sâmbătă, 17 decembrie 2011

Budapest - Szechenyi Spa

The Szechenyi Bath and Spa is the first thermal baths on the Pest side. Established in 1881 as a temporary establishment, it was converted into a permanent bath in 1913 and received most parts of its neo-baroque yellow building complex. It is one of the largest bathing complexes in Europe. Its thermal springs are the deepest and hottest (74 - 75 C) thermal wells in Budapest. The open-air sections, with their pleasantly warm waters, are equally popular in winter.

miercuri, 7 decembrie 2011

Go to Paris!

The French capital is one of the most stimulating cities on earth. Is it the elegance of the tree-lined boulevards? The radiance of the light? The magnificence of the architecture? The style and ambience of the cafes? It is difficult to say. Come to find out...

Thinking to Paris, the tourists have in mind a lot of superlatives and travel clichés. You can usually find whatever you expect or hope to discover. But set aside your preconceptions of Paris, and simply explore the city's avenues, backstreets and parks. Try to forget about Eiffel Tower, Louvre and Notre Dame. Put away your map and just wander! Your path will inevitably cross one of the city's famous parks and gardens. Many were once the private domains of French royalty, but today they are free to all. A short Métro ride from the city center will bring you to either of the two vast former royal forests that border the city, the Bois de Boulogne in the west or the Bois de Vincennes in the east.

Just wander! But have in mind the city's reputation as an expensive place to visit and always keep with you a French conversation book.

marți, 29 noiembrie 2011

A smile for today

Wikipedia: I know everything
Google: I have everything
Facebook: I know everyone
Internet: Without me you're all nothing.
Electricity: Keep talking bitches!

[Source: Internet & Electricity]

joi, 6 octombrie 2011

Detmold - Freilichtmuseum

From April to October Detmold welcomes you in Freilichtmuseum (the Open Air Museum as its name is). The museum, on over 100 ha of land, has over 90 completely furnished old buildings from all the regions of Westphalia, giving you a lot of information about the historical background of rural constructions. There are also daily demonstrations about how old handwork was done. Freilichtmuseum is an excellent place for walking, relax and picnic on a sunny day.

PS: One click on photo will open a whole album!

miercuri, 24 august 2011

What was, is over


Don’t spend your time looking back. It is over! People will think whatever they want to think about you and your looking back will not change them. But you will also be remembered by your future facts. So, without losing yesterday’s lessons, live for future. There where you will spend the rest of your life!

sâmbătă, 20 august 2011

Paderborn

City in North Rhine-Westphalia, district capital, Paderborn draws its energy from more than 200 springs of Pader, guarded for centuries by the cathedral in the heart of the city. Center of Catholicism (here in 799, Pope Leo III found refuge) safeguarded by SF. Laborius (whose relics were brought in 836 from Le Mans, establishing the oldest town twinning), Paderborn is a place where time has another dimension. Except for the center, with the usual busy shopping areas, and the park on the banks of Pader, where people take their relaxation time (if weather allows as here clouds gather fast and there are many more rainy days than sunny ones), the rest of the city is like resort town at the end of the season: fewer cars on the road, rare people, and the houses seem abandoned even you guess some activity inside.

sâmbătă, 2 iulie 2011

Relaxing with Bateaux Mouches

Since the Middle Ages, the Seine river is the spine of the city of Paris. For centuries, the Parisian people try to make the best out of the river and its banks.

The Seine is crossed by many old and beautiful bridges. The oldest one is Pont-Neuf near the Notre-Dame cathedral, inaugurated in 1607. May be the most interesting one is Alexandre III bridge near the Invalides military hospital, inaugurated in 1900 during the Paris world exhibition. Many of the most famous Paris monuments are on the river banks. The list includes Notre-Dame, the Louvre and the Eiffel tower.

With BATEAUX MOUCHES, the popular French boat, a river cruise on the Seine is a good way to discover Paris, the beauty of its bridges and monuments and the richness of its history. A river cruise is also very relaxing after a few full days of visits and shopping in Paris.

duminică, 26 iunie 2011

Paris: bird-eye view

There are some non-expensive places for a Paris bird-eye view. One of them is the Arch de Triomphe (de l'Etoile). Commissioned in 1806 by Napoleon shortly after his victory at Austerlitz (and dedicated to the glory of the Great Army), it was not finished until 1836. After the 1830 Revolution, king Louis-Phillipe dedicated the monument to the armies of the Revolution and of the Empire.

