Andrew Daddo, TV travel presenter
Andrew, a presenter on The Great Outdoors since 2002, travels internationally three times a year.
"I HAVE very little to do with our holiday destinations because I spend so much time at work talking about those things.
"So my wife will ask me about it and I have interest in where we're going, but little input.
"This year we're going skiing, to Thredbo I think, for the first time in 15 years because generally I hate skiing.
"But our main family holiday is at Narooma where we camp for about a week every January with about three or four other families.
"It's nothing fancy, just tents and an ablution block.
"I love it because we can be feral. I mean, we'd go close to everyone showering once a day but you never know once you're up there.
"I love the Australian-ness of it. We have the boat and we do a bit of fishing, though I've never caught a fish in six years.
"The fanciest holiday we have ever had was when we did a home swap with a family in Paris for two weeks over Christmas.
"That was a really big deal for us. The family who owned the house where we stayed also had a car we could use and another house in Normandy. It was a pretty good way to holiday with kids. I'd definitely do that type of holiday again."
source : http://www.news.com.au
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Tasmania's Wineglass Bay full of wilderness
IT seems appropriate that in an unspoilt corner of Tasmanian wilderness the mountain range is The Hazards.
Dominating the northern reaches of scenic Freycinet National Park, the range with the rugged rocky exterior commands respect.
It may be dwarfed by peaks in more isolated areas of the Apple Isle, but it has its share of long and steep climbs, tough enough to have bushwalkers puffing.
Combine the inclines with unexpected, unforgiving changes in weather, and plenty of care is needed. A calm, sunny morning can quickly turn into a blustery, wet afternoon, as many trekkers warn.
"If you don't like the weather here, come back in half an hour," laughs Hobart-based tour guide Ian Byers, referring to the island's reputation to turn on four seasons in one day. In the same breath, though, Ian describes rain in Tasmania as "liquid gold".
Contrary to belief, The Hazards, which are made up of five distinctive craggy granite peaks, was named after an American captain Richard Hazard who was whaling in the area in the 1800s, and not for their rugged characteristics.
For serious walkers staying at the eco-friendly Freycinet Lodge – it sits at the foot of The Hazards – the climb of 454m Mount Amos, the second-highest peak in the range, is one that genuinely calls for a reasonable level of fitness.
For other, more discerning walkers who want to stretch the legs and combine an outing with some sightseeing and a slice of indulgence, there's the tantalisingly attractive "Wineglass to Wine Glass" guided walk that whets the appetite.
The track, which has been upgraded recently, begins with a steady ascent to a saddle that divides Mount Amos and 415m-high Mount Mayson.
From a lookout on the saddle, about 220m above sea level, we are rewarded for our exhaustive efforts with a breathtaking initial sighting of curved Wineglass Bay and the pure white sand that fronts turquoise waters.
(The bay, named by Frommers guides in the US as one of the top 10 favourite beaches in the world, resembles a large wineglass).
Beyond are the deep blues of a broader Thouin Bay and an even more expansive Tasman Sea.
Despite an early morning wake-up call, we find that by the time we reach the beach (about an hour) we are not the first to plant footprints in the sand.
After a 15-minute coffee break we resume the walk along the connecting Isthmus Track, a flat trail that cuts through bushland and past a lagoon that's divided in two sections.
Black cockatoos and other fascinating birds fly overhead as jets of light pierce the canopy of trees.
The track is relatively flat and protected, linking Wineglass Bay on the east with the equally white bleached sands of deserted Hazards Beach and the protected waters of Promise Bay to the west.
As we amble slowly along the water's edge of Hazards Beach we come across a sprinkling of starfish and shells of different shapes and sizes.
By now we are walking barefoot, splashing the feet in the cooling waters while learning more about the area from the enthusiastic guide Tara Larby.
There are 10 sandy beaches scattered along the fringes of the 17,000ha peninsula, and Hazards Beach is among the magical spots to walk, swim or launch a canoe for a paddle. We all agree that the beach's beauty is matched only by its deserted, tranquil surrounds.
It's appropriate that the larger bay fronting the beach is named Great Oyster as up ahead, on a raised timber platform, a delicious lunch awaits.
Chefs from the lodge have arrived early to prepare a few seafood delicacies – locally caught crayfish, mussels, clams, abalone and, yes, plates of oysters.
Sheer indulgence – a lavish feast complemented by premium wines from such nearby wineries as Freycinet Vineyard, Spring Vale and Apsley Gorge.
After an hour or two relaxing under a large umbrella sampling the many dishes, we reluctantly walk down a hill to an awaiting boat to be whisked back to the lodge, the spray in our faces.
Whether guests visit in summer or winter, Freycinet Lodge with its 60 tastefully furnished and decorated one- and two-bedroom cabins "co-existing in harmony with the bush", is a magnet for travellers who want to experience another side to Tasmania's wilderness.
Because the four-star retreat sits inside the national park's boundaries along the east coast, a vehicle fee is required for stays. But you soon realise it's money well spent.
"A world of hidden comfort," is how the people of Pure Tasmania describe their holidaying jewel. "Living proof that communing with nature does not have to mean roughing it."
The writer was a guest of Pure Tasmania, staying at Freycinet Lodge.
The Sunday Telegraph
source :
http://www.news.com.au
Dominating the northern reaches of scenic Freycinet National Park, the range with the rugged rocky exterior commands respect.
It may be dwarfed by peaks in more isolated areas of the Apple Isle, but it has its share of long and steep climbs, tough enough to have bushwalkers puffing.
Combine the inclines with unexpected, unforgiving changes in weather, and plenty of care is needed. A calm, sunny morning can quickly turn into a blustery, wet afternoon, as many trekkers warn.
"If you don't like the weather here, come back in half an hour," laughs Hobart-based tour guide Ian Byers, referring to the island's reputation to turn on four seasons in one day. In the same breath, though, Ian describes rain in Tasmania as "liquid gold".
Contrary to belief, The Hazards, which are made up of five distinctive craggy granite peaks, was named after an American captain Richard Hazard who was whaling in the area in the 1800s, and not for their rugged characteristics.
For serious walkers staying at the eco-friendly Freycinet Lodge – it sits at the foot of The Hazards – the climb of 454m Mount Amos, the second-highest peak in the range, is one that genuinely calls for a reasonable level of fitness.
For other, more discerning walkers who want to stretch the legs and combine an outing with some sightseeing and a slice of indulgence, there's the tantalisingly attractive "Wineglass to Wine Glass" guided walk that whets the appetite.
The track, which has been upgraded recently, begins with a steady ascent to a saddle that divides Mount Amos and 415m-high Mount Mayson.
From a lookout on the saddle, about 220m above sea level, we are rewarded for our exhaustive efforts with a breathtaking initial sighting of curved Wineglass Bay and the pure white sand that fronts turquoise waters.
(The bay, named by Frommers guides in the US as one of the top 10 favourite beaches in the world, resembles a large wineglass).
Beyond are the deep blues of a broader Thouin Bay and an even more expansive Tasman Sea.
Despite an early morning wake-up call, we find that by the time we reach the beach (about an hour) we are not the first to plant footprints in the sand.
After a 15-minute coffee break we resume the walk along the connecting Isthmus Track, a flat trail that cuts through bushland and past a lagoon that's divided in two sections.
Black cockatoos and other fascinating birds fly overhead as jets of light pierce the canopy of trees.
The track is relatively flat and protected, linking Wineglass Bay on the east with the equally white bleached sands of deserted Hazards Beach and the protected waters of Promise Bay to the west.
As we amble slowly along the water's edge of Hazards Beach we come across a sprinkling of starfish and shells of different shapes and sizes.
By now we are walking barefoot, splashing the feet in the cooling waters while learning more about the area from the enthusiastic guide Tara Larby.
There are 10 sandy beaches scattered along the fringes of the 17,000ha peninsula, and Hazards Beach is among the magical spots to walk, swim or launch a canoe for a paddle. We all agree that the beach's beauty is matched only by its deserted, tranquil surrounds.
It's appropriate that the larger bay fronting the beach is named Great Oyster as up ahead, on a raised timber platform, a delicious lunch awaits.
Chefs from the lodge have arrived early to prepare a few seafood delicacies – locally caught crayfish, mussels, clams, abalone and, yes, plates of oysters.
Sheer indulgence – a lavish feast complemented by premium wines from such nearby wineries as Freycinet Vineyard, Spring Vale and Apsley Gorge.
After an hour or two relaxing under a large umbrella sampling the many dishes, we reluctantly walk down a hill to an awaiting boat to be whisked back to the lodge, the spray in our faces.
Whether guests visit in summer or winter, Freycinet Lodge with its 60 tastefully furnished and decorated one- and two-bedroom cabins "co-existing in harmony with the bush", is a magnet for travellers who want to experience another side to Tasmania's wilderness.
Because the four-star retreat sits inside the national park's boundaries along the east coast, a vehicle fee is required for stays. But you soon realise it's money well spent.
"A world of hidden comfort," is how the people of Pure Tasmania describe their holidaying jewel. "Living proof that communing with nature does not have to mean roughing it."
The writer was a guest of Pure Tasmania, staying at Freycinet Lodge.
The Sunday Telegraph
source :
http://www.news.com.au
Surfing high as a kite in Port Douglas
I AM in far north Queensland and the reef operators are scowling. It's blowing 20 to 30 knots, the waters are rough and the boats are rolling. They know it will be another green day for tourists on the reef.
My kite-surfing instructor, however, grins from ear to ear. "It's makin' me smile," says Brett. "These conditions are brilliant, they couldn't be better. Look at those guys out there on the water. What's the bet they've called in sick from work today? When the conditions are spot-on, you've just got to be out there, man. Where else would you rather be?"
Well, I want to be out there with them, but my expectations are way too high. I imagined rocking up, having a few lessons and cruising off into the sunset under a fun-filled kite. Yes, I realise I may end up in Tahiti, but surely a bronzed, muscled Tahitian man can teach me how to turn around. How bad could that be?
Kite-surfing is the latest craze in extreme sports and in the past two years has proved to be one of the world's fastest-growing water sports.
Brett explains that it generally takes two full days of kite tuition before even attaching a board to the immense power source I will be trying to control.
"It looks easy to stand on your board and hold a kite but the hardest thing is to keep you standing on the water and not flying off into a nearby park. Lofting is great fun over water but not so much fun over land."
OK. So now I'm learning some of the dangers.
"We are here to keep you safe and give you the skills," he warns. "You are learning on one of the best beaches in Australia for kite-surfing. Port Douglas beach has perfect wind angle and heaps of room downwind. Here, there's a field of palm trees, not a line of skyscrapers to run into."
Hence, I don't get to play under a 12m kite straight away. Instead I start with a 3m foil kite to get the feel of things. We sand the edges, fill the kite with air and learn about pigtails, bridles and spaghetti - the mess you have with strings if the kite hasn't been packed up correctly.
There are 20m of line between the kite and the bar and Brett ably launches this little beauty into "the power zone" then "parks" at 12 o'clock.
"When you're on the board, you might park the kite at two o'clock, hook it in and there you have it, happy days," he says, not faltering once, the kite dead steady above his head. "Now it's your turn. Just try and hold it steady at 12 o'clock."
I put on the leash, take hold of the bar and can't believe the astonishing power harnessed under the sail. Instantly, my 12 o'clock plummets to three, I bring it back, teetering between 11 and one. Of course it's my destiny. Before long I'm in a downward spiral.
I can hear the shouts. "DROP THE BAR, DROP THE BAR," but fierce determination and pride takes me flying horizontally across the water, lips flapping in the breeze.
Lesson No. 1: drop the bar and lose the power in your kite so that you don't end up faceless on the nearby reef. Besides, lessons in body dragging successfully come later.
Thankfully, by the time the lunchtime crowd starts to gather on the beach, we are trying to manoeuvre through some neat-looking aerial figure eights. My neck is cranked and my eyes are watering from gazing into the midday sun but I'm starting to have some serious fun.
Farther down the palm tree-peppered beach, several kite-surfing students go through the paces of their training in various states of elation and exhaustion. They tell me it's been a tough few days but the rewards are oceans deep.
My advice is to put aside at least three days to learn the sport.
I had an exhilarating day learning how to harness the power of the wind and ocean but I'm sure in a few more days I would have left Port Douglas beach doing my highly anticipated Double Back Rolls.
Sunday Mail (QLD)
My kite-surfing instructor, however, grins from ear to ear. "It's makin' me smile," says Brett. "These conditions are brilliant, they couldn't be better. Look at those guys out there on the water. What's the bet they've called in sick from work today? When the conditions are spot-on, you've just got to be out there, man. Where else would you rather be?"
Well, I want to be out there with them, but my expectations are way too high. I imagined rocking up, having a few lessons and cruising off into the sunset under a fun-filled kite. Yes, I realise I may end up in Tahiti, but surely a bronzed, muscled Tahitian man can teach me how to turn around. How bad could that be?
Kite-surfing is the latest craze in extreme sports and in the past two years has proved to be one of the world's fastest-growing water sports.
Brett explains that it generally takes two full days of kite tuition before even attaching a board to the immense power source I will be trying to control.
"It looks easy to stand on your board and hold a kite but the hardest thing is to keep you standing on the water and not flying off into a nearby park. Lofting is great fun over water but not so much fun over land."
OK. So now I'm learning some of the dangers.
"We are here to keep you safe and give you the skills," he warns. "You are learning on one of the best beaches in Australia for kite-surfing. Port Douglas beach has perfect wind angle and heaps of room downwind. Here, there's a field of palm trees, not a line of skyscrapers to run into."
Hence, I don't get to play under a 12m kite straight away. Instead I start with a 3m foil kite to get the feel of things. We sand the edges, fill the kite with air and learn about pigtails, bridles and spaghetti - the mess you have with strings if the kite hasn't been packed up correctly.
There are 20m of line between the kite and the bar and Brett ably launches this little beauty into "the power zone" then "parks" at 12 o'clock.
"When you're on the board, you might park the kite at two o'clock, hook it in and there you have it, happy days," he says, not faltering once, the kite dead steady above his head. "Now it's your turn. Just try and hold it steady at 12 o'clock."
I put on the leash, take hold of the bar and can't believe the astonishing power harnessed under the sail. Instantly, my 12 o'clock plummets to three, I bring it back, teetering between 11 and one. Of course it's my destiny. Before long I'm in a downward spiral.
I can hear the shouts. "DROP THE BAR, DROP THE BAR," but fierce determination and pride takes me flying horizontally across the water, lips flapping in the breeze.
Lesson No. 1: drop the bar and lose the power in your kite so that you don't end up faceless on the nearby reef. Besides, lessons in body dragging successfully come later.
