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Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence 667

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Africa / Rwanda / Gishwati-Mukura National Park / Overview Gishwati-Mukura National Park Take a look into the eyes of Rwanda. Gishwati-Mukura National Park In 2015 the Rwandan government passed a law to create a new national park combining the Mukura and Gishwati forests, establishing the Gishwati-Mukura National Park - a forested area which will spread from up in the north of the country near the Volcanoes National Park, all the way down, incorporating the Gishwati and Mukura forests, to Nyungwe Forest. This is a great success story for the conservationists who have been fighting for a long time to protect this strip on the Congo-Nile divide. In the far north of Rwanda, Gishwati Forest once had a flourishing eco-system, extending all the way up to the Volcaones National park. Following the tragic events of the 1994 genocide, large numbers of the population flowed back into the country from across the border and spread out over the land, many heading towards these forested area to set up new farms and homes for their families. Trees were felled, natural resources extracted, and exotic species introduced - all shrinking the forested areas, pushing them beyond their means and threatening their survival. In 2007 an American research facility stepped in with the aim of saving a small population of less than 20 chimpanzees who had somehow managed to survive in a diminishing forest. They had tremendous success and quickly the protected area increased, the forest began to flourish once more, and the local communities began to live in harmony with their environment. Further south, Mukura Forest has had a “reserve" status for the past 60 years or so – however during those years its size has reduced by almost 50% - partly due to the population pressures which affected the Gishwati Forest, but also due to illegal mining which has been taking place. The newly created Gishwati-Mukura National Park gives both these areas official protected status, and a wildlife corridor has been established, linking Gishwati Forest to Mukura Forest and down to Nyungwe Forest. This protected area will offer incredible biodiversity – providing a corridor for free movement of primates such as Black and White colobus monkeys, L’Hoest Monkeys, Blue Monkeys and Golden Monkeys - along with the chance to trek habituated chimpanzees. This is extremely exciting news for Rwanda, and shows a great willingness of the government to help stabalise and protect these hugely important areas. At present there are no lodges for tourists to stay in this are – however this is set to change over the next couple of years, which will help to bring in much needed resources and income to ensure the continued protection of the national park. Enquire nowabout Gishwati-Mukura National Park RwandaAkagera National ParkGishwati-MukuraGishwati LodgeKigaliLake KivuNyungwe ForestVolcanoes National Park Rwanda informationFlights to RwandaGorilla trekkingRwanda general infoWeather and climate

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Welcome to Fabulous Roswell: The Rise of Postmodern Tourism Llewellyn Hinkes-Jones What Chernobyl, Las Vegas, and a Santa Claus theme park in Finland tell us about the value and absurdity of travel A man wears a hat shaped like an alien spacecraft while videotaping the arcade outside the international UFO conference in Roswell, New Mexico. David Akes/Reuters In the coming months, Chernobyl will open for sightseeing. Each year, more and more people try to sneak in to North Korea. Ever been to Branson, Missouri? Ironically? Probably not. These are all odd locations, almost the opposite of what most people would aim for when planning a vacation, yet they draw more and more onlookers every year. Abandoned shopping malls and decrepit factories are the folly of an ever-growing urban exploration movement. Sites like Roadside America traffic in the oddities of Americana, from Mystery Spots and Muffler Men to Civil War dinosaur parks. Atlas Obscura covers the same terrain, but on an international scale. There's something almost perverse about intentionally choosing Truth or Consequences, New Mexico over Bermuda for a vacation, but there are other reasons to travel besides sunshine and cocktails. Essentially, a majority of tourism is exploration. The common variety involves seeing more of the world, experiencing it, and learning some history while away from work. In the past, that appeal to explore and unwind almost always led vacationers to beach-side resorts, natural wonders, and museums of art and history. These were once adventurous destinations in a time before commercial aviation and affordable travel. Postmodern tourism might mean visiting Roswell, New Mexico, not for the history of alien visitation, but for the spectacle of American alien fascination. That idea of traveling to a far-off location, sightseeing, and returning with a souvenir is now in direct competition with home entertainment systems and 3-D video games. For those still interested in widening their horizons despite the burden and cost of international travel, few frontiers are left. The mysteries of the world are well-known and easily Googleable. Locales that, 50 years ago, were considered exotic are now relatively tame. There are regular flights to Easter Island and Antarctica. McDonald's now has franchises in Africa. Machu Picchu and the Galapagos Islands are overrun with ecotourists. Mount Everest is strewn with the garbage from the thousands of hikers that pass through its peaks every year. Without the draw of something new and untouched, these locations become just another place to go and take pictures. What we end up with instead is something artificial that says a lot more about who we are as a culture—Las Vegas, for example. The city built by mobsters in the middle of the Nevada desert is a paradoxical monument to our hubris and a reflection of our baser instincts. It's a testament to the addictive power of gambling. No longer content to define their own Western American interpretation of utopia, newer Vegas casinos have been mimicking international cities such as Paris, Venice, and New York City. In the process, Las Vegas is transforming into an oversized Potemkin village that exists as an imitation of other cities. At some point someone will build a Las Vegas-themed casino, completing the circle of absurdity. Simultaneously experiencing and interpreting Las Vegas in this way is, in a sense, postmodern tourism. Or one manifestation of it, since postmodernism doesn't really have a fixed definition. Postmodern tourism is one part viewing the world through the lens of symbol and illusion, one part personal interest, and one part ironic detachment. It might mean visiting Roswell, New Mexico, not for the history of alien visitation, but for the spectacle of American alien fascination. Vacationing as something more than self-indulgence is nothing new. Philosophers have been writing about the topic for the last 100 years. Baudelaire wrote about the peripatetic flâneurs who loitered and meandered in French streets, examining everything as an attraction. Walter Benjamin, one of the fathers of postmodernism, observed the abandoned arcades of Paris, a forerunner to the malls of today. Jean Baudrillard created the archetype of postmodern tourism in his book America, where he traveled throughout the U.S., commenting on all the absurdity he encountered. But perhaps most illustrative of a region's potential to draw both visitors and interpreters of visitors is Michael Pretes's study of a Santa Claus theme park in the Lapland area of Northern Finland. Lapland is an area of immense beauty and home to the unique Sami culture, but attracting visitors to an area that gets below negative 40 degrees C in the winter is tough. It was only after the local government built a Santa Claus theme park that tourists began to show up. In his study, Pretes understood Lapland's need for tourism. It was essential to the region's economy, but he didn't understand why people would be drawn to a cartoonish amusement park. He assumed most people would want to experience something authentic while on vacation, to see nature and how other people live, not contrived nostalgia. But he also wondered if the intentional spectacle of the Santa Claus theme park might be an improvement over "the seemingly authentic realm [of tourism] in which the tourist is permitted to wander, but is nevertheless still removed from the real culture." More and more academics like Pretes pondered on the meaning of postmodernism and tourism in various journals, but it never caught on as a pastime outside of academia. That is until recently. As we speak, Detroit is actively battling to stop the flow of ruin tourism. The city's post-industrial decay has already been the subject of numerous coffee table books, documentaries, and essays. Proposals to preserve the city's decay as a metaphor for "America as modern Rome" and the decline of capitalism have been met with resistance. The city wants to re-brand itself as a phoenix rising out of the ashes, with art communes and urban gardens, not as an abandoned ghost town. Yet visitors still want to explore how the industrial center of American progress and ingenuity could have fallen so far. Detroit photo books, with images of dilapidated Art Deco theaters, ivy-strewn houses stripped of their copper wiring, and abandoned auto plants covered in graffiti, make for dramatic visuals, but they don't give a complete picture of what it is like to live in the city. They say nothing about the people, their culture, or their living history - those nebulous concepts that are hard to pin down and recreate in a museum where life is frozen in time. For that, you would need to visit Detroit firsthand. As educational as it might be, few people will choose Detroit as a holiday destination. No classroom will be chartering a bus into a land of disrepair even though that experience would be more relevant to a student's day-to-day existence than a visit to a Civil War site. There are now tours available of West Baltimore neighborhoods featured in episodes of The Wire that would better explain the complexities of society than any textbook could, but getting permission slips signed might be tough. Still, it's a chance to see a perspective of the world that most people are unlikely to see or ever know about. Visiting these locations and thinking about the world in this way alters casual tourism into active participation. The sightseer is no longer a passive observer expecting to be entertained by natives, but someone engaging with the world around him. Llewellyn Hinkes-Jones is a Washington, D.C.-based writer whose work has also appeared in the Toronto Star, Morning News, Washington City Paper, and the Awl. Next story in U.S.

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Open Air Market, Downtown Wilkesboro Photo courtesy of Cultural Arts Council of Wilkes County Activities & Interests Cafe on Premises Gallery / Gift Shop Ben Long Frescoes Nestled in the rolling foothills of northwestern North Carolina, the quaint town of Wilkesboro has been the county seat of Wilkes County since 1778. The town was officially laid out by General William Lenoir in 1801 and incorporated in 1847. Notable distinguished early settlers and leaders to visit include Daniel Boone, Christopher Gist, Colonel Benjamin Cleveland, General William Lenoir and Thomas Fields. Today, antique and retail shops plus an array of American and ethnic restaurants please every appetite of visitors to Wilkesboro. Nearby, the vineyards of the Yadkin Valley produce award-winning wines and offer tastings, delicious dining, and special events. The arts and history go hand-in-hand in Wilkesboro. Two frescoes by world-renowned artist Benjamin Long IV can be viewed in the commons area in St. Paul's Epicopal Church, (ca. 1849.) The Cultural Arts Council of Wilkes exhibits the work of local and regional artists in Town Hall Wilkesboro. Nearby, Royall's gallery and frame shop exhibits the work of local artist and owner, Kelly Royall, and other area artists. The Wilkes Heritage Museum Historic Properties allow visitors to step back in time as they tour the Wilkes Heritage Museum, (old Wilkes County Courthouse, ca. 1902), Old Wilkes Jail, (ca. 1859) and the Captain Robert Cleveland Log Home, (ca. 1779). The Wilkesboro Historic Walking Tour takes visitors on a leisurely walk to view early architecture in the town. Parks &Outdoor Activities The Yadkin River Greenway, located in the heart of the downtown area, is an excellent place for strolling or riding bicycles. Cub Creek Park offers an abundance of family activities, including fun for the family pet in the adjacent Hidden Oaks Dog Park. A treasure trove of fresh vegetables can be found at the nearby Community Garden. Just west of Wilkesboro is the W. Kerr Scott Dam & Reservoir, which is enjoyed by boaters, fishermen, and outdoor lovers in general. A recent addition is the Environmental Education Center which offers programs for children and teachers, educating through hands-on activities and exhibits about the environment of the region. Themed special events take place on the third Friday each month from 4 - 9 pm featuring live music, food and childrens' activities. Local businesses, produce and craft vendors offer a wide variety of items for sale, and non-profit organizations share their mission stories with participants. Merlefest, a diverse roots music festival, is dedicated to the memory of musician Merle Watson, son of Americana music's icon, Doc Watson. Known worldwide, this annual event takes place the last weekend in April on the campus of Wilkes Community College. Farmers Tailgate Markets The Wilkesboro Open Air Market is held May through October beneath the canopy of Pin Oaks on Main Street in the Town Parking Lot every Friday from 4 - 8 pm. Wilkesboro is located off US 421. Wilkes County Tourism Development Authority PO Box 1056 - 203 West Main StreetWilkesboro, NC 28697info@WilkesCountyTourism.comTown of Wilkesboro Wilkes Heritage Museum (2 miles) The Wilkes Heritage Museum in Wilkesboro, NC features exhibits on early stock-car racing, moonshining, and traditional music. Old Wilkes Jail (2 miles) Built in 1859, the Old Wilkes Jail held Union prisoners and stored Confederate provisions and ammunition during the Civil War. Town of North Wilkesboro (3 miles) North Wilkesboro is sometimes called the "Key to the Blue Ridge". Blue Ridge Traditional Artist Directory

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Search ... Go Camden's History Camden County is home to a population of approximately 9,682 persons, according to the US Census Bureau (2008 Estimate), and is comprised of about 241 square miles. It is located in the North Carolina Coastal Plain between Currituck County and Pasquotank & Gates Counties. It is bordered by the State of Virginia to the north, and the Albemarle Sound to the south. Camden County is the site of the southern terminus of the Great Dismal Swamp Canal, which runs along US Highway 17 up through Virginia and eventually connects to an inlet running into the Atlantic Ocean. Camden County was formed in 1777 from the northeastern part of Pasquotank County. It was named for Sir Charles Pratt, First Earl of Camden, who opposed the Stamp Act and supported the US Revolution and the Cause of Independence. Camden County is the first and only consolidated city-county in the State of North Carolina, and it's county seat is the Courthouse Township of Camden. Camden County achieved this status in June of 2006, and became a Unified Government as of July 1, 2006. Camden County is divided into three townships: South Mills Township, Courthouse Township of Camden (also known as Camden Township), and Shiloh Township. History Courthouse TownshipCounty of OpportunityHistoric Camden CourthouseLambs Ferry & the Floating RdBrigadier General Isaac GregoryMoses GrandyHistoric SitesHistory of Camden Jailhouse - VideoShiloh TownshipShiloh Baptist ChurchShiloh Mills & WharfsOld TrapShiloh StoresWade Point LighthouseSchool Resource InformationCamden History BrochureCamden History Information

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2013, Christie V. Vernon Visits DC and VA, Summer June 28-30, 2013, Christie's Arrival Weekend Christie Victoria Vernon (CVV) arrived at Dulles Airport (IAD) Friday night on time. She was characteristically full of energy and enthusiasm. Her travel from Bucharest via Heathrow to IAD as an unaccompanied minor went smoothly, and the British Air staff were competent and pleasant. She was proud of being the youngest one in the group. Travel is obviously her milieu. We enjoyed a relatively quiet weekend, expecting that she would be jet-lagged, though she didn't show any signs of it! Saturday we rode around the monuments so she could get her bearings, followed by lunch at the well-known Old Ebbitt Grill on 15th St. near the White House. Sunday she and I took the X2 bus down to the Smithsonian's Portrait Gallery and Museum of American Art at 8th and F Streets, NW. CVV loves the Washington Post, esp. the comics. Lunch at Old Ebbitt Grill The beautiful courtyard between the Portrait Gallery and the Museum of American Art The quiet, flat pool in the courtyard Lynn Scott (Scottie) Cochrane July 1-12, 2013 Theater Camp at the Atlas Theater on H St. NE This summer day camp is offered by Adventure Theater, a well-respected children's theater group and housed at the Atlas Theater, three blocks from our house. It was an easy walk over for the 9 a.m. start and back at 4 p.m. when camp ended for the day. There were 19 girls and 3 boys, all just as cute as can be. Christie was a bit of a phenomenon because she came from so far away. Most of the other kids are from the Capitol Hill neighborhood. She loved it, and so did we. Sadly, copyright restrictions prevented us from taking photos of the play during the performance. First day of camp studying the new script, CVV plays "Nimble Tongue"! CVV and her close friends July 4, 2013, Celebration at the Key Bridge Marriott Months before CVV's visit, we decided to seek a place to celebrate the 4th that would avoid the heat, crowds, and security restrictions on the Mall. Remembering that the Key Bridge Marriott has good views of the monuments and the river, we reserved a room there, which the hotel upgraded to a nice one bedroom suite overlooking Georgetown U. Our friend & neighbor, Jan, and her family and friends joined us for a fine evening of picnic foods, wine, beer, and lemonade. When it was time to watch the fireworks, we went upstairs to the ballroom for the best view. UNFORGETTABLE July 4th! Our view across the river to Georgetown University CVV loved those chicken wings, and Bill enjoyed her delight. Jamie and Alan Top floor ballroom view of the fireworks CVV and Bill hit it off Alan and Jan July 6-7, 2013, At home, "Despicable Me2" at Regal Cinema Gallery Place, and dinner at Zengo Given the extremely hot weather and the busy weeks before and after, we spent a relatively quiet weekend at home. We did take the X2 Bus over to 7th and H Streets NW to see a movie and have dinner at one of our faves, Zengo, where CVV graciously tried some new foods. A perfect weekend. Zengo for dinner watching House Hunters International on HGTV, our little addiction July 13, 2013, Lincoln's Summer Cottage and tea at the Mayflower Hotel President Lincoln and his family spent several summers on the grounds of the "Soldiers' Home" off North Capitol Street. It is a gorgeous spot that in the 1860s had a full view of the city and the Potomac River, now obscured by huge trees. Each day Mr. Lincoln rode on horseback the few miles up and down the hill to and from the White House. Apparently he was usually unescorted, but once people learned of his habits, he was accosted with entreaties every day. The cottage was recently restored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and it's shown without furnishings to allow each visitor to envision it as she/he wishes. After the tour, we drove over to the Mayflower Hotel on Connecticut Avenue, one of CDV's favorites, for tea. It was a lovely tea, despite the fact that the gorgeous old dining room has now been converted to a private rental space, so all food is served in the "Edgar Bar," named for FBI Chief, J. Edgar Hoover, who ate lunch in the former dining room nearly every day. back entrance where visitors enter "Soldiers' Home" Grounds today. Peaceful and beautiful. Across the street from a huge Civil War cemetery. July 14, 2013, National Building Museum and a puzzle challenge at home This terrific and fun museum was created in the mid-1980s from the post-Civil War Pension Building. A current exhibit with two 9-hole miniature golf courses was the specific draw today, but it's always a perfect place to take kids of all ages, especially when the weather outside is too hot or too cold. National Building Museum web site This was one of CVV's favorites for hands-on construction of a structure. July 1-12, 2013 Theater Camp at the Atlas Theater ... July 4, 2013, Celebration at the Key Bridge Marrio... July 6-7, 2013, At home, "Despicable Me2" at Regal... July 13, 2013, Lincoln's Summer Cottage and tea at... July 14, 2013, National Building Museum and a puzz... July 16, 2013, To Mount Vernon by boat July 17, 2013, Library of Congress Jefferson Build... July 17, 2013, Tour of the U.S. Capitol July 18, 2013, The Peacock Room at the Freer Galle... July 19-21, 2013, Williamsburg and Yorktown July 22, 2013, Smithsonian Sculpture Garden and Na... In Jan., 2011 I moved back to Washington, DC after a 10 year absence and 40 years as an academic librarian in six universities and colleges in the east and midwest. From November, 2011 to April, 2013 I was Head Librarian at the U.S. Census Bureau Library. I have a BA in History from UNC-Charlotte, a MSLS from the Catholic University of America, and a PhD in Public Administration and Policy from Virginia Tech. I share my life with my husband, Louis I. Middleman, Senior Editor at Dewberry in Fairfax, VA. I am the proud mother of L.A.-based singer/songwriter Bleu McAuley (aka William James McAuley, III).

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29 degrees north, 103 degrees east (visit #2) China : Sìchuān Shěng 7.1 km (4.4 miles) W of Xihe, Sìchuān, China Approx. altitude: 3198 m (10491 ft) Accuracy: 1.3 km (1421 yd) 29°N 103°E (visit #2) (incomplete) #3: [20-Oct-07] #1: [02-Oct-05] (incomplete) (visited by Targ Parsons, Peter Cao and Tony Basoglu) 04-Aug-2007 -- Tony and I found ourselves with a reason to visit Peter's "home town" of Chéngdū (成都) on business, so we orchestrated things in such a way that we finished early Friday afternoon (after the customary traditional Sìchuānese hotpot lunch laid on by our hosts), at which time Peter duly collected us from Chéngdū's Incubation Park (成都高新孵化园) in a hire car. We then headed south towards the confluence, a journey Peter assured us would take no more than four hours. We started out quickly enough - too quickly for my liking - with Peter racing down the freeway at breakneck speed, weaving in and out of slower traffic, all the while answering phone calls, and reading and sending SMS messages. It seems that for poor Peter, work never stops. The pace slowed somewhat after we left the freeway, and in fact came to a complete standstill when we joined the end of a long queue of traffic held up because of roadwork. We spent a good two hours going nowhere, which meant it was well after dark when we finally arrived at the guesthouse of the Dōngsēn Group Hēizhú Gully Power Station (东森集团黑竹沟水电公司), 5.6 km NE of the confluence. The next morning we drove back down the river valley a few kilometres to a small dam, from where the approach to the confluence, now 6.3 km ENE on the opposite side of the river, looked most promising. After leaving the car in the custody of the dam workers, we headed off towards the river. We encountered our first obstacle just 50 metres later, when it was necessary to scale a brick wall. Peter and I made it over fine, then watched as Tony struggled to do the same. When it looked like he had made it, we turned away, only to hear an ominous thud and a yelp of pain. Tony had fluffed the descent, hit the deck in true Tony style, and as he was to discover later, did some damage to his tailbone. Regrouping, we continued on down to the river, where there was a small pedestrian suspension bridge. At this point, Tony, who was still smarting from his fall, looked up at the steep climb that awaited us on the other side, and cried uncle! And then there were two. Peter and I climbed up and up, passing through the village of Gǔjǐng (古井村), where we were obliged to pose for photos with Jǐng'é Shāshā (井俄沙沙), the village chief, promising to send copies, but knowing we'd never get around to it. A young village mother and her child, dressed in traditional costume, made for a better photo opportunity. So did the traditional woven wicker backpacks. The village chief had given us some valuable intelligence as to how to proceed once we reached the saddle at the crest of the hill, which was 4.4 km from the confluence. Contrary to what I had hoped, there was no path that ran along the crest directly up to the confluence. Instead, we were obliged to go a short distance down the other side of the saddle, then follow a long plateau for approximately two kilometres. We passed through another village on the plateau, where the main livelihood seemed to be grazing cattle. Targ asked how we could climb the confluence mountain, and the villagers confirmed that we first needed to continue along the plateau, which we did, until we eventually reached another small collection of homes almost directly above the power station where we'd stayed the night before. Here we found a wide path heading up into the mountains. The confluence was still 4.2 km SW. Following the path was relatively easy; the grade was not too steep. However, at 2.8 kilometres distance from the confluence, it was now my turn to cry uncle. I'd been a little ill the previous day, and my body now felt totally drained of energy - I simply couldn't take another step. And then there was one. (Change of writers.) This one was Peter, that being me. And I felt the weight of the mission on my shoulders. Targ graciously gave up one of his water bottles for the mission, and I took off up the mountain. The way was pretty easy going, since we were following the "road". This was actually just the grading of a path that could later become a road, should the powers decide to. The grade was about 5%, there were no major obstacles save for the odd tree that fell across, or the waist-high weeds. Just by following this up the mountain with an eye on the GPS just to be sure, I was able cruise at about 4-5 km/hour, if I pushed it. In gaining altitude, I climbed into the clouds and visibility dropped to a few hundred meters. At one point there was a hidden fork in the road, and I guessed that the left fork was going where I wanted to go. Then about 1.5 km from the CP the road took a long swing around it without getting any closer. Finally it turned toward the CP and I was closing in fast. Then the river swallowed the road. At about 1.3 km from the CP, I was tiptoeing from rock to rock along a river bed. On both sides were thick brush and choosing the path of least resistance, I stuck to the river. My pace dropped to a crawl and with the time approaching 4 PM with barely enough time to make it back before dark and over 1 km to go, I decided to call it a day. Taking photos of the GPS and area, I made hasty retreat. Going down was fast and easy; at least it was until I found myself at a dead end. Backtracking to the path I had just come from I was unsure which way to go. Both ways looked exactly the same! The area was relatively level and I couldn't figure out which was up or down. Panic set in, and the heart rate rose to a crescendo. Taking stock of the situation, I decided to try to figure a way out of this mess. Using the GPS trackback feature, I tried that. Not fully confident it would actually work, I continued on for some time in fear of going the wrong way. Finally, I recognized the area, with considerable relief. The time was passing fast and I came to a hairpin turn with a precipitous drop that appeared to be used as a chute for transporting logs down the mountain. A shortcut! The slope was greater than 45 degrees, slipping and sliding down I went. Several times I went head-over-heels in a ball of dust and rocks. I wasn't sure this was the best idea after all. The GPS lost contact with the satellites, but I was fairly certain I would end up in the right place. After what seemed an endless descent, and many cuts and bruises later, I emerged in the bowl at the base of the mountain where we had started to climb. It was good to be walking again, and I felt I should be able to catch up with Targ. He had sent a text message saying he was going down about an hour before. I made it to the last village before the trail up the mountain. The villagers were astonishingly destitute. I asked for some water, but they had none boiled, and just pointed to the stream. I had Giardia before, and I was not going to risk it again, so I passed. Thinking I had made it down before Targ, I waited about 20 minutes for him. Finally I called and discovered we had just missed each other! He said to follow him back the way we had come, but the villagers said the best way was to continue down the road. I decided to go that way, despite Targ's objections, just so I could see where it went. I found a path to a small reservoir feeding the 1.5 meter diameter water pipe to the hydroelectric plant where we spent the night. A caretaker said to just follow the pipe down the mountain to the hotel. It was a bit of a scramble, but much easier and safer than the log chute, and I was back at the hotel in short order. I called Targ and asked that he and Tony come pick me up right away. I was tired, and very thirsty. Walking along the road for what seemed like an eternity, I stopped and waited by the side of the road at a stream where I could wash myself. Darkness had fallen and it was a long, lonely wait before I saw the headlights coming my way. Targ and Tony had an early morning flight the next day, so we headed straight back to Chengdu. Tony was in constant pain from his fall off the wall and shifted around in his seat non-stop the whole way back. Targ was a zombie in the back seat, stirring once in a while to ask if we were back yet. The traffic situation on the way back was even worse. The road construction shut down half the road and on the other half it was a series of stops and starts for about 80 km after a two hour wait in the dark. We arrived back in Chéngdū at 3:30 AM and I dropped Targ and Tony off at their hotel for a two-hour nap before they had to rise and shine for their flight at 7:30 AM. Defeated this time, but with the knowledge that we gained we are confident we can make it the next. #1: Peter at the river that swallowed the road, 1.3 km from the confluence. #2: Peter, Tony and Targ preparing to set out from Incubation Park in Chéngdū. #3: Our rental car going nowhere. #4: The power station guesthouse. #5: Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall... #6: Targ with Jǐng'é Shāshā, the chief of Gǔjǐng Village. #7: Mother and child in Gǔjǐng Village. #8: Traditional woven wicker backpacks. #9: Targ asking the locals: "How can we climb that cloud-covered mountain?" #10: Village at the end of the plateau; the path behind winding up into the mountains towards the confluence.

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| Q-R | X-Y-Z The United States and Canada Russia and the Republics Australia, New Zealand, and Antarctica Climate Classification Vegetation Zones Ancient empires Persian Empire Сountries » Botswana Area 231,803 square mi (600,370 square km) Population 2.039 million (2014) Capital Gaborone Highest Point 4,890 ft (1,491 m) Lowest Point 1,682 ft (513 m) GDP $15.81 billion (2014) Primary Natural Resources diamonds, copper, silver. BOTSWANA IS a LANDLOCKED country in southern Africa, approximately 310 mi (500 km) from the nearest coastline to the southwest. Although two-thirds of Botswana is within the tropics, the landscape is dominated by the KALAHARI DESERT (after the Setswana name Kgalagadi), a sand-filled BASIN averaging 3,607 ft (1,100 m) above sea level. Botswana is bordered by ZAMBIA and ZIMBABWE to the northeast, NAMIBIA to the north and west, and SOUTH AFRICA to the south and southeast. At Kazungula, four countries—Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Namibia—meet at a single point midstream in the Zambezi River in the extreme northeast. If it were not for an interesting strip of land in the north, the Caprivi Strip, Botswana might also have a border with ANGOLA. The Caprivi is a narrow strip of land in the far northeast of Namibia that is about 250 mi (400 km) long and forms the Namibian part of the border with Botswana. Germany exchanged the area (together with Helgoland) with the UNITED KINGDOM for Zanzibar in 1890. It was named after the German chancellor of the time, Graf von Caprivi, who signed the contract with the British. BOTSWANA RIVERS The Chobe River runs along part of Botswana’s northern boundary; the Nossob River at the southwestern boundary; the Molopo River along the southern boundary; and the Marico, Limpopo and Shashe rivers at its eastern boundaries. Like the Okavango and Zambezi rivers, the Chobe’s course is affected by fault lines, which are extensions of East Africa’s Great Rift Valley. Taken together, these three rivers carry more water than all other rivers in southern Africa combined. Except for the Okavango and Chobe areas in the north, the country has little permanent surface water. The eastern hardveld (hard-surfaced grazing area), where 80 percent of the country’s population lives and where its three largest urban centers are situated, is a wide strip of land running from the north at Ramokgwebane to the south at Ramatlabama. It has a more varied relief and geology with inselbergs (outcrops of resistant rock) and koppies (rocks that have been weathered into blocks) dotting the landscape. The southeastern hardveld has a slightly higher and more reliable rainfall than the rest of the country, and the natural fertility and agricultural potential of the soils, while still low, are greater than in the Kalahari sandveld (sand-surfaced grazing area). THE KALAHARI The Kalahari Desert stretches west of the eastern hardveld, covering 84 percent of the country. The word desert, however, is a misnomer. Most of the Kalahari is covered with vegetation, including stunted thorn and scrub bush, trees and grasslands. The largely unchanging flat terrain is occasionally interrupted by gently descending valleys, sand dunes, isolated hills in the extreme northwest, and large numbers of pans that fill with water during the rainy season. These pans are of great importance to wildlife, which obtain valuable nutrients from the salts and the grasses of the pans. In the northwest, the Okavango River flows in from the highlands of Angola and soaks into the sands, forming a 5,791 square mi (15,000 square km) network of water channels, lagoons, swamps and islands. The Okavango is the largest inland DELTA system in the world, just slightly smaller than ISRAEL in size. Although Botswana has no mountain ranges to speak of, the landscape is occasionally punctuated by low hills, especially along the southeastern boundary and in the far northwest. Formerly the British protectorate of Bechuanaland, Botswana adopted its new name upon independence in 1966. San (Bushmen) were the aboriginal inhabitants of what is now Botswana. Beginning in the 1820s, the region was part of the expansion of the Zulu and their offshoot, the Ndebele. In the late 19th century, Boers (Afrikaners) from neighboring Transvaal spread into the region as gold was discovered. With the Boers continuing to encroach on native lands during the 1870s and 1880s and German colonial expansion pressing into South-West Africa (Namibia), the British were forced to reexamine their policies and established Bechuanaland as a protectorate in 1885. The southern part of the area was incorporated into Cape Colony in 1895, where a resident commissioner administered it until 1961. Although Bechuanaland had no nationalist movement, Britain granted it internal self-government in 1965 and full independence as Botswana on September 30, 1966. Agriculture still provides a livelihood for more than 80 percent of the population but supplies only about 50 percent of food needs and accounts for only 3 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). The country’s water shortage and lack of sufficient irrigation facilities has severely hampered agriculture development, and only a small percentage of the land is under cultivation. Where there is sufficient water, corn, sorghum, millet, and beans are the principal subsistence crops, and cotton, peanuts, and sunflowers are the main cash crops. Cattle raising and mining dominate the economy. At the time of independence, the only known minerals were manganese and some gold and asbestos. Since that time, large deposits of nickel and copper have been found, as well as salt and soda ash. Vast coal deposits are also being worked, and antimony and sulfur are known to exist. Botswana’s three diamond mines collectively make up one of the largest diamond reserves in the world. The stones are mined by the government and a South African mining concern, providing a strong link between Botswana’s well-being and South Africa. Deposits of plutonium and platinum are also know to exist, but are as yet undeveloped. Although Botswana’s mineral wealth has made it one of the wealthiest nations of southern Africa, high unemployment remains a problem. Development of the tourist industry has been growing, based partly on the country’s game reserves. Because of its landlocked position, Botswana remains heavily dependent on South Africa for the provision of port facilities. E-mail: geographynm@gmail.com

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Scenic Touring Routes National Historic Sites Museums Parks Everybody loves a great find. Imagine a restored Viking settlement over 1,000 years old, perched near the crashing waves of the North Atlantic. Or a lovely fishing village full of wharves and boats overlooking Iceberg Alley. A rocky cliff nested by thousands of seabirds, creating a mass of movement and sound. And a city where historic and modern culture intricately meld. These are just a few of our top destinations, waiting to be discovered... by you. Once the bustling salt fish capital of Labrador, Battle Harbour is a perfectly preserved journey back in time. The historic site of John Cabot’s first landing, Bonavista is a quaint town with ruggedly beautiful coastline scenery. Brigus is a picture-perfect, quaint, historic town with stunning coastal views and the legacy of a famous sea captain. Cape St. Mary’s The most accessible seabird rookery in North America and with its combination of wildlife and natural beauty, a simply stunning, visual wonder. Codroy Valley Western Newfoundland's beautiful green valley is a haven for birders, nature lovers, adventurers, historians and travellers alike. Built on 400 years of history, Cupids, in Newfoundland and Labrador, is the oldest English colony in Canada and the second oldest English colony in North America. Lord Baltimore’s Colony of Avalon was founded in 1621 and has become a historical and archaeological treasure with a rich Irish culture. Fogo & Change Islands Some of the most beautiful and culturally rich communities found off Newfoundland’s vast coastline. Voted Canada’s best entertainment district, this famous downtown strip has the most pubs and bars per capita of any street in North America. It took Mother Nature 485,000,000 years to mould this UNESCO World Heritage Site into the geological and visual wonder we know today. Sheer, sweeping beauty, spanning 70 lush kilometres along the banks of the Humber River from Deer Lake to the Bay of Islands. L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site 500 years before John Cabot or Christopher Columbus stepped foot in the New World, the Vikings built the first European settlement of North America right here. Marble Mountain Ski Resort Near the bustling city of Corner Brook, Marble Mountain boasts some of the best skiing on Canada’s East Coast, with 16 feet of thick natural snow coating slopes towering 1,700 feet. Red Bay National Historic Site An abundance of right and bowhead whales attracted whalers from the Basque country to this National Historic Site during the 16th century. The province’s capital is the oldest and most easterly city in North America, rich in history and culture, with winding, colourful streets full of shops, pubs, galleries and restaurants. Encompassing 400 square kilometres of outstanding natural beauty, Terra Nova National Park is where the boreal forest meets the scenic shores of the North Atlantic. Step back in time in this culturally rich oceanside town containing beautifully restored fishing rooms and saltbox houses surrounded by a lovely natural environment. A beautiful outport town boasting unrivalled iceberg and whale sightings, Twillingate is one of the most picturesque communities in Newfoundland and Labrador. White Hills Ski Resort Located just a two-hour drive from St. John’s, with 55 acres of ski and snowboarding terrain, White Hills is the place to visit for all winter pursuits in eastern Newfoundland. Location data provided by the operator. Please confirm location before departure. Avalon Cape St. Mary's L'Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site

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Russian Search Marketing General Ecommerce Yandex SEO Yandex SEM Advertise on Yandex Contact Yandex Yandex News Home > Russian Ecommerce > Travel Industry > Russian Travel Destinations: Top 5 Locations in the US Russian Travel Destinations: Top 5 Locations in the US Russian Search Marketing, October 28th, 2015 The United States is an increasingly popular country for Russian travel destinations, surpassing all other countries in the Americas in terms of what tourist destinations Russians are searching for. Many of the top 5 American travel destinations for Russians are the same as the most popular destinations for other international travelers, though there are some distinguishing characteristics. For example, the large Russophone community in New York functions as an excellent support system for Russians interested in traveling to the city, while Russian interest in Miami is as much about real estate as it is about tourism. In all of the following cities, there exists some level of travel services offered by Russian speakers that cater to Russophone visitors. America’s largest city is also by far its most visited by international tourists. Landmarks such as Times Square and the Empire State Building, as well as world-class museums, restaurants, and other cultural institutions attract millions of visitors every year. A thriving hotel industry, expansive public transportation, and three major international airports further draw visitors to the Big Apple. These attractions are not missed on Russia, as New York is the American city Russians are most interested in visiting. Aside from the usual tourist draws, New York appeals to Russians for a number of other reasons as well. The city is host to one of the largest concentrations of Russian Americans in the United States, with about 600,000 living in the city alone. Brighton Beach, a neighborhood in Brooklyn, and the surrounding area has long been an ethnic enclave for Russian speakers, and is the base for a number of tour operators and translators catering to Russian speaking visitors. With a large existing Russophone population, it is relatively easy for Russians interested in visiting New York to find a guide for their visit. America’s most populous state is the second most popular U.S. tourist destination for Russians. California has long had a thriving tourism industry, thanks to diverse cities and landscapes that offer visitors a number of different attractions based on their preference. If soaking up warm weather on a beach at practically any time of the year is your fancy, then the beaches of Los Angeles County will be a must. Visiting Los Angeles also allows tourists to bask in the cultural sites of the entertainment capital of the world, as well as even tour the neighborhoods that the stars of Hollywood call home. Yandex records nearly 148,000 monthly searches for Los Angeles, demonstrating the interest the city generates among Russians. Aeroflot offers a nonstop flight daily between Moscow and Los Angeles, as well as one in the reverse direction. Even more impressive are the searches for “Hollywood,” which generate over 169,000 impressions a month. San Francisco is another popular tourist destination, with the city’s famous architecture and soaring vistas drawing in scores of visitors. The city draws nearly as much interest from Russians as Los Angeles, generating over 144,000 searches every month. Russian language tours are offered in both Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay area, as well as in San Diego. Year-round warm weather, popular beaches, world-class amusement parks; some of the same attractions that draw tourists to California are also what drives Russian tourism in Florida. The Sunshine State is the third most searched American tourist destination in Russia, and it is easy to see why. Miami offers visitors beach-going weather in every month of the year, as well as miles of beaches that allow tourists to take advantage of such weather. These traits allure to Russians as much as to any foreign visitors and it is easy to locate Russian language tourism services in Miami. However, the benefits of Miami also appeal to Russians to the extent that the city is a popular location for Russians to have seasonal homes. A number of Russian speaking realtors operate in the Miami metro area, and Miami International Airport offers the only nonstop flights in Florida from Russia (a twice-weekly Aeroflot route from Moscow). Though Miami generates the vast majority of the Russian interest in Florida, Orlando is another popular destination, and Russian language services are offered there as well. Tied as the fourth most popular American tourist destination most searched by Russians, the Mariana Islands may come as a surprise on this list. The Pacific Ocean islands offer Russians living in the Far East relatively close beach vacations in the United States, in a manner of speaking. The two major territories of the U.S. in the Mariana Islands are the Northern Mariana Islands and Guam. The Northern Mariana Islands are technically a “commonwealth,” and hence have a similar political status to Puerto Rico. The Northern Marianas are host to only around 53,000 people across fifteen islands, but a burgeoning tourism industry is a major part of the economy, particularly on the main island of Saipan. Beautiful, pristine beaches and a wealth of outdoor activities that allow visitors to take in the natural beauty of the Northern Marianas are popular tourist attractions. Tourist facilities are well developed on the more populous island of Guam, which is host to a few different Russian language tour operators, while Saipan is also home to at least one Russian tour company. Tied with the Mariana Islands for interest in American destinations, Nevada’s place on this list is due almost entirely to Las Vegas. Sin City’s interest among international visitors has historically been driven by the city’s reputation as a gambling hub, with large casino-hotels encouraging tourism based around betting and not much else. While gleaming resorts with large casinos still dominate the scene in Las Vegas, the city has in recent years shifted to a focus on family-friendly activities in order to diversify its reputation. This has been particularly true with regards to the theater performances that are a constant on the Las Vegas Strip, which now offer more varied entertainment options than has been the tradition. The hospitality industry in Las Vegas is an attraction in and of itself, as some of the best hotels in the world help to draw in visitors from Russia and elsewhere. Resources are available for Russian speakers visiting Las Vegas. Categories: Travel Industry Russian Media Consumption: Top CartoonsRuNet Activity 2016: Top Russian Websites and Mobile AppsResearch on Russian Digital TV: Major Growth Expected About Russian Search Marketing RussianSearchMarketing.com is a news and information site from the Yandex international business development team that covers the Russian search and digital advertising market. We provide a broad range of information covering market trends, industry analysis, pay per click (PPC), display advertising and training on Yandex. RussianSearchMarketing.com is a news and information site from the Yandex International business development team. Sign up for our Monthly Newsletter to receive tips on Advertising in Russia. Follow us! Tweets by @russiansearchmk +1 617-398-7870 | © 2015 RussianSearchMarketing.com | All Rights Reserved. Sign up for our monthly newsletter!+Sign up for our monthly newsletter!×Receive the latest on the Russian digital advertising market directly to your inbox. ×Sign up for our monthly newsletter!Get the latest insights on the Russian digital advertising market delivered to your inbox.

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The legend says that a long time ago, one Arabian ship, filled with all sorts of treasure, sailed along the southern coast of the island of Hvar. The ship’s crew consisted mostly of hardened sailors who were acquainted with each Mediterranean port. With that ship, the experienced sailors went through numerous storms and battles, and were quite convinced that there was no situation at sea that could surprise them. We therefore assume that they were not expecting their journey would end along the southern coast of the island of Hvar, far away from their homeland. It was precisely there that their ship got caught in a big storm. The ship sank and almost half of its courageous crew sank with it to the sea bottom. Those who survived found their salvation in the bays of the village of Zaraće. Maybe because the captain liked the southern side of the island of Hvar, or maybe because he thought it was their destiny, he decided that up on the hill, where it was safe and where the ruthless waves and possible attacks from the sea could not reach them, they would establish a village known today as Zaraće. That is what the legend tells us. From a historical perspective, we do not know much about the origin of Zaraće. It seems that the village originated in the 19th century on an estate that once belonged to the Dominican Order. The village of Zaraće has always been small and on the margins of the history of larger focal points on the island. Today, on the southern slopes of the island of Hvar, about halfway between the town of Stari Grad and the city of Hvar, a miniature picturesque village of Zaraće lies on a small hill. The village is located at a place which at first reminds us of an observation post. You first see the horizon, the mystical place where sea meets the sky, the remote islands of Vis and Korčula, and the Pakleni islands, which are situated a bit closer and appear as if they were sailing in front of the very city of Hvar. It is only then that your gaze falls upon the steep slope which leads to two bays facing away from each other. The bay facing the east is Velo Zaraće (Big Zaraće) and the one facing the west is Malo Zaraće (Small Zaraće). The village of Zaraće has one street and a play area for boće - as bocce - traditional way of spending leisure time among men in Dalmatia, today somewhat less than in the past. Almost all of the houses are built of stone, with authentic antique lintels, fences, doors, cone tiles, roofs made of stone slabs, wells, etc. The most important monuments of Zaraće are the public well with a large dry-stone hut and a school which is located at the top of the village. When using the word “monument” in the context of Zaraće, we are not referring to the grandiose, sparkling symbols erected in order to bear witness to great battles, but what are referring to are the modest narrators of the history of “the small people.” Both buildings have since lost their function. Today they communicate with us in a quiet and shy manner – the well through its deep notches caused by the dragging of the rope and the school through its faded slogans that evoke another time. Its look, as if it were frozen it time, Zaraće preserved with ease. Namely, in the 20th century, around the 1920s, the maximum number of the inhabitants of Zaraće was around one hundred. At beginning of the 1970s that number came down to one person. In the 1980s and 1990s, there was not one dark-skinned, curly-haired descendant of the brave Arabs from the beginning of the story left in Zaraće. Together with the opening of the new road with a tunnel above the bay of Dubovica in the year 2000 began the renovation of the old houses located in the village and some new inhabitants started arriving. The above-mentioned road which leads from the city of Hvar to the town of Stari Grad and the island's main ferry port passes below the village of Zaraće. Below the road is the church of St. Nicholas (Sv. Nikola) from which an asphalted, steep pathway leads to two bays. A natural dam, a long stone reef, protects the bays from the direct impact of waves arriving from the open sea. Several restaurants, coffee shops and vacation houses are located in the bay of Velo Zaraće. A small beautiful church of Our Lady of Health (Gospa od Zdravlja) is located above the bay of Malo Zaraće. Both bays have sandy and rocky beaches with crystal clear sea that offers the possibility of family splashing in the shallow water, but it also gives devoted divers an opportunity to enjoy in the beauty of underwater landscapes. Note that if you need a doctor's office, pharmacy, bank or post office, you will have to visit the city of Hvar which is approximately 8 km away from Zaraće, or the town of Stari Grad, which is approximately 10 km away. Even though the village of Zaraće experienced a new revelation after the opening of the road between Hvar and the town of Stari Grad, a strong feeling of human absence is present in Zaraće. The village is imbued with peace and serenity. The view from this raised observation post to the far horizon hints at Eternity. Villa Hera Zaraće, sleeps: 6 from: €2.500 View all in Zaraće

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Nov/Dec 00 News & Features Insights: Culture—Rumor Has It News & Features The Kingpins Celebrities Profile in Courage News & Features Auction Report More from this Issue Suite Success Bruce Schoenfeld From the Print Edition: Kevin Costner, Nov/Dec 00 I could have nodded off in the bathtub with a bottle of Opus One. I could have been sprawled atop the dining room table. I could have been busy on the toilet--any of the five--or fiddling with the touch-screen control on the oversized television in the entertainment area. With 22 telephones spread throughout my 3,800-square-foot suite at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, my wake-up call still wouldn't have been more than an arm's reach away. When it did come, I happened to be sleeping peacefully in the master bedroom, as opposed to one of the other two bedrooms. I pushed aside a pillow and answered the extension on the nightstand on the right side of the bed, though I just as easily could have turned over and answered the extension on the left side. A few strategically placed portable phones would have been more functional, but Caesars wasn't looking to maximize functionality. The guiding principle of the best hotel rooms in Las Vegas is excess, and the more gratuitous the excess, the better. Staying in such a suite at Caesars, or a similar accommodation at any of the top hotels on the Strip, is a benefit of being a high-volume gambler, what's known in the casino business as a whale. There's rarely a charge for these suites, almost never for whales, who get them free as a reward for previous play at a given casino and as an incentive to continue playing. The competition for such gamblers is as spirited as anything that goes on across the felt. If you can get a whale to put his Rolex on your nightstand and hang his Zegna sportcoat in your closet, the theory goes, you'll get most of his gaming business, too. "People play a lot more where they stay," says J. Terrence Lanni, chairman of the board of MGM-Mirage, which owns the MGM Grand, Bellagio, Treasure Island and Mirage, among other properties. "They start there at the beginning of the night, and they end up there at the end." In the case of guests who typically stay in the suite I had, repeat business can mean as much as hundreds of thousands of dollars of profit to the Caesars Palace casino over a given weekend, depending on the luck of the cards or the dice. One frequent Vegas guest plays enough to have been accorded a suite at three of the Strip's top hotels simultaneously. Another arrives at the same casino twice a month with a $4 million cashier's check, ready for action. SpectraVision in his hotel room and a chocolate on his pillow aren't likely to be enough to excite him. My suite at Caesars had raw silk fabric on the walls, a stylized rotunda entry hall, marble end tables, alabaster light fixtures, motorized curtains operated by the flick of a switch, and a genuine Berber rug. But it wasn't the hotel room of my dreams--neither figuratively nor literally. The previous afternoon, I'd been shown one rated a category higher. These have been dubbed "Rain Man suites" because Tom Cruise's character cavorted in one of them in the 1988 movie as he put the mathematical capabilities of an autistic savant, played by Dustin Hoffman, to an avaricious end. The 5,000-square-foot, split-level number I saw had a $25,000 hand-commissioned throw rug lying innocuously on the ground, artwork by Salvador Dalí's former protégé Claude Boeltz, a three-screen entertainment center that included a karaoke machine, and twin master bedrooms. There are other suites, a Caesars representative hastened to add, done up in motifs such as Egyptian and Pompeiian, and a modest little Italian villa of 12,000 square feet with a lap pool and a putting green that has an elevator with direct access to the high-stakes gaming area. They'd have shown me that one, too, but evidently the king was resting. When my wake-up call came, I was dreaming about the Rain Man suite. Once awake, I'm ashamed to say, my own tasteful and elegant rooms seemed something of a letdown. I said as much to Dean Harrold, Caesars president and chief operating officer, and to my surprise, he agreed. "As nice as those suites are, they're not adequate," he says. "There's a necessary decadence that those rooms are missing, and we're well aware of that." Harrold described it as the difference between a hotel mindset and a casino mindset. Hotel companies follow a logic we're all familiar with, so they build terrific rooms and charge a lot of money for them. Casinos have a logic all their own, one that wouldn't necessarily work in any other business. Casinos build outlandish rooms, rooms that cost far more money than a hotel room would anywhere else. Then they give them away. The suite I stayed in and about 20 others, all located at the top of the Palace Tower, were built during the mid-1990s, when ITT Sheraton owned the property. As hotel rooms, they're all exquisite. As over-the-top experiences, they don't compare to what Tom Cruise had. "The people who stay in that kind of suite aren't paying $259 a night or $359 a night, they might be paying a million dollars a night," says Harrold, who started as a blackjack dealer at the Dunes Hotel & Country Club in 1968 at age 21 and worked his way up the industry ladder. "We have to give them a product they're not getting at home. Believe it or not, in some of these people's homes, they have waterfalls in the bathroom, they have fish swimming through the living room. We have to give them all that and more." Harrold seemed embarrassed by the tastefulness and comfortably human scale of my rooms. "You can bet we'll be putting money into those suites," he says. "We have to. Our customers demand more." Just how good a customer do you have to be to get invited to stay at such a suite at a top Las Vegas hotel? It depends on how much you bet, what game you're playing, how long you bet for, and where you play. Whether you win or lose is immaterial, except in extreme cases. If you're a regular customer--a whale--and you have a terrible run of luck and squander your money beyond all proportion to the law of averages, you are likely to be invited back even before you've left the premises. You'll be offered an even bigger and better suite, with more valuable meal comps and other amenities, because the last thing the casinos want is to send a heavy player home with a bad feeling about the property. And if you win beyond all proportion more than infrequently, suffice to say that you won't be a regular customer for long. What the casinos are looking for is volume. The house has time on its side. The more you play, the better the chance that your margin of return will approach the average, which may be 5 or 6 or 10 percent in the casino's favor, depending on the place and the game. If the casino can make gaming in Las Vegas a pleasurable enough experience, the whale will keep playing. That means free drinks, free gourmet meals, free boxing tickets, free shows. And free suites--the more opulent, the better. All the casinos use the same mathematical equation to determine what you're worth, but not all have the same margin in their product. You have to spend far more money to be considered a high roller at a high-end casino than at, say, the San Remo or the Lady Luck. "Show up at Lady Luck with $1,000 in your pocket to bet over a weekend, and you can have a limo, comped meals and the run of the place," says one casino executive. "Do the same at Bellagio, and they won't even know your name." Paris Las Vegas, a theme park of a hotel with a half-scale Eiffel Tower designed to appeal to middle-class American tourists who might never get to see the real thing, isn't considered as upscale a property as, say, Caesars Palace or the Bellagio. But its unique faux-French ambience--even the executives of this American-owned and -run hotel greet guests with a hearty "Bonjour!"--adds a sense of novelty that appeals to certain high rollers. That's why the hotel, which is not known for posh accommodations, has a small number of upscale suites. Danny Davis, the casino manager at Paris Las Vegas, describes a typical occupant. "A half-million-dollar credit line or above, betting 20 to 30 thousand dollars a hand. Of course, there's competition for these people with the other hotels," he says. "Sometimes we put guests in a suite not because they've earned it with us yet but because they demand it. We don't want to lose them to, say, The Venetian. These people are very, very intelligent people, and they know what's out there and what to ask for. They didn't get hold of all this money by being stupid." The suites on the top two floors of Paris Las Vegas are all the more impressive when compared to the mass-market chaos below. When I stayed in the 4,800-square-foot Napoleon suite recently, I waited 25 minutes to drop off my car for valet parking. (Not to retrieve it, mind you. Just to drop it off.) But the average whale, who pulls up in his limo, doesn't have to worry about such indolence, nor about the buffet lines that snake their way into the mock Parisian street that serves as a hallway. It doesn't matter to our high roller that newspapers, instead of being distributed outside hotel room doors in the morning, are available for purchase at the gift shop with stickers saying "Compliments of Paris Las Vegas" magic-markered out. He'll never even know. The high roller will simply dispatch a butler, courtesy of the hotel, to fulfill such needs. At the same time, if he--or she, though high rollers are overwhelmingly male--is ensconced in the Napoleon suite, he can play his favorite Mozart sonata on the jet-black Kawai piano in the drawing room, or request that someone come play it for him. He can host a dinner party in the formal dining room and pad over hardwood oak floors made in the Versailles style through rooms adorned by handmade wool rugs of French design. He can admire the historically accurate resin molding, and lather up with Faberge shampoo in bathrooms fitted with gold-leaf brass fixtures. It's a Disney World version of France, with high-stakes blackjack and baccarat just an elevator ride away. "It's very impressive, and people really enjoy looking out of the windows and seeing the Eiffel Tower," says Ronan O'Gorman, the vice president of hotel operations. "This is a unique experience." The night I stayed there, I ensconced myself in the entertainment room, opened the bottle of wine that had been waiting for me upon my arrival (curiously, Robert Mondavi Cabernet Sauvignon), fired up the 48-inch, rectangular-shaped television, and ordered an omelet and a salad. The salad's vinaigrette dressing failed to materialize, and I clicked through the hotel's cable system in vain for ESPN2, which was telecasting a baseball game I'd bet on. Still, I did have my choice of three bedrooms, all with custom-made Strauss crystal chandeliers, and that fetching Eiffel Tower just outside my window. I had arranged to stay at the Sky Villas at the Las Vegas Hilton as a climax to my recent visit. These suites have been renowned as the most extravagant rooms on the Strip since their construction in 1996. Before that, the Hilton had other legendary high-roller rooms on the 29th and 30th floors, including a four-bedroom suite that Elvis Presley lived in during the early 1970s. One of the Sky Villas, the Villa Verona, meanders through 15,400 square feet, which is the equivalent of four nice-sized houses. You may have glimpsed it during last season's finale of the television show "Nash Bridges," which was taped there. The Tuscany, 13,200 square feet, has a contemplation hallway made entirely of Italian marble. The Conrad suite is 12,600 square feet and includes a rooftop view of the Strip. Hustler magazine's Larry Flynt has been a customer. But the week before my visit, Park Place Entertainment--which also owns Bally's and Paris Las Vegas--sold the Hilton to Los Angeles businessman Ed Roski Jr., pending approval by the Nevada Gaming Commission. Roski immediately announced plans to replace the Sky Villas with a revenue-generating restaurant open to the public, while reserving a portion of the villas for a private club. To lovers of unfettered extravagance, however, it's a tragedy. For a brief time, the Sky Villas have represented the state of a certain kind of garish art, a snapshot of the soul of Las Vegas, as well as a tangible link to the hotel's wild past. "What they had in the Hilton was always outlandish," says Don Payne, the former head of the Las Vegas News Bureau and an unofficial historian of the Strip. "I remember the Elvis suite, and it was weird and ostentatious. Not dissimilar to Elvis himself, I must say." In a sense, the transformation of the Hilton to a middle-class property marks the end of an era. Hotels used to fly in high rollers on chartered jets, press their clothes upon arrival, even provide pliant women. Frank, Sammy and Dean thought they were living well on the Strip, but it was nothing compared to what the top gamblers were given, according to Payne. All that generosity had a purpose, of course. "The player knows they're going to lose some money, but if they can go home and say 'I knocked 'em over in Vegas, I stayed at this fabulous place and they gave me this and that and the other,' then the whole thing seems worthwhile," he says. "They say, 'I had it for free.' Of course, they wrote a $49,000 check for the gambling, but they don't think of that." That mindset still exists, but players have become savvier. They know precisely what they're spending, and what they get in return. "I'm glad I'm out of it," Payne says. "It's different now." Nevertheless, a classier form of the good life lives on at the Bellagio, which is controlled by the business-oriented Kirk Kerkorian. Instead of the Hilton, I checked into one of the nine third-floor villas that Steve Wynn built two years ago for his most devoted customers. My two-bedroom suite contained a full kitchen, including a drawer of Christofle silver. It had a rain-head shower and Hermès cologne in the bathroom, and sinks finished in 24-karat gold. The suite had its own sauna and exercise room, stocked with a treadmill, stationary bike and massage table. It had cedar-lined closets, hand-carved marble and a formal dining room that seated eight under a chandelier of Murano glass. It had a 3,500-square-foot terrace with soothing green pine trees, a small but perfectly appointed private pool, and a canopied sitting area complete with cool-water mist at the push of a button. I gazed out through French doors at the pool and the pine trees. I touched a screen and saw a television rise from the cabinet at the foot of my bed. I accessed hundreds of channels of DirecTV and a menu of six dozen music channels. Another button on the screen turned on the waterfall that flowed over marble in my courtyard. Propped up against my plush pillows, I could see it there, cascading into the pool. Above it loomed the top third of that Eiffel Tower. Three floors below me were some of the finest restaurants in the world, temples of gastronomy like Jean-Georges Vongerichten's Prime, Julian Serrano's Picasso and Sirio Maccioni's Le Cirque, but I couldn't bring myself to leave the room. An elevator just outside my front door led directly to the center of the casino, but I wasn't even tempted. I nibbled pitted dates from a bowl in the living room, filled the suite with soaring arias, and covered two walls of bedroom windows with blackout shades with a single touch. Gambling was fun, but this was better. And wasn't that a problem? Didn't the Bellagio want me out of my room, feeding the dollar slots until all hours, asking for a hit with a pair of nines, risking a month's pay on a National Football League exhibition game? I asked Lanni, the chairman of MGM-Mirage, the Bellagio's parent company, if my reaction to such overwhelming splendor worried him. He smiled. "People are looking for quality," he says. "If they have a great experience, they'll stay longer and they'll play longer, and that's what a casino is looking for. And they also understand why they've been invited to the suites. It's because they spend an average amount at the table, and they play for a certain length of time. They know that if they don't live up to that, they won't be invited back. And they want to be invited back." For many whales, the kick is bragging rights. They know the best addresses in town, and they want to boast to their high-roller friends that they're staying at them. For me, that wasn't a concern; I had no one to brag to. And neither was getting invited back: I wouldn't be. So as the afternoon sun started to mellow, I set up by my private waterfall on a chaise longue, found Sinatra on the DMX system singing about baubles and bangles, and made myself utterly comfortable in the best hotel room I knew I'd ever encounter. I was staying put until they kicked me out. Bruce Schoenfeld wrote about Internet gambling in the October Cigar Aficionado. HIDDEN HIDEAWAY The finest hotel in Las Vegas may be the finest hotel in the world. But you can't book a room there or buy a meal The Mansion at MGM Grand, a 29-suite, free-standing Mediterranean-style structure tucked behind the MGM Grand Hotel's main casino, has been open slightly more than a year. Only about 1,500 patrons have passed through its astonishingly luxurious rooms--all by invitation of the management. The $210 million project, conceived of and executed at absurd cost by J. Terrence Lanni, now the chairman of MGM-Mirage, and Alex Yemenidjian, now the chairman of MGM Studios, was modeled after a private villa that Lanni had visited near Milan. "We had an unlimited budget," says Lanni. "And we found a way to exceed it." The plan was to make the Mansion the most exclusive hotel address in Las Vegas. It worked. "Far less than one percent of the people who pass through the casino even know that the Mansion exists," says vice president of public affairs Alan Feldman. "No one else in Las Vegas has ever tried to create a separate, secluded environment such as this one." More than half of the guests are Asian, and almost none would be considered celebrities, even in their home countries. All of them, it hardly needs to be said, gamble staggeringly large amounts. Guests at the Mansion stay in suites that range from 2,400 square feet (one bedroom) to 12,000 square feet (four bedrooms), suites that are decorated with original art by Picasso, Giacometti and Matisse, vases and sculptures from the Ming Dynasty, or similar priceless ornaments. Rugs are typically Persian (the rug values for the 29 villas exceeded $1 million). Some suites have an indoor swimming pool, accessible from the bedroom, and all have touch-screen consoles that activate room temperature, lights and entertainment. Tired of the Brazilian music you've heard wafting through your suite? Touch the screen and switch to Japanese. For more extensive entertainment choices, there's a screening room with plush chairs and a state-of-the-art projection unit. Occupancy has stayed at about 50 percent, and has occasionally included a top celebrity such as Barbra Streisand (but not on a peak weekend, when the room can be put to better use). While Bill Gates could probably name a price that would get him a suite during the annual Comdex computer trade show, the Mansion is about attracting the top casino players and, secondarily, building a brand for MGM, not about generating direct revenue. "This is a fantasy experience," says Feldman. "And part of that is that you're not going to be able to buy it anywhere." Meals taken at the Mansion may be its most surreal aspect. You sit in what appears to be an outside courtyard, filled with marble and lemon trees. Upon closer examination, brought about only after you realize that the searing midday heat is noticeably absent, it becomes clear that the courtyard is actually a soaring, 150-foot glass atrium, with a constant ambient temperature of 72 degrees. You're handed a menu without prices, for the food, like the room, is complimentary. "A guy is willing to spend a million dollars at your casino in a weekend, and you're going to charge him for a meal?" asks Feldman. The chef is Hui Pui Wing, who served his rendition of whole Dungeness crab at the 1997 ceremony marking Hong Kong's return to China. That's on the menu, along with Hui's famous baked lobster, a full Asian selection, and European and American dishes, augmented by green tea picked by trained monkeys. What's not on the menu--but eminently available--is anything else you might want to eat. And that's 24 hours a day, sevens days a week. "We've served complete banquets at four in the morning," says Ly Ping Wu, a Mansion vice president. Just off the dining area is a wine cellar filled with an array of first-growth Bordeaux, cult California Cabernet and other collector's gems. If you care for a bottle with your meal, that's complimentary, too--though a hierarchy of guests exists. Not every bottle is available to everyone: replacing a case of, say, 1982 Petrus is simply too costly and difficult. And no one would ever drink anything else. Instead, diners are steered toward wines commensurate with their level of casino play, though rest assured that the stock starts with delicious, limited-release wines and only gets more rarified from there. Nobody will be stuck with plonk. If you insist on a bottle that is beyond your station, the management will reluctantly (and discreetly) allow you to purchase it. Surprisingly, that almost never happens. "In this, as in everything else," Ly says, "most of our guests understand what's appropriate." --BS THE ALADDIN RESORT AND CASINO 3667 Las Vegas Blvd. S. Tel. 702/785-9474 or 877/333-WISH www.aladdincasino.com 3645 Las Vegas Blvd. S. Tel. 702/739-4111 or 888/742-9248 www.ballyslv.com www.bellagiolasvegas.com www.caesars.com Tel. 702/734-0410 or 877/2CIRCUS Fax 702/794-3828 www.circuscircus-lasvegas.com EXCALIBUR HOTEL AND CASINO3850 Las Vegas Blvd. S. www.excalibur-casino.com THE FLAMINGO HILTON 3555 Las Vegas Blvd. S. www.lv-flamingo.com FOUR SEASONS HOTEL 3960 Las Vegas Blvd. S. www.fourseasons.com 4455 Paradise Road www.hardrockhotel.com LAS VEGAS HILTON www.lv-hilton.com HYATT REGENCY LAKE LAS VEGAS RESORT 101 Montelago Blvd., Henderson, NV Tel. 702/567-1234 or 800/233-1234 www.lakelasvegas.hyatt.com LUXOR RESORT AND CASINO Tel. 702/262-4100 or 800/288-1000 Fax 702/262-4452 www.luxor.com www.mandalaybay.com www.mgmgrand.com www.themirage.com NEW YORK-NEW YORK HOTEL AND CASINO www.nynyhotelcasino.com www.paris-lv.com THE REGENT LAS VEGAS 221 N. Rampart Blvd. www.regentlasvegas.com RIO ALL-SUITE CASINO RESORT 3700 W. Flamingo Road www.playrio.com www.treasureisland.com TROPICANA RESORT AND CASINO www.tropicanalv.com www.venetian.com

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De La Corniche Book this hotel in Casablanca, Morocco. Flightline » Casablanca » 4* De La Corniche Photos & Description Photos of the 4* De La Corniche About the 4* De La Corniche This charming hotel, which was last renovated in 2007, offers 50 rooms and facilities including 2 bars, one with views of the ocean, a business centre with wireless Internet access and a conference room. Guests may also enjoy mint tea and Moroccan pastries in the hotel café. The hotel is air-conditioned, and the lobby offers 24-hour reception and check-out service, a hotel safe, currency exchange facilities, a cloakroom and lift access. A hairdressing salon, TV lounge and restaurant are also housed within the hotel. Room service, laundry service and a car park are available, as well as a bicycle hire service. Right by the ocean, with magnificent views over the beaches, the hotel is 10 minutes' drive from the centre of Casablanca. It offers the perfect combination of work and pleasure. Shopping, restaurants, bars and clubs can be found around 100 m away in La Corniche. The Ancien Medina and Parc des Nations are around 4.5 km away, the Mosque Hassan 2 is some 4 km away, and Habous is roughly 6 km from the hotel. The train station of Casa Port is around 4 km away, and the hotel is located 20 minutes by car from the airport. All rooms are arranged around, and look out on, one of the four original patios, each or which is planted with flowering shrubs or orange trees, and several of which echo to the sound of water spilling from ornamental fountains. Though very similar in terms of décor, no two bedrooms are identical. The en suite bathroom includes a shower, bath and hairdryer. Rooms feature double or king-size beds, a direct dial telephone, satellite/cable TV and Internet access. Individually regulated air conditioning and heating is provided in each room, and a balcony or terrace also features as standard. The hotel has a swimming pool with children's swimming area and poolside snack bar. Sun loungers and parasols await guests on the sun terrace. A range of sports and water-sports is also available, including waterskiing, jet skiing, windsurfing, tennis, basketball, beach volleyball and biking. Golfers will find the Royal Golf Club around 2 km from the hotel. Sun loungers and parasols are also available on the nearby sandy beach. A breakfast buffet is served daily. At lunch and dinner, the restaurant offers a choice of international dishes, including a number of delicious Moroccan specialities. Diners Club, JCB, MasterCard and VISA are accepted as methods of payment. People from muslim countries/religion need a marriage certificate to share a double room. Room Facilities: Wheelchair accessible 4* De La Corniche on a map of Morocco Casablanca Mohammed V Airport 4* De La Corniche De La Corniche Casablanca Morocco

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Home > Europe > France > Paris Averages for Paris in December Weather overview December is one of the coldest months in Paris, France, when the weather is cold, wet and there is a small chance of snow. During this month, the average temperature begins at 5.5°C on December 1st and drops down to 4°C by December 31st. Just like the average temperature, daily highs also decrease as the month progresses, falling from 8°C to 6°C across the month, rarely ex... Read more Sunshine Hours Rainfall days December January February March April May June July August September October November Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec December Averages 17°C 63°F Cancun 24°C 75°F Sharm El Sheikh 19°C 66°F Marrakesh 14°C 56°F Lanzarote 19°C 66°F Gran Canaria 19°C 66°F dubai 21°C 70°F Rome 10°C 49°F Malta 14°C 57°F Paris 5°C 41°F Fuerteventura 19°C 66°F Barcelona 11°C 51°F London 7°C 44°F Punta cana 26°C 75°F Bali 27°C 80°F Florida 16°C 61°F Algarve 14°C 56°F Istanbul 8°C 46°F Budapest 1°C 34°F Tunis 13°C 55°F Orlando 17°C 62°F Miami 21°C 69°F Malaga 13°C 56°F Lisbon 12°C 53°F Riviera Maya 24°C 75°F Paphos 15°C 58°F Tenerife South 18775 20°C 68°F Los Angeles 14°C 56°F Phuket 27°C 81°F Agadir 16°C 60°F Holidays in Paris Paris Links December is one of the coldest months in Paris, France, when the weather is cold, wet and there is a small chance of snow. During this month, the average temperature begins at 5.5°C on December 1st and drops down to 4°C by December 31st. Just like the average temperature, daily highs also decrease as the month progresses, falling from 8°C to 6°C across the month, rarely exceeding 13°C or falling below 0°C. Daily low temperatures follow a similar pattern and decrease from 2°C to -4°C throughout the month, only rising above 8°C one day out of every ten. The lowest temperature which has ever been recorded in recent times in Paris in December is -10°C, with the highest temperature ever recorded for the city during this month being 23°C. When you take a look at these temperatures alongside the average for the month – 5°C – it’s easy to see that they’re the extremes and aren’t what you should be prepared for during your holiday. In 2013, the longest warm spell of the year took place between December 14th and December 30th – that’s 17 consecutive days which had warmer than average temperatures. Overall, December 2013 had the largest fraction of warmer than average days, with 81% of days having higher than average high temperatures. With an average of 27mm of rainfall spread out across 15 days throughout the month, there is a good chance that you’ll experience a shower or two during your visit. It’s better to be safe than sorry, so make sure you pack some water-proof clothing or an umbrella. Moderate rain is the most likely type of rainfall and usually happens around December 8th. The second most likely type of rainfall you’ll experience this month is light rain which tends to occur around December 29th. The probability of precipitation increases across the month, beginning at 61% on December 1st and rising up to 64% by December 31st. Snow falls on an average of two days each December and is most likely to occur on December 31st, when it falls on 9% of days. Although the chance of snow lying on the ground is very low, it’s most likely to happen on December 31st. Throughout the month, Paris is affected by foggy conditions on an average of three days – that’s one day less than in November. At 11°C, the average sea temperature for the closest coastal location to Paris is far too cold to go swimming, as you’d expect for a winter month. If you’re determined to go for a dip during your holiday, you’re best off sticking to the indoor swimming pools. The average daily humidity for Paris in December is 86%, made up of highs up to 96% and lows of 75%. In December, Paris enjoys an average of three hours of sunshine each day – that’s the same as in November. Throughout the month, the sunshine and daylight hours both stay roughly the same, with the day shortening by only 14 minutes between December 1st and December 31st. Across December, wind speeds range from 2 m/s to 6 m/s, almost never exceeding 11 m/s. The highest wind speed of 4 m/s usually happens around December 27th, when the average daily maximum wind speed is 6 m/s. On the other hand, the lowest average wind speed of 4 m/s tends to occur around December 1st, when the average daily maximum wind speed is also 6 m/s. In 2013, the highest daily mean wind speed was 9 m/s and the highest wind gust speed was 21 m/s, both of which occurred on December 24th. When it comes to a modern, stylish hotel in Paris, you should check out Fred Hotel. Located in between Montparnasse and Porte de Versailles, this modern boutique hotel is full of village charm and provides accommodation in the form of 36 classic, superior and deluxe rooms. Each guestroom features heating, flat-screen TV, free WiFi access and private bathroom with hairdryer, Italian shower and complimentary toiletries. Superior rooms are larger and boast Nespresso coffee machines, whilst deluxe rooms are larger still and come with a separate living room with sofa bed and one extra bathroom. Onsite services and facilities include free WiFi access throughout, continental breakfast buffet with freshly-baked pastries, bar and paid public parking nearby. The hotel is just a 20-minute walk away from Montparnasse Tower and 230m away from the Plaisance Metro Station. The three-star Hotel Monterosa is situated in the 9th arroniddement, in between Montarmtre and Grans Boulevards, making it ideally positioned to explore the city's historical monuments. Within the bright and modern hotel you'll find 36 contemporary single, twin and double rooms, each of which features satellite TV, heating, WiFi access and private bathroom with hairdryer and complimentary toiletries. All guestrooms are also accessible via lifts and each features a unique colour scheme. Within the hotel you'll also find free Wifi access throughout, continental breakfast buffet, open bar which serves free soft drinks every afternoon and room service. Children under two years old can stay here for free. The Saint George metro station is only 200m away which you can use to get to almost any part of Paris. Located in the heart of Paris close to the Luxembourg Gardens, St-Germain quarter and Montparnasse metro station, Hotel Le Royal Rive Gauche a three-star hotel decorated in a contemporary and elegant way. Here guests can choose between 48 soundproofed classic and standard double rooms and seven junior suites, each of which features satellite TV, free WiFi access, flat-screen TV and private bathroom with bath or shower, hairdryer and complimentary toiletries. Deluxe rooms come with the same facilities but are slightly larger, whilst junior suites are significantly larger and offer more luxurious furniture and better street views. Onsite amenities and services include free WiFi access throughout, breakfast buffet served in the breakfast room or your guestroom and paid public parking nearby. Although facilities are rather limited, there is a wealth of local and international restuants in the immediate area and Notre Dame, the Louvre and the Orsay Museum are only 2km away. For something more budget-friendly, check out the Hotel de la Cite Rougemont. This two-star hotel is located in a quiet part of the 9th arrondissement, in the theatre district close to the Grévin Museum, Opera House, Folies Bergère and the Galeries Lafayette department store. Here guests can choose between single, double, twin, triple and quadruple rooms, each of which is decorated with brightly-coloured wallpaper and soft furnishings and features free WiFi access, LCD TV and private bathroom with hairdyer. Within the hotel you'll find continental breakfast buffet, room service and free WiFi access throughout. Although facilities are restricted, the main appeal of this hotel is its location, which is also just 1.5km away from the Louvre. Europe Hotel Paris is an even more centrally located hotel, within easy walking distance of the Eiffel Tower, Champ de Mars, Invalides and Alexander III Bridge. The three-star hotel features a standard classic French decor and provides accommodation in the shape of single, double and triple soundproofed rooms, each of which comes with free WiFi access, satellite TV, minibar and private bathroom with bath, shower and complimentary toiletries. Onsite services and amenities include free WiFi access throughout, internet kiosk, lounge-bar, continental breakfast buffet and paid public parking nearby. December is a wonderful time to visit Paris, when the city is full of festivity. So make the most of the Christmas-themed activities on offer and go ice skating at l’Hotel de Ville. If you’ve never been ice skating before, you’ll be pleased to hear that there is a designated area for children and beginners to learn the ropes. On the other hand, if you’re an experienced skater and have your own pair of ice skates with you, you’ll be able to enjoy the rink for free. The ice skating rink at l’Hotel de Ville is open from 9am until around 10pm, but the best time to visit is after sunset when the 19th century building in the background is lit up. Don't worry if you don't have your own skates - they're available to rend for a small fee. Get your hands on one-of-a-kind Christmas presents by shopping at the many Christmas markets throughout Paris. You’ll find some of the biggest and best Christmas markets at the Avenue de Champs-Elysées, La Défense, Trocadero, Saint-Sulpice, Saint-Germain-des-Prés and Montparnasse Tower. All of the Christmas markets are quite similar and are comprised of numerous stalls selling all sorts of themed gifts, from Christmas ornaments and home-baked treats to hand-woven clothes and children’s toys. The Christmas markets in Paris are also ideal opportunities for indulging, with many types of mulled wines and festive foods on offer. From November until January, the whole city of Paris is adorned with Christmas lights and decorations. If you want to see some of the very best decorations in the city, head to Place de la Bastille where you’ll find yourself face-to-face with a Christmas village. Made up of numerous streets decked with lights, trees, decorations, ornaments and market stalls, the Place de la Bastille Christmas village is like a giant Christmas market. In addition to the Christmas village, this part of the city also hosts art exhibitions, parades, street parties, food festivals, musical concerts and workshops throughout the festive period. If you’re looking for a romantic winter activity to enjoy during your holiday in Paris, consider going on a River Seine cruise. Wrap up warm and book your cruise for after sunset for the best experience. Whilst the views are pleasant during the daytime, they’re even better after nightfall, when the streets lining the Seine are full of decorations and lights. If you want to splash out, you can combine your River Seine cruise with a three-course dinner on the boat for a truly memorable evening. For over three decades, there haven’t been any official New Year’s Eve firework displays in Paris, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a good time. Champs-Elysées is one of the most popular streets to ring in the new year, where thousands of locals and visitors come together to drink, dance and have a good time. If you want something a bit more low-key, head to the Scare Coeur square in Montmartre where you’ll find similar festivities, but on a smaller and quieter scale. The celebrations usually begin at around 9pm and carry on well into the early hours of the next morning. December events in Paris 1st December 2017 The Christmas Village on the Champs Elysees runs until January 5th. Here you’ll find more than 200 chalets selling gifts, souvenirs, food, drink, sweets, clothes and toys. This site is also home to a hand-made Eiffel Tower and an artisan village which is dedicated to items handmade in France. http://en.parisinfo.com/discovering-paris/major-events/christmas-in-paris/file-christmas-markets/chr Salon Nautique International de Paris 3rd December 2017 to 11th December 2017 The Salon Nautique International de Paris is a boat show made up of around 800 exhibitors, more than 1,300 brands and around 240,000 visitors. The exhibition features over 700 boats, 200 of which are new models, plus 350 sailing boats and motorboats and 300 small crafts. In addition to the boat displays, this exhibition also features numerous water sport displays and three exhibition poles focused on sailing and tourism, motor boating and equipment. Website: http://www.salonnautiqueparis.com/GB.htm Christmas Eve Mass 24th December 2017 On this night, Notre Dame holds a special Christmas Eve Mass at midnight, which includes the ringing of the Emmanuel bell, organ playing and choir singing. http://www.secretsofparis.com/heathers-secret-blog/midnight-mass-procession-at-notre-dame-de-paris.h Christmas Day Mass 25th December 2017 Christmas Day Masses at Notre Dame are made up of a Dawn Mass, Gregorian Mass and Solemn Mass which held throughout the daytime and evening. The masses are followed by the ringing of the Emmanuel bell, Christmas solemn vespers, organ playing and choir singing. http://christmasinparis.wordpress.com/ Paris 9°C (48°F) Paris 14 DAY FORECAST Paris Holiday Reviews Paris Annual Averages Paris News London crowned world�s top tourist destination Walt Disney World Resort: what's new for summer 2013 Dreaming of a Disney holiday? Best time to go...

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Travelling Australia http://www.travelling-australia.info HOME CENTRAL AUSTRALIA BACK Overland Telegraph The Overland Telegraph comprised 3,200 kilometres of single wire suspended from an insulator mounted on a pin on top of a telegraph pole. 36,000 poles were installed, many were cyprus pine but white ants caused so much damage that wooden poles were replaced by iron ones like that shown in this photograph at the Tennant Creek Repeater Station. In the nineteenth century the separate Australian colonies relied on shipping for communications between their widely separated coastal cities. This was a slow medium but development of telegraph communications in Europe and the USA promised much faster connections. Telegraphy was introduced into Australia by Samual McGowan when he installed the first telegraph between Melbourne and Williamstown in 1854; this service was extended to Geelong and Queenscliff. By 1858 Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide were connected by telegraph and Tasmania was connected in 1859. The Australian colonies relied exclusively on shipping to carry news and mail to and from Europe. In the 1850s, during the Gold Rushes, it typically took a message sixty to eighty days to reach Australia from Europe. There was talk of connecting Australia to the rest of the world by telegraph but long-distance undersea cables were not successful until Cyrus W Field laid a cable between Ireland and Newfoundland in 1865 establishing that it was possible to lay, and maintain, undersea cables between the continents. Many other underseas cables were soon laid including those connecting England with Batavia (Jarkata) in present-day Indonesia. A cable connection onward to Port Darwin in Australia was assessed as practical but not much use unless the undersea cable could connect with the cable network linking the Australian colonies. Any consideration of connecting Port Darwin with any of the other colonies had to face the large obstacle that the arid and hostile centre of Australia had not yet been crossed. The Burke and Wills Expedition set out to explore the centre but failed with the death of the leaders. Then John McDouall Stuart succeeded in 1862 in marking a trail and proving that the continent could be crossed north-south, and the South Australian government began planning to build a telegraph line between Adelaide and Port Darwin to link the colonial telegraph system with the overseas telegraph line. The Queensland Government wanted the line to run from Port Darwin into Queensland so South Australia ended up implementing the project unassisted. The project would be managed by Charles Todd, the South Australian Superintendent of Telegraphs who had connected South Australia to Melbourne by telegraph in 1865. He had installed a telegraph line between Adelaide and Port Augusta in 1870 as the first section of the line to Port Augusta. The line between Port Augusta and Port Darwin was planned in three sections, the southern one from Port Augusta to Oodnadatta and the northern one from Port Darwin to the Roper River were let out to private contractors; the hardest central section of 970 kilometres was to be installed by the government. The route to be followed was that found by McDouall Stuart; John Ross was assigned the task of marking out the trail for the line which had to have enough water and timber but avoid mountains; Ross followed Stuart's track fairly closely except when crossing the MacDonnell Ranges. Overland Telegraph - page 2 The contract specified eighteen months to build the line but the enormous task took two years being beset by drought, flooding, contractor incompetence on the northern section, and simply the inhospitable nature of the country. But on 22 August 1872 the Overland Telegraph between Adelaide and Darwin was completed. The Governor of South Australia declared a Public Holiday to celebration completion of the Overland Telegraph. The Java to Darwin undersea cable began working two months later. Now, instead of a 40 days delay for news to come from England by sea (the time had been reduced since the 1850s), messsages from London to Australia took 24 hours. Arrival of news from England within a day of the event taking place caused a significant change in life in the colonies. Using the telegraph was not cheap, a 20-word telegram cost the remarkably expensive sum of 9 pounds, but the convenience and immediacy of the telgraph made the cost worthwhile for many users. Memorial to Charles Todd and supervisors of the Overland Telegraph construction project erected about one mile east of the spot where the northern and southern sections of the telegraph were joined by R.C. Patterson at 3:15 p.m. on Thursday, 22 August 1872. Building the Overland Telegraph was a major technological and project planning achievement. The single galvanised iron wire (Standard Wire Gauge No 8) had been successfully strung for 3,200 kilometres from 36,000 poles (about 20 poles for each mile of cable) stretched over the inhospitable Australian interior. The task was immense, involving the penetration into mercilessly cruel country of which little or nothing was known and where Burke and Wills had died a few years before. Transport, of the 36,000 poles, 36,000 insulators and pins plus many tons of wire, had been one of the biggest problems. Providing fresh meat was nearly as difficult. There was no refrigeration, so fresh meat had to be transported alive, slaughtered and eaten when required. This vast task in unforgiving, arid country with little or no water but plenty of mosquitoes and flies was completed with the loss of only six men. Initially cyprus pine and redgum were used for poles except for 3,000 iron poles used in the southern section. White ants quickly devoured timber poles and, over ten years from 1873, wooden poles were replaced by iron poles. Losses in the signal on such a long length of wire would have made the message unreadable at the end so repeater stations were built at about every 250 kilometres. At each repeater station a telegraphist received each message and re-transmitted it to the next station along the line. From Adelaide repeater stations were at Port Augusta, Beltana, Strangways Springs, The Peake, Charlotte Waters, Alice Springs, Barrow Creek, Tennant Creek, Powells Creek, Daly Waters, Katherine and Yam Creek before the line reached Port Darwin. Each repeater station had the same role; telegraphists repeated each message to the next station along the line and linesmen patrolled the section of the line associated with the station or responded to, and repaired, breakages. Nominal manning for a Telegraph Station is listed as two telegraphists and four linesmen but various accounts indicate there was considerable local variation in manning and probably cross-training of telegraphists in line maintenance. More remote Telegraph Stations were, in every sense, pioneering ventures; they were the first settlements in hitherto unknown regions and became small, self-contained, villages. Alice Springs Telegraph Station has been partly restored to represent the original during the period 1899 - 1908 and gives an idea of the complexity of a Telegraph Station. These stations were required to be self-sufficient apart from a delivery of supplies once a year by camel train. They quickly became centres for hand-outs to local aboriginals as well as starting points for exploration expeditions; the track joining stations became the access route to the interior. By the 1930s nearby townships had developed sufficiently and the overland telegraph function was transferred to the nearby town Post Office. The Overland Telegraph itself continued operating for many years and was the means by which the rest of Australia was told of the Japanese attack on Darwin in 1942. There are reports of parts of the Telegraph still being used in the 1980s but the date of final use appears not to have been recorded. Unlike the opening of the Overland Telegraph, which was fully recorded and reported, the end was neither recorded nor reported. ¶ From the Australian Heritage Council document on communications at http://www.ahc.gov.au/publications/linking-nation/chapter-7.html ¶ Display material at Alice Springs Telegraph Station ¶ "Never-Never Telegraphist" by Frederick Goss at http://www.connectingthecontinent.com/ctcwebsite/pdf/nevergoss.pdf PRINTING TOP

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Temporary travails Released at: 08:58, 27/10/2014 Hospitality Sector Regional issues have affected hotels and resorts in Vietnam to some degree but resilience will remain in the longer term. by Linh San Hoteliers throughout Vietnam started 2014 with good business results in the first four months but a number of challenges arose during the second quarter. “The hotel was running well in terms of both occupancy and room rate through the first four months, but was then affected by the political circumstances in the region, such as the East Sea dispute and the Bangkok protests,” Mr Phuoc Dang, Director of Sales and Marketing at La Residence Hotel and Spa in Hue, told VET. “Year to date, the hotel’s performance has not quite met expectations due to these issues, but we are still doing better compared to the same period last year.” Mr Nguyen Duc Quynh, Executive Assistant Manager of Furama Resort Danang, tells a similar tale. “Our business performance in the first four months was good, but due to the suspension of some direct flights from cities in China to Da Nang, over the last three months our business volume has fallen 10-15 per cent,” he said. He added, however, that as May to July is the holiday season in Vietnam the occupancy of hotels in Da Nang was still high, at 75-80 per cent, but it may be lower after the season finishes in September. “I forecast our business performance for 2014 will be around 10 to 15 per cent lower than in 2013,” he said. Business in Nha Trang, meanwhile, remains strong despite the new competition in the market, according to Ms Catherine Racsko, General Manager of the Sheraton Nha Trang. But business has fallen slightly year-on-year, as a result of the Korean ferry disaster and the recent tensions in the East Sea. While the recent political and social tensions affected the country’s tourism sector in the second quarter, the year as a whole may still be positive, according to hoteliers. “There are more direct international flights coming to major hubs like Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Da Nang,” said Mr Dang. “Vietnam also has more UNESCO-recognised sites and as such we believe more visitors will come our way.” He added that La Residence Hotel & Spa will strive over the remainder of 2014 to reach its revenue target. “We have launched and will be launching many sales and marketing campaigns until the end of the year, both at the hotel and at the group’s regional level,” he said. “We plan to introduce a number of attractive packages to encourage spending among in-house guests.” The hotel is also focusing on and pushing more aggressively in the domestic market, since the number of high-spending Vietnamese travellers is increasing dramatically every year. Mr Quynh from Furama doesn’t believe it can achieve the occupancy rate recorded in 2013 but he hopes to achieve the same revenue as in 2013, as the average room rate is higher than last year. “Besides traditional markets such as Australia, Europe and the US, we have focused many marketing efforts on South Korea and Japan, where airlines have opened direct flights to Da Nang,” he said. “The domestic market is always the market that hotels and resorts should rely on, as it isn’t so sensitive to events.” “With a stable political and economic system, a profound history and beautiful landscapes, as well as an increasing number of ASEAN travellers, Vietnam will remain an attractive destination for hotel developers.” Mr Phuoc Dang, Director of Sales & Marketing, La Residence Hotel & Spa in Hue Sentiments shared at the “Hotel Investment & Management in Vietnam - Lessons from Across Asia” event held in Ho Chi Minh City by CBRE in June indicate that hotel occupancy throughout the country had generally been stronger over the last three years. Rates in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi are now inching closer to other major regional cities such as Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur. While there is an increase in hotel supply predicted for Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City over the next three years - around 8 per cent in total - this is less than the number of projects proposed for Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur, where supply may grow by 20 per cent if all proposed projects actually proceed. Da Nang has performed particularly well over the last few years but its exposure to the Chinese market may present challenges in the very short term. “The longer-term outlook appears positive at present,” said Mr Robert McIntosh, Executive Director of CBRE Hotels, Asia Pacific. “The quality of infrastructure and hotels has improved considerably over recent years and this has led, and

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Monthly Archives: December 2016 December 29, 2016 Voyage/Travel Austria, blue Danube, Café Sacher, Emperor Franz Joseph, Glühwein, Hofburg, Linzertorte, Lippizan horses, Mozart, New Year's concert, Sachertorte, Schönbrunn Palace, Sissi, St. Stephen's Cathedral, Strauss, Vienna, Vienne Philarmonic Orchestra, waltzes THE WINTER WONDERLAND THAT IS VIENNA by florence Souvenirs de mon week-end à Vienne pour Riviera Buzz. Souvenirs from my weekend in Vienna for Riviera Buzz. With its baroque architecture and fairytale castles, its rich cultural life and world-class museums, Vienna is a wonderful place to visit…all season long. The Austrian capital is a great place to visit any time of year, but come the holiday season, as the air becomes crispy and the blue Danube turns grayish-brown, Vienna literally transforms itself into a wonderland, thanks in part to the many Christmas markets that pop up all over the metropolis. The streets are gorgeously decked out with sparkling lights, bows and other tasteful decorations, while many wooden huts sell handmade toys, painted ceramics, ornaments, local delicacies as well as mugs of Glühwein, the famous spicy mulled red wine. Once you get into the holiday spirit, it is the perfect time to wander around and explore all the marvellous sights the city has to offer. One of the major tourist attractions remains the Schönbrunn Palace, comparable in grandeur to Versailles, which will take you on a romantic whirl in the footsteps of Empress Elisabeth, aka “Sissi”. Even without the gardens in their summer splendor, the rococo-style former residence of the imperial family tells the story of a glorious era that started with Maria Theresa, Marie-Antoinette’s mother and the only female Habsburg ruler, and ended at the end of World War I, with the death of Sissi’s husband, Emperor Franz Joseph. The elegance and pomp of the famed Austrian dynasty is also reflected in the architecture of the Hofburg, the imperial palace (pictured in lead image), comprising many different architectural styles, from Gothic and Baroque to Renaissance and classical. In many ways, a “city-within-a-city”, the spectacular monument, with its many squares and gardens, occupies an area of some 59 acres and hosts, among many other attractions, the Imperial Apartments, the Sissi Museum, the Austrian National Library, and the famed Spanish Riding School with its Lipizzan horses. But the castle is not the only landmark that defines the city centre. The nearby St. Stephen’s Cathedral, which was built in 1147 AD has indeed been the heart of Vienna for centuries. With its two impressive features, the gigantic roof and the imposing tower, it was the tallest building in Europe for a long period, measuring almost 137m. It houses many art treasures like the Altarpiece of Wiener Neustadt, the pulpit by Anton Pilgram (1514-15), the sepulchre of Emperor Frederik III by Niclas Gerhaert (1467-1513), and the Gothic winged altar. A few steps away, Prince Eugene of Savoy’s 18th-century summer palace, the Belvedere, is home to a stunning art museum that includes the world’s largest Gustav Klimt collection and what is probably the artist’s most famous work, The Kiss, a gold-brushed, mosaic-like painting portray of a couple locked in a tender embrace on a bed of flowers. For the sweet-toothed among you, a visit to one (or more) of Vienna’s numerous cafes is a must. Take this opportunity to try some of the country’s most famous pastries, like the Linzertorte, a rich, buttery tart layered with fruit preserves, and which is widely thought to be the world’s oldest-known cake, or the Sachertorte, a delicious chocolate confection filled with apricot jam that fits perfectly in the grandiose décor of the 19th-century Café Sacher. Of course, no stay in Vienna would be complete without an evening at the famous Staatsoper (Vienna State Opera), shaped like a horseshoe. Music is indeed the city’s legacy to the world, and winter is the season for ballgowns and waltzes. However, if you cannot score tickets for the New Year’s concert by the Vienna Philarmonic Orchestra, fear not — the music of Mozart and Strauss can be found in many of the concert halls throughout town on a nightly basis. Both Austrian Airlines and Niki offer daily direct flights. December 23, 2016 Interviews French Riviera, Nadia Fry, Nadia Fry events, South of Italy, wedding planner, wedding planning NADIA FRY HELPS TURN YOUR WEDDING DREAMS INTO REALITY by florence Entretien avec Nadia Fry pour Riviera Buzz. Interview with Nadia Fry for Riviera Buzz. Nadia Fry had always dreamed of running her own business, and recently decided to launch her own wedding planning venture. Born in Latvia, Nadia Fry has spent many years working in the field of luxury. She recently launched her own wedding planning company, putting her organizational skills and creative vision at the service of couples who have big expectations for their special day. First of all, can you tell us a little about yourself and your background? My name is Nadia Fry, I was born in Riga, Latvia (Baltic States). My parents are originally from Ukraine and Kazakhstan. Following studies in Latvia, England, Italy and France, I have worked in different luxury environments. Most recently, I spent seven years in the yachting industry. I am married to an amazing Frenchman, and we have two beautiful children, Jules and Naomi. What inspired you to become a wedding planner? I have always dreamt of running my own business, and a couple of years ago, I felt I was ready for it. To be a wedding planner means putting all my knowledge, experiences, passions, talents together in order to help people live their dreams. What is your signature style? I love nature. Even if every wedding is very individual, I prefer bohemian, rustic, and vintage styles. My favourite parts are the floral design and the coordination of the wedding day, when I can use my creativity and foreign language skills. In your opinion, what are the required qualities to be a good wedding planner? First of all, you have to be a nice person, very open-minded, able to manage stressful situations, multifunctional, creative, and have good taste. What do you find the most challenging about your work? The biggest challenge is meeting my client’s expectations while respecting their budget and creating the dream they have in mind! And the most rewarding? When the couple trust you completely and when they are happy with the organisation of their wedding. Have you already noticed any hot wedding trends for the upcoming year? More and more people like natural styles, where you can see a lot of green decoration with eucalyptus, olive, rosemary branches. White is still used a lot, but often it is mixed with bright colours, like purple, blue, pink, and so on. Natural materials are used for the decoration, like wood, linen and stones. Simple things. What advice would you give to couples who are in the midst of planning their special day? How involved should they be in the whole process? It is very individual, actually. People think that a wedding planner is an additional cost, but the reality is that thanks to a wedding planner the couple can save time and money, because wedding planners are in contact with the best suppliers and can benefit from the best rates. Some couples give free rein to the wedding planner, some other only delegate one part of the organisation. Well, the best thing to do in any case is to choose a person / wedding planner that you trust. Your company organizes weddings in the south of France and the south of Italy. As for you, do you have one favorite spot in particular? Well, there are so many magic places and it is not easy to pick. In the South of Italy, I prefer Villa Scarpariello, an historic castle built on a sea cliff. This noble and enchanting aristocratic residence is situated in Marmorata di Ravello, one of the most exclusive and panoramic towns on the Amalfi Coast. In the South of France, I would recommend getting married in the charming little villages of the Mercantour, like Saint-Martin Vésubie. Only an hour from the airport, you find the most beautiful and preserved natural grounds in the beautiful mountains with a true warm hospitality. This was my personal choice when I got married four years ago… Finally, what do you like about the French Riviera? It is an amazing place! For me, it is magical to sit on the beach and see the mountains capped with snow. Italy is very close. Every town by the sea has its own charm and style. The little villages around are talking history and it seems that you are in a different reality. Many thanks to Nadia for taking the time to talk to us. To find out more about Nadia’s work, be sure to visit her website. All photos courtesy Nadia Fry December 20, 2016 Restaurants chocolate, Chocolate bar, Hôtel Metropole, Joël Robuchon, Michelin stars, Monaco JOËL ROBUCHON’S NEW VENTURE A CHOCOHOLIC’S DREAM by florence Un vrai paradis pour les gourmands à Monaco. A real paradise for the gourmands in Monaco. It is a dream come true for the region’s chocolate lovers … a place that literally looks like the Willy Wonka factory, right in the heart of Monaco. Located in the lobby of the luxurious Hôtel Metropole, French Chef Joël Robuchon’s Chocolate Bar has been delighting local customers with dark gold in all its forms and in many variations since mid-November. With the festive season just around the corner, no doubt that many more gourmands are going to let themselves be tempted by this decadent experience. This bar is a big first for the French culinary master, who counts more Michelin stars than any other chef, and operates over a dozen restaurants around the world, from Bangkok and Hong Kong to Las Vegas, London and Paris. With little fat and lots of inventiveness, Robuchon is known for creating big flavours that always surprise his clientele on all occasions. Just want to have a drink with a friend? Why not try the Tiramisu cocktail, which blends Cocoa liquor, Kahlúa, vanilla syrup, Grey Goose Vodka and liquid vanilla cream, or the non-alcoholic Metropole Choc, a mixture of Valrhona Grand Celaya frappé, cotton candy syrup and marshmallow. In addition to the hot chocolates, various teas are available like The Poire Belle Hélène tea (Black tea with a mix of blue tea Wuolong, pear, almonds, cocoa nibs and roasted bean shells), or the Chez Mamie tea (a blend of black and green tea with cocoa, cinnamon, almond and orange). And of course, for those with a sweet tooth, the menu also includes plenty of delicious desserts, all made with superb cocoa beans from South American and Africa. As the chef himself points out, chocolate is very good for cardiovascular problems and helps fight stress, tension, and depression. So, what are you waiting for? The Chocolate Bar is open daily from 3pm to 6pm. Hôtel Metropole 4 Avenue de la Madone All images courtesy Hôtel Metropole December 12, 2016 Musique/Music Chanson française, French singer, Hexagone, Hyper Casher, I hugged a cop, J'ai embrassé un flic, left wing, Miss Maggie, Nikaia, Phénix tour, rebel poet, Renaud REBEL POET RENAUD BRINGS HIS PHÉNIX TOUR TO NICE THIS DECEMBER by florence Un concert à ne pas manquer ce mercredi à Nice. A not-to-be-missed concert this Wednesday in Nice. Get in the festive mood with acclaimed French singer-songwriter Renaud, as he returns to Nice this December as part of his Phénix tour. Many thought his career was over after alarming reports that he had relapsed into alcoholism and depression, but, just like a phoenix, French singer-songwriter Renaud seems to have risen once again from the ashes with a new album released last April and a new tour that will take him to the Nikaïa in Nice on the 14th of December. Not a small feat for an artist who has been around for more than 40 years and sold millions of albums. Often compared to Bob Dylan because of his protest songs, his left wing ideological views, and his colourful language, the rebel poet still speaks his mind with his vindictive slang, even though he appears to have acquired a newfound serenity. Renaud burst onto the French music scene in 1975 with “Hexagone” and “Camarade bourgeois”, in which he expressed his disillusionment and angst. But if he has kept railing against society’s ills and the establishment ever since, with songs like 1985’s “Miss Maggie”, a fierce yet humourous diatribe against British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, the artist has slowly abandoned his signature folk-rock approach over the years for a more mainstream pop sound, showing a more tender side in the process, and offering more intimate and introspective records. His latest effort, the self-titled “Renaud”, is a perfect summary of this evolution. In “Hyper Casher” for instance, he no longer compares Israel’s treatment of Palestinians to the Armenian genocide, but instead pays tribute to the Jewish victims of the latest attacks in France – “May they rest in Jerusalem, on their ancestral home, in the sun of Israel, I want to devote this poem to them, tell them they are dear to us, that we will never forget them” – while in “J’ai embrassé un flic” (I hugged a cop), he expresses his gratitude to law enforcement officers, years after hurling bricks at them during his rebellious youth. Despite the years and all the hardships, Renaud still remains a very unique and individual exponent of the Chanson Française. Renaud plays the Palais Nikaïa in Nice at 8pm on Wednesday, 14th of December, 2016. Tickets range in price from 36 € to 43 € and can be purchased through all the usual outlets or booked online. Palais Nikaïa 163, bd du Mercantour Image via Renaud website December 4, 2016 cancer cancer, Cancer Care, coverage, French Healthcare System, IHadCancer, Money This Is Why I Chose to Receive Cancer Care in France by florence On m’a demandé d’écrire sur mon expérience avec le système de santé français lors de mon combat contre le cancer…Voici mon récit pour IHadCancer. I have been asked to write about my experience with the French Healthcare system during my battle with cancer…Here is my story for IHadCancer! Getting cancer is hard enough in itself and patients should never have to worry about money during those difficult times. So when I found out that I had cancer, I left behind my beloved American life to go back to my native France. “If I ever got cancer, I would immediately go back to France.” This is what I would always say to myself whenever I was upset or felt a little homesick. It was meant as a joke. After all, I was in my early thirties, was healthy and living the American dream to the fullest. But even though I could not imagine my life anywhere else other than in San Francisco (where I had already spent nine years), I knew that a life-threatening illness could put a serious dent in one’s budget. Little did I know then that this dreadful hypothetical would present itself to me. I was in France when I received my cancer diagnosis and suddenly there was no other place where I wanted to be. I needed to be near my family and surrounded by people who spoke my native language. I was terrified and felt like a little girl, so I needed reassurance and the absolute certainty that I would understand every single word that would be thrown my way. But more importantly I wanted to use any and all resources I could to receive the best care through the most affordable avenue possible. Because I am a French citizen, I was still covered by the French healthcare system. Being a welfare state that spends 56% of GDP on public spending, my higher tax rate translated into 70 percent of all my medical bills being reimbursable by France and my private insurance picked up the remaining 30 percent. The French state has more control and a commitment to transparency that affords them greater bargaining power to keep prices low. Even though I didn’t have the “carte vitale” — the country’s method of payment for State medical expenses that provides automatic reimbursement — I was still qualified for the coverage. My only catch was that I had to pay the costs upfront, but even then, France’s medical payers system allowed me to get my reimbursement within five to ten business days. Also in France, the sicker you are the more coverage you get. So if you have a long-term illness that requires a long treatment such as cancer, all the costs for surgeries and therapies are picked up by the government. As long as I followed my doctor’s orders I did not have to spend a dime, whether it was for a medical appointment or a cab ride to the hospital. Only the expenses that were deemed “sources of comfort,” like the wigs or an individual room, were not totally covered, but then again most of them were paid by my private insurance. And after a full year of treatment I do not believe that I have paid more than $400 from my own pocket. I was also considered an “absolute priority” patient and thus did not have to wait for any examinations. I had a biopsy the day after my gynecologist found a suspicious lump in my breast and the surgery to remove the tumor took place barely two weeks after I was diagnosed with cancer. A real first-rate system, yes, but the French system is first and foremost the most humane! It is regaled by the World Health Organization as the “close to best overall health care” in the world. For me, it is still almost too good to be true. When my doctor gave me the all clear I told her that having been unproductive for so long, it was high time for me to start paying my due to society. But she didn’t laugh with me. She told me in a matter-of-fact voice that “Our health care system may be expensive and the taxes raised to maintain it may be high, but seeing people as young as you getting a second chance makes it totally worth it.” Fighting cancer is never a walk in the park, so not having to think about money during this difficult period was an enormous gift. I feel very blessed to have been able to focus on one thing only: my well-being. Photo courtesy of Gianluca Cosetta.

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Conboy LakeNational Wildlife Refuge | Washington VisitPlan Your VisitRules and Regulations Visitor ActivitiesLaw EnforcementFor EducatorsPermitsEvents CalendarWildlife & HabitatSeasons of WildlifeAbout the Refuge Visitor ActivitiesWhere's the lake? Because of past efforts to drain the lake, Conboy Lake is now a seasonal marsh. Early in the year, the lake is more apparent, complete with swans, geese and ducks. Although there is no lake for water-based activities, there are many other things to do on the refuge. Popular activities on the refuge include . . .Wildlife Observation & Photography. Wildlife viewing is best in the spring and fall when flocks of migrating birds are present. In the fall, it is possible to watch both cranes and elk in the same field. Visit the refuge at first light or just before sunset; wildlife is more active at these times. To get a closer look, bring binoculars or a spotting scope. Move quietly and talk softly, if at all, so as not to disturb wildlife. Elk are consistently seen along the roads. If you spot wildlife from your car, stay in the car. Since cars don't look like natural predators people in cars are frequently not perceived as immediate threats. Please be cautious and courteous when pulling off the road. Parking is available west of the BZ/Glenwood Highway. Parking on the refuge is allowed in designated parking areas only. Hiking. The Willard Springs Trail is a two-mile loop along the edge of the open marsh and into the pines. Beginning at the refuge headquarters, it parallels the west shore of the old Conboy Lake lakebed, with views across the lakebed and north to the 12,000-foot Mt. Adams. The trail is the most popular hike in the area and suitable for all skill levels, but it is not officially ADA accessible. The return portion of the Willard Springs Trail uses an old dirt road for approximately 3/4 mile. The trail has some gentle grades. Blackbirds, swallows and some hawks can be seen in the fields. Look for wood ducks and cinnamon teal in the canals near the trail. Cranes can sometimes be seen in the early spring just prior to nesting. Spring is also good for viewing snipe, elk, deer and, of course, wildflowers. Listen for woodpeckers and look for them on standing dead trees. Northern flickers, nuthatches, chickadees, towhees, flycatchers—all frequent the forest. In addition to these, look for such colorful migrants as tanagers, orioles, warblers, grosbeaks and crossbills. Watch the trail for elk or deer tracks. Signs of beaver and porcupine activity are also visible. Cross-country Skiing and Snowshoeing. Winter can be magical at Conboy Lake. There's a good chance you'll have the refuge to yourself, with the solitude being broken only by the calls of year-round resident birds. The view to Mt. Adams is spectacular, especially as the day draws to a close. If you're lucky you'll see deer or elk or maybe the track of a cougar or bobcat from the previous night's hunt. Please note that these activities are limited to the same areas open to the public that exist the rest of the year, and please, please do everything you can not to scare wildlife. Your visit into the winter wilds is just temporary, but the wildlife must survive the winter and any unnecessary expenditure of energy can mean the difference between life or death or between bearing young successfully or not in the coming year. Painting. Surprisingly, many people come to Conboy Lake NWR to paint. Or maybe it shouldn't be surprising considering how beautiful the refuge can be. Popular subjects include Mt. Adams, elk, the meadow and the Whitcomb-Cole Hewn Log House. Hunting. Hunting for some bird species is allowed. Please see Conboy Lake Hunting Regulations (PDF) for full information. Fishing. Bank fishing is permitted on a 1/4-mile section of Outlet Creek, upstream from the bridge on Lakeside Road in accordance with state and federal regulations. Common fish include rainbow trout, brook trout and bullheads. Learning About the Area's Culture and History. The use of Conboy Lake by Native Americans has a long history. Archaeological evidence shows encampments on the lakeshore dating between 7,000 and 11,000 years ago—possibly while ice age glaciers from Mt. Adams still reached into the valley. The Klickitat people knew—know—this prairie as "tahk" and found it a reliable source for game and vegetable foods, often with a surplus for storage. Here they gathered, as did the Yakama, to collect camas plant roots in the spring. While the women dug and dried the camas roots, the men would hunt and fish. In the 1850s Francis A. Chenowith, first Speaker of the Washington Territorial legislature, wrote letters to The Oregonian newspaper describing his travels in the region. One such trip took him to Camas Prairie, where he met Chief Kamiakin of the Yakama Tribe. Chief Kamiakin was one of the principle signers of the Treaty of 1855, which established the Yakama Reservation. When the treaty was violated by gold prospectors, he led the Yakama, Palouse, and Klickitat against the U.S. Army. He was forced into exile in Canada but eventually returned, renouncing his leadership role. He died in 1877 in Palouse country. Drawn by accounts of the valley's abundant resources, settlers like Peter Conboy, for whom the lake is named, began arriving in the area during the 1870s. The Whitcomb-Cole Hewn Log House near refuge headquarters remains as an example of the homes they built and is one of only a few pioneer log homes still standing in Klickitat County. It originally stood two miles across the lake on land first settled by Stephen Whitcomb. In 1891, John Cole acquired the land from Whitcomb and built the main structure of the house, which included a large downstairs room that served as a kitchen, dining, sitting and family room. These were pretty cozy quarters for a family of seven! The Coles sold the property in 1911 and and the house remained inhabited for another 40 years until abandoned in the late 1950s. As a result of its abandonment, the home fell into disrepair until 1987 when the entire structure was moved to its current location and restored. Today, the house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is open for visitors to wander in and imagine life in a common prairie home of over a century ago. Conboy Lake NWR is a day-use only refuge and is open from sunrise to sunset every day, except hunting, which has slightly different hours of operation (see the Rules & Regulations page). Page Photo Credits — Whitcomb-Cole Cabin - Chuck & Grace Bartlett Last Updated: May 11, 2016 Visitor ActivitiesCultural ResourcesWatching WildlifeConboy Lake Brochure (1.6 MB PDF) ShareFollow Us OnlineTwitter FeedFlickr PageMapsMultimediaWhat We DoResource ManagementConservationGet InvolvedPartnerships Oregon Spotted FrogThe Oregon spotted frog wasn't 'discovered' on Conboy Lake NWR until 1992. They're quiet, but . . . maybe we'll find bigfoot next.Learn more Return to main navigation Conboy Lake HomeRegional OfficeRefuges/Districts NearbyContact Us

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Private Night Tour of Paris in an Open Top 2CV 27 Reviews Back Pick up and drop off at your hotel in Paris Driving through the street of Paris is an open top 2CV is a magical experience This is a private tour which allows you to interact with your knowledgeable guide See Paris landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame and the Arc de Triomphe Overview This 2CV tour is truly a great way to experience Paris at night. Enjoy a panoramic view of the "City of Lights" in an open-top French 2CV car. Climb into an original refurbished 2CV one of the truly French icons known all over the world. It's a little tight inside - but that's part of the fun! Drive through the streets and look up through the open-top roof at the lights. A city steeped in history and renowned for its monuments, architectures and cultures, your chauffeur will be pleased to share with you lots of anecdotes on Parisian life. The route of your 2CV tour will take you past the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, the beautifully ornate Pont Alexandre III bridge and along the Champs-Élysées – dubbed the most beautiful avenue in the world. The tour operates between 2000h (8:00pm) and 2300h (11:00pm). (Please mention your preferred start time in the special requests field at the time of booking.) Your hotel or accommodation in central Paris. (Please advise your hotel details at the time of booking. If you do not have this information now, please contact the local activity operator 24 hours prior to the start of the tour with these details.) Your hotel or accommodation in central Paris You will be picked up from your hotel or any address in central Paris in a traditional French Citroën 2CV car, ‘Blue, white and red’ in colour. Open-top in summers and see-through roof in winters, the 2CV allows you an exceptional panoramic view of the Parisian monuments. A far cry from the conventional formula, your driver/guide will share with you his knowledge on the city and some interesting anecdotes. Your experienced driver/guide knows each and every corner of the French capital and will be able to tell you all sorts of anecdotes. On this night tour of Paris, you will be see the following sites: • Avenue des Champs Elysees: It is the most prestigious and broadest avenue in Paris. You will come across cinemas, cafes and luxury specialty shops among others lining the street. Interestingly, it is the second most expensive strip of real estate in the world (after New York City’s Fifth Avenue) with rents as high as $1.25 million a year for 100 metre square of space. • Arc de Triomphe: It is one of the most iconic of all French monuments. Standing 51 metre high and 45 metre wide the Arc De Triomphe affords some of the finest views over Paris, from the Champs Elysées toward the Louvre, over the Place de la Concorde and La Grande Arche de la Défense. • Trocadero: Situated across the River Seine from the Eiffel Tower, from here you can enjoy stunning views of the Eiffel Tower. • Eiffel Tower: Constructed between 1887 to 1889, it is a 325-metre high iron tower built on the Champ de Mars beside Seine river in Paris. It is the tallest structure in Paris and one of the most recognizable in the world, named after its designer, engineer Gustave Eiffel. • Les Invalides: It comprises the largest single complex in Paris including: Musée de l'Armée, Musée des Plans-Reliefs, Musée de l'Ordre de la Libération and L'Eglise de St-Louis-des-Invalides. • Pont Alexandre III: It is a beautiful arch bridge that spans river Seine connecting the Champs Elysees quarter, the Invalides quarter and the Eiffel Tower quarter, regarded as the most ornate in Paris. • Petit et Grand Palais: It is a beautiful building with an impressive glass roof, spectacularly lit up in the night. It is an impressive example of early 20th century Art Nouveau, a style of art characterized by highly-stylised and flowing designs with floral motifs. • Place de la Concorde: It is one of the major squares in Paris, at the eastern end of the Champs Elysees. At the centre of the square sits a giant Egyptian obelisk. • Opera Garnier: The opera building was designed for Napoleon III by architect Charles Garnier. • Pyramided u Louvre: It is one of the finest museums in the world and is home to thousands of classic and modern masterpieces. The museum has over 35,000 works of art including paintings by Leonardo Da Vinci, Rembrandt, Vermeer and Cezanne among others. • IIe de la Cite: A small island in the heart of the city, it is regarded as the cradle of the Parisian civilization. It was here that the Parisii tribe lived. • Notre Dame: The Notre Dame cathedral is a gothic masterpiece located on the IIe de la Cite. It has always been the religious centre of the city. • Bastille: The Bastille was a prison in Paris. Your driver will tell you more about its dark history. • Place des Vosges: It is the oldest squares in Paris and one of the most beautiful in the world. It is a nice central park surrounded by arcades with cafes and shops. After sightseeing in Paris, you will be dropped back to your hotel or accommodation. Hotel/accommodation pick up and drop off Transportation in a French 2CV car Multilingual driver/guide speaking English (German, French, Italian and Spanish on request) Please call the local activity operator at least 24 hours prior to start of the tour for reconfirming departure details. Maximum number of travelers for this product is 3 including children. A vehicle can accommodate maximum 3 people. The confirmation voucher includes the local activity operator’s contact details and local telephone numbers at the destination. They will happily answer any logistical questions you may have. Night time wonder in Paris Brilliant way to see Paris. Loved the car. Driver/Guide was lovely.... LEAH GILBERT, Australia, 18/Oct/2015 Best Ever, was an awesome experience We enjoyed every second of it. value for money and lots of fun. Pierre the tour guide was awesome, he talked all the time and gave us lots of info. we will do this again in... J Coetzee, South Africa, 11/Jan/2016 Versailles at Leisure with Free Audio Guide - Tour from Paris Explore Versailles at your own pace with a handy audio guide, includes transport from Paris Book Now Small Group Louvre Museum Tour: Skip-the-Line Enjoy an intimate tour of the Louvre with a maximum of 6 people US$ 100.00 per person Book Now 2 Hours Versailles Palace and Gardens Tour with an Expert Guide Get skip-the-line entrance to Palace of Versailles and discover it's interiors with an expert guide

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YOU ARE HERE: LAT Home→CollectionsIf You Think Your Trip Was Bad . . . Check TheseJune 14, 1987|PETER S. GREENBERG | Greenberg is a Los Angeles free-lance writer Submitted for your approval: A guest at a so-called upscale hotel in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, was shocked to find no soap in his bathroom. He asked repeatedly for a bar of soap so he could shower.Two days later a maid gave the man a small piece of soap--all that was left from a previous guest's bathroom. But the man never got a chance to use it. The water in the hotel had been cut off.Had this true story been submitted, it might have qualified for a prize. That's right. There's now an award for the worst travel story.After all, anyone who has traveled in the last few years has at least one horror story to tell-- delayed flights, lost luggage, bad room service, horrendous cruise ship cabin plumbing--and other such tales.Behind the AwardsEnter the Frankenstein Travel Awards. Businessman Charles Reilly is chairman of the Executive Communications Group, a consulting firm in New York that teaches media and communications skills to executives. Reilly is also a frequent traveler. He got the idea for the award in 1982, when he was a passenger on a transatlantic crossing of the Queen Elizabeth 2 between Southampton and Philadelphia."There was one group of 40 on the ship who had left their hotel in London to board the ship," Reilly said, "but all of their luggage was somehow sent to India. You never saw an angrier crowd as we pulled out of the harbor."The trip only got worse."There were dinner parties every night, but the women had nothing to wear. There were a couple of people on that trip who wanted to throw some other folks into the Atlantic," Reilly said. "Thankfully for them, they didn't."Then the seas got rough. And the final insult came when the ship pulled into Philadelphia. "Customs was a mess," Reilly said. "They wouldn't let the passengers leave the ship unless and until all the luggage was unloaded. Then they made everyone stand in very long lines and wait. One passenger actually collapsed and died while waiting to be cleared.""That's when I knew we needed some sort of award," Reilly said. Together with his company's president, Peter Giuliano, Reilly launched the annual Frankenstein Travel Award for the most horrible travel experience.In 1986 the hands-down winner was Richard Cole. Poor Richard. He was the only passenger on a one-stop commuter flight between Hartford and Boston. When he went to board the plane, the flight attendant insisted he had to check his garment bag along with the cargo for the flight--a box of oranges and some frozen lobsters.But when the plane made its intermediate stop, Cole noticed that his bag had been taken off the plane. The flight attendant insisted that it wasn't Cole's bag.The Missing BagThe flight attendant was wrong. Four cities and five countries later, the bag finally caught up with a desperate Cole in Paris.His award? Not surprisingly, Cole received a nice piece of leather luggage. "I take it with me wherever I go," he said. "But I now insist on taking it on board with me."Cole's story was one of about 150 entries Reilly receives each year. "It started out as a cute idea," Reilly said, "a fun outlet for my frustration. But now I do it as a sort of public service for people who have suffered so many indignities while traveling."Some other Frankenstein Travel Award winners: Take the case of Natalie Maier's nightmare cruise to Each time the ship docked, passengers discoveredthat stores had closed. Beaches were closed--17people had been stung by Portuguese man-of-war.the Yucatan. Maier lives in New Jersey. On the day before her flight with two friends to Miami to join the cruise ship, a blizzard dumped 23 inches of snow on her community of Oradell.It took her hours to shovel her way out of the driveway for the trip to Newark Airport. When they got there they were told that the flight had been canceled. They were rerouted on flights to Charlotte, N.C., then to Atlanta and finally to Miami.They made the ship's departure, but their luggage was lost.The first day at sea, Maier got very sick. She was unable to sleep and/or stand, and spent the day in her deck chair. The result: She not only was seasick, but now sported a third-degree sunburn.The trip only got worse. Each time the ship docked, passengers discovered that stores had closed. Beaches were temporarily closed--17 people had been stung by Portuguese man-of-war.A Screaming MatchThen came huge swells at sea. And Maier's flight back home was marred by a screaming incident with one passenger and a stewardess. Both had to be taken off the plane when it landed in Newark.Maier's award: a dream weekend in Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love.There are honorable mentions as well. Last year's winner: Charles Hvratin, from San Diego.Hvratin needed to attend a relative's funeral in Houston on a Monday morning. He booked a Continental flight leaving San Diego at 4:40 on Sunday afternoon. His ticket had apparently been prepaid by family members on the East Coast.1 | 2 | Next MORE:Seizure Led to FloJo's DeathHis 104 scores make his caseRestaurant review: South Beverly GrillBrutal Murder by Teen-Age Girls Adds to Britons' ShockComaneci Confirms Suicide Attempt, Magazine SaysAdvertisement FROM THE ARCHIVESMillion-Dollar Refurbishing of Port Commission Room OKdJune 29, 1989Copyright 2017 Los Angeles TimesTerms of Service|Privacy Policy|Index by Date|Index by Keyword

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Home Asia Africa Europe America Pacific Hotels Consulate of Greece in New York Greece Consulate in New York Diplomatic representation of Greece. Information on consular services of the Consulate of Greece in New York. On this website you will find general information about the Consulate of Greece in New York. Diplomatic mission in the United States 69, East 79th Street New York, NY 10021 USA Telephone number Fax number (212) 734 8492 grgencon.ny@mfa.gr More information Hours of Operation Mon – Wed & Fri: 09:00 am – 02:30pm, Tue & Thu: 09:00 am – 03:30 pm MR. GEORGIOS ILIOPOULOS, CONSUL GENERAL Foreign Representation More Consulates Worldwide Consulates in Houston Consulates in Hong Kong Consulates in Toronto Consulates in Sydney Consulates in Dubai Consulates in Montreal Consulates in Miami Consulates in Vancouver Consulates in Melbourne British Consulates Consulates in Chicago Consulates in Los Angeles Consulate-New-York.com: We provide general data about the Foreign Consulates in New York and we have no association with the New York Consulates featured on this site. Consulates located in New York - In the United States a single Embassy of foreign (or guest) countries is not large enough to handle all the essential services countrywide provided by an Embassy. Hence, the need for smaller, regionally located branches, which are called Consulates, enabling local residents and guest country nationals diplomatic assistance at local level. A New York Consulate can be likened to branch offices or satellites of the foreign country's Embassies themselves, which, typically, are located in Washington DC. A New York Consulate would usually be headed by an ex-patriate national and frequently engaging local staff. Assistance by a New York consulate - As well as firstly promoting the interests and image of the representing country, a New York Consulate would usually offer the majority of services provided by their parent Embassy in Washington, but at local levels for convenience, often giving more rapid service, such as in the provision of new and replacement passports, issuing of visas, together with all aspects of other general consular services available to New York citizens. For all consular matters and for additional consulate information please contact the New York consulate office directly either by email or phone. Find your hotel close to the Consulate of Greece in New York

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One of the highlights of my trip to Japan was a visit to Taian. Taian is the oldest surviving tea house built by Sen no Rikyu, the founder of the lineage for most of the active tea schools in Japan today, including Urasenke. Rikyu lived over 400 years ago, and his most famous accomplishments happened toward the end of his life, when he served as the tea master for Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the military ruler of Japan. One of those accomplishments was Taian – not because it was large or beautiful, but exactly the opposite, because it was the epitome of wabi. I could write a whole post about wabi, and I probably will at some point, but for the moment I’ll sum up by saying that it’s the fundamental aesthetic underlying tea ceremony. It means seeking beauty in simplicity and bareness, in the natural scars and wear marks of an old pot or basket rather than the gleaming shine of a new one, in the imperfection of a tea bowl that’s cracked or assymetrical rather than perfectly round and identical to countless others. In terms of tearooms, it means using the simple, humble materials of a country hut rather than the exquisite paintings and expensive woods and fabrics of a nobleman’s castle. Taian is a two-tatami-mat room, which means it’s approximately six feet square, plus a tokonoma (an alcove) that’s a little more than three feet square. There’s a small nijiriguchi (kneeling entrance), so called because the only way to get through it is to slide in on your knees, and covered windows that let in a subdued light. The guests would walk through the garden, take their shoes off, and come in through the nijiriguchi; the host would come in through a separate entrance from an adjoining space that has a single tatami mat (three feet by six) plus a wooden board running the length of the mat, which was used to hold the utensils that were waiting to be carried into the room. Beyond that is the actual preparation area (mizuya). Here’s a link to a site with a description and some photos.I said that I visited Taian, but actually, I visited two Taians – the original, which at some point in its history was moved to Myokian Temple outside of Kyoto – and a reproduction which was built on the grounds of the Zuiho-in subtemple at Daitokuji Temple in Kyoto. The original is closed to visitors; you can only look in from the outside. The reproduction, however, we were allowed to go inside. That’s crucial, because like so many things in tea, it’s the experience that makes the difference.Six feet by six feet doesn’t sound like a lot of space, and from the outside it doesn’t look like a lot of space, either, but once you sit inside, it feels almost spacious. There’s room for one or two guest, maybe three if you squeeze. The host makes tea on the other mat, with a small ro (sunken hearth) cut into the corner of the mat, away from the guests. (In a larger room, the sunken hearth would be in the middle of the room, giving host and guest more room to maneuver.)In a typical tea room, there would be at least a half-mat space between the host and the guest. In a two-mat room like Taian, you’re right next to each other. There’s nowhere to hide – every move the host makes is right there for everyone to see. It’s a much more intimate feeling, and I can image how much more so it would be if there was only one guest. Rikyu built Taian for Hideyoshi – it was originally located in Hideyoshi’s castle at Yamazaki – but Hideyoshi never had tea there. Other people were invited, and in fact, some elements of the reproduction differ from the original based on notes from tea people of Rikyu’s day who had tea there. Sitting in the reproduction, I could imagine someone coming in through the nijiriguchi, sitting in front of the alcove, sharing the experience of making the tea with the host, neither person needing to say a word. The whole experience brought me a little bit closer to the world where tea ceremony was born – a little bit of insight to take home and build into my own tea experience.

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Riding the buses Inspiring independent travel Travel Canada Gardens of the World Editorials Riding the buses » Great cities, Singapore, Travel itinerary » If you love the Big Apple (as I do) you’ll adore Singapore If you love the Big Apple (as I do) you’ll adore Singapore April 9th, 2012 | Add a Comment I knew Singapore was different as soon as I got on the MRT (rapid transit system) at the airport and made my way into the city. Everyone around me was moving quickly and seemed so sure of themselves, at least when compared to other Southeast Asian countries where so many people just hung about hoping someone would ride in their tuk-tuk or taxi, “if not today then maybe tomorrow”. Singapore is a country in a hurry. Besides, it’s known for having the fastest walkers in the world; certainly the escalators between MRT platforms couldn’t be faster; they’re rather frightening in fact. And even though this island is only a few kilometers from the equator, MRT stations and trains are air-conditioned so being in the tropics doesn’t slow them down at all. Singapore is also known for being orderly and clean. You can hardly take a photo in a MRT station because it’s so shiny there is a glare. Just taking a sip of water in the station can earn you a hefty fine and don’t even think about lighting up. Singapore wasn’t always like this. When it first became one of the greatest seaports of the Orient it was known for its opium dens, gambling houses, brothels and secret societies. Bugis Street, nicknamed ‘Boogie Street’, was famous for its ‘parade of transvestites’ until it was torn down in the 1980s, replaced by the Bugis Transit Station, a shopping mall and a McDonald’s restaurant! Few Singaporeans would trade the lives they have today for life back then, even if the old one seems a little more exciting. When Singapore became an independent country in 1965, after years of British colonial rule, its population was made up mostly of uneducated workers from China, India and Malaysia who were just going to stay a short while; there was no common language, religion or culture; unemployment was high and the standard of living very poor. So what happened? A very ambitious program for modernization was put in place and by the 1990s Singapore was one of the most prosperous nations in the world. They made public housing, public education, and green space priorities. Since it’s independence, the population has nearly doubled to more than five million and yet the amount of green space has increased from a little more than a third of its area to nearly half. And this city-state is an island—a little red dot on the map without any room to spread. Plans are now underway to go from a being ‘a garden city’ to being ‘a city in a garden’. Now that is impressive! Travel brochures give the country glib labels such as “the world’s only shopping mall with a seat in the United Nations”. Well that is just wrong. Singapore has an intriguing history that is evident if you visit its museums and neighbourhoods. Sure, there are skyscrapers but they are a backdrop and not the whole show. Just take a ride down the Singapore River and you’ll see that for yourself. The Asian Civilizations Museum has outstanding exhibits on the cultural and religious development of the whole region and the influence India and China has had. For anyone travelling in several Southeast Asian countries, it is an excellent resource for bringing all you have seen together. The Peranakan Museum explains what it is like being a ‘cultural hybrid’ and the impact those who identify with more than one racial group have had. Articles on other great cities 5 tips for leaving Bangkok with a smile There’s more to Beijing than the great wall Celebrating my 30th in the great city of Chicago New York City with the girls Underestimating San Francisco (and what lies beyond) The very doable Shanghai, China Singapore’s past and present can be found in its neighbourhoods, particularly Chinatown and Little India. I stayed in Little India and each morning as I walked to the Little India MRT Station I almost felt like I was back in that country but that it had gotten a lot tidier! Singapore’s religious diversity is evident in the many different places of worship, for no religious group forms a majority here. All this cultural diversity has resulted in food that is simply legendary. Even the mall food, especially at the Bugis Street MRT, is incredible and the many choices wonderfully displayed. And there was even British culinary influence for the Raffles Hotel was the birthplace of the “Singapore Sling”. A travel writer recently applauded Singapore for loosening up, for building more casinos and permitting bungee jumping. Like wow! If that’s what you’re looking for then there is also the world’s highest observation wheel and lets not forget the shopping. Before arriving in Singapore, I heard an interview of novelist Meira Chand whose work explores ‘cracks between cultures’. She was born in London of Swiss-Indian parents and spent most of her adult life in Japan and India before finally settling in Singapore. She had just become a Singapore citizen and had to give up her British one in order to do that. When I heard that I was rather surprised but now that I’ve been to Singapore I am not. Good for you, Singapore! Just ignore all the naysayers. By Sylvia Fanjoy Photo credits Sylvia Fanjoy © Riding the buses 2012 Did you like this? Share it:Tweet Filed under: Great cities, Singapore, Travel itinerary · Tags: What to do in Singapore Email * (will not be published) Search Riding the buses Photo gallery See pictures of Singapore Travel Canada Click here to see Travel Canada page Destinations Click here to see destinations by country Bucket list for Kids in Canada Click here to see Bucket List for Kids in Canada Articles on Singapore Singapore Botanic Gardens If you love the Big Apple (as I do) you’ll adore Singapore Boogie Street and beyond: Around the world in two weeks Follow Riding the Buses Copyright & Disclaimer Site map © 2017 Riding the buses™

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Scottish Seabird Centre The multi-award winning Scottish Seabird Centre is located in North Berwick, East Lothian, overlooking the wildlife-rich waters of the Firth of Forth. A conservation and education charity, the organisation focuses on encouraging people to appreciate and care for wildlife and the environment. A world-leader in remote wildlife viewing, there are interactive live cameras on the world-famous Bass Rock, Isle of May National Nature Reserve, plus other harbours and islands. Visitors to the five star Discovery Centre can zoom in on the seasonal wildlife action and there are also boat trips, a gift shop and the Seabird Café. http://seabird.org ShareAction ShareAction is an independent campaigning organisation, working to hold companies accountable to their real owners – the people who pay into a pension fund or ISA. The billions of pounds in our pensions mean that pension funds have a huge stake in UK businesses and this gives them an enormous influence over corporate behaviour. We campaign on human rights and environmental issues; from tar sands and Living Wage to Arctic oil and human trafficking. www.shareaction.org South Seeds South Seeds is a community organisation based in Glasgow at Govanhill. We aim to work in partnership with residents and organisations within the local community to help improve the look and feel of the area. Under the climate challenge fund South Seeds are further developing the project to increase energy awareness, support residents and groups to begin composting and helping people learn more about growing food and reducing the amount of waste that we produce. southseeds.org Spokes Spokes is a voluntary organisation with 1200 members, mainly in Edinburgh and Lothian, aiming to promote cycling for everyday transport, and to persuade councils and government to do the same.

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European Travel Site BellaOnline's European Travel Editor Lucca and Pisa Guest Author - Ann Carroll BurgessSampling Tuscany Excursions in History, Livorno, Lucca, and Pisa, Italy The itinerary of the Noordam of Holland America Line in the Western Mediterranean certainly had plenty of 20th and 21st century allure for the traveller with its stops in Tuscany, the Cote d, azur, Barcelona, Mallorca, and Rome. And for a history enthusiast, the ports of call in Livorno, Monte Carlo, Tunisia, Sicily, Naples were an opportunity to put heroic figures, battles and conquests into perspective. A thoroughly modern port of call, Livorno’s contemporary port facilities belies a fascinating past as a merchant city, once as dominant as Pisa. The far thinking rulers of the city established a set of Laws, the Leggi Livornie, that established freedom of both trade and religion and even made amnesty available for a penance. These laws, in effect between 1590 and 1603, attracted immigrants including French, Greeks, English, Dutch, Jews and later, Moriscos (Muslim Spaniards forcibly converted to Catholicism). However, after Pisa ‘s silting up, distance from the sea and loss of dominance, Livorno took over as the main port in Tuscany. Many port cities sacrifice art and architecture to streamline commerce. This is not the case in Livorno. Although largely rebuilt after World War II, the broad Piazza Municipio , leads from the port gate into the heart of the city. Piazza Grande, graced by the central Duomo, is the main focus of local life. The seaward end links to Piazza Micheli, where the Monumento ai Quattro Mori, Livorno’s most prized sculpture can be found. The 1623 monument by Pietro Tacca, features four Moors to represent the maritime conquest of North Africa. A short distance into the Tuscan countryside transports you to the middle Ages and the walled town of Lucca. A destination small enough to absorb in just few hours and rich enough in history to be a thoroughly satisfying experience. Not as well known as Pisa, with its; ’leaning tower,’ or Florence, the birthplace of the renaissance, Lucca is, however, filled with history and not completely overrun with tourists. First settled by the Romans in 180 BC, Lucca has an easy to navigate grid layout highlighted by many piazzas, churches, and the remains of a Roman amphitheater. Lucca is also the birthplace of opera superstar composer, Giacomo Puccini, famous for La Boehme, Madame Butterfly and, the unfinished, Turnadot. What sets this walled town apart from others are the ramparts, themselves. One of the pleasures of touring Lucca is taking time to walk along the tops of these walls that were constructed between 1500 to 1645 with defense in mind. However, the walls never actually had to be defended, and they were eventually converted into a public park in the 19th century. In the early 20th century the tops of the walls served as a racecourse for automobiles, and now in the early days of the 21st century bicycling and walking activities rule the rampart tops. Most guided tours begin with the ramparts and then progress into the heart of the city through narrow streets that open into piazzas or circumnavigate the remains of the Roman built amphitheater. The dominant church of Lucca, the Duomo di San Martino, was never finished but it served as the model for all other churches in Lucca. Inside are paintings and sculptures including Tintoretto’s Last Supper and works by Fra Bartolomeo, Filippino Lippi and Jacopo Della Quercia. Lucca’s historic appeal is that it represents so much history in such a small area, the civic foresight of the Romans, the sturdy ramparts of the Middle Ages and the arts of the Renaissance decorating the city. Lucca is a veritable time capsule of Italian historic highlights. Just 15 miles northeast of Livorno, the elegant city of Pisa was once a Roman Naval base. Best known for its ‘Leaning Tower’, the town will amaze you with its number of other sumptuous buildings such as the Duomo and Bapistry, which also look a little off center. Pisa remained militarily important during the Middle Ages, helping to keep the coast free of invading Saracens and would later become a place from which a fleet of Pisan ships would sail off to the First Crusade and by the 11th century had developed into a maritime republic that would rival Genoa and Venice. At it height, it captured much Mediterranean territory including the large islands of Sardinia and Corsica. The city was also a center for arts and sciences, Galileo Galilei taught at the University, and Percy and Mary Shelley lived in Pisa. The draw remains the precariously looking tower, which engineers have raced to stabilize by placing lead weights at the base for balance, preventing the collapse. In theory, the tower could be set straight, but that would be unthinkable. While the Leaning Tower is the most famous image of Pisa, it is only one of many works of art and architecture in the city. The Duomo, the Cathedral and adjacent Baptistry are wedding cake confections of design and worthy of a visit. Most tours of the city begin in the parking area for the tour busses on the outskirts of the city. It is less than a mile walk to the main attraction, the leaning bell tower of the cathedral. There are many locations from which you can snap the always-popular photo of you holding up the leaning tower. Don’t worry you won’t be alone in this endeavor; there are hundreds of tourists all engaged in the same activity. Be advised, not all tours allow enough time to ascend the tower, if this is a priority, be sure to check that time is allowed for this activity. My biggest and most welcome surprise in Pisa was the presence of a MacDonald’s offering air conditioning and iced drinks just a few hundred yards from the tower. In August the temperatures can soar into the high 90’s and a few moments to cool off and rehydrate were most welcome. Back on board the Noordam, the ship celebrated our port of call with a Taste of Italy, Tuscan buffet. Various stations were set up with a wide selection of local foods allowing passengers to sample antipasto, pastas, seafood, Italian meats, cheeses and desserts including gelato and cannoli, with bar specials of Chianti and Limon cello. This site needs an editor - click to learn more! For FREE email updates, subscribe to the European Travel Newsletter Content copyright © 2015 by Ann Carroll Burgess. All rights reserved. This content was written by Ann Carroll Burgess. If you wish to use this content in any manner, you need written permission. Contact The Spanish Architect Antoni GaudiEuropean Lodging OptionsWhy You Need A Travel Agent

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Cruise industry group announces additional expansion, marketing initiatives Jan 30, 2013 (The Miami Herald - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- The newly expanded Cruise Lines International Association on Wednesday announced even more global growth as well as fresh promotional tools. At a press conference in New York City, Christine Duffy, the trade group's president and CEO, said the number of people who cruised globally last year is estimated at 20.3 million. That number is expected to reach almost 21 million in 2013. Story continues below ↓ Duffy said CLIA has launched a new YouTube channel called Cruise Industry TV, which focuses on new destinations, ships, tips about cruising and other information about the industry. It is not open for consumers to post videos. The association has also started a public relations campaign called Cruise Forward, which has a presence on Facebook. The goal is to highlight positive cruise line initiatives, including innovations to help protect the environment, investment in port infrastructures and destinations, charitable activities and the economic impact of cruising. "We think that this is a very important and exciting way to tell the story of this global industry and its commitment and the work it does in communities that we serve," Duffy said. In a separate announcement on Wednesday, CLIA announced the addition of a new cruise group in Europe. In mid-December, the association said it would merge with other industry groups around the world to become one giant organization. The Dutch Cruise Council, with 16 member lines, recently agreed to join and will be called CLIA Netherlands. The association is also developing a German cruise council to be called CLIA Germany and councils in Italy and Spain. The expanded CLIA now has 55 member cruise lines, more than twice as many as the 26 it represented in 2012. The latest, European operator Tauck River Cruises, joined earlier this month. ___ (c)2013 The Miami Herald Visit The Miami Herald at www.miamiherald.com

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TallShipCelebration.com A Tall Ship experience like none other. Tall Ships Challenge® What Is a Tall Ship? Types of Rigs* Sail Identification Ballads and Brews 2014 "Madeline" out of Traverse City, Michigan. The term “Tall Ship” has been used occasionally since Shakespearian times. Most agree, though, that the term was first used regularly following the organization of the first Tall Ship races. Today, the term is used frequently as a generic description of traditional sailing vessels of all rigs. There are many different types of sailing ships, but they all have certain basic things in common. Every sailing ship has a hull, rigging, and at least one mast to hold up the sails that use the wind to power the ship. Ballast weighs down the bottom of the ship so the wind does not push it over. At one time the convention was that only a vessel with three or more masts was called a “ship”. A single or two-masted vessel was called a “boat”. Little notice is now taken of this supposed rule. In 1955 a London solicitor, Bernard Morgan, had the idea of organizing a race to bring together the last of the world’s great square-rigged ships. He obtained the support of Earl Mountbatten and together with influential people in the sailing world an organizing committee was formed and went to work. The result was a spectacular race from Torbay to Lisbon in 1956 which caught the imagination not only of the public but also of the media who coined the phrase “Tall Ships’ Race.” It was judged to be such a success that the Committee drew up articles of association and formed the Sail Training Association (STA) in order that the Races could be put on a permanent footing. Source: www.answers.com, WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article “Sailing ship”. Ballads and Brews 2014 Sponsors ©2013 Tall Ship Celebration: Bay City. All Rights Reserved. TALL SHIPS®, TALL SHIPS ARE COMING!® and TALL SHIPS CHALLENGE® are registered trademarks and service marks owned by the American Sail Training Association.

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Buy your Seattle CityPASS Articles by City & Category Underground Tour Highlights Seattle’s Strange History October 27th, 2011 By Deston S. Nokes “The rats are pretty big down here, so don’t fall behind.” So begins the short, quirky and fun descent into the Emerald City’s underground. Bill Speidel's Underground Tour
of Seattle isn’t very long and it doesn’t take an inordinate amount of time — but it certainly is a departure from most city tours. Narrated like machine-gun fire, the tour guide works to cram as much information as he or she can muster into the 90-minute, three-block walk under Seattle’s historic Pioneer Square. The tour begins inside Doc Maynard’s Public House, a restored 1890s saloon. After a healthy introductory spiel, the tour descends to three different sections of Seattle’s underground. When you stand in line to buy your ticket, you’re actually standing a full story above Seattle’s original sidewalk. The city was built in the 1880s at sea level. According to stories told on the tour, the low elevation during frontier days could be precarious. For instance, its toilets were known to flush in reverse at really high tide — a precious plumbing tip to file away for your next construction project. Photo Credit: -JvL- on Flickr In 1889, a fire raged through the city, destroying 25 city blocks of wooden houses. Local leaders took the opportunity to build using stone and iron, and to place the city at a higher level. Soon a two-level Seattle took shape. The streets were graded using dirt from the surrounding hills, elevating the neighborhood as high as 35 feet. For a time, while the downtown sidewalks and shop windows were at the new street level, there were shop entrances at original ground level. That meant using lots of ladders until new sidewalks were built. According to the tour, 17 men fell to their deaths in that period. Some businesses operated at both levels. Others, such as steam baths and “other enterprises” operated on the lower level. Seattle — being a Wild West town full of fishermen and loggers — had quite the gender disparity. A census during that period fixed the population count at 23,000 people, most of them male. However, there were 2,300 women who noted their profession as “seamstress,” with all but six of them living in the same, three-block area. Lots of torn dungarees, perhaps. However, a subsequent city investigation didn’t find too many sewing machines. These are just a few of the nuggets you’ll mine on the walk. The two-level section of town existed until 1907, when bubonic plague hit Seattle (look out for those rats). Panicked city leaders shut down the underground and it wasn’t excavated until the 1960s. The tour was started as a way to get people to help preserve Pioneer Square. In 1970, half a million signatures were submitted to the government to keep it from being destroyed, and it was one of the largest historic districts in the nation at that time. On the short tour, be prepared for the underground landscape to be moderately rugged. Although the journey underground is mostly a labyrinth of walkways in a small area, there are six flights of stairs, and some uneven terrain, so dress for the weather and wear sensible footwear for walking. Booking your tour The tour runs almost daily, but on a seasonal schedule, so check the website for times. You can buy your ticket in advance — online or by phone — up to two hours before the start of a tour. Call 206-682-4646. You also may purchase tickets in person at the ticket booth before your tour. It’s located at 608 First Ave, in Seattle’s Pioneer Square, between Cherry Street and Yesler Way. Driving in Seattle is one of the more aggravating activities in the Pacific Northwest. Public transport on light rail or bus (metro.kingcounty.gov) is a good alternative to driving; if you do drive, be prepared to get stuck behind a local Seattleite crawling along at a good 10 mph below the speed limit. You may or may not be able to find street parking or space in parking garages. (Top photo credit: Bala Sivakumar) Get To Know CityPASS

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Travel Wise Travel Clouds of war renew tourist interest in Churchill’s underground hide-out Originally published March 9, 2003 at 12:00 am Updated March 11, 2005 at 4:47 pm Paris has its sewers; Rome its catacombs; and Vienna its web of underground tunnels. Hidden discoveries await those who dig below the surface of Europe's great cities. In London, the current... By Carol Pucci Most Read StoriesNew wife feels sting of inheritance-plan snub | Dear CarolynSeattle just broke a 122-year-old record for rain — because of course it didSeattle’s March for Science draws thousands on Earth Day — including a Nobel Prize winner WATCHFishing 101 can help parents cope with daughter’s nasty ‘best friend’ | Dear CarolynCowlitz Tribe opening $510M casino complex they hope will draw 4.5M visitorsUnlimited Digital Access. $1 for 4 weeks. LONDON — Paris has its sewers; Rome its catacombs; and Vienna its web of underground tunnels. Hidden discoveries await those who dig below the surface of Europe’s great cities. In London, the current draw is a former government storage basement with a sand-bagged entrance and a 500-pound bomb on display in the lobby. The Cabinet War Rooms, the underground sanctuary where Winston Churchill and his lieutenants worked as the Germans bombed London during World War II, have taken on new significance in the aftermath of Sept. 11 and the pending war with Iraq. About half of the 300,000 annual visitors are Americans, according to curator Phil Reed. If you go: The Cabinet War Rooms The Cabinet War Rooms, a branch of London’s Imperial War Museum, are at the Clives Steps at the end of King Charles Street in Central London. Nearest underground stop is Westminster. The rooms are open daily except Dec. 24-26 from 9:30 a.m. (10 a.m. Oct. 1-March 31) to 6 p.m. Admission is 5.80 pounds ($9) for adults, 4.80 ($6.50) pounds for senior citizens and students. Children under 16 are free. Fees include an audio guide. Information: www.iwm.org.uk (click on Cabinet War Rooms) or 011-44-20-7930-6961. “I don’t like to draw parallels today in respect to what we now face being the same dilemma faced by Britain in 1940.” Nevertheless, he said, current events have sparked renewed interest in Churchill, the man who went from being a lone voice in urging action against Adolph Hitler to a leader credited with galvanizing support for a war that saved Europe from Nazi control. After World War I, fears that cities, particularly London, would be the first targets of aerial bombers in another war set planners to work on various ideas for secure sites where the prime minister and his military command could be protected. The idea of tunneling deep shelters in the northwest suburbs was scratched, and eventually the site chosen was a building facing St. James Park between Parliament and No. 10 Downing Street, the prime minister’s official residence. Ten feet below ground, in the basement of what is now the government Treasury Building, the only structure in the area at the time with a steel frame, rooms were reinforced with a 300-yard-long, three-foot thick slab of concrete laid across the top. They were finished Aug. 27, 1939, a week before the German invasion of Poland and Britain’s declaration of war. As sirens signaled bombing raids above, Churchill and his cabinet — the heads of three armed services, chiefs of staff and planning and intelligence units — worked throughout the war, ducking under low ceilings into tiny bed chambers and communicating with the outside world by telephone with signals scrambled by a device in the basement of a London department store. The rooms were kept secret, and Churchill used them reluctantly, preferring to work and sleep above ground whenever possible. Six years later, when the war ended, they were no longer needed. The lights were switched off and the doors locked. Parliament declared them a historic site in 1948, but it wasn’t until 1981 that the Imperial War Museum, a national museum and charity, was able to arrange for restoration of the complex. It opened 21 of the original rooms in 1984. Next month, nine more rooms set aside for the Churchills’ personal use will open to the public for the first time as part of a planned expansion of the complex that will include a new Churchill museum slated to open in 2005. The new rooms, known as the Churchill suite, include the Churchills’ private kitchen, a dining room, Mrs. Churchill’s bedroom and rooms for Churchill’s private staff. Mustard gas and sugar cubes Visitors to the Cabinet War Rooms enter through a metal door and sand-bagged entrance modeled on entries to government installations in the area in 1939 and 1940. A self-guided audio tour with explanations taken from written accounts of military officers, staffers and secretaries starts in a former coal cellar where displays bring home the realities of war. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Churchill was a lone voice urging action against Hitler but gained support for a war that saved Europe from Nazi control. With bombs raining on Britain, newspaper clippings and photos tell the stories of people who took shelter on the platforms of London’s underground stations. Next to the display hangs a huge bomb, one of thousands that caused massive destruction on both sides. In a glass case there are samples of mustard gas, a ration of sugar cubes found hidden in an envelope in an officer’s drawer and the map used at the Yalta Conference in 1945, showing, with lines drawn around countries in black grease pencil, how control of post-war Europe would be divided among the British, Americans and the Soviet Union. The War Cabinet Room, where Churchill and his staff met during bombing raids, has been left as it was when the room was closed in 1945. In the center of a row of seats is the wooden chair Churchill occupied. Curator Reed obtained permission from Churchill’s daughter, Mary Soames, now 80, for President Bush to sit in the chair when Bush visited in 2001. Leaning against a water carafe on the meeting table is a quote from Queen Victoria that Churchill is said to have placed there to remind his staff that no one should entertain the idea that Britain might lose the war. “Please understand there is no depression in this house, and we are not interested in the possibilities of defeat. They do not exist.” Reed gave Bush a copy of the quote “because we rather thought it was apropos of what he was going through following the election,” he recalled. “After Sept. 11, of course, it took on a different significance.” Living conditions were less than ideal, and Churchill and his top aides rarely slept here. Although Churchill bowed to the advice of his staff, who had been pressing him for some time to meet below ground, he did so reluctantly, said Reed. He took the opportunity to leave whenever possible. CAROL PUCCI / THE SEATTLE TIMES A sand-bagged entrance to the Cabinet War Rooms in London is modeled on the entrances to government installations in the area in 1939 and 1940. Low-ranking staff, however, did spend the night, and down the corridor from the Cabinet Room is a trap door leading to a sub-basement and their sleeping quarters, called the “dock.” “For many of them, the routine was simple: work for 10 to 16 hours, then take your sheets and find a vacant bed in one of the dormitories in the dock below,” the audiotape explains. One of Churchill’s secretaries, Elizabeth Nel, left this description of one of the occupational hazards of spending the night: “As one hurried up the stairs, heavy-eyed in one’s dressing gown, ” she wrote, “one always seemed to meet the sprucest, haughtiest, most glamorous officers coming their way.” Further down the hall is a broom closet that was turned into a room where Churchill could telephone President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and later Harry Truman, on a confidential hot line. In a gray cabinet is a device that was linked by cable to a basement below Selfridges department store on Oxford Street, where the signal was scrambled before it crossed the Atlantic. Other rooms housed typists who were provided with sunlamp treatments to make up for the lack of daylight. A switchboard operator was equipped with a gas mask designed to allow her to operate the switchboard during a gas attack. Churchill was a demanding employer, according to Nel’s account. “He dictates straight into the typewriter,” she wrote. “As he finishes dictating, you are to hand over the letter for immediate signing. It’s not easy to hear what he says. … He has a slight speech impediment. … Then there’s always a cigar in his mouth.” Nerve center The Map Room, where military officers updated reports on the war’s progress, was the nerve center of the underground complex, and it is the most impressive room. It appears today as it did after it was closed in 1945, with every map, chart, push pin and book in place. On one wall is a full-length map used to chart the progress of Allied ships. A bank of colored phones sits in the middle of a long desk in the center of the room. The phones connected Army, Navy and Air Force command with underground headquarters around central London. Next door is Churchill’s bedroom-office, lined with maps, and outfitted with the bin he used for his cigar butts, a tray table and a desk with two microphones that he used for radio broadcasts, one to the United States after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941. Churchill slept overnight here just three times and used the room mainly for naps. When he did spend the night, his routine went something like this: “The Prime Minister habitually worked until two or three in the morning, but stayed in bed until eight or nine a.m.,” recalled Admiral Sir Henry Moore of Churchill’s naval staff. “Then he’d sit up, looking like a pink cherub, and read the latest reports. If the news was good, he bounced up and down with joy like a small boy. If it was bad, he would slowly slide down the bed, pulling up the sheet until his face was hardly visible, as though to keep out the bad news.” The nine rooms that will open April 8 are being restored with original furnishings and period pieces from private donors. Old photos guided curators as they attempted to re-create what the areas looked like. The dining-room table and sideboard are the Churchills’ originals. Two matching 62-year-old stoves to be installed in the kitchen came from individuals who responded to a radio, TV and newspaper appeals. “It was astonishing just how many people rang, wrote and e-mailed who still had period stoves,” Reed said. Backers of the new Churchill museum are attempting to raise money in the United States as well as Britain. Reed is hopeful that the opening of the nine rooms will spur donations from visitors impressed by the memories of the people who worked here, convinced that peace would one day return to the bombed-out streets above. “I think that what people experience when they come here is a sense of stepping back in time, and what they feel is a sense of living in dangerous times,” he said. “If one had to find a relevance to today, it is clearly that.” Carol Pucci: 206-464-3701 or cpucci@seattletimes.com Carol Pucci The Weekender Newsletter Sign-up

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HomeThe LuggerDirections Directions Driving westwards on the A30 trunk road to Penzance is the furthest main town. Follow the town centre signs forking left just after the railway station following the signs for on the A3074. The Lugger Inn is approximately a further 1½ miles and situated on the right hand side of the road. Penzance also has a main line railway station with regular links to all UK main line stations. There is a Taxi Rank and a Bus Terminal, with good local services including an open-top bus, both at the same location. Parking is available however, the car park can only hold up to 8 cars, and is on a strictly first come first serve basis however, there is also free parking available directly opposite the hotel on the promenade.

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For Travel Writers & Media • Story Ideas For Movie Location Scouts • Possible Movie Locations • Movies Filmed on the Turquoise Trail Corridor Management Plan « Read Previous Madrid and Cerrillos, New Mexico - Along the Turquoise Trail Madrid and Cerrillos, New Mexico Along the Turquoise Trail By John Treadwell Dunbar Friday, December 3, 2010 http://www.canadafreepress.com/index.php/articles-travel/30647 New Mexico’s 52-mile Turquoise Trail National Scenic Byway, or simply the “Turquoise Trail,” is a popular alternative to Interstate 25 if you’re venturing between Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Highway 14 east of the Sandia Mountains traverses a broad, high desert and low rolling hills with long views of mountains in the distance. This dry country of pinion-juniper, brushy grasslands and too much dirt has played host to adventurers of all walks of life including pre-Columbian Native Americans, Spanish conquistadors, Mexicans during a time of Mexican supremacy, and more recently Anglo-Americans. Two small towns in particular along the Turquoise Trail are worthy of this popular detour; Madrid (pronounced MAD-rid) and Cerrillos, about 25 miles south of Santa Fe. These little gems are rich in history, rich in lore, and like so much of the American Southwest are seeped in a mining tradition that reaches back to A.D. 1,500 and beyond. It was primarily coal that brought Madrid to life by the late 1800s, and after the market played out by the 1950s, artists and craftsmen trickled in. Beginning in the 1970s this new breed of locals breathed an altogether different kind of existence into the defunct ghost town. Today Madrid is a vibrant, grungy, eclectic getaway, popular during warm weather with day-trippers, bikers, art-seekers, turquoise enthusiasts and even the movie industry. Madrid’s coal era began in the 1880s, the mines producing 180,000 tons at its height in 1928. A network of tunnels and 2,500-foot shafts were excavated throughout the region. The booming town, nestled in the Ortiz Mountains, had a population at one time of 3,000. It became the quintessential company town supplying its residents and employees their needs, whether they liked it or not. Company life was not as bleak and oppressive as it might sound. The owners supplied free electricity, and during the prohibition era (1920-1933) even provided a secret spot for distilling illegal liquor. Baseball also played a major role in Madrid which constructed the first lighted baseball park west of the Mississippi River. It’s still in use today. Madrid was also home to the Brooklyn Dodgers farm team, the Madrid Miners. And then along came natural gas which made the demand for house-heating coal plummet and Madrid’s future wane. By 1954 the Albuquerque and Cerrillos Coal Company boarded up shop and the residents, almost to the man and woman, moved on to greener pastures. Madrid became a ghost town in every sense of the word. Few wanted anything to do with the remaining coal, or the homes or the infrastructure, even after the town was offered for sale through the Wall Street Journal at an astonishingly low price of $250,000. Then came the hippies and hipsters, artists and craftsmen and others who recognized a good price and saw the value in “quaint” and things rustic and falling apart, and laid back, and beginning in the 70s were inspired to rent or buy old residential homes and convert them to art galleries, restaurants, cafes and B&Bs. That’s what you’ll find today – a funky, colorful little town of 300+ residents, good times and a great place to squeeze the last dime out of your credit card. Too lazy to shop? Then for you day-drinkers in need of elbowroom, you’ll find plenty at the historic Mine Shaft Tavern (est. 1899, burned down in ‘44 and rebuilt in 1947). It’s got the state’s longest stand-up bar, popular with the leather-people, bikers whose overpriced hogs line Main Street in shiny chrome rows during the temperate months. But don’t let them scare you away. Shoppers and gawkers wander in and out of small refurbished miners cabins and wood-frame homes that line both sides of the road. Crooked picket fences, lopsided mail boxes, Mexican blankets, pottery in overgrown front yards, rusty cars, wind chimes dangling in the breeze and bunches of red chili peppers nailed to the wall adorn quaint shops painted yellow, green, lavender, blue, pink and shades in between. It makes for great photography, though nowadays shopping is the name of the game. But not all come for the unpretentious atmosphere, galleries and boutiques. Some visitors could care less about the handmade silver and turquoise jewelry or the bead work or stained glass or fine photographs. It’s not the leather goods or ceramics or exquisite tapestry or even traditional Navajo weaving that attracts them; nor the fine sculpted objects, precious gems and silverware or the sculpture gardens. They wouldn’t give two cents for all of Madrid’s fine canvas paintings, and as for the renowned Christmas lights spectacle that sets the town aglow each winter, they’re just not interested. All they really want is to visit Maggie’s Diner featured in the 2007 Disney Touchstone production “Wild Hogs.” You’ll find it still standing next to the Great Madrid Gift Emporium, a worthy stop in its own right if you love silver and turquoise. Expectations were understandably high considering the star power this movie attracted. With talent like William H. Macy, Tim Allen, Martin Lawrence, Ray Liotta, John Travolta, a few lines from Peter Fonda of Easy Rider fame, and the quirky bundle of energetic talent that Marisa Tomei brings to the screen, you’d think it would have been a critical success. “Wild Hogs” is the comedy-adventure tale of four middle-aged suburbanite men in need of a thrill or two and much-needed self-discovery. They strike out on their motorcycles only to rile a gang of real nasty bikers who, following a series of mishaps and disconnects, seek revenge on the fleeing fumbling four. The showdown takes place in Madrid where Maggie’s Diner plays a role in the plot. For better or worse, it’s fun watching the story unfold on the streets of Madrid, for me at least. As for the movie, let’s just say it could have been better. And though it was a critical flop (the reviews were brutal) it made a potful of money nonetheless. Be afraid, be very afraid! That’s the cliche you should chant if you believe in ghosts, if you stroll the dark streets of Madrid alone at midnight, because tradition has it that Madrid is chock-full of the discombobulated afterlife. Banging doors and squeaky floors, other people’s reflection in the mirror and similar forms of mischief have fed this legend for decades. The translucent have even been attested to, spotted gliding hither and yon, like the spirit of La Llorona, a ghost of a skinny woman, a supermodel among the living dead, tall and forever weeping, a real looker despite her age who wanders forlorn throughout the Southwest in search of, I don’t know, … something … a Taco Bell maybe, or hand lotion. Of course, if you don’t believe in this hooey, then don’t be afraid. Just laugh, put your car in gear and drive three miles down the road to one of the most authentic, original Spanish-style adobe villages in New Mexico – charming Cerrillos. Hard to imagine Cerrillos bustling with four hotels, a couple of newspapers, 21 saloons and the obligatory disease-riddled brothels, but there was a time when things were rocking, especially once the Santa Fe Railroad laid out the streets and the tent city gave way to permanent structures. But that was then. On quiet days, which is most of the time, the only obstacles you’ll encounter in the dusty, dirt roads are large dogs snoring off an afternoon drunk in the middle of the street in the shade of enormous, gnarled cottonwood trees. Quaint haciendas hide behind long adobe walls crumbling in the heat while chickens scratch and cluck and a few old-timers cling to wood benches and watch the curious slowly drive up and down the side streets and back and forth looking for the beautiful St. Joseph Catholic church, or the old Simoni Store and Wortley Hotel on Front Street which they just drove past, or the remains of the Clear Light Opera House, or the What Not Shop and Mary’s Bar where the raucous cast of “Young Guns” stepped out of line one night and was promptly put in its place by the proprietor (it must be a Sheen thing). Take your time and soak up all that colonial charm, that Hispanic ambiance and all of that rich mining history that defines Cerrillos. It’s not surprising that Hollywood made a dozen movies in picturesque Cerrillos over the years. One of the most famous was the 1988 western “Young Guns,” yet another variation of the Lincoln County War and that rascal “Billy the Kid” played by Emilio Estevez, one of Martin Sheen’s boys. Even though lead, gold, silver and zinc were mined in the Cerrillos Mining District – allegedly the oldest continuous mining district in the West – it was turquoise that put the Cerrillos Hills on the map for good. The highly-coveted blue-green gemstone was mined in abundance since at least A.D. 900 by Native Americans who extracted vast quantities from large pits on the flanks of Mount Chalchihuitl just to the north. Until 1910 this region was the world’s largest, most productive source of this handsome stone which has found its way in to countless silver necklaces, broaches, belt-buckles and earrings over the centuries. The large commercial turquoise mines have shut down, but small mines continue to extract these precious works of nature, such as the Little Chalchihuitl Turquoise Mine owned by Todd and Patricia Brown who operate the Casa Grande Trading Post, another must-stop if you’re in town. Everything from old bottles to odd rocks and trinkets, and of course turquoise mined from their mine, await you. Got kids? Stop by their petting zoo and feed the goats, llama and chickens, but wash your hands afterward. Goats have been known to roll. « Read Previous Jacob Mastic Memorial Ranch Rodeo June 10, 2017 3rd Annual Jacob Mastic Memorial Ranch Rodeo.

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Florida Motorcoach Resort Gets Needed OK January 19, 2011 by Justin Leighty · 1 Comment Artist's rendering of the proposed Island RV Resort in Fort Walton Beach, Fla. Story notes the resort will be limited to Class A and C motorhomes and fifth-wheels trailers. Drawing courtesy of The Northwest Florida Daily News. By summer’s start, motorcoach enthusiasts could have a new place to stay on Florida’s Emerald Coast. Okaloosa County commissioners Tuesday (Jan. 18) approved a local developer’s plans to build an RV park on the north side of U.S. Highway 98 in Fort Walton Beach on Okaloosa Island, The Northwest Florida Daily News reported. The board voted unanimously to allow the construction of the Island RV Resort just east of the former Island Golf Center property. Developer Tripp Tolbert, who owns the Ramada Plaza Beach Resort, plans to open the RV park by early summer. “I think this project is past due,” Commission Chairman James Campbell said before the vote. “I think it’ll add beauty to the island.” The project sparked objections from the Okaloosa Island Leaseholders Association. “We oppose the project because it is not in compliance,” said Dave Miller, the association’s president. The island’s covenants generally prohibit trailers and temporary living quarters. Miller said code enforcement already is an issue, and allowing the RV resort could “open up the floodgates” for people to try and put temporary living quarters in other areas on the island. “We feel the covenants have served the island well,” he said. “We should stick with the covenants as they were written.” But County Attorney John Dowd advised the commissioners that the covenants also give the board authority to approve facilities that serve the recreational needs of tourists. Commissioners said the RV resort, which will be subject to the bed tax, will enhance tourism on the island. The board approved the project with several conditions. Vehicles at the resort will be limited to class A and C motorhomes and fifth-wheel travel trailers. No decks or outside storage will be allowed, and no vehicle will be allowed to occupy a space for longer than six months. All RVs must be kept in road-ready condition with valid tags. “I think there’s a whole tourist market that we are missing out on,” said Commissioner Dave Parisot, who described himself as an “RVer.” “It has the potential to enhance the use of the convention center for trade shows.” Mike Minich, who said he’s been an RV tourist for three years, told commissioners the resort will attract people who want to spend their money in the area. “I fully support this,” said Minich, a Fort Walton Beach councilman. “This is not going to be a campground.” The roughly $1 million project is slated to feature 54 RV slots, a one-story office building, bath house, swimming pool and extensive foliage. The resort will offer utility hook-ups and Internet connections. Daily rates will average $60 to $99 a night, depending on the season. Filed Under: Industry NewsTagged: Island RV Resort, Ramada Plaza Beach Resort, RV park development Hotelier Plans RV Park for Florida’s Panhandle January 17, 2011 by Justin Leighty · Leave a Comment A hotelier and developer 0n Okaloosa Island, Fla., has unveiled plans to build a 6.2-acre RV resort on the north side of U.S. Highway 98 in the state’s panhandle, The Northwest Florida Daily News reported. Tripp Tolbert, who owns the Ramada Plaza Beach Resort, has proposed the Island RV Resort, which will go before Okaloosa County commissioners for approval on Tuesday (Jan. 18). Tolbert’s company, Waterpark Place Development Corp., is behind the project planned for just east of the former Island Golf Center property on Okaloosa Island. “I feel there’s a need in this area for an RV resort,” said Tolbert, who added that most serious RV tourists end up in Santa Rosa or Walton counties. “Not only will it capture an audience we’re presently missing, I think it’ll complement the conference center because a lot of people come to the shows and they travel in RVs.” Tolbert said an RV resort also would accommodate traveling sports teams in the spring seasons. Current plans call for 54 RV spaces and a variety of amenities. “It’s going to have a swimming pool. It’s going to be gated,” Tolbert said. “We’re going to have a check-in facility with a restroom, shower, whatnot.” He said he eventually would like to add pontoon and other boat rentals at the rear of the property. “I own the Ramada, so anything I do over there I want to be done in good taste,” Tolbert said. “I have a lot at stake out here.” He said the RV resort will feature “heavy, heavy landscaping.” “It’s going to be very lush, very beautiful,” Tolbert said. “I’m not doing a trailer park.” He said his rates will be structured to attract a higher end of business. “I’m only allowing three classes of (motor) coaches and I’m restricting about eight classes,” he said. “We’re not having campers on trucks or pop-up tents or any of that.” Local developer Bob Bonezzi said he likes the idea. “I’m all for it as long as it’s high-end,” said Bonezzi, who added that an RV resort would fit in well along the U.S. 98 corridor of Okaloosa Island. County Commissioner Don Amunds said he doesn’t object to what he’s heard so far, but wants more information. “I don’t have a major problem with an RV park, but obviously we’re going to have to look at the details and listen to folks Tuesday,” he said. Tolbert said the property lends itself to some kind of tourism use. “I think it’ll be a great year-round facility,” he said. “I want to do something that’s family oriented and complements the hotel business … and is good for the area.” Filed Under: Industry NewsTagged: Island RV Resort, RV park development TXAD on Linking to Other Websites Campground Management News Delivery

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Home About Us Mission and Goals Savannah Coastal Refuges Complex National Wildlife Refuge System Join, Renew, Donate & Contributors Join the Friends! Renew Your Membership Donate to the Friends Friends Group Life Members Friends Group Contributors 2014-2016 Friends Group Contributors 2008-2013 Events: Upcoming & Past Kingfisher Discovery Center Project What is planned for the site? Why is this project important? Who is involved in the project so far? Where will the Discovery Center be built? Where will the money come from? How can I help? Contribute to The Kingfisher Discovery Center Project List of Donors Pinckney Island Programs & Accessibility Event Schedule / Reservations Volunteers Needed Donations Documents Tour Guides Photos Volunteer Event Signup The Gator Hole Online Store Newsletters News and Announcements Educational & Friends Resources Educational Resources Savannah Harbor Deepening Other Friends Groups Links to other organizations Harris Neck Land Issue Contact Us * Email The Gator Hole Featured Items: Refuge T-shirts for five of our refuges Refuge/Friends stainless steel water bottleFriends group lapel pinsNature-themed mugs, posters, jewelryChildren items*********************************** Hand-crafted earrings from Jabebo®Gift cards from local photographers and Friends group members Diana Churchill and Judy Johnson.**********************************Hand-painted bird ornaments from Kim Russell.*****************************************Peterson Fields Guides Including the latest 6th Edition of Birds of Eastern and Central North America. Many other birding titles also available.****************************************Children's nature books The American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) is a signature critter on our Refuges, drawing many visitors to see this mighty reptile in its natural habitat. Alligators carve out open spaces in the wetlands (called "gator holes") that become mini-ecosystems and provide homes to many other animals. We have carved out a nature and book store we call The Gator Hole within the visitor center at Savannah NWR. It has become the home for a carefully selected array of books, clothing, and educational items that will enhance your understanding of the refuges and the plants and animals that inhabit them.Toy snakes, spiders, and alligators from Safari, Ltd.® Folkmanis® hand and finger animal puppetsNature-Themed T-shirts from Wild Cotton (all shirts have Savannah National Wildlife Refuge silk-screened on left sleeve) KPDC Tee-shirts now available. Friends of the Savannah Coastal Wildlife Refuges, Inc. PO Box 16841, Savannah, GA, 31416 webmaster@coastalrefuges.org

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30 million trips and counting: BART celebrates 10th anniversary of SFO extension 06.21.2013 30 million trips and counting: BART celebrates 10th anniversary of SFO extension BART is marking 10 years of service on the SFO extension, which has served more than 30 million passengers since opening June 22, 2003. The five-station extension provides a direct train-to-plane connection that has become the number one choice of air travelers taking public transportation to San Francisco International Airport.“The SFO extension is a crowning achievement for the Bay Area,” said BART Board Director James Fang. “The public has embraced this so much that the extension fares not only cover all of its operating expenses, it also makes money we can use to invest in other customer improvements and future BART extensions. We think this can serve as a model for other rail agencies.”BART will begin the 10th anniversary celebration this week with commemorative posters on trains, features on BART.gov including photos, little-known facts and historic video looking back at the challenges and tremendous effort it took to make the dream a reality.Later this year BART will continue the celebration with a public event at the airport. Details of the celebration will be announced in the coming months.Ridership on the extension continues to gain steam. Ridership has increased by 27% over the past four years and, in the past two years, it’s grown at a rate of 10%.The BART to SFO Extension is 8.7 miles long and consists of five stations: Colma, South San Francisco, San Bruno, San Francisco International Airport and Millbrae. BART - SFO Photos BART Train at the New SFO station, circa 2003. Support Pillars for SFO BART Station, June 1999. SFO BART Station-Trackway, May 2001. BART Station Walls go up, July 2000. Representative Ellen Tauscher, Judge Quentin L. Kopp, Secretary of Transportation Norman Minetta, U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer, and BART Board Member James Fang enter the new station on opening day. United States Senator Dianne Feinstein addresses the opening day crowd. 10 things you might not know about the SFO extension: 1. There used to be a purple BART line, a shuttle that ran between Millbrae and SFO. It was discontinued in January 2008 when BART altered its service plan to increase efficiency, not because riders using on the line were tired of being called “purple people.” 2. Some artwork at the Millbrae Station uses a material called “terrazzo.” Although it sounds like something on the menu at an Italian restaurant, terrazzo is actually a composite material, usually consisting of marble quartz, granite or glass combined with another material that binds it. 3. Spring 2003 was a bountiful season for SFO – both BART and the people mover AirTrain blossomed within a matter of weeks. 4. The safety cones on the SFO middle platform are so popular they have their own Flickr group. The cones are a visual cue to hurried travelers to watch out for the middle set of tracks which aren’t currently in use. 5. The endangered species of garter snakes that live in the area of the tracks now have their own ranch. Called Mindego Ranch, the 1,047-acre property is managed by the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District. 6. BART created a commemorative ticket to celebrate the opening. With the advent of Clipper cards, you’re not likely to see any new commemorative BART tickets. 7. Four stations opened June 22, 2003 – the first time more than two stations opened on the same day since 1972 when BART began service with 34 brand spanking new stations in the East Bay. 8. The art installation at the SFO station consists of 200,000 mirrored disks designed to create an “ever-changing mosaic, sculpted by the wind.” Enjoy the experience but don’t try to comb your hair in the mirrors. 9. Millbrae Station, which connects BART to Caltrain, is the largest intermodal terminal west of the Mississippi. Take that, L.A.! 10. When BART-to-SFO opened there were 37 passenger airlines operating at the airport. In the past decade that has grown to 44, including newcomers like Virgin America and JetBlue. While the number of airlines grew, the size of those onboard snack bags has shrunk. Footer

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London Duck Tours > Lambeth Palace Lambeth Palace This red brick medieval palace is the official home of the Archbishop of Canterbury – the leader of the Church of England, a role that has existed for over 1400 years. Located on the south bank of the River Thames, directly opposite the Houses of Parliament, Lambeth Palace offers some remarkable and often painted views of Westminster. London Duck Tours recommends a brief wander along the riverside towards Lambeth Palace from our departure point and past the London Eye at sunset, just as the Embankment lights are switched on, as they really do frame the romantic views of the Thames and Westminster perfectly. Who needs Paris?! Renovation and renewal The most ancient corners of the palace date back to the 13th century, although like most medieval buildings it’s had its fair share of additions and remodeling. The most significant set of renovations came in the 19th Century when most of the neo Gothic features where added. The historic library at Lambeth Palace dates from 1610, and with its world renowned collection over 200,000 books and 600 medieval manuscripts, it is a national treasure in itself. A Peaceful Space on the Southbank The garden at Lambeth Palace is surprisingly large given the building’s central location – the space is without doubt the oldest most continually cultivated space in Central London – dating back to the 1200’s. Lambeth Palace would have been a place of sanctuary and assistance for the poor and needy of old London. The gatehouse to the front of the palace called Morton’s Tower was the place that the destitute and hungry of London would go to for free soup and bread. Lambeth Palace and World War II The palace did not escape World War II without damage, and received a direct hit from a bomb during The Blitz – scorch marks can still be seen on the brickwork. It’s deep and solid crypt came in useful during the same war, when it was used as an air raid shelter, as well as a cellar for storing beer and wine. Further details of how Central London was affected during The Blitz, and how the war changed the city can be found on our D Day Duck (London Blitz) Tour.

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Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons (Oxfordshire) 32 Rooms “The good does not interest us, the sublime does” - Raymond Blanc OBE Just outside Oxford, Chef Raymond Blanc presides over a magnificent manor house, renowned for its hotel, cuisine and stunning gardens. For Blanc, “if the work itself is transient, the memory of the flavour remains”. Amongst the abounding lavender, Blanc grows almost 90 varieties of vegetables and over 70 aromatic herbs, which you find on your plate, in one way or another. Blanc swears only by organic produce. The suites of the hotel, which all have evocative names and distinctive feels, the exoticism of Opium, the haven of tranquillity of Blanc de Blanc, the exuberance of Vettriano, are just as sublime. Enchantment in the land of Lewis Carroll and J.R.R. Tolkien. Unique in the world: A magnificent manor house, renowned for its hotel, cuisine and stunning gardens. TRIPADVISOR traveler rating: Discover the hotel Le Manoir, nestled in the picturesque Oxfordshire village of Great Milton, is renowned as one of Britain's finest gastronomic experiences. It is also one of the country's most intimate and original hotels, with 32 individually designed guest rooms. Created by celebrated chef Raymond Blanc, Le Manoir has been delighting guests since 1984. A year later it was awarded two Michelin stars, which it has now held for a remarkable 30 years. Surrounded by lawns, flower borders and orchards, Le Manoir enjoys an idyllic setting. But beyond the eye-catching displays are vegetable and herb gardens that provide the kitchen with ultra-fresh, and often exotic, produce that helps keep the kitchens at the cutting edge of taste. The Raymond Blanc Cookery School, opened in 1991, offering a choice of 1, 2 or 4 day courses, it attracts a constant stream of budding chefs. When Chef Raymond Blanc and Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons adopt a school, the children discover a surprising new world. Under the program "Chefs Adopt a School", Raymond Blanc and his team are involved with two schools. Here he teaches young children the basics of nutrition and how to adopt a good, wholesome diet. They are given the opportunity to discuss subjects as diverse as nutrition, sustainable development, food transport, buying local and food waste. The pupils also visit the organic gardens of Le Manoir a sanctuary of biodiversity, where heritage seeds in danger of extinction are stored and grown. In the kitchen, where possible, produce is locally sourced and seafood comes from sustainable sources.

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Our Mission, Vision, and ValuesThe Appalachian Trail is a place of life-changing discovery. We believe everyone should have the opportunity for that experience, which is why we want to ensure the Trail remains protected for the long haul. Our MissionThe Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s mission is to preserve and manage the Appalachian Trail – ensuring that its vast natural beauty and priceless cultural heritage can be shared and enjoyed today, tomorrow, and for centuries to come. Our VisionThe Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s vision is to connect the human spirit with nature – preserving the delicate majesty of the Trail as a haven for all to enjoy. We are committed to nurture and protect this sacred space through education and inspiration. We strive to create an ever-expanding community of doers and dreamers, and work to ensure that tomorrow’s generations will experience the same mesmerizing beauty we behold today. The Appalachian Trail Conservancy is guided by a set of staff core values that represent the organization’s commitment to preserve and manage the Appalachian Trail. We pursue our mission and vision by our dedication to: Cooperation: The A.T. could not exist without cooperation: cooperation between ATC, A.T. Clubs, A.T. Communities and government agencies as well as among staff members, volunteers, and our key constituencies. We respect each other and work openly together to achieve our common objectives and support our mission. Integrity: We conduct ourselves in accordance with the highest standards of professional and personal behavior and ethics. We are transparent, honest and ethical in all our interactions with each other as well as with our partners and all those we encounter in the broader A.T. community. Inclusion: ATC aspires to be a welcoming and diverse organization that attracts, retains, and values talented people from all backgrounds. We appreciate differences in one another as well as our similarities. We strive for this spirit of inclusivity to expand beyond our organization and especially to our government and volunteer partners. Dedication: ATC staff members are passionate in their service to the Trail. From the Executive Director to seasonal staff members, in the office or in the field, on the clock and off, we work hard to promote and preserve the A.T. experience we cherish. We empower our talented staff members to take the initiative to stimulate continuous improvement and positive change in all aspects of the organization.

