Pick a destination

Archive for April, 2010

When booking a trip whether for business or personal reasons you want to find comfortable accommodations that have the amenities that you are looking for. You should always research the area and what others are saying about specific hotels in that area. For Barcelona you will have many choices to select from depending on your personal preferences and your budget. There are many hotels located here that have much to offer you but it really boils down to what you need. For example the Eurostars Grand Marina Hotel is the perfect location for water lovers or fishermen. This beautiful hotel is located directly on the water which is the heart of Port Velli.
For those who are looking for something a bit unique you may opt to stay at the Claris Hotel which was originally known as a 19th Century neoclassical palace. If you are a history buff or enjoy things that have a bit more of historical value you may also enjoy staying at the LeMeridien Barcelona Hotel.
For those who enjoy being at the center of excitement such as shopping or arts may choose the Intercontinental Princess Sofia Hotel, The Colon Hotel, or the Expo Barcelona Hotel.
This is just a few of the many hotels to choose from when visiting Barcelona. Whether you are looking for something inexpensive and simple or a place with elegant décor and uniqueness you will be able to find it here.
The price for each will vary depending on the time of year and if there are any special events or holidays going on when you book your reservation. By booking your accommodations early you may be able to save yourself a lot of money.

For many vacation spots it’s the glamour and lights that draw in tourists but what about the odd attractions that are sometimes overlooked? For Amsterdam they hold a bit of everything ranging from elegant hotels, famous marketplaces, and historical attractions to some of the oddest attractions that you will find anywhere’s.
They have a variety of museums to choose from including the Museum Vrolik which is named after a famous science professor Geradus Vrokil and Willem his son who was also a professor. This particular museum houses an odd but historical collection for things such as human remains. This includes specimens of congenitally malformed body parts that suffered from some type of disease.
The “Katten Cabinet” is well liked by those individuals who have a soft spot for cats. This is a gallery which was created by Bob Meijer a cat lover and owner who for the longest time had a cat as one of his closest companions. This gallery hosts a wide variety of paintings, sculptures, and other unique pieces that help to fund and keep alive the history of cats.The De Peozenboot which serves as a sanctuary for cats have either been abandoned or have no home is also popular amongst cat lovers. This place is mostly ran by volunteers and seems to be loved by locals and tourists alike.
While these may not seem to out of the ordinary they are just unusual attractions that most people seem to overlook when visiting Amsterdam. They are definitely worth the time it takes to stop in and capture the true history and essence behind those who live and grew up in Amsterdam.

In London you can’t say that you can’t find something to do and you are bored. You can go sightseeing and you need a couple of days for sure , to see all the symbols of the city.Plenty of things to do out there. Starting from hundred of all kind of movies at the cinema’s, hundreds of pubs, museums, operas,  clubs.

During the day you can visit a Museum, if you didn’t visit it before, British Museum and Science Museum are the most important to be saw. You should buy the tickets online, so you avoid staying in line and in the same time this is a way to find the schedule for the Musem.

If you like art events more, you always can see a live concert, a jazz concert or a cabaret show. Very common now are the Stand Up Comedy shows, because are very relaxing places were people are laughing , drink a beer and forget about the madness of the day work.

You can also choose to go to a theatre, also the theatre tickets can be bought online, almost the majority of big theatres are selling tickets online in a fast and secure way. You can also pick a musical at London Paladium.You can also go to a club if you are not the art type of person. During some periods of time festival happens were big names in the Music industry are performing so  you should not be surprise when you see very famous singers and bands performing in London.

If you can afford to play golf at high standards  than you are familiar with golf breaks . Because now these days  travelling is very easy, now you can enjoy a golf break in all the part of the world.

Some of the most famous  golf resorts are situated in Wales, Scotland and Ireland, but also plenty of golf resorts can be founded in Spain,Portugal or France. Usually the european resorts are affordable and you can choose a suny location situated at a couple of hours from your home.

If you prefer also a more exotic location and you can afford it , you can easy go in Dubai,South Africa or another exotic but more affordable place like  Tunisia , Marocco or Egypt. Here the prices will be sky high but also the quality of the services is way higher.

Another destination can be USA, here you haveplenty of options, you can find way over 500 golf resorts spreaded across the country. Some of the most famous are Eagle Ridge Resort & Spa. It has more than 6000 wooded acres, it’s a prefect choise especially if you goo in holiday with your family.Your activities will not resume in playing golf , but you can also go fishing, horseback ridding or hot ballon air sitesying.

