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Posts Tagged ‘Travel And leisure’

Ancient Cardiff – Vale Of Glamorgan Now 21st Century Media Mecca

December 15th, 2009 No comments

The Welsh capital Cardiff – Vale of Glamorgan has become a capital of European sports.

The city has been home to many popular UK sports stars. Among them have been Colin Jackson and Tanni Grey-Thompson, as well as many Premier League, Football League and international football players. The latter have included Ryan Giggs (Manchester United), Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur), Terry Yorath (Leeds United), Craig Bellamy (Manchester City), and the Wales national football team manager John Toshack (Liverpool).

Today Cardiff serves as the capital of Wales, its largest city and the seat of government, industry and culture. The last shouldn’t be unexpected, as the city boasts among its native sons such luminaries as Ivor Novello, the 20th century musical star recalled in the movie “Gosford Park”; popular children’s author Roald Dahl, for whom a street, Roald Dahl Plass, is named; and author and screenwriter Terry Nation, who created the Daleks, the perennial robotic nemeses of TV’s favorite Time Lord, Dr. Who.

Cardiff also has become a significant center for Welsh tourism. In 2006 alone, the city welcome nearly 12 million visitors.

Significant development has come to Cardiff over the past decade, such as a new waterfront area that’s home to the the Millennium Center arts complex and a new government hall for the Welsh Assembly. International sporting venues also are adding to the city’s appeal to visits with the construction of the SWALEC Stadium for playing cricket and the Millennium Stadium for games of rugby union and football. These improvements and Cardiff’s role as host of several major international sport events earned the city the designation of the European City Of Sport in 2009.

The city also has gained an international reputation as a sporting venue. The construction of the SWALEC Stadium for playing cricket matches and the Millennium Stadium for games of rugby union and football., along with hosting several major sporting events, won Cardiff the title of European City Of Sport in 2009.

Speaking of “Dr. Who, ” the revived version of the series, along with its more adult spin-off “Torchwood, ” is now produced in Cardiff, which has become the center of Welsh media. The city houses studios for BBC Wales, S4C and ITV Wales, making Cardiff the largest film, TV and multimedia hub outside of London.

Cardiff also has become immortalized in an unlikely manner, as the home of a fictional “time rift” that energizes two enormously popular science fiction series: the revival of the long-running, long-revered “Dr. Who, ” and its more adult-themed spin-off “Torchwood.” The time rift supposedly runs under the newly developed waterfront, which gives the shows’ production company plenty of reasons to film around Millennium Center and Cardiff Bay. Besides science fiction, Cardiff also has welcomed productions for popular UK television shows “Gavin and Stacey, ” “Merlin” “The Worst Witch, ” and “Tracy Beaker” among others.

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Vacationing In Edinburgh – City Of Edinburgh

December 14th, 2009 No comments

Edinburgh – City of Edinburgh is a marvelous vacation destination that can take several weeks to fully explore. The streets and lanes of the city often are found in the medieval style that most of the town was built on. When you visit the city there will be an immediate sense that time is gently turning back to a slower and more relaxed place.

As Scotland’s capital, Edinburgh hosts more and a million visitors a year. Most people come to the city to enjoy the beauty and the festivals that take place throughout the year. The city is divided on one side with medieval buildings, shops, and pubs. This is Old Town and contains much of the historical artifacts that a person will find of great interest when visiting and studying Scotland. The New Town is’th century Georgian architecture as well as modern buildings. The mix of architectural styles is one of the rare incidences when a city has grown throughout the centuries without razing the old to build the new.

A vacation of Edinburgh will take longer than a few days. Each side of Edinburgh has unique and delightful sites to see. Starting at the top of Royal Mile you can visit the Edinburgh Castle. This castle is open to visitors and provides an opportunity to see the home of Mary Queen of Scots, information and plaques on the many historic events that took place in the castle, and a beautiful view of the city from the gardens of the castle.

