Once In A Lifetime Journey
  • Destinations
    • Africa
      • Djibouti
      • Kenya
      • Madagascar
      • Malawi
      • Namibia
      • Rwanda
      • Somaliland
      • South Africa
      • Sudan
      • Tanzania
      • Uganda
    • Europe
      • Albania
      • Andorra
      • Azerbaijan
      • Denmark
      • France
      • Germany
      • Iceland
      • Italy
      • Kosovo
      • Macedonia
      • Malta
      • Monaco
      • Montenegro
      • Russia
      • Spain
      • Switzerland
      • United Kingdom
    • North & Central America
      • American Samoa
      • El Salvador
      • Guam
      • Guatemala
      • Hawaii
      • Honduras
      • Mexico
      • United States
    • South America
      • Argentina
      • Brazil
      • Chile
      • Peru
    • Middle East
      • Oman
      • Saudi Arabia
      • Sudan
      • United Arab Emirates
    • Pacific
      • American Samoa
      • Australia
      • Cook Islands
      • Fiji
      • French Polynesia
      • Guam
      • Hawaii
      • Kiribati
      • Micronesia
      • Nauru
      • New Zealand
      • Palau
      • Samoa
      • Solomon Islands
      • Tonga
      • Tuvalu
      • Vanuatu
    • Southeast Asia
      • Brunei
      • Cambodia
      • Indonesia
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Myanmar
      • Philippines
      • Singapore
      • Thailand
      • Vietnam
    • Central & North Asia
      • Bhutan
      • Bangladesh
      • China
      • Hong Kong
      • India
      • Japan
      • Macau
      • Maldives
      • Mongolia
      • Nepal
      • North Korea
      • Pakistan
      • South Korea
      • Sri Lanka
      • Tibet
  • Inspiration
    • Inspiration

      300+ Instagram bio quotes and captions to rock…

      December 14, 2019

      Inspiration

      12 places you must visit in 2020

      December 11, 2019

      Inspiration

      The best beaches in Malta

      December 2, 2019

      Inspiration

      The best beaches in Indonesia

      November 28, 2019

      Inspiration

      Surprising facts about Bhutan – Land of the…

      November 15, 2019

  • Reviews
    • Hotels & Resorts
    • Train, Planes & helicopters
    • Food & Drinks
    • Spa & Wellness
    • Tour & Activities
  • Travel Resources
  • Wine Tourism
    • Australia
    • Indonesia
    • Italy
    • Spain
    • Thailand
    • US
    • South Africa
  • Countries visited: 112
  • Currently in : Singapore 🇸🇬
  • Partner with us

Once In A Lifetime Journey

Once In A Lifetime Journey
  • Destinations
    • Africa
      • Djibouti
      • Kenya
      • Madagascar
      • Malawi
      • Namibia
      • Rwanda
      • Somaliland
      • South Africa
      • Sudan
      • Tanzania
      • Uganda
    • Europe
      • Albania
      • Andorra
      • Azerbaijan
      • Denmark
      • France
      • Germany
      • Iceland
      • Italy
      • Kosovo
      • Macedonia
      • Malta
      • Monaco
      • Montenegro
      • Russia
      • Spain
      • Switzerland
      • United Kingdom
    • North & Central America
      • American Samoa
      • El Salvador
      • Guam
      • Guatemala
      • Hawaii
      • Honduras
      • Mexico
      • United States
    • South America
      • Argentina
      • Brazil
      • Chile
      • Peru
    • Middle East
      • Oman
      • Saudi Arabia
      • Sudan
      • United Arab Emirates
    • Pacific
      • American Samoa
      • Australia
      • Cook Islands
      • Fiji
      • French Polynesia
      • Guam
      • Hawaii
      • Kiribati
      • Micronesia
      • Nauru
      • New Zealand
      • Palau
      • Samoa
      • Solomon Islands
      • Tonga
      • Tuvalu
      • Vanuatu
    • Southeast Asia
      • Brunei
      • Cambodia
      • Indonesia
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Myanmar
      • Philippines
      • Singapore
      • Thailand
      • Vietnam
    • Central & North Asia
      • Bhutan
      • Bangladesh
      • China
      • Hong Kong
      • India
      • Japan
      • Macau
      • Maldives
      • Mongolia
      • Nepal
      • North Korea
      • Pakistan
      • South Korea
      • Sri Lanka
      • Tibet
  • Inspiration
    • Inspiration