Thankfully, by the time the lunchtime crowd starts to gather on the beach, we are trying to manoeuvre through some neat-looking aerial figure eights. My neck is cranked and my eyes are watering from gazing into the midday sun but I'm starting to have some serious fun.
Farther down the palm tree-peppered beach, several kite-surfing students go through the paces of their training in various states of elation and exhaustion. They tell me it's been a tough few days but the rewards are oceans deep.
My advice is to put aside at least three days to learn the sport.
I had an exhilarating day learning how to harness the power of the wind and ocean but I'm sure in a few more days I would have left Port Douglas beach doing my highly anticipated Double Back Rolls.
Sunday Mail (QLD)
Eternal bliss in a heavenly place
PUMBA and Sprout may not be able to grasp the concept of time–without–end or the hereafter – but they sure know they live in heaven on Earth.
This disparate canine pair (Pumba big; Sprout really small) actually live in Eternity and caper up and down the Stairway To Heaven and into Heaven, oh about 60 times a day.
Sound a little hippie?
But, of course.
Eternity is, in reality, a lush, sprawling retreat on 8ha of rainforest in the Northern Rivers hinterland haven of The Channon, just a few clicks down the track from Nimbin.
And Heaven, dedicated to community events, is a huge platform, two-thirds roofed on huge poles, on a large, grassy plateau overlooking wetlands, surrounded by rainforest and within a gurgle of a private waterfall.
There's a range of exotic accommodation at Eternity Springs Art Farm and B&B to suit all types and budgets but, if you're lucky like us, you'll find Lotus Cottage isn't booked out at the time you want.
Lotus is heaven on a stick; well, OK - poles.
We drive up from Ballina airport, turn in at the rainbow banner and enter another world.
Up a slope from the rest of the accommodation and surrounded by rainforest ferns, palms and lily pad ponds, Lotus is contemporary and fully self-contained.
It has a huge bedroom with massive robes and en suite, an open-plan kitchen and living room - and, best of all, front and back verandas.
We sling the luggage away, put on a bluesy CD, break open the crackers, cheese and pate, pour a mighty fine red and ensconce ourselves on the front deck.
It's twilight, the drizzle pings on the roof and fronds, and we're being serenaded by a ribbeting frog chorus.
Morning brings the same drizzle (no overflowing gutters but downchains channelling the water into storage), the frog chorus joined by crickets, cicadas and the staccato call of a whipbird's call.
There's milk in a doily-topped jug, just-baked bread wrapped in a cloth tea towel, free-range eggs and butter in a bowl.
That sets us up beautifully for a quick foray into The Channon, a pretty little village set amid hills and rainforest with its Heritage-listed Channon Tavern - an erstwhile butter factory, village store and tea house.
On the second Sunday of each month, The Channon comes to life with its funky craft market.
Around 10,000 people pour into the small village to sample the home-made cuisine and buy the produce and hand-crafted goods offered by some 250 stalls.
There's also the annual Opera at The Channon, performed in the natural amphitheatre of Coronation Park.
Then it's off to the nearby World Heritage areas - Whian Whian State Conservation Area and Nightcap National Park - on The Channon's doorstep and a mosey through Bangalow for lunch.
The 4000ha Nightcap is just a 15km drive away with stacks of scenic stops and a very doable 1.4km return walk to the stunning Protesters Falls.
Whian Whian, with its saved-from-logging Heritage rainforest, is another 15km on.
Here, you can take in its Minyon Falls from the top, with picnic area and viewing platform, or from the bottom hike trail.
On to Bangalow with its colourful heritage shop fronts, art galleries, antique and boutique shops and array of eateries.
We opt for Patrick and Kathy Hobb's raved-about restaurant, Fresca at the Bangalow pub, and we're not let down. Try the roast beetroot with Persian fetta, rocquette and pine nut salad and basil lime dressing, or the baked black mussels in a bag. Top stuff.
A few jars on the pub's back verandah and back to heaven. Tonight, owner Amanda has concocted a special treat: roo balls (ahem, minced kangaroo), some with lime and coriander, others with macadamia nuts. Bliss.
We chow down on her back veranda overlooking grottoes of hot tubs, outdoor showers and sub-tropical garden.
For Amanda, Eternity is an eco work - leadlight windows, permaculture orchards, vegie gardens, worm farm and chooks - in progress, begun in 2001 and ever-evolving with art and craft workshops on offer along with meditation, dance and yoga.
But don't get the idea this is rugged, unwashed hippiedom. The accommodation (bar the camping choice) comes with all mod cons and either ensuites or shared bathrooms.
And you can be as private as you want -- laze in your hammock, de-stress, chill out, smell the flowers and listen to the frog chorus. Or you can book when there's a workshop happening.
There's a heap of other forays on hand, with quaint hinterland villages, psychedelic Nimbin and the beach towns of Byron and Ballina just short drives away.
It's with real regret that we pack up and leave.
Pumba, Sprout and ring-in Smokey (Amanda's daughter's rescued pooch) make a show of farewelling, then scamper back up to Heaven. Lucky dogs!
The writer was a guest of TourismNSW.
The Sunday Telegraph
source :http://www.news.com.au
This disparate canine pair (Pumba big; Sprout really small) actually live in Eternity and caper up and down the Stairway To Heaven and into Heaven, oh about 60 times a day.
Sound a little hippie?
But, of course.
Eternity is, in reality, a lush, sprawling retreat on 8ha of rainforest in the Northern Rivers hinterland haven of The Channon, just a few clicks down the track from Nimbin.
And Heaven, dedicated to community events, is a huge platform, two-thirds roofed on huge poles, on a large, grassy plateau overlooking wetlands, surrounded by rainforest and within a gurgle of a private waterfall.
There's a range of exotic accommodation at Eternity Springs Art Farm and B&B to suit all types and budgets but, if you're lucky like us, you'll find Lotus Cottage isn't booked out at the time you want.
Lotus is heaven on a stick; well, OK - poles.
We drive up from Ballina airport, turn in at the rainbow banner and enter another world.
Up a slope from the rest of the accommodation and surrounded by rainforest ferns, palms and lily pad ponds, Lotus is contemporary and fully self-contained.
It has a huge bedroom with massive robes and en suite, an open-plan kitchen and living room - and, best of all, front and back verandas.
We sling the luggage away, put on a bluesy CD, break open the crackers, cheese and pate, pour a mighty fine red and ensconce ourselves on the front deck.
It's twilight, the drizzle pings on the roof and fronds, and we're being serenaded by a ribbeting frog chorus.
Morning brings the same drizzle (no overflowing gutters but downchains channelling the water into storage), the frog chorus joined by crickets, cicadas and the staccato call of a whipbird's call.
There's milk in a doily-topped jug, just-baked bread wrapped in a cloth tea towel, free-range eggs and butter in a bowl.
That sets us up beautifully for a quick foray into The Channon, a pretty little village set amid hills and rainforest with its Heritage-listed Channon Tavern - an erstwhile butter factory, village store and tea house.
On the second Sunday of each month, The Channon comes to life with its funky craft market.
Around 10,000 people pour into the small village to sample the home-made cuisine and buy the produce and hand-crafted goods offered by some 250 stalls.
There's also the annual Opera at The Channon, performed in the natural amphitheatre of Coronation Park.
Then it's off to the nearby World Heritage areas - Whian Whian State Conservation Area and Nightcap National Park - on The Channon's doorstep and a mosey through Bangalow for lunch.
The 4000ha Nightcap is just a 15km drive away with stacks of scenic stops and a very doable 1.4km return walk to the stunning Protesters Falls.
Whian Whian, with its saved-from-logging Heritage rainforest, is another 15km on.
Here, you can take in its Minyon Falls from the top, with picnic area and viewing platform, or from the bottom hike trail.
On to Bangalow with its colourful heritage shop fronts, art galleries, antique and boutique shops and array of eateries.
We opt for Patrick and Kathy Hobb's raved-about restaurant, Fresca at the Bangalow pub, and we're not let down. Try the roast beetroot with Persian fetta, rocquette and pine nut salad and basil lime dressing, or the baked black mussels in a bag. Top stuff.
A few jars on the pub's back verandah and back to heaven. Tonight, owner Amanda has concocted a special treat: roo balls (ahem, minced kangaroo), some with lime and coriander, others with macadamia nuts. Bliss.
We chow down on her back veranda overlooking grottoes of hot tubs, outdoor showers and sub-tropical garden.
For Amanda, Eternity is an eco work - leadlight windows, permaculture orchards, vegie gardens, worm farm and chooks - in progress, begun in 2001 and ever-evolving with art and craft workshops on offer along with meditation, dance and yoga.
But don't get the idea this is rugged, unwashed hippiedom. The accommodation (bar the camping choice) comes with all mod cons and either ensuites or shared bathrooms.
And you can be as private as you want -- laze in your hammock, de-stress, chill out, smell the flowers and listen to the frog chorus. Or you can book when there's a workshop happening.
There's a heap of other forays on hand, with quaint hinterland villages, psychedelic Nimbin and the beach towns of Byron and Ballina just short drives away.
It's with real regret that we pack up and leave.
Pumba, Sprout and ring-in Smokey (Amanda's daughter's rescued pooch) make a show of farewelling, then scamper back up to Heaven. Lucky dogs!
The writer was a guest of TourismNSW.
The Sunday Telegraph
source :http://www.news.com.au
PRESIDENT AND CEO OF TRALLIANCE CORPORATION TO ADDRESS EXPOTUR 2008
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL - May, 8, 2008 - President and CEO of Tralliance Corporation, Edward A. Cespedes, will address EXPOTUR 2008 in San Jose, Costa Rica early next week. EXPOTUR is an annual event hosted by ACOPROT, the Costa Rican Association of Professionals in Tourism, and has been taking place since 1985. More than 260 selling firms from Central America and other numerous International wholesale businesspeople will attend.
Cespedes is to participate in the Official Inauguration of the event on the night of May 13 with a special announcement to kick off the three day event. Also, he will address the elite audience of two invitation-only events of May 14 and 15. During his visit to Costa Rica, Cespedes plans to present an update on the progress of .travel worldwide, specifically in Latin America, as well as its impact on the future of travel and tourism.
“EXPOTUR and our hosts ACOPROT have given me a great honor as a special guest at the Official Inauguration and as an invited speaker,” stated Cespedes, “I look forward to sharing in the growing success of the .travel domain with EXPOTUR in the future.”
With over 230,000 .travel names active and interest growing significantly worldwide, EXPOTUR and ACOPROT are pleased to feature .travel to the thriving Latin American tourism market.
For more information on EXPOTUR 2008, please visit www.EXPOTUR.com and for further information on Tralliance Corporation and the .travel domain, please visit, www.travel.travel
Cespedes is to participate in the Official Inauguration of the event on the night of May 13 with a special announcement to kick off the three day event. Also, he will address the elite audience of two invitation-only events of May 14 and 15. During his visit to Costa Rica, Cespedes plans to present an update on the progress of .travel worldwide, specifically in Latin America, as well as its impact on the future of travel and tourism.
“EXPOTUR and our hosts ACOPROT have given me a great honor as a special guest at the Official Inauguration and as an invited speaker,” stated Cespedes, “I look forward to sharing in the growing success of the .travel domain with EXPOTUR in the future.”
With over 230,000 .travel names active and interest growing significantly worldwide, EXPOTUR and ACOPROT are pleased to feature .travel to the thriving Latin American tourism market.
For more information on EXPOTUR 2008, please visit www.EXPOTUR.com and for further information on Tralliance Corporation and the .travel domain, please visit, www.travel.travel
Friday, May 9, 2008
Offbeat Shopping Streets
By Terry Ward
Rodeo Drive. Worth Avenue. Oxford Street. The Champs-Élysées.
Brimming with luxury items that lure the well-heeled into their upper echelon retail realms, the high streets of the shopping world make no secret of their purchasing priorities: Luxury goods destined for A-listers and moneyed mavens and misters with a preference for big-name brands pulled straight from celebrity backs and glossy magazines.
If your shopping tastes tend more to the one-off and eclectic end of the spectrum (not to mention the affordable), give the high streets a miss and make tracks for the offbeat shopping locales instead, where the emphasis is on styles with organic and local inspiration.
more :http://www.travelchannel.com/Travel_Ideas/Shopping/Offbeat_Shopping_Streets
Have faith, shoppers -- not everything has gone mass market! Here are four offbeat shopping streets, sourced from around the planet, where you can set your sights on retail therapy of the non-chain genre.
Upper King Street -- Charleston, SC
Inject some Southern style into your wardrobe with a visit to King Street -- but be sure you have your bearings right if it's edgy you're after. The lower end of King Street (handily called Lower King) offers little out of the ordinary -- chain retailers found in most major American malls abound, with a crowd mostly of the Abercrombie & Fitch and Gap variety. But the farther you venture along, the edgier the shops and the shoppers get. Upper King Street is flat-out funky. From independent jewelry ateliers to hat boutiques like Magar Hatworks -- where the head-candy is folded like so much velvet origami and embellished with peacock and pheasant feathers -- it's a meeting of design-oriented minds. Get lost in a world of boho-chic and ultra-femme women's threads at B'zar, a fashion boutique that also sells quirky gifts in the form of vinyl toys from Japan and unusual books.
North Orange Avenue -- Orlando, FL
The city of myriad outlet malls and endless theme-park diversions is the last place most plastic-pushing patrons think to exercise their freedom to charge. But what the European tourists who descend in droves on the upscale Mall at Millenia miss is one of Orlando's little known zany shopping streets close to downtown on North Orange Avenue. Don't let the string of antique shops make you think it's all fuddy-duddy here. Dotted between those dusty denizens are unique boutiques such as Déjà Vu Vintage (no website), a tiny shop that looks like an overstuffed closet accessed by time travel. The proprietress, a lanky redhead who goes by the name Red Robin ("I'm not sitting here making it," she'll laugh, if you ask where she finds all her stuff), is your guide as you rifle through racks to find that perfect vintage kimono, antique hatpin or '70s party getup. A few doors down at Boom-Art (no website), a husband and wife team who were once circus clowns breathe new life into vintage furnishings and décor items by livening them up with comic-strip art. For exotic home furnishings, cross the street to Living Morocco, where camel-leather lamps painted with henna and elaborate mosaic tables are sourced during the owner's buying trips to Marrakech and Fes.
