What to See in Chicago?

As the third largest city in the USA, in Chicago  there are  2.7 million residents. The splendid architecture, upscale shopping and restaurants continue to attract thousands of tourists to the city. Chicago offers limitless varieties of leisure and activities, from baseball games to twinkling concerts and free fireworks. Especially summertime in Chicago boasts with energy and excitement!

Whether you are a first-timer or a professionalized traveler in the city, there are must-see places in Chicago to  visit and see.

Top Chicago Attractions

Buckingham Fountain

The fountain opened in 1927. It competes with another popular landmark, Sears Tower, for being the most famous monument in Chicago. The fountain got its name after Kate Buckingham, who donated it to the city of Chicago. This piece of land in the city center is a favorite place for both locals and visitors from overseas. Visitors can enjoy the amazing water display with the center jet spraying 150 feet in the air.

Buckingham Fountain is considered one of the oldest monuments in Chicago.

Lincoln Park Zoo

Visiting Lincoln Park Zoo can be not the best destination for you, but for those who can still tolerate animals exhibited in zoos should visit the place which is featuring both historic architecture and world-class wildlife. One thing will astonish you that the Zoo is open for 365 days and has no entrance fee.

Millennium Park

The planning of the Millennium Park started in 1997, and the goal was to celebrate the new millennium of 2000 with a new park. It was not easy to finish the construction of the park because of cost overruns. The parked opened in 2004 with a grand opening which tagged the park with a price of $500 million.

The financial contribution for constructing the Millennium Park was  $500 million.

Navy Pier

As one of Chicago’s top tourist attractions, Navy pier offers its visitors a variety of options for entertainment and dining. Navy Pier is situated on Lake Michigan, east of downtown. Navy Pier has a rich history formerly being a shipping and recreational facility; it’s now  a popular spot for the visitors of Chicago.

Navy Pier is one of Chicago's top tourist attractions.

Sears Tower (Willis Tower Skydeck)

Willis Tower Skydeck is a the tallest skyscraper in North America. Its former name was Sear Tower, which is still common in locals. The Sears Tower Skydeck observatory attracts thousands of visitors, offering them a view of Chicago at 412 meters (1,353 feet).

Willis Tower Skydeck offers its visitors a view of 412 meters.

Museum Campus

The name itself indicates that it’s a campus of museums covering Field Museum of Natural History, Shedd Aquarium, Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum and Solider Field. These are the major attractions in Chicago, about which we will be writing in details in the upcoming articles.

Home of the Chicago Cubs: Wrigley Field

Wrigley Field is the name to the baseball stadium in Chicago, built in 1914 for the Chicago Federal League baseball team. It’s the second oldest major league baseball park, a few years behind Boston’s Fenway Park. It’s the last major league park to have lights installed for play after dark.

Traveling to Puerto Rico

History

Puerto Rico was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492.The first name of the island was San Juan, which is the same with the nowadays capital city of San Juan. After the discovery of the island by Christopher Columbus, it was settled by explorer Ponce Leon (the island was a Spanish possession for four centuries). The Spanish-American War ended in the Treaty of Paris, due to which the island became the possession of the USA. According to the passed law Puerto Rico is authorized by the USA to have its own constitution.

Climate

If you think about the best time to visit Puerto Rico, you should take into consideration that Puerto Rico enjoys round summer temperature of average 26C, and it has a maritime exotic climate (there are little seasonal changes throughout the year). The climate has a lot with the climate in the USA. The high season is between December and April. The second peak season is July and August. If you want to avoid crowds of tourists then you should plan your trip from May to November. It is important to know that during the low season from May to December, it’s the hurricane season from June 1 to November 30. Puerto Rico has become a famous Spring Break Destination.

Getting to and around Puerto Rico

There are many flights and cruises to Puerto Rico year round. As far as Puerto Rico is a US territory, for the US citizens there are no passport controls to the island, and vice versa. Accordingly, the flights between Puerto Rico and the USA domestic and state issued driver’s license and identification card are sufficient for boarding a flight from or to Puerto Rico. The requirements are the same with flights to Hawaii.

What Places to Visit in Puerto Rico?

There is a variety of activities and opportunities for the tourists visiting Puerto Rico, starting from the picturesque landscape, spectacular surfing sights to challenging golf course and the perfect sunbathing beach. What to visit the best sights in Puerto Rico?

Bioluminescent bays. There are microscopic organisms living in the waters of Bioluminescent bays that dart away from the movement. A kayak tour is what you need to do during the new moon as it is this time when these microscopic organisms can be noticed in the water.