After leaving the castle a stroll down Royal Mile will provide exciting discoveries. You will see many boutiques, antique shop, and cafes that are maintained in renovated medieval buildings. Reaching Holyrod Palace, the queen’s gardens will be the first thing you notice. The Palace offers daily tours when the Royal family is not in residence. A person can see the paintings, artwork, and explore the artifacts that are found throughout the tour.

Visiting John Knox Home in the High Street section of Royal Mile will give you an opportunity to see the home of this 15th century protestant minister. The home has hand painted ceilings and has been restored to its original splendor. Visiting Canongate will provide you with the opportunity to see the diverse architectural styles of the medieval times. Almost all of the buildings found in Canongate are medieval and many have been renovated and are available for viewing by visitors to Edinburgh.

Lady Stairs Home is also a must see on Royal Mile. This home is dedicated to the works of Sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Robert Burns. It contains fabulous works of art and information about the authors that is not found elsewhere.

You will hear a lot about Grassmarket Square and it is a must see. By following Candlemaker Row you will come to a square that is surrounded with antique shops, pubs, restaurants, and boutiques. You will find five star hotels and restaurants throughout the city and be able to enjoy an array of both traditional foods and the cuisine of the diverse cultures that reside in Edinburgh.

Dividing Old Town and New Town is Princes Street. This half mile street provides one with monuments, shops, buildings, and gardens that are a delight. Many residents of Edinburgh enjoy the gardens for reflection and relaxation. From the gardens you can see the castle and all of Old Town.

The Royal Botanical Gardens have recently been renovated and contains glass house exhibitions, plants, and shrubs that bring the entire country of Scotland into a central location for a visitor to enjoy. There is so much to see and do in Edinburgh – City of Edinburgh that before going you will want to plan to take a tour in an open-top bus to get a full view of all of the things to do after you have settled into your accommodations.

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Manchester – Greater Manchester Is The Town That Has Everything In Entertainment

December 12th, 2009 No comments

Manchester – Greater Manchester was settled in 79 A. D. By Romans and has been a busy urban area since then. The cotton industry was once a large part of Manchester and is still shows its influence in this northwest town.

This town has many styles and types of museums that are too many to give an overview. One of the most unique is the Manchester United Museum and Trophy Room. This football museum shows the history of the team from its start in the in the late’00s through modern times. There are over a thousand exhibits for fans to pursue.

The Manchester Art Gallery has a famous collection of pre-Raphaelite paintings in its collection as well as other art pieces. This museum is well known for its quality art and other artifacts. The award winning Museum of Science and Industry has hands on exhibits. This is an especially good museum to take children to in a large part due to being allowed to touch the exhibits and the interactive nature of many of the items.

Affleck’s Palace is a multilevel indoor shopping center that has secondhand stalls and clothing for many designers. This store is one of the most chic places you can purchase clothing at and also features jewelry, art and other items from pop culture from the nineteen sixties onwards. For designer stores, the retail area is on Market Street featuring a pedestrian only area that includes many designers’ doors. There is also an indoor shopping mall that features of the top stores and dining.

One of the most unusual areas is the Chinatown district of Manchester. This area offer some of the best dining deals in the greater area with many discounts being an on both food and alcoholic beverages. And while it is charming in the daytime, Chinatown lights up at night making the atmosphere enjoyable to Shaw and walk around.

The Piccadilly gardens are in the center of the town and have dining, hotels and shopping surrounding it. The structural designs of these buildings show a brief history of architecture through the Victorian age to today.

Manchester – Greater Manchester is a unique place of bustling activity and diverse attractions. This town offers some of the most unique shopping experiences as well as some of the top rated museums in the country. Making Manchester your destination for your holiday can ensure that you will find something for everyone.

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Glasgow – City Of Glasgow Is One Of The Grandest Of All Cities In Europe

December 9th, 2009 No comments

The city of Glasgow is the third most populous city in all of the United Kingdom and the largest city in Scotland. Located in the west central lowlands along the River Clyde Glasgow is one of the most historic cities in all of United Kingdom. Glasgow originated as the home of the archdiocese of Glasgow. This originated with the reign of David Prince of the Cumbrians but it is believed that the earliest bishop in the archdiocese of Glasgow were the appointees of the Archbishop of York during the 11th century.

