culture - Blogs - Tripatini2024-03-29T10:57:31Zhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/cultureA Look at the Traditional Arts and Crafts of Kenyahttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/traditional-arts-and-crafts-of-kenya2024-01-09T08:25:00.000Z2024-01-09T08:25:00.000ZDan Kariukihttps://tripatini.com/members/DenhumHolidays<div><p> <a href="https://www.denhumholidays.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/A-Look-at-Traditional-Arts-and-Crafts-of-Kenya-2-jpg.webp" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="https://www.denhumholidays.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/A-Look-at-Traditional-Arts-and-Crafts-of-Kenya-2-jpg.webp?profile=RESIZE_930x" alt="A-Look-at-Traditional-Arts-and-Crafts-of-Kenya-2-jpg.webp?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a></p>
<p>For many, the first thing that comes to mind when it comes to <strong>Kenya</strong> is <a href="https://www.denhumholidays.com/10-explore-kenyas-wildlife-national-parks/" target="_blank">wildlife and safaris</a>. But visitors should also keep in mind this country´s rich artistic and cultural heritage - thanks to its more than 70 ethnic groups such as the <strong>Kikuyu</strong>, <strong>Kamba</strong>, <strong>Luhya</strong>, <strong>Maasai</strong>, and <strong>Kalenjin</strong> - both to witness (such as tribal dances) and to buy as mementos of their trip here (esecially masks, figurines, and other forms of sculpture). This beautiful country keeps the spirit of its ancestors alive through every move, every breath, and every piece of handmade art. There’s something so special about every tiny piece of wood that comes out of the hands of Kenyan artisans. Art in Kenya often depicts scenes from regular life or cultural practices. As you know, Kenya was a British colony for a long time (from 1920 to 1963, to be precise). But, not once was the spirit of the people broken during this time. Most conquered countries throughout history reflect their sorrow by making more toned-down and dark art. Not the Kenyans. The majority of the artwork found here is characterized by bold colors and vivid patterns. They rebelled against the darkness and always dreamed of independence. Once they reached it, it became the day of history they’re proud of the most. Right now, those vivid colors serve as a reminder to celebrate and be grateful for every breath and every day they live under the sun.</p>
<h2>Vibrant Jewelry Is an Essential Part of Kenya´s Traditional Arts and Crafts</h2>
<p>A great part of Kenyan culture is jewelry. Necklaces and bracelets made from <a href="https://www.denhumholidays.com/kazuri-beads/" target="_blank">beads</a> are widely available at shops and markets. But, interestingly, women are not the only ones using jewelry—quite the opposite. For example, soldiers of the Samburu people of north-central Kenya use hairstyles, jewelry, and ochre body painting to exquisitely delicate effect - highly valued among the <strong>Samburu</strong>, who put a premium on physical beauty and decoration (which in turn leads them to be dubbed “Butterflies” by neighboring tribes). Beaded jewelry is especially prevalent, especially among the Maasai, <strong>Rendille</strong>, Samburu, and <strong>Turkana</strong> tribes of the <strong>Great Rift Valley</strong>, and some of it quite elaborate and intricate, with colors and patterns conveying various kinds of symbolism. <br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:8pt;"><em><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12347625668,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12347625668,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="12347625668?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/94887823@N07/8692281514" target="_blank">Margot Kiser</a></em></span></p>
<h3><span style="font-size:14pt;">Tattoos for You</span></h3>
<p>The temporary, non-invasive adornment of the body using dye made from the henna plant is most often associated with <strong>India</strong> and parts of the <strong>Middle East</strong> such as <strong>Morocco</strong> and <strong>Egypt</strong>. But it´s also prized by various cultures in Africa, including Kenya, where henna tattooing is having something of a renaissance, often with flowery motifs. Most farmers’ markets have henna tattoo artists, and getting a henna tattoo (which fades with exfoliation after one to three weeks) is an excellent way to experience the culture and <a href="https://www.denhumholidays.com/best-travel-tips-for-better-trips/" target="_blank">enjoy the holidays here</a>. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/anli6AYKGnk?si=E_x_iItRKUUt1m5e" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p>
<h2><br /> In Kenya, Music Is Life</h2>
<p>A central part of tribal ceremonies, Kenyan tribal dances and music sometimes use wooden drums wrapped with animal skin and sold in local markets. Dancing and singing aren´t just fun – it’s a way to live life being happy for what the future brings, and it’s a way to respect the past and all that’s already been. If you, for example, came here and said that you don’t know how to dance or how to sing (which is a common thing to say out of fear of being judged), Kenyans would look at you as if you said that you don’t know how to breathe. The concept of not knowing how to lose your body to the rhythm is unknown to them. Everybody contributes to making wonderful melodies - which by the way have also inspired Westerners have to incorporate them into their own music. So don’t be afraid to participate in the dancing around the fire (if you get invited by locals, of course), as it's one of <a href="https://www.denhumholidays.com/kenya-cultural-tours-and-safaris/" target="_blank">the best cultural experiences</a> you can have here. <br /> <br /> On another front, modern music is also a big part of the culture in cities such as Nairobi and <strong>Mombasa</strong>, with genres including taarab from <strong>Zanzibar</strong>, Congolese soukrous, and Kenya´s own benga and kalpop, alsong with imports such as Europop, funk, hip hop, reggae, soul, and rock.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="https://www.denhumholidays.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/A-Look-at-Traditional-Arts-and-Crafts-of-Kenya-4-jpg.webp" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="https://www.denhumholidays.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/A-Look-at-Traditional-Arts-and-Crafts-of-Kenya-4-jpg.webp?profile=RESIZE_930x" alt="A-Look-at-Traditional-Arts-and-Crafts-of-Kenya-4-jpg.webp?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a></p>
<h2>Evocative Tribal Masks</h2>
<p>During tribal ceremonies, masks show respect for the tribe’s ancient ancestors. Adding hair and jewels on a mask is a way of showing respect for the deceased. The gods, animals, spirits, and even ancestors are typically represented through the masks worn by the participants in these rituals. You´ll be able to pick up your own mask mementos at markets throughout the country - you can of course pick whatever appeals to you, or if you have a guide, ask his/her advice.</p>
<p><br /> <span style="font-size:8pt;"><em><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12355684655,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12355684655,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="12355684655?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/lindadevolder/45211587404" target="_blank">Linda De Volder</a></em></span></p>
<h2>Wood and Soapstone Carving</h2>
<p>Animals, humans, masks, images from nature, and elaborate designs and patterns are just some of the subjects hand-carved into not just masks but figurines, as well as bowls, spoons, cups, and other household items. The <strong>Akamba</strong> tribe has a longstanding reputation as some of Kenya’s finest woodworkers and carvers, and the Island of <strong>Lamu</strong> is the hub of coastal carving, where <strong>Bajun</strong> tribal members are said to have inspired Arab artists to produce a distinctive fusion of styles. Meanwhile, some ethnic groups, such as the <strong>Kisii</strong> of the <strong>Tabaka Hills</strong> in the west, specialize in carving figurines and other objects in soapstone (above), which is composed of compressed talc. And you don’t even have to go far afield to find handmade treasures, many city markets - and even <a href="https://www.denhumholidays.com/best-nairobi-luxury-hotels/">hotels in Nairobi</a> and elsewhere offer traditional woodwork for sale.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="font-size:8pt;"><em><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12355694298,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12355694298,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="12355694298?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/8070463@N03/1195586795" target="_blank">Tambako The Jaguar</a></em></span><br /> <br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>The Clothes Which Make the Kenyan</strong></span><br /> <br /> Many Kenyans these days wear Western-style clothing, and Arab-style garments are also worn by some among the 11 percent who are Muslim. But with some tribal groups, traditional dress is still more common. Among the Masai, for example, women still often don colorful wraps called kanga, set off by bead necklaces, and men are known for wearing red-checked, blanket-like shuka (red being considered the color of strength). Also known for their distinctive clothing, headdresses and accessories are the <strong>Turkana</strong> people of the north and the <strong>Samburu</strong> (closely related to the Masai). <span style="color:#000000;font-family:Arial;font-size:13px;font-style:normal;font-weight:400;letter-spacing:normal;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;word-spacing:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:#ffffff;display:inline;float:none;">Many of these, too, may be purchased in regional markets for visitors interested in accessorizing their own apparel with a Kenyan tribal touch. </span></p>
<p> </p></div>5 of Spain´s Special New Year´s Traditionshttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/spain-new-years-eve-traditions2023-12-29T07:55:00.000Z2023-12-29T07:55:00.000ZJoseba Basabehttps://tripatini.com/members/JosebaBasabe<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12335576059,RESIZE_1200x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12335576059,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="12335576059?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><em><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Uvas_de_la_suerte_2012.jpg"><span style="font-size:8pt;">jacinta lluch valero</span></a></em></p>
<p><br /> We Spaniards love to ring out the old and ring in the new as much as anyone else on the planet. And whilst we of course share many NYE practices with the rest of the world (at least the Western world, I guess), there are several which are fairly unique to our country – and here´s a quirky quintet of them:</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Toasting with Bubbles - but with a Twist</strong></span><br /> <br /> Of course all of Spain raises a glass of <em>cava</em> (the <em>méthode-Champegnoise</em> sparkling wine – from sweet to dry – made in <strong><a href="https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/spain-catalonia-barcelona-girona-tarragona-lleida" target="_blank">Catalonia</a></strong>) to toast in the new year and tradition has it that for that extra edge of the year ahead bringing prosperity, Spaniards drop a gold object into the glass before the toast. A wedding ring or another bit of bling will do the trick for finances, but if it's love you´re after, some say plunking in a red fruit such as a strawberry or raspberry will make sure you meet that special someone. And remember: for the charm to work you need to down the cava in one gulp!<br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Grapes by the Lucky Dozen</strong></span></p>
<p>As midnight approaches on New Year’s Eve, many thousands of people across Spain will be clutching an important good-luck charm: 12 <em>uvas</em> (grapes) to bring fortune throughout the next 12 months. (LINK)</p>
<p>The idea is to pop one grape into your mouth as each stroke of midnight chimes. And it´s actually trickier than it sounds – chewing and swallowing one quickly in time to gulp the next one, and especially if you happen to be standing in a crowd surrounded by giggling friends or family. Supermarkets and shops cater to this by selling packages of a dozen seedless grapes to pop at a moment´s notice. <br /> <br /> (And an interesting historical note: this tradition dates back to 1882, when a Scrooge-like <strong>Madrid</strong> mayor imposed a tax (!) on holiday parties, discriminating against the less well off – so a bunch of workers staged a “protest” celebration in downtown´s <strong>Puerta del Sol</strong>, popping a grape at each ring of the bell to make fun of upper-crust dining customs.<br /> <br /> Also keep in mind that you´ll want to try to chew the grapes thoroughly to avoid choking, with old folks and young kids especially at risk)</p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12335576889,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12335576889,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="12335576889?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/wine-bottle-near-flowers-on-white-textile-h0dZX39mJRs"><span style="font-size:8pt;">Heather Ford</span><br /> </a><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Underneath, Go Red!</strong></span><br /> <br /> For those looking for love in the coming year, the belief is that wearing red underwear will make it happen (though claim say that it only works if these undies are a gift, and others hold that you need to give them away before dawn – er, whatever). <br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Put Your Best Foot Forward</strong></span></p>
<p>For good luck in 2024, you should make sure not just to take your first step after midnight with your right foot but also for your first other major steps in the new year, like getting home that morning, leaving your house the next day, arriving at work, and so forth. Hey, what can it hurt, right?</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Down Some Lentils on January 1st</strong></span></p>
<p>Want more good fortune, as well as a boost to your wallet? Start your year off with a tasty dish of these lucky little legumes, And as it happens, lentejas estofadas (lentil stew) is a tasty classic of Spanish cuisine, with chorizo sausage, diced potatoes, and a smattering of veggies. And why lentils, you might wonder? Well, the little round buggers are said to resemble tiny coins, representing wealth. Again, whatever – it´s a tasty and healthy start to the year, so why not?</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em>Feliz Año Nuevo</em> to all!</p>
<p> </p></div>Top 10 Things to Do in Budapesthttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/top-10-things-to-do-in-budapest2023-12-20T12:45:33.000Z2023-12-20T12:45:33.000Zsunil choudharyhttps://tripatini.com/members/sunilchoudhary<div><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/12331692487?profile=RESIZE_400x&width=400"></div><div><h2><strong>Introduction</strong></h2><p><span style="font-weight:400;"> Budapest is more than a <a href="https://swastikholiday.com/lakshadweep/" target="_blank">destination</a>--an enchanting tapestry of history and culture wrapped in the charm of an irresistible city. Regardless of whether you are an architecture buff, a foodie, or the adventurous type seeking novel experiences and cultures—Budapest has plenty to offer that will make your heart sing. Budapest is one of the <a href="https://thebroadlife.com/50-most-beautiful-capital-cities-in-the-world/." target="_blank">most beautiful capital cities in the world</a>. Here are the top 10 things that should make it to your Budapest bucket list:</span></p><h2><strong>1. Buda Castle: Where History Meets Majesty</strong></h2><p><span style="font-weight:400;">On the summit of Castle Hill sits Buda Castle, a citadel enclosing millennia. Stroll down its labyrinthine courtyards and galleries at the <a href="https://www.trendslr.com/" target="_blank">Hungarian National Gallery</a>, exhibiting a huge accumulation of Hungarian art over centuries. Don't miss these panoramic views, a sight that captures the very essence of Budapest.</span></p><h2><strong>2. Thermal Baths: Soak, Relax, Repeat</strong></h2><p><span style="font-weight:400;">Budapest is nearly synonymous with its</span><a href="https://www.travellingweasels.com/2016/06/is-it-worth-visiting-szechenyi-thermal.html"> <span style="font-weight:400;">thermal baths</span></a><span style="font-weight:400;">, and among them, the reigning champions are the Széchenyi and Gellért Baths. Imagine yourself enjoying this mineral water in this splendid architecture. It is a haven of relaxation and refreshment, from outdoor pools to soothing indoor baths.</span></p><h2><strong>3. Danube Promenade: A Riverside Marvel</strong></h2><p><span style="font-weight:400;">Walk along the Danube Promenade, a scenic part of town where you can see Budapest's most famous landmarks without interruption. See the magnificent Hungarian Parliament Building, grandiose Buda Castle, and majestic Chain Bridge. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight:400;">When we think of pets or animals, specifically <a href="https://trendingnewswala.online/dog-breeds-in-india/" target="_blank">Dog Breeds In India</a>, they are the first thoughts in our minds. Dogs have always been man's greatest friend. While other species may be our closest family members, dogs exhibit a kind of love and loyalty far superior to our personal. </span></p><h2><strong>4. Hungarian Parliament: Architectural Splendor</strong></h2><p><span style="font-weight:400;">Enjoy a neogothic masterpiece along the Danube's banks--the Hungarian Parliament Building. Go on a guided tour and see its gilded halls which store the Hungarian Crown Jewels, or learn about the country's political history.</span></p><h2><strong>5. Ruin Bars: Quirky Delights After Dark</strong></h2><p><span style="font-weight:400;">Dive into the eclectic nightlife of Budapest by ruined bars like Szimpla Kert. These lively spots from old buildings, with their mix of art and music in exotic surroundings for getting into the mood.</span></p><h2><strong>6. Culinary Adventure: A Taste of Hungary</strong></h2><p><span style="font-weight:400;">Hungarian cuisine is a treat for the senses. Goulash is followed by lángos and then there's the irrepressible chimney cake. Check out the crowded Central Market Hall or intimate little eateries for a genuine taste.</span></p><h2><strong>7. Chain Bridge Crossing: Bridging Past and Present</strong></h2><p><span style="font-weight:400;">Cross the famous Chain Bridge, connecting Buda and Pest. Even during the hustle and bustle of a day in the city, or at night when Budapest twinkles under a star-filled sky--the bridge offers memorable vantage points.</span></p><h2><span style="font-size:14pt;"><span style="font-weight:400;">8</span><span style="font-weight:400;">. </span><strong>Matthias Church and Fisherman’s Bastion: Architectural Marvels</strong></span></h2><p><span style="font-weight:400;">Behold the beauty of Matthias Church, a masterpiece in Gothic splendor graced with stunning frescoes. On the other side, Fisherman's Bastion offers fairytale-like turrets providing panoramic views; a photographer or dreamer could not ask for more.</span></p><h2><strong>9. Cultural Immersion: Art, Music, and Dance</strong></h2><p><span style="font-weight:400;">Live Hungarian tradition--sit-in at a performance by the Hungarian State Folk Ensemble or enjoy an opera at the <a href="https://mydestinationworld.com/places-to-celebrate-birthday-party-in-dubai/" target="_blank">Budapest</a> Opera House. It's an artistic odyssey exploring the nation’s cultural identity.</span></p><h2><strong>10. Danube River Cruise: Nighttime Splendor</strong></h2><p><span style="font-weight:400;">Meanwhile, if you take a Danube River cruise one night you will see Budapest become an amazing sight. All lit up, the illuminated cityscape adds an ethereal touch to its landmarks. It's something you want to see.</span></p><h2><strong>Summary</strong></h2><p>Budapest, with its harmonious mixture of history and culture amidst modern splendor, invites you to explore its gems. Whether you are riding on a tour bus past the lavishness of its architectural marvels or soothing your cares in one of its hot springs, each episode makes another piece of this city’s multifaceted story. But, enjoy Budapest's romanticism and let its magic leave you with unforgettable memories.</p></div>Reliving 'Dirty Dancing' at Virginia´s Kellerman’s Resorthttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/dirty-dancing-kellermans-resort-pembroke-virginia2023-11-29T01:29:35.000Z2023-11-29T01:29:35.000ZFyllis Hockmanhttps://tripatini.com/members/FyllisHockman<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12304959688,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12304959688,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="750" alt="12304959688?profile=RESIZE_930x" /></a><em>Mountain Lake Lodge, AKA Kellerman’s Resort: Where Dirty Dancing Comes to Life. Photo courtesy of Mountain Lake Lodge</em></p>
<p>Is there anyone who doesn’t know you don’t put Baby in a corner? Or who doesn’t automatically hum along to <em>The Time of My Life</em>? Imagine revisiting <em>Dirty Dancing</em> at its original locale – and visiting the site where Baby and Johnny practiced “the lift” – possibly the most famous dance routine ending ever? Welcome to Mountain Lake Lodge in Pembroke, Virginia channeling the Catskills hotel -- AKA the Kellerman’s Resort</p>
<p>.</p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12304960471,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-full" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12304960471,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="12304960471?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="624" /></a><em>“The Lift” memorialized in a t-shirt. Photo by Victor Block</em></p>
<p>In case you’re one of the few who is unfamiliar with the cult classic, go stream it now. Right now. I’ll wait for you. Because this is just an adventure that is too much fun to miss out on! And that includes the sound track that seems to embed in the ear – from <em>Hungry Eyes</em> to <em>Big Girls Don’t Cry</em>, <em>Will You Love Me Tomorrow</em> to the indelible <em>Time of My Life. </em></p>
<p><em><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12304960698,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-full" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12304960698,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="12304960698?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="600" /></a>A “You Don’t Put Baby in a Corner” attire for a …well, baby. Photo by Victor Block</em></p>
<p>Yes, you can go on a theme weekend and experience the movie from start to finish including dance lessons, trivia contests, costume parties, scavenger hunts and multiple viewings of the film. The lodge looms as large in real life as it does in the movie, and the resort itself promotes an immersive connection to the film. Having viewed the movie once again before arriving, we looked for many of the film’s key locales and couldn’t help but feel an immediate attachment not usually associated with other hotel stays.</p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12304961269,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-full" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12304961269,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="12304961269?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="689" /></a><em>The sign identifying the Gazebo where Penny gave dance lessons. Photo by Victor Block</em></p>
<p>Signs everywhere designate important locations – the gazebo where Penny gave dance lessons; Baby’s cabin where the Houseman family resided; the lake where Johnny and Baby practiced “the lift.” <em>Dirty Dancing</em> permeates the grounds – and once the guests arrive – seniors, couples, mothers, daughters, sisters, girlfriends on a weekend getaway – many in a variety of <em>Dirty Dancing</em> t-shirts -- electricity abounds. Apparently, no age group is immune to the long-term appeal of the film.</p>
<p>Now I’ve seen the movie a couple of times but am anything but a devotee so I was unfamiliar with all the references to “I carried a watermelon.” Apparently, this was the first thing Baby said to Johnny and immediately berated herself for it. The meme was everywhere.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12304961653,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-full" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12304961653,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="12304961653?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="673" /></a><em>Multiple t-shirts were not the only reference to the “I Carried a Watermelon” meme. Photo by Victor Block</em></p>
<p>Want to rent Baby’s cabin? No problem. Just start a year or more in advance. But try to leave everything in place. The hotel manager told me that guests kept stealing the plaque denoting Room 232 in the main lodge, the one Patrick Swayze stayed in during filming. Other lodging options include cottages dating back to the 1920s.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12304961671,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-full" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12304961671,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="12304961671?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="710" /></a><em>Baby’s Cabin – where the Houseman family stayed – is a big attraction at Kellerman’s Resort (Mountain Lake Lodge) in Pembroke, Virginia. Photo by Victor Block </em></p>
<p>First night – costume and dance party. Lots of Babys of course, a bunch of Pennys, a few Lisas (Baby’s sister), a couple of villain Vivians and, you guessed it, a number of watermelons. And a surprising number of Johnnys of all ages – none of them exactly channeling Patrick Swayze, but several sporting some impressive dance moves. He would have been proud! And all are so immersed in their individual characters. Are you with me yet?</p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12304961864,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-full" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12304961864,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="12304961864?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="710" /></a><em>People dressed up as Baby, Johnny, Lisa and, of course, watermelons at the Dirty Dancing costume party and dance. Photo by Victor Block</em></p>
<p>Rita Lockton from North Dakota is celebrating her 20th anniversary. “When I was a kid my folks told me it was an R-rated film so my cousins and I snuck around to watch it all the time. I’ve been fascinated by it ever since and have always wanted to come here. I’m so excited and I haven’t even experienced anything yet!” Lots of revelers shared that sentiment.</p>
<p>Next day there’s a trivia contest, of course. An auditorium packed with <em>Dirty Dancing</em> aficionados. A round of 50 very detailed questions requiring an encyclopedic knowledge of the film, with the soundtrack playing in the background. The license plate number of Johnny’s car as he drove off? Seriously? Most of these folk had probably seen the film dozens of times but the plate number must have been there two seconds max. Still, easy peasy. I guessed at maybe five or six correctly. The winning couple correctly answered almost all.</p>
<p>Then the scavenger hunt took the 200 DD devotees all around the resort clicking pictures to prove their righteous reconnaissance. And off to the Kellerman Gift Shop to claim their prizes, a store devoted to all things Baby and Johnny related, from clothing and posters to gifts and books, both written by and about the protagonists. If it has anything to do with the movie, it’s there. And as a change of pace after scavenging, what more appropriate option than some salsa and meringue lessons from a modern-day Penny.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12304961882,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-full" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12304961882,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="12304961882?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="511" height="511" /></a><em>The iconic Dirty Dancing logo occupied one wall at the Kellerman Gift Shop. Photo by Victor Block</em></p>
<p>But before I left, I slipped in for one more replaying of the movie and practically shouted throughout: “There’s a trivia answer; there’s a trivia answer….” There was a noticeable gasp as everyone in the theater particularly noted Johnny’s license plate number.</p>
<p>For those of you who don’t care whether Baby is put into a corner, there are all kinds of activities that any normal resort might offer readily available to guests whether on a theme weekend or not: miles of hiking trails, ropes course and zip lines; ATV tours, clay shooting, escape rooms, bubble balls, arts studio and more. But, thankfully, you’re never that far away from a new <em>Dirty Dancing</em> discovery – all while having <em>The Time of Your Life</em>! For more information, visit <a href="http://mtnlakelodge.com" target="_blank">mtnlakelodge.com</a>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12304962294,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-full" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12304962294,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="12304962294?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="710" /></a><em>A ropes course and zip line are among the many other hotel activities that have nothing to do with the movie. Photo by Victor Block</em></p>