Josefstrasse -- Zurich, Switzerland
It's amazing the difference a 180-degree turn can make in Switzerland's banking capital. Head south out of the main train station in Zurich, and you'll find yourself in the uber-chichi shopping zone of the Bahnhofstrasse, home to Prada, Gucci, Bulgari and all their big-name cousins. But set your sights north of the Hauptbahnhof, to the neighborhood of Zurich West, and surprise yourself with Zurich's hottest fledgling design scene instead. Knitwear gets the X-factor at Beige Swiss Styling, a women's fashion boutique where the highlights are skirts and dresses in luscious merino wool rendered with eye-popping retro patterns. A few doors down, at Swallow-d, designer Tamara Rist creates colorful handbags and wallets from deck-chair canvas and vinyl. And for Swiss-chic home decor, hit Einzigart, with its curious range of haute-design lighting fixtures and furnishings and out-there gag gifts such as whoopee cushions.
Ponsonby Road -- Auckland, New Zealand
New Zealand's biggest city may be overshadowed on the fashion front by its brassy and beachy trans-Tasman cousin, Sydney, but Auckland's burgeoning design scene is nothing to scoff at, with talented antipodean designers cropping up faster than a New Zealand minute (but slower than a New York one) in the hip downtown hood of Ponsonby. If you can tear yourself away from the cozy cafes serving killer coffee (speak like a Kiwi and order a "flat white" if a latte is your usual preference) along Ponsonby Road, the retail therapy will not disappoint. Super feminine dresses in light-as-air fabrics and vintage jewelry star at women's clothing shop Widdess, home to Auckland designer Yvonna Vanhulzen's designs. And for one-of-a-kind handmade shell jewelry wrought from New Zealand's impossibly beautiful blue and green paua shells, hit Shell Shock, a few doors down.
Rodeo Drive. Worth Avenue. Oxford Street. The Champs-Élysées.
Brimming with luxury items that lure the well-heeled into their upper echelon retail realms, the high streets of the shopping world make no secret of their purchasing priorities: Luxury goods destined for A-listers and moneyed mavens and misters with a preference for big-name brands pulled straight from celebrity backs and glossy magazines.
If your shopping tastes tend more to the one-off and eclectic end of the spectrum (not to mention the affordable), give the high streets a miss and make tracks for the offbeat shopping locales instead, where the emphasis is on styles with organic and local inspiration.
more :http://www.travelchannel.com/Travel_Ideas/Shopping/Offbeat_Shopping_Streets
Have faith, shoppers -- not everything has gone mass market! Here are four offbeat shopping streets, sourced from around the planet, where you can set your sights on retail therapy of the non-chain genre.
Upper King Street -- Charleston, SC
Inject some Southern style into your wardrobe with a visit to King Street -- but be sure you have your bearings right if it's edgy you're after. The lower end of King Street (handily called Lower King) offers little out of the ordinary -- chain retailers found in most major American malls abound, with a crowd mostly of the Abercrombie & Fitch and Gap variety. But the farther you venture along, the edgier the shops and the shoppers get. Upper King Street is flat-out funky. From independent jewelry ateliers to hat boutiques like Magar Hatworks -- where the head-candy is folded like so much velvet origami and embellished with peacock and pheasant feathers -- it's a meeting of design-oriented minds. Get lost in a world of boho-chic and ultra-femme women's threads at B'zar, a fashion boutique that also sells quirky gifts in the form of vinyl toys from Japan and unusual books.
North Orange Avenue -- Orlando, FL
The city of myriad outlet malls and endless theme-park diversions is the last place most plastic-pushing patrons think to exercise their freedom to charge. But what the European tourists who descend in droves on the upscale Mall at Millenia miss is one of Orlando's little known zany shopping streets close to downtown on North Orange Avenue. Don't let the string of antique shops make you think it's all fuddy-duddy here. Dotted between those dusty denizens are unique boutiques such as Déjà Vu Vintage (no website), a tiny shop that looks like an overstuffed closet accessed by time travel. The proprietress, a lanky redhead who goes by the name Red Robin ("I'm not sitting here making it," she'll laugh, if you ask where she finds all her stuff), is your guide as you rifle through racks to find that perfect vintage kimono, antique hatpin or '70s party getup. A few doors down at Boom-Art (no website), a husband and wife team who were once circus clowns breathe new life into vintage furnishings and décor items by livening them up with comic-strip art. For exotic home furnishings, cross the street to Living Morocco, where camel-leather lamps painted with henna and elaborate mosaic tables are sourced during the owner's buying trips to Marrakech and Fes.
Josefstrasse -- Zurich, Switzerland
It's amazing the difference a 180-degree turn can make in Switzerland's banking capital. Head south out of the main train station in Zurich, and you'll find yourself in the uber-chichi shopping zone of the Bahnhofstrasse, home to Prada, Gucci, Bulgari and all their big-name cousins. But set your sights north of the Hauptbahnhof, to the neighborhood of Zurich West, and surprise yourself with Zurich's hottest fledgling design scene instead. Knitwear gets the X-factor at Beige Swiss Styling, a women's fashion boutique where the highlights are skirts and dresses in luscious merino wool rendered with eye-popping retro patterns. A few doors down, at Swallow-d, designer Tamara Rist creates colorful handbags and wallets from deck-chair canvas and vinyl. And for Swiss-chic home decor, hit Einzigart, with its curious range of haute-design lighting fixtures and furnishings and out-there gag gifts such as whoopee cushions.
Ponsonby Road -- Auckland, New Zealand
New Zealand's biggest city may be overshadowed on the fashion front by its brassy and beachy trans-Tasman cousin, Sydney, but Auckland's burgeoning design scene is nothing to scoff at, with talented antipodean designers cropping up faster than a New Zealand minute (but slower than a New York one) in the hip downtown hood of Ponsonby. If you can tear yourself away from the cozy cafes serving killer coffee (speak like a Kiwi and order a "flat white" if a latte is your usual preference) along Ponsonby Road, the retail therapy will not disappoint. Super feminine dresses in light-as-air fabrics and vintage jewelry star at women's clothing shop Widdess, home to Auckland designer Yvonna Vanhulzen's designs. And for one-of-a-kind handmade shell jewelry wrought from New Zealand's impossibly beautiful blue and green paua shells, hit Shell Shock, a few doors down.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Grand Cayman: A diving mecca and more
Recommended trip includes:
Five nights at the Grand Cayman Marriott
Ultimate Undersea Adventure Trip
Red Sail Sports – Grand Cayman Scuba Dive
Atlantis Submarine
Stingray City Snorkel Trip
Want more info, or prefer to book by phone? Call an Expedia Vacation Specialist 24/7 at
1-888-443-9733
Where you're going: Grand Cayman
Grand Cayman’s major claim to fame is its diving scene—the island has over 250 dive sites, where crystal-clear waters absolutely invite exploration, and offer a window to amazing underwater diversity. Not a diver? No problem. There are many other natural attractions, in addition to fine hotels, pubs, nightclubs, restaurants, and shops.
Where you're staying: Grand Cayman Marriott
All the fun starts here. This Marriott is fronted by 100 yards of Grand Cayman’s famous beach and offers a water sports center right on site. Get signed up for scuba classes and certification—or rent snorkeling gear, personal watercraft, kayaks, speed boats, sailboats, and pedal boats. A pool, health spa, and fitness center are also at the ready. Find out more...
What you can do: Scuba dive, submarine ride
Explore Cayman’s Underwater Marine Park via the Atlantis XI Submarine. It’s a technological marvel and an ultra-comfortable ride through coral canyons. Later, catch a catamaran to Stingray City, where snorkeling and swimming with these graceful creatures is a must. Then it's on to a coral reef full of friendly fish for a second snorkel, followed by lunch and drinks from the open bar.
Find out more about the Atlantis Submarine.
Find out more about Stingray City Snorkel Trip.
Find out more about Grand Cayman Scuba Dive
read more
Five nights at the Grand Cayman Marriott
Ultimate Undersea Adventure Trip
Red Sail Sports – Grand Cayman Scuba Dive
Atlantis Submarine
Stingray City Snorkel Trip
Want more info, or prefer to book by phone? Call an Expedia Vacation Specialist 24/7 at
1-888-443-9733
Where you're going: Grand Cayman
Grand Cayman’s major claim to fame is its diving scene—the island has over 250 dive sites, where crystal-clear waters absolutely invite exploration, and offer a window to amazing underwater diversity. Not a diver? No problem. There are many other natural attractions, in addition to fine hotels, pubs, nightclubs, restaurants, and shops.
Where you're staying: Grand Cayman Marriott
All the fun starts here. This Marriott is fronted by 100 yards of Grand Cayman’s famous beach and offers a water sports center right on site. Get signed up for scuba classes and certification—or rent snorkeling gear, personal watercraft, kayaks, speed boats, sailboats, and pedal boats. A pool, health spa, and fitness center are also at the ready. Find out more...
What you can do: Scuba dive, submarine ride
Explore Cayman’s Underwater Marine Park via the Atlantis XI Submarine. It’s a technological marvel and an ultra-comfortable ride through coral canyons. Later, catch a catamaran to Stingray City, where snorkeling and swimming with these graceful creatures is a must. Then it's on to a coral reef full of friendly fish for a second snorkel, followed by lunch and drinks from the open bar.
Find out more about the Atlantis Submarine.
Find out more about Stingray City Snorkel Trip.
Find out more about Grand Cayman Scuba Dive
read more
Attraction List
Location: South Sinai
Place Description
Located on Egypt's international borders on the Aqaba Gulf about 75 km. from Nuweiba, it boasts a most exquisite panorama of sea and mountains. The region is distinguished by its numerous bays, coves and lagoons.
The Hilton Taba Hotel (5 stars) stands on a high hill overlooking the Aqaba Gulf, opposite to the lsraeli port of Eilat and in front of Saudi Arabia & Jordan so the importance of Taba's geographical location lies in that it atracts tourist from East Asia. Next to it is a tourist village.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
More about Sinai
Sinai
Sinai ... a place made unique by a combination of its charming and attractive elements :
a time-long history
a diversity of natural beauty
a sanctity permeating its air
Sinai-by its geographical location-is the junction between Asia and Africa . It is shaped like an inverted triangle, with the base stretching between Rafah and Port Said, in the north, and the apex, Ras Mohammed, in the south .
This prominent and strategic position of the Sinai Peninsula has made it, since the dawn of history, the gateway to Egypt from the east. Sinai’s history goes back to the Pharaohs who explored its land, searching for gold, copper and turquoise. Thus, it came to be known as the Land of Turquoise . Sinai is rich in scenery. To the north, palm-shaded sandy beaches stretch along the Mediterranean shore. Along the Gulfs of Aqaba and Suez, soft golden sands surround bays of clear blue water, there are tourist villages and fishing and snorkeling centers, where the waters are rich with rare marine life and exquisite coral reefs sweet water springs are scattered throughout Sinai. In the south, the towering mountains with their beautiful reddish colored rocks are surrounded by huge valleys leading to the Holy Mountain. Sinai also boasts of various medicinal plants and different kinds of indigenous and migrating birds. Because of its geological nature, Sinai was divided administratively into the twin North and South Sinai Governorates, with Al-Arish and Al-Tor as their respective capitals.
HOW TO GET TO SINAI
From outside Egypt
Many international flights now go direct to Sharm el-Sheikh, contact your travel agent for details.
From Cairo
Overland:
Buses run by the East Delta Bus Company. Terminus in Abbassia.
Tel: +20-2-4824753 Fax: +20-2-2619784
Limousine cars: Tel: +20-2-2599813/1867/4
By air:
Egyptair: egyptair@idsc.gov.eg Tel: +20-2-5750600 (Cairo)
Sinai Air Company: Tel:+20-2-776893/760948 (Nile Hilton Hotel)
ZAS: Tel: +20-2-2918030 (Novotel, Cairo)
read more
Place Description
Located on Egypt's international borders on the Aqaba Gulf about 75 km. from Nuweiba, it boasts a most exquisite panorama of sea and mountains. The region is distinguished by its numerous bays, coves and lagoons.
The Hilton Taba Hotel (5 stars) stands on a high hill overlooking the Aqaba Gulf, opposite to the lsraeli port of Eilat and in front of Saudi Arabia & Jordan so the importance of Taba's geographical location lies in that it atracts tourist from East Asia. Next to it is a tourist village.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
More about Sinai
Sinai
Sinai ... a place made unique by a combination of its charming and attractive elements :
a time-long history
a diversity of natural beauty
a sanctity permeating its air
Sinai-by its geographical location-is the junction between Asia and Africa . It is shaped like an inverted triangle, with the base stretching between Rafah and Port Said, in the north, and the apex, Ras Mohammed, in the south .
This prominent and strategic position of the Sinai Peninsula has made it, since the dawn of history, the gateway to Egypt from the east. Sinai’s history goes back to the Pharaohs who explored its land, searching for gold, copper and turquoise. Thus, it came to be known as the Land of Turquoise . Sinai is rich in scenery. To the north, palm-shaded sandy beaches stretch along the Mediterranean shore. Along the Gulfs of Aqaba and Suez, soft golden sands surround bays of clear blue water, there are tourist villages and fishing and snorkeling centers, where the waters are rich with rare marine life and exquisite coral reefs sweet water springs are scattered throughout Sinai. In the south, the towering mountains with their beautiful reddish colored rocks are surrounded by huge valleys leading to the Holy Mountain. Sinai also boasts of various medicinal plants and different kinds of indigenous and migrating birds. Because of its geological nature, Sinai was divided administratively into the twin North and South Sinai Governorates, with Al-Arish and Al-Tor as their respective capitals.
HOW TO GET TO SINAI
From outside Egypt
Many international flights now go direct to Sharm el-Sheikh, contact your travel agent for details.
From Cairo
Overland:
Buses run by the East Delta Bus Company. Terminus in Abbassia.
Tel: +20-2-4824753 Fax: +20-2-2619784
Limousine cars: Tel: +20-2-2599813/1867/4
By air:
Egyptair: egyptair@idsc.gov.eg Tel: +20-2-5750600 (Cairo)
Sinai Air Company: Tel:+20-2-776893/760948 (Nile Hilton Hotel)
ZAS: Tel: +20-2-2918030 (Novotel, Cairo)
read more
San Diego: Stay at an island resort, see the sights
Recommended trip includes:
Three nights at the Paradise Point Resort & Spa – A Noble House Resort
San Diego Zoo Best Value Ticket
SeaWorld San Diego Deluxe Admission Ticket or One-Day Ticket
Want more info, or prefer to book by phone? Call an Expedia Vacation Specialist 24/7 at
1-888-443-9733
Where you're going: San Diego
Tell ‘em to pack their shorts and flip-flops, ‘cause the sun’s up in San Diego. In fact, the climate is near-perfect all year round, making this metropolis one gigantic outdoor playground. Home to 70 miles of beaches, the world-famous San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park, SeaWorld, many charming neighborhoods, and a rich Spanish-Mexican heritage, this city tops the lists of family favorites.
