Travel to Europe

The Little Mermaid

One of the most photographed ladies in the world, The Little Mermaid statue gazes into the horizon at the lovely sea port of Copenhagen. This beautiful statue was inspired by the fairy tale written by Hans Christian Andersen, and back in 1909 Brewer Carl Jacobsen attended a ballet based on this same fairy tale. Jacobsen was so impressed by this ballet performance, that asked the sculptor Edvard Eriksen to create a sculpture.

The bronze piece of art was unveiled on August 23rd 1913, as a donation from Jacobsen to the City of Copenhagen. It is a must see and one of the top attractions in the city.

Grandpont

Grandpont is located continuing on down St Aldates and over the river at Folly Bridge leads to the Abingdon Road. Off to the right is Grandpont, characterised by narrow streets of terraced turn-of-the-century houses running parallel to the main road. Everywhere is either within walking distance or a short bus ride of the centre, so this is a popular area for budget conscious students as well as visitors.

Louvre

There is so much to be seen in the Louvre that I recommend you spend at least 2 days exploring. You can arrange in advance for a 2 hour tour that covered all the famous pieces such as Venus d' Milo and the Mona Lisa and then you can see the rest of the Museum on our own. This will work great for you because you will be able to obtain additional history on the famous works then took the rest at your own pace. On Wednesday the museum stays open late  up to 9:30pm. If you can't read French, then it may be really hard for you to read the plaques that give additional information on the painting or object (I suggest you get a guide or you can rent the audio tapes from the museum).

North Oxford

In the centre An area with wide tree lined roads and large individual period houses built in the nineteenth century to house college dons and wealthy tradesmen in the Gothic style. It is within energetic walking distance (10-20 minutes) or a short bus ride of the University.

Summertown
Further north is an alternative shopping area with plentiful parking. Roads become narrower but the houses have charm - many are Victorian and Edwardian.

Jericho
Oxford University Press has its home here, the biggest employer in Oxford in the nineteenth century, encouraging the building of the terraced town cottages to house local workers. Many are well modernised and some are ingeniously enlarged with basement and roof conversions. There are some late night specialist food shops, interesting pubs and a good cinema on Walton Street. Walton Manor Close by is Port Meadow, 350 acres of grassland bordering the Thames and the Oxford Canal. It still provides grazing for freemen's horses and cattle according to ancient tradition. A major new housing development, Oxford Waterside, is currently under construction beside the canal. Wolvercote Close to North Oxford with a rural ambience because it overlooks Port Meadow, the common land meadows, and the River Thames.
At the top of Port Meadow lie the ruins of the twelfth century Benedictine Godstow Abbey. There are good walks to be had and several famous pubs in Wolvercote.

Center of Oxford

The centre of Oxford is dominated by the University colleges, the most famous being Christ Church, Trinity, and Balliol (from a total of thirty six). Most visitors orient themselves around Carfax, a crossroads in the very centre of the town. From here stretches The High to the east - "One of the world's great streets" (Nikolaus Pevsner), St Aldates to the south leading down to the river, Cornmarket to the north and Queen Street to the west - the latter two being the main shopping streets of Oxford.

St Giles'

Close to the Playhouse Theatre, the Randolph Hotel, and Oxford's principle (and world famous) museum - the Ashmolean, St Giles'    is well-known for many things.

At the south end lies the recently restored Martyrs'  Memorial which commemorates Archbishop Cranmer  and Protestant Bishops Latimer and Ridley who were burnt  at the stake in Tudor times by the  Roman Catholic Queen Mary. A cross in the road outside  Balliol college marks the actual spot of the execution.

Shopping

Oxford offers an extensive range of shops and restaurants.  At the end of Queen Street lies The Westgate, a modern shopping  complex. Further shopping centres are found at the Clarendon Centre (between Queen Street and  Cornmarket),and the Golden Cross arcade next to the fanous Covered  Market.                

Not far away lies the recently redeveloped Gloucester Green, next  to the bus station, where a weekly fresh produce market is held.

 

Feel like a god

Greece is a country unique of beauty that has everything   to   offer to the visitor who wants to make tourism: beautiful and variable Landscapes   some of the most beautiful beaches in  the world, picturesque whitepainted or stone-built villages,  passionate culture and traditions and,  a heavy history, archeology and mythology heritage.
 
It is a peninsular and mountainous country situated in southern Europe, and it is bordered by the Aegean Sea, the Ionian Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. It has borders with Albania, Turkey, Bulgaria and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and it is the only country of the EU that doesn’t have any border with the other members.                          

Hungary

Hungary has a complex sense of identity, not generally regarding itself as Balkan or Slavic, but Western. The country's assortment of cultures can be traced back through its history.

Being landlocked, this mosaic of cultures and lineage can also be explained by the country's shared borders with the Slovak Republic, Ukraine, Romania, Croatia, Serbia, Austria and Slovenia. Yet despite being landlocked, Hungary contains some beautiful stretches of water - such as Lake Balaton - and pulsates with hot, medicinal springs.

Hungary has also managed to retain its unique language and customs. Immense pride in their homeland may lead Hungarians to persuade the tourist in Budapest to spend some time also exploring Hungary's thousands of acres of vineyards and orchards, plus 11 national parks and hundreds of protected areas.

Chriskindlemart

This is the oldest Chriskindlemart in Europe and it is too bad it doesn't get more publicity and recognition. I have several friends from Strasbourg and they told me it is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, but again in an area that does not get much publicity as being a tourist attraction. The Rhine River and the wine areas there are world famous, and Alsace is often referred to in history and geography, but people outside the area do not know or understand it's rich heritage. Now that we are close to christmas night I wanted to share this hidden jewel with you.

the wetsfjords

West Iceland and the Westfjords are two completely distinct regions, historically and geologically, with characters all of their own and abounding in contrasts too. Almost all visitors to the Westfjords go to West Iceland first and either heading by road for the looping fjord coast or the Strandir shore, or skirting the southern Westfjords after arriving by road or ferry. Whichever route is taken, it presents a stunning cross-section of scenery and culture.

Thanksgiving in France!

Celebrating Thanksgiving in France can be a bit of a challenge, since it is an American (or Canadian) holiday. But if you are an ex-pat living in France or will visit during that time, here is a tip for indulging in turkey day.
In any city, look for an American-themed cafe or bar, and you will likely find some event on Thanksgiving. Also, any association or organization devoted to Americans living in France is sure to have suggestions.
You are not alone :) you may also surf the web in the search of that yummy turkey.