<p>P.S. <em>Dirty Dancing 2</em> is in the works, produced by and starring Jennifer Grey – and no doubt being held up by the writer’s strike. To be filmed, of course, at Kellerman’s! Stay tuned – and get ready to watch this time!</p></div>The Soul of Rio de Janeiro: Its ´Little Africa´ Neighbourhoodshttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/rio-de-janeiro-brazil-little-africa-neighbourhoods-black-travel2023-11-06T09:42:52.000Z2023-11-06T09:42:52.000ZIberia Airlineshttps://tripatini.com/members/IberiaAirlines<div><h6><a href="https://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/ltf/2018/06/L2F-Jun-18-Brazil-Rio-de-Janeiro-Saude-street-mural-640x480.jpg" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="https://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/ltf/2018/06/L2F-Jun-18-Brazil-Rio-de-Janeiro-Saude-street-mural-640x480.jpg?profile=RESIZE_930x" alt="L2F-Jun-18-Brazil-Rio-de-Janeiro-Saude-street-mural-640x480.jpg?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><em><span style="font-size:8pt;">photos | Sarah Brown</span></em></h6><p><span style="font-size:8pt;"><em>by Sarah Brown</em></span></p><p>Though most famous for <strong>Carnival</strong>, golden beaches, and world-famous landmarks, the real heart of <strong>Rio de Janeiro</strong>, for those in the know, lies in its downtown, most notably in <strong>Saúde</strong>, <strong>Gamboa</strong>, and the surrounding neighbourhoods hard by the port. For it’s this area that’s steeped in a complex history that dates back half a millennium to the Portuguese colonisers’ founding of Rio and the centuries of brutal slavery which followed.</p><p>A good place to start is <strong>Praça Mauá</strong>, a once rundown square that was revitalised in 2009 and transformed into a spacious, Parisian-style public space bookended by <strong>Guanabara Bay</strong> to one side and by two well-known attractions to the other - the newish <a href="https://museudoamanha.org.br/en" target="_blank"><strong>Museu do Amanhã</strong> (<strong>Museum of Tomorrow</strong>)</a>, famed for its futuristic, swooping architecture (courtesy of Spain's own <a href="https://megustavolar.iberia.com/2017/01/architecture-nation-3-of-spains-most-celebrated-starchitects/" target="_blank"><strong>Santiago Calatrava</strong></a>) and groundbreaking exploration of our planet’s future, and the <a href="http://www.museudeartedorio.org.br/en" target="_blank"><strong>Museum of Art</strong> (<strong>MAR</strong>)</a> with impressive collections of Brazilian and international masterpieces from colonial times to the present day. The port area is peaceful today, but when Brazil finally abolished slavery in 1888, thousands of freed slaves clustered together there, with nowhere to go and nothing to do. Locals dubbed it “<strong>Little Africa</strong>”, which in the coming years grew into the nucleus of the country’s oldest <strong>Afro-Brazilian</strong> community.</p><p> </p><p> <a href="https://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/ltf/2018/06/L2F-Jun-18-pic-Brazil-Rio-de-Janeiro-Little-Africa-Volongo-Wharf-640x480.jpeg" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="https://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/ltf/2018/06/L2F-Jun-18-pic-Brazil-Rio-de-Janeiro-Little-Africa-Volongo-Wharf-640x480.jpeg?profile=RESIZE_930x" alt="L2F-Jun-18-pic-Brazil-Rio-de-Janeiro-Little-Africa-Volongo-Wharf-640x480.jpeg?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a></p><p> </p><p>Alongside Praça Mauá is <strong>Boulevard Olímpica</strong>, which among other things showcases the world’s largest street mural (top), designed and painted in 2016 by <strong>São Paulo</strong>-born <strong>Eduardo Kobra</strong>. Made up of portraits of indigenous people representing five regions –<strong>Europe</strong>, <strong>Africa</strong>, <strong>Australasia</strong>, and the <strong>Americas</strong>, this photogenic work is a mix of photorealism and colourful geometric shapes; along the nearby strip, between gorgeous photo ops you can enjoy gourmet burgers and artisanal beer at the growing number of food trucks. Now it’s time to dig deeper into the city’s sad history of slavery and its aftermath, which came to influence some of Brazil’s most iconic traditions, from food (such as <strong><em>feijoada</em></strong> and <strong><em>angú</em></strong>) to dance and martial arts (<strong>samba</strong>, <strong>capoeira</strong>), to religion (the Catholic-African hybrid <strong><em>candomblé</em></strong>). Just a five/minute walk from <strong>Olympic Boulevard</strong> is <strong>Valongo Wharf</strong>, built in the beginning of the 18th century in a neglected part of the city centre to keep the slave trade out of sight of the wealthy residents who lived on the top of nearby <strong>Conceição Hill</strong>; by the time slavery was abolished, some one million slaves came through this port. Today, dozens of slabs of grey rock form the outline of what used to be the port (above), which was discovered only in 2011 and quickly declared a <strong>UNESCO World Heritage Site</strong>. Since then it has attracted quite a few visitors but remained fairly neglected, until it was renovated in the summer and fall of 2023.<br /><br /></p><p><a href="https://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/ltf/2018/06/L2F-Jun-18-pic-Brazil-Rio-de-Janeiro-Little-Africa-Sa%C3%BAde-street-640x480.jpeg" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="https://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/ltf/2018/06/L2F-Jun-18-pic-Brazil-Rio-de-Janeiro-Little-Africa-Sa%C3%BAde-street-640x480.jpeg?profile=RESIZE_930x" alt="L2F-Jun-18-pic-Brazil-Rio-de-Janeiro-Little-Africa-Sa%C3%BAde-street-640x480.jpeg?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a></p><p> </p><p>A 15-minute stroll from here, the <a href="http://www.museusdorio.com.br/joomla/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=107:memorial-dos-pretos-novos-the-memorial-of-the-new-blacks" target="_blank"><strong>Instituto de Pesquisa e Memória Pretos Novos</strong></a> (New Blacks Research Institute and Memorial) in Saúde is one of Rio’s most moving and eye-opening places to visit. The tiny non-profit museum preserves the memory of the slave trade, yet it’s also the final resting ground of an estimated 30,000 enslaved Africans who didn’t survive the journey from Africa to Brazil and whose bones were tossed into makeshift graves between 1769 and 1830. It’s housed in the former home of a couple who discovered bones during a renovation in 1996 and though the black cemetery covered the entire block, were the only ones who turned their house into a memorial and collection of exhibits and artifacts documenting this tragic chapter in <strong>Brazilian history</strong>. Another ten-minute stroll takes you to the cobblestone streets of the next-door <strong>Gamboa</strong> neighbourhood, anchored by the <strong>Pedra do Sal</strong> (Salt Rock, below), a large boulder which used to be at water’s edge and upon which slaves were forced to break huge chunks of salt. The wealthy who originally settled in this area left when the docks were built, and so it eventually became the site of one of the first <strong><em>quilombos</em></strong>, communities of freed or escaped slaves. As I alluded above, it was these people, the <strong><em>quilombolas</em></strong>, who brought samba to Brazil, and Pedra do Sal is considered this music’s birthplace; to this day it's still at the centre of Rio’s biggest samba party every Monday and Friday night. Live bands <strong><em>rodas de samba</em></strong> fill the air with the sensual beats while a mix of locals and visitors, mingle, dance, and sip caipirinhas and beer in the balmy Rio nights. </p><p> </p><p style="text-align:justify;"><a href="https://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/ltf/2018/06/L2F-Jun-18-pic-Brazil-Rio-de-Janeiro-Little-Africa-Pedro-do-Sal-640x480.jpeg" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="https://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/ltf/2018/06/L2F-Jun-18-pic-Brazil-Rio-de-Janeiro-Little-Africa-Pedro-do-Sal-640x480.jpeg?profile=RESIZE_930x" alt="L2F-Jun-18-pic-Brazil-Rio-de-Janeiro-Little-Africa-Pedro-do-Sal-640x480.jpeg?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a></p><p> </p><p>These districts do have a number of other worthy attractions, such as Saúde's pretty, century-old <strong>Hanging Garden of Valongo</strong>; colonial-era churches such as late-17th-century <strong>São Francisco da Prainha</strong> and mid-18th-century <strong>Nossa Senhora de Saúde</strong>; the late-19th-century <strong>Valongo Observatory</strong> (open to the public); and the early-18th-century <strong>Morro da Conceição Fortress</strong>, featuring historic exhibitions and great bay views. In Gamboa, there's <strong><a href="http://www.aquariomarinhodorio.com.br/" target="_blank">AquaRio</a></strong>, South America's biggest and best aquarium, which in addition to all the usual high-tech aquatic bells and whistles of today includes a surf museum. After you're done down here, you might want to proceed to the adjoining <a href="https://megustavolar.iberia.com/2015/07/rio-de-janeiro-lapa/" target="_blank"><strong>Lapa</strong> neighbourhood</a>, with its colourful <strong>Selarón Staircase</strong> and whitewashed aqueduct, and then onward up the hill to the intensely atmospheric <a href="https://megustavolar.iberia.com/2016/07/santa-teresa-rio-de-janeiro-brazil/" target="_blank"><strong>Santa Teresa</strong> </a>district. But the heart of this historic waterfront zone remains its Afro-Brazilian culture, and in that heart in fact lies the soul of Rio de Janeiro - and, one could argue, Brazil itself.</p><p>More info: <a href="http://visit.rio/en/welcome/" target="_blank">VisitRio.com</a>. Best fares to Rio <a href="http://www.iberia.com/gb/cheap-flights/rio-de-janeiro/?utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=blogiberia&utm_source=utm_source=love2fly.home" target="_blank">from the U.K.</a>, <a href="http://www.iberia.com/es/cheap-flights/rio-de-janeiro/?utm_medium=blog&utm_campaign=blogiberia&utm_source=utm_source=love2fly.home" target="_blank">from Spain</a>. </p><p> </p><p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wlFVNMJIGwI?si=5z6M54fxSOGwWViD" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p><p> </p><p> </p><p><span style="font-size:8pt;"><em><strong>Sarah Brown</strong> is a Rio-based British writer and visual media creator.</em> <br /> </span></p><p> </p></div>8 Interesting, Off-the-Beaten-Path Corners of Romehttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/rome-italy-off-the-beaten-path-attractions-museums-travel-tourism2023-11-02T08:20:01.000Z2023-11-02T08:20:01.000ZRiccardo Rhttps://tripatini.com/members/RicardoR<div><p><span style="font-size:8pt;"><em><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12282023667,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12282023667,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="12282023667?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/eriktorner/32906114165" target="_blank">Erik Törner</a></em></span><br /> <br /> <br /> My country´s capital famously boasts some of the world´s most legendary and inspiring tourist attractions, such as the <strong>Colosseum</strong>, the <strong>Roman Forum</strong>, the <strong>Spanish Steps</strong>, and <strong>Vatican City</strong>. But Rome is also overflowing with millennia worth of riches that get less attention from visitors intent on their “bucket lists”, and exploring these places off the usual tourist track can give you a deeper, more authentic, and more serene experience of the Eternal City – and by the way, avoid the crowds at the usual suspects. Here are just a handful of notable examples (there are dozens if not hundreds more):</p><p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Appian Way/Catacombs of St. Callixtus</strong></span><br /> <br /> The <strong>Via Appia</strong> was one of ancient Rome´s most important roads, beginning construction in 312 BCE, and you can tread its pine-tree-lined cobblestones with an easy Metro ride (<strong>Piramide</strong> stop) south of the Colosseum and Forum and such. It´s a lot less crowded than most other ancient Roman sites, and as a bonus you can visit the <strong>Catacumbe di San Callisto</strong>, and at times somewhat creepy underground crypt complex founded in the 3rd century by the deacon who would become Pope Callixtus I, and the burial place of 16 early Roman Catholic pontiffs and some 50 “martyrs”, including a saint or two.</p><p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Aventine Hill</strong></span><br /> <br /> The southernmost of the fabled seven hills of Rome (Metro station also Piramide), it makes a for a tranquil escape from the hustle-bustle of much of the rest of the city, and is also home to a number of other beautiful attractions, including the beautiful <strong>Giardino degli Aranci</strong> (Orange Garden) as well as several churches (including the city´s oldest basilica, <strong>Santa Sabina</strong>, finished in 432) and Roman temples. One especially cool feature is the “<strong>Aventine Keyhole</strong>” in a nondescript door at the headquarters of the Knights of Malta, which yields a perfectly framed view of St. Peter’s Basilica through beautifully manicured gardens. There are also some good places to eat and stay.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:8pt;"><em><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/pavdw/52469352350" target="_blank"><br /> </a><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12282025259,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12282025259,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="12282025259?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/pavdw/52469352350" target="_blank">PaulVanDerWerf</a></em></span></p><p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong><br /> Baths of Caracalla</strong></span><br /> <br /> The <strong>Baths of Diocletian</strong> are Rome´s largest and best known public bath house, but the <strong>Terme di Caracalla</strong>, a short stroll south of the Colosseum and Forum, are its second largest - also quite impressive and rather less crowded, thought to have been built around 216 CE and in use for a bit over 300 years, the complex covers 25 hectares (62 acres) and includes various hot, warm, and cold rooms as well as saunas, a pair of gymnasiums, and a number of pools including a large swimming pool. There´s also a very cool basement space which served as a temple for worshipping Mithra, an ancient Persian deity popular with soldiers and the lower classes. These days it´s also used as a venue for opera and other musical performances.</p><p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Basilica of San Clemente al Laterano</strong></span><br /> <br /> Also a short walk from the Colosseum, in the <strong>Monti</strong> neighbourhood, this church is a hidden gem for its stunning mosaics and amazing layers of history in three tiers. There´s the current basilica, built around 1100; another basilica from the 4th century; and a third tier dating back to ancient Rome: a house where Christians worshipped clandestinely in the 1st century and another temple (as under the Baths of Caracalla) to the cult of the Persian god Mithra. There are fascinating frescoes and details throughout – quite a remarkable package!</p><p><br /> <em><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12282025900,RESIZE_1200x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12282025900,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="12282025900?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rome,_Convento_dei_Cappuccini;_skulls_and_skeletons_of_the_Wellcome_V0031277.jpg" target="_blank">Wellcome Images</a></em></p><p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Capuchin Crypt</strong></span></p><p>Another short stroll from the Colosseum, beneath the <strong>Church of</strong> <strong>Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini</strong>, completed in 1631, the six-room <strong>Cripta dei Frati Cappuccini</strong> is adorned with the bones of some 3,700 Capuchin monks arranged in intricate designs. The idea is not to be gratuitously macabre but as a reminder of human mortality, and bony Catholic crypts and chapels known as ossuaries can be found elsewhere, too – especially in the rest of <strong>Europe</strong>. </p><p><strong><a href="https://www.centralemontemartini.org/en"><span style="font-size:14pt;">Centrale Montemartini Museum</span></a> </strong></p><p>There are plenty of museums in Rome displaying classical art, but this one –housed in a 111-year-old former power plant in the <strong>Ostiense</strong> neighbourhood, a bit south of the Colosseum/Forum area (Metro stops <strong>Garbatella</strong> or Piramide) – gives it a bit of a (postmodern?) twist. Here you´ll find a collection of statues, sarcophagi, and mosaics from ancient Rome´s republican period displayed against a backdrop of hulking industrial machinery. How´s that for cool visuals for your Instagram?</p><p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Janiculum Hill</strong></span></p><p>It´s not one of the famed seven hills because it´s across the <strong>Tiber River</strong>, rising above <strong>Trastevere</strong> and therefore outside the boundaries of the ancient city. But the <strong><em>Gianicolo</em></strong> is Rome´s second highest, at 90 metres (295 feet), so it´s worth a bit of a climb up to the <strong>Piazzale Garibaldi</strong> (with its statue of <strong>Giuseppe Garibaldi</strong>, the most famous hero of Italy´s 19th-century unification) and surrounding parklike setting for some of the most sweeping panoramic views over Rome; it´s especially a treat around sunset – or alternatively, you could arrange to be there around noon for the ceremonial cannon firing. Other things to take in up here, by the way, include the monumental, early-17th-century <strong>Acqua Paola Fountain</strong>; the church of San Pietro in Montorio (1500, built on the spot thought at the time to be the site of the crucifixion of <strong>St. Peter</strong>); the early 16th-century Renaissance <strong>Tempietto del Bramante</strong> in the church courtyard; and several other monuments relating to the unification of Italy.</p><p> </p><p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RrEDji-cSvg?si=LoPcLABPyz-4oB9L" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p><p> </p><p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Park of the Aqueducts</strong></span><br /> <br /> Finally, if you´re really into the ancient Roman thing, it may be worth venturing down to the southeast of the city (Metro line A, <strong>Giulio Agricola</strong> stop) to another stretch of the Appian Way where you´ll find the <strong>Parco degli Acquedotti</strong>, a 240ha (593-ac.) spread centred around a half dozen of the aqueducts - dating as far back as 144 BCE - which once supplied Rome with its water. There´s also an aqueduct from the Middle Ages, as well as several other mostly medieval buildings and structures, the remains of an ancient Roman villa, and a section of the ancient <strong>Via Latina</strong>. It´s a peaceful and eye-opening experience indeed.</p><p> </p><p> </p></div>Exploring Global Village Dubaihttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/exploring-global-village-dubai2023-09-12T07:51:21.000Z2023-09-12T07:51:21.000ZJohn Millerhttps://tripatini.com/members/JohnMiller147<div><p>Hey there, fellow adventurers! If you're like me and always on the lookout for unique and exciting experiences, then Global Village Dubai should be right at the top of your travel bucket list. As a travel blogger, I've had the privilege of exploring this cultural and entertainment hub, and I'm thrilled to share my top 10 must-do experiences with you. So, grab your <a href="https://www.visitglobalvillage.com/" target="_blank">Global Village Tickets</a> and let's dive into this extraordinary journey.</p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12222379097,RESIZE_1200x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-full" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12222379097,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="710" alt="12222379097?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a></p><ol><li>Pavilion-Hopping Adventure: Global Village is like a mini world tour, all in one place! Each pavilion represents a different country or region, offering a fascinating dive into their culture, traditions, and products. The vibrant bazaars of Egypt, the colorful textiles of India – you'll want to capture it all. It's a photographer's dream.<br /><br /></li><li>Foodie Delight: I'm a firm believer that you can discover the heart of a place through its food, and Global Village doesn't disappoint. From tantalizing Egyptian kebabs to rich Indian biryani, this place is a culinary paradise. <a href="https://www.visitglobalvillage.com/restaurants" target="_blank">Restaurants In Global Village</a> signs you up for a culinary adventure around the globe. Don't forget to share your foodie finds with your readers!<br /><br /></li><li>Front Row at Live Performances: Global Village hosts an array of live performances, and they're nothing short of spectacular. Whether it's traditional dances, mind-blowing acrobatics, or heartwarming music, the main stage is the place to be. Check the schedule and make sure you catch a show or two during your visit. Your readers will love the videos and photos.<br /><br /></li><li>Retail Therapy:<br /><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12222380276,RESIZE_1200x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-full" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12222380276,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="710" alt="12222380276?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a> <br />Shopping enthusiasts, get ready to be in heaven! With countless shops and stalls, Global Village offers a shopping experience like no other. Fashion, home decor, or unique souvenirs – your readers will appreciate your shopping tips and recommendations.<br /><br /></li><li>Bargain Hunt: Shopping at Global Village is not just about buying; it's about the experience. Many vendors are open to haggling, so don't hesitate to negotiate for that beautiful rug or piece of artwork you've had your eye on. Share your bargaining tips and successful deals.<br /><br /></li><li>Dubai Dolphinarium Delight: A newer addition to Global Village is the Dubai Dolphinarium. The dolphin and seal shows here are both educational and incredibly entertaining. It's an excellent activity for families, and you can often find special 'Global Village Tickets' that include admission. Your readers with families will appreciate your insights.<br /><br /></li><li>Cultural Immersion: Global Village frequently hosts cultural events and exhibitions that provide insights into the traditions and heritage of different countries. Don't miss out on these opportunities to delve deeper into the cultures you're exploring. Share your observations and the cultural richness with your readers.<br /><br /></li><li>Thrills at the Funfair:<br /><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12222380452,RESIZE_1200x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-full" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12222380452,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="710" alt="12222380452?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a><br /> Adrenaline junkies, rejoice! The Carnaval funfair at Global Village has a ride for everyone. From hair-raising roller coasters to family-friendly attractions, it's pure amusement park fun. Look for package deals that include access to multiple rides. Share your ride experiences and capture the excitement in your blog.<br /><br /></li><li>Genting Cable Car Views: The Genting Cable Car offers breathtaking panoramic views of Global Village, especially in the evening when the pavilions and stalls are illuminated. This is a fantastic opportunity to use your 'Global Village Tickets' and capture some Instagram-worthy shots. Your readers will love the visuals.<br /><br /></li><li>Fireworks Spectacle: End your day at Global Village with a bang! The nightly fireworks displays are nothing short of spectacular. They light up the night sky, casting a magical glow over the entire village. Be sure to check the schedule so you don't miss this grand finale. Share your photos and videos for a dazzling blog finale.</li></ol></div>A Beautiful Bespoke Journey to Japanhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/bespoke-journey-to-japan-tokyo-kyoto-nikko2023-05-29T17:20:00.000Z2023-05-29T17:20:00.000ZLinda Cooperhttps://tripatini.com/members/LindaCooper764<div><div class="article__container cf">
<div class="article__content">
<p><a href="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/images/news/1photo121.jpeg?comp=2" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/images/news/1photo121.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_710x" alt="1photo121.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_710x" width="750" /></a><span style="font-size:8pt;"><em>Photos: Linda Cooper</em></span></p>
<div class="image-credit"> </div>
<div class="image-credit"><span style="font-size:10pt;">In <strong>Japan</strong> (or <strong>Nippon</strong> as the Japanese call it), broken objects are often repaired in gold, a practice known as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kintsugi" target="_blank">Kintsugi.</a> As a philosophy, its flaw is seen as a unique piece of the object’s history, therefore celebrating its beauty rather than something to disguise. It’s this approach combined with a constant “nod” reflecting old and new blended so seamlessly into Japanese modern life that makes the <strong>Land of the Rising Sun</strong> one of the most travelworthy around the globe. </span></div>
<p> </p>
<a href="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107062.jpeg?comp=2" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107062.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" alt="107062.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><br />
<p><span style="font-size:10pt;">My eye-opening appreciation of the Japanese way of life began the moment I arrived into Tokyo and stepped foot into the stunning lobby of The <strong><a href="https://www.tokyuhotelsjapan.com/global/capitol-h/" target="_blank">Capitol Hotel Tokyu</a></strong>. A country of contrasts that coexist at the intersection of <a href="https://tokyotokyo.jp/" target="_blank">old meets new</a>, I was greeted at check-in to find a lovely performer serenading us with the most recognizable traditional sounds of Japan from its zitherlike national instrument, the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koto_(instrument)" target="_blank">koto</a>.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:10pt;">Rising high above the city streets of downtown's <strong>Akasaka</strong> district, this property defines "modern Japanese" ambiance with a luxury setting that mixes traditional with sophisticated modern Japanese architectural styles, designed by famed architect <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kengo_Kuma" target="_blank"><strong>Kengo Kuma</strong></a>.<br /> <br /> </span></p>
<a href="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107063.jpeg?comp=2" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107063.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" alt="107063.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><br />
<p><br /> <span style="font-size:10pt;">Each morning I woke up excited for a day a new day of exploration enticed by our fabulous panoramic view of Tokyo’s cityscape. The property has 251 rooms including 14 suites, and our <a href="https://preferredhotels.com/property/capitol-hotel-tokyu-1286" target="_blank">luxury accommodations</a> were an elegant cocoon of Japanese comfort designed with natural wood finishes and shoji paper screens ingeniously placed to customize our living space.</span><br /> </p>
<a href="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107064.jpeg?comp=2" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107064.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" alt="107064.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><br />
<p> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Food, Glorious Food</strong></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:10pt;">Japan’s capital is a gastronomic wonderland - and I’m not just talking about its famous melt-in-your-mouth sushi. To really experience Tokyo’s rich culinary canon, taking an <strong><a href="https://arigatojapan.co.jp/tokyo/" target="_blank">Arigato Food Tour</a></strong> is an absolute must for food lovers, whether or not you think of yourself as a foodie. Navigating the back alleys, we tasted our way through the city, sampling delectable bites from five unique food stops while learning must-know cultural tidbits led by Arigato’s expert guide. It was an unforgettable experience that no tourist will ever see on their own with the most delicious food only the locals usually get to savor. Our personality-plus tour guide “Sam” was a real kick and I came away with delicious memories, a font of knowledge and a full tummy.</span></p>
<a href="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107065.jpeg?comp=2" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107065.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" alt="107065.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><br />
<p><br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Plus Cutting-edge Culture</strong></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:10pt;"> We also were able to indulge in a very different feast for other senses. Since 2017 a dynamic group called <strong>Drum Tao</strong> has been treating audiences to <strong><a href="https://www.japan-guide.com/ad/tao-mangekyo/" target="_blank">Mangekyo</a></strong>, an hourlong spectacle electrifying, state-of-the-art <em>taiko</em> drumming in a dedicated theater. It's truly unique (and inevitably loud) entertainment mixing tradition with powerful avant-garde revolution that truly mesmerizes, brought to the stage with the collaborative of visionary digital masterminds at <a href="https://mangekyo-tokyo.com/en/about.php" target="_blank"><strong>TeamLab</strong></a>, an interdisciplinary group of “ultra-technologists” whose collaborative practice seeks to navigate the confluence of art, science, technology, design and the natural world..A feast for both eyes and ears, and creative beyond most people’s imagination.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<a href="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107066.png?comp=2" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107066.png?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" alt="107066.png?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><br /> <span style="font-size:10pt;"> Another very worthwhile attraction from teamLab is <a href="https://planets.teamlab.art/tokyo/" target="_blank"><strong>Planets</strong></a>, an outstanding “body immersive” digital art museum consistng of a collection of installations in which your entire body becomes fully immersed into the art. I have never experienced anything so fabulous and interactive, where there are no boundaries between you and the work. </span></div>
<div class="article__content"><br />
<p> </p>
<a href="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107067.jpeg?comp=2" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107067.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" alt="107067.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><br />
<p><br /> <span style="font-size:10pt;">Like the giant, rainbow cotton-candy I’m holding on famed <strong>Takeshita Street</strong> of downtown's <strong>Harajuku</strong> district, everything in Tokyo is bigger and better with sightseeing nirvana at nearly every turn. It may be the most Instagrammable city I’ve ever experienced which speaks volumes coming from me as a <a href="https://www.traveltimewithlindatv.com/" target="_blank">travel TV host</a>.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<a href="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107068.jpeg?comp=2" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107068.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" alt="107068.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Going to Kyoto for Traditional Culture</strong></span><br /> <br />
<p><span style="font-size:10pt;">Next we journeyed to one of Japan's oldest cities (it was chosen as the imperial capital in the 8th century, and now has a population around 1½ million), a 2½-hour train ride or five hour drive southwest of Tokyo. And as the country's "cultural capital" it's also the center of the geisha world, and I was granted a rare interview with a <em>geiko</em> (geisha) and her <em>maiko</em> apprentice. Around dusk in the entertainment district <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gion" target="_blank">Gion</a>, we arrived at a little wooden building “boarding house” for mistresses of the classical arts, designated by black vertical plaques at their entrances; the blond wood sign above denotes the name of the g<em>eiko</em> and m<em>aiko</em> who live inside its quaint teahouse. Led upstairs by the “house mother” to a private room we were seated, and I soon was captivated as our geisha floated elegantly inside; red-lipped and doll-like dressed in elaborate kimonos and face artistically painted and powdered white. They are skilled in making conversation as well as practicing many of the traditional arts, including dance and playing instruments such as the lute and three-string <em>shamisen</em>. A trance-like tea ceremony and performance ensued, followed by a rare interview and even an impromptu dance lesson! Contrary to the prostitution myth about this profession, geishas are highly respected and bound to lead a single life “not allowed to consort with boys” and live with their house mothers under strict rules; should they choose to marry, they must retire from the profession</span>.</p>
<p> </p>
<a href="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107069.jpeg?comp=2" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107069.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" alt="107069.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><br />
<p><span style="font-size:10pt;">So grateful for my once-in-a-lifetime experience, I ended our interview with a heartfelt <em>“okini</em>”, a Kyoto-dialect phrase meaning “thank you very much” as they escorted us out and waved good-bye from the teahouse entrance until we disappeared from sight.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<span style="font-size:8pt;"><em><a href="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107070.png?comp=2" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107070.png?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" alt="107070.png?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a>courtesy of Jotaro Saito</em></span><br />
<div class="image-credit"><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:10pt;"> Walking away, I reflected how fortunate I felt to be dressed so perfectly for this special occasion as earlier that day I had the incredible opportunity to interview Kyoto-based <strong><a href="http://www.jotaro.net/" target="_blank">Jotaro Saito</a></strong>, the famous designer who dressed <a href="https://ladygaga.fandom.com/wiki/Jotaro_Saito">Lady Gaga</a> in one of his gorgeous kimono designs for her performance in Japan several years ago. This third-generation kimono designer has made a name for himself with his classic and contemporary designs in the pursuit of creating kimono as fashion promoting "a lifestyle of enjoying Japanese taste".</span></div>
<p> </p>
<a href="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107071.jpeg?comp=2" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107071.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" alt="107071.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><br />
<p> </p>
<p><span style="font-size:10pt;">In addition to his sought-after kimonos he also produces beautiful home interiors and other design products you can drop some yen at his two retail store locations - one here in Kyoto and in </span><a href="http://www.jotaro.net/ginza/" target="_blank">in Tokyo's <strong>Ginza</strong></a> shopping district.</p>
<p> </p>
<a href="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107072.jpeg?comp=2" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107072.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" alt="107072.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><br />
<p> </p>
<p><span style="font-size:10pt;">Back amid the serene contemporary surroundings of the 408-room <a href="https://www.tokyuhotelsjapan.com/global/kyoto-h/index.html" target="_blank"><strong>Kyoto Tokyu Hotel</strong></a>, its tranquil courtyards and water features create the perfect sense of calm and relaxation to end each day’s bespoke adventures. <a href="https://www.tokyuhotelsjapan.com/global/index.html">Tokyu Hotels</a> offer its guests a consolidated zone of hospitality with unbeatable locations throughout Japan’s major cities, and like its Tokyo sister property the Capitol Tokyu, your sleek sophisticated <a href="https://preferredhotels.com/property/kyoto-tokyu-hotel-1456" target="_blank">accommodations</a> are an idyllic haven with luxurious details including Japanese green tea, slippers, and <em>yukata</em> (bathrobe-like summer kimonos) nightwear.</span></p>
</div>
<div class="article__content"> </div>
<div class="article__content"> </div>
<div class="article__content"><a href="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107074.jpeg?comp=2" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107074.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" alt="107074.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><br />
<p> </p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>A Magical Northern Escape</strong></span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:10pt;"> For another change of pace, we headed a couple of hours north of Tokyo to the shores of <strong><a href="https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/japan-chuzenji-cruises-nikko" target="_blank">Lake Chuzenji</a></strong> in the <strong>Tochigi</strong> prefecture of <a href="https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/an-escape-to-japan-s-mystical-city-of-nikko" target="_blank"><strong>Nikko</strong></a>, where many urban Japanese flock for a break from the pressures, hustle, and bustle of big city life. A national treasure filled with natural beauty and important <strong>UNESCO World Heritage Sites</strong>, its literal translation means “sunlight”, and its lovely mountain lake landscape is reminiscent of my childhood family vacations growing up in <strong>California</strong>, with summers spent at <strong>Lake Tahoe</strong>.</span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:10pt;"> Arriving from Tokyo on an impecccable, two-hour <a href="https://www.tobu.co.jp/en/access/nikko/" target="_blank"><strong>Nikko Line</strong> of <strong>Tobu Railway</strong></a> to experience this region's beautiful treasures was on my bucket list, and as the Japanese saying goes "Never say <em>kekkõ</em> until you've seen Nikkõ" — <em>kekk</em>õ meaning “a reflection of its beauty.” So I was excited to see Japan’s famed mystical city and region.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107073.jpeg?comp=2" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107073.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" alt="107073.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a></p>
<p><span style="font-size:10pt;">At the entrance to the sanctuary of the Shinto <strong>Futarasan-jinja Shrine</strong>, dating back to the 8th century, stands the sacred vermillion, <strong>UNESCO World Heritage</strong> <strong><a href="http://www.shinkyo.net/english/shinkyo.shtml" target="_blank">Shinkyo Bridge</a></strong>; Japan's oldest built over a gorge. It's considered lucky to make a wish while crossing, so of course I had to make this my first stop on our way to checking in to our luxury <em>ryokan</em> (traditional inn) property, <strong><a href="https://www.hoshinoresorts.com/en/resortsandhotels/kai/nikko.html" target="_blank">Hoshino Resorts KAI Nikko</a></strong>. </span></p>
