Alicante

Alicante

Alicante, and it's wonderful boulevard with palm trees and shopping streets, is one of the most well-known towns along the Costa Blanca.

Known for its miles of sandy beaches, Alicante is a starting point for thousands of tourists every year.
Famous for its excellent weather, the city invites you to take a trip along the coast or to the wonderful island of Tabarca. Along the Alicante harbor you find beautiful long alleys for nice relaxing walks, enjoying the palm trees and the mild climate.

Video: Alicante
With many historical buildings around the entire city, Alicante offers countless sightseeing attractions, from cathedrals to churches and of course a wonderful harbor area. Additional to sightseeing, direct from the harbor area, a long wide sandy beach leads its way up to San Juan. Just drop your towel on the sand and enjoy a wonderful day in the sun.
During summer time, Alicante with its Airport, is a starting point for many Costa Blanca tourists, while during the winter months tourists and residents tend to live along the coast in places like Benidorm, Calpe and Denia.
Alicante's location: The Costa Blanca lies on the east coast of Spain. to the south is the Costa Almeria and to the north, the Costa Dorada. Alicante has about 340 000 habitants (2005 numbers) and lies directly at the Mediterranean sea.

The Cavalli Beach House Retreat

The Cavalli Beach

The Cavalli Beach House Retreat is situated in an absolute waterfront location on the eastern coast in the north of New Zealand.A comfortable four hours drive north of Auckland or a thirty five minute commuter flight from Auckland to Bay of Islands Airport. Forty five minutes drive from Kerikeri. Helicopter pad available.Although seemingly remote, the Retreat is only 15 minutes drive from the famous Kauri Cliffs Golf Course and within an hour of the Bay of Islands attractions.

London

London Tourism and Travel Guide
Photo by lisanti
Traditional London is alive and well—with a healthy dose of experimental theater, haute cuisine, and techno beats. Today, lesser-known gems like Spitalfield's Market and trendy Clerkenwell compliment the popular tourist highlights. Though the weather can be dreary, a visit to this thriving city is anything but.
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Why Do I Crave Gas Station Chicken?

Every once in a while I get a weird craving for gas station chicken. Anyone who’s been on a road trip knows that gas stations in the middle of no where have the best fried chicken. I’m not saying you won’t need some Tums to get you through afterwards, but it sure is tasty.
It’s no different here in SW Orlando. The best fried chicken can be found at Dodge’s Store on highway 50 in Winter Garden. The address is 12961 W. Colonial Drive, Winter Garden, FL 34787 if you wanna get directions. I swore to myself never to eat gas station food again when I got sick from a Blimpies sub that I got at a gas station once, but gas station chicken is another thing altogether.
With gas prices around $4 a gallon, it makes the fried chicken at Dodge’s seem like an outright steal. For $1.99, you can get 2 hot wings and a chicken strip which make for a quite a tasty snack. You can also get plenty of zings, dings, jo jo’s, fries, turkey legs, and of course, good old apple pie for about the same price as a gallon of gas. The price of gas is getting out of hand.
Everyone there is super friendly and it feels like you’re in a small town eatery where everyone knows your name and they’re glad that you came yet you’re at a gas station. There’s just something about the smell of car fumes and fried chicken that appeals to me I guess.

The Orlando Market is Steadily Improving

The Orlando Regional Realtor Association released the latest statistics for Orlando today and it shows some promising signs. For the first time this year, the inventory of homes is less than the level seen in the same period for 2007. There’s currently 19.6 months of inventory on the market which seems like a lot, but at least we’re headed in the right direction.
The number of total properties under contract show a distinct trend upward in the graph and the number of sales has increased every month in 2008. We had 1,276 sales and 3,225 properties under contract in May 2008. I believe this means more homes are selling.
Another promising statistic is that fewer homes are coming on the market. We definitely don’t need to add to the glutton of inventory already on the market, so I’m excited to see this. For the market to truly reach a point of stabilization, we really need to see an inventory level that’s far less then 19.6 months.
We’re not there yet, but the statistics show that there definitely is a steady march towards improvement underway for the real estate market in Orlando.

Lake Whatcom Washington State

Lake Whatcom

Bellingham's Lake Whatcom is a beautiful timber lined freshwater lake nestled in the foothills between the shores of Puget Sound and magnificent Mount Baker. Lake Whatcom is Washington's 4th largest freshwater lake stretching over 12 miles from end to end with the north shore in Bellingham and the southern most end in the laid back community of Sedro Woolley. The wooded shoreline around lake Whatcom is dotted with lakeside resorts, a summer camp, scenic parks and private homes-- everything from quaint summer cabins & rustic log homes, to majestic waterfront mansions with their very own docks.
Lake Whatcom is stocked with fish each year by the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife. The lake is popular for fishing, sailing, windsurfing, water skiing, kayaking & even canoeing. - Northwest families have been camping and vacationing along its shores for generations. Lake Whatcom has a number of communities around its shores but one of the largest is the master planned lakefront community of Sudden Valley. This resort community has its own marina, boat ramp, private beach access, and highly regarded golf course designed by Ted Robinson.

