It’s that time of the year again – unbreakable sunny spells, warm evening breeze blowing gently on the seafront promenades and tourists bustling between the historical capital Valletta, the fashionable Sliema and the Summer hotspot Bugibba.

I can’t blame them. They all have their charm and character especially in the summer months. Valletta for its cultural and historical wealth. There is history to be discovered in every building, corner and alleyway of the magnificent fortified city.

Sliema and neighbouring  St.Julian offer the trendy shops, variety of top notch restaurants and pulsating night life.Yet I often think to myself when I see tourists enjoying every bit of the sweet summer life whether they are aware of the Island’s innermost hidden gems & secrets lying in the same 120 square miles of Mediterranean heaven. It totally defies me how one of the greatest mysteries of the ancient world is yet unknown to a great many people or worse still remains only a partial impression even to locals themselves.

The Majestic stones of the South:

Malta & Gozo are jam-packed with prehistoric monuments, sites & unsolved archeological mysteries. I would confidently say that the sister islands have the most archaeologically dense ground in the world – a true paradise for archeologists but for non-archeologists alike who might be intrigued by interesting discoveries. 

Lying on the breathtaking cliffs near the southern village of Qrendi is the imposing megalithic complex of ‘Hagar Qim’. It’s a prehistoric temple built from large upright stone blocks some of which weighing up to 57 tons and arranged in a configuration of six large chambers.

500 metres down the Haqar Qim complex, a scenic walk by the cliffs will lead you to the 6000 year old Mnajdra prehistoric temples.

Aligning with the Heavens:

The Manjdra temples are smaller in scale than the neighbouring Hagar Qim but hold a more fascinating secret. At the change of each season, the Earth tilts its axis relative to the sun in an event known as the Equinoxes (occurring in spring and autumn) and the Solstices (occurring in Winter and Summer).

The temple’s structure and orientation is such that the first rays of the morning sun on the Equinoxes and Solstices produce a mark on the lower temple – named the solar temple. On the Equinoxes, the rays pass straight through the main doorway and lights up the major axis. At the Solstices, the rays illuminate megaliths to the left and right of this doorway (depending if its winter or summer).

It has also been theorized that the temples have other celestial alignments notably with the star constellation of the pleaides. Many more secrets are yet to be unearthed and discovered as archeologists and researchers put more clues together.
Visiting the Mnajdra temples is a must eventhough they are not as promoted as the other touristic attractions and perhaps programmed excursions to the temples are hasty and a little bit superficial. I suggest to go there on your own and take some time to walk in the area by yourself before joining a tour. It’s a good way to soak in the magic and sacredness of the place.

When to go:

The next event is the Summer Solstice on Wednesday the 20th June 2012. I suggest to visit the Heritage Malta site as they organize limited number visits to the event. Be sure to have a wake up call as you would need to be there before 6am. I know…but trust me it’s worth it!

Where to stay:

I suggest visiting this page and search through their booking engine for some very special rates for hotel accommodation in Malta and last minute hotel deals.

Montenegro is a beautiful country! To say that nature is its trump card - it does not say anything. In Montenegro, you are always surrounded by high mountains and the sea, the sea and high mountains again. The Adriatic coast is the most beautiful and clean throughout Europe.

Throughout the journey you are surrounded by gorgeous, fresh and healthy food, mainly seafood and meat! It just should try to understand!

Still, the most important issue as in any business - is location! From where and how you will live in Montenegro depends on a lot of impressions from the trip. Therefore it is better to use direct suggestions from the owner of rental housing, that’s the best site for rental housing in Montenegro: http://rentinmontenegro.com. Travel in Europe? Montenegro - it’s your choice!

Luxurious, comfortable, tranquil and sumptuous heavenly residence villas are now considered as “millionaire’s row of Bali”. The marvelous and salient architecture of villas with its perfect designing and services exceeds its quality of life style than those of other international hotels and resorts of Bali. Clear blue sky, pure white sandy beach with lucid, transparent water of the coast makes the site full of romance, repose and roost. One can surely relish the true essence of nature on this heaven on earth.

Behold your eye when you go to the coast because from there you can see the spectacular Bali villas resting between the cliffs of Nusa Dua. The three villas because of their heavenly appearance are also named something like celestial. The first villa known as “Villa OMG” is a four bedroom villa with a marvel and glory in itself. The villa is built in steps which seem to be showering down the cliffs, like paddy terraces. The first man when stepped into this villa could not take his eye off to it and had exclaimed, OH MY GOD! Certainly the astonishing features of its architect made the villa, Villa OMG.

