places

Malta, where centuries of history live

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One of the most densely populated countries in the world, the small Mediterranean island of Malta remains popular among British tourists. The island sits south of the island of Sicily and just north of Libya in the Mediterranean Sea.

The island has a warm climate and many recreational areas which makes it a tourist favourite.There are three Unesco World Heritage Sites on the island which is filled with architectural and historical monuments.

Among them are the Megalithic Temples which are some of the oldest free-standing structures in the world. The island has a strong historical background having once been a base for Phoenicians, Hapsburg Spain, Romans, Aragonese, Arabs, Norman, French, and British.

Carnival has had a strong place in Maltan culture and it also has a strong Christian legacy. The architecture has been highly influenced by its Roman culture with classical and marble structures. Mosaic floors and Christian frescos decorate catacombs and Romanesque as well as Southern Gothic movements also have a place in Maltan culture.

The Italian artist Caravaggio painted seven of his works in Malta, two of the most notable being on display on the island.  

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Havana, Cuba

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One of the oldest cities in the Caribbean and one of the most exotic is Havana, the capital city of Cuba-the largest island in the Caribbean. The city is 90 miles from Florida in North America and used to be the play ground of many wealthy Americans before the embargo of the 1960′s came into effect.

When wants to see vintage American cars driving around Spanish style architecture and streets, Havana is the place to see it. Stepping into Havana is like taking a step back in time.

The city proper is quite large with just over two million inhabitants. It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is known for its mix of culture, history,architecture, and monuments.

Habana Vieja is the oldest part of the city and just across the bay sits the Fortress San Carlos de Cabana. Here each night a reenactment involving canons being fired takes place.

Among the other interesting buildings are the El Capitol Nacional, which is a replica of the US state capitol buildings and is the centre of government in the city; The Plaza de la Revolucion and the Hotel Nacional de Cuba. The Cuban ballet is also in old Havana.

The Malecon runs along the north coast of the city and is the most popular avenue in the city, known for its spectacular sunsets.

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Dubrovnik, pearl of the Adriatic

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Sitting along the Dalmatiancoast of Croatia is the city of Dubrovnik. Nicknamed the Pearl of the Adriatic, the old city was named a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1979.The city was founded in the seventh century and is considered one of the ten best medieval walled cities of the world.

The city boasts Europe‘s third oldest pharmacy established in 1317. Many old buildings were destroyed in an earthquake in 1667 but several still remain. Among the cities highlights are the Sponza. Palace which now holds the National Archives; Rectors Palace, St. Saviour’s Church -all dating back to the Renaissance as well as the 18th century St. Blaise’s Church.

The wall of Dubrovnik is one of the main features of the city which is a popular tourist destination featuring many top class hotels. Each summer a festival known as the Dubrovnik Summer Festival is held in the city. The festival is 45 days long and involves concerts, games, and live plays.With a Mediterranean climate Dubrovnik has hot dry summers and wet winters. It has its own international airport is also accessible to the rest of Croatia by highway.It is used as the location of King’s Landing in HBO‘s series Game of Thrones. 

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Santo Domingo, a whole of sun and history

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For those who love the beach and lots of sunshine with a little bit of history thrown in Santo Domingo is the place to visit. The capital and largest city of the Dominican Republic sits at the mouth of a river that empties into the Caribbean Sea and enjoys bright sunshine almost year round.

The city also happens to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in the New World after being founded by Bartholomew Columbus in 1493. The city is an ode to Spanish old world architecture and several of the structures built during the reign of the Spanish still exist.

The city’s Zona Colonial has been a Unesco World Heritage Site since 1990 and contains a magnificent collection of 16th century buildings, churches, and palaces. The oldest castle in the Americas the Alcazar of Colon is in the city’s colonial centre. Other sites in the colonial zone include the Catedral Santa Maria La Menor and Parque Colon. One of the main attractions of the city is the Malecon, a beautiful avenue running along the coast with some of the finest hotels in the city within view of the sea. The Columbus Lighthouse sits in the east of the city as a monument to the Christopher Columbus and is said to contain his remains. Not far from the city is the vibrant Boca Chica Bay where one can enjoy the beach while walking around in narrow streets.

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St. Martin, a double dose of delight

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The island of St. Martin in the Caribbean is unique. It is the smallest island in the world that is governed by two sovereign nations.

