Strasbourg and Colmar, (France)

Post published:9 December 2012
Post category:Europe France Western Europe

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“The Winter Wonderland”, “Fortress on the Road”, “Crossroads”

9th of December, 2012

[flickr size=”medium” float=”left”]7657313@N08/8630341765[/flickr]

This was our second part of this trip. You can check the previous entry, Basel, if you want to know more information. We already planned to visit all those places in one go using the most of the weekend. At the end, landing in the middle of them all, it’s a horrible temptation not to resist and specially if you are such a fanatical about travelling as we are. Driving to Strasbourg is little over an hour, and believe me, it’s totally worth it!

The city has a greatly preserved Medieval old town, with many many beautiful wooden houses and grand Cathedral. And what it makes it so special about coming here in winter time? The Christmas markets and decorations! You need to come here to feel it and live it. Up to date, the best Christmas feeling in a city ever.

Getting lost is almost impossible, wander around the streets and the little ones by the river and Cathedral square area. Those are the best without doubt. Then there is what is called the Little Venice. This is also by the riverside, and you will find marvellous and bigger wooden houses and many coffee shops and restaurants in the area. (more…)

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Basel, (Switzerland)

Post published:8 December 2012
Post category:Europe Switzerland Western Europe

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“Augusta Raurica”, “Basilea”, “Basilia”

8th of December, 2012

[flickr size=”medium” float=”left”]7657313@N08/8631417602[/flickr]

Moving on to our last weekend trip for the year 2012, and before our big winter holiday, it’s time to visit this “winter wonderland” place. Very conveniently located with easy and quick access to Strasbourg and Colmar in France, places which will complete our weekend visit. Of course, and unfortunately, Switzerland comes at a price. The expensive it is, but thankfully for this occasion, we even did not need any money to be changed to Swiss Francs. We were basically the kind of tourists they don’t’ like. Cheap. We spent no money at all and hold our hunger for France later on in the evening.

Getting a flight deal, as usual not a big hassle, specially when booking in advance and also in out of season period.

Without doubt, the best is to get a rental car to move around. There are way too many other cities and villages worth the visit, and since Basel is quite small, you will have enough time if you plan it well.

The city itself is incredibly beautiful. Full of that old houses you are expecting to see in Switzerland. The best circuit you can do is first to walk on the south bank of the river direction to the main bridge which gives the main access to the old town on the other side of the river. The views you will get of the old town houses and bridges are fantastic. (more…)

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Nicosia Old Town

Nicosia – Cyprus

Post published:2 December 2012
Post category:Cyprus Europe Southern Europe

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The last divided capital city in the world

Continuing our tour on this second day of the weekend in Cyprus and after visiting Larnaca and Limassol the day before which take you not even two hours at each place to visit anyway, we continued towards the capital city, Nicosia: the last divided capital city in the world. Now if you ask me, especially after the disappointing feeling with the other cities, I must confess that my expectations were somehow high, only to find they lowered pretty down and too quickly. Almost all the old Ottoman houses are gone and in its place, tasteless ugly buildings, like the ones you find in mainland Greece everywhere. I do not judge the country after these feelings though, after all, I’ve only been to the major cities and nowhere else, and yes; there are other nicer places to go and sights to visit on the island, for instance, Paphos which will have to wait for another trip to Cyprus.

So, if your plans are coming to Nicosia, or Larnaca and Limassol, then save the hassle, the money and over all, the long flights to reach these destinations. It is unfortunately not worth it if a cultural trip is what you are looking. In the other hand, beaches, yes of course there are. But again, why would you even get on this long flight when you have nicer beaches nearer, also in the Mediterranean Sea? As of now, this trip has merely been for us a tick off the list of places to be and countries to visit.

Take a look at the city’s map, the old walled town core. Dating from the Venetian times when they captured the city in 1489, demolishing churches and palaces to use the masonry for the construction of these fortifications, it is a perfect circle formed of 11 bastions, all of which preserved in a rather good state. Another unique fact is the division of the city in two halves. The north side is Turkish, the south side is Greek. The UN Buffer Zone is what lies in between, basically a no one’s land of derelict buildings and ruins acting as the border between both countries. The buffer zone continues in both sides, splitting the island.