Where you're staying: Paradise Point Resort & Spa — A Noble House Resort
Lagoons. Pools. Gardens. Golf. Basketball. Bikes. Restaurant. Spa. Quite simply, this resort has something for everyone. The bungalow-style retreat is set on an island within Mission Bay Aquatic Park—San Diego’s premier water sports playground. SeaWorld is a 5-minute drive away; downtown San Diego is 7 miles away. Stay four nights, and you’ll save on rates. Find out more...
What you can do: The San Diego Zoo, SeaWorld
Spend at least a day at San Diego’s wonderful zoo. There are 100 acres to explore and more than 4,000 rare and endangered animals to visit—don’t miss the pandas! Best Value Tickets include admission, a guided bus tour, and aerial tram ride. Next, rally the troops for SeaWorld, where Deluxe admission is the ticket to two days of aquatic action and a behind-the-scenes tour.
Find out more about San Diego Zoo Best Value Tickets.
Find out more about SeaWorld
read more
Three nights at the Paradise Point Resort & Spa – A Noble House Resort
San Diego Zoo Best Value Ticket
SeaWorld San Diego Deluxe Admission Ticket or One-Day Ticket
Want more info, or prefer to book by phone? Call an Expedia Vacation Specialist 24/7 at
1-888-443-9733
Where you're going: San Diego
Tell ‘em to pack their shorts and flip-flops, ‘cause the sun’s up in San Diego. In fact, the climate is near-perfect all year round, making this metropolis one gigantic outdoor playground. Home to 70 miles of beaches, the world-famous San Diego Zoo, Balboa Park, SeaWorld, many charming neighborhoods, and a rich Spanish-Mexican heritage, this city tops the lists of family favorites.
Where you're staying: Paradise Point Resort & Spa — A Noble House Resort
Lagoons. Pools. Gardens. Golf. Basketball. Bikes. Restaurant. Spa. Quite simply, this resort has something for everyone. The bungalow-style retreat is set on an island within Mission Bay Aquatic Park—San Diego’s premier water sports playground. SeaWorld is a 5-minute drive away; downtown San Diego is 7 miles away. Stay four nights, and you’ll save on rates. Find out more...
What you can do: The San Diego Zoo, SeaWorld
Spend at least a day at San Diego’s wonderful zoo. There are 100 acres to explore and more than 4,000 rare and endangered animals to visit—don’t miss the pandas! Best Value Tickets include admission, a guided bus tour, and aerial tram ride. Next, rally the troops for SeaWorld, where Deluxe admission is the ticket to two days of aquatic action and a behind-the-scenes tour.
Find out more about San Diego Zoo Best Value Tickets.
Find out more about SeaWorld
read more
Ancient Egyptian Religion
A comprehensible knowledge of Egyptian religion is indispensable for anyone who wishes to grasp the essence of the Egyptian civilization. Religion had deeply dominated all aspects of the Egyptian culture, its art, science, government, and law. To sum up it was the womb of that ancient culture. Egyptian religion can be characterized by its infinite complexity and diversity. This diversity is justified by the constant growth of religious beliefs over many centuries during which new ideas were introduced without ever discarding any old ones (except during the reign of Akhenaten). Therefore, to the ancient Egyptian this diversity of beliefs and gods was acceptable, consequently each divine power was approached by a variety of images related to nature, animal and human life.
Sources of information:
Much of our knowledge about religion comes from the religious literature in the form of hymns, charms, spells, and other religious texts inscribed on the walls of the tombs & temples, and on coffins, stelae, statues and papyri. The earliest religious writings were the Pyramid Texts written on the walls of the burial chambers of the fifth and sixth dynasties rulers within their pyramids. In the Middle Kingdom these were transferred from the structure of the tomb to the coffins thus given the name the Coffin Texts. In the New Kingdom these are replaced by what is known as the Book of the Dead (190 chapters), which were rolls of papyrus buried with the dead in the coffin. Apart from the Book of the Dead various other 'books' are known as the Am-duat, Book of the Gates, Book of the day and night etc... The texts in their various forms were concentrating on one subject that was mainly the welfare of the dead and his journey in the after life.
Gods and Myth
The Egyptian pantheon was so diversified, it included many gods which varied in character and form, some being defined by myth, and others by geographical location and organization into groups.
Local Deities
Ancient Egypt was composed of many local areas referred to as nomes, each district possessed its own traditions and customs with its own divinity that was worshipped by its inhabitants. These deities shared the fate of their localities meaning that depending on the political and economic importance of the locality, some of the deities were promoted to state gods whose cults spread all over the country for example Ptah of Memphis, Amon of Thebes and Re of Heliopolis.
Cosmic Deities
There were other gods who did not have local basis however they participated and fulfilled their roles in general myths of creation like Nun which was a personification of chaos before creation.
Minor Deities
Most Egyptians did not have an access to the state gods in the temples' shrines, which represented the most sacred place. The people could only approach the gods in the national festivals. However there were additional deities who answered the everyday life wishes and were connected with the family. These are referred to as household deities. The most popular were Bes and Tawert which were associated to child birth.
Gods represented themselves in various forms and manifested human behavior. They thought, they spoke, they dined, and they had emotions. Sometimes they went into battle and traveled by boat, some even drank to excess, as illustrated by the behavior of the goddess Hathor in the myth of The Destruction of Mankind. The forms of the deities were numerous. They could be human such as the gods Amon and Ptah, or animal such as the gods Anubis as a jackal and Sobek as a crocodile. The Egyptians sometimes combined human and animal forms in one image such as the gods Horus shown as a falcon-headed man and Sekhmet as a lioness headed woman. Often the same deity possessed more than one form of representation .
Gods were assimilated together to form sets composed of three deities, two adults and one youthful deity. These were referred to as triads like The Theban triad composed of Amon- Re and Mut as his consort with Khonsu as their child, another common way of combining gods together is referred to as syncretism, it is when a deity takes the name and character of a more important one, therefore Amon Re means Amon in the form of Re.
Egyptians' conception of the origin of the world
In the Egyptian view of the universe, both the divine and human worlds had come into being at the time of the creation, before which there were only an uncreated matter. The act of creation took place when this matter was separated into the myriad different forms that make up the created world. There was mainly three major creation myths in ancient Egypt. One of the major creation myths was associated with the religious centre of Heliopolis, the creator god who was self generated, began the creation by masturbation thus creation the first pair of male and female deities, who in turn produced another pair ...etc.
The temple as the cosmos
The temple was considered the dwelling house of the god, it was a miniature picture of the world at the moment of creation. The temple was conceived as the center of creation. This symbolic role of the temple was expressed in its location and design as well as the decoration of its walls and ceiling. The structure was separated from the outside world by a massive mud brick enclosure wall which symbolize the watery state of the cosmos at creation. Within this lay the main wall or the entrance wall, decorated with scenes of the king slaughtering his enemies. The pylon is the largest element in the temple symbolizing the hieroglyph of the horizon with its two massive columns and the gap between them. The orientation of the temple was always east-west, therefore the sun rises in the pylon gateway penetrating with its rays to the sanctuary (or shrine in which the statue of the god was kept) which is placed in axis. The sanctuary represent the mound of creation. Therefore in passing through the temple, toward the sanctuary, one goes through the various phases of creation. The hypostyle hall encompasses the decorative scheme of the whole. The hall with its columns represented the marsh of creation while the ceiling is decorated with reliefs of the sky. On the walls, the activity of the world is represented, and in terms of the temple the give and take relation between the king and the god is the core of the world activity. There was a consistent general pattern of temple building. This pattern ensured a gradual approach was made to the divinity. The arrangement consisted of a gradual move from light to shadow, with a rise in the ground floor and lowering of the ceiling.
The temple's daily ritual was a dramatization of the god's daily life. The main services at dawn, midday, and night consisted of washing, anointment, adornment with clothing and feeding of the deity with offerings. The great festivals represented the god's social life when he was taken in procession to visit another deity in his house or received such a visit. These procedures stand in sharp contrast with the religious practices of the majority of the Egyptians.
Rituals
It was ritual not myth that dominated the religious thought of ancient Egypt. In each of the main temples the king was regarded symbolically as the high priest. There were three services performed each day, at dawn, at midday and in the evening all centered around purification and offerings presented to the god.
Festivals
In the daily rituals the public had no role, in fact access to the inner parts of the temple was strictly forbidden to the common people, they can only participate in the great festivals. Each temple had a calendar of its feasts. One of the most important festivals was The feast of Opet held in Thebes during the second month of the season of the inundation. At this feast Amon barked from Karnak to Luxor accompanied by the boats of Mut and Khonsu, another important festival was The New Year Feast. There was also the visit of the goddess Hathor of Dandara to the god Horus of Edfu. The procession of the goddess Hathor used to leave Dandara and arrive at Edfu covering a distance of about 180 km, details of this great festival are depicted on the walls of the court of the temple at Edfu.
Funerary Beliefs and Customs
Egyptians were particularly religious people obsessed by death and burial however their preoccupation with the after life originated essentially from the Egyptian's devotion to life and the perfect harmony they found in the Egyptian environment. In general it was believed that the best existence of man after life is composed of what was thought as the best and the most desired style of life on earth. In death as in life, the Egyptians expected to belong to an hierarchical society in which the best was reserved for the king and the nobles. It is from their tombs that most of the information about the Egyptian customs comes. It is difficult to give an account of the beliefs of all the social classes, however, it is assumed that at every level the Egyptian conception of his existence after death was that it should consist of the best of what is available to him in his life on earth. In order to achieve the desirable end, the deceased should assure that his name continued to exist, his body remain intact, and be supplied with all the necessary food and drink. This led to the development of exquisite tombs containing incorruptible mummy and inscribed with texts with the owner's name and with scenes that would secure for him by magical means food, drink and other desirable objects.
Akhenaten's new religion
The New Kingdom has witnessed the first attempt of monotheism when Amenhotep IV established Aten as the sole universal god of Egypt and eliminated all the traditional deities in the Egyptian pantheon. This god was not in fact unknown to the Egyptians. It originally represented the light and heat of the sun. His name appeared frequently in texts, and used in expressions, the most common was [All that Aten encompasses] referring to the universe. Akhenaten's new doctrine did not last long after his death. The return to the orthodox worship of Amon- Re took place under the influence of the divine father Ay who guided the steps of the small king Tutankhaten. During Tut's reign Amon-Re regained its supremacy that lasted till the end of the Egyptian empire.
read more
Sources of information:
Much of our knowledge about religion comes from the religious literature in the form of hymns, charms, spells, and other religious texts inscribed on the walls of the tombs & temples, and on coffins, stelae, statues and papyri. The earliest religious writings were the Pyramid Texts written on the walls of the burial chambers of the fifth and sixth dynasties rulers within their pyramids. In the Middle Kingdom these were transferred from the structure of the tomb to the coffins thus given the name the Coffin Texts. In the New Kingdom these are replaced by what is known as the Book of the Dead (190 chapters), which were rolls of papyrus buried with the dead in the coffin. Apart from the Book of the Dead various other 'books' are known as the Am-duat, Book of the Gates, Book of the day and night etc... The texts in their various forms were concentrating on one subject that was mainly the welfare of the dead and his journey in the after life.
Gods and Myth
The Egyptian pantheon was so diversified, it included many gods which varied in character and form, some being defined by myth, and others by geographical location and organization into groups.
Local Deities
Ancient Egypt was composed of many local areas referred to as nomes, each district possessed its own traditions and customs with its own divinity that was worshipped by its inhabitants. These deities shared the fate of their localities meaning that depending on the political and economic importance of the locality, some of the deities were promoted to state gods whose cults spread all over the country for example Ptah of Memphis, Amon of Thebes and Re of Heliopolis.
Cosmic Deities
There were other gods who did not have local basis however they participated and fulfilled their roles in general myths of creation like Nun which was a personification of chaos before creation.
Minor Deities
Most Egyptians did not have an access to the state gods in the temples' shrines, which represented the most sacred place. The people could only approach the gods in the national festivals. However there were additional deities who answered the everyday life wishes and were connected with the family. These are referred to as household deities. The most popular were Bes and Tawert which were associated to child birth.
Gods represented themselves in various forms and manifested human behavior. They thought, they spoke, they dined, and they had emotions. Sometimes they went into battle and traveled by boat, some even drank to excess, as illustrated by the behavior of the goddess Hathor in the myth of The Destruction of Mankind. The forms of the deities were numerous. They could be human such as the gods Amon and Ptah, or animal such as the gods Anubis as a jackal and Sobek as a crocodile. The Egyptians sometimes combined human and animal forms in one image such as the gods Horus shown as a falcon-headed man and Sekhmet as a lioness headed woman. Often the same deity possessed more than one form of representation .
Gods were assimilated together to form sets composed of three deities, two adults and one youthful deity. These were referred to as triads like The Theban triad composed of Amon- Re and Mut as his consort with Khonsu as their child, another common way of combining gods together is referred to as syncretism, it is when a deity takes the name and character of a more important one, therefore Amon Re means Amon in the form of Re.
Egyptians' conception of the origin of the world
In the Egyptian view of the universe, both the divine and human worlds had come into being at the time of the creation, before which there were only an uncreated matter. The act of creation took place when this matter was separated into the myriad different forms that make up the created world. There was mainly three major creation myths in ancient Egypt. One of the major creation myths was associated with the religious centre of Heliopolis, the creator god who was self generated, began the creation by masturbation thus creation the first pair of male and female deities, who in turn produced another pair ...etc.
The temple as the cosmos
The temple was considered the dwelling house of the god, it was a miniature picture of the world at the moment of creation. The temple was conceived as the center of creation. This symbolic role of the temple was expressed in its location and design as well as the decoration of its walls and ceiling. The structure was separated from the outside world by a massive mud brick enclosure wall which symbolize the watery state of the cosmos at creation. Within this lay the main wall or the entrance wall, decorated with scenes of the king slaughtering his enemies. The pylon is the largest element in the temple symbolizing the hieroglyph of the horizon with its two massive columns and the gap between them. The orientation of the temple was always east-west, therefore the sun rises in the pylon gateway penetrating with its rays to the sanctuary (or shrine in which the statue of the god was kept) which is placed in axis. The sanctuary represent the mound of creation. Therefore in passing through the temple, toward the sanctuary, one goes through the various phases of creation. The hypostyle hall encompasses the decorative scheme of the whole. The hall with its columns represented the marsh of creation while the ceiling is decorated with reliefs of the sky. On the walls, the activity of the world is represented, and in terms of the temple the give and take relation between the king and the god is the core of the world activity. There was a consistent general pattern of temple building. This pattern ensured a gradual approach was made to the divinity. The arrangement consisted of a gradual move from light to shadow, with a rise in the ground floor and lowering of the ceiling.
