge tented shopping and entertainment centre. It was built in 2006, with a height of 150m and base diameter of 200m. The transparent material allows the sunlight in, whilst the heating and cooling system maintains a temperature of 19-24C when the outside temperature varies between 35C and -35C throughout the year.

Just across the road from it is the Opera House.Read more
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Nur Astana mosque
March 18, 2019 in Kazakhstan ⋅ 🌬 -4 °C
The Nur Astana mosque is the largest in central Asia. It was built in 2005. The dome is 40m high symbolising the age of the prophet Muhammad when he received the revelations, the minarets are 63m tall, the age when he died.

The park that links all these new buildings has many sculptures in it, and a lot of interestingly shaped buildings alongside.Read more
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Bayterek tower
March 18, 2019 in Kazakhstan ⋅ 🌬 -3 °C
Walking along the avenue of architecturally impressive buildings, I come across the Bayterek tower, a national monument. The Kazakh word “bayterek” translates literally to mean “tall poplar,” as in the tree. That’s what makes Bayterek Tower such a fitting name for a national monument steeped in symbolism and meaning, connecting the old world to the modern in a celebration of progress. The height of the tower, which stands 97 meters tall to represent 1997, the year in which Astana was named the capital of Kazakhstan.

The unusual construction of the tower is more than just a unique artistic flourish. The golden sphere that rests atop the many pointed spires of the tower is meant to symbolize an egg nestled amongst tree limbs – a nod to an age-old local folktale about happiness and beginnings, focusing on a bird who laid its egg in the sacred tree of life.Read more
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Ak Orda, Presidential Palace
March 18, 2019 in Kazakhstan ⋅ ☀️ -3 °C
Not far from the Bayterek Tower is Ak Orda, the Presidential Palace. This is the official workplace of the President of Kazakhstan. The palace includes a blue and gold dome topped with a spire. This golden statue atop the dome includes a sun with 32 rays at its apex, and also includes a steppe eagle flying beneath the sun. Like most impressive buildings in Astana, they look very familiar, this one looking like a cross between the Capital building in Washington D.C. and St Paul's Cathedral in London. It was built in 2014, taking three years.

Right next to the Palace is the Kazakhstan Central Concert Hall, another impressive building, with shades of the Sydney Opera House.

And just across the road from it is the Library of the First President of Kazakhstan, Nazarbayev Centre, with it's tilted glass roof pointing towards the Presidential Palace.Read more
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Presidential Park
March 18, 2019 in Kazakhstan ⋅ ☀️ -4 °C
A shortish walk later, across a bridge over the Ishim River, I arrived at the Presidential Park. It is directly in line with all the other important new buildings in Astana, roughly 4km from Khan Shatyr. In time the want to make the line of architectural amazing buildings and monuments 22km long.

In the park is the pyramid building that is the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation. The Palace of Peace and Reconciliation is a symbol of friendship, unity and peace in Kazakhstan. The Pyramid has a pure form, 62 meters high and 62 meters base. The top of the pyramid is decorated with a work of art by the artist Brian Clarke. There is a picture of 130 doves that symbolize 130 nationalities living in Kazakhstan.

Just across the road from the pyramid is Independence Square, housing many historicallly important buildings, including the Kazakh Eli Monument and the Shabyt Palace of Creativity. The Kazakh Eli monument embodies the country’s independence and is considered a part of Kazakhstan’s legacy. Kazakh Eli is a part of Kazakhstan’s history and a symbol of the country’s future. The monument emphasizes social, economic, political and spiritual aspects of the country.

The Shabyt Palace of Creativity is a unique and the largest art center in Kazakhstan, designed to look like a horses hoof, horses being a very important part of Kazakh culture.Read more
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Hazrat Sultan Mosque
March 18, 2019 in Kazakhstan ⋅ ☀️ -4 °C
Right next to Independence square, is the huge Hazrat Sultan Mosque. The giant dome, four minarets and classical Islamic architecture looks ancient, but was in fact only built in 2012.
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ALZHIR labour camp memorial
March 20, 2019 in Kazakhstan ⋅ ☀️ 0 °C
Met some Tartan Army guys the day before, funnily enough in a bar 🙂, who said they'd organised a trip to a Gulag, and would I like to go too. Never one to miss something different I signed up for it.

In the 1930s in the town of Akmol, about 20 miles west of Astana, Joseph Stalin established a special gulag named the “Akmola Labor Camp for the Wives of the Betrayers of the Homeland,” more commonly known by its Russian acronym, ALZHIR. The camp imprisoned women and children whose only crime was to be related to a man who had been denounced by the state, often for no discernible reason.

The prisoners toiled at producing clothes and materials for soldiers fighting in World War II. Summers here experience temperatures approaching 40 degrees Celsius while in winter, the mercury can sag to less than 40 below, and camp conditions were hardly sufficient to accommodate the climate.

Remarkably, Kazakhstan’s officials do not attempt to obscure this dismal heritage, but rather have built and promoted a museum to commemorate those who suffered and died at ALZHIR. An historic rail carriage, reconstructed guard tower, and multiple sculptures surround the uniquely designed museum, which contains numerous relics and related stories that recount the painful details of prison life. The biographies of those who survived are a true testament to the strength of the human spirit. Sadly, as the exhibits demonstrate, too many women’s stories ended in tragedy.