<p> </p>
<a href="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107075.jpeg?comp=2" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107075.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" alt="107075.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><br />
<p><span style="font-size:10pt;">Staying at a traditional Japanese ryokan was an absolute-must on my travel agenda, and <strong><a href="https://kai-ryokan.jp/en/nikko/" target="_blank">KAI Nikko</a></strong> did not disappoint, with its luxurious tatami-matted rooms with Western influences, plus breathtaking views of Lake Chuzenji and Mount Nantai.</span></p>
<p><a href="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107076.jpeg?comp=2" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107076.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" alt="107076.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:10pt;">Assigned a <em>yukata</em> robe and <em>setta</em> (casual traditional thongs) with Tabi socks to wear at all times on-property, it was so nice for a change not to think about what I was going to wear every day and enjoyed the hotel’s incredible hot springs, taking full advantage of living in the moment.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<a href="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107077.jpeg?comp=2" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107077.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" alt="107077.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><br />
<p><br /> <span style="font-size:10pt;">With gorgeous sightseeing at every turn, we ventured off property to enjoy the panoramic vantage points of Nikko’s famous 318-foot-high <strong><a href="https://www.visitnikko.jp/en/spots/kegon-falls/" target="_blank">Kegon Falls</a></strong> (above), taking a ride up to the observation platform atop <strong><a href="https://www.visitnikko.jp/en/spots/akechidaira-plateau/" target="_blank">Akechidaira Plateau</a></strong> for a comprehensive (and mind-blowing) aerial view of the stream flowing from Chuzenji to the falls, and Nikko's sacred volcano Mount Nantai - 8,156 feet high - in the background (the eruption of which 27,000 years ago blocked the valley below, creating the lake).</span><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:10pt;"> More sightseeing musts include visiting the also World Heritage <strong><a href="https://www.visitnikko.jp/en/spots/nikko-toshogu-shrine/" target="_blank">Nikko Toshogu Shrine</a></strong>, built in the early 17th century and dedicated to the Tokugawa Shogun (one of Japan's many military dictators between 1185 and 1868) and his samurai warriors, as well as the <a href="https://www.visitnikko.jp/en/spots/nikko-tamozawa-imperial-villa-memorial-park/" target="_blank"><strong>Tamozawa Imperial Villa</strong></a>; a well-preserved former summer residence and retreat for the Imperial family also dating back to the 17th century and used up until the end of World War II.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<a href="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107078.jpeg?comp=2" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107078.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" alt="107078.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><br /> <span style="font-size:10pt;">It was also here in Nikko where I experienced a full-circle moment at the <a href="http://www.kashiwazakari.com/english.html" target="_blank"><strong>Katayama Suzo Sake Brewery</strong></a>. <em>Kampai!</em>.While enjoying my sake tasting and interview with the company’s sixth-generation sake maker, our translator/guide shared my Japanese claim to fame with the owner: having modeled as a 16-year-old for the well-known <strong><a href="https://www.ozeki.co.jp/english/products/sake/onecup/" target="_blank">One Cup Ozeki Sake</a></strong>, gracing its wine label throughout Japan. </span>
<p align="center"> </p>
<a href="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107079.jpeg?comp=2" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107079.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" alt="107079.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><br />
<p><span style="font-size:10pt;">Shot in <strong>Los Angeles</strong> for a Japanese photo agency, shown above from what seems like a lifetime ago, is my first modeling job on the right. Looking back now, acknowledging the fact I was not old enough to legally drink the sake, this was the beginning of my strong desire to “taste” Japan.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<a href="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107080.jpeg?comp=2" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://cdn.justluxe.com/articles/galleries/107080.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" alt="107080.jpeg?comp=2&profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a></div>
<div class="article__content"> </div>
<div class="article__content"><br /> <span style="font-size:10pt;">How rewarding, decades later, fulfilling a childhood dream and truly savoring this extraordinary bucket-list destination, embracing its old rituals and modern discoveries. My "aha" moment of appreciation, experiencing first-hand Japan’s rich folds of history, traditions and culture. </span></div>
<div class="article__content"><em><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:8pt;">Linda Cooper is an award-winning TV host, producer, and writer serving as a brand ambassador to worldwide travel on her national luxury lifestyle series “Travel Time with Linda” as well as a contributor to several lifestyle and travel publications. Her specialties include television and in lifestyle publications include the travel lifestyle luxury tourism hotels, food/wine, fitness, spas and luxury...</span></em><span style="font-size:8pt;"><a href="http://www.justluxe.com/community/view-profile.php?p_id=46238" target="_blank">(read more)</a></span></div>
<div class="article__content"><br />
<p> </p>
<div class="article__meta--footer cf">
<ul class="share-widget">
<li><a><img src="http://www.justluxe.com/images/jl-new/article-share-fb.jpg" alt="Share on Facebook" /></a></li>
<li><a><img src="http://www.justluxe.com/images/jl-new/article-share-tw.jpg" alt="Share on Twitter" /></a></li>
<li><a href="mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20thisarticleon%20JustLuxe&body=Destin-Asia:%20A%20Bespoke%20Journey%20To%20Japan%20http://www.justluxe.com/travel/luxury-vacations/feature-1969046.php"><img src="http://www.justluxe.com/images/jl-new/article-share-mail.jpg" alt="Share on Twitter" /></a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="meta-author cf">
<div class="meta-author__content">
<h3> </h3>
<p> </p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div></div>Welcome to Eurovision 2023 in Liverpool!https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/eurovision-2023-liverpool-united-kingdom-music-cultural-travel2023-05-14T08:55:00.000Z2023-05-14T08:55:00.000ZDavid Paul Appellhttps://tripatini.com/members/DavidPaulAppell16<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}11075428071,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}11075428071,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="11075428071?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><a href="https://eurovision.tv/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:8pt;"><em>Eurovision.tv</em></span></a></p>
<p><br /> It’s baaaack! The 67th edition of the world’s largest, longest, and perhaps most anticipated/beloved music competition, pulling in a worldwide television audience of some 160 million and inspiring tens of thousands of fans to travel <br /> <br /> On a personal note, although I haven't yet attended the <strong>Eurovision</strong> song contest in person, ever since I started traveling more extensively to <strong>Europe</strong> in 1977 – well before <strong><em>American Idol,</em></strong> <strong><em>The Voice</em></strong>, or <strong><em>The X Factor</em></strong> – it's always been a big deal for more than a few of my Old-World friends and acquaintances (not to mention the local media). I got to watch it several times surrounded by Europeans (most recently last night), and I must say, the enthusiasm generated by this reliably cheesy collection of crazy outfits, over-the-top antics, and sometimes downright goofy tunes (<a href="https://www.vulture.com/article/best-memorable-eurovision-performances.html">here's a 2020 piece I found on its most outrageous performances</a>) can be kind of endearing; <br /> <br /> It's this sense of kitsch and camp that has also earned it a huge following among much of Europe's LGBT+ community (then of course there was those times that queer artists nabbed the top prize, such as in 2014, when a bearded drag queen from <strong>Austria</strong>, <strong>Conchita Wurst</strong>, won for her operatic pop <a href="https://youtu.be/QRUIava4WRM">“<strong>Rise Like a Phoenix</strong>”</a>), and in 1998, when it went to <a href="https://youtu.be/Q8ZfreUQfvc">“<strong>Diva</strong>,”</a> sung in Hebrew by <strong>Israel</strong>’s transgender <strong>Dana International</strong> – who these days would no doubt be stoned by the loony Orthodox back home. (On the other hand, for a more cynical - and no doubt realistic - take on Eurovision and “the gays,” check out <a href="https://youtu.be/Wnjtzn7ZkCs">this recent video</a>).</p>
<p>At the same time, since the competition started in 1956, some memorable songs (and sometimes careers) have come out of Eurovision – perhaps my older favorites being the Spanish Basque group <a href="https://youtu.be/ub8SyRjX_eY" target="_blank"><strong>Mocedades</strong> with its luminous "<strong><em>Eres Tú</em></strong>" (1973)</a>; <a href="https://youtu.be/I8F5vKJcxCQ" target="_blank"><strong>ABBA</strong>’s insanely catchy, career-launching "<strong>Waterloo</strong>"</a> (1974); <a href="https://youtu.be/ZiCg5ZFKEhw" target="_blank"><em>"<strong>La La La</strong>"</em> by <strong>Spain</strong>’s <strong>Massiel</strong></a> (1968); <a href="https://youtu.be/T6ERpWOsXYs" target="_blank">"<strong><em>Un Banc, un Abre, une Rue</em></strong>" from <strong>Monaco</strong>’s <strong>Séverine</strong></a> (1971); and an Israeli pair, "<strong><a href="https://youtu.be/BX6-z-OOvQA" target="_blank">Hallelujah</a></strong>" (1979) and "<strong><a href="https://youtu.be/3ch5rEYB0-M" target="_blank">A-Ba-Ni-Bi</a></strong>" (1978). (Yes, Israel isn't Europe, but they’re here by virtue of being a member of the <strong>European Broadasting Union</strong>, and the Aussies were invited as of 2015 because they’re such Eurovision superfans – although sadly, their contract runs out after this year, so as of 2024 till further notice it’s catch you later, mates.)</p>
<p>And since the arrival of the 21st century - apart from fthe trend since 1999 of too many songs in English even from non-English-speaking countries - of course other countries from the east have been included (even a couple which are marginally, if at all, "European"), including <strong>Albania</strong>, <strong>Armenia</strong>, <strong>Azerbaijan</strong> (hmmm), <strong>Belarus</strong>, <strong>Bulgaria</strong>, <strong>Croatia</strong>, <strong>Czechia</strong>/<strong>Czech Republic</strong>, <strong>Estonia</strong>, <strong>Latvia</strong>, <strong>Lithuania</strong>, <strong>Moldova</strong>, <strong>Montenegro</strong>, <strong>North Macedonia</strong>, <strong>Russia</strong>, <strong>Serbia</strong>, <strong>Slovakia</strong>, <strong>Slovenia</strong>, <strong>Turkey</strong>, and <strong>Ukraine</strong>. Plus there’s Australia (yet not <strong>New Zealand</strong>) and Israel. A few of these have won, as well, including Azerbaijan, Estonia, Latvia, Russia, Serbia, and Ukraine (three times), although Russia got itself kicked out in 2021 because of its brutal invasion of Ukraine, Belarus also got the boot because of its support of Russia and because its own dictatorship was using the contest as a propaganda tool; and Turkey pulled out in 2013 and hasn’t yet returned (supposedly due to disagreement over a couple of rules) – though Turkish opposition presidential candidate <strong>Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu</strong> has said he’d like to change that if he winds. Then there are the "Big Five," which are always included because they foot much of the Eurovision bill every year: <strong>France</strong>, <strong>Germany</strong>, <strong>Italy</strong>, <strong>Spain</strong>, and the <strong>United Kingdom</strong> (sort of like the <strong>United Nations Security Council</strong>, I guess, but without the veto?). This year there were 37 contestants, with Bulgaria, Montenegro, and North Macedonia dropping out because they couldn’t afford participating due to the global energy crisis.</p>
<p>OK, background over, and on to last night’s “United by Music” extravaganza in <strong>Liverpool</strong>, which hosted because although Ukraine won with an unprecedently massive sympathy vote in <a href="https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/eurovision-2022-turin-italy-culture-music-travel?edited=1">2022</a>, the insecurity wrought by the war made it impossible to stage in <strong>Kyiv</strong>, and the <strong>UK</strong> came in second (on the other hand, ironic because Britain stupidly Brexited three years ago after a nasty, mendacious campaign essentially vilifying the rest of Europe). The city was festooned in yellow and blue and the broadcast itself was replete with Ukrainian images, themes, and music (including an opening montage, then epic arena rendition of last year’s winner <strong><a href="https://youtu.be/F1fl60ypdLs">"</a><a href="https://youtu.be/F1fl60ypdLs">Stefania</a><a href="https://youtu.be/F1fl60ypdLs">" </a></strong><a href="https://youtu.be/F1fl60ypdLs">by </a><strong><a href="https://youtu.be/F1fl60ypdLs"><strong>Kalush Orchestra</strong></a></strong>, as well as 2016 champ <strong><a href="https://youtu.be/B-rnM-MwRHY">Jamala</a></strong> and zanily over-the top drag contestant <strong><a href="https://youtu.be/hfjHJneVonE">Verka Serduchka</a></strong>, who placed second in 2007. For all that, though, the EBU slapped down <strong>Volodomyr Zelensky</strong>’s request to tape a message of thanks, deeming it too “political” and hence against the no-overt-politics rules. Now, given all the hoopla over Ukraine – and indeed, the very fact that the event couldn’t even be held there this year to begin with for criminally political reasons – I and many others think this was a mistake, but hey. <em>Slava Ukraïni</em> anyway!<br /> <br /> Other highlights included lightning cameos from <strong>Andrew Lloyd Webber</strong> and <strong>Charles</strong>, <strong>Camilla</strong>, and<strong> Kate Middleton</strong>; a bunch of Eurovisioners past including 2022 runner-up <strong><a href="https://youtu.be/ziG157jZ4-E">Sam Ryder’s latest single “Mountain”</a></strong> and a segment covering songs of famous Liverpuddlian acts such as <strong>Atomic Kitten</strong>, <strong>Dead or Alive</strong>, and <strong>John Lennon</strong>. And most movingly of all, there was a mass-wrap-up rendition, again in homage to Ukraine, of a moving 1945 show tune, “<strong>You’ll Never Walk Alone</strong>.” All that, and various other usual over-the-top shenanigans too numerous to enumerate. <br /> <br /> In the end it added up to a massive, truly staggering feat of musical and theatrical production. And now on to the lineup, starting with the winner:</p>
<p> </p>
<p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BE2Fj0W4jP4" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p>
<p><br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Sweden: “Tattoo” - Loreen</strong></span><br /> <br /> Already heavily favored as the winner going in, singer, actress, and political activist <strong>Lorine Zineb Nora Talhaoui</strong> was born 40 years ago in <strong>Stockholm </strong>to Moroccan Berber immigrants (the kind of unfortunate folks who these days are being increasingly demonized even in liberal <strong>Scandinavia</strong>, including Sweden itself). She was already one of <strong>Sverige</strong>’s up-till-now six contest winners, for <a href="https://youtu.be/Pfo-8z86x80"> “<strong>Euphoria</strong>” in 2012</a>, which went on to become a worldwide hit. And with “Tattoo” she’s outdone herself. Performed on a fairly simple set – mostly sandwiched claustrophobically between a pair of square wedges emitting swirling imagery and mysterious symbols – and sporting swirling dreads and freaky-long, curvy, killer nails (<em>dayum!</em>) – she puts in a raw, plaintive, undeniably powerful pop performance (like “Euphoria,” in English), belting out the likes of “Violins playin’ and the angels cryin’, when the stars align I’ll be there” and “No, I don't care about the pain./I'll walk through fire and through rain/Just to get closer to you./You're stuck on me like a tattoo .” I really feel the emotion and pain in her delivery. You know, the Buddhists say that attachment is the main source of suffering. But that doesn’t make for dramatic art now, does it? In any case, “Tattoo” ended up inked into Eurovision history, tying Ireland for most contest wins; becoming the first female act to triumph twice; and of course outdoing Sweden’s number-four <strong><a href="https://youtu.be/4tD-ycN2uJQ">“Hold Me Closer” from Cornelia Jakobs</a></strong> last year.</p>
<p>And beyond that, here's a rundown of the two dozen finalists winnowed from the total field, which for the most part got here by winning votes in national finals in their respective countries (with some exceptions, such as the UK entry, chosen jointly by the <strong>BBC</strong> and the artist’s record label):</p>
<p> </p>
<p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TI9rSDhXwyc" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Albania: “Duje” - Albina & Familja Kelmendi</strong></span></p>
<p>Exotically beautiful <strong>Albina Kelmendi</strong> was born in <strong>Kosovo</strong> (then part of Serbia) 25 years ago, and in this outing, dressed in an equally exotic, traditionally inspired costume, her powerful vocals are backed by five members of her <em>familja</em> (two sisters, a brother, even mom and dad!) in the dramatic “Love It.” Sung in Albanian (there are more than a few impenetrable languages across Europe, but this one’s right up there), it’s a hypnotizing, wonderfully Balkan-flavored ode to the importance of family in the face of a break-up: “Love it like you used to love it./That love, save it./Just like the life, you love it./Don’t throw stones at it, but just like you used to, love it. That love, keep it/Like the life you love, love it.” <strong><a href="https://eurovision.tv/country/albania">Shqipëri</a></strong> has definitely had its ups and (mostly) downs in the 19 years since it started competing, with the best result coming in 2012 with <strong><a href="https://youtu.be/QeBL2UHhyEc">Rona Nishliu’s power ballad “<em>Suus</em>”</a></strong>). But maybe “Duje” came across as a bit <em>too</em> exotic for the juries and call-ins to love, sadly placing 22nd out of 26 – its poorest ranking ever. I just don’’t know what else to say, except that they definitely deserved better. </p>
<p><br /> <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/h0q7AkYk2hY" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p>
<p><br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Armenia: “Future Lover” - Brunette</strong></span><br /> <br /> All by her lonesome against against a stark black and white-lit backdrop interspersed with swirling psychedelic purples, at age 22 <strong>Elen Yeremyan</strong> from <strong>Yerevan</strong> also sports a wonderfully sultry, exotic look. And her haunting, wistful meditation is a ballad with a beat plus a rap interlude – in both English and a bit of Armenian (something we haven’t seen in all too long). For example: “I just wanna make art/Read books and just find someone/Who likes me enough to kiss my face./I wanna explore with him and visit old bookstores/And cute little things, like drink smoothies at near cafés.” Then the emotion swells, and “I’m a volcano that is going to explode in a sec./I’m so hypnotized by someone that I’ve never ever met.” Sweet, right? <a href="https://eurovision.tv/country/armenia">Armenia</a> has made 15 appearances here and reached the finals a dozen times, reaching its high-water mark, fourth place, in both 2008 (<a href="https://youtu.be/bridO-wD7c8">”<strong>Quélé Quélé</strong>” from <strong>Sirusha</strong></a>) and 2014 (<a href="https://youtu.be/oj0oOV-2fRQ"><strong>Aram MP3</strong>’s “<strong>Not Alone</strong>”</a>). So coming in 14th last night is of course a disappointment – but also at least an improvement on 20th for folk-popster <strong><a href="https://youtu.be/DAJ6vfmD_ic">Rosa Linn’s “Snap”</a></strong> last year (and despite that, Rosa has become something of a worldwide sensation since, as this broadcast noted). Hopefully Brunette will achieve similar success, and that the future love for Armenia’s hopeful in <strong>Stockholm</strong> will be grow by leaps and bounds.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GSoy_mJMlMY" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p>
<p><br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Australia: “Promise” - Voyager</strong></span></p>
<p>Whimsically, the Eurovision swan song for <strong>Oz</strong> for at least a while opens with gap-toothed lead singer <strong>Danny Estrin</strong> and his asymmetrically flowing locks at the wheel of an iconic vintage sports car, a 1988 <strong>Toyota MR2 AW11</strong>. Then this <strong>Perth</strong>-based, five-member, 24-year-old <a href="https://www.voyagerau.com/">“progressive metal” band</a> (but with a wider musical range than that implies) proceeds to deliver an energetic, kinda 80s-vibish, definitely un-metal-feeling rocker that starts out with the question “Have you ever done anything like this before?” and winds up with “Promise mе you'll hold me 'til I die./I'm by your side./Promisе me it's gonna, promise me it's gonna be all right.” And check out that wicked keytar (guitar-keyboard hybrid) solo, would you? Anyhoo…Australia’s high mark was sixth in 2016, with South Korean immigrant <strong><a href="https://youtu.be/5ymFX91HwM0">Dami Im’s performance of “Sound of Silence”</a></strong> (with apologies to <strong>Simon and Garfunkel</strong>) and this time it ended up in ninth (but at least a big jump up from 15th for last year’s moving yet morose <a href="https://youtu.be/wosfFz2FJPU">“<strong>Not the Same</strong>” from gay Asperger’s dude <strong>Sheldon Riley</strong></a>). It’s a damn shame the Aussies ended their run without a win, but we can always hope for a comeback, right?</p>
<p><a href="https://youtu.be/8uk64V9h0Ko"><br /> <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8uk64V9h0Ko" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br /> </a> <br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Austria: “Who the Hell Is Edgar?” - Teya & Salena</strong></span><br /> <br /> <strong><em>Österreich</em></strong> has taken the <em>torte</em> twice, in 1966 with the smooth, languid German-language classic <a href="https://youtu.be/sqasLQyydeU">“<strong><em>Merci Chérie</em></strong>” by <strong>Üdo Jürgens</strong></a> and most memorably with drag darling <a href="https://youtu.be/QRUIava4WRM">Conchita Wurst’s 2016 “Rise Like a Phoenix,”</a> and its latest effort – squarely in the Eurovision tradition of quirky – was first up last night, and kicked off with some classic Eurovision wackiness - albeit with definite musical chops. Black-clad Serbian-Austrian <strong>Teodora Špirić</strong>, 23, and white-wearing <strong>Selina-Maria Edbauer,</strong> 25, brought a driving beat to the likes of “There's a ghost in my body and he is a lyricist./It is <strong>Edgar Allan Poe</strong>, and I think he can't resist./Yeah, his brain is in my hand, and it's moving really fast.” Then later they sneak in a slam at the exploitation of songwriters by streaming platforms like <strong>Spotify</strong>, which pay them as little as US3 cents per stream: “Zero dot zero zero three./Give me two years, and your dinner will be free./Gas station champagne is on me.” (Oh, and fun fact: the “cheeky” chorus, “Poe, Poe, Poe, Poe, Poe, Poe," happens to also be German for “butt, butt, butt, butt, butt, butt.”) But this was probably too sardonic, sarcastic, and “meta” to go all the way, and one might be tempted to snark that the critical response to the song was “who the hell cares?” But to be fair, it did place in the upper half of the leaderboard, at 15th. And hey – we did get a pretty fun ride in the process – Poe, Poe, Poe!</p>
<p> </p>
<p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/U1xD14IMKtg" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p>
<p><br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Belgium: “Because of You” - Gustaph</strong></span></p>
<p>I remember <a href="https://youtu.be/sB09advfF6E"><strong>Jérémie Makiese</strong>’s “Miss You”</a> last year (19th place) – smooth and soulful, but also kinda mournful. This time out they went in the opposite direction – positive and upbeat – with this also soulful dance number in English from <strong>Antwerp</strong>’s Flemish, very much gay <strong>Stef Caers</strong> (at age 43 a tad long in the tooth compared to the kids around him). In a white blazer, a big white hat, a pink button-down shirt, and puffy pink knickers, here he’s backed up by video images of drag queens, voguing, and a diversity of ages and genders (the two fierce black women back-up singers are a great funky touch, too). Snippets of that positivity: “I love myself much more than I did yesterday” (yay!) and “when the world got me going crazy, I carry on/'Cause I know I'm strong./When the world got me going crazy/I carry on./And it's all because of you, because of you.” You go, girl! Anyway, <strong>België</strong>/<strong>Belgique</strong> has nabbed the top prize just once, way back in 1986, thanks to <a href="https://youtu.be/HyHWn0ZUrYU"><strong>Sandra Kim</strong>’s peppy, melodic "<strong><em>J'aime la Vie,</em></strong>"</a> and while coming in a strong seventh, Gustaph didn’t break the long dry spell, it was a welcome tonic - <em>bedankt!</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><em><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hGuGfdEJ5Pw" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></em></p>
<p><br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Croatia: “Mama ŠČ!” - Let 3 </strong></span><br /> <br /> Call me a fuddy duddy, but witnessing these half dozen characters clear the first semifinal made me go, “WTF were the voters <em>thinking</em>?” In most cases I’m all for “alternative,” quirky, and even transgressive, but the strange, jarring performance of these aging punkers (speaking of long in the tooth, the two dudes fronting the group are 62 and 59) from <strong><a href="https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/rijeka-croatia-attractions-2020-european-capital-of-culture">Rijeka</a></strong> on the <strong>Dalmatian Coast</strong> just plain made my eyes and head hurt. Marching and gyrating, they’re decked out in military drag-meet-psychedelia along with ludicrous pasted-on mustaches, then strip down to their undies – all the while backed by a ginormous video screen blasting out a dizzyingly swirl of bizarre images. The song itself is anti-war and monotonously simple yet hard to describe – and the <strong>BBC</strong> did it better than I ever could: “imagine someone cut up segments of <strong>Queen</strong>’s ‘<strong>Bohemian Rhapsody</strong>,’ <strong>Los Del Rio</strong>’s ‘<strong>Macarena</strong>,’ <strong>Wagner</strong>’s <strong>The Ring Cycle</strong>, and the sound of a tractor engine, then reassembled them at random.” Representative lyrics, translated from the Croatian: “Mama bought a tractor,” “Mama kissed the moron,” and “That little psychopath/A little vile psychopath/Crocodile psychopath/Mama, I'm going to war”- this last line, they say, a slam at <strong>Vladimir Putin</strong>, and the tractor thang a dig at Belarus dictator <strong>Aleksandr Lukashenko</strong>, who once gave Vlad a tractor for his birthday. Whatever – it’s sure one helluva screeching 180-degree tractor-turn from last year’s sweet, intimate, English-language <a href="https://youtu.be/DFBwe2w0zO4">“<strong>Guilty Pleasure</strong>” from <strong>Mia Dimšić</strong></a> (which washed out in the semifinal), as well at its more conventional, melodic fourth-place finishers in <a href="https://youtu.be/Wzgful7Gl8U">’96 (<strong>Maja Blagdam</strong>, “<strong>Sveta Ljubav</strong>”)</a> and ’99 (<a href="https://youtu.be/x2oIkF3sQtE"><strong>Doris Dragovi</strong><strong>ć</strong>, “<strong>Maria Magdalena</strong>”</a>). And I can’t say I was surprised it continued Croatia’s unbroken losing streak in 27 tries, ending up at number 13.</p>
<p><br /> <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/49YiimKeyDI" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p>
<p><strong><br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;">Cyprus: “Break a Broken Heart” - Andrew Lambrou</span></strong><br /> <br /> Back to ballads, smolderingly hunky 25-year-old Andrew (a few of my gay friends were swooning over him; Andy himself has remained discreet as to his own sexuality) is actually Australian though from a Greek Cypriot family; competed in the local <em>X Factor</em>; and last year even took part in the <strong>Oz</strong> competition to decide its Eurovision entry. He was approached by Greek Cypress to represent the country, and so here he was, in a simple black outfit with sleeveless shirt to show off his sleek guns, surrounded by a few special effects – dry-ice smoke across the stage floor and behind him, sheets of cascading water, followed by some fire. As for the song itself, it’s a good, solid ballad driven by his smooth, soulful vocals (check out those soaring high notes in the chorus!) and a dynamic beat, with lyrics like “The lights went out./I hit the ground./You didn't mind that I was bleeding out./You filled my life with minor songs./I loved you, but you loved to do me wrong./I miss your kiss, gasoline and a matchstick./Red lights, flashes, rising out of the ashes.” In recent years Cyprus has often made the final but finished fairly far down – with the notable second-place exception of Greek-Albanian <a href="https://youtu.be/vyDTbJ4wenY"><strong>Eleni Foureira</strong> channeling <strong>Beyoncé</strong> with “<em>Fuego</em>”</a> in 2018. This fine, polished effort, by contrast, broke into the leaderboard in spot number 12.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5nuypbLMfNQ" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p>
<p><br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Czechia/Czech Republic: “My Sister’s Crown” - Vesna</strong></span> <br /> <br /> Now I do have a soft spot for the Czechs, having lived in <strong>Prague</strong> for more than a year a good while back. That aside, <a href="https://eurovision.tv/country/czechia">this country</a>’s Eurovision track record has been pretty spotty – after debuting in 2007, it took itself out from 2009 till 2015 due to poor showings (including zero points in 2008) and a “meh” from the national public. Last night it was the turn of seven-year-old folk-pop sextet of pink-clad, long-braided young women (whip those braids, sistahs!) – two Czechs, a Bulgarian, a Ukrainian, a Slovak, and a Russian. They came at us with a catchy, driving number in English, Czech, Bulgarian, and Ukrainian about sisterhood and protesting gender inequality, with lines like “We are not your dolls” and “My sister’s crown/Don’t take it down/Nobody has right to do it/She’s beautiful and capable/She is her own queen/And she will prove it.” Energetic choreography; a definite updated East-European vibe; a touch of hip hop, and plenty of gurl-power attitude – and in the end Vesna came in a respectable tenth, much improving on last year’s techno <a href="https://youtu.be/EGRzSefqOm0">“<strong>Lights Off</strong>” from <strong>We Are Domi</strong></a> (22nd), but still several notches below sixth for <strong><a href="https://youtu.be/w0ZUuQe0shk">Mikoláš Josef’s jazzy “Lie to Me”</a></strong> in 2018.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="https://youtu.be/HsbC-OYMA3s"><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HsbC-OYMA3s" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></a> <br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Estonia: “Bridges” - Alika</strong></span></p>