The second villa is known as “O-WOW Villa”. Wow is the first and last expressions of all those guests who visit this villa. The array of the villa is like a version of modern Balinese compound with three bed rooms, a studio office and a pavilion seemed to be painted like a landscape. Views from every corner of villa furnish the essence of love and tranquility. At sunset and sunrise the horizon seems to pour its light directly onto the villa-o-wow.

In the category of heavenly villas in Nusa Dua Bali, the last and the smallest one is “Villa O-LA-LA”. Luxuriously equipped as other two villas, this villa also offers mind boggling views within it. Whether you choose to stay for holidays or take it as your private residence, the experience of life style in this villa surely gives the feeling of paradise on earth. Besides the coast of Bali, the never ending edges of pools in every villa impart the illusion as ocean has been captured into every villa separately.

The services and facilities provided in Heavenly Residence unconditionally make it perfect holiday resort. Every bed room is equipped with “heavenly” beds, dressing table in bathrobe and bathroom area, en-suite bathroom with shower plus and extra large bath tub, air conditioning and ceiling fan, wide spacious balcony, electronic safe, hair dryer, high quality bathroom soaps and other trivia comforts. Besides these amenities, each villa is further furnished with high speed internet connection, direct incoming fax and telephone lines, home theatre system, 42 inch plasma TV, equipped dining and living halls, kitchen with all the needs and accessories, infinity edge pool, tropical garden, electronic security system, DVD_VCD magazine library.

Enjoy your trip to heavenly residence villas and capture the beauty of heavens into your head and hearts while living in the same world!

The climatic conditions of Zurich are typical as expected according to the season. But overall the climate is not towards the extreme side and remains somewhat mild. Summer season receives temperature ranges in between 20 – 25 degrees. Zurich mostly enjoys the rainy season during summers. Winter season is very cold in the city. The temperature can even drop to -5 degrees during nights. One most important reason for visiting Zurich is also its climatic conditions. The season in which it receives most of the tourists are the spring and autumn seasons. The seasons have a very mild and cool temperature with beautiful breezes and beautiful sun shines.

In 2007 Zurich’s population was approximately 358,540 people. The population of the city makes it the largest of the country and mostly consists of German inhabitants and after them is dominated by Italians. The language commonly spoken in Zurich is Zurich German. Side languages include Italian, English, Serbian, Croatian, and Spanish. Out of this population about 4 percent of the people are spending their lives on the welfare payment provided by the government because they don’t have any jobs or some reliable sources to earn livelihood. In 2007 the unemployment rate of the city was approximately 2.6%.

Zurich is a strong city in terms of economical factors. The stock exchange of Switzerland is also located in Zurich which is called “SIX Stock Exchange”, commonly known as “SWX”. There are a number of factors involved in making Zurich a strong contributor of the Swiss economy. The city is a much diversified one. Many people from different cultures and backgrounds are the residents of the city. Due to this factor many international organizations have established their headquarters in the city which includes Toyota, IBM, Google, Microsoft, eBay and General Motors. Zurich has the honour of being nominated as the city which provides highest quality of life to its residents.

Zurich has a number of night clubs and bars which as a result means that the city is very lively at nights and also the nightlife is very attractive. Zurich is also a host to the world famous event called as “Street Parade”. “Niederdorf is the area of Zurich which is most famous for night time enjoyment as the district is full of Zurich hotels, shopping centres, punk clubs, Brazilian bars, restaurants, and clubs.

Football is the major sport in Zurich. The club which represents the city is called as “FC Zurich” which competes in the top level of Swiss football league. The club has also achieved the goal of playing regularly in the major football event UEFA Champions League.

No one really wants to book airport parking. You want to take a flight and need to get to the airport. For whatever reason you decide to drive, so you need to park. Heathrow parking is a ‘necessary evil’. It takes your money – lots and lots of your money – for no real benefit !

Once you’ve decided you need to park, you have a classic trade off between price and convenience. The cheaper the price, the further the car park is from the airport. The nearer it is to the airport, the higher the price !