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Jim and Diane's Boating Adventure Five years after buying our boat, we are finally ready to begin the Great Loop, a trip up the east coast from Florida across the Great Lakes and down the Mississippi, Tennessee and other rivers back to the Gulf Coast. Finishing the Loop We returned to the boat in Panama City the end of July. After a few days we headed east to Port St. Joe, Apalachicola, and Carrabelle. We only spent a day in Port St. Joe, but we spent five days each in Apalachicola and Carrabelle. Diane continued her oyster experiment mentioned in the previous post. Our five days in Carrabelle were due to weather so we took advantage of this and retrieved our car from Panama City. The beaches near Carrabelle were used to train amphibious troops in World War II and there is an excellent museum there. Our choices for the next leg of our trip were either an overnight passage across the Gulf to the Tarpon Springs area or multiple days going around the Big Bend. We chose the later. Did you know that the Big Bend is the spawning ground for most of the fish in the Gulf of Mexico? Our trip around took us first to Steinhatchee, where scallop season was in full swing, then to Cedar Key and finally to the Anclote Keys off Tarpon Springs. On the way we passed the now defunct Cross Florida Barge Canal. This was a project begun in the 1930's to connect the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico across northern Florida. About 30% of the route was built before environmental concerns killed it in 1991. We worked our way down the west side of the Pinellas Peninsula stopping in Dunedin and Gulfport and arriving at the St. Petersburg Municipal Marina in mid August. This is one of our favorite places to take our boat and we took a slip for a month. We retrieved our car from Carrabelle and on the trip spent a night at the Lodge at Wakulla Springs. Wakulla Springs is the filming location for The Creature From the Black Lagoon and other films of similar ilk. The lodge was built in 1937 and still has an original operational elevator and is still cooled by circulating cold spring water through radiators in the rooms. Highly recommended. Down Time needed some repairs and upgrades so we took her to Endeavour's (the manufacturer) boatyard. It was then back to the municipal marina for another couple of weeks. We left St. Pete on September 20th headed south with friend Ron Westbrook aboard. As mentioned in the previous post, our yacht club membership gives us reciprocity at other Florida yacht clubs and we took full advantage of this as we headed back to Marathon. Our first stop after leaving St. Pete was the Field Club in Sarasota. The club was at one time the winter home of one of the Marshall Field family members now converted to a yacht club. Next was Bird Key Yacht Club also in Sarasota where we met and had dinner with Judi Nofs, a long time sailing friend. We had met Judi and her husband Dave in 1991 when we were headed to the Caribbean. Sadly, Dave passed away just a couple of years ago. On to Venice and the Venice Yacht Club and more boating friends, John and Bobbie Hanna. We met them in 2003 as they had just purchased the same boat we now own. Another stop to visit friends of Jim at the St. Charles Yacht Club in Ft. Myers. Jim's first job out of college was at Chemical Abstracts Service in Columbus, OH. There he met Dave Haring and his wife Lou.. Dave and Jim reconnected via Facebook a few years ago, but had not met in person in more than 30 years. Our last yacht club stop was in Naples. From there we headed to Indian Key in the 10,000 Islands where we anchored. Our last stop before Marathon was an anchorage in the Little Shark River. The mosquitoes were ferocious and we hooked the anchor on something and thought for a while that we were going to have to abandon it, but finally it came free. The run across Florida Bay was the usual minefield of crab pots, but is was not as bad as it could have been because stone crab season had not begun. We arrived at the end of our six plus year Loop at 1:40pm on Monday, September 28. We actually went back in the same slip we had left in May 2009. When we have some more time we will post some statistics for the trip and some pictures. Diane and Jim

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Memphis Pyramid The Tomb Of Doom The Memphis Pyramid, initially known as the Great American Pyramid, formerly referred to as the Pyramid Arena and locally referred to as The Pyramid, was originally built as a 20,142-seat arena located in downtown Memphis at the banks of the Mississippi River. The facility was built in 1991 and was originally owned and operated jointly by the city of Memphis and Shelby County; Shelby County sold its share to Memphis in April 2009. Its structure plays on the city's namesake in Egypt, known for its ancient pyramids. It is 321 feet (98m, about 32 stories) tall and has base sides of 591 ft; it is by some measures the tenth tallest pyramid in the world. Pyramid and view of Wolf River The Memphis Pyramid has not been regularly used as a sports or entertainment venue since 2004. In 2015, the Pyramid re-opened as a Bass Pro Shops "megastore", which includes shopping, a hotel, restaurants, a bowling alley, and an archery range with an outdoor observation deck at its apex. Riverside Drive Entering Ramp of I-40 to Arkansas With View Of Pyramid This photo of Bass Pro Shop is courtesy of TripAdvisor The "Great American Pyramid" was conceived originally by Mark C. Hartz, a Memphis artist in about 1954. The project originally included three pyramids located on the south bluffs of Memphis overlooking the Mississippi River. The larger of the three would have been 2/3rd scale of the Great Pyramid of Memphis, Egypt. Because the flanking structures would have been scaled at 2/3s the size of the main pyramid. The project languished for three decades until Mark's younger son, Memphian Jon Brent Hartz, resurrected the concept. Mark C. Hartz, who was well known for his architectural renderings, rendered a new bronze glass-glazed pyramid. After years of negotiations, the younger Hartz's concept was adopted by entrepreneur John Tigrett as a symbol for the city of Memphis. The groundbreaking ceremony was held on September 15, 1989 and the building was opened on November 9, 1991. The construction of the building was managed by Sidney Shlenker, part owner of the Denver Nuggets and several entertainment companies, who Tigrett had brought to Memphis to develop tourist attractions in the building. Originally, there were plans for a shortwave radio station broadcasting Memphis music, an observation deck with an inclinator along the side of the building, a Hard Rock Cafe, a music museum, and a theme park on Mud Island along with other things. However, the plans were scrapped because of a fallout between Tigrett and Shlenker and the latter's financial difficulties. View Of Pyramid From Mud Island and Downtown Memphis Various Former Uses And Events: The Pyramid was the home court for the University of Memphis men's basketball program, and later for the National Basketball Association's Memphis Grizzlies. However, both teams left The Pyramid in November 2004 to move into the newly built FedExForum. It was also home to the Memphis Pharoahs of the AFL. The arena hosted the 1993 Great Midwest Conference Men's and Women's basketball tournaments, the 1994 and 1997 Southeastern Conference men's basketball tournament, the 1996 and 2000 Conference USA men's basketball tournament, and the 2003 Conference USA women's basketball tournament. It also held the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament in 1995, 1997, and 2001. Pyramid Just Past Auction Bridge To Mud Island The Pyramid was the site of the WWF St. Valentine's Day Massacre: In Your House pay-per-view, in 1999. It also hosted the boxing mega-fight between Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson in 2002, which Lewis won by a knockout in the eighth round. Hernando Desoto Bridge beside Pyramid (The "M" Bridge) Filmmaker Craig Brewer used the building as a sound stage for his film Black Snake Moan in late 2005. Hernando Desoto Bridge Night View Overlooking Mud Island From 2002 to 2006, the annual Church of God in Christ international holy convocations were held here. In 2002, the arena hosted a concert, commemorating the 25th anniversary of Elvis Presley's death. Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band performed what is reputed to be the last concert ever in the Pyramid, on February 3, 2007. Troubles And Closure: The vacant Pyramid pictured in 2010. On the Pyramid's opening night, the arena floor flooded because of inadequate drainage pumps, and the entire arena began to flood causing stage hands to sandbag the entire perimeter to preserve the electrical runs under the stage. The arena was also assumed to be NBA ready; however, when the Memphis Grizzlies came to town, it was discovered that the cost of upgrading to NBA standards made it more practical to build an arena tailored specifically for the NBA. As a result, the $250 million FedExForum, home of the Memphis Grizzlies, was built and opened in 2004. Tom Lee Park and Riverside Drive and View Of Downtown with Pyramid at far Left. The City of Memphis contract with the Memphis Grizzlies forbade the use of The Pyramid without the team's approval, and as a result, it went dark. A committee headed by Memphis businessman Scott Ledbetter studied possible uses of the arena in 2005, and considered such uses as converting the arena into a casino, an aquarium, a shopping mall, or an indoor theme park. In November 2006, Congressman-Elect Steve Cohen (D-Tennessee) suggested that he would attempt to open a "Mid-American branch" of the Smithsonian Institution in the building. However, these plans were never realized. In the end, the committee on the building's future recommended that it be used for "destination retail" which would create more jobs and new tax revenues. Riverside Drive and View Of Downtown Memphis With Pyramid on Left at Wolf River Harbor Imagery: In 2011, a drawing of The Pyramid – alongside images of iconic structures from Tennessee's three other large cities (the AT&T Building in Nashville, Knoxville's Sunsphere, and the Tennessee Aquarium of Chattanooga) – was incorporated into the standard design of Tennessee's state-issued driver's licenses. Future Use: In October 2005, media speculation began to focus on an aquarium or a Bass Pro Shops superstore as the most likely long-term tenants of the arena. In 2008, the city and Bass Pro Shops reached a "tentative" agreement, short on details, but based on an intent to develop the then-abandoned structure. On June 30, 2010, after 5 years of negotiating, Bass Pro and the City of Memphis signed an agreement for a 55-year lease for a Bass Pro Shops megastore. In addition, the redevelopment plans include revitalizing the Pinch District, which is the neighborhood east of the Pyramid. The city invested $30 million to help with the seismic retrofitting of the structure which was funded by sales tax revenue in the surrounding area. Bass Pro began renovations and construction in October 2012 and opened to the public on April 29, 2015. Source: wikipedia Posted by Memphis Pyramid And The Tomb Of Doom New Year's Toast The Legend Of The Holly Memphis Bass Pro Shop In The Pyramid Leahy's Motel And Trailer Park McDonald's Memphis The Galloway Mansion Vintage Pictures Of Memphis TN Judge T.J. Latham Residence Ray Gammons Restaurant Overton Park, Memphis TN In Vintage Pictures Casey's Motel Highway 51 S. Memphis, TN Circa 1950... Gayoso Hotel Memphis TN Tennessee Brewery in Downtown Memphis Continental Luxury Apartments Our Lady Of Grace Shrine, St. Thomas Catholic Chur... The Roberts-Taylor-Isbell House Another Architectural Loss In Mobile, AL Today I Smiled

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I love traveling to exotic places, and for someone from Southeast Asia, Nepal definitely fits the bill. As a young boy, I was fascinated by this mountainous, landlocked kingdom with a weird-shaped flag, and dreamt that someday I'll be able to visit the place- my dream came true. I pity that Nepal is unable to take off in tourism. They surely can be great tourist destination if the government will only strengthen their efforts by improving infrastructure and lessening corruption. There is only the Department of Roads in Nepal because there are only roads-- no highways exist. The Nepalese are a beautiful and friendly people. My hope is for their Tourism Year 2011 to be a success.Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a country in South Asia located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India. With an area of 147,181 square kilometres (56,827 sq mi) and a population of approximately 30 million, Nepal is the world's 93rd largest country by land mass and the 41st most populous country. Kathmandu is the nation's capital and the country's largest metropolis. Nepal has a rich geography. The mountainous north has eight of the world's ten tallest mountains, including the highest point on Earth, Mount Everest, called Sagarmatha in Nepali. It contains more than 240 peaks over 20,000 ft (6,096 m) above sea level. The fertile and humid south is heavily urbanized.By some measures, Hinduism is practised by a larger majority of people in Nepal than in any other nation. Buddhism, though a minority faith in the country, is linked historically with Nepal. Many Nepali do not distinguish between Hinduism and Buddhism and follow both religious traditions. There are 3 different buddhist traditions: Himalayan Buddhism, Buddhism of Kathmandu Valley (mostly Mahayana and Vajrayana), and also the Theravada Buddhism. Their type of Buddhism is similar to the Sri Lankan Buddhism.A monarchy throughout most of its history, Nepal was ruled by the Shah dynasty of kings from 1768, when Prithvi Narayan Shah unified its many small kingdoms. In 2006, however, a decade-long Civil War by the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) along with several weeks of mass protests by all major political parties of Nepal culminated in a peace accord, and the ensuing elections for the constituent assembly voted overwhelmingly in favor of the abdication of the last Nepali monarch Gyanendra Shah and the establishment of a federal democratic republic in 28 May 2008. The first President of Nepal, Ram Baran Yadav, was sworn in on 23 July 2008.On 1 June 2001, there was a massacre in the royal palace. King Birendra, Queen Aiswarya, Crown Prince Dipendra and seven other members of the royal family were killed. Dipendra was accused of patricide and of committing suicide thereafter. This outburst was alleged to have been Dipendra's response to his parents' refusal to accept his choice of wife. Nevertheless there are speculation and doubts among Nepalese citizens about who was responsible.

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Sailing Conference Shipwreck Symposium Hudson River Day Boatbuilding Challenge Group & Bus Tours Rondout Lighthouse Hudson River Stewards Standard Tour Exploring Along the Hudson The Hudson and the Revolution Transporting the Hudson Valley The Clean, Green Hudson Boats, Boats, Boats A Year of Sounds & Stories Hudson River History Sloops of the Hudson River Robert Fulton Hudson River Steamboats New York Canals Boat School Artifact Donations Boat Donations Pilot Club Pilot Log One of the most important waterways in American history, the Hudson River was named after British explorer Henry Hudson, who sailed up the river in 1609. Before Hudson, however, dozens of Native American tribes lived along the banks of the Hudson and used it as a source of food and as a major highway.Stretching almost straight north, the Hudson is deep, wide, and tidal. The tides in particular made it easier for sailboats to navigate the river. Fishing and transportation were the major commercial uses of the river. Commercial and subsistence fishing began with Native peoples and continued up until the 1970s, when fisheries in the Hudson began to collapse. Although they are recovering today, many species of fish are banned from consumption, including sturgeon, which has be begun to recover, and shad, which has not. Transportation began with Hudson River sloops and other vessels, progressed through steamships, towboats and tugs, to modern tugs and pleasure vessels. The construction of the Erie Canal in 1825 opened up shipments from the west via the Great Lakes and was instrumental in expanding settlement in the northern plains and Great Lakes region. Other canals that led to the Hudson were also developed during this period; the Champlain Canal was officially completed in 1823 and the Delaware & Hudson Canal (D&H Canal) in 1828.Tourism and leisure along the Hudson River began in the 18th century and blossomed in the early 19th century and continues to today. In fact, tourism is one of the main economic engines of the modern Hudson River Valley. Many of the public domain books below are tourist-related or are early histories of the Hudson. The dates are noted so that the texts may be placed in historical context. The Tourist, or Pocket Manual for Travellers on the Hudson River, etc. by Robert J. Vandewater (1831) Letters About the Hudson River and Its Vicinity Written in 1835 and 1836 by A Citizen of New York (1836) The Tourist, or Pocket Manual for Travellers on the Hudson River, etc. by Robert J. Vandewater (1839) The Hudson River by Daylight by Thursty McQuills (c. 1880) Rand McNally & Co's Illustrated Guide to the Hudson River and Catskill Mountains by Ernest Ingersoll (1893) The Hudson River: From Ocean to Source by Edgar Mayhew Bacon (1902) The Hudson River Outlet From The Erie Canal To The Sea: An Address by William B. Jones (1907) Hudson River Maritime Museum50 Rondout LandingKingston, NY 12401​845-338-0071fax: 845-338-0583info@hrmm.org​The Hudson River Maritime Museum is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of the maritime history of the Hudson River, its tributaries, and related industries. ​ Members Matter! Become a member and receive benefits like unlimited free museum admission, discounts on classes, programs, and in the museum store, plus invitations to members-only events. The Hudson River Maritime Museum receives no federal, state, or municipal funding except through competitive, project-based grants. Your donation helps support our mission of education and preservation.

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info@unicocostabrava.com Chèques Vacances ANCV Cancellation insurances Bellcaire d'empordà Towns in the Costa Brava The Costa Brava is full of small and big beautiful towns. Discover them here! BEGUR: You'll take away some great memories of your visit to Begur. The landscape is sure to feature prominently since this area boasts some of the most spectacular beauty spots on the Costa Brava. The beaches and coves, sheltered by vegetation, will make you feel like you're in paradise. The historical centre, crowned by the mediaeval castle, or the little Romanesque town of Esclanyà, give you a sense of the exciting history of Begur. You couldn't ask for better surroundings, with coastal footpaths ideal for hiking and an array of water sports on offer. Begur has it all, and you’ll have an unforgettable experience. BLANES: Once you get to Blanes, you are in the Costa Brava. Sa Palomera Rock,right in the middle of the long beach, marks the beginning of the Costa Brava. This is why it is known as the Portal to the Costa Brava. This is also where the charms of a former fishing village start, where the traces of its history live hand in hand with the restless life of a modern, dynamic, but welcoming town. CALELLA DE PLAFRUGELL: All the towns that form part of the municipality of Palafrugell have a special charm, but when you visit Calella de Palafrugell you'll discover that it sounds wonderful as well. Listen to the waves of the Mediterranean in a town that has preserved its seafaring spirit like no other. Listen to the silence, peace and calm of the beaches and coves, authentic paradises hidden away from it all. And listen to music on summer nights, with the traditional performance of havaneres (colonial sea shanties) and the prestigious Cap Roig Festival, two essential experiences to be enjoyed in this stunning setting. CALONGE: Calonge is one of many towns in Baix Empordà with more attractions than you can count on the fingers of both hands. To start with, you have mediaeval Calonge in the shape of an exceptional old quarter with the arcaded Carrer Càcul, Plaça de la Doma and Plaça Major, where the castle awaits you, forming an integral part of the town. Enter and visit the square, the Renaissance palace and the keep. Then you have Sant Antoni de Calonge, the Calonge of coves and beaches, where footpaths wind their way around the coast. And there's an even more ancient heritage to see in Calonge: the dolmens scattered along the Ruàs valley and the Iberian settlement of Castellbarri. And make sure you don't miss the festive Calonge, with highlights including the New Wine Festival and the mediaeval market. CASTELLÓ D'EMPÚRIES: he history books refer to Castelló d'Empúries as the mediaeval capital of a county that experienced a long golden age. The town's mediaeval past remains evident in many of its streets and in buildings such as the basilica of Santa Maria, the Palace of the Counts or the Llotja (sea exchange building). But this mediaeval character really comes to the fore during theFestival Terra de Trobadors (Land of Troubadours), featuring period music, jousting, a mediaeval market and many other activities. On top of all this history, the town also boasts plenty of scenic attractions, with the Empordà wetlands as a backdrop, so you've got plenty of reasons to explore it. EMPURIABRAVA: It is said that Empuriabrava is the little Venice of the Costa Brava. In this large residential marina (one of the biggest in the world), the locals make their way along a network of waterways rather than streets. Here you can enjoy beaches to suit everyone, gentle activities such as walks in the Empordà wetlands or adrenaline-fuelled ones such as kitesurfing or skydiving, not to mention the wonderful mediaeval architecture of Castelló d'Empúries. L'ESCALA: L’Escala is one of the Costa Brava’s main tourist destinations. It’s easy to see why. It is set in unbeatable surroundings with the Montgrí massif, the Empordà wetlands, small and large beaches, and tiny coves nestled between rocky cliffs. There are all sorts of activities going on in the town, such as sardana dancing, performances of havaneres (colonial sea shanties), the Anchovy Festival, the Fish Suquet (stew) Gastronomic Days and so much more... There are plenty of sports on offer as well, such as mountain biking, hiking, diving, etc. And as for cultural experiences, how does a visit to the Greco-Roman ruins of Empúries sound? L’Escala is a seaside town full of life; come and experience it for yourself! L'ESTARTIT: Where the Montgrí massif dips its feet in the sea you'll find L’Estartit, the coastal area of Torroella de Montgrí. This is a town whose seafaring past can still be savoured and where the beaches and coves share the limelight with the Medes islands. Beach lovers will enjoy the five kilometres of fine and shallow sand on the town's main beach. If you prefer rocky coves, head to Calella cove. If you want a little of both, discover the Pedrosa cove, hidden away between pines and rocks. And if you're a scuba diving and snorkelling enthusiast, you have the underwater paradise of the Medes islands, one of the best nature reserves in the Mediterranean. LLAFRANC: It is said that the Palafrugell coastline in Baix Empordà forms the core of the Costa Brava, and that's where you'll find Llafranc, a tourist town whose seafaring and fishing past remains evident. Feel the white sand of its beach, revel in the landscape as you walk along the coastal footpath linking Llafranc to Calella, and climb up to the Sant Sebastià lighthouse to enjoy stunning views. The writer Josep Pla, a native of Palafrugell, said that Llafranc was a “truly relaxing place”. It is that and so much more. Come and discover it! LLANÇÀ: If you’ve never heard of Llançà, just shut your eyes for a moment and imagine a small Mediterranean town surrounded by protected natural landscape: on one side, the Cap de Creus Natural Park, with stunning beaches and dreamy coves; on the other side, the Albera mountain range, with plenty of trails to explore. Imagine yourself alone or with friends and family, enjoying water sports, discovering architectural gems or savouring a tasty dish of fresh fish. All of this and so much more is possible in Llança. Be sure to come with your eyes wide open, there’s so much to see! LLORET DE MAR: Lloret de Mar is a perfect combination of sun, beach, culture and leisure time activities. You can enjoy this municipality on the Costa Brava, bathed by the Mediterranean Sea, as you like and with whom you like. If you are looking for peace and quiet, get away from it all in Boadella Cove, stroll along the coastal paths or disconnect in any of the nooks and crannies of thegardens of Santa Clotilde. If what you are looking for is fun and adventure, there are a whole host of water activities, hiking routes or bicycle routes to wear you out. If you are looking for a good cultural offer, there is a long list of Modernist buildings for you to visit. Get to know the part of Lloret de Mar that most interests you. PALAFRUGELL: Palafrugell is one of the star attractions of Baix Empordà and the Catalan coastline. Its beaches (Tamariu, Llafranc and Calella) are set in the quintessential landscape of the Costa Brava, sheltered by cliffs with their crystal-clear water. Your photos will look like picture postcards. Combine wonderful swims in the sea with strolls along the coastal footpath linking Calella and Llafranc, stopping off at the Sant Sebastià lighthouse, a must-see attraction. From there the views are stunning. And to explore the life of the town, wander the streets and alleys following in the footsteps of the writer Josep Pla, a native of Palafrugell. PALAMÓS: Palamós grew around the port. In fact, the economy of this town in Baix Empordà is still sustained by the commercial, fishing and tourism activity of its port. However, its attractions go beyond the port and fantastic beaches. This is a town that will captivate you with its megalithic monuments, its Iberian settlement and its old quarter, not to mention the beauty of a sweeping landscape that takes in theGavarres massif and offers you stunning views of the Costa Brava. PALS: The town of Pals is associated with many words and sensations: mediaeval, with the walled old quarter protected by the clock tower; sea, with a long, sweeping beach that invites you to take a dip with the backdrop of the Medes islands; birds, which fly over and make their nests around the ponds Basses d’en Coll, a protected area between wetlands and dunes; and rice, cultivated in acres upon acres of paddy fields and the star ingredient of many local dishes. Make sure you don't leave Pals without savouring the experience of a great rice stew. PLATJA D'ARO: Platja d’Aro is one of the tourist towns par excellence in Baix Empordàand one of the main Costa Brava destinations. It offers round-the-clock entertainment with no shortage of leisure options and activities. In the morning, for example, you can go for a swim at the main beach or at one of the nearby little coves. The early evening is a good time for strolling and shopping, making the most of the cooler temperatures. When the sun goes down it's time to enjoy the terraces, bars and restaurants. And if you get the chance to come back in October, there's plenty of beer on tap in the Autumn Festival, better known as the Beer Festival. PORT DE LA SELVA: In the north of the Costa Brava you'll find the Cap de Creus Natural Park, and on the north coast of the Cap de Creus peninsula and headland you'll find El Port de la Selva. Despite attracting many tourists to its beaches and coves in the summer, it has retained its character as a quiet little fishing village. It's also the perfect setting for nautical sports and for exploring the mountains that hug the Mediterranean along coastal footpaths and other trails. One of your walks really should include a visit to the 10th century monastery of Sant Pere de Rodes, one of the most magnificent examples of Romanesque architecture in the counties of Girona. ROSES: Roses could be summed up as a Mediterranean fishing and tourist town in the north of the Costa Brava but the charms of this place seem endless: from contemplating a sunset on the beach to discovering the historical legacy of the Citadel; from enjoying all kinds of sports (both nautical and otherwise) to savouring a tasty fish suquet (stew) or an excellent rice dish; from experiencing local traditions such as the carnival, havaneres (colonial sea shanties) or sardana dancing to... the sky’s the limit! S'AGARÓ: S’Agaró, one of the little towns in the municipality of Castell d'Aro, is an architectural jewel by the sea. This is one of the legendary and most exclusive areas of the Costa Brava. At the turn of the 20th century, the noucentista architect Rafel Masó was commissioned by the Girona industrialist Josep Ensesa i Pujades to build something very special: an elite housing development with a distinctive noucentista style. Over a century later, S'Agaró is still a Mediterranean treasure. La Senya Blanca, Hostal de la Gavina, Domus Nostrum... each house forms part of an indivisible architectural complex declared a Cultural Asset of National Interest. Stroll along the coastal footpath that passes through the complex and pay attention to all the details; you're sure to agree that it's deserving of this status. SANT ANTONI DE CALONGE: If you enjoy travelling as a family, Sant Antoni de Calonge, in Baix Empordà, is the place for you. A long sandy beach awaits you. In the summer, when the Active Summer programme gets under way, it's non-stop action for the kids with over 500 activities designed just for them (and for you!). But if you're looking for somewhere to have a relaxing dip in the sea, you won't have to go far to find coves hidden among the rocks: Cala Roquetes Planes, Racó de les Dones, Racó dels Homes, Cala del Forn, Cala Cristus-Ses Torretes or Es Monestri beach. There are plenty of options to choose from, combine and enjoy. SANT FELIU DE GUÍXOLS: When you come to Baix Empordà you just have to visit Sant Feliu de Guíxols. The Benedictine monastery with its Porta Ferrada (Iron Gate) is one of the town's great landmarks. But so are the beaches and coves nestled between the cliffs (check out Cala Canyetes, Port Salvi or Sant Pol), the coastal footpaths, the carrilet (narrow gauge railway) greenway, the Pedralta rocking stone... The options are endless. And if you decide to visit in the summer, try to catch the Porta Ferrada Festival, with a wide variety of music, theatre and dance performances. TAMARIU: In Tamariu it's all about the beach and coves, an oasis of calm in winter or glistening under the radiant sun in summer, and set in stunning surroundings. Follow a road of endless twists and turns from Palafrugell (the municipality to which it belongs) to reach this hidden paradise of coarse sand and abundant vegetation. If you're patient, you won't regret making the journey. You're sure to enjoy the coves of Aigua-xellida, Pedrosa or Els Lliris, not to mention Aiguadolç, where after a nice swim and some sunbathing you can cool down at the spring after which it's named. A walk along the coastal footpath to the Sant Sebastià lighthouse will give you the chance to enjoy a wonderful panoramic sea view. Can you already imagine yourself heading to Tamariu? TOSSA DE MAR: Tossa de Mar, in the Selva region, has one foot in the sea. The walls of the ancient town almost reach down into the water and beaches and small hidden bays among pine forests and cliffs envelop this fishing village. Its streets are full of history. From the Roman Turissa, to the mediaeval Torsa, to the Tossa of today that opens its arms and invites you to visit its beaches, its nature, its culture and its gastronomy as well as a whole host of other activities. What else can one need? Único Costa Brava Av. Montgó, 71 - 17130 L'Escala - Costa Brava (Spain) E-mail info@unicocostabrava.com Follow @unicocb

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Cattle Country I found the country at the upper side of the Ashburton River to be some of the driest I had ever seen in Austalia. Many cattle stations exist in this area and yet at the time this photo was taken it looked as though it had not rained in years. I was following the road from Mount Augustus towards Tom Price to the North. The road was long and rough yet I found the country here amazing. I drove my 4 wheel drive to the top of this hill to shoot some photos of the sun setting. After taking the shots for this panoramic photo I continued on and shot a timelapse of the sun falling behind the hills to the West. The timelapse sequence can be seen as part of a video I made of my travels in Australia in 2011.http://vimeo.com/33859983David Rowley Copyright: David Rowley Tags: pilbara; desert; cattle; ashburton Riverpielinen Michael Pop Mausoleum of the popes in fortress Biertan Medieval restaurant Unglerus in Biertan Stairs to the fortress Biertan The marketplace in Biertan The Royal Pantheon, Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Bangkok Golden Chedi, Temple of the Emerald Buddha, Bangkok Milford Sound, New Zealand More About Australia The World : Australia There are no kangaroos in Austria. We're talking about Australia, the world's smallest continent. That being cleared up, let's dive right in! Australia is a sovereign state under the Commonwealth of Nations, which is in turn overseen by Queen Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, Queen of Australia and Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth. The continent was first sighted and charted by the Dutch in 1606. Captain James Cook of Britain came along in the next century to claim it for Britain and name it "New South Wales." Shortly thereafter it was declared to be a penal colony full of nothing but criminals and convicts, giving it the crap reputation you may have heard at your last cocktail party. This rumor ignores 40,000 years of pre-European human history, especially the Aboriginal concept of Dreamtime, an interesting explanation of physical and spiritual reality. The two biggest cities in Australia are Sydney and Melbourne. Sydney is more for business, Melbourne for arts. But that's painting in very broad strokes. Take a whirl around the panoramas to see for yourself! Text by Steve Smith.

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How It WorksAbout UsWhat is TruetripsThe True Trips TeamF.A.Q.Site MapContact UsPress & MediaAwardsNewsVideosTestimonialsPress Inquiries 1-800-817-7098 (US)Barcelona The Spanish Cradle of Culture and ArtRequest a QuoteBarcelona The Spanish Cradle of Culture and ArtRequest a Quote›‹12BarcelonaBarcelona Spain Travel & Tours - Things to Do in Barcelona SpainMany times a country’s “second city” is more vibrant and unconventional than its capital – think of New York, Liverpool, Marseilles, or Naples. Barcelona is certainly one such city and it has quickly overtaken Madrid as the “go-to” city for many travelers looking for a stimulating Spanish holiday. This might seem a bit ironic, since Barcelona natives, who are residents of the capital of the autonomous region of Catalonia, are known to want to break away from Spain altogether, but this of course does not stop millions of visitors who flock to this famous city from enjoying its numerous attractions.Barcelona is a vibrant, cosmopolitan city with fine boulevards, squares and parks, impressive buildings, museums, restaurants, and great nightlife. Most of the city’s characteristics are undeniably unique to Barcelona – the architecture of Antonio Gaudí, the narrow winding streets of the old quarter, and the modern cable car that offers a spectacular view of the city. Another major distinction, for those who can tell the difference, is the Catalan language that is still widely spoken and written in the region. Prepare yourself to discover a city that has become a favorite European city amongst international travelers.Barcelona HighlightsRoute 1: The Historical CenterEven though the Romans settled in Barcelona as early as 15 BC calling it Barcino, it served as little more than a seaport for the Empire’s maritime commerce; its history as the capital of Catalonia didn’t begin until the 9th century. While no structures of that era remain to be seen, a walk through the center of Barcelona provides an insight into much of the city’s history. Many museums, by the way, not singled out in these routes, display collections that illuminate various aspects of this history.Basilica of Santa Maria del MarThe ideal place to start this journey through time is with the city’s oldest surviving church, the one dedicated to Saint Mary of the Sea. The original church dedicated to Saint Mary existed on this site in the late 10th century but the present grand cathedral dates from the 14th century, a time when Catalonia thrived as a commercial and maritime center. Compared to the many Gothic cathedrals built throughout Europe at that time, Saint Mary was erected in record time – only 54 years, from 1329 to 1383. Some elements such as the stained glass windows, the main altar, the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament (off the apse), the west façade, and the northwest tower, date from later on. When approached through the adjacent narrow streets, the church appears to be an austere and not an especially aesthetically pleasing structure, but withhold judgment until you see the interior. Before entering, walk around and examine some of the fine sculptures, such as those of Saint Peter and Saint Paul in the niches by the west door, or the doors of the main entrance, note that the figures stooping over with heavy stones are an unexpected tribute to the workmen who actually built this church. Once inside, the light that pours in through the many glass windows and the sheer brightness of the structure will astonish you. With its three aisles, it is a classic basilica with no transept, and slender octagonal columns – said to be the slenderest stone columns in theworld – that support the ribbed vault at the end of the nave. All in all, the Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar is a unique church that is worth a visit. Picasso MuseumAt the other extreme of Barcelona’s history of cultural prominence is this ambitious museum devoted to the works of the 20th century’s greatest artist, Pablo Picasso. Although he was originally from Malaga on Spain’s southern coast, he spent most of his formative years – from 1895 to 1905 – in Barcelona and he himself approved of establishing a museum here. The Picasso Museum opened in a medieval mansion in 1963, while donations of major collections from friends and art galleries led to the museum gradually expanding to include four adjacent medieval mansions. With some 4,250 works in all media, including sculpture and ceramics as well as paintings, engravings, drawings, even posters, the diversity of the work displayed is such that no matter what one thinks about modern art, there is something here for everyone to enjoy. Of particular interest are the works of his childhood, where Picasso exhibited his mastery of traditional techniques and styles of painting before moving on to expand the very notion of what constitutes art. Also, although Picasso did not deliberately set out to do so, the range of his materials and subject matter in many ways ended up reflecting the history of Spain.Mercat de Santa CaterinaLiterally meaning The Market of Saint Catherine, the market houses vendors of all sorts of fruits, vegetables, fish, fowl, and meat, however, the word “market” hardly suggests what lies under the spectacular multicolored ceramic roof that undulates over the numerous interior structures. The old 19th century market on this site had been in decline both in its structure and clientele when in 1997 two prominent local architect/developers won a competition to redesign and revive it. It took seven years before the present structure was finished, partly because unknown remains from the Bronze Age and ancient Rome were discovered on the site. These have now been retained for display along with remains of the 15th century St. Catherine’s Dominican Order’s cloisters. As such, visitors are treated to what is virtually a museum of Barcelona’s past alongside the bustling market stalls, tapas bars and restaurants – all sheltered by a truly amazing roof.Roman WallsSomewhat more impressive remains from Barcelona’s past are the Roman walls that can be found a few blocks southeast of the Mercat de Santa Caterina. The Romans erected these walls in the 3rd and 4th centuries AD to fend off the Germanic tribes and at their peak included 78 towers. The two most imposing sections are at the southeast side of the Ramon de Berenguer Square – note the column from a Roman temple encased in the wall – and at the northern end of the Carrer del Sots-Tinent Navarro. However, most interesting is the Chapel of Saint Agatha on the Plaça del Rei (the King’s Square), as much of this 14th century chapel was built using stone from the Roman walls.The CathedralFormally the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia, the seat of the archbishop of Barcelona is an impressive Gothic church that was erected from the late 13th into the 15th centuries over the remains of earlier churches. The façade that makes it so impressive at first sight was added in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The church was named after Saint Eulalia, a young local virgin who became a martyr for her Christian faith under the Romans; her body is buried in the church’s crypt along with other notables from Barcelona’s past. The church’s roof is renowned for the gargoyles representing both real and imaginary animals, so it’s worth taking the elevator up to the top. The church belongs to the so-called hall style, with a single vault roof over the five aisles and chapels occupying the two outside aisles. Attached to the church is the 15th century cloister that encloses the Well of the Geese, where 13 white geese have always been kept – allegedly because Saint Eulalia was only 13 when she suffered martyrdom.Plaça Sant JaumePlaça Sant Jaume, or Saint James’ Square, occupies the very center of the old Roman city where the main north-south and east-west streets crossed. Located here were the Forum and a Temple of Augustus, while today the square is the site of Barcelona’s City Hall and the Palace of the Generalitat of Catalonia – Catalonia’s own government headquarters. Because of its role in Catalonia’s history, it is sometimes known as Constitution Square and has often been the site of demonstrations over present-day Catalonians’ desire to achieve independence from Spain. The square’s name refers to a church that stood at this location from medieval times until it was demolished in 1823 to allow for the much larger square that exists today. Aside from being a site for political demonstrations, the square is where many Catalonians gather on Sunday mornings to dance the sardana, their national dance, and also where the Castelleras of Barcelona occasionally form the human towers that since the 18th century have been a tradition among Catalonians: level after level of people, mostly men, standing on each other’s shoulders until, eventually, one man reaches the top and can raise one hand.Ciutat Vella (Old Town)The walk around the Historical Center ends with the Ciutat Vella (Old Town), a relatively large section of Barcelona that is the city’s most picturesque, atmospheric and distinctive quarter. Even in the strictest historical sense, it is “old” as it is the location of the original Roman Barcino settlement, although it is the many buildings from the 14th and 15th centuries that provide a sense of an “old town.” The buildings and the mazelike narrow streets are often shaded and thus offer relief from Barcelona’s sweltering heat. You will instinctively absorb the history here as you stroll through the quarter – not only by visiting the museums and palaces, but also by simply admiring the façades of the family run stores and boutiques. Countless tapas bars, cafes, and restaurants will provide refreshment and conviviality to this journey through time.Route 2: La RamblaOne of the most famous streets in the world, La Rambla, offers 1.4 kilometers of sites and sights, and one can spend many hours walking from one end to the other. The name La Rambla comes from a seasonal stream (raml in Arabic) that once ran through here. Today it is primarily a pedestrian walkway with narrow lanes for traffic running down either side; it is packed with people enjoying street performers, artists and musicians, or sampling the offerings of the numerous cafes and restaurants. Along with the diversions of the street scene, La Rambla has several sites and structures that at the very least require some historical background.Plaça de Catalunya and the Font de CanaletesAt the top of La Rambla is Plaça de Catalunya or “Catalonia Square,” where several of Barcelona’s major streets converge to-and-from the city center. Although originally proposed as a large public space in the mid-19th century, it was not actually developed in its present form until 1929. Now occupying some 50,000 square meters (about 12.4 acres), it is where Barcelonians usually gather to protest against the government in Madrid or to feed the many pigeons. Visitors can ignore the former and enjoy the latter while taking in the many fountains and statues. The most impressive monument is the large stone memorial of Francesc Macia (1859-1933), a Catalonian who tried to make Catalonia independent but settled for serving as the first president of an autonomous Catalonia under the Spanish Republic. As you leave the square to start down La Rambla, be sure to note the rather bizarre lamppost with a fountain at its base, the Font de Canaletes; dating from the 19th century, it is where fans of Barcelona’s best-known football team gather to celebrate victories, although visitors typically prefer to hear the legend that if you drink from this fountain, you will be sure to return to Barcelona.Teatre PolioramaProceeding down the Rambla, the first building of interest is the Teatre Poliorama. It is on the right side after the Carrer del Bonsucces, and is today a venue for many types of theatrical entertainment. It was built in 1894 as the headquarters of the Royal Academy of Sciences and Arts and when that dissolved, the building was converted into a cinema; then during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), when the Rambla was the scene of considerable fighting, a communist group was based here. George Orwell, the British author who was reporting on the war, was trapped in this theatre for several days and describes the violence he witnessed in his Homage to Catalonia. Today visitors can enjoy one of the many productions at this historic building.Iglesia de BetlemDown the Rambla from the Teatre Poliorama is Bethlehem Church dedicated to the Holy Family that is depicted in a relief sculpture. Built in Baroque style during the late 17th early 18th centuries, it was long regarded as the finest of the several churches that once lined the Rambla. Unfortunately a lot of its ornate interior was destroyed by fire during the Spanish Civil War.Palau de la VirreinaJust down from Bethlehem Church is the unmistakable Palace of Virreina, a grand mansion in the Baroque/Rococo style. It was built between the years 1772 and 1776 for Manuel de Amat y Junyent, who had returned to Spain after serving as the Viceroy of Peru; the name “Virreina” was his coinage to honor his wife, the “vice-reine” or vice-queen. It has long served as the headquarters of the city’s Cultural Commission and is now the Image Center featuring displays of photography and other types of visual arts.Mercat de Sant Josep de la BoqueriaIts entryway is located practically adjacent to the Palau de la Virreina, this market is an appendage of La Rambla. It is so large and so full of fresh fruits and vegetables, fish and meats, edibles of all kinds, and various other wares, that it can effectively be an independent destination – just ask for La Boqueria (pronounced bu-ké-ria). Open-air markets existed on this site since the 15th century, but it was not until 1840 that construction of an enclosure began. The original building was modified over the years and the metal roof dates from 1914. The name “St. Joseph” reflects the fact that the market is on the site where a Convent of St. Joseph was once located. As for “Boqueria,” it is a word that does not exist in Catalan and there is no official explanation for its origin, although it appears to refer to some type of market. Step into the Boqueria and prepare to be overwhelmed by its plenitude.Gran Teatre del LiceuThis aptly named “Grand Theater of Liceu,” is Barcelona’s opera house, built in 1845-1847 on the site of a former convent. Unlike other such venues in Spain of that era, it was not paid for by the monarchy but by public subscription. When it opened, its 3,500 seats made it the largest opera house in Europe. A major fire in 1861 left only the façade, entrance hall and foyer intact so the auditorium and stage were rebuilt. Under the Spanish Republic of the 1930’s the theater was nationalized; it was returned to its private owners in 1939, but financial difficulties led to the need for support from the governments of Barcelona and Catalonia. Then in 1994 another major fire once again left little more than the façade, entrance hall, and foyer untouched, so the present auditorium and stage date from its reopening in 1999. Many architectural and ornamental elements are reproduced in conjunction with the original theater. Over the many decades of its existence, the Liceu has hosted countless notable opera singers, dance companies, and symphony orchestras of the highest distinction, as it does to this day, and aficionados of such should consider returning for an evening’s performance.Columbus MonumentHaving paid tribute to these many historical and cultural sites, continue strolling down La Rambla and simply enjoy the many diversions along the boulevard until arriving at its climactic plaza with its monument of Christopher Columbus. Known in Spanish as the Mirador de Colom, meaning the viewing point of Columbus and reflecting its location overlooking the harbor and sea, this monument was constructed in 1882 and completed in 1888 in time for the Universal Exposition that was held in Barcelona that year. The column itself is 40 meters/131 feet tall and at the top stands the 7.2 meter bronze statue of Columbus, allegedly pointing to the New World – although he is actually pointing toward Algeria. The pedestal is embellished with eight portrait medallions of individuals associated with Columbus’ voyages, while the plinth has eight bas-relief panels depicting events in these voyages, alternating with coats-of-arms of locations he visited. If you are wondering why Catalan Barcelona would want to honor an Italian who sailed under the auspices of Spanish monarchs, it was in Barcelona that Columbus first reported to Ferdinand and Isabella after returning from his first voyage. Incidentally, there is a small elevator inside the column that allows a few people at a time to ascend to enjoy the view.Route 3: Gaudí’s BarcelonaFew cities are distinctly associated with a specific architect as Barcelona is with Antoni Gaudí (1852-1926); and if not regarded as one of the greatest modern architects, he is certainly one of the most original. Although he is usually placed in Spain’s modernista movement of the late 19th, early 20th century – analogous to art nouveau – his works really defy categorization. Committed to sound engineering and craftsmanship, he was greatly influenced by the neo-Gothic movement of the 19th century, as well as his personal interest in Asian art. He was also committed to translating natural forms into structures, while the main element that underlined all his work was his Catalan heritage and his Catholic faith. The best way to understand how all these elements come together is to view his works. Even if you have not given much prior thought to Gaudí or architecture in general, we highly recommend visiting a small selection of his masterpieces around the city. The route starts at the edge of the Rambla and ends at Gaudí’s masterwork, the Basilica of the Sagrada Familia, just in case you’d like to head directly there. Several of these buildings are open to the public during set times and for a set fee.Palau GüellEusebi Güell was a wealthy Catalan industrialist who was both a major patron and personal friend of Gaudí. Located just off the Rambla, this palau, which literally means “palace” but is more like a mansion, was the first work he commissioned from Gaudí. Built between 1886-1888, it is distinguished by its unusual entryway that was designed to allow horse-drawn carriages to enter through one door and exit through another, as well as its colorful chimneys and the ornate interiors.The Lanterns in Plaça ReialLocated off the other side of the Rambla, the “Royal Square” is one of the most popular gathering spots in Barcelona, especially in the evening when its many cafes, restaurants and nightclubs attract both tourists and native Barcelonians. The “Royal Square” is renowned for its arcades and central Fountain of the Three Graces (1876), but on this visit you should focus on the two lanterns that Gaudí designed – his first commission from the city. Observe the coiled dragon, which Gaudí intended to represent medieval Catalan warriors.Casa BatllóProbably the best known and most exotic of Gaudí’s residences, both its facade and interior are characterized by their swirling forms and bright colors. Gaudí designed the original building here in 1877, a conventional town house, but in 1904 the new owners, the wealthy Batlló family, commissioned Gaudí to redesign it and gave him free rein. The result is the flowing façade with its undulating balconies and windows and the multicolored tiles; the interior is equally dynamic and colorful, if not even more so. The curved roof is said to represent the dragon killed by St. George who is the patron saint of Catalonia. Also, notice the pavement in front of the house with its Gaudí-designed images of octopus and starfish. All in all, Casa Batlló is one of the most bizarre works of architecture in the world.La PadreraJust up the street from the Casa Batlló is another Gaudí mansion, formally the Casa Milà, named after the family who commissioned it, but soon dubbed La Padrera (the stone quarry) due to its façade’s rocky texture. Completed in 1912, it has the wavy façade similar to that of the Casa Batlló, but it is not quite as exotic. The interior is worth visiting as it contains furniture of his design, but a must-see is the roof with its undulating chimneys that symbolize helmeted knights.Casa CalvetCompleted in 1899, this was commissioned as a commercial building on the basement and ground level with apartments above. The most conventional of Gaudí’s major buildings, because it had to fit between two adjacent buildings, it nevertheless has distinct elements such as the mushroom-shaped ornaments on the top that reflect Gaudí’s quirky taste.Park GüellThe same wealthy Eusebi Güell who commissioned Gaudí to design his mansion, went to Gaudí in 1900 to design both the landscaping and houses for a large then tree-covered hill on the edge of the city’s center. Güell’s plan was to entice other wealthy families to move there, but despite Gaudí’s usual inventive and inviting contributions, the scheme failed and the city ended up buying the property in 1922 and making it a public park. The only person who ended up living there was Gaudí himself, who spent most of his final 20 years in a house that was, ironically, designed by another architect! However the house is worth a visit to see furniture designed by Gaudí. The main entrance to the park is pure Gaudí, with its two picturesque gatehouses and the mosaic dragon guarding the steps. These lead to the Hall of the Columns (88 of them), and above this is the large open area with a great curved bench designed by Josep Maria Jujol, a colleague of Gaudí’s. Gaudí also laid out the 3 kilometers of walkways and roads that wind through the still-wooded park. Presumably Gaudí would take great satisfaction in knowing that millions of people now come to this park each year.La Sagrada FamiliaThe Basilica of the Holy Family – formally in Spanish, the Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family – is not only Gaudí’s great masterpiece but also one of the most recognizable and most visited buildings in the world and effectively the very symbol of Barcelona. Gaudí actually began to plan for this church as early as 1883 but construction didn’t begin until 1912. However, by the time of his death in 1926 only a small part had been completed – partly because the project was constantly lacking financial support. Construction continued until the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s, which put a halt to it, and anarchists destroyed much of the interior as well as Gaudí’s designs. Construction began again in the early 1950s but it was the 1980s before it moved into high gear. It was not completely roofed over until 2010, when Pope Benedict XVI consecrated the church. Construction continues to this day with the goal of completion in 2026 – the hundredth anniversary of Gaudí’s death.Its style really has no single precedent but evokes both Gothic cathedrals and Gaudí’s peculiar modernism; all now compounded by ongoing debates over how much of Gaudí’s original concept survives. Practically the entire exterior surface is covered with carvings of everything from animals and gargoyles to the Nativity and the Crucifixion. Eventually there will be three major entrances with facades and 17 towers; two of these have elevators that carry visitors up to get an impressive view. The interior all but takes one’s breath away with its columns, stained glass windows, and light. Gaudí intended virtually all elements of the church to represent his deep Christian faith – thus the 17 main towers represent the 12 Apostles, the Virgin Mary, and the 4 Evangelists. He is buried in a chapel below the church, and since the Vatican began to consider sainthood for Gaudí in 2000, some visitors pay homage to his tomb. Whatever one’s beliefs, La Sagrada Familia is inspiring to all visitors.Route 4: MontjuïcThe name of both a hill and its surrounding area, Montjuïc’s name is said to mean “Mount of the Jews” in medieval Catalan, but inasmuch as there is no firm evidence to link Jews to the site, it is also proposed to be derived from the Latin, Mons Jovicus, “Mount of Jove.” Whatever the origin of its name, it is an unmistakable landmark, flat-topped and relatively broad given its height, only some 185 meters (610 feet) above the city. It offers quite spectacular views of the harbor and city, as well as several major attractions that make it a popular destination for both locals and out-of-towners. Just getting there can be exciting, as there is a choice between a funicular railway and twin aerial cable cars as well as a regular bus service.Castell de MontjuïcThe mount remained largely wooded, its slopes used for agriculture and animal grazing right through the 19th century, but there are also fortifications on the hill as it was an ideal site for protecting or dominating the city. The present fortress dates from the 17th and 18th centuries and over the years usually served as a prison, often just for political opponents and in some cases the site of executions. During the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), as the fortress changed hands between the Republicans and Franco’s Nationalists, each side used it to execute its enemies. Given its architecture and history, it may not seem especially attractive – to Barcelonians of today, it in fact evokes the worst of the past – but it does provide fine views and its gardens are quite beautiful.Palau Nacional and the National Museum of Art of CataloniaThe development of the hill as it is today began when it was selected as the site of the 1929 International Exposition. The land was cleared and ambitious structures were erected, the most extravagant of these being the National Palace and the entrance to it – a grand staircase from the Avenue of Queen Maria Cristina that leads up to the Magic Fountain. It houses mostly Catalonian works from the Middle Ages to the 20th century, and if you wanted to limit your time here to just one distinctive collection, it should be the 11th-13th century Romanesque frescoes salvaged from churches throughout Catalonia.The Olympic Stadium and the Olympic RingAnother structure originating from the 1929 Exposition was the stadium for its athletic events, known as the Olympic Stadium after the Republican government announced it would hold the “People’s Olympiad” here in 1936 to protest against the regular Olympics being held in Hitler’s Berlin. The outbreak of the Spanish civil war caused the cancellation of the 1936 games, and the stadium was completely renovated for the 1992 Summer Olympics held in Barcelona and, with seating for 65,000, was the site of track and field events as well as the spectacular opening and closing ceremonies. Also dating from the 1992 Olympics is the so-called Olympic Ring (Anella Olimpica), which is the facility for various sporting events, including the Palau Sant Jordi and two pools, one for swimming and the other for diving. Also on this site are two modern structures designed by two of Spain’s major contemporary architects: Ricardo Bofill’s National Institute of Physical Education and Santiago Calatrava’s telecommunications tower.Fundació Joan MiróA major 20th-century artist, Joan Miró (1893-1983) was a native of Barcelona, and this museum is devoted to his vast output of work and is definitely worth a visit. Although he spent much of his career in Paris, he never forgot his Catalan roots and he himself set up the foundation in 1972 in a building designed by his friend and fellow Catalan, Josep Lluis Sert. The Foundation has since had an annex designed by Jaume Freixa. Miró’s works not only include paintings and drawings but graphic art, sculptures, and tapestries. Starting out as a surrealist, Miró soon developed his own distinctive style, highly dependent on bold colors and abstract forms; and you need not be all that knowledgeable about art to enjoy the sheer exuberance of his work.Pavello Mies van der RoheThe then young architect was commissioned by the German government to design the country’s exhibit pavilion for the 1929 International Exposition and the result was at once considered as a masterpiece of modern architecture. Hard to believe, but it was demolished after the exposition ended. However, between 1983-1986 it was recreated using both his plans and materials, so that today it sits here, still an archetypal work of minimalist modern architecture. Anyone who has made it to the top of Montjuïc should pay it a visit.Botanical GardensThere are actually several botanical gardens located on Montjuïc, but the one designated by the name Jardí Botànic is located near the southeast corner. Started in 1930, it has continuously maintained plants from Mediterranean climate zones, although new species from all over the world are constantly being added. With its labyrinth paths, this garden is especially pleasant to visit. To the north of this garden is the Jardins de Mossèn Cinto Verdaguer, devoted to bulbs and aquatic plants. North of this is the Jardins de Joan Brossa, specializing in Mediterranean species such as pines and cypresses. Along the eastern edge at the foot of the fortress is the Jardins de Mossèn Costa I Llobera, specializing in cacti and other desert and tropical plants, while to the south and overlooking the port is the Jardins del Mirador which is considered a masterpiece of European Landscape design. No one can expect to visit all of these in one day, but just passing through one or two offers a lovely nature break from the other sites. Museu d’Arqueologia de CatalunyaThe Archaeological Museum of Catalonia includes both the prehistoric finds from archaeological sites but also works from all the early phases of Catalonia’s history: Phoenician, Greek, Roman, Iberian Celtic, Visigothic. As such, this modest museum gives a fine overview of the history of the whole Mediterranean world. It is housed, by the way, in another remnant of the 1929 International Exposition, the Graphic Arts Pavilion.Poble EspanyolYet another survivor of the 1929 Exposition is this “Spanish Village” erected to showcase Spanish architecture. Its buildings represent all the different styles of architecture from around Spain, and since they are in full scale and have aged, they actually now look fairly authentic. Yet the place as a whole seems a bit like Disneyland, with craftsmen selling their wares and the central square surrounded by cafes and restaurants; maybe not a major destination, but a lovely enough diversion and pleasant end for weary travelers.Route 5: The Costa BravaThe Costa Brava – variously translated either as “the rugged coast” or “the wild coast” – refers to the coast of Catalonia beginning about 40 miles north of Barcelona and extending to the border with France. The shoreline itself is distinguished by its alternating stretches of sandy beaches and pine-clad rocky headlands, now shared by small fishing villages and large resort hotels; all of which can be quite overrun in the summer by tourists seeking sun and sand. Yet the landscape and towns back from the shore remain relatively untouched by modern development and along with the coast and some unexpected sites – Roman towns and Salvador Dali’s museum for example – make for a most engaging selection of destinations.Village of Tossa de Mar, Sant Feliu de Guíxols, Palafrugell, PeratalladaThese are four of the closest, most attractive, and most popular towns to Barcelona as you make your way north along the Costa Brava; they offer both beaches and medieval remains. Tossa de Mar, in fact, began attracting visitors back in the 1930’s and although its beach can be crowded in high season, the village retains its medieval feel. Sant Feliu de Guíxols is distinguished by its promenade along the beach and the Monestir de Sant Feliu de Guíxols, a 10th century Benedictine monastery. The town of Palafrugell itself is 5 kilometers (3 miles) inland but is the jumping off-point for the coastal villages and beaches. Just a short distance inland from Palafrugell is the village of Peratallada with its 12th century Romanesque church and 11th-century castle. A stop at any one of these four serves as the perfect introduction to the Costa Brava’s distinctive environment and offerings.GironaThe second largest city in Catalonia, Girona boasts a history that dates back to even before the Romans settled here and has been regarded as so desirable a locale that it was subjected to 25 sieges by various competing powers. The last such was when Napoleon’s forces besieged it in 1809 and then held it until 1813. Perhaps the most unusual phase of its history began in the 12th century when Girona’s long-established Jewish community came into prominence with its school and rabbi. Like all the Jews in Spain, they were expelled in 1492, but their old Call (or “ghetto” in Catalan) remains, a maze of medieval streets and buildings.There are numerous other reminders of Girona’s flourishing Middle Ages, in particular the grand Gothic Cathedral that can be reached only by climbing 86 steps. The interior is most impressive, as is the cloister and, in the attached museum, the fabulous Tapestry of the Creation. The Church of Saint Feliu is also noteworthy for its mixture of Romanesque and Gothic architecture and its eight Roman and early Christian sepulchers, the oldest dates to the 2nd century AD. An especially unusual structure known as the Banys Arabs or “Arab Baths”, but in fact built by Christians in the 12th century, was presumably inspired by the Muslim Moors who ruled Girona for almost four centuries; although looking back to the ancient Roman baths, these are the only public baths known from medieval Christian Spain. There are several museums that might appeal to some but most visitors will likely prefer to walk around Independence Square or simply admire the picturesque pastel houses overlooking the Onyar River.EmpúriesFurther along the coast is the archaeological site named after the original city here. As that name suggests – it is an emporium or a commercial center – founded by Ancient Greeks in 575 BC as a traders’ port town, but there were Phoenician settlers here long before that. Under the Greeks it became the largest Ancient Greek colony on the Iberian Peninsula, but after 218 BC it fell under Roman rule. The Romans built their own town nearby, but when Rome shifted its support to Barcino (Barcelona) and Tarraco (Tarragon) down the coast, Empúries declined.While the Romans used the town as a mint, by the 3rd century AD it was also inhabited by Christian converts as attested to by the remains of a Christian Basilica. It was at this time that the Ancient Greek town was abandoned, and eventually both towns fell into ruins and became largely buried under windswept earth. Serious excavations began in the early 20th century and are still ongoing. The Greek town sits close to the shore and its remains are typical of an Ancient Greek town – the agora (town square), stoa (market), Asklepion (a shrine to the god of medicine) along with mosaics and defensive walls. The Roman town was considerably larger but has been only partially excavated; numerous houses are to be seen, some with impressive mosaics. Remains of an amphitheater lie outside the walls. A museum and visitors’ center are here to provide information to those who wish to know more about the remains they are viewing.Figueres: The Theater-Museum DaliIf Barcelona is associated with Gaudí, the town of Figueres is effectively indebted to Salvador Dali for its presence on the map of international tourism. Dali (1904-1989), who is synonymous with the early 20th century school of art known as Surrealism, was born in Figueres and although he went on to “perform” in the world’s great cosmopolitan cities, he never forgot his roots. Thus when the mayor of Figueres proposed in 1961 that Dali establish a museum here for his works, he agreed and chose the abandoned municipal theater that was largely destroyed by fire during the Civil War as its home. Dali himself designed both the extravagant exterior and the placement of his works within. Opened in 1974, the museum continued to receive donations from Dali and the foundation he set up, and today it owns thousands of his works. Although most of his best known paintings are owned by other museums, here you will be treated to many of his most bizarre works like the “Rainy Cadillac”, a room with a flamingo amid exotic plants, striking jewelry that he designed, like a turtle with a gold coin on its back. Dali’s Russian-born wife Gala also has a major presence throughout, including the attached Torre Galatea, which is where Dali lived during his final four years. As a final tribute to his hometown, he had himself buried in a crypt beneath the former stage of the theater, which is located a few blocks from the house where he was born. Although Figueres does have an 18th century castle and a small Gothic church, there is no need to deny that you have come here primarily to have some fun with Salvador Dali.Important Museums and Landmarks In BarcelonaCathedrals and ChurchesBasilica of Santa Maria del MarAddress: 1, Plaza of Santa Maria, Barcelona, 08003With its pure Catalan Gothic style architecture, it is of no wonder why this church is labeled as one of the most beautiful in all of Barcelona.Basilica of Santa Maria del PiAddress: 7,Plaza del Pi., Barcelona, 08002Standing in Barcelona’s Gothic Quarter is the Church of Santa Maria del Pi that is known for its beautiful stained-glass windows.Sant Pau del CampAddress: 101, Carrer de Sant Pau, Barcelona, 08001Founded around the 9th century, this former monastery is now a beautiful church that is surrounded by trees, giving it a picturesque location.Cathedral of the Holy Cross and St. EulaliaAddress: Pla de la Seu, s/n, Barcelona, 08002This church is named after Eulalia, a common girl who defied Emperor Diocletian in 303 and was persecuted for being a Christian at the tender age of thirteen.Basilica of the Sagrada FamiliaLocation: 401, Carrer de Mallorca, Barcelona, 08013One of the most famous churches of all time, this unfinished church was designed by the famous architect Antoni Gaudí and it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, honored for its beautiful architecture and paintings on the dome.MuseumsMuseu Nacional d’Art de CatalunyaLocation: Palau Nacional, Parc de Montjuïc, Barcelona, 08038Visit the museum that holds collections of prestigious and beautiful art from Catalan artists from the late 19th and early 20th centuries.La Pedrera by Antoni GaudíLocation: 261-265 Provença, Barcelona, 08008Designed by the great Antoni Gaudí, this former apartment building is now a museum and has also been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Museu d' Història de CatalunyaLocation: 3 Plaza de Pau Vila, Barcelona, 08003Travel back in time by visiting the Museum of Catalan History by viewing collections and artifacts from the ancient Stone Age era all the way to the present!Archaeology Museum of CataloniaLocation: 39-41 Passeig de Santa Madrona, Barcelona, 08038Housed in a former palace, this museum contains exhibits with artifacts from the region of Barcelona that are from ancient times.Barcelona HistoryBarcelona is the capital of Catalonia, a region of Spain that is constantly threatening to break away from Spain. How this has come to be requires that we take a look into Catalonia’s history. Although who exactly founded Barcelona is unclear, one theory says that Carthaginians founded the city in the late 3rd century BC, and legend claims that it received its name after their leader Hamilcar Barca. At the time is was little more than a trading post, but after driving the Carthaginians out of Spain around 200 BC, the Romans developed the settlement into a real town. With the decline of the Roman Empire, the Visigoths from Germany took it over in the 5th century AD, but were later expelled by the Arabs who moved into Spain in the early 8th century.In 801, Charlemagne’s son Louis conquered Barcelona and made it the capital of this corner of Spain under the rule of the Count of Barcelona. This area, designated as the March of Spain, was the borderland or “¬¬¬march” between France and Arab Spain. The city was also known as Gothia or “land of the Goths” and it is believed that “Gothialand” was what eventually evolved into “Catalonia.”During the next 300 years, the Counts of Barcelona extended their rule over the northeastern corner of Spain and it was during this time that the Catalan language and the sense of a distinctive Catalonia began to develop. However, after a Count of Barcelona married a princess of the adjacent Spanish province of Aragon, their son became the ruler of the merged territories in 1162 and Barcelona began to decline in importance. This was further hastened when Ferdinand II of Aragon married Isabella I of Castille in 1469; Catalonia became little more than one of several provinces of Spain and Madrid began to emerge as Spain’s central power. Catalonians, however, did not cease to separate themselves from the rest of Spain and in 1640 actually revolted against King Philip IV. For the next decade the Catalans fought under French vassalage, but by 1652 they were back under Spanish rule.Napoleon’s French forces moved into Spain in 1808 and before they were thrown out in 1813, they left Catalonia severely devastated. Catalonia slowly recovered and grew into the industrial powerhouse of Spain. By the 20th century Barcelona – and Catalonia overall – had become more radical than other parts of Spain. During the civil war that ensued in 1936, after Francisco Franco and his forces moved to overthrow the government, Barcelona became a center of resistance and even briefly served as the Loyalists’ capital. After Barcelona fell to Franco’s forces in January 1939, and following the final defeat of the Loyalists that April, Franco became the virtual dictator of Spain, and as such, forbade the use of the Catalan language in any public settings and abolished any institutions that reflected Catalonia’s distinctive history and culture.All that changed of course with the death of Franco in 1975 and the restoration of democracy, but this new freedom has only motivated some Catalonians to demand total independence. Although this seems unlikely, there has been an effort to encourage the use of the Catalan language in both literary and popular writings as well as a general promotion of and pride in Catalonia’s distinctive history.The Catalan language is more than a mere dialect, it is basically a language based on the same Latin that gradually evolved into French to Catalonia’s north, and Spanish to its west; Catalan is like a first cousin to these languages. Catalan is also spoken – and has survived to some extent – in the adjacent region of southeastern France, in what became the tiny Principality of Andorra, on the Balearic Islands, and in a few isolated cities in nearby regions of Spain. Most Spanish speakers – especially those who have learned Spanish as a second language – find Catalan effectively a foreign language, so don’t feel bad if your knowledge of Spanish doesn’t help you to understand Catalan. Don’t worry though, almost everyone in Catalonia also speaks the Spanish spoken throughout the rest of the country so you’ll have no trouble in making your way around Barcelona. 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Ronny Lau – Hong KongRonny Lau is the chairman of Hong Kong Wine & Spirits Writers Association, and has been the co-chairman of Shanghai International Wine Challenge since 2011. His regular wine and spirits columns are published in the newspapers and magazines in Hong Kong, mainland China and Malaysia.He is the author of six wine books: “In Love with Wine”, “Le Dialogue du Vin”, “Around the Wine World”, “All About Wine”, “It’s a Wine, Wine World”, “Drink Before Drunk” and the editor and author of “GCWCA Top 100 Wines 2013″ and “Top 100 Wines”. He is also the curator of “Music & Wine: The Perfect Matching”, and “Red: A Music & Wine Party”, the innovative music and wine pairing CDs which distributed in major Asian countries.In 2012, he was invited by Italian wine producer to take up the role as winemaker and released the first ever Super Tuscan made by Chinese.Maria Katsouli – GreeceMaria Katsouli works and lives in Athens as sommelier, journalist and wine educator, as well as being a certified olive oil taster. As a wine judge she has repeatedly been chosen as a member of the judging committee of international wine and extracts competitions both in Greece and abroad. These include Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, Terravino and The International wine competition of Thessaloniki.She has worked as a professional in the wine and food sector since 1989, which included introducing the profession of sommelier in Greece, playing a major role in establishing it as a career. Finally, Maria is a founding member of the Greek Union of Sommeliers and of the Greek Women of Wine Association. She is a co-founder and a manager of ATHENA International Olive Oil Competition.Nowadays, through ‘Wine Praxis and Food’ she has been active as a wine and food consultant in various restaurants, wine bars, hotels and food companies while often taking part in conferences and conventions on wine and food.She has worked as a sommelier in some of the best restaurants in Athens’ historic and characteristic gastronomy restaurants (Mezzo Mezzo, Beau Brummel, King George, Tudor Hall, Bortini’s). In addition, she has managed the wine lists of many hotels and restaurants, including the famous Hotel Grecotel.For the past four years Maria has been lecturing in wine and olive oil tasting in the Center of Hospitality and Gastronomy Studies ETOILE. In addition she has also ben working in marketing and communication for the company, Vinetum for the past 15 years.Maria is a certified member of the organoleptic group of the National Inter-professional Union of Olive Oil and has obtained her certification from the international organization of certification Staregister and the Istituto per la Ricerca Valorizzazione delle Eccellenze Agroalimentari (IRVEA).Kristina Wolf – GermanyKristina Wolf from Germany, also known as “the N.O.S.E.” (the Nature Of Spirits Experience), is a passionate spirits enthusiast and a well-respected rum expert in Europe. Kristina is also an appreciated member of the Malt Ambassadores, the rum panel in London, Paris, Berlin and the RumXPs and regularly judges for international competitions, including Concours Mondial Bruxelles… “and now Michelangelo in South Africa!” she says.For the past 30 years Kristina has worked in the food and liquor industry in Germany and Switzerland. She holds a degree in Hotel Management and in 2007 opened a spirits shop in Berlin where she sells more than 700 different spirits including Rum, Whisky, Cognac, Armagnac, Gin, Cachaça and Pisco.Nowadays she teaches and lectures on the subject to gastronomes, bartenders and professionals of the trade and hosts tastings at several bar and spirits fairs.Bampfield-Duggan – South AfricaA local judge joining this year’s 20+ international judges is Mike Duggan, a founding member and owner of Wine Concepts cc in Newlands, Cape Town.This former hotelier (five years at the Kyalami Ranch Hotel, Sandton and six years management at The Westin Carlton Hotel, Johannesburg) and restaurateur/owner of the Upper Crust Restaurant in Cape Town for 18 years. Mike won twelve Diners Club awards consecutively for the Upper Crust, including the prestigious Diners Club Champion of Champions award the Diamond Award for his 2000 and 2001 list.Mike has over thirty five years’ experience in the liquor and catering trade, he combines his vast knowledge of catering with his passion – wine. Mike is recognized as one of the top wine list consultants in the country.Mike has a Diploma from the Cape Wine Academy and was also recently inducted into the prestigious L’Ordre Des Coteaux De Champagne of France. Mike has a weekly wine column on www.iafrica.com and writes articles for Legacy Lifestyle Magazine and Private Edition. His outside interests include Classic Cars and spending time at his weekend retreat in the Koue Bokkeveld.Roberto Lepori – ItalyRoberto lives in Rome, and holds a degree in Law. He graduated as Master Wine Sommelier from the Italian Sommelier Association of Rome, and regularly writes on Italian food and wine, wine events and wine tourism as well as on the international wine competitions in which he judges.As a specialist of rum and grappa, Roberto also teaches food and wine pairings and conducts seminars on sparkling wines, indigenous Italian wines and classics reds. He has held several seminars on Italian wine in collaboration with the Consortium of Prosecco DOC Treviso, in Italy and in Belgrade and Porto Montenegro.He is currently authoring a Guide of the Wines of the Balkans and has participated in tastings for Vitae, the Italian Sommelier Association Guide of Italian Wines.Earlier this year Roberto was invited to judge at the International Wine Challenge and the South Russian Krasnodar Expo, and is due to judge in Zagreb, Croatia and in Shanghai later this year.In addition Roberto works as a journalist under the Italian Order of Journalists of Rome (OdG) and is involved in a number food and wine programs for Italian Network television.At any given time you may find Roberto playing guitar, cooking for friends, reading classical Greek and Latin literature, traveling on his Harley Davidson, getting lost at sea on a sail boat, or drinking a good glass of wine with people he loves.Carrie Adams – South Africa One of five local judges joining this year’s Michelangelo panel is Johannesburg-based Carrie Adams, who has worked and studied in the wine industry in UK and SA for almost 30 years.Carrie wears many hats in the wine industry: she is a Norman Goodfellows Fine Wines and Spirits director, wine judge and Classic FM 102.7 columnist and radio host. In addition, Carrie is a member of the Commanderie de Bordeaux, The Ordre Des Coteaux de Champagne and the first female Keeper of the Quaich in Africa (for William Grant & Sons).Her son Jonathan and two Scottish terriers contribute to a full and much loved life of favourite things: wine, whisky, champagne, reading, writing, gardening and making and listening to music.Chris Alblas – NetherlandsAn old friend and Michelangelo stalwart, Chris lives and works in Amsterdan. He has been an official taster for the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles since 2008 in Blois/Loire and Bordeaux, and is the founder of the Societas Vinum Bonum Est, better known as “SVBE Wijnprofessionals”. He spends most of his time presenting wine courses for consumers, trade and restaurants (www.wijncursussen.nl) and specialises in organic and biodynamic wines(www.biowijn.info).Chris completed qualified as Oenologist in 1991 from the Dutch Wine Academy. During that time he started writing articles for the retail and drinks magazine, Drinks Slijtersvakblad (magazine for retailers/wineshops, importers, “caviste”) and “Vinologica” a publication for members of the Dutch Association of Vinologen. He is chief-editor and owner of www.wijnjournaal.nl.Since 2003 Chris has been lecturing at the Dutch Academy, specialising in the Loire and Alsace regions and in 2012 became a member of the editorial committee of the Dutch Wine Academy. He is also a member of the FIJEV (International Federation of Wine and Spirits Journalists and Writers).In 2008 Chris was introduced as Prud’homme de la Jurade de Saint-Emilion and in 2009 chosen as member of the jury for the selection of organic wines in the Netherlands. He has also judged at Vinexpo , Concours des Vins du Val de Loire (Ligers) and was invited to judge for the Dubrovnik FestiWine Trophy (2014, 2015 and 2016).Thomas Rydberg – DenmarkJoining the panel this year, Thomas is Chief Editor of Denmark’s Whisky & Rum Magazine, owner and editor of the wine guide DinVinGuide and wine editor of Danish e-newspaper, Ekstra Bladet. (This site is today the biggest wine site in Denmark with more than 300.000 visitors monthly).Thomas is regularly invited to judge in international wine competitions, including Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, IWSC and Mundus Vini. In 2013 he joined the jury of the Concours Grenache de Monde in Perpignan and judged in the Best Riesling Competition in Neustadt.Thomas continues to improve his qualifications and skills in the world of Drinks – he holds a WSET Diploma (Level 4) from London and is currently working to complete his Master of Wine dissertation. In addition he is responsible for organising some of the largest wine and spirits fairs in Denmark, regularly offers Master Classes for consumers and writes on a regular basis for Gastro, Vin & Co and The Sommelier magazine.Furthermore, Thomas holds an MBA in Strategy and Marketing from Copenhagen Business School and a BA in Journalism, and has been a member of the Circle of Wine Writers in London since 2011.Jean Smullen – IrelandJean is a wine journalist and broadcaster from Ireland and holds a WSET Diploma. She started her career in the Irish wine industry 25 years ago and has comprehensive commercial experience. In the UK, Jean writes for Chef magazine and is also a Member of the Circle of Wine Writers.She has judged in various international wine competitions since 2006, including the IWSC, Concours Mondial de Bruxelles and Michelangelo in 2012.Since 1999 she has been working as freelancer, offering a unique consultancy service to the wine trade. Her clients include: C.I.V.B. (Counseil Inter-professionnel du Vin de Bordeaux); Le Sud (Wineries from the South of France); I.C.E.X. (Spain); Italian Trade Commission; Provins Valais (Swiss Wines); New Zealand Wines; Wines of Argentina; Wines of Chile, Wines of Luxembourg; Wines of South Africa, Syndicate de Cru Bourgeois du Medoc; Wines of Uruguay and ViniportugalMarin Berovič – SloveniaThis will be Professor Berovič’s fourth duty as wine judge on the Michelangelo panel. As OIV Commissioner and Chairman of European Wine Competitions, Marin adjudicates and oversees judging panels at wine competitions around the world.He works and lives in Llubjana, Slovenia, where he works as Professor in chemical and biochemical engineering in the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering of the University of Ljubljana. Marin is also a member of the Executive Board of European Section on Biochemical Engineering Sciences Prof Berovič’s bibliography contains 316 contributions from the field of biotechnology and bioreactor engineering, for which he has received three international awards for his scientific and research work.This multi-talented wine judge is also an accomplished artist, having exhibited his paintings in a total of 136 art exhibitions around Europe.Gregory Ndaiziweyi Mutambe – South AfricaGregory was born and raised in Zimbabwe and started his journey with wine in 2004 when he worked as cellar hand at one of the few wineries in Zimbabwe, namely the Mukuyu Winery, Marondera. Gregory relocated to South Africa in 2006 and was appointed Head Sommelier in May 2011 at the Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa in Camps Bay, Cape Town. His responsibilities include the compiling and updating of wine lists, running gourmet wine evenings and conducting tutored tastings.Gregory’s judging experience includes work for SAA, the Nederburg Auction, the SA Chenin Association and the Platter Wine Guide.Tinashe Nyamudoka – South AficaNew to the Michelangelo panel is Tinashe Nyamudoka, Head Sommelier at The Test Kitchen in the trendy Cape Town suburb of Woodstock at the foot of Devil’s Peak. Growing up in a home where there was never a bottle of wine at the dinner table, Tinashe embarked on a career in wine when first he was employed as wine waiter at The Showroom Restaurant, followed by an appointment as sommelier at The Roundhouse. Tinashe subsequently worked in various hotels to extend his knowledge – these included the 5 Star Waterfront Hotel, and the Maze and Rueben’s at The One & Only in the Waterfront. He has judged in various wine competitions and sits on the panel of the Wine of the Month club as well as on the Wells Faber Weekly sommelier blind tasting at the Pendock GalleryCav. Subhash Arora – India,Subhash is a noted creative wine writer and editor of delWine and writes for several newspapers and magazines in India and abroad. He is a regular contributor to UpperCrust, the high-end lifestyle magazine published from Mumbai.Subahash has judged in several international competitions including WSA Wine Challenge Singapore, WBWE Amsterdam, Decanter Asia Wine Awards and Cathay Pacific IWSC Hong Kong. The Italian President knighted Subhash for his efforts in building wine ties between India and Italy.Eduardo Viotti – BrazilHailing from Brazil, Eduardo Viotti joins the 2016Michelangelo panel. Eduardo has judged on the panels of all major wine competitions worldwide during the past 15 years and has been the editor of VINHO MAGAZINE since 1999.Eduardo has written 16 books for the collection “The World of Wine” and 12 books about beer for the series, “The World of Beer”. He is also the author of several annual Brazilian Wine Guides as well as the “Guide to Brazilian Sparkling Wine”.Cho Jung Yong – From KoreaOur judge from Korea, Cho works as author and wine journalist in Korea where he also lectures on wine at the University of Korea. As founder and CEO of Curious Wine Company in Korea, Cho is involved with the importing and distribution of wine.Cho has written and contributed to a number of books on wine, including All that Wine (2006), When Wine meets Food (2008), All that Wine II (2009), Rival Wine (2010) and French Wine Traveller (2012). As journalist, Cho also regularly writes for the International wine business magazine, Meininger’s.He regularly judges at international wine competitions, including Mundusvini, the Singapore Wine Challenge and Vinitaly and we look forward to welcoming him back to South Africa in August!Dr. Luboš Bárta, MBA – Czech Republik.Lubos is a recognised international wine judge, a renowned wine-writer and wine-critic, and lectures at the Prague Culinary Institute on wine PR, marketing communication and oeno-gastronomy. He works as Editor-in-chief at the Czech SOMMELIER Magazine/Revue for Hotel and Restaurant. As international wine judge, he is frequently invited to panels at wine competitions around the world, including Fingerlakes International Wine Competition in the USA and Concourse Mondial de Bruxelles in Belguim, while also act as tour leader through various wine regions of the world. In 2013 Vinopres in Belgium awarded Lubos one of only five titles as “Benchmark Taster”. Lubos is a member of, among others, the American Wine Society, American Association of Wine Economists and the Association of Sommeliers of the Czech Republic.Liz Palmer – CanadaLiz Palmer is one of an increasing number of women wine writers making her mark in this traditionally male-dominated field. We welcome her to the panel as one or our Champagne and Sparkling wine experts! She is an internationally published wine and lifestyle writer as well as international wine judge who tastes at wine competition all over the world. Her articles have appeared in Huffington Post, China Wine News, Beauty &The Bull Magazine, Heart Business JournalFor Women, GAM on Yachting, National Wedding and Luxury Magazines both in USA andCanada. Liz tastes thousands of wines annually at international events, is one of fourinternational hosts for #ChampagneDay, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014, has served as a judge at the 2013 and 2014 Global Traveller’s Wines on the Wing airline wine competition.Liz Palmer is also a luxury lifestyle writer, wine educator, and wine judge. Among others, Liz is a member of International Federation of Wine andSpirits Journalists and Writers (FIJE); Wine Century Club (NYC); Society of WineEducators; Wine Writers Network; International Sommelier Guild; The French Wine Society; The British Canadian Chamber of Trade and Commerce, Women in Film in Television (WIFT) . Liz Palmer is also a member of the Circle of Wine Writers (UK). (The “Circle” is a prestigious association based in London, England.) She is in the process of writing her first book entitled: “An Ultimate Guide To Champagne “, which will be published in October 2014. Two other Champagne-related books are all so in the pipeline: “The Most Powerful Women in Champagne” and “The Champagne Cookbook .Adrian Garforth MW – UKAnd welcome back to the Michelangelo panel Adrian, of himself, he says, “as a Biochemistry graduate, I stumbled into Diageo and the wine industry purely by chance and have never regretted a single minute of my subsequent career”.Adrian was MD of the publicly quoted Savannah wine company in the UK and had a stint as European MD for the Spier wine group in Stellenbosch until 2003 when he decided to “go it alone”.He currently consults for the on-trade(currently advising on over 1000 UK restaurant wine lists), works as advisor for several European importers and a couple of wineries (including New Zealand’s Yealands Family Wines). Still the entrepreneur at heart, Adrian has an agency business trading wine throughout Europe and was until recently a partner in Jamaica’s first specialist wine importer, representing the likes of Gaja & Chapoutier. “I am also a WSET APP and was responsible for setting up the first Russian WSET provider in St Petersburg using local tutors and with Russian text!” In-between all this Adrian regularly judgesat the IWC and Decanter Wine shows in the UK, “plays golf badly” and hasrecently successfully completed the London Triathlon.And most importantly, “I ensure that everything I do is wrapped in a cloak of good humour!”Sergio Correa Undurraga – ChileWe are honoured and pleased to welcome back to the Michelangelo panel one of our very first judges –Mr Sergio Correa Undurraga from Chile!In 1997 Sergio was a judge on the inaugural Michelangelo panel, when the competition was but a bright idea. He also adjudicated in 1998 and 1999, when Michelangelo was open to wine entries only and was receiving in the region of 300 – 400 entries. (Today the competition receives 1 700+ entries annually from around the world, including wine, brandy, liqueurs and other spirits.)With a life-time of experience in the various fields of oenology, Sergio’s passion for his craft has been awarded many times – among others, he has been bestowed the Chevalier of the Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin in Bourgogne; Membership of the Brotherhood of Saint-Emilion; The Knight’s Cross of Merit awarded by the French government (1997) and the Viticultural Merit Award for Best Chilean Winemaker (2002).As winemaker, speaker, trainer, consultant, quality controller, researcher and international wine judge, Sergio has worked in France, Chile, Argentina and Bolivia.The Michelangelo team looks forward to welcoming you to our panel this year.Colin Frith – South AfricaColin is one of three of South Africa’s Honorary Cape Wine Masters. He started his career in the wine industry in the United Kingdom where he worked as wine merchant and earned a number of qualifications. Returning to South Africa afer 18 years, Colin was appointed wine buyer with SFW in 1982. He currently runs a wine production company in the Western Cape and regularly judges for the IWSC and Veritas.Petronella Salvi - France. Nellie started Vino Fino, a wine events and tour company specializing in the great vineyards of France, Spain, Italy and South Africa. She is a regular jury member of some of the most prestigious wine competitions in Europe, North and South America and South Africa. She writes food and wine related articles for publication in specialised magazines, web sites and newsletters and is an active member of the British Circle of Winewriters, the Club de la Presse de Bordeaux and the International Federation of Wine and Spirits Writers and Journalists. The Michelangelo Team