      300+ Instagram bio quotes and captions to rock…

      December 14, 2019

      Inspiration

      12 places you must visit in 2020

      December 11, 2019

      Inspiration

      The best beaches in Malta

      December 2, 2019

      Inspiration

      The best beaches in Indonesia

      November 28, 2019

      Inspiration

      Surprising facts about Bhutan – Land of the…

      November 15, 2019

  • Reviews
    • Hotels & Resorts
    • Train, Planes & helicopters
    • Food & Drinks
    • Spa & Wellness
    • Tour & Activities
  • Travel Resources
  • Wine Tourism
    • Australia
    • Indonesia
    • Italy
    • Spain
    • Thailand
    • US
    • South Africa

Disclaimer: This page contains affiliate links. Please see our disclaimer policy here

3 Michelin Star Enoteca Pinchiorri review

by Mar July 10, 2016
Written by Mar
"Poached eggs Enoteca Pinchiorri"

Entrance to Enoteca Pinchiorri

Entrance to Enoteca Pinchiorri. Source: Website

“We have an afternoon free, why don’t we check out Florence?”, I told my friends on our recent visit to Chianti and Tuscany. They had both been there not long before our trip but for me, it was a 20 year old visit I did as a student so I was excited to revisit it even if just for a couple of hours. And then it downed on me, surely Florence must have some fine dining restaurants? Bingo, Enoteca Pinchiorri, a 3 Michelin star Grande Damme and one that has been in business since the 80s, stood out as the highest ranking. And so a booking was made. Surprisingly, two weeks before the date, tables were still available. I would later find out why. The bill was definitively not for the faint of heart at 400 euro per person minimum, unless you don’t drink wine, which would be sacrilege in a restaurant that labels itself as an an “enoteca” and which has, possibly, the most expensive wine collection in the world.

Needless to say, this was a memorable meal, but was that so because of the food? Read on to find out if my evening at Enoteca Pinchiorri stood the test of unexperienced taste buts.

Booking and arrival 

We booked on the phone, a couple of weeks ahead of our visit, and were told that there was only one seating, at 7,30pm, which seemed rather strange in a country where nobody eats when it is still daylight. We were also asked to re-call to reconfirm on the day. So far, rather imposing and strange. So we arrived at 7,30pm to a rather confused welcome. The staff seemed rather unclear about what we should do and we were eventually asked to sit down on a sofa and wait.

Enoteca Pinchiorri used to be in an old rather grand palace that has been converted into a Relais and Chateaux 5* Hotel. The entrance is romantic, aligned with Florence’s artistic and erudite past, but the sofa we were told to sit on felt “on the way” to somewhere. A few people looked at us and it all felt as if they did not know what to do with us and something was wrong. “Maybe I should be wearing a tie?”, wondered my friend, or maybe we should be more dressed us? I asked myself looking down at my relatively casual trousers and shoes. Eventually, without much attention or the service level that one should expect at such places, we were directed through corridors, narrow stairs and up to a balcony style small room with four tables. We were indeed the first ones, and it seemed that we had been placed in the only room for foreigners, as everyone downstairs looked local whereas our room eventually filled with three party-dress Chinese girls, a Chinese young couple dressed in tracksuit pants and a selfie stick, and another older couple.

The food menu and the water and wine lists

Water menu at Enoteca Pinchiorri

Water menu at Enoteca Pinchiorri

As soon as the menu arrived I realised that the restaurant had decided to maintain the archaic tradition of giving women menus without prices so both me and Marisa had no idea what the prices were and only Edwin had them. He found it amusing, I found it insulting. Not a good start. There and then the restaurant lost a lot of points. In the 21st century, there are still restaurants that continue with this silly social tradition that is as old fashion as it is obsolete. I wondered if they thought that Edwin was having a great night out with two women and hence he was supposed to pay? Or if Marisa and I did not look like we could afford dinner. Better not to think too much about it. On to the menu.

The menu choices included an a la carte selection and three menus, one Spring degustation, one degustation of the a la carte menu plus an optional selection of 3 add-on dishes to “transform the menu into a unique experience”. Given the prices of the starters ranged between 50 euro for the humble poached eggs to 90 euro for the prawns, taking the degustation menu was a no brainer. We were already breaking the bank so we decided to add the three optional dishes to “transform” our experience. I was rather intrigued as to what those three dishes would do.