So how do you get the best deal? Whether you want to be on airport, off airport or you want meet and greet (valet) parking, there are some simple steps you need to take. Here the experts from 1stairportparking.co.uk tell you how to get the best Heathrow Airport Parking  deal

1. Only stupid people pay the full price !

Always book parking is in advance. NEVER drive up to the airport and park. Even at the cheapest off airport car park the price you pay when you drive up (known as the ‘gate price’) is much higher – sometimes two or three times higher – than the pre-book price.

Our research over the last 10 years suggests the best time to book is more than 30 days in advance but less than 60 days during busy times (the summer and school holidays), and more than 60 days but less than 90 at other times. Cheaper car parks fill up first and the special offer deals end, so book early to get the best price.

BUT IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO PREBOOK. Even if you book the same day, just before you leave home, or via a mobile app on the way to the airport, it will be cheaper than the gate price. Never, ever pay the full price !

2. Before you rush to book your parking from the airport – COMPARE PRICES

Even if you decide you want to book the airport long stay car park, don’t just head over to the airport website to book. Compare prices at a number of suppliers and you can save up to 60% on the gate price.

An easy way to do this is by using the one click quotes tool on the www.1stairportparking.co.uk (there is a link to it on every airport page). This allows you to enter your dates once and in a few seconds compare the cost of every car park at the top 5 budget suppliers to find you lowest price available.

There are no fees, no costs, its fast, impartial, independent and free to use. And if you don’t want to book over the internet, you can call the parking company offering the best deal using the telephone numbers provided.

3. Compare prices, but compare car parks too. HOW MUCH is your time worth?

With airport parking there is a trade off between price and convenience. The cheaper the price, the further the car park is from the airport. The nearer it is to the airport, the higher the price.

When using the 1stairportparking.co.uk price comparison tool above, in addition to looking at prices, look to see which car parks are available for your dates. As the Americans say ‘do the math’. Compare the cost of off-site parking– which is usually cheaper on the airport – with the transfer time to the airport.

How much is your time worth? Are you prepared to take a 15 minute transfer to save £15, or pay an extra £15 to save 15 minutes?

BUT don’t assume that the ‘on airport car park’ is close to the terminal. Anyone who has flown from Heathrow will know they are not, and at least one ‘off airport’ car park is closer to the terminal than the official long stay car park! AND business and short term car park users – compare the cost of these car parks with the cost of Meet & Greet parking. This is just as convenient (often more convenient), and almost always cheaper at Heathrow.

4. Beware: a SAT NAV or flight delay can cost you an extra days parking !

When you book your parking, allow a little extra time at the car park – or you might have to pay for an extra day. Arrive half an hour early (SAT NAV said it would take 2 hours, but it didn’t) or get back an hour late, and you can find that you overstayed your allocated time. This means an extra days parking fees – at the [high] gate price.

Official long stay car parks at Heathrow will charge you if you overstay your time. So build in some flexibility if you are not sure. Adding an extra 30 – 60 minutes either end will usually not affect your pre-booked price, but could save you £15 to £20.

5. When it is quiet – so when the kids are in school – treat yourself for less

Fancy the decadence of meet and greet parking? Want to park right next to the terminal and stroll to your car when you fly home? If you are travelling outside of the school holidays the price difference between off and on airport parking is much smaller. You can book the most convenient parking for less.

6. Have an early flight? START YOUR HOLIDAY A DAY EARLY AND GET FREE PARKING !

If you have an early flight, rather than get up at ‘stupid o’clock’ (we’ve all done it), why not stay at an airport hotel the night before? Arrive early and enjoy the facilities and it’s like starting your holiday a day early. As most airport hotels offer parking deals too, even during the busy peak periods, you can usually get free parking (at the hotel car park, sometimes with limited security).

At Heathrow it is often cheaper to stay and park, than just to park at the official long stay car parks. Pop over to this Heathrow Airport hotels page to compare the cost of a hotel and parking with the cost of just parking.

Finally, register for the newsletter with the airports you regularly fly from, as they sometimes offer special deals.

Part of Madrid’s allure is that regardless of your budget, there is no shortage of activities and attractions to visit. The attractions I’ve chosen to feature are more specifically the top five attractions for budget travelers as they are all free to visit. So, this virtual tour of Madrid will include some background information followed by a quick tour of Parque del Buen Retiro (Retiro Park), Almudena Cathedral, Plaza de la Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor and Gran Via.