Another popular locations amoung golf players is The lodge of Four Seasons. This is a locations that is choosed by many midwest habitants. It’s situated on the  Lake of the Ozarks and usually the weather is very nice and sunny. Also in USA you can find all the time a nice and challenging Championship to whatch eaven if you are not playing.

Few people know that the symbol of Paris, the famous Eiffel Tower was made by a technology invented by engineer George Panculescu from Romania.

After he graduated from Polytechnic in Zurich, the engineer started to work at a company for Eiffel, to the recommendation of the great writer Alecsandri. In 1878, he went back to Romania to build the Bucharest-Predeal railway. At that time, the engineer has invented a system of joint of the railway sleepers, which would revolutionize the metal construction.

So, due to self-assembly method on railway sleepers outside the space of railways, the engineer managed to finish the work in less than a year, although the delivery term was almost of 5 years.

Panculescu hosted Gustave Eiffel who was impressed by the novel, and has moved to meet the Panculescu, who was to become general inspector of the Romanian Railways. Eiffel wanted to see this technology used for fitting the railway.

Eiffel Tower from Paris is built with steel made in Resita, Romania. On every piece of metal that made up the Eiffel tower he said “Made in Resita – Romania.”

The famous Tower was also designed as a famous monument, reinforcing the Statue of Liberty in New York, a gift from France to the United States.

Digging the foundation began on January 26 1887. For almost 5 months, dozens of people were digging only and only with shovels, earth evacuating vegonete out using horse-drawn vehicles or of steam. Foundations were filled with masonry , to secure each of the four pillars of the tower legs. After the foundations have been finished, the tower began to ascend seeing with the eye.

Besides the other Paris hotels , near the Eiffel Tower, there is a hotel with the most beautiful view to it, the Pullman Paris Tour Eiffel.  It offers magnificant sights, modern facilities and free Wi-Fi.

Guests rooms from the Pullman Paris have air conditioning, satellite television and a mini-bar. Most of the rooms have a balcony with view to the Eiffel Tower, Sena river or the Champs de Mars Gardens.

Definitely you are looking for one of the best accommodations in New York, this is the right place to find it. Your needs are just limited to booking and accommodating at one of the New York hotels and lodging.

This city has everything to offer, a complete range of accommodations starting with a hostel bed to your own house in the city with everything you want in it, including complete listings for each hotel in NYC and a selection which also includes budget hotels, guest houses, bed, breakfasts and apartments to be rented for holidays.

One of the most beautiful hotel in Manhattan is The Paramount Hotel, situated exactly in the center of Times Square.

It was recently renovated, last year, this hotel remaining the most wanted and searched Times Square hotel. The access to the Broadway Theater District is very easy, and to the Restaurant Row, as well. Whether you want to go shopping you can choose the Fifth Avenue one, you have definitely heard about it.

The Paramount Hotel boasts with around 600 guest rooms adorned with a spectacular and modern furnishing. The mezzanine floors combine the architecture in the history with new cool styles.

Your experience to another New York hotels will never be compared with this one, never offer more interests, views and comfort.

The Kensington hotel does not have that kind of façade, a glitzy one that most of 5-stars hotels cling to. Before this hotel has been built, there was a Georgian building. Near Banglioni, one of the most priceless London hotels, you can find a cascading water feature with stone floors, a few vast gold vases and white roses which create the perfect entrance to a new world. Entrance for children is allowed, too.

Something from the Italian style has been added to the London life.From the hotel rooms, you can see the Kensington Gardens. It has more than 50 rooms, and decorated in an artistic way, musical and historical.

Another hotel where you can stay is the One Aldwych which is located exactly where the City meets the West End. The hotel has 105 luxurious, bedrooms today and suites. As well as the previous one, here you will find original art works, bespoke furniture and fresh fruit with flowers are being delivered every day to your room.

Charlotte Street Hotel

Charlotte Street Hotel is located in the north part of Soho. It takes you a few minutes to go from the Soho Square and the theatre district. You will definitely recognize it because it is surrounded by some of the most vibrant bars of London city, several cafes and restaurants. The drawing rooms of this hotel are in the spirit of Duncan Grant and Vanessa Bell artists. Matisse and some of the best French painters had a powerful influence over them.