One woman's story recounts how she thought the local Kazakh's were throwing stones at her through the fence, it was actually frozen bread to help them. A very poignant place, with a video from the first President of Kazakhstan saying "we should never forget this place and what went on here, so we can learn from it and make sure it never happens again"Read more
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Astana Arena
March 21, 2019 in Kazakhstan ⋅ 🌙 -2 °C
As is the normal, the build up to the game was fantastic, mostly indoors due to the temperature 😬. Locals were very friendly, some unusual sights, the Tartan Army struggled to get to the Stadium, partly due to the snow on the ground, partly due to the drink that had been consumed. Thankfully someone had organised buses to the ground, and inside wasn't too cold, with it having a much needed roof.

Less said about the game 3-0 🙈🤬

Also got stopped at 1am by the cops, on my way to the hotel to get my bags for the airport. They wanted a photo with me in the kilt 😄Read more
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Rimini Marina
March 23, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 16 °C
Rather than going to the pub first thing in the morning, Tony and I decided to take a walk into Rimini old town, and very glad we did.

Once north of the rows of tourist hotels and beaches, we came across the harbour entrance and marina. We followed the Marecchia river inland until we came across Ponte di Tiberio, the ancient entrance to the Old Town. Started in 14AD, finished in 21AD, the bridge survived the many events that threatened to destroy it: from earthquakes to river floods, from wear and tear to episodes of war such as the attack inflicted by Narses in 551, during the war between the Goths and Byzantines of which the signs remain on last archway towards the village of San Giuliano, and finally the attempt to undermine it by the retreating Germans.Read more
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Piazza Cavore
March 23, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 15 °C
In the old town it has traditional Roman influences of Piazza's, narrow side streets, and the arched gateway.
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San Marino Stadium
March 24, 2019 in San Marino ⋅ 🌙 13 °C
We meet up again with a lot of the Tartan Army at the Bounty Bar in Rimini. A glorious day and the beer flows. We were transported in chartered buses to the San Marino Stadium, less than an hour away. Unfortunately we never got up to the old part at the top of the mountain, but get great views of it in the setting sun. A 2-0 win for Scotland, but not a great performance. Afterwards it's back to Rimini for many more beers.Read more
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Selva Val Gardena
March 26, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 2 °C
First day skiing for three years, so I do the anticlockwise route of the Sella Ronda, with a diversion up the Marmolada Glacier. Fantastic scenery. This ski area is called the Dolomiti Superski, it's one skipass, made from 14 resorts, and 1200 km of ski runs, 900 km of those with snow making facilities.

In all I skied for 26.5 miles (42.4 km), 24 runs and 28000 feet of vertical descents.Read more
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Marmolada Glacier viewpoint
March 26, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 1 °C
Took the gondola up to the top of the Marmolada glacier, the only glacier in the Dolomites, and also the highest mountain at 10,968 ft (3343 m).

During World War I, the front line between Austrian and Italian forces ran over Marmolada, and Austrian soldiers built quarters in glacier tunnels, forming an "ice city" of considerable size. A World War I museum, Museo della Grande Guerra in Marmolada, is located in the valley below the glacier.

Whilst I was there, there was also a considerable amount of Italian Alpine soldiers on a training exercise.Read more
Trixie Sellar The rock just balancing there.
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Trixie Sellar Wow, You're higher than the mountains
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Trixie Sellar Wow!!
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Cinque Torri
March 27, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 0 °C
Skied to an area on the limits of the Alta Badia area to visit the Cinque Torri. It is a highlight of the Super8 ski tour which is officially part of the Cortina d’Ampezzo ski area. The "Five Towers" are a small mountain range formed of five spurs from which it derives its name, the maximum altitude 7746 ft (2361 m) on the Torre Grande spur.Read more
Trixie Sellar Is that the toilet? Wouldn't like to stand in the side hanging over the edge.
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Trixie SellarBeautiful scenery
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Traveler 😂 No, it's a hut you can rent. With great views.
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Scotoncino, The Dolomites Hidden Valley
March 27, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ⛅ 1 °C
Then it was up the gondola to Lagazuoi mountain and into the hidden valley, a box shaped valley with World Heritage Status due to it's natural beauty. This means no ski lifts or snow making cannons are allowed to be built, giving it a true feel of isolation, wilderness and solitude. The run is 8 km long and drops 3608 ft (1100 m) in vertical elevation, from the gondola station at 8956 ft (2730 m). Halfway down the run I stop for lunch at the only building in the Hidden Valley, Rufugio Scottoni.

A short distance further along the slope is the famous Hidden Valley frozen waterfall. In fact this isn't a waterfall, it's water that seeps through the rock to be frozen on its passage to the valley floor. The colours, shapes and scale are mesmerising. Absolutely stunning area, the views are amazing. Because these areas are a long way from any resort, the slopes were very quiet 😁😎Read more
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Alpe di Cisles
March 28, 2019 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 0 °C
Final day skiing, so took it easy and stayed fairly local. Still managed to ski down Val Gardena's downhill course, in at least twice the time the racers do.

Between Selva Gardena and Santa Cristina, there is the Renaissance building of Castel Gardena, surrounded by numerous fish ponds that were name-giving for the castle (the German name “Fischburg” means “Fishing Castle”). It was constructed between 1622 and 1641 by Engelhard Dietrich von Wolkenstein-Trostburg as summer residence and hunting castle.

I also went across the valley in their underground funicular, to the top station of Alpe di Cisles. From there I went down La Longia, a 10.8km run, one of the longest in the Dolomites.Read more
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Trip end
March 31, 2019