It is estimated that 30 million people visit Paris every year making it the world’s tourist hot spot. Tourists will stand in long queues for hours to get a glimpse of the Mona Lisa at th Louvre or take a picture on top of the Eiffel Tower but there city has so much to offer. The best way to see this amazing city is on foot using Paris’s extensive subway to get from place to place. There is so much to see and explore on street level. Cafe’s botiques, along the wide boulevards and the quaint little cafe’s and markets along the lanes and alleys make it an experience to remember. Athough it is easy to spend all you have, you can have a great time in Paris on the cheap, there are plenty of places to get fresh and cheap food, look for bakeries for the best baguettes and pasteries many not more than an Euro. Counter cafe’s also offer good value dining. Read the rest of this entry »
30 million visitors love it
Airbus A380 woos Hong Kong
The Airbus A380 made a rare low flyover across Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour yesterday. The sight of a passenger jet flying this low over the city was reminiscent of the days when Kai Tak Airport was operating almost 10 years ago, so the event drew a big crowd. Airbus is wooing Chinese airlines with the A380 and is hoping the planes seating capacity of between 525 to 853 people will be just the ticket to win over the Chinese with their booming population and economy. Singapore Airlines is expect to receive the first A380 in October with other Airlines receiving 13 planes throughout 2008. When first shown to the public Airbus touted features like gym’s bars and shopping malls to be optional equipment in the planes, so far no airline has ordered these options instead packing the panes with seating.
Prague’s Charles Bridge
For over 600 years the Charles Bridge spanning the Vltava River has been one of the main focal points of Prague has held battles, processions and even executions and since the fall of the Berlin Wall it has became increasingly popular with film directors who what to add some beautiful scenery to their latest blockbuster. The construction of the bridge dates back to 1357 and has been an important trade route in and out of Prague over the centuries. Built from Bohemian sandstone the bridge is an amazing engineering feat being 516 metres long and nearly 10 metres wide resting on 16 huge arches. The Gothic tower and city skyline is a favorite of the artists who paint on the bridge. It is best to visit either early morning or late in the day as the bridge can get chaotic with people. There are some 30 statues most depicting religious stories, these are all now reproductions, the originals stand in the Lapidarium of the National Museum for safe keeping.
Driving and crashing in Russia
In some countries driving can be a bit more hectic than others. Check out this video of an intersection in St Petersburg, Russia as cars play chicken and then get tossed around like skittles on the icy roads. If you want our tip, make sure you take the insurance option when renting a car in Russia. Read the rest of this entry »
‘Diana’s Flame’ – The Flame of Liberty Paris
The Flame of Liberty or Flamme de la Liberte is an actual full size replica of the flame held by New York’s Statue of Liberty. This beautiful gold leafed statue was erected in 1987 while the New York statue was undergoing restoration. The flame was given by the International Herald Tribune newspaper to mark its Centennial. Today the flame has become a focal point and shrine to Diana the Princess of Wales who died along with lover Dodi Al-Fayed when their Mercedes Benz crashed in the nearby Pont de l’Alma Road tunnel 10 years ago today.
Although not an official monument to the Princess, visitors flock around the world to lay flowers and messages to the much loved and remembered Princess, the Flame has become one of Paris’s most visited monuments.
Want to buy a wild animal or some cheese?
You can dream up just about anything and Harrods Department Store in Knightsbridge London will be able to source it, gift wrap it and even deliver it. The store is one of the worlds finest selling an amazing range of products. To shop in their store it is nothing short of an event they have seven floors and 300 departments packed with some of the finest products you could wish to buy. The food hall in the basement is extraordinary (and in many cases just like its prices) this beautifully tiled hall sells food from the four corners of the earth the range is incredible. Visitors beware there are doormen on every door ensuring no undesirables or badly dressed people enter, no backpacks, no torn jeans and no revealing skimpy costumes are just a few of the items forbidden. As tomorrow marks the 10th anniversary of the tragic death of Diana Princess of Wales and Dodi Al Fayed (the son of Harrod’s owner) we must mention the moving shrine at the emporium dedicated to the both of them – this beautiful tribute is well worth a visit.
B52 – It’s as big as a whale
The Boeing B52 bomber is one of the biggest planes on in the US military fleet with a massive wing span of over 56 metres and a payload of nearly 30 tons this plan is an amazing engineering feet.
There are only three other B52 bombers on static display outside the USA, One in Guam, South Korea, England and at the Australian Aviation Heritage Centre in Darwin in the Northern Territory of Australia.
The museum only minutes from Darwin’s city centre and close to the International Airport has a wealth of aviation displays including a very good World War II display with actual wreckage’s of planes shot down over Darwin during the war. The Museum is open 7 days a week and is well worth a visit.
The Paddlesteamer Emmylou
The Murray River bordering Victoria and New South Wales in Australia was once the country’s busiest highway with paddlesteamers shipping cargo up and down the mighty river system. Today the legacy continues with several paddlesteamers still sailing the river today cargo has been replaced with excited tourists. The Emmylou at Echucha is one of the more grand and popular of the vessels. This paddlesteamer dates back to 1906 and was beautifully restored during the 1980’s. She is in fact the only wood fired paddlesteamer in the world that offers overnight cruising. There is nothing more tranquil than standing on Emmylou’s wooden deck listening to the kookaburras, frogs and the spinning water wheel while cruising up the mighty Murray River at a leisurely pace. Read the rest of this entry »
88 Floors and nothing below
The Eureka tower is a 92 story residential skyscraper which has just opened in Melbourne Australia. It now offer’s one of the worlds most scary experiences a walk in a glass cube 88 floors above the city. Called Skydeck 88, visitor enters a glass cube with opaque walls this is slowly extended out 3 metres from the building then with the magic of the latest LCD technology the glass becomes clear and there is nothing than glass holding you in 88 floors and 300 metres above Melbourne offering 360 degree views of the city. The ride is one of the scariest 5 minutes you will experience.
They play both kinds of music… Country and Western!
Well it might be more a kitsch souvenir shop than a full blow Willie Nelson museum but who cares it’s a lot of fun. Its one of the many some what half arsed attractions around the Opreyland in the Country Music capital of Nashville. Willie Nelson is one of Country music’s favorite sons with a list of amazing songs like On the Road Again, Always on my mind and of course his beautiful version of Georgia. Willie is a real colorful fellow and has been on the wrong end of the law quiet a few times for things like tax evasion and for smoking a bit of that green weed. Anyway back to the shop, I mean museum- There are quite a few good Willie Nelson displays and some of he other artists that Willie enjoys including Patsy Cline, Audie Murphy and of course Elvis Presley. You can pick up some pretty cool nick knacks including some of Willie’s trademark bandannas, fake Willie hair braids, musical instruments, photos, and other collectibles. The centre is just over the road from the Opryland Hotel at 2613 A McGavock Pike in Nashville and is right next door to a quaint little toy museum which will put a smile on any child’s face.