Blue Flag in Puerto Rico.The Blue Flag is a voluntary program that has proven to provide a high quality serviced for bathers in Puerto Rico, as well as throughout the world.

Casino. Most of the luxurious hotels and casinos are situated in the capital city of San Juan. San Juan is the perfect place to stop for the lovers of gambling and to travel through the island.

El Yunque. One of the must-sees in Puerto Rico is the El Yunque rain forest that spreads over the mountain. Walking uphill you will appear in an amazing rain forest. Flora and fauna are rich in varieties.

Golf. Driving a short distance away from the San Juan Metropolitan area, you will find over 15 championship golf courses.

Outdoor activities. The adventures are not limited with the San Juan, as many small tour companies provide guided tours of the Central Mountains in Utuado, Repelling in Arecibo, kayak tours of Lake Guajataka, and horseback riding on the beach in Aguadilla. Some tour operators also offer low cost or free lodging.

7 Musts to See in Barcelona

When you travel to a certain destination, you try to get best of it by visiting all the notable sights, especially when you are short of time. The best thing is to have the planning of the places you want to see and things you want to do in advance, which will help you to avoid disappointment of an unfulfilled trip. In case of Barcelona, there will always some place you didn't manage to visit, or things that you couldn't do for the lack of time.

Park Guell is a small piece of land from a fairy tale.

1. Barcelona is a city to be discovered on foot. It's a perfect time to get away from tourist bus and metro and to head to the city's most impressive buildings, streets and parks. Buildings and architectural works by Antoni Gaudi will inspire you with their original and modern architectural solutions. The most famous works by him, which in a must list are the Sagrada Familia, one of the impressive buildings ever; Park Guell, which is a small piece of land from a fairy tale. Different buildings and colorful stone structures lead you up to the top of the park, to enjoy the view of the city. You shouldn't skip La Pedrera, a classic building of modernism, which is now listed in the UNESCO Heritage List.

2. Barcelona is home to many artists and architects. Picasso is among those artists who spent his youth on this graceful landmark. To go back to the traces of history and his artwork you may visit the Museu Picasso, which houses dozens of well-know works by the artist.

3. To enjoy spectacular views of nature and architectural works, one needs to climb the magical mountain of Montjuic. You will find the place tourist-free to some extent, though you need to gear up the hill. Palau Sant Jordi, considered to be the jewel of Montjuic, is well-known as the 'Olympic Ring' of the mountain. The building was inaugurated in 1990, with a design by  Japanese architect Arata Isozaki. Over 17,000 people may follow sports games in Palau Sant Jordi.

4. Even if you are not fanatic about art works, you shouldn't miss one of the world's largest museums dedicated to Spanish surrealist artist Joan Miro. The museum houses a collection of over 220 paintings and 150 sculptures by the artist. Another museum you shouldn't miss is a Catalan art museum, MNAC (Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalanya), which is a nice corner representing Catalan art from the Roman period to the 20th century.

5. To get to know the city, one should go back to its history; it's always good to find out some piece of history when you visit a new city. Each street and neighborhood in Barcelona are a piece of history. To find out its historical heritage, you may visit Museu de Historia de Barcelona (MUHBA), which has different sections related to various historical events of the city, which are located in different shelters, in the central Barcelona.

6. Barcelona is home to many magnificent churches going back to Roman times. Even if you are not a religious person, you will find the architecture of those  churches as one of the amazing and inspiring one. Among them is the Gothic Cathedral, the construction of which started in 1298. The Cathedral is famous for its  cloister with 13 geese dedicated to the saint patron. 

7. In Barcelona, there are small beaches along the Mediterranean. To take a deep breath of fresh air one should take a towel, sun cream, as well as your umbrella, and head to one of those beaches. To have a break from every day move, it's a perfect choice to take your favorite book and lay on the beach.

(The places to visit in Barcelona are not limited to this list. The upcoming articles will illustrate other places of interest  that are worthy to be visited).

What to Do in Barcelona?

In the previous article, I was highlighting the seven musts one should do while in Barcelona. As any other city, the mission of a traveler is not fulfilled with only visiting places of interest, but checking out the possible activities to participate in such as festivals, parties, visiting popular restaurants and cafes. Here below I am going to point out some key things to do to get most of Barcelona.

Barcelona is one of the most visited cities in the world, where a number of
 international festivals - the Festival Internacional de Jazz de Barcelona,
Primavera Sound, Sonar and Cruillia are oranized. 

