Polignano a Mare is the town where Domenico Modugno, was born. He interpreted the most popular Italian song in the world, Volare Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu. In fact, in Polignano you can find Blue flags everywhere. Those flags do not only recall the famous song and its singer, but also indicate that environmental organizations reward its blue sea among the cleanest in Italy.
Polignano is small town south of Bari, in my beautiful Puglia. As many other locations along the Adriatic Sea, it has a coastline of cliffs and caves. Despite the man lived in the area since Neolithic times, the landscapes that are intertwined in the urban environment remain extremely suggestive.
A Walk in Polignano
The best way to start a visit in the beautiful Pulignano? But With a nice cocktail of course! La Casa del Mojito features professional cocktail makers, therefore able to create the perfect taste for your holiday. Just ask what you need and they will satisfy any whim. Glass in hand, walking here and there, you can discover the historic center. The buzzing nightlife of Polignano happens right here.
By Sergio Scardia – Full Story at the Scruffy Italian Traveler
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Seby took one look at the dark green colour of the Amazon River, turned to Stefan and declared:
“I am NOT swimming in there Stefan. I will NOT become piranha fish food!”
Stefan got his way in the end and managed to persuade Seb to jump in, to the joy of the staff on board the Anakonda cruise who found our bickering (and Seb’s irrational fears) highly amusing.
Irrational fears? Contrary to popular belief, swimming in the Amazon River can be quite safe. Our guides knew the spots where tourists like us could swim safely and conquer their Piranha-phobia. Piranhas are not aggressive or territorial, but more like scavengers. They will not go anywhere near you.
Despite this, Sebastien lasted a whole 7 seconds in the Amazon River before he jumped straight back into our boat.
There are many ways to explore the Amazon jungle in South America, the two most popular are taking a cruise on the Amazon river or staying in a jungle lodge. Both offer a unique and memorable way to see the Amazon, each one with its pros and cons. Ultimately, there is not one answer, it depends on your travel style and how you want to discover the Amazon.
Yes, you can go to the top of Sagrada Familia by elevator. However, the lift doesn’t really bring you to the topmost floor. You’ll have to climb some steps to go to the uppermost part. The elevator is too small and the steps are too narrow. That’s why, you can’t go up there anytime you want. You have to follow the time you’re scheduled to go.
And by the way, you have to pay a separate fee for this. It’s not included in the general admission. You also have to remember that since the area is too narrow, you won’t be able to take a picture of yourself with the city’s skyline in the background.
Visiting Tips:
It is so much better to book your visit online so you can choose the time that’s convenient for you.
Out of the 18 towers, only 8 are currently completed. You can’t go to all of these towers. When buying the ticket, you have to choose between the Passion Towers and Nativity Towers. You also can’t use the elevator to descend but the steps only. So, if you have mobility problems, this might be a difficult task for you. Children younger than 6 aren’t allowed to go up.
There’s no doubt that Sagrada Familia in Barcelona is Antoni Gaudi’s most ambitious and most celebrated work that’s waiting to be completed. Though the artist had died long time ago, his vision of the church lives on. Construction is still going on but it’s getting to the finish line. After 134 years of construction, the world will be able to see the spectacular Sagrada Familia in its entirety soon.
Periodically we’ll feature one of our properties here to let our readers know about some great gay friendly places to stay:
Who doesn’t want to feel special? Isn’t the purpose of a getaway to find and experience something special that will make all the difference in how we feel – that special place, that special destination, that private oasis where intimate experiences create lifelong memories? Who doesn’t want to make their special someone feel even more special or enjoy being pampered in comfort, luxury and elegance while experiencing excellent service and convenience? In Annapolis, one of America’s best kept secret destinations, you will find the treasure you are looking for. Tucked away on prestigious Prince George Street, the most fashionable and sort after address in town, you will find that gem of a destination that superbly transforms the ordinary into the magical, the run-of-the mill into the one-of-a-kind, the ordinary getaway into the unforgettable and unexpected experience. It is The Annapolis Inn.