<p>This a country with a rich singing tradition – not too many years ago I had the great pleasure of attending its biannual, UNESCO World Heritage <strong>Estonian Song Festival</strong> in <strong>Tallinn</strong> – one of the world’s largest choral events – and it was a memorable experience indeed, beautifully showcasing national culture. Nonetheless, its record has been less than stellar since debuting at Eurovision in 1994 – though it has won once, in 2001 for the fun but I must say pretty un-Estonian disco number <a href="https://youtu.be/wri72BfnGh4">"<strong>Everybody</strong>" by <strong>Tanel Padar</strong> and <strong>Dave Benton</strong></a>. Last night it was the turn of attractive young <strong>Alika Milova</strong>, born 20 years ago in the Russian-majority city of <strong>Narva</strong>, clad in blue on a simple set, with just a self-playing piano alongside her. She brings quietly powerful vocals to a nice ballad with lyrics like “Now I’m heading home o solid ground./Realized that all the lies I’ve told myself have died” and a chorus that goes “There is always time to get back on track,/Tearing down the walls slowly every step./Now I see myself building up a world of bridges.” My take: pleasant but fairly forgettable – yet I was surprised to see it wasn’t a bridge too far after all, taking a darn respectable eighth place (compared to last year, when inexplicably American-Western-themed <a href="https://youtu.be/GdTpQmMem8U">“<strong>Hope</strong>” by handsome young <strong>Stefan</strong></a> came in 13th). Also, just my two cents, but since 1999 this country has barely fielded any entries except in English, and I wish they would give it a try again next year – or at the very least something evoking its rich culture a bit more. What do you say, <em>Eesti</em>? <br /> <br /> <br /> <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/l6rS8Dv5g-8" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Finland: “Cha Cha Cha” - Käärijä</strong> </span><br /> <br /> This intense blast of metal- techno fusion fits in nicely with <strong>Suomi</strong>’s hard rock/metal tradition in recent years, and in the semifinal was an audience favorite and pegged as a top contender to take it all. <strong>Käärijä</strong> (aka <strong>Jere Pöyhönen</strong>) is a 29-year-old hip hop/metal/electronica dude who cites the German metal/hard rock band <strong>Rammstein</strong> as a major influence and here he breaks out of a wooden crate and prances about the stage in a borderline-dorky bowl cut and a green, puffy, open-front bolero jacket (a slightly brave choice, since he’s got a wee bit of a tummy); the original video, by the way has him flinging himself around a boxing ring. It's basically about losing inhibitions during a night out drinking: “Wanna mess my head up and free my mind of fear like a cha cha cha cha cha cha cha” (even though the drink he uses to do it is a piña colada – which, dude, doesn’t seem very metal to me). Several other points: the second half turns more melodic and radio friendly; I really like that it’s sung in Finnish (unlike last year’s <a href="https://youtu.be/LSi9nfr65FE">“<strong>Jezebel</strong>” from <strong>The</strong> <strong>Rasmus</strong></a> as well as others in previous years); and throughout It's an adrenaline rush for sure. And though Käärijä didn’t join Finland’s only Eurovision winner, the seriously hardcore, even more out-there <strong><a href="https://youtu.be/gAh9NRGNhUU">Lordi with “Hard Rock Hallelujah”</a></strong> (2006), he did make it all the way to first runner-up – and for a hot minute even occupied the top slot. So for sure we haven’t heard the last from crazy ol’ Jere! <br /> <br /> <br /> <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fOtQJ4o-HoA" width="750" height="450" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>France: “<em>Évidemment</em>” - La Zarra</strong> </span><br /> <br /> A Montreal-born, Paris-based chanteuse/songwriter of Moroccan descent, 35-year-old <strong><a href="https://www.facebook.com/lazarramusique/">Fatima Zahra Hafdi</a></strong>, according the contest’s French team “combines the class and style of <strong>Audrey Hepburn</strong> and <strong>Marilyn Monroe</strong> with the sense of tragedy of <strong>Edith Piaf</strong>, the post-modern intoxication of <strong>Lady Gaga</strong>, the naked frankness of <strong>Barbara</strong> [a 1950s French cabaret star], and the fragility of <strong>Dalida</strong> [an Egyptian-born French star of the 1950s-80s].” Alrighty, then – well, I can sort of see all of that. Perched on a glowing pedestal against a simple black set with sweeping white lights, poured into a slinky, shimmery red-tinged black number with an insouciant little cocked <em>châpeau</em> that might not be too out of place at a slightly more chic version of the <strong>Ascot</strong> races, in this ballad-meets-disco torch song “Evidently,” La Zarra laments that how her body parts are no longer hers – not even her kidneys, <em>parbleu</em>! – and “In my hell garden, the plants are watered with dreams and tears.” Catchy and as you would expect <em>très elegant</em>, but despite being tipped as one of the top three favorites, <em>évidemment</em> it wasn’t enough to snare <a href="https://eurovision.tv/country/france">France</a> its first win since 1977, with <a href="https://youtu.be/CWfH4Gp8nGg">"<strong><em>L'Oiseau et l'Enfant</em></strong>," performed by <strong>Marie Myriam</strong></a>. And in fact I was almost shocked that she finished so far down, at 16 – worse even than last year, when the witchy Breton-language <a href="https://youtu.be/H1lcGXwOqJI">“<strong><em>Fulenn</em></strong>” from <strong>Alvan & Ahez</strong></a> racked up 24.</p>
<p><br /> <a href="https://youtu.be/dyGR4YWlPEs"><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dyGR4YWlPEs" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></a> <br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Germany: “Blood and Glitter” - Lord of the Lost</strong></span><br /> <br /> Wow, another 180-degree turn from last year, in <a href="https://eurovision.tv/country/germany">Germany</a>’s case melodic, low-key <a href="https://youtu.be/2BYIou-oWXA">“<strong>Rockstars</strong>” from <strong>Malik Harris</strong></a>. In the finals thanks to Germany’s “Big Five” status, this guttural, occasionally screechy entry from <a href="https://lordofthelost.de/">a 16-year-old metal/glam quintet</a> out of <strong>Hamburg</strong> led by 43-year-old <strong>Chris “Lord” Harms</strong> is also reminiscent of Rammstein, and it’s apparently bidding to give Finland’s Käärijä a run for his hard-rockin’ money with a solid (if a bit generic number) and a theatrically flashy stage performance. But I’m not gonna lie – this kind of “sweet and bitter,” hard-driving stuff has never been my cup of tea, nor it seems has it for the most part been Eurovision’s (notwithstanding the 2021 win of <strong>Italy</strong>’s <strong><a href="https://youtu.be/RVH5dn1cxAQ">Måneskin with “Zitti e Buoni”</a></strong>). <strong>Deutschland</strong> has triumphed twice, in 1982 and 2010, and though despite its borderline inane lyrics “Blood and Glitter” still manages to be somewhat memorable. Even so, this year our metal <em>Freunden</em> continued the country’s long losing streak since <strong>Lena</strong>’s “<strong><em>Satellite</em></strong>” in 2010, ending up a lord of the lost at dead last. <em>Mehr Glück im nächsten Jahr</em> (better luck next year) – and <em>bitte</em>, try going back to the drawing board. 🙏</p>
<p><br /> <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Z3mIcCllJXY" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p>
<p><strong><br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;">Israel: “Unicorn” - Noa Kirel</span></strong><br /> <br /> After failing to qualify for the final last year with <a href="https://youtu.be/XgXjPUsjx4Y"><strong>Michael Ben David</strong>’s fairly gay “I.M.,”</a> four-time winner <a href="https://eurovision.tv/country/israel">Israel</a> sends us a hot 22-year-old (one of the country’s biggest pop stars, and an army vet to boot), with major cheekbones, pouty lips, and another energetic piece of gurl-power pop. In front of a relatively simple square tunnel of lights, clad in shiny black pants and a white bustier and backed by the usual handful of dancers, Noa belts out lyrics like “I’m gonna stand here like a unicorn, out here on my own/I got the power of a unicorn./ Don’t you ever learn?/That I won’t look back/I won’t look down/I’m going up/You better turn around”; a touch of Hebrew is thrown in (“I’m not like anyone else against the world”) for good measure. Including a zippy little dance break and winding up amid a blast of fireworks at the end (the official music video on the other hand has her slinking across a red ceiling and in various other poses, but is relatively subdued by comparison), it was indeed a “phenom-phenom-phenom phenomenal” performance but was pitted against a lot of other strong females here tonight. Nonetheless, Noa shot past most of them, placing a strong third.</p>
<p><br /> <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/d6IiOSut_4M" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br /> <br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Italy: “<em>Due Vite</em>” - Marco Mengoni</strong></span><br /> <br /> Speaking of phenom-phenomenons, handsome, bearded, 34-year-old <strong><a href="https://www.marcomengoni.it/it/">Marco</a></strong> became one in Italy after winning the national <em>X Factor</em> in 2009, and with this intense yet soulful, melodic pop ballad “<strong>Two Lives</strong>” he’s making his second Eurovision appearance a decade after <a href="https://youtu.be/S8oaxDV1q6o">his first, in <strong>Malmö</strong>, <strong>Sweden</strong></a>. – and this time surprised everyone by emerging during the flag of nations introduction with a gay pride flag along with the Italian – <em>bravo</em>! With passionate, virtuoso delivery, his poetic lyrics emote about the painful side of relationships with lines like “If this is the last song before the moon will explode/I will be there to tell you you're wrong, you're wrong, and you know it.” By the way, the above video – bleak and nearly monochromatic – was shot in the sand dunes of southern <strong>Sardinia </strong>(undoubtedly inspired by the line “And I still don't know your desert that well”.” three-time winner <strong><em>Italia</em></strong> has consistently finished fairly high in the past decade – including last year’s gorgeous, sixth-placing <a href="https://youtu.be/blEy4xHuMbY">“<strong><em>Brividi</em></strong>” from hunky duet <strong>Mahmood and Blanco</strong></a> (and a big favorite of mine on both musical and aesthetic grounds) – and this time around was no exception, coming in an even stronger fourth. <em>Ma bello!<br /> <br /> </em></p>
<p><em><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QsgouAEd34U" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></em></p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong><br /> Lithuania: "Stay" - Monika Linkytė</strong></span></p>
<p>Monika, 31, is Lithuanian-music-scene veteran of at least 15 years, including a platinum studio album, the local version of <em>The Voice</em>, various of its Eurovision tryouts, and Eurovision itself, bouncily belting out <a href="https://youtu.be/xtB_slM63JA">“This Time”</a> with <strong>Vaidas Baumila</strong>. Here, pretty and Baltically blonde (balanced out by her female backup vocalists, three out of four of whom are black), she donned an relatively simple orange frock and deployed her impressive set of pipes to deliver a beautiful, melodic torch song which begs – not, as you might assume, a lover to stay – but rather a plea for help and support from someone with long-term depression: “Just stay with me./My heart is bleeding./I need your healing./Wait for me./Well, it ain't easy/To love someone like me.” Meanwhile, above and behind them flashed pagan folkloric symbols, and most memorably the song is punctuated throughout with the catchy hook <em>čiūto tūto</em>, an incantation from old Lithuanians rituals. In the end, “Stay” had surprisingly staying power, taking 11th place, outdoing last year’s <strong><a href="https://youtu.be/BVqSTVJhD44">”Sentimental” from slinky, seductive Monica Liu</a> </strong>at 14th. That one, incidentally, was one of this country’s very few not sung in English, and I’d love to hear more of the national language in the future. <em>Pirmyn, Lietuva!</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SABOfYgGk8M" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p>
<p><br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Moldova: "<em>Soarele și Luna</em>" - Pasha Parfeni</strong></span><br /> <br /> Flanked by a pair of kettle drummers and dancers in antlers, in front of a vid screen featuring a huge pulsing sun, then moon – barechested, sporting an open, golden robe and a boy bun – this 36-year-old longtime veteran of the music biz (and also of Eurovision, in <a href="https://youtu.be/vIy0EtEeLEw">2012</a>) brings a primal intensity and energy to “The Sun and the Moon.” Sung in the national language Romanian, this classic case of traditional folk music and literary motifs meeting fast-paced electronica was composed jointly with his wife and expresses themes of love, devotion, and as Pasha said in an interview, how “the sun and the moon and the universe can align when you make the right decision.” For example: “I promised my bride a wedding under a starry sky./I gave to her on the seventh night, a ring with a gemstone. Sun and moon, they will hold us a weddin/Sun and moon, They will hold us, they will hold us a wedding.” They threw me a bit with the sudden appearance of a flute-playing dwarf in a bizarre headdress, but I later learned this supposedly represents a benign mythological character of some sort - alrighty then! In the end, the cosmic bodies aligned to yield a ranking of 18, lower than to <a href="https://eurovision.tv/country/moldova">Moldova</a>’s 2022 “folk-punk” entry <a href="https://youtu.be/C9RJQPZsj8E">“Trenulețul (A Little Train)”</a>, which despite (or perhaps because of?) its kookiness also made the final, and pulled into the station at seventh.<br /> <br /> <br /> <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PUHSM_vTqTI" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Norway: “Queen of Kings,” - Alessandra</strong></span><br /> <br /> Born in Italy 23 years ago to an Italian dad and Norwegian mom, <strong>Alessandra Watle Mele</strong> rose to prominence in Norway’s edition of <strong><em>The Voice</em></strong>, and here, clad in a vaguely sci-fi-evocative, caped black bustier trimmed with gold and a spiky gold tiara she told an interviewer was actually inspired by <strong>England</strong>’s <strong>Queen Elizabeth I</strong> (the original video also has a vaguely fantasy/sci-fi vibe). The staging is relatively simple and not overproduced compared to other competitors – mesmerizing, strobing blue lights, for the most part – but no matter: the song is compelling, driving, and feels like an heroic, epic anthem of sorts, with shades of Nordic mythology, its lyrics alluding to her challenging yet empowering experiences as a bisexual woman with inspirational, eminently catchy lines such as “She, queen of the kings, runnin' so fast, beatin' the wind./Nothin' in this world could stop the spread of her wings./She, queen of the kings, broken her cage, threw out the keys./She will be the warrior of the north and southern seas.” I’m prone to earworms, and this is totally a candidate for me. Anyway, over the decades, <strong><a href="https://eurovision.tv/country/norway">Norge</a></strong> has been all over the map in Eurovision – finishing last various times but also thrice with the top prize, and last year’s goofy/creepy <a href="https://youtu.be/FJjo8s3fKUM">“Give That Wolf a Banana”</a> came in tenth. This time around the queen did them five better, being crowned in fifth place.</p>
<p><br /> <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SEgF1aP-U1o" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Poland: “Solo” - Blanka</strong></span></p>
<p><strong><em>Polska</em></strong> hasn’t been too successful since it began competing in 1994 – when <strong><a href="https://youtu.be/PL5rmmpiHp8">Edyta Górniak’s “<em>To Nie Ja!</em>"</a></strong> achieved the country’s high-water mark, coming in second. Last night against a video screen packed with tropical imagery – palm trees, beaches, and colorful birdies – comely 24-year-old <strong>Blanka Stajkow</strong> from <strong>West Pomerania</strong> treated us to a breezy, catchy, fun yet fairly generic and lightweight dance tune in English celebrating liberation from a bad relationship: “Now I’m better solo solo./I never let me down down down/and now I’m gonna show ya show ya/show you what it is you’re missing out.” In other words, better solo than settling for less. Cute but a bit perfunctory and underwhelming – I honestly can’t understand how it made the finals when several other deserving competitors lost out. I can’t say I’m surprised it came in at 19 on the leaderboard, (as compared to 2022’s 12th-place finalist, <a href="https://youtu.be/jRVDZ6446eM"><strong>Ochman</strong>’s pretty but somnolent ballad “<strong>River</strong>”</a>).</p>
<p><a href="https://youtu.be/HYfkxX4PFyw"><br /> <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/HYfkxX4PFyw" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></a> <br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Portugal:</strong> <strong>“<em>Ai Coração</em>” - Mimicat</strong></span></p>
<p>With something of a zippy, even downright fiery cabaret/vaudeville feel, pop/soul chanteuse (and former realto)<strong> Marisa Isabel Lopes Mena</strong>, 39, came at us with a fluff of curly blond hair, a feathery, thigh-length, ruffled red frock, four also red-clad, handclapping back-up dancers, and a backdrop of flashing lights to lustily belt out “Oh Heart.” It’s basically about being in love and in a whirl, even slightly unhinged: “I feel dizzy, every day worse./I don't know things that I used to./Pulsations went up a thousand./I feel crazy, totally senile. Oh heart, tell me if you are mine!” Totally <em>sui generis</em> in this year’s lineup, “<em>Ai Coração</em>” is quite a fun, breezy, playful change of pace from the ballads – also always in Portuguese – we’ve become used to seeing from <a href="https://eurovision.tv/country/portugal">Portugal</a>, such as last year’s gentle, wistful “<em>Saudade, Saudade</em>” from <strong>Maro</strong> (came in ninth) and <strong><a href="https://youtu.be/Qotooj7ODCM">Salvador Sobral’s "<em>Amar Pelos Dois</em>,"</a></strong> (the country’s sole win so far, in 2017). However, this still wasn’t destined to totally capture the hearts of the public, with a a pretty near-the-bottom finish, Maybe they should go back to ballads? (And fun fact: at some point somebody figured out that there’s a “curse of the second song”: the second song performed at the final – which tonight was this one – has never grabbed the top prize. #Justsayin’.)</p>
<p><a href="https://youtu.be/gPRfg9wzbpw"><br /> <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gPRfg9wzbpw" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></a> <br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Serbia: “<em>Samo mi se Spava</em>" - Luke Black</strong></span><br /> <br /> Clean-cut and amazingly boyish-looking for 31, <strong>Luka Ivanović</strong> has made avant-garde “experimental pop” his lane, and “I’m Just Sleepy” cruises along it admirably, a musical performance piece with smooth, sometimes whispery vocals, in a mix of Serbian and English, and a darkly hypnotic, pulsing, electronica vibe and a sci-fi-videogame feel. There’s of course lots of talk of snoozing: “I just wanna sleep forever (I'm s-sleeping)./I like it better when I dream./I just wanna close my eyes (I'm s-sleeping)/And just get it over with./I wanna sleep forever (I'm s-sleeping)/While the world burns (This ends now).” The dreamlike choreography, meanwhile, starts out with Luke stretched out in a futuristic, translucent, cocoon-like bed and proceeding to yank out hoses attached to gas masked dancers, presumably pulling them out of their <strong><em>Matrix</em></strong>-like existence. A commentary on apocalyptic times, perhaps. Not unlike last year’s fifth-place <a href="https://eurovision.tv/country/serbia">Serbia</a> entry, <a href="https://youtu.be/nBtQj1MfNYA">“<strong><em>In Corpore Sana</em></strong>” from <strong>Konstrakta</strong></a> (Luke’s aunt, imagine that), this one’s very quirky; has a social message; and is just quite different from the rest of the lineup. Nonetheless, it failed to join geeky-cool <strong><a href="https://youtu.be/FSueQN1QvV4">Marija Šerifović’s “<em>Molitva</em><em>,</em>”</a></strong> which won in 2007 at Serbia’s very first appearance, and slept in at number 24. Maybe <em>too</em> experimental?</p>
<p><br /> <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3LXlPviGiWc" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Slovenia: “Carpe Diem” by Joker Out</strong></span><br /> <br /> <strong><a href="https://eurovision.tv/country/slovenia">Slovenija</a></strong>’s first time back in the finals in four years comes courtesy of <a href="https://jokeroutband.com/">a seven-year-old quintet</a> of sweet-looking, photogenic twentysomethings specializing in what they call “shagadelic” or “softboi” rock. And here the bois – decked out in retro-groovy threads – serve up a polished bit of melodic pop-rock in Slovenian (though its name is Latin for “seize the day”) exuberantly expressing the joy of music: “We'll be dancing all night long./We'll love each other and play/As if there was no tomorrow (There was no tomorrow)./We won't count the hours until dawn comes./We'll jump across the mountains/To be embraced by the sky.” Very much a fun, feel-good experience! In its 28 years competing, this country’s highest placement in the finals was seventh, both in 1995 and 2002, and Carpe Diem ended up seizing 21st place.</p>
<p><br /> <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yxuO0qZITko" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p>
<p><br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"> <strong>Spain: “<em>Eaea</em>” - Paloma Blanca</strong></span><br /> <br /> This powerful “electro flamenco” number – from a 33-year-old born in <strong>Valencian Community</strong> of twice Eurovision winner Spain -–in addition to being poetic, passionate, and powerful is without a doubt one of this country’s most “Spanish” entries in its 61 years of participation, evoking the traditional, Roma-influenced culture of <strong>Andalusia</strong> with its plaintive tonalities, clapping, and more. This is a kind of lullaby, with <em>eaea</em> is a word used to soothe children and help them go to sleep; the lyrics start “Hey, come, my child, come sleep by my side. May my bosom provide you with refuge, refuge from your sorrows.” And later, the haunting image of “My child, when I die, may they bury me in the moon, and I hope to watch over you every night.” The intimate yet dramatic – and exquisitely choreographed – the staging starts with Blanca in red-leather top and white pants, first outlined in silhouette against ghostly, moonlike lighted background and then surrounded (along with her five backup dancers) with hanging strands of red fabric reminiscent of the shawls sometimes worn over traditional Andalusian dresses. In the run-up to the competition, some observers wondered if this song is a little too “particular” and “regional” to appeal to a Europe-wide jury and audience (even though I found no similar doubts expressed about competitors influenced by Slavic folk traditions). Still, it obviously hit a chord, coming in at number 17 (a comedown from last year’s third runner up, <a href="https://youtu.be/jSQYTt4xg3I">“<em>SloMo</em>” by sexy, Cuban-born <strong>Chanel</strong></a>. No doubt one of the more "commercial" runners-up at <strong><a href="https://www.rtve.es/television/eurovision/benidorm-fest/" target="_blank">Benidorm Fest</a> - such as "<em><a href="https://youtu.be/1j_dSNUGU-U" target="_blank">Nochenetera</a></em></strong>" - would've done better. <br /> <br /> <a href="https://youtu.be/LWiW2GDNZ0s"><br /> <br /> <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/l4NDErv49mk" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></a> <br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Switzerland: “Watergun” - Remo Forrer</strong></span></p>
<p>This cute, fresh faced 21-year-old sporting-goods salesman from German-speaking <strong>St. Gallen</strong> canton triumphed at the Swiss edition of <strong><em>The Voice </em></strong>three years ago, and here it seems like he’s got a bit of an <strong>Ed Sheeran</strong> thing going on. Simply clad in black, against an equally simple backdrop of lights and flanked with the inevitable dances, in his deep, resonant voice Remo smoothly and earnestly croons a haunting, melancholy, moving piano ballad (in English) that’s a plea for peace, centering on two young men who as boys would play at war but then are confronted with the grim reality of real war: “No, no, I don't wanna be a soldier, soldier./I don't wanna have to play with real blood./'Cause we ain't playin' now, can't turn and run, no water guns – just body bags that we've become.” A quiet but dramatic standout amid a field of big and bombastic, it was written before the Ukraine war but is certainly especially resonant given everything that’s transpired there in the past year and a quarter – plus of course all the other tragic and troubling conflict in the world today in places like <strong>Ethiopia</strong>, <strong>Myanmar</strong>, and <strong>Yemen</strong>. We can all identify, I think. But at the end of the battle, “Watergun” ended up not adding a third Eurovision win for <a href="https://eurovision.tv/country/switzerland">Switzerland</a>, squirting into number 20 (compared to 17 in last year’s final for <a href="https://youtu.be/hq2HCmHv5p4">“<strong>Boys Do Cry</strong>,” another ballad from another cute Swiss boy, <strong>Marius Bear</strong></a>).<br /> <br /> <a href="https://youtu.be/I2oqDpefJ1s"><br /> <iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/I2oqDpefJ1s" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></a></p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Ukraine: “Heart of Steel” - TVORCHI</strong></span></p>
<p>An automatic finalist due to its win last year, the three-time winner this time around <strong><em><a href="https://eurovision.tv/country/ukraine">Ukraina</a></em></strong> sent a very different act from 2022’s folk-meets-hio-hop winner <strong>Kalush Orchestra</strong>: an electronic duo composed of 27-year-old keyboard/producer <strong>Andrii Hutsuliak</strong> and 25-year-old, <strong>Nigeria</strong>-born vocalist <strong>Jimoh Augustus Kehinde</strong>. The title of their R&B-meets-techno number – mostly in English, with a smattering of Ukrainian thrown in – was inspired by Russia’s brutal 2022 siege of the <strong>Azovstal Iron and Steel Works</strong> in <strong>Mariupol</strong>, in which outnumbered defenders held out against greatly superior numbers, the song is about (according to Tvorchi) about not giving up in the face of adversity, as well as the threat of nuclear warfare (honestly, I don’t really see it, except for the bit in Ukrainian which goes “Despite the pain/I keep on fighting/The world is burning, and you act”). Backed by video screens flashing nuclear symbols as well as a pair of masked dancers, these guys turned in a performance that was solid (even though there was nothing particularly “Ukrainian” about it and ended up in sixth place, due I’m sure in large part to continuing sympathy over the war.</p>
<p><br /> <a href="https://youtu.be/tvJEE2ryCRQ"><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tvJEE2ryCRQ" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></a> <br /> <br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>United Kingdom: “I Wrote a Song” - Mae Muller</strong></span><br /> <br /> Rounding up the alphabet as well as last night’s lineup, <a href="https://www.maemuller.com/">a 26-year-old north Londoner</a> with sass and attitude brought a brisk, bopping <strong>Dua Lipa</strong>/<strong>Gwen Stefani</strong>-flavored bit of synth-pop business, With caricatures of her face splitting apart on the screen behind her. It’s about channeling anger at a cheating ex, exploring themes of self worth, admirable restraint, and gurl power. <em>Très</em> <strong>Taylor Swift</strong>, no? Here’s a key sample: “I got so mad, was gonna cuss you out outside your house for everyone to see. Wanted to trash your Benz, tell all your friends how cruel you were to me. Instead, I wrote a song…” The spoken-word interlude I could’ve done without – seemed a bit dated – but hey, overall I think most of us can amply relate to Mae’s sentiments here. Of course, this one doesn’t quite bring the uplift of last year’s second-place <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZ0hqX_92zI">“<strong>Spaceman</strong>” from <strong>Sam Ryder</strong></a>, but on the other hand it does “take the high road,” as Mae put it on <strong>Tik Tok</strong>, and make lemonade from lemons after betrayal and heartache. It’s certainly catchy and club-ready, but while I liked, I also didn’t think it would stand out all that much among similar competitors. And maybe a little bit too negative and angry? Whatever, I that’s the way things played out – in the end “I Wrote a Song” got written off, and even lower than I expected: third to last.</p>
<p><br /> And if you care to read my review of Eurovision 2022 <a href="https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/eurovision-2022-turin-italy-culture-music-travel?edited=1">click here</a>. Other previous reviews: <a href="https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/a-review-of-eurovision-2012-and-winner">2012</a> and <a href="https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/eurovision-2013-a-review">2013</a>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p></div>The 3 European Capitals of Culture for 2023: Elefsina, Timişoara & Veszprémhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/european-capitals-of-culture-2023-elefsina-timisoara-veszprem2023-01-31T06:15:00.000Z2023-01-31T06:15:00.000ZJosé Balidohttps://tripatini.com/members/JoseBalido<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}10951604873,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}10951604873,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="10951604873?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><span style="font-size:8pt;"><em><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/es/foto/vista-de-eleusis-de-la-zona-arqueol%C3%B3gica-de-eleusis-gm948122704-258862144?phrase=elefsina" target="_blank">Charalambos Andronos</a>/<a href="https://timisoara2023.eu/en/visit-timi%C8%99oara/" target="_blank">Timişoara 2023</a>/<a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/es/foto/veszpr%C3%A9m-hungr%C3%ADa-incre%C3%ADble-vista-a%C3%A9rea-nevada-del-centro-de-veszpr%C3%A9m-y-el-distrito-gm1297768904-390808152?phrase=veszprem" target="_blank">Janos Illesi</a></em></span></p>
<p><br />
Annually since 1985, the cultural poobahs of the <strong>European Union</strong> have designated one or more of the continent's cities (and as of last year it's been three), as <strong>Capitals of Culture</strong>, focusing on their own cultural offerings and allowing them to organize a series of wider cultural events (many with a strong pan-European dimension) - which bring in considerable additional revenue; foster urban renewal; and raise their international profiles and images. Since the first one, <strong>Athens</strong>, (then Greek miister of culture Melina Mercouri was a driving force behind the program) most of the better known cities have already had their years in the sun, and recent <strong>ECoC</strong>s have been lesser known. That's certainly true of this year's trio, launching their year in the sun in the coming week or so. Here's a quick look:</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ChEuHULaAUs" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></strong></p>
<p><strong><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size:14pt;"> <a href="https://2023eleusis.eu/en/">Elefsina, Greece</a></span></strong><br />
<br />
<br />
Located on the <strong>Thriassian Plain</strong> just a 20-minute drive along the <strong>Saronic Gulf</strong> coast from <strong>Athens</strong>, this city of around 30,000 is now largely industrialised (home for example to the country’s biggest oil refinery) but its roots reach back to ancient <strong>Hellas</strong>. Founded in the 2nd millennium BCE, it became one of the five sacred cities of ancient Greece; was the birthplace of the 5th-century BCE tragic playwright <strong>Aeschylus</strong>; and the site of the <strong>Eleusinian Mysteries</strong>, initiations held annually for the cult of <strong>Demeter</strong> and <strong>Persephone</strong> and considered the most famous of the Hellenic world’s secret religious rites. These days <strong>Elefsina</strong> stages the venerable annual <strong><a href="https://aisxylia.gr/to-festival/">Aeschylia Festival</a></strong>, held from late August through September with stage productions, art exhibitions and installations, concerts, and dance events.<br />
<br />
When the city was chosen as a 2021 ECoC – delayed till this year due to the pandemic – it was the smallest and oldest in the programme’s history, and despite not being a picture postcard little Greek city but rather on the gritty side – described as “the unpainted face of Greece: authentic, scarred, silent, dignified”. Beyond that, though, there are true historical gems to be found here, such as the ruins of the site where the Mysteries took place, along the foot of the hill of the ancient acropolis and including a key cave called the <strong>Ploutonion</strong>, as well as the nearby archaeological museum. <br />
<br />
And with this firm cultural and historical base to build upon, Elefsina on 4 February is about to launch its Capital of Culture programme, “Mysteries of Transition”, with three overarching themes: “People/Society”, “Environment”, and Labour”. Throughout the course of 2023, more than 30 venues will host exhibitions along with performances in 17 art forms from 192 Greek and 137 international artists. One of the first exhibitions, at an old olive mill turned centre for the arts is dedicated to Greece's former culture minister <strong>Melina Mercouri</strong> – who came up with the idea of the ECoC programme in 1985 and helped bring it to fruition – as well as and her French counterpart, <strong>Jacques Lang</strong>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kjYn7ISnIzI" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong><a href="https://timisoara2023.eu/en/">Timişoara, Romania</a></strong></span></p>
<p><br />
A six-hour-40-minute drive or three hour flight from <strong>Bucharest</strong>, the country’s third largest city, in the central west has some 306,000 and traces its origins to a settlement of the Indo-European Bronze-Age Dacian people who inhabited this area in the 8th-7th centuries BCE – although as it was founded in 1315 on the site of an ancient Roman fortress and surrounding swampland. Much more recently, this was the place where the popular revolt which eventually toppled the 24-year Communist dictatorship of <strong>Nicolae Ceaușescu</strong> got its start in 1989. <br />
<br />
Timişoara's attractive city centre abounds with Vienna Secession and Art Nouveau architecture dating from the Austro-Hungarian Empire period of the 18th through early 20th centuries, lending it the moniker Little Vienna. Highlights for visitors among Romania’s largest ensemble of historical buildings include Piața<strong> Victoriei</strong> (Victory Square), <strong>Piața Libertatii</strong> (Liberty Square) and <strong>Piața</strong> <strong>Unirii</strong> (Unity Square); the <strong>Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral</strong>, built in 1946; the 220-year-old, the Austrian Baroque Roman Catholic <strong>St George’s Cathedral</strong>, the open-air <strong>Village Museum of Banat</strong>; the early-18th-century <strong>Theresa Bastion</strong> fortress; the <strong>Communism Museum</strong> about the bad old days; and in the “City of Parks”, various appealing examples including <strong>Parcul Central</strong>, <strong>Parcul Regina Maria</strong> (Queen Mary Park), and <strong>Parcul Rozelor</strong> (Roses Park).<br />
<br />
This year’s programme, with the tagline “<strong>Shne Your Light</strong>,” builds especially on Timisoara’s status as a hotbed for avant-garde/underground culture in the past several decades, and includes events with two Nobel literature laureates, <strong>Orhan Pamuk</strong> and <strong>Olga Tokarczuk</strong>, as well as German philosopher <strong>Peter Sloterdijk</strong>; a concert directed by Timisoara-born conductor <strong>Cristian Macelarum</strong> (also the artistic director of Bucharest’s <strong>George Enescu International Festival</strong>); and an exhibition of the works of Romania’s most renowned sculptor, <strong>Constantin Brancusi</strong>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><iframe title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DDmD9pRRg48" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://veszprembalaton2023.hu/en"><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong>Vezprém-Balaton, Hungary</strong></span></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size:8pt;"> A city of around 57,000, just over an hour from Budapest and near the shores of <strong>Lake Balaton</strong> (the largest in <strong>Central Europe</strong>), the capital of <strong>Balaton County</strong> is one of Hungary’s oldest urban areas, and predates even the arrival of the Hungarians to the region in the early 11th century. With its hilly, winding cobblestone lanes and romantic corners, <strong><a href="https://www.veszpreminfo.hu/en/places/all/l:best-of-veszprem">Veszprém</a></strong> definitely sports that “fairytale” vibe many visitors to Europe come seeking, and spots here not to miss include its 10th-century castle complex, on a hill right in the middle of town; the <strong>Laczkó Dezső Museum</strong> of history; its biweekly Sunday outdoor market; the atmospheric ruins of the 13th-century church and monastery of <strong>St. Margaret</strong>; and the 19-century <strong>Fenyves Mill</strong>, the town’s only intact water mill, complete with interactive exhibits. And of course right nearby are the various pleasures of <a href="https://love2fly.iberia.com/2015/08/07/lake-balaton-hungary/">Lake Balaton and its other surrounding towns and wine country</a>. <br />