Sweeten Ears with Music

Barcelona is home to many concert halls, each of them having a unique architectural solution outside, and a splendid inner design. The Grand Teatre del Liceu is among them, decorated with red carpets, spectacular carvings and gold leaf. Places like Razzmatazz and Apolo are famous for live music venues. Do not be afraid to check tickets, as the entrance is not always that expensive. Barcelona is one the most visited cities in the world, and it’s not by chance that several international festivals – the Festival Internacional de Jazz de Barcelona, Primavera Sound, Sonar and Cruilla – are organized in the city.

Delicious Food

Once you are in Barcelona it’s a good opportunity to try seafood products in some of the best restaurants and cafes of the city. The kitchen trend goes with tapas, pintxos and vermouth. Pintxos are a bite-sized food; they are served with small pieces of bread on the top. It derives from the initial Basque Tapas. To eat the food, you need to use dozens of toothpicks, and most of the bill will cover the toothpicks payment. Eskual Etxea is a perfect place to enjoy pintxos.

For trying tapas, you may go either to a place where patatas  bravas are served with tapas, or you have got the option of visiting tapas bars, to try the local beer as well.

Vermouth hours are a tradition with Barcelona. To keep the tradition on, weekends are a perfect time to meet with local people in search of vermouth places.

Get the Barcelona Style

Streets in Barcelona boost in fashionable shops with fancy products. As any other big city, it is full of world-famous fashion brands. But once in Barcelona, it is preferable to check for some local brands like Zara and Mango. But those who are a real ‘fashion fan’ you shouldn’t miss Zazo&Brull, where you can find beautiful textures at an affordable price.

Party For a Week

If you can party non-stop, September is the very time to arrive in Barcelona. Festes de la Merce is the city’s biggest festival, which started as a religious parade. The nowadays’ Festes d la Merce is celebrated in the form of weeklong parties, dedicated to Catalan culture. Nearly each neighborhood in Barcelona its festival to celebrate; one of the most attended is in Gracia neighborhood, organized in the middle of August.

Get into the Barcelona Night Life

If clubbing and night life is another spectrum of your interest while travelling, then Barcelona clubs are there to host you with parties and different DJ sessions. Sala Apolo and Razzmatazz have different themed parties like Nasty Monday, Midnight Calles, and many more. To attend the party of your mood, you should first check out the party theme for the day to avoid unexpected surprises. 

The Neuschwanstein Castle (Germany)

As a famous tourist destination in Europe, the Neuschwanstein Castle stands to be one of the most famous photographed castles in Germany. With the breathtaking combination of the Bavarian Alps, the castle and the hillside, take the visitors back to the glorious times of the Bavarian Kingdom. The picturesque hillside and the ‘kind’ castle remind us about fairy tales, which was the reason why at the back of Walt Disney’s fairy-tale castle, the Sleeping Beauty Castle, is standing as the Neuschwanstein Castle itself.

 

Walt Disney was inspired with the Neuschwannstein Castle which gave birth
to his fairy-tale Sleeping BeautyCastle.

The romance behind the plan of constructing the castle is one of the extraordinary ones in the world history. As a general perception, castles were built for defensive purposes. This is not the occasion, as one of the Bavarian Kings, Ludwig II, was believed to be living in his world of dreams, instead of the reality. This of his dreams gave birth to the idea of constructing a fancy castle, which would fulfill his goal of having a fairy-tale castle. The construction of the Neuschwanstein started in the eighteenth century. 

A great amount of financial resources was needed to complete the construction. The bankrupt king was denied by the banks to borrow money to complete the construction of the castle, as well as his property was under the threat of being privatized by the banks. The complicated situation made the king order the state to declare him as mad. Shortly after this, they found the body of Ludwig in a lake. Unhappily, the enthusiastic king of  dreams and fairy tales did not have the chance to see the completion of his lovely castle of Neuschwanstein.

The beautiful chandeliers are spread throughout the Neuschwannstein Castle
to accompany its visitors in the dazzling beauty of the interior.  

There was still a lot to accomplish in order to complete the entire construction of the castle. Until the death of Ludwig, there were built 14 rooms, among them the Singers Hall, the Throne Room and the king’s bedroom, all of them lavishly decorated. The third floor of the castle is devoted to scenes from the German legend Swan Knight, which was the inspiration and the dream life of the king. The comprehensive part of the paintings are from the opera of the composer Richard Wagner. The beautiful chandeliers are spread throughout the castle to accompany its visitors in the dazzling beauty of the interior.

