Outdoor steps
View allAll Photos Tagged steps
Spanish steps (Edited)
Its Italian name is “Scalinata della Trinità dei Monti” and composed of 12 ramps and 135 travertine steps, it is considered the widest and longest staircase of Europe, welcoming millions of tourists and Romans who visit at all times of the day.
The ‘Spanish steps’ in Rome, built in Rococo style between 1723 and 1726, are the steps that lead from the Piazza di Spagna square to the French monastery church Trinita dei Monti (built between 1502–1587). There are 135 steps and three different terraces, referring to the Holy Trinity (the Trinità). The top of the stairs near the Egyptian obelisk offers a beautiful view, albeit one shared with throngs of other tourists. The name can be a bit confusing, as the construction of the steps was actually commissioned by the French (Louis XII). In the 17th century, the Spanish embassy was located on the square – ‘Piazza di Spagna’ – at the base of the stairs, hence the name ‘Spanish Steps’. The official name is therefore not Spanish steps, but Scalinata della Trinità dei Monti.
At the bottom of the 70-metre high vertical cliffs are "Gog" and "Magog", the nicknames given to the giant limestone stacks rising up out of the sea. The 86 steps that go down the face of the cliffs were carved by a local settler Hugh Gibson, who worked on the route originally used by the Kirrae Whurrong people.
Well it certainly took a little longer than the predicted 5hr journey time to get there. Nine hours with only one stop for coffee and recharge the battery for my phone.
Two bad accidents on the A19 and the M90 created tailbacks for over ten miles. On both occasions we stood still for over an hour.
So you can appreciate the delight the next morning, when we were treated to this beautiful sunrise behind the castle.
Named after it's Gaelic name, Dun Fhoithear, literally meaning "fort on the shelving slope"
As far as castles go, it's difficult to imagine a more remote and dramatic location than Dunnatar.
Perhaps with the most impenetrable position of all Scottish castles, this one sits on top of it's own cliff peninsular on the road to Aberdeen, defended on all sides by the forces of nature.
Dunnatar Castle also comes with a good dose of dastardly history with an intrepid mix of torching, smuggling and pillaging.
Add to this some seriously stunning scenery and vistas to rival the best.
There are 50metre high cliffs on three sides of the site. While those are pounded by the North Sea, the fourth is joined to the land. This section was once a peninsular, but it's access was destroyed in favour of a cliff pathway. As a result you can only reach Dunnatar via a narrow, twisting route that ends in a tunnel, making it one of the most difficult Scottish castles to get into.
Position: Savona is a seaport and comune in the west part of the northern Italian region of Liguria, capital of the Province of Savona.