Europe's Must-Visit Cities

Travelling is a passion and the one who get addicted will not let its charm get away. A traveler always wants to explore new places and for all of those, I too, want to share my experience of Europe’s five most unique cities. All these cities has had a history of their own and their charisma asks you to keep visiting them again and again.

Finding and booking international flights from and to any destination in Europe is very easy and convenient nowadays. There are a lot of discount airlines available for your choice. Ryanair, Easyjet, Tuifly, Air Berlin and German Wings are only some of these airlines.

The St. Paul Cathedral in London. I am happy to be there last Nov. 2008.

London:

London is no doubt the heart of United Kingdom. If you are in Europe and not visited London then you have not seen anything in Europe. London a much vibrant place is a city where you can see people from almost every country. London will soon host the Olympic Games in 2012, so lots of development work is on these days. Madame Tussaud Museums, Thames River Cruise, London Eye, Windsor Castle, Westminster Abbey are some of the many attractions at London. London can mesmerize any one with its magic.

Paris:

Paris, the French capital is always known for great Eiffel Tower but there is lot more apart from that wonder of the world in this city. The question of what not to do in Paris is more important than what to do. The city offers so many attractions that they are even difficult to mention. Stay in an affordable hotel in Paris but make sure it’s in the center. A walk alongside River Seine, Disney land adventure, watching a Moulin Rouge show, visit to Notre Dame or just enjoying snacks at any road side café will definitely provides you the utmost pleasure. I recommend a Paris sightseeing tour if you want to see the best attractions that Paris has to offer.

The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris, commonly known as Sacré-Cœur Basilica. This is a snapshot during my second visit in Paris last August 2010.

Istanbul:

Istanbul, the Turkish delight is the gateway of Europe and is the only city in the world which is located in two continents i.e. Asia and Europe. The moment you stepped in Istanbul, you will mesmerized by the finest architecture on both sides of Bosphorus channel. This architecture gives you the glimpse of so many forms like Byzantine, Roman, Greek and of course Ottoman as Istanbul has seen all of these civilizations in different times. The Blue mosque, Topkapi, palace, Hagia Sophia, Galata Bridge, Grand Bazaar and Princess Island are some of the must visit places.

the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey during our trip last September 2011.

Barcelona:

It will be great if you end your European tour at Barcelona in Spain. Having a marvellous past this city enthrals you with its beautiful nights and bright sunny days. You can enjoy the Mediterranean climate at Barcelona which attracts sun-seekers from around the globe. Number of interesting festivals and events are on throughout the year at Barcelona which never let you weary. This city is full of life and colors and is known for his museums, Picasso’s paintings and many more.

Venice:

A European tour is incomplete without a trip to Venice. This Italian city is unique and one of its kind. Also known as ‘The Floating City’ or ‘City of Water’, Venice can easily be declared as the most romantic city of Europe. Beautiful Gothic style of architecture, its fashion galleries, music, art and cuisine thus everything is so special about Venice that one cannot afford to ignore this fantastic city.

Cruising the canals of Venice, Italy during my third visit last July 2011.

Although the European continent has much more to offer but by visiting these cities you can feel the soul of Europe. The joy which you get by having a Turkish Bath or by a quite walk at Champs Elysees Street in Paris is indescribable. Even visiting Piccadilly Circus at London or Barcelona’s old town will give you a life time experience.

Sinulog Festival in Cebu, Philippines

I was able to witness this festival twice. The second time I was there was last January 2010. Sinulog is an annual festival held on the third Sunday of January in Cebu City, Philippines. The festival features a street parade with participants in bright coloured costumes dancing to the rhythm of drums, trumpets and native gongs.

I hope to see this again in my next visit to the Philippines. Here are some snapshots I took last year.

one of the contingents during the Sinulog contest held in Cebu Sports Complex.

the festival has been promoted as a tourist attraction, with a contest featuring contingents from various parts of the country.

The festival commemorates the Cebuano people's pagan origin, and their acceptance of Roman Catholicism.

Friend's Baby Shower

Hello folks! How's your Saturday? I hope you had a nice one. I had a wonderful time during a friend's baby shower today. It was my second time to attend such kind of celebration. Germans usually don't do that. Giving of presents only takes place when the baby is already born. Thanks to Filipino-American friends for inviting me. I truly enjoyed it. The baby shower for Ge was a success and I believed that she was very happy about it.

Everyone had fun during the said gathering especially the games that were played. A lot of food were also prepared by friends. The opening of the presents for the incoming baby was the highlight of the program. It was truly a wonderful and enjoyable celebration. Thanks to good friends for making it happened.

Wishing Ge a safe and sound delivery soon. God bless you!

some of the foods during the party.

the very beautiful diaper cake made by Joy.

presents for Ge's incoming baby.

The Ulu Camii Mosque in Bursa, Turkey

This is one of the beautiful mosques we visited in Turkey. The Ulu Camii Mosque, also called as Bursa Grand Mosque in Bursa, Turkey was built in the Seljuk style. It was ordered by the Ottoman Sultan Bayezid I and edificed between 1396 and 1400. The mosque has 20 domes and 2 minarets.

