Jaap van 't Veen's photos

Due to its hilltop location Corniglia is different to the other Cinque Terre villages. When traveling by train there are two ways to reach the village: a shuttle bus and the Scalinata Lardarina , a stairway with 382 steps, which is divided in 33 ramps. When we arrived in Corniglia, there was a long queue for the (small) bus. We therefore decided to take the stairs. Quite a climb, especially on a warm sunny day. But fortunately, there were plenty of places to stop, enjoy the view and to take photos of the many flowers along the stairs.

Famous Dutch architect Piet Blom built the first kubuswoningen (cube houses) of the Netherlands in Helmond. The first three cube houses were built in 1974 and 1975, as a foretaste of a larger project that would be realized in the years to follow. The project was classified as “experimental” and as a consequence, it was eligible for more government funding. The 18 houses of the follow-up project surrounded a theater (‘t Speelhuis) as one architectonical whole. The theater consisted of 37 cubes and contained three auditoria. In 1974 the foundation stone was laid. On December 3, the construction works reached the highest point of the first cube house. On December 29, 2011, the theater was destroyed in a large fire that also hit the some of the adjoining cube houses. The two damaged cube houses were restored in 2013/2014.

The Cinque Terre is a string of five old fishing villages perched high on the rugged coastline of the east end of the Italian Riviera in Liguria. Until recently they were linked only by mule tracks and accessible only by rail or water. Nowadays Cinque Terre is a UNESCO Heritage Site. It's also one of the most sought-after travel destinations in all of Italy. The five villages are no longer the isolated hamlets they once were, but there’s still a feeling of authenticity, with few roads and perfectly preserved architecture. Corniglia is the central village and also the smallest of the Cinque Terre. It is unique compared to the other villages for its position, as it is built on top of a cliff 100 meters above the Mediterranean Sea. That makes the village known as the “Balcony of the Cinque Terre”. N ext to that Corniglia is special because it is the only village of the Cinque Terre where you are not immediately in the middle of the village when you get off the train. Therefore it is a village that many tourists skip. Artifacts found in Pompeii, have historians dating the origins of Corniglia all the way back to the Roman Age. Markings on terracotta containers have helped them deduce even the origins of the name: the words “Gens Cornelia”, which translates into “from the (Roman) family Cornelia”. It is thought that Coniglia was probably a colony of slaves who took on the name Corenila, from the slaveholder who gave them their freedom. Corniglia has a long and rich agricultural tradition. The village is surrounded on three sides by vineyards and terraces. Its architecture is closer to that of a rural inland village than that of a coastal village.

Kasteel Asten (Asten Castle) was first mentioned in 1399, when it was a stone building with the name “Asten”. In the early 15th century the current castle was built by Goosen van Berkel. This castle had an almost square ground plan with 3 wings around a courtyard and a small corner tower, circled by a moat. Between 1575 and 1625 the late-medieval castle was rebuilt into a Renaissance manor by Bernard van Merode. Also the present bailey was built and a second moat was dug. Several repairs were carried out around 1740 but Kasteel Asten was already falling into disrepair. From 1836 on the castle wasn't even permanently inhabited anymore. The empty building then slowly fell to ruin. From 1935 to1942 Kasteel Asten seemed to be saved when it was partially rebuilt by Baron Clemens van Hövell tot Westerflier. It was a rigorous reconstruction, partially based on fantasy. But in 1944 the castle was shelled by German phosphor grenades and destroyed. Nowadays the ruins of Kasteel Asten are privately owned. The buildings in the bailey are used as private residences. The ruins of the castle can be visited for a fee, but only on appointment, with a guide and as part of a group.