Cracow

                                                        





Krakow, Cracow - call it what you will - a big welcome to our travel guide to Poland's "cultural capital"! Cracow Life brings you a general guide section of information, the latest news, as well as tips, suggestions about travel and money, a city centre map, guide and introduction to culture to get you started, as well as a comprehensive low-down of the very best restaurants, hotels and apartments, pubs, nightclubs and cafes, shops and places to have fun in the city. We try to keep it light-hearted but informative. We've been to all the places reviewed on the site, so you'll get a first-hand idea of what it's like. Cracow is a vibrant city with great cultural and historical dignity, which provides a glorious backdrop to all the fun. Hey, what other World Heritage site can boast the highest density of bars and pubs in the world? You get the idea!Whether you're just booked to travel or already in the city, we're here to help you make the very best of your stay. We love Cracow - that's why we live here - and we look forward to passing on all the best information and tips about the place, so that you'll be as enthusiastic about it as we are!

We're always working hard to improve the site, with new articles added to our news section daily and a constantly-updated calendar of events going on in the city. Don't forget that we are always ready to help out with advice and suggestions for your stay - so do take advantage of our local knowledge when it comes to choosing your hotel or other place to stay. We really value your comments and suggestions - so get in touch and let us know what you think about Cracow, what you'd like to see on the site, and any other great bits of information you think we should know about.

See you in the city, or join us at the weekends in nearby Zakopane, Poland's mountain resort! And don't forget to check out our other guides to Warsaw, Gdansk, Poznan and Wroclaw!

The Early Years of Germany

The Early Years of Germany

From a traveler's perspective, history of the territory that today represents Germany needs a closer look with the times of the Romans to pursue a campaign of expansion into Germanic territory.Germanic Tribes and Romans were involved in numerous battles which prompted Romans to build the Limes, a fortification 300 kilometers long, in the first century A.D. Cities like Cologne, Mainz or Trier do have their origins in ancient Roman settlements, in Trier impressive buildings dating back to these times can still be visited.
From the times of Roman influence up until the partition of the Frankish Kingdom by Charlemagne, history cannot be labeled as German history. But these are the times when European basics were shaped from a cultural, religious, ethnical and territorial perspective. Only during the Saxon Dynasty about 1000 A.D. something like the conscience of a German kingdom occurred, and started to replace the ancient Frankish kingdom. The city of Aachen still today shows the power of the Frankish kings.

Years of Changes in Germany

Medieval Germany was dominated mainly by struggles within the German Empire as well as the catholic church. The notion of “Holy Roman Empire of German Nation” implies the growing political distance between Rome and Germany.The geographic spread of Germany changed continuously over the centuries. Although all of Germany was under the control of the Emperor, his power was so weak or uncertain, that many local authorities had to maintain order. Nevertheless being located in the center of Europe, Germany was active in international trade as well as manufacturing and therefore prospered during the fourteenth and fifteenth century.In 1517, with the posting of Martin Luther's theses, an era of religious tensions began, which seemed to have an end through the Peace of Augsburg in 1555. But in 1618, the Thirty Years' War began, and by its end in 1648 (Peace of Westphalia) large parts of Germany were devastated. Politically, Germany was even less united than before and a long period of economic decline began.
To withstand the growing revolutionary french power, at the end of the 18th century, Austria and Prussia built an alliance, which didn't help to stop Napoleon and his military victories. The effect of the French occupation amongst others was the reduction of geographical entities within Germany from about 300 to merely 40.In 1862 King Wilhelm I. of Prussia chose Otto von Bismarck as his minister president. After the wars against Austria, France and Denmark it was Wilhelm I. who was crowned as German Emperor in the Hall of Mirrors in Versailles.

Germany - Two states for 40 years

The entire German territory was occupied by foreign armies, forming four occupation zones. In 1946 the United States and Britain formed the Bizone, which was later on joined by France to build the Trizone in 1949.The growing conflicts between the Western Allies and Russia led to the approval by the Western military governors of the new Basic Law on May 23, 1949, and on that date a new state, the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG or BRD) came into existence. Only a couple of months later, in the soviet occupation zone the new People's Council was convened for the first time on October 7, 1949, and on the same day the constitution of the German Democratic Republic (GDR or DDR) went into effect.During the following four decades, both German countries chose to follow completely different paths, both from a political as well as economical perspective.
After a short but powerful period of peaceful manifestations in Eastern Germany, on November 9, 1989 the GDR border police unexpectedly opened the Berlin Wall.On October 3, 1990 the Eastern German Volkskammer agreed to the German unification, and on midnight that same day, the German Democratic Republic joined the Federal Republic of Germany.Many differences between both German States have disappeared but at many places, traces of Eastern Germany can still be found, which is one of many reasons to travel through Germany.

