Travel Possibility

Amid the downturn in the economy, everything is going on sale. Things are on sale from shirts at the Gap, to Starbucks making their iced coffee more affordable. And now is also a great time to start looking into that vacation of your dreams you never thought you could take. Yes, we are all pinching pennies these days, but if you have any sort of expendable income, look into taking that Hawaii holiday that you never thought was possible.

A good first place to look when thinking about booking a vacation is online. Even if you do not book your vacation online, it’s a great way to do some preliminary research and do some comparison shopping. Hawaii used to be a destination that never really went on sale, but those days are long gone.

Another great place to look for deals is by contacting a travel agent. Travel and booking vacations is of course their specialty. This also can take a lot of the stress out of trying to find the best deal. Since travel agents know the way that the market and the deals work better they can book you a package that includes flight, hotel, and any other things you may need. Travel agents can help you with car rentals and such.

There are also a good amount of packages you can book without the help of a travel agent.

The internet is an amazing source of deals that you just can’t find anywhere else. Many hotels and sites will email out special travel deals, so be sure to get on the email list of a hotel you have been eying or a location you are looking into.

Another thing to think about is that if you go ahead and call a hotel; most of the time you will not be required to pay for your entire hotel stay up front. If you book online, you normally have to pay the entire amount or at least part of it. This gives you leeway if you change your mind or vacation date.

This recession may not be good for the job market, but it sure is good for your wallet if you are looking to travel!

Many days ago I realized I still need to finish my Christmas shopping and I thought what a better place to do it but in beautiful Barcelona . I had a friend who was staying at one the many Luxury Barcelona Hotels , so I decided to give her a call and we could shop together. We were spoiled for the shopping choices of this spectacular city.

We started off in the El Borne area, a great spot for boutiques if you want something a little bit more special that what the high street chain stores can offer. Also, it gave us an excuse to stop at my most favorite wine bar; We sat outside and had a most marvelous view of the Santa Maria del Mar church and we had a great time people watching. Just across the road, not too far from the church is the Santa Luiza market which specializes in hand crafted items as well as hand crafted Christmas decorations. My friend was looking for a special souvenir, so after we made our purchases at the market, I took her to a place where she could by a Caga Tio . A hollowed out log that one hits with a stick. If you have never experienced what a thrill this item is, I recommend looking it up on the Internet. My memories of the Cago Tio still brings a smile to my face.

We then wandered up through the Portal de Angel . The Largest pedestrian shopping area in Barcelona. I managed to purchase all of the Christmas presents I needed. For all my family members, friends and co-workers. My friends wasn’t done shopping, so I took her to El Corte Ingles which is a department store selling everything one could ever need in ones lifetime. El Corte Ingles even has a well stocked supermarket which is fantastic if you are in need of some home comforts such as curry powder and salad dressings. This made us hungry, so we headed to another favorite haunt of mine, the Ciudad Condal. Delicious tapas at a very reasonable rate. I recommended to my friend to order the ‘Montadito de Solomillo’, a tender steak. But, Ciudad Condal is also vegetarian friendly, they have a huge selection of non-meat snacks. Afterwards, ate our fill in tapas and washed them down with a few glasses of wine, we ended the evening with a movie. It was a perfect day and a perfect evening in Barcelona, a most beautiful city.

Barcelona is a beautiful city with beautiful parks and fabulous beaches. It is a thriving cultural center and is extremely rich in its heritage and major landmarks. Much of the city itself feels like a giant museum, with so much of its architecture and monuments representing essential historical events, situations and people. Many artists have lived in or been from this Spanish city and the general atmosphere is a unique blend of progression, tradition and inspiration. Tourists staying in the Barcelona Spain luxury hotels are amazed at the diverse options the city offers for entertainment, dining and sight seeing activities.

