Ideas for a holiday in Crete

Lonely azure bays, remote mountain villages, modern hectic coastal villages, old cultures, bubbling life - that's what Crete is all about. The largest Greek island has a history dating back to Minoan times. Crete has a rare landscape and is therefore a wonderful world of its own - too big to explore on just one holiday visit. Here are a few ideas on places to visit to get you started on your Crete holidays…..

The capital Heraklion is a city where the ancient blends with the modern. On the one hand, the city has traditional buildings, monuments and churches from both the Eastern and Venetian culture, while on the other hand it is a lively tourist hot spot which has several hotels, restaurants and beaches. Visit this capital to get a feel for the Cretan culture while in the comfort of the typical tourist attractions. Heraklion is an important shipping port and ferry dock. You can take ferries from here to destinations including Santorini, Ios Island, Paros, Mykonos, Rhodes and mainland Greece.

In Iraklion there are two museums to visit; the archaeological museum and the historical ethnographic museum. Another attraction worth a visit is the Palace of Knossos built by the Minoan civilization which is located a few miles from the centre.

In Rethymno the third largest city on the Island you can see the minaret and the mosque of Neratzes. The town still maintains its old aristocratic appearance, with its buildings dating from the 16th century, arched doorways, stone staircases, Byzantine and Hellenic-Roman remains, the small Venetian harbour and narrow streets. A wine festival is held here annually at the beginning of July.

Chania, Crete.

Chania is a picturesque town that is home to several museums, such as the archaeological museum (which includes several collections of vases and sculptures) and the Naval Museum. Chania is the site of the Minoan settlement the Greeks called Kydonia. The city is divided in two parts: the old town and the larger modern city. The old town is situated next to the harbour and is the matrix around which the whole urban area was developed. The centre of the modern city is the area extending next to the old town and especially towards the south.

Crete is not just an island full of towns and beaches its vicinity is characterized by mountain ranges and vast expanses of orchards. An impressive natural spectacle is the splendid gorge of Samaria a UNESCO World Heritage and a national park. These gorges are located forty kilometres from the city of Chania, with a length of eighteen kilometres they are considered the longest in Europe. Strolling through the park you can also see different plant species and animals such as weasels, marmots and badgers.

Visit HolidayCheck for more information on Crete holidays and to start planning your vacation today.

Prague, Czech Republic for the Second Time

I remember a friend who mentioned that she wanted to visit Prague when she travels here in Europe. She actually fulfilled her dream visiting Europe but was quite saddened when she missed to visit Prague. I guess, she don't need to regret because we let her stepped on Czech Republic.

Dreaming to visit a lot of cities and countries in Europe is really great! But we have to consider our time and budget. Agree with me folks? I am happy visiting Prague for the second time. I was actually invited by a friend to guide her mother-in-law an husband during their trip in this city. It was honor for me showing beautiful cities in Europe.

Prague is Czech Republic's capital and for me it is a beautiful city to visit and experience. It is the one of the largest cities in Central Europe has served as the capital of the historic region of Bohemia for centuries.

There are a lot of sights to see there including the Old Town, the  Prague Castle, Charles Bridge,  the New Town, Lesser Town and many more.

One of the bridges in Prague. You can see Prague Castle from afar.

Prague State Opera House.

I Love The Fountains of Bellagio

This is one of the shows  I love in Las Vegas, the Fountains of Bellagio. It is located in front of the Bellagio Hotel and you can watch it for free. It is visible from the street and you can watch it in any neighboring structures. The shows takes place every 30 minutes in the afternoons and early evenings. Starting 8:00 P.M. to midnight, it starts every 15 minutes.

Don't miss watching it when you are in Las Vegas.

The famous free show in front of the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas.

Party Time Is Karaoke Time

I am quite busy now with a lot of things. Life offline and as well as online are always keeping me busy. One thing that keeps me busy will be the party this coming weekend. Some friends called it  a  birthday aftershock celebration. Yes, yes it's party time!

I can have the chance to get together with friends again. For sure singing with the karaoke is also present. I have some good friends who can sing so good. I even have some friends who can play guitars and keyboard as well. They are band member anyway, the reason why the can really play good music. I would like to recommend Alesis at musicians friend  if they are searching for musical gadgets and instruments.  I wish they are here in my birthday aftershock.

I can't wait this coming weekend. I will surely hear the voices or I would say the "song birds" again. Party time is karaoke time! Cheers!

Cruising in Bosphorus, Istanbul

It is a beautiful sunny day today. I love this weather during fall season. It is quite cold outside but I don't have to worry because I am actually inside the house now.

It was over a year now when we had a 10-days trip in Turkey, the only country that can be found  both in Asia and Europe. One of the  places we visited  was its capital city, Istanbul. I can't believed that there are also a lot of interesting historical sights in this city.  To name a few are the  Hagia Sophia, Sultan Ahmet Mosque, Topkapi Palace, Basilica Cistern and many more.

For me the highlight of our trip in Istanbul was the short cruise we had in the Bosphorus or Bosporus. It is also called as the Istanbul Strait and form as the boundary of Asia and Europe.  There are a lot of sights you can when cruising in Bosphorus, from Mosque to historical buildings and houses and villas that are  lined-up along the strait.

I am quite contented with that trip we had in Turkey last September 2011.

A mosque  along the side of Bosphorus during our cruise last 2001.

Shopping In A Hardware Store

The sun is shining now! I love autumn season with sunshine.  When we drove to the
nearest hardware store in our area last week, the surroundings are already so colorful. This is the sign of fall season and I love it.


Baumarkt, a German word actually means a store that sells building materials. We are trying to find a rolling warehouse ladder but they don't seem to carry it. We ended up buying a new bath tub because we are currently renovating our bathroom. We also bought other accessories needed in installing our new bathtub and other materials needed in renovating our bathroom.

I hope that the renovation is done before the end of the month. I believed yes, we can do it!

The Stratosphere Tower in Las Vegas

Are you visiting Las Vegas? I just did and just came back home in Europe two weeks ago. During my first visit in this city last 2008, I did not have the chance to go up there.  During my second visit, I finally went  up there. I was so happy and contented.

Stratosphere is a tower, a hotel and entertainment place located in Las Vegas Boulevard.  This tower is the tallest observation tower and the tallest structure in Las Vegas.  It is also the 9th tallest free standing structure in the United States. Its  current height is 1,149 ft  or 350 m.

Its attractions include The Big Shot, Insanity the Ride, and the SkyJump Las Vegas.

On top of the tower, you can have a fantastic 360 degrees view   of Las Vegas. I truly enjoyed my visit there! Cheers!

The Stratosphere Tower in Las Vegas, Nevada. I finally  had the chance to go up on top of it.
I took this image as we where on our way to the Stratosphere. I love my vacation in the US for the second time!