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Best U.S. Destinations For Wine LoversCalifornia, Virginia, Oregon, and New York offer some of the nation's top destinations for wine tourism in the USA, increasingly of interest to leisure travelers.America's 5 Best Waterfall HikesAn introduction to five of the very best waterfall hikes in America TALE OF THE TAPE Round Of 32: #7 Texas Vs. #2 Michigan #7 Texas Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images Photo by Mike McGinnis/Getty Images After missing out on the March Madness college basketball tournament last year, Rick Barnes has his Texas Longhorns not only back in the tournament, but moving on into the Round of 32. With 14 20-win seasons at Texas, Barnes is now looking for his first Sweet 16 appearance since 2008. Winner John Beilein is in his seventh year as the head coach with the Michigan Wolverines and is hoping to take his team to the championship after falling short last season in the NCAA Finals. After finishing the regular season ranked first in the Big Ten, his Wolverines look strong after their 17-point win over Wofford. Offense Heading into the March Madness college basketball tournament, Texas was a solid, if inconsistent team. However, it wasn’t their offense that was a problem in their win over Arizona State, as the team shot 53.4 percent from the field and 41.7 percent from beyond the arc. Six players scored in double digits, and it was one of the Longhorns’ better performances. Winner Michigan played a horrible offensive game against 15-seed Wofford in their first game of the tournament. They shot 47.8 percent from the field and 41.2 percent from beyond the arc, but they opened the second half by missing 15 of their first 18 shots. Only three Wolverine players scored double-digits, and their back-to-back sub-60 point games are their lowest output since early February. Defense Cameron Ridley not only led the team in scoring in the Longhorns win (17), but he also hit the buzzer-beating basket to give Texas the big win and led the team in rebounds as well, with 12 total and seven defensively. Much like the rest of the season, they gave up a lot of points (85), which almost cost them the game. However, they finished the game with 30 rebounds, six steals and five blocks, the main reason they were able to keep close and move on in the tournament. Heading into the March Madness tournament, the Michigan offense was always something special, but their defense was suspect. It’s one reason they were not seen as a legitimate threat, despite their two seed. However, they won their first game of the tournament thanks to their defense, holding Wofford to 34 percent shooting from the field and a horrific 5.3 percent from three point land. It was a good defensive effort from a team not known for their D. Bench Depth Both Connor Lammert and Martez Walker notched over 20 minutes from the bench, with Walker scoring 16 points and Lammert bringing down seven rebounds. Overall, it was a solid performance from the bench. The Wolverines bench was almost non-existent. Six players played from off the bench, with Zak Irvin leading the way with 20 minutes. However, the entire bench only scored six points with four total rebounds. We'll Just Call it a Tie The Michigan Wolverines are a two-seed and won their game in more dominating fashion than the Texas Longhorns, who had to win on a buzzer beater. However, Texas had a tougher opponent and looked better beating them while Michigan didn’t play anywhere near as well against inferior opposition. Michigan should be able to beat Texas, but if they play like they did in their first games of the tournament, Texas could pull the upset here. It should be close, decided by around two points. College Basketball NewsRoy Williams On WFAN: Redemption Fueled Tar Heels’ Championship RunSilverman: UNC-Gonzaga Joins This Group Of Championship StinkersFrancesa: Refs Ruined NCAA Championship GameNCAA: North Carolina Can Host Events After Rolling Back ‘Bathroom Bill’5 Things: UNC Bests Gonzaga In Foul-Filled Affair To Win National Championship

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Similan Islands National Marine Park - Phang Nga The Similan Islands (Thai: หมู่เกาะสิมิลัน) is a group of islands in the Andaman Sea off the coast of Phang Nga Province, southern Thailand. It is a national park which was established in 1982. It is considered the best place in Thailand for divers. Similan Islands National Park was established after a one-year exploration by the forestry department. The park is an archipelago consisting of nine islands named Ko Bon, Ko Bayu, Ko Similan, Ko Payu, Ko Miang (two adjoining islands), Ko Payan, Ko Payang, and Ko Huyong. Recently, the park was expanded to included two remote islands named Ko Bon and Ko Tachai. The Similans are situated 70 kilometres from Phang Nga town. "Similan" is a Yawi word which means "nine". Similan is one of the most famous diving sites in Thailand, and noted as one of the top ten dive destinations according to the National Geographic Society.The islands were created by upwellings of hot magma during the Tertiary-Cretaceous period some 65 million years ago, then smoothed by glacial ice and the erosion by the sea. The coral reefs are about 5000 years old and hence the oldest in Thailand. In 1982, the national park was established and now it is scheduled to become a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Koh SimilanKoh Similan is the largest island. There are a total of 9 islands. The sea in the area has an average depth of 60 feet. Underwater it is full of rock formations and coral reefs in several shapes and forms, resembling such things as deer, leaves, brains, and mushrooms.Above the water are found many diverse species such as the Nicobar Pigeon, Mangrove Monitor Lizards and more. Koh HuyongKoh Huyong has the longest and widest beach in the park. However, the park prohibits any tourists from landing on the island as the beach a place where turtles come to lay their eggs. Dive SitesThe Similan national park is famous for its dive sites. It has typically two different kinds of diving. East side diving consists of gently sloping coral reefs with sandy patches and the occasional boulder in between. The west side is known for its huge underwater granite boulders with numerous swimthroughs. Maybe the most famous east side dive site is East of Eden, off Island number 7. Elephant head rock is arguably the most famous west side dive site with a maze of swimthroughs and the reputation for spin-cycle like currents running in every direction.Elephant head rock was named by Horst Hinrichs from Germany in the mid 70s, founder of one of the oldest dive shops in Phuket, Santana Diving. Other popular dive sites include North Point, Deep Six, Boulder City and the awesome pinnacles off Koh Bon and Koh Tachai.The most important of all dive sites in the Similans, which is actually part of Surin National Park, is Richelieu Rock, famous for its incomparable variety and abundance of marine life. Whale shark sightings are not uncommon here.However, since 1999, its once most beautiful dive site, the Fantasy Reef, has been closed from all diving activities after its condition had significantly deteriorated. Park chiefs officially blame diving for the deterioration, while dive operators in the area claim that fishing boats, with or without permission, enter the national park during low season, when no dive operators are allowed in the national park. The national park also claims that the dive site suffered significant damage from the tsunami in 2004, and continues to keep the reef closed. Since noone but the national park staff is allowed to dive Fantasy Reef it has been impossible to confirm that statement.The nine granite islands are postcard perfect images of paradise, covered in tropical jungle and equipped with beaches of chalk-white sand. As if this was not enough, the views under the water surface are even more impressive - this is the best dive site in Thailand. Skin-Diver Magazine has acclaimed the Similans to be one of the ten most beautiful places in the world.There is an enormous diversity in species - both in fish and corals. The visibility is the best you will find in Thailand. You will see plenty of colorful fish such as lionfish and clownfish (Nemo), and if you're lucky you may spot a bigger one like a manta or even a whale shark. Wildlife ProtectionIslands 1, 2 and 3 are closed for public due to turtle hatching protection program and reef conservation efforts. Island number 3 belongs to HM the Thai Princess. Fishing is banned in Similan and Surin National Park, however fishing boats are constantly seen in and around the Park. When diving, one can often find nets stuck to reefs and illegal fishing traps. This season many illegal fishing traps have been found outside the most common dive sites, suggesting the fishermen are betting on divers not venturing off the known dive sites. They have contained among others Giant Trevallies, Batfish, Barracudas, Golden Pilot Jacks, Giant Triggerfish etc. The fishing traps seem to be overly abundant around Koh Bon and Koh Ta Chai.Public awareness of this increasing problem will be the only way to change the situation so if you visit Similan and Surin National Parks and witness illegal fishing, please report your sightings. Public pressure and fear of lost revenue will eventually force the authorities to lean on the Rangers to actually do what they are supposed to do - protect the most beautiful and famous island group and dive sites in Thailand.Access to the Similan Islands is easiest from Khao Lak, Phang Nga province. The mainland office is in Thap Lamu. Boats depart daily from November-May. The trip takes three hours each way on slow boats or 70 minutes via speedboat.During the months November-May also live-aboard boats head to the Similan Islands. These dive boats depart and return from Khao Lak, Phuket and Ranong and stay for several days at the Similan National Marine Park.High season in the Similans is from December until April, when the monsoon stays far away. The best period to visit is March, when the winds are calm and the water clear. The national park is closed from May 16 to November 15. Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Similan_Islands, http://wikitravel.org/en/Similan_Islands Images: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Similan_Islands Tarutao National Marine Park - Satun Tarutao National Marine Park (Thai: อุทยานแห่งชาติทางทะเลตะรุเตา) consists of 51 islands located in the Andaman Sea, off the coast of Satun Province of Southern Thailand. The Tarutao National Marine Park consists of two island groups: Tarutao (Thai: หมู่เกาะตะรุเตา) and Adang-Rawi (Thai: หมู่เกาะอาดัง-ราวี), which are scattered from 20 to 70 kilometers distance from the southwestern most point of mainland Thailand. The park covers an area of 1,490 square kilometers (1,260 ocean, 230 island). The southern most end of the Park lies on the border with Malaysia. Tarutao became Thailand's second marine national park on April 19, 1974. The coastal Khao Sam Roi Yot National Park had been designated in 1966.The name Tarutao is a Thai corruption of its original Malay name, Pulau Tertua (the island of old).There are essentially 7 islands of note in the Tarutao/Adang-Rawi archipelagoes:Tarutao Archipelago (located approximately 30 km off the Thai coast) Ko Tarutao (Thai: เกาะตะรุเตา) - The largest of the islands, Ko Tarutao is 26.5 km long, and 11 km wide. The highest point is over 2,000 feet. Forest covers over 60% of the island. Ko Klang (Thai: เกาะกลาง), Ko Lek (Thai: เกาะเหล็ก) Adang Archipelago (located approximately 45 km west of Tarutao) Ko Adang (Thai: เกาะอาดัง), Ko Rawi (Thai: เกาะราวี), Ko Lipe (Thai: เกาะหลีเป๊ะ), Ko Dong (Thai: เกาะดง) In the Adang Archipelago, the small (4 km²) island of Lipe is the most important. With water available year-round, it is the home of the largest permanent settlement, of approximately 800, and the gateway for boat transportation in and out of the Adang group. HistoryThe park was established in 1974. In 1982, it was listed as one of the original ASEAN Heritage Parks. It was also submitted to UNESCO for inclusion to the World Heritage in 1990, but its listing was deferred in the fifteenth session of the World Heritage Committee in 1991. The UNESCO requested a stronger management of the area.The island had been used in the late 1930s as a penal colony for Thai political prisoners. During World War II, when support from the mainland was cut off, the guards and prisoners banded together and formed raiding parties on ships sailing through the waters near the island. After the pirates of Tarutao were eradicated by British forces at the end of the war, fishermen and farmers took up residence on the island.Ko Tarutao was the setting for Survivor: Thailand, the 2002 season for the reality television series, Survivor. The Philippine version of the said series was also set there six years later. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarutao_National_Marine_Park Images: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Koh_Tarutao Posted by Dong Phaya Yen - Khao Yai Forest Complex - Nakhon Ratchasima Dong Phaya Yen (Thai: ดงพญาเย็น, lit. Jungle of the Ice Lord) is a mountain range in central Thailand. Dong Phaya Yen is the southeastern extension of the Phetchabun mountains, dividing the Chao Phraya river valley of Central Thailand and the Khorat Plateau of the northeast. The mountain chain reaches a maximum altitude of 1,351 m above sea level at Khao Rom, its highest hill.The range has a length of about 230 km. The southern arm of the Dong Phaya Yen Mountains is the Sankambeng range, that merges with the Dangrek Mountains on its eastern end. The mountains are drained to the north by several tributaries to the Mun River, while the south drains into the Prachinburi River.Dong Phaya Yen was once known as Dong Phaya Fai or "Jungle of the Fire Lord" because this area was once the vast forest where malaria killed most travelers who dared to pass through the woods.Much of the forest cover, however, was destroyed since the beginning of 20th century. Following the deforestation of the area, Vice King (Uparaja) Pinklao changed the name of the forest from Dong Phaya Fai to Dong Phaya Yen to imply that "the wild forest has been tamed".Several national parks are located in the mountains. The most famous one is the Khao Yai National Park, which was the first national park of Thailand. Other parks are the Ta Phraya National Park at the boundary with Cambodia, the Thap Lan National Park, Pang Sida National Park, Phra Phutthachai National Park and the Dongyai Wildlife Sanctuary. Altogether 6155 km² are protected in these parks.In 2005 the forests of the Dong Phaya Yen mountains were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List under the name Dong Phaya Yen–Khao Yai Forest Complex.Khao Yai National Park (Thai: เขาใหญ่) is a national park in Thailand. Khao Yai National Park is situated in the Sankambeng Mountain Range, the southern prolongation of the Dong Phaya Yen Mountains, at the southwestern boundary of the Khorat Plateau. This park lies largely in Nakhon Ratchasima Province (Khorat), but also includes parts of Saraburi, Prachinburi and Nakhon Nayok provinces.The park is the second largest in Thailand. It covers an area of 2,168 square kilometers, including evergreen forests and grasslands. Its altitude mostly ranges from 400 to 1000 m above sea level. There are 3,000 species of plants, 320 species of birds like red junglefowl and green peafowl and 67 species of mammals, including Asiatic black bears, Asian elephants, gaur, tigers, gibbons, Indian sambar deer, crab-eating macaque, Indian muntjac, dholes, and wild pigs. Its waterfalls include the 80 metre Heo Narok, and Heo Suwat made famous from the film The Beach. Namtok Sarika is popular with the Thais.Recent wildlife studies show that animal ranges, particularly the few resident tigers, are impacted by human activity near the center of the park. This study has not impacted the government's call for private lodging concessions within the park itself.HistoryAbout a century ago the Ban Tha Dan people and the Baan Tachal people in the Nakhon Nayok Province to the south of Khao Yai built a settlement within the forest. Up to 30 households cultivated the land. The area was formally recognized by the government and classified as a sub-district known as Pak Ple.However, due to its location and distance from authorities it became a refuge for criminals and fugitives. In an attempt to capture the fugitives the areas sub-district status was cancelled, and the villages relocated into the plains some 30 km away.In 1959 the Prime Minister of Thailand, Marshall Sarit Thanarat, Coordinated the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of the Interior to create a process where national parks could be established. Khao Yai National Park was then established on September 18, 1962, declared by royal proclamation in the Government Gazette (Book 79, Section 89) as the first National Park in Thailand. A major role in its establishment was received by Boonsong Lekakul, one of the 20th century's most famous conservationists in Thailand.In 1984 the park was made an ASEAN Heritage Park, and on July 14, 2005 the park together with other parks in the Dong Phaya Yen mountains was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the name Dong Phaya Yen–Khao Yai Forest Complex.Lands adjacent to the national park are becoming increasingly developed into luxury hotels and golf courses for weekending visitors from Bangkok. Such development limits wildlife corridors and permanently reduces future conservation and land acquisition ability.Khao Yai National Park has three main seasons, with an annual mean temperature of 23 degrees celsius, though this varies greatly with the seasons.Rainy Season Is from May to October. During this season most days have high rates of precipitation. The atmosphere is humid with average temperatures of 27 degrees celsius during the day dropping to 13 degrees celsius at night. Good waterfalls for travelers.Cold season Is from November to February. Clear skies, sunny and cool. Average temperatures of 22 degrees celsius during the day and 10 degrees celsius at night. Good time for hiking.Hot Season Is from March to April. Humid with day temperatures of 20-30 degrees celsius and 17 degrees celsius at night.Limestones are present along the Dong Rek range. Sandstones outcrop in the south and north of the park. Shales and schist are also present. In the South, steep slopes made of granite and conglomerates can be seen.There are four drainage areas in the park which are vital catchments for four river systems. The Takhong River drains from the central Khao Yai area and runs in a North-Easterly direction into the Mekong. The Sai Yai system drains from the Eastern Basin, turning sharply into the Southern Floodplains and on to the Gulf of Thailand. The Nakhon Nayok river system drains from the South-West watershed into the Nakhon Nayok Province to the South. The Saraburi Province drainage system drains Westward from the far West of the Khao Yai.The park is often visited by travelers from Isan, Bangkok and beyond. The fee (per day) is 500 baht for foreigners (200 for children), and 50 for Thais. Food is available from private concessions within the park. Bicycles are available for hire from the park. Ask at the visitors center and they will direct you. Kayaking and rafting services are also available. Night-time "wildlife spotlighting" is available via pick-up trucks in the early evening. Animals sighted usually are limited to deer and civet cats, and only rarely include elephants. Slide shows at the visitors center are available on weekends and public holidays at 10:00am, 14:00pm and 16:00pm. Meeting rooms are available with audiovisual equipment for seminars and workshops. Camping is permitted in camping zones. You may bring your own tent or hire one at the camping ground. Lodges and cabins are available for singles and groups. Reservations are required. AttractionsThere are over 50 km of hiking trails. From easy to hard, one hour to three days. There trails on the map from the visitors center will only have the easier trails. Maps do come with English instructions. A guide is recommended for most trails if the tourist has no experience. Kayaking and rafting. Night time wildlife spotlighting. Observation towers at Nong Pak Chee or Mo Sing. Early morning is the best time to view the Great Hornbills, guar, and sometimes elephants. Gibbons are most active in the early morning. At about 5:30 at night thousands of wrinkled lipped bats emerge from a cave 3 km outside the northern gate to begin night time feeding. The bats fly in a ribbon pattern across the sky. Klong Pa Kang-Wang Haew-Dinosaur Footprint. Four day trek to see a dinosaur footprint! WaterfallsHaew Narok Waterfall - The Haew Narok waterfalls are the largest waterfalls in the park. It is a three tiered structure that extends 150 meters from the top tier to the basal lake. The waterfall is located about 10 kilometers from the south gate along the central road through Khao Yai. Haew Suwat Waterfalls - This waterfall runs over a 20 meter cliff into a large pool below. It is located to the about 8 km east of the visitors center and can be visited easily by car along one of the main easterly roads. It can also be reached by a 8 km hike from the visitors center (walk number 4) which takes about 4–7 hours. It is made up mainly of multiple layers of sandstone conglomerates with large interbeds of basalt. Haew Sai Waterfalls - Haew Sai Waterfalls are located a 700 meters north of the Haew Suwat Waterfalls. It is 8 km east of the visitors centre and can also be reached vias car or by hike. Haew Pratoon Waterfalls - Smaller waterfall that is about 1 km north of Haew Sai waterfall. Haew Suwat in Rainy season Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khao_Yai_National_Park, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dong_Phaya_Yen_Mountains Images: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Khao_Yai_National_Park Wat Phra Kaew - Bangkok The Wat Phra Kaew (Thai: วัดพระแก้ว, RTGS: Wat Phra Kaeo, English: Temple of the Emerald Buddha; full official name Wat Phra Si Rattana Satsadaram, Thai: วัดพระศรีรัตนศาสดาราม) is regarded as the most sacred Buddhist temple (wat) in Thailand. It is a "potent religio-political symbol and the palladium of Thai society". It is located in the historic centre of Bangkok (district Phra Nakhon), within the precincts of the Grand Palace.The main building is the central ubosoth, which houses the statue of Emerald Buddha. The legendary history of this Buddha image is traced to India, five centuries after the Lord Buddha attained Nirvana, till it was finally enshrined in Bangkok at the Wat Phra Kaew temple in 1782 during Rama I's reign (1782–1809). This marked the beginning and raise of the Chakri Dynasty of the present Kingdom of Thailand (the present head of the dynasty is King Rama IX. The Emerald Buddha, a dark green statue, is in a standing form, about 66 centimetres (26 in) tall, carved from a single jade stone (Emerald in Thai means deep green colour and not the specific stone). It is carved in the meditating posture in the style of the Lanna school of the northern Thailand. Except for the Thai King, no other person is allowed to touch the statue. The King changes the cloak around the statue three times a year, corresponding to the summer, winter, and rainy seasons, an important ritual performed to usher good fortune to the country during each season.While legend traces this statue to India, its rich historical records dates its finding in Cambodia in the 15th century, moved to Laos in the 16th century and then to Vientiane where it remained for 215 years, and finally to Thailand in the 18th century. Considering the long history and Nagasena's (a Brahmin who became a Buddhist sage and lived about 150 BC) prophesy that the Emerald Buddha would bring "prosperity and pre-eminence to each country in which it resides", the Emerald Buddha deified in the Wat Phra Kaew is deeply revered and venerated in Thailand as the protector of the country.The earliest legend narrated to the ionic emerald image of the Buddha is that of Nagasena, a saint in India who with the help of Hindu god, Vishnu and demigod Indra got the Emerald Buddha image made, 500 years after Buddha attained Nirvana, from the precious stone of Emerald. Nagasena had, with his psychic powers predicted then that:The image of the Buddha is assuredly going to give to religion the most brilliant importance in five lands, that is in Lankadvipa (Sri Lanka), Ramalakka, Dvaravati, Chieng Mai and Lan Chang (Laos).As regards the historical legend of What Phra Kaew, it was originally known as the "Wat Pa Yia", (Bamboo Forest Monastery) in the Chiang Rai province of Northern Thailand. The What was struck by a lightning storm in 1434, when the octagonal Chedi broke up and revealed the Emerald Buddha (made of Jade), locally known as Phra Kaew Morakot. From there it was moved, initially to Vientianne and finally to Bangkok where it was deified in the temple by the original name, What Phra Kaew.Another legend mentions that attempts made by the King of Chiang Mai to possess the statue after it was found in 1434; these failed thrice because the elephants transporting the statue refused to proceed beyond a crossroad in Lampang. The King of Chiang Mai considered the incident to be a strong divine directive and allowed the Buddha statue to remain in Lampang, where it remained for the next 32 years in an exclusively built temple.ArchitectureWat Phra Kaeo has a plethora of buildings within the precincts of the Grand Palace, which covers a total area of over 94.5 hectares (234 acres). It has over 100 buildings with “200 years royal history and architectural experimentation” linked to it. The architectural style is named as Rattanakosin style (old Bangkok style). The main temple of the Emerald Buddha is very elegantly decorated and similar to the temple in ancient capital of Ayudhya. The roof is embellished with polished orange and green tiles, the pillars are inlaid in mosaic and the pediments are made of rich marble. The Emerald Buddha is deified over an elevated altar surrounded by large gilded decorations. While the upper part of this altar was part of the original construction, the base was added by King Rama III. Two images of the Buddha, which represent the first two kings of the Chakri dynasty, flank the main image. Over the years, the temple has retained its original design. However, minor improvements have been effected after its first erection during Rama I's reign; wood-work of the temple was replaced by King Rama III and King Chulalongkorn; during King Mongkut's reign, the elegant doors and windows and the copper plates on the floor were additions, Rama III refurbished the wall painting (indicative of the universe according to Buddhist cosmology) and several frescoes that display the various stages of the Buddha's life; three chambers were added on the western side by King Mongkut; in the chamber known as 'Phra Kromanusorn' at the northern end, images of Buddha have been installed in honour of the kings of Ayudya; and in the 19th century, In Khong, a famous painter executed the wall murals. The entry to the temple is from the third gate from the river pier.Other monumentsWhile the surrounding portico of the shrine is an example of Thai craftsmanship, the perimeter of the temple complex has 12 open pavilions. These were built during the reign of Rama I. There is plethora of monuments in the temple complex. These are:Grand Palace: Please see detail in next post. Pagodas: The temple grounds also depict three pagodas to its immediate north, which represent the changing centres of Buddhist influence. One such shrine to the west of the temple is the Phra Si Ratana Chedi, a 19th-century stupa built in Sri Lankan style enshrining ashes of the Buddha.Library: Rama I also built a library in Thai style, in the middle of the complex, known as the "Phra Mondop". The library houses an elegantly carved Ayutthaya-style mother-of-pearl doors, bookcases with the Tripitaka (sacred Buddhist manuscripts), human-and dragon-headed nagas (snakes), and images of Chakri kings.During the 19th century, the Royal Pantheon was built in Khmer style to the east of the temple, which is kept open for only one day in year, in the month of October to commemorate the founding of the Chakri dynasty.Model of Angkor Wat: The temple complex also contains a model of Angkor Wat (the most sacred of all Cambodian shrines), that was started by King Mongkut and completed by King Nangklao (Rama III), as the Khmer empire of Cambodia and the Thais' share cultural and religious roots.Hermit statue: A hermit's bronze image, which is believed to have healing powers, is installed in a sala on the western side of the temple. It is near the entry gate. It is a black stone statue, considered a patron of medicine, before which relatives of the sick and infirm pay respects and make offerings of joss sticks, fruit, flowers, and candles.Nine towers: On the eastern side of the temple premises there are nine towers. They were erected during the reign of Rama I. Each tower is affixed with glazed tiles, with different colours for each tower, supposed to denote colours of the nine planets.Elephant statues: Statues of elephants, which symbolize independence and power, are seen all around the complex. As Thai kings fought wars mounted on elephants, it has become customary for parents to make their children circumambulate the elephant three times with the belief that that it would bring them strength. The head of an elephant statue is also rubbed for good luck; this act of the people is reflected in the smoothness of the surface of elephant statues here.The sacred temples in Thailand follow a dress code, which is strictly followed. Men must wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts and shoes; women must wear long skirts. Visitors who arrive dressed otherwise may rent appropriate clothing items at the entry area of the temple. It is compulsory to remove the shoes before entering the temple, as a sign of respect of the Buddha, as is the practice in all other temples in Thailand. While offering prayers before the Buddha image, the sitting posture should avoid any offensive stretching of feet towards the deity; the feet should be tucked in towards the back. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wat_Phra_KaewImages: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Wat_Phra_Kaew Grand Palace - Bangkok The Grand Palace (Thai: พระบรมมหาราชวัง, Phra Borom Maha Ratcha Wang) is a complex of buildings in Bangkok, Thailand. It served as the official residence of the Kings of Thailand from the 18th century onwards. Construction of the Palace began in 1782, during the reign of King Rama I, when he moved the capital across the river from Thonburi to Bangkok. The Palace has been constantly expanded and many additional structures were added over time. The present King of Thailand, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, however, resides at the Chitralada Palace.HistoryWhen King Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke (Rama I) decided to move the capital of Siam from Thonburi on the west to Bangkok on the east of the Chao Phraya River he decided to build a magnificent new palace as a place of residence as well as a centre of government. The area chosen was however occupied by Chinese merchants, whom he promptly asked to relocate (to the present day Yaowarat area).The tower of gold began construction on 6 May 1782. At first the palace consisted of several wooden buildings surrounded on four sides with a high defensive wall of 1,900 metres in length, which encloses an area of 218,400 square metres. Soon the King ordered the building of the Temple of the Emerald Buddha; as the Monarch’s personal place of worship and royal temple. Once the palace was complete the King decided to under go a coronation ceremony to celebrate in 1785.The plan of the Grand Palace followed closely that of the old palace in Ayutthaya. The Palace is rectangular shaped, with the western side next to a river and the royal temple situated to the east side, with all structures facing north. The palace itself is divided into three quarters: the outer quarters, the middle quarters and the inner quarters.The palace became the centre of the Rattanakosin government and royal court for most of the early Chakri Dynasty until the reign of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) who preferred to stay at the Dusit Palace, but still used the Grand Palace as an office and primary place of residence. This practice was followed by his sons (Rama VI and Rama VII) who preferred their own palaces. King Ananda Mahidol (Rama VIII) moved into the palace full time after his return from abroad in 1945. However after his mysterious death a year later in one of the palaces inside the complex, his brother King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) who succeeded him decided to move permanently to the Chitralada Palace.The Palace is however still very much in use; as many royal rituals are performed here by the King every year. Other royal ceremonies celebrated here are coronations; royal funerals, marriages and state banquets. The Palace grounds also contain the offices and buildings of the Bureau of the Royal Household, the Office of the Private Secretary to the King and Royal Institute of Thailand.ArchitectureThe four structures surrounding the temple have history of their own. At the eastern end is the Borombhiman Hall (built in French architectural design), which was the residence of King Rama VI, now used as guest house for visiting foreign dignitaries. It has the dubious distinction of having been used as the operational headquarters and residence of General Chitpatima who attempted a coup, in 1981. The building to the west is the Amarindra hall, earlier a hall of Justice, now used for formal ceremonies. The Chakri Mahaprasat is the largest hall in the Grand Palace, built in 1882 by British architects, the architecture of which is fusion of Italian renaissance and Traditional Thai architecture. This style is called farang sai chadaa, (meaning: "Western in a Thai crown") as each wing has a shrine (mandap) crowned by a spire. Ashes of the Chakri kings (five ancestors) are enshrined in the largest of these shrines, also known as the pantheons, that were rebuilt after a fire in 1903 during Rama IV's reign. Ashes of the Chakri princess who could not become kings are enshrined in an adjoining hall. The throne room and the reception hall are on the first floor, while the ground floor houses a collection of weapons. The inner palace had the King’s harem (the practice was discontinued during King Rama VI's time who decreed the one wife rule), which was guarded by well trained female guards. Another hall in the palace is the 'Duist hall' in Ratanokosin-style, which runs from east to west, which was initially an audience hall but now converted into a funerary hall for the Royal family. Royal family corpses are kept here for one year before they are cremated in a nearby field. There is also a garden which was laid during rama IV's reign. The garden depicts a "Thai mountain-and-woods-fable" mountain scenes where the coming of age ritual of shaving the topknot of the Prince is performed. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_PalaceImages: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Grand_Palace_Bangkok Dong Phaya Yen - Khao Yai Forest Complex - Nakhon ... Wat Pho - Bangkok Wat Benchamabophit - Bangkok Wat Arun - Bangkok Phra Pathom Chedi - Nakhon Pathom Wat Phra Singh - Chiang Mai Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep - Chiang Mai Wat Chiang Man - Chiang Mai Wat Rong Khun - Chiang Rai Petra - Jordan Borobudur Temple - Indonesia Terracotta Army - China Banaue Rice Terraces - Philippines Shwedagon Pagoda - Myanmar Thatbyinnyu Temple - Bagan Shwezigon Pagoda - Bagan Gawdawpalin Temple - Bagan Dhammayangyi Temple - Bagan Ananda Temple - Bagan Bagan - Myanmar Forbidden City - China Prasat Bayon - Angkor Thom Angkor Thom - Cambodia Angkor Wat - Cambodia Ulun Danu Batur Temple - Bali Luhur Batukaru Temple - Bali Taman Ayun Temple - Bali Goa Lawah Temple - Bali Ulun Danu Bratan Temple - Bali Tirtha Empul Temple - Bali

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Koh Tao - Surat Thani Ko Tao (also often Koh Tao, Thai: เกาะเต่า, lit. "Turtle Island") is an island in Thailand located near the western shore of the Gulf of Thailand. It covers an area of about 21 km². Administratively it forms a tambon within the district (Amphoe) Ko Pha Ngan of Surat Thani Province. As at end 2006 its official population is 1382. The main settlement is Ban Mae Hat.The economy of the island is almost exclusively centered around tourism, especially scuba diving.Ko Tao was named by its first settlers for the island's turtle-like geographic shape. Coincidentally, the island is an important breeding ground for Hawksbill turtles and Green turtles. Development of tourism has negatively impacted the health of these grounds but a breeding program organized in 2004 by the Royal Thai Navy and KT-DOC, a coalition of local scuba diving centers has reintroduced hundreds of juvenile turtles to the island's ecosystem.Initially the island was not inhabited, there was only the occasional fisherman from the neighboring islands, looking for shelter in a storm or just taking a break before continuing his tiresome journey.It would appear from old maps (1600-1850) and descriptions that this island was known by European cartographers and mariners as "Pulo Bardia". The best example is a map by John Thornton dated 1685. Page 383 of 'The Edinburgh Gazetteer, or Geographical Dictionary' (1822) also mentions the island and provides a geographical position. In his book titled "Narrative of a residence at the capital of the Kingdom of Siam" by Frederick Arthur Neale (1852 p. 120) he describes the people and wildlife of Bardia. According to the account there were farms and even cows in a village on the bay lying to the west side of the island - (probably Sairee?). The book includes a fanciful illustration of 'Bardia' showing huts and palm trees.On June 18, 1899 King Chulalongkorn visited Ko Tao and left as evidence his monogram on a huge boulder at Jor Por Ror bay next to Sairee Beach. This place is still worshiped today.In 1933 the island started to be used as a political prison. In 1947 Khuang Abhaiwongse, prime minister at that time, pleaded and received a royal pardon for all prisoners on the island. Everybody was taken to the shore of Surat Thani and Ko Tao was abandoned again.In the same year Khun Uaem and his brother Khun Oh reached Ko Tao from the neighboring Ko Phangan by trying out their traditional sail boat, for that time a quite long and dangerous journey. Even though the island was still under royal patronage, it did not stop these pioneers claiming themselves a good part of the land on today's Sairee beach. Having brought their families over, they began to cultivate and harvest the excellent soil, forming the first generation of the present-day community. They lived a simple and tough life harvesting coconuts, fishing and growing vegetables, which were also traded with Ko Pha Ngan. Despite the difficulties in reaching the island, the population grew steadily.In the 1980s the first travelers discovered Ko Tao and their special backpacker network quickly made it widely known and a popular destination. As a consequence, bigger, faster and safer boats were used to allow easier access to Ko Tao. In the 1990s the island finally became known as a diving site.TourismThe island is well known for scuba diving and snorkeling. Also offers some hiking, rock climbing and bouldering. The most popular place for tourists is Sairee on the West coast, which has a white sandy beach of 1.7 km interrupted only by a few huge boulders and a scattering of medium budget resorts and restaurants. Chalok Baan Khao, to the south of the island is becoming increasingly popular as an alternative for those wishing to escape the crowds. A multitude of beautiful granite boulders, which nestle both in the forests and on the beaches of Ko Tao, attract a growing number of climbers who visit each year to enjoy the adventurous aspect of their sport.Ko Tao is less developed than Ko Samui and Ko Pha Ngan, but has become increasingly popular especially with the mid-20's backpacker crowd in search of relatively inexpensive scuba diving certification. For the last two years the demographics of the island has seen a age increase with many of the visitors that first visited the island over ten years ago are now for the first time returning with their families.As of December 2005, Ko Tao had about 150 resorts offering accommodation and approximately 50 bars/clubs. Most of the resorts are still bungalow-style, not hotel/resort style. As of 2007 there is a trend to more up-market resorts which do not concentrate singularly on diving. Free WiFi is provided in increasing numbers and even the first sailing charter company on Ko Tao has opened.Ko Tao is increasingly becoming a mecca for game fishermen on a budget. Species targeted include marlin, sailfish, king mackerel, cobia, baracuda, trevally and snapper.Diving conditions have improved dramatically in the past few years with the continuing education of locals by the dive community. The El Nino weather pattern of 1997 caused a warming of the waters which resulted in the loss of a great deal of the shallow corals near the island. Since then, the recovery has been swift and dramatic. And with help by island conservation groups the island environmental outlook is strong.Chumpon Pinnacle, a dive site to the west of the island has a reputation for divers in search of both whale sharks and bull sharks. However, because of the warmer water temperatures over the last year a great amount of bull sharks have migrated to cooler waters.TransportationWith few exceptions, almost all roads on Ko Tao are dirt roads and generally are in poor shape. However, new roads are being paved at a quick rate. 95% of all traffic on the island is motorbike, with mopeds and dirt bikes being the main mode of transport. Motor bike accidents are the most common injury on the island. Poor roads, sand, reckless taxi drivers and drunkenness are all a factor.Ko Tao is serviced by ferry services from Surat Thani (4 hours day boat, 9 hours on overnight boat), Chumphon (1.5 to 3 hours), Ko Samui (approx 2.5 hours) and Ko Pha Ngan (approx 1 hour). All ferries dock at Ban Mae Haad. Journey times vary due to the different boats used by the various ferry companies. Ticket prices are almost the same for all companies, however, the boats themselves differ greatly. The two main ferries are Lomprayah and Songserm, with Seatran also offering services between the islands and mainland. Lomprayah offer the quickest service on the newest boats, and also have VIP lounges where passengers can watch movies in an air conditioned lounge. In contrast, Songserm is a no-frills point to point fast ferry, where most passengers disembark slightly more green in the face than when they boarded.Ko Tao has no airport, so anyone wishing to fly would need to fly to Koh Samui and then transfer over on a ferry. Flights to Samui are operated by Bangkok Air and Thai Air only. Another option for flying down from Bangkok is to fly to Surat Thani, and then catch the boat over after a bus ride of 2 hours to the ferry terminal from the airport. Flights to Surat Thani are much cheaper than flights to Samui, and budget airlines such as Air Asia service the airport from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Krabi and Phuket.Train services are available from Bangkok down to Chumphon where travelers can then catch a ferry. A first class ticket on an overnight train, second class tickets are a little cheaper, passengers do not have the luxury of their own private cabin in second class, however, beds do pull down and once the party is over it is possible to have a good night sleep. Food is served by train vendors. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ko_TaoImages: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Ko_Tao Koh Nang Yuan - Surat Thani Ko Nang Yuan is a small island near Ko Tao, at the Central Gulf Coast of Southern Thailand. Ko Nang Yuan is a small island very close to Ko Tao. It is famous for its diving spots and its great snorkeling beach (where fish can be fed by hand). Many day trippers come from the islands of Ko Tao, Ko Pha Ngan and Ko Samui, as well as from Surat Thani on the Thai mainland.Offering stunning and breathtaking views, the islands are connected by a three-way stretch of pure white powdery beach. The rich marine life at Ko Nang Yuan is similar to that of Ko Tao. With a wide variety of coral formations, the island is also an ideal diving and snorkeling spot. Accommodations and facilities are available with daily boat service to and from Ko Tao.The only option is by boat. There are two types of boat available: Long boat taxi from Ko Tao.Lomprayah catamaran which does twice trips from Chumphon to Ko Samui and Ko Samui to Chumphon. As of August 2006, one-way fare from Ko Samui takes just under 2 hours but more comfortable. The island is tiny; the only way to get around is by walking. The island is very pretty; it's formed by three separate rocky outcrops connected by a three-pronged white sand beach, much of which is submerged at high tide. The view from the southernmost outcrop is particularly impressive.There is some great snorkeling at Japanese Gardens, which is one of the bays created by the islands. You can take a long tail here too. Source, Images: http://wikitravel.org/en/Ko_Nang_Yuan

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Latest News | Press Release FORUM Tuesday, 25th April 2017 Home Feature Photos Indonesia likely fails to achieve optimistic tourism target 28th December 2011 | 4.071 Views Pewarta: Andi Abdussalam Jakarta (ANTARA News) - A record 7.6 million tourists are expected to have visited Indonesia by the end of 2011 or up 0.6 million from last year, but below the government`s optimistic target of 7.7 million. The Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry predicted over the weekend that about 7.6 million foreign tourists will have arrived in Indonesia until the end of the year. "The figure is quite good because to achieve it we had to overcome many obstacles," Vice Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy Sapta Nirwandar said on Thursday. He said the figure exceeded the moderate target of 7.5 million tourist arrivals for this year. The ministry had set three alternative tourist arrival targets for 2011, namely a pessimistic, moderate and optimistic target or 7.2 million, 7.5 million and 7.7 million respectively. According to the Central Board of Statistics (BPS), the number of tourist arrivals in the ten months through October 2011 has reached 6.27 million, an 8.47 percent increase compared with 5.78 million in the same period last year. The Indonesian government was early this year convinced that it would achieve its optimistic target, saying 2011 had a positive aura for its tourism. It announced its optimistic target of attracting 7.7 million foreign tourists into the country in 2011, up about 10 percent from 7,000,571 arrivals in 2010. The government raised by 10 percent the foreign tourist arrival target because it was convinced that the world now had a good perception of Indonesia that could attract more visitors. "Indonesia has a positive aura in 2011 so that we set an optimistic target of 7.7 million foreign tourist arrivals in the country," then culture and tourism minister Jero Wacik said in a year-end press conference. Besides the optimistic target, the minister also set a pessimistic target of 7.3 million arrivals as a "performance contract" target of the culture and tourism ministry with the Indonesian President. If the ministry`s prediction of 7.6 million arrivals by the end of 2011 is true, it means that the government fails to achieve its optimistic target of 7.7 million. Yet, Sapta still hopes it would be achieved. "Indeed the figure 7.6 million is merely a forecast. At the end of this year we will have a lot of programs in a number of border areas which are expected to increase the number of tourist arrivals," he said. He said tourism was among the sectors which were highly sensitive to current issues and therefore the number of tourist arrivals would also depend on external factors. Among the obstacles met in the efforts to increase the number of tourist arrivals were negative media reports on Indonesia, including bomb blasts in a number of places in Indonesia and unrest in several parts of the country, he said. "The tourism sector is sensitive to security issues and therefore, we must deal with the security issues together," he said. Tourism and Creative Economy Mari Elka Pangestu also expressed optimism early this month that the optimistic target would be achieved. "We are optimistic the target of foreign tourist arrivals this year will be met. Although there is a debt crisis in Europe it has not affected tourist arrivals," the minister said. After all, November and December are peak seasons for foreign tourists to arrive in Indonesia. So, the target set at 7.7 million with foreign exchange earnings of US$8.47 billion is most likely to be achieved. In the meantime, the Tourism and Creative Economy Ministry has also set the target of tourist arrivals for 2012 at 8 million, with foreign exchange earnings projected to reach US$8.98 billion. In anticipation of unexpected developments next year, the ministry had set three versions of tourist arrival targets, namely a pessimistic target of 7.8 million, a moderate target of 7.9 million and optimistic target of 8 million. Sapta said in order to achieve the target next year, his ministry will apply an integrated strategy by disseminating the Wonderful Indonesia tag-line, introducing match market products, targeting specific segments and reinforcing the popularization of market activities. Minister Mari Pangestu said Indonesia did not need to worry about its tourism developments as it had potentials to be developed. "We need not worry about our tourism because we have big tourism potentials. Indonesia is the largest archipelagic country and is the world`s fourth most populous nation with a population of 237 million," the minister said. She said that Indonesia stretched 5,120 km from the east to the west and 1,760 km from the north to the south. Besides, it was ranked in the 39th position among 139 cultural heritage rich countries. "We have eight World Cultural Heritage Sites with the potentials to serve as host for various international festivals and exhibitions, as well as strong creative industries," the minister said. From the age aspect, the minister said that most of the Indonesian people were still at the productive age of less than 29 years old. "The tourism sector is Indonesia`s safety belt against global crisis because it is not as fragile as other sectors such as trade," she told a seminar organized by ANTARA National News Agency early this month.(*)A014/H-NG/O001 Latest News Indonesia, France cooperate to develop new and renewable energy 7 hours agoJakarta`s voters demonstrate democratic maturity 7 hours agoRI, Malaysia poised to set world CPO price 23rd April 2017Maintaining Klewer traditional market as icon of Solo 23rd April 2017Indonesia works hard to complete Asian Games 2018 facilities 23rd April 2017Trapped by water hyacinths in Lake Tondano 19th April 2017E Nusa Tenggara gears up for Tour de Flores 19th April 2017Building entrepreneurship to improve people`s welfare 19th April 2017 www.antaranews.com Copyright © 2017 Latest News Forum Pembaca Press Release Network Guidelines

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Capital Hotel 111 W. Markham St info@capitalhotel.com Totally restored historic landmark built in 1870; AAA Four Diamond Award winner since 2008; named a Forbes Travel Guide Four Star winner in 2013; Ashley's restaurant is also AAA Four Diamond; the Capital Bar is a great gathering place to unwind. Modeled after the famed "21" Club's Prohibition Room, the Capital Wine Cellar is the resting space for the hotel's legendary wine collection. The space also serves as a dining venue for small, select groups, complete with private waiters. The 19th-century hotel features an elaborate ornamental cast-iron facade and a restored lobby with mosaic tile floor, grand marble staircase and stained-glass ceiling. President Ulysses S. Grant is among the many dignitaries who have stayed here. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Free Vacation Kit

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Wild River Country Wins Award for Best Website Pictured L to R: Chris Shillcutt, VP of Operations; Collette Shillcutt, Assistant GM; and Mort Fishman, President of Wild River Country (WWA/Tracey Benson) The Wave Review awards honor excellence in marketing. NORTH LITTLE ROCK, AR -- Wild River Country water park was awarded the WWA Rave Review Award for Best Website at the World Waterpark Association's 33rd Annual Symposium & Trade Show this month in West Palm Beach, Florida. The Wave Review awards honor excellence in marketing and winners are recognized annually at the WWA Show. Entries are judged for originality, creativity, innovation and overall excellence by marketing and advertising professionals working outside the water leisure industry. "We are honored to be recognized by the World Waterpark Association," Chris Shillcutt, VP of Operations at Wild River Country said in a news release. "Our website might be the first experience a person has with the park - the marketing and design teams did a great job in representing the new and improved features of Wild River Country. We're committed to providing our guests with fun and thrills and will continue to do so as we offer exciting attractions in the future." The park is currently undergoing a transformation to introduce its first new attraction when it becomes Wild Winter Country during the water park's off-season.Wild Winter Country will open Nov. 22 and run through March 30, 2014.For more information, click here.

