San Gimignano is a classic medieval walled hill town in Tuscany with a history dating back to 63 BC. During the Middle Ages, the town was an important center for trade and for pilgrims traveling to or from Rome.
“Tower envy” was the name of the game back in the 11th century, when the original San Gimignano had 72 towers, built by patrician families probably to demonstrate their wealth and power. Today, the historic center is a UNESCO world heritage site for its architecture. Its 14 surviving m
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Every Tuesday after 6-o’clock mass in the Iglesia de Nossa Senhora do Rosário dos Pretos, all the parishioners pour into the streets of Pelourinho, the historic center of Salvador da Bahia, and the big party, Bênção (blessing), commences. The whole city gets its glad rags on - because Salvador does not live on Carnaval alone! It is true that, on any day of the week except Monday, you can find concerts, musical performances and improvised dances in any street in the area, but it seems that Tuesd
We love Connecticut. It is a beautiful state that is teeming with interesting tourist attractions. Today we focus on the historic maritime coast of the Constitution State in “Mystic Country.”
The seaside towns and villages of Mystic County run 30 miles along Long Island Sound, starting at the town of Old Lyme and ending at the border of Rhode Island to the east. Our story begins with a visit to famous Mystic Seaport in Mystic, Connecticut.
The Mystic Seaport sign proclaims, “The Museum of America
Your next vacation needs to be to the Bocas del Toro Archipelago in Panamá. Easy to get to from North America and Europe via Panama City, or combine with a trip to Costa Rica, Bocas del Toro has everything you could want in a Caribbean vacation – sun, clear turquoise Caribbean Sea, white sand beaches, coral reef, dolphins – but without the crowds.
Located off the Caribbean coast of northwestern Panama, very close to the border with Costa Rica, the Bocas del Toro Archipelago is an area of incredi
Tourism is facing four challenges that are perhaps more threatening than at any time since September 11, 2001. What is interesting is that just as in the years prior to 9/11, many tourism officials have simply chosen either to ignore threats or to dismiss them with a great deal of verbiage and little actions. Although Al-Qaeda, as it was constituted some 14 years ago, is less of a threat, terrorism has evolved into new and perhaps more dangerous organizations. This month, Tourism Tidbits pr
No doubt about it - as you read this, Maryland's largest city, Baltimore, is going through its most wrenching moment in decades. But while like every single large U.S. city, it has its problems, the current difficulties are centered in West Baltimore, home to a fraction of the city's 622,000-plus residents - and caused by a thuggish element that's taken advantage of a tragedy to inflict yet more tragedy on an already stressed community.No doubt about it, this localized eruption was a long time
Both Spain and Mexico are known for their rich ceramics tradition stretching back centuries (that of the latter dating back to the Aztecs, Mayans, Olmecs, and other Amerindian civilizations, and on the Iberian peninsula at least to the pre-Roman-Empire Celto-Iberians). But when it comes to "brand names," probably the most famous in both countries is that of Talavera, which originates in Talavera de la Reina, an hour and a half southwest of Madrid and an hour 20 minutes west of Toledo (it’s a sh
The answer is, quite simply, yes. There’s a direct correlation between the type and number of coats of paint covering an aircraft and both its weight and aerodynamics — and therefore, of course, its fuel consumption. This, in turn, has an impact on the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere.
Iberia is one of the first airlines in the world to utilise a new system of paint application which allows savings of some 30 percent in materials — not to mention time, as it requires only a s
Marmaris is a small but popular tourist destination in Turkey which offers something for everyone. Right from Marmaris boat tours to long full day Marmaris excursions , there are plenty of things to do which will make a vacation in Marmaris exciting and memorable for everyone.
The white water rafting activity takes place on the Dalaman river which flows in the most picturesque setting possible. Acting as a border between two of the ancient Greek settlements of Lycia and Caria, the river banks and
Do you remember going on family vacations when you were a kid?
It's funny how I can't remember where I put my keys or my phone or what I was supposed to pick up at the store (so when I arrive, I just stand there looking around for some hint) but I can remember being on vacation with my family when I was a kid.
My parents worked several jobs at once to keep us afloat. Neither of them had it easy.
