42 Search Results for "oasis"

• Summer in the City... it's 96 Summer in the City... it's 96 degrees in the shade

  • From: evbk
  • Description:

     

    I've mentioned several lakes and pools that Praguers escape to to cool off, but there's one more place right here in Prague...an urban oasis on a hot summer day...Smíchov Beach.

     

     

    
    

    On the banks of the Vltava in Smíchov you'll find white sand, beach chairs, sun umbrellas, beach volleyball, petanque, and refreshments.  So grab a seat or lay your towel down, savor a Cuba Libre or a Pina Colada (delivered right to you on the sand...now that's service!), and just relax.  Hungry?  There's also a restaurant with a tiki vibe that serves Latin American cuisine, and the best part is that Smíchov Beach has showers and changing rooms so you can feel refreshed before sitting down to dinner.

    
    

    

    
    

    

    
    

    Starting on August 9th, Mondays will be "Summer Cinema" nights and they'll be showing a different film every Monday at 9 pm, including Pride & Prejudice on August 16th.

    
    

     Smíchov Beach holds various concerts and parties at night, and is also a great spot for corporate events.  They've also held their fair share of weddings too.

     

    
    

    Entry is free, but chairs cost 50Kc (approx. $2.50). With spectacular views of Vyšehrad and New Town,  Smíchov Beach surely isn't a bad place to spend your day...or night!

    

    Address:

    Hořejší Prague 5,  Smíchov

    
    

     

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  • 2 months ago
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• French Pastry in Lebanon French Pastry in Lebanon

  • From: donutdollie
  • Description:

    My recent Middle East trip included Lebanon. I am sorry to report that the country has incorporated some of the worst elements of modernization such as excessive billboards, massive traffic jams, polluted skies and foul tempered drivers who abide by no rules of the road.

    A brief oasis from all of this madness came in the form of a French pastry shop in Tripoli. This is a banana eclair, topped with cherries and chocolate slices and a mint leaf. It was definitely a treat and was too pretty to eat. Well, almost.

  • 2 months ago
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• Bon Bini Curacao Bon Bini Curacao

  • From: kwendorf
  • Description:

     