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View From Your Seat It's a Suite Deal Eight companies call the Civic Center Music Hall home. These groups combine to bring year round, world-class entertainment to Oklahoma City – offering the best of ballet, theatre, Broadway, chorus and orchestra. Get the hottest ticket in town, right here at the Civic Center Music Hall. Canterbury VoicesCanterbury Voices was founded in May 1969 as Canterbury Choral Society at All Souls Episcopal Church with 60 singers and now performs in Oklahoma City’s premier performance venue, Civic Center Music Hall. The 125-member Adult Chorus is the flagship program of the organization and the largest of its kind in the state of Oklahoma. All singers are auditioned volunteers, most with extensive musical and stage experience, and come from all over Oklahoma. The Adult Chorus collaborates with many sister arts agencies like the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, Oklahoma City University singers, Oklahoma City Ballet, as well as many talented singers and musicians from around the United States including, Kelli O’Hara, Sarah Coburn and Ron Raines.Canterbury Voices and the Oklahoma City University Wanda L. Bass School of Music share a unique partnership through the creation of two joint artistic positions and through their vision of forming a center for choral excellence. Other collaborations include a shared choral music library, students performing with the adult chorus on selected concerts and student participation in Canterbury adult and youth programs as conducting and staff assistants.Civic Center FoundationConcurrent with the Civic Center Music Hall's grand opening in 2001, the Civic Center Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that was formed to develop resources for the reopening, foster advocacy and provide for the improvement, maintenance and support of the Music Hall. The mission of the Foundation is to ensure that a strong and vibrant performing arts presence endures within Oklahoma City through continued capital improvements that will enhance and enrich the patron experience. The Foundation has operated under an agreement with the City of Oklahoma City that allows the Foundation to market naming rights, suite rentals and engage in fundraising to generate revenue for the Foundation, which has contributed over $2.5 million to Civic Center projects. Recently they have announced plans to take on co-promoting the Broadway season starting in 2016/2017.Lyric Theatre of OklahomaFounded in 1963, Lyric is Oklahoma's leading professional theatre company. For over 50 years, Lyric has produced classic and contemporary musicals and plays featuring both nationally known Broadway stars and local favorites. Lyric produces four large-scale, fully orchestrated musicals at the Civic Center Music Hall each summer, as well as four smaller works at the Plaza Theatre during the spring, fall and winter. Lyric's Thelma Gaylord Academy is a professional training ground for students ages 5-18 offering classes in all aspects of musical theatre. Academy students have the opportunity to perform in two full-scale productions each year on the Plaza Theatre stage. For more information visit LyricTheatreOKC.com.Oklahoma City Ballet
Oklahoma City Ballet has been Oklahoma City's professional ballet company for over 43 years. Its long standing history of producing high quality dance performances has garnered it attention as one of the finest regional ballet companies in America. Led by Artistic Director Robert Mills, the company produces 4 main stage productions per season in Oklahoma City and tours across Oklahoma and the surrounding states. It is the only ballet company of its size to regularly debut world premiere story ballets with original commissioned scores and also commission's new works from the industry's leading choreographers.Oklahoma City PhilharmonicThe Oklahoma City Philharmonic, under the direction of Maestro Joel Levine, performs Classics, Pops and Family concerts with internationally acclaimed guest soloists from September to May. One of the countries most successful regional orchestras, the OKC Philharmonic has been praised for exceptional and inspirational musicianship by audiences, critics and top performers from Yo-Yo Ma and Renee Fleming to Kristin Chenoweth and Tony Bennett. Oklahoma City Repertory Theatre CompanyCity Rep, the Oklahoma City Repertory Theatre, is recognized as Oklahoma's leading small professional Equity theater, providing a variety of Comedies, Dramas, and Musicals. Leading artists from Broadway, off-Broadway, and throughout the American stage join the finest Oklahoma talent at City Rep to provide our city and state with a unique voice on the regional theater scene.
Oklahoma City Theatre CompanyFounded in 1999, OKC Theatre Company has evolved into a eclectic company offering an outstanding variet of shows in a six play lineup. These shows include comdies, drama, musicals, edgy modern plays, classics of world literature, and a new play festival. If you have yet to experience the live, daring theatre that OKC Theatre Company brings, come be a part of an exciting future as OKCTC continues to grow and evolve as artists and a community. History 201 North Walker Ave. Oklahoma City, OK 73102 Box Office & Ticket Sales: 405.297.2264 Administrative Office: 405.297.2584 Venues & Rentals

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Opinion Open Orlando's skies to cheaper competition: Editorial International visitors are gold in Central Florida's tourism-driven economy. On average travelers from abroad stay longer and spend more than their U.S. counterparts. Their regional economic impact has been measured at $2 billion a year.So it's no wonder that some of Central Florida's top leaders, including Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs and Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, are supporting Norwegian Air International's application with the U.S. Department of Transportation to launch two-day-a-week service between Oslo and Orlando International Airport. The Greater Orlando Aviation Authority has estimated those flights would pump another $32 million a year into this region's economy, and support more than 400 jobs. We agree with the mayors. More international air service won't just boost tourism and the economy in Central Florida; it'll be good for passengers, spurring other airlines to reduce their ticket prices and improve their service to keep up.And we disagree with the major U.S. airlines that dominate transatlantic travel, and the nation's biggest pilots union. They've launched a public-relations offensive to keep NAI — a low-cost, non-union rival — out of the market. Surprise.The airlines and the union have accused NAI of skirting labor and safety standards by registering in Ireland and basing crews in Thailand. There's more self-interest than substance to these claims.NAI's Irish registration allows it to benefit from rights to U.S. airspace, under the "open skies" agreement between the United States and European Union, that it wouldn't enjoy from Norway. And the airline's financing costs for its aircraft — which include U.S.-built Boeing 787 Dreamliners — are lower in Ireland.NAI's labor strategy avoids high costs and stringent regulations in Norway, but the airline already has hired hundreds of employees at its U.S. destinations, including New York and Fort Lauderdale. Those crews will be covered by federal and state worker protections, according to GOAA.On safety, the airline's operating certificate has been approved by Irish regulators, who have been ranked among the world's top civil aviation authorities. Its U.S.-bound crews and equipment also will come under federal oversight. And it has a contract with Boeing to provide regular maintenance for its planes. It's clear that NAI's business model is to cut its costs to keep its prices low. That's what successful companies do. As long as it isn't breaking the rules or sacrificing safety — and there's no indication it is, despite the suggestions of its critics — NAI shouldn't be denied its chance to compete.No matter how uncomfortable it makes U.S. companies and unions, foreign competition is inescapable in today's global economy. They're better off confronting it than appealing to regulators for protection.We urge the Transportation Department to approve NAI's application without further delay. Air Transportation Air Transportation Industry International Travel Public Transportation New Products Boeing Buddy Dyer Syndicated cartoons Meet Orlando Sentinel's Editorial Advisory Board

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The airports of Dresden and Leipzig are very well connected to the two most important airports of Germany, Frankfurt and Munich. There are also regular connections to other major German airports. In each case, flying time is under an hour. In addition, Dresden and Leipzig are connected to several other European cities. Berlin airport is only 170 km away from Dresden and Prague airport is even closer. By train and coach Dresden and Leipzig are connected to the ICE (Intercity-Express) rail network and therefore to German high speed trains. Frankfurt to Dresden takes only 4 ½ hrs while Berlin can be reached from Leipzig in 1 hrs and 15 minutes. EC (Eurocity) trains connect Dresden with major European cities such as Budapest, Vienna, Prague and Berlin. There are also regular and frequent coach connections to Berlin, Prague and other German and European cities. The comprehensive German motorway (“Autobahn”) network connects Saxony to all major European destinations. Dresden alone has direct motorway connections to Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich, Prague and Krakow. These cities can be reached in 2 hrs, 4 hrs, 4 hrs, 1 ½ hr and 5 hrs respectively. Thanks to motorways, other popular destinations are also within easy reach. For example, Dresden cab be reached from Vienna in 5 hrs, Zurich and Amsterdam in 7 hrs, and Paris in 10 hrs. Saxony is not a large state and can be crossed in 2 ½ hrs at most. From Dresden, any point can be reached within a maximum of 1 ½ hrs. Sightseeing within Saxony and even beyond can also easily be done by public transport. There is a dense rail and coach network which allows access to most relevant sights. From Dresden, it takes 1 hr to reach Leipzig by train and 1 hr 15 min to reach Görlitz. Meissen can be reached by commuter train in 45 min while the Saxon Switzerland National Park is just 45 min away. There are local, regional and all-Saxony ticket which make transport very affordable.

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Broken Heel Festival Restaurant & Sidebar Two-up About Two-up at The Palace Hotel Broken Hill, generally you can catch a game from on Fridays from 9pm Two-up at The PalaceAustralia’s traditional gambling game of Two-up enjoys a unique association with Broken Hill. For a significant part of the 20th century an illegal Two-up school operated just metres off the main thoroughfare of Argent Street and when that was raided and shut down by police in 1984, City Council successfully applied for a permit to run the gameIn 1992, Broken Hill City Council successfully lobbied the State Government and was granted a permit for Two-up to be played every day of the year. In handing down its decision, the NSW Office of Liquor, Gaming and Racing recognised that Two-up was “an established part of the cultural heritage of this mining city”.The palace Hotel holds the single licence issued to the city of Broken hill on behalf of the Broken Hill City Council.The license allows the traditional game of Two-up to be played on any day…Generally you can catch a game in the Palace on Fridays from 9pmThe Palace HotelFor more of what's-on at the Palace, follow us on Facebook The Palace Hotel | Broken Hill, 227 Argent Street, Broken Hill, NSW, 2880, Australia(08) 8088 1699 Website by BrandSuite

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EasyJet launches new Kefalonia route from Gatwick October 3, 2011 by Mark Taylor EasyJet, the UK’s largest airline, has today confirmed the addition of a new service from Gatwick to the Greek Island of Kefalonia, bringing its total number of destinations from the airport to 93. Flights on the new route will go on sale from 20th October, with prices starting at just £35.99 (one-way, including taxes). The new three-times-weekly service will operate from 28th April to the end of October 2012 providing passengers from Gatwick with an even wider choice of affordable destinations to choose from next summer. Located off the western coast of Greece, Kefalonia is the largest of the Ionian Islands. It is best known for its stunning beaches, picturesque mountain top views and its carved underground lake. It basks in up to 12 hours of sunshine a day and offers the perfect combination of picture postcard harbours, golden sands and historic Roman ruins for a memorable and relaxing holiday. Share this:ShareGoogleFacebookEmailTumblrTwitterPinterestFiled Under: Uncategorized Vigla Natura

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Hotelier Takes Over EDC Post May 14,2009 by DispatchAdmin OCEAN CITY – There’s a new, although familiar, face at the helm of Ocean City’s Economic Development Committee this week as Carousel Hotel and Resort Managing Partner Michael James takes over for long-time EDC President Dr. Leonard Berger. James was elected president of the EDC this week by the organization’s Board of Directors. He replaces fellow Ocean City hotelier Berger, who was instrumental in the formation of the EDC several years ago at the urging of then-Governor William Donald Schaefer. There is some irony in James replacing Berger as EDC president. Berger was the long-time chairman of the Maryland Tourism Development Board, a position James also held for years although he did not directly replace Berger. James said this week he was notified the EDC’s Board of Directors had voted him president after Berger decided to step aside. “Dr. Berger has been the president of this organization for a long time, and he has been a good friend and mentor of mine for several years,” he said. “We’re both advocates for Ocean City and Worcester County. He has played such an integral role with the town, and I am proud to follow in his footsteps.” James said he would work to ensure the EDC continues with its original mission to be a think-tank for the local business community as well as create a forum for open discussion and information exchanges between the business community and state, county and local governments. “One of the most important things is keeping an open dialogue and a forum for discussion,” he said. “We will continue to work together with our elected officials, the state, county and local governments, on what is best for our business community.” James takes over the reins at the EDC during heady times for the organization. Concerns about the economy and its impact on tourism make the organization perhaps more relevant now than it has been in the past. “Worcester County means a lot to me,” he said. “There are some important times coming up for Ocean City and the county in the next four or five years. I’d like to see this group remain a strong voice and an advocate for Ocean City and Worcester County.” James said Ocean City creates a huge revenue stream for Maryland, yet the state continues to cut its tourism budget. “We’ve take a big hit on state funding for tourism marketing recently,” he said. “There’s such a great return on dollars invested in tourism marketing. If you buy into the theory, than it’s an easy call.”

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Sing in Massachusetts Sing in North Carolina Sing in Budapest Berkshire Apprentice Program Berkshire Scholar Program Mountain Vistas, Southern Charm Mozart Great Mass in C minor Mozart Opera Choruses Concert: June 10, First Baptist Church of Asheville Conductor: Erin Freeman Known for its vibrant arts scene, mountain vistas, culinary experiences, and southern charm and hospitality, Asheville, North Carolina, is a perfect setting for a singing week! Choristers will sleep, dine, and rehearse on the in-town campus of the University of North Carolina-Asheville in a park-like setting just minutes from downtown. Described as "edgy and artsy," Asheville mixes its classic architecture (Art Deco, Beaux Arts and Neoclassical) and its Appalachian heritage. Boasting more than 30 art galleries and a plethora of museums, Asheville is also home to the Biltmore House and the Basilica of St. Lawrence and is the boyhood home of novelist Thomas Wolfe (Look Homeward, Angel). Choristers have most afternoons free to take advantage of the many local sights and sounds. George Vanderbilt conceived the idea of the 250-room Biltmore House in 1895. Architect Richard Morris Hunt designed the mountain retreat in the manner of a French Renaissance castle. Frederick Law Olmsted designed the original 125,000 acres, creating a a landscaping masterpiece including forest, formal gardens, and working farm. The estate now includes an inn, a winery, and an exhibit hall featuring the Vanderbilt family. The Basilica of St. Lawrence might be said to owe its existence to the Biltmore House. Spanish architect Rafael Gustavino wanted to build a larger Catholic church for Asheville and turned to his fellow architect Richard Sharp Smith, who also worked on Bilmore House. Gustavino had already designed the U.S. Supreme Court building, the Boston Public Library, Grand Central Terminal, Grant's Tomb, Carnegie Hall and the American Museum of Natural History. Work on the Basilica began in 1905 and was completed in 1909. Gustavino died before its completion and is buried in the crypt of the Spanish Baroque Revival masterpiece. The 469-mile Blue Ridge Parkway goes through Asheville and offers turn upon turn of beautiful vistas, wildflowers, birds, and hiking trails. Part of the National Park system, the Blue Ridge Parkway goes from Shenandoah National Park to Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Museums for Every Taste Ever wanted to go to a pinball museum? Well, you can, because the Asheville Pinball Museum is waiting for you with more than 30 machines made from 1960 to 2003. Perhaps the Asheville Mystery Museum is more your style if you like underground history. Remember the Moog synthesizer revolution? Then visit the Bob Moog Foundation Minimoogseum, which contains a small collection of memorabilia of the electronic music pioneer. Wheels Through Time in Maggie Valley houses a collection of more than 300 rare and historic classic motorcycles. If you prefer vehicles with four wheels, there's the Estes-Winn Antique Car Museum, in North Asheville, home to rare and vintage automobiles, horse-drawn carriages, and an antique fire engine. The Asheville Art Museum maintains collections of 20th and 21st century American art, concentrating on works of significance to Western North Carolina’s cultural heritage including Studio Craft, Black Mountain College and Cherokee artists. River Arts District RAD, as the River Arts District is known, is a collection of galleries and working studios along the French Broad River in revamped industrial buildings. Here more than 200 artisans in basketry, fiber arts, clay and ceramic, glass and metal, jewelry, mixed media, and photography create and display their creations. Cafes and restaurants also abound for the strollers who seek refreshment between watching the potter at her wheel or the painter at his canvas.

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With its setting in a beautiful Caribbean valley, Caracas is the capital of Venezuela and probably the largest city in the country. Caracas is the hub of all commercial and political activities both national and international. Even though it isn’t highly recommended as a place for a pleasant stroll, Caracas has an excellent choice of cultural experiences on offer. Also it is the best way to get to Venezuela’s most popular beaches. Natoura will help you discover this vibrant city, visit stunning El Avila National Park and sample some of the best cuisine in Latin America. x Lake Tacarigua National Park Lake Tacarigua National Park is made up of a coastal lake, approximately 30km long and 6km wide, which forms a lagoon separated from the Caribbean Sea by a sandbar. It has dense stretches of mangrove swamps in well defined clumps of red, white, black and buttonwood. The fauna is also very rich and you are likely to see birds such as flamingo, cazote, corocora, cotua and black heron. Places of interest within the park include the coastal bar (Las Monjas section) and La Punta section in Belen, inland from the lake. There are also lakes close by: Tacarigua de la Laguna, Canales de Rio Chico, Higuerote and Paparo. It is also an ideal place for fishing using traditional methods, sports fishing, boat trips, walks along the sandbar and camping on designated sites. Sports fishing can be carried out but the engine must be turned off and using a rod, hand line and hook only. Hunting for wild animals is not allowed nor fishing using harpoons. x All transfers English-speaking guide Assistance at the airports Permits for the National Parks All meals and non-alcoholic drinks on tours How to get to Venezuela Below you will find information on travelling from Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the United States. Almost all international flights arrive at Simon Bolivar International Airport, which is located in Maiquetia (28km north of Caracas). A few flights go to Maracaibo, a city in the west of the country. Natoura Travel & Adventure Tours became an IATA international agency in February 2010 and our IATA number is 95-502945. We can help with competitive prices for international flights for both single and round-trip flight tickets. Please contact us for help in finding the best flight for the start of your adventure. From Australia and New Zealand: Flights from Australia and New Zealand to Caracas go via Los Angeles. Below is a list of airlines that offer this service. Air New Zealand (www.airnewzealand.com) Qantas (www.qantas.com) From Canada: There are several companies that operate flights to Venezuela from Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver via Miami, Los Angeles and New York. Below is a list of these airlines with their respective places of departure and arrival. American Airlines (www.aa.com) From Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver to Caracas via Miami or Dallas-Fort Worth. Continental Airlines (www.continental.com) From Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver to Caracas via Houston. From Europe: Other airlines also have regular flights to Caracas; below is a list of these airlines as well as flights from cities across Europe which have services to Venezuela. Air Europa (www.air-europa.com) Air France (www.airfrance.com) Alitalia Airlines (www.alitalia.it) Iberia (www.iberia.com) Lufthansa Airlines (www.lufthansa.com) European cities which have direct flights to Venezuela: Paris, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Madrid, Rome, Lisbon. From the United States: Many of the flights from the United States leave from Miami and arrive into Caracas. Some companies also have direct flights from New York, Atlanta, Newark, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston and Orlando. The Grupo Taca airline Destinations Tour of Tacarigua de La Laguna Tour of Tacarigua de La Laguna Tour of Tacarigua de La Laguna Tour of Tacarigua de La Laguna Tour of Tacarigua de La Laguna Region 1 day Season Tour of Tacarigua de La Laguna A part of the National Park system in Caracas, Tacarigua de La Laguna is a wetland region with mangrove lagoons surrounded by tropical flora. On the tour we will cross a mangrove lagoon by boat to a secluded beach where you will have the opportunity of viewing the local birdlife. Afterwards, we will have a hearty lunch on the beach consisting of locally caught fish. Itinerario

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Got Suitcase--Will Travel Review of Omni Hotel, Independence Park, Philadelphia This is an accurate representation of a stay my wife and I were supposed to have at the Omni Hotel at Independence Park in Philadelphia. Other hotel review sites on the web have a problem--they only include reviews of people that have stayed at the hotel. They don't include the thousands that are screwed out of a stay by a shoddy hotel and is management. In addition to reading views of customers who stay at each hotel, you may want to save yourself considerable heartache and grief by reading my story: My wife and I planned to take a once in a lifetime trip clear across the country to view the hallowed grounds of our nation's history--the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Gettysburg and the 9/11 Memorial. The first stop was Philadelphia, and as you can imagine for a trip thousands of miles away over 26 days, it takes considerable planning. I first do extensive research on each facet of the trip, such as the least expensive and best flight, the best-reviewed places to eat, and the best hotels with the most going for them at the cheapest price. Having decided on which places I wanted to book, I then secured reservations--in theOmni at Independence Park's case, I made it on Booking.com. I did this seven months in advance--no problem ther, right? Wrong. Three days before we were set to arrive in Philadelphia, I got an e-mail from Booking.com notifying me that the Omni was "overbooked" and had canceled my reservation. You read that right. Someone who had done the best planning ahead and was the first one to book a room at the Omni during that time was the person the Omni chose to cancel in favor of someone who booked three days in advance who effectively stole the room from us. Keep in mind that in the interim, I had called the hotel three separate times to confirm my reservation every few months, just to be sure they didn't forget and that everything was "on track". You will note something else--the Omni never told me personally that my room had been canceled; they left that for Booking.com. A personal phone call from hotel management would have been the professional thing to do, but a hotel has to be professional first. They may have chosen the chicken way to do this thinking they wouldn't have to deal with me. They were wrong. Upon reading the e-mail, I immediately called the hotel and gave them holy hell. Sure, overbooking happens, but you don't cancel someone who made a reservation seven months ago, you call the person that just booked with you and tell them about your mistake in showing a room was available. It wasn't available; I had reserved it. Despite my pleas, the Assistant Manager (the General Manager and the "Revenue Manager" we're both "gone for the day".) told me that he didn't think anything could be done about it. Instead, he offered me a free stay at any Omni hotel. First off, if the Omni couldn't get a reservation right in which they made good money on, why would I or anyone else think they would get a reservation right in which they made zero money? Second, remember that my trip that I had booked seven months in advance was three days away. You will also toe that nowhere in the story is there any mention of the Omni helping me to get a room elsewhere. Not only had they given someone else my room, they thought this was just peachy. They probably had considerable experience canceling people's rooms and didn't care what happened to them afterwards. Of course by this time in the summer, all rooms anywhere near the city center were booked and I had to reserve a room at the closest hotel, 11 miles away! Besides the fact that I had been treated so callously by the Omni at Independence Park, I was struck by the finality of it all. With three days to go, the Omni easily could have switched course, given me my room back, and called the person who had gotten the room ours before. But David, the Asistant Manager, already knew when I talked to him that I had no chance of that happening. What I realized is that this situation didn't arise from the Omni accidentally overbooking and letting another individual get the reservation. What happened was that a large corporation had decided to book the hotel for the entire week and they needed a large block of rooms. It wasn't just me that got the cancellation, but hundreds of other people.i I don't know how you judge hotels, but I consider the Omni's policy of canceling rooms by the hundreds so that a corporation of fat cats could stay there is n ot only misguided but shod dy management. If this happened to me and hundreds of others that day, it's reasonable to think it is a normal occurrence for the Omni to do this. You won't read about it on Epedia, Travelocity or Trip Advisor, for they only include reviews by people who stayed there. But which would you rather have--a room where the paint is a little cracked or no room at all exactly three days before you were set to begin a 26-day trip? So you'd best take my advice and never book any Omni hotel anywhere. They will pull it from you without even telling you about it at the last minute and you will be left with nowhere to stay, or at least nowhere where you wanted to be! Review of Omni Hotel, Independence Park, Philadelp... I worked at KFXD-AM & FM in Boise, Idaho for 10 years, serving as Research Director, Music Director and Sports Director among other things. During this time, I researched, organized and produced several music specials including The Top 500 Songs of All-Time and The Top 100 Artists of the Rock Era. I started Inside The Rock Era in 2011 to counter the sea of misinformation about rock music in general and specifically which songs, albums and artists were the most successful. Since that time, Inside The Rock Era has received over one million page views. I am the author of two books, The Top 500 Songs of the Rock Era* and The Top 100 Female Artists of the Rock Era*, both available in softcover and Kindle on Amazon and on this website. View my complete profile

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"Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few." Winston Churchill The Normandie American Cemetery and Memorial...Miles Glidden was the brother of a very dear friend of ours....my hubby went to Manila a few years ago and went to the American Cemetery where Miles is buried. He was able to take a picture of the actual grave marker after the attendant had darkened the name with sand so that it could be read. Here at the Normandie Memorial they had this computerized data base that showed the location of any soldier buried in any of the American Cemeteries throughout the world.Omaha Beach...the code name for one of the landing sites of the Allied invasion of German occupied France, June 6, 1944...The American Cemetery...A powerfully moving experience...The final resting place for 9,387 soldiers and personnel involved in D-Day and the ensuing operations which began the march to victory in the European stage of World War II....Utah Beach...the code name for the westernmost flank of the Allied invasion...I'm sure you have noticed the deep rolling pits in the ground...these pits are from the bombs that landed here during the invasion...If you've seen Saving Private Ryan...imagine the invasion scene on this and Omaha beach... St. Mere Eglise was the first town to be liberated. The parachute and mannequin represent paratrooper John Steele who parachuted during the invasion and was caught on this church's steeple where he hung for over 2 hours. He was later captured and taken prisoner in a German camp, from which he eventually escaped. Some of you may remember the movie The Longest Day in which Red Buttons played the part of the paratrooper...The paratroopers are commemorated in the beautiful window of this small and unassuming church...Approximately 30 years ago I visited Dachau in Munich...I will never forget the impact of that experience. There were probably about 25 people total in the camp during the time that I was there, yet everyone walked alone while experiencing the horrific setting. It was a very sobering and painful experience. I say painful, because I could literally feel the pain emanating from the soil and walls of the camp. My experience at Omaha and Utah beaches was very different. While it was also very sobering, there was a tremendous sense of victory and gratitude for the sacrifice that each individual made for our country and for peace in our world. Our next stop...Vigo Spain... May you all have a wonderful holiday season...Merry Christmas to you and yours!!! Posted by Our stroll through Paris... Here we are in Virginia's beloved Paris!!! And of course, what better place to start than at the Eiffel Tower...Gustave Eiffel's truly "world famous" structure was originally built for the 1889 World's Fair...Did you know that he originally submitted the plans to Barcelona for the 1888 World's Fair, but was rejected as it was so out of the ordinary??? Also, did you know that he only had a permit for it to stand for 20 years...ownership then transferred to the city of Paris...it was slated to be demolished, but was found to be too valuable as a means of supporting communication...(Wikepedia)On to Notre Dame...I preferred the beauty of the cathedral's interior... Construction of the cathedral is thought to have begun in 1163 and completed some time in the 1240's...Between 1210 and 1220 the 4th architect to work on the cathedral was responsible for the addition of this famed rose window (I couldn't find the name of the architect)I find it fascinating that in these wondrous cathedrals with their myriads of tourists walking through, I still find a tremendous sense of peace and tranquility. I felt honored, and albeit, a bit voyeuristic taking photos while a service was going on...Onward on our journey...we walk a bit along the Seine...And on to the Louvre...I certainly can't compare my shot to Virginia's magical shot of the Louvre and pyramid at night...http://birminghamalabamadailyphoto.blogspot.com/2009/08/au-revoir-paris.htmlNow it appears that this next fellow was as perplexed as I as to why the Parisians felt the need to put this ferris wheel in the middle of the Champs Elysees...Isn't Paris where outdoor dining started???As it was getting dark, and we were nearing the meeting place for our return to the ship, we saw this lovely display of veggies...One of my fondest memories of my first trip to Paris many years ago...was shopping in these little corner markets for fresh fruit, cheese and pate...my basic traveling diet!!! I remember leaving California for Europe and thinking that I'd better eat a bunch of fresh fruit before I left as there wouldn't be good fruit in Europe...What was I thinking??? I remember eating an Anjou pear with the juice absolutely dripping down my arm...California fruit was never the same after that!!!Next stop...Normandy!!! Winchester Cathedral... On our second day in England, we visited the Winchester Cathedral, about 45 minutes outside of Southampton...The cathedral was magnificent!!!The original Saxon church was built on this spot in 648 but was demolished which ultimately left room to build the "new" cathedral. The "new" cathedral was founded in 1079...Winchester Cathedral is not only one of the largest cathedrals in England, it is also the only cathedral featured in a popular pop song..."Winchester Cathedral", a UK top ten hit and US number one song for the New Vaudeville Band in 1966...(Try as I might...I just don't remember the New Vaudeville Band...I remember the song, but not the band...) (I'm sure we weren't the only American tourists trying to remember and sing snippets of the song )In the early 1900's William Walker restored the water logged foundations of the cathedral which saved it from certain collapse...he was a diver and "dove" at least six feet beneath the structure to shore it up...The nave of the cathedral was remodeled in the 14th century...The sweetest little Christmas cherub lighting a prayer candle...Of course, we had to take a walk around the charming village of Winchester...And, did I mention...our last stop...the Wykeham Arms pub, of course!!! No children allowed but dogs are welcome!!!Next stop...Paris!!! First Stop...Southampton, England!!! Did you know that Southampton is the port from which the Titanic embarked on it's fateful journey??? Made me a little nervous to know we were going to be sailing from the very same port....but I digress...our first stop on our journey was Southampton...it was both the home port for the Independence of the Seas and the home of our new, dear friends, Anthony and Ann. Anthony and Ann are close friends of a couple in the group we were traveling with. Anthony helped us with our travel arrangements from Heathrow to Southampton, got us a great rate at the local hotel, and was an absolutely warm and gracious host to our traveling troup!!! Anthony warned us before we got to England that the weather had turned and was quite cold and wet...good "pub weather"!!! Hence our first group stop...I'll bet you thought that the Duke of Wellington was a person...We spent our first wet and cold afternoon snug in this pub getting acquainted while enjoying a pint or two!!! With the weather as wet and windy as it was, there was limited opportunity for photography...but I managed to catch a shot of this clock tower that was near our hotel...Rainy and windy again...we happened on this fab pub...the Red Lion is the oldest pub in England...or so the barkeep told us...according to our friend Anthony...every city in England claims the oldest pub in England!!!I took a quick break from the pub to catch the last light for some photos...Just down the street from the Red Lion was this bombed out church...Southampton was heavily bombed during WWII...Back to the pub!!! The barkeep also told us that King James held court in this very room...with the highest ceilings of any pub in England....Awww, c'mon Anthony...you mean King James held court in pubs in every city too????Next stop...Winchester England...see you soon!!! Labels: Descanso, flowers, sprintime "Never in the field of human conflict was so much ...

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It's strange how things are prioritized differently in different cultures. Things that medium-fancy hotels in Gabon have: beautiful new tile floors, a swimming pool or pristine beach, a really overpriced restaurant, air conditioning, gorgeous landscaping, extremely diligent-to-the-point-of-annoying and thorough room-cleaners. Things they don't have: rooms without fleas and ant colonies, hot water, towels that wouldn't be rejected from Goodwill, shower curtains, "do not disturb" signs. Things trains have in Gabon: a well-stocked bar, overpriced restaurant, flushing toilets, soft benches to lay down on. Things they don't have: cockroach-free compartments, running water, any indication whatsoever of the stops or schedule. Etc for restaurants. I'm not complaining; on the contrary I find it refreshing that silly things like nice towels and a few cockroaches aren't the end of the world. People freak out about the tiniest things in the U.S. Everyone should try backpacking for at least a week, or long enough to wear the same set of clothes so many times that rinsing them off in the river with a little 18-in-1 soap no longer helps the smell, various insects have gotten into all your food bags, everything in your backpack is molding because of the damp tent from last night's rain, you're drinking water filtered from a stagnant algae-covered pond, you have duct tape on your toe to prevent worsening blisters, and you've eaten mashed-as-small-as-possible-for-transport bread, just-add-water hummus, beef jerky and dried fruit for the last 10 meals. You don't even notice those things when the clear sky and fresh pine air and wildlife-only soundscape is so exhilarating. Those are the important things, the things that make you feel maximally alive. Tips for the internet-dependent in developing countries: Buy a kindle. Free internet everywhere! Well not everywhere, check the coverage map, but I've found that the map is actually conservative about where you can connect. For the times you need to upload or download something and the cybercafe is closed, bring an unlocked international smart phone to tether from. And when the cellphone tethering is inevitably too slow too load gmail, ssh to a unix server and use lynx. Whoddathunk that the text-only browser still had a purpose or even worked with gmail, but it does! I love Africa. I know I've only been here for 5 days and I know Africa is an enormous and diverse place, but whatever the common denominator is, I love it. And there is a common denominator. On a continent so large, I would expect that music from Mali and Zimbabwe, Congo and Tanzania, would be completely different. But it's not. Listen to Afel Boucoum and Habib Koite from Mali and Oliver Mtukudzi from Zimbabwe and Congolese dance music and sure there are differences but the fundamental je ne sais quoi is the same, and wonderful. Even comparing traditional African music to the more contemporary stuff that is playing everywhere in the streets, it all has the same exuberant rhythmic base. Somewhere along the line there is a break from African music to African American music, progressively morphing into hip hop, and the transformation from exuberance to anger absolutely kills it for me. That seems to be a more general distinguishing attribute between Africa and the West, actually. When you look around New York City, how many people look utterly content with the world, thrilled to be alive in that particular moment? No one, that's who. The dogs in the park, or kids on the playground not old enough to have learned to be miserable, maybe. Yet in a country with one tenth the income per capita, 90% of the people in the street are laughing or dancing or playing around with friends and family and look as though they haven't a worry in the world. When did we in the West lose this contentedness, and why do we think it is a sign of progress? Sure, I would not want to give up air conditioning or the freedom to travel or advanced health care, but at some point the tradeoff between moment-to-moment stress and unhappiness for bigger horizons and a longer lifespan is certainly no longer worth it. It's hard to draw the line though. The unhappiness results from putting so much pressure on ourselves to be at the frontier of production, lifestyle, and influence, but that's a good thing to an extent too. I am bound and determined to be an academic economist who comes up with at least a few insights that improve our understanding of humanity, and I'm determined to be financially successful enough to have the air conditioning and health care and worldwide freedom of movement. I don't want to settle for less even if it means reducing my stress levels by 90% and sacrificing many many hours to unpleasant obligations. But at the same time, I don't care about having the big house in ths suburbs and private-school kids and a brand new car every few years and groceries from Whole Foods. I find the idea of sacrificing so many individual joyous moments for such marginal and dubious improvements in life satisfication revolting, in fact. We are so strongly driven to be as successful as our most successful peers. When a subset of society is obsessed with success, it is contagious to their friends who judge themselves by their peers' standards. Soon the epidemic has spread to the entire society, and you a country of miserable workaholics. And yet, I love New York City! Nowhere has this been taken to such an extreme as Manhattan, and the air is electric with energy pushed to a frenetic density. Everything is bigger and better and more competitive, and being constantly bombarded by the pinnacle of human achievement is inspiring and exciting. Every moment is an extreme version of that thing, designed to stimulate the relevant neurons in the most efficient way possible, and of course that is intoxicating. How can a single person love New York City but be happiest on an empty field in Nevada with only a tent, motorcycle, and camp stove? How can one unambiguously value both simplicity and contentedness, and vigorous competition and ambition? Maybe the key is to be inspired by human achievement without one's happiness being dependent on relative success. Then to the extent that we are caught in the rat race, it's because it's what we genuinely want to do, and what genuinely maximizes our long-run happiness, independent of everyone else. Then NYC is a place of concentrated inspiration, rather than a pressure-cooker to measure up. And then to the extent that we also choose to live in converted shipping containers in abandoned hills in southwest Texas, it's not because we're stuck there with no other options, or because we are settling for mediocrity. It's, again, our genuine ideal. Don't be afraid to do what truly makes you happy. I'm not sure there exists a simpler life philosophy than that. But who really follows it? what taxis and feral dogs have in common I can't believe I never mentally articulated the following isomorphism, between two areas of science I find immensely fascinating and devote a great deal of attention to (I am, after all, an economist, and my boyfriend is conveniently an evolutionary biologist...): free market efficiency via the 'invisible hand' <-> evolution via natural selection. In the free market (biosphere), slight deviations in trade agreements (mutation) lead to heterogeneity (biodiversity). Only the most efficient (fittest) of these survive. The result is a highly efficient marketplace (ecosystem) in which every sector (species) thrives in its niche, arising seemingly from magic. The only difference is that markets converge much more quickly than life because mutations are chosen by people to be most likely to work, rather than randomly by DNA processes, and the time span between mutation adoption isn't bounded below by lifespan. Yesterday in Libreville I encountered beautiful examples of each of these processes that are absent in the United States due to various types of central planning: taxis and dogs. The taxis in Libreville are ubiquitous and cheap. I'm pretty sure it's cheaper to take cabs everywhere than to own a car, because the taxis take advantage of two economies of scale not possible with individual cars that allow the marginal profit margins to be tiny enough that hardly anyone would want to buy and maintain a vehicle to avoid them: First of all, the taxis are shared vehicles so marginal costs are divided between up to four passengers. The taxi can stop anywhere along the route to pick up additional people, as it desires, and can reject anyone who is not traveling along the same route. Second of all, taxis of course drive around for many hours every day, spreading out maintenance costs between many more people than an individual's car. On every trip, the passenger proposes a price and the driver can accept or negotiate freely. As a result, supply and demand are always in sync. During busier times of the day, more taxis are on the road, and they can charge more because customers are competing for service. At slow times of day, fewer taxis are out, and three people can get where they want to go for less than a dollar altogether. (In fact, even at rush hour we only paid $2 for three people to travel approximately five miles. The supply of cabs efficiently responds to varying demand throughout the day to keep the price fairly level. I've seen neither empty taxis driving around nor passengers unsuccessfully trying to hail one. This morning the person we travelled with who speaks French rejected three cabs who wanted more than $2 for the three of us, and we still got in the fourth within a minute of trying to hail the first one. This system is WAY better than public transit!) In the U.S., this situation is impossible for many reasons: fixed fares, legal requirements to accept any customer any time, and ride shares arranged exclusively on the demand end, to start with. (Note that even though cabs are shared in Libreville, I'm sure passengers could negotiate a higher price to avoid picking up other people if they so desired. The shared arrangement is a strict improvement.) Central planning of supply via licensing regulations, and labor unions that drag the equilibrium point kicking and screaming in a direction that directs a higher percentage of social surplus to them; the list goes on. When I got back from spending about 75 cents to get ten miles back to my hotel, I walked onto the beach to watch sunset and attracted two feral dogs looking for handouts. These dogs were gorgeous, sweet, personable, healthy (except for some fleas of course), and acted like they had been diligently very well-trained since puppies. They licked my hands (and gave my back a thorough bath when I let them. Sweat and DEET is a delicious combination you know...) and wagged and let me scratch their heads all I wanted, and then when I sat down to eat, they nuzzled me a bit trying to get to the food but after I gently waved them away they laid down quietly a couple feet away and merely looked at me imploringly. I gave them bits of things periodically, and every time they went right back to sitting there politely. I've never met a domesticated, trained dog in the United States that is as well-behaved as these two were. (And gorgeous! If they went to a pound in the U.S. they would be adopted immediately.) It seems that when "survival of the fittest" means "best-liked and fed by humans", dogs naturally evolve to be ideal pets. No selective breeding required. America is a country of overconfident control freaks (myself included =). We need to remember that frequently the best outcomes arise precisely when nature is allowed to take its course. misc ideas, does not seem especially different from Europe. Although Jake says he's surprised how different than Europe it seems, so apparently these impressions are determined by expectations. The landscape reminds me of Oklahoma; the palm tree-lined streets remind me of California; the weather reminds me of Seattle; the Arabic signage and ubiquitous hijab reminds me of al Jazeera or similar middle east newscasts; and French everywhere reminds me of Europe. My brain is doing a continuous multi-take. Could be because of the sleepless nights + timewarp + compensatory red bull though. Moroccan food is unique. Was that the least informatory sentence you've read today? Not if you've seen a Geico commercial too. "15 minutes could save you 15% or more". Wow I'm impressed! But not by the savings. ...as I mentioned, sleeptimecaffeine delirium. It induces rambling. Goodbye for now. Gabon!!! I'm about to go to Gabon for a month. Jake is an ichthyologist and is going for a conference on fostering international collaboration in Central African biodiversity research, and to do some collecting in the Bateke region, and since the most exotic place I've gone since I was 12 is Banff, I'm going too. When it's a little less fresh and a little more of a funny story, I will relate the six week visa saga. Let's just say that it's not so much of a mystery why some of these otherwise stable and potential-ful countries can't quite get things together. The reason they're having trouble attracting tourists isn't just the lack of modern hotels, it's the fact that they require an inordinate amount of documentation and fees to get a tourist visa, which you can't get at the border or in the airport, and even then regularly deny them on a whim. Firing the consulate at the D.C. Embassy is probably the number one best thing they could do for their tourist industry. I have never in my life had to deal with such a witch of a woman. (Luckily, her incompetence stretches so far as to be uninformed, or more likely just spitefully deceptive, about the other possibilities for obtaining a visa. ONLY deal with the New York consular general...) Anyway. See you in a month! Hopefully with some photographs of low-land gorillas or elephants. Unfortunately we won't be in the part of the country with the pygmies... Fantastic and interesting article on education reform by Joel Klein, former chancellor of the NYC school system. Read the whole thing. cat incentives Well I would certainly be motivated to behave well in prison by the prospect of a pet cat, but I don't know about most violent criminals!James also posits a way to reform prisons, which he dubs “violentocracies.” His proposal: smaller facilities that house no more than 24 inmates and are part of a larger, incentives-based system. At a Level 1 prison, for example, you get a lawyer, a Bible, and around-the-clock supervision; at Level 5, a cat and a coffee machine. At Level 10, you can earn a living and come and go with relative ease. The idea, James says, is not only to reduce the paranoia-fueled violence in large prisons but to encourage prisoners to work their way up the ladder.(Article stolen from MR, which Tyler labels 'interesting', but is really not surprising in the least if your impression of law enforcement is more shaped by real life than by crime-busting TV shows. Bad incentives and lackadaisical/incompetent investigations/trials? Well, of course.) I've never seen the internet so unanimously preoccupied with a single story. When before have a billion people all been talking about the exact same thing? When else can someone tweet "'I loosened it.' -Bush" with no other context needed?Probably 9/11, except the internet didn't really exist in the same form back then...

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Fumare Cigar Lounge, California By Alejandro Benes Posted January 8, 2008 See Also: More from Where to Smoke A top-down cigar day in Los Gatos and San Jose. The coldest I've ever been -- with apologies to Mark Twain -- was in San Francisco on a clear summer night while watching the baseball Giants play in Candlestick Park in 1981. That indelibly marked me so that when I would visit Northern California and need to rent a car to drive to Napa or Sonoma, for example, I would never ask for a convertible or try to get an upgrade. This past fall, that all changed. I was "on assignment," as they say, and I had to visit Silicon Valley to check out a little cigar store I'd heard about in Los Gatos, just south of San Jose. In my rented ragtop, my wife and I cruised down the interstate from Oakland International with the top down. We stopped in Pleasanton for breakfast and a marching band competition, then boogied south, wind in our hair. Los Gatos is a precious little town, made so by all the usual high-end, expensive stores you'll find in the better malls in America. In Los Gatos, though, they line the streets along with the Lamborghini, Bentley, Ferrari and Rolls dealerships and maybe the best thrift store I've ever been dragged into. When the clock struck noon, I bolted and made my way just up the hill to Fumare. Fumare, which has been there 13 years, is housed in what the fading paint in front of the building indicates used to be the Los Gatos Soda Works, where the local Archies and Jugheads would go after school in the 1950s to hang out and have a malted beverage. Now there's a patio with a couple of tables outside. I opened the door and was greeted by a gentleman in his 70s who told me his name is "Joe, Crazy Joe." After some pleasantries and Joe's spot-on impression of Jimmy Durante, I perused the wall-and-a-half of cigars inside the front room. There was an excellent selection, all the usual, highly-rated labels, including an Arturo Fuente Don Carlos II, the stick I chose. I was planning to walk around Los Gatos and enjoy the cigar, but if I wanted to stay, I would have been very comfortable in Fumare's lounge. The reason you can smoke at Fumare, in California, is that it's a tobacco store and a private lounge. You need to be a member to smoke here, but memberships are very reasonable, including daily memberships for $10. It's all very aficionado-friendly. The lounge is basically a place where you can sit and watch one of two TVs and enjoy a drink, but you're not going to get table service. Joe told me that you can bring your own booze (Fumare does have some glasses) or skip down to the local liquor store and buy a bottle of wine. If you're hungry, there's the Tapestry Bistro next door that'll send someone over to take your order and then deliver your food to Fumare. You also need to check out the bathroom, the walls of which are covered with pennies. Fumare has a second location, in San Jose near the sports arena where the Sharks play hockey. You can smoke on the patio there. I was not going to hang out at either on this beautiful, warm autumn day when I had a convertible, a great cigar and an hour-long drive to a party in Berkeley. I lit up and put the top down. We were cruising through Los Gatos and were not tempted to stop. The cigar was very nice and remained so until I hit about 60 mph. Then the wind kicked up and I was not controlling the ash very well. It was getting on my shirt, but I didn't care. Dude, the top was down and I was going fast. Of course, I'm not going to recommend that this is the best way to enjoy a great cigar. But it's not all that bad either. Fumare was bought nearly two years ago by Adam Whitmyer, his brother and a friend. They're looking into getting a liquor license. Adam's day job is selling luxury cars in Silicon Valley. If a customer buys a Bentley, he says, he'll treat them to a box of cigars from Fumare. "Usually it's a box of something we have a lot of, but if they spend $400,000 with me and they ask for a specific cigar, I'll try to make that happen," Adam said. Then he asked if I was interested in a Bentley. Alejandro Benes lives in Southern California where he drives at an average speed of 9 mph on the 101. Fumare Cigar Lounge 21 College Avenue 157 West Santa Clara Street Hours for both locations: Mon. to Thurs., Noon to10 p.m.; Fri. and Sat., Noon to 11 p.m. www.fumarecigarlounge.com See Also: More from Where to Smoke Log in if you're already registered.

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Private jet charter company to open Sarasota hangar One jet to start, serving Caribbean and Mexican resort areas By JUSTINE GRIFFIN A Scottsdale, Ariz.,-based luxury private jet charter is expanding its operations by opening a site in Sarasota.Aero Jet Services, which flies private jet charters across the globe, will open a hangar in the Dolphin Aviation facility at the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport on April 8.The firm's arrival is another sign of the recovering economy, with wealthier clientele willing to more freely open their wallets for private travel.The Sarasota site will serve as the company's hub for the eastern coast, the Midwest, the Caribbean islands and the Mexican resort areas. Company pilots and a Hawker 700 plane will be based in Sarasota to serve the luxury private travel market in Southwest Florida.Aero Jet Services plans to add up to four more jets to the Sarasota-based fleet by the end of the year."This is going to be a game-changer for us," said Mike McCain, executive vice president for Aero Jet Services, in a statement. "This strategic business move is positioning us to plan ahead for rapid growth in 2013 and the future."Aero Jet Services offers private, international travel accommodations that have direct "over fly" access from any destination, which means passengers do not have to stop in international customs facilities, but only in the U.S.The company's headquarters are in North Scottsdale at the Scottsdale Air Park. Other hubs include Manhattan in New York City and Las Vegas, according to the company's website.

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Valley of Fire brings the drama. Valley of Fire State Park is one of the places Southern Nevadans are most proud of - it's as spectacular during the day as the Strip is at night. more...Whether you've been there or not, you've likely seen it dozens of times. Its vivid red formations have proven irresistible for photographers and movie directors alike; a scene-stealing backdrop for countless films and TV commercials. Valley of Fire's spectacular red rocks have even doubled for Mars in numerous sci-fi flicks.The movies first came to Valley of Fire in 1966, when Burt Lancaster and Lee Marvin rolled in to shoot The Professionals. In the mid-'90s, it was here that Star Trek's Captain Kirk fell to his death, with Lake Mead clearly visible in the background.More recently, Michael Bay's Transformers filmed a scene where the autobots are driving along the valley with other military vehicles during sunset. And even the video game "Need for Speed: The Run," features a pivotal scene shot here.Valley of Fire State Park is the oldest state park in Nevada and was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1968. It derives its name from red sandstone formations, formed from great, shifting sand dunes during the age of dinosaurs, 150 million years ago. These bright, red features were often said to appear almost "on fire," especially at sunrise or sunset.As far as tours, Valley of Fire adventures run the gamut: You can hike, ride the bus or even see much of its beauty from your car. So whether you're driving or hiking, Valley of Fire knows how to bring the drama. Keyword

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And the Ultimate L.A. Burger Is ... Final Burgers & Beer Lineup Is Announced: You're Going to Want All of This Tuesday, August 4, 2015 at 6:30 a.m. Petit Trois' burger symbolizes the other arm of the great L.A. burger tradition. Photo by Anne Fishbein The votes are in. The judges have spoken. The readers have had their say, with more than 3,000 of you casting votes. L.A. Weekly's ultimate burger tournament was a bloody battle, with more than one major upset along the way. Our eight judges thought long and hard about the merits of each of the 16 competing burgers — we debated, we defended our burger beliefs, we ate a whole lotta meat (and so can you, at our inaugural Burgers & Beer fest on Sat., Aug. 8). We ultimately settled on In-N-Out and Petit Trois' Big Mec as the finalists. Here's why one of them prevailed. In-N-Out is easy to love. The restaurant chain, which was founded in 1948 and is generally believed to have invented the restaurant drive-thru as we know it, remains privately owned. The company has forgone franchising because of fears about maintaining quality. Much of the guilt of eating fast food, at least from a social-justice standpoint, is lessened when dining here. In-N-Out has a reputation for putting employees first and was paying its workers well above minimum wage before there was a noisy national movement to do so. As a regional chain born in Los Angeles, it offers much to be proud of.Of course, the main thing people are proud of is what comes out of that groundbreaking drive-thru window. In its way, In-N-Out represents the grand glory of SoCal's burger heritage. The company took the classic Southern California diner burger and figured out how to deliver its joys consistently and quickly. The Double-Double's exact ratio of meat to cheese to sauce to lettuce to tomato to bun is thought by many to result in a culinary masterpiece. At less than $4, that's one of the cheapest culinary masterpieces you could possibly hope for.Related StoriesWhat Makes the Hamburger So Important to L.A.What's the Best Summer Beer Made in L.A.? 8 Local Brews Compete for the TitleChampionship Burgers Revealed! L.A. Weekly's Ultimate Burger Bracket's Final ThrowdownOn the other hand, the Petit Trois burger's $18 price tag (plus an automatic 18 percent service charge) is hardly a bargain, though I would argue that it, too, is a culinary masterpiece. The idea of putting the visceral experience of eating a steak dinner between two buns has been tried before, but nothing I've tasted in the past succeeds in the way the Big Mec at Petit Trois does. And because of that, this burger symbolizes the other arm of the great Los Angeles burger tradition, one that has emerged in recent years and is only getting stronger: the chef-built burger that melds elements of fine dining with the irresistible hallmarks of burger nostalgia.If In-N-Out represents the history of L.A. dining, then the Big Mec represents where we are now.The Petit Trois burger is a mash-up of cultures, taking inspiration from the classic American cheeseburger as well as from chef Ludo Lefebvre's homeland (in the form of bordelaise sauce with a touch of foie gras and piles of caramelized onions). There is more than a hint of French onion soup here, but with its American cheese and rare beef, this is also undeniably a cheeseburger. It's a monstrosity of a thing that won't hold together after a couple of bites, but you find yourself unable to slow down long enough to find a decorous way to eat it. You look up, stunned, 10 minutes later, covered in sauce and meat juice, having eaten the entire thing, which is far too big for any one meal. It's a glorious experience.It may be slightly unfair that I'm not a native Southern Californian, and therefore don't harbor the kind of nostalgic loyalty to In-N-Out that so many people have. There's no doubt the In-N-Out burger is a triumph of fast-food engineering, a salty and greasy good time. But when approaching these two masterpieces from an objective standpoint, there is really no question which burger is superior.Winner: Petit TroisReaders Choice: In-N-Out Burgers & Beer

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WOMEX 14 IN SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA, GALICIA, SPAIN | 22 - 26 OCTOBER 2014 Photo: INCOLSA For the second time in its European travel itinerary, the international music networking meeting WOMEX will be welcomed to a Spanish city. The journey's end for millions of devout pilgrims via the "Way of St. James" since the 9th century, the legendary city of Santiago de Compostela will also be WOMEX's destination from Wednesday, 22 to Sunday, 26 October 2014. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage city for the extraordinary and well-preserved architecture of its beautiful old town, Santiago de Compostela has been an important meeting place of faith, thinking and cultural exchange since the Middle Ages, reflected also by its prestigious university founded in the 15th century. Situated in the western extreme of Southern Europe, Santiago de Compostela is the capital of Galicia, renowned for its lush green hills and wild coastline lapped by the Atlantic Ocean; its ancient traditions; its widely-spoken native language, Galician; its extraordinary cuisine - and, of course, its music. Artists from Galicia who have showcased their talent at WOMEX in the past few years include Berrogüetto, Mercedes Péon, Cristina Pato, Mutenrohi, Narf, Xosé Manuel Budiño and Marful. The bid to host WOMEX 14 in Santiago de Compostela was led by event agency Nordesía; with the support of Xunta de Galicia, the government of the region, through AGADIC and the Foundation of the City of Culture; and the city of Santiago de Compostela through its Department of Culture and Tourism. In addition, cultural agents, gastronomic associations, and, of course, artists from Galicia and Spain are planning to rally together to make the 20th edition of WOMEX a truly outstanding experience. WOMEX states: "We're are very much looking forward to holding WOMEX in Santiago de Compostela in Spain in 2014. The complex requirements of our multifarious event and its 2500 delegates are matched perfectly in this picturesque, compact and hospitable city, which has welcomed pilgrims, travellers and guests from abroad for many centuries." Vítor Belho, Director of Strategy and Creative Production at Nordesía, adds: "To all WOMEXicans: from the end of Santiago's Pilgrim's Way and the Atlantic Land's End, we are waiting for you to enjoy an experiential journey full of ancestral heritage, powerful nature, flavourful cuisine, great musical diversity, and varied cultural connections. Don't miss it!" The WOMEX daytime venue will be the spectacular new ensemble Cidade da Cultura (City of Culture), the masterpiece of Peter Eisenmann. The Showcase Festival will take place in selected venues throughout the old town and on the plazas around the cathedral. Small-scale and easy to navigate, Santiago de Compostela offers a great variety of sights, hotels, restaurants and bars within walking distance. http://www.santiagoturismo.com http://www.cidadedacultura.org http://www.turgalicia.es WOMEX Homepage

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Manzanar to Mt.Whitney:The Life and Times of a Lost Hiker By Hank Umemoto. In 1942, fourteen-year-old Hank Umemoto gazed out a barrack window at Manzanar Internment Camp, saw the silhouette of Mount Whitney against an indigo sky, and vowed that one day he would climb to the top. Fifty-seven years and a lifetime of stories later, at the age of seventy-one, he reached the summit. Part memoir and part hiker's diary, Manzanar to Mount Whitney gives an intimate, rollicking account of Japanese American life in California before and after World War II. As he wanders through the mountains of California's Inland Empire, Umemoto recalls pieces of his childhood on a grape vineyard in the Sacramento Valley, his time at Manzanar, where beauty and hope were maintained despite the odds, and his later career as proprietor of a printing firm, all with grace, honesty, and unfailing humor. And all along, the peak of Mount Whitney casts its shadow, a symbol of freedom, beauty, and resilience. Paper: 224 pp. Collections: Books & Media, Books: General Asian American History, Books: WWII, Gift wrapping, Manzanar Type: book Farewell to Manzanar (DVD) Manzanar Pleasure Park Necklace Searchlight Serenade (DVD) The Manzanar Fishing Club (DVD)

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Hiking in the Wallowa Mountains: America's Little Switzerland Called the “Alps of Oregon,” the Wallowa Mountains boast hillsides blanketed in Douglas fir, valleys thick with Engelmann spruce and lodgepole pine, and alpine meadows fed by mountain springs. Winding through this marvelous work of nature are the many trails of Eagle Cap Wilderness, tranquil roads for you to follow on hikes to learn about this serene landscape. With fellow hikers, set off from base camp each day to explore high-altitude lakes beneath towering peaks and to summit Eagle Cap for sweeping vistas of the surrounding wilderness from above 8,000 feet.. Join expert naturalists for hikes into the wilderness to learn about the unique ecology of this region. In your deluxe base camp, enjoy Dutch-oven meals and dips in mountain lakes. Relax around evening campfires and learn about the abundant elk, deer, mountain goats and bighorn sheep that populate this unspoiled area. A Guide to the Indian Tribes of the Pacific Northwest by Robert Ruby, John Brown, Cary Collins The Native peoples of the Pacific Northwest inhabit a vast region extending from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean and from California to British Columbia. For more than two decades, A Guide to the Indian Tribes of the Pacific Northwest has served as a standard reference on these diverse peoples. Now, in the wake of renewed tribal self-determination, this revised edition reflects the many recent political, economic, and cultural developments shaping these Native communities. From such well-known tribes as the Nez Perces and Cayuses to lesser-known bands previously presumed extinct, this guide offers detailed descriptions, in alphabetical order, of 150 Pacific Northwest tribes. Each entry provides information on the history, location, demographics, and cultural traditions of the particular tribe. Among the new features offered here are an expanded selection of photographs, updated reading lists, and a revised pronunciation guide. While continuing to provide succinct histories of each tribe, the volume now also covers such contemporary and sometimes controversial issues as Indian gaming and NAGPRA. With its emphasis on Native voices and tribal revitalization, this new edition of the Guide to the Indian Tribes of the Pacific Northwest is certain to be a definitive reference for many years to come. Eden Seekers-The Settlement of Oregon 1818-1862 by Malcolm Clark, Jr Good summary of Oregon’s history between 1818-1862. Northwest Exposures-A Geologic Story of the Northwest by David Alt and Donald W. Hyndman Northwest Exposures chronicles the events that shaped the region's rock and landforms through the ages. The tale of the Northwest's geology began more than two billion years ago when an ancient continent split, creating oceanfront property in what is now western Idaho. Pacific islands mashed into that coastline, making large parts of Washington and Oregon. These events were followed by monstrous volcanic eruptions, catastrophic ice age floods, and mountains rising to an accompaniment of earthquakes. Wallowa Mountains: A Natural History Guide by Keith Pohs Comprehensive book on the plants, geology and animals of the Wallowas. In Search of Ancient Oregon by Ellen Morris Bishop Geology is an extremely visual subject, and In Search of Ancient Oregon is a beautifully photographed, expertly written account of Oregon's fascinating geological story. Written by a passionate and professional geologist who has spent countless hours in the field exploring and photographing the state, In Search of Ancient Oregon is a book for all those interested in Oregon's landscapes and environments. It presents fine-art-quality color photographs of well-known features such as Mount Hood, Crater Lake, Smith Rock, Steens Mountain, the Columbia River Gorge, and Cannon Beach, and scenic, not so well known places such as Jordan Craters, Leslie Gulch, Abert Rim, Hells Canyon, Elkhorn Mountains, and Three Fingered Jack. Each of the more than 220 stunning photographs is accompanied by readable text, presenting the story of how Oregon's diverse landscapes evolved — and what we may expect in the future. Until now, no book has presented this dynamic story in a way that everyone interested in Oregon's natural history can easily understand. The combination of extraordinary photographs and the author's lucid explanations make this book both unique and essential for those curious about our own contemporary landscape. Myths and Legends of the Pacific Northwest by Katharine Berry Judson Presented here with 52 photographs, these traditional stories, first collected in 1910, reveal myths and traditions of creation, the salmon and noted geographical features of the territory. The Wallowas: Coming of Age in the Wilderness by William Ashworth Describes his adventures of backpacking and climbing in the Wallowa high lake district in which we will be exploring. The following choices may be available when requested in advance: Low Fat, Low Salt Aug 03, 2014 - Aug 09, 2014 Aug 03, 2014 - Aug 09, 2014

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When you need to get your visa for Scotland processed quickly, Travel Document Systems is here to help. All of the requirements and application forms, plus convenient online ordering. Scotland is part of the UK. Please see our United Kingdom page for information about entry requirements for Scotland UK Pound Sterling $1 = £0.78 The history of Scotland begins around 14,000 years ago, when humans first began to inhabit what is now Scotland after the end of the Devensian glaciation, the last ice age. Of the Stone Age, Bronze Age, and Iron Age civilization that existed in the territory, many artifacts remain, but few written records were left behind. The recorded history of Scotland begins with the arrival of the Roman Empire in Britain, when the Romans occupied what is now broadly England and Wales and the Scottish Lowlands, administering it as a Roman province called Britannia. To the north was territory not governed by the Romans — Caledonia, by name. Its people were the Picts. From a classical historical viewpoint Scotland seemed a peripheral country, slow to gain advances filtering out from the Mediterranean fount of civilisation, but as knowledge of the past increases it has become apparent that some developments were earlier and more advanced than previously thought, and that the seaways were very important to Scottish history. Because of the geographical orientation of Scotland and its strong reliance on trade routes by sea, the kingdom held close links in the south and east with the Baltic countries, and through Ireland with France and the continent of Europe. Following the Acts of Union which united Scotland with England into the Kingdom of Great Britain, and the subsequent Scottish Enlightenment and Industrial Revolution, Scotland became one of the commercial, intellectual and industrial powerhouses of Europe. Its industrial decline following the Second World War was particularly acute, but in recent decades the country has enjoyed something of a cultural and economic renaissance, fuelled in part by a resurgent financial services sector, the proceeds of North Sea oil and gas, and latterly a devolved parliament.