<br />
What’s more, this is a small town with big cultural chops, and for some years has had plenty of experience in putting on cultural events, such as its annual <strong>VeszprémFest</strong>, <strong>Utcazene (Street Music) Festival</strong>, <strong>Auer Festival</strong>, the <strong>Hungarian Motion Picture Festival</strong>, and <strong>DANCE Festival</strong>, And shared with neighbouring communities, a programme entitled “Shine! The Celebration of Creativity” will bring in hundreds of artists from 25 countries nd across various disciplines. It’s a bit ironic, actually, all this “creativity” and apparent openness to the world in the European Union’s most repressive “illiberal democracy”, but there you have it – presumably <strong>Viktor Orbán</strong>’s secret police will not be monitoring your every move.</span></p></div>From Food to Fashion, Birdwatching to Bourbon, Themed Itineraries in the USA Satisfy Many People's Interestshttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/usa-united-states-themed-itineraries2021-11-20T15:20:00.000Z2021-11-20T15:20:00.000ZVictor Blockhttps://tripatini.com/members/VictorBlock<div><p style="text-align:left;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9819699281,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9819699281,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9819699281?profile=original" width="750" /></a><span style="font-size:8pt;"><em>"Nature's Grace" along the Maine Sculpture Trail. Photo by Alan Stubbs</em></span></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Some people are traipsing through lovely landscapes as others explore history from days of <strong>North America</strong>'s earliest tribal peoples to the present. Avid birders use binoculars to spot colorful feathered friends in flight while canoers and kayakers dip paddles into the water. At the end of the day, many of these visitors to <strong>Panama City</strong>, <strong>Florida</strong>, belly up to an oyster bar to enjoy freshly shucked bivalves prepared in a variety of ways.</p>
<p>These seemingly disparate activities and attractions have one thing in common: they’re all taking place along designated trails that focus upon a single thing to do, see or eat. Countless trails around the country are available to people with a particular interest; from food to fashion, covered bridges to Kentucky bourbon, they offer something-for-everyone variety. No matter how esoteric someone’s passion, there may be a walking driving, biking, paddling, or other kind of trail somewhere that focuses on it. </p>
<p>Consider <a href="http://DestinationPanamaCity.com" target="_blank">Panama City</a>, a community of about 37,000 residents perched along Florida’s northwestern "panhandle" coast. For a smallish municipality, that town provides a surprising choice of routes that both locals and visitors may explore.The <strong>Oyster Trail</strong> alone has enough appeal to bring some travelers to town. A dozen restaurants, ranging from a ten-stool oyster bar to a casual grill to a fine-dining establishment, serve the fresh-from-the-sea food raw, baked, fried and prepared in other ways. Whether visiting Panama City for the bivalves or birds, hiking or history, you might find a trail with appeal. </p>
<p> Restaurants along a different oyster trail, which runs through <strong><a href="http://gulfshores.com" target="_blank">Gulf Shores</a></strong> <a href="http://gulfshores.com" target="_blank">and</a> <strong><a href="http://gulfshores.com" target="_blank">Orange Beach</a></strong>, <strong>Alabama</strong>, bring their own personal touch to the recipes. In addition to traditional preparations, some serve them barbequed, fire roasted, Alfredo style and in ceviche.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/z9szwo4QOdg?wmode=opaque" width="640" height="400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Next door in <strong>Louisiana</strong>, it's this state's rich gastronomic culture which is celebrated along the <strong><a href="https://www.lacajunbayou.com/foodtrail" target="_blank">Cajun Bayou Food Trail</a></strong>, comprised of restaurants that serve local favorites like gumbo, jambalaya and pecan pralines. Some family-run eateries follow recipes that have been passed down for generations.</p>
<p>Variety of a different kind greets visitors to the Fields of Gold Farm Trail in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. People may stroll through a farmers’ market, tour a working spread, enjoy a locally grown meal at a garden-to-table restaurant or pick their own fruit at an orchard. (<a href="https://fieldsofgold.org" target="_blank">fieldsofgold.org</a>)</p>
<p>Fresh-picked apples, pears, grapes and cherries are sold at more than two dozen stands located along the colorfully named <strong><a href="http://hoodriverfruitloop.com" target="_blank">Hood River County Fruit Loop</a></strong> in <strong>Oregon</strong>. The 35-mile trail goes through forests, farmlands and orchards, and includes vendors offering flowers, pies jam, and local artisan gifts.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><span style="font-size:8pt;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9819699856,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9819699856,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9819699856?profile=original" width="750" /></a><em>Visitors at the Fields of Gold Farm Trail</em></span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"> </p>
<p>Berries are used in different ways on a route which leads through <strong>Surry County</strong>, <strong>North Carolina</strong>. The colorfully named <strong><a href="http://sonkertrail.org" target="_blank">Surry Sonker Trail</a></strong> connects a bakery, general store, winery, and other places which serve a quaintly named dessert created in the early 1800s by homemakers seeking to stretch the use of fruit or use it before it rotted. Recipes include fruit sweetened with sugar, molasses, and other ingredients blended into unshaped dough - so that like snowflakes, no two are exactly alike</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9819700061,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9819700061,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9819700061?profile=original" width="750" /></a><span style="font-size:8pt;"><em>A tour along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail</em></span></p>
<p> </p>
<p> Where there’s food there often are beverages, and the birthplace of one is acclaimed along the <strong><a href="http://kybourbontrail.com" target="_blank">Kentucky Bourbon Trail</a></strong>. Guests may visit a distillery that traces its ancestry back to the 18th century and another where they have a tasting while standing in the largest bourbon barrel in the world. </p>
<p>Those who like the word “soft” before their drink may prefer to set their sights on the multi-state <strong><a href="http://thecocacolatrail.com" target="_blank">Coca-Cola Trail</a></strong>. Places related to that world-famous beverage are described in a book of the same name, which can serve as a guide to museums, historic bottling plants and other destinations around the country. The story began in <strong>Vicksburg</strong>, <strong>Mississippi</strong> where the concoction was first bottled in 1894. Other stops include the <strong>Dawson & Stevens Diner</strong> in <strong>Grayling</strong>, <strong>Michigan</strong>, which doubles as a Coca-Cola museum, and a former bottling plant in <strong>Los Angeles</strong> that was built in the shape of an ocean liner.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9819700283,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9819700283,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9819700283?profile=original" width="750" /></a><span style="font-size:8pt;"><em>"Camel Country" along the Maine Sculpture Trail. Photo by Alan Stubbs</em></span></p>
<p><br />Not surprisingly, state tourism offices promote the trails concept as a way to attract visitors. For example, <strong><a href="http://visitmaine.com" target="_blank">Maine</a></strong>´s ¨<strong><a href="https://www.schoodicsculpture.org/?page_id=25" target="_blank">Sculpture Trail</a></strong>¨ is a driving tour that leads to 34 outdoor sculptures strung out along 273 miles of its coastline; the <strong>Thoreau-Wabanaki Trail</strong>, which includes canoe routes that the author followed during trips to that state in the mid-1800s; and a <strong>Freedom Trail</strong> in <strong>Portland</strong> which leads to sites associated with the <strong>Underground Railroad</strong> and the anti-slavery movement of the 19th century.</p>
<p>Not to be outdone, trails which make their way through Ohio focus upon interests as diverse as shopping and steam trains, Italian food and ice cream. (<a href="https://trails.ohio.org" target="_blank">trails.ohio.org</a>)</p>
<p>Moving out west to Oregon, given the love of nature by many residents this state, it's not surprising that among trails within its borders are paths for hiking and biking, seeing wildlife and wild flowers, and dozens of other routes. Most famous is the local stretch of the <strong><a href="http://nps.gov/oreg" target="_blank">Oregon Trail</a></strong>, part of the historic wagon route that began in <strong>Missouri</strong> and which, in the early 19th century. an estimated 400,000 settlers, including farmers, miners, ranchers and others, followed in their quest for a new life. </p>
<p>Other pages of history are turned during drives to see “quilt blocks” that adorn the sides of dozens of barns in Oregon’s <strong><a href="http://tualatinvalley.org" target="_blank">Tualatin Valley</a></strong>. Some designs on those eight-by-eight-foot wooden slabs resemble traditional quilt patterns, while others display crops or animals, or relate to the farm family’s history.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>And all this is just the tip of the iceberg. From seafood to sweets, berries to beverages it’s likely that somewhere in the country there may be one or more driving, walking or other trails focused upon an interest of yours.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p></div>Landscape of Light: Celebrating Madrid's Very First UNESCO World Heritage Sitehttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/madrid-spain-unesco-world-site-paseo-prado-el-retiro2021-09-07T10:35:23.000Z2021-09-07T10:35:23.000ZJosé Balidohttps://tripatini.com/members/JoseBalido<div><h6><em><span style="font-size:8pt;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}11018875452,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}11018875452,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="11018875452?profile=RESIZE_930x" width="750" /></a><a href="https://www.tripatini.com/profile/JoseBalido?xg_source=profiles_memberList" target="_blank">José Balido</a></span><br /> </em></h6>
<p><br /> </p>
<p>Congratulations are in order! <strong>UNESCO</strong> (the <strong>United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization</strong>) has just this summer honored <a href="https://www.tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/10-musts-of-madrid-spain" target="_blank"><strong>Spain</strong>'s capital city</a> with <a href="https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1618" target="_blank">its first <strong>World Heritage Site</strong> designation</a>, elevating <strong>Madrid</strong> to the ranks of destinations with districts or monuments worth preserving for future generations (the larger Madrid community surrounding the capital already had UNESCO sites, including <a href="https://love2fly.iberia.com/2015/01/delightful-day-trips-from-madrid/" target="_blank">the royal complexes of <strong>El Escorial</strong> and <strong>Aranjuez</strong>, which make marvelous day trips)</a>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p><br /> <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AhVWiYQ1Ghs?wmode=opaque" width="640" height="400" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></p>
<p> </p>
<p>The leafy <strong>Paseo del Prado</strong> boulevard, long a favorite of urban strollers, joins the nearby <a href="https://love2fly.iberia.com/2015/08/retiro-park-madrid-spain/" target="_blank"><strong>Buen Retiro Park</strong></a> and 90 other adjacent monuments and institutions to form the "<strong>Landscape of Arts and Sciences</strong>," reflecting a true gem of urban planning: the unique mix of culture, learning, nature, and leisure that have been brought together in this beautiful corner of our city whose universal value UNESCO has just recognized.</p>
<p>Arts and sciences being the light that guides our civilisation, this corridor has also been dubbed the "<strong>Landscape of Light</strong>," doubly appropriate for its allusion both to the Enlightenment of the 18th century, a period during which many of its key elements were built, and to the intense luminosity of our Madrid skies, born of our clear dry air and setting high on the <strong>Meseta Central</strong> plateau near the <strong>Guadarrama Mountains</strong>.</p>
<p> <img src="https://ning.zendesk.com/attachments/token/gQKzCkDdMHMXMuNVWIK4e8R8N/?name=L2F+Sep+21+pic+Spain+Madrid+UNESCO+World+Heritage+Site+Plaza+Cibeles+iStock-508451794.jpg&lotus_request=true" alt="L2F Sep 21 pic Spain Madrid UNESCO World Heritage Site Plaza Cibeles iStock-508451794.jpg" /></p>
<h6><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/es/foto/fuente-de-la-cibeles-en-la-plaza-de-cibeles-en-madrid-gm508451794-85266395" target="_blank"><em><span style="font-size:8pt;">GoranQ</span></em></a></h6>
<p><br /> The district includes some of the city’s most iconic landmarks and cultural institutions along the tree-lined Paseo del Prado running just under a mile (1.5 kilometres) between a pair of squares - the <strong>Plaza de Cibeles</strong> at its northern end south to the <strong>Plaza de Atocha</strong> (officially the <strong>Plaza del Emperador Carlos V</strong>). With roots in the mid-17th century, it's a lovely stroll (about 20 minutes without stops), along a verdant landscaped median past statuary and monumental fountains – most notably the late-18th-century <strong>Neptune Fountain</strong> and especially the also neoclassical <strong>Cibeles Fountain</strong> (above), built around the same time. This depicts the Roman goddess of fertility riding in a chariot drawn by a pair of lions, and it's a truly inspiring and iconic sight, especially as set against the elaborate Madrid city council building, a glorious mix of Modernist, Art Deco and other styles designed by prominent Madrid architects of a century ago <strong>Antonino Palacios</strong> and <strong>Joaquin Otamendi</strong> and inaugurated as the national postal-service headquarters in 1919.</p>
<p> <img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6b/Interior_del_Museo_del_Prado.jpg/800px-Interior_del_Museo_del_Prado.jpg?20150321234218" alt="File:Interior del Museo del Prado.jpg" /></p>
<h6><em><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Interior_del_Museo_del_Prado.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:8pt;">FouPic</span></a></em></h6>
<p><br /> </p>
<p>And it's here, too, that the arts and sciences come into play, because on and around the Paseo del Prado are several of <a href="https://love2fly.iberia.com/2014/05/the-impressive-museums-of-madrid/" target="_blank">Madrid's most distinguished museums</a>. The top of the list is of course the <a href="https://www.museodelprado.es/en" target="_blank"><strong>Museo del Prado</strong></a> (above), Spain's foremost art museum, while other institutions include the <a href="https://www.museothyssen.org/en" target="_blank"><strong>Thyssen-Bornemisza</strong></a> (spanning eight centuries of European and U.S. artists) and the <a href="https://www.esmadrid.com/en/tourist-information/caixaforum-madrid" target="_blank"><strong>CaixaForum</strong></a> (international art from the 1980s to the present day), the astronomical <a href="https://www.esmadrid.com/en/tourist-information/real-observatorio-de-madrid" target="_blank"><strong>Royal Observatory</strong></a> (dating back to the end of the 18th century and open for visits/tours) and the <a href="https://www.esmadrid.com/en/tourist-information/real-jardin-botanico" target="_blank"><strong>Royal Botanical Garden</strong></a> (occupying this site since 1781 and home to some 30,000 plants plus 1,500 trees). Meanwhile, just a block away from the Paseo you'll find the <a href="https://www.museoreinasofia.es/en" target="_blank"><strong>Reina Sofía</strong></a>, Spain's premier modern art museum, as well as the <a href="https://www.esmadrid.com/en/tourist-information/museo-arqueologico-nacional" target="_blank"><strong>National Anthropology Museum</strong></a>, specialising in non-European cultures and particularly those once ruled by the Spanish empire - not just in <strong>Latin America</strong> but <a href="https://love2fly.iberia.com/2019/05/spain-spanish-history-asia-africa-colonies/" target="_blank">also in <strong>Asia</strong> and <strong>Africa</strong></a>.</p>
<p> <img src="https://ning.zendesk.com/attachments/token/BeThW2w7OLOZMgWY4euJNlUVC/?name=L2F+Sep+21+pic+Madrid+UNESCO+World+Heritage+Sites+Buen+Retiro+Park+lake+iStock-672802922.jpg&lotus_request=true" alt="L2F Sep 21 pic Madrid UNESCO World Heritage Sites Buen Retiro Park lake iStock-672802922.jpg" /></p>
<h6><em><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/es/foto/buen-retiro-park-en-madrid-espa%C3%B1a-gm672802922-126309243" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:8pt;">Ershov_Maks</span></a></em></h6>
<p><br /> </p>
<p>Just east of the Paseo del Prado, the new UNESCO site also includes one of Madrid's onetime city gates, the 243-year-old <strong>Puerta del Alcalá</strong> (top) and adjacent to it the city's most prominent park, the aforementioned Buen Retiro. Created in the late 17th century as a <em>buen retiro</em> ("pleasant retreat") for the royal court and since 1868 a public park, this 120-hectare (297-acre) spread is anchored by a manmade water basin presided by a 1922 colonnade and equestrian statue of late-19th-century king <strong>Alfonso XII</strong> (these days it's plied by rentable dinghies). Notable buildings in the park include the <strong>Palacio Velázquez</strong> and <strong>Palacio de Cristal</strong>, both built in the 1880s, as well as the 17th-century <strong>Salón de Reinos</strong> ("Hall of Kingdoms"), a remnant of the original Buen Retiro royal palace; all are used these days for temporary exhibitions. Meanwhile, out amid the woodsy and grassy patches interspersed with smaller ponds you'll find plantings including a rose garden. Among the statuary, one especially curious standout is possibly the world's only public statue of Lucifer, the 1878 <strong>Fountain of the Fallen Angel</strong>. Most days and especially on weekends, you can find both locals and visitors strolling, biking, sunbathing, and sitting in outdoor cafés.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>So whether you’re looking for an city stroll, culture, learning, or a spot of nature, Madrid’s newly anointed Landscape of Light is certain to illuminate your visit to our capital city, as it will now continue to do for generations to come.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p></div>Experience Old China in the Villages of the Huangshan Mountainshttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/china-huizhou-huangshan-xidi-hongcun2021-06-29T22:51:15.000Z2021-06-29T22:51:15.000ZThe China Guidehttps://tripatini.com/members/TheChinaGuide<div><p> </p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008973056,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008973056,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9008973056?profile=original" width="750" /></a></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Known as one of the most beautiful mountain ranges in <strong>China</strong>, <strong>Huangshan</strong> is situated in <strong>Huizhou</strong> region of the country's southeast-central province of <strong>Anhui</strong>. Millions of visitors make a trip each year to catch a sight of theses magnificent granite peaks cradled by beds of clouds and frequently depicted in traditional Chinese paintings. And named after the mountain, the area around <strong>Huangshan City</strong> (pop. 1.5 million, a 4½-hour drive west of <strong>Shanghai</strong>) is home to two <strong>UNESCO World Heritage Sites</strong>: the traditional villages of <strong>Xidi</strong> and <strong>Hongcun</strong>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9296600470,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9296600470,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9296600470?profile=original" width="750" /></a></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Take a step back away from the hustle and bustle of big-city life and enjoy the tranquil atmosphere of these villages, it is the perfect opportunity to get in touch with nature and experience a very historical and cultural part of China. Xidi was built during the <strong>Song Dynasty</strong> in the mid-11th century, with granite-paved streets and ancient wooden halls, while Hongcun dates back to 1131, also features granite streets, and was the location for scenes in 2000's <em><strong>Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon</strong></em>. <br /> <br /> <br /> And it's worth noting that while Xidi and Hongcun are the two villages of the UNESCO Heritage Site, we recommend staying overnight in <strong>Tachuan</strong> village just two kilometres from Hongcun (for example at one of its many boutique accommodations), which also quite picturesque and historic but also quieter and more comfortable, away from the tour groups that stay in Hongcun. <br /> <br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.thechinaguide.com" target="_blank">The China Guide</a> offers tailored packages to this village to suit travellers’ needs - check us out!</p>
<p> </p></div>Tibet art buildings--Blockhousehttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/tibet-art-buildings-blockhouse-12019-05-09T12:29:17.000Z2019-05-09T12:29:17.000Zoceanhttps://tripatini.com/members/ocean<div><p>As is known to all, Tibet is a sacred place of Buddhist culture. this is not only reflected in their customs or religious beliefs,but also in their buildings. such as “ Blockhouse”, known in Tibetan as "tnkhar" or "Zongkar" (rdzong–mkhar), originally meant to be a fortress, built on steep rocks, towering and easy to defend. because Tibetans are mainly distributed in Tibet, Qinghai, Gansu and western Sichuan. In order to adapt to the climate and environment on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, traditional Tibetan dwellings are mostly made by stone structures build a house, shape likes fortress, so they are called “Blockhouse”. At the same time, the Blockhouse has the characteristics of local materials and convenient construction, so it can be widely adopted and developed.<br />Blockhouse generally has three to four floors. The bottom layer raises livestock and piles up feed and sundries; the second floor is equipped with a bedroom and kitchen; the third floor has a sutra hall. Because the Tibetans believe in <a href="https://www.greattibettour.com/tibetan-culture" target="_blank">Tibetan Buddhism,</a> the Buddhist scriptures occupying an important position in the Buddhist scriptures, God above the position cannot live or pile up debris, so it is located on the top floor of the house. In order to expand the indoor space, the second floor is often picked out of the wall, and the lightweight picking building is in sharp contrast with the heavy stone wall, the shape of the building can, therefore, be varied and varied.<br />Now there have a lot of blockhouse buildings in Tibet.<br />Like Yumbulagang palace in Shannan, Niang Ruobo in post-Tibet, etc. is the representative of such buildings. These are the manifestations of Buddhist culture.</p></div>Post-Pandemic Safari Inspiration From Acacia Africahttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/post-pandemic-safari-inspiration-from-acacia-africa2021-03-27T14:11:41.000Z2021-03-27T14:11:41.000ZBea Villiershttps://tripatini.com/members/BeaVilliers<div><p></p><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009459266,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009459266,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="400" alt="9009459266?profile=original" /></a></p><p></p><p>Recent events have altered our lives considerably, but while our freedom to roam is on hold, we can still escape online and make plans for the future. Ready to inspire your itchy feet, leading adventure travel specialist, Acacia Africa has picked out a list of safari holidays that are likely to be in demand once we start to wander again, the operator including a selection of blog posts and YouTube videos, so you can indulge in Southern and East Africa from the safety of your sofa.</p><p></p><p>Arno Delport, Sales & Marketing Manager at Acacia Africa, comments, "Travel can be uplifting, and by providing some much-needed inspiration we are hoping to raise everyone's spirits - every online journey a virtual springboard to new and exciting adventures."</p><p></p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong>THE CALL OF THE NATURAL WORLD</strong></p><p></p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009459678,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009459678,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="400" alt="9009459678?profile=original" /></a></p><p></p><p>The end of self-isolation will undoubtedly trigger a desire to rediscover the natural world. Africa is the ideal choice for anyone wanting to get back in touch with nature, the continent home to breathtaking landscapes, abundant wildlife and spectacular migrations. While Kenya plays host to "The Greatest Wildlife Show On Earth," the Masai Mara is a year-round crowd-pleaser for Big Five fans - especially those hoping to catch sight its feline inhabitants, the Big Cat Diary, Big Cat Tales and The Lion King remake all set in the beloved game reserve.</p><p></p><p>Also, part of the annual event, the open plains of the Serengeti burst into life during "Green Season" - roughly half a million wildebeest giving birth over a two or three week period (usually in February). The <strong><a href="https://acacia-africa.com/tours/kenya-and-tanzania-adventure-13-days-20KTA13" target="_blank">13-day Kenya & Tanzania Adventure</a></strong> includes game drives in the Mara, the Serengeti National Park and the neighbouring Ngorongoro Crater - the bonus, an additional three-night stay on the tropical island of Zanzibar. From £1,395pp (no single supplement) + £980pp (Adventure Pass) including all highlights, transport, camping accommodation, most meals, services of a tour leader and driver. Starts Nairobi - ends Dar es Salaam. Year-round departures.</p><p></p><p>Discover the wide-open vistas, sweeping sunsets, warm smiles and magnificent wildlife of <strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQL_Nf-3ryw" target="_blank">East Africa</a></strong>. Join Acacia Africa in the Masai Mara and see the herds of elephant and zebra roam free. Visit a local Maasai Village. Gaze into the expanse of the Ngorongoro Crater and explore the wilds of the Serengeti National Park.</p><p></p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009460090,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009460090,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="400" alt="9009460090?profile=original" /></a></p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong>QUALITY FAMILY TIME & TOGETHERNESS</strong></p><p></p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009460862,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009460862,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="400" alt="9009460862?profile=original" /></a></p><p style="text-align:center;">Victoria Falls (c) @thecuckooproject</p><p></p><p>Currently, many of us are separated from our loved ones, a sure sign that 3G holidays will be in demand when the world opens up to travel once again. One of Acacia's family-friendly small group safaris, the <strong><a href="https://acacia-africa.com/tours/kruger-and-victoria-falls-accommodated-20KVF7A" target="_blank">seven-day Kruger & Victoria Falls</a></strong> makes stops in South Africa and Zimbabwe, the itinerary including game viewing in the Kruger and Matobo national parks, before coming to a close at the Victoria Falls.</p><p></p><p>Weekly Saturday departures make this the ideal half-term adventure - night flights and zero jet lag an added bonus for those with kids in tow. From £895pp (two sharing) + £590pp (Safari Pass) including all highlights, transport, accommodation (twin-share rooms with en suite facilities), most meals, services of a tour leader and driver. Starts Pretoria - ends Victoria Falls. Year-round departures.</p><p></p><p>Explore the wonder of the <strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyITJIR6rrU" target="_blank">Victoria Falls</a></strong> from all sides in this epic video capturing the world's largest curtain of falling water from the land and the skies.</p><p></p><p>See <strong><a href="https://acacia-africa.com/blog/2019/03/08/south-africas-hidden-gems-is-south-africa-on-your-bucket-list/" target="_blank">South Africa</a></strong> from all sides...</p><p></p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009461862,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009461862,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="400" alt="9009461862?profile=original" /></a></p><p style="text-align:center;">Addo Elephant Park (c) South Africa Tourism</p><p></p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong>MEETING CHALLENGES HEAD-ON</strong></p><p></p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009461890,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009461890,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="400" alt="9009461890?profile=original" /></a></p><p></p><p>Crises have the power to wreak havoc, but they can also focus the mind and give us the confidence to meet challenges head-on. For that reason, Acacia claims in the days to come, more of us could find ourselves saying yes to adrenaline-fuelled pursuits. Covering off the best of Southern and East Africa's adventure capitals, the <strong><a href="https://acacia-africa.com/tours/grand-african-adventure-56-days-20GAA56" target="_blank">56-day Grand African Adventure</a></strong> passes through Jinja, Livingstone and Swakopmund - white water rafting down the Nile, bungy jumping from the Victoria Falls bridge and sky-diving over the Namib desert just some of the thrilling pursuits on offer.</p><p></p><p>The trip also features an optional 16-kilometre hike to Livingstonia in Malawi, the exhilarating itinerary combined with safaris in eight countries - gorilla trekking in Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable National Park a major highlight. While shorter stints on the continent have become increasingly popular, Acacia expects to see a rise in the number of people taking longer overland trips of five weeks or more, recent events causing people to reevaluate their priorities in life. From £4,450pp (no single supplement) + £1,140pp (Adventure Pass) + £640pp (Gorilla & Chimp Permit) including all highlights, transport, camping accommodation, most meals, services of a tour leader and driver. Starts Cape Town - ends Nairobi. Year-round departures.</p><p></p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkOEy3rVJHU&t=49s" target="_blank">Experience Africa</a></strong> - A Once-in-a-lifetime Adventure...</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;">One <strong><a href="https://acacia-africa.com/blog/2019/09/16/one-adventure-is-never-enough/" target="_blank">Adventure</a></strong> Is Never Enough...</p><p></p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong>MAKING A POSITIVE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD</strong></p><p></p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008790675,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008790675,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="400" alt="9008790675?profile=original" /></a></p><p></p><p>Over the last few weeks, we have seen an outpouring of goodwill - in our cities, across social networks and between nations. A silver lining in otherwise uncertain times, these grassroots humanitarian efforts will likely inspire many more of us to opt for holidays that reflect these same values. In the words of Bill Gates, "It (Covid19) is reminding us that our true work is not our job, that is what we do, not what we were created to do. Our true work is to look after each other, to protect each other and to be of benefit to one another." Keen to give back, we might find ourselves actively volunteering or making a conscious decision to book tours where tourism makes a positive difference to communities and wildlife projects.</p><p></p><p>Travel on the <strong><a href="https://acacia-africa.com/tours/rivers-lakes-and-mountains-44-days-20RLM44" target="_blank">44-day Rivers Lakes & Mountains,</a></strong> your walking safari in Zimbabwe's Matobo National Park providing support for the Matobo Rhino Trust program; seek out Africa's endangered Wild Dog in Zambia's South Luangwa National Park where conservation efforts have helped to keep the painted dog on the landscape; and traverse dense undergrowth in Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable National Park - the population of the world's last remaining Mountain Gorillas making a comeback. Covering seven countries, the adventure includes additional wildlife viewing, and a trip with a purpose, an optional half-day of volunteering in Uganda and the opportunity to work alongside local craftsmen in Malawi. From £3,815pp (two sharing) + £880pp (Adventure Pass) + £640pp (Gorilla & Chimp Permit) including all highlights, transport, camping accommodation, most meals, services of a tour leader and driver. Starts Pretoria - ends Nairobi. Year-round departures.