Only one block from the center of town, The Annapolis Inn is tucked away in the quiet and serenity of historic and majestic Prince George Street, boarded by the Chesapeake Bay, the United States Naval Academy, St. John’s College, the Annapolis City Dock, and the Maryland State House, where Washington resigned as Commander-In-Chief of the Continental Army and where the Treaty of Paris was signed ending the Revolutionary War.
In keeping with its prestigious surroundings The Annapolis Inn, once the home of Thomas Jefferson’s personal physician and still British territory, was erected in 1762. The United States was yet to be born, and Marie Antoinette was yet to become the Queen of France. The Inn still maintains the aristocratic elegance that it originally possessed with spacious entertainment rooms and bedrooms, ornate gold-leaf plaster crown moldings, marble fire mantels and southern pine floors. A blend of 18th Century furnishings from around the world can be seen throughout the Inn accented with ten custom-made Swarovski crystal chandeliers and sconces, English tapestries, hand make oriental rugs. Our custom designed baths have an elegant yet rustic charm combining tumbled, honed and polished marbles, heated marble floors, towel warmers, massage therapy tubs, showers and bidets. Our customized king-sized mattresses of 100% natural bamboo latex are antimicrobial and hypoallergenic, eliminating any concern for dust mites, bed bugs and any other allergens. Dressed in beautiful Italian linens of 100% Egyptian long-spun cotton with a 300 to 1100/si thread count, we can assure you of a regal night’s sleep.
If you believe that tomorrow is promised to no one, that time makes no promises to the heart, that love knows no measures or that romance has no season, then once kissed by time, love and romance, the heart will never forget. Make your getaway one that your heart will never forget, one that you will always remember, one that your special someone will always appreciate. You’re special and so is your life and your loved ones. You deserve the best. Don’t hesitate to reach for the stars. There you will find us happily awaiting your arrival.
I spent the bigger part of the past week in Israel before returning to Berlin, where I was greeted with snow. It couldn’t have been a greater contrast: On Thursday, I went running in a tank top on the beach, and on Friday I went running across icy & snowy Tempelhof airfield.
After a couple of days in Jerusalem we took the bus to Tel Aviv and spent my final days in Israel in what is one of my favorite cities in the world. It was the perfect way to end my trip – after a few chilly days, the weather was sunny and warm, and we splurged on fancy hotel right by the beach, using a discount code for Hotels.com.
We did all the things I love doing in Tel Aviv: morning runs along the beach promenade, strolls through Carmel market and Jaffa flea market, eating lots of sabich sandwiches (I fit in two visits to the legendary sabich sandwich place on the corner of Frishman and Dizengoff Str). Luckily we took advantage of Tel Aviv’s bike sharing system, which I discovered during my last visit, and cycled off some of the calories.
It’s hard to beat Berlin as a European mini-break destination. One of the city’s many strengths is the culture and history that surrounds you at every turn. Here’s five impressive Berlin museums that you might want to add to your itinerary for your next visit:
Pergamon Museum – Museum Island
You’ll be awed by the Pergamon Altar – an ancient Greek shrine transported from Turkey, with a freeze depicting the Gods doing battle with the Giants to decide who should rule the earth.
Jewish Museum – Lindenstraße
This is an excellently displayed and thought-provoking journey through the whole history of Jews in Germany, including, of course, the Holocaust.
Vienna’s status as one of the leading European LGBTI destinations didn’t peak with the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest, you know. Yes, the fierce and fabulous bearded lady Conchita Wurst put her hometown on the map when she won it in 2014.
And yes, the Austrian capital did a fantastically camp job of hosting the following year. (Followed by Stockholm last year and, erm, Kiev this year). But the reverberations of Vienna’s moment in the gay sun can still be felt today. This city of roughly 1.7 million is wonderfully, truly LGBTI-friendly. Even the traffic lights are gay.