Glasgow played a major role in the Scottish Enlightenment in the 18th-century. The Enlightenment period involved a large number of intellectual and scientific accomplishments. During this Enlightenment Scotland became one of the most literary countries in all of Europe. It became the norm for Scottish citizens to become literate. In fact it is believed that over 75% of all citizens were, literate in 18th-century. This is a staggering number in comparison to other countries at the time. The University of Glasgow played a huge role in the Enlightenment.

It was during the 18th century that Glasgow grew to become one of the major trading hubs for trans-Atlantic trade between Europe and the Americas. Further growth within the city of Glasgow occurred as a result of the industrial revolution. During this period Glasgow became one of the worlds pre-dominate centers of engineering and shipbuilding. It was during this period that Glasgow became known as the second city of the British Empire. In current times Glasgow plays a huge role in financial and business segments of Scotland,

During this period Glasgow earned the title of the second city of the British Empire. Glasgow still plays a major role in the business and financial segments of Scotland today. This city is also one of the prime tourist destinations in the world.

In recent items Glasgow has become a major tourist destination for travelers from all over the world. One of the reasons for this is the grand structures that make up Glasgow’s proud architectural history. There are many structures in Glasgow that provide testimony to worlds long gone. One of the most visited of these structures is the Provands Lordship.

The Glasgow Cathedral, which stands in the center of Cathedral Square, was built in the same spot where the patron saint of Glasgow saint Mungo built his original church. Built before the Reformation this is an outstanding example of Gothic architecture.

The Cathedral of Glasgow is one of the few remaining Scottish medieval churches most of these churches were unroofed during the Reformation. This structure is just one of the reasons that Glasgow is recognized as one of the grandest cities in all of Europe to visit. Glasgow is truly one of the best attractions in all of Great Britain.

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Purusing The Past In Oxford – Oxfordshire

December 3rd, 2009 No comments

Oxford – Oxfordshire has one of the most famous colleges in the world, but it also offers many other attractions too visitors. This town has historical appeal as well as modern amenities.

The Oxford Botanical Gardens is one of the most unusual in the world. Unlike many others, Oxford has made the effort to landscape the gardens in a pleasing way. Since many gardeners also come here to enjoy the plants and to get ideas for their own gardens, they make every effort to label the plants. The gardens are done in three sections with glass houses holding the more exotic plants to Britain, the walled garden grouping similar species together and the rest of the area which contains typical garden features.

The Radcliffe Camera was the first round library in Britain and was completed and 1749. While not currently open to the public, you can still view the building itself from Radcliffe Square or a nearby if church. The stunning architecture makes this monument a must see.

The first official museum in Britain is in Oxford, and Ashmolean Museum houses a large collection of natural history items in Anglo Saxon artifacts as well as art and other antiquities from the world over. The “Alfred jewel” calls this home news world famous as one of the best examples of Saxon artifacts ever found.

Queen Street is also equally famous for its retail market. The mainstream stores and boutiques carry some of the most fashionable clothing in England. The nearby Westgate shopping center also has over 35 designer shops and restaurants within walking distance from the street. Bonn Square is also nearby, and you can take a moment to relaxing the original west gate in the city.

The Carfax tower is also close to the shopping area, and it is all that is left of the thirteenth century church. You can still climb the stairs to the top of the tower to the observation deck and be able to see a breathtaking view of Oxford. The bells are still rung every fifteen minutes, and on special occasions, and they have been recast from the original bell.

Oxford – Oxfordshire is known all over the world for its chief shopping, history and universities. This town is host to a diverse range of activities and can be a fantastic vacation site for those that like relaxation, history and modern conveniences.

For accommodation in Oxford check this list of Oxford hotels.