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Travel Tips
Spectacular Urban Gardens
Few pleasures can be compared to walking through a garden full of flowers and scents in the shade. If we add the advantage of being but a few meters from the hustle and bustle of the city, the garden becomes an oasis and the pleasure is even greater, since we can escape the noise and pollution without having to travel very far. If this appeals to you, here are five urban gardens that you can immerse yourself in without ever leaving the city. By Shaun Merritt Chelsea Physic Garden – London Every year in the neighborhood of Chelsea, they hold the Chelsea Flower Show, an event focusing on flowers and plants where you can visit small, stunning gardens. And don’t worry if you aren’t lucky enough to be in London during the month of May. The Chelsea Physic Garden was founded in the 17th century and its name comes from the plants used to heal. Its plants, trees and flowers make this garden an oasis in the British capital, a place to walk or sit on a bench and rest amid great natural beauty. Jardins Majorelle – Marrakech Who knew that the desert could be home to a garden of such beauty! In the city of Marrakech, Morocco, this botanical garden has served as inspiration for artists of previous generations. You’ll find desert plants like cactus surrounded by ponds and palm trees. Property of the late couturier Yves Saint- Laurent, the Majorelle gardens are the perfect spot to come and escape the noise of the city center and the hubbub that occurs in the souks. Conservatory Garden – New York...
Interesting Metro Stations around the World
Underneath many cities one can find real treasures, from stations of another era to very modernist and colorful ones. The metro takes us on a journey. Just get a ticket, get aboard and begin the trip. Next stop: A ghost station in Madrid, a luxury metro in Russia, a colorful Taiwanese station and the painted caves of Stockholm. By Rubendene Ghost Station Chamberí (Madrid): If you take the Metro Line 1 and you pass between Bilbao and Iglesia, you will see that there is a dimly lit station that seems stuck in the previous century at which the train does not stop. It was created just a few meters from another station, which is why it was abandoned. It simply wasn’t worth taking the subway for such a short distance. It later became a squat for a few years. It’s almost like time stopped at the Chamberí station in 1966, which is when the last train stopped there. It will be a trip back in time as you take in the box office from half a century ago, the platforms, advertising and even the tickets and fees since opening in 1919. These cannot be compared with today’s prices, of course. It was ghost station for 4 decades until, in 2006, when it was converted and restored. It is now a museum of the Madrid Metro and visiting it is free of charge. Stations from another era in Russia: One of the best examples is Avtovo Station in St. Petersburg. This station, designed by Levinson and opened in 1955, is full of classic columns and a variety of luxurious elements,...
App of the Month: Jetpac City Guides
It´s not really a travel guide, but rather the perfect complement. Jetpac City Guides is a new way of understanding travel. It offers endless plans containing thousands of photos uploaded via Instagram and an interactive platform. Get to know the destinations you’re interested in quickly, easily and up close. Traveling with this app is like having insurance. There´s nothing like a well-organized trip, so Jetpac also allow you to create itineraries, maps, points of interest and a travel budget. Jetpac City Guides is a bit like a social network community, but with the addition of being able to view and share photos in real time. It’s always best to travel prepared with a basic knowledge of the destination. Of course, it’s a highly recommended app for discovering any city on foot. Things are constantly being added, so the service is even more complete and better. With this app, it’s like you travel before, during and after the trip. Because everything is registered, you can always retrieve it and relive the good experiences. It’s ideal for locating the most iconic spots through Instagram. The application, which is currently only available for Apple products, collects images of streets, plazas, restaurants, museums and shopping areas of a particular city. When you perform a specific search, the program combines small city guides with the recommendations of other travelers. Another option for travel is to use Jetpac City Guides’ delimiting fields. For example, you can search by sections such as wine lovers, music, business or students. This visual and interactive travel guide offers information on some 5,000 cities. The one big drawback is that...
Alternative Destinations for Holy Week
Europe offers endless possibilities. At Easter, any of the destinations we talk about below can be thoroughly enjoyed. Experience the cultural heritage of Sweden, the majestic buildings of Denmark, the Blue Danube of Budapest. Stockholm: If you are looking to get away for a few days, I recommend visiting Stockholm and its medieval core. Of the 14 islands that make up this northern town, Gamla Stan is the most authentic and oldest, and probably the most beautiful. They are all part of what makes up the city of Stockholm. The best views of the city are undoubtedly found by taking the elevator of the famous Gondolen, which stands 35 meters high. From there, you can see Lake Mälaren and the Baltic Sea, which practically laps the impressive Royal Palace and City Hall. And if you are fans of Nordic crime fiction, Stockholm is where you need to be to see the places of the Millenium trilogy in person. It’s where Stieg Larsson lived and left his mark. More and more people want to experience what Lisbeth (the protagonist of the saga) felt for this magical city of northern Europe. PRIYA Book it now! Copenhagen: The Danish capital is another alternative destination for you to consider going around Easter. I recommend walking along the city’s streets full of colorful houses and along the blue canals. Don’t miss checking out the Nihavn Canal, where you’ll find restaurants and pubs with terraces. And don’t forget to visit the neighborhood of Christiana, the city without law, where the lines between legality and illegality are blurred and where tolerance is now a lifestyle. It´s...