The food menu was simple and easy, the difficulty came with the wine and the water. There was a menu for each. That is right, an entire menu devoted to waters from all over the world being charged at minimum 20 euro the bottle, some of them were regular supermarket waters in their countries, like Solan de Cabras or Vichy Catalan in Spain, which retail at usual water prices, but were there charged at between 20 and 25 euros the bottle. Not bad for a branding trick. But the wine list posed more question marks and issues. Who asks you to decide what water would go best with the food? I am not even sure water tastes of anything other than just water, generally speaking that is.

The wine list was significantly more impressive. There were practically no wines below the 100 euro mark, something quite amazing considering that the restaurant is believed to have over 4,000 different wine labels, but it seemed that all of them were of the higher end of the price range. The wine list was truly mesmerising, looking more like an oversized Bible than a wine list. It had pages and pages of wines from every Italian and French estate and year, perfectly catalogued and classified. I could not even begin to imagine what the cellar looked like. Its value could be in the range of 100 million euro and is rumoured to be the largest in the world.

Enoteca Pinchiorri especially designed wine glasses

Enoteca Pinchiorri especially designed wine glasses

Aside from the bottles, Enoteca Pinchiorri also offers wine pairing options with unlimited amounts of wine charged at minimum 200 euro per person and running up to thousands of euros. Some of their wine pairing options were charged at over 3,000 euro per person. These prices included the whole bottle in most cases, so they were a bargain when compared to the bottle prices, and the only way the restaurant could offer wine glasses of bottles which would otherwise never be offered by the glass. Surprisingly, and rather disappointingly, their wine pairing options did not include Chianti Classico wines but rather Super-Tuscan wines and, in many cases, more than half of the list was made of French wines. In Florence. I found this to be strange in a restaurant in Tuscany that specialises in wine, but it could be the French influence of the chef, Annie Feolde, whose philosophy is to “(…) always remember the culture of the place in which we find ourselves, because that’s our identity. But we must also try to improve, change, and keep in step with the times.” Perhaps in the improvement is where French wines come into play? I was a bit confused at the lack of Chianti Classico wines on the wine pairings list.

Enoteca Pinchiorri amuse bouche

Enoteca Pinchiorri amuse bouche

To aid in the decision on the food, water and wine we ordered three Negroni, we were on a mission to decide the content of a long evening extravaganza.

As we tried to process the large menus and the ridiculous water list, a lady came to get our order, but we were still undecided, so we requested more time. She did not introduce herself and seemed a bit annoyed at our indecisiveness. No explanations went into the menu, no care for the local produce they so proudly talk about on their website and no recommendations were given to guide our decision, so we simply decided we would take the 8-course menu, enhanced with the optional dishes, and would then ask for the Sommelier’s recommendation on a wine pairing option, among the more affordable 200-300 euro a head choices.

As per the water, when I asked for a recommendation from the (water?) Sommelier, I was asked for another decision, “What do you feel like, madam?”. It was a hard question, I had never thought about what water tasted like and did certainly not have a preference, so all I could come up with, “Still, please”. I quickly added, “and Italian”. And so this is how we ended  up with a fine bottle of Italian water at 20 euro the litre. It was the aberration in the water prices that gave me the most brutal of hangovers I have experienced in a long time.

The Sommelier came next. We had decided to leave the wine decision up to his recommendation and so, when he arrived, we simply asked for a wine pairing that would feature the most amount of local wines, and least amount of French wines, that was it. The Sommelier still suggested a choice of 5 wines most of which were French with two Italian, only one Chianti Classico, that was the most Italian wine we were allowed to have. Another rather strange situation considering the focus on supporting local produce and the chef’s philosophy, it felt a bit hypocrite to put such emphasis on French wines.

After all those decisions we sure were thirsty so the Negroni disappeared straightaway and soon came the amouse-bouche.

The degustation menu 

Our degustation menu, transformed, had 8 dishes.

Yellow fin tune Enoteca Pinchiorri

Yellow fin tune Enoteca Pinchiorri

First dish: Slices of yellowfin tuna marinated in olive oil, coffee powder and fried shallot “Granfarro” with rosemary and mussels Marinara style. This was a rather delicate, mildly spiced up, very fresh tuna. It was nicely presented and it was soft and tender but I have had plenty of great yellow fin tuna in some other very low key places and, although the condiments were local, the main element of the dish was not something which naturally grows in Tuscany or Italy.

