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Summer Festival in Spain
In summer, neighborhoods and towns in Spain are busy organizing their festivals, which are full of outdoor activities that reinforce a sense of community and invite you to enjoy the magic of summer nights. Concerts, competitions, and races are just some of things one can expect at each location, and these offerings are expanding each year, attracting both locals and tourists to celebrations. We would like to let you know about the some of the most important of these popular festivals. And then get ready to go, because these will festivals will get you moving. FIESTAS DE GRACIA, BARCELONA August 15 – 21 The Fiesta Mayor de Gracia is definitely one of the biggest attractions in Barcelona during the summer season. Famous for its balcony and street decorating contests, thousands of visitors come every year during the week-long festivities to take part in the parades, concerts, workshops, sports activities, or local dining and theater events. FIESTA MAYOR DE EL PORT DE LA SELVA, GIRONA August 3-5 This festival is dedicated to the Virgen de las Nieves (Our Lady of the Snows), patron of the town’s fiesta. During these three days notable sports events, including swimming and a 10K race, complement an extensive program of traditional events like the Sardanas, a sandcastle competition, the foam party, or evening concerts on the Plaza Mayor. HORSE RACING, SAN LÚCAR DE BARRAMEDA First cycle: August 7, 8 and 9 Second Cycle: August 21, 22, and 23 Declared “Fiestas of International Tourist Interest,” these are some of the most important cultural and sporting events in Spain. For three consecutive days, the city hosts spectacular...
The 3 Trips You Must Take
Most mortals have a limited number of places they get to visit and are not able to see all the wonderful places on our beautiful planet. So, we have to prioritize. In this post, we’ll discuss the three urban destinations you should not miss. One is in Asia, one is in North America and one is in Europe. There are many more (urban and not urban, of course) but you have to start somewhere… Tokyo The Japanese capital is without a doubt a very big city. In fact, more than 30 million people live in the metropolitan area. It’s best to take a few extra days of vacation here, since you’ll definitely need more than a weekend to see it all. Tokyo is the main financial center of Asia and the headquarters of many international companies, especially those in the electronics sector. Most of the population is Buddhist, so there numerous Buddhist temples in the capital and surrounding areas to visit. There are also a variety of museums and theaters offering something unique. And, of course, you cannot visit the Japanese capital without sampling some delicious dishes such as udon, tempura or sushi. New York It’s called the capital of the world or the city that never sleeps. Whatever the case, New York doesn’t need a lot of adjectives. It is the city par excellence. You absolutely must visit at some point in your life to walk the streets among the enormous skyscrapers, go to the top of the Empire State Building, visit the Statue of Liberty, and stroll through Central Park. Manhattan is so diverse it’s like you’re...
6 Things You Don’t Want to Have Happen on Vacation
Missing out on the best There’s always that friend who’ll say: “You didn’t go to that restaurant near the Fontana di Trevi? Well you missed out on the best in Rome.” To avoid this, it is best to ask your friends in advance where they would recommend that you go. You can also check travel blogs (like this one!) or seek advice from friends or acquaintances living where you are going. Standing in long lines When you visit a city, you should do the research in advance, so that you know which events you want to attend and which museums you want to visit. Lots of places offer ticket sales, and sometimes even discounts for advance purchases. Take note of the opening times to get there first and avoid the long lines that can form at peak times. Blisters on your first day Before you pack think about how you will be spending the holidays. Are you going to be relaxing at the pool or will you be going on excursions or visiting cities on foot? In case of the latter, make sure you bring your most comfortable shoes. And don’t buy new shoes a week before your trip. To ensure that you are well equipped for walking, take along your everyday shoes. Being robbed “Think wrong and be right.” This is what you need to remember while traveling, especially in crowded places. We don’t want to be alarmists, but to make the most of your trip and avoid being robbed, you must always be very conscious of your handbags and luggage. Hide more valuable objects and money in...
App of the Month: TravelSafe Pro
The application that I’m recommending this month is TravelSafe Pro, which is like an international off-line database that’s perfect to bring along in any bag. And when you need to travel abroad at the last minute and something unexpected happens, you’ll see how useful it can be when you need to quickly access the phone numbers and addresses of the embassy and consulates in any country or the numbers for police, the fire station, and the emergency hotline. You never know what might happen. If there’s an app that can really help you out in a time of need, and perhaps even save lives, it’s TravelSafe Pro. A trip begins way before the actual day of departure. Whatever your destination, you will have to get ready for it. Not only the route and accommodations need your attention, you also need to prepare for what to do in an emergency. Traveling abroad with TravelSafe Pro guarantees you’ll have the right information. Of course, as you know, the information offered by this application can be found on the internet thanks to Google, but the good thing about this app is that you don’t need an internet connection. The information will already been downloaded on your phone. You only need to select the country of origin and your destination. TravelSafe Pro also gives users the option to call directly from the app, so that you don’t need to waste a single minute in an emergency situation. There are definitely times when one needs to act quickly, and having an emergency while traveling abroad can be especially stressful. Imagine you trip while hiking...
