Galle is an old port town strategically perched on a protected bay on the southwestern tip of Sri Lanka.

The Galle Fort sits on a peninsula with a rocky beach, heavily fortified with ramparts. It was built by the Portuguese in the 16th century and expanded from 1650 on, when the Dutch took over. It was a bastion to protect the important harbor they occupied. It seems like one large outdoor museum today, pretty, impressive, well preserved and quite ritzy, with boutique hotels, upscale restaurants and expensive shops.

10 January 2016