    "Bon Bini Curacao”     By: Kathleen Wendorf Author of “Confessions Of A Serial Traveler”   Part 1 of 2   Sitting on top of my balcony I can't help but notice all of the beauty that surrounds me. I take a deep breath and let it out, we were so lucky to get here, to find this place of tranquility. I look out at the multi-colored waters three distinct shades of blue blending into each other in unison. The waves gently ride up on to the shore with a slight touch over the edge of the enormous rocks and the deep seated coral that is the lining to the ocean. Where is this oasis where time stands still long enough for you to embrace every aspect of its beauty, culture and diversity? This beautiful creation of Mother Nature is found in the Caribbean Sea it is Curacao, Netherland Antilles. It truly was a unique chance happening, a series of Google searches with keywords "cheap Caribbean travel" to be precise. Perhaps you would say it is the luck of a travel agent like me to happen upon this type of luxury offer but I assure you it was not. As I said in my book and on the morning show "There really is no secret to finding the best trips other than to remain diligent with doing online searches for deals and being prepared to go on them." I happened upon the "Curacao Now" web site package that is placed together with cooperation from the Curacao Hospitality and Tourism Association and the Curacao Apartment and Small Hotels Association. The program encompasses over 70 local businesses. I decided to book our trip through CheapCarribean.com which is a participant in this program I think out of the choices it was their name that enticed me to take a look at their site. The "Curacao Now" package included an automatic $200 rebate per person on airfare, one free hotel night plus a $200 food & beverage credit, one free day of a car rental, half price tours and excursions when booked with the participating vendors.  We booked our trip online after calling Cheap Caribbean and inquiring more on this promotion. The deadline for booking this promotion was Monday March 15th by midnight and we just made booking shortly before midnight! This was good because rest assured the very next day the program was taken down from their site and replaced with a different offering.  We chose Hilton Worldwide Resorts in Curacao for our stay in June. Cheap Caribbean automatically deducted the tourism discounts and for our package of 5 nights a European package with air our price was $1023 as they took the tourism airfare rebate off of the top .Let's face it everyone loves a bargain, I don't care what your financial demographic is we each love to know we got a deal. It somehow enriches the idea of vacation wouldn't you say? As for me that is my primary quest in traveling, to see it all inexpensively and at the end of the trip to have taken something back from each journey emotionally that money can't buy I set out to research Curacao over the next 2 months. My husband and I began to study Papiamentu online which along with Dutch is their main language. We looked up local nightlife and shopping and excursions and inquired via email for information. My husband is a scuba diver and so this island consisting of 33 beaches and so many diverse activities became our focus for planning out the best 5 day gets away that we could manage. Being Florida residents it is a direct flight out of Miami International Airport to Curacao International Airport just at 3 hours each way. I reserved the Red Roof Inn in Miami for our stay via ParkSleepFly.com which enables you to pay for one nights lodging and they will hold your vehicle in their gated lot for up to 2 weeks no additional cost involved. We had a pleasant stay overnight at the Red Roof. We took a relaxing swim and then we went Bennigans next door which offered a great meal at a reasonable price little did I know the hotel lobby magazine holds a BYGO coupon for dinner at Bennigans-it pays to do your research. In the morning we had a continental breakfast in the hotel and a fast friendly complimentary shuttle ride to the airport which is right across the street. We flew American Airlines and arrived early to our destination. Once inside the Curacao airport you will go through a passport control area and then immigration and finally customs all of this steady and fast under ten minutes. The airport is clean, efficient and very small. Getting our bags was very organized and the rental cars are right there. Everything is so convenient in this tiny paradise airport. Upon arrival we were so surprised to find that almost everyone on this island speaks English and the US dollar is everywhere. We were expecting to have to use some of the Papiamentu we had studied online months earlier but instead of "Bon Bini" we heard "Welcome"' and "Hello". Although I was hoping to use my new language I must confess that I automatically felt so much more at ease once I did not have to worry about translation. I found that it is better to rent a car if you want to be mobile during your stay as the taxi averages $50 round trip for 2 to go into town. We rented our car with Budget and prepaid online. They drive on the right side of the road so if you are from the US it is just like driving at home. We found are way to the Hilton utilizing mainly hotel signs as all of the verbal directions and circles on a map that we were given were not all that helpful when you are driving for the first time in a country that has completely different road signs then where you are from. Not to mention the printed directions we found online on our own were wrong. I think we were so excited to arrive that both of us failed to remember our cell phones offer GPS. When we came upon the Hilton we were so taken back by the beautiful view directly ahead of us as we pulled the car around to check in. Turquoise blue waters awaited us and colorful tiki huts with elegant beach furniture everywhere we looked. I kept my eyes on the delicious looking lounge chairs all laid out under thatch umbrellas and the tropical pina coladas with cherries on top did not lose my attention for one minute either. Under the open air entrance to this distinguished resort we were greeted by Adrienne of the front desk staff whom was working on finalizing our room and sent us to have a welcome drink while we waited. As the room preparations were being finalized she came to sit with us and she brought us our room keys and reviewed the amenities to make sure we felt welcomed and comfortable. We certainly did and we were very pleased by her friendliness. My husband and I did not waste any time. After our cocktails we went down near the water to the scuba dive school center to talk with the staff and learn of their programs. Although I am not a certified diver yet I tagged along to check out all the nooks and crannies hidden amongst the swaying trees. I came upon the 18th Century fort which the staff explained to me was built to safeguard the bay from attacks by English, Spanish and French invading forces long ago. In another direction on the hotel grounds while exploring I also found a few interesting birds living joyfully in their cages over by The Color Of People onsite spa. They were not in the mood for talk but I gave it a whirl anyhow. I was simply in awe with my new home for the next five days as I skipped around the stones on the ground below me just like a little girl on a playful summer’s afternoon.   There are only five floors at this particular Hilton. The hotel itself was nostalgic on the outside built decades ago 1967 and now modernized for 2010. The elevators spoke to us as we stopped "4th Floor" and our room was right around the corner from the elevator. The room was very tropical with rich furnishings. Our king size bed with its starchy white duvet cover and numerous pillows was so made to perfection as is the Hilton standard. The bathroom was large and immaculate and the closet held a safe and cubbies for our clothing. There was a beautiful wooden dresser and we had a sitting area with a recliner and a table with dining chairs and added on room refrigerator. The best part was the balcony with its sitting chairs and our view, which was priceless. The sunset pictured in the beginning was taken from our balcony. Sitting on the balcony you can see the mountains and homes off in the distance, the boats as they pass with divers, snorkelers and passengers. The entire resort stretches along the shores of Piscadera Bay and the Caribbean Sea around the southern coast of the island. Out on the dock you can watch people swim and snorkel looking at the various colorful sea life that surrounds them. You can watch divers training jumping off of the dock by Ocean Encounters the onsite dive school. Over on the beach you can see hotel guests sitting in groups sharing conversation while others are sitting with their sunglasses on deeply enthralled in reading a book while basking in the sunshine. There are three pools and two beaches to choose from. The main beach is right outside of the hotel and Parassa the Hilton's private beach is a nice walk around the property down clear lighted paths past the children's center and miniature golf and just beyond sunset stone- a stone that you would just have to stand on at that time of the day to quickly see how it earned that name and finally to the private open beach where you will find the last pool. Snorkeling off the beach I found such colorful sea life only about ten feet out into the water with my husband Ira. We collected various shells as we watched the waves rush a fresh new batch up to our feet every few moments. Walking back on the path we watched as the water crashed against the rocks where the iguanas can be found playing in the shade. Parts of the rock formation resembled miniature caves as you looked down in between the crevices you can see shades of bluish green below, so clear, so fresh, they were mystical as the waves dance against them. For Part 2 Please look for Bon Bini 2