The day the Battle of Verdun commenced in 1916, the sword carried by the figure representing the Republic broke off. The figure was immediately hidden to conceal the accident to try to avoid any undesired associations or interpretations as a bad omen.

Engraved around the top of the arch are the names of major victories won during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic periods. The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the eternal flame lay under the Arch.

The terrace (284 ... steps high) offers a unique panoramic view of Paris.

sâmbătă, 25 iunie 2011

Your flying wing camcorder



To see the surrounding like a flying bird is always an attraction. Now you have an alternative: your own flying wing camcorder! See a demo at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oG0yiWkOp8&feature=related.

duminică, 19 iunie 2011

Externsteine

Externsteine ​​is a distinctive rock formation located in Ostwestfalen-Lippe, near Horn-Bad Meinberg, not far from the city of Detmold (and about 32 km. of Paderborn). It consists of several tall columns that rise abruptly from the wooded hills in a region that is largely devoid of rocks.

Religious activity center ever since Teutonic times, Externsteine ​​extended mark-pagan religion to modern days. Surrounded by a quiet forest, it is place to relax for of almost one million tourists each year.

sâmbătă, 18 iunie 2011

Le Louvre

Philippe Auguste originally constructed "Le Louvre" as a royal palace in 1190. It was rebuilt in the mid-16th and only after the French Revolution the idea of transforming it into a huge art museum was discussed. Le Louvre museum opened on 18th November 1793.

Today the Louvre is one of the most beautiful museums in the world, housing collections from nearly every era and every major artist throughout history. To see the collection in its entirety is a mammoth task. If you want see the whole museum you need at least a complete day (2 or 3 days is better). Whatever you decide, don't miss masterpieces as Mona Lisa of Leornado Da Vinci and Venus of Milo.

duminică, 5 iunie 2011

Disneyland Paris - one park for all

Disneyland Paris is situated just outside the city, in Marne la Vallée. It was opened in 1992.

From Paris, RER line A takes you fast to the heart of Disneyland. In just 35 minutes, you can be at the gates of a fairytale . And if you buy your entrance ticket from a metro station, we'll have one way RER ticket for free.

Come to meet Mickey and Dumbo and all your Disney friends! Belt up for a journey to the moon with Space Mountain, pilot your own spaceship on Orbitron or take part in the intergalactic battle. Follow in the footsteps of Indiana Jones (with its magnific loooop...) or visit the Wild West in Frontierland. Take a stroll in its themed stores, listen to the orchestras, dive into the fever of Hurricanes Nightclub, take a nightcap at the Sports Bar and go to rest in one of Disneyland hotels nearby the park.

Do not forget about Fastpass: a free, new time-saving service that shortens your wait at some of the most popular attractions. Simply present your Disneyland Park Passport at these attractions and you'll get a ride timeframe. See more, do more, play more until it's time to return to the attraction during the ride timeframe indicated on your Fastpass ticket - your guarantee to board in just a few minutes.

Disneyland is a great attraction for all family!

marți, 24 mai 2011

Champs Elysees - A Popular Promenade

In 1667, a huge area of parkland was added to the Tuileries Palace, extending as far as the Chaillot hill. Le Nôtre, who was in charge of the work, laid out a huge array of avenues bordered by flowers and shrubs along which Parisians were free to stroll at their leisure. In 1694, the broad avenue that had just been completed was given the name of Champs Elysées, in reference to Greek mythology.

Champs Elysées is a popular promenade and the central point to most French National celebrations. The Tour de France finishes here and people from all over the world congregate here to celebrate Bastille Day - the French national holiday.