The Placa Catalunya is a prominent square in the center of the city. It is commonly regarded as a meeting place between the old city and the advent of the 19th century. Many famous and important streets converge at the Placa and it is a center of cultural significance. There are many fountains and statues in the Placa, and are part of what it is most known for. In addition, tons of pigeons flock to this area in particular and it is also famous for them. The Placa is conveniently close to major shopping and entertainment venues. And of course there are plenty of dining options near by for the hungry tourist who is eager to explore some of Barcelona’s exquisite cuisine.

Barcelona is also known for having hosted the 2004 Universal Cultures Forum. This incredible international event took place over a 141-day period. It was organized by the city council, the regional council, as well as the Spanish National Government. It was in part conceived to promote the city’s tourist industry after the 1992 Olympic games. The official aim of the event was to promote peace, community, respect for diversity, and human rights. It played host to over 40 international conventions and the seaside area in which it was based was specifically made over and developed for this event. Some of the exhibitions featured at the event include Voices, a program designed by Ralph Applebaum Associates, which supported cultural communications. Another exhibit was Inhabiting the World, which looked at human interaction with the environment and it was a study in waste control and sustainable living habits.

Joan Miro i Ferra was a prominent Spanish painter who is often credited with establishing the art genre of surrealism. He was born in Barcelona in 1893 though he lived much of his life on the island of Mallorca. He also spent a good portion of his artistic developmental years in Paris where he met close friends and collaborators. Tourists visiting the capital city of Palma can visit the Fundacio Pilar i Joan Miro a Mallorca which is housed in four studios, which Miro had donated for that reason. Information on this artists, and perhaps copies of some of his works can be found in the luxurious 5 star Mallorca hotels.

It is interesting to note that Miro had created a tapestry for the World Trade Center in New York City and was on display there for many years. It is one of the most expensive pieces of art to have been lost in the when they were destroyed in 2001. In addition, his only glass mosaic mural is also located in the United States. It is one of Miro’s largest two-dimensional projects and he created it specifically for Wichita State University’s Edwin A. Ulrich Museum of Art.

Miro’s contribution to the establishment of surrealism was a result of his disapproval of traditional painting styles. Some of the important aspects of surrealist paintings include an element of surprise or the unexpected. Miro intended to give a new perspective to objects, which in turn should affect social perspectives. He was married in Palma in October of 1929. Miro and his wife Pilar Juncosa had a daughter in July of 1931. Their home on the Island of Mallorca became his fulltime residence after a fall he experienced in his studio 1978. The fall left him unable to travel and he spent the remainder of his working days in his studio there.

rivandrum is the capital of the state of Kerala, India. The city is located on India’s West coast and was referred to by Mahatma Gandhi as the Evergreen City of India. It is rich in cultural icons and scenic views and as it is with much of India, it is rich in arts and entertainment. It is considered to be the political never center of Kerala and has many buildings that house government offices. Tourists who stay in one of the best hotels Kerala are attracted to the region’s beauty as much as they are to the cultural traditions and heritage.

The Kerala Legislative Assembly Building is one of the primary government facilities located in Trivandrum. It’s District Administration is lead by the District Collector, an official officer of the Indian Administrative Service. The city Mayor heads the Trivandrum Corporation, which administrates the city. The council is comprised of 84 democratically elected members, which represent the various city wards. It contributes 4 legislative seats to the assembly, which hold their meetings and discuss various agendas at the Legislative Assembly Building.

University of Kerala is another is also located in the capital city. It was established before the actual state of Kerala, in 1937. It was originally known as the University of Travancore, which changed its name after the development of the state of Kerala. There are 81 affiliate colleges to this university, which houses 41 departments of research and teachings. Some of the various departments include the Arts and Sciences, Law, engineering and medical. It was the 16th university to be established in India. In 2007 it was ranked 3rd by the Outlook India Magazine for the government universities of India. It has a diverse student population, and attracts many people from out of the region. It is one of the top research institutions in India.

