Your holidays in Basilicata

Basilicata, Italy, knows how to be loved by anyone who visits it, prompted by the desire of curiosity, any person who has in mind the desire to rediscover the charm of travel by road, following the ridges of mountains or hills overlooking landscapes or unusual, or who wants to reach the cities rich history, pristine sea beaches with fine and golden sand. A land of contrasts and strong harmonies, jealous guardian of its own identity, has kept all the characters typical of the countryside and it is a destination full of attractions.

Below zero

Once upon a time cold, snow and ice were a natural seasonal must. Thanks to global warming they have become a luxury. Scientists, thinkers, artists, architects and designers draw attention back to the virtues and the fascination of low temperatures and high altitude. From the water emergency to the ice one. All thanks to the global warming. The results given by the recent scientific research are worrying: the current level of carbon dioxide – enemy number one for the planet's climate – in the atmosphere have increased. Such as increase helps to increment the greenhouse effect contributing to rapid warming of the planet and the progressive reduction of icebergs on the Earth. This is affirmed by someone who knows ice very well, Reinhold Messner. A large part of Earth's fresh water reserves is stocked in ice form: this is one of the consideration that have been diffused to alert those who care about the planet Earth and would like to see a possible future for it. And from here, to “El mundo de hielo” exhibition, presented at Expo '08 in Saragossa in a pavilion shaped like an enormous block of ice. On the interior, videos and work to tell, using the language of art, about the fascinating and the splendor of a whole other world, and also to launch an s.o.s.. Like the one that comes through via the images of Sebastian Copeland, photographer and Global Green USA activist who after a long travel documentary in Antarctic, will participate in the Pax Artica project to bring the situation of the Arctic Polar Circle to everyone's attention and stop the progressive exploitation of it that is changing the fragile ecosystem.

Norway

Norway has a rugged coastline and countryside separated by vast fjords and many islands. It is located at the Western part of Scandinavia of the Northern Europe. Together with its gorgeous rugged coastline, fascinating glaciers and magnificent mountains, Norway has fifty thousand islands to travel around.
Several athletes from all over the world often participate in the so called Polar Night-Half Marathon. The event is scheduled to be held from January 1, 2009 to January 31, 2009. This half-marathon takes place at the cold city of Tromso in the north area of Norway. With seventy percent latitude, the race is considered as the most AIMS certified half marathon around the world. Tromso is really a great winter town. Many visitors in this period may also take the opportunity to witness the amazing aurora borealis natural display or the Northern lights.
The Bergen Boat Show is another great event to discover in Norway. This will present fantastic shows from February 1, 2009 to March 1, 2009. This is also known as the “Dra Til; Sjos”, which was held at the beautiful harbour city of Bergen. This displays the current boats and novelties from the boating world. Ranging from the luxury liners to slighter pleasure vessel, this can be considered as one of the Norway’s best events. So you will never allow yourself to miss this once in a lifetime amazing event.

Madrid the Flamboyant City

Madrid as the Capital city of Spain has attracted many races from all over the world. If you want to meet a variety people inside of a massive cocktail of cultures Spain is definitely the place you want to visit. Mix that in with a major dose of flamboyant Latin culture and you have one powerful mix.

Madrid has many beautiful areas. One of its greatest attractions is a palace created by Felipe the Fourth. In the center of this area is a miniature lake, where hundreds of years ago they used to stage mock sea battles. The royalty of the time really enjoyed watching these. Today the lake is mainly used in a more conventional and placid way by people who love boating around and chilling out.

Widespread drinking in public areas at night used to be the norm but after a big clamp down by the local authorities drinking is now relegated to separate drinking havens throughout the city.

Madrids flamboyant and vibrant nightlife is created by a mix of youth that really raises the bar for debauchery in many other cultures. It is not uncommon for the young people there to stay up all night, not sleep a wink then with a quick shower and shave go to work in the morning.

If you want to mix with a cocktail of races, taste some Latin culture or simply enjoy some heavy drinking and dancing Madrid is the place for you!

The Eiffel Tower – a fascinating history

How can a blog about cities and attractions around the world be complete without a plug for the Eiffel tower!

The French fondly say that while Hitler might have conquered France he was never able to conquer the Eiffel tower. The French cut the cables to the lift right before the Nazis took France. In the midst of the war it was impossible to get the parts to repair the lift. Hitler was not going to climb the Eiffel tower so he never 'conquered' it so to speak. He sent some men climbing up it to put the Nazi Swastika up there. The flag was so big and heavy that it blew away. They had to replace it with a small Nazi flag. In the midst of the war a Frenchman braved climbing the tower and placed the French national flag up there. I find stories like this fascinating.

Gustav Eiffel had originally planned to build the Eiffel tower in Barcelona but they turned him down due to their perception of the tower as overly expensive and ugly to boot.

When the tower was first built it was considered an abomination by the French people. It was an eyesore that you could not ignore because it stood out so much from every location in Paris. They thought it was ridiculous that so much money should be spent on something so ugly.

The tower was supposed to be torn down when its permit ran out twenty years after its creation. Fortunately due to its usefulness as a transmission device the city of Paris chose not to do so in spite of strong public dislike of the tower at the time.

The Eiffel towers design was created primarily to resist the wind due to its height. It was the tallest building in the world at the time of its creation. Its creator Gustav Eiffel was an experienced bridge builder so he applied his knowledge from that to the design the Eiffel tower. When I think about it the Eiffel tower has many similarities to the underlying arches of a bridge.

When you are in Paris be sure to check out the Eiffel tower. I am sure you would have done so anyway but now you know a lot of fascinating tidbits of information about the Eiffel tower!

Shanghai - an economic powerhouse

Shanghai in China is one of the largest business capitals in the world. It has a long history as an economic power spanning back to the 1930s. After the communist takeover its place as a major business hub in the world was halted for a time but now it is once again a major economic force in the world.

Shanghai's architecture combines an interesting twist of modern Western architecture with Eastern design and Feng Shui influences.

When travelling on the trains in Shanghai, be sure if possible to travel during their off hours. During rush hour the trains are extremely packed. Taxis are also a good choice for transportation but be sure to use them when there is not too much traffic. Sitting in a notorious Shanghai traffic jam while you are paying good money to have a taxi not move at all is both nerve racking and time consuming. Also make sure the driver turns on the meter. Some taxi drivers will try to swindle you for more money than the trip is worth. Get a printed receipt if possible which you can use if there is a dispute or if you need to hunt up the cab driver later if you left something in the taxi by accident.

Another option, which is fun assuming you like plowing through masses of people is walking. Shanghai is highly overpopulated and this is a popular form of transportation for the locals. Things can get pretty crazy but you can reach many of the places you want to get to by simply walking there. It's always good to experience new things. So if you like walking definitely check this option out.

If you want to experience a taste of something a little different and like to experience an interesting blend of modern Eastern and Western culture then Shanghai is definitely worth checking out!