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HomeTrainsfrom Nuoro to Castelvetrano Find tickets from Nuoro to Castelvetrano Castelvetrano is a town and comune in the province of Trapani, Sicily, Italy. The archeological site of Selinunte is located within the territory of the comune. The town is predominantly a farming town, with the cultivation of vines and olive trees being the main focus. Woodworking is also an important sector.==History of the City==Long gone the hypothesis that historiographical wanted Castelvetrano founded by the "veterans" of Selinunte, the theory that now seems more plausible is that which sees the origins of Castelvetrano engage in that particular process of social transformation, the result of Norman rule , which goes under the name of " crisis villanaggio." The disappearance of so many houses, in which the families of peasants had given birth, the focus of the peasants in the villages with the role of mercenaries caused a process of social transformation that had as a result of the confluence of so many workers on the land, together with the families, from the fields to the village which, by position, ability to defend itself, the meeting point of roads, giving greater assurance to their safety, more job opportunities and initiatives .Whatever the possible identification, it seems plausible that on any existing cluster, even small size, because of the good location and fertile land, all that has come concentrating the rural population, who fled from other houses dotted around the area, it is here refuge and stably insediata. It's likely that this process has come to mature starting from the thirteenth century, as a result of the economic and social upheaval that was mentioned before. This would explain the fact that you do not speak of Castelvetrano, as a town, nor the diploma of the founding of the diocese of Mazara in 1093, nor in the confirmation of the 1100's; as he mentions that in 1273 Castelvetrano pays his tithes to the bishop of Mazara.And it's likely, however, that the name Castrum Veteranum before even indicate a town, has designated a location, an intersection of roads, marked , perhaps, by a few ruins of Selinunte fortress, Roman or Byzantine seat likely of an ancient settlement, as attested by finds of tombs, cisterns and various ceramics where now lies the city.Moreover, a university dating back to 1124 from the monastery of San Michele di Mazara, in defining the boundaries of some of the properties of the nuns, cites a road "that goes from Mazara in Castelvetrano."In any case, while admitting the existence of a settlement in ancient times, or the possibility of a fraction of a selinuntin fortification or agricultural, it must be said that Castel - vetrano gained its own identity since the thirteenth century. The name reappears in 1299, when King Frederick III, with a diploma given to Polizzi, the land grants of Castelvetrano, torn to felony Tomaso da Lentini, in the barony of Bartolomeo Tagliavias.From then on, the history of our city is intertwined with that of Tagliavias, who, through clever policy of expansion and double assurgeranno a great prestige and power, initiating the development of Castelvetrano, which will become the small "capital" of all their feuds and baronie. Reading Nino Tagliavia's testament, the second baron of Castelvetrano, we see how he binds all ' " by Santa Maria " the annuity of an ounce, and checks the church San Gandolfo 300 tiles.This confirms the expansion of the village for a second church, St. Gandolfo, in fact, in the course of which they were the work of copertura. At the end of the fourteenth century, the city used to have a curtain wall and fortifications, probably the castle, whose original structure now remains only an octagonal tower.We deduce that whereas, in 1411, Castelvetrano joined a federation of cities, built to counter the master executioner of Modica, Cabrera, and safeguard the rights of the queen Bianca. If Nino II Tagliavia could sign the agreement in the castle of Salemi, it's unthinkable that the landowner had not behind a suitable place for support and defense.On the other hand, that the city was fortified by the fact that it follows the ancient church of St. John, whose founding date is 1412, was built outside the city walls, and likewise, some fifty years later, the church of Santa Maria de Jesus, because the ancient circle was already inadequate to contain an expanding city.In the second half of '400, at the end of a succession dispute, the barony of Castelvetrano came into possession of Nino III Tagliavia, younger brother of John, by virtue of the bond "primogenitale agnatic" imposed by testament to all the seed by Nino Tagliavias. John, in fact, had no sons, but only one daughter, Margheritella, thus excluding the transmission of securities and baronies.Nino stared III Tagliavias permanent residence in Castelvetrano, Sciacca in preference to, and then in the "city Palmosa " reside all his descendants, until the sovereign government commitments and assignments do not take off from Sicily and Italy.In the late fifteenth and early sixteenth century, experienced its heyday Castelvetrano for the skilled expansionist policy of his lords, as already mentioned, the center of our city made of their possessions.Charles V, in 1522, raised in Castelvetrano county; Philip II, in 1564, erected in the principality.The allocation of land for lease and rent, which entailed the development of uncultivated shores before; the introduction of methods of more intensive farming and rational; the adoption of more profitable crops, led to a rapid rise in Castelvetrano in agriculture and manufacturing, economic, demographic, social and urban. Sprung up in recent years, or were enlarged and embellished, the churches of St. Dominic, the Carmine of Madrice, St. Lucia, or the Annunciation of the Abbey. Merit had initiated many factories goes to Giovan Vincenzo Tagliavias, first Earl of Castelvetrano, to which is also recognized for having started the colonization of Burgio Millusio, extending the area of the socio-economic interests of Castelvetrano; and obtained from Charles V dipoter the privilege to exercise them in the city of the games weapons, including that of the bull. In 1516 he also took part in the uprising of Castelvetrano vassals against the barons.On that occasion , Giovan Vincenzo Tagliavias - man prone to negotiations and compromise, while still keeping the basic objectives of his political line - he composed the dispute peacefully; Castelvetrano, in the public square, in the presence of the people and nobles of the witnesses of the countryside and neighboring land, swore the acceptance and compliance with the demands of citizens, most notably the abolition of the tax money badly, a supplement that is duty on meat and wine, which, despite having been imposed in 1499 with a term of 15 years, had been charged over the expected. The Ferrigno notes that the imposition of the fee was definitely a maldenaro abuse, and in fact Giovan Vincenzo Tagliavias, in the discharge of his conscience , imposed by will to his son John to build at his own expense the choir and tribune of the buildings to be constructed matrix, a fee of sums.Castelvetrano reached the peak of its development with Charles of Aragon Magnus Siculus, mentioned by Manzoni as governor of the State of Milan in 1582. Giarrizzo the don Carlo defines as the most active protagonist of the Sicilian politics of his time, promoter and interpreter of the " nationalistic " that assigned to Sicily a prominent role in the defense strategy of the Spanish dominions and the boundaries of Christianity in Mediterranean. Carlo d'Aragona and Tagliavias, first Prince of Castelvetrano, were made significant social works. In 1549 was founded the pawnshop to assist the poor and needy of the city by both insured annuities by Prince and by other prominent citizens, as well as read the acts of the notary Antonino Abitabile. Tra 1543 and 1549 was founded the Compagnia dei Bianchi, with an oratory in St. Anthony Abbot, dell'infermi much care, but for comfort and support of ' Les Miserables condannatai to death. The city administration was streamlined and made more efficient, leading to forty the number of the deputation of councilors, assigning seats to twenty-four nobles twelve to the craftsmen, four to borgesi, according to an allocation formula does not meet the modern concepts of democracy, another ignored and incomprehensible at the time. In the civic council of 8 May 1575 Don Carlo raised the problem of water supply of the city by the water Bigini, beginning to work, colossal for the time, which, because of various difficulties and oppositions, was completed in 1615, as can be read on the tombstone of the nymph of the fountain, built for the occasion by John III of Aragon and built by the Neapolitan Horace Nigrone.In those years were built or enlarged several convents, built new churches, formed numerous companies and fraternities, as reflected, inter alia, by the will of George Tagliavias, compiled in January 1578. The city prospered, grew rich in monuments and works of talent, becoming the center of a flourishing craft and home to art studios. Recall that just settled in Castelvetrano, summoned by Prince Charles, the famous plasticizer Antonino Ferraro Giuliana, founder of a distinguished generation of artists stucco and painters , whose works still we admire in the churches of San Domenico, Matrix , St. Joseph. Although the economic situation experienced a marked improvement; we deduce from the fact that from 1556 to 1576 the gross income of the pastures, tolls, mills and census increases by 75%, while the rent of Borgetto and Belice - feuds mainly used for sowing - goes from 120 ounces of 1562 to 3650 of 1594 , an increase of 197%.However , at the end of the century, began a long period of epidemics and bad harvests , even more aggravated by heavy exactions of the tax . The notary Vincent Graffeo is the main witness of the crisis that gripped Castelvetrano in the early seventeenth century. In 1612, for example, the arrendatario, who had contracted the excise of the mill, had failed to pay the amount of 2,600 ounces, as ob malicia temporum not potuit exigere gabellam historum molendorum to gabellotis suis . The same source, despite a certain increase in population and a timid building development, speaks of famine, drought, floods, epidemics, with particular focus on the terrible plague of 1624. Still remember a significant petition to the Viceroy in which, April 10, 1600 , borgesi of them mentions of Castle Vetrano esponino time as GDP malo et mortality of cattle not pottiro siminari territory .... item begging them not to pagari in cuntu anyone except the terragio lu herbagiu to communicate tempu dellu Ill.mo accounts do Livares.Following the motion of Palermo Giuseppe D' Alessi, even the people of Castelvetrano, exacerbated by famine, revolted in September 1647; but the revolt, led by the class of tanner, was cruelly put down by the energetic woman Stephanie Cortes and Mendoza, in the absence of her husband, held the principality.In the early years of the century. XVIII Castelvetrano Sicilian participated in the events subsequent to the Treaty of The Hague; in particular, in February 1720, the city was faced with the occupation of both the Austrian troops of both the Spanish ones, which severely damaged the area.In the latter part of the century, the influence of the reforms of Caracciolo and Caramanico did emerge in Castelvetrano some enlightened bourgeoisie that was able to make its voice heard in the course of the first uprisings of the nineteenth century.In April 1787, the city hosted Wolfgang Goethe, who recalls the event in his famous "Voyage to Italy." In 1812, for about three months, stayed in Castelvetrano, before going into exile, Queen Maria Carolina, wife of Ferdinand II. Both in 1820 and in 1848, the city rebelled against the Bourbon rule, organizing civic guard and a provisional government, suffering as a result of the harsh repression Filangeris.A team of " picciotti " Castelvetrano, led by fellow Fra 'Giovanni Pantaleo, he met Garibaldi in Salemi, and distinguished himself, particularly in taking the bridge of Earn and door to St. Anthony Palermo. The Hero of Two Worlds, which had Castelvetrano honored with the title of "generous ", visited in July 1862, speaking from the balcony of a municipal memorable speech in which, among other things, claimed Rome, Italy.After the annexation, Castelvetrano came under the influence of the family Saporito, whose members favored the emergence of new business activities - such as pasta , oil mills, soap factories - but monopolizing the political and social life. In December 1893, the city, adhering to the movement of the Fasci Siciliani, was the scene of four days of violent riots, immortalized in print engraver of the able Ettore Ximenes.The city is the birthplace of the great philosopher Giovanni Gentile, the highest expression of Italian neo-idealism and author, among other things, a fundamental reform of the Italian school; the historian and writer Virgil Tithonus, the physical Mariano Santangelo; the musician Raffaele Caravaglios.Constantly present in the most significant events in the history of Sicily, to the present day Castelvetrano is the reference point of the entire Valle del Belice, focusing on the development of tourism and the development of agricultural resources wine and oil.The coat of arms consists of the Palme d'Or of Tagliavias, in blue field, and the legend" Palmosa Civitas Vetranum Castrum", a clear reference to Selinunte, precisely defined "Palmosa" in the third canto of Virgil's Aeneid. Discover Castelvetrano Trains from Castelvetrano to Nuoro Trains to Nuoro Trains to Castelvetrano Other destinations close to Castelvetrano Trains from Nuoro to Palermo Trains from Nuoro to Catania Trains from Nuoro to Messina Trains from Nuoro to Syracuse Trains from Nuoro to Marsala Trains from Nuoro to Gela Trains from Nuoro to Ragusa Trains from Nuoro to Trapani Trains from Nuoro to Caltanissetta Trains from Nuoro to Bagheria Trains from Nuoro to Vittoria Trains from Nuoro to Acireale Other departures close to Nuoro Trains from Cagliari to Castelvetrano Trains from Sassari to Castelvetrano Trains from Quartu Sant'Elena to Castelvetrano Trains from Olbia to Castelvetrano Trains from Alghero to Castelvetrano Trains from Assemini to Castelvetrano Trains from Oristano to Castelvetrano Trains from Selargius to Castelvetrano Trains from Iglesias to Castelvetrano Trains from Carbonia to Castelvetrano Trains from Porto Torres to Castelvetrano Trains from Monserrato to Castelvetrano

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Newsletter Sign-Up June 21st, 10:43pm Among the stacks of books we pulled from the shelves of the library, we also had the opportunity to chat with Adrienne Fitzgerald, Lead Park Ranger in Interpretation at Zion National Park. Originally from central New Jersey who studied in North Carolina, Adrienne was compelled to the dramatic geology of Utah. After college, she volunteered in many Southwestern parks before landing in Zion. We talked about the wildlife, the dark night skies, and the increased visitation, but the most impassioned part of our conversation was its most charismatic features. Yep, you guessed it: it’s geology. Adrienne calls Zion a “geology park”—it’s what drives people to come here and what blows them away when they arrive. Adrienne shared: “The thing that is special about Zion is the feeling that people get when they’re here. The surrounded by the landscape feeling you get here, and the fact that we’re in this harsh desert, and you drive through miles and miles of nothing but rock, but then here, you’re next to this river, that is green and lush… [it’s] technically desert, but you have this oasis…. and you get this surrounded and protected feeling from the cliffs around you that I think is so much different than so many other parks… it has an impact on people that is just unbelievable, the first time you come in. I just remember the first time I came in, that this place floored me. It’s just so big, and so dramatic. People have called it, ’Yosemite in technicolor.’’’ Our conversation drifted to the tendency for park visitors to want to visit only the park’s most iconic locations, featured often on social media or online lists with titles like “Top 10 Places You Must Go Before You Die” — places like the Narrows, Angel’s Landing, the Subway. Adrienne hopes for people to dig a little deeper, to see and appreciate the details in the nooks and crannies of the park (like spotting toads in pot holes), and appreciating “the wholeness of the park.” With the blazing afternoon heat, we’re happy to slow down and take it all in. zionnationalpark, zion, national park service, national park, findyourpark, campfire stories, campfirestoriesbook Pre-order Campfire Stories

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The Barclay The Barclay circa 1883Well, what a busy month. Our haunted tours this year were unprecedented. We were very busy. I'm still trying to recover!!! Keep them in mind next year if you like to go ghost hunting in old buildings!! Today, another creepy old building will be showcased....creepy yes, but no longer standing.....The Barclay Building/Barclay Hotel of yesteryear stood across the street from the Windsor Hotel. Its address was approximately 1755 Larimer. This grand building, circa 1883, is best known for something positive and something negative. It was the last building used by the state legislature before the capitol building was complete enough for legislative functions. The building lost the legislature around 1894. It continued to be used as office space and as a hotel until after the Depression. By 1950, it had become known as the Barclay Apartments. It was a building very familiar to Jack Keroauc and his ilk. During the 1960s, it was known as the worst flop house in the city. Reports of the time (that I remember reading somewhere but cannot find the source) indicate that the building was full of unwed mothers, unattended children, prostitution, drug dealers and users, murders and other forms of vice. It's no wonder that by 1970, the building was enemy number one (along with numerous others). The Denver Urban Renewal Authority included the Barclay in its long list of buildings to be demolished. Its glorious past was no reason to preserve the building. Its neighbor, the Windsor, had been demolished in 1959 and it was still in good condition. The Barclay didn't stand a chance. It is only remembered in pictures today. Check out Block 48 on DenverInfill.com to see the condition of the area today. The Barclay itself eventually became the site of the Windsor Apartments. Click here for another view which also shows the Volunteers of America/Sunset Towers building in the distance (the site of the old Windsor Hotel).If you're confused with the names, you're not alone. As with many buildings we knock down during bouts of urban renewal, we tend to forget the building but remember the name instead. So, the Tabor Block and Tabor Grand Opera House were replaced with the Tabor Center (although the old buildings were in two separate locations). The Windsor Hotel in the 1800 Block of Larimer was lost but the Winsdor Apartments were built one block down in the 1700 Block of Larimer (the site of the old Barclay). And to make things even crazier, the Barclay Apartments were built one block down from there at 1625 Larimer. See the pictures below.circa 1910circa 1920circa 1933circa 1950This picture shows the growing changes to the Barclay as the building has been converted into apartment use.circa 1950This also shows the old Windsor Hotel on the far right of the picture across 18th Street. The Windor, built in 1879, was once Denver's grandest Hotel. It was lost in 1959.circa 1967The Barclay name is gone and the "flophouse" is now called the Hotel Clay, although the sign is strangely familiar.circa 1970The 1970s are very apparent in this photo. Many windows are missing and the neglect to this building is painfully obvious. Were this building still standing in LoDo today, it would be one of the most stunning structures in the neighborhood and would have been restored and protected.The Skyline Urban Renewal Project saved the Barclay name although it was used one block away from where the original Barclay stood. This is Barclay Tower at 1625 Larimer. The shorter building is Barclay Plaza, known as Larimer Corporate Plaza today.All black and white historic photos are from the Denver Public Library's Western History Collection. Wow - Another tremendous loss for Denver. That building would indeed be the jewel of the area if it were still standing. What a shame.

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Search Travel / Albania / Balkan Dream Theatre Balkan Dream Theatre Leonidas Liambey ‘I knew the theatre in Butrinti had always been a museum and I thought, why can’t we change this theatre, this magnificent place, and create something new?’ In 1998, after taking part in several international theatre festivals and, Alfred Bouloti, a successful actor and stage manager at the Tirana National Theatre, made the decision to try and set up a festival based in the ancient theatre of Butrinti. In the south of the country, just an hour from Corfu by ferry, the imposing ancient citadel is partially surrounded by lake Butrint and would offer a spectacular setting for the festival. ‘I looked at the stage and of course, there were problems, particularly with the infrastructure, but we could do it. So with my friends from the Albanian theatre, we organised a project to set up a small international theatre festival. But at that time, it was simply not possible: foreigners would not come to Albania following the events of 1997 and the war in Kosovo in 1998.’ In 2000, however, they succeeded. ‘Of course I had to work hard and deal with people from the theatre who told me that it was a utopian idea and simply not feasible… Groups from Europe, from further a field, had terrible information about Albania. For example, two years ago the driver of a truck carrying the scenery for a group from Budapest wouldn’t cross the Greek border and was afraid to enter Albania. He was afraid for his truck, it was silly, but that’s the reality.’ The driver was eventually persuaded to enter and the festival is now in its fifth year. In September 2003, the Butrinti 2000 festival featured nine international companies from the Netherlands, Spain and Greece as well as Alexander Morfov’s Bulgarian production of the Tempest and Dan Puric’s company from Romania. As a project led by actors and theatre producers, he faced the problems of a society unused to privately led initiatives. ‘In Tirana there are just four theatres (National Theatre, Variety, Academy and the Opera (with a large troupe) and the national circus as well. There are of course privately funded projects, but no institutions, no private theatres putting on shows as institutions with funding. There are projects and companies like OASIS, Le Petit Prince or çajupi (named after a 20th century Albanian poet) that do performances from time to time but, for example, its two years since çajupi last put on a show. From time to time a company finds funding from a foundation or an institution, or from a political party and gets a finance package, but that’s it, they put on a project a few shows. It’s a serious problem: there are no real theatres and troupes are forced to look for opportunities in the National Theatre or the Academy.’ Outside Tirana, the difficulties are even greater. Though there were about 25 municipal theatres in the major towns and cities of the country under communism, these are now severely under funded and some have closed. Nineteen of these put on satirical or variety performances when they can, but the audience for more serious drama is a problem: ‘It hangs over our thoughts like the sword of Damocles: September is certainly the end of the tourist season in Albania and for that reason the audience [at Butrinti2000] is not of the highest level. Many come from the town of Saranda, others come from Tirana of course, (I always invite a minimum of 50 artists from Tirana) and there are the people who come from the villages around Butrinti and Saranda. I guess that it’s normal, but it could be better. What’s happened is interesting though: at the first festival, the people who came saw foreign theatre in the open air ancient theatre in a language they couldn’t understand for the first time. They didn’t behave like a real theatre audience: they made jokes and gestures, mobile phones went off and it wasn’t good. But by the third or fourth festival you saw the people from the villages enter quietly and watch, even when they can’t understand the language of the show. It wasn’t me or anyone else who told them not to talk; it was the theatre that changed the mentality of the villagers. That was interesting, a miracle of the theatre…’ The Butrinti International Theatre Festival is now in its fifth year and with a budget of just $60 000 it has been remarkably successful. Raising money was tough, but with part sponsorship from foundations such as Pro-Helvetia and Soros they were able to raise the rest from the then Ministry of Culture Edi Rama who is also President of the festival. But there is a lack of continuity in a political culture that is very focussed on individual politicians and their clients. This year, for example, Bouloti still hasn’t seen the new Minister of Culture, Blendi Klossi. ‘It’s a bit dumb, but that is how it is here, and I always keep my spirits up that I will meet him, but I am not a political person. I need to meet the person responsible for signing 50% of the budget for the festival. If I don’t get that we wont manage anything. ‘Edi Rama is now mayor of Tirana and he has plenty to deal with, so I can’t bother him with the Butrinti festival. It is the Minister’s responsibility. It’s April, and slowly the summer is arriving and I’m in contact with plenty of groups but we must know for sure. We have to look at things well, and calculate everything with all the teams involved. You must be well organised and if you still don’t know if you have the budget, it’s not easy. But it’s like that in Albania. You can’t get going straight away.’ At it’s core, however, Butrinti 2000 is an idealistic project with long term practical benefits for the isolated south of the country. The idea that tourist from Corfu could jump on a boat, go and see a play in a lakeside amphitheatre, eat and return to their beds on the island is still someway off. The straights remain politically sensitive and there is a limit to the amount of legal traffic the Greek authorities will allow at night. Yianina, is a major town in Greece is just two hours away by road, but again the border crossing could double that in the busy period at the end of the summer. But Alfred Bouloti has a vision: ‘I had an idea about the heart of the festival and wanted to call it, Butrinti2000,‘The Balkan Dream’. That is the dream of living together without borders, like neighbours in the rest of Europe,’ he pauses, ‘but is it possible? In the Balkans there are too many legends and the problems of racism and nationalism die hard.’ Leonidas Liambeykeywords:Leonidas Liambey Next Up-close and far away: Joe Swanberg and New American Cinema Towards today’s Tirana The Pyramid Jazz Festival Planting trees in the desert Film Festival: Notes from Thessaloniki A dangerous journey A Gravelly Prophet: The Music of Thanassis Papakonstantinou Transcultures Athens: a Metropolis by mistake?

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Coastal Shipping in Greece Greece boasts thousands of islands and invites you to discover them. The major coastal shipping companies have direct or corresponding daily routes to all islands with their newfangled and luxurious ships. In our web site you may choose among the best coastal shipping companies in Greece, in order to visit the captivating Greek islands, such as the Cyclades islands, Dodecanese islands, Ionian islands, North and South Aegean islands, Sporades islands, etc. In island-rich Greece, shipping is a culture in itself. Always prominent in the eastern Mediterranean sea-trade since the 18th century, the Greek-owned fleet is currently the foremost worldwide, with 16% of global tonnage. Greek coastal shipping ranks among the most prominent in Europe moving passengers and cargo between mainland Greece and the Greek islands, or crisscrossing the Adriatic between Greece and Italy. At present, there are approximately 30 coastal shipping enterprises in Greece operating over 120 ships, including high-speed ferries, catamarans and hydrofoils. Two years ago, an extensive fleet modernisation program was launched which drastically improved the face of the Greek coastal shipping, with great emphasis on the ferry business between the mainland and the islands and between Greece and Italy. The introduction of state-of-the-art, high-speed luxury ferries, some of them capable of carrying approximately 450 passengers and 125 cars at speeds exceeding 40 knots, has in most cases reduced travel time by over 30%, enabling a most effective and comfortable transport service. The newly minted high-speed vehicle/passenger ferries have dramatically shortened the distance between Greece and Italy. In 1995, it took 30 hours to sail from Patra to Ancona, while today it takes 19-20 hours. The new lines connect the ports of Patra and Igoumenitsa in western Greece, with the eastern Italian ports of Ancona, Venice and Trieste in northern Italy, and Bari and Brindisi in the south. There are also year-round, regular ferry schedules connecting Piraeus with Haifa in Israel, Limassol in Cyprus and the western coastline of Turkey. Travelling on these ferries and experiencing the warm hospitality of their expert and seasoned crews is pure delight. Combining a wide array of amenities at very reasonable prices, they feature comfortable accommodations ranging from outside cabins with private shower and WC to internal economy cabins, air conditioning, bars, shops, restaurants, satellite communication, gambling machines and video games, casino, pools, disco, movie theatre and special areas for campers and caravans. Daily departure times for long distances are mostly scheduled at convenient evening hours, ensuring timely morning arrival at destination and an extra day for vacationers who combine road and sea travel. While Greece has innumerable ports connecting the mainland with the islands, the main port with the heaviest tourist and commercial traffic is the large Mediterranean port of Piraeus that dates back to the 3rd millennium BC and is the gateway to Athens. It has easy access from most points in the capital and is the link to most Aegean islands with regular schedules for ferries, passenger boats and hydrofoils. There are at least another 138 major ports on the mainland and the islands, of which Thessaloniki, Patra, Igoumenitsa and Rafina are the largest. The Greek government has already made significant improvements in many ports throughout the country, while plans exist to create new hubs, so ships can dock at various ports more often. There are also plans to construct new ports and upgrade approximately 40 others. Through computerising the reservation and booking system, implementing an electronic tracking system and using fast, high-tech vessels, Greece's coastal shipping industry is prepared to navigate smoothly through the challenges in the years to come. COMPANY'S ANEK LINES K. KARAMANLI AVE. 123-125 SYGGROU AVE. & 3 TORVA STR. ENDEAVOR LINES 35, POSSIDONOS AVE MOSCHATO 6, ASTIGGOS STR. KARAISKAKI SQUARE 17, 25TH AUGUST STR. SUPERFAST FERRIES 123-125 SYNGROU AVENUE & 3 TORVA STREET

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October 2011 Issue 133 Nicola's Editorial WELSH ANIMALSTo start off this issue here are some photos of some of the animals from my short break in Wales I was telling you about in the last issue. The first one shows the water dragon – Tom, I think he was called. The second is a corn snake and the third shows a collie puppy on the farm at Porthmadog that we visited on another day. I hope you still remember my time in Wales from last month, and are not too confused as these photos are a bit late. (sorry folks I can't make the photo's stay still, call back later and I'll have another go. Andy) ACROSS THE IRISH SEA A couple of weeks after my Welsh holiday I took the ferry over to Dublin with both Brigitte and Andy. According to Andy, there was a hurricane nearby, well anyway it was pretty windy even before we’d actually got on the boat at Anglesey. I had been quite excited about the ferry ride but was actually quite disappointed that I wasn’t able to venture out onto the deck because of the wind and rain… and so the entire ferry trip was spent inside, it wasn’t much fun really. The only thing I was definitely aware of was the motion of the boat on the water as it was pretty choppy of course… in fact I believe that Brigitte was a little seasick. When we arrived in Dublin it was still pretty windy and rainy… not a very promising start to a holiday! So we drove straight to the farm on which we were staying just outside Britta’s Bay, which was apparently in either the hills or mountains, I never actually decided which! Andy described them as mountains because of the valleys… though Brigitte described them at another time as like the Pennines or Scottish highlands. I think that we might have some photos which Andy will send with this Raw Meat hopefully, so you can make up your mind yourselves! Well whatever they were the farm was at the base and we drove over them to reach it. We had a little adventure on the way to the farm when we got stuck in a pothole… Brigitte had to phone the farm to come and rescue us!! I think that sort of thing must happen pretty frequently, because they weren’t surprised – they just towed the van out of the mud, once we were back on solid ground it was ok. WILDE WIND Next day it continued to be really windy and a little bit rainy, so that there wasn’t that much we could really do. It was particularly difficult for me to imagine the exact nature of our surroundings, as I remember visiting Ireland before… yet Brigitte described them in comparison to places that I knew from England. I was more enthusiastic when we travelled back to Dublin the day after, as I remembered visiting Dublin a few years ago with Andy. It was also as I remembered it being last time… that is, excessively noisy. I don’t know why but the traffic seems especially loud over there. Although, Oscar’s memorial gardens was as peaceful as I remember it being - Brigitte described them almost like a little park, with his beautiful statue in the middle. I stretched right up and just managed to grab a bit of his foot… he’s lying on his back propping himself up on his elbows… Brigitte described his expression as smug which I could easily imagine! We also went to the house where he was born, which has a glass roof on the back joining it to a building in Trinity college who own the place. JAMES JOYCE In a street off O’Connell Street in the centre of Dublin, there was a statue of James Joyce looking very cool with his eyes on the sky and a walking cane in his hand. I thought about going to the James Joyce museum nearby which is in a tower, but it was shut… and anyway it didn’t sound very Ziggy friendly. Once again we visited the Writer’s Museum - though I hadn’t remembered it being so difficult to get into, as we had to go up quite a few stairs as there was no lift. I’m amazed that such a thing should be so nowadays, in a public place such as this… Dublin in general seems to be quite Ziggy unfriendly - a bit like Paris in fact. BRITTA’S BAY The final day we spent in Ireland was actually my favourite one, mainly because the excessive winds finally dropped completely and the sun came out making it really warm and very still. This time we stopped on the mountains or hills high up and got out, as I really wanted to experience the feeling of height. We walked along by a river… it was lovely and quiet and peaceful, with hardly anyone about. I thought that I’d have to tell my dad about this place, because he really wants to go to the mountains in Switzerland but he’s not aloud to fly… so this would be a good compromise! Back to Britta’s Bay, which we drove down to from the hills… we finally found a place to stop and get out where we could walk along right by the sea. It was difficult to believe we were right next to the sea, because it was so incredibly still there were no waves, and a complete absence of sound which was quite unearthly. This silence seemed to cover everything so that there was nothing alive… no birds, sea or otherwise. Although I wanted to go closer to the sea it was impossible as it was also Ziggy unfriendly. I had to imagine the sea completely because I had nothing to go on, no sound or feeling. Andy said the water was just rippling calmly - the stillness of this day seemed even more remarkable seeing as it had been so windy a couple of days before. FROM DUBLIN When we got the ferry home this time it was actually a bit more sunny - we even managed to get out on the deck this time which was great. Although the sea was much calmer this time I was still aware of it by the smell of the salt and just by the sense of it. I prefer travelling this way rather than flying, because you’re just stuck in a plane and have no sense of travelling, actually moving through the countryside or the sea. I really wish that I could sail across the ocean to the pacific or even the south seas, so that I could be totally aware of the change in climate as the boat moved. I’d love to go back to Ireland in the summer, when it’s warm enough to spent more time outside, just in the gardens or farm. I regretted not spending more time outside on the farm itself, as I got absolutely no idea of it being a farm at all… in fact I don’t know if they had any animals at all! WHEELIE WOBBLY WALK Not long after we arrived back from Ireland, we went down to Dunham Massey, commonly known to us as “The Deer Park” for this event, held by the Manchester Ataxia Branch for Ataxia Awareness Day. To make a nice change, the weather was beautiful, both warm and sunny, so that it was a real pleasure to be outside in such beautiful surroundings. I was really looking forward to getting a good long walk, but was dismayed to hear Andy say it was time to get back in the van after only a very brief walk. Apparently we’d had to give up when the going got just too rough for many of the members of the group. I’d forgotten how completely tiring straight forward walking could be for anyone with Ataxia. Most of the members have CA which is similar to FA but usually attacks one later in life, so they’re not in Ziggy but still have difficulty walking. It’s easier to get around in Ziggy in a way – providing you have a willing pair of hands to push, that is! On such a beautiful day it was a shame to have to go inside. Dunham Massey is a particularly beautiful place, in fact Andy told me that it had a big sign saying that it was the most popular national trust property in the North West of England and that they’re building a new visitor centre there… so it’s well worth a day trip. ECHO AND THE BUNNYMEN Although I thought it quite strange that a band should be playing in a theatre, perhaps this is the done thing nowadays, because there seemed to be absolutely no problem with it as far as access for Ziggy went. The band were really cool, they played a complete mixture of old favourites and songs I didn’t recognise, but appreciated nonetheless. They did a really beautiful rendition of Ocean Rain, but Andy was more keen on the Manchester version of Lou Reed’s Take a Walk on the Wild Side. The audience were particularly appreciative I thought, which was lovely for such an old band… they were going absolutely crazy at the end. THE RELUCTANT VAMPIRE I think I’ve mentioned before that Ruth and I had unearthed my long forgotten novel The Reluctant Vampire from the early 80s, and are currently reading through it. So far it’s a whole lot better than I remember it being. There’s some lovely characters in it, not to mention the very charismatic vampire himself. At this point I can’t remember exactly how the novel ends, only that it’s pretty dramatic. I suppose it’s a bit of a love story, but with a difference. In places it’s written as something you can actually touch, if that makes sense. I’m keen to put it on the internet as soon as my mum’s typed it up as I’d like as many people as possible to be able to read it. The thing I’m wondering about is whether to serialise it on my blog or if readers would find this too frustrating, and would prefer to read it all the way through… in which case, would they have the time to do this? Also, I like the idea of my blog as it would make it more of a two way reading of the novel, where the reader would actually be involved and give feedback. My dad suggests publishing the novel in both ways simultaneously… so what do you think? Any comments you could make on how you would like to read The Reluctant Vampire, would be much appreciated. TAKE A WALK ON MERSEY SIDE No, not Echo and the Bunnymen this time, but a canal boat trip, which Andy and I treated ourselves to last weekend. It was actually a special treat for Andy, because I know how much he’s always wanted to do this particular trip. Admittedly, it wasn’t by barge, but still, it was down the Manchester ship canal all the way to Liverpool. I didn’t actually realise how close Liverpool was to Manchester, it’s been so long since I last saw a map! Mind you, the big boat set off from Salford Quays and Andy said there were at least 400 people on board, so it was obviously a popular trip. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I was still aware of the water beneath us, even though there were no waves. The boat stopped at Barton Locks, for quite some time and I had to imagine an awful lot of what was going on, but nonetheless I just about managed to keep informed of the adventure! Although sailing along the canal through the city was a profoundly different experience from my Ziggy barge trip earlier this year, Andy told me roughly where we were and what was happening, so I got quite a good idea of what was going on. My favourite bit was where the canal actually met with the River Mersey at Elsmere Port. This was really exciting, because not only did the light change and become brighter, but I could feel the motion of the boat suddenly as the river is tidal at that point. I wondered at what point did the waves cease, did they intrude into the canal at all?? We continued along the river for about an hour, passing Liverpool on one side and Birkenhead on the other, including Port Sunlight, where Lord Lever built an art gallery for his wife. The boat stopped just before it met the Irish sea and we all got off and there was a short break in Liverpool before the coach left to take us back to Manchester. Both Andy and I enjoyed the day very much and have resolved to do it again sometime! THE RAW MEAT NOVEL I believe Andy himself is actually working on Chapter Three of The Light Fantastic, which may follow on from the preceding chapter… though knowing Andy I very much doubt it. But anyway, it should make interesting reading… do have a look at my Weblog when you next get a chance. I’d like to capture someone’s enthusiasm so that they can follow on with chapter four. Don’t worry about having no experience as a writer… it’s those new to writing that I want to encourage particularly. I’m looking forward to hearing from you, and seeing how the novel continues! Clink~the~link~here. BMB RE-UNION You might remember back in the May issue me telling you how delighted I was at making contact with an old friend I hadn’t seen for nearly thirty years, Bill Mason. He used to be lead singer with the band, predictably enough called the Bill Mason Band… who were a Christian band with a bit of a difference. I remember at the time the BMB having an enthusiastic following of young people, as they were sort of punk – well definitely rock anyway. By incredible coincidence the BMB are doing a re-union concert on October 21 at Wythenshawe Forum Theatre… maybe I’ll see you there! ZIGGY-FRIENDLY One of the main reasons I enjoyed the boat trip so much was because I felt totally involved all the way through, simply by the boat being completely Ziggy friendly. And this went for the coach as well. There was one other chap in Ziggy, but simply the fact that everything was quite possible to do in Ziggy meant we were not excluded on practical grounds and that made such a nice change!! RAW MATERIALS THE SPACE BETWEEN – THE STORY SO FAR Copyright Nicola Batty © 2011 As 1907 begins, Harriet has just been saved from jumping off tower bridge, by Gustave, who has taken her back home to the Freedom Press. As far as they know, Georges has left with Wilde’s manuscript and is unlikely to return. At a new year celebration Robbie Ross has asked Charles Ricketts to get a part for Freddie in the play he’s working on. Meanwhile, it’s still new year in the kitchen of the Freedom Press where Gustave and Harriet have been sleeping by the fire. I was rather stuck at this point – how could I possibly follow such a dramatic scene as the last one on the bridge and keep the reader interested enough to read on… for after this I want to keep the novel going for another 18 months. This seemed a pretty impossible stunt to pull off… but there had to be something I could do which was quite new, like introducing a totally fresh character. I’d been thinking along the lines of the Inkheart Trilogy idea, which I’ve been quite obsessed by ever since I read it. I’m talking about the idea of people disappearing into a book, of course. I’ve already used this device in The Space Between with Adrian Singleton vanishing back into The Portrait of Dorian Gray, so couldn’t I do something else along the same lines? But the thing was, I needed to introduce someone or something from my own novels into The Space Between, and so the solution came upon me. it’s really strange, writing about yourself as a twentieth century character, so you’re mixing your own fiction with past fiction into this current work in progress, so that you become a half-fictional character, being set sometime ago before my novels were written or even thought of. I’m yet to see if it works, as I have my doubts, particularly about introducing myself into a historical novel which might be a little confusing, so it’s a bit of a trial really. It may not work out at all, in which case I’ll have to scrap it, but I just thought that something pretty dramatic had to happen at Harriet and Gustave at this point. As well as this, it was also vital to keep myself interested… for admittedly as we’re so near and so far from the end of the novel, my initial enthusiasm is beginning to wear a bit thin, but I know myself, and I know that I never could resist such a challenge as this. So let’s see if it works… I appreciate your feedback on this one, as ever. NOW READ ON… CHAPTER 7 - 1907 Waking with a start from his doze as the front door banged shut, Gustave looked all around him in confusion. For a moment he couldn’t remember exactly where he was, or who was sitting next to him, squashed against him in the armchair, with her head leaning against his chest, staring vacantly into the still smouldering fire. He listened to the voices from the hallway. At first they sounded familiar to his ears, he thought that one of them may belong to Wilf, though he didn’t recognise the woman’s laughter at all. Shaking his head to clear it, he began to get to his feet, but Harriet stopped him, clinging to him like a limpet. “Please, don’t move, don’t go yet,” she said urgently, “please stay a while longer.” Laughing softly, Gustave reached out towards the fireplace and picked up the poker. “Don’t worry… I’m only stoking up the fire, I’m not going anywhere. It’s alright, I’ll stay.” Harriet watched his movements silently, with her hands clasped tightly before her, almost as if trying to pray. She seemed dazed by what had just happened up on the bridge a few hours ago… Gustave wasn’t sure if she could hear the voices from outside, though of course it might be that she was simply ignoring them, as they had no place in this reality. Replacing the poker beside the fireplace, Gustave looked around as the kitchen door opened and Wilf’s bald dome gleamed in the dim light as he came through. In his hands he held his woolly hat, passing it from one to the other with quick, anxious movements. He was grinning, obviously a little drunk. “Happy new year to you, Gustave,” he said loudly, “My, it’s a freezing night out there… I’ll be glad when the winter’s over, I can tell you.” Stepping back, he pulled the woman’s arm who was following close behind him, so that she was forced to move into the light, though it seemed obvious that she would rather remain hidden. Her long dark hair could be seen below the strange trilby hat she wore, and it seemed probably she was drunk as well. There was a fixed smile on her small pale face, which was slightly flushed either from the cold or embarrassment. She stood there awkwardly in her long shapeless black overcoat, which reached almost down to the ground, pulling at each finger of her leather gloves in turn. She seemed nervous, as she stared at Gustave in disbelief and shaking her head very slowly. “Gustave? Are you sure?” the woman whispered, her voice barely audible. Gustave shrugged, laughing uncomfortably. “I… I think so,” he said awkwardly, examining the woman’s face more closely. “I’m sorry, I don’t believe we’ve met before, have we?” Reaching out her hand towards him, the woman touched his arm very lightly, almost as if she expected him to vanish in a puff of smoke at any moment. She was still shaking her head from side to side, refusing to believe her eyes. “Well… yes, I suppose we have, in a manner of speaking. Though I don’t expect you to recognise me.” Wilf looked quickly from Gustave to his friend, blinking in confusion. “Well, I’d like you to meet a friend who’s come all the way from Manchester, this is Nicola, Gustave. She’s staying here for a few days,” Wilf announced, smiling easily as the two shook hands formally. “Where did you meet Gustave before, Nicola? It seems an amazing coincidence.” Still Nicola stared at Gustave, releasing his hand reluctantly, she didn’t answer for quite some time, but eventually took a deep breath, seeming to pull herself together and glanced apologetically at Wilf. “Gustave’s right, we haven’t really met… only in my imagination,” she said lightly, trying to laugh, but the sound stuck in her throat and quickly died. “Gustave’s familiar to me from one of my novels I wrote a few years back, that’s where I know him from.” She smiled at Gustave, pushing back stray strands of hair under her hat with a self conscious movement of her hand. “I must say, Gustave, you’re exactly as I imagined you would be.” MORE FROM The Space Between trilogy in November. URBAN SCRAWL Welcome to Andy’s bit… THE LIGHT FANTASTIC As Nic mentioned above, I’m attempting to write a chapter for her Raw Meat project The Light Fantastic. I got off to a good start and jotted down a couple of hundred words, and then nothing, I just couldn’t see which direction I should take next. So, I’m going to have another go this week and see where my muse takes me. IRELAND We stayed in County Wicklow, not far south of Dublin, in a lovely part of the countryside. The country lanes, were really country lanes, complete with pot holes and grass growing just to prove that they were not busy at all. Wonderful! It was some distance to the coast and we had to cross the Wicklow Mountains in fact to get there. These mountains have dramatic changes of scenery as you drive across them. Sometimes you could be in a Swiss Valley, a few minutes later they resembled the highlands of Scotland complete with heather and bracken. Around the next bend you could be forgiven for thinking that you were in a Canadian pine forest. Another mile along the road and they became like the hilly Pennines with sheep grazing and spilling out onto the track. At one point we came across the place where two mountain rivers met. Not far from there was a couple of lakes, one with a waterfall. Then there were the ancient ruins of a monastic settlement, and as we drove further and higher the land became bleak and stony, and there was evidence of ancient quarrying. Finally we reached the sea. MANCHESTER SHIP CANAL I had always wanted to travel on the Manchester Ship Canal, and when Nic booked a couple of tickets for a six hour cruise on a Mersey Ferry I was delighted. We left Salford Quays at ten am and arrived at Pier Head in Liverpool shortly before 4 pm. It took nearly five hours to reach the fifth and final lock on the canal, and then another hour to Birkenhead and then a few more minutes across the Mersey to Pier Head. Wonderful day! Thanks Nic!!! More from Urban Scrawl Andy in November.Thanks for reading Raw Meat!!! posted by Nicola Batty @ 4:21 pm 1 comments

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Jackson Oak The Historic Village Point Preserve is home to one of the largest and most historic live oaks in Alabama. This giant tree, which is 95 feet tall, with a circumference of 28 feet, was a landmark in the eighteenth century: it is shown as a survey line marker in the original Spanish Land Grant survey map of 1787. How did Jackson’s Oak get its name? According to local traditions, General Andrew Jackson made a speech to his army from one of its massive limbs, while he was enroute from Pensacola during the War of 1812. Protection and preservation of this magnificent live oak is a top priority of the City of Daphne and the Village Point Foundation. An observation platform was carefully constructed around the tree, to offer an excellent view, and to provide protection from pedestrian traffic, which research has shown would eventually compact and erode the soil, causing root damage to the tree. www.VillagePoint.info Village Point, Daphne, Alabama Web Site Hosting and Design by Site One on the InternetCopyright© 2017 For Internal Use

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Vietnam Airlines switches to Heathrow for UK services National carrier Vietnam Airlines has confirmed that as of 31 March 2015, its nonstop UK services to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City will operate from Heathrow. The airline will join its fellow SkyTeam members at Terminal 4. Vietnam Airlines’ switch from Gatwick to Heathrow will see a substantial increase in the frequency of non-stop services to Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, rising to a daily service following the deployment of the airline’s brand new Boeing 787-9s on its UK routes. Heathrow will be the first international destination on the Vietnam Airlines network to be served by the new next-generation Dreamliners. The new aircraft will feature in-flight WiFi and fully flat beds in Business Class, and will also herald the launch of Vietnam Airlines’ new branding and corporate identity - firmly establishing it as the leading carrier for the Indochina region. The Chief Executive Officer of Vietnam Airlines, Dr Pham Ngoc Minh, commented, “Our vision, and that of the government of Vietnam, is for Vietnam Airlines to become the major carrier in Southeast Asia. Establishing Vietnam Airlines in the UK market is vital to realising that vision, and we remain extremely grateful to Gatwick Airport for its support in doing that, and for its contribution towards the advancement of Vietnam-UK bilateral relations. “Less than four years after successfully launching the first ever nonstop services between the UK and Vietnam, moving our operations to Heathrow represents another tremendous step towards achieving our goal. We are delighted that our passengers will soon be able to enjoy daily flights on the very latest and most comfortable aircraft, from one of the world’s most important, advanced and well connected international hub airports”. Added Dr Pham.ADVERTISEMENTVietnam Airlines’ General Manager UK & Ireland, Le Thanh Dzung, added, “The launch of Vietnam Airlines’ non-stop services from Gatwick saw UK arrivals into Vietnam rise by over 40 per cent year on year, and both the leisure and corporate markets have grown steadily ever since. Moving our operations to Heathrow will enable us to offer the increased frequency and capacity needed to build on and cater to this growing demand. As a prestigious global hub airport, Heathrow also provides a perfect platform on which to launch our new, world class product and branding.” Heathrow’s Chief Executive Officer, John Holland-Kaye, also highlighted the significance of Vietnam Airlines’ decision, saying “We are delighted that Vietnam Airlines has chosen to operate its new Dreamliner 787 fleet from Heathrow, securing regular direct flights from the UK to a vital emerging market. This demonstrates once again that only a strong hub airport like Heathrow, with a mix of premium direct and transfer passengers, can help Britain win the race for growth. With Vietnam identified by the government as one of the top 20 growth markets for UK businesses, this new route shows how Heathrow expansion is the best solution for the UK economy, creating up to £211bn in GDP and 180,000 new jobs.” Lord Puttnam, UK Trade Envoy to Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, said “As an island trading nation, air links in to fast growing import markets like Vietnam are vital for the UK’s economic growth prospects. That’s why I am delighted to welcome the announcement that Vietnam Airlines will now have a daily, direct route to Britain’s hub airport, helping British business to compete in the global race.” Travelport appoints Thomas Murphy as general counsel IATA environmental programme gathers momentum CLIA Cruise360 2017

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Assumption Historical Society/Museum This museum displays old school pictures and artifacts from the town of Assumption. Open by appointment. CITY: Assumption Bryant Cottage Bryant Cottage was built in 1856 by Francis E. Bryant (1818-1889), a friend and political ally of Senator Stephen A. Douglas. According to Bryant family tradition, on the evening of July 29, 1858, Douglas and Abraham Lincoln conferred in the parlor of this house to plan the famous Lincoln-Douglas Debates. The picturesque one-story, four-room wood frame cottage has been “restored” and is interpreted as an example of a middle-class life in mid-nineteenth-century Illinois. The furniture on display is of the Renaissance Revival style, appropriate for a small-town family of the mid-nineteenth century. The cottage is accessible to persons with disabilities. The site hosts portions of a variety of locally sponsored events throughout the year. CITY: Bement Vespasian Warner Public Library Research materials of the DeWitt County Genealogical Society are housed here, as well as revolving exhibits of the Lincoln Heritage committee of DeWitt County. Historical programs and presentations occur throughout the year. CITY: Clinton Rock Springs Center for Environmental Discovery Rock Springs Center is the largest park in the Macon County Conservation District properties with a total of 1,343 acres in the southwest area of Decatur, IL. The Sangamon River runs through Rock Springs and several small ponds dot the landscape. A wide range of terrain including forest, wetland, grassland, and restored Illinois prairie make Rock Springs a destination for nature lovers. Rock Springs is also home to a large nature center, a museum, a restored farmhouse, nearly nine miles of hiking trails, and a paved bike trail. Rock Springs is a favorite for families all year round. Rooms and pavilions are available for rent for meetings and events. Decatur Public Library Art Gallery The Second Floor Gallery, in partnership with Gallery 510, showcases local and regional artwork year-round. Frequently local and national traveling exhibits are displayed. In conjunction with the featured exhibits, the library presents topic-specific programs and events. The gallery is open Monday-Thursday 9am-9pm; Friday-Saturday: 9am-5:30pm; Sunday: 1pm-5pm (Sept-May). Admission to the gallery is free and the public is welcome to all programs and events. Decatur Public Library Books (of course), videos, dvds, cds, local history room, computers, classes, art gallery, kids place Millikin University Theater, Music, Business Homestead Prairie Farm Step into a restored 1860's farmhouse and experience an era when apple butter and ham and beans cooked over open fires; candles were hand-dipped and quilts were hand stitched; dulcimer music filled the air; and fields were worked by man and beast. Located on the 1,350-acre Rock Springs Nature Center site, the Homestead offers living history programs throughout summer. Kirkland Galleries Three galleries on the Millikin University Campus feature changing one-artist exhibits during the academic year. The Perkinson Gallery hosts a wide range of exhibitions that focus on work by professional artists from Illinois and the Midwest, in addition to work by artists with national recognition. The gallery has 2,000 square feet of floor space, with 132 linear feet of wall space. Patrons may view the displayed work for free, Monday through Friday from noon to 5 pm. The Lower Gallery focuses on photographic works. Student artists display their works in the Studio Gallery. The Lower and Studio Galleries are open Monday-Friday from 8 am to 5 pm and Saturday from 10 am to 1 pm Free admission. Ferrel Clydesdale Farms In operation since 1850, the farm features a blacksmith shop and Clydesdale horses. Chuck wagon cookouts are available. CITY: Lovington Reeser Embryo Farm Tour this farm, which is a commercial embryo transfer station that uses donor cows. Monticello Railway Museum View various pieces of steam and electric railroad equipment. Offers vintage train rides on Sat. and Sun. May through Oct., as well as a number of special events throughout the year. Mount Pulaski Township Historical Museum & Research Center This museum contains numerous artifacts and memorabilia from the Mt. Pulaski area, as well as Abraham Lincoln items and information. CITY: Mount Pulaski Abe Lincoln Mural Located in downtown Mount Pulaski, this mural depicts a young Abraham Lincoln in front of the historic Mount Pulaski House. Mount Pulaski Heritage Wayside This wayside interprets the career connection between Logan County and Abraham Lincoln. CITY: Mount Pulaski Lincoln Trail Homestead State Memorial This is the site of Abraham Lincoln's first Illinois home. Bisected by the Sangamon River, the site also features picnicking and hiking. CITY: Mount Zion Moweaqua Coal Mine Museum Houses a number of coal minig artifacts - Pictures, newspaper clippings, coal mining tools, and other mine related materials on display. Most famous for the explosion that happened on December 24, 1932 which killed 54 workers. Wards Museum Visit the museum's beautiful grounds and see a collection of over 10,000 items that include sea shells, primitive furniture and antique glassware.

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Hostesses With The Mostest > Entertaining and Hospitality How to solve this... (1/4) > >> kiero: Hi, Me and my mommy friends (best way to describe them) like to get together for a potluck once a month or so. Everyone brings something and the person whose house we are at basically only has to clean and things. It means that the work and money is managable. So last Friday at playgroup we were planning the next one. I say we because there isn't really a clear host/organizer it's a joint effort. We have a new mommy friend. This woman and her 2 kids have been coming to playgroup for a couple months and I for one wanted to take the relationship to the next level. So in the midst of talking about what we all want to bring (one of the best parts of this is talking about all the coll dishes we never normally have time to make) I asked her if she and her kids (no SO inthe picture) wanted to join us. She said that was cool and I got her number and things. She left shortly after, but before we could ask her what she wanted to bring.So I called her on Monday and it has really taken until today to get the full story. On Monday I filler her in of the 'theme' we'd chosen which is 'colorful' and asked her if she wanted to bring something. I said that she didn't have to since it was her first time and we'd just love a chance to get to know her better. But I didn't want to not mention the potluck aspect because I personally would feel bad if I showed up somewhere and everyone else had brought something. Over the next few days the conversations have revealed that:1) She feels tricked because she didn't realise that it was a potuck.2) Now that she knows she feels trapped into coming because she'd already agreed to come.3) I'd mentioned that since I only have a 12 week old - I have very few toys for older kids and so the other moms normalyl bring a couple small toys for their older children to play with. She says that's just unreasonable. If I am hosting and I invite someone with a 3yo I should have something for that kid to do.4) She didn't know I had cats. She doesn't like cats and if she knew I had them she never would have agreed to come.CRUD MONKEYS!. I am sorry I invited her. But really!!!! She heard us planning this - and the other moms were saying things like "I realy want to try to make a salad with X Y and Z" and "Well is Suzi is going to bake that dish, and I don't think the oven temps will be cmpatable - so I'll choose a different way to do the potatoes. So I have no clue as to how she didn't realise it was a potluck. And anyway - isn't it easier to cook one dish instead of the meal she has to cook anyway for her kids.I don't know how to solve this and have her still feel invited and welcome to come to playgroup. Right now it feels like she is probably going to vanish and we wont cross paths again. And that makes me sad because she needs support and freinds. Any advice? Evil Duckie: kiero: Just to clarify she didn't offer to bring anything while we were talking. But she did participate in the conversation. We were all talking about different ideas. But the time we'd kind of settled on an idea and were committing to bring specific things she had to go pick up her older child (he's 3 and in preschool). That's why I had to call her later.I should also add that we were talking about all this infront of people who weren't invited. The only people who'd come to playgroup on Friday are in our little group. Wait... That doesn't sound much better - we didn't come to the playgroup with our little group - it formed out of the moms who are regulars. About the cats. I would lock them if if an allergic person thought it would help. Although my MIL swears that it doesn't doesn't - except that then she doesn't have the tempation to pet them. And I've learned not to vacumn the day of - because that just stirs up the allergins. And I would lock them up if someone was scared. But I am not going to lock them up just because someone doesn't like them. Frankly - it's unlikeley that with a house full of people and small children that we'd even see them. But we all know the saying about cats and closed doors... Twik: --- Quote from: kiero on February 15, 2007, 05:59:23 PM ---I don't know how to solve this and have her still feel invited and welcome to come to playgroup. Right now it feels like she is probably going to vanish and we wont cross paths again. And that makes me sad because she needs support and freinds. Any advice?--- End quote ---Well, yes, because her attitude makes it unlikely she'll have very many of them.The potluck thing could be an honest mistake, but people can pick up a sandwich tray or some veggies and dip pretty easily, if she didn't feel comfortable with showing up without anything.The toys - she should not be expecting the rest of the world to turn itself into a playground for her little wunderling. If she wants toys, she can bring them. It is perfectly reasonable to invite a parent and child to your get-together without having half of Toys 'R Us in the room.The cats - it is not a faux pas to have them. If she's allergic, she can turn down the invitation with an explanation, or take antihistamines, whichever most appeals to her.It sounds like she's desperately searching for reasons NOT to attend. Perhaps she's entitlement-crazy; maybe she's just social-phobic, but in any case, her actions are her responsibility. You have done nothing wrong in inviting her. veryfluffy: It sounds either as if she doesn't want to come, or if she does she won't fit into your group terribly well. (Actually she sounds horrible, but that is just my opinion.)How about: "I'm sorry our little get-togethers don't sound like they're you're cup of tea. That's just the way our group likes to socialise, and it's always worked well for us. I understand completely if you don't want to come along after all, and really it's not bother at all if you've changed your mind. That's what's so great about potluck!"

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All hotels in Saxony were either completely refurbished or newly built after German Reunification. Thus they offer high standards and modern amenities. Value-for-money is excellent in Germany, but even better in East Germany, where, like in Saxony, the prices are lower in general. Dresden offers the almost unbeatable advantage of not hosting any trade fairs. Thus prices remain stable during the seasons. International hotel chains, like Westin, Marriott, Swissotel, Hilton, or Radisson have a presence on the Saxon market. Standout five-star hotels include the Hotel Taschenbergpalais in Dresden, the only Kempinski Hotel with its own name apart from the Adlon in Berlin, and the Hotel Fürstenhof in Leipzig, a Starwood property. There are also a number of boutique hotels and, especially outside the large cities, family-owned operations. In Dresden, most hotel categories are represented directly in the city centre while in Leipzig a similar variety can be found on the ring road around the small historic city centre. Accommodation in apartments has always been a popular form of accommodation, but mainly in holiday regions outside of the city. This has changed in recent years. Right in the middle of Dresden’s historic city centre, there are four apartment hotels which offer one- to three-room serviced apartments at very reasonable rates, three of them erected in the last few years. Apartments are also available in less central locations for the even more budget conscious. The same applies for Leipzig and the smaller cities and towns in Saxony. Typical for Germany is the “Pension”, a private guesthouse which offers food and beverages only to guests. Saxony also has a large number of these guesthouses, also in the large cities. The German equivalent of a bed & breakfast inn is called hotel garni. Like the “Pension”, it is run like a hotel, but a restaurant facilities are absent and only breakfast is served. A hotel garni is also mostly family owned and typically has less rooms that a normal hotel. Some people offer private rooms in their own houses. This is called “Privatzimmer”. Private room accommodation is widely spread in rural areas but also available in cities and towns. Saxony accommodation industry is dominated by all these forms of private accommodation. However, in Dresden and Leipzig, hotel rooms and apartments dominate. Hostel accommodation is very popular with young people, but also with families. Youth hostels offer high standards these days and are often located in interesting historic buildings, like a medieval tower in Bautzen or an old merchant’s yard in Görlitz. Even single and double rooms are now on offer. Dresden, and to a lesser degree, Leipzig, is dominated by hostels for backpackers. While most of these hostels offer rather basic accommodation, there are also more up-market forms. In the large cities, there are now hybrids which offer both hotel and hostel accommodation.

