Vacation and Travel Talk

Glory Of Palmira

2009-11-11T19:20:00.003+01:00

«Тени былого величия» на Яндекс.Фотках

When I was younger, I heard many times Leningrad (S.Petersburg today) was called Nothern Palmira. Sincerely I've never thought about these words. Yesterday I could listen to it's story, of Palmira, told by Valerio Massimo Manfredi, historian and very successful writer (probably you've read his book "The Last Legion" -my translation of the title- and I know that they told about a movie)

There were reconstruction of the city in the documentary. It was a city of incredible beauty and very very big. Enormous. Manfredi said, there were different millions of residents there! And it was so antient that even the Bible tells about it!

In the times when Roman Empire had great problems, there was a young and beautiful queen Zenobia in Palmyra that was so courageous to rebell against Romans. She was not very happy in her ribellion. One of the Roman Emperors (the name originaly means "head of the military troups"), Aurelian, captured her and brought in Rome...

I thought, he, Aurelian, loved Zenobia, so as Giulius Cesare loved Cleopatra, because Manfredi said, Aurelius had something special in mind for her...
...but the truth is absolutely not romantic. He wanted her to walk in chains (golden chains) through the streets of Rome for his triumphal return home.

The plant on the photo has the name of queen Zenobia. It is Zenobia pulverulenta (Honeycup) and the residents of Carolina and Virginia (US) maybe know it.

So, if you plan to go in Syria, don't forget to visit Palmira and remember this rebelle woman...

«Крепость Крак де Шевалье» на Яндекс.Фотках

War As A Tourist Attraction

2009-11-06T10:03:00.003+01:00

«день за днём» на Яндекс.Фотках

Everybody is free to chose the own way to go in vacation. It's clear. Some people find strainge ways. Today I knew about this one.

Some persons go in the dangerous zones of the Earth. Those, where there is war.

And there are not one or two of them. They create entire groups, and the best entertainment for them is to pass from point A to point B through the zones where they shoot. I read a report of one of them, where a retiree-war tourist tells how their group passed from airport to the hotel trough the dangerous zone. The militars did not want to allow them to go there but they did it.

Extreem tourism...

«Дорога на Бамиан.» на Яндекс.Фотках

Best Flight Offers You Can Find In Australia

2009-10-28T20:53:00.003+01:00

In my previous post I wrote about one of the main Australian attractions, about sharks. There are many companies and airfares that offer flights that can bring you in any part of the continent and so you can easily follow the natural events or maybe organize our visits of different regions or main cities. With Travel.com.au you can book directly online all the flightes you can need for your vacation. What is very important they offer multistop and other possibilities. So when your vacation begins you can think only about relaxing activities.

Tourists from other continents will find all the proposals of international flights including round the world and multistop trips. There are many interesting tings to study on the site. Cruises, special vacation offers in different parts of the world. And if you are not sure what to do, you can speak or chat with the experts of the company directly from the site! You will meet really great passion about the business they do.

Among the most requied are cheap flights today. Visiting Travel.com.au you will find not only special discounts or offers. There is for example Hot Specials page that presents best deals, cheap flights on sale and many other possibilities. It's better if you control it personally because I could make an entire list for you here. And it's a post where I only present you the company.

Just because I began to tell you about the best deals, I want to remember that Travel.com.au represents all the main airkrafts operating in Australia like singapore airlines. When you open their pages you find not only the last offers of every company but their rules, terms and coditions too. It's important to know them before you come in the airport.

Tourists Look For Sharks!!!

2009-10-28T20:20:00.003+01:00

«Улыбкой Джоконды это не назовешь!» на Яндекс.Фотках

One of the last surveys discovered: when the governors of that of this region announce the zone is close for the presence of the sharks, it... attracts tourists!

The persons pay big money to have the possibility to see them, sharks, from the cage submerged in the ocean. Sincerely, I would do it too. And woud like to visit the places where is possible whale watching and where I could see the sharks in their "element". Not that I do not understand danger. But it would be really GREAT experience in my life.