John dory Enoteca Pinchiorri

John dory Enoteca Pinchiorri

Second dish: John Dory in squid ink crust, spinach sprouts, Bearnaise sauce with lemon and chamomile jelly. This was a more inventive and original dish and one which was well balanced and interesting but I did feel that the fish needed a bit more sauce as the thick crust had dried it out a bit. There wasn’t a lot of flavour on the spinach or the jelly but it was a pleasant combination.

Poached eggs Enoteca Pinchiorri

Poached eggs Enoteca Pinchiorri

Third dish: Poached egg, asparagus tips and crispy bacon and 2 year old Parmiggiano Regiano foam. The dish was flavourful and nicely presented and it was a rather pleasant one. But then again, there we were at a 3 Michelin star restaurant eating a breakfast item which I could well have ordered in a hipster cafe in Singapore. It felt a bit strange and underwhelming to be served such simple composition. But it was indeed good.

Ravioli Enoteca Pinchiorri

Ravioli Enoteca Pinchiorri

Fourth dish: Ravioli stuffed with rabbit “A la cacciatora”, chicory sauce, Raveggiolo cheese and roasted barley. It seemed that the dishes were getting better as the menu progressed, or we were more and more drunk and unable to understand or remember anything anymore. There was a lot of wine we had to go through! Either way, this was a nice dish, the combination of textures of the barley and the pasta worked well but then again, we were being served something that I could make at home, so I was unimpressed.

Roasted pork Enoteca Pinchiorri

Roasted pork Enoteca Pinchiorri

Fifth dish: Roasted Mora Romagnola baby pork with a spiced carrot and sweet-and-sour shallots. The restaurant prides itself on the pork which they source from a local free range farm which feeds them acorns and other wild fruits and roots and this was indeed a tasty, tender pork. But once more, this was a dish that I could have made myself too, the techniques and the combinations were nothing out of this world, they were quite plain and common in any Mediterranean kitchen.

Veal Enoteca Pinchiorri

Veal Enoteca Pinchiorri

Sixth dish: Roasted veal loin with fresh pepper grains; salsify, Jerusalem artichoke, radish and chicory sprouts, flavoured with tarragon butter. Again, quite tasty and the meat was surely full of earthy flavours but nothing more than a great meat dish well executed, no surprises, no “Oh, mmm, wow, ahhh”, just a nice dish I am sure we could have had at other great Italian restaurants for a fraction.

Caramelised chocolate Enoteca Pinchiorri

Caramelised chocolate Enoteca Pinchiorri

First dessert: Caramelised chocolate with strawberries and whipped cream. I was excited about this one, because I love all three ingredients and, well, it did not disappoint. It was also one of the few innovative and creative dishes we were served with the white chocolate served in a hard spherical shell. It was indeed delicious.

Second dessert: Crispy biscuit filled with goat cheese. This was clever, a good combination of savoury and sweet and a great happy ending. It made me feel like there was a bit more invention and innovation than on all the other previous dishes.

Petit furs Enoteca Pinchiorri

Petit furs Enoteca Pinchiorri

Just when we thought we were done, then came the petit furs and a huge selection of chocolates to choose from, all beautifully placed on a chocolate cart French restaurants would use to display a cheese selection.

Chocolate cart Enoteca Pinchiorri

Chocolate cart Enoteca Pinchiorri

So, as you probably could guess, Enoteca Pinchiorri was unimpressive, to me. It is not that it was bad in any way, the dishes were flawless, but above all, food is a matter of taste, and I found some of the dishes a bit bland and most of them,underwhelming and unsurprising, something that I would expect of a restaurant that has been wowing crowds of foodies for over two decades. The triple water-food-wine menu gimmick was indeed new and gave us something to talk about, but it was certainly the most memorable part of the dinner and not something I haven’t seen elsewhere.

The wine pairings

Enoteca Pinchiorri wine cellar

Enoteca Pinchiorri wine cellar

You thought I would forget about the wines? No chance, although by the third glass, with multiple refills, I hardly remember anymore if I liked them or not as our glasses were almost always full and we spent 4 hours having dinner, that is a lot of time to drink, not necessarily to appreciate wine, as I am a light weight. So it is fair to assume that we drank the 5 bottles of wine among the three of us. Not a mean feat and no doubt the reason for my Biblical hangover the morning after.

