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Children’s Town in Helsinki
Sederholm House is the oldest stone building in the Finnish capital. It was built in 1757 in a Rococo style. Today it holds a museum dedicated to the life of Johan Sederholm, a wealthy merchant that lived in the early 18th century. From the 21st of November of 2012, the oldest house in the city is entirely dedicated to kids thanks to Children´s Town. This museum is divided in independent sections, inviting kids of all ages and their families to discover Helsinki´s past with their own hands, learning about its history and traditions. It´s always a good thing that children learn at a young age that without history, they cannot understand the present. However, it´s fun for all ages, since the kids can play like kids used to in past times and the parents can remember the times when they were children too. This place is a review of Helsinki´s 18th century traditions. Children can visit the streets just like they were then, go into the shops and the workshops, see how strong they are by lifting the cargo of a merchant ship, help in a shoemaker´s workshops or even learn how a boutique assistant worked. There are also other activities that aren´t strictly from the 18th century. In the upper level, there are lessons that take us back to a 1930 primary school, with the discipline of the mormons of the time. Children there can use the blackboards just like they used to back then. Also, there´s an old woman´s house from the 70s, in which everyone is invited to reminisce and play with different objects. The visitors...
Cologne: architectural tourist attractions
The history of Cologne started back in the time of Christ´s birth. With more than 2000 years of history, this city on the Rhine has had a very eventful history, with many different empires ruling it over these two millennia. The Romans were the first to occupy the city. Agrippa, a military leader during the time of Emperor Augustus, decided to found a city where the Rhine went out the valley into the plain. Cologne’s name comes from the Latin name, Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium. For more than four centuries, Cologne was under the Roman influence and today you can enjoy its archaeological remains. Below the Rathausplatz (the City Hall), in the Archäologische Zone (the archaeological zone), part of the Jewish Museum, you’ll find over 250,000 artifacts, the remains of the governor´s palace and Cologne´s oldest stone building that were found during a 13500 m2 excavation. All these can be accessed at the Kleine Budengasse for just € 3.50 from Tuesday to Sunday from 10h to 17h. Traveling in time some centuries ahead, we find the most famous landmark of the city: the cathedral, better known as Dom. The construction of the Dom began in the XIII century, but stopped in the XV century and three centuries later resumed to be finished in 1880. Until 1884, it was the tallest building in the world and today, the most visited monument in Germany; The Dom has the largest facade of any church anywhere in the world. Based in the cathedral of Amiens, the church’s floor was built with the shape of a Latin cross and has vaults that are among...
An Alternative Travel Guide to Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv is the second largest city in Israel, with over 400.000 people calling it home. On the map you can find Tel Aviv on the west of Israel adjacent to the Israeli coastline of the Mediterranean. With 2,5 million international visitors every year, Tel Aviv is number 5 on the list of most visited cities in the Middle East and Africa. It is also called “The City That Never Sleeps” because of its 24-hour culture, popular beaches, fun bars, restaurants, cosy cafes, lively parks, numerous shopping locations and landmark neighbourhoods like Old Jaffa and Neve Tzedek. Last year Lonely Planet named Tel Aviv the third “hottest city” in the world. Tel Aviv is also the most liberal city in Israel. It is trendy, full of action, has a big underground party scene and huge gay scene. When you will be in Tel Aviv and you are also a hipster and/or enjoy your travels to contain more than the obvious touristic activities, you are reading the right blog! Here´s a list of alternative places to go in Tel Aviv. Hummus Ashkara This is where locals go for an excellent hummus and fuul (fava bean paste). Their credibility was affirmed when a national newspaper voted their hummus the best in the country. You can find it on 45 Yirmiyahu St Little Tel Aviv .The sign is in Hebrew, so you have to look out for the Coca-Cola sign and little terrace on the street. Minzar Minzar is a coffeehouse that has a bohemian style to it. However ths coffee house is specialized in beer. You will find this place from the main...