From Arch de Triomphe to Place de la Concorde, the 2km-long and 72m-wide stretch, is an ideal place for walk and relax. You can find here whatever you want. Just come, walk and look!

joi, 19 mai 2011

Bohemians Paris: The Latin Quarter


One of the most famous Parisian districts, the Latin Quarter has welcomed intellectuals and bohemians alike since the Middle Ages. It derives its name from the language of the scholars as the students of the famous Sorbonne University spoke Latin here throughout the 19th-century. The area is full to the brim with cafes, bookshops, small boutiques, nightclubs, street merchants and artists. And to not forget: inexpensive restaurants, its narrow alleys fragrant with aroma of roasted lamb (plenty of Greek restaurants are there). It is a real heaven for food lovers. If you want to find the real Paris then don't miss this hip, young, and vibrant area.

marți, 17 mai 2011

A confusing world: Musée Grévin

Around 1870, Arthur Mezer conceived the idea of making 3D representation of the famous people who were on the front page of his well-known daily newspaper "Le Gaulois". He asked Alfred Grévin (1927-1982), a talented cartoonist, sculptor and designer of costumes for the theatre, to help him with this project.

Founded in 1882, the Grévin Museum (Musée Grévin in French) is the Paris wax museum. It has a baroque architecture and includes a mirage room and a theater for magic tricks. Its aim is to bring back great people and events of history in a very realistic way. International political leaders, actors, sports stars and many others seems to say "Hello!" to everybody, sometimes even confusing you.

Located on the "Grands Boulevards" (boulevard Montmartre), the museum also features spectacular wax scenes from the French history, in particular from the dramatic 1789 French revolution.

sâmbătă, 14 mai 2011

Eminescu Statue


Mihai Eminescu is considered the most famous and influential Romanian poet. He has remained forever young: destiny decided that he should pass away in the summer of 1889, at the age of 39. The bronze statue in front of the Romanian Athenaeum (by sculptor Gheorghe Anghel) is a symbolic image of the Morning Star, the hero of Eminescu’s famous poem, a strange legend about the incapacity of the genius to enjoy earthly happiness.

luni, 2 mai 2011

Bucharest - Walk of Fame


Inaugurated no so long time ago, in Time Square (Piața Timpului), the Walk of Fame (Aleea Celebrităților) has only 5 stars by now. Many more to come.

duminică, 1 mai 2011

Mogoșoaia Palace

Mogoşoaia Palace is situated near Bucharest (about 10 km from downtown). It was built in 1698-1702 by Constantin Brâncoveanu in Brâncovenesc style (Romanian Renaissance style), a combination of Venetian and Ottoman elements. The Palace was extended and rebuilt in the 1920s by Marta Bibescu.

The Palace, with a beautiful garden, lake and forest, is now a popular tourist destination

vineri, 22 aprilie 2011

Carol Park

Work of the French architect Eduard Redont, Carol I Park (known also as Libertăţii Park – name given during communist regime) was designed in 1900 under the King Carol I of Romania and opened to the public in 1906 on the Filaret Hill. It is designed with a predominant natural landscape character, surrounding a lake, having a central alley in geometric style and vegetation arranged in nature-like scenes. Aside from its beautiful vegetation and panoramic views, the park also includes several attractions: the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the communist regime mausoleum, the Giants' Statues, the Zodiac Fountain, the Technical Museum.

marți, 19 aprilie 2011

I was there...

A strange location... Liquids don't always stay in their tubes... If fumes get thick, you can't open a window for fresh air... 378 km away racing by at 7.5 km/s.... kind of an ecologist's dream house... operates as a "ship in a bottle," cut off from the outside world... on Nov. 2, 2001 - one full year of continuous international human presence... grown from a 70-ton to a 150-ton complex with more volume than a three-bedroom house. This is the largest international engineering project ever undertaken in space. This is ISS (International Space Station).

And YES, I was there... from he comfort of an Earth seat, from the comfort of IMAX theatre.

Unlike traditional flat-screen IMAX theaters features a giant eight story domed screen and six-channel, digital wrap around sound with 13,000 watts of power coming from 44 speakers. It seats 295 people in special reclining chairs that accentuate the feeling of actually being in the movie. The Hackworth IMAX Dome Theater is the only theater of its kind in Northern California. It is located on The Tech's new home, a stunning landmark in downtown San Jose's skyline.

duminică, 17 aprilie 2011

Wooden Church from Maramureş


In Maramureş region of northern Transylvania become a tradition to build wooden Orthodox churches. They are high timber constructions with characteristic tall, slim bell towers at the western end of the building. Starting with the 17th century, these churches are a particular expression of the cultural landscape of this area. The churches are made of thick logs and painted with Biblical scenes and with icons on glass.