The Cinque Terre is a string of five old fishing villages perched high on the rugged coastline of the east end of the Italian Riviera in Liguria. Until recently they were linked only by mule tracks and accessible only by rail or water. Nowadays Cinque Terre is a UNESCO Heritage Site. It's also one of the most sought-after travel destinations in all of Italy. The five villages are no longer the isolated hamlets they once were, but there’s still a feeling of authenticity, with few roads and perfectly preserved architecture. Manarola, the second village of the Cinque Terre coming from La Spezia is one of the most picturesque villages, made up of the characteristic perched and colorful tower-houses that overlook the alleys and the main street, where boats are on dry land, which creates an extra attractive image. Manarola develops around the main road that retraces the course of the Groppo stream, which is now covered and no longer visible. Numerous alleyways and stone alleys branch off from the main street, to reach the sides of the promontory and the houses higher up on the rock that reaches up to 70 meters above the Mediterranean Sea. The main road ends at a tiny harbour. Manarola was first mentioned in the second half of the 13th century. Passed under the dominion of Genoa, the town experienced a progressive development, becoming one of the major producers of oil and wine.

The Chiesa San Giovanni Battista is the parish church of Riomaggiore . The church was founded in the year of 1340, as stated in the plaque situated on the southern side of the building. The church is located in the upper part of the village, it was built during a period of economic development. In 1870, following a collapse, a reconstruction of the neo-gothic style façade and an extension of the entire building were carried out, maintaining, however, the 14th century rosette in white Carrara marble. The two gothic style entrances and the single-lancet windows are remaining evidences of the original structure. The church has a basilica plan and three naves separated by elegant pointed arches. It offers several pieces of art, among them a wooden crucifix, a 15th century triptych depicting the Virgin with Child and saints Rocco and Sebastiano and a valuable marble pulpit.

The Cinque Terre is a string of five old fishing villages perched high on the rugged coastline of the east end of the Italian Riviera in Liguria. Until recently they were linked only by mule tracks and accessible only by rail or water. Nowadays Cinque Terre is a UNESCO Heritage Site. It's also one of the most sought-after travel destinations in all of Italy. The five villages are no longer the isolated hamlets they once were, but there’s still a feeling of authenticity, with few roads and perfectly preserved architecture. Riomaggiore - the most eastern village of Cinque Terre is the largest of the five and acts more or less as its unofficial ‘headquarters’. The charming village is perched on a terraced hillside and its pastel coloured tower-houses march down to a tiny harbour. The village was originally founded in the 8th century by Greek refugees anxious to take advantage of the naturally rich soil and plentiful sea life surrounding it. Nowadays Riomaggiore however, actually dates back to the 13th century and was named for the stream, Rivus Major, that flows underneath today’s main road “Via Cristoforo Colombo. Only in the nineteenth century the village was reached by the railway, which first connected it to the other villages of the Cinque Terre and then to the rest of Italy. We visited the villages of Cinque Terre from our 'base' Levanto with the "Carta 5 Terre Treno". This card allows unlimited travel by train for one day in the Cinque Terre region.

The Strabrechtse Heide is a nature area about 1500 ha in size. It is largely under the care of Staatsbosbeheer (a Dutch government organization for forestry and the management of nature reserves). The area is the largest continuous heathland area in the province of Noord-Brabant with numerous fens, woods and sand drift areas. Common Heather and Common Juniper are found in the dry areas, and the more marshy wetlands are home to Erica, Purple Moor Grass, Bog Myrtle and Marsh Gentian. The spread of grass across the area is countered by allowing a flock of sheep to graze, by mowing and sod cutting. The heath area is surrounded by forests. \ The nature area was assigned as”Natura 2000” area under the name "Strabrechtse Heide & Beuven".

Framura is on the official list of Italy’s prettiest towns ( Borghi più Belli d’Italia ). The old town is actually made up of four tiny villages clinging to a hillside, one above the other. At sea level is the pretty little harbour, or Porticciolo . The harbour is full of colourful boats and has a bar for a lunch, drink or aperitivo. We visited Framura from Levanto - where we stayed a couple of days - by a short bike trip. The biking/walking path runs through an old restored railway tunnel and is as flat as can be. It offers a couple of snatches of views of the beautiful coast of the Mediterranean Sea. Levanto has a number of bicycle rental companies. However, we were able to use the free bicycles of our hotel (Oasi Hotel).