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Larnaca & Limassol, (Cyprus)

Post published:2 December 2012
Post category:Cyprus Europe Southern Europe

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“The former kingdom-city of Kition”

It’s time to visit another country in Europe, generally quite expensive to get flight tickets and hotels however for a cultural trip as ours, the usual trick did work well. Travelling during the low season, in fact, middle of December. There is no doubt you get some great benefits from doing this; one is the cost, that being flights, hotels and restaurants; second, being able to enjoy the places without the hordes of tourists. The cities and places pretty much for yourself. But anyway, not in every country you can take advantage of this since winter months means sky season all over Europe, the charm of the Christmas markets, the snow, etc. Nevertheless, any place by the sea that mostly lives from the summer tourists then it is almost guaranteed the great winter deals.

A downside for this destination in question, considering such short time merely the weekend? The distance from where we came, London. Almost 5 hours to go and over 5 to come back, and no matter if that’s London, or Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam, Madrid, Lisbon… Basically Western Europe. Cyprus is far beyond Egypt and next to Syria, Lebanon and Jordan, but, was it worth it? Well of course, although not as I would have imagined. After visiting Larnaca, Limassol and Nicosia in this trip, my feelings were meh. Fine to visit once, but not in the mood to return.

Because both Larnaca and Limassol have so very little to see and do cultural-wise talking, I prefer to combine them in the same guide because they resemble similarities in every sense. Do not expect to find great sights, nor many. It is the opposite, not only the cities are very small but their historic centres very limited and other than few Byzantine style churches and the occasional Ottoman houses still standing, there is not much more to visit. The beaches in the other hand, is perhaps the most desired among the visitors that come to enjoy during the season that here usually starts as early as March. No doubt Cyprus has some stunning coastline and great resorts, good enough to enjoy the peace and tranquillity while doing the occasional cultural trips within other parts of the island. (more…)

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Iceland - Iceland

Iceland

Post published:29 April 2012
Post category:Europe Iceland Northern Europe

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The Land of Fire and Ice

Iceland, for a very long time in the bucket list of destinations wishing to go and finally a reality. And what can I say about this amazing country, other than wishing to have stayed longer and see more. Yet we knew four days was not going to be enough, the fact is that a week is still short for that many places you can visit, and all in this medium-sized island. A miniature continent full of fascinating natural wonders, the power of mother earth at every corner you go, no matter the season, the beauty is guaranteed any month. From being able to admire the spectacular Northern Lights and that winter wonderland snowy landscapes, almost isolated glaciers or icebergs on the beach to eerie empty grasslands, lava soil and powerful rivers and waterfalls with every shade of green from the fields; each of the seasons is more unique than the other.

Reykjavik, the northernmost capital in the world is the arriving gateway to this world of wonders. Small yet thriving, its metropolitan area is home to around 230000 people, that’s over 60% of the country’s population. Very organised, clean and the safest capital in Europe, is full of beautiful colorful wooden houses and mansions, churches, museums and a quite impressive nightlife especially during the weekends. Shops, bars and restaurants everywhere serving great food, notoriously good for fish and seafood, and whale steaks. Yes whale; Iceland and Japan are the rare nations still fishing it.

While visiting the capital will not take you even a day, the rest of the country we know would last several, but for the average visitor, some 5 days is good enough to capture the best spots allowing yourself a good reason why to come back, perhaps during a different season of the year to have a complete different view. After all, you are never too far away from Reykjavik from the top natural sights as the Golden Circle, the Blue Lagoon, the stunning rock formations in the sea by Reynisfjara Beach and the Vatnajökull National Park.

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Moscow - Russia

Moscow – Russia

Post published:9 April 2012
Post category:Eastern Europe Europe Russia

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The Forty Forties. The Third Rome.

The quite impressive and sprawling massive city of Moscow, home to over 12 million people was for a very long time one of the most desired destinations to go. Not the easiest either, first of all the airfares at the time we went there were still quite high, with no other option than having to take a flag airline carrier as no low-cost airlines were flying, something that has dramatically changed with the years after by the way; and secondly, most important to be honest, the not so easy way to get a visa and its costs.