Parque del Buen Retiro

Retiro Park

Within the boundaries of Parque del Buen Retiro, Madrid’s most popular park, you’ll find walking paths, gardens, monuments, fountains, play areas, cafes, a lake, a pond and the renown Crystal Palace, which is its crowning jewel. It’s also possible to rent row boats in the lake facing the monument to Alfonso XII. If you love roses, you’ll want to visit the Rosaleda, a rose garden located in the southern area and the park’s most beautiful garden.

We spent the better part of an afternoon strolling along the lake and visiting the monument to Alfonso XII, an art exhibit, the Rosaleda and the Crystal Palace. There are quite a few benches along the walking paths if you feel like enjoying a picnic or a coffee from one of the numerous cafes. It’s a great spot to enjoy the outdoors and perhaps listen to a few of the street musicians. I would venture to say that visiting Retiro Park is Madrid’s top budget activity and we were able to reach it on foot from our accommodations in the Puerta del Sol area. Needless to say, the photo ops here are literally everywhere you look!

Almudena Cathedral

La Catedral de la Almudena – Madrid’s Cathedral

Almudena Cathedral, officially “la Catedral de la Almudena”, is located across from the Royal Palace. Its contemporary interior is of the Neo-Gothic style, while its exterior echoes the Baroque style of the Royal Palace. Completed in 1993, the construction of the cathedral took approximately 100 years.

We were struck by the magnificence of the cathedral, both inside and out, and very much enjoyed the music being played on the Cathedral’s organ – it really enriched out experience, although taking in the artwork and architecture would have been fine on its own, too. We were struck by the immensity of the organ’s pipes as well as the beauty of the color and style of the Cathedral’s decor.

We were able to easily reach the Cathedral on foot from the Puerta del Sol area of Madrid – it is about a fifteen-minute walk from the heart of Old Madrid. There is no entrance fee to visit the Cathedral, making it a popular activity for visitors.

Climate: tropical along coast and eastern plains; cooler in highlands

Terrain: flat coastal lowlands, central highlands, high Andes Mountains, eastern lowland plains

Bogota: At an elevation of 8,600 feet, Bogota has a population of over seven million, and still has good sights to see.

The Plaza de Bolivar, with a statue honoring Simon Bolivar erected in 1846, who helped to bring independance in 1821, the Gold Museum, or Museo de Oro with a large collection of pre-columbian pieces, the nearby Catedral, an interesting, if quiet, neo-gothic church, and the old section of the city called La Candelaria, with low-key colonial buildings. Colombia’s history began well over 13,000 years ago, as evidence of human occupation dates to that era.

The Spanish arrived along the coastal areas of Colombia in the early 1500s and the country became Spain’s chief source of gold; Cartagena and Bogota were founded by mid-century. Spain eventually increased taxation of the colonists to fund their home-front war expenses, and the subsequent anger and uprising that occurred were the seeds of the revolution to come.

Colombia has at least eleven active or dormant volcanoes, the tallest of which, Huila, rises to about 19,000 feet and seems to be the highest point in the country.

The Spanish colonies on the Isthmus of Darien (since 1903, the Republic of Panama, but previously a province of Colombia) and the discovery of the South Sea by Balboa directed the course of explorations of Colombia to its north-western and Pacific sections.

The material development of Colombia has necessarily been much retarded by the political disturbances which have occurred since the first quarter of the nineteenth century and have made its history a continuous succession of civil wars.

Muisca, Quimbaya, and Tairona

The majority of the urban centres are located in the highlands of the Andes mountains

Colombia (), officially the Republic of Colombia (, ), is a constitutional republic in northwestern South America. Colombia is bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the northwest by Panama; and to the west by the Pacific Ocean. Colombia also shares maritime borders with Venezuela, Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica. Tratados Internacionales limítrofes de Colombia Colombia ? Limites territoriales With a population of over 45 million people, Colombia has the 29th largest population in the world and the second largest in South America, after Brazil. Colombia has the third largest population of any Spanish-speaking country in the world, after Mexico and Spain.

The territory of what is now “Colombia” was originally inhabited by indigenous people including the Muisca, Quimbaya, and Tairona. The Spanish arrived in 1499 and initiated a period of conquest and colonization creating the Viceroyalty of New Granada (comprising modern-day Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, the northwest region of Brazil and Panama) with its capital in Bogotá. Independence from Spain was won in 1819, but by 1830 “Gran Colombia” had collapsed with the secession of Venezuela and Ecuador. What is now Colombia and Panama emerged as the Republic of New Granada. The new nation experimented with federalism as the Granadine Confederation (1858), and then the United States of Colombia (1863), before the Republic of Colombia was finally declared in 1886. Panama seceded in 1903 under pressure to fulfill financial responsibilities towards the United States government to build the Panama Canal.

