Villa D'Este, Tivoli, Italy

This summer my husband had to go to Rome for a work, and since it was on a Friday, we decided to spend a weekend in Rome. I've been there already, so we visited all main places to visit and not main too. After searched up in the Internet I found two places where we have not been - Via Appia Antica and Villa d'Este in Tivoli, small town near Rome. 

Trains to Tivoli, where is situated the Villa, are often enough, the journey takes about an hour. From the station it's not so far on foot (well, by our standards, we like trakking), omething about a kilometer. In general, walking through the old town is always a pleasure ) 

And here is the entrance to the villa: 

Villa d'Este is a wonderful and very harmonious combination of natural wealth - an abundance of water, variety of trees and flowers and the amazing fountains and palace. The owner of Villa d'Este was Cardinal d'Este, so it gave the name to the villa. It was built in the 40s of the XVI century. The palace is located on the highest point of the hill, with a magnificent view, and on the hillside is the garden. 

There are a lot of shady paths on where you can nicely walk in fresh shadow, many fountains and statues ... 

In the northern part there are fountain Water organ with the 15 m waterfall. 

There was a rainbow) 

Fountain of the Dragons: 

I liked of 150 m's Hundred fountains Alley. It is bordered with countless sculptures exuding water. All sculptures are different, I was impressed! 

I also need to rest) by the way, you can drink a water) 

The palace is a unique example of architecture and painting of the Renaissance. We walked there with pleasure, but I did not take pictures.

Trip to Velikiy Novgorod

When I was in Saint-Petersburg I had a trip to visit my old friend who are living now in Novgorod.
Velikiy Novgorod - one of the most ancient and one of most historic cities of Russia.  The first references to Novgorod go back to 859 in the Sofia First Chronicle. Novgorod was the main Russian port for many centuries and was important for Baltic sea trade, so the city participated in the Hansa Union (the union of the richest Baltic ports). The city lies along the Volkhove River.

It's place 200 km from Saint-Petersburg. So I take a bus and full of waiting gone there. It’s winter and It was very cold there (-18° C). But for this reason the landscape with curches covered with snow seems more unreal.
The focal point of the city is the Detinets, or the Kremlin. 

It was mentioned first in the chronicles in the entry for 1044. Inside the Kremlin is Russia’s oldest stone church – the magnificent Byzantine St Sophia’s Cathedral. The 38-metre-high, five-domed, stone cathedral was built by Vladimir of Novgorod between 1045 and 1050.

In the southern district there was a prince's court, also known as the Yaroslav's Courtyard.
Here, close to the St. Nicholas' Cathedral, the Novgorodian Veche held its meetings.  Veche is a people’s assembly which made decisions on war and peaces, laws etc.