The temple's daily ritual was a dramatization of the god's daily life. The main services at dawn, midday, and night consisted of washing, anointment, adornment with clothing and feeding of the deity with offerings. The great festivals represented the god's social life when he was taken in procession to visit another deity in his house or received such a visit. These procedures stand in sharp contrast with the religious practices of the majority of the Egyptians.
Rituals
It was ritual not myth that dominated the religious thought of ancient Egypt. In each of the main temples the king was regarded symbolically as the high priest. There were three services performed each day, at dawn, at midday and in the evening all centered around purification and offerings presented to the god.
Festivals
In the daily rituals the public had no role, in fact access to the inner parts of the temple was strictly forbidden to the common people, they can only participate in the great festivals. Each temple had a calendar of its feasts. One of the most important festivals was The feast of Opet held in Thebes during the second month of the season of the inundation. At this feast Amon barked from Karnak to Luxor accompanied by the boats of Mut and Khonsu, another important festival was The New Year Feast. There was also the visit of the goddess Hathor of Dandara to the god Horus of Edfu. The procession of the goddess Hathor used to leave Dandara and arrive at Edfu covering a distance of about 180 km, details of this great festival are depicted on the walls of the court of the temple at Edfu.
Funerary Beliefs and Customs
Egyptians were particularly religious people obsessed by death and burial however their preoccupation with the after life originated essentially from the Egyptian's devotion to life and the perfect harmony they found in the Egyptian environment. In general it was believed that the best existence of man after life is composed of what was thought as the best and the most desired style of life on earth. In death as in life, the Egyptians expected to belong to an hierarchical society in which the best was reserved for the king and the nobles. It is from their tombs that most of the information about the Egyptian customs comes. It is difficult to give an account of the beliefs of all the social classes, however, it is assumed that at every level the Egyptian conception of his existence after death was that it should consist of the best of what is available to him in his life on earth. In order to achieve the desirable end, the deceased should assure that his name continued to exist, his body remain intact, and be supplied with all the necessary food and drink. This led to the development of exquisite tombs containing incorruptible mummy and inscribed with texts with the owner's name and with scenes that would secure for him by magical means food, drink and other desirable objects.
Akhenaten's new religion
The New Kingdom has witnessed the first attempt of monotheism when Amenhotep IV established Aten as the sole universal god of Egypt and eliminated all the traditional deities in the Egyptian pantheon. This god was not in fact unknown to the Egyptians. It originally represented the light and heat of the sun. His name appeared frequently in texts, and used in expressions, the most common was [All that Aten encompasses] referring to the universe. Akhenaten's new doctrine did not last long after his death. The return to the orthodox worship of Amon- Re took place under the influence of the divine father Ay who guided the steps of the small king Tutankhaten. During Tut's reign Amon-Re regained its supremacy that lasted till the end of the Egyptian empire.
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Travel Agents in Egypt
Gabrykingdom travel
Address: N/A
Tel.: 002-02-3931239
Category: Class A
Email: m_el_gabry@hotmail.com
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K.E.T Travel
Address: N/A
Tel.: +20-2-4151072/4188269
Category: Class A
Email: ket-travel@online.com.eg
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Type: Private Sector
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cosmos Tours
Address: N/A
Tel.: +20-3-4831320
Category: Class A
Email: cosmos@rite.com, egytrv@egroups.com
(To send to all of our list once, use this address: egytrv@egroups.com)
Type: Private sector
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
G.R.TRAVEL
Address: N/A
Tel.: 002-02-7608785
Category: Class A
Email: gr_travel@hotmail.com
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
K.E.T Travel
Address: N/A
Tel.: +20-2-4151072/4188269
Category: Class A
Email: ket-travel@online.com.eg
(To send to all of our list once, use this address: egytrv@egroups.com)
Type: Private Sector
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
اوسكارترافيل
Address: 114 Gamal Abd El-Nasser st
Tel.: 20104005274
Category: Class A
Email: oskar_travel@egypt.com
(To send to all of our list once, use this address: egytrv@egroups.com)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2travel2egypt.com
Address: N/A
Tel.: 002-02-4051238
Category: Class A
Email: moataz@2travel2egypt.com
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5 Continents Travel
Address: N/A
Tel.: +20-2-3409770
Category: Class A
Email: fivect@starnet.com.eg, egytrv@egroups.com
(To send to all of our list once, use this address: egytrv@egroups.com)
Type: Private Sector
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5 Star Travel Egypt
Address: 49,Mohey Eldine Abulezz
Tel.: 202 3360244-3360255
Category: Class A
Email: info@fivestar-egypt.com
(To send to all of our list once, use this address: egytrv@egroups.com)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A1 EGYPT GUIDE
Address: N/A
Tel.: 202-4874101
Category: Class A
Email: travel@mrco-egypt.com
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Abanoub Travel
Address: N/A
Tel.: +20-2-4182671/4182672
Category: Class A
Email: abanoubt@link.com.eg, egytrv@egroups.com
(To send to all of our list once, use this address: egytrv@egroups.com)
Type: Private Sector
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
abu samra tours
Address: 10 talaat nooman st., raml station
Tel.: 002-012-8701005
Category: Class A
Email: abusamratravel@yahoo.com
(To send to all of our list once, use this address: egytrv@egroups.com)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aegyptus Intertravel
Address: N/A
Tel.: 002-02-6824747-6857319-6830546-6830846
Category: Class A
Email: aegyptustvl@link.net
(To send to all of our list once, use this address: egytrv@egroups.com)
Type: Private sector
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Al Amein For Tour Services
Address: Qalubia - Banha - In front of Banha Sports Club - Tower no. 9
Tel.: 002-013-3 212 721 - 002-013-3 212 722
Category: N/A
Email: alamein2_co@hotmail.com
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Al Barari Desert Travel
Address: N/A
Tel.: +20-2-3950699/3922272
Category: Class A
Email: nahal@mst1.mist.com.eg, egytrv@egroups.com
(To send to all of our list once, use this address: egytrv@egroups.com)
Type: Private Sector
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AL CITY STARS TOURS
Address: 4 Kamal El Din Hussien st.Behind Sheraton Heliopolis - El Nozha Cairo Egypt.
Tel.: 002-02-2688912-2688913-2688914-2688915
Category: Class A
Email: info@citystarstours.com
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AL Egypt Royal Travel
Address: N/A
Tel.: 002-02-5085236-5073510-0122737862
Category: Class A
Email: sameh@egyptroyalservicetuors.com
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AL FALOUGA
Address: N/A
Tel.: 00202 3047705
Category: Class A
Email: info@alfalouga.co.eg
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Al Hanove Travel
Address: N/A
Tel.: 002-02-760-7193
Category: Class A
Email: hanove_travel@yahoo.com
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AL Nile gate travel
Address: 11 Mohamed Moustafa Hammam St.,off Abbas El Akked ST.,Naser City.Cairo
Tel.: 002-02-24030707-24027884-24027885-0122737862
Category: Class A
Email: sameh_tours@yahoo.com
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Al nile gate travel agent
Address: 11 Mohamed Moustafa Hammam St.,off Abbas El Akked ST.,Naser City.Cairo
Tel.: 0122737862
Category: Class A
Email: nilegate_travel@yahoo.com
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AL PALMA TOURS
Address: N/A
Tel.: 002 02 3918539-02 3935111-02 3954836
Category: Class A
Email: palmaegy@thewayout.net
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AL SMILE TOURS
Address: N/A
Tel.: 0020225198117/25198197
Category: Class A
Email: hamadatours@hotmail.com
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Al Wile Tours
Address: N/A
Tel.: + 20 - 2 - 2608726
Category: Class A
Email: info@wiletours.com
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Address: N/A
Tel.: 002-02-3931239
Category: Class A
Email: m_el_gabry@hotmail.com
(To send to all of our list once, use this address: egytrv@egroups.com)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
K.E.T Travel
Address: N/A
Tel.: +20-2-4151072/4188269
Category: Class A
Email: ket-travel@online.com.eg
(To send to all of our list once, use this address: egytrv@egroups.com)
Type: Private Sector
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cosmos Tours
Address: N/A
Tel.: +20-3-4831320
Category: Class A
Email: cosmos@rite.com, egytrv@egroups.com
(To send to all of our list once, use this address: egytrv@egroups.com)
Type: Private sector
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
G.R.TRAVEL
Address: N/A
Tel.: 002-02-7608785
Category: Class A
Email: gr_travel@hotmail.com
(To send to all of our list once, use this address: egytrv@egroups.com)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
K.E.T Travel
Address: N/A
Tel.: +20-2-4151072/4188269
Category: Class A
Email: ket-travel@online.com.eg
(To send to all of our list once, use this address: egytrv@egroups.com)
Type: Private Sector
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
اوسكارترافيل
Address: 114 Gamal Abd El-Nasser st
Tel.: 20104005274
Category: Class A
Email: oskar_travel@egypt.com
(To send to all of our list once, use this address: egytrv@egroups.com)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2travel2egypt.com
Address: N/A
Tel.: 002-02-4051238
Category: Class A
Email: moataz@2travel2egypt.com
(To send to all of our list once, use this address: egytrv@egroups.com)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5 Continents Travel
Address: N/A
Tel.: +20-2-3409770
Category: Class A
Email: fivect@starnet.com.eg, egytrv@egroups.com
(To send to all of our list once, use this address: egytrv@egroups.com)
Type: Private Sector
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5 Star Travel Egypt
Address: 49,Mohey Eldine Abulezz
Tel.: 202 3360244-3360255
Category: Class A
Email: info@fivestar-egypt.com
(To send to all of our list once, use this address: egytrv@egroups.com)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A1 EGYPT GUIDE
Address: N/A
Tel.: 202-4874101
Category: Class A
Email: travel@mrco-egypt.com
(To send to all of our list once, use this address: egytrv@egroups.com)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Abanoub Travel
Address: N/A
Tel.: +20-2-4182671/4182672
Category: Class A
Email: abanoubt@link.com.eg, egytrv@egroups.com
(To send to all of our list once, use this address: egytrv@egroups.com)
Type: Private Sector
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
abu samra tours
Address: 10 talaat nooman st., raml station
Tel.: 002-012-8701005
Category: Class A
Email: abusamratravel@yahoo.com
(To send to all of our list once, use this address: egytrv@egroups.com)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aegyptus Intertravel
Address: N/A
Tel.: 002-02-6824747-6857319-6830546-6830846
Category: Class A
Email: aegyptustvl@link.net
(To send to all of our list once, use this address: egytrv@egroups.com)
Type: Private sector
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Al Amein For Tour Services
Address: Qalubia - Banha - In front of Banha Sports Club - Tower no. 9
Tel.: 002-013-3 212 721 - 002-013-3 212 722
Category: N/A
Email: alamein2_co@hotmail.com
(To send to all of our list once, use this address: egytrv@egroups.com)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Al Barari Desert Travel
Address: N/A
Tel.: +20-2-3950699/3922272
Category: Class A
Email: nahal@mst1.mist.com.eg, egytrv@egroups.com
(To send to all of our list once, use this address: egytrv@egroups.com)
Type: Private Sector
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AL CITY STARS TOURS
Address: 4 Kamal El Din Hussien st.Behind Sheraton Heliopolis - El Nozha Cairo Egypt.
Tel.: 002-02-2688912-2688913-2688914-2688915
Category: Class A
Email: info@citystarstours.com
(To send to all of our list once, use this address: egytrv@egroups.com)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AL Egypt Royal Travel
Address: N/A
Tel.: 002-02-5085236-5073510-0122737862
Category: Class A
Email: sameh@egyptroyalservicetuors.com
(To send to all of our list once, use this address: egytrv@egroups.com)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AL FALOUGA
Address: N/A
Tel.: 00202 3047705
Category: Class A
Email: info@alfalouga.co.eg
(To send to all of our list once, use this address: egytrv@egroups.com)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Al Hanove Travel
Address: N/A
Tel.: 002-02-760-7193
Category: Class A
Email: hanove_travel@yahoo.com
(To send to all of our list once, use this address: egytrv@egroups.com)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AL Nile gate travel
Address: 11 Mohamed Moustafa Hammam St.,off Abbas El Akked ST.,Naser City.Cairo
Tel.: 002-02-24030707-24027884-24027885-0122737862
Category: Class A
Email: sameh_tours@yahoo.com
(To send to all of our list once, use this address: egytrv@egroups.com)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Al nile gate travel agent
Address: 11 Mohamed Moustafa Hammam St.,off Abbas El Akked ST.,Naser City.Cairo
Tel.: 0122737862
Category: Class A
Email: nilegate_travel@yahoo.com
(To send to all of our list once, use this address: egytrv@egroups.com)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AL PALMA TOURS
Address: N/A
Tel.: 002 02 3918539-02 3935111-02 3954836
Category: Class A
Email: palmaegy@thewayout.net
(To send to all of our list once, use this address: egytrv@egroups.com)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AL SMILE TOURS
Address: N/A
Tel.: 0020225198117/25198197
Category: Class A
Email: hamadatours@hotmail.com
(To send to all of our list once, use this address: egytrv@egroups.com)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Al Wile Tours
Address: N/A
Tel.: + 20 - 2 - 2608726
Category: Class A
Email: info@wiletours.com
(To send to all of our list once, use this address: egytrv@egroups.com)
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Friday, May 2, 2008
Istanbul
Straddling the Bosphorus, its skyline studded with domes and minarets, İstanbul is one of the truly great romantic cities. Its history tracks back from Byzantium to Constantinople to its place at the head of the Ottoman Empire. Today it hums as Turkey's cultural heart and good-time capital.
In this sprawling, continent-spanning city you can tramp the streets where crusaders and janissaries once marched; admire mosques that are the most sublime architectural expressions of Islamic piety; peer into the sultan's harem; and hunt for bargains in the Kapalı Çarşı (Grand Bazaar).
Population
13,000,000
Currency
Name: New Turkish Lira
Code: TRY
Symbol: YTL
Electrical Plugs
220V 50Hz
Languages Spoken
Official: Turkish
Time Zones
GMT/UTC +2
Country Dialing Code
+90
Weights & Measures
Metric
Money and Costs
With hardly a town lacking an ATM, it's perfectly possible to get around Turkey with nothing else but a credit or debit card. Just remember to draw out money in the towns to tide you through the villages and keep some cash in reserve for the inevitable day when the machine throws a wobbly.