The Halkin hotel predominates in many different lounges, libraries, drawing rooms, even private cinemas,

If you want to serve something then you have a small and handsome lobby and bar, or if you want to eat in a restaurant it is always available.

Covent Garden Hotel is a great, famous and luxurious hotel and also private in London. It is situated in the heart of the theatre district not so far to the Soho, Royal Opera House, and the British Museum.

Morocco is the essence of North African charm and the land of commingling horizons. Glittering Saharan deserts of the south and east quickly become snow-capped mountains of the Atlas range, followed by the rolling green heartland, which drops down to the sparkling Atlantic and Mediterranean coastlines. Travel to Morocco and wrap yourself in the warmth of the enduring Berber, Arab and African people and 10,000 years of their most fascinating history; a history that could only occur where the spheres of Africa and Europe meet intimately and unavoidably upon the Strait of Gibraltar.

Charmed as a Snake
One distinctive layer of Morocco is its great imperial Islamic cities. The central medina (old town) of each city is typically still walled in and houses the most ancient part of these treasured towns, including a minaret-tipped mosque. Open-air markets, snake-charmers, music performers and cafés are all spilling over with life every day of the week except Friday. Fez (or Fès), Morocco’s former capital, is one of the largest and oldest medieval cities in the world and a perfect place to begin your journey through Moroccan history. The medina, Fez el-Bali, is an intricate piecework of 9400 twisting alleys where you may come across some of the finest leather and hand-craftwork among the many bazaars. The modern and traditional city of Marrakesh is home to the ancient square of Djemaa el-Fna, which outshines the rest of the medina at dusk with rhythmic drumbeats, women offering henna tattoos, aerial acrobatics and snakes aplenty. Make sure to catch a glimpse of the soaring Koutoubia Mosque minaret, visible from the square.

Sea Breeze, Sand Dunes and Snow
Beyond Morocco’s imperial cities, this Arab nation tends to be more relaxed about Islam than its eastern neighbors, particularly among the mountain and coastal regions. Casablanca is a giant metropolitan port city with unmistakable Moroccan flavor and international appeal. Casablanca is also a mixture of old and new, with the recently completed Hassan II Mosque, the second largest in the world, and a notably historic medina of its own. For a more Mediterranean flare, venture to the north where Tangier stands as the gateway for arrivals from Spain. French colonization of Morocco in the first half of the 20th century has left a large imprint on the culture here, which is intriguing against such backdrops as the fortified Kasbah at the top of the city’s medina. Tangier is a fashionable and convenient resort destination for North Africans and Europeans alike, creating a unique cultural blend any time of year.

Get close with the people and the land on a unique adventure that begins in the Saharan settlement of Merzouge. From here you can ride a camel out into the sand dunes and spend a night or more under the luminous stars of the Saharan sky. The serenity of Morocco’s desert is not lost among the Atlas and Anti Atlas Mountain Ranges either. Visitors are attracted to these largely impenetrable mountains for the isolation and tranquility of their many Berber towns and the authenticity of Moroccan life they provide, not to mention some great skiing and trekking. Aït Benhaddou is most famous for its cinematic appearances, such as Lawrence of Arabia. The red walls of the Kasbahs, fortresses and village squares illuminate in an orange glow just as the sun finds its way to settle upon the ocean in the remote distance.

You Simply Don’t Know ‘Til You Go
Writers and film makers have attempted to capture the romance and charm of Morocco for centuries. The true essence of the nation and people is so distinctly defined by so many elements. Only once you have experienced Morocco can you really walk away with that indescribable understanding, at which point you may sit down at a café and sip your sweet mint tea in peace.

When you’re in the magnificent country of France, the question is not what you should do, the question is what is there that’s not to do? It seems that the liberated air of Parisians is contagious, and all you want to do when you’re in Paris is to be as free and artistic and relaxed as any regular Parisian you meet on the street. Coffee in one hand and crepe in the other, what else is better than eating it al fresco in the cool Parisian morning breeze?

1.) The Louvre

First stop is almost always the most famous art museum in the history of France and probably the world, The Louvre. It houses some great artistic talents including the famously infamous Leonardo da Vinci. His Mona Lisa is still the top attraction, and that secretive, knowing smile of hers is always a must-see.