To reach the Neuschwanstein Castle, you will need to take a train to the nearby town of Fussen, which is the highest Bavarian town. The town offers a range of services including high quality hotels, restaurants, pubs and souvenir shops. 

The Romantic City of Venice

The Italian city of Venice is celebrated in the world for being one of the top romantic destinations for couples. This city of dreams has a stunning architecture and original system of a city plan: the main transportation is through water streets. The city lies on more than one hundred islands which are separated by canals with streets linked by more than four hundred bridges. It’s an artistic city with its roots going back to the medieval times.

Venice is compared with Paris, as one of the most
popular romantic destinations in the world. 

To explore the city in its entire splendor, people take a unique kind of a boat called gondola, to pass through numerous canals and enjoy art at each step. Located in the north east of Italy, on the Adriatic Sea, Venice is compared with Paris, as one of the romantic cities and destinations in the world.  This wonderful city on water is an open museum under the sky, attracting thousands of couples to spend their honeymoon there and thousands of artists to admire its amazing art at each corner of the street. The article goes further to illustrate a number of activities one should do to feel all the romance of the city.

Gondola Ride

The list starts with a gondola ride for you and your beloved one in the many canals of the city, during which you will admire the baroque and Renaissance buildings of the past. The boater will be someone out of a fairy tale, with his hat taking you to the traces of the medieval city.

Explore the Nearby Islands

Take a boat to the nearby islands, where you can enjoy shopping and bargain with the locals to get some of the nice souvenirs which will remind you of your wonderful city of romance for the rest of your life.

Feel the Spirit of Casanova

Casanova is one of the famous Venice lovers. It is said that he met his beloved ones at the place where now Do Spade bar is situated. There are other places associated with the life of Casanova. You may visit the prison called the Dog’s Palace; he spent some period of his life before his escape.

Enjoy the Art Gallery at Frari Church

The road to the Church of Frari is a piece of romance itself with the calm corners and the mild breeze passing through it. Numerous passionate works of the Venetian painter Titian decorate the gallery housed in the old Gothic church of Frari. The masterpieces of art will pass you the glow of the medieval Renaissance.

Romantic Evening

What is more romantic than going for an evening ballet or opera performance at the Fenice Theatre? It’s a good opportunity or both of you to admire the local music art from the golden balconies of the opera house. To reach the theatre you can take the waterbus which will take you through the Grand Canal to the nearest stop of the theatre – Santa Maria del Giglio.

The Blue Mosque

The Sultan Ahmed Mosque, well-known as Blue Mosque, it was built during 1609-1616. It is named after Sultan Ahmed I, with his tomb inside the mosque. The mosque is a classic example of Islamic art and architecture. It is considered to be one of the famous religious buildings in the world. The blue color was attributed to the name of the mosque for the blue tiles on the inside walls. It is one of the popular tourist attractions of the capital city. It is situated near another architectural wonder - the Hagia Sophia church. 

The Sultan Ahmed Mosque, or the Blue Mosque is a classic example of Islamic art and architecture.

In the place where the mosque is located now, there used to be other buildings of social importance; Turkish baths, a bazaar, schools and a hospital, a caravanserai, etc. These buildings were to complete a whole complex, though only the Blue Mosque survived to our days.

The design of the mosque was given by the young architect Mehmet Aga, who died one year before the completion of the mosque. He is buried outside the mosque. The plan of the mosque was given by his master Sinan previously, but he fulfilled it in  larger measures.

The mosque is unique originally built with six minarets. It has three entrances, leading to the interior. The splendid design of the interior is guaranteed with colorful paintings, tiles and glass. The broad arches are followed with huge columns, which, in their turn support the side domes rising up. The upper part of the tiles is decorated with paint works, as well as the inner parts of the domes.

The interior of the Blue Mosque is lightened up with 260 windows.

To mention it, the blue color of the interior paint works is not the original one. During the later restoration works the mosque acquired its blue color, and the ‘blue’ modern name, as a result. In 1990, during the last restoration the mosque was repainted with light blue.

The whole inside hall of the mosque is covered with carpets. The interior is lightened up with 260 windows. The main entrance leads to a unique marble work (just opposite to the entrance). There is the box (loge) of the sultan, which has the form of a balcony.

Besides the mosque, there is a market building, which was repaired recently. The mausoleum of the founder of the mosque, Sultan Ahmet and the religious school are next to Hagia Sophia. The Blue Mosque is among the most visited monuments in Istambul. In the nearby park, numerous shows are organized.

Religious people reach the balconies of the mosque by spiral stairs. From these balconies, those believers say their prayers with loudspeakers five times a day.