10 places to visit in Istanbul
As soon as you arrive in Istanbul, you’ll discover a world of magical colors, a blend of East and West, a very impressive Turkish city that will make you remember the Arabian Nights. Istanbul is divided into West and East by the Bosphorus, as well as by Golden Horn, where the Old City is located, place where we will focus most of our interest. 1. The Blue Mosque The Blue Mosque also known as the Sultan Ahmet Mosque is located in the Old City and has the largest and most spectacular courtyard anywhere in Turkey. Decorated with 20,000 handmade blue tiles, the Mosque has six minarets. When coming to the Mosque, remember to take off your shoes; women will also have to cover their head and shoulders. The sultan ordered the construction of this Mosque in front of the Hagia Sophia with the intention of outshine this Christian building. 2. Hagia Sophia Museum Right after the Hippodrome of Constantinople you’ll find the Hagia Sophia Museum, which is a formerly Byzantine basilica that was transformed into a Mosque during the Ottoman Empire time. Nowadays the building is a museum declared a World Heritage Site. It features several domes, the largest in the world, a Mihrab and several minarets. 3. Yerebatan Cisterns Do not forget to visit the Yerebatan Cisterns, which were built to supply water to the Great Palace of Constantinople. 4. Topkapi Palace After having a Turkish bath, you should go ahead and visit the Topkapi Palace, which is a walled Imperial Palace that illustrates the life of former sultans and their harems, as well as some of the...
Vermeer and the Golden Age of Dutch Art
When it comes to visiting Rome, the possibilities for entertainment and pleasure are unlimited. Of course, what you´ll have most at hand is art and culture in this great Italian city, and when it comes to art there´s nothing better than a visit to the Scuderie del Quirinale. Here is where the exhibition Vermeer: Il Secolo D´Oro dell´Arte Olandese (Vermeer: the Golden Age of Dutch Art) will be taking place, an important exhibition that´s the first one to be carried out in Italy of this great master of 17th-century Dutch painting. The exhibition not only has some of the most representative paintings by Johannes Vermeer but also thirty paintings by some of his Dutch contemporaries. This way, those who explore this valuable exhibition for the first time and don´t know anything about Dutch painting will not only have a direct perspective with the work of this unique artist but will also be able to contrast his work and that of his most famous fellow Dutch artists. It´s worthy of a reminder that Vermeer´s work, albeit a brief one since he only has 33 to 35 paintings to his name, is highly important in the famous Golden Age of Dutch art. This era was also shaped by an important economical and political change, which allowed for the patronage that Vermeer, of course, took part in. Vermeer´s painting is mainly of traditional style of historical character, since it vividly portrays scenes of everyday life and reality with amazing realism. It´s important to highlight the significant work that Vermeer did with light and the shadows in his paintings, one of his main talents....
Tribute to Henri Cartier-Bresson at Reggia di Caserta in Naples
Images and Words is the name of the photographic exhibition dedicated to Henri Cartier-Bresson hosted at Reggia di Caserta until the 14th of January. This is a quick glance at the works of one of the fathers of photojournalism, which was possible thanks to a special selection made by critics, writers, intellectuals, photographers and even Henri Cartier-Bresson’s friends. The “exclusive selection” of 44 photographs made the launch of this unique exhibition possible. We’ll be able to find, along with each photo, comments by intellectuals and friends of the photographer. The words that accompany the images were written by, among others, Pierre Alechinsky, Ernst Gombrich, Leonardo Sciascia, Alessandro Baricco and Ferdinando Scianna. This is a certainly different and interesting way to learn about the life and works of Henri Cartier-Bresson and at the same time, go deeper in issues related to photography: its communicative power, stylistic peculiarities and its role in the society.” The exhibition has also been included in a publication edited by Contrasto Books. This book presents 50 interventions around the aforementioned critics and intellectuals, who tell their own opinions and thoughts about the work of Henri Cartier-Bresson. This is an interesting book that I suggest you to read because it will prepare you if you decide to visit the exhibition. Useful information Reggia di Caserta is located half hour away from Naples. You can get there by car taking the Autostrada A1, via Caserta Nord, or by train to Caserta and walk from the station about five minutes. Keep in mind that Reggia di Caserta is an extraordinarily beautiful place; in fact it is no a coincidence...