Colombia has a long tradition of constitutional government. The Liberal and Conservative parties, founded in 1848 and 1849 respectively, are two of the oldest surviving political parties in the Americas. However, tensions between the two have frequently erupted into violence, most notably in the Thousand Days War (1899?1902) and La Violencia, beginning in 1948. Since the 1960s, government forces, left-wing insurgents and right-wing paramilitaries have been engaged in the continent’s longest-running armed conflict. Fuelled by the cocaine trade, this escalated dramatically in the 1980s. Nevertheless, in the recent decade (2000s) the violence has decreased significantly. Many paramilitary groups have demobilized as part of a controversial peace process with the government, and the guerrillas have lost control in many areas where they once dominated. Meanwhile Colombia’s homicide rate, for many years one of the highest in the world, almost halved between 2002 and 2006. 2009 and 2010 saw an increase in the urban homicide rate, particularly in the city of Medellín, attributed to gang warfare and paramilitary successor groups.Newsweek http://www.newsweek.com/2010/09/09/colombia-wrestling-to-quell-local-drug-gangs.htmlCNN http://articles.cnn.com/2010-02-03/world/colombia.violence_1_paramilitaries-rights-group-human-rights-watch?_s=PM:WORLDBBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-10560568 According to the Maplecroft research institute, in 2010 Colombia had the world’s sixth highest risk of terrorism.Maplecroft, terrorism risk index http://www.maplecroft.com/about/news/terrorism.htmlColombia Reports http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/12911-colombia-ranks-6-on-terrorism-risk-list.html

Colombia is a standing middle power with the fourth largest economy in Latin America. Inequality and unequal distribution of wealth are widespread. In 1990, the ratio of income between the poorest and richest 10 per cent was 40-to-one. Following a decade of economic restructuring and a recession, this ratio had climbed to 80-to-one in the year 2000. By 2009, Colombia had reached a Gini coefficient of 0.587, which was the highest in Latin America. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, “there has been a decrease in the poverty rate in recent years, but around half of the population continues to live under the poverty line” as of 2008-2009. Official figures for 2009 indicate that about 46% of Colombians lived below the poverty line and some 17% in “extreme poverty”.

Colombia is very ethnically diverse, and the interaction between descendants of the original native inhabitants, Spanish colonists, Africans brought as slaves and twentieth-century immigrants from Europe and the Middle East has produced a rich cultural heritage. This has also been influenced by Colombia’s varied geography. The majority of the urban centres are located in the highlands of the Andes mountains, but Colombian territory also encompasses Amazon rainforest, tropical grassland and both Caribbean and Pacific coastlines. Ecologically, Colombia is one of the world’s 17 megadiverse countries (the most biodiverse per unit area).

Budapest

Budapest had 2,421,831 inhabitants in 2005, steadily rising (this number doesn’t count the number of people commuting to Budapest for jobs and shopping). Budapest became a single city occupying both banks of the river Danube with the joining of three cities, Buda and Obuda on the west bank of the river Danube, and Pest on the east bank of the river, on the 17th of November 1873. Budapest has various nicknames given to the city for its rare beauty and the heroic fight of its residents for freedom, exhibited by the examples of the revolutions in 1526 (against the Turkish invasion of the Osman Empire); 1848 (against Habsburg oppression), 1956 (against communist terror), and most recently, the role Hungary played in ending the era of communist oppression and Russian occupation, during which Hungary was (erroneously) referred to as a member of the Eastern Block. It was erroneous because Hungary lies directly smack dang in the middle of Central Europe (but the term “Eastern Block” was a military, strategic, and political expression, rather than a true geographic location). Some of the nicknames lovingly given to Budapest are: “Pearl of the Danube;” “Queen of the Danube;” “Heart of Europe;” “Capital of Freedom;”  the “Athens of the Eastern Block”and “Paris on the Danube.” After the collapse of the communist regime in Hungary 1989 the country returned to its pre-WWII free-market economy and today its commercial / business life is more flourishing than ever. [In this picture you can see the Royal Palace of Buda, sitting atop the hill and overlooking the river Danube, for centuries. In the evening, the Palace is illuminated. Hotel Hilton Budapest is built in the palace territory, incorporating elements of chapel ruins from the middle ages].

