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The 2014 World Cup in Brazil
This summer the country has becomes the center of the world due to the FIFA World Cup. Spain, the defending champion, has had an early defeat. In this article, we will briefly review three of the cities that are hosting this exciting soccer world championship. Rio de Janeiro The second most populous but certainly the most popular of Brazil, Rio de Janeiro, or “Rio” for short, will host many of the matches, including the final, which takes place at the Maracana stadium on July 13. This stadium, which was built for the 1950 World Cup, has been renovated recently. It can accommodate more than 70,000 spectators, and at times has held many more, including a group of 200,000. Rio is also a great beach destination. Everybody knows the famous Copacabana beach, but there’s also Ipanema beach, which is ideal for surfers, or Vermelha beach, one of the most peaceful in the city. The city’s icon, however, is the Christ the Redeemer statue depicting Jesus of Nazareth some 38 meters high that soars above the city. It’s located in the Tijuca National Park, the largest urban forest in the world. It is considered one of the 7 wonders of the world, along with the Great Wall of China, the Taj Mahal, Petra, Machu Picchu, the Colosseum of Rome, and Chichen Itza in Mexico. Porto Alegre Porto Alegre is situated at the junction of five rivers and is one of the most important cities of Brazil. The capital of Rio Grande do Sul is located in the southern part of the country. It’s a major industrial center but also one of...
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...
The Magic of the Greek Islands and Beaches
Greece is one of the most desirable tourist destinations in Europe, due in large part to its islands. The country is made up of 6,000 of them. You will no doubt be dazzled by the beach parties, the magnificent cuisine, the Mediterranean smells, the marine species and, of course, the people. The Hellenic country is also a “Mecca” for diving. Its unique beaches are located in the middle of the Aegean Sea and have colorful sand — white, red, golden or black, like you’ve only ever seen on postcards before. This is our tour of the best beaches in Greece. Photo by Silviapef Red Beach in Santorini: The Red Beach, which is located in the southern part of the island, has a very special beauty: the color of its sand and rocks. It´s fascinating to see how the reddish color of the sand melts into the blue sea. The views from on top of the cliff are spectacular and down below it’s so peaceful. It is a perfect place to relax. Superparadise Beach in Mykonos: This beach is most famous for its gay nightlife and parties. There are lots of bars, all of which are full of fashionable people and good vibes. Wherever you are from or whoever you are, you are guaranteed to have a good time. Photo via Pinterest Charleemelv The Cove at Agios Ioannis in Mykonos: To see the authentic sands of the Archipelago of Cyclades, I suggest you go to the western part of the island, to the cove at Agios Ioannis, where the bustle of Superparadise disappears completely and you can get in touch...
Colored Asphalt and Others Ways to Beat the Heat
There are people who love the sun in summer while others avoid it like the plague. And one certainly cannot compare a hot, sunny day on the beach somewhere in the Mediterranean with the experience of waiting in line for over an hour in the full sun to get into the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. This is why many people choose to avoid southern European countries during the summer months, and it’s not a bad idea. Nevertheless, there are ways to avoid getting sunburned or heat stroke while waiting in long lines or walking on the beach of Barceloneta. If you are planning on spending a few days in one of our apartments in Barcelona this summer, we will show you some ideas on how to beat the heat as well as an original idea that comes from the United States. Schedules You don’t need to be a genius to realize that the sun is more intense between 12 noon and 5pm. That is why when planning your trip, it’s a good idea to schedule more indoor activities during this time to avoid spending too much time in the sun, arrive either before or after the long lines at monuments or museums, or simply go for a walk along the sea. In Barcelona, the breeze at the beach or on a terrace can make the heat more tolerable. Light-colored clothing It´s crazy to see people walking around with black or dark-colored shirts or other clothing in the middle of summer in Barcelona. Okay, so you might not see the sweat as easily, but the truth is that dark colors...Go Kid, travel light by renting your kids’ stuff out!
Dear apartment owners in Milan, it is a pleasure for us to introduce a new great service you can offer to hosts traveling with children: Go Kid. The business owners explain how “We are a big family, and we love travelling. Every journey has always been a big adventure and squeezing all that we need in a piece of luggage, or the car has proven to be impossible.” One day, they thus decided to rent out all the stuff they required for their little tribe. And, matter of fact, everything was easier. When they came back to their home town, Milan, they decided to start offering the same to families: a rental service to help them travel with their little ones. This is how their business started. Today, Go Kid offers high quality products in excellent conditions, sanitized and safety checked after every use. They provide everything you need when travelling with kids: strollers, cots, car seats, highchairs and also toys, bikes and merry-go-rounds. If you have just arrived in the city and need diapers, baby food, organic vegetables or formula, they buy the products you need from the best Italian brands, and you will find your order directly when you get to the apartment you rented. Go Kid also offer to deliver the baby equipment on your arrival at the airport and pick it back up when you leave. With all the caring of a mother to other mothers, to make you and your hosts stay in Milan an unforgettable...
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...
