BRIGHT IS BEAUTIFUL: COLORFUL PLACES

By Janet Steinberg 

Color plays an important role in our lives.  It can stir our  emotions, make us  happy or sad, subtly influence our choices, give insight to our personality, effect our mood or enhance our appearance.  It can even play a role in our travels.  No matter how tired we are…or how bored we might be at the moment…when something colorful pops up, so do we!   Come with me to some of my favorite colorful places.

BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA:  LA BOCA, once the home of Italian immigrants and fishermen is now an artists' community with corrugated tin and wood houses in a riotous splash of color.  Resembling something that Van Gogh might have done during one of his manic phases, La Boca is the city's most picturesque place.

LA BOCA NEIGHBORHOOD

When it comes to color in La Boca, it is not just limited to houses.  The shops are colorful…

COLORFUL SHOP IN LA BOCA

…and so is the soccer stadium.

EXTERIOR MURAL ON THE BLUE AND GOLD SOCCER STADIUM

COPENHAGEN, DENMARK: Velkommen til Copenhagen.  (Welcome to Copenhagen.)  Wonderful wonderful Copenhagen…one of the loveliest capitals in Europe and home of the colorful TIVOLI GARDENS, the world's first theme park.  Founded in 1843, some 300 million people have since passed through its gates.  No plastic or neon lights are allowed in this beloved fairy tale garden.  Music, rides and the colorful Tivoli Boys Guard are part of the entertainment.  Added to that are splendid fireworks displays,t he three-story Tivoli Museum,  and a plethora of restaurants, cafes and cafeterias. 

RESTAURANT IN THE COLOR-FILLED TIVOLI GARDENS

The charming Dutch island of CURACAO (pronounced CURE-a-sow) is considered one of the best islands in the Caribbean. The immaculate streets are lined with authentic narrow-gabled, red tile-roofed houses reminiscent of 17th century Holland and storybook buildings painted every color but white. The 5-block, pastel-painted PUNDA area of Willemstad offers a variety of shops.

THE PASTEL-PAINTED PUNDA AREA OF WILLEMSTAD, CURACAO

CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA: Nothing could be finer than to be in Carolina in the morning.  The city, serenely located at the tip of a peninsula formed by the Ashley and Cooper Rivers, is known for its rich history, well-preserved architecture, a celebrated restaurant community and mannerly people. Local lore has it that the two rivers meet in Charleston Harbor to form the Atlantic Ocean.  Quintessential exaggeration, but fun!  With its rich 300-year history, Charleston (locals drop the “r” and pronounce it Chows-ton) may well be America's most beautifully preserved architectural and historical treasure.  

RAINBOW ROW is the area named for a series of thirteen colorful historic houses on East Bay Street.  This picturesque section of town got its name from the pastel colors in which the homes were painted.  Rainbow Row represents the longest cluster of Georgian row houses in the United States.

RAINBOW ROW IN CHARLESTON SC

HAMILTON, BERMUDA is the globally sophisticated, yet down-home, warm and fuzzy capital city of Bermuda.  FRONT STREET, facing the harbour, is a magical mélange of jewel-toned buildings housing shops, bar and restaurants.  Contrary to common errors, Bermuda is a secluded paradise in the Atlantic Ocean (not the Caribbean), some 650 miles off the coast of North Carolina. Actually, this 21-square mile area, which we collectively call the island of Bermuda, is a chain of approximately 138 small islands, connected by causeways and bridges.  And, contrary to another misconception, the Bermuda islands are quite different from the Caribbean islands.  They are less tropical, cleaner, more formal and more expensive.  If it's reggae and beach barbecues you crave, head for the Caribbean.  But if you desire superb golfing, fine shopping, gourmet dining, pristine pink beaches, and upscale hotels on a manicured island, Bermuda is for you.

JEWEL-TONED BUILDINGS ON HAMILTON’S FRONT STREET

PARINTINS BOI-BUMBÁ FESTIVAL, in the fun-loving country of Brazil, is a combination of theater, music and dance.  Second only to Carnival in Rio, this popular annual celebration in the Amazon River port town of Parintins is an elaborate blend of feathers, floats, and folklore.  A visit to a FLOAT FACTORY is an interesting behind-the scenes look at this colorful cultural event.

PARINTINES FLOAT FACTORY

The late JEAN CLAUDE NOVARO (1943-2014) was a world–renowned glassblower named in the Guinness Book of World Records for creating the largest hand-blown work ever.  His unique techniques, that created some of the world's finest glass sculptures, included spraying liquid gold into glass and hand painting or inserting 24-karat old leaf between layers of blown glass.  The Civil Aviation Authority of Nice, France commissioned him to create a piece for the Arrivals Lounge at the Nice airport.  Art connoisseurs around the globe prize his work. Listed among the many past acquirers of Novaro glass art are such names as Prince Albert II of Monaco, Robert De Niro, Alain Ducasse and Frank Sinatra.

NOVARO SCULPTURE IN NICE, FRANCE AIRPORT

JANET STEINBERG is the winner of 47 national Travel Writing Awards and is a Travel Consultant with THE TRAVEL AUTHORITY in Mariemont, Ohio.