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  • 2 months ago
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• A Frame House in the Mountains A Frame House in the Mountains of North Shore

  • From: joannachoy
  • Description:

    This house was amazing.  We were secluded in the oasis of tropical splendor.

  • 3 months ago
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• Berber girl Berber girl

  • From: flander
  • Description:

    This was taken early one morning in Tafilet oasis in Morocco.  This Berber girl was anxious to show us the goats that she was tending.

  • 3 months ago
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• Oasis Hotel at Night Oasis Hotel at Night

  • From: michelegustafson
  • Description:

    We finished our trip to Egypt in April with three nights at the Oasis Hotel in Giza, near Cairo and very close to the Great Pyramids. This was the view that greeted us when we returned from a long day of sightseeing.

  • 3 months ago
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• Weekie Wachee Springs, FL...la Weekie Wachee Springs, FL...land of the mermaids

  • From: ZodiacRose
  • Description:

    What did my I want to do on my 21st birthday a few years ago? Go on a day trip to Weeki-Wachee Springs . After all it was totally fitting for us to celebrate my birth in a classic example of Retro Florida. When you go it still breaths "retro", it reminds me of parties on Cocoa Beach with astronauts and cat eye glasses. 

    For those of you who don't know, Weekie Wachee opened it's doors in October of 1947. Mr Newton Perry (an ex Navy Seal) bought the spring and land and created an underwater theater, where you can watch real live mermaids perform underwater musicals! Though the attraction boomed in the 1950's it has been struggling but I'm happy to say is slowly returning to it's former glory!

    *In the rest of the post Weeki-Watchee will be WW.
    
    It was my two girl friends and I, on a little adventure to middle of nowhere. That's the thing about WW. It's a little gem in the swamp. An hour north of Tampa where US 19 and Stateroad 50 meet. There is NOTHING else to do around there. Just some stilt houses (because it's a swamp), and I think I recall a dollar store? It's actually one of the country's smallest towns with an official population of NINE!! However, it's deffinately worth the drive, you can't call yourself a Floridian without going to this legend.
    
    I'm talking MERMAIDS here! Real mermaids! In an oasis of a spring in the middle of the swamp!
    
    I love mermaids.
    
    So. It probably would have taken 2 hours to get there from Gainesville, but we got lost. 5's and S's are very different apparently. Tip #1: PRINT out your directions directly from mapquest, do not write it yourself. This is also why country music is important (Tip #2). No one gets frustrated or annoyed when your belting out some Garth Brooks. And that's something my girls and I do very well, belt out country. and get "un-lost". We're pros.
    
    So all the sudden you're in the middle of nowhere and BAM! you see it. old white cement walls, maybe a mermaid perched on it, getting some sun and waving to you. And you're lured in. $12 later, we are running around the park, furiously looking for mermaids. We see peacocks. mermaid statues. Cypress trees. souvenir shop. But where are the mermaids? In the spring!

    So we settled in the cool underground auditorium, and instead of a stage, there is a big glass window looking into the spring. Think seaworld's Shamu tank but pretty and natural with fish and a few turtles blundering about the "stage". The spring itself is so deep noone has ever actually been to the bottom, and more than 117 million gallons of 72 degree natural spring water flow through it every day. Wildlife is a natural part of the show, occasionaly the performers will come face to face with a manatee...and on ocasion an alligator!
    
    The lights dimm and the show starts. The shows rotate, but I the one we saw was The Little Mermaid. (the shows range from stories of mermaids and pirates, to peter pan!)  It was an underwater ballet version. Very beautiful, with sound and songs. Those mermaids can really swim/dance! The ended with a tribute to the US Flag. Mermaids are patriots too as it turns out. 
    
    After the show we wandered around the park. Got a picture with a mermaid. Got harassed by a peacock (a family of them roam the park). Took a ferry ride down the WW river to look at all the wildlife. We saw turtles, alligators, lots of differnt birds, and once in a blue moon you'll see manatees and evenblack bears, deer, and  Florida Panthers. The ride could have used a margarita, but it really was fun.

    After the boat ride we watched the wild animal and birds of prey show. It's worth watching, and with such small crowds you can get very close to these animals! Realizing we were famished, the girls and I took to the food court where we had some very satisfying sweet potatoe fries, burgers and grilled cheese. While eating some other tourists were whispering...they thought we were mermaids! We just smiled and waved...not wanting to burst their bubble, and really we were very flattered!

    
    All in all, it was a very fun adventure. We were back in Gainesville before dark, to end it all with a Sex and the City Marathon and martinis. What more could a girl ask for? What stands out the most from that day is lots of laughs, we had so much fun on our adventure. And isn't that really the point?
    
    Check out weekiwatchee.com to learn more about the park, or to see upcoming events. I'm so happy it didn't close down, I know there were rumors. I think it got bought out by the state and is now a state park. A state park with mermaids, that's gotta be unique! How come more people don't know about this?!

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  • 4 months ago
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• Exciting, Relaxing, Romantic, Exciting, Relaxing, Romantic, Delicious Spain

  • From: megstanton
  • Description:

    Exciting, relaxing, hot days, cool nights, delicious, beautiful, romantic, fun, soothing...

    I could go on and on finding more synonyms and adjectives to describe my week-long experience in southern Spain, but then I'd never get to the really juicy bits!

    My husband's family took us along on their trip to Comares last year in July, but it is still quite vivid in my mind. It was one of the most spectacular trips of my life (so far) - Spain is THE place to go to relax, let your cares, stress, anxieties, and pains melt away.

    Arriving in Málaga

    The flight from Chicago to Málaga was about 13 hours. Coming off the plane we were quite obvious - the climate in Chicago when we left was cold, gray and rainy. We stepped off the plane in Málaga and were greeted with a wall of 100°F. Jeans and sweatshirts were a dead giveaway of our 'tourist' status, but it didn't matter. We were all tired and crabby, and we just wanted to get in our rental car and be on our way.

    We landed on a Sunday, and apparently in Spain this means that all in-airport car-rental kiosks were closed - you know, the ones you're directed to find by the instructions you printed out when you made your reservation. It took a while to find the car park, and then the correct booth, and once we did we found out they had lost our reservation. We were stranded. But my husband's (wonderfully) tenacious mother wouldn't let the barely-english-speaking girl at the counter off that easy. She fought for our car and we ended up with a much better car than we had rented: a Mercedes Benz! Some people may be used to such luxuries but I have never been in a car nicer than my dad's new GMC Canyon. Already we had had our first adventure!

    Getting to our rented Casa

    Five of us (myself, my husband, his parents and his brother), along with all our luggage, piled into the Mercedes and set off on our grand Spanish adventure; and what an adventure it would continue to be! We elected to have the GPS unit (or SatNav) and while we were in the city we were glad we had it. Once we got out of Málaga, though, and onto the winding streets of the Sierra Mountains, the reliability of the Spanish SatNav started to falter. It recommended left turns where there was nothing but mountain air hugging a terrifying cliff, or to turn right onto a path for a farmer's goats.

    We kept on our way and due to the expert interpretive navigational skills of my father-in-law we never got lost... well, there was that one time, but we figured it out soon enough and arrived safely at Villa Amarilla, our home for the next 6 days. The five of us greeted the four family members who had already arrived, my sister-in-law and her husband as well as her parents-in-law. They gave us the grand tour.

    It was beautiful, though smaller than I had imagined, but who's complaining? It's SPAIN! I'll let you read about the amenities of the property on their website. I will say this, though: the upstairs (1st) bathroom could really only be used as a half-bath because the shower was unusable due to a faucet-head that was so clogged that only 5 needle-like sprays came out and drilled holes in our faces.

    

    We didn't spend much time in the casa, though. We had come to enjoy the sun so we spent most of our time in the pool and patio area. Meals were always eaten outside on the pool-side, mountain-view, bougainvillea-covered patio. We were in the pool every day (and every day somehow one of our beach balls always managed to fly over the wall and into the adjoining field of almond trees) and we made excellent use of the outdoor BBQ.

    Our first night in Spain we all decided a refreshing evening stroll to the nearest little town of Los Ventorros was in order and to our delight it was the evening of a wonderful, exciting, musical festival! We got a couple cervezas and Spanish fair-food (chocolate-covered fried something... it was delicious!) and enjoyed the street performances. Paper lanterns had been hung from street lights creating a magical atmosphere that was romantically intimate and crazy-exciting at the same time. 

    Comares

    Comares was the second-closest town to us and we made many trips to the grocery store there for our meals. We all shared the responsibility and costs of meals and each couple took one or two nights. My husband and I, and my brother-in-law, used our opportunity to show off our mad cooking skills (haha). It actually turned out fantastically. Our prosciutto (consequently my new favorite meat) and cream cheese stuffed mushrooms were my favorite. For dessert I made was a frozen coffee cream with fresh cherries covered in dark chocolate. None of us had any recipes; we just went to the store and used what they had to make wonderful meals. Not only were they delicious, they saved us a lot of money too.

    Our sight-seeing excursion into Comares was the stuff dreams are made of. It's a fairytale town with densely packed white houses along meandering cobblestone streets that are more like sidewalks than roads. Cars can only drive on one or two roads into and around the town. We visited on a Sunday evening and the town was deserted. Only a few grandmas and grandpas sitting outside their doorways chatting with their friends, and a few stray dogs and cats wandering about and basking in the warm evening sun. Our group decided to divide and conquer, then meet at the little bar near the town square.

    My husband and I climbed up the hill to a centuries-old fortress. The views were captivating and there was not another living soul around. It was just us exploring this beautiful, ancient castle overlooking the whole town of Comares on one side, and the Velez Valley and Sierra Tejeda mountains on the other. Near the castle was a cemetery. Due to the lack of soil people are buried above ground in stacked cells that are just big enough to house a casket. This is a terrible description as it makes the cemetery seem like a cold, dreary, ugly place. This is not the case at all. These large structures are all white and each cell has a shelf in front where family members place pictures, candles, flowers - all manner of beautiful decór.

    Nerja

    The owners of the villa had put together a binder including the dates and locations of local festivals. We found one in a coastal town called Nerja that looked exciting so myself, my husband and my brother-in-law decided to take a road trip. We didn't quite know what to expect - didn't know exactly where in the town the festival was, where to park, if there was a cost involved... we knew nothing about what we were getting into. These times, I feel, produce the fondest, strongest memories of traveling and I have not been proven wrong this time!

    We found the city, a place to park, and the festival easily enough - the SatNav hadn't failed us this time. We wandered the streets and found a place to eat. We ordered a plate of tapas from the very friendly, very helpful owner and they were delicious! Well, everything but the chicken livers. I wasn't a fan of that. But everything else was wonderful - everything from fish to meatballs to quiche.

    Then the fireworks began. We paid our bill and ran all over trying to find out where the fireworks were originating from, or at least where everyone was watching them from. We arrived minutes too late for the fireworks, but just in time for the main event.

    This particular festival was to honor the Virgin of the Sea; to ensure safety for the seafarers of Nerja. The statue of the Virgen was brought to shore by a boat, carried up a cliff (it was dark and crowded; I'm not sure how they got her all the way up to the top of the cliff!), and marched through the town square to a military-style drum beat while the audience silently watched and paid their respects.

    Once the Virgen had made her way around the town square she was carried into the church. Then, safely inside, the entire crowd exploded with tremendous cheering. They sang, cheered, clapped and chanted for a few minutes. Then the party really began. While many of the citizens lined up to go into the church and pray to the Virgen del Carmen, the rest went back to the town square where a band started to play in front of a light show and everyone began to dance, drink and live up the night. It was amazing!

    Not only was the festival itself an adventure, the ride home was as well. My brother-in-law was put in charge of using the SatNav to get us home, but due to his hatred of technology we got lost. On a trip that should have taken us one hour, we spent nearly 3 hours driving around the mountainside trying to find our way back. And when I say "mountainside" I mean LITERALLY - the mountain's SIDE. The SatNav eventually took us on a 'shortcut' which was nothing more than a farmer's path through his field! The only thing indicating that this had been driven on before were the occasional tire-ruts in the ground. So there we were, in the middle of the night, in the middle of someone's field, scraping the bottom of our rented Mercedes on the boulders beneath us and the sides of the car on the brush along the path. We went straight up, then we went straight down, then straight up, then straight down - there were no gentle grades here. Just terrifying, gravity defying ups and downs. We went through the gamut of emotions on that trip back - from frustration with the SatNav to frustration with each other to wondering whether we'd make it out alive to finding the situation absolutely hilarious.

    The Alhambra and Granada

    The Alhambra is an amazingly beautiful fortress (9th century) and palace (12th century) built by Muslims in Granada. You absolutely CANNOT miss a trip to this place if you are in Spain.

    It is so beautiful I am having a difficult time trying to describe it. Let's take it step by step:

    1. The Generalife Gardens. WOW. These gardens are so elegantly and masterfully designed and maintained. One can easily picture themselves as the King relaxing in the manicured rose gardens, wandering around the fountains, and cooling himself with the cold water that runs through the mini-aquaducts that run throughout the gardens.

    2. The Alcazaba, or fortress. This is the oldest part of the Alhambra and much of it is in ruin. You can climb stairs to the top of the tower and look out over all of Grenada. It is a spectacular view! An interesting side note, the fortress was captured from the Moors by Christian royalty, Queen Isabel and King Ferdinand in 1492; the same year Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue to find the Americas.

    

    3. The Palace (Palacios Nazaries). This is my favorite part of the Alhambra. The walls and ceilings are adorned with intricately hand-carved patterns and text and there is not a single square inch of space that is not decorated this way! Prepare to spend a massive amount of time staring wide-eyed and open-mouthed at the amazing craftsmanship of this place. Plan your day to spend most of your time here or you will be very sorry you have to rush through it.

    4. Palace of Charles V. We had spent all day on our feet wandering this amazing place and by the time we made it to this palace we were all spent. Maybe that's why my memories of this place are not as spectacular as the rest. Also, the museum inside was closed. So we saw the round inner courtyard of the Palace which was pretty amazing, even for seven exhausted Americans (and one Brit).

    Rick Steve's does a great job explaining in more detail the different areas to explore in the Alhambra. Check out his Granada's Alhambra: An Oasis of Elegance.

    And I cannot end the Grenada section without mentioning our delicious meal. The seven of us drove around Grenada and found a great place called Beauty And The Beast II. I ordered an avocado and shrimp salad which was fantastic (and I never liked avocados before this, but now I can't get enough!).

    We had another SatNav induced travel adventure on our way back from Granada, but it was not nearly as death-defying as the trip back from Nerja. I will summarize it by saying we discovered several mountainside towns we had not known were there, and which were in the wrong direction from where we wanted to go. The SatNav also directed us down a VERY narrow dead end and then asked us to take a right onto what it thought was a street - in reality it was a set of stairs.

    Torre del Mar and the Mediterranean Sea

    A trip to southern Spain wouldn't be complete without a trip to the Mediterranean beach. I could have spent days and days there, swimming in the giant salt sea. Granted, the taste of the water was something to get used to (if that's even possible), but just do your best to keep your mouth shut and you'll be fine! The beach was lined with umbrellas and chairs, which you have to pay to use but the fee is reasonable.

    We grabbed a few and spent the day lounging and swimming. And, of course, swimming makes a person hungry so we found a beach-side stand and ordered our lunch. My husband and I shared the mixed seafood plate which was a variety of fresh seafood, battered and deep fried. Anchovies, shrimps, calamari and other miscellaneous, but delicious, morsels. One of the best meals I had!

    Sevilla

    On our last day in Spain the five of us who were heading back to the States decided to take a day-trip to Seville. We only had precious few hours there, but we made good use of them, exploring all the winding streets and a couple little shops along the way - and of course FOOD. Gaspacho for me! I can't remember what everyone else got but it was all delicious.

    Unfortunately we didn't have time to go into any of the historical sites such as the Cathedral and the fortress, but we stood outside them and marveled at their beauty for a few minutes before racing back to our train. It was a whirlwind tour but it whet our appetites for more of the gorgeous city.

    The End

    And here ends our (first) trip to Spain. Great food, exciting festivals, romantic towns, awe-inspiring scenes, adventurous roads and so, SO much more. Make this place a priority for your next European excursion.

     

    

     

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  • 4 months ago
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• Young Men of the Desert Young Men of the Desert

  • From: donutdollie
  • Description:

    I had dreamed of seeing the Sahara Desert. While I was on a trip to Tunisia, I included a jeep safari into the desert. The wonderful oasis areas were filled with palm trees, colorful souvenirs and the people of the desert.

  • 5 months ago
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• Las Canas, Buenos Aires Las Canas, Buenos Aires

  • From: sssnancysss
  • Description:

    La Plaza is an oasis in the heart of Buenos Aires. There are small theaters, restaurants and shops. Las Canas is our favorite Italian restaurant, and they make the most wonderful lemoncello.

  • 6 months ago
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• "Wanderlust Tales"-Bangkok, Th "Wanderlust Tales"-Bangkok, Thailand

  • From: bevandlee
  • Description:

    ……Bangkok, Thailand

     

    The air was smothering like a steaming wet towel. Leaving the air conditioned oasis of the Royal Orchid Sheraton and stepping into the street always took me by surprise. I choked a deep breath and filled my lungs with the pungent mingled scents of street cooking, flower blossoms and exhaust fumes.

     

    Walking down to the long-tail boats docked at the Chao Phraya River, I discreetly study all the Thai women I pass and wonder how on earth they can still look so perfectly fresh and composed with the air melting around them.

     

    I climb on board the waiting boat that, aside from a few pasty white tourists like me, was for the most part empty.  Off we went, spraying a roster-tail jet of water high in the air. Bumping and bouncing at a fast clip, the streamlined boat darted through the water, occasionally dousing me with a polluted-river cocktail.

     

    On our journey, we hurl past picture postcards of the city. The ancient towering and ornate Buddhist Monastery, Wat Arun, and glittering gold of the Grand Palace complex contrast with the day to day routines of children bathing in the choppy brown water and  farmers headed to market in boats laden with  bright colored fruits and vegetables.

     

    It was mid morning and the brisk ride had left me refreshed and exhilarated. I had enjoyed the slide-show glimpse of Bangkok’s past and present, each sight like a brilliant strand of Thai silk woven  into the tapestry of this fascinating city.

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