‘Wine & Music’ Gala in Budapest
That music and wine are a great combination to enliven the senses is something that people in Budapest know well. So every December 30 the Hungarian capital is decked out to see the year leave with a unique event on the banks of the Danube, where the rich musical tradition of Hungary, with its Gypsies nuances, joins big classical composers like Strauss or Brahms, accompanied by the best wines. The origin of what has already become a tradition in Budapest is found in 1985, the year in which the great dynasties of Hungarian musicians decide to form a band, dubbed Hundred Member Gipsy Orchestra hoping to create a place of continuous training that involved national young talents, and contribute to preserving the musical heritage of the country. The culmination of this ambitious project comes with a Christmas concert in the elegant and idyllic Budapest Convention Centre. In this edition, the doors open at 18pm and the event begins with a wine tasting at 18:15 pm, where you will have chance to meet the best winemakers in the country and enjoy a traditional dance show. But if you want to feel like a true member of the nobility, choose the option that includes a gala dinner during the concert. The menu Appetizers: Ham with roquefort cream and walnuts, pears with saffron and white wine, blue cheese mousse and red onion jelly. First Course consommé with quail egg and ham profiteroles. Second Course: Pork tenderloin steak with French fries and green beans wrapped in bacon. Dessert: Irish coffee nougat mousse with cinnamon and peanut. Wines: Cabernet Sauvignon Hajósi 2006 Kunsági white...
Verdiales Festival in Málaga
On the 30th of November, St Andrew´s Day, the sementera begins in Málaga, also known as the season of planting. This is the reason why this day is traditionally associated in the symbolical way with the land´s fertilizing power and with the female archetype identified with mother earth. In a significative way, in this time of year, most people prepare for the Verdiales Festival. Groups of friends, different associations, the representatives of the Málaga City Council and other people linked in one way or another with the event, will start on the preparations that´s celebrated every 28th of December. Also, they fixate the different dates of the annual Verdiales calendar, a powerful cultural phenomenon of deep anthropological roots and varied cultural and artistic expressions that range from music to gastronomy. As we mentioned before, all of this fascinating and peculiar festival calendar revolves around the main date of the 28th of December, the Verdiales Festival day, which usually takes place on Venta de San Cayetano of Puerto de la Torre, where all the groups (singers, musicians and dancers) dressed in folkloric dresses, face each other in unique musical combats called piques, the winner of which is the one that manages to make their opponent lose their rhythm. The day is long and festival and the spectators that attend such singular competition receive as compensation the chance to ssample a wide selection of exquisite local food and wine that contribute to create an atmosphere that will hardly be forgotten, dominated deeply by the most enjoyable and lively baroque epiphany of a solar economy of sacrificial nature based on wastefulness and extravagance that...
New Year’s Eve in Barcelona 2012 – 3 different plans
If you´re from Barcelona, you´ll already know that New Year´s Eve is usually spent with family or friends. Afterwards, it´s time to head to the bars and clubs, and there are all sorts of them in the city. If you were thinking of spending New Year´s Eve in the Catalan capital, you might want to choose your plan in advance, since you probably won´t find a restaurant where to eat without a booking, since those restaurants that don´t do special NYE dinners will be closed. So read carefully and choose which is your style to know what to expect. Gay friendly Barcelona embraces the gay-friendly places like no other city in Spain. You have many partying options if you´re looking for this type of environment. Bar-wise, take note: El Cangrejo Raval, possibly the most bizarre, kitsch and fun place in the city, with drag queens putting on a cabaret show and music that will make you laugh. There´s also this bar in the Eixample district, the gay district par excellence in Barcelona, and it´s on Villarroel 84. In the same part of town there´s Sweet Café (Casanova 75), a perfect place for early drinks that will accommodate everyone. Nearby is Punto Barcelona (Muntaner 63-65) and this is definitely the pre-club bar since for every drink you have here, you´ll get a ticket for one of the five Arena clubs. Just like Arena is for guys, Aire is for girls. For the most stylish ones If you want to start the new by the sea, surrounded by beautiful people, glamour, elegance and exclusive DJs, perhaps you´d like to check out...