Currency, Changing Your Money, Money Tips, Price Guide, Tipping
Currency
Name New Turkish Lira
Symbol YTL The New Turkish Lira (YTL)(brought into circulation at the start of 2005 to replace the old lira's unwieldy denominations) comes in notes of 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100.
The New Kuruş (YKr) comes in coins of 1, 5, 10, 25, 50 and one New Turkish Lira. One hundred New Kuruş equals one New Turkish Lira.
Changing Your Money
It's easy to change major currencies in exchange offices, and many post offices (PTTs), shops and hotels; however, banks may make heavier weather of it. Cashing even major travellers cheques can be a hassle (although post offices in tourist areas are a good bet) and the exchange rate is usually slightly lower. Places that don't charge a commission usually offer a worse exchange rate instead.
Although Turkey has no black market, foreign currencies are readily accepted in shops, hotels and restaurants in many tourist areas. If you're left high and dry, most banks countrywide can do Western Union transfers.
Money Tips
Turkey is a relatively low-slung dollar burner. You can travel on as little as €20.00 to €35.00 per day using buses and trains, staying in pensions, and eating one restaurant meal. For €35.00 to €50.00 you can travel on plusher buses, take sleepers in overnight trains, kick back in one and two-star hotels and eat most meals in restaurants. For more than €50.00 per day you can move up to 3 and 4-star hotels, take the occasional airline flight, and dine in restaurants all the time.
Prices in İstanbul and along the coast are higher than in Cappadocia and elsewhere inland.
Sample Price Guide
small bottle of beer € 1.30 movie ticket € 2.50-6.00 night club entry € 6.00-16.00 open air seat at first league soccer game € 7.00 hamam bath and massage € 6.00-25.00 Bosphorus ferry ride € 2.00 (one way) basic meal from lokanta € 3.00 café latte € 2.50 Average Room Prices
Low Mid High Deluxe
Euro4-50 Euro50-150 Euro120-300 Euro300+
Average Meal Prices
Low Mid High Deluxe
Euro1-4 Euro4-12 Euro12-50 Euro50-80
Tipping
In cheaper restaurants it's not necessary to leave more than a few coins in the change plate. In more expensive restaurants, tipping is customary. Even if a 10-15% service charge is added to your bill, you're expected to give around 5% to the waiter directly and perhaps the same amount to the maitre d'. Porters expect a dollar or so; in taxis you might like to round up the bill; in other situations, for example, helpful guardians at archaeological sites, delicacy is required. Although a tip may be initially refused through politeness, you should offer the money a second and third time. After three refusals, you can safely assume they really don't want the money. In hamams you should tip 10% to 20% of the admission price to the masseuse/masseur.
In this sprawling, continent-spanning city you can tramp the streets where crusaders and janissaries once marched; admire mosques that are the most sublime architectural expressions of Islamic piety; peer into the sultan's harem; and hunt for bargains in the Kapalı Çarşı (Grand Bazaar).
Population
13,000,000
Currency
Name: New Turkish Lira
Code: TRY
Symbol: YTL
Electrical Plugs
220V 50Hz
Languages Spoken
Official: Turkish
Time Zones
GMT/UTC +2
Country Dialing Code
+90
Weights & Measures
Metric
Money and Costs
With hardly a town lacking an ATM, it's perfectly possible to get around Turkey with nothing else but a credit or debit card. Just remember to draw out money in the towns to tide you through the villages and keep some cash in reserve for the inevitable day when the machine throws a wobbly.
Currency, Changing Your Money, Money Tips, Price Guide, Tipping
Currency
Name New Turkish Lira
Symbol YTL The New Turkish Lira (YTL)(brought into circulation at the start of 2005 to replace the old lira's unwieldy denominations) comes in notes of 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100.
The New Kuruş (YKr) comes in coins of 1, 5, 10, 25, 50 and one New Turkish Lira. One hundred New Kuruş equals one New Turkish Lira.
Changing Your Money
It's easy to change major currencies in exchange offices, and many post offices (PTTs), shops and hotels; however, banks may make heavier weather of it. Cashing even major travellers cheques can be a hassle (although post offices in tourist areas are a good bet) and the exchange rate is usually slightly lower. Places that don't charge a commission usually offer a worse exchange rate instead.
Although Turkey has no black market, foreign currencies are readily accepted in shops, hotels and restaurants in many tourist areas. If you're left high and dry, most banks countrywide can do Western Union transfers.
Money Tips
Turkey is a relatively low-slung dollar burner. You can travel on as little as €20.00 to €35.00 per day using buses and trains, staying in pensions, and eating one restaurant meal. For €35.00 to €50.00 you can travel on plusher buses, take sleepers in overnight trains, kick back in one and two-star hotels and eat most meals in restaurants. For more than €50.00 per day you can move up to 3 and 4-star hotels, take the occasional airline flight, and dine in restaurants all the time.
Prices in İstanbul and along the coast are higher than in Cappadocia and elsewhere inland.
Sample Price Guide
small bottle of beer € 1.30 movie ticket € 2.50-6.00 night club entry € 6.00-16.00 open air seat at first league soccer game € 7.00 hamam bath and massage € 6.00-25.00 Bosphorus ferry ride € 2.00 (one way) basic meal from lokanta € 3.00 café latte € 2.50 Average Room Prices
Low Mid High Deluxe
Euro4-50 Euro50-150 Euro120-300 Euro300+
Average Meal Prices
Low Mid High Deluxe
Euro1-4 Euro4-12 Euro12-50 Euro50-80
Tipping
In cheaper restaurants it's not necessary to leave more than a few coins in the change plate. In more expensive restaurants, tipping is customary. Even if a 10-15% service charge is added to your bill, you're expected to give around 5% to the waiter directly and perhaps the same amount to the maitre d'. Porters expect a dollar or so; in taxis you might like to round up the bill; in other situations, for example, helpful guardians at archaeological sites, delicacy is required. Although a tip may be initially refused through politeness, you should offer the money a second and third time. After three refusals, you can safely assume they really don't want the money. In hamams you should tip 10% to 20% of the admission price to the masseuse/masseur.
Barcelona
After a makeover lasting more than two decades, Barcelona has transformed itself into one of the most dynamic and stylish cities in the world. Summer is serious party time, but year-round the city sizzles - it's always on the biting edge of architecture, food, fashion, style, music and good times.
The buildings, especially the work of the eccentric genius Gaudí, will blow you away. The art, with significant collections by Picasso and Miró, will make you clammy all over. The people, with their exuberance, their creative spirit, their persistent egalitarianism, will fascinate you
Population
1,593,000
Currency
Name: Euro
Code: EUR
Symbol: €
Electrical Plugs
220V 50 Hz
Languages Spoken
Official: Spanish
Time Zones
GMT/UTC +1 (Central European Time)
Country Dialing Code
+34
Weights & Measures
Metric
Money and Costs
Plastic will save you the most hassles. ATMs are abundant and accessible if you need cash, but so are the places that take major credit cards. Two or more cards is handy and a few travellers cheques as a backup are also not a bad idea.
Currency, Changing Your Money, Money Tips, Price Guide, Tipping
Currency
Name Euro
Symbol € Euro notes come in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500. It is often difficult to get change for a €500.00 note.
One euro is divided into 100 cents or centimes. Coins of 1, 2 and 5 centimes are copper-coloured; coins of 10, 20 and 50 centimes are gold-coloured; 1 and 2 euro coins are gold-and-silver coloured. It's a good idea to keep a supply of various coins for parking meters, laundrettes, tolls etc.
Changing Your Money
Travellers cheques can be cashed at banks and exchange offices, and usually attract a slightly higher exchange rate than cash. These days, even small towns have a cajero automático (ATM) where you can withdraw euros from credit and debit accounts at what is usually the best rate for non-euro zone visitors.
Money Tips
Spain is one of Europe's more affordable countries. If you are particularly frugal it's just about possible to scrape by for around €20.00 a day. This would involve staying in the cheapest possible accommodation, avoiding eating in restaurants or going to museums or bars, and not moving around too much. A more comfortable budget would be €40.00 a day, allowing for a basic hotel room, set meals, public transport and entry to museums. With €120.00 a day you can stay in excellent accommodation, rent a car and eat some of the best food Spain has to offer.
Credit and debit cards are widely accepted at hotels and restaurants, especially from the mid-range up, and also for long-distance train tickets.
Be careful carrying your money, whether it's jingling or plastic, as tourists are a major target of theft - hundreds of thousands of credit cards go missing in Spain every year.
Sample Price Guide
movie ticket € 6.50 souvenir t-shirt € 10.00-24.00 national newspaper € 1.00 good mid-range meal € 20.00-35.00 entrance to La Sagrada Família € 8.00 litre of mineral water from supermarket € 0.35 330ml bottle of Estrella Voll Damm beer € 2.00 litre of petrol € 0.95 letter within Europe € 0.57 cocktail € 7.00 Average Room Prices
Low Mid High Deluxe
€35-50 €50-180 €180-400 €400+
Average Meal Prices
Low Mid High Deluxe
€7-20 €20-35 €35-55 €55+
Tipping
You are not expected to tip on top of restaurant service charges, but it is common to leave a small amount, say €1.00 per person. If there is no service charge, you might consider leaving a 10% tip, but this is by no means obligatory. In bars, Spaniards often leave any small change as a tip, often €1.00 . Tipping taxi drivers is not required, but you should tip the porter at higher-class hotels.
The buildings, especially the work of the eccentric genius Gaudí, will blow you away. The art, with significant collections by Picasso and Miró, will make you clammy all over. The people, with their exuberance, their creative spirit, their persistent egalitarianism, will fascinate you
Population
1,593,000
Currency
Name: Euro
Code: EUR
Symbol: €
Electrical Plugs
220V 50 Hz
Languages Spoken
Official: Spanish
Time Zones
GMT/UTC +1 (Central European Time)
Country Dialing Code
+34
Weights & Measures
Metric
Money and Costs
Plastic will save you the most hassles. ATMs are abundant and accessible if you need cash, but so are the places that take major credit cards. Two or more cards is handy and a few travellers cheques as a backup are also not a bad idea.
Currency, Changing Your Money, Money Tips, Price Guide, Tipping
Currency
Name Euro
Symbol € Euro notes come in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500. It is often difficult to get change for a €500.00 note.
One euro is divided into 100 cents or centimes. Coins of 1, 2 and 5 centimes are copper-coloured; coins of 10, 20 and 50 centimes are gold-coloured; 1 and 2 euro coins are gold-and-silver coloured. It's a good idea to keep a supply of various coins for parking meters, laundrettes, tolls etc.
Changing Your Money
Travellers cheques can be cashed at banks and exchange offices, and usually attract a slightly higher exchange rate than cash. These days, even small towns have a cajero automático (ATM) where you can withdraw euros from credit and debit accounts at what is usually the best rate for non-euro zone visitors.
Money Tips
Spain is one of Europe's more affordable countries. If you are particularly frugal it's just about possible to scrape by for around €20.00 a day. This would involve staying in the cheapest possible accommodation, avoiding eating in restaurants or going to museums or bars, and not moving around too much. A more comfortable budget would be €40.00 a day, allowing for a basic hotel room, set meals, public transport and entry to museums. With €120.00 a day you can stay in excellent accommodation, rent a car and eat some of the best food Spain has to offer.
Credit and debit cards are widely accepted at hotels and restaurants, especially from the mid-range up, and also for long-distance train tickets.
Be careful carrying your money, whether it's jingling or plastic, as tourists are a major target of theft - hundreds of thousands of credit cards go missing in Spain every year.
Sample Price Guide
movie ticket € 6.50 souvenir t-shirt € 10.00-24.00 national newspaper € 1.00 good mid-range meal € 20.00-35.00 entrance to La Sagrada Família € 8.00 litre of mineral water from supermarket € 0.35 330ml bottle of Estrella Voll Damm beer € 2.00 litre of petrol € 0.95 letter within Europe € 0.57 cocktail € 7.00 Average Room Prices
Low Mid High Deluxe
€35-50 €50-180 €180-400 €400+
Average Meal Prices
Low Mid High Deluxe
€7-20 €20-35 €35-55 €55+
Tipping
You are not expected to tip on top of restaurant service charges, but it is common to leave a small amount, say €1.00 per person. If there is no service charge, you might consider leaving a 10% tip, but this is by no means obligatory. In bars, Spaniards often leave any small change as a tip, often €1.00 . Tipping taxi drivers is not required, but you should tip the porter at higher-class hotels.
France: Money and Costs
Credit and debit cards are convenient and relatively secure. Visa and MasterCard (Access or Eurocard) are widely accepted; AmEx cards are useful at more upmarket establishments. In general, all three cards can be used in shops, supermarkets, for train travel, car rentals, autoroute tolls and cash advances. Remember you'll need to know your PIN number ( le code ) to use a credit card in many hotels, shops and restaurants.
Currency, Changing Your Money, Money Tips, Price Guide, Tipping
Currency
Name Euro
Symbol € Euro notes come in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500. It is often difficult to get change for a €500.00 note.
One euro is divided into 100 cents or centimes. Coins of 1, 2 and 5 centimes are copper-coloured; coins of 10, 20 and 50 centimes are gold-coloured; 1 and 2 euro coins are gold-and-silver coloured. It's a good idea to keep a supply of various coins for parking meters, laundrettes, tolls etc.
Changing Your Money
The cheapest and most convenient way to change money in France is via ATMs (known as DABs in French); they accept all the major international credit and bank cards. You get the best exchange rate by using a credit card for purchases and a debit card for cash. Travellers cheques are safe and almost universally accepted, especially in larger towns and tourist centres; they also offer better exchange rates than cash. Post offices that exchange travellers cheques give a good rate. Major train stations and fancy hotels also have exchange facilities which usually operate in the evening, at the weekend and during holidays, but the rates are generally poor.
Money Tips
The land of the €5.00 café au lait is not exactly Europe's cheapest destination, but that doesn't mean you have to break the bank to visit. Devoted scrimpers can get by on around €50.00 per day, though it means a whole lot of brie-and-baguettings in the park. For a more well-rounded culinary experience and a comfy bed or two, a minimum of €90.00 is in order. Of course, for the Dom Perignon crowd, those figures might not cover even the day's pourboires - count on dropping €200.00 and up if you're really living large. Student and senior citizen discounts are common. Whatever your budget, figure on everything being up to 50% more expensive in Paris.
