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When we travel to less developed parts of the world, we often come across situations where help is obviously needed, but the dilemma is how we can channel our donations to the place where they will be used most effectively to raise living standards. The good news is that an organisation has been established that gives travellers and holidaymakers the chance to donate. Whenever you spend money online, the downloaded tracker from www.agoodcause.co.uk will make sure that a share of your spending is donated to the member charities. Sign up today and become an ethical holidaymaker.

I Love Touring Paris - The Eleventh Arrondissement

The eleventh arrondissement is located in eastern Paris on the Right Bank of the Seine River. With one hundred fifty thousand residents in slightly more than 1.4 square miles (less than 3.7 square kilometers) it is the most densely populated district of Paris and in fact the most densely populated urban district in Europe. The area hosts over seventy thousand jobs.

This district has become bohemian and trendy, perhaps because other bohemian, trendy districts have priced themselves outside the stratosphere. The eleventh arrondissement provides a lot of nightlife. And there is a lot of day life as well, restaurants, cafes, boutiques, and galleries. Read more »

A Quick Tour Of Italy - Eastern Apulia

Apulia forms the heel of the Italian boot. It is situated in the southeast corner of Italy and borders the Adriatic and Ionian Seas. Apulia was frequently invaded by both the ancient Greeks and Romans. It was ruled by many including the Byzantines, Goths, Lombards, Normans, Spaniards, and Turks. Apulia’s moment of greatest glory was in the Holy Roman Empire during the 13th Century, when majestic Romanesque cathedrals and palaces were built. This article presents the eastern and usually southern part of Apulia. A companion article presents the rest of the region including the administrative center of Bari, the largest city in southern Italy.

Trulli are truly remarkable. They are human habitations in the shape of beehives with a hole in the top to let the smoke escape. To me they resemble giant limestone teepees. They can be found in only one place in the world, and that is eastern Apulia. The road that connects the touristy city of Alberobello and the historic town of Martina Franca with its baroque and medieval architecture is dotted with trulli. Some of them have been transformed into wineries, hardly surprising given the local vineyards.

The small town of Castellana is known for the nearby caves; Grotte di Castellana belongs to the largest network of caves in all Italy. The port of Brindisi is only a ferry ride away from Greece. You should stop by to see some historic churches, the Duomo (Cathedral), and a Roman column dating back to the Second Century.

Lecce is often called “the Florence of the south.” Its architecture is mainly baroque. Make sure to see its historic churches and the remains of a huge Roman Amphitheatre.

Otranto is the easternmost city in all of Italy. It was already a major port in the days of the ancient Greeks. Some city walls are still standing. Make sure that you visit the Spanish Castello (Castle) and the Norman Catedrale (Cathedral). Then take the coastal road to Leuca with its lighthouse and marina.

Apulia’s classified foods include two Cheeses, Clementines, Olives, and four Olive Oils. See our companion article I Love Touring Italy - Eastern Apulia for a sample menu and more information on Apulia wines as well as an in-depth examination of eastern Apulia’s tourist attractions. The choice of local wine is so great that before long you should find at least one to your liking. And there’s a fairly good chance that it will be a bargain.

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Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but he prefers drinking fine Italian or other wine, accompanied by the right foods and people. He knows about dieting but now eats and drinks what he wants, in moderation. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. Visit his Italian travel website http://www.travelitalytravel.com which focuses on local wine and food.

Amsterdam Airport Guide

If you are planning a trip to Amsterdam then it is a good idea to get your self a bit educated on the area. That is where an Amsterdam Airport Guide would come in handy. With a simple guise you will be able to tell where you are and what you can do to get around the area. A good Airport Guide will give you such details as the location, directions to the nearby cities as well as some basic facts of the area.

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol is the official name of the airport here. It is located in the Netherlands at 1118 G Schiphol. They can be contacted by phone at (020) 794-0800 or 0900-0141. You can also go directly to their website at www.schiphol.nl . This airport actually has just one terminal and is located approximately 15km or 9 miles southwest of Amsterdam. This area is on GMT +1. Read more »

Top 10 Beaches in Tenerife

Tenerife is a Spanish island located on the Atlantic side of Spain, and is the largest of island in the Canary Island chain. Tourism is the number one industry and millions visit Tenerife each year. It is a favorite with Europeans with the UK and Germany leading the pack, and Switzerland, Austria, France, Italy, and all of Scandinavia following.

Tenerife is known for its fantastic beaches; the following are the 10 best beaches in Tenerife.

Torviscas and Fañabé

These two beaches actually join together to become one. They are connected by a long promenade that runs along a beautiful azure beach. Located along the coast of Costa Adeje these two beaches have relatively calm waters and are great for families on vacation.

El Bullullo (La Orotava)

This is a clean, very nice man-made beach that is located east of Puerto de la Cruz. There is a nice place to get drinks here and the waves are great.