We weren't able to spend much time with our Dad as he worked a day job and a night job.
At one time there were more than 100,000 elephants in Thailand, mainly working in the timber business. In 1989, the worst flooding in the Thai history caused the death of thousands of people. The flood was a direct result of excessive timber harvesting. To protect the rapidly diminishing forests, the Thai government outlawed timbering. This left over thousands of domesticated working elephants with no means of supporting themselves.
Today there are only about 5,000 elephants mostly working in
I walked through the park on a sunny but cold day of February, having in mind to take a few pictures. Despite the early of the hour, the park was full of life with local walkers as well as tourists.
Hyde Park is one of the largest parks in the world. That’s reason enough to be included in the list of most visited sites in London.
Every visitor that respects its reputation has to get to know this place better while visiting the city and experience the magic of being transported to the countrys
During the time I lived in and have since visited Catalonia, this for me is one of the region's most charming traditions. 
April 23, 2015 might seem like just another Thursday, but in one special corner of the world, Catalonia, the Catholic feast day of St. George is an especially big deal. In Barcelona, Girona, Tarragona, and other parts of the northeastern Iberian peninsula, St. George’s Day (Diada de Sant Jordi) is celebrated as a kind of Valentine’s Day with an intellectual twist. The longti
I’ve been to a lot of beaches in Costa Rica. Most of them I like, some of them I don’t. Then there are others that are so off the charts in fabulousness that I nearly don’t want to tell anyone about them.
All right, I’ll tell you. I’ve discovered a hidden gem. A place I had no idea it existed before last weekend. But let’s keep it between ourselves … or at least among fellow like-minded people who will keep this tropical paradise beach in the same pristine condition it is today.
To start, for me
Each year nations around the world compete for major events. These events can range from sporting events to political events, from major conventions to religious festivals. In all cases, and despite their different themes, these events are judged not only be the quality of the event but also by the events economic success or failure. No matter what we call the event or what its purpose may be, on some level events are a business and the locale that chooses to ignore the business side of the e
Bulgaria is in vogue! And it's no surprise. This extraordinary country has plenty to offer travelers while still being able brag about not being inundated with mass tourism. Bulgaria has much more than you might imagine; beaches and resorts by the Black Sea, the lovely Sunny Beach, museums, churches and orthodox monasteries, vibrant cities such asSofia, Varna or Burgas, mountains with first-class ski slopes, endless paths to delight ramblers, etc.
In summertime, the Bulgarian coast is a paradi
When I read not long ago that Peru‘s legendary Andean site Machu Picchu had made the top of TripAdvisor‘s annual “Traveler’s Choice” list of most prominent world landmarks, I certainly wasn’t surprised (though admittedly, the list was more than a little weird in some ways – number two was some mosque in Abu Dhabi, while the Parthenon and the Pyramid of Giza didn’t even crack the top ten).
Be that as it may, there are of course many stunning relics of human civilization that have accumulated ov
Where do you go in Washington DC for a special celebration to make memories with family and friends over food and wine?
My choice for my birthday this year was Fiola Mare restaurant, the newest brainchild of award-winning chef and owner Fabio Trabocchi (below), whose passion for cooking and for seafood came from his years growing up in Le Marche region of Italy.
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Opened in February 2014, Fiola Mare strives to evoke the kind of seaside dining experience found along the coast of Italy and the Med
by VadeAviones.com
At one point or another we’ve all experienced bumpy patches during a flight, and whether we’re nervous flyers or not, few of us enjoy it.
So what exactly is air turbulence, technically speaking? Wind, of course, is the movement of air particles in greater or lesser degree, and turbulence is produced when that movement is disrupted and disturbances appear in the form of vortices. This is caused by different meteorological situations, the most common being vertically develo
Gardens and parks offer great relaxation both for mind and eyes, and the lovely city of Porto in northern Portugal has them in spades. Four of the top choices:
Jardim de António Calém
On Rua das Sobreiras, the must-see Antonio Calém Garden is a small but full of bushes, trees, and lawns, at has a lovely location on the banks of the river Douro, and is famous for its romantic view over the river. Other highlights include the monument to the 1415 expedition of Ceuta and the high black poplars.