After 1989, this architecture was used for several new churches in Bucharest. The biggest one is in Alexandru Ioan Cuza Park, near Titan subway station.

sâmbătă, 16 aprilie 2011

Welcome to bear country!



In 1851, a battalion of Indian fighters wandered into Yosemite Valley as the first non-natives to see this landscape. Their descriptions of it ensured they would not be the last. Yosemite Valley is today the centerpiece of California's Yosemite National Park. Sprayed by thousand-foot waterfalls and framed by monumental granite spires, it is a famous glacially carved landscape in the world.

joi, 14 aprilie 2011

Titan Subway Station


Inaugurated at Nov. 16th 1979, with only 6 stations, now Metrou Bucureşti (the subway network) is used by 50.000 people each day. Probable the most interesting station is Titan, on M1 line, opened in Dec. 28th 1981, a huge open space with no columns inside.

luni, 11 aprilie 2011

Near sky





A non-expensive place to have a bird-eye view of San Francisco is Bank of America Building. You pay for a coffee, you drink it and you admire the near-sky-images.

sâmbătă, 9 aprilie 2011

Philo Dendro - The Farm Trout Tavern

One of the most known path (except the highway, of course) is, maybe, the Limassol - Troodos road. It drives you to the highest point on the island: Olympos Peak (1,953m). Only 50 km is the difference between a sunny beach and a ski-snow, of course, in winter. (If you are lucky, at the end of March we can enjoy a see bath and a ski ride on the same day!)

10 km before reach Troodos, you we'll find, near Platers village (another beautiful place to visit), on the right hand, the Trout Farm, with its trout pools and the "Philo Dendro" restaurant. You can leave your car in the parking here and take the footpath to Troodos. A nice hike through forest and water falls.

At "Philo Dendro", a friendly hospitality and a good meal we'll wait for you after your trail. For sure the beast is the grilled trout, but you can try all Cypriot dishes, including the well-known meze.

joi, 7 aprilie 2011

Giant Dipper Santa Cruz



The Giant Dipper, a wooden roller coaster built in 1924, with speeds up to 55 MPH, create an amazing ride almost for everyone. (When Arthur Looff built the Giant Dipper, he envisioned a coaster which would be a "combination earthquake, balloon ascension and airplane drop".) Come and take a ride! (Sorry for not having photos from the ride: I manage only till first peak...)

marți, 5 aprilie 2011

Symbol

Golden Gate Bridge, symbol of San Francisco, is the subject of many photographs. How can you visit San Francisco and not see it?

For many years, the only way to get across San Francisco Bay was by ferry, and by the early twentieth century the Bay was clogged with ferries. In the 1920s, engineer and bridge-builder Joseph Strauss became convinced that a bridge should be constructed across the Golden Gate. The construction began in 1933 and it was completed in 1937.

The best way to explore the Golden Gate Bridge is to walk across the bridge if you can. The traffic is noisy, but you can’t really appreciate the bridge unless you’ve walked on it, at least a little way. At mid-span you are 220 feet above the water's surface. Pedestrians are allowed on the bridge during daylight hours. The pedestrian bridge is on the city-facing side of the bridge, while bicyclists are restricted to the ocean-facing side.

If you drive a car, you’ll find a free parking lot on the north side. Note that there is no toll on the bridge going north (out of the city), but there is a toll southbound.

duminică, 3 aprilie 2011

Drop, twist, bank and curl

Earthquake, balloon ascension and airplane drop... spinning pendulum... interactive pilot... blast into space... adventure experience... quick hairpin curves... up and down thrilling camel-back hills... high-flying... 360-degree vertical loop... zero gravity roll... and much more. This is PARAMOUNT'S GREAT AMERICA in Northern California, the most thrilling theme park with more than 50 thrill rides, coasters and other attractions free with admission.

vineri, 1 aprilie 2011

Birds invade Santa Cruz!