2.) The Eiffel Tour

Next on the list is, of course, the Eiffel Tower. It was once ridiculed by ancient artists as a monstrosity but is now regarded as one of Paris, France’s best works of art. Inside, you can get souvenirs, have your postcards stamped with the Eiffel Tower insignia and dine in their restaurants.

3.) French Riviera

Within its borders, you will find the famous tourist destinations Nice, Cannes and St. Tropez. Its beaches are so breathtaking and magnificent, and they are perfect for a romantic rendezvous. The scene also becomes a little wilder once the parties get rolling in the evenings.

4.) The Cathedral of Notre Dame

Victor Hugo’s famous book has this as the backdrop of his entire story where we all learned to love the brave and endearing hunchback. Famous for its stone architecture complete with towering religious icons, gothic design capturing different faces of gargoyles, the Notre Dame Cathedral shouldn’t be missed. As such, this place should always be in the itinerary of anyone visiting France.

5.) Napoleon’s Arc de Triomphe

This was built in honor of the French military who fought alongside Napoleon, and this is one of France’s famous historic landmarks. Some say that if you don’t know your way around Paris, you could end up going around in circles in the Arc de Triomphe and never get out. They also say that you could get so confused which way to go because traffic is going around the arc.

6.) Disneyland

Paris, too, has a Disneyland of its own. It has the trademark rides, parades, fireworks display, and attractions all Disneyland theme parks are famous for. But, of course, there is still something that is uniquely France’s alone.

7.) Historic Normandy

Perhaps the most famous place in France when it comes to history is Normandy. Normandy has seen too many wars and fought too many battles for France. The most famous event here is the burning of Joan of Arc in 1431.

8.) Lourdes

The apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary during the 19th century to Bernadette Soubirous have made this place a popular destination for pilgrims and devotees of the Blessed Virgin Mary. As such, this place has also become a tourist destination. If you are a devotee of the Blessed Virgin Mary, then this place is for you.

9.) Musee d’Orsay

This magnificent museum of art found inside a railway station is a testimony of how much the French love and revere art. Because of this, they will impart this love to anyone and everyone who is interested. So, if you are an art lover, then head on to Musee d’Orsay.

10.) Vineyards

France is famous for its wine tours. You can take your pick from Alsace to Rhone Valley on which vineyards to visit where you can do a little wine tasting or perhaps even jump in and join grape harvesting. Truly a uniquely French experience

Hungary’s recent accession to the EU has made travel to and from the country simpler and more attractive to travellers from other European countries. The tourism industry is booming in Hungary and its’ capital, Budapest, has established a firm place on the list of must see city break locations. But as the city attracts more and more tourists and challenges Barcelona and Prague for the number one spot in city break destinations looking outside of the city itself can reveal another side to Hungary as a destination.

Budapest is a city rich in culture and history, a city of castles, cathedrals, museums and Turkish baths. Although uniquely Hungarian and not short of attractions, Budapest is typical of the European city break destination. But a nation with no less than 8 UNESCO World Heritage sites is not short on wider attractions and Hungary is no different.

Pecs, some 213 km from Budapest is a stunning early Christian necropolis founded by the Romans in the 2nd century AD. The first Hungarian king, St Stephen founded an episcopate in Pecs in 1009 and the architectural monuments of 150 years of Turkish rule are still evident offering the visitor an interesting mix of east and west. Closer to Budapest and the Millenarian Benedictine Abbey of Pannonhalma is a stunning, yet relatively undiscovered tourist treasure. The abbey, built on the Roman province of Pannonia dates back to the formation of Hungary as a nation itself. The abbey has been built and destroyed several times in its history but the foundation of the monastery originally built be Czech and Italian monks and most recently refurbished in a unique baroque style are truly impressive.

Travelling out side of Budapest can be relatively easy with a range of organised tours visiting many of Hungary’s attractions and the country’s rail network is relatively cheap and reliable. For the more adventurous or independent traveller, car rental is available with many of the major firms offering car hire in Budapest (http://www.easycar.com/car-hire/location/Budapest.aspx/EN ) or at the various airports around the country.

Hungary is a welcome addition to the European travel destination circuit and the merits of Budapest are obvious and abundant. The country itself though is a fascinating destination of contrasts, history and culture and it just might be well worth exploring