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New Orleans, extenstive historical content. All through the city are scattered innumerable boarding houses, at which the prices of board vary from twenty dollars per month upwards, according to location, style of house, and accommodation. Board is payable by the month or week, according to agreement. In the newspapers may be found advertisements which will indicate where board and lodging may be obtained. The principal streets where the boarding houses may be found are Camp and St. Charles streets above Lafayette Square, Prytania street, Canal street, and the first block on Dauphine street from Canal street. The better class of the houses are on St. Charles avenue. Rooms Rooms and suites of apartments are to be had all over the city. Many persons, especially colored women, make it a business to keep furnished rooms or "chambres garnies" as they are called here. Prices of rooms, lodging only, vary from $10 per month upwards. Gas is usually an extra charge and sometimes meals will be furnished. The best streets are Rampart, Canal, University Place (between Common and Canal streets), the lower part of Royal street, Dauphine street (between Canal and Customhouse streets), Bourbon street (between Canal and St. Louis streets). Rooms to let are generally indicated by small signs hanging from the galleries. Furnished and Unfurnished Houses Furnished and unfurnished houses can be rented by applying to the several Real Estate agents in the city. The rents vary according to the house, location and contents. All leases are made generally to date from October 1st to September 30th, but sometimes houses can be hired for a shorter period of time. The leases are always in a printed form and impose certain obligations on tenats. Rents are payable monthly, for which payments the lessee generally furnishes his notes, which are identified with the lease and are made payable at some bank in the city. Servants, white or colored, can be procured through advertising in the want columns of the newspapers and should furnish good references. Wages: Cooks $10 to $25; Waiters $15 to $30; Chambermaids $10 to $20. Milk, bread and ice are delivered at the house. Groceries can be ordered by postal card or telephone, and are delivered at the house. Wood is purchased from neighboring wood shops. Coal, at any coal merchant's, is sold at so much per barrel, but in not less quantities than a cart-load (ten barrels). Coke is purchased also at the coal merchant's, at 35 to 45 cents per barrel in loads of not less than ten barrels. Gas costs $1.40 per thousand. Application for gas must be made at the Gas Office (corner of Baronne and Common streets) from 9 a. m. to 3 p. m. and a deposit of $5 made before the gas is turned on. When the gas is cut off, the deposit is returned with interest added. Routes to New Orleans Historical New Orleans Site Map NEW ORLEANS GUIDE, With Descriptions of the Routes to New Orleans, Sights of the City Arranged Alphabetically, ans Other Information Useful to Travelers; Also, Outlines of the History of Louisiana, By Hon. James S. Zacharie, Second Vice President of the Louisiana Historical Society, Member of the City Council of New Orleans. F. F. Hansell & Bro., Ltd, New Orleans. 1893, 1902

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Aff...Affinity Bloc: Eurasian Peoples Clus...Cluster: French West Bank / Gaza French in Wallis and Futuna Islands The Masters View / Howard Erickson French Largest Religion Christianity (72.00%) The French Republic (France) is located in Western Europe and in several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. France is the largest country in the European Union by land area and the second largest in Europe behind Ukraine. France has been a major power in world political affairs for centuries with strong economic, cultural, military, and political influence. During the 17th and 18th centuries, France colonized much of North America; during the 19th and early 20th centuries, France built the second largest empire of that time, including large portions of Africa, Southeast Asia, and many Pacific Islands. France is a developed country possessing the fifth largest economy by nominal GDP. It is the most visited country in the world, receiving 82 million foreign tourists annually. France is a founding member of the United Nations and the European Union and is one of five permanent members of the UN Security Council. France possesses the third largest number of nuclear weapons in the world and the largest number of nuclear power plants in the European Union. In the 4th century AD, Gaul's eastern frontier along the Rhine was overrun by Germanic tribes, principally the Franks, from whom the ancient name of "Francie" was derived. The Franks were the first tribe among the Germanic conquerors of Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire to convert to Catholicism. France obtained the title "Eldest daughter of the Church" and the French would adopt this as justification for calling themselves "the Most Christian Kingdom of France". Existence as a separate entity began with the Treaty of Verdun in 843. Charlemagne's Carolingian Empire was divided into East, Middle, and West Francia. West Francia approximated the area occupied by modern France and was the precursor to modern France. The Carolingian dynasty ruled France until 987, when Hugh Capet, Duke of France and Count of Paris, was crowned King of France. His descendants progressively unified the country through a series of wars and dynastic inheritance. The monarchy reached its height during the 17th century during the reign of Louis XIV. At this time, France possessed the largest population in Europe and had tremendous influence over European politics, economy, and culture. French became the common language of diplomacy in international affairs and remained thus until the 20th century. Much of the Age of Enlightenment occurred in French intellectual circles, and major scientific breakthroughs were achieved by French scientists in the 18th century. In addition, France obtained many overseas possessions in the Americas, Africa, and Asia. The monarchy ruled France until the French Revolution in 1789. After a series of short-lived governmental schemes, Napoleon Bonaparte seized control of the Republic in 1799, making himself Emperor of what is now known as the First Empire (1804–1814). Following Napoleon's final defeat in 1815, the French monarchy was re-established with new constitutional limitations. France maintained colonial possessions, in various forms, beginning early in the 17th century and lasting until the 1960s. In the 19th and 20th centuries, its overseas colonial empire was the second largest in the world behind the British. France was an occupied nation in World Wars I and II. The human and material losses in the first war, which left 1.4 million French soldiers dead, exceeded largely those of the second, even though only a minor part of its territory was occupied during World War I. Political uncertainty and struggles for control dominated France during and after the World Wars. Form of government and territorial control was fluid during this time. Most governmental entities were unstable at best and civil war raged frequently. In 1958, the weak and unstable Fourth Republic (governmental structure) gave way to the notable Fifth Republic that contained a strengthened Presidency. In that role, Charles de Gaulle managed to keep the country together while taking steps to end the civil wars. The Algerian War and Franco-French civil war were ended with peace negotiations in 1962. In recent decades, France's reconciliation and cooperation with Germany have proved central to the political and economic integration of the European Union. France enjoys the greatest amount of tourism of any country in the world. Its reputation as being rude to visitors and ambivalent toward the United States, whether deserved or not, remains a hallmark of the experience of visiting France. Many historical, architectural, artistic, culinary, and performance exhibits give tourists many hours of enjoyment. Where Are they Located? The French Republic (France) is located in Western Europe and in several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine River to the Atlantic Ocean. France is bordered (clockwise from the north) by Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Monaco, Andorra, and Spain. France's overseas territories and areas of influence share land borders with Brazil, Suriname, and the Netherlands Antilles. France is linked to the United Kingdom by the Channel Tunnel that passes underneath the English Channel. Metropolitan France is situated between the 41st and 51st degree of north latitude on the western edge of Europe and lies within the Northern Temperate Zone. The north and northwest have a temperate climate while a combination of maritime influences and altitude produce a varied climate in the rest of Metropolitan France. In the southeast, a Mediterranean climate prevails. In the west, the climate is predominantly oceanic with a high level of rainfall, mild winters, and cool to warm summers. Inland, the climate becomes more continental with hot, stormy summers, colder winters and less rain. The climate of the Alps region is mainly alpine, with more than 150 of days per year with temperatures below freezing snow cover lasting for up to six months. What Are Their Lives Like? France functions like most of the developed countries of the world. The larger cities are more metropolitan and offer the most modern conveniences while the rural areas are more sedate and modern conveniences are less plentiful. French people are known for possessing a bit of an attitude when it comes to receiving tourists and visitors. A visitor who attempts to converse in the French language may find a more enjoyable exchange with the locals. France uses the metric system for weights, measures, and volumes. It uses a 24-hour time clock without the AM/PM designations used in the US. Dates are listed in numeric form in the order of day-month-year. The Euro is the currency used in France and most of Europe. France maintains an active military with air, ground, and naval forces at the ready. They also keep a sizable police force that is equipped to maintain the peace within their cities. France relies heavily upon nuclear reactors to produce its electricity. They utilize public transportation as much as possible and many citizens do not own cars. The French government and the private sector combine in some cases to promote manufacturing and agricultural job opportunities; however, unemployment problems have plagued France for many years and disputes have arisen between labor unions, government policies, and private enterprises. France is the most popular tourist destination in the world. Many historical, architectural, artistic, culinary, and performance exhibits give tourists many hours of enjoyment. France features cities of high cultural interest, beaches and seaside resorts, ski resorts, and rural regions noted for their beauty and tranquility. Among the most popular tourist destinations in France are Paris, Lourdes, and several wine and agricultural regions. Attractions visited most often include the Eiffel Tower, Louvre Museum, Palace of Versailles, Musee d'Orsay, Arc de Triomphe, Centre Pompidou, Mont Saint-Michel, Chateau de Chambord, Sainte-Chapelle, and Puy de Dome. With an estimated population of 65.1 million people, France is the 19th most populous country in the world. Its largest cities are Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Lille, Toulouse, Nice, and Nantes. France's natural population growth accounts almost entirely for the natural population growth of the entire EU. France is an ethnically diverse nation with about six million North Africans. It is currently estimated that 40% of the French population descends from different waves of migrations. According to the French National Institute for Statistics and Economic Studies, it has an estimated 4.9 million foreign-born immigrants and 2 million of these have acquired French citizenship. France is the leading asylum destination in Western Europe with an estimated 50,000 applications in 2005. Professional sports are quite popular in France. Bicycle racing, tennis, golf, rugby, soccer, basketball, and downhill ski racing are among the most popular. What Are Their Beliefs? Approximately one-half of the French population consider themselves to be Roman Catholic and one-third consider themselves agnostic or atheist. Various smaller groups are listed with Muslim being the most notable at 6% of the population and growing. France is a secular nation with religious freedom granted to all recognized religions. Some very small groups exist that are not afforded the same level of rights due to being considered sects. What Are Their Needs? France, like most of Europe, is considered 'post-Christian' by many evangelical theologians. What many would consider as 'Bible believing' ministries may be hard to find in most cities. However, small groups of grass-roots missionaries and evangelical church planters may be found in some areas. Like most places around the world, France needs people who will preach, teach, and demonstrate Biblical Christianity in their everyday lives. Prayer Points * Pray for God to send laborers into this field of opportunity. * Pray that He will raise up and equip locals who will take the gospel to their neighbors and to adjoining countries in Europe. Profile Source: Wallace Revels General Info Population in Wallis and Futuna Islands Franco-Mauritian Mulatto, Metropolitan People ID Eurasian Peoples CEW21b fra Ethnologue Listing Speaking French Speaking French Resources Primary Language: French Online New Testament - African (FCBH) Online New Testament - Canadian (FCBH) Oral Bible stories in French Good Seed Evangelistic Materials Jesus film: view in French My Last Day (Jesus Film Project Anime) Rivka (Jesus Film Project) The Hope Video: View in French Walk with Jesus (Africa, JFP) Open-licensed Bible stories on mobile app Bible Gateway Scripture Religion Subdivision: The Masters View / Howard Erickson Profile Source Wallace Revels Data Sources

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Home > Edinburgh Airport Car Rental Edinburgh Airport Car Rental Edinburgh Airport Car Rental You will want to have your kilt packed and ready to go when you at land at Edinburgh Airport. Just west of the historic capital of Scotland, the airport has long brought travellers and locals to the city that has inspired poets, artists and philosophers. Serving as the main airport for eastern Scotland, many visitors arrive to Edinburgh Airport and take off for the surrounding countryside. The airport is serviced by a number of car rental companies to make these journeys possible. Once you book, a number of rental companies offer options to customize your vehicle with anything from a baby seat to an additional driver. Car Hire in Edinburgh Airport The Edinburgh Airport car hire companies are located in the car rental centre just outside the terminal building. The centre is reached by way of a covered walkway from the main terminal. Travellers can follow the signs from domestic arrivals. Once you arrive to the car rental centre, all of the cars are in one place. You can pick up your vehicle and drop it off in the same location. Some of the major companies represented at the airport include Alamo, Europcar, National, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Hertz, Sixt, Dollar and Thrifty. You can pick up your wheels generally once you touch down. While it is possible to hire a vehicle right on the spot, advanced reservations are always best, especially during busy times of the year in Edinburgh such as New Year’s and throughout the summer months. When selecting the right vehicle for your trip, you can consult the websites of each car rental company to determine exactly what you want. Each website will provide photos of the rentals along with details on size, passenger and luggage restrictions. Even after you book your transportation, you can add on optional extras such as a satellite navigational system or child seats. Every car hire company varies on their policies for minimum age requirements at the Edinburgh Airport. Some won’t rent to drivers under 25 while others have a young driver rental fee for those 21 to 24 years of age. This additional fee is not included in the price of the rental. Each company also has a list of required documents in order to pick up the rental. Most require the driver to charge the rental on a major credit card in their name. Companies will then need to see a driver’s licence. Again, the different qualifications can vary from company to company. Some will want to see a licence that has been valid for at least two years. Others will require the driver to have an international driver’s licence. Once you have figured out which company offers you the rental that you want under the conditions that you are comfortable, you can get to know your new wheels for Edinburgh. Car hire company websites feature a wealth of information on the features of the vehicle along with any other extras you might want to add. Edinburgh Airport Guide Edinburgh Airport is situated 12 kilometres (8 miles) west of the historic capital city of Edinburgh. Owned and operated by GIP, Global Infrastructure Partners, the airport acts as Scotland’s capital airport and gateway to the southern portion of the country. Its official airport code is EDI. You can locate the airport by punching in the GPS coordinates to your navigational system or smartphone. Edinburgh Airport is located at 55°57′00″N 003°22′21″W. The airport is serviced by a number of different types of airlines to a wealth of destinations within the UK, Europe and on an international level. Scotland’s capital airport handles both international and domestic flights. Some of the most popular destinations for international travel include Amsterdam, Dublin, Paris, Frankfurt, New York and Alicante. The top domestic flights service Heathrow, Gatwick, Birmingham, Stansted, London City and Luton. In general, Edinburgh Airport sees the most popular routes to Spain and the most frequented long haul destinations to New York. The airline features both budget and mainstream air carriers with a wealth of flights from low cost carriers Ryanair and Easy Jet. Edinburgh Airport features one terminal and two runways. With over 40 airlines operating from the airport, it remains open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Check-in areas are located on the ground floor of the terminal with a section for gates 1 through 12 and gates 13 through 23. Travellers will find their check-in desk by searching for their flight number on the information screens located near the entrance of the terminal. Free baggage trolleys are available throughout key areas of the terminal building. Baggage claim is located on the ground floor of the terminal building as well. Passengers can follow signs to the arrival area of the terminal. From this point, they will see information screens directing them to the correct baggage carousel. Edinburgh Airport offers a wide range of amenities and services for travellers. Shops include designer apparel, duty free outlets and bookstores. The airport houses several cafes, takeaway establishments, bars and restaurants. ATMs are featured throughout the airport, both before and after security. Business travellers can use the Internet desks located in the airport or the Wi-Fi provided along with the business lounge for their comfort. Those traveling with disabilities with find accessible toilets, ramps, lifts and reserved seating. For questions about Edinburgh, the airport and beyond, travellers can consult the information desk located in the international arrivals area. Driving to Edinburgh Airport: Edinburgh Airport is reached by using the A8 Glasgow Road. It is close to both the M8 and M9 motorways. From Edinburgh:When approaching from Edinburgh, meet up with the A8 from the city bypass and follow signs for Glasgow. From the North or West:Meet up with the A8 at the Newbridge roundabout and follow signs for Edinburgh. Drivers should then follow signs for the airport. Company

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Paranormal Eye UK Ordsall Hall Ghost hunt by Paranormal Eye UK £42.27 Paranormal Eye UK Ordsall Hall Ghost hunt Sat, 4 Nov 2017, 21:00 – Sun, 5 Nov 2017, 02:00 GMT Sat, 4 Nov 2017, 21:00 – Sun, 5 Nov 2017, 02:00 GMT Salford M5 United Kingdom View Map Ghost hunts here at Ordsall Hall can be a truly terrifying experience. Known for the many sightings of a white lady nobody can say who this enigmatic figure in white is, but most say that she is the spirit of Lady Margaret Radclyffe, who died, broken hearted, in 1599 after the death of her beloved brother Alexander. Sir John Radclyffe is Said to inhabit the Star Chamber - this former Lord of the Manor is said to be very keen on the ladies! On previous investigations here many guests have reported being touched or pushed and some have reported what appears to be someone touching their face when nobody is present. The Attic is a place many refuse to go alone reports have been the feeling of being pushed over balcony, the feeling of being watched, sudden temperature drops and the sound of doors being opened. Are you brave enough to join the paranormal eye team here at Ordsall Hall ? Ordsall Hall is a historic house and a former stately home . It dates back more than 820 years, although the oldest surviving parts of the present hall were built in the 15th century. The most important period of Ordsall Hall's life was as the family seat of the Radclyffe family, who lived in the house for more than 300 years. Since its sale by the Radclyffes in 1662 the hall has been put to many uses; , a school for clergy, and a radio station among them. The house was bought by the old Salford Council in 1959 and opened to the public in 1972, as a period house and local history museum. The hall is a Grade I listed building. Paranormal Eye UK Ordsall Hall Ghost hunt at Salford, M5, United Kingdom

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10 S West Street, Indianapolis, IN 46204 Osteria Pronto Indianapolis Authentic Italian Restaurant in Downtown Indianapolis About the Cuisine OUR CHEFExecutive Chef Glen UrsoExecutive Chef Glen Urso started his career in a church kitchen in his home state of New York. Quickly realizing that his job at the church could become a career he attended the Culinary Institute of America, graduating in 1997 and landing a job at the Adams Mark Hotel (which is no longer in operation) in St. Louis. Throughout his career he’s worked in multiple restaurants in Indianapolis, which Condé Nast Traveler called one of the country’s most underrated food cities, in multiple types of cuisine from traditional Mexican to Italian. The allure of working in a hotel again, came to fruition for Chef Urso in 2011 when he learned that two restaurants would be built inside the under construction JW Marriott Indianapolis. He seized the opportunity and was hired at the Executive Chef at High Velocity. In 2015, Chef Urso decided to try his hand at Italian cuisine and made the move across the lobby of the JW Marriott Indianapolis at the Executive Chef for Osteria Pronto. During his tenure with the JW Marriott Indianapolis, Chef Urso has lead his team to many successes including the honor of being White Lodging’s F&B Team of the Year 3 years running and the 2016 Gold Platter Award from Meetings & Conventions Magazine. “Being a part of the biggest and one of the best hotels in Indianapolis is an honor” says Chef Urso. I take pride in providing the fresh, locally sourced ingredients to create our authentic Italian cuisine”. Chef Urso works hard to maintain local partnerships for the best ingredients around. “Our gnocchi is hand rolled daily in house and our pasta is made special for us by Padini Pasta here in Indianapolis. We also partner with Chef’s Garden to help source fresh herbs and vegetables.” On his days off you can find Chef Urso spending time with his 10 year old son and 1 year old daughter and cheering on his New York Mets! Monday – Friday: 6:30am – 11:00am, Friday & Saturday: 7:00am – 1:00pm Monday – Friday: 11:00am – 2:00pm Sunday – Thursday: 5:00pm – 10:00pm, Friday & Saturday 5:00pm – 11:00pm 10 S West StreetIndianapolis, IN 46204 Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTubeContact Us © 2016 Osteria Pronto Indianapolis. All Rights Reserved.

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Reykjavik overview Iceland: The land of Fire & Ice by BEV123SKI Reykavik Town Centre Thingvellir where the American and the Euro-Asian tectonic plates meet Gulfoss Gulfoss Geysir Geysir Geysir errupting Skögafoss Waterfall Sólheimajökull Vik volcanic beaches and landscape Vik volcanic beaches and landscape Whale Watching Boat Trip Dramatic yet baron scenery all rolled into 1, with volcanoes, glaciers and powerful geysers erupting far into the sky, this is a destination not to be missed, this is Iceland! Iceland - There’s no doubt that it has some wonderful spectacles to be seen but overall it is totally barren, a bit like the moon on steroids. You arrive at a pleasant enough airport at Keflavík. It is 20 miles from the nearest town, the capital Reykjavík. Enroute is The Blue Lagoon. It’s one of two places in Iceland where you have to pay to get in, it’s £30. Hot underground geysers result in a beautiful and very large hot outdoor swimming pool surrounded by spectacular volcanic rocks. The facilities are very good and you get a very warm dressing gown which you need when walking from the ‘clubhouse’ to the outdoor pool which can be minus 20°Celsius on a cold day! It’s a weird and spectacular experience. Moving onto Reykjavík, earthquakes have taken their toll on the older buildings and they have of necessity been replaced by concrete quake-proof slabs. There is an enormous church, Hallgrimskirkja, with a huge spire, the highest point in town, with a lift to the top which provides wonderful panoramic views of the town and by the harbour there is a spectacular brand new opera house. One of the highlights is a small, colourful shack down by the harbour which sells hot dogs. Bill Clinton and Madonna have both been there. It has no seats except a bench in the car park next door. It’s called Bæjarins beztu pylsur (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈpaːijarɪns ˈpɛstʏ ˈpʰɪlsʏr̥], or The Best Hot Dog in Town. The British Guardian newspaper described it as the best hot dog in Europe. If you visit Iceland, do not be put off by first impressions. We stayed in the Fosshotel Baron, a concrete slab in an unprepossessing neighbourhood but within a short walk to the main shopping centre, most restaurants and the harbour. There’s also a 24-hour supermarket next door. Our room was simple but with comfortable beds and an excellent heating system. The service at Reception was superb, the dining room cosy and breakfast was excellent. Our first full day there we went on The Golden Circle. It is a must and one of those things you should do before you die. We went clockwise which means starting in America and ending up in Europe. The highlight of the tour is þinvellir [Thingvellir] which is where the American and the Euro-Asian tectonic plates meet. The two continents are moving apart by about two inches a year and it is the same fault line that caused the devastation of San Francisco. So we stood on this dramatically rocky cliff and looked across the valley at Europe. Huge chunks of land had fallen down crevasses. There is a flagpole marking the place where the Alþingi, Iceland’s first parliament, was founded in the year A.D.930. Beyond is a beautiful house which is the Prime Minister’s summer residence. By the way, the Prime Minister is in the ‘phone book’ so anyone can ring her at any time. Gullfoss is the waterfall to end all waterfalls. Imagine the Victoria Falls. Well Victoria and Gullfoss are very similar, but Gullfoss starts at ground level and plunges into the earth. You can see it, all the way down. I’ve never seen anything like it and ‘spectacular’ hardly does it justice. Even the photographs can’t even start to give you an impression of the grandeur of such a spectacle. There’s a fascinating walk around the top of the falls which lets you see them from all angles. Astonishingly, all over Iceland there are areas where boiling hot water erupts into the air as much as 100 feet. Perhaps the most interesting is Geysir, from which the whole world gets the name and uses it in just about every language. You walk along a path and a nearby pool starts to form. It then starts to bubble for five to ten minutes. Then suddenly, without warning, the pool rises like the top of a huge mushroom then, Kapow! The jet of superheated steam flies into the sky. If you are lucky you’ll get a big one at over 200 feet but most are about 100 feet. That evening we went to a restaurant where the food was something to die for Laekjarbrekka. In fact, nearly every one of Reykjavík’s many restaurants would probably get two Michelin stars. The following day saw us go to the south of the island. There was the waterfall at Skögafoss. A huge vertical drop of about 1,000feet. So what? There’s plenty like that in Austria and Switzerland. But this one’s different. You can walk underneath it near the bottom. It was thrilling and frightening at the same time. The path isn’t easy with huge rocks to climb over, but with a little patience even a novice can manage it. Also worth a detour is the rough track to the Sólheimajökull glacier outlet. It may be a track across black volcanic ash but coaches manage to make it to the car park so it presents little in the way of problems. Heading further east the landscape becomes an astonishing black volcanic wilderness which indicates the proximity of Eyjafjallajökull. In 2010 it erupted violently and brought all the aircraft to a halt for six says. We then went on to the town of Vik for our lamb stew. This is an Icelandic tradition. Most cafe/restaurants serve a very chunky lamb stew at lunchtime. Normally you buy it at the counter. We then went to a dramatic piece of coast. All black. In fact you pass through many miles where the ground is black from horizon to horizon. Pure volcanic ash which creates the most gorgeous beaches with gargantuan volcanic outcrops in all manner of huge sculptured formations as well as miles of smooth black sand. Then back home to Reykavik for dinner at ‘The Fish Market’. We had a nine course sharing meal with an emphasis on fish. Delicious! On our last morning we caught a boat out into the wilds of the Atlantic. We saw Minke and humpback whales. It really is worth a short visit. It is one of the most overlooked places on the tourist map. As I found out, it is no use to people who want sunshine and beaches, but for a place that is totally mind blowing, it take a lot of beating. Activity Short Break Adventure Budget: Mid-range Tags: hiking shopping biking scenic drives and walks lively nightlife Destinations: Reykjavik (Iceland, Europe) BEV123SKI

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TN Roadtrip, Day 2 (13 Aug, 2008) The Rivanna Trail Fast Friday Bedtime FAIL Experimental Get Together I came into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park from the North, coming in off route 40 headed towards Knoxville, TN. After getting off 40, I drove through Sevierville (where my hotel was) and Pidgeon Forge, and just bypassed Gatlinburg which is on the edge of the park. I was shocked by how much Sevierville/Pidgeon Forge (there isn't much of a gap between them) put me off. Along the main stretch of road, there are an incredible number of hotels, chain restaurants, flashing lights and neon signs. There were many 'Dinner and a Show' places, raceways and go carting, a little bungee jump place, indoor skydiving (wind tunnel), arcades, a 'Movie Rider', skate park, 'Jurassic Jungle Boat Ride', and probably many more strange things. I have no idea what the area is built up like this. Dollywood is nearby, I don't know if that's what started it or not. I expected to be vaguely in the middle of nowhere when I got near the park, but instead felt like I was at a circus or something. Only two of the attraction sorts of things were things I wasn't sad to see. The first was cheap helicopter rides. I don't know what it gets you, but all the places had signs that said \$10. The second was pancake houses. There are a half dozen 'Flapjacks' alone (it's 20 miles or so from route 40 to the park - the traffic lights have mile marker indications, which I liked), and many others going by other names. I did eat at a Flapjacks, but wasn't entirely impressed, least of all by their pancakes. I also ate at a 'Buddy's BBQ', which I was pleased to find.Anyway, I got to the park, and stopped at the Sugarlands Visitors Center, which is basically the first thing you run into when you get to the park. The park doesn't charge admission, so there were lots of donation boxes around. Some of them were associated with buying maps, and I ended up getting a 'Starter Pack' with many maps and guides for only \$5. Seemed like the best deal. Also at the visitor's center (and various other parking areas) there was a First Amendment Expression Area, which I was humored by.From the visitor's center I headed down Newfound Gap Road on my way to Clingman's Dome. This is at the highest peak in the park, and therefore 'On Top of Old Smoky'. The road to Clingman's Dome ends at a parking lot, and then it's a paved walkway the remaining half mile to the top of the mountain. It's a somewhat steep walkway, and pretty busy.But that's to be expected, being the highest peak. At the top is an observation deck, with a looping ramp up.I wasn't expecting that, but it puts you above the trees so you can see all the way out.Once I was back in my car, driving back down from the dome, I saw my first bear of the trip. It was right along the side of the road, happily just poking it's nose around in the grass, presumably eating something. It seemed not to care at all about the cars and spectators it was attracting. After a few minutes, I wanted to keep moving, so I drove by it, and snapped a picture out my window:Now mid-afternoon, I headed to my hotel for check-in. The main thing that kicked off this road trip was a Nine Inch Nails concert in Knoxville, which was this evening. On my way in, I'd seen signs that there was some construction on the roads in Knoxville right where I wanted to be, so I wanted to get in early, in case I needed to find my way around. It turned out to not be any problem at all, so I had plenty of time to try to find somewhere to eat. I didn't find much near the convention center, where the concert was, besides 'Market Square' which had a few places, only one of which (that I noticed) was a national chain place (a Subway). I ate at Trio's, which I'd happily go back to.The concert was, of course, awesome. NIN always put on quite a show. If they release a dvd for this tour (as they have for 2 previous tours), I'll be delighted to get it. They do lots of fun video things, and had an awesome setup. Best of all, they played for nearly 2 hours. With a music library stretching back 20 years, they had no problem filling the time, and drew from all of their albums. The opening act was a band called 'Deerhunter', who, apparently, were from Pidgeon Forge. When the tour was announced, a little 'sampler' was released (still available, at that link), with a song from each of the various opening bands that would be joining NIN along the way. Sadly, Deerhunter was perhaps my least favorite of the three. At the concert, their music was decent enough, but they didn't put on much of a show. The lead singer (a guy) came out dressed as a cheerleader, skirt and all, and couldn't have weighed more than... his guitar probably. It was incredible, and kinda disturbing. They didn't seem to get much respect or adoration from the crowd. All the same, I had a great time. I've not been to many concerts, and the experience in the mosh pit was something few for me. I've now been crowd-surfed over, which is an indication that I was pretty close to the front, I reckon.

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Puerto Baquerizo Moreno Travelers to the Galapagos can stroll around the town of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, pass by the statue of Darwin, go into a local cafe for a cool drink, and check out the small museum and the shops there.Your guide might arrange for the group to take a bus to the highlands. Now that San Cristobal has an airport and a number of tours start and end there, the town is undergoing some rapid enhancement in its tourist-related facilities. Puerto Baquerizo Moreno also is the jumping-off point several small excursions to nearby islands. Isla Colon offers a dry landing, sea lions, and frigate birds. And Kicker Rock and Isla Lobos are impressive sites, often visited on the last afternoon before the departure from the airport at the village. Kicker Rock is a boat-based tour around these dramatic monoliths jutting out of the water. Isla Lobos is a brief land visit. The Interpretation Center on San Cristobal, Galapagos This center is a spectacular addition to the islands. It was inaugurated in August 1998. Its supporters included the Spanish government and the government of Ecuador. The center is on the edge of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, and it is reached by a short bus ride, arranged for you by your Galapagos travel guide. The center is wonderfully designed to tell the natural and human history of the islands and to serve as an active educational resource for visitors, island schoolchildren, and other residents. It is a beautiful, light, airy building, made of the local stone and wood to blend into the slightly hilly landscape on which it is located. You move easily from room to room, from era to era of archipelago history. The displays are stunning, with luminous portrayals of the geological evolution of the islands and colorful displays of land and marine life. The human history is told through a combination of paintings, old photographs, and three-dimensional re-creations of early life on the islands. The horrendous story of the penal colony that existed for more than 150 years, until it was closed in 1954 when the appalling conditions there became known internationally, is riveting and dismaying at the same time. The intriguing story of some of the twentieth century’s distinctive immigrants from Europe, with broken dreams, divided loyalties, and suspected murders, is equally well told. For a little break from the learning, take a few minutes to walk and travel outside the building along the boardwalks that extend from it into the surrounding thickets of Palo Santo and other dry, lowland vegetation. The wind sweeps up the hillside from the harbor, and you will have excellent views of the water a kilometers or so away.

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Universal Studios Florida Islands of Adventure Universal Studios Universal Studios, Orlando Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida is one of the major tourist attractions. The Universal Studios takes guests beyond the screen and into the world of television and film. With tons of attractions the visitors here will certainly have a blast. This place offers a variety of exciting special events throughout the year, and one can enjoy the entertaining shows that take you behind the scenes of the movie-making process to state-of-the-art rides that make you part of the action. Universal Studios Florida is made up of three areas; Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure and CityWalk. Universal Studios Florida Theme Park Opened on June 7, 1990, the Universal Studios Florida property was expanded again in the year 1999 with the addition of Universal Islands of Adventure theme park, Universal CityWalk, on-site hotels and a parking structure. Universal Studios Florida is basically a Movie Theme Park which offers visitors a lifetime opportunity to go beyond the screen and ride the movies. At this real working film and TV studio, an incredible array of rides, shows, movie sets and attractions put you right in your favorite scenes from your favorite movies.One can enjoy popular shows and events like the Fear Factor Live, Men in Black Alien Attack, Back to the Future the Ride and Twister Ride It Out. Other movie-themed wild rides include Jaws, Beetle Juices Rock & Roll Graveyard Review, Terminator 2, the ET Adventure, and Shrek 4-D. Universal's Islands of Adventure Theme Park Known as the most hi-tech theme park of the world the Universal's Islands of Adventure Theme Park is amongst the newest additions at Universal Studios. Popular with all ages the Islands of Adventure is almost like five theme parks in one; it is made up of five entirely different themed islands, where you “live” the adventure. At the Islands of Adventure theme park one can defy gravity, battle comic book heroes, ride the white water rapids, experience the world’s first inverted, dual roller coaster and enjoy Marvel Superhero Island to Toon Lagoon. Located near the intersection of I-4 and Florida's Turnpike in Orlando, the park holds rides for young and old and something for just about everyone to enjoy.

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Piloting Growth in NW Fla. Charlotte Crane | 5/1/2010 Set to open late this month, the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport is already showing promise as the economic catalyst that business leaders want for the region. "We're out in the market now talking to real estate and corporate executives." — Kevin Johnson, St. Joe vice president for economic development Janet Watermeier, executive director of the Bay County Economic Development Alliance, says one company, Coast WET of California, has already moved its headquarters to the area; two others are considering airport locations. "We're out in the market now talking to real estate and corporate executives," says Kevin Johnson, St. Joe vice president for economic development. St. Joe itself is moving its headquarters to a site adjacent to the airport, relocating from its 75-year home in Jacksonville. The new headquarters, scheduled for completion by summer 2011, will also consolidate offices from Tallahassee, Port St. Joe and south Walton County. Business leaders predict the airport eventually will form the nucleus of an entire new central business district. The facility also will help capture tourists from far outside the southeast market and lead to a surge in industrial development, they say. "It will be an airport city," says airport director Randy Curtis. The airport, Florida's newest, encompasses 1,300 acres and a 130,000-sq.-ft. terminal, both twice the dimensions of the airport it replaces, and with room to grow. Service will include first-time daily non-stop flights to Houston, Nashville, Baltimore and Orlando by prized new connector Southwest Airlines. "This will allow us to reach audiences that can come and experience Panama City Beach for the first time," says Bay County Tourist Development Council executive director Dan Rowe. Bay County and the Beaches of South Walton Tourist Development Council together have pledged more than $3 million per year from a fifth penny on bed taxes for use in joint marketing with low-fare airlines, 90% dedicated to Southwest. The airport's West Bay site is part of 75,000 untapped acres owned by St. Joe Co., of which 40,000 acres are designated for preservation and more than 33,000 programmed for development; 1,000 acres are targeted to be occupant-ready within two years. Runway proximity gives the site appeal for aerospace, transportation and logistics industries. Altogether, says Johnson, "I don't think there's another asset in our region remotely close to what we have." Plans call for the airport to eventually form the nucleus of a new central business district. Northwest Also on FloridaTrend.com Florida's Best Companies to Work For

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Shanghai: The Sky’s The Limit Christopher Hawthorne – The Los Angeles Times After just two trips to Shanghai, I’ve already developed a first-day routine that I’m sure I’ll stick to on future visits: As soon as I drop my bags at the hotel, I head directly for one of the rooftop bars and restaurants lining the Bund, the city’s famous riverfront boulevard and the best place from which to assess Shanghai’s sometimes daring, sometimes schizophrenic attempts to balance Chinese urbanism and outside influence. One particularly good spot is the broad terrace of the New Heights restaurant, atop a former bank at the southern end of the Bund. Stretching north from there in a gentle crescent are the lavish neoclassical buildings that suggest Shanghai’s reign in the 1920s and ’30s as one of the most cosmopolitan and hedonistic cities in the world. Across the broad Huangpu River and its floating traffic, meanwhile, loom the glittering, soaring skyscrapers of Pudong, site of Shanghai’s spectacular growth in the last decade. So many new towers have been built in Pudong that the land itself, covered as recently as 15 years ago mostly by farms, has begun to sink a couple of inches a year beneath the collective architectural weight. There is no view in the world quite like it. The skylines of Hong Kong and Rio may be perched on the edge of more dramatic natural locations. European capitals may have deeper collections of architectural masterpieces. But only in Shanghai can you see unfettered 21st century ambition facing off as dramatically against the early 20th century version. It’s like getting to watch Stanford White debate Rem Koolhaas. In China. With a drink in your hand. If you’re thinking there is nothing essentially Chinese about that view, you’re right. But as I was reminded last month when I returned for a weeklong architectural pilgrimage, Shanghai’s great appeal has always been its energetic mixing of cultures, with plenty of Occident to go with the Orient. Centuries after Beijing and the other cultural capitals in China had been fully developed, Shanghai was still a sleepy fishing village on the country’s southern coast. It had a natural port and an advantageous location near the South China Sea, but it wasn’t until the arrival of large numbers of British soldiers and traders in the 1830s and 1840s — followed by the French and later the Japanese — that the city began to expand beyond its modest, walled center and take its current shape. Those foreign powers divided part of the city into districts, or “concessions,” that retain distinct personalities. The French concession, for example, west of the old walled city, features tranquil avenues lined with leafy plane trees and antiques shops and terminating in carefully laid-out parks. The foreign occupation was painful and exploitative for the locals, to be sure. But architecturally, the influx of foreign residents — and capital — led to some of the earliest and most successful examples of international design anywhere in the world. A good example is the dense fabric of apartment blocks, known as lilong, that blanketed the city in the first decades of the 20th century. These buildings used as a template the low-slung apartment blocks connected by narrow alleyways that were common throughout China. But they also showed signs of European influence. The result was a housing type unique to Shanghai: low-rise apartment buildings that looked Western on the outside but inside faced shared courtyards and allowed several generations to live together (or at least adjacent to one another). Walking through one of those apartment blocks hidden behind the shops and office buildings on Huai Hai Road, I saw not just clothes but a side of beef hanging to dry from buildings with Tudor-style ornament. Indeed, although the most important buildings in Shanghai, new and old, have a Western look — and generally were designed by Western architects — their personalities are inevitably transformed by having been built, and occupied, here. The Bund, for example, tells a distinctly Shanghainese story, even if the pageant is played out in Western costume: how its grand buildings were commissioned by colonists and built by locals, who were then banned from their interiors; how they fell into disrepair after the Communists came to power in 1949; and how they’ve been rehabilitated since China was reopened to foreign investment in the 1980s. As the skyscrapers crowding Pudong attest, Shanghai is in the middle of one of the biggest building booms in history. Even the statistics on that growth are staggering. In the last two decades, more than 5,000 buildings 15 stories or taller have gone up in the city. For much of the 1990s, by one estimate, three-quarters of all the construction cranes in the world were operating in China, and more than a quarter of the global total was in Shanghai alone. It is a boom marked by superlatives: the tallest building in the world (the World Financial Center, now under construction in Pudong, which ,its architect, Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates, claims will pass Petronas Towers in Kuala Limpur for the honor). The fastest train (a maglev connection to the new Pudong International Airport, about a 40-minute drive from downtown, that hits 267 mph and is a kind of test run for a future high-speed Beijing-Shanghai rail link). The highest hotel (the Grand Hyatt, floors 53 through 87 of Pudong’s Jin Mao Tower). That growth, which has pushed Shanghai’s population to about 16 million and sent its perimeter sprawling ever outward, has created a city that pulses with energy, optimism and ambition — and has made it a destination for design aficionados around the world. Pudong’s potential There is no better place to gawk at that ambition than the wide avenues of Pudong, where — like Houston in the 1980s — there seems to be a gigantic, gleaming new building rising every week. For a while, these were strictly office towers and hotels, but Shanghai leaders have lately been thinking of Pudong as a cultural magnet too. The new Oriental Arts Center, an orchid-shaped collection of concert halls by the French architect Paul Andreu — who also designed Pudong airport and an opera house under construction in Beijing — is the loudest announcement yet of that evolving sense of Pudong’s potential. Oversized and under-detailed, it sits next to a science museum along a gargantuan traffic circle mostly empty of traffic. Back across the river, in the traditional city center, Shanghai’s renaissance has come at the expense of its older architectural fabric. Every block, I seemed to pass at least one demolition site, where construction workers climbed over huge piles of crushed concrete and twisted rebar. The most prominent victims have been the lilong apartments, many of which have been knocked down to make way for elevated highways, office towers and hotels, their residents exiled to high-rise apartments on the outskirts. A critic would have to be in a charitable mood to find anything good to say about many of the buildings that have gone up in their place, with their pink stucco and mirrored glass. In many cases, the result is hollow, expedient kitsch, suggesting the kind of respect for architectural history more typical of Las Vegas than old Europe. But amid the neon and the construction dust are exceptional architectural jewels from several eras, including our own. Only a city as open to freewheeling architecture as Shanghai, for example, could have produced the 88-story Jin Mao Tower, designed by the American firm of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and completed in 1999. Elsewhere in the world, the firm’s architects have been following current Modernist-revival fashion and stripping their skyscrapers entirely of historical ornament, producing spare — and sometimes dull — boxes in glass and steel. But in Shanghai, they knew their clients would prefer, even insist on, some Chinese elements, so they covered Jin Mao’s tapering tower with narrow horizontal bands of metallic ornament that suggest the upturned roofs of pagoda architecture. Perhaps because it wasn’t constrained by the current architectural convention ruling America and Europe, the building, sleek and richly detailed at the same time, is one of the best skyscrapers built anywhere in the last decade. It is good enough, in fact, to make me reexamine my own preference for the purity of Modernist towers. At this scale, there is something to be said for the visual rhythm that restrained, well-executed ornament can provide. Much of Shanghai’s older architecture is first-rate. In what used to be the walled city center, the 400-year-old Yu Yuan Gardens offer a respite from the bustle of the city (if not from its tour guides), with meandering paths and open-air pavilions with intricate wooden and stone detailing. So does the Huxinting Teahouse, a charming building with a steep pagoda-style roof that sits in the middle of a pond just outside the garden gates. In both places, you can get a sense of what Shanghai must have looked like before the Japanese, English and French arrived, although a nearby Starbucks now gives the teahouse some competition. In the old French concession just a short walk west of Yu Yuan, dozens of villas are tucked away behind high gates. Many were carved up over the years into multifamily dwellings, but a few remain in good shape, including the ornate Moller Villa, completed in 1936 and now a sleepy hotel that opens onto a broad lawn. (When the weather is good, the cafe is worth a visit.) The villa’s history is typical of Shanghai’s older landmarks: After 1949, it was commandeered to be the headquarters of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Chinese Communist Youth League, then converted into a hotel in 2001. Another highlight is a gorgeous three-story residence designed by the German firm of Becker and Baedeker that is now part of the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, whose grounds are usually open during the day. The real discovery for me on my most recent trip was the work of Ladislaus Hudec, a multitalented architect who studied in Budapest, Hungary, before coming to Shanghai in 1918. Perhaps 10 of his buildings remain, most notably the Park Hotel, a brooding design that mixes Gothic and Art Deco elements and overlooks the open spaces of People’s Square, once a racetrack but now home to the Shanghai Museum and the Shanghai Grand Theater. The 22-story Park was the tallest building in Asia when it opened in 1934 and remained Shanghai’s highest into the ’80s. Another Hudec design worth seeking out is a streamlined Corbusian-style villa on Tongren Road that was built for a wealthy entrepreneur. It could use a renovation, but the fact that a nightclub (Mint) and a restaurant (Mandarin Sky) have recently opened inside means tourists can see the interior for the first time in its history. I had what struck me as a quintessentially Shanghai experience (at least for an architecture critic) one evening at Mint, leaning over the DJ booth to check out a bit of applied ornament, which looked to be original, on one of the pink-painted walls. In other parts of the city, thankfully, a fledgling preservation movement has begun to take root. Mostly, the renovation of attractive old buildings has been undertaken by foreign investors and architects; that was the case with two of the glitziest addresses on the riverfront. At Three on the Bund, Michael Graves’ restoration cost $50 million and has provided space for an Armani store, the city’s most upscale contemporary art gallery and a restaurant run by French chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Up the street at No. 18, a building designed in the early 1920s by the British firm of Palmer and Turner for the Chartered Bank of India was renovated recently, partly by Italian craftsmen flown here to clean the details on its ornate facade, behind which are pricey restaurants and a Cartier store. To house a popular nouvelle-Japanese restaurant called Shintori, an old warehouse, hidden away under an elevated highway, was turned into a stunning two-story atrium. The China Daily described the interior as “Zen modernist,” but on the night I visited it was too packed with young locals to feel very calm. In a few recent cases, government officials have begun to show an encouraging interest in preservation, if only because they realize that a main part of Shanghai’s appeal for foreigners — investors and tourists alike — is its diverse historical architecture. The best-known example of this trend is, undoubtedly, the commercial development known as Xintiandi, between the heart of the French concession and the old walled city. The attractive gray-brick buildings on the site were slated for demolition but were saved because, as it happens, they were adjacent to the site of a 1921 meeting — which included a young Mao Tse-tung — of what became the Chinese Communist Party. When the government decided it wanted to turn the spot of that meeting into a museum, it made sense to preserve some of the neighboring buildings as well, to provide some architectural context. The American firm of Wood & Zapata, working with Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, was hired to convert about two square blocks of buildings into upscale shops and restaurants. The project involved more reconstruction than you might guess, which makes it less a pure case of preservation than some of its champions (mostly editors and writers at American and European design magazines) have suggested. But it is frequently packed with wealthy locals and foreigners, and that success has opened the eyes of developers and public officials to the financial possibilities of restoring older buildings. “Clients ask me all the time, talking about retail projects, ‘Can you Xintiandi it?’ ” said Christopher Choa, an American-born architect who works in Shanghai for the multinational firm HLW. “It’s become a verb,” he said with a laugh. A fitting ending On my last night in town, after a dinner at Shintori, two friends took me to see what surely qualifies as the most inventive restoration project in the city. This is a private club called the Yong Foo Elite, tucked away on a pretty street in the French concession. The club fills an entire compound, really, centered on a 1930s villa that once held the British Consulate. The interior has been impeccably restored, its cracked, dark-stained wood now gleaming and the central garden beautifully landscaped. But what makes it pitch perfect is the effortless way it mixes elements of Western and Eastern design: Chinese lanterns, for example, hanging from a magnolia tree and illuminating the neoclassical details of the villa’s facade. If it makes sense to begin a visit to Shanghai at a rooftop bar along the Bund, it seemed nearly perfect to end one at the Yong Foo Elite. Where luxurious colonial privilege was once enforced, that luxury has now been put — with aplomb but also unabashed, almost startling confidence — in the service of making money. Lots of it. http://www.latimes.com/travel/la-tr-nushanghai27feb27,0,1775214.story?coll=la-home-headlines Author howardPosted on February 26, 2005Categories Snippets Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment Name * Email * Website Post navigation Previous Previous post: “Continent” Wins 2005 American Library Association Black Caucus Award for Best NonFiction Work of 2005Next Next post: Treat China with Respect

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CanadaTravel Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia: A relatively unspolied Canadian oasis By ALISON GREGOR. Special to Newsday Reprints Visitors hike the Skyline Trail in Cape Breton Highlands National Park, a wilderness plateau etched with deep river valleys that is home to moose, black bears and other wild animals. Photo Credit: Handout advertisement | advertise on newsday The steamy summer months in New York make cooler, more remote parts of the globe attractive, and some of them aren't all that far away. Take Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. Through some friends, we stumbled upon a quaint rental cottage there, and spent two weeks exploring the more isolated half of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia. After a two-hour flight to Nova Scotia's largest city, Halifax, we rented a car for a 3½-hour drive to Cape Breton, a craggy, weathered, secluded island that might well be called the Hebrides of North America. We kept ourselves amused by stopping halfway at a McDonald's and ordering McLobsters (lobster rolls). No myth, Atlantis Resort stuns in Bahamas Plane rules for booting passengers Museum of the American Revolution opens Family cave-exploring adventures A tour of Stephen King's Maine They were the first of many on a trip that left us with fond memories of this otherworldly island, which remained cut off from the North American mainland until 1955, when a causeway opened with a bagpiper parade. Early immigrants to Cape Breton from the Scottish Highlands left their mark on the fishing villages of the island's Atlantic side, where signs are in Gaelic and kilts abound, while settlers from France populated towns on the Gulf of St. Lawrence side, where French is spoken widely and Acadian food is served. The vestiges of those two old-world cultures, combined with heart-stopping scenery, make for a vacation that feels far from North America -- but isn't. A cliffside drive For dramatic vistas, from sheer granite cliffs tumbling down to boulder piles and a sea of cobalt blue (that can quickly be whipped into a black froth by inclement weather), a drive along the Cabot Trail (cabottrail.com) is the first and foremost reason to visit. The 185-mile twisting highway inscribes a loop around the northern half of Cape Breton. Hugging oceanside crags, the Cabot Trail also provides access to Cape Breton Highlands National Park of Canada, a wilderness plateau etched with deep river valleys that is home to moose, black bears and other wild animals. Our cottage in Goose Cove, near the tourist town of Baddeck, was well located on the Cabot Trail. ART HOP Besides the stunning vistas, the Cabot Trail is known for its artisans. Grabbing an Artisan Trail Map put out by the Cape Breton Centre for Craft and Design (capebretoncraft.com), we began our slow circuit and discovered leatherworkers, glassblowers, hatmakers, potters, basketweavers, woodworkers, photographers and painters, among others. The Acadian side of the trail is especially well known for the fine rug-hooking done by craftspeople there. TAKE A DIP Many Cape Breton beaches are rock-strewn, but there are a few sandy exceptions. We found ourselves on a long strip of sand just south of the well-known Keltic Lodge Resort and Spa (kelticlodge.ca) in Ingonish Beach. While the water was bracing (average temperatures range from 48 degrees in June up to 64 degrees in August), the lively surf made for a few exhilarating minutes of splashing around. TEE OFF If you have any game at all, Cape Breton's golf courses are worth a visit, particularly the upscale Cabot Links (cabotlinks.com), which opened last year in Inverness and is a true links golf course. Cape Breton has struggled economically for decades in geographic isolation, and many residents are hoping that golf may help cultivate high-end tourism. The haunting coastal course, winding through grassy swales and wetlands just a long putt from the sea, may warrant the trip for golf fanatics. HIT THE TRACK Inverness also has a track with harness racing and betting (Inverness Raceway, 112 Forest St., 902-258-3315), a fun way to while away an overcast day. Nearby is the Red Shoe Pub (redshoepub.com), a former general store that's owned by members of the Rankin Family. (The Rankins are among Cape Breton's internationally known musicians.) Traditional music abounds at the Red Shoe, which publishes its schedule online. Gaelic culture You may be lucky enough to hear some Gaelic spoken on Cape Breton, but it's more likely you'll hear the strains of Cape Breton's distinctive fiddle music. Kitchen parties or dances, called ceilidhs (pronounced KAY-lees) in Gaelic, are gatherings where local musicians play the traditional tunes to singing and dancing. Music is the lifeblood of Cape Breton Island, keeping its Scottish culture alive with lively jigs, vigorous reels and melodic waltzes. A native Cape Bretoner suggested checking local papers to find listings for ceilidhs. Today, they are more formalized and held in halls, such as the annual summer Broad Cove Scottish Concert (broadcoveconcert.ca), but traditionally they were more impromptu. We enjoyed a ceilidh at the Gaelic College of Celtic Arts and Crafts (gaeliccollege.edu), the only college of its kind in North America. The college educates to preserve Gaelic culture and has a small group of exhibits on Cape Breton's Scottish immigrants. We also observed the 10-minute process of a man being bound up in a true kilt and participated in a "milling frolic," a tradition that involves singing in Gaelic as people sit around a long table and rhythmically pound newly woven wool cloth. Acadian dining While much of Cape Breton is Scottish-influenced, the island also has a distinctive Acadian culture. Along with shopping for hooked rugs, whale-watching tours are the most prominent tourist activity in the Francophone region, which spans from the Margaree River north to the village of Chéticamp. On our tour with Seaside Whale & Nature Cruises (loveboatwhalecruises.com), we not only saw fin, pilot, humpback and minke whales very close up, but also harbor porpoises and seals. Afterward, we visited the Restaurant Acadian (cheticamphookedrugs.com), where servers wear traditional Acadian dress, and the fare includes such Acadian favorites as chicken fricot (a soup of diced chicken and potatoes). The restaurant is part of a Coopérative Artisanale, which includes a small Acadian museum and gift shop. Although it's over an hour to the southern portion of Cape Breton, a visit to the Fortress of Louisbourg National Historic Site, formerly France's largest military outpost in the New World, is well worth it for another taste of the island's French heritage. Staff in Colonial garb will greet you as you wander through this restored 18th century fortified town. Dine on beef stewand meat pie in the rustic style of off-duty Colonial soldiers in a period restaurant. This year, the Fortress has many special events planned for the 300th anniversary of the founding of Louisbourg on the Île-Royale, the French name for Cape Breton. CAPE BRETON ISLAND novascotia.com, cbisland.com GETTING THERE Cape Breton's most convenient airport is in Sydney, but flights from New York are not direct and tend to be pricier ($500-$600 round-trip). One option is to fly into Halifax, Nova Scotia, which has direct flights ($400-$500 round-trip), and rent a car for the three- to four-hour drive to Cape Breton. There also are bus and shuttle services between Halifax and various points on Cape Breton. TravelTravel photographs from around the world RENTING A HOME Many home rentals are found through word-of-mouth and local listservs, but Cape Breton homes also are listed on websites, such as Airbnb.com, Cyberrentals.com, Homeaway.com and Vrbo.com. The three-bedroom home this reporter rented is listed on Sabbaticalhomes.com. Rates typically run from $1,000 to $2,000 a week during the high season of July and August, though there are deals to be found, along with more expensive homes based on size and amenities. Sign up for Newsday's Travel newsletter Plan small day trips, big getaways and more. Sign up Family travel guide

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Exploration Of Girona Pisa And Naples Getting To Know Malaga Airport Comments Off on Pisa And Naples Pisa Travel Guide Pisa, known worldwide for its Leaning Tower, absolutely deserves more than the habitual day stop which traditionally occurs on tourist routes. The construction started about 1170s and took 200 years to complete. As the ground on which the Tower was built on was not firm, the tower tilted. As the centuries passed, the tilt became more and more. In order to save the tower, in 1988, the tower was closed to visitors and with the help of skilful engineers, the tower now leans about 6 degrees and was reopened in 2001. This freakishly beautiful building is only one part of Pisa‘s breathtaking Campo dei Miracoli, or Field of Miracles, where the Duomo, Baptistry and Camposanto complete a dazzling architectural ensemble, which belong to Pisa‘s “Golden Age”. The city has an ancient history which was at its most excellent period during the era of the Marine Republic. For the tourists, Pisa is considered as a treasure chest full of surprises; from the bright Lungarni quays walled by noble buildings, to the web of narrow, medieval alleys leading to the famous Piazza dei Miracoli. Home of Galileo Galilei, Pisa is today an important university city and offers a lively student lifestyle. Pisa is located in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for its Leaning Tower (the bell tower of the city’s cathedral), the city of over 87,500 residents contains more than 20 other historic churches, several palaces and various bridges across the River Arno. Naples Travel Guide Naples is located between the world’s most famous volcano and the deep blue sea, is beautiful and ugly in same measure. It can be an intimidating place, anarchic and occasionally law-abiding. The traffic is severe and the peace and the quiet is hard to find. But it’s an extraordinarily vivacious city, the food (especially pizza) is great, opera, classical music and jazz are ingrained in its culture and the treasure trove of sights hidden away here is at times overwhelming. The city, the volcanos and its surroundings are also geographically blessed, the ever-present giant of Vesuvius bears down on the city, with the fruitful hills of the Sorrento Peninsula plunging to the well-endowed Amalfi Coast on one side and the ornamental beads of Capri, Ischia and Procida out to sea on the other, you’re never far away from captivating scenery. Towns and villages cling to cliffs or cluster around harbours in true picture- postcard style and views are colourful and panoramically spectacular. And if it’s history you’re after, the once-buried wonders of Pompeii and Herculaneum to the east are only slightly more amazing than the ruined marvels of the Campi Flegrei to the west, while to the south, crumbling Paestum is the most majestic of them all. Naples has a lot of history to get over before it can feel properly at ease with itself. It possess a strong but also confused sense of civic pride and tradition: its dialect betrays its mixed parentage, particularly its Spanish and French influences. For hundreds of years it was tossed from one set of rulers to another, and still has a profound anti-establishment feeling, and a distrust of outsiders. Contrasted to other European cities, Naples is an ample, chaotic and sometimes “overbearing” city, but in all these things lies the city’s charm. It has its share of petty crime, and derelict areas that visually detract a tourist’s point of view. In spite of this, most of Naples‘ inhabitants know how to enjoy the joys of life. Naples has been compared to Marseilles and referred to as the “Bombay” of Europe. This reputation should not deter potential travellers from visiting Naples, as it is safer than most large American cities and the chaos has been steadily subsiding over the last few years.

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ADVERTISEMENT Kayaker travels from top to bottom of US, and back Article by: SAM COOK TWO HARBORS, Minn. — In the end, it was a race against the ice.For nearly 7,500 miles, Daniel Alvarez had paddled his kayak, and now he couldn't feel his hands and his feet. He labored up the western shore of Lake of the Woods, willing himself to go on, stopping to run on empty beaches to drive feeling back into his extremities.So close. Four days away, then three, then two.He was bound for the Northwest Angle, a disembodied lobe of Minnesota stuck on the flank of Manitoba. This is where he had begun 17 months ago, in June 2012.Already, before his kayaking began, the 32-year-old Yale Law School grad had hiked the 2,174-mile Appalachian Trail. He had through-hiked the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail and the 3,000-mile Continental Divide Trail.The guy knows how to get from Point A to Point B.This little kayak trip was supposed to have been another hike, top to bottom across the United States. But when Alvarez saw all the water along the way, he decided paddling was the way to go.So he paddled about 4,000 miles from the Northwest Angle to Key West, Fla., by way of the Mississippi River.But when he reached Key West on March 9 this year, he decided he wasn't through. He spent two days in Key West, turned around and headed back to the Northwest Angle.He would have enjoyed staying in Florida a few more days. He grew up in Tallahassee. His parents live there."But I didn't have time," he said. "I knew there was a small window."He had to beat the ice to Lake of the Woods, some 3,500 miles away. His kayak was battered. His clothing was trail-worn and ragged. But he knocked off the East Coast, once paddling all night near Miami because he could find no place to make camp. He survived the New York harbor and an hour-long interrogation by law enforcement officials. He sneaked along the Canadian north shore of Lake Superior.Now he was so close, but the water inches below his cockpit seat hovered just above freezing. Frigid waves splashed over his spray skirt.But on Oct. 26, he nudged his donated kayak onto the shore of the Northwest Angle.Just in time."On Oct. 27, all the creeks and the edge of the bay froze," he said.For a week after finishing the trip, he rested at the home of Ken and Lorry Larson in Two Harbors. He had met Ken Larson; his brother, Keith, and Gunnar Johnson at Isle Royale on the downbound leg of his trip in the summer of 2012. All were windbound there for three days. Fast friendships formed.It was Ken Larson who drove up to Baudette to retrieve Alvarez and his gear after he reached the Northwest Angle."People who go out on these treks alone are like professional athletes," Larson said. "They're fit. They're strong. He's intelligent. He's just a joy to be around."And, yes, Larson said, part of his appreciation for what Alvarez has done is because "we wish we could have done that.""We're kind of living through him," he said.On a recent weekend, Alvarez was at a deer camp in the north woods with friends from Minneapolis. Ultimately, he'll rent a car in the Twin Cities, throw the yellow kayak on top, and drive back to Tallahassee.Over a beef pasty at the Vanilla Bean Cafe in Two Harbors, Alvarez talked to the Duluth News Tribune (http://bit.ly/1divyqj ) about his trip —and the rest of his life."Lake Superior is a magical place," he said behind a bushy beard he started in New York. "From Isle Royale to the Apostles to the Canadian north shore. . Pukaskwa (National Park) is probably my favorite place on the trip. It's so wild, so remote."Pukaskwa National Park lies near Wawa, Ontario, on the northeastern shore of Lake Superior."There is no bad spot on Lake Superior," he said.For the entire trip, he averaged 15 miles a day. Do the math — 503 days on the water, roughly 7,500 miles. One day, on the Mississippi, he paddled 24 hours straight and made 100 miles. But sawing his way through an overgrown portage on the Kaministiquia River in Ontario, he made just a half-mile all day.He had never kayaked before this trip. He learned on the job. He never capsized.Alvarez had proved he could hike. He had logged 9,000 miles on hiking trails, up and down mountain peaks. But paddling was different. The boat was yellow, easy to spot. People wanted to know where he was coming from, where he was headed. They took him in, offered him warm homes, good meals.But the boat was a liability, too."It's a real burden when you're in civilization," Alvarez said. "You can't leave your boat in Atlantic City and walk to the supermarket."He dodged barges on the Mississippi and fought waves on the Gulf Coast. A rogue wave lifted him on Lake Superior and plopped him atop a rock near shore. Somehow, he avoided flipping.But his greatest risk on this trip was not in the wilderness, he said. It was crossing the New York harbor, trying to avoid ferry traffic."That was probably the closest I came to dying," he said.He had dodged his last ferry when a smaller boat came racing straight at him. He knew he couldn't avoid it. At the last minute, the boat swung to his side, flashing its emergency lights.Cops. He was saved. They escorted him safely to shore. Then they took him in and questioned him for an hour to make sure he wasn't a terrorist.Alvarez figures the trip cost him $10,000. He had won a $10,000 grant from Outside magazine for the first leg of the trip. Necky Kayaks gave him a kayak to use.Alvarez donated $2,500 to environmental groups along his route, including the Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness in Minnesota.Now what?Though he worked for a legal firm for a time after graduating from law school, he's not headed back just yet. He wants to finish writing a book about his father, who emigrated from Cuba. And he has some travel ideas. Sailing around the world, maybe. Hiking the length of New Zealand. Hiking the Camino de Santiago trail in Spain."Every trip I go on, I come up with 10 more trips to do," he said.But he has other dreams, too."I do dream about being married and having a family," he said. "I don't know how that reconciles with these kinds of trips. The most important thing is to look at whatever you do as an adventure."He will not soon forget the kindnesses bestowed upon him by folks such as Ken and Lorry Larson. He has found it everywhere he went, by backpack or by kayak."The accents change. The food changes," he said. "But people being helpful doesn't change."An AP Member Exchange Feature shared by the Duluth News Tribune

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