</p><p></p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009462852,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009462852,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="400" alt="9009462852?profile=original" /></a></p><p></p><p style="text-align:center;">Go walking with rhinos in <strong><a href="https://www.suitcasestories.be/must-do-walking-with-rhinos-in-zimbabwe/" target="_blank">Zimbabwe</a></strong> and meet Mik & Valerie, Editors of Suitcase Stories...</p><p></p><p style="text-align:center;">Safari online with <strong><a href="http://acacia-africa.com/blog/2017/02/22/fighting-extinction-matopos-rhino-experience/" target="_blank">Simple Discoveries,</a></strong> the team getting within a mere few feet of the endangered rhino...</p><p></p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009463692,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009463692,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="400" alt="9009463692?profile=original" /></a></p><p></p><p style="text-align:center;">How to Be a Humanitarian on Tour & <strong><a href="https://acacia-africa.com/blog/2020/02/20/how-to-travel-as-a-humanitarian-with-purpose/" target="_blank">Travel with Purpose</a></strong>...</p><p></p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong>A LONGING TO DISCOVER THE EXTRAORDINARY</strong></p><p></p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009463885,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009463885,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="400" alt="9009463885?profile=original" /></a></p><p></p><p>The global pandemic has reminded us of our own fragility, and regardless of age, that our time on this planet is limited. That fear might well awaken in us, not just a desire to travel, but a longing to discover the extraordinary. From exploring attractions that are unique to the world to viewing endangered wildlife and engaging with communities whose traditional way of life could well disappear.</p><p></p><p>Book a seat on the <strong><a href="https://acacia-africa.com/tours/zanzibar-to-cape-town-34-days-20ZTC34" target="_blank">34-day Zanzibar to Cape Town,</a></strong> the camping adventure including a safari with the Kalahari Bushmen (your visit contributing to the survival of this fascinating tribe); an optional underwater safari in Lake Malawi - the freshwater lake inhabited by cichlids, a colourful range of fish found nowhere else in the world, and 24/7 wildlife viewing at Etosha, the national park's waterholes among the best places in the world to see the endangered Black Rhino (Namibia is home almost half of the world's population of black rhino). From £2,820pp (no single supplement) + £300pp (Adventure Pass) including all highlights, transport, camping accommodation, most meals, services of a tour leader and driver. Starts Dar es Salaam - ends Cape Town. Year-round departures.</p><p></p><p style="text-align:center;">Travel across <strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZFlrr2rJPs" target="_blank">Botswana's</a></strong> Land of Giants...</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;">This is <strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoMAyTC5rtk" target="_blank">Namibia</a></strong> - a journey into the wild...</p><p style="text-align:center;"></p><p style="text-align:center;">Experience <strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0XCaYLYUX8" target="_blank">Malawi</a></strong> - the warm heart of Africa...</p><p></p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009464694,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009464694,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="400" alt="9009464694?profile=original" /></a></p><p></p><p style="text-align:center;"><strong>CHOOSING TO TRAVEL MORE RESPONSIBLY</strong></p><p></p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009464882,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009464882,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="400" alt="9009464882?profile=original" /></a></p><p></p><p></p><p>One of the most dramatic effects we have seen in recent days is the considerable reduction in air pollution while countries are on lockdown. That's cause for everyone to take a more sustainable travel stance when they finally hit the road - Earth Day already heightening the importance of this message - the 2020 theme focused on climate change. Always looking for innovative ways to reduce its travellers' carbon footprint, Acacia Africa partners with Greenpop, and in the summer of 2019, the operator signed up to help its local suppliers limit the number of single-use plastic bottles on their tours.</p><p></p><p>The Serengeti & Ngorongoro safari vehicles used by Acacia are fitted with new 20-litre water dispensers, each one carrying safe potable drinking water from Arusha. Game drives on Tanzania's "Endless plains" and within the Ngorongoro Crater, are in included on the <strong><a href="https://acacia-africa.com/tours/highlights-of-tanzania-north-11-days-20NHOT11" target="_blank">11-day Highlights of Tanzania,</a></strong> the Adventure Camping tour priced from £1,395pp (no single supplement) + £600pp (Adventure Pass) including all highlights, transport, camping accommodation, most meals, services of a tour leader and driver. Starts Dar es Salaam - ends Nairobi. Year-round departures.</p><p></p><p>Get ready for some <strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqdP-Jvh5Hc" target="_blank">nature-reality TV</a></strong> in the Serengeti, a leopard facing off against a hyena, the gripping encounter (fast forward to 6:35) filmed by Alex & MJ from On The Go Productions...</p><p></p><p>Safari Inspiration From <strong><a href="https://acacia-africa.com/blog/2019/06/03/safari-inspiration-from-the-big-screen/" target="_blank">The Big Screen</a></strong>...</p><p></p><p>All prices exclude return flight. Independent flight prices available on request. Acacia Africa's Adventure Camping and Adventure Accommodated Tours are aimed at travellers aged 18-39'ish. The operator's Small Group Safaris and Signature Safaris & Tours are open age (from eight years). Acacia offers pre and post accommodation and a wide selection of city breaks and short stays.</p><p></p><p><strong>Acacia Africa</strong> (<strong><a href="https://acacia-africa.com/" target="_blank">acacia-africa.com</a></strong>) SATSA membership No. 1931, Atta membership no. 20151 and ABTA No. W4093 PROTECTED.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p></div>Cool Facts About Vietnamhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/cool-facts-about-vietnam2019-11-07T12:59:47.000Z2019-11-07T12:59:47.000ZiGaming Buzzhttps://tripatini.com/members/iGamingBuzz<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009425280,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009425280,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-full" alt="9009425280?profile=original" /></a> Vietnam is an ancient temple, stunning nature, a warm sea all year round, the ability to go on a trip, <a href="https://onlinecasinohex.ca/online-casinos/vietnam/" target="_blank">play for real money in secured gambling sites for Vietnamese players</a> and that's not all. Interested in? I suggest reading interesting facts about mysterious Vietnam.</p><ul><li>Plastic money</li></ul><p>Vietnamese money (dongs) is made of plastic (polymer money). They are more expensive to manufacture, but they do not get wet and do not tear.</p><ul><li>Expensive pleasure</li></ul><p>There are very few cars in Vietnam. If a Vietnamese wants to buy a car, he needs to pay 100% tax when buying, and then pay 20% of the cost of the car annually. But that is not all. In Vietnam, there is no auto production, so at the border, you need to pay another 200% of the cost for paperwork. In total, a Vietnamese car owner costs three cars in other countries, and he pays the cost of a fourth car for five years with an annual tax. As you can see, only very rich Vietnamese can afford a car, but you can always jump on a moped!</p><ul><li>Young drivers</li></ul><p>Drive a motorbike from a young age. Officially, you can drive a moped from the age of 16, but the police are turning a blind eye to this. Driving is not taught, the procedure for obtaining moto-rules is formal: you just need to drive a certain section with the instructor. A moped in the life of a young Vietnamese plays the same role as the first American car, which dad gives his son with the words "Well, you have become an adult, son" :)</p><ul><li>Vietnamese hat</li></ul><p>A traditional <a href="https://theculturetrip.com/asia/vietnam/articles/the-humble-tradition-of-vietnams-conical-hats/" target="_blank">Vietnamese pointed hat</a> came into being as protection against coconuts falling from trees. Having fallen on such a hat, a coconut, of course, will hit a person, but not fatally, after which it will bounce to the side. Without a hat, falling a coconut onto your head most often results in death.</p><ul><li>The most popular form of transport</li></ul><p>It's about a motorcycle. Every day, up to 10 million drivers leave on the roads of Vietnam. There is even a motorcycle taxi, which is cheaper than usual, and separate roads for motorbikes.</p><ul><li>National drink</li></ul><p>Tinctures on snakes - the national drink of Vietnam. They are prepared with <a href="https://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-between-rice-wine-and-rice-vinegar-228343" target="_blank">rice wine</a> or bread alcohol and drunk at the first opportunity. It is believed that they are equally effective both as a prophylactic and as a cure for any ailments. Moreover, they say, the more poisonous the snake, the better the tincture.</p><ul><li>Vietnamese rice</li></ul><p>Vietnam is the second-largest per capita rice consumer in the world. Rice here is really eaten at all with everything. Rice varieties, by the way, there are many dozens.</p><ul><li>No regular milk</li></ul><p>In Vietnamese shops and supermarkets it is almost impossible to find ordinary milk - everywhere, for some reason, only sweetened is sold.</p><ul><li>Exotic food</li></ul><p>Vietnamese <a href="https://theculturetrip.com/asia/vietnam/articles/11-things-shouldnt-eat-drink-vietnam/" target="_blank">eat bats</a> and other bats, ordinary mice and dogs. Therefore, stories about the fact that somewhere eating a bear, a wild boar, and an elk, you won’t surprise the Vietnamese, you will have to come up with something abruptly.</p><ul><li>Vietnamese do not sunbathe</li></ul><p>Even in hot weather, Vietnamese wear pants and tops with sleeves: tanned skin is considered a sign of belonging to the lower class of society.</p><ul><li>Two children in the family</li></ul><p>In Vietnamese families, often there are only two children because for the third child you have to pay huge taxes. However, it is relevant only for urban residents.</p></div>Tibetan Teahttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/tibetan-tea2019-04-02T01:38:49.000Z2019-04-02T01:38:49.000ZLiffityhttps://tripatini.com/members/Liffity<div><p><span>Tibetan tea has a special status in the Tea in <a href="https://www.greattibettour.com/tibetan-culture" target="_blank">traditional Tibetan culture</a>. It is said to have been brought by Princess Wencheng as a dowry. Through history, the people here have developed a Tibetan diet, among which buttered tea is a wholesome drink known for its nutrition and unique making method. Buttered tea can produce high calorie which can prevent cold in high regions. It is a very suitable tea in Tibet. Until now, the tea culture on the Tibetan Plateau has developed over one thousand years.</span></p></div>A Look at Africa's Traditional Cookwarehttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/africa-traditional-cookware2018-06-03T15:25:15.000Z2018-06-03T15:25:15.000ZKlaas de Bruinhttps://tripatini.com/members/KlaasdeBruin<div><p><span><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d2/Soupou_Kandja_nokos_stuffing.jpg/632px-Soupou_Kandja_nokos_stuffing.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d2/Soupou_Kandja_nokos_stuffing.jpg/632px-Soupou_Kandja_nokos_stuffing.jpg?width=450" width="450" class="align-center" alt="632px-Soupou_Kandja_nokos_stuffing.jpg?width=450" /></a></span></p><p><span> <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Soupou_Kandja_nokos_stuffing.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:8pt;"><em>T.K. Naliaka</em></span></a><br /> <br /> <br /> Traditional cookware is particular in each region of the world, because each has its own climate, and that affects methods of food preparation. In Africa, s</span><span>omewhere around 700 million individuals depend on customary biomass -, for example, wood and charcoal - for cooking, a lot of the utensils in the area are intended to withstand open fires and longer cooking time. So earthen cookware allow for more gradual cooking, enabling women to simultaneously engage in other chores and activities. Following are the top five items worth mentioning:<br /></span></p><p></p><h1><span>Pestle and Mortar</span></h1><p><span><br /> The wooden or stone bowl holding a foodstuff and a club-like instrument used to pound and mash the food have been used since time immemorial throughout the continent. They range in size from quite small to quite large (more than a foot in circumference), meant to fuel meals for entire clans. <br /></span> <span><br /></span></p><h1><span>Earthenware Cooking Pot</span></h1><p><span><br /> Deep cooking pots are central to African cookery. Conventional earthenware pots for the most part have adjusted bases which maximizes the surface available for the exchange of heat. Adjustable bottoms were additionally steadier on a three-stone fire. </span><span>These clay pots, however, have been progressively supplanted by lighter, mass-produced aluminum pots, such as the sufuria - deep, flat-bottom, and aluminum.<br /> <br /></span></p><h1><span>Coconut Grater</span></h1><p><span><br /> The traditional coconut grater is used by sitting on a stool and rubbing a split coconut against the grater's metal cutting edge. The coconut shavings are then gathered and pushed through a strainer to drain the moisture.<br /> <br /></span></p><h1><span>Calabash Gourd</span></h1><p><span><br />Also known as bottle gourds, the use of these bulbous gourds dates back more than 4,000 years in Africa, raised as much for use as water containers as for food - and today continue to be used in many African kitchens in much the same way. </span></p><h1><span><br /> Tajine</span></h1><p><span><br />Found across North Africa (especially Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia), this traditional dish is made of stoneware and comprised of two sections: a base unit that is level and round with low sides, and a cone-shaped lid that sits on the base while cooking. They're used to prepare savory stews with various vegetarians and/or meat ingredients, also referred to as tajines. <br /></span></p><p><span><br /> <br /> The cookware used in Africa is another example of the continent's rich culture. And you don't even need to hop on a plane to experience it for yourself. I recommend checking <a href="http://www.bitemybun.com/category/where-to-buy/feed/">Bitemybun,</a> and for more information, check <a href="https://www.simple-human.nl/keramische-pannen/koken-met-keramische-pannen/">simple-human.nl</a> for an extensive users' guide.</span></p><p><span> </span></p><p><span> </span></p></div>What to Expect: Immersing Yourself in Danish Culturehttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/denmark-danish-culture-jante2018-03-14T14:18:02.000Z2018-03-14T14:18:02.000ZBob Conorhttps://tripatini.com/members/BobConor<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9296632863,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9296632863,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="9296632863?profile=original" /></a><span style="font-size:8pt;"><em>discover study abroad</em></span><br /><br /><br />The world we live in today is one of many varying cultures and traditions. Every community has its own rituals that make it truly unique, but the Danes perhaps stand out from the rest. Danish citizens are some of the happiest people in the world and much of that happiness can be attributed to the way that they live. Their traditions and rituals are showcased prominently in almost every social task and gathering. And for a country home to fewer people than Sierra Leone, they’ve done a pretty good job of putting themselves on the map.</p><p></p><p>In fact, Denmark may be one of the most underrated travel destinations in the world. It’s a life-changing getaway for those who lust over adventure and wander with abandon. The summers are short, and more recently, the winters have proven to be longer and colder than usual, but it’s the topography in any season that provides visitors with a truly overwhelming experience — sights from the free state Christiania to world-class pastures like you’ve never witnessed before.</p><p> </p><p>Perhaps most important when considering a trip to Denmark is following the "Law of Jante," which a Danish novelist formulated in the early 20th century and which is ingrained into their culture in a variety of ways. Critical of individual achievement and praise, deeming it “unworthy” and “inappropriate” by, for example, many U.S. standards. These are its main precepts: </p><p> </p><ol><li>You’re not to think <i>you</i> are anything special.</li><li>You’re not to think <i>you</i> are as good as <i>we</i> are.<br /><br /></li><li>You’re not to think <i>you</i> are smarter than <i>we</i> are.<br /><br /></li><li>You’re not to imagine yourself better than <i>we</i> are.<br /><br /></li><li>You’re not to think <i>you</i> know more than <i>we</i> do.<br /><br /></li><li>You’re not to think <i>you</i> are more important than <i>we</i> are.<br /><br /></li><li>You’re not to think <i>you</i> are good at anything.<br /><br /></li><li>You’re not to laugh at <i>us</i>.<br /><br /></li><li>You’re not to think anyone cares about <i>you</i>.<br /><br /></li><li>You’re not to think <i>you</i> can teach <i>us</i> anything.</li></ol><p> </p><p>These laws may seem harsh and intense, but understanding their origin can help to better appreciate the culture that you might immerse yourself in as a vagabond. Because these concepts are in place, every Dane, from the moment they were born, expect to be excluded from the rat race. That is to say that they’re not always buying new clothes and cars or trying to keep up with the Joneses, which gives them more time to pursue their interests. As a result, Denmark is a country with incredible architects and is home to one of the best restaurants in the world, Copenhagen's Noma.</p><p></p><p>In this unique aspect of Danish culture emboldened by Jante Law, the Danes’ notable degree of happiness comes from the notion that the optimal application of talent can help one attain joy in their lives and eliminate the everyday stressors we’re so familiar with in our own culture. As travelers, we often see those stressors pop up when we travel to a new destination, unfamiliar from our own reality. But, traveling should be about the experience in something anew. When visiting Denmark one will almost certainly feel a sense of coziness and zen as the Danes embody this lifestyle through their word <i>hygge</i>. The word cannot be directly translated into English, but can most certainly be felt when traveling to Denmark.</p><p> </p><p>We used to travel to see the sights, but today, it’s all about that experience… that ability to travel to a new land and experience an unfamiliar culture, like that of the Danes, and feel the power of their proximity. However, that proximity goes beyond one’s ability to read a map… Today’s most tech savvy travelers depend on locals who has a story to tell, or a particular passion for their city, neighborhood, or street.</p><p> </p><p>We talked to Alex Winkler, founder and CEO of <a href="http://koluapp.com/"><i>Kolu</i></a> — a new mobile app that is redefining how we travel. Kolu uses mutual interests to match travelers and local guides — who agrees that today’s travel is all about authentic experiences with “like-minded locals”. In fact, Copenhagen, Denmark’s capital, is one of Winkler’s favorite destinations among the 25+ countries that he has traveled to. “In Denmark, people live more freely because they’re not constrained by the political woes of everyday life,” Winkler said. “And in a way, I believe that’s exactly how travel should be: Beyond an experience, it should be free from the stressors of everyday life.” The connection between traveling with a Danish local, instead of a Hop On Hop Off Bus, can make the difference between a trip and a genuine experience.</p><p> </p><p>“We’re living in a time where technology has enabled us to have these incredible hyper-local experiences, but at the same time, we’re crippled by that technology,” Winkler said. “It’s time to bring real human interaction back to the tech world in the way that companies like Uber and Airbnb started to, but for us, that really begins by redefining the way that people travel and have these hyper-local experiences.”</p><p> </p><p>For Winkler and the Kolu team, that means creating a service that allows people to immerse themselves in a new culture with ease, “turning trips into experiences” as the company boasts. The mobile app will be available in the App Store and Google Play Store at the beginning of 2018, but the company is currently accepting applications for what they call “local guides” in New York City, who operate much in the way that Uber drivers and Airbnb hosts do.</p><p><br /> As for your next trip (err— experience), perhaps taking heed from the happiness that Danish culture has embodied for so many centuries will help <i>you</i> better appreciate the cultural differences wherever you may travel.</p><p></p></div>Top 10 Reasons to Visit Londonhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/reasons-london-england-britain2018-08-22T15:46:48.000Z2018-08-22T15:46:48.000ZOlivia Bondhttps://tripatini.com/members/OliviaBond<div><p><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/L2F-Feb-18-pic-UK-England-London-vector-illustration-shutterstock_283672280-640x480.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/L2F-Feb-18-pic-UK-England-London-vector-illustration-shutterstock_283672280-640x480.jpg" class="align-center" alt="L2F-Feb-18-pic-UK-England-London-vector-illustration-shutterstock_283672280-640x480.jpg" /></a><br /> <br /> The capital of the United Kingdom is more than just a metropolis with a striking historical significance in the history of the world - it's a unique and exhilarating experience. London’s countless monuments, its royal panache and mind boggling architecture and beautiful streets that surprise you with prettiness at every corner are so inviting and irresistible that no traveller can miss out London from her bucket list. You can explore more with <a href="https://www.triphobo.com/tripplanner" target="_blank">itinerary planner</a> for awesome vacation. There are plenty of reasons to travel to this city, but here are our top 10 reasons to plan a trip to London:</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009194684,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009194684,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="640" alt="9009194684?profile=original" /></a></p><p></p><p><strong>Its History</strong></p><p><strong><br /></strong> A city that has been around for two millennia, London still retains its old-world charm and most its ancient city centre is still visible, although it has gone through multiple revamps! History buffs, this is a place to be!</p><p></p><p><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9296626701,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9296626701,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="662" alt="9296626701?profile=original" /></a></strong></p><p><strong><br /> Its Monuments & Landmarks</strong></p><p></p><p>Along with its iconic past, London boasts some of the most iconic and popular monuments in the world, such as Buckingham Palace, London Bridge, the Tower of London, Big Ben, London Eye and Westminster Abbey!</p><p></p><p></p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009195273,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009195273,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="640" alt="9009195273?profile=original" /></a></p><p></p><p><strong>Its River</strong></p><p><strong> </strong></p><p>If you love the outdoors, spending an evening on the banks of the River Thames can be a great idea, along with cruises for a different view of London.</p><p><br /> <a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a7/London_taxi%2C_near_Hyde_Park_%282847993182%29.jpg/800px-London_taxi%2C_near_Hyde_Park_%282847993182%29.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a7/London_taxi%2C_near_Hyde_Park_%282847993182%29.jpg/800px-London_taxi%2C_near_Hyde_Park_%282847993182%29.jpg" class="align-center" alt="800px-London_taxi%2C_near_Hyde_Park_%282847993182%29.jpg" /></a></p><p></p><p><strong>Its Black Cabs</strong></p><p><br /> Your London trip planner will tell you how the Tube (Underground) is the best way to get around the city, but nothing can beat the experience of a classic cab ride! Interesting vintage cars driven by polite and famously knowledgeable cabbies, the cabs of London are a phenomenal!</p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009196073,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a></p><p></p><p></p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009195880,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="640" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009195880,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="9009195880?profile=original" /></a></p><p></p><p><strong>Its Parks and Gardens</strong></p><p><br /> London has plenty of beautiful, well-maintained parks that are ideal for a stroll or for a laid-back day picnic, as well as some of the most venerable botanical gardens in the world.</p><p><br /> <a href="https://ukguarantor.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/uk-slang.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="https://ukguarantor.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/uk-slang.jpg?width=750" width="750" class="align-center" alt="uk-slang.jpg?width=750" /></a></p><p><strong>Its Language</strong></p><p><br /> Many find the British accents - both highbrow and lowbrow - quite alluring. But some of the accents - Cockney, for example - and slang words take a bit of getting used to!</p><p></p><p><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/LwF-Feb-18-pic-UK-England-London-museums-British-Museum-interior-shutterstock_292808417-640x424.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/LwF-Feb-18-pic-UK-England-London-museums-British-Museum-interior-shutterstock_292808417-640x424.jpg" class="align-center" alt="LwF-Feb-18-pic-UK-England-London-museums-British-Museum-interior-shutterstock_292808417-640x424.jpg" /></a></p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Its</strong> <strong>Museums <br /> <br /></strong> Some of the world's most famous, and lesser known ones covering nearly any interest you could possibly have! </p><p></p><p><br /> <a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/L2F-Feb-18-pic-UK-England-London-theare-Les-Miserables-shutterstock_134600603-640x427.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/L2F-Feb-18-pic-UK-England-London-theare-Les-Miserables-shutterstock_134600603-640x427.jpg" class="align-center" alt="L2F-Feb-18-pic-UK-England-London-theare-Les-Miserables-shutterstock_134600603-640x427.jpg" /></a><br /> <br /> <strong>Its Culture</strong></p><p><br /> With West End commercial theatre, a thriving indie scene, and "ethnic" festivals in neighbourhoods such as Notting Hill, London is one of the most culturally rich cities in the world. </p><p></p><p><a href="https://images.pexels.com/photos/373267/pexels-photo-373267.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&h=650&w=940" target="_blank"><img src="https://images.pexels.com/photos/373267/pexels-photo-373267.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&h=650&w=940&width=750" width="750" class="align-center" alt="pexels-photo-373267.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&h=650&w=940&width=750" /></a><br /> <br /> <br /> <strong>Its Pubs</strong></p><p><strong> <br /></strong> Savoring a pint of ale (perhaps with a plate of fish and chips) is one of the most ‘British’ experiences you can have in London. </p><p></p><p><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6d/Notting_Hill_Carnival_2014_%283%29.JPG/800px-Notting_Hill_Carnival_2014_%283%29.JPG" target="_blank"><img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6d/Notting_Hill_Carnival_2014_%283%29.JPG/800px-Notting_Hill_Carnival_2014_%283%29.JPG?width=750" width="750" class="align-center" alt="800px-Notting_Hill_Carnival_2014_%283%29.JPG?width=750" /></a></p><p></p><p><strong>Its Diversity</strong></p><p><br /> Though extensive immigration led a conservative backlash that became a primary driver of the disastrous Brexit, the fact remains that one of modern London's greatest strengths is its melting pot of diversity, especially ethnically, with people from literally all over the planet - come experience their culture, their dining, their festivals, and more!<br /> <br /> <br /> Check out <a href="https://www.triphobo.com/tripplans/london-united-kingdom/5-days" target="_blank">a London five-day itinerary</a> for the best glimpse of the city.</p><p></p></div>Flamenco, the Soul of Andalusiahttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/flamenco-the-soul-of-andalusia2014-08-21T19:32:39.000Z2014-08-21T19:32:39.000ZIberostar Hotels & Resortshttps://tripatini.com/members/IberostarHotelsResorts<div><p><a href="http://passportto.iberostar.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ESP_FLAMENCO_2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://passportto.iberostar.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ESP_FLAMENCO_2.jpg?width=650" width="650" class="align-center" alt="ESP_FLAMENCO_2.jpg?width=650" /></a></p><p></p><p>The centuries-old traditional music and dance form of <strong>flamenco</strong> is deeply rooted throughout the culture of southern Spain, and still popular in both public and private celebrations. An inheritance passed down rally through the ages and only more recently via recordings and videos, today it has also become a cultural industry, an economic driver, a subject for study, and a tourist attraction. It is the present, the past, and the future, tradition and avant-garde, and one of world's richest cultural traditions. For all these reasons UNESCO has included flamenco in the list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.<br /> <br /> Flamenco has gone through different stages until it reached its current recognition and fame both in Spain and abroad. More than 20 million tourists come to Andalusia every year, for various reasons: beaches, golf, conventions, nature, sighseeing, nature, countryside, etc. Almost all of them know about flamenco.<br /> <br /> And it's an art form which very much has its regional flavours and variations. Those in the know need only listen to <strong><em>la trillera</em></strong> to identify Jerez, Utrera, or Lebrija. And <strong><em>la toná</em></strong> stems from the lament which was born in Triana, an ancient neighbourhood of Seville. Similarly, <em>la soleá</em> was born in the humble outskirts of Alcalá de Guadaira, Utrera, Cádiz. And <em>la seguiriya</em> was originally a wail that arose from the throats of the great flamenco singers: <em>el Fillo, Silverio, el Gordo, and El Nitri</em> Cádiz has the <strong><em>cantiñas</em></strong>; Málaga has the <strong><em>jaberas, jabegotes and verdiales</em></strong>; Córdoba the <strong><em>zánganos</em></strong> <em>and</em> <strong><em>fandangos de Lucena</em></strong>; Granada the <strong><em>zambras, roas, granaínas</em></strong> <em>and</em> <strong><em>medias</em></strong>.<br /> <br /> Ever since one of those great artists, <strong>José Monge Cruz (aka Camarón de la Isla</strong>) recorded <strong><em>“</em></strong><em>La Leyenda del Tiempo" (The Legend of Time) in 1979</em>, flamenco has taken a new turn. That production involved many new things: <strong>Kiko Veneno, Rafael</strong> and <strong>Raimundo Amador, Pepe Roca</strong>, lyrics by <strong>Omar Khayyam</strong>, <strong>Lorca</strong> and <strong>Fernando Villalón</strong>, Tomatito, Paco de Lucía… And yet, it all sounded like flamenco.<br /> <br /> Flamenco is like Andalusia itself: a land whose very essence is diversity, a place where multiple points of view coexist and all of whose inhabitants know how enriching this is. <em>Viva flamenco,</em> then, because not only does it represent a people: it also sets it apart from the rest.</p><p></p><blockquote><p><em>“<strong>Southern Spain</strong> is seductive, and that seduction is fully experienced when you <strong>vacation in Andalusia</strong>. IBEROSTAR Hotels & Resorts in Andalusia make their <strong>best services</strong> available to enjoy a wonderful time with your family or partner.”</em></p></blockquote><p></p><p><br /><span class="font-size-1"><em>from <a href="http://passportto.iberostar.com" target="_blank">PassportToIberostar</a></em></span></p><p></p><p> </p><blockquote><p></p></blockquote></div>Ranches Fit For A Royal Tourhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/ranches-fit-for-a-royal-tour2016-09-26T20:11:18.000Z2016-09-26T20:11:18.000ZSam Wardhttps://tripatini.com/members/SamWard<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009091674,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="500" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009091674,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="9009091674?profile=original" /></a></p><p><span>With the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge touring British Columbia this week, Canada expert Ranch Rider has put a horsey twist on the royal itinerary, the activities at its handpicked list of BC ranches mirroring those on William and Kate’s schedule. </span></p><p><span><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009092277,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="500" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009092277,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="9009092277?profile=original" /></a></span></p><p>The Yukon also features on the famous foursome’s regal calendar, and as the tour operator offers add on fly drives to “The Land of the Midnight Sun,” adventurers can expect an action packed 2017 Ranch Rider holiday in the Great White North.</p><p><span><span>Tony Daly, Managing Director of Ranch Rider comments, “Our Canada collection has been popular with UK travellers over the 2016 ranch season, but this being Princess Charlotte’s royal tour debut, BC could soon be taking the top slot on our 2017 bookings list.</span></span></p><p><span><span>Known as ‘Super, Natural British Columbia,' the province is blessed with amazing geographical diversity, which means there is an equally amazing variety of places to see and things to do. From cosmopolitan Vancouver, once described as “Manhattan with mountains,” to its rainforest, desert and snow capped peaks. Our ranch holidays allow guests to discover the beauty of British Columbia, view its abundant wildlife and share its rich tapestry of cultures, the royal tour opening up a whole new world of possibilities for adventurers.”