This way the believers learn about the praying time, get washed themselves and start praying. On holidays, these prayers are held collectively in the mosque. 

Maldives: World Famous Romantic Gateway

The Maldives, listed in the world’s top romantic gateways, is located in waters of the Indian Ocean. In the sequence of its history, the Republic of the Maldives enjoyed independence, except its three historical turns when the Maldives ruled foreign countries. It is significant for being the lowest country in the world, and the smallest Asian country with its population and the area.

As being in the trade route of India, the Maldive cultures is a mix of the South, Southeastern Asian, African and Arabic traditions and cultures. The main language is Dhivehi, which is spoken with its numerous dialects in the different regions of the country.  In the sequence of its history the inhabitants of the Maldives practiced different beliefs and superstitions, though nowadays the majority of the population are Muslims.  This fact didn't lessen in the locals the belief in the supernatural, which can be credited to the Buddhist and folklore traditions spread throughout the islands.

Besides the various beliefs, Maldivian art has its uniqueness for being influenced by the aforementioned cultures. One may find a musical instrument called bodu-beru, which is a big drum resembling African drumming. The unique kind of a Maldivian boat called dhoni resembles the Arabian dows. The cultural influences in the Maldives are not limited to those mentioned above, as the islands are home to many undefined cultures that are practiced by the locals in a daily base.

To spend your holiday as a loving couple and to make your stay mystic, intimate and, most important of all, romantic, the Maldives is the perfect destination for you. The beautiful settings and picturesque landscape will make your honeymoon the most amazing celebration of love. The romance is followed by the evening dinners under the open sky with the stars glowing high above. The days spent in the unknown when you take a boat to an inhabited island on your own will make your trip one of those unforgettable ones. Another thing to enjoy, is to stay in your private bungalow, enjoy the evening breeze while getting a spa treatment in your room.

It’s a good opportunity for both of you to get know each other better by diving and diving in the nearby waters, going for a midnight fishing to compare who catches most. This is done before beautiful sunset, when you anchor at a proper fishing spot. The changing colors of the rays of the sun will mark everything around you, by making those of your meeting sunset days unforgettable for the rest of your life. 

Honeymoon is not a one time experience to celebrate the love of your life;each time you go back to the Maldives it will arose all of those amazing feeling  you had once in the same wonderland.

The City of Kathmandu (Nepal)

Nepal, the birthplace of Buddha, is an independent country located between Tibet and China. For hundreds of years Nepal had been a monarchy. In 2008, it was declared as the Federal Republic of Nepal. The tallest mountain in the world – Everest, also called Chomolungma, is located there. The mountain range of the Himalayas is crossing the country having eight of the highest peaks in the world. 

For thousands of years, the country was closed for foreigners, for which the explorations of the area started to be carried out from the 19th century. As the birthplace of Buddhism, Nepal is home to thousands of temples. Because of its diverse geography and picturesque landscape, Nepal attracts thousands of tourists and mountaineers. 

Kathmandu is the capital of Nepal. The name of the city derives from the Kasthamandap temple, one of the popular tourist attractions in Nepal. According to a manuscript the city was called Kasthamandap meaning ‘wooden shelter.’ Till nowadays Buddhist priests refer the city with its old name. Kathmandu was a trade route between India and Tibet. This made the architecture of the city as a fusion of different cultures, hence adopted to the local one.
It is the largest urban area in the territory of Nepal and one of the least expensive cities in the world. The population of the city is more than 970,000 inhabitants (according the recent consensus of 2011), and it covers an area of 50 square kilometers. The city is located in the Kathmandu valley, in the middle of Nepal. 

Kathmandu is the economic center of the country, representing the tourism gateway of Nepal. After the end of the political unrest in the country, tourism became one of the main industries in the country. With the flourishing of the tourism, Nepal became a member of a number of international tourism associations. Starting from 1950, a developed system of five and four star hotels emerged in Kathmandu. Accordingly, the considerable part of the Nepal industry is the tourism; it is listed in the 10 most visited countries in the world, and the first most visited in Asia. 

An inscription found in the valley of Kathmandu indicates that  the city has a history of two thousand years. Religion is the considerable part of the everyday life of the residents. The majority of them follows Buddhism and Hinduism, though other religions find their place, shaping the cultural and religious diversity of  Kathmandu. The residents speak Nepali, and the educated population speaks English.

The so called sister cities of Kathmandu – Lalitpur and Bhaktapur, together with Kathmandu (including tourist attractions in the three cities) are included in the Unesco Heritage List.