Gifted to Peter the Great by the King of Prussia in 1716.  This extraordinarily beautiful room glowed with tons of amber and other semi-precious stones and backed with gold leaf.  Originally installed in the Winter Palace, in 1755, Czarina Elizabeth had the room moved to the Catherine Palace in Pushkin.  Additional amber was shipped from Berlin as Italian designer, Bartolomeo Francesco Rastrelli extended the design to fit a larger space.

There the room remained in splendour until, in 1941, Operation Barbarossa was set in motion with over 3 million German soldiers invading the Soviet Union.  As the German army began its approach to Pushkin, a desperate attempt was made to disassemble the Amber Room and hide it from the invading forces.  When it became obvious that this wouldn’t be achieved in time an attempt was made to hide the room behind a layer of wallpaper.

The Germans had lists of art treasures it wanted to acquire and was a priority as they progressed through the countries they invaded.  They knew exactly where to find the Amber Room.  Within 36 hours, its reported, they managed to disassemble the entire room and pack it in 27 crates.  These were then shipped to Konigsberg and reinstalled in the Castle Museum.

When the writing was on the wall in 1943 and defeat became likely the Germans again dismantled the room and re-packed it in its crates.  It’s at this point that the mystery begins.  Konigsberg Castle was destroyed along with the city in allied bombing raids in 1944.  Did the Amber Room survive hidden safely away or was it destroyed in the bombing?  Nobody seems to know although many historians have tried to solve the mystery.

In 1979 it was decided to build a new Amber Room.  Construction began and took 25 years to complete at a cost of over 11 million dollars (US).  The new room was opened to mark the 300-year anniversary of St Petersburg by Russian President Vladimir Putin and then-German Chancellor Gerhard Schroder in a unifying ceremony.

The room is on display at the Tsarskoye Selo State Museum Reserve at the Catherine Palace outside of St Petersburg.

The Amber Room is just one of the many spectacular sights we’ll be visiting during our 19 days Cultural Exploration of Russia’s two great cities and ancient Golden Circle towns departing Moscow on 22nd August 2019.

The post The Mystery of the Missing Amber Room appeared first on Big Yellow Suitcase.

“I want my house to be open to sun and wind and the voice of the sea, like a Greek temple, and light, light, light everywhere”

The words of Alex Munthe, Swedish physician, when he fell in love with the idyllic island of Capri off the Amalfi Coast.

He wanted to create a home for the soul, because

“the soul needs more space than the body”.

Villa San Michele, the home he created,  is surrounded by an impressive garden, colonnades, pergolas and cypress trees with a view that extends forever. Behind the villa, in the Barbarossa mountain, Axel Munthe created a sanctuary for migratory birds.  A place to rest on their journey from one continent to another.

Henry James, who visited the villa, wrote that it is “a creation of the most fantastic beauty, poetry and inutility that I have ever seen clustered together.”

Ravello, Villas Cimbrone & Rufolo

The two other stunning villas we’ll visit during our May 2019 tour to Puglia and the Amalfi coast are located in one of my favourite places on earth, Ravello.  Perched high above the Mediterranean Sea, where the perfume of lemon blossoms and the spectacular scenery combine to seduce the visitor.  Here, we’ll find the Villa Cimbrone with its expansive gardens and dramatic views from the belvedere, known as the Terrace of Infinity.

Terrace of Infinity, Villa Cimbrone, Ravello

Its origins date back to the 11th century.  The villa and gardens were extensively renovated by Lord Grimthorpe in the early 20th century. It became a popular retreat for London’s famed Bloomsbury Group. Other notable guess included Winston Churchill and D.H. Lawrence.  It’s a view , once seen, impossible to forget.

Next, Villa Rufolo, the historical and cultural centre of the beautiful town of Ravello.  Built in the 13th century the villa and its owner featured in Boccaccio’s Decamaron, published in 1353.

Scottish botanist, Sir Francis Neville Reid, fell in love with its Moorish towers and expansive views and in 1851 began an extensive renovation of its rooms and gardens.

View from Villa Rufolo, Ravello

Visiting the villa in 1880 Richard Wagner was so inspired by the gardens he lingered in Ravello long enough to complete the second act of his opera Parsifal.  The spirit of Wagner remains as Ravello has become known as the ‘city of music’.  It hosts an annual summer concert series on a stage built jutting out over the Mediterranean Sea with the rugged Amalfi Coast below.

The Amalfi Coast deserves to be on everyone’s bucket-list.  Why wait?  Join us in May and discover for yourself the enchantments of these three stunningly beautiful villas and the towns in which they are located.  Space for the soul, indeed.

The post Amalfi Coast – Views to Soothe The Soul appeared first on Big Yellow Suitcase.

In Greece, the coach was there to meet us every time we needed to move from one place to another. Equally, the local guide was on hand to not only provide relevant and entertaining insights into places and events but also to direct us to the best restaurants and cafes for our free time.

In Romania, by contrast, I spent a good part of each day working out how to get from A to B and navigate the public transport system. Not to mention taking pot luck on my restaurant choices.  I spent precious time delving into guide books and online searches to  try and understand what I was seeing and put it into context.

Independent travel can be fun, as the unexpected as well as the unplanned often deliver the most interesting and memorable experiences.  However, few of us, even retirees, have the luxury of the extra time and money necessary to travel in this way.

It’s just heaven when the hard work is done by someone else and you can dedicate your time to embracing and enjoying each destination in full.

Time is just too precious to waste on less than stellar experiences and ordinary food.

Big Yellow Suitcase boutique small group travel aims to deliver a perfect balance between group activities and free time to explore alone or with newly made friends.  We’ll take care of all the more frustrating aspects of travel leaving you free to relax, soak up the ambience and focus on the delights of the destination.

Solo travellers will enjoy the comfort of a queen size room without being hit with an expensive single supplement charge.  We’ll stay longer in each place with less packing and moving.   Take a look at the destinations and unique experiences on offer  in 2019 and 2020 and join us and experience the BYS delights of travel for yourself.

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