</span></span></p><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009092652,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="500" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009092652,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="9009092652?profile=original" /></a></p><p>William and Kate will be travelling to Bella Bella to explore the Great Bear Rainforest: the largest intact temperate rainforest in the world home to the Kermode Bears (Spirit Bears).</p><p><a href="http://www.ranchrider.com/ranches/chilcotin-ranch/" target="_blank"><img width="500" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009092497,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="9009092497?profile=original" /></a></p><p><span>Opt to hit the trail and join a BC Grizzly Bear Tracker Trip. Set off from the <strong><span style="color:#ff0000;"><a href="http://www.ranchrider.com/ranches/chilcotin-ranch/" target="_blank"><span style="color:#ff0000;">Chilcotin Guest Ranch</span></a></span></strong> on horseback; a thriving population residing in the South Chilcotin Mountains. Let your camera roll as you watch the bears from atop your mount, their behaviour completely undisturbed. <strong>Three nights from £1,650pp (two sharing)</strong> including accommodation, meals, most ranch activities, transfers and taxes. Excludes gratuities left to discretion and return flight from £899pp. 2017 departures: June to October.</span></p><p><span><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009092067,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="500" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009092067,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="9009092067?profile=original" /></a></span></p><p><span>The Royals will also be including <strong>Okanagan wine country</strong> on their itinerary. A regular pit stop on Ranch Rider’s BC self-drives, the tour operator suggests visiting Mission Hill, the family estate world renowned for its award winning wines, stunning setting and architecture. ‘Terrace,’ its sixty-seat restaurant overlooks Lake Okanagan and was once named as one of the five best winery restaurants in the world by Travel + Leisure magazine. <strong>Seven night self drive in British Columbia <span style="color:#ff0000;"><a href="http://www.ranchrider.com/self-drive/british-columbia-option-1/" target="_blank"><span style="color:#ff0000;">from £659pp</span></a></span> (two sharing)</strong> including accommodation and car hire.</span></p><p><span><a href="http://www.ranchrider.com/ranches/siwash-lake-ranch/" target="_blank"><img width="500" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009092885,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="9009092885?profile=original" /></a></span></p><p><span>Alternatively, book a six night stay at the <strong><span style="color:#ff0000;"><a href="http://www.ranchrider.com/ranches/siwash-lake-ranch/" target="_blank"><span style="color:#ff0000;">Siwash Lake Luxury Guest Ranch</span></a></span></strong>, in south central British Columbia, and soar across the skies on an optional ‘heli-wine’ tour. Fly due west over to the mighty Fraser River, then follow it south; steep valley walls, hoodoos, Jack Jones Rapids and golden grasslands viewed from above. Wine tasting at the Fort Berens Winery in Lillooet is included part way through the adventure. Located at the start of the province’s historic Gold Rush Trail, the town is situated in one of British Columbia’s newest emerging wine regions. </span></p><p><span><a href="http://www.ranchrider.com/ranches/siwash-lake-ranch/" target="_blank"><img width="500" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9296617854,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="9296617854?profile=original" /></a></span></p><p>A regular haunt for ‘foodies,’ enjoy unlimited riding across the ranch’s 80,000 acres and pack a gourmet lunch in your saddle bag. At the end of the trail expect five star dining complete with a choice of vintage wines. <strong>Six nights from £5,140pp (two sharing)</strong> including accommodation, meals, most ranch activities, taxes and gratuities. Excludes car hire from £235 and return flight from £899pp. 2017 departures: June to October.</p><p><span>Before departing Canada, William and Kate will return to British Columbia to visit Haida Gwaii. Formerly the Queen Charlotte Islands, the archipelago located off the Northwest coast of British Columbia is one of the richest biological and cultural areas in North America. a canoe trip and visit to ancient Haida villages on the royal itinerary.</span></p><p><a href="http://www.ranchrider.com/ranches/echo-valley-ranch/" target="_blank"><img width="500" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009093492,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="9009093492?profile=original" /></a></p><p><span>You can also combine cultural tours and water based adventures at the <span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong><a href="http://www.ranchrider.com/ranches/echo-valley-ranch/" target="_blank"><span style="color:#ff0000;">Echo Valley Ranch & Spa</span></a></strong></span>, the property located in Canada’s Cariboo wilderness. Go white water rafting on the legendary Thompson River and experience the thrilling Jaws of Death rapid and back at the ranch embrace First Nation’s culture with resident Gitxsan artist, Michael Blackstock. Etched into the surrounding trees, Michael’s creative works honour the living spirit of spring water. Book a tree carving tour or a take yourself on solo spiritual journey using the ranch’s self-guided booklet. <strong>Six nights from £1,367pp (two sharing)</strong> including accommodation, meals, half-day's riding each day, unlimited fly fishing, nature hikes and much more, taxes and gratuities. Excludes car hire and return flight from £899pp. 2017 departures: May to November.</span></p><p><span><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9009093086,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="500" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9009093086,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="9009093086?profile=original" /></a></span></p><p><span>Add on a self drive in British Columbia or The Yukon from £659pp (two sharing) including accommodation and car hire. </span><span><strong>Ranch Rider</strong> (01509 618811; </span><a href="http://ranchrider.com/" target="_blank">ranchrider.com</a><span>) ATOL PROTECTED No 4660 ABTA 96395/V9150.</span></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p></div>Exploring Tibetan Customs in Ta'er (Kumbum) Monasteryhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/explore-tibetan-customs-in-ta-er-monastery2014-01-07T20:30:00.000Z2014-01-07T20:30:00.000ZLuffy Luhttps://tripatini.com/members/LuffyLu<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008806281,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008806281,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="360" class="align-center" alt="9008806281?profile=original" /></a></p><p><a href="http://www.chinaholidays.com/tours/search.php">Ta’er Monastery</a>, Kumbum Monastery in the Tibetan language, is the birthplace of Tsong Kha-pa, the founder of the yellow sect, is one of the six major lamaseries of yellow sect in Tibetan Buddhism. It is 26km away from Xining, the capital city of Qinghai Province and it was built in 1379.</p><p> </p><p>Ta'er is a garden-like architectural complex of blending Han and Tibetan architecture. Its main buildings include eight pagodas; the great golden-tiled hall; a small golden-tiled hall; the grand scripture hall; the Longevity Hall; and the palace of the Panchen Lama.</p><p> </p><p>The eight pagodas were set up in line in honor of the eight virtues in Sakyamunis' life. What's more, butter sculptures, embossed embroidery and fresco are claimed as “three wonders of art” in the lamasery. Four grand Buddhist rituals are conducted in January, April , June and September in each lunar year.</p><p> </p><p><b><a href="http://www.chinaholidays.com/tours/search.php">Grand Golden Tiled Hall</a></b></p><p> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008806300,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008806300,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="360" class="align-center" alt="9008806300?profile=original" /></a></p><p>Occupying an area of 456 square meters, 19 meters in height,the Grand Golden Tiled Hall, with three-layered or gable style roof, is a Chinese palace style architecture, which mixes characteristics of both Han and Tibetan nationalities.</p><p> </p><p>Its walls are formed with glazed bricks and its roof is covered with gilded bronze tiles.There are some golden vases and flame-emitting ornaments on the ridges of its roof.</p><p> </p><p>Inside the hall there are some statues of Buddha, an 11-meter-high silver dagoba , gold lamps, ancient vases, ivory tusks and other instruments used in Buddhist Mass.</p><p> </p><p><a href="http://www.chinaholidays.com/tours/search.php"><b>Great Hall of Sutras</b></a></p><p> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008806666,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008806666,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="360" class="align-center" alt="9008806666?profile=original" /></a></p><p>The Great Hall of Sutras, the biggest meeting place for lamas to pray and chant sutras, covering an area of 2,750 square meters, was originally built in 1600 (the 39th year of the reign of Wan Li, Ming Dynasty ) and rebuilt after a fire in 1912.</p><p> </p><p>The hall has 168 pillars, each wrapped with a colorful Tibetan carpet with dragon designs on it. The floor is covered with line after line of seating platforms with colorful carpet cushions on them. The hall is ornamented with painted dou gong (wooden square blocks supporting beams and girders), beams, zao jing (ceiling decorations ) and murals concerning Buddhist legends and also has beautiful drapes, sutra cloths, steamers, canopies, embroidery and appliquéd embroidery hanging from beams.</p><p> </p><p>Against the four walls of the hall are shelves containing Buddhist Sutras in the Tibetan language and nine enshrined 1,000 Buddha statues. Dalai Lama, Panchen Lama, and abbot to preach Buddhism exclusively sues the yellow throne, set in the front of the hall, On its roof are some gilded ornaments such as streamers, pinnacles, vases, wheels of law and deer etc.</p><p> </p><p><b><a href="http://www.chinaholidays.com/tours/search.php">Small Gold-tiled Hall</a></b></p><p> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008806888,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008806888,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="360" class="align-center" alt="9008806888?profile=original" /></a></p><p>Small Gold-tiled Hall, also called the Hall of the Defender of Buddhism, is a two-story building. It was built in 1692 (the 31st year of the reign of Kangxi, Qing Dynasty).</p><p> </p><p>Its roof is covered with gilded bronze tiles. In the hall are five statues of defenders of Buddhism, which are symbols to dispel evil spirits and to protect justice and law. Specimens of wild ox, black bear and other animals, standing on both sides of corridors upstairs, are made delicately and look lifelike.</p><p> </p><p><b><a href="http://www.chinaholidays.com/tours/search.php">Eight Pogodas of Buddha Sakyamuni</a></b></p><p> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008807456,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008807456,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="360" class="align-center" alt="9008807456?profile=original" /></a></p><p>These eight pagodas are arranged in one row in front of the lamasery. Each of them, being bottle-shaped, with a pinnacle top on it, stands on square pedestal .</p><p> </p><p>They were erected to commemorate and praise the eight stages of Sakyamuni’s life. They are Lotus Pagoda, Bodhi Pagoda, Many Doors Pagoda, Conquering Heresies Pagoda, Reborn Pagoda, Reconciling Discussion Pagoda, Victory Pagoda and Nirvana Pagoda.</p><p> </p><p><a href="http://www.chinaholidays.com/tours/search.php"><b>Four Religious Festivals</b></a></p><p> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008807475,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008807475,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="360" class="align-center" alt="9008807475?profile=original" /></a></p><p>The four religious festivals in each year, also known as “four sightseeing occasions”, are “the great prayer meeting “held from the 8th to 15th of the first lunar month,”“ the fourth month prayer meeting”for commemorating the birth, becoming a monk and virvana of Sakyamuni meld from the 8th to 15th of the fourth lunar month, “the meeting of turning Sutra Wheel three times” for commemorating three Buddhist lectures by Sakyamuni held from 3rd and 8th of the sixth lunar month, and “the meeting of commemorating Sakyamuni's birth” held from 20th to 26th of the ninth lunar month. </p><p></p></div>Free Museum Hopping in New York Cityhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/free-museum-hopping-in-new2011-07-25T15:18:23.000Z2011-07-25T15:18:23.000ZNicholas Kontishttps://tripatini.com/members/NicholasKontis<div><p><strong>There are about 80 museums in New York City. Most of them are in Manhattan,<br /> and nine of those museums are located along what's called New York City Museum<br /> Mile, along Fifth Avenue.</strong></p><p> </p><p><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Eoa0D8pH4bE/TcU049EjmqI/AAAAAAAAAFA/BIQt9cZwnis/s1600/amnhFacade_500px.jpg" alt="amnhFacade_500px.jpg" /></p><p>The American Museum of Natual History</p><p> </p><p>Museum Mile begins with the New York City<br /> <strong>Metropolitan Museum of Art</strong> at Fifth Avenue and 82 St. (1000 Fifth Ave,<br /> New York City, NY, 10028) and ends with the <strong>Museum of El Barrio</strong> on Fifth<br /> Avenue and 104 Street (1230 Fifth Ave. New York, NY 10029). In between, there<br /> are the <strong>Guggenheim Museum</strong> at 89 St. (1071 Fifth Ave., New York City, NY<br /> 10128), the <strong>Cooper Hewitt Museum</strong> at 91 St. (2 E. 91 St. New York City, NY<br /> 10128), the <strong>Jewish Museum</strong> at 92 St. (1109 Fifth Ave., New York City, NY<br /> 10128), and <strong>Museum of the City</strong> of New York at 103 St.(1220 Fifth Ave, New<br /> York City, NY, 10029)</p><p> </p><p><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_u7ryccJN3ZQ/TGmu9nXfE-I/AAAAAAAADpg/PLOkWZq2f6I/s1600/Met_Musm_Art_9403.jpg" alt="Met_Musm_Art_9403.jpg" /></p><p>Metropolitan Museum of Art</p><p> </p><p><strong>American Museum of Natural History</strong> is<br /> located right across Central Park from the Metropolitan Museum, at 79 St. and<br /> Central Park West (New York City, NY 10024). <strong>The New York Historical<br /> Society</strong> is just next door, on Central Park West at 77 St. (170 Central Park<br /> West, New York City, NY 10024) As you see, you can do a lot of museum hopping<br /> within a very short distance, and while you're at it, don't miss the best New<br /> York museum of them all: <strong>The Frick Collection,</strong> at 1 E 70 St. between<br /> Madison and Fifth Aves. At this tiny gem of a museum, every piece is a<br /> masterpiece, and it takes only about an hour and a half to view the entire<br /> collection.</p><p><img src="http://sfmorrisnyc.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/guggenheim-museum.jpg" alt="guggenheim-museum.jpg" /></p><p>Guggenheim Museum</p><p> </p><p>Please keep in mind as well that admission policy to the<br /> Metropolitan Museum of Art, American Museum of Natural History and Museum of the<br /> City of New York is <strong>"pay-what-you-wish,"</strong> although American Museum of<br /> Natural History usually does charge additional fees for special exhibitions.</p><p>Other museums very often have free admission nights. For example, the<br /> Guggenheim Museum and the Whitney Museum often have free admission on Friday<br /> nights, The Jewish Museum on Saturdays, and so on. So whenever you plan to visit<br /> a particular museum, it's worth giving them a call to inquire about their free<br /> admission night. Sometimes those free admission nights are mentioned on their<br /> tape recording, but rather often they are not, and so it makes sense to speak to<br /> a live person when you inquire about free admission night.</p></div>Stanley Kubrick Exhibit At LA’s Largest Art Museum – LACMAhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/stanley-kubrick-exhibit-at-la-s-largest-art-museum-lacma2013-08-08T12:04:50.000Z2013-08-08T12:04:50.000ZNicholas Kontishttps://tripatini.com/members/NicholasKontis<div><p>Any fan of motion pictures has a favorite film director. Recently, I was able to view an exhibit of one of the true masters of cinematography at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, or LACMA. A tribute to the works of one of the cinematic geniuses of all time, the perfectionist, Stanley Kubrick. More than 1,000 objects on display in “Stanley Kubrick” — a massive exhibition devoted to the legendary filmmaker.</p><p>Anyone who has seen a Kubrick flick must admire the filmmakers attention to every last detail. Working closely with his actors to achieve painstaking cinematic supremacy. The vast genres Kubrick’s films include: war, science fiction, crime, violence, horror, romantic and black comedies. All the magnificent works of Kubrick are on display at LACMA including: 1960′s ‘Spartacus,’ 1962′s ‘Lolita,’ 1964′s ‘Dr. Strangelove,’ 1968′s 2001: ‘A Space Odyssey,’ 1971′s ‘A Clockwork Orange,’ 1975′s ‘Barry Lyndon,’ 1980′s ‘The Shining,’ 1987′s ‘Full Metal Jacket,’ 1999′s ‘Eyes Wide Shut.’</p><p></p><p><a href="http://trip.worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/P1010057.jpg"><img width="800" height="600" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-23208" alt="OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA" src="http://trip.worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/P1010057.jpg" /></a></p><p>The master himself – Ever the perfectionist with every last attention to detail</p><p></p><p><a href="http://trip.worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/P1010059.jpg"><img width="800" height="600" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-23212" alt="OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA" src="http://trip.worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/P1010059.jpg" /></a></p><p>Ornate Costume Designs from 1960′s – ‘Spartacus’</p><p></p><p><a href="http://trip.worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/P1010033.jpg"><img width="800" height="600" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-23209" alt="OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA" src="http://trip.worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/P1010033.jpg" /></a></p><p>1968 – ’2001: A Space Odyssey’ - The film that defined a generation</p><p></p><p><a href="http://trip.worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/P1010029.jpg"><img width="800" height="600" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-23210" alt="OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA" src="http://trip.worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/P1010029.jpg" /></a></p><p>The works of a “master mind”</p><p></p><div><a><img alt="" src="http://i.imgur.com/epgF2.jpg" /></a></div><div>A Society Gone Mad – Kubrick explores the world of youth ultra violence 1971′s – ‘A Clockwork Orange’</div><div><a href="http://trip.worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/P1010068.jpg"><img width="800" height="600" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-23224" alt="OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA" src="http://trip.worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/P1010068.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /> More than 1,000 objects on display in “Stanley Kubrick” — a massive exhibition devoted to the legendary filmmaker.</div><div> </div><p><a href="http://trip.worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/P1010032.jpg"><img width="800" height="600" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-23211" alt="OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA" src="http://trip.worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/P1010032.jpg" /></a></p><p> </p><p>One of Jack Nicholson’s greatest rolls as Jack Torrance in Kubrick’s 1980 horror classic ‘The Shining’</p><div><a><img alt="" src="http://images.movieplayer.it/2003/11/28/charlie-sheen-in-una-scena-di-platoon-33729.jpg" /></a></div><div>A young Charlie Sheen quickly learns that “war is hell” in Kubrick’s classic war epic – 1987′s, ‘Full Metal Jacket’</div><div><a href="http://trip.worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/P1010046.jpg"><img width="800" height="600" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-23214" alt="OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA" src="http://trip.worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/P1010046.jpg" /></a></div><div>Clearly a ”SHINING” moment for me</div><div><a href="http://trip.worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/P1010028.jpg"><img width="800" height="1066" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-23213" alt="OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA" src="http://trip.worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/P1010028.jpg" /></a></div><div>Stanley Kubrick Exhibit at LACMA</div><div><a href="http://trip.worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/LACMA.jpg"><img width="800" height="600" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-23215" alt="OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA" src="http://trip.worldtravellist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/LACMA.jpg" /></a></div><div>Los Angeles County Museum of Art</div><div>LACMA is centrally located on Wilshire Blvd. between downtown Los Angeles and Santa Monica off the 10 freeway, Fairfax exit, and is easily accessible by car, bus or bike.</div><div>Los Angeles County Museum of Art</div><div>5905 Wilshire Blvd.</div><div>Los Angeles, CA.</div><div>Tel: <span class="skype_pnh_print_container_1375893562">323-857-6000</span> <span class="skype_pnh_container" dir="ltr"><span class="skype_pnh_mark">begin_of_the_skype_highlighting</span> <span class="skype_pnh_highlighting_inactive_common" dir="ltr"><span class="skype_pnh_text_span">323-857-6000</span><span class="skype_pnh_free_text_span"> FREE </span></span> <span class="skype_pnh_mark">end_of_the_skype_highlighting</span></span></div><div><a href="http://www.lacma.org/">www.lacma.org</a></div><div><p> </p><p>About the Author: Nick Kontis – Travel Expert and Founder of World Travel List</p><p>Born on the one of the most beautiful Islands in the world, Santorini, Greece and raised in America’s culture capital of San Francisco. Nick Kontis started out as a world traveler at an early age traveling back and forth between California and Greece every summer. But it was a backpacking trip around the world at age 24 that proved to be a life changing experience. After traveling by car, train, plane, bike and, boat around the world, it would be this trip of a lifetime that would lead to a life as a travel entrepreneur and world traveler. Nick has been on both radio and television. Featured on Arthur Frommer’s television show, and referred by Lonely Planet writers as a leader in discount airfares. Frequently mentioned as the “father of around the world airfares.” Arthur Frommer once said, “If Jules Verne were alive today he would use Nick to go around the world in 80 days.” Nick and his various travel companies and agents have sent over 10,000 people around the world. Now, Nick promotes travel through his World Travel List and ‘Trip Rambler’ by World Travel List. Having traveled to over 80 countries Nick hopes to inspire others to travel the world. Follow Nick’s “passion for travel” on the World Travel List.</p><p><a href="http://trip.worldtravellist.com/">http://trip.worldtravellist.com</a></p><p><a href="http://www.facebook.com/worldtravelist">http://www.facebook.com/worldtravelist</a></p><p> </p><p> </p></div><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p></p><div> </div></div>29 Must Visit Cities for 2011https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/29-must-visit-cities-for-20112011-05-12T14:50:24.000Z2011-05-12T14:50:24.000ZVelimira Velikovahttps://tripatini.com/members/VelimiraVelikova<div><p>Longing for some sunshine, want to explore a new culture, have a craving for new tastes or fancy a night out in town? City Breaks are an ideal and affordable weekend escape for you and your friends, your partner or the whole family. We have taken the most important factors: weather, cost, food, accessibility, culture and safety, and have rolled up a list of Must-Visit cities around the world. You just have to get up and go!</p><p> </p><h2>#29 <a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com/search/netherlands/amsterdam/t2759794?588?cid=588">Amsterdam</a></h2><p><a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com/search/netherlands/amsterdam/t2759794?588?cid=588"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1063" title="Amsterdam" src="http://traveler.sunnyrentals.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Amsterdam.jpg" height="349" width="550" alt="Amsterdam.jpg" /></a></p><p><strong>Did you know:</strong> Amsterdam has over 1 million bikes but only 700.000 Amsterdammers.</p><h2>#28 <a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com?cid=588">Sydney</a></h2><p><a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com?cid=588"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1064" title="Sydney" src="http://traveler.sunnyrentals.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Sydney.jpg" height="349" width="550" alt="Sydney.jpg" /></a></p><p><strong>Did you know:</strong> The main languages spoken in Sydney are English, Chinese and Arabic.<span id="more-1062"></span></p><h2>#27 <a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com?cid=588">Mumbai</a></h2><p><a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com?cid=588"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1065" title="Mumbai" src="http://traveler.sunnyrentals.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Mumbai.jpg" height="349" width="550" alt="Mumbai.jpg" /></a></p><p><strong>Did you know:</strong> The population is 18 million, projected to reach 28.5 million by 2020.</p><h2>#26 <a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com?cid=588">Montreal</a></h2><p><a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com?cid=588"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1066" title="Montreal" src="http://traveler.sunnyrentals.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Montreal.jpg" height="349" width="550" alt="Montreal.jpg" /></a><br /> <strong>Did you know:</strong> Montreal is one of the five largest French-speaking cities in the world.</p><h2>#25 <a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com/search/italy/venice/a3164600?cid=588">Venice</a></h2><p><a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com/search/italy/venice/a3164600?cid=588"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1067" title="Venice" src="http://traveler.sunnyrentals.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Venice.jpg" height="349" width="550" alt="Venice.jpg" /></a><br /> <strong>Did you know:</strong> There are only 400 licensed Gondolas operating in Venice today.</p><h2>#24 <a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com/search/asia/turkey/c222?cid=588">Istanbul</a></h2><p><a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com/search/asia/turkey/c222?cid=588"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1068" title="Istanbul" src="http://traveler.sunnyrentals.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Istanbul.jpg" height="349" width="550" alt="Istanbul.jpg" /></a><br /> <strong>Did you know:</strong> Istanbul is the only city in the world located on two continents.</p><h2>#23 <a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com/search/hungary/budapest/t3054643?cid=588">Budapest</a></h2><p><a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com/search/hungary/budapest/t3054643?cid=588"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1069" title="Budapest" src="http://traveler.sunnyrentals.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Budapest.jpg" height="349" width="550" alt="Budapest.jpg" /></a><br /> <strong>Did you know</strong>: Budapest has the world’s largest thermal water cave system.</p><h2>#22 <a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com?cid=588">Beijing</a></h2><p><a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com?cid=588"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1070" title="Beijing" src="http://traveler.sunnyrentals.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Beijing.jpg" height="349" width="550" alt="Beijing.jpg" /></a><br /> <strong>Did you know:</strong> The city is considered to the bicycle capital of the world as has many parking lots dedicated to bikes alone.</p><h2>#21 <a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com/search/portugal/lisbon/r2267056?cid=588">Lisbon</a></h2><p><a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com/search/portugal/lisbon/r2267056?cid=588"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1079" title="Lisbon" src="http://traveler.sunnyrentals.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Lisbon.jpg" height="349" width="550" alt="Lisbon.jpg" /></a><br /> <strong>Did you know:</strong> According to folklore, Lisbon was originally founded by Ulysses, the mythic Greek King. More likely, however, the area was first settled by the Phoenicians, who called the city Alis Ubbo, which means “delightful shore.”</p><h2>#20 <a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com?cid=588">Copenhagen</a></h2><p><a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com?cid=588"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1071" title="Copenhagen" src="http://traveler.sunnyrentals.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Copenhagen.jpg" height="349" width="550" alt="Copenhagen.jpg" /></a><br /> <strong>Did you know:</strong> Stroget is one of the longest shopping streets in whole Europe.</p><h2>#19 <a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com?cid=588">Mexico City</a></h2><p><a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com?cid=588"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1072" title="Mexico" src="http://traveler.sunnyrentals.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Mexico.jpg" height="349" width="550" alt="Mexico.jpg" /></a><br /> <strong>Did you know:</strong> Mexico City’s Metropolitan Cathedral is built over the ruins of the Aztec Templo Mayor, which conquistadors discovered–and then destroyed–in the 1500s.</p><h2>#18 <a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com/search/italy/naples/a3172391?cid=588">Napoli</a></h2><p><a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com/search/italy/naples/a3172391?cid=588"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1080" title="napoli" src="http://traveler.sunnyrentals.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/napoli.jpg" height="349" width="550" alt="napoli.jpg" /></a><br /> <strong>Did you know:</strong> The Amalfi Coast is the home of Limoncello, a delicious lemon-flavored liqueur beloved all over Italy.</p><h2>#17 <a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com/search/north-america/united-states/c230?cid=588">San Francisco</a></h2><p><a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com/search/north-america/united-states/c230?cid=588"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1081" title="San Francisco" src="http://traveler.sunnyrentals.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/San-Francisco.jpg" height="349" width="550" alt="San-Francisco.jpg" /></a><br /> <strong>Did you know:</strong> Depending on how you define a hill, there are between 50 and 790 of them in San Francisco.</p><h2>#16 <a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com/search/morocco/marrakech/t2542997?cid=588">Marrakech</a></h2><p><a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com/search/morocco/marrakech/t2542997?cid=588"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1082" title="marrakech" src="http://traveler.sunnyrentals.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/marrakech.jpg" height="349" width="550" alt="marrakech.jpg" /></a><br /> <strong>Did you know:</strong> In Arabic, Marrakech is nicknamed “the Red City” (<em>el hamra</em>) because of the color of its rammed earth ramparts and of its monuments and houses.</p><h2>#15 <a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com/search/germany/berlin/t2950158?cid=588">Berlin</a></h2><p><a href="http://traveler.sunnyrentals.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/berlin.jpg"></a><a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com/search/germany/berlin/t2950158?cid=588"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1084" title="berlin" src="http://traveler.sunnyrentals.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/berlin1.jpg" height="349" width="550" alt="berlin1.jpg" /></a></p><p><strong>Did you know:</strong> The Berlin bunker where Hitler spent the last days of the war was long-hidden from public view for fear of becoming a neo-Nazi shrine.</p><h2>#14 <a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com/search/italy/cagliari/a2525471?cid=588">Cagliari</a></h2><p><a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com/search/italy/cagliari/a2525471?cid=588"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1085" title="Cagliari" src="http://traveler.sunnyrentals.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Cagliari.jpg" height="349" width="550" alt="Cagliari.jpg" /></a><br /> <strong>Did you know:</strong> Over 8,000 Bronze Age stones structures called <em>nuraghe</em> dot the Sardinian landscape.</p><h2>#13 <a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com/search/france/-nice/s2990439?cid=588">Nice</a></h2><p><a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com/search/france/-nice/s2990439?cid=588"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1086" title="Nice" src="http://traveler.sunnyrentals.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Nice.jpg" height="349" width="550" alt="Nice.jpg" /></a><br /> <strong>Did you know:</strong> Nice is believed to be one of the oldest human settlements in the world after evidence of the usage of fire was found.</p><h2>#12 <a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com/search/spain/san-sebastian/t3110044?cid=588">San Sebastian</a></h2><p><a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com/search/spain/san-sebastian/t3110044?cid=588"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1087" title="San Sebastian" src="http://traveler.sunnyrentals.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/San-Sebastian.jpg" height="349" width="550" alt="San-Sebastian.jpg" /></a><br /> <strong>Did you know:</strong> San Sebastian is perfectly located to check out two cultures at once as it sits on the coastline of Spain’s Basque Country.