Europe’s churches and cathedrals are celebrated for various reasons: breathtaking architecture, deep-seated history, and stunning stained glass windows. Religious convictions aside, Europe’s cathedrals house beautiful works of art and offer a chance for quiet reflection. Throughout my travels I’ve toured many impressive churches, but Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris is a spire above the rest. The abundance of sights available in Paris can be daunting, especially if you are tight on time. If unsure where to begin, a shuttle boat called the Batobus which travels along the Seine River is a good start as it stops at eight of Paris’ main attractions: the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and the Notre Dame Cathedral, to name a few. As we approached Notre Dame Cathedral, the misty grey ...
The St Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland is a unique event that unites locals and visitors in a carnival atmosphere of music, dancing and partying; and leaves the world green with envy. Expanded in recent years from a one-day holiday to a six-day event, the St Patrick's Festival brings people together from all over the world to celebrate all things Irish. The centrepiece of the Festival is, of course, the St Patrick's Day Parade; an event that has been copied the world over. The 1.5 mile St Patrick's Day Parade route winds its way from Parnell Square on the city's north side, down O'Connell Street (the city's main thoroughfare), past the Spire of Dublin, over the River Liffey and up to Trinity College, before ...
One of the world's oldest and most beautiful books, The Book of Kells has become a must-see for any visitor to Dublin. The Book of Kells is on display in Ireland's oldest and most picturesque university Trinity College, whose campus represents for many Dubliners the very centre of the Irish capital. This remarkable book contains the four Gospels of the New Testament in Latin written on vellum (treated calfskin), and was meticulously illustrated by Irish monks around the year 800 BC. The history of The Book of Kells is almost as remarkable as the precision craftsmanship it contains. The Book of Kells' first home was the Abbey of Kells in nearby County Meath, where a long-running campaign to get the famous book back continues to ...
London is a long-standing magnet for talented artists from around Europe and further afield; and the city's Tate Modern is consistently voted among the continent's top modern art galleries. Innovatively housed in the former Bankside Power Station, located along the River Thames' South Bank district, the Tate Modern provides a cavernous, dynamic space for international modern and contemporary exhibitions. The Tate Modern is ideally placed for anyone staying in the old town district (known as the City of London area) where you'll find St Paul's Cathedral, the London Eye and London Bridge. Just take a stroll across the Millennium Bridge and see some great art. Aside from the art, the best draw of all to the Tate Modern is the free admission (apart from some ...
The city of Edinburgh features beautiful parks and gardens, remarkable buildings, and the marvellous Edinburgh Castle. It may seem surprising, but this charming city has a grisly past that sets a spine-chilling stage for the notorious Edinburgh ghost tours. Edinburgh has been called one of the most haunted cities in Europe, and there are several companies ready to prove its reputation. Mercat tours, Auld Reekie tours, and Black Hart Entertainment are some of the most popular Edinburgh ghost tour companies; and each of these companies offer a variety of tours to suit your individual ghost-hunting needs. Some Edinburgh ghost tours take place during the day and are aimed at younger children. Other ghost tours take place late at night in order to make use of ...
The Amalfi Coast of Italy is a must-do drive that runs along the southern coast from Positano to Vietri Sul Mare. It consists of thirteen UNESCO World Heritage Site towns, and although it is a fare distance from the the hub of tourism in Italy, it is well worth the trip. Starting in the lemon-tree-lined city of Sorrento, make your way along the cliff-clinging roads that follow the unrelenting shoreline of turquoise waters. Here at the starting point of your Amalfi Coast tour you can sip some of the area's famous limoncello liqueur while enjoying incredible views of Naples and historic Mount Vesuvius across the bay. Onwards along the Amalfi Coast, the views only become more impressive. The narrow roads often widen into large rest ...
While wine lovers the world over have different palates and different favourites, France is undoubtedly the most famous wine-producing country, and the Beaujolais is its most famous red wine. On the stroke of midnight on the third Thursday of November each year, Beaujolais Nouveau is celebrated by drinking the wine from grapes harvested that summer. Dubbed “Beaujolais Nouveau Day,” parties are held all over France and further afield to celebrate the first wine of the season. There are about 120 Beaujolais Nouveau related festivals held in the Beaujolais region alone, and some bottles from the six-week-old crop are also sent to oenophiles around the globe in time to be uncorked for the occasion. Located in the heart of the Rhone-Alpes region of eastern central France, ...
In the rugged mountainous coastline of Cinque Terre National Park, we gazed down at the impossibly vibrant colours of a gem-like town perched on a cliff. Our Cinque Terre hike had brought us through five of these jewel-tinted towns, countless delightful swimming spots, hillsides planted with olive groves, and walkways overlooking the ocean. Cinque Terre National Park is located on a rugged area of coastline on the Italian Riviera. The five villages in the Park: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore—are charming historic towns where time seems to have stood still. Vendors hawk fresh produce in the narrow winding streets, and tourists can wander at will through the village shops, pausing to sample the delicious local fare, or cooling off in the sunlit ...
The Spanish Riding School in Vienna is a traditional riding school and training centre for the equestrian art of dressage. This is an elegant sport where horses perform graceful ballet-like dance movements at the (barely visible) commands of their riders. Dressage is a popular sport around the world, and is even a competitive Olympic event. But it is at the Spanish Riding School that the charming white Lipizzan stallions and their riders have been trained in classical dressage since the 1500s. The Spanish Riding School is the oldest of its kind, and is located inside the Hofburg: Vienna's historic and grandiose imperial palace. The architecture of the training arena, known as the Winter Riding School, is well worth a look. Even if you aren't a ...
The beautiful Park Guell of Barcelona, Spain, is an extraordinary sight. Fantastic pavilions and sculptures are positioned amid the herb paths and foliage, seemingly plucked from a dream. Now one of the most popular parks in Barcelona, it is difficult to believe that Park Guell came from inauspicious origins. Barcelona industrialist Eusebi Guell, obtained the park with the intention of building a housing development for the wealthy, and he recruited architect Antoni Gaudí to assist him. The plan was a failure as only two houses were built and Guell was unable to sell either of them. Gaudi finally purchased one of the homes for himself and his family. The city claimed the property in 1918, and it was opened as a public park in 1922. ...
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