The country of South Africa is engaged in another revolution, another revolution of inspiration and transformation and determination, from the roadways, to the top Cape Town hotels, to the billboards and the television ads. World Cup 2010 is the reason, and the painters, the musicians, the construction workers and the police force is stepping up to give international travelers one of the best experiences in the history of the World Cup. Many are giving the talents of their trades to the country. Mbekeni Mbili, a mosaic artist is exhibiting works with the theme of the games at the KZN Gallery. Previously, Sicelo Ziqubu presented works at the gallery of paper mache sculpture. In Cape Town, one of the cities most stricken with poverty, residents remove gang graffiti from the buildings and replace the walls with murals, all surrounding this tournament. Construction workers are refusing days off, in order to work on the stadiums throughout the country, and know that soon, they will see history being played in the arenas that they built.

Opening day of the 2010 World Cup, will be a momentous occasion as the country is rising up, to the raised eyebrows of the rest of the world, rising up to say, ‘yes’ we will do this in a way that has not yet before been experienced. The Vuvuzela trumpets are sounding this week. And when the South African soccer team, Bafana Bafana takes the field in the opening event, the world will realize that the choice was not one made with reckless abandon. This is the opportunity that South Africa as been in need of since the end of Apartheid, and one that will provide benefits for the country in years to come. The president, Jacob Zuma has stated that the people of his country are providing him with inspiration. He is looking around his country, at his people who have been working and struggling, and watching them work together in optimism. With sweat and hard work, the people of the country of South Africa will prove to the world that ‘yes–our infrastructure can handle this’, because they are the infrastructure, they are the inspiration.

One of the splendid things about New York in the summertime, is that there is a myriad of options for entertainment, that are free. In this economy many people are finding it difficult to afford nights out like they used, but travelers are finding that there are many discounts being offered by the airlines, and the top New York City hotels, and once one gets to the city, the list is just about endless. Beginning last week was the River to River Festival. This is the largest of New York’s free music festivals. River to River began in 2002 in Lower Manhattan and has succeeded in making the list of the top 10 Cultural Institutions of New York, that Time Out Magazine states the New Yorkers can not live without. This festival hosts several different genres of music, food and the works of up and coming artists. Each year thousands come to stroll along the Seaport, Battery Park and Rockefeller Park and take in the music, the art, the dance and the culture of their city. Performances this summer include the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, to Arlo Guthrie, to Brian Stokes Mitchell.

This festival is encompasses the spirit, the creativity and the energy the city has, in the people and the cultures. New York has seen good times, and those that were more challenging, as in the financial crisis that is affecting so many people currently. The VP of Marketing for the Alliance states the now is a time when people need to be inspired, they need art and music and dance more so than ever before, and that the goal of the festival is to bring that to the visitors and the citizens of New York City. The Bang on a Can Marathon opened the festival on May 31, 2009. This is a high light not only of the festival but of the entire music scene in the city. The contemporary musicians play for twelve hours, an experimental, and boggling, and exciting beginning that sets the tone for the rest of the festival. There will be indie bands, local music, international artists as well as the New York Opera. New works by innovative choreographers will debut as well as the celebration of Merce Cunningham’s 90th birthday. The festival will continue through August 7, 2009.

In the great city of Delhi, India, hotels are known for their incredible hospitality, sense of sharp and hip urban design, combined with the comforts and grace of one of the world’s most continually-inhabited cities. It haunts the imaginations of famous poets and writers, and has done so for centuries, and also captures the hearts and minds of travelers and locals alike. There is an incredible display of humanity here, with many cultures, religions, traditions, and languages represented. It is a truly dazzling place, where the heartbeat is constant and vibrant.

There are all sorts of ways to get pleasantly and utterly lost here. One of the rich art forms that finds beautiful displays by master artists is the art of dance. There are long and fascinating traditions of dance here, and for traditional Hindu dance forms, there are schools and gurus who teach through initiation. This kind of training is very different than traditional Western institutions, and the results are generations of artists who are extremely well-trained and very disciplined. Uma Sharma is perhaps one of the most famous artists living in Delhi, and her parties are always well-attended by celebrities and the press. Her fame comes from her contributions to the art of the Kathak dance. Ms. Sharma was initiated into this form by her guru Hiralalji, and Girvar Dayal of the Jaipur gharana, and she has worked more or less continuously and relentlessly for several decades, and her life mission is to bring dignity and attention back to Kathak. She is considered to already be highly successful in her aims.