Alicante Spain

Alicante Spain

Alicante, Spain with its beautiful boulevard and pleasant shopping street, is one of the most well-known towns on the Costa Blanca. The coast of Alicante and the Costa Blanca owes its name to the beaches stretching for several kilometers and attracts many sun worshippers and pleasure seekers. The sun in Alicante shines virtually

Alicante Airport

One of the biggest airports for charter flights in Spain. From Alicante Airport to Downtown, Benidorm or Denia, where to get the Bus to the city? Where are the long term parking lots?

Costa Blanca - Benidorm and Denia

The different ways to go to Benidorm, one of the biggest tourist cities in Spain and Denia from the city. From the new Benidorm to Alicante Airport bus to the FGV train. All this in the Benidorm - Denia and Costa Blanca section.

Public Transport

Where to catch a train from Alicante? And the downtown bus station where is it? - Looking for taxi stops in Alicante - All this in the Alicante Public Transport section.

Alicante Hotels

Where to get a good hotel and where to stay - downtown or along the Costa Blanca ? Where to find a good restaurant for a excellent paella ? - All this in the Alicante hotel section.

Alicante Streetcar

The new Alicante streetcar from the harbor area to the beaches of San Juan and El Campello. Not yet like an underground, but a very modern and easy connection. More about it in our Alicante Streetcar underground section. The electric car leads its way out of the city directly on a new rebuilt line along the coast of Alicante.

Tripura Cultural Tour INDIA

Tripura Cultural Tour

Places Covered :Delhi - – Agartala - Jamphai Hills - Neermahal – Matabari - Dumborr.
Day 01 : Delhi - Kolkata – Agartala Arrive at Agartala, meet and assisted by Boni Tour and Travelspersonnel and drive to hotel. Evening free at the local bazaar.
Day 02 : Agartala – Jamphai Hills Drive to Jamphai Hills of abods of eternal spring due to its climate characteristic from the summit of hill the view of the country is exceedingly charming. Overnight at Jamphai Hill.
Day 03 : Jamphai Hill – Agartala . Morning drive back to Agartala . Afternoon visit the Maharaja Kalyan Manikya initiated the excavations of lake Kamalasagar, 27 km from Agartala. There’s a popular 16th century Kall temple with edge of the lake. Overnight at hotel.
Day 04 : Agartala – Neermahal – Matabari Drive to Neermahal, which is located at Udaipur. Tripura’s lovely lake palace on lake Pudrasagar , Neermahal , is Eastern India’s only water place. After Neermahal we will visit Matabari which is one of the most important and much venerated attractions of Tripura. Here is the ancient temple of Matabari or Tripurasundari.
Day 05 : Agartala – Dumborr. Morning drive to the great lake of Dumboor, which is surrounded by verdant hills. There are 48 island. The lake, which is the store house to numerous birds of all samples and color. You can also take a boat ride around this pretty lake.
Day 06 : Agartala – Delhi/Kolkotta Free for shopping and other individual activities. Overnight in Houseboats.

Best Beaches of Puerto Rico

Best Beaches of Puerto Rico

Based on a recommendation by one of our readers, we ventured to the islands that make up Puerto Rico and came back with some of the most astonishing beaches! Yes, even next to our arrival airport - San Juan International, there's a community beach that's hard to beat.
As we followed the 272 miles of dramatic coast, we stop at each of the best beaches in the area. There are beaches for bird watchers; beaches for swimming; beaches for sailing; surfing, diving, snorkeling, kiteboarding, windsurfing, boogie boarding - one for each passion!Taino Indians called these beaches home when Christopher Columbus arrived in the New World in 1492. But Spanish explorers made them extinct in little time when they exploited them and brought disease the Tainos had no defense against.
With the Spanish-American War in 1898, Puerto Rico became a possession of the United States. Citizens became American Citizens. Nonetheless, a battle for autonomy runs warm throughout much of the land. Many are divided because they want what American citizenship gives them, yet they desire autonomy as well.Politics aside, the people we found in Puerto Rico were so hospitable - it reminded us of our journey to Buzios, Brazil. And, truthfully, the beaches are very similar. Here, you'll find beach vendors. These are people who sell goods right on the beach. We found all types of delicious Caribbean food, from seafood to chicken - most cooked right on the beach over hibachis.Other vendors sell sarongs and towels, suntan lotion, and souvenirs. A few stay at posts near the entrances to the beaches, and a few wander the beaches. This is customary here. Some of the balneareos - beach areas - had a few dollar access fee. And they use the American dollar here - so no exchange.Speaking of that - American citizens can fly down here on nothing more than ID and an airline ticket. You don't need a passport. That's convenient and simple - so you have no excuse not to check out some of these beaches soon.We found the beaches well kept and five of them are world class Blue Flag beaches - an honor very hard to acquire. Come venture with us as this month we take a close look at the many Beaches of Puerto Rico!