culture

Venice, Queen of the Adriatic

/ CircleMe / Leave a comment

venice
Venice is a city in Italy on the banks of the Po and Piave Rivers. The city is renowned for its canals, bridges, beautiful setting, architecture, and artwork.

The city and its lagoon are listed as Unesco World Heritage Sites and is known as the Queen of the Adriatic.

Its beauty makes it one of the most demanded tourist destinations in the world and visitors can embark on a Grand Tour which takes them through cityscape, musical heritage and culture. One of the most famous aspects of the city is being able to take a tour through the canals on a gondola.

The city also hosts several international conferences and festivals as well as the Carnival of Venice annually. The Venice Film Festival is world renowned; other attractions include St. Mark’s Basilica, Doge’s Palace, Ca’ d’Oro, Grand Canal, Piazza San Marco, and Lido di Venezia.

Music is also very important to the culture of Venice as is food which relies heavily on seafood.

Risi e bisi, fegato alla veneziana and risotto with cuttlefish are a must try. For food try La Cantina and for bacari try the Alla Vedova.

The city has a humid subtropical climate with cool winters and very warm summers and is served by the Marco Polo International Airport.

DISCOVER OTHER INTEREST ON PLACES: SIGNUP IN CIRCLEME SOCIAL

Marseille, port of France

/ CircleMe / Leave a comment

marseille

Marseille is the second largest city in France and also the largest port as it sits on the on the country’s southeastern coast.

The port is very important in visitor arrivals as well as industry while the city itself is well visited for its beaches, culture, and architecture.

In 2013, Marseille was designated the European Capital of Culture and with its blend of opera houses, historical and maritime museums and art galleries makes great entertainment for tourist.

Some of France’s greatest artists worked in Marseille, among then Dufy, Renoir, and Cezanne.

Some of their works can be seen at the Musée des beaux-arts de Marseille. Other museums in the city include the Natural History Museum, the Grobet-Labadie museum and the Musée de Civilisations de l’Europe et de laMéditerranée.

As with other cities in France cuisine is very important and the bouillabaisse is the most famous of the dishes in Marseille which is known for its seafood. Other specialties of the region include the anchoïade, bourride, and pied paquets.

Good restaurants to try in the city include the O’bidul which is the highest ranked restaurant for French cuisine according to Trip Advisor with meals ranging between $17 and $33.

DISCOVER OTHER INTEREST ON PLACES: SIGNUP IN CIRCLEME SOCIAL

Crete, cradle of European civilisation

/ CircleMe / Leave a comment

crete

The island of Crete in the Mediterranean Sea is the largest of the Greek isles and the most populous.

The second largest island in the Mediterranean after Cyprus- Crete is teeming with history. It was once the centre of Minoan civilisation which is recorded as the earliest known European civilisation.

The culture is rich. Known for Mantinades poetry and music, and dances the most notable being the Pentozali. Crete is also rich with archaeological sites such as Knossos and Phaistos and there are also Minoan, Roman, and World War II ruins.

Crete is mountainous and has three different groups of mountains forming part of a range running from east to west. The island is plush with fertile plateaux, valleys, caves, and gorges. The climate is primarily temperate and there is snowfall in the mountains between November and May.

Heraklion is the largest city and capital, with more than a fifth of the island’s 600,000 people.

Crete has a road network larger than that of Britain and is well-served by ferries from the mainland city of Athens.

Crete is a veritable den of flora and fauna not seen anywhere else in Greece or other parts of Europe. There are no large or dangerous mammals or snakes on the island.

DISCOVER OTHER INTEREST ON PLACES: SIGNUP IN CIRCLEME SOCIAL

Havana, Cuba

/ CircleMe / Leave a comment

havana

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.

DISCOVER OTHER INTEREST ON PLACES: SIGNUP IN CIRCLEME SOCIAL