Enoteca Pinchiorri sure has an impressive wine list but with prices in the hundreds and thousands of euro this was not a benefit most of us will ever enjoy. The owner, Pinchiorri, was one of the first people to start offering wines by the glass in the Florence of the 70s. Many thought he was crazy, but people started to flock in and he finally decided to turn his passion into a fine-dining and innovative restaurant of which Florence had none at the time. He is a wine collector so the cellar houses his personal collection, accumulated through the last few decades, including a few of the first ever released bottles of some of the well known Super Tuscan wines like Sassicaia.

Enoteca Pinchiorri wine cellar

Enoteca Pinchiorri wine cellar

As per our wine pairing choice, I found the wines recommended by the Sommelier to be very fine. One of the bottles was a especially produced red wine just for the restaurant that was contained in a hand carved glass bottle, paired with matching wine glasses.

We had the following glasses of wine on top of the restaurant’s “house wine”. Pinot Noire Pommard Premier Cru Cote de Beaune, Burgundy. Podere Poggio Scalette’ Richiari’ Alta Valle della Greve IGT. A chardonnay from the Chianti Classico area. Petrolo Galatrona Merlot from Tuscany.

Enoteca Pinchiorri review

Enoteca Pinchiorri review

The verdict

There were a few things that I found missing or that were particularly disappointing. The servers kept changing and we were helped by several different people throughout. Most of them did not speak English good enough to hold a conversation, let alone explain anything beyond the mere description of the dish which made any personal discussion or in-depth experience difficult. The wine talk was even more minimal and the Sommelier did not seem too interested in sharing his knowledge. I had the feeling he thought we were “below his capacity” or just not worthy. It seemed that he did misjudge us on this one as we had come to Tuscany for the wines and were already on our 5th day of wine tours. I grew up in a winery and Marisa could beat anyone at wine tastings, and we were both wine certified. Some other reviews mentioned that the owners came out to greet them and that the Sommelier took them to the cellar, that was not the case for us and we felt rather left out, as if we were in the room of the foreigners who have bottomless wallets but no appreciation for good food or wine, the flash “noveau rich” selfie-stick-touting type. Sadly their assessment could not have been further from the truth.

The other questionable element was the price. Enoteca Pinchiorri rates poorly in the scale of value for money. At almost 500 euro per head, this was a very pricey meal that would be equal to the cost of an entire week full of wonderful meals in Tuscany. Perhaps even longer.

Enoteca Pinchiorri sure has a strong reputation built over several years, not least for having the most expensive and larger wine collection in the world, but to my humble and rather simple taste buds, some of the other meals we had at Italian’s houses were far more memorable and delicious. They also cost a fraction of the price. The food was good, it was surely perfectly executed, but I lacked the personal touch and, most importantly, the “wow effect”. Perhaps they do not aim to wow but just to serve excellent, flawlessly executed meals, but that was just not worthy of the 3 star definition from the  Michelin Guide: “Exceptional cuisine, worthy of a special journey”. Tuscany and all the simple but delicious meals we had during the trip were worthy of a visit, but Enoteca Pinchiorri was just a talking point and an experience I would not repeat.

FlorenceFood reviewFoodieitalyMichelinMichelin starrestaurantRestaurant reviewTuscany
0
FacebookTwitterPinterest

You may also like

Best Paris bistros – find out where the...

Guide to the best South African food

The most delicious Korean food

The quaint and Godfather-famous village of Savoca

Bangladeshi food: Traditional dishes to try

The Godfather filming locations in Sicily

Guide to Syracuse Sicily: Best things to do,...

All you need to know to visit Taormina’s...

Everything you need to know before visiting Mount...

Guide to Taormina: Best things to do, places...

Popular Posts

  • 1

    Original and fabulous gifts for travelers for any occasion

    December 3, 2017
  • 2

    Maldives vs Bora Bora, where will YOU have the best vacation?