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Naica Mountain Giant Crystal Cave

2009-10-28T14:37:00.003+01:00

This crystals are known, and I've just seen their photos some times. What was new for me, I did not imagine those crystals are really giant. Selenite gypsum crystals that were created by the nature when the mountain was created. Together.

The photo is from National Geographic, "Giant Crystal Caves Come To Light" where there is more information and there are more photos too.

I don't know if it's possible to visit this cave. Surely if will be. The problem is that they are in Mexico that seems to have ethernal internal problems and as not enough of sufferings they have that swine flu too... Well, we will pray the good God donates them peace and wellbeing and so everybody can visit this country without fear.

PS
I read that it's dangerous to enter these cave because there are toxic air or water or something else... Maybe it's better for conservation of this miracle of the nature.

Aurora Borealis In Photos

2009-10-21T19:04:00.002+02:00

«Северное сияние» на Яндекс.Фотках

About 2 or 3 years ago one of the most loved anchormen of the Italian TV, Mike Bongiorno (dead a month ago), wanted to partecipate on an expedition to the North Pole. He was more than 70 years old. So, I think, if one wants to see the Aurora Borealis, there have to be special tours and there are possibilities to visit one of the cities like that where the author took his photos.

The author of these photos lives in Norilsk. I've seen many photos of Aurora Borealis. I wrote about a special site and the "championships" for the best photo of it. They were beautiful, the photos, but "photoshopped". And they had no landscaft there. It seemed not natural. That is why I like these photos.

«Северное сияние» на Яндекс.Фотках

«Северное сияние» на Яндекс.Фотках

Towers On The Grove Of The Myrtle Beach

2009-10-14T16:44:00.003+02:00

This Myrtle Beach Resort is very interesting because you have the impression it rises directly from the sands of the beach in Cherry Grove, a section of the North Myrtle beach, famous vacation's destination. People like to come here to enjoy oceanfront coastline views, the relaxing noise of the waves and at the same time many and different attractions for children and adults. Interesting museums and concerts of known singers and bands, shopping malls and parks, even Alligator Adventure you can live here.

Towers on the Grove, Oceanfront Myrtle Beach Resort, is a new beach destination that offers to the guests friendly athmosphere and quality amenities. Romantic ocean views from the windows of your rooms -there are 1, 2 and 3 bedroom condos with full kitchens, private balconies and designer furnishings- will spellbound you. This resort has tropical pood deck, covered pools, lazy river and private beach access. Your vacation will donate you really great experiences.

One of the Myrtle Beach Resorts, Towers on the Grove offers you not only competitive prices. Visiting the site you can discover different and very interesting specials. They change with the seasons to give the best possibilities of the vacations. This way you can combine great services with great price.

Soaring In The Clouds

2009-10-10T15:46:00.004+02:00

I read many romantic books about Greece when I was a student. No, not about the antient times. About modern life. To be more precise, about the places of incredible beauty. And about orthodox monasteries where the life is so as it was centuries ago when the founders come here. In those cases when the women can enter the territory of the monastery, they have to wear covering clothes, the trousers are forbidden too.

Places like this, Meteora. The name means "soaring in the clouds".

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«Греция,Фессалия, метеоры» на Яндекс.Фотках

Is It Posible To Plan A Trip With Iberia?

2009-10-03T19:51:00.005+02:00

First of all I can answer the question: NEVER plan a trip with Iberia!!!!

About 3 months ago my husband asked me to see how much cost flights to Buenos Aires. He was born there and wants to visit his relatives. I opened some sites of low cost flights agencies and than companies and suddenly found a possibility to go in Argentine and to return with only 600 euros. If you know the prices, you understand that it was a great fortune for us.

One month later began something incredble: every 1-2 weeks we receive mails that the flight was cancelled and we have to contact Iberia to change the date of the flight. Today we received an other mail and it is the 4 (fourth!!!) change of the flight:


	Stimato Cliente: Le informiamo que per cause operative,il suo volo IB6845, MADRID EZEIZA del giorno ... ha modificado l'orario. La preghiamo di mettersi in contatto con noi. Grazie.

The most interesting in this story of changes is that we have to contact every time a paid number of telephon and to speak with a representative about 30 minutes-an hour to find the best solution of change.