The film, "The Birds", was directed by Alfred Hitchcock and was released in 1963. Two years earlier, a real life "invasion" of birds occurred in Santa Cruz. The event was reported in the Santa Cruz Sentinel on August 18, 1961.

"Residents, especially in the Pleasure Point and Capitola area were awakened about 3 a.m. today by the rain of birds, slamming against their homes. Dead, and stunned seabirds littered the streets and roads in the foggy, early dawn. Startled by the invasion, residents rushed out on their lawns with flashlights, then rushed back inside, as the birds flew toward their light. . . .

When the light of day made the area visible, residents found the streets covered with birds. The birds disgorged bits of fish and fish skeletons over the streets and lawns and housetops, leaving an overpowering fishy stench. . . .

The most learned explanation of the bird tragedy came this morning from Ward Russell, museum zoologist at the University of California. He said the shearwaters generally live in the southern hemisphere. As far as they are concerned this is their winter flocking area. Often when they are disturbed while feeding they will rise in flocks from the water. A blinding fog covered the coast last night and this morning.

'They probably became confused and lost and headed for the light', he said. The only light available was the street lights and overnight lights in some homes and businesses. . . .

Russell said that this is a fairly rare phenomena and it takes certain atmospheric conditions to cause this confusion. He said that during very foggy conditions the lighthouses along the coast are struck by the thousands of seabirds."

Hitchcock made "The Birds" in the Bay area.

joi, 31 martie 2011

Băneasa Forest



Băneasa Forest (Pădurea Băneasa) is located north of Bucharest. Despite the fact that after 1989 the forest also becomes a site for real-estate development, it is still a quiet place for hike or bicycle ride in fresh air, a place where to admire the beauty of the nature. There are also some restaurants and terraces and the Zoo is one of main attraction.

miercuri, 30 martie 2011

Fasouri Watermania

Fasouri Watermania, located near Limassol, is an ideal place for families, friends and children to spend a one-day cooling splash in a fun and relaxing environment. Dressed in a Polynesian theme, the water-park gives a tropical feel to your experience. You can enjoy everything from Wave Pool to Kamikazi Slide, from Lazy River and Big Orange Wet Bubble to Black Cannons and Probowl. Go, enjoy and remember!

marți, 29 martie 2011

Fisherman's Wharf

Fisherman's Wharf was built in 1846 for the many trading vessels bringing goods from around Cape Horn. At that time, Monterey was the major port on the Pacific Ocean. In the following years, the booming whale industry took over the pier, but it was the tiny sardine that made Monterey an industry leader. Now Fisherman's Wharf plays host to visitors seeking a taste of history and the finest fresh seafood dinners, it is a place for whale watching and fishing trips. It should come as no surprise that the wharf is one of the best places to buy fresh fish!

duminică, 27 martie 2011

Pacific Sunset




"There's a sunrise and a sunset every single day, and they're absolutely free. Don't miss so many of them." - Jo Walton

vineri, 25 martie 2011

Mystery

I took a flight from San Francisco CA to Amsterdam (The Nederland, Europe). About two hours after takeoff, I made these photos. (I’m not an American and it was my first flight on this route, so I don’t know where I was on that moment). What can it be? Any idea?

Answer: The green circles are typical of irrigated land or fields where the irrigation equipment pivots around a well pipe. The spray equipment slowly revolves, but only sprays water under the area reached by the spray heads. Since it is anchored on one end, it can only revolve in a circle. This pattern is very typical of midwestern areas of USA not possessing natural abundance of water from rainfall, but having underground sources that can be used for irrigation.

miercuri, 23 martie 2011

Pier 39

PIER 39 is located on the northernmost point of the San Francisco peninsula. It provides visitors with unique views of Alcatraz, the Golden Gate and Bay Bridges, the San Francisco Bay and the City skyline.