Historical Overview of Budapest

Budapest’s recorded history, according to wikipedia, begins with the Roman town of Aquincum founded AD 89 on the site of a Celtic settlement Óbuda, and from 106 until the end of the 4th century the capital of the province of lower Pannonia. The word Pest(or Peshta) comes from the Bolgar language,(a Turkic language, not related to modern Bulgarian, which is a Slavic language) because at the time of the reign of the Bulgarian Khan Krum (796-814) the town was under Bulgar rulers. The area became home for the Avars later, and was occupied in 896 by the Magyars of Central Asia, the linguistic ancestors of today’s Hungarians who founded the Kingdom of Hungary. Already a place of some significance, Pest recovered rapidly from its destruction by Mongol invaders in 1241, but it was Buda, the seat of a royal castle since 1247, which in 1361 became the capitol of Hungary.

Matthias Corvinus was 15 when he was elected King of Hungary. Matthias was educated in Italian, and his fascination with the Italian Renaissance led to the promotion of Mediterranean cultural influences in Hungary with the encouragement of his Italian wife Beatrice. His library the Bibliotheca Corviniana was Europe’s greatest collection of historical chronicles, illuminated text (known as Codex); philosophic and scientific works in the 15th century – second only in size to the Vatican Library. Matthias was also the most popular King of Hungary, ever due to his wise ruling and the fun he obtained from mixing with the crowd in disguise to fight injustice.

The Ottoman Empire’s conquest of most of Hungary in the 16th century interrupted the cities’ growth: Buda and Pest fell to the invaders in 1541. While Buda remained the seat of a Turkish pasha, and administrative centre of a whole vilayet, Pest was largely derelict by the time of their recapture in 1686 by Austria’s Habsburg rulers, who since 1526 had been Kings of Hungary despite their loss of most of the country.

It was Pest which enjoyed the faster growth rate in the 18th and 19th century and contributed the overwhelming majority of the cities’ combined growth in the 19th century. Originally Budapest had 10 districts after coming into existence upon the unification of the three cities in 1873. On 1 January 1950 Budapest was united with several neighboring towns and the number of its districts was raised to 22. At that time there were changes both in the order of districts and in their sizes. Now there are 23 districts, 6 in Buda, 16 in Pest and 1 on Csepel island between them. Each district can be associated with one or more city parts named after former towns within Budapest.

Who are the Hungarians also known as Magyars?

A nation that has been known from being related to Attila the Hun and as a people of high temper, hot red Paprika, Goulasch, Zigeuner Musik (Gipsy Music), beautiful women and quick horsemen (i.e., the Hussars) only, Hungary has so much more to offer than this false tourist romantic! One of the myths, that Hungarians are related to the Gypsies, is definitely not true. Gypsies live in almost all Central European and Western European countries, as well as in the Balkan countries; and the Hungarian people have nothing in common with them regarding their origin or culture. May be, they just understood how to market the Gypsy romantic like no other people around them understand? Hmmm. Hungarians are only related to the Finnish people, their language is not even similar to any other but the Finnish. Both languages are in the so-called Finno-Ugric language group. It is, however, true that the Hungarian nation has been historically friendly with minorities. Due to its rich soil, very pleasant climate and hospitality, some gypsies settled there permanently. Hungarians appreciate their music, which is just as much an exoticum for them as it would be for the visiting tourist, and mostly enjoyed in restaurants.

There is a lot of refined value embedded in the Hungarian culture that remains, even today, somewhat hidden to people from other cultures. This can be partly explained by the relative secludedness of the Hungarian language (there are about 11 million Hungarians living in Hungary, another approximately 4 million in other countries, the majority of them in Transylvania). Relying on (sometimes rather bad) translations of the cultural treasures of Hungarians, at best, helped deepen the biased and incorrect views about the Magyars. Those few who managed to defeat their prejudiced, misinformed and suspicious attitude towards Hungarians, and / or who learned to speak their language fluently, usually found them highly intelligent, kind and faithful in love and friendship alike; as well as generously giving, artistically talented and hard working, with a huge portion of intellectual humor! But, this must be the topic of another lens, at another time point. In Budapest, you’ll find Fine Art Museums (yes, Degas, too!), Cafes (try Gerbaud first!), gorgeous historical buildings and luxury hotels, with some of the most beautiful views European capitols can offer. Good food, and music on a wide spectrum, from medieval to Liszt and to Gypsy serenade.
Number of Hungarians per Country (in 2007):
9,968,000 Hungary
1,563,000 United States
1,434,500 Romania
520,500 Slovakia
315,000 Canada
300,000 Serbia
175,000 Argentina*
157,000 Ukraine
120,000 Germany
86,000 Brazil*
80,000 United Kingdom
55,000 Australia
41,000 Austria
40,000 Chile
17,000 Croatia
15,000 Czech Republic
10,000 South Africa
7,000 New Zealand
6,000 Slovenia
4,000 Russia
3,000 Ireland
2,000 Macedonia
1,000 Philippines
900 Bosnia and Herzegovina

Dubai

Downtown Dubai is an impressive collection of modern skyscrapers, but a place to capture part of the atmosphere of old Dubai is by the waterfront in the area known as the Creek. The Arab merchant ships still make regular journeys from there to places as far as India and East Africa. You can rent one of the boats for making a trip along the coast, or to see the area from the promenade that winds alongside the water. There is a small museum dedicated to the maritime and trading traditions of Dubai at the perimeter of the Creek.

The Burj Al Khalifa

Burj Dubai

The exterior of the tower, which is aesthetic and pleasing the same time, features a three lobed design inspired by the Hymenocallis flower. The beauty is also exhibited in the interior, decorated by non other than Giorgio Armani. In excess of a thousand pieces of art are displayed in the interior of the Burj Dubai. The lobby is hosting 196 artistic bronze and brass alloy cymbals representing the countries of the world.

The Burj Dubai‘s exterior also showcases an elaborate fountain. Built with a price tag of seven million US Dollars, the waterworks are illuminated by more then six thousand lights and fifty colored projectors in a nine hundred foot long space, propelling water five hundred feet into the area.

Dubai’s History

Dubai, as the modern emirate we know, was created in 1971 with the formation of the United Arab Emirates. Though, some written sources document the existence of the city prior to the foundation of the United Arab Emirates by at least 150 years. Dubai is the second largest emirate by area, after Abu Dhabi, and has the largest population. Dubai shares political, economic, and military functions with other emirates within a federal framework, although each emirate has its own jurisdiction over certain functions such as civilian law enforcement and maintenance of local facilities.

Dubai‘s prosperity started to increase in the 1960s, with the discovery of oil. Sheikh Rashid was aware of the risks of being oil dependent, so he actively promoted new industrial enterprises like the Aluminium and Cement factory.

The fifth largest trade zone in the world, Jebel Ali Free Trade Zone, has attracted over a thousand international companies, including giants like British Petrol, General Motors, Daewoo, and Heinz, within a short time period of ten years. Investors find indeed attractive the zone’s low logistical as well as operational costs, outstanding infrastructure, liberal government policies, and international outlook.

Dubai has changed a lot over the last three decades. By now it is a major business center with a more dynamic and diversified economy. Thanks to its strategic location, Dubai serves as the biggest re-exporting center of the Middle East.

Dedicated to my husband and parents-in-law, this lens features some of the many treasures of the Latin Quarter neighborhood we adopted that week. All Paris pictures featured here are our own unless otherwise noted.

We stayed at the Hotel Minerve, 13 rue des Ecoles, in Paris’s 5th arrondissement, the heart of the Latin Quarter. Judging from the TripAdvisor reviews, not everyone agrees, but the four of us really loved this place. The staff were gracious and the location amazing–within easy walking distance of Notre Dame cathedral, the river Seine, bustling Boulevard St. Germain with its shops and cafes, and three metro stops. The rooms were small but cute, with pretty paintings on the walls, and both our rooms had little balconies. With doubles priced at 107 to159 Euros, Minerve is reasonably priced by Paris standards, especially given its location.

Night or day, strolling the banks of the Seine is the thing to do in Paris. Take 20 minutes to gaze at the gorgeous bridges, buildings, and monuments and you’ll see why this town has won so many hearts. Above, Notre Dame cathedral was a Seine-river highlight in our neighborhood.

The city’s most famous cathedral, gothic beauty Notre Dame, is not only worth an indoor and outdoor tour (don’t miss the gargoyles!), but also a hub for street performers and other diversions. In this shot I’m trying my hand at bird feeding, after getting some coaching (and cake) from a bird lover hanging around the front of the church. This was also the site of one of numerous peaceful protests we saw during our week in Paris.