Now the question is:

HOW MUCH will cost this flight if there are 2 month till the vacation else and if Iberia will change the flights every 2 weeks, for example?

PS.

I called Iberia paid Client service (14,26+20% per minute). Could you imagine what was the reason to obbligue me to call them? Sit hard on your chair.

I had to call that PAID client service to know that they've changed

THE NUMBER OF THE FLIGHT!!!!!!!

Following The Path Of Piligrimage

2009-09-17T19:21:00.002+02:00

I wrote many times about the castels in this my blog.

About the castels of our zone (Castles of Campania, Castles (2)),

about the different types of castles ( The Types Of Castels)

and I began to "visit" castels on the path of the piligrimage in the Holy Earth, from the North of the Europe to Jerusalem.

I did not know about it till some months ago when one of the girls of our Archeological Group, student of the history of art told me it. If you notice on a map all the most important gothic cathedrals and monasteries, she said, you will discover the Path of the Piligrimage used by medieval believers to reach Jerusalem.

Every later cathedral was built higher and bigger than the previous. To attract piligrims. You see, the world is not changed from that times. Every more or less interesting place lives and lived only to attract visitors. :0)))

The abbeys were very important healing centers too.

Now I want to post here the list of the gotic cathedrals. This list I wanted to study in the next week and want to make the map to see if the girl told me the truth.

Cathedral de Burgos, Amiens, Chartres, Notre-Dame, Siena, Salisbury, Canterbury, Milan, Salamanca, Barcelona, Sevilla, Toledo, Gerona, Estrasburgo, Colonia, Leon, Mallorca, Reims, Vienna, Segovia, Florencia, Lincoln, Oviedo.

Vacation In A Hotel In The Mill

2009-08-28T19:15:00.004+02:00

My friend from Czech Republic turned back from the 2-week vacation they passed in a mill. She sent me these photos and told with great delight about it. A young couple of owners decided to live in the way the millers lived some centuries ago.

Probably they found the only right possibility to manage the property and are young enough to have great wish to play else.
Somebody said that the best teacher etc is that who is younger than 40 years because has the desire to play. Maybe it is not completely right, I think. But...

This couple offers not only many things to do to their guests. They live in a splendid place as you see.
They offer great in all senses plates to eat too.

They, the owners, wear their "special" clothes not only to work with the guests during the day. Even in the morning they had clothes of the epoque.

My friend has a 10 years old son and they were very happy when the owners offered a "strange" game to the children. They,children, had to look for a treasure in the night and found a "water spirit" under the bridge that asked them to give him a piece of cake.

If you want to look at their site search for "Martinský mlýn". I could not open the site unfortunatelly. Maybe I'll add the address next days when my PC has more wish to collaborate.

St. Andrew In Amalfi

2009-08-18T18:47:00.003+02:00

The Cathedral of Amalfi is built over the crypt with the relics of St.Andrew. I don't want to tell you the story of this Apostel, you can read it in Wikipedia. The only thing I want write here:

Cardinal Pedro born in Amalfi took the relics there in 1208 from Constantinople. They ar in this crypt behind the grating you see on the photo.

Read interesting articles about many different things all over the world in my other blogs:
General "Diary"
about Animals
about semiprecious stones
money making articles
Yungdrung Bon Blog

Where To Buy New, Used Cars And Vans

2009-08-17T15:14:00.002+02:00

It is difficult to find something in the infinity of the informations in internet. That is why I like special sites, a sort of summaries, devided in all possible categories like Perrys pages dedicated to the right for you Peugeot Dealer search. The great dealership's number, the best deals on new cars and a large stock of used cars that you can see listed directly online, all this make Perrys one of the most important franchised Peugeot retailers in UK. And the company is authorized and regulated by Financial Services Authority, the peculiarity that is not the last to know when you look for something in internet.