PIER 39 celebrated its 32nd Anniversary Extravaganza on October 4, 2010, a fun-filled day of reminiscing about what led to making PIER 39 its present day success as the premier festival marketplace on San Francisco Bay.

luni, 21 martie 2011

Green Path in Redwood

Try for one day to change the town asphalt with the beautiful of the nature: the same difficulty for a walk, but with fresh air and handsome surroundings. All these, in San Jose vicinity: Big Basin Redwoods State Park, the California's oldest State Park, established in 1902, home to the largest continuous stand of ancient coast redwoods south of San Francisco. The park has over 80 miles of trails. Pick up a map at park headquarters before your hike. Good luck!

sâmbătă, 19 martie 2011

Spring in Santa Cruz




Spring is probably the most beautiful season on Earth. It is the beginning of new life, the beginning of new love...

joi, 17 martie 2011

Fish and History

Abundance of fish and wildlife plus other natural resources attract people from old time to live in Monterey Peninsula. Very little things are known about the First People who settled here. Several of their village sites have been identified and preserved.

Historical records indicate that Monterey was "discovered" again by Spanish on 1542. In December 1602, Sebastian Viscaino officially named the port "Monterey", in honor of the Viceroy of New Spain who had ordered his expedition. In 1776, Spain named Monterey as the capital of Baja (lower) and Alta (upper) California. In April, 1822, the people of Monterey learned that Mexico had seceded from Spain; California pledged allegiance to the Mexican Government. While Spain had not allowed foreigners to trade with California, Mexico opened up the area to international trade, and Monterey was made California’s sole port of entry. The booming trade, especially with New England, brought a number of Americans to Monterey. Many of them married into Mexican families, and became Mexican citizens. In 1842 the United States established a consulate in Monterey and Thomas Larkin was appointed its first consul.

In July, 1846, Commodore John Drake Sloat’s flagship arrived in Monterey Bay and his troops raised the American flag, claiming the region for the United States. This began a period of American occupation that lasted until the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed in 1848, making all of Alta California part of the United States. This included the land now known as California, Utah, Nevada, and parts of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming. In 1850, the U.S. Congress voted to adopt California as the thirty-first state of the Union.

The Monterey modern history is very closed link with sardine and cannery.

A Chinese fishing village was established in the early 1850's and was devastated by fire in 1906. Monterey's first major canning operation had begun next to "Fisherman's Wharf " when F.E. Booth's sardine canning experiment was matched with the skill of Sicilian fishermen and "lampara" fishing techniques. Booth's early development of sardine packing depended on innovative and inventive personnel, many of whom went on to own or operate other canneries, all of which were forced to locate away from the harbor, along a rocky stretch of coastline out toward the Chinatown near Pacific Grove.

The rutty, unpaved coastal road from Monterey to Pacific Grove grew to host the sardine factories that for half a century would dominate Monterey history and commerce. But decades of warnings and urgent appeals for study and conservation had been ignored, ridiculed and discredited. Wartime patriotic fervor had done little to encourage either conservation or attention to what scientists knew too well: Cannery was about to commit suicide. The last sardine catch was packed in 1964, with the last operating cannery, the Hovden Food Products Corp. (now the Monterey Bay Aquarium) closing its doors in 1973.

marți, 15 martie 2011

Wine Trail

Napa County is situated in Northern California at the northeastern tip of San Francisco Bay. The county's primary industries are winegrape growing, wine production and tourism. There is little development in the county itself. The result is an attractive place for residents to live and tourists to visit.

The original inhabitants of the valley were the Wappo. The name Wappo was given by the Spanish and probably derived from the Spanish word "guapo", meaning "handsome." The natives were here at least 4,000 years before the Spaniards arrived. In 1831 there were an estimated 10,000 to 12,000 living in the valley. Most later lost their lives to cholera and smallpox, as well as to attacks by white men. There are still surviving Wappos in Napa, Sonoma and Lake counties.

The first American settler in the Napa Valley was George Yount. He arrived in 1831. He planted the first grapevines in the Napa Valley. The vines were from Mexico; but only in 1860’s the higher quality European winegrapes were introduced.

