I stood in front of the Galleria Borghese, my eyes darting between three lines that seemed to snake for equally infinite distances through the elaborate Baroque gardens before the villa, trying to decide which to join. It was Museum Night in Rome: the single night of the year when all of its fabled attractions are open to the public, and at 8:00 P.M., when the evening began, the most famous sights were mobbed. It was also my first night in Rome, … [Read more...]
The origin of Spanish stereotypes
When people hear the term "stereotype" it has somewhat of a bitter taste to it and one immediately assumes it is something negative and it slips into the meaning of "prejudice." However, if we are being accurate a stereotype is merely a popular belief about a specific group based on assumptions and conceptions. Curious about it, however, is that whether we condone them or not, we often use them as a point of orientation, when we don't know much … [Read more...]
Comida Madrilena
As the capital of Spain there is no doubt that Madrid delivers a great deal of excellent dining choices, but that doesn't necessarily mean that you get good food from the region everywhere you go. Like every other bigger city it is a melting pot for different regions where different cultures and with that different flavours get mixed together. So what are typical dishes from Madrid? If you're going to stay in apartments in Madrid you … [Read more...]
Sweet Tooth in Budapest
Budapest has been a place of inspiration for many writers and composers. For this reason the city was known for its coffee house culture which served as a meeting point for creative minds. In Budapest you can find historical coffee houses that are traditionally owned by one family and passed on generation to generation, but also there are many trendy hip cafes to enjoy a good cup of coffee. The coffee houses are often very elegant and still … [Read more...]
Memorial to Germany Unification
Finally a memorial to remember the unification of Germany! There is absolutely no doubt that the traveller who rents Berlin apartments will visit the many monuments that remember the rich German history, especially in regards to the Third Reich, the Cold War and the separation of Germany which include the Reichstag, the Holocaust memorial, Checkpoint Charlie, and the Brandenburger Tor. Although Germany has been unified for over 20 years … [Read more...]
Contemporary art in Rome – The MAXXI
The architecture, art work and monuments in Rome deliver infinite examples of the classical art movements and religious art. Botticelli, Michelangelo, Da Vinci, Donatello and Titian are among the big names in Roman art whose art can be admired in the city. Architectural structures such as the Colloseum, the Pantheon or St Peter's Square in Vatican City are significant landmarks in the city that represent the elegance and classic beauty of the … [Read more...]
The CAAC in Seville
At the beginning of May Seville will host its famous Feria de Abril. As a yearly festivity that this region is known for worldwide, it is filled with many exciting events to which people from all over the world come to renting apartments in Seville to join the party. The dates for this year's Feria are May 2nd to May 8th. If you haven't been to Seville before and the exciting Feria got you in the mood to relax and calm down a little bit a … [Read more...]
The 17th Super Bock Super Rock in Lisbon
Since it is never too early to find out about big music events and festival season is about to kick off, let's turn our attention to Lisbon, Portugal because from July 14th until the 16th it will host the 17th edition of the Super Bock Super Rock, one of the biggest rock festivals in Portugal. I have to be a bit more precise, as the actual place of the festival is Meco, Sesimbra which is about 40km away from Lisbon which make this an … [Read more...]
The Cyprus Tug o War
The first thing that drew me to Cyprus is that they are another of those countries that "doesn't exist". The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is only recognized by Turkey itself. It's also known as "North(ern) Cyprus". According to the European Union (and much of the world), the whole island is one country. The reality of this is pretty clearly in dispute, as the TRNC runs its own border control at its (internationally unrecognized) … [Read more...]
Wales: The Quiet Kid in the Corner
One of my pet travel projects is understanding "minority nations", the countries within countries. The UK has that in droves: Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and arguably, England itself. The thing is, I really could not find a distinction between Welsh culture and British culture at large. Sure, there's a language that they have that looks like anagrams or txtspk, but beyond that, what makes someone uniquely Welsh? Certainly not the pubs … [Read more...]
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