Pages dedicated to Peugeot cars are easy to navigate because the information is clear and essential. Than you can pass to the specialpages dedicated to this or that model like Peugeot 308 for example where you will find descriptions of the modifications and the best deals available today. It's clear that the stock is constantly renewed, so you wwill find different offers every time you visit the site. Imagine that you can save till about £5,000 if you buy this car today! Not so bad if we think about the difficult times we live now. Is it bad or good but it is unpossible to live without a car and so we have to look for the good deals for us.

Buy the way, if you look for a small car, you have to consider Peugeot 107, the car of Peugeot-Citroen-Toyota project, that was face-lifted and renewed for better efficiency and fuel economy. These are the good news about it. Sincerely, as a woman that is interested in a small car for the narrow streets and cronical absence of the parking places in the towns, I did not like the very first variant of this car because of it's not very great look. Even if you are limited by such thoughts you can find now the new model in Perrys and if you do it today you can save up to £1100!

Abbadia St.Michel

2009-08-16T21:53:00.005+02:00

I began to write about the most interesting castels of France in my previous posts. The Types Of Castels is one of those posts.

This is an island, Mont Saint-Michel, with the benedictine abbey built before X century, and is one of the most frequented places of Normandy, France because is interesting for it's high and low tides. The photo you see is from Wikipedia and you will find many others there.

I could not find the information if this abbey is on the way of pilgrimage. I wrote that there are different very important and the most interesting cathedrals on the pilgrimage way from North Europe to Palestina. It could be interesting to make the full list of these places one day...

Ferragosto -The National Feast In Italy

2009-08-16T20:49:00.003+02:00

It is a very special period in Italy. Some days when everybody who can goes to the sea.

Persons leave everybody and everything that canot come together and go out for a vacation. 2 years ago I remember the old persons left alone in the cities died like flys because there was no one shop, drugstore or bar open for about a week in the towns and cities. In our region, there is a law after that year that the essential drugstores, bars and shops have to close one after other in the way that at least one is open.

Normally these are the hottest days of the summer. Yesterday we noticed 40°C when we were on our way home. It is very hard period. Even those persons that like to stay all day long under the sun can not stand it. Specially after 13:00 there is nobody off the house. In the "normal" days this street on the photo is full of cars that go to the expressway...

We were sure that all the population will pass this day on the beach and decided to go in one of the commercial centers to buy some things we needed urgently. We were surprized to find many cars just at 9 in the morning.

An hour later the commercial center was full of persons. The other surprizing thing for us was that we could not find summer clothes! All the shops changed the items for winter clothes! Incredible. Specilally if you think that it will be more or less warm weather till November here.

Anomalous year. From all points of view.

Dreaming About Myrtle Beach

2009-08-16T18:46:00.003+02:00

We wanted to go to the ocean in this vacation and my husband looked for the Myrtle Beach Accomodation because his friend told him much about this place. After some days dedicated to research and study of the offers we decided to book a room in "The Horizon at 77th", a newly opened hotel in a tranquil but central part of the Myrtle Beach. It is clear that we looked first of all for affordable rates and were very content to find really special solution.

All Myrtle Beach Accomodations provide good ocean view here and every condominium has over-sized balcony. So we will have our breackfast there, we dreamed, and than we will go down to the ocean and walk and run on the beach and the waves will touch our feet. And than late in the night we will go to bed listening to the voices of the ocean. My God, what can be more relaxing as this! We looked at the numerous photos of the sunrises and sunsets posted in the site of our hotel and could not think more other than about this vacation.

Myrtle Beach Hotels have an other peculiarity: they are situated in a place where is possible to assist infinite important events of cultural life. We discovered that we can book tickets directly online from the site of "The Horizon at 77th" and we booked a package of golf courses too. Now we have every day of our vacation full of events. Will we have time to sit on our balcony and enjoy the voice of the ocean?

Italy Is The Country Of Saffron

2009-08-12T20:59:00.005+02:00

Photo from Wikipedia

Did you know that saffron is the most expensive spice in the world?
And that it is produced in ...Italy?
I ask you so because I did not know about it. I thought, it comes from India or other country from that part of the world. So if you come in Italy, in Abruzzo, Sardegna for example, you can see how the paesants cultivte this plant in special factories. It is interesting enough because the technique of the cultivation is manual till today and it's very interesting to see how the persons work.