The wealth of post-Gold Rush San Francisco created a huge demand for wine, and by 1891 there were 619 vineyards throughout the valley. The wineries survived economic depression and the disease of phylloxera but were no match for Prohibition, the United States' "Great Experiment" of declaring alcoholic beverages not just immoral but illegal. Prohibition closed almost every Napa Valley winery. The few that survived provided medicinal wine or sacramental wine for churches. Vineyards were ripped out and replaced by prune and walnut orchards. Today there are more than 200 wineries throughout the county. The wine is always delicious.

duminică, 13 martie 2011

Like a home comfort




For business or pleasure, relax and enjoy all the comfort, convenience and privacy of home at the Homewood Suites by Hilton Hotel, San Jose, located in the heart of Silicon Valley.

vineri, 11 martie 2011

Peleş Castle

In 1873, Prince Carol of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen, who had come to Romania's throne in 1866, started the building of the Peles Castle in Sinaia as Royalty's Summer residence and retreat. The official inauguration took place in October 1883.

Very few places in Europe can match this display of exquisite art and architecture. The location of Peles Castle compliments the beauty of the Carpathian Mountains and it blends in with the natural back drop.

joi, 10 martie 2011

Râşnov Fortress


Râşnov Fortress, built on a calcareous rock, is located 15 km far from Brasov on the Brasov-Bran road. It is an old peasant refuge fortress unique for its style. Its first documentary attestation dates back from the year 1331. The fortress is very impressive due to its position and facilities (inside the fortress there is a well 143 m deep!).

miercuri, 9 martie 2011

Vast and mysterious

The Ocean! Vast and mysterious. The Ocean was for century a real challenge. The Pacific Ocean seemed untouchable for someone born in Eastern Europe. I remember that when I was child many of our games started counting:

Din oceanul Pacific... A ieșit un peste mic... (Sorry for not translating this.)

luni, 7 martie 2011

Pissouri - A warm and quiet place


Not far from Limassol, on Limassol-Paphos old road, a quiet place with all you need for your vacation welcomes you. It's Pissouri.

sâmbătă, 5 martie 2011

Boardwalk

Located between San Francisco and Monterey, Santa Cruz welcomes all visitors at Beach Boardwalk, the California's oldest amusement park that combines unforgettable nostalgia with modern-day fun.
Beach Boardwalk is at 400 Beach Street in the heart of Santa Cruz County, next to Santa Cruz’s mile long main beach. It includes more than 34 rides and attractions (featuring two national historic landmarks: the 1924 Giant Dipper roller coaster and the 1911 Looff Carousel plus plenty of modern ride thrills), games, restaurants and shops.

The Boardwalk is admission-free! That means there are no gates to block your way. If you just want to come and look around or hang out on the beach, it’s free! The Boardwalk offers a range of ticket plans. There are all-day, unlimited ride passes as well as individual ride tickets and season passes. There are also discounts and coupons online. Ticket prices are the same for all ages.

Owned and operated by the Santa Cruz Seaside Company since 1915, the Boardwalk remains a family style amusement park.

marți, 1 martie 2011

A home away from home

When you search first time for a Chase Suite Hotel, it is, somehow, difficult to find. Approaching to your destination, you'll see a wide area with many two floor houses. OK, a nice residential area. Where is the hotel? ... These hoses "is" the hotel!

..services for business travelers ...features all the comforts of home... families enjoy suites with a fireplace, two TVs, kitchenettes, plus a complimentary grocery shopping service ...swimming pool, spa and exercise room ...ideal for extended stays and business or leisure travel.

PS: This time the Chase Suite Hotel is from Overland Park, KS.

luni, 28 februarie 2011

What does one TRILLION dollars look like?

A billion dollars... A hundred billion dollars... Eight hundred billion dollars... One TRILLION dollars... What does that look like?

We'll start with a $100 dollar bill. Currently the largest U.S. denomination in general circulation. Most everyone has seen them, slightly fewer have owned them. Guaranteed to make friends wherever they go.

A packet of one hundred $100 bills is less than 1,5 cm thick and contains $10,000. Fits in your pocket easily and is more than enough for week or two of shamefully decadent fun.

Believe it or not, this little pile is $1 million dollars (100 packets of $10,000). You could stuff that into a grocery bag and walk around with it.

And $1 BILLION dollars... now we're really getting somewhere...


TRILLION!? What is a trillion dollars? Well, it's a million million. It's a thousand billion. It's a one followed by 12 zeros: 1 000 000 000 000. So the next time you hear someone toss around the phrase "trillion dollars"... that's what they're talking about. (And notice those pallets are double stacked.)

[Source: Internet]