1. The european football championships is organized in Austria and Switzerland. A good opportunity to discover two alpine countries and some interesting cities as Vienna, Zurich, Basel, Innsbruck,Berna etc
2. New York. Simply amazing, has always something new!
3.Monte Carlo
4.Disneyland in Paris
5.Stockholm
In Tokyo, worlds biggest megacity, is a dramatic lack of hotel beds! One of the necessary solution, nevertheless not acceptable for some tourists is the bellow illustrated capsule hotel!
For some tourists and locals, a wonderful idea!
But other questions are emerging: how is having sex here? May be even worse than in a hostel? Must you book in advance a simple or a double room/capsule? The price is acceptable: 17 $ a night!
Visiting Brussels, the European capital, is interesting. This time, I would like to give some advices about three good hotels from Brussels. If you plan a trip to Brussels, it might be your destination.
2.Hotel La Madeleine **(budget). Belongs to the Belhotel group, which rebuilded and expanded the hotel in 1996. 50 rooms with comfortable furniture, bathroom with shower cabin. Excelent services, familiar atmosphere. Location: in the historic city centre, near the Railway Station and Central Market
Adress: Rue de la Montagne 20-22; B-1000 Brussels
3. Bedford Hotel ****. This is pure luxury and high standars in service quality, making anyone happy and satisfied, whether a tourist, or a businessman. It is located also in the centre between Grand Place and Thalys/Eurostar. For the most refined taste, it excellently combines a flexible, but traditional, style, with the efficiency and professionalism of the staff. It is wating for you with 326 rooms(standard,business, executives, flats) having generous bathrooms, party facilities for 600 persons, parking!
In Tibet happened many thing during the last month. Amazingly, Dalai Lama and his adepts are not seeking confrontation, they want peace! They do not make any war declarations, but on the contrary.
The best example is the Tibetan bellow, which entends to make peace through disemination of all these paper pieces!
Niagara Falls is maybe not the world’s biggest, but is no doubt the most visited. I saw it again, and was even more impressive than the first time. If you want to know more about Niagara Falls, than you should read this.
First of all, let the numbers speaking: 110 000 cubic metres fall in every minutes, and
20 000 000 tourists are mesmerized every year by these water falls(they are in fact two falls: one of them measures 53 m in height, and the other 21 m). The total width is almost 1 kilometre, and there are a dozen of skyscrapers build on the shores.
It lies on the border between Canada and U.S., between the lakes originated by the last ice period. The bigger falls is in Canada, not far from Toronto(avoid driving on highway during hot sommer week ends, you might need four hours). If you come from New York City, you need 10 hours bus travel.
Be very carefull when approaching the town: already when you are 10 km away you can hear Niagara Falls! It is an amazing, scaring, strong noise. If you look better, you can see also some very fine water drops.
The name Niagara comes from an Indian language. The Iroquaise Indians called the Falls “Niheeka”.
Since 1800 this area is opened for tourism and travels. In 1885 the State of New York declares Niagara as national Park, followed one year later by Canada. Today is one of the most important traveling targets in North America. The last fashion: fancy wedding parties organized near the falls! Yearly, 50000 couples marry here.
The Canada side is much more better developed. You can admire Niagara from the ship “Maid of the Mist”; from helicopter or balloon, or even from a tower. At night, the Falls are red, green, blue or orange, due to the artificial light.
So, if you plan to marry soon, go to Niagara Falls! And if you want to divorce go also to Niagara Falls. But simply go there, it is a necessary experience.
An erupting volcano is very interesting, and very spectacular. It has been said, it would have magnetic supernatural powers. But stay away from it, when you see one!
The hot hot summer is coming, it can be felt already. Nothing to do again global warming(excepted travel green, bike to the job, think environmental friendly). If you ‘ll find in a good summer day the climate unbearable, then Anchorage in Alaska is the right place for you.
Anchorage, Alaska is located slightly farther to the north than Oslo, Helsinki and Saint Petersburg. It is surrounded by mountains(Chugach Mountains) and enjoys a subarctic climate.
The city is unbelievable young, its build started in 1914 as the end of Alaska railway. Buildings from the 50’s are already historic.
I was very surprised in Anchorage about the length of the day, due to its nordic latitude. Also surprising for the tourists and new residents are the short daytime in winter.
Anchorage is still not very big(260 000 inhabitants), but is wonderful! You can visit it even in the honeymoon, you will not regret. It is also known as the city of light and flowers.
In the city neighborhood, more significant than everything else, is the abundant wildlife. 250 black bears, 60 grizzlies can be seen very near, some of them even in the city. There are also 250 moose in summer, which are almost 1000 in winter. If you drive in Anchorage, you must be very carefully: 100 moose fall victims yearly to the road traffic. Some moose become aggresive, and must be destroyed by the authorities.
As a tourist, you will be spoiled in Anchorage! You can find luxury at slow prices, finding also excelent continental food. Nightlife is interesting, especially to the Rumrunners Old Town Bar & Grill, which I visited regularly!
Anchorage was nominated four times as All America city, which means something! It is waiting for you with a plethora of outdoor activities:nordic & alpin skiing,snowmobiling,fishing, river rafting, canoeing, kayaking.
There are all the reasons to travel to Anchorage, believe me! And hurry up to book your travel.
If you are in Thailand, after the capital Bangkok, you can also visit Chiang Mai. If you are really interested to find out more about Chiang Mai, you couldn’t be better.
Chiang Mai is the most significant and largest city in northern Thailand. It lies 700 km north from Bangkok, in the highest mountains of the country, on the Ping River.
Supposing you are an expat wishing to live in Thailand, tell me sincerely what could be your choice between Bangkok(20 millions inhabitants, polution, high prices) and Chiang Mai(170000 inhabitants, mountains, clean air, low prices) ? You find many expats in Chiang Mai, and you can find also many former inhabitants of Bangkok.
Chiang Mai is first of all a shopping paradise. You can find here decorations, orchids gardens with purchase possibilities, very nice and very cheap silver jews(maybe the best investition to do here), paper umbrellas, hand tissues, , little statues, ceramics etc. The sellers are prepared to bargain! You must be prepared for that, acting in the limits of common sense and smiling. Remember to ask for shopping:
-Night Bazaar
-Sunday Market, opened from 14 to 22 a.m.
Also remarcable in Chiang Mai: the staying prices are very low, you can find cheap luxury. Also, you can eat very much, tasty and cheap. You can even learn to cook thai, as I did, and my family is very enthusiastic about it. But during my one week classes I should eat daily only what I cooked myself, and I was fast to starve.
Chiang Mai is also very well known for the intense cultural life. You can find here 300 budhist temples, the oldest of them from the XIIIth century. There are here plenty of festivals, e.g. the flower festival in February.
If you want to go out and dinner in a restaurant, you must be aware of the local habits and etiquette: you must smile, but also you must be decent, clean and tidy dressed up. Otherwise you will get only a bad place in that restaurant.
So, dear friends, go to Chiang Mai, I think it worths !