On the bright side, happy to finally be here and admire such grandeur and at points, luxurious city where you will come to see the so called “New Russians”. These are the rich and new rich people, mostly young students whose parents run successful business and have enough money to have that extravagant style of living where money does not really matter. The list speak for itself, Moscow has the largest community of billionaires in the world. On the other hand, the country is quite the opposite. No doubt the cities along the west especially Moscow and Saint Petersburg act as a facade and a truly show-off to what the reality is in the rest of the country, notably the rural areas which in the largest country in the world, trust me, it is huge, inconceivable huge.

Moscow’s history is terribly rich, and while some chapters are not that bright than others, no one can argue of its strength and power through the centuries. Always a super power and always grand. No matter on the ruling power of the time, here building the bigger and the better is still the tendency on our days. Founded as a small trading post in 1147, developing with the centuries into lavish baroque palaces, elegant avenues and boulevards with incredible mansions, fountains, statues and great public spaces legacy from the Tsar Russia, the once so extravagant and envied monarch system. And continuing to evolve after the fall of the Tsar regime in the February Revolution of 1917 with the establishment of the Bolshevik in 1923 founding the Soviet Union at the end of the Russian Civil War.

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Pompeii - Italy

Pompeii – Italy

Post published:19 February 2012
Post category:Europe Italy Southern Europe

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Frozen in time and forever since 79 AD

Visiting Naples for the first time? Then chances you will be coming to Pompeii are high. This was our actual case, not only was the first time travelling to Naples (which nowadays we can count at least 5 more), but the entire trip had to be planned to include this stunning archaeological site. And to know that there are so many other Roman cities, islands such as Capri, the amazing Amalfi and Sorrentine Coasts or the impressive sites of ancient Magna Graecia at Paestum and countless more, then it is certain hard to even get tired of visiting what is to my taste, one of the most beautiful cities in the whole of Italy, Naples.

It is hard to even say something about Pompeii, where time simply stood still for 2000 years. After having visited some other ancient civilizations masterpieces such as Petra in Jordan, Athens Acropolis in Greece or Rome, the capital of the vast empire than once was; coming here was as exciting as for any of the others with the difference that this time we knew we would get to see how a Roman city really was, with all the infrastructure almost in perfect condition; palaces, temples, houses, baths, bars, shops, brothels; including original graffiti on the walls from that era; all there frozen in time after Mount Vesuvius eruption of 79 AD.

Although Pompeii was not the only city to be buried. It was certainly the most affected in the sense that the amount of super heated pyroclastics felt too abruptly destroying the roofs and upper levels of almost every house in the fraction of few second; but this did not happen at nearby Ercolano and Stabiae, hence why you get to see almost complete houses and palaces with great paintings still decorating every wall at the others but very little of that here in Pompeii even though it was the largest city in the area. Everything completely disappeared after the eruption until its rediscovery and excavation, which it is still ongoing and will last for decades to come.

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Aachen - Germany

Aachen – Germany

Post published:26 November 2011
Post category:Europe Germany Western Europe

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Capital of Charlemagne Empire

Welcome to Aachen, one of the oldest and most historic cities in Germany, and also one of the prettiest in terms of great sights there to see. Small yet charming, and even considering the raids during the WWII that destroyed many medieval masterpieces, it is today one of the most visited in the country coupled with Cologne and Dusseldorf, and plenty other smaller sites in the region.

Founded as a Roman Spa resort by Hadrian in 124 AD due to the hot mineral springs, the site was already inhabited during the Neolithic are for the same reasons. Gained importance and population during the Middle Ages as it became a principal residence of King Charlemagne, who spent his first Christmas there in year 768, thereafter the city becoming the focus of his court and the political centre of his empire.

The Palatine Chapel and main palace was built during his time, and so the church he was buried after his death, nowadays the Cathedral we see there today, a marvellous piece of Carolingian architecture and a blend of many other styles after it was expanded through the centuries. An impressive UNESCO World Heritage Site listed monument.

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