One side of the island is ruled by the Kingdom of The Netherlands and is called Sint Maarten while the other is governed by France and is known as St. Martin. It is the only land border shared by those two nations anywhere in the world.

The Dutch side’s main city is Phillipsburg while the French side’s capital is Marigot. The island is served by one airport – the Princess Juliana International Airport.

The island of St. Martin/Sint Maarten is hilly and tends to by dry. Like most of the other islands in the Caribbean it has a dry season from December to April and a wet season from June to November.

The Dutch side of the island is quite festive. A cruise ship port sits in Great Bay near Phillipsburg and tourists can enjoy fine restaurants serving French, Chinese, and Indonesian cuisine.

There are also loads of little shops where interesting jewellery and clothing can be purchased. The € is the unit of currency on the French side while the guilder is used on the Dutch side.

The main languages spoken here are English, Dutch, and Papiamento. French is the main language spoken in the other half of the island. Here is like a little slice of France in the Caribbean with exotic boutiques, cafes and patisseries all around the narrow streets. Duty free shopping with high-end brands makes St. Martin very attractive to visitors.

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Easter Island, the remotest place on earth

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Easter Island may just be the most remote inhabited place on earth. The Polynesian island sits all by itself in the South Pacific Ocean. The nearest other inhabited island is Pitcairn Island 1,289 miles away.

The island is closer to other islands in the Pacific Ocean such as Tahiti than it is to continental South America. It is 2,182 miles from Chile to which the island belongs.

The island was made a special territory of Chile after being annexed in 1888. Easter island, known as Rapa Nui to its 5,563 inhabitants, is famous for its more than 800 monumental monolithic stone statues known as moai created by its early inhabitants who settled the island around 1,000 CE.

It was discovered on Easter Sunday 1722 hence its name. The triangular, volcanic island is 7.6 miles at its widest point. The climate is described as a tropical rainforest climate bordering on humid subtropical climate.The early peoples were a Stone Age and worked extensively with basalt. The island has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and most of it is protected within the Rapa Nui National Park.

Petroglyphs – art carved into rocks – are also popular on the island.Easter Island has one international airport – the Mataveri International Airport and has jet services from Lan Airlines.Getting to Easter Island is now much easier than ever. It is possible to fly from Tahiti, from Lima, Peru or Santiago, Chile.

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Moscow, more than just a Red Square

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When one thinks of going on vacation the Russian capital of Moscow isn’t necessarily the first place you would think of visiting. Perhaps thoughts of drab buildings a throw-back to the communist era come to mind.

But the city can be interesting if you choose to look behind the drab exterior. There is definitely more to see than just the Kremlin and Red Square.

Moscow is a living homage to centuries of political, cultural and religious history.

The Kremlin is of course a must see. The building is Russia’s political and historical centre

Red Square is the heart of Moscow with the 16th century St. Basil’s Cathedral one of the most famous churches and in fact pieces of architecture in the world.

Another famous religious building is the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour which dominates the skyline along the Moscow River.

The Gulag History Museum is dedicated to the labour camps which once dominated the Soviet Union. Guides dressed as guards are available to give a guided tour of the facility. At the Tretyakov Gallery one can view the best collection of Russian icons and other pieces of pre-revolutionary Russian art.

The city also has over 100 parks where one can just sit back and relax and enjoy the view.

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Le Havre, where to see a little of the old and a little of the new in France

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Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime Department in Haute-Normandie on the North Western coast of France. The name Le Havre means harbour and indeed the city is set on a harbour.

Founded in 1517 by the French king Francois I, it was named Franciscopolis in his honour.

The German-occupied city was destroyed by allied forces during World War II and was later redesigned and rebuilt by Brazilian architect Auguste Perret. The rebuilt city was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005.

The Le Havre port is the second busiest in France after Marseille. For travelers who wish to move between England and France it is possible to take a ferry from Le Havre to Portsmouth in England. The trip takes five and a half hours.

For the traveler who wants to see a mixture of the old and the modern in France then Le Havre is the place. Several pre-war structures still exist such as the Musee du Havre, the Abbey de Graville, while the more modern include the Church of St. Joseph, arguably the most recognizable sight in the city with its bell tower rising over 100 feet.

Other modern buildings include the Hotel de Ville and the Musee des Beaux Arts Andre Malraux. Getting around Le Havre can be by done by bus or tram and the city is two hours from Paris by train.

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