Playa San Marcos

This beach is located west of Puerto de la Cruz and is a small fishing village. This is a black sand beach that is usually peaceful without many people during the weekdays. Weekends tend to be a little crowded. Apartment and Condo rentals are available and there is a full compliment of tourist services. Read more »

I Love Touring Paris - The Tenth Arrondissement

The tenth arrondissement is located on the Right Bank in northeastern Paris. Its land area is slightly more than 1.1 square mile (a bit less than 3 square kilometers). Its population is slightly under ninety thousand and offers about seventy-two thousand jobs. Two of its major attractions are railway stations. If you haven’t seen a grandiose railway station such as in Europe or Manhattan’s Grand Central Station, you really should visit some of Paris’s offerings such as described below. Read more »

A Quick Tour Of Italy - Western Apulia

Apulia is the heel of the Italian boot. It is located in the southeast corner of Italy on the Adriatic and Ionian Seas. Apulia was frequently invaded by the ancient Greeks and Romans. Among its many rulers were the Byzantines, Goths, Lombards, Normans, Spaniards, and Turks. Its moment of greatest glory was in the Holy Roman Empire of the 13th Century, when majestic Romanesque cathedrals and palaces were built. This article presents the western and usually northern part of Apulia. A companion article presents the rest of the region. Read more »

The Best Ski Resorts For The Advanced Skier

Ski Resorts for the Advanced Skier

Aspen Snowmass Ski Resort, in Colorado, offers more than 5,200 acres across four mountains, two of them dedicated to advanced skiers. Snowmass is 32-percent Double Black Diamond (steep and/or dangerous terrain icons, to the uninformed). Aspen Mountain offers even more thrills, with 26-percent Black Diamond runs and another 26-percent Double Diamond runs. The mountain, nicknamed Ajax, is renowned for its precipitous slopes and moguls (read “big bumps”, for the uninitiated) that can send the unwary or reckless ski aficionado flying into white space. Read more »

A Quick Tour Of Italy - The Emilia Subregion

If you are looking for a European tourist destination, consider the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. It may be the only region of Italy named for a road, one constructed by the Ancient Romans almost 2200 years ago. This article describes the Emilia subregion, a bit of its history, its many tourist attractions, local food, and local wine. A companion article presents Romagna, the eastern “half” of the region. Read more »

I Love Touring Paris - The Eighth Arrondissement

The eighth arrondissement on Right Bank of the Seine River is part of the business and tourist center of Paris. Its land area is a tad under 1.5 square miles (about 3.9 square kilometers) and has a population of about forty thousand but hosts over one hundred seventy thousand jobs, the most of any Parisian district.

L’eglise de la Madeleine, often called la Madeleine is a church built to honor Napoleon’s army. Towards the end of the Twelfth Century the site contained a Jewish synagogue that was seized and consecrated as a Church dedicated to Mary Magdalene. In 1757 construction started on a new church, one demolished prior to completion. Then a new church was started but work ceased during the French Revolution. Napoleon and others got involved and finally the church was consecrated in 1842, almost one hundred years after rebuilding commenced. The building is Neo-Classical but inspired by a Roman temple at Nimes in the south of France. You can’t miss its fifty-two Corinthian columns, each twenty meters (over sixty feet) high.

The Madeleine’s organ is top of the line; the famous composers Camille Saint-Saens and Gabriel Faure were church organists. I am told that this is THE place to have your wedding and the list of Madeleine funerals is quite impressive including the likes of Chopin, Saint-Saens, and Josephine Baker.

The Palais de l’Elysee (Elysee Palace) is the official residence of the President of the French Republic and hosts meetings of the Council of Ministers. The gardens are the site of a presidential party on July 14th. If you manage to wangle an invitation take my advice and don’t talk about storming anything.

The Palais was bought by Louis XV as a residence for his mistress Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson, better known by the name Madame de Pompadour. Louis’s political opponents hung signs on the mansion’s gates “Home of the King’s …”. Even worse she was blamed for the Seven Year’s War. Later the building went through some hard times serving as a furniture warehouse, a print factory, a dance hall, and finally as home away from home for those Russian Cossacks who occupied Paris in 1814. Let’s just hope that they didn’t put their feet all over everything. Once they cleared out things started looking brighter for the Elysee. Napoleon III used to meet his mistresses there while living at the Tuileries Palace only an underground passage away. A French President died there in the arms of his mistress right before the end of the Nineteenth Century. In a weird incident during World War I a gorilla escaped from a nearby zoo and tried to kidnap the wife of the President of the Republic. Believe it or not a President of the French Republic and member of the Academie Francaise, Paul Deschanel, was said to jump into trees during state receptions, possibly imitating this unnamed gorilla.

The Elysee remained empty during World War II. Charles de Gaulle lived there from 1959 to 1969 but preferred receiving official state guests at a nearby building. To quote him “I do not like the idea of meeting kings walking around my corridors in their pyjamas.” Socialist President François Mitterrand usually returned at night to his Left Bank lodgings or to a friend’s appartment elsewhere. Don’t pity the poor forsaken Elysee; its estimated annual budget for drinks alone is one million euros, well over one million dollars.

The Arc de Triomphe is a monument honoring French soldiers, in particular those who served in the Napoleonic Wars. It is located in the center of the Place Charles de Gaulle, previously known as the Place de l’Etoile, at the western end of the Champs-Elysees. This monument, built in 1806, is 165 feet (over 50 meters) high and almost as wide as it is high. It is the second largest such arch; the largest one is in Pyongyang, North Korea. Its design was inspired by the Classic Roman Arch of Titus. The interior walls list over 500 French generals and the names of major battles of the Napoleonic wars, somehow omitting Waterloo. When Baron Haussmann redesigned Paris he redid the neighboring Place de l’Etoile, heightening the Arc’s visual impact without solving those nasty traffic jams that just happen when a traffic circle serves twelve busy avenues.

Both France and Germany have held victory marches past the Arc de Triomphe. Beneath the Arc lies the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of World War I with an eternal flame, the first in Western Europe since the end of the Fourth Century. Would you believe that a drunk was able to extinguish this flame? Can you guess how? You might climb 284 steps to the top, or you can take the elevator and walk 46 steps. And yes, there is a replica at the Paris Las Vegas resort. Read more »