    September 8, 2019
  • 3

    300+ Instagram bio quotes and captions to rock your feed

    December 14, 2019
  • 4

    The world’s least visited countries – Unknown and rare destinations

    June 19, 2019
  • 5

    100+ Great Things to do in Seoul (+ your personalised wish list)

    December 14, 2019
  • 6

    All the hipster, fun and cool things to do in New York

    October 24, 2019

Recent Posts

  • Things to do in Udaipur, The City of Lakes

    December 15, 2019
  • 300+ Instagram bio quotes and captions to rock your feed

    December 14, 2019
  • 100+ Great Things to do in Seoul (+ your personalised wish list)

    December 14, 2019
  • 12 places you must visit in 2020

    December 11, 2019
  • Things to do in Jodhpur, The Blue City

    December 9, 2019
  • Make money online – Blog income roundup from $1k to $140k

    December 9, 2019

follow US on instagram

Instagram post 2198033436155839035_945610586 [Hosted] JAIPUR - An Instagramers paradise. The Pink City of India is the capital of Rajasthan and it is also a place of wander and of royalty.
.
This room is part of the upper floors of the City Palace the house of the Maharaja and can only be accessed by paying a very high entry ticket (35€) so it is almost empty which is why you don't see anyone in this shot. .
Jaipur has 3 UNESCO sites, the Walled city (added in 2019 to the list), Amer Fort as part of a nomination with 5 other forts in Rajasthan, and the astronomical instruments in Jantar Mantar.
.
It was my second visit to the City Palace and to Jaipur and I just love it every time, I'm already thinking of my next trip.
.
This trip was organised by @indiaSomeday who specialise in independent travel to India and it was my 10th visit to the country. .
I have been to India alone, on several occasions, but when travelling across a region, I found India Someday to be really good (and I'm a very demanding customer!). This was not a fully sponsored trip, I paid for my family's cost.
.
#IndiaSomeday #Rajasthan #IncredibleIndia #Jaipur #IloveJaipur #JaipurCityPalace #pinkcity #catalanspelmon #viatgersDC #ladyinred
Instagram post 2195916000527040546_945610586 ASHGABAT, TURKMENISTAN - How many Mar do you count? And any guesses what this is?
.
This funny looking building that looks hyper futuristic is on top of a hill above Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan, and is a wedding hall!
.
That's right, people book it for weddings.
.
The majority of the population in the country are Muslim and wedding are quite a big affair.
.
If you Zoom in you'll see a world map on the sphere.
.
.📷 by my best friend @edwin.grummitt
.
#turkmenistan #catalanspelmon #ViatgersDC #ashgabat #architecture #ladyinred #sheisnotlost #dametravel #TLpicks #SilkRoad #Ashgabat
Instagram post 2193667197979676631_945610586 LUXURY TRAIN TRAVEL - Who else loves it as much as I do?
.
I've been on luxury trains in South Africa, from Joburg to Cape Town on the Rovos Rail.
.
I've been on two luxury trains in India, The Golden Chariot through Karnataka and the Maharajas Express across Rajasthan.
.
I took the Trans-Mongolian Express on the same train that's on the photo. We traveled for 14 days from Moscow to UlaanBaatar in Mongolia where we attended the Nadaam Festival.
.
This time, I took the train from Almaty in Kazakhstan to Ashgabat in Turkenistan, visiting the main Silk Road cities in Uzbekistan.
.
Have you ever been on a luxury train?
.
#Luxurytrain #Luxurytravel #silkroad #uzbekistan #kazakhstan #turkmenistan #ladyinred #GoldenEagleLuxuryTrain #ViatgersDC #catalanspelmon
Instagram post 2190088942622231722_945610586 SILK ROAD - How many is too many Mars? ;) .
Having some fun with Photoshop and the Presidential suite at the Golden Eagle luxury train while on our way to Turkmenistan.
.
#LuxuryTrain #SilkRoad #Ladyinred #catalanspelmon #ViathersDC #luxurytravel #Turkmenistan #Uzbekistan #SheIsNotLost
Instagram post 2187190630332045385_945610586 TASHKENT - Can you guess who that is and where I'm.standing?
.
This is Cosmonauts metro station in the capital of Uzbekistan. The oldest surviving metro system in central asia.
.
Since 2018 you are allowed to photograph the many ornate and themed stations and platforms in the metro including this one devoted to Soviet astronauts like Yuri Gagarin the first person to travel to space. .
Tue colours of the tiles change from blue to black and white like the Earth's atmosphere.
.
The metro could not be photographed until 2018 because it was set aside as an air shelter in case of nuclear attacks this being a sensitive military target heavily guarded.