Vacationing in the Mountains
Beach or mountains? This post is only for those interested in the latter. For the adventurous, those traveling alone or with family, keep reading and I’ll tell you about several possible destinations: Take a walk on the highest peak in Switzerland, the Jungfrau, then climb the world´s highest cog railway up to Aletsch, the longest glacier of Europe. And from there we will take a leap to Italy. That’s where you’ll once again climb up, this time it’s Mount Vesuvius in Naples overlooking Herculaneum and Pompeii (the petrified city). Photo by Miguel Ascend the Jungfrau, Interlaken (Switzerland): The easiest way to get there (if you’re not an experienced climber) is by taking the train that goes to Grindelwald, Wengen and Interlaken, to the south of the Canton of Bern. Is the highest train in the world (4,000 meters high) and one of the world´s oldest still running, since this attractive railway line just turned the century mark. Tickets cost 120 euros. And while this is certainly not cheap, it’s really worth it. The trip takes 2 hours tour and includes stops to see the Alps from different perspectives. And the best part about going there is that you can ski in any season because there´s always snow. Of course, you should go up on a sunny, because it can be very cold and windy up there. And of course, your pictures will turn out better without fog. The most impressive view you can capture is that of the Great Aletsch Glacier, which measures no more and no less than 24 kilometers long and has an area of about...
Affordable Beaches
Today we’d like to give you some tips for cheap beach trips. We´re going to talk about some of the most affordable spots in Portugal, Morocco, Malta, Italy and Spain. Traveling on a budget does not mean lower quality. There are many destinations that offer very enticing alternatives. The beaches of Essaouira and Agadir, Morocco It’s surprising how affordable it is to travel to this North African country. For starters the currency, the dirham, offers exceptional exchange rates. Eating, sleeping, shopping, and excursions will cost very little. I would recommend that while in Morocco you get to know Essaouira and Agadir, two coastal cities where you can eat freshly caught fish, walk along its crowded souks featuring typical products, and even surf if you’d like. Its beaches on the Atlantic are often quite windy, which is why the cities, and especially Essaouira, are favorite destinations for surfers looking for new adventures in Africa. The beaches of Porto, Portugal This is a very affordable destination for travelers looking to take a few days off without spending all their savings. With wild beaches and fishing villages, these are great places to spend a few days with family. But if you’re used to sand, you may want to know in advance that there is none. It has a rocky landscape, which is nice nonetheless, and the “sand” is actually made up of small stones and bits of shells. If you like to be alone on the beach, you’ll want to head out of the city. Some are virtually untouched and some are more than 500 million years old. Here are some I...
Hop! the Suitcase That Follows You
Some inventions are truly innovative and catch us by surprise. Hop! is one of them. Invented by a Spaniard, it may well be the best invention to come out of this country since the mop was invented. And Hop! could be a very useful tool for travelers who suffer back problems, since it’s a suitcase that you don’t have to carry or drag behind you. You don’t even have to touch it to take along with you. How does it move? It’s easy. You just need a smartphone and then activate your Bluetooth. The Hop! suitcase has three sensors at each corner to receive and triangulate the signal coming from your smartphone, and cause it to automatically follow you. So if you have your smartphone in your pocket, the suitcase will “magically” follow you. The integrated microprocessor locates the signal and in this way follows your exact movements from the spot you just passed. The suitcase moves on small wheels that enable it to move lightly, practically hopping, which is how it got its name. And the question that everyone is asking: What happens if the suitcase is lost or if someone takes it? If the smartphone loses its signal with the suitcase it automatically starts to vibrate, so the user will know exactly when the signal has been lost and the suitcase is not following him or her. The suitcase locks itself and stops moving when the signal is lost, which is especially useful if you are walking through a large crowd. And the other question: What if I’m traveling with more than one suitcase? Do you need...
Hiking in Norway: The Best Way to Discover This Northern Landscape
Travelling to Norway in June is an exceptional plan. Not only does the warm weather reaches up north as well, enabling you to visit all of the wonderful places that are covered with snow during other times in the year, but you can also experience how the sun almost never goes down at this latitude as we approach the summer solstice. The days last 19 hours, and everything is endowed with unique energy and the sky is filled with light of stunning hues. Oslo is the perfect starting point to explore the pristine landscapes of the north, which are revealed in all their glory after the long winter. Within a few hours you can depart the beautiful and modern capital, and arrive by train to some very authentic Norwegian towns, where there are a variety of fascinating hiking trails. We suggest joining an organized group, since you’ll be traversing in isolated places where it can still get quite cold at night. In addition, you’ll need to transport heavy equipment (tent, winter-weight sleeping bag, food, etc.) But don’t worry, if you prefer more independent travel, there are original hikes organized by small but very competent expedition companies. One of these is Road Junky, an alternative online travel guide that has been dedicated to organizing retreats not tourist destinations since 2011. This year, they launched a new project: the Road Junky Walk, a one-week walking tour across central Norway, from the mountains to the fjords, that takes place June 14-21. This is an original route discovered by the same guide who will accompany the group, an expert in survival techniques. To...
App of the Month: Groopic
Of all the apps that we have tested over the last few months, today’s is definitely one of the best and maybe even the best. Want to know why it’s no longer necessary to be left out of photos? Keep reading. How many times have you wanted to take a photograph while traveling but didn’t simply because someone has to take the photo? You come home and ask yourself, “But where are you in the pictures?” One option that many people employ is the “selfie,” a photo that you take yourself with your face in the foreground taking up most of the picture and leaving little room to see what´s behind you, which is what you actually want to see. The selfie has become very popular lately, not only due to Ellen DeGeneres at the Oscars but thanks to sites like Instagram. But let’s be honest, a selfie is not usually a good picture. However, let’s get back to our topic at hand. Groopic is a fantastic app for the following reason. If you´re with somebody and you want to have a picture of the both of you without resorting to taking a selfie or asking someone to do it for you (and without the embarrassment of a language barrier or fear that someone might run off with your camera or mobile), you can now use Groopic to photograph everyone. How? It’s easy. One of you shoots the other person or persons and then the photographer trades places with someone to position him or herself next to the others (not in the same spot). Then, Groopic superimposes the two...