Kasteel Heeze (Heeze Castle) used to be the centre of the seigneury of “Heeze, Leende and Zesgehuchten”, part of the Duchy of Brabant. In the Middle Ages, it was owned by the de Horne family. In the 17th century Pieter Post designed a new castle, of which the first part was built in 1665. After his death, the work was completed in a modified form by his son Maurits Post. Due to the rising costs of importing all building materials from other regions of the country, the build of the Post design was halted early and never finished. For this reason, the part of the castle that is used by the current owners was actually meant to be the servants' quarters. The biggest part of the castle was to be built behind the first courtyard. In 1733, Baron Adam de Holbach bought the property, which he gave to his nephew, Paul de Holbach, as a marriage present. In 1760 the castle was bought by Jan Maximiliaan van Tuyll van Serooskerken. This family has lived in the castle ever since. Part of Kasteel Heeze is used extensively for parties, including many wedding ceremonies.

The year of construction of the Romanesque Chiesa di Sant’Andrea (Church of St. Andrew) is not exactly known. Certainly the church is mentioned several times in 13th-century documents, including one dated “1222”, the year of the hypothetical start of work on the building of the church. On the other hand, it is certain, from the references on the façade and on the first pillar on the right, that the church was consecrated on 20 May 1463, after the new enlargement works which started in 1450. The slender columns of the nave pick up the decorative motif of alternating bands already, also present on the façade. Its actual look is due to the restorations made between the end of the 19th century and the first decades of the 20th century. The façade is covered by a marble facing with alternating bands of white Carrara marble and green serpentinite, a decorative motif typical of Genoese Gothic architecture. The remarkable has a magnificent rose window. The interior of the church offers several works of art, an 18th-century main altar and a red marble baptismal font. We came across the Chiesa di Sant’Andrea during a city walk. We found it on a leaflet from the local tourist information office, although the route was not very clear at some points.

Levanto - about 5.600 inhabitants - is a coastal town, located along the Italian Riviera between Genua and La Spezia. The town is bordering - and a good starting point for exploring - the well known villages of Cinque Terre. It is sharing with them large areas of the National Park and the Protected Marine Reserve. Levanto has a historical center, nowadays completely pedestrian. The town still has a medieval feel due to the presence of the old castle dating from the 1200', the old city wall and bell tower. Levanto also has many churches, which include the Chiesa di Sant’Andrea from 1222 and the San Nicolo and San Siro churches, which date back to the 11th century. Among these things, Levanto is home to a UNESCO-listed 13th-century loggia, a rare example of late medieval architecture that survives intact up to the present. The town and its medieval villages are nestled amidst a wide valley of olive groves, vineyards and Mediterranean maquis. The valley opens up in sandy or pebbly beaches. Levanto was the first stop on our journey through Liguria. We did sleep in a nice hotel - Oasi Hotel - close to the centre of the town with also very friendly staff.

The history of the Cattedrale di Santo Stefano e Santa Maria Assunta dates back to 1488, when its construction began on the site of two pre-existing Romanesque, "twin" cathedrals. From this date onwards many people contributed to the design of the cathedral, including Leonardo Da Vinci who visited Pavia during the early stages of the cathedral's construction. The church was not fully completed until the 1930s, more than 400 years after the first stone was laid. The plan of the Pavia Cathedral is a Greek cross, with three naves flanked by semi-circular chapels. The central nave is twice as wide as those on the side; it is about 30 metres high and divided by two galleries. The dome has an octagonal plan and is the fourth largest in Italy with a height of 97 metres and a span of 34 metres. The Cathedral of Pavia is the most important Renaissance building of the city, recognizable by its impressive octagonal masonry dome.

Kasteel Geldrop (Geldrop Castle) - dating back to the year of 1350 - is located right in the center of Geldrop. The former vegetable garden and orchard was laid out around 1870 by Hubertus Paulus Hoevenaar jr., operator of sugar factories in the East Indies. In 2002, this vegetable garden was transformed into the Bloemenhof , a stunning garden, which is full of blooming flowers in summer, when the borders are filled with exuberant plant combinations, such as old shrub roses, grasses and cut flowers.