Our tour guide who is a Turkish told us that entrances to most of the Mosques in Turkey are free of charge. He added that sometimes, they charge entrances to Christian people. I never see security or people who are watching the mosque entrance using garretts metal detectors. I heard that some people are afraid when visiting Turkey due to security reason. For me, our trip was quite fine and in order. There were even a lot of tourists especially in Istanbul during our visit there.

One of the minarets of the Ulu Camii Mosque in Bursa. Taken during our visit last September 2011.

Ulu Cami is the largest mosque in Bursa and a landmark of early Ottoman architecture, which carried many elements from the Seljuk architecture. Ordered by Sultan Bayezid I, the mosque was designed and built by architect Ali Neccar in 1396–1400. It is a large and rectangular building, with a total of twenty domes that are arranged in four rows of five, and are supported by twelve columns. Supposedly the twenty domes were built instead of the twenty separate mosques which Sultan Bayezid I had promised for winning the Battle of Nicopolis in 1396. The mosque has two minarets.

the beautiful interior of the mosque. You can find various Calligraphy on the walls.

Gift Ideas

There are a lot of parties and celebrations this month. Alone this coming weekend, we are invited to attend three parties. Two will be birthday parties and the other one is a wedding anniversary. The week after that will be a baby shower for a friend. Sometimes it is just difficult to find special gifts for special people. I am also thinking what unique christmas gift ideas for men that I will be giving to hubby. I already have something in my mind but I am still deciding whether to give it or not. Anyway, I need to slowly sign-off now. I need to slowly pack the gifts to friends this weekend.

Lastly, if you have a difficulty on what to give as presents to your friend, family, colleague, wife or husband on their special day or any celebration, it is quite easy now. Simply search it online. That's what I do sometimes and it helps.

Waiting for my Travel Books

While browsing the internet yesterday, I finally found the travel book that I wanted. I browsed first in amazon.com but the book that I want is not available. I love to read travel books. Everytime I visit a certain place, I see to it that I also buy a travel guide book from that place. I borrowed this book entitled 501 Must-Visit Destinations. Since I love to travel, I find this book helpful because it shares a lot of interesting places to see around the world. I made a mistake of the first order. Instead of buying the book I mentioned above, I also ordered 501 Must-Visit Cities. I ended up ordering another one, the 501 Must-Visit Destinations.

I am quite excited to read about these two books. Hopefully tomorrow, my orders will come. The good thing is, buecher.de charge no shipping within Germany. I ´save some bucks from it.

Special thanks to my friend Jo for lending me the 501 Must-Visit Destinations. It just inspire me to travel more when finances are available.

Florida Holiday- Things to Do and to See

The Fall season is getting very cold now. It simply means that winter is almost here. If you have the chance to spend a vacation, what place you want to go? If you ask me, I would love to go to Florida. You know why? It is a popular winter destination due to its warm climate. This is the reason why it is called as "The Sunshine State" in the United States.

Florida is located in the most south-eastern state in the United States of America. It is also know for its beautiful landscape, amazing them parks, gorgeous beaches and interesting cities. No wonder it became a popular winter destination not only for Americans but also from tourists all over the world.

Plan in advance your vacation in Florida. I am quite sure, you can search for affordable flights to Florida. Among the few airlines that offer cheap flights are American Airlines and Delta Air Lines. This is the advantage of our modern technology using computer and internet. You can always browse for your vacation and holidays in any time of the day at the comfort of your home.

Travellers out there, here are some tips of what to do and see when visiting the Sunshine State of Florida.

Visit Florida's Theme Parks

You can visit here the Disney World, the biggest and most renowned theme park in the world . Some of the world's best known theme parks, including Disney World, Universal Studios, Busch Gardens and SeaWorld are located there. The world class water parks to see and to experience are the Sea World, Islands of Adventure and the Wet and Wild.

Disneyland in Anaheim CA during our visit last 2008. I wish to visit the theme parks in Florida in the future.

Go To The Beach

Florida is famous for its beautiful fine white beaches. Its warm weather and hundreds of miles of beaches attracts millions of visitors every year. Some of the best beaches include the West Palm Beach, Panama City Beach and Daytona Beach but I would also love to experience a day in Miami Beach.

Miami

Take a Cruise

This is one thing I would especially love to experience when I visit Florida in the future. Cruising in a luxury ship going to the Caribbean would be a fascinating experience. You can leave in the port of Tampa, Ft. Lauderdale, Miami or Canaveral.

See and Experience

You need to see the Kennedy Space Center Visitor's Complex, Space Shuttle Launch, Gatorland, the numerous Florida Lighthouses, Sunshine Skyway Bridge, Salvador Dali Museum and other interesting sights in this country.

Some outdoor activities worth to experience are diving, hiking and backpacking and fishing. Florida is also well-known for its lively night life. Regardless of preference Florida has something to offer for any kind of traveler like you and me.