Sample Price Guide
litre of petrol € 1.30 small bottle of water € 0.50 petit café/café au lait € 0.90/2.50 filled baguette € 4.50 ten-minute taxi ride € 10.00 bottle of cheap wine € 4.00 develop 36 exposure film € 18.00 rental of small canal boat per week € 1200 hostel bed in Paris with breakfast € 18.00 Average Room Prices
Low Mid High Deluxe
€15-50 €50-100 €100-150 €150+
Average Meal Prices
Low Mid High Deluxe
€4-15 €15-25 €25-35 €35+
Tipping
Leaving a pourboire (tip) is done at your discretion - restaurants and accommodations add a 10-15% service charge to every bill, making a tip unneccesary, but most people leave a few coins if the service is satisfactory.
Currency, Changing Your Money, Money Tips, Price Guide, Tipping
Currency
Name Euro
Symbol € Euro notes come in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500. It is often difficult to get change for a €500.00 note.
One euro is divided into 100 cents or centimes. Coins of 1, 2 and 5 centimes are copper-coloured; coins of 10, 20 and 50 centimes are gold-coloured; 1 and 2 euro coins are gold-and-silver coloured. It's a good idea to keep a supply of various coins for parking meters, laundrettes, tolls etc.
Changing Your Money
The cheapest and most convenient way to change money in France is via ATMs (known as DABs in French); they accept all the major international credit and bank cards. You get the best exchange rate by using a credit card for purchases and a debit card for cash. Travellers cheques are safe and almost universally accepted, especially in larger towns and tourist centres; they also offer better exchange rates than cash. Post offices that exchange travellers cheques give a good rate. Major train stations and fancy hotels also have exchange facilities which usually operate in the evening, at the weekend and during holidays, but the rates are generally poor.
Money Tips
The land of the €5.00 café au lait is not exactly Europe's cheapest destination, but that doesn't mean you have to break the bank to visit. Devoted scrimpers can get by on around €50.00 per day, though it means a whole lot of brie-and-baguettings in the park. For a more well-rounded culinary experience and a comfy bed or two, a minimum of €90.00 is in order. Of course, for the Dom Perignon crowd, those figures might not cover even the day's pourboires - count on dropping €200.00 and up if you're really living large. Student and senior citizen discounts are common. Whatever your budget, figure on everything being up to 50% more expensive in Paris.
Sample Price Guide
litre of petrol € 1.30 small bottle of water € 0.50 petit café/café au lait € 0.90/2.50 filled baguette € 4.50 ten-minute taxi ride € 10.00 bottle of cheap wine € 4.00 develop 36 exposure film € 18.00 rental of small canal boat per week € 1200 hostel bed in Paris with breakfast € 18.00 Average Room Prices
Low Mid High Deluxe
€15-50 €50-100 €100-150 €150+
Average Meal Prices
Low Mid High Deluxe
€4-15 €15-25 €25-35 €35+
Tipping
Leaving a pourboire (tip) is done at your discretion - restaurants and accommodations add a 10-15% service charge to every bill, making a tip unneccesary, but most people leave a few coins if the service is satisfactory.
France: Overview
Beautiful by name, beautiful by nature, la belle France is still turning heads.
Whether it's gastronomic greatness, artistic endeavour or cultural cachet you're looking for, there's no doubt that France still sits right at the top of the European heap. France is the country for which the word chic was invented - seductive and aloof, old-fashioned and forward-looking, but always characterised by a certain je ne sais quoi .
The country that gave the world champagne, casseroles and Camembert is justly famous for its cooking, and you'll find there are plenty of places to indulge yourself. But while France is undoubtedly a place to eat and drink to your heart's content, there's much more to this fascinating country than cutting-edge cuisine.
Country Full Name
French Republic
Population
60,400,000
Currency
Name: Euro
Code: EUR
Symbol: €
Electrical Plugs
230V 50Hz
Languages Spoken
Official: French
Time Zones
GMT/UTC +1 (Central European Time)
Country Dialing Code
+33
Weights & Measures
Metric
read more
Whether it's gastronomic greatness, artistic endeavour or cultural cachet you're looking for, there's no doubt that France still sits right at the top of the European heap. France is the country for which the word chic was invented - seductive and aloof, old-fashioned and forward-looking, but always characterised by a certain je ne sais quoi .
The country that gave the world champagne, casseroles and Camembert is justly famous for its cooking, and you'll find there are plenty of places to indulge yourself. But while France is undoubtedly a place to eat and drink to your heart's content, there's much more to this fascinating country than cutting-edge cuisine.
Country Full Name
French Republic
Population
60,400,000
Currency
Name: Euro
Code: EUR
Symbol: €
Electrical Plugs
230V 50Hz
Languages Spoken
Official: French
Time Zones
GMT/UTC +1 (Central European Time)
Country Dialing Code
+33
Weights & Measures
Metric
read more
France: Overview
Beautiful by name, beautiful by nature, la belle France is still turning heads.
Whether it's gastronomic greatness, artistic endeavour or cultural cachet you're looking for, there's no doubt that France still sits right at the top of the European heap. France is the country for which the word chic was invented - seductive and aloof, old-fashioned and forward-looking, but always characterised by a certain je ne sais quoi .
The country that gave the world champagne, casseroles and Camembert is justly famous for its cooking, and you'll find there are plenty of places to indulge yourself. But while France is undoubtedly a place to eat and drink to your heart's content, there's much more to this fascinating country than cutting-edge cuisine.
Country Full Name
French Republic
Population
60,400,000
Currency
Name: Euro
Code: EUR
Symbol: €
Electrical Plugs
230V 50Hz
Languages Spoken
Official: French
Time Zones
GMT/UTC +1 (Central European Time)
Country Dialing Code
+33
Weights & Measures
Metric
read more
Whether it's gastronomic greatness, artistic endeavour or cultural cachet you're looking for, there's no doubt that France still sits right at the top of the European heap. France is the country for which the word chic was invented - seductive and aloof, old-fashioned and forward-looking, but always characterised by a certain je ne sais quoi .
The country that gave the world champagne, casseroles and Camembert is justly famous for its cooking, and you'll find there are plenty of places to indulge yourself. But while France is undoubtedly a place to eat and drink to your heart's content, there's much more to this fascinating country than cutting-edge cuisine.
Country Full Name
French Republic
Population
60,400,000
Currency
Name: Euro
Code: EUR
Symbol: €
Electrical Plugs
230V 50Hz
Languages Spoken
Official: French
Time Zones
GMT/UTC +1 (Central European Time)
Country Dialing Code
+33
Weights & Measures
Metric
read more
Italy: Money and Costs
For the mainstream traveller, a credit card can mean never having to have more than a handful of euros on you. Some small pensioni, trattorie and pizzerie will only accept cash but ATMs are widespread and easy to use.
Currency, Changing Your Money, Money Tips, Price Guide, Tipping
Currency
Name Euro
Symbol € Euro notes come in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500. It is often difficult to get change for a €500.00 note.
One euro is divided into 100 cents or centimes. Coins of 1, 2 and 5 centimes are copper-coloured; coins of 10, 20 and 50 centimes are gold-coloured; 1 and 2 euro coins are gold-and-silver coloured. It's a good idea to keep a supply of various coins for parking meters, laundrettes, tolls etc.
Changing Your Money
Banks and post offices are the most reliable places to change travellers cheques and generally offer the best rates; shop around for the lowest commission deals and the shortest queues. Credit cards are widely accepted in Italy and the exchange rate is usually better than for cash or travellers cheques.
Money Tips
Those on a tight budget will find eating and sleeping in Italy expensive. Prudent backpackers might squeeze by on around €40.00 to €45.00 a day if they stay in hostels, make their own sandwiches, avoid indulging in alcohol and don't visit too many museums. If you want to stay in comfortable hotels, eat out regularly in restaurants and visit lots of museums and galleries, you should budget at least €100-150 a day; hiring a car will double your expenses. Be aware that Italy has more luxury hotels, expensive restaurants and shops to die for than you can shake a Gold Amex card at, so be prepared to stretch your budget if you are easily tempted.
Sample Price Guide
litre of milk € 1.40 CD € 15.00 can of soft drink € 0.80 basic 'Serie A' football ticket € 15.00 litre of petrol € 1.40 litre of bottled water € 1.00 souvenir t-shirt € 10.00 slice of pizza € 2.00 bottle of Peroni € 2.00 Average Room Prices
Low Mid High Deluxe
€14-40 €40-120 €120-200 €200+
Average Meal Prices
Low Mid High Deluxe
€5-10 €10-20 €20-30 €30+
Tipping
Service charges are included in your restaurant bill, so you are not expected to tip. It is common practice, however, to leave a small amount. In bars, Italians will usually leave any small change as a tip, but this is by no means obligatory. Be aware that prices in Italian bars and cafes double (sometimes even triple) if you sit down. Tipping taxi drivers is not necessary, but your hotel porter will expect a little something.
read more
Currency, Changing Your Money, Money Tips, Price Guide, Tipping
Currency
Name Euro
Symbol € Euro notes come in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500. It is often difficult to get change for a €500.00 note.
One euro is divided into 100 cents or centimes. Coins of 1, 2 and 5 centimes are copper-coloured; coins of 10, 20 and 50 centimes are gold-coloured; 1 and 2 euro coins are gold-and-silver coloured. It's a good idea to keep a supply of various coins for parking meters, laundrettes, tolls etc.
Changing Your Money
Banks and post offices are the most reliable places to change travellers cheques and generally offer the best rates; shop around for the lowest commission deals and the shortest queues. Credit cards are widely accepted in Italy and the exchange rate is usually better than for cash or travellers cheques.
Money Tips
Those on a tight budget will find eating and sleeping in Italy expensive. Prudent backpackers might squeeze by on around €40.00 to €45.00 a day if they stay in hostels, make their own sandwiches, avoid indulging in alcohol and don't visit too many museums. If you want to stay in comfortable hotels, eat out regularly in restaurants and visit lots of museums and galleries, you should budget at least €100-150 a day; hiring a car will double your expenses. Be aware that Italy has more luxury hotels, expensive restaurants and shops to die for than you can shake a Gold Amex card at, so be prepared to stretch your budget if you are easily tempted.
Sample Price Guide
litre of milk € 1.40 CD € 15.00 can of soft drink € 0.80 basic 'Serie A' football ticket € 15.00 litre of petrol € 1.40 litre of bottled water € 1.00 souvenir t-shirt € 10.00 slice of pizza € 2.00 bottle of Peroni € 2.00 Average Room Prices
Low Mid High Deluxe
€14-40 €40-120 €120-200 €200+
Average Meal Prices
Low Mid High Deluxe
€5-10 €10-20 €20-30 €30+
Tipping
Service charges are included in your restaurant bill, so you are not expected to tip. It is common practice, however, to leave a small amount. In bars, Italians will usually leave any small change as a tip, but this is by no means obligatory. Be aware that prices in Italian bars and cafes double (sometimes even triple) if you sit down. Tipping taxi drivers is not necessary, but your hotel porter will expect a little something.
read more
Italy
Europe's kinky over-the-knee boot has it all: popes, painters, polenta, paramours, poets, political puerility and potentates. Its dreamy light and sumptuous landscapes seem made for romance, and its three millennia of history, culture and cuisine seduces just about everyone.
You can visit Roman ruins, gawk at Renaissance art, stay in tiny medieval hill towns, go skiing in the Alps, explore the canals of Venice and gaze at beautiful churches. Naturally you can also indulge in the pleasures of la dolce vita : good food, good wine and improving your wardrobe.
Country Full Name
Italian Republic
Population
57,300,000
Currency
Name: Euro
Code: EUR
Symbol: €
Electrical Plugs
220V 50Hz
Languages Spoken
Official: Italian
Time Zones
GMT/UTC +1 (+2 in summer) (Central European Time)
Country Dialing Code
+39
Weights & Measures
Metric
read more
You can visit Roman ruins, gawk at Renaissance art, stay in tiny medieval hill towns, go skiing in the Alps, explore the canals of Venice and gaze at beautiful churches. Naturally you can also indulge in the pleasures of la dolce vita : good food, good wine and improving your wardrobe.
Country Full Name
Italian Republic
Population
57,300,000
Currency
Name: Euro
Code: EUR
Symbol: €
Electrical Plugs
220V 50Hz
Languages Spoken
Official: Italian
Time Zones
GMT/UTC +1 (+2 in summer) (Central European Time)
Country Dialing Code
+39
Weights & Measures
Metric
read more
Welcome to Romania
Romania.org is proud to be the #1 web spot about Romania since 10 years. We are the first portal site ever set up on the global Internet, focussing exclusively on Romania- a land flowing with culture, fascinating history and wonderful landscapes. Since our start in 1996 we delivered billions of pages and currently serve with our group of sites more than 1.5 Million unique visitors per month.
Romania is proud to be a full Member of the European Union for one year and 123 days. Take a virtual visit to Romania and you'll be left amazed. So why not treat yourself to a real holiday in Romania?! Ruggedly beautiful Romania offers the interested traveler a romantic glimpse of both, traditional and modern ways of life. Heading north from Bucharest to the villages of Brasov area you will find friendly people, proud of their customs and folklore with a timeless rural way of life. Then cruise through the myriad channels of the Danube Delta, one of the world's greatest wildlife sanctuaries
visit the site and read more
Romania is proud to be a full Member of the European Union for one year and 123 days. Take a virtual visit to Romania and you'll be left amazed. So why not treat yourself to a real holiday in Romania?! Ruggedly beautiful Romania offers the interested traveler a romantic glimpse of both, traditional and modern ways of life. Heading north from Bucharest to the villages of Brasov area you will find friendly people, proud of their customs and folklore with a timeless rural way of life. Then cruise through the myriad channels of the Danube Delta, one of the world's greatest wildlife sanctuaries
visit the site and read more
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland (help·info), IPA: [ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant]),[2] is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The territory of Germany covers 357,021 km² and is influenced by a temperate seasonal climate. With over 82 million inhabitants, it comprises the largest population among the member states of the European Union and is home to the third-highest number of international migrants.
A region named Germania inhabited by several Germanic peoples has been known and documented before 100 AD. Since the 10th century German territories have formed a central part of the Holy Roman Empire that lasted until 1806. During the period, in the 16th century, the northern German regions became the centre of the Protestant Reformation. As a modern nation-state, the country was first unified amidst the Franco-Prussian War in 1871. After World War II, Germany was divided into two separate states along the lines of allied occupation in 1949.[3] The two states became reunified again in 1990. Germany is a founding member of the EC in 1957, which became the European Union in 1993. It is part of the borderless Schengen zone and adopted the common European currency, the Euro, in 1999.