It's a "new fashion" here: the possibility to have a vacation in a farm where you can eat the healty aliments produced in the same farm, partecipate on the life and works of the farm and on many interesting activities that often offer the owners. Many residents of the cities want to stay some time in a village, want to show their children the "natural" life and so these vacations are very popular. Except this, the farms have often their own restaurants where you can eat very special and interesting local dishes.

If you look for something like this in Italy you have to write "agritrismo" in your SE.

The Types Of Castels

2009-08-07T18:29:00.010+02:00

My dream is to make a tour in France visiting the most important castels. Like this for example. There are special tours, I know because I had (and have maybe) a book dedicated to them.

We spoke about the castles in our museum last time. Did you know that there are different types of castles? Many castles of France are residential. They were built in the period when the life was calm, the nobles were rich, the central government was powerful to allow this rich life.

Well, I don't speak here about the castles that were built only to create a place similar to a fable.

In Italy, the life never was too calm and too rich. That is why most castles were built to defend the territory here. I never was in UK but they say there is the same more or less.

You can see castles in our zone if you open these my posts

They were rarely used as residences. Imagine that near the villages Mercato San Severino-Castel San Giorgio there are about 15 castels!!!!

This photo from Wikipedia is of the castel Carcassone-vignes in France.

And this is chateau Chamboard, in France, too. The difference is clear without comments, I think.

The last type of the castel is a "realized fable". Some persons want to possess in reality such a castel that they imagine it after reading fables. The most famous example of it you can see in this post The Fable Castel To Visit

About The Museu Rodin

2009-08-02T14:33:00.004+02:00

«родэн» на Яндекс.Фотках

Every time I had the possibility to visit the Hermitage Museum in S. Petersburg I wanted to go in the rooms where there were the sculptures of Auguste Rodin. One of the friends sent me a slide-show from Rodin museum (Collections) todayб and I was really surprized to know this Sculptor in all his splendid creativity. Did you think the modern sculptors are not able to create something valuable? I thought so too. Specially when you see the creations of Michelangelo or Leonardo and than "pass" to modern art.

They say Rodin was the best sculptor of XIX century... Well, I agree.

«Роковая ошибка...» на Яндекс.Фотках

Great Experience At Sycamore Lodge RV Resort

2009-07-31T19:04:00.005+02:00

Very interesting place to visit for everybody who loves to camp is rv park nc, Sycamore Lodge, a private RV campground. It owes it's name to sycamore trees planted near the campgrounds to shade them. And there is great variety of trees in the park populated with many birds. Among them the rare red-cockaded woodpecker. The campgrounds are big enough for big RV-s too. And you can enjoy this park even if you do not have a RV. There are eccelent accomodations for everybody here. You will find many beautiful features in the rooms and in the kitchen. All this and many other characteristics make so that Sycamora Lodge is one of the best luxury resorts in NC.

Sycamore Lodge is unique among the nc rv parks not only for the beauty of the place where it is situated. There is great number of amenities for everybody here. You will surely appreciate beautiful lake and beach, the possibilities to practice water sports, a swimming pool and jacuzzi complex and playgrounds for your children. Not the least in the modern society is the possibility to use wireless internet.

This rv park north Carolina is situated not far from the nation's legendary and historic golf communities. You need only some minutes to reach Pinehurst Golf Courses.Other interesting offer of this family are event weekends, about 40 all year round, when the visitors can celebrate different feasts in this unforgettable form.

Life In The Paradise

2009-07-30T21:53:00.004+02:00

Looking on this photo you probably think I'll tell you now many words in superlative about the beauty of these places? You are wrong. Contrary, I want to say: dear friends, can you imagne the terrible and solitary life that have the persons living in this paradise? Even with the modern vehicles is difficult to reach the next village -I don't say you about the next city. Seems, it is so near -if you are able to fly maybe. But if you have to use the very narrow one-car roads and these roads have nothing other as turns...

...you sit in your paradise looking on the other side of the valley one day...
you sit there second day, third day...
Than, in the evening, you turn on your TV and watch the LIFE somewhere there...