Spring Festivals in Spain
The spring of 2014 is full of festiv: the FestiMad in Madrid from April 23 to May 10, the Viña Rock in Villarobledo (Albacete) from May 1 to 3, and Sonar in Barcelona from June 12 to 14. Who said festivals are only for summer? Are you ready? FestiMad 2M (Madrid) , April 23 – May 10 This year the festival has changed its concept. The FestiMad has always been held outdoors in a huge enclosure, but now there are different concert halls that are in charge of this large-scale event. Where does it take place? In the capital’s iconic clubs such as the Sala Caracol, Galileo Galilei, El Sol, La Riviera, the Sala Arena, the Sala Berlanga, the Círculo de Bellas Artes, the Hard Rock Café or the Contraclub. There are also other lesser known venues such as Honky Tonk, Lasai Bar Club, Intruso Bar or El perro de la parte de atrás del coche (a curiously long name meaning dog from the back of the car). The line-up includes: Femi Kuti, Marinah y los Argonauts, Dorian, Elephants, The Chameleonns Vox, Izal, Mala Juntera (Zatu, Acción Sánchez, Capaz, Hazhe), Jace Everett, De/Vision, Fanfare Ciocarlia and Angel Stanich, among others. In this 21st edition there will be 60 concerts: 14 of them are groups from Madrid, 35 from another 12 communities, and a total of 19 from 10 other countries and several continents. Viña Rock in Villarobledo (Albacete) May 1 – 3 The line-up for the 2014 edition of Viña Rock comes loaded with groups that rock Villarobledo and the world this May. The town of Albacete will once...
Showering While Traveling
There are a thousand ways to travel. When you’re young, chances are that you start out with an InterRail around Europe and spending nights in youth hostels barely worth the 10 € per night charge. Since we’ve all been through this, we can attest to the fact that at these times our personal hygiene is somewhat lacking. Showers are usually short and cold, while you sweat more than is desirable while visiting the sights on sunny days and wear the same shoes every day… that ´s why one of the first things you want to do upon arriving home is to take a good shower. In any case, bathing is done a bit differently in each country. Here are some extraordinary examples. If you travel to Budapest, one of the things that you absolutely must visit one of the city’s spas. While many tourists come here for this experience, many locals come here to wash and purify their bodies. Showering before entering the hot pools is mandatory, but many people skip this and get right in. We are not saying that the pools are dirty but rather that this is a place where people come to wash, either in the pool or saunas, following a tradition that has been around for thousands of years. On the other hand, if you’re traveling to Central America you may find yourself in a shower stall in which the water heater is not behind the wall but in the shower stall itself. This means that an electric appliance and the water actually touch. Is it dangerous? Very. In fact, a good number of...
App of the Month: FriendCash
Traveling in a group can be complicated, not only because of the difficulty getting everyone moving but also when it’s time to pay the bills. Someone always has to take on the chore of collecting the money, paying for the meals, tours and museum tickets. But now thanks to FriendCash, everything is simple and, above all, less cumbersome. Figuring these things out usually takes a bit of time, but this application makes traveling in groups different. Everyone will know in real time how much money is owed, whom it owed to, and (most importantly) who owes you. by iphone.appstorm.net Once you start using this app, you’ll soon see how simple it is. You can track several different things at the same time. And even though we’re focusing on travel, FriendCash can do much more. It is widely used among members of the same family, coworkers, and even in stores. To use it, you first need to enter the number of participants in the “pot” and their names. These can be added directly from your address book. The rest is very intuitive. When it’s time to pay and you’re without cash, pay by card and the app will add things up. It also includes a section to specify how the money was spent and by whom. Then each group member automatically is proportioned “an amount owed” for their share of the food. And in debt section, the person who paid with a credit card will see the sum of the others’ minus his or her own. All this is done by the app. You won’t have to think or get...
The Best European Destinations for Family Vacations
Traveling with family is always complicated. Things were easier when you were younger and you could go where you wanted without worrying if anyone else will enjoy it and without spending too much. But that doesn’t have to mean that you can’t have a good time as a family. Traveling with children can be problematic, since little ones can get bored with things you like, especially the cultural side of your journey. There are, however, many places that are appealing to all. Here we propose several European destinations that are perfect for the whole family where you will be able to rent apartments and have the freedom and privacy that you’ll need when traveling with little ones. vía Moyan_Brenn Rome The Eternal City is a destination that combines history, culture and cuisine as well as activities for children so they can have a little fun after visiting the museums and monuments. One of the best places to go is the Macchine di Leonardo Museum, which showcases the inventions of this Italian Renaissance genius and where children can enjoy interactive displays. Rome is a city with many pedestrian areas, which means it is safer, and the distances between the most important spots are not that great. The Roman Colosseum is sure to impress anyone, regardless of age, and the restaurants on the pleasant plazas of the Trastevere serve Italian food at a great price, which means you won’t have to spend a complete fortune every time you eat out. Of course, you can also buy your own food in Roman markets to cook back at your apartment in Rome. ¡Book...
The Many Replicas of the Eiffel Tower
In January we talked about the Statue of Liberty in New York and its replicas. Today we’ll continue the discussion but talk about another famous monument: the Eiffel Tower. The Eiffel Tower is perhaps the most famous tower in the world and the most copied. In fact, even the company that manages it says it is fairly impossible to know exactly how many other versions are scattered about the globe. In this post, we will take you on a tour of some of the best. Hangzhou (China) This tower rises in eastern China, on the outskirts of Hangzhou (Zheijang). And although more than one traveler has fallen in love with it, it is much smaller than the original Eiffel Tower (only 103 meters compared to the original 325 meters). It is part of a development, a huge residential complex in which more than 5,000 people live. Although it’s not the Champ de Mars, it has its own charms and is worth seeking out this Eiffel Tower replica. And why is it there? The Chinese love the City of Light and so they have built this impressive monument in their own land. There is another small difference compared to the original: you cannot climb this tower. In Paris, however, there are long queues day and night throughout the year. And if you want to see more, this is possible in China. Just behind this tower in Hangzhou you’ll find a replica of the Champs Elysees but without the Arc de Triomphe. Tokyo Known as Tokyo Tower, this is one of the least similar replicas to the original but there is...
