Archive

Posts Tagged ‘Museums’

The Highlights of Paris

October 11th, 2009 No comments
by Morten Elm

Paris is known as the City of Romance, and the city is a great place to go with your partner for a romantic weekend. In Paris you find everything from great food and shopping to some very interesting sights.

The landmark of Paris is the Eiffel Tower. The tower was build for the World Exhibition in 1889. The plan was to tear it down afterwards, but luckily enough the decision was changed. The tower is 319 meter (1047 feet) high, and until the Empire State Building was built in 1931, it was the highest building in the world.

A visit in the high season demands patience. Because of the limited capacity of the elevators, the line can be very long. Another option, if you do not want to wait a couple of hours, is to take the 1.665 stairs instead. Whatever you take the elevator or the stair, your reward will be a fantastic view. On a sunny day, you can see as long as 70 kilometers (about 43 miles

The Louvre Museum was made famous by Dan Brown in his book The Da Vinci Code. But the museum is more than a crime scene in a famous book. It is also the scene of one of the world’s most amazing art exhibitions. Look for the Mona Lisa painted by Leonardo da Vinci and the ancient Greek statue Venus from Milo.

But the exhibition in the old building from 1190 is much more than a statue and a painting. You can also experience ancient are from Greece and Egypt; or modern fashion and design. So if you are both to old and modern art, one day is not enough to see it all.

Other great sight in Paris are Champs-Elyses and Notre Dame Cathedral. You might also want to visit Versailles about 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the city centre. Disneyland will certainly also make yourself and your kids happy.

You can also do some heavy shopping in Paris. You can find all the famous luxury trademarks in the department stores. When it comes to haute couture fashion houses, Rue du Faubourg-St-Honor on the right side of the Seine is the place to go. Look for Yves Saint Laurent, Giorgio Armani, Pierre Cardin, Chanel, and Christian Dior.

If you are more into markets, Paris is a great city. You can find old postcards, porcelain, musical instruments and books at the March de la Porte de Vanves market. Superb food can be bought at the Rue Mouffetard market, while cheap souvenir is found around Rue de Rivoli.

In the end of the day, you should spoil yourself with some great French food and red wine; or you could go on a sunset cruise on the Seine. After that, visit one of the many nightclubs to party all night.

About the Author:

This Part of Spain Gets Very Hot

June 2nd, 2009 No comments
by Ken Morris

Antonio Gaudi gave so many gifts of architecture to Barcelona. In 1972, UNESCO designated this gift from Gaudi, ‘Parc Guell,’ as a World Heritage Site. He constructed the ‘parc’ between 1900-1914 as a commission from a royal patron of the day. This oasis 20-hectare park situated on a group of northern hills belongs to a central district of Barcelona.

Until 1972, it was a peaceful oasis of greenery holding other natural elements. It is from this vantage point that the holidaymaker can get a stunning view of Spain’s beautiful Barcelona laid at their feet. The nearby terraced gardens offer a brilliant combination of the natural and the artificial. There is an ample example of a colorful mosaic tile art form that Gaudi loved to incorporate into his work.

While you are there stop at the small cafe on the outer edge of Parc Guell. It is best to go before entering the park when you can enjoy a cool drink. This part of Spain gets very hot and the walk though this work of art is energizing. Holidaymakers who are adventurous will enjoy the teck but they’ll also require some sustenance. If you feel you need a bite to eat before e setting off on the tour there are some small eateries that you can choose from. Of particular interest to most guests and holidaymakers is the dazzling dragon-themed fountain. Take a minute to enjoy the multi-colored tiles, which adorn it.

Now you can take in walkways with seemingly endless flowerbeds that are dotted with the celebrated Gaudi touch. Now you can stroll down seemingly endless walkways as you take in the vista that seems awash with flowerbeds dotted with the famous Gaudi approach. He sprinkled the area with numerous mosaic tiles as his signature on the scene. There are a lot of unique sights deeper inside the park itself. The park has a gallery devoted to Gaudi’s art, stuffed with photos and other Gaudi items that will let you in on the life of the man himself. This gallery was at one time the man’s home and it contains furnishing he designed for himself.

Now outside again you may want to remember your sun block. Strolling alongside the lush green shrub border you’ll find countless interesting sights that include sculpture, columns, more eateries, and other museums. Here in the park even the benches are art works. There is a giant, curved on the Paseo de Palmas instance that is celebrated right through the city. Further on, there are still more instance of marvelous sights. Visit the (Sala de las Cien Columnas) Hall of the Hundred Columns which offers an array of classical art. But, what the columns support is drawn from later styles, portraying the romantic-era,

The exhibit is adorned in mosaic tiles of a more contemporary design. Close by there’s another walkway that is bordered by twisted rock pillars. This introduced yet another style. Gaudi embraced an organic fashion that also lends itself to organic eclecticism. There are numerous gates leading into the park. You as a visitor should choose according to where in the park you’d like to visit first.

Taking the subway travel to the Lesseps station. From this station, there will be a steep climb up a hill to where the ‘parc’ is situated. Admission to the park is free and most buildings open at 10 a.m.

About the Author:

Things to do in England

March 15th, 2009 No comments

The current economic climate has led people throughout the world to find cheaper holiday ideas. One of the United Kingdom’s greatest draws is the strength of the dollar against the pound. Below I have outlined a few simple ideas to help you gain the most from your holiday.

A simple fun activity for your entire family is to visit museums and luckily the United Kingdom is absolutely full of them. Even better, is the fact that many of them are owned by the government and therefore are totally free to visit. There’s an absolute wealth of knowledge to find and discover in the British Isles no matter what kind of culture you are looking for. This is represented in the very different historical and scientific museums that are available.

No matter where you visit though, you’ll want to be familiar with the wide range of bus companies that tour up and down the UK. These tours are a fantastic way to visit all the major tourist attractions around the cities. They’re comfortable and interesting too.

Many of the guides have lived in the city’s they operate for their whole lives thus they make the perfect guides. I’ve had the privilege of taking many of these tours and can quite honestly vouch for the expertise and professionalism of the operators.

England has a world famous train system too, in fact, many believe the trains in the UK were some of the first ever developed. Plenty of them operate still today; the Colne Valley Railway located in Essex is an especially excellent rail service. The sights and smells of the countryside are a true joy to behold as you ride the line. It’s relatively cheap too and well worth a day out. The refreshments you can buy off the trolleys are delicious too.

There are some fantastic theme parks and marking them as well, the most famous and clearly greatest of them all is Alton Towers. Alton Towers feature some of the most advanced rides in the world the oblivion and Air are truly amazing. Plunging 200 metres into a deep underground tunnel makes the entire visit worthwhile. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself unable to scream though, it takes the breath away and leaves you quaking in your boots.

Another great family day out is attending a soccer match. Football, as they like to call it over there. For a seat at a top sides ground you can expect to pay around $40 to $50. The atmosphere and excitement of the crowd is worth every cent though. There’s nothing greater than celebrating a goal with crazy happy Brits.

As you can see there are so many cheap and reasonable events and attractions you can take part in while visiting England. Check with you local tour operator for more great offers, and remember sometimes the best things really are free!

About the Author: