See London sights from the Deck of your River Boat: A Thames River Cruise is one of the top attractions for many visitors to London and seeing the sights of London from the comfort of your river boat deck is certainly one of the most leisurely ways of doing your London sightseeing. But you don't have to be restricted to the deck of your river boat for the whole cruise. With a hop-on-hop-off pass you can cruise up and down the Thames and alight at any of the piers that the cruise stops at to … [Read more...]
Gretna Green Wedding over the Blacksmith’s Anvil
January 28, 2010 by
You no longer have to runaway to get married at Gretna Green: We were returning to England from Glasgow when our coach called into Gretna Green, a small village near the Scottish/English border. I have never heard of Gretna Green before, but obviously many runaway couples have as this village was famous for its runaway marriages. Gretna Green's History Why Gretna Green is one of Scotland's most popular wedding destinations was because of an Act of Parliament passed in 1753. The Act made … [Read more...]
Whitby's Landmark Lighthouses
January 22, 2010 by
Whitby Lighthouse History: Whitby's quaint harbour entrance is marked by two attractive pier lighthouses and two beacons, with the West Pier lighthouse being taller and more substantial than its neighbour. And if you're wondering why this sleepy fishing town has such huge piers and distinctive lighthouses, Whitby was an industrial port and shipbuilding town, as well as a whaling centre, in the 18th and early 19th centuries. Having the only natural harbour between the river Humber and the … [Read more...]
Amsterdam Attractions – NEMO Science Centre
January 19, 2010 by
Nemo presents Science and Technology in a Fun way for Visitors: On any canal cruise of Amsterdam's waterways, you will come face to face with a gigantic green building jutting into the water and which looks like a ship's hull. Meet NEMO, Netherland’s largest science centre, located about 15 minutes walk from Amsterdam Central Station. NEMO has approximately 5,000 square metres of exhibition space comprising five floors packed with interesting things to do and discover. Everything at … [Read more...]
Hop-on and Hop-off Amsterdam’s Canals
January 14, 2010 by
Sightseeing on Amsterdam's waterways is the best way to explore the city: Amsterdam's extensive canal network makes it possible to get around the city by canal and there are many operators offering canal tours. However, Amsterdam's canals and waterways offer more than a means of transportation. Along the waterways are many magnificent buildings and charming bridges that make up some of the city's long and rich history. Many of the city's main sightseeing attractions are along the … [Read more...]
Amsterdam’s Canals – "Venice of the North"
January 12, 2010 by
Amsterdam Canals are a great way to get around on any Amsterdam Vacation: Amsterdam is a city of canals and its network of canals has earned it the title of "Venice of the North". On any Amsterdam vacation, one of the must-do things is to go on a canal boat tour. If you're on a Amsterdam to Budapest river cruise, this is one of the Amsterdam sightseeing tours you'll most likely be taken on. After breakfast, we are transferred by coach to the canal boat mooring. There are some 150 … [Read more...]
In Search of Montalbano – Ragusa, Sicily
January 11, 2010 by
Tracing the footsteps of "Il Commissario Montalbano" - A Sicilian Adventure: A repeat of the Inspector Montalbano drama series brings back lots of great memories of our holiday in Sicily. After the first series of Inspector Montalbano, we became huge fans of this Sicilian detective drama as it is so different to NYPD Blue or any of the other American cop shows. We enjoy our weekly dose of the brooding Commissario Salvo Montalbano, a Vigata police inspector, assisted by his small band of … [Read more...]
The Rock Church or Temppeliaukio Kirkko – Helsinki
January 8, 2010 by
The Rock Church - an interesting piece of modern architecture: Temppeliaukio Kirkko is more commonly known by its English name The Rock Church or Church in the Rock. It was designed by two architect brothers Timo and Tuomo Suomalainen, who chose a rocky outcrop as the site for their church. The underground Rock Church was built inside of a massive block of natural granite in the middle of Töölö , an ordinary residential square in Helsinki. It must have given residents an almighty … [Read more...]
The Sibelius Monument – Helsinki
January 8, 2010 by
A Controversial Monument in Honour of Sibelius, Finland's Famous Composer: One of Helsinki's famous landmarks is the Sibelius Monument which was built to honour Finland's national composer Jean Sibelius (1865-1957). Who would have thought that the erection of a monument to honour a famous composer would elicit such heated debate, but apparently the whole of Finland got engaged in an unprecedented public debate about the design. After Sibelius' death in 1957, the Sibelius Society … [Read more...]
Bergen – Famous for its Bryggen Hanseatic Wharf
January 4, 2010 by
Norway's first capital city and a town Famous for Its Bryggen Hanseatic Wharf: Bergen is a city best known for its Hanseatic heritage. The Bryggen Hanseatic Wharf is a UNESCO World Heritage site, dating back to the days when Bryggen was a major Hanseatic trading centre. The city of Bergen enjoys a beautiful location - surrounded by mountains and fjords and the waterfront Bergen Fish Market is also very popular with visitors. We only have one night in Bergen at the end of our … [Read more...]