Germany is a federal parliamentary republic of sixteen states (Bundesländer). The capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany is a member of the United Nations, NATO, the G8, the G4 nations, and signed the Kyoto protocol. It is the world's third largest economy by nominal GDP and the largest exporter of goods in 2007. In absolute terms, Germany allocates the second biggest annual budget of development aid in the world,[4] while its military expenditure ranked sixth.[5] The country has developed a high standard of living and established a comprehensive system of social security. It holds a key position in European affairs and maintains a multitude of close partnerships on a global level. Germany is recognized as a scientific and technological leader in several fields
History
Main articles: History of Germany, Germanic peoples, Germania, and List of country name etymologies
The ethnogenesis of the Germanic tribes is assumed to have occurred during the Nordic Bronze Age, or at the latest, during the Pre-Roman Iron Age. From southern Scandinavia and northern Germany, the tribes began expanding south, east and west in the 1st century BC, coming into contact with the Celtic tribes of Gaul as well as Iranian, Baltic, and Slavic tribes in Eastern Europe. Little is known about early Germanic history, except through their recorded interactions with the Roman Empire, etymological research and archaeological finds.[7]
Expansion of the Germanic tribes 750 BC – AD 1Under Augustus, the Roman General Publius Quinctilius Varus began to invade Germania (a term used by the Romans running roughly from the Rhine to the Ural Mountains) , and it was in this period that the Germanic tribes became familiar with Roman tactics of warfare while maintaining their tribal identity. In AD 9, three Roman legions led by Varus were defeated by the Cheruscan leader Arminius in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest. Modern Germany, as far as the Rhine and the Danube, thus remained outside the Roman Empire. By AD 100, the time of Tacitus' Germania, Germanic tribes settled along the Rhine and the Danube (the Limes Germanicus) , occupying most of the area of modern Germany. The 3rd century saw the emergence of a number of large West Germanic tribes: Alamanni, Franks, Chatti, Saxons, Frisians, Sicambri, and Thuringii. Around 260, the Germanic peoples broke through the Limes and the Danube frontier into Roman-controlled lands.[8]
Holy Roman Empire (962–1806)
Main article: Holy Roman Empire
Prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire (1341 parchment)The medieval empire stemmed from a division of the Carolingian Empire in 843, which was founded by Charlemagne on 25 December 800, and existed in varying forms until 1806, its territory stretching from the Eider River in the north to the Mediterranean coast in the south. Often referred to as the Holy Roman Empire (or the Old Empire) , it was officially called the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation ("Sacrum Romanum Imperium Nationis Germanicæ") starting in 1448, to adjust the title to its then reduced territory.
Under the reign of the Ottonian emperors (919-1024) , the duchies of Lorraine, Saxony, Franconia, Swabia, Thuringia, and Bavaria were consolidated, and the German king was crowned Holy Roman Emperor of these regions in 962. Under the reign of the Salian emperors (1024-1125) , the Holy Roman Empire absorbed northern Italy and Burgundy, although the emperors lost power through the Investiture Controversy. Under the Hohenstaufen emperors (1138-1254) , the German princes increased their influence further south and east into territories inhabited by Slavs. Northern German towns grew prosperous as members of the Hanseatic League.
Martin Luther, (1483–1546) initiated the Protestant Reformation.The edict of the Golden Bull in 1356 provided the basic constitution of the empire that lasted until its dissolution. It codified the election of the emperor by seven prince-electors who ruled some of the most powerful principalities and archbishoprics. Beginning in the 15th century, the emperors were elected nearly exclusively from the Habsburg dynasty of Austria.
The monk Martin Luther wrote his 95 Theses questioning the Roman Catholic Church in 1517, thereby sparking the Protestant Reformation. A separate Lutheran church was acknowledged as the newly sanctioned religion in many German states after 1530. Religious conflict led to the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) , which devastated German lands.[9] The population of the German states was reduced by about 30%.[10] The Peace of Westphalia (1648) ended religious warfare among the German states, but the empire was de facto divided into numerous independent principalities. From 1740 onwards, the dualism between the Austrian Habsburg Monarchy and the Kingdom of Prussia dominated German history. In 1806, the Imperium was overrun and dissolved as a result of the Napoleonic Wars.[11]
See also: Medieval demography
Restoration and revolution (1814–1871)
Main article: German Confederation
Frankfurt Parliament in 1848Following the fall of Napoleon Bonaparte, the Congress of Vienna convened in 1814 and founded the German Confederation (Deutscher Bund) , a loose league of 39 sovereign states. Disagreement with restoration politics partly led to the rise of liberal movements, demanding unity and freedom. These, however, were followed by new measures of repression on the part of the Austrian statesman Metternich. The Zollverein, a tariff union, profoundly furthered economic unity in the German states. During this era many Germans had been stirred by the ideals of the French Revolution, and nationalism became a more significant force, especially among young intellectuals. For the first time, the colours of black, red and gold were chosen to represent the movement, which later became the national colours.[12]
In light of a series of revolutionary movements in Europe, which successfully established a republic in France, intellectuals and commoners started the Revolutions of 1848 in the German states. The monarchs initially yielded to the revolutionaries' liberal demands. King Frederick William IV of Prussia was offered the title of Emperor, but with a loss of power; he rejected the crown and the proposed constitution, leading to a temporary setback for the movement. Conflict between King William I of Prussia and the increasingly liberal parliament erupted over military reforms in 1862, and the king appointed Otto von Bismarck the new Prime Minister of Prussia. Bismarck successfully waged war on Denmark in 1864. Prussian victory in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 enabled him to create the North German Federation (Norddeutscher Bund) and to exclude Austria, formerly the leading German state, from the affairs of the remaining German states.
German Empire (1871–1918)
Main article: German Empire
Foundation of modern Germany in Versailles-France, 1871. Bismarck is at the centre in a white uniformThe state known as Germany was unified as a modern nation-state in 1871, when the German Empire was forged, with the Kingdom of Prussia as its largest constituent. After the French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, the German Empire (Deutsches Kaiserreich) was proclaimed in Versailles on 18 January 1871. The Hohenzollern dynasty of Prussia ruled the new empire, whose capital was Berlin. The empire was a unification of all the scattered parts of Germany except Austria (Kleindeutschland, or "Lesser Germany"). Beginning in 1884, Germany began establishing several colonies outside of Europe.
In the Gründerzeit period following the unification of Germany, Emperor William I's foreign policy secured Germany's position as a great nation by forging alliances, isolating France by diplomatic means, and avoiding war. Under William II, however, Germany, like other European powers, took an imperialistic course leading to friction with neighbouring countries. Most alliances in which Germany had been previously involved were not renewed, and new alliances excluded the country. Specifically, France established new relationships by signing the Entente Cordiale with the United Kingdom and securing ties with the Russian Empire. Aside from its contacts with Austria-Hungary, Germany became increasingly isolated.
Imperial Germany (1871–1918) , with the dominant Kingdom of Prussia in blue.Germany's imperialism reached outside of its own country and joined many other powers in Europe to claim their share of Africa. The Berlin Conference divided Africa between the European powers. Germany owned several pieces of land on Africa including German East Africa, South-West Africa, Togo, and Cameroon. The Scramble for Africa caused tension between the great powers that may have contributed to the conditions that led to World War I.
The assassination of Austria's crown prince on 28 June 1914 triggered World War I. Germany, as part of the unsuccessful Central Powers, suffered defeat against the Allied Powers in one of the bloodiest conflicts of all time. The German Revolution broke out in November 1918, and Emperor William II and all German ruling princes abdicated. An armistice putting an end to the war was signed on 11 November and Germany was forced to sign the Treaty of Versailles in June 1919. Its negotiation, contrary to traditional post-war diplomacy, excluded the defeated Central Powers. The treaty was perceived in Germany as a humiliating continuation of the war by other means and its harshness is often cited as having facilitated the later rise of Nazism in the country.[13]
Weimar Republic (1919–1933)
Main article: Weimar Republic
Billboard advertising Die Dreigroschenoper by Bertolt Brecht. The Weimar era was dominated by political unrest and cultural liberation.After the success of the German Revolution in November 1918, a republic was proclaimed. The Weimar Constitution came into effect with its signing by President Friedrich Ebert on 11 August 1919. The German Communist Party was established by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht in 1918, and the German Workers Party, later known as the National Socialist German Workers Party or Nazi Party, was founded in January 1919.
Suffering from the Great Depression, the harsh peace conditions dictated by the Treaty of Versailles, and a long succession of more or less unstable governments, the political masses in Germany increasingly lacked identification with their political system of parliamentary democracy. This was exacerbated by a wide-spread right-wing (monarchist, völkisch, and Nazi) Dolchstoßlegende, a political myth which claimed that Germany lost World War I because of the German Revolution, not because of military defeat. On the other hand, radical left-wing communists, such as the Spartacist League, had wanted to abolish what they perceived as "capitalist rule" in favour of a Räterepublik. Paramilitary troops were set up by several parties and there were thousands of politically motivated murders. The paramilitary intimidated voters and seeded violence and anger among the public, which suffered from high unemployment and poverty. After a series of unsuccessful cabinets, President Paul von Hindenburg, seeing little alternative and pushed by right-wing advisors, appointed Adolf Hitler Chancellor of Germany on 30 January 1933.
Third Reich (1933–1945)
Main articles: Nazi Germany and World War II
Adolf Hitler (right), nazi dictatorOn 27 February 1933, the Reichstag was set on fire. Some basic democratic rights were quickly abrogated afterwards under an emergency decree. An Enabling Act gave Hitler's government full legislative power. Only the Social Democratic Party of Germany voted against it; the Communists were not able to present opposition, as their deputies had already been murdered or imprisoned.[14][15] A centralised totalitarian state was established by a series of moves and decrees making Germany a single-party state. Industry was closely regulated with quotas and requirements, to shift the economy towards a war production base. In 1936 German troops entered the demilitarized Rhineland, and British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's appeasement policies proved inadequate. Emboldened, Hitler followed from 1938 onwards a policy of expansionism to establish Greater Germany. To avoid a two-front war, Hitler concluded the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact with the Soviet Union, a pact which was later broken by Germany.
In 1939, the growing tensions from nationalism, militarism, and territorial issues led to the Germans launching a blitzkrieg on September 1 against Poland, followed two days later by declarations of war by Britain and France, marking the beginning of World War II. Germany quickly gained direct or indirect control of the majority of Europe.
Berlin in ruins after World War II, Potsdamer Platz 1945On 22 June 1941, Hitler broke the pact with the Soviet Union by opening the Eastern Front and invading the Soviet Union. Shortly after Japan attacked the American base at Pearl Harbor, Germany declared war on the United States. Although initially the German army rapidly advanced into the Soviet Union, the Battle of Stalingrad marked a major turning point in the war. Subsequently, the German army commenced retreating on the Eastern Front. D-Day marked a major turning point on the Western front, as Allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy and made rapid advances into German territory. Germany's defeat soon followed. On 8 May 1945, the German armed forces surrendered after the Red Army occupied Berlin.
In what later became known as The Holocaust, the Third Reich regime enacted governmental policies directly subjugating many parts of society: Jews, Communists, Roma, homosexuals, freemasons, political dissidents, priests, preachers, religious opponents, and the disabled, amongst others. During the Nazi era, about eleven million people were murdered in the Holocaust, including six million Jews and three million Poles. World War II and the Nazi genocide were responsible for about 35 million dead in Europe.
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A region named Germania inhabited by several Germanic peoples has been known and documented before 100 AD. Since the 10th century German territories have formed a central part of the Holy Roman Empire that lasted until 1806. During the period, in the 16th century, the northern German regions became the centre of the Protestant Reformation. As a modern nation-state, the country was first unified amidst the Franco-Prussian War in 1871. After World War II, Germany was divided into two separate states along the lines of allied occupation in 1949.[3] The two states became reunified again in 1990. Germany is a founding member of the EC in 1957, which became the European Union in 1993. It is part of the borderless Schengen zone and adopted the common European currency, the Euro, in 1999.
Germany is a federal parliamentary republic of sixteen states (Bundesländer). The capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany is a member of the United Nations, NATO, the G8, the G4 nations, and signed the Kyoto protocol. It is the world's third largest economy by nominal GDP and the largest exporter of goods in 2007. In absolute terms, Germany allocates the second biggest annual budget of development aid in the world,[4] while its military expenditure ranked sixth.[5] The country has developed a high standard of living and established a comprehensive system of social security. It holds a key position in European affairs and maintains a multitude of close partnerships on a global level. Germany is recognized as a scientific and technological leader in several fields
History
Main articles: History of Germany, Germanic peoples, Germania, and List of country name etymologies
The ethnogenesis of the Germanic tribes is assumed to have occurred during the Nordic Bronze Age, or at the latest, during the Pre-Roman Iron Age. From southern Scandinavia and northern Germany, the tribes began expanding south, east and west in the 1st century BC, coming into contact with the Celtic tribes of Gaul as well as Iranian, Baltic, and Slavic tribes in Eastern Europe. Little is known about early Germanic history, except through their recorded interactions with the Roman Empire, etymological research and archaeological finds.[7]
Expansion of the Germanic tribes 750 BC – AD 1Under Augustus, the Roman General Publius Quinctilius Varus began to invade Germania (a term used by the Romans running roughly from the Rhine to the Ural Mountains) , and it was in this period that the Germanic tribes became familiar with Roman tactics of warfare while maintaining their tribal identity. In AD 9, three Roman legions led by Varus were defeated by the Cheruscan leader Arminius in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest. Modern Germany, as far as the Rhine and the Danube, thus remained outside the Roman Empire. By AD 100, the time of Tacitus' Germania, Germanic tribes settled along the Rhine and the Danube (the Limes Germanicus) , occupying most of the area of modern Germany. The 3rd century saw the emergence of a number of large West Germanic tribes: Alamanni, Franks, Chatti, Saxons, Frisians, Sicambri, and Thuringii. Around 260, the Germanic peoples broke through the Limes and the Danube frontier into Roman-controlled lands.[8]
Holy Roman Empire (962–1806)
Main article: Holy Roman Empire
Prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire (1341 parchment)The medieval empire stemmed from a division of the Carolingian Empire in 843, which was founded by Charlemagne on 25 December 800, and existed in varying forms until 1806, its territory stretching from the Eider River in the north to the Mediterranean coast in the south. Often referred to as the Holy Roman Empire (or the Old Empire) , it was officially called the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation ("Sacrum Romanum Imperium Nationis Germanicæ") starting in 1448, to adjust the title to its then reduced territory.
Under the reign of the Ottonian emperors (919-1024) , the duchies of Lorraine, Saxony, Franconia, Swabia, Thuringