Travel Cruncher

LONDON (AP) — Protesters who have camped outside St. Paul’s Cathedral in central London for six days have forced the venerable cathedral to close to visitors for the first time since World War II, church officials said Friday.

The Dean of St. Paul’s, Rev. Graeme Knowles, said the decision to shut the doors of the iconic London church to visitors and tourists following the afternoon service was made with “a heavy heart” because of health and safety concerns.
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WARSAW, Poland (AP) — An ambitious museum devoted to the 1,000-year history of Poland’s Jews will open on the anniversary of the Warsaw ghetto uprising, officials said Monday.
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Why not travel in a massive country with a lot of adventure offerings and travel sightings with low prices? The answer: Argentina. It is known to be the sixth largest country in the whole world so traveling there would entail a longer amount of time and a lot of adrenaline rush. Serious travelers wish to visit Argentina because of its sights and shopping. The climate is not necessarily too hot all throughout the year and some parts also has winter season. One can go there on their summer season from January to February to enjoy its beaches and wearing tank tops. Or on the country’s winter season to enjoy skiing top hill and spare your selves from humidity.

More or less, Argentina’s attractions comprises of Buenos Aires (the capital city), National Parks, Beaches, and other sightings. Buenos Aires is a lovely quaint town with bistros and cafes and grand architecture. The famous National Parks are the Glaciers National Park, Patagonia and Iguazu National Park. For its beaches, Argentina boasts of Mar del Plata. Other famous sightings are San Carlos de Bariloche, San Juan and La Rioja, Jujuy, and a whole lot more. And while in Argentina, experience to be a part of their culture by doing or learning the Tango. This is a very famous dance in Argentina. Another activity that can be done in the place is seeking wildlife, hiking, biking, rock climbing, skiing, fishing, and shopping. Shopping in the country is popular especially your in for some leather finds such as bags, shoes, etc. Also, the food in Argentina is good. Their cuisine is mostly meat especially cow’s meat. Food and money is never a problem once traveling in Argentina since they have actually reasonable prices.

Fly off to Argentina and do the tango, baby!

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Tags: argentina, beach, buenos aires, Europe, mar del plata, national park, patagonia, tango, tank tops

Of beautiful lineages and breathtaking sights, Barcelona, Spain surely stands out as one of the most livable city in the world. Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain next to the biggest city – Madrid. It is also one of the most populous city of the country making it in the line of megacities like Paris, London, and Milan. Barcelona is really huge in its stature which is why it is also its metropolitan area is regarded as one of the biggest in the European Union. Given Barcelona’s size and population, its economical growth and stability is also high branding Barcelona as one of the most livable cities in the world. And in that light, the city is deemed to be one of the most visited sites in Spain. Of course, one cannot miss the beautiful people, good food, and wonderful sightings that this dynamic city has to offer.

Sights to visit and see in Barcelona

1.       Barri Gotic – this is the very heart of old Barcelona; in this area is where medieval buildings and architecture are situated. A good number of them are considered as World Heritage Sites. An important one is the work-in-progress church called La Sagrada Familia. It is aimed to be finished by the year 2026.

2.       The National Museum of Art of Catalonia – this museum contains the largest collection in Barcelona with its beautiful Romanesque arts.

3.       Montjuic – a national park and the biggest in Barcelona

4.       Park Guell – a well-known park designed by Antoni Gaudi

5.       Beaches – according to National Geographic, this city has the best beaches in the world

Hop on that plane now and take yourself to a one-of-a-kind experience in Barcelona, Spain! Adios!

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Tags: barcelona, barri gotic, beach, churches, cities, Europe, metropolitan city, montjuic, national parks, parc guell, parks, spain

Like what most people wishes to experience is to be in two places at one time, Istanbul is the best place for you to set foot on. Istanbul is city which spans to two continents namely Europe and Asia. Hence, this city bridges two different cultures of oriental and occidental histories. Istanbul is formerly known as Constantinople and is the largest city in Turkey. It has a total population of 12.8 million people. Istanbul is also one of the largest metropolitan city of Europe. The hybrid of the culture and tradition of Istanbul comprises of the different churches it has such Orthodox Church to Jewish. They also have other mixed traditions from haute couture to sports like soccer. Truly, Istanbul reserves the right to be the true melting pot of two different traditions and culture.

There are many things one can do in Turkey such as sight-seeing the different palaces, mosques, churches, museums, and complex. These places preserve one of the oldest heritages of Istanbul thus, providing a very good feel of the history behind new Istanbul. These places ought to remind travelers and locals of the old Constantinople. Some of the places to go are Topkapi Sarayi, Rustem Pasa Mosque, Hagia Sophia, Basilica Cistern, Turkish and Islamic Art Museum, Archaeological Museum Complex, Suleymaniye Mosque, and many more.

Other hot place to go in Istanbul is the Spice Bazaar known for its market of goods and spices. Another one is, the Grand Bazaar which serves as a labyrinth of more than 3,000 shops. It sells from food to jewelry to things, what-have-you. Just do remember some tips when visiting Istanbul. Be sure to dress properly when planning to visit mosques since they are conservative. Also, the host always pays the meal or if you really insist, you pay for everyone else; sharing is not their thing.

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Tags: Asia, church, constantinople, Europe, istanbul, metropolitan, metropolitan city, mosques, turkey

Are you in for an extreme adventure or a very ala-nature trip? Zermatt is the perfect place to be in. Zermatt is located in Switzerland. It is a municipality with a population of about 5,800 people. This place is famous for its mountaineering and ski activities. The place is best known as one of the most beautiful mountain areas of the world. Zermatt, obviously is characterized by huge mountains with exhilarating peaks and contours making it a very nice sight to see. Zermatt is all beauty and fun all-year-round. When one speaks of this small village, it is often associated with mountains most especially to mountain of Matterhorn. Matterhorn is an ultimate Swiss icon simply because of its beauty and fun. Visitors and tourists all over the world go to this place and try to hike in the mountains or even ski. There are also attempts of reaching the summit of Matterhorn. This place has been discovered and visited since the 1860s making it as one of the popular mountain destinations of Switzerland or even the world.

Once in Zermatt, one can go hiking around the area and also ski. The place has no car transportation, by the way. There are only horse-driven transportation and small electric vehicles. For the lodging, that is not a problem in Switzerland since they are known to have excellent hotel service. Their hotels are usually run by the owners them giving superb efficiency and service. Whole year-round, the place is great to stay whether sunny summer or chilly winter. You’ll never run out of things to look forward in Zermatt no matter what time of the year.

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Tags: beauty, Europe, hiking, Matterhorn, mountains, mountaneering, skiing, summer, switzerland, winter, zermatt

Budapest is one of the vibrant cities of Europe. It is a very dynamic city rich in culture, tradition, music, and striking panoramas of scenery in its very center of civilization. Budapest is best associated with water or body of water. This metropolitan city is known in the world for its thermal baths, and of course, the Danube River.

Once traveling in Budapest, travelers must visit its variety of must-experience things to do something related to food, history, religion, and tradition. For food, you can go visit Gerbeaud Café – it is one of the oldest cafes in town serving its well-baked cakes and pastries. In this café, you can never resist people-watching. For history, the Hungarian National Gallery and Hungarian National Museum exhibits the old and long-time ago past of this beautiful city. It displays ornaments, arts, and many others belonging to Budapest’s memory lane. For the religion, St. Stephen’s Basilica is standing as the city’s largest church. This church is where the mummified hand of Hungary’s first king is stored and preserved. Visitors are also advised to go take a lift at the church’s cupola where there is a bird’s eye view of the Pest side of the city. For tradition, Budapest is best known for its thermal baths. It is considered as one of Europe’s largest spas with 15 pools for swimming, massaging, and soaking. Locals even play chess floating this steamy baths. Surely, this is one experience worth having to do once in Budapest.

Traveling in Budapest is one full-ride experience. It gives one a worthwhile kind of vacation.

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Tags: budapest, danube river, Europe, food, history, hungary, St. Stephen's Basilica, thermal baths, tradition, vibrant