.
#Tashkent #Metro #Uzbekistan #SilkRoad #ViatgersDC #catalanspelmon #yurigagarin #astronaut #travel
Instagram post 2185741690449525730_945610586 JODHPUR - Scroll all the way to see a panoramic view.
.
The Blue City of Jodhpur in Rajasthan has a city core with most houses painted in blue, inside and out. This has given the city its nickname .
The colour is associated with the Brahmin, an Indian caste of teachers and priests that follow Shiva and like to paint their houses blue, the colour of this Hindu God.
.
The colour is also believed to keep mosquitoes away and, let's admit it, makes for amazing photography.
.
#Hosted by @indiasomeday #Jodhpur #Rajasthan #IncredibleIndia #IndiaSomeday #MyNextVacay #SheIsNotLost #TLPicks #girlpowertravel #travelingwomen_ #Ladyinred #ViatgersDC #catalanspelmon
Instagram post 2183117215862352122_945610586 SINGAPORE - I love Singapore's colonial shop house architecture but did you know there are 4 marked style periods?
.
The most typical and recognisable style is this one, with the ornate facade and the top windows that were typical of the 2nd half of the 19th century, but there are 3 other from later periods the last one of which evolved into Art Deco architecture (with the square facades straight lines and high spyres).
.
These houses on the picture are in Emerald Hill, a very high end area off Orchard Road that is quiet and lined with very expensive and pretty homes.
.
Shophouse architecture can also be found in Malacca and Penang, in Malaysia.
.
#YourSingapore #Singapore #SGIG #singapore_insta #SingaporeArchitecture #singaporeinsiders #EmeraldHill #Shophouse #singaporeig #VisitSingapore #ViatgersDC #catalanspelmon
Instagram post 2180684707539431680_945610586 MERV, TURKMENISTAN - a UNESCO site in the middle of the desert that was inhabited by several civilisations from the Bronze Age till the Middle Ages.
.
Although not much of Merv has been preserved and a lot still needs to be excavated, this Mausoleum to Sultan Ahmed Sanjar is the only full structure standing. .
It is said that when the Moguls ransacked the area they spared ig for fear. .
The mausoleum dates to the 12th century and it had a dome decorated with  lie glazed tiles as was typical in the area.
.
The mausoleum does not hold his tomb because they were worried about tomb robbers so it ended in another unknown location. .
This structure and Sultan Sanjat are found on Turkmenistan notes.
.
#Turkmenistan #BBCTravel #NatGeoTravel #TLPicks #centralAsia #desert #UNESCO #Merv #AncientArchitecture #SilkRoad
Instagram post 2179257215733694078_945610586 BUKHARA - I have never been so happy to wake up at 5am than to explore the empty streets of Bukhara as the sun was rising.
.
This ancient city along the Silk Road still has many well preserved mosques, markets, caravanserai and madrasas most of which have these truly stunning domed gates. I could stare at them for hours, each unique, each the result of so much intricate work.
.
Alone with just our cameras, tripod and a thick sweater (it was really cold!) @edwin.grummitt and I wandered the streets waiting for the sunlight to hit the blue tiles, it was magical. I have him to thank for this great shot.
.
#Bukhara #Uzbekistan #madrasa #IslamicArchitecture #ladyinred #catalanspelmon #silkroad #silkroute #travelphotography #sheisnitlost #girlswhotravel #dametraveler
Instagram post 2177808460953986184_945610586 SAMARKAND - The completely breathtaking Registan Square with it's three madrasas and many mosques is one of the most impressive sights I have ever seen.
.
Samarkand was one of the most famous stops along the Silk Road and it's filled with incredible sights.
.
I have to say I could have spent a whole day just in this square looking at the details of all the buildings. .
Photo by my best friend and favourite travel partner @edwin.grummitt
.
#SilkRoad #Samarkand #Uzbekistan #RegistanSquare #SilkRoute #BlueTiles #GoldenEagleLuxuryTrains #Registan #Ladyinred #catalanspelmon

Your window into luxury and out of the ordinary destinations

Subscribe to my Newsletter for new blog posts, tips & new photos. Let's stay updated!

Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest Linkedin

About

  • ABOUT ONCE IN A LIFE TIME JOURNEY
  • ABOUT THE TEAM
  • WHERE WE HAVE BEEN
  • PRESS
  • PRIVACY POLICY

Reach Out

  • CONTACT US
  • PARTNER

Quick Links

  • SITEMAP
  • BOOKS
  • INCOME
  • DIGITAL MARKETING
  • DISCLAIMER

Copyright © 2019 . All Rights Reserved. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program