</p><h2>#11 <a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com?cid=588">Sao Paolo</a></h2><p><a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com?cid=588"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1073" title="SaoPaulo" src="http://traveler.sunnyrentals.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/SaoPaulo.jpg" height="349" width="550" alt="SaoPaulo.jpg" /></a><br /> <strong>Did you know:</strong> Sao Paolo has 7 million cars with crazy drivers whizzing around the city.</p><h2>#10 <a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com?cid=588">Singapore</a></h2><p><a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com?cid=588"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1074" title="Singapore" src="http://traveler.sunnyrentals.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Singapore.jpg" height="349" width="550" alt="Singapore.jpg" /></a><br /> <strong>Did you know:</strong> The Singapore Sling was first served in 1915 at the Long Bar of the Raffles Hotel. The ingredients are gin, Cointreau, cherry brandy, Dom Benedictine, pineapple juice, Grenadine, Angoustura bitters and limes.</p><h2>#9 <a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com?cid=588">Bangkok</a></h2><p><a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com?cid=588"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1075" title="bangkok" src="http://traveler.sunnyrentals.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/bangkok.jpg" height="349" width="550" alt="bangkok.jpg" /></a><br /> <strong>Did you know:</strong> “Bangkok” is just the short of the city’s ceremonial name is “Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahinthara Yuthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan Amon Piman Awatan Sathit Sakkathattiya Witsanukam Prasit”. Say what?</p><h2>#8 <a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com?cid=588">Melbourne</a></h2><p><a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com?cid=588"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1076" title="melbourne" src="http://traveler.sunnyrentals.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/melbourne.jpg" height="349" width="550" alt="melbourne.jpg" /></a><br /> <strong>Did you know:</strong> Melbourne had the first gay and lesbian radio station in the world.</p><h2>#7 <a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com/search/france/paris/t2988507?cid=588">Paris</a></h2><p><a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com/search/france/paris/t2988507?cid=588"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1088" title="Paris" src="http://traveler.sunnyrentals.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Paris.jpg" height="349" width="550" alt="Paris.jpg" /></a><br /> <strong>Did you know:</strong> Paris has over 70 museums.</p><h2>#6 <a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com?cid=588">Seoul</a></h2><p><a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com?cid=588"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1077" title="Seoul" src="http://traveler.sunnyrentals.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Seoul.jpg" height="349" width="550" alt="Seoul.jpg" /></a><br /> <strong>Did you know:</strong> Seoul has one of the cheapest subway systems in the world: you can get anywhere in the city for less than $1.</p><h2>#5 <a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com/search/united-kingdom/london/t2643743?cid=588">London</a></h2><p><a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com/search/united-kingdom/london/t2643743?cid=588"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1089" title="London" src="http://traveler.sunnyrentals.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/London.jpg" height="349" width="550" alt="London.jpg" /></a><br /> Did you know: More languages are spoken in London than in any other city.</p><h2>#4 <a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com/search/united-states/new-york-city/t5128581?cid=588">New York</a></h2><p><a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com/search/united-states/new-york-city/t5128581?cid=588"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1092" title="New York" src="http://traveler.sunnyrentals.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/New-York1.jpg" height="349" width="550" alt="New-York1.jpg" /></a><br /> Did you know: New York City has over 23,000 restaurants.</p><h2>#3 <a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com/search/italy/roma/t3169070?cid=588">Rome</a></h2><p><a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com/search/italy/roma/t3169070?cid=588"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1093" title="Rome" src="http://traveler.sunnyrentals.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Rome2.jpg" height="349" width="550" alt="Rome2.jpg" /></a><br /> <strong>Did you know:</strong> The first-ever shopping mall was built by the Emperor Trajan in Rome. It consisted of several levels and more than 150 outlets that sold everything ranging from food and spices to clothes.</p><h2>#2 <a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com?cid=588">Moscow</a></h2><p><a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com?cid=588"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1078" title="Moscow" src="http://traveler.sunnyrentals.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Moscow.jpg" height="349" width="550" alt="Moscow.jpg" /></a><br /> <strong>Did you know:</strong> Moscow has more billionaires living in its streets than any other city on earth.</p><h2>#1 <a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com/search/spain/barcelona/t3128760?cid=588">Barcelona</a></h2><p><a href="http://www.sunnyrentals.com/search/spain/barcelona/t3128760?cid=588"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1094" title="Barcelona" src="http://traveler.sunnyrentals.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Barcelona.jpg" height="349" width="550" alt="Barcelona.jpg" /></a><br /> <strong>Did you know:</strong> Portal de l’Àngel with approximately 3500 people thronging the street every hour is the most walked down street in Spain!</p></div>J&k Photo Exhibitionhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/jampk-photo-exhibition2011-02-15T15:44:13.000Z2011-02-15T15:44:13.000Zasmanhttps://tripatini.com/members/asman<div><p align="justify">Minister for Rural Development, Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Ali Mohammad Sagar has reiterated the need for sustained awareness about the various welfare schemes undertaken by the Government.</p><p align="justify">The Minister was interacting with a group of media persons after inaugurating a Mega Developmental <a href="http://www.jammu-kashmir-ladakh.com/kashmir-photos/">Jammu Kashmir Photo Exhibition</a> Organized by the Department of Information and Public Relations at Kalakendra Jammu. Director Information and Public Relations, Farooq Renzushah, Director Rural Development Kashmir, Jehangir Mir and senior officers of the Information Department were present.</p><p align="justify">The Photo exhibits depict the various initiatives undertaken by the Government in different sectors like infrastructural development, irrigation, Housing and Urban Development, R&B, restoration works of heritage and culture, mega projects initiated by the present Government which include Super Specialty Hospital at GMC, Baglihar Power Project, Salal Power Project, Peerkho Development Project, construction of district hospitals, Model villages, construction of PHCs, district tourist complexes at Mansar and Sanasar, Sewerage Treatment Plant at Bhagwati Nagar, fourth bridge over river Tawi, renovation works of heritage complexes like Mubarak Mandi, Akhnoor and other prestigious projects.</p><p align="justify">Complimenting the Information Department for organizing such types of exhibitions, Mr. Sagar said that by these endeavours the people come to know about the developmental activities undertaken by the <a href="http://www.jammu-kashmir-ladakh.com/">Jammu and kashmir</a> Government. He said that the department is acting as an effective bridge between the Government and the people by creating a proper and sustained awareness about the welfare schemes undertaken by the coalition Government.</p><p align="justify">Mr. Sagar later visited an exhibition organized by the Khadi Village Industrial Commission at the same venue in which about 75 stalls of various Khadi and handicraft items have been installed depicting various varieties of Khadi products from different districts of the State.</p></div>Taiwan: Language Death in Actionhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/taiwan-language-death-in-action2013-03-08T17:33:08.000Z2013-03-08T17:33:08.000ZNithin Chttps://tripatini.com/members/NithinC<div><p>In the middle of the wedding, my friend's grandma, a short, stocky, but strong aboriginal Taiwanese woman in her 80s, went up on stage. She grabbed the microphone and, after a short introduction in Mandarin, the dominant language in Taiwan, began a Christian prayer in the Atayal language.</p><p>The fluid, slightly raspy words sounded quite different than the varying toned, short-syllables of Mandarin. I was in Taichung, Taiwan, a groomsman at the wedding of my good friend. Here, the attendees were mostly Atayal, one of the 16 surviving aboriginal tribes of Taiwan, as the ceremony was for the indigenous side of my friend's family. ]<a href="http://nithincoca.com/2013/03/07/language-death-in-action//"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1533" alt="prayer in Attayal, Copyright NithinCoca.com" src="http://nithincoca.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/grandma-crop-300x270.jpg" width="300" height="270" /></a> </p><p>Taiwan is unique linguistically. Dominating are three Chinese dialects; Mandarin, the national language, Taiwanese, the most widely spoken, similar to the Hokkien dialect in mainland China, and Hakka, another dialect from Fujian province. These three languages, all part of the Sino-Tibetan language group, the second most widely spoken language group in the world after Indo-European, represent nearly more than 95% of the island's 23 million people.</p><p>Throughout my time in Taiwan I saw this diversity, learning to distinguish between the three languages. I learned how many of the older generation do not speak Mandarin well but that, in Taipei, many youth do not speak Hakka or Taiwanese. These three language alone provided me with a window into Taiwan's unique cultural landscape.</p><p>Now, though, at this wedding, I saw that was only a small part of the picture. It is incredibly easy to live, work, and travel in Taiwan and not realize that an even greater linguistic diversity lies in the islands beautiful, green hills, where the aboriginal peoples of Taiwan reside, the source of one of humanities most astounding migrations and the birthplace of another language group that's tentacles are spread over a far vaster geographical area than the Sino-Tibetan group. In fact, Taiwan is the intersection of two of the world's greatest linguistic groups.</p><p>Besides the Atayal, there are the Truku, Paiwan, Bunun, and many others. They number 500,000 in Taiwan, only 2% of the population, severely displaced by immigration from mainland China that began in the 1700's, and especially the great influx of Mandarin speakers who fled with the Kuomintang (Nationalists) from mainland China in 1949 and took control of the island.</p><p><a href="http://www.taiwan-travel-experience.com/aborigine-people.html">Aboriginal Taiwan's history</a> long predates that of Chinese Taiwan. It is unknown how and when the island of Taiwan was first populated, but records of settlements date back thousands of years. What is known is that, beginning in 300 AD, Polynesians became the first great seafarers in human history. Ships set sail from Taiwan down to the neighboring Philippines, then, in the greatest period of exploration until Columbus' voyage across the Atlantic, Polynesian sailors spread to a huge part of the world, colonizing vast territories.</p><p>[caption id="attachment_1541" align="alignleft" width="400"]<a href="http://nithincoca.com/2013/03/07/language-death-in-action/"><img class="size-full wp-image-1541" alt="Map by Christophe Cagé on Wikipedia" src="http://nithincoca.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/austronesia-people-migration.png" width="400" height="248" /></a> </p><p>Perhaps you've heard of Tagalog, Indonesian, Malay, Maori, or Hawaiian. All of these languages can be traced back to Taiwan, the birthplace of Polynesian people and languages, the world's third most spoken language group. Taiwan's indigenous people are the ancestors of one of the greatest, most influential stories in human history.</p><p>Even more amazing, despite the spread of Polynesian peoples, there is more linguistic diversity on Taiwan than the rest of the Polynesian world. That is to say, Taroko and Atayal are more different than Malagasy (Madagascar) and Maori (New Zealand) are from each other. In fact, three of the four branches of Polynesian language tree can only be found in Taiwan.</p><p>Taiwan's true beauty this, its astonishing diversity, preserved over thousands of years. One that, today, is facing its greatest challenge in the face of Globalization and Mandarin Chinese dominance.</p><p>This I could clearly see at the wedding. My friend's grandma was still praying, and I listened attentively, trying to grasp the unique sounds of Atayal, to see if I could hear the distant connection between it and the Polynesian language I am learning, Indonesian. I couldn't. It ended too fast, and the cacophony of Mandarin once again took over.</p><p>I looked at my friend, who can understand, but not speak, Atayal. In fact, in his generation, none of his cousins can speak it. They are passive listeners, the first step towards language death.</p><p><a href="http://nithincoca.com/2013/03/07/language-death-in-action/"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1542" alt="DPP_615" src="http://nithincoca.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/DPP_615-300x200.jpg" width="300" height="200" /></a> </p><p>He is going to have kids soon, who will not get the chance to learn Atayal. With that, a link that connects them with their past, with those hundred previous generations, with the Polynesian sailors who spread the language and culture of this small island to the far corners of the world, will be broken. A history in Taiwan, one that is extraordinary, but little known and of little use in our modern world, is being lost.</p><p>It's already started. Just 100 years ago, Taiwan had 26 aboriginal languages, but in the past century, 10 have gone extinct, two are moribund, and several others endangered. The day may come when the island only speaks Chinese dialects, and Taiwan's uniqueness is a mere relic of the past.</p><p>This is language death in action, the causes clear, the consequences quietly, softly, grave.</p><p>--</p><p>At the wedding hall, the dominance of Chinese was apparent – the "lucky" characters hanging on the walls, the round tables, and, most of all, the languages spoken around us. The entire ceremony, minus the short prayer, was in Mandarin Chinese, as were all the conversations and songs.</p><p>But at the end of the night, after the ceremony was finished, the bride had gone home, and the younger generation – my friend's cousins – had all left, it was only us, the groomsmen, and the elders awake, a strange mix. They looked entirely different than most Taiwanese, with darker skin, larger eyes, and straight, sometimes curly hair, like their ethnic cousins in the Philippines. Out came a bottle of Johnny Walker, a long line of shots thrust into our hands. There was no way we could say no. Smoke filled the air, along with a sense of relief and joy.</p><p>Spontaneously, one of the elders began singing. Soon, a chorus began – traditional Atayal songs. I whipped out my camera, wanting to record this amazing moment, but for some reason, the record function refused to start. Smiling, I put the camera down. Modern technology and traditions didn't mix at this moment. The irony. We try to preserve culture through recording, digitizing, but can this moment truly be captured?</p><p>I felt as if I was seeing and hearing something truly special, a glimpse into the heart of humanity, feeling our long existence on earth. But I couldn't enjoy it fully, because I couldn't help wondering if I was seeing the last gasps of a dying culture.</p><p>When Atayal is gone, when the future generation can no longer speak the language of its ancestors, will we even realize its passing, or what we have lost? It doesn't sound like a future I want to be a part of.</p></div>Holidays Spotlight San Jose's Rich Culturalhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/holidays-spotlight-san-jose-s-rich-cultural2012-11-23T20:33:14.000Z2012-11-23T20:33:14.000ZDanny Solano Alvarezhttps://tripatini.com/members/DannySolanoAlvarez<div><p>Christmas car<a target="_blank" href="http://enchanting-costarica.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/A-01.jpg"><img class="align-left" src="http://enchanting-costarica.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/A-01-199x300.jpg?width=159" width="159" alt="A-01-199x300.jpg?width=159" /></a>ols, traditional ballet, concerts, art tours and exhibits, and the magnificent annual Parade of Lights are all coming to town this holiday season in San José, <strong>Costa Rica.</strong></p><p>The vibrant capital city is looking very festive these days in preparation for Christmas, New Year’s, and the kick-off to the summer “fiesta” season for 2013. Stores have already put up holiday decorations and Christmas gift displays since October.</p><p>The holiday season moves into full gala mode on <strong>December 1</strong>, when Costa Rica’s National Theatre (Teatro Nacional) inaugurates the traditional Nativity Scene in the Cultural Plaza (Plaza de Cultura) on Second Avenue (Avenida Segunda). A national choir will sing Christmas carols starting at 5:00 p.m. with the festivities, which are free to attend. The choir will again present their Christmas carol program at 5:00 p.m. on December 2 and also December 3. Earlier on Dec. 2, at 10:30 a.m., the National Symphony will perform the works of Brahms and Prokofiev on the main theatre stage. The traditional Christmas ballet of Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” goes on stage <strong>December 6-16</strong> by the national youth ballet troupe. Call 2221-5341 for more information, or go to <a title="National Theatre of Costa Rica" href="http://www.teatronacional.go.cr/index.htm" target="_blank">http://www.teatronacional.go.cr/index.htm</a>.</p><p>San José’s National Museum will have its own Nativity Scene dedication on December 5. Holiday-themed activities, music, theater and dance performances, food and an artists’ show will highlight the day. Events begin at 9:00 a.m. and go to 3:00 p.m<strong>.</strong> For more information, call 2256 8643, email <a href="mailto:mmasis@museocostarica.go.cr">mmasis@museocostarica.go.cr</a>, or go to <a title="Costa Rica National Museum in San Jose" href="http://www.museocostarica.go.cr/index.php?lang=en_en" target="_blank">http://www.museocostarica.go.cr/index.php?lang=en_en</a>.</p><p><a target="_blank" href="http://enchanting-costarica.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/A-02.jpg"><img class="align-right" src="http://enchanting-costarica.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/A-02-300x199.jpg?width=300" width="300" alt="A-02-300x199.jpg?width=300" /></a>Holiday events in <a class="zem_slink" title="San José, Costa Rica" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=9.93333333333,-84.0833333333&spn=0.1,0.1&q=9.93333333333,-84.0833333333%20(San%20Jos%C3%A9%2C%20Costa%20Rica)&t=h" target="_blank">San José, Costa Rica</a>, reach a crescendo with the annual <a title="Costa Rica's Parade of Lights in San Jose" href="http://www.festivaldelaluz.cr" target="_blank">Parade of Lights</a>on December 15. Kicking off at 6:00 p.m. at the La Sabana Park, hundreds of marching bands from all over the country, horse-mounted groups, entertainers and magnificent brightly-lit floats will perform their way down the Paseo Colon boulevard to Second Avenue, finishing at the Cultural Plaza. This year is the 16th for the annual televised event. About one million or so folks attend the parade, showing up early in the day to claim their place on the sidewalk; the energy is electric with so many spectators, but if you’re not up for multitudes, watch the parade on any of the national TV stations.</p><p>Apart from the holidays, cultural events have been on the rise in San José this year. For art lovers, the popular <strong>Art City Tour</strong> is a big hit. Sponsored by GAM Cultural, the free program regularly takes participants on a walking tour (or you can go by minibus with reservations) to a number of museums, art galleries, design stores and cultural venues in Downtown San José, Barrio Amon and Barrio Escalante in the San José area. The next Art City Tour, and last one for the year, is <strong>November 23</strong>. Beginning at 5:00 p.m., the tour and shuttles will depart from four access points: the Contemporary Museum of Art & Design (Museo de Arte y Diseño Contemporáneo), the National Museum (Museo Nacional), The Central Bank Museum (Museos del Banco Central) and the Jade Museum (Museo del Jade). The last shuttle leaves at 8:30 p.m. More information can be found at <a title="San Jose's Art City Tour" href="http://www.gamcultural.com/art-city-tour/recorrido-a-pie" target="_blank">http://www.gamcultural.com/art-city-tour/recorrido-a-pie</a>.</p><p><a class="zem_slink" title="Costa Rica" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=9.93333333333,-84.0833333333&spn=10.0,10.0&q=9.93333333333,-84.0833333333%20(Costa%20Rica)&t=h" target="_blank">Costa Rican</a>artist Marco Chia will hold a gallery opening party on November 29 at Alliance Francaise in San Jose's Barrio Amón for his painting exhibition “Nocturnos.” The party begins at 7:00 p.m. Chia’s exhibition, which is free and will run through Dec. 19, is a compilation of years of his work that uses abstract thinking to create balance and textures through a wide variety of raw materials and techniques.</p><p><strong><a target="_blank" href="http://enchanting-costarica.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/A-04.jpg"><img class="align-left" src="http://enchanting-costarica.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/A-04.jpg?width=216" width="216" alt="A-04.jpg?width=216" /></a></strong>Ongoing temporary exhibitions at the <a title="Costa Rica's National Museum in San Jose" href="http://www.museocostarica.go.cr/index.php?lang=en_en" target="_blank">National Museum in San José</a> include a photography collection by photojournalist Luis Alcalá del Olmo entitled “Haití – The Spirits of the Earth.” The exhibit shows 80 photographs of “prayers, laments, songs and dances of Haiti’s voodoo rituals” and unforgettable moments from the country’s 2010 earthquake catastrophe. The show runs through January 6, 2013. Also at the National Museum is an exposition called “The New World: Oceans, Unexplored Lands and an Adventurous Spirit” featuring maps, ships and navigation instruments of historical Northern European sea voyages to the Americas. For the first time in Costa Rica, this exhibition brings together 22 historical maps used to sail the seas to reach the “New World,” historical objects and images related to the discovery of the New World, displays on <a class="zem_slink" title="List of Italian explorers" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Italian_explorers" target="_blank">Italian explorers</a> such as Amerigo Vespucci, as well as a reproduction of the sketch used to build Columbus’ caravel “Santa Maria.” The project is an initiative of the Italian Embassy in Costa Rica with the support of the University of Costa Rica and the National Museum, and is <strong>open through March 2013</strong>.</p><p>At the <a title="Central Bank Museum (Gold Museum) of Costa Rica" href="http://www.museosdelbancocentral.org/eng/" target="_blank">Central Bank Museum</a>(also called the Gold Museum), below the Cultural Plaza in Downtown San José, a new art exhibition features 63 works including paintings, drawings, prints, textiles and reliefs, by Costa Rican artist Lola Fernández Caballero.</p><p>Come experience the rich cultural events and offerings of San José, Costa Rica for yourself! <strong><a title="Costa Rica Special Deals travel agency" href="http://costaricaspecialdeals.com/" target="_blank">Costa Rica Special Deals</a></strong> arranges your Costa Rica travel needs with ease. The Costa Rica-based travel service professionally guides you through the process of choosing hotels, tours, transportation, local flights, car rentals and other services for your vacation to Costa Rica. Costa Rica Special Deals always offers special deals, and the most competitive rates online.</p></div>A City Tour of San José Reveals Costa Rica's Cultural Beautyhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/a-city-tour-of-san-jose-reveals-costa-rica-s-cultural-beauty2012-10-02T14:57:22.000Z2012-10-02T14:57:22.000ZDanny Solano Alvarezhttps://tripatini.com/members/DannySolanoAlvarez<div><p>Most tourists to <strong>Costa Rica</strong> never see <strong>San José</strong>. They are whisked off from the <a class="zem_slink" title="Juan Santamaría International Airport" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=9.99388888889,-84.2088888889&spn=0.03,0.03&q=9.99388888889,-84.2088888889%20(Juan%20Santamar%C3%ADa%20International%20Airport)&t=h" target="_blank">Juan Santamaria International Airport</a> outside the city to the “pretty” sights of the country; or they fly into the northern <a class="zem_slink" title="Guanacaste Province" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=10.4333333333,-85.4&spn=1.0,1.0&q=10.4333333333,-85.4%20(Guanacaste%20Province)&t=h" target="_blank">Guanacaste</a> international airport at Liberia and don’t go anywhere near the <strong>Central Valley</strong>. That’s too bad. <strong>San José has a lot to offer</strong> … from museums to art galleries, plazas, walking boulevards, shady green parks, hidden architectural gems and great restaurants … <strong>you just have to know where to look</strong>.</p><p><a target="_blank" href="http://enchanting-costarica.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/SJO-01.jpg"><img class="align-left" src="http://enchanting-costarica.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/SJO-01-300x224.jpg?width=300" width="300" alt="SJO-01-300x224.jpg?width=300" /></a>It has been a while since even I have walked in the center of San José. When I lived in the capital city of Costa Rica from 1999 to 2002, I used to walk down Avenida Central (Central Avenue) and the surrounding boulevards and streets all of the time, enjoying the city’s cultural diversity. After I moved to other parts of the country, I haven’t visited as frequently.</p><p>On a recent weekday, I ventured into the <strong>heart of Costa Rica’s “concrete jungle”</strong> to see a fantastic temporary exhibit at the <strong>National Museum of Costa Rica</strong>. The city center was lovely and pleasant; the police presence was very visible, both on foot and on bicycle. People were out and about … shopping, on business errands, on breaks from offices, strolling.</p><p>The old <strong>Neo-Classical and Art Deco style buildings along Avenida Central</strong> are still there, and most have been given facelifts of new paint and restoration. The <strong>National Theater</strong> is as gorgeous as ever. Built in the late 19th century, it is <strong>one of the finest historic buildings in the capital city and a main downtown landmark</strong>. During the day, you can go inside to see the lobby, the wonderful coffee and dessert “café”, and the fabulous souvenir shop full of very unique and <strong>artistic Costa Rican-made gifts</strong> – purses and jewelry made of recycled plastic and aluminum can pull-tabs, beautiful recycled glass jewelry, and delicious <strong>Costa Rican organic chocolates by Sibú Chocolate</strong>, among others. Musical, dance and dramatic performances are staged in the theater all year long. See its <strong>schedule</strong> <a title="Costa Rica National Theatre agenda for September 2012" href="http://www.teatronacional.go.cr/2012/setiembre/setiembre.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</p><p><a target="_blank" href="http://enchanting-costarica.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/National-Museum.jpg"><img class="align-right" src="http://enchanting-costarica.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/National-Museum.jpg?width=367" width="367" alt="National-Museum.jpg?width=367" /></a>Housed in the impressive old army barracks fortress on the east side of the <strong>Plaza de la Democracia</strong> (Democracy Square), <strong>the Costa Rica National Museum is definitely worth a visit.</strong> Painted in bright gold with white trim, it’s another <strong>major downtown San José landmark</strong>. If you’ve never been, go. If you haven’t been recently, go now while you can still see the <strong>wonderfully captivating temporary exhibit of photographs of Costa Rican life by master photographer Francisco Coto</strong>.</p><p style="text-align:left;"><strong>The National Museum is celebrating 125 years in 2012, and the exhibit “Francisco Coto, Cazador de Memorias” (Francisco Coto, “Memory Hunter”) highlights 5 decades of photographs of life and landscapes in Costa Rica from 1945 to 1990.</strong> The exhibit will be at the museum <strong>through this month</strong>.</p><p>Francisco Coto, now 88 years old, worked as a photojournalist and professional portrait photographer for most of his life. More than 150 of his finest photographs, plus many of the cameras he used during his career, are on display at the museum. Highlights include a fantastic <strong>photo of former <a class="zem_slink" title="John F. Kennedy" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_F._Kennedy" target="_blank">President John F. Kennedy</a></strong> walking in the entrance to the National Theatre during his <strong>March 1963 visit to Costa Rica</strong>, and a series of photos of the <strong>last great eruption of <a class="zem_slink" title="Irazú Volcano" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=9.97916666667,-83.8525&spn=0.1,0.1&q=9.97916666667,-83.8525%20(Iraz%C3%BA%20Volcano)&t=h" target="_blank">Irazú Volcano</a> </strong>that happened on March 19, 1963, during Kennedy’s visit. There are photos of everyday people throughout the years, street life in San Jose, landscapes of a wild and undeveloped Costa Rica, including one of Jaco Beach with only open sand and a skyline of palm trees.</p><p>The rest of the National Museum is just as fascinating. Outside of the building, you can still see bullet holes in the walls and on the corner turrets from the short-lived 1948 civil war. The museum entrance takes you through a marvelous, exuberant <strong>butterfly garden </strong>with dozens upon dozens of blue morphos and other jewel-colored butterflies fluttering around flowers and stands with ripe fruit. You’ll walk up long ramps and then out of the garden into the inner colonial-style courtyard. Exhibit rooms ring the courtyard.</p><p><a target="_blank" href="http://enchanting-costarica.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/SJO-02.jpg"><img class="align-left" src="http://enchanting-costarica.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/SJO-02-300x268.jpg?width=240" width="240" alt="SJO-02-300x268.jpg?width=240" /></a>You’ll find a room with historical artifacts from the colonial times, such as clothing and items of daily living. In the <strong>Pre-Columbian History</strong> rooms, you’ll learn about the lifestyles of Costa Rica’s original peoples from about 12,000 B.C. until the arrival of the Spanish in 1502. There are <strong>jade carvings</strong> dating back 2,500 years, clay pottery, carved stone pieces and several of <strong>Costa Rica’s famous stone spheres</strong>. Besides the mysterious spheres, the most incredible objects are the thin, slightly concave “tables,” or grinding stones, carved with ornate details from a solid piece of volcanic stone and perfectly balanced on only 3 legs. They range from the size of a small platter to a small bed. <strong>Indigenous gold</strong>jewelry and figurines are housed in a separate vault room.</p><p>Inside the finely restored former garrison commanders’ wooden houses, in the far northeast corner of the museum, is perhaps one of the <strong>finest examples of “mosaico” flooring </strong>that I’ve ever seen. The inlaid cement tiles are fused with color using a hydraulic press. The design of the museum floor makes a 3-dimensional pattern of rectangles or cubes that change the appearance of “which way they face” depending on where you are standing in the room. It’s amazing!</p><p>The <strong>Costa Rica National Museum (<a class="zem_slink" title="Museo Nacional de Costa Rica" href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=9.93277777778,-84.0713888889&spn=0.01,0.01&q=9.93277777778,-84.0713888889%20(Museo%20Nacional%20de%20Costa%20Rica)&t=h" target="_blank">Museo Nacional de Costa Rica</a>)</strong> is open Tuesday to Saturday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, and Sundays from 9 am to 4:30 pm. Closed Mondays. More information can be found <strong><a title="Costa Rica National Museum" href="http://www.museocostarica.go.cr/" target="_blank">here</a></strong>.</p><p><strong><a href="http://enchanting-costarica.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/San-Jose-01.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-2354 alignright" title="See the best of San Jose on a city tour with Valle Dorado Tours" src="http://enchanting-costarica.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/San-Jose-01-300x225.jpg" alt="See the best of San Jose on a city tour with Valle Dorado Tours" width="300" height="225" /></a><br /> <br />See the best of Costa Rica’s capital on a <a title="Take a fantastic San Jose City Tour with Valle Dorado Tours" href="http://www.valledoradotours.cr/en/san-jose-city-tour.html" target="_blank">San José city tour</a> with Valle Dorado Tours.</strong>The driving and walking tour immerses you in Costa Rica’s rich culture and history, experiencing the beautiful museums and historical sites of San José. Don’t miss this fantastic and informative insider’s view to the heart of Costa Rica.</p><p><a title="Valle Dorado Tours specializes in custom travel to Costa Rica" href="http://www.valledoradotours.cr/" target="_blank"><strong>Valle Dorado Tours</strong></a> offers a full menu of exceptional one-day tours all over the country, plus <strong>fully customized vacation packages just for you</strong>. Their expert travel staff can help you arrange your Costa Rica visit from start to finish; they’ll recommend <strong>where to go, where to stay, and what to do</strong>. They specialize in making dreams come true!<br /><br /></p></div>