The Basilica di San Fedele - the ancient cathedral of Como - was probably built in 1120 on the ruins of a previous building. The construction was finished years later. Along the centuries the original Romanesque setup of the building was largely modified. In the 17th century the main nave changed into a barrel vault ceiling and side apsides were modified in the 16th century when some arcs were closed and replaced with paintings and stuccos. In 1805 the octagonal lantern was moved up. Between 1807 and 1808 the side chapels were built. Also, the church was restored in the beginning of the 21st century, especially the façade and the tower bell. I have seen many churches all over the world and consider the interior of the San Fedele as one of the most beautiful. I visited the church in 'corona time', because a mouth mask was still obligatory - which I did not have with me - it unfortunately remained a very short visit with hardly any time to take pictures.

Kasteel Geldrop (Geldrop Castle) - dating back to the year of 1350 - is located right in the center of Geldrop. A beautiful English garden - created at the end of the 10th century - with some exotic trees surrounds the castle. Next to the castle lies the Bloemenhof , a stunning flower garden. The complex is delimited by a monumental wall. The first owners of Kasteel Geldrop were “Jan and Philip van Geldrop”, who probably built it in 1350. The following century the castle remained in the Van Geldrop family. The construction of the present day castle started in 1616, when “Amandus I van Horne” had the middle facade built. In 1768 the heirs of “Van Horne” sold the manor to “Adriaan van Sprangh”. The new Lord of Geldrop had the castle and living-tower renovated. In 1798 feudal rights ended with the French Revolution. The title of Lord of Geldrop became an empty one. In the 19th century the castle came into the hands of the “Hoevenaar” family. Under the ownership of “Sara Hoevenaar”, in 1840 the medieval living tower was demolished. During “Hubertus Hoevenaar” the castle got its present look. His daughter “Arnaudina” married baron “Van Tuyll van Serooskerken”. They lived in the castle permanently from 1912. Nowadays Kasteel Geldrop is used for weddings, concerts and exhibitions. The latter have limited openning hours. Since 30 December 1996 the Stichting Landgoed Kasteel Geldrop (a foundation) owns the castle, the outbuildings and the more than 11 hectares of parkland. Before that, the estate had been in the possession of the municipality of Geldrop (then not yet merged with Mierlo) for 22 years.

The Kruisherenklooster (Monastery of the Crosiers, formally known as the Canons Regular of the Order of the Holy Cross) in Sint Agatha is dating back to 1315. In that year there was already a chapel dedicated to St. Agatha. Around 1371, some monks came to live near the chapel to attend it. The monastery of the Order of the Holy Cross arose from this little chapel. The monastery is still in use and is therefore the oldest monastery in the Netherlands still inhabited by clergy. From the 18th century onwards, the monastic garden was laid out. It is enclosed by a wall. It contains orchards, vegetable gardens and fish ponds, while until 1985 farm buildings were also located within the garden. A number of Crosiers practised gardening. The garden is also a reminder of religious matters. The boxwood hedges are cut in shapes like a cross on a globe, a snake, a ship and so on. The garden has an area of 2.5 ha and offers, apart from a lot of nice and colourful flowers, also a number of monumental trees, such as a 150-year-old tulip tree, a red and a green beech and an old oak. The monks were self-sufficient and for centuries lived largely off the proceeds of the land: a vegetable garden, fruit trees, fish ponds, chicken coops and beehives.

The Sint-Martinuskerk is a Neo-Gothic cross basilica with two towers. The church was designed by architect Caspar Franssen and built in the period 1911-1913. The paintings in the interior were designed by Hans Mengelberg and executed by Johannes Cornelis Wilbrink. The retable of the beautiful Flemish high altar - Retabel van Cuijk - was made by Hendrik van der Geld for a church in Duisburg, but eventually ended up in Cuijk. The side altars and piëta are also by Van der Geld. The church has an organ dating back to the mid 17th century. In 1945, the church was heavily damaged by acts of war committed by the retreating German army on the other side of the river Maas. The damage could be repaired (interior and exterior). In 2009, a major restoration of the church began and was completed in 2011.