Kathak has a long history in India, and for many generations was part of a classical repetoire. For a number of years, unfortunately, colonial rule and the colonial gaze turned it into something else. Uma Sharma is one of the leaders in making this a thing of great beauty. She combines the dance with modern Hindi-Urdu poetry, and the result is a form that has brought her international attention. She is also running a very highly-regarded dance school in her name, and continues the tradition of education through initiation with a guru. She speaks elegantly and poetically about her experience in dancing, where it becomes an unconscious act of movement, similar if not actual ecstasy, and her words invest her life with even more power. She is truly a treasure for Delhi, and all of India.

he Bangalore Palace is an incredible complex of buildings whose construction began in 1862, though it was completed much later. It was built and designed to be a smaller version of England’s Windsor Castle , though it has a unique look and represents the culture of Bangalore. Tourists may be interested to know that the grounds around the Palace, known as the Palace Grounds, are the perfect place for concerts and many top world musicians and bands play there regularly. Guests staying in one of the 5 star hotels Bangalore can check out the schedule and maybe catch one of these shows during their stay.

The Palace was built in the style of Tudor architecture and includes the battlements and turrets that are common to this style. It is surrounded by fortified towers that give it a sense of awe and majesty. The interior of the Palace is decorated with elaborate carvings in wood, and the ceiling is covered with relief paintings. There are a total of 35 rooms in the Palace and most of these are bedrooms. The furniture was purchased from John Roberts and Lazarus and is mostly composed of pieces from the neo-classical period. Edwardian and Victorian furniture is also part of the collection. There is an open courtyard in the ground floor that is equipped with fluorescent blue ceramic tiled granite seats.

Some of the many concerts the Palace Grounds has hosted include the March 2007 performance by Iron Maiden. This event set an attendance regard with over 40,000 audience members present. It was also the first time a Heavy Metal band appeared there, or anywhere else in India. In 2003 the Rolling Stones played for a crowd of 30,000 people. Other performers include The Black Eyed Peas, Deep Purple, Elton John and Aerosmith. These bands testify not only to the beauty and attraction of the Palace, but also to the increasing interest in Bangalore and India from the international population.

I couldn’t believe how unhealthy the breakfast was that was being served at an English restaurant my Indian friend suggested we meet at. For some reason he thought that I might enjoy an English breakfast, me being British. Truly, I’d rather eat an Indians breakfast at the restaurant at any of the hotels Mumbai India than at this terrible example of an English Breakfast pub.

The fried English breakfast was conceived during the Industrial Revolution as a form of substantial fast fuel for the poor working class. They ate approximately 3,500 calories for breakfast, then they burnt the 3,500 calories by lunchtime. Or they died when the coal mine collapsed. But, in today’s world, the average English working class do not burn off the 3,500 calories driving a forklift. The fried British breakfast is completely wrong and indulgent. Bacon, ham, sausage are full of nitrates and other ingredients designed to prolong life on the grocery store shelf. The longer the shelf-life the greater the bacterial growth activity. It’s really just as horrible with smoked fish and kippers . All the people coming into doctors offices complain about bowel complications are diagnosed with having high levels of these types of foods in their diets. Long-life foods have also been linked with allergies. Morning is not a time to slam your body with all the fat contained in the standard English breakfast; the body is barely awake and the gall-bladder goes into shock mode and releases an emergency quantity of bile to digest all the fat being consumed. All that bile then creates heartburn.

But, my Indian friends has an uncanny understanding that the fried British breakfast is what I crave most when I’m dealing with a hangover. Sure, the fat and salt will exacerbate my dehydration, causing my hangover headache to get worse. But, what the heck, having jet-lag on top of my hangover the smell of the familiar fried meats makes me feel at home.