The Vatican is the home of the Catholic Church and is part of the State of Vatican City which is in fact the smallest independent state in the world consisting of only 44 hectares or 107 acres. Vatican city is surrounded by Italy’s capital Rome. The head of state is the Pope who is also the head of the Catholic Church. The Basilica of Saint Peter is the huge domed church which sits in front of St Peter’s Square. This magnificent and huge basilica dates back to 1506. The church is open to the public and is home to many of the Pope’s masses. St Peter’s Square in the foreground of the Basilica dates back to the mid 1600’s and attracts tens of thousands if not hundred’s of thousands to the Popes outdoor ceremonies.

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The Moulin Rouge is probably the most famous of all the world’s cabarets dating back to 1898 it is remembered for its legendary showgirls and more recently remembered in the Baz Luhrman film staring Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman.

In the daylight the Moulin Rouge is a bit of a disappointment its a shabby old place and it sits in one of Paris’s seedier areas which is jammed packed with strip places and sex shops, but at night when the lights come on the Moulin Rouge building comes alive with it’s neon lit windmill and signage.

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Florida’s Gatorland has been entertaining guests for more than half a century, decades before Orlando became the theme park capital of the world. Opening in 1949 the family owned park has been at the forefront of Alligator preservation in the area. Now set on over 110 acres the complex is home to thousands of alligators and quite a few crocodiles as well as lots of other scaley reptiles, birds and other animals. One of the highlights of the park is the Gator Jumparoo show where huge alligators jump out of the water to snatch food of a handler. The giant reptiles jump nearly two metres off the surface of the water. There is also a gator wrestling show where some mad fool wrangles a 8 foot alligator in front of a full stadium- he must be mad. Gatorworld is open daily and is a great place to escape the hustle and bustle of Disneyworld or Universal Studios for a few hours.

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King Ludwig II was known as a bit of a nutter, but he had a lot of good things going for him, he was the guy who’s wedding celebration grew into Oktoberfest and he liked making grand and over the top castles for himself. His most famous is Neuschwanstein which is about 2 hours drive out of Munich and was the inspiration for Walt Disney’s Disneyland castles. The castle is open to the public and well worth the effort to visit. The castle is straight out of a fairy tale with gold, jewels and murals and King Ludwig’s signature swans prominent throughout the building. Poor King Ludwig didn’t get to see his finished work he and he nearly bankrupted the state, he ended up going a going over the edge and drowned with his friend in the nearby lake.

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New York has Times Square, London has Piccadilly Circus and Tokyo has Shibuya Crossing. This amazing multimedia crossroads is one of the busiest places in the world. Shibuya railway station at these crossroads services over 2.5 million people every day. The crossroads are alive with J-pop music, huge video walls advertising the latest gadget or fashion item. When the pedestrian lights go green people criss cross all directions across this crossing at high speed thousands and even tens of thousands can cross at one light change. Shibuya is on of Tokyo’s favorite places for fashion shopping and at night the area comes alive with its huge entertainment district with pachinko gaming centres, cafes, restaurants and bars.

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When you think of Paris you think of the Eiffel Tower, Poodles, French Sticks, Cheese, the Moulin Rouge and of course the Notre Dame Cathedral. This magnificent Gothic cathedral dates back to 1166 during the reign of Louis VII and was completed around 1345. The cathedral is so important to Paris that all distances from Paris are measured from a stone in front of the Notre Dame This stone is known as Point Zero. The cathedral is open to the public daily between 7:45AM and 6:45PM except during mass times and there is a great little market outside the Notre Dame selling religious artifacts, books and food.

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Since 1873 the cable car has been servicing the streets of San Francisco, and still today remain one of the city’s much loved icons. Originally built to safely transport people up and down the steep slopes of San Francisco Streets the cable car is still an integral part of the city’s transport system. Fares are 3 dollars for each trip but the best way to see the sights is to buy a 9 dollar all day pass or for longer stay a Three day or Seven day pass. Here you can jump on and off when ever it suits. There are three lines in operation, The Powell Mason, which runs to Nob Hill and Fisherman’s Wharf from the City. The Powel Hyde line also goes towards Nob hill and passes Russian Hill and ends up at Aquatic Park near the Ghirardelli Square on the Waterfront. The third line is the California Street line which runs east west from the financial district through Chinatown to Nob Hill. A great way to learn about the cable car system is visit the Cable Car Barn and power station which can be found at 1201 Mason Street its open most days and gives a great insight into this great transportation system.

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Churchill Mantobia on the Western shore of Hudson Bay in Canada is known as the Polar Bear Capital of the World and autumn is the best time to see these incredible mammals in their natural habitat. Churchill is about 1000 kms north of Winnipeg and is home to several hundred of these threatened bears. The polar bear is the biggest meat eating animal on earth and can grow more than 600kg and stand over 11 feet high. Churchill has quite a few tourist operators who give you a chance go get up close to these beautiful bears in the safety of specially built ice busses in a range of short or multi day packages- a trip you will never forget. Read the rest of this entry »

Yes its true I spotted him the other day, he was outside the Rock Island Cafe on Kalukua Avenue in along Waikiki beach belting out a tune. Elvis loved Hawaii who could forget the 1973 Aloha from Hawaii concert which was beamed around the world or Blue Hawaii his 1961 musical which stared Joan Blackman and Angela Lansbury next to the king. Then there was the toe tapping Paradise, Hawaiian Style movie in 1966 which stared Suzanna Leigh and featured such classic Elvis songs as Scratch My Back (Then I’ll Scratch Yours) and Datin’.

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Its hard to believe but the King of Rock and Roll Elvis died 30 years ago today at his Graceland estate in Memphis Tennessee USA. Today Graceland has been transformed into a lasting memorial to the King, tours of the house where he lived and loved are available where you can see the famous jungle room, Elvis’s den, kitchen even his fridge. The huge complex also features museums shops and other somewhat kitsch attractions and for something really special you can get married at the Chapel in the Woods which is Graceland’s own Chapel a perfect setting for an Elvis inspired wedding. The chapel like much of the huge complex was built after the King left the building and some might say they are really only cashing in on the Elvis legend, but its all fun and it sort of suits the style of Elvis. Opposite the Graceland mansion is a magnificent collection of Elvis’s possessions including many of his automobiles and motorbikes. His custom jets the Lisa Marie and the Hounddog II are also on display. There are of course plenty of his stage costumes including his glasses and those amazing jump suits, and guess what there’s plenty of gift shops where you can buy some interesting Elvis merchandise including Elvis Cookbooks, photos, DVDS, key rings, you name it you will find it.
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