And now think a moment that you have to make all that road EVERY day -with rain or sun- to reach the next city (Salerno or Naples) where you found job...

What is the difference between the Paradise and the Hell?

Importance Of Heraldry

2009-07-30T20:02:00.007+02:00

In some texts I read about Robert Guiscard, Norman conqueror of Italy, were mentioned his heraldric signs. So, was said, the lion was one of them.(Arms of Hautville family)

Than they told about the band used by the knights to put their swords on it. It was said, all the Normans have this band in their arms. All the Normans.

In Ravello I've seen arms with a lion and a band over him. I thought, it is of the family of Robert Guiscard. Asked the guides and they could not say anything about it. They said it's of Pope. But it's not true. I found a site with many arms of different Popes. All they have a mitre like this (Wikipedia):

The only sure Norman family I know lived in this zone, was the family of Princes of Salerno Sanseverino and here I found their arms in Wikipedia.
As you see, there is really a band on these arms. Nothing except it.

Where are other heraldryc signs? Like that lion of Robert Guiscard -I don't know.

Unfortunatelly I know nothing about this interesting science, Heraldry, but as it's possible to see, it is important to know it sometimes to understand ways of history.

Tell Intarsia About Arabs?

2009-07-30T19:23:00.007+02:00

On these 2 photos you see the 2 sides of the portico of the cathedral of Salerno.

If you listen to a guide or to anybody who can tell you some words about this building you will surely hear this sentence that I copied from Wikipedia:
"The entrance has a portico with 28 antique columns whose pointed arches, with lava rock intarsia, show influence of Arab art,"

I was sure it's the truth and told it to the persons too. Till I visited Pompei a month ago. There I made this photo:

The cathedral of Salerno was built in about 1080-1084 by Norman conqueror of the town Robert Guiscard. Normans could be perfectly influenced by Arabs called Saracens in Italy because those had the use to plundert coasts of Italy at least from V-VI centuries.

The Romans could not avoid contacts with Arabs in all their history, it's clear. Even if the first documented contacts go back to the II-III centuries. Pompei was burried in 79, I century.

Now I think about it: could it be really Arabic influence?

Cheap International Flights

2009-07-26T18:08:00.004+02:00

Finally the period of the vacations began and many of us look for cheap international flights to visit all the points on the Earth that we dream all the year round. I have friends that think about the vacations from the moment they turn home. They are travel-fans. My husband begins to look for the ticket to visit his mother in Argentine about 8 months befor the date of vacation to find best offers. If you visit Travel.com.au, you can find not only "regular" one way and return offers, there are even "round the world" and "multistop" possibilities. Interesting, no?

Travel.com.au presents different destinations and airfares. One of them is qantas that is Australias largest airline and offers flights to any part of the world. And -imagine!- it's the second oldest in the world. I'm sure you did not know about it. This company offers so many and excellent services that it is one of the best in the world in this sense too. And if you are frequent flyer you can earn free flights or other benefits including deals with hotels and car hire.

An other reliable air service offers singapore airlines. Among other interesting proposals this company has two longest non-stop flights. All the classes of tickets are comfortable and the entertaining system during the flights includes more than 450 options. Your flight even if very long will never be boring. The company offers discounts for frequent flyers and special holiday packages for those who loves adventures.

Boking your flight with Travel.com.au as you see can help you to discover infinite possibilities to have a special vacation.

Plants Growing In The Crater Of Solfatara

2009-07-25T21:52:00.004+02:00

Left the zone of hot air and soil (Healing Qualities Of Volcano Solfatara ) I crossed the cratere using special paths.

This area is similar to a botanic garden because there are inscriptions near every plant (wekll, not "every"...) and big tables with explanations here.

I just wrote about the trees growing in that zone of Solfatara in my post How Some Trees Can Grow. Those were eucalipts and here is Myrthus. It is not far from that place. The plants can grow really in any condition. Look here: this is not "normal" soil where you would plant something, true?

Some meters later -and we can see great explosion of life...

By the way, I don't know what are these "weeds".
Other 10-15 metrrs and you can see many campers and persons that live there.