But, in its way, it’s friendly towards everyone. Perhaps because the people who live here are really, really happy. Vienna topped Mercer’s 2016 Quality of Living Ranking, measuring the happiness of city-dwellers around the world. In the country proper, things aren’t perfect. A far-right political trend is gaining momentum, and same-sex marriage is still not legal, although Austria introduced civil partnerships in 2010.
Good afternoon,
Today was a day to just relax by the pool. Susan and I have had a week of relaxing, but we also learned about some of the culture of Mexico, and especially about the state of Jalisco. I am always open to learning new things.
We took a trip up to two of the towns in the Sierra Madre mountains, Talpa and Mascota. Although I had been there before, I learned new things about these towns this trip.
Both of these villages are listed as Magical Towns (Pueblos Magico). This is a designation given to the by the board of Mexican tourism. To qualify, a town must have:
1). A history of a significant event, either real or legendary,
2). A unique everyday life, and
3). The town must be well preserved.
Once the town has this designation, it receives money from the tourist board to keep the town clean and in good repair. One thing one village did was put all the electrical lines underground, rather than have the unsightly mess so often seen, of lines running all over the place.
Mascota also has a high school where students can elect to learn a trade, as well as obtain the usual high school education. The specialties of this school include cheese making and butchering, as the countryside has many farms. We also saw two woodworking classes, one for boys and one for girls. We could not discover why the classes were segregated. Both classes made furniture, cabinets for houses, and other practical wooden items.
The products from this school are sold in town, or at the school, and all proceeds return to the school.
The other town we visited, Talpa, has a lovely city center dominated by a church. This town’s historical event was a miracle where a statue of the Virgin that was made of leaves and grasses was converted into a beautiful golden statue. That statue now resides in the church. Pilgrims come from all over to pray to the Virgin.
The area, despite being in the mountains, is very dry. It must be extremely hard to grow things in this arid climate; however, sugar cane flourishes, and several stores in this village are candy stores, making their treats from the sugar cane, as well as some of the tropical fruit of the region.
Another town in Jalisco that has the Magical Town designation is Tequila. Yes, that is the name of the town. This town is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is known for the blue agave from which the liquor, tequila, is made. I did not visit that town, so I don’t have any pictures, but I did learn something about tequila.
The true tequila from the blue agave is only produced in Jalisco, with limited amounts being allowed to be produced in other states. If the tequila is not made from only the blue agave, and is made with a combination of juices from other agave plants, the liquor is called Mezcal. Therefore, all you tequila lovers, the Mezcal with the worm in it is not a true tequila.
That is only one of some well-known facts (to me) that was shot down during my cultural lesson. I also discovered that Mariachi music is not Mexican in origin, but Austrian, although it sounds more like German polka music to me. That makes sense, given that Maximilian from Austria, was a king here for a short time, before he was assassinated. Mexican beer also has its beginning with Austrians.
Last night, we took a boat trip to the island of Las Caletas for dinner and a show, depicting the culture and some of the fables of the native Indian cultures. The show was more like a Cirque de Soleil, in that many acrobats, a flying butterfly who was playing a violin, a walking tree, along with the fire jugglers. A mermaid greeted the boat as we approached the island.
Our dining tables were along the water’s edge. A harpist and a guitarist played soft background music. The lighting was torches and votive candles. It was truly a relaxing evening, with good food and wine.
When we left on our boat to return to Puerto Vallarta, we were entertained by our ship’s crew, who did a tribute to Kiss, the 1980’s rock group. They did a pretty good job of singing the songs, although their guitars were made of wood and had no strings. To me, the epitome of the evening, though, was when the captain turned off all the overhead lights, allowing us to see the full moon overhead, with barely a wisp of a cloud in the sky. We could still see the Sierra Madre mountains in the background of the city of Puerto Vallarta as we travelled back to the Marina. The lights along the shore of the city lent an air of a place of festivity and holiday, but also a place of peacefulness.
Today, I just enjoyed the quiet and solitude of Club Regina.
Too soon I will leave this enchanted place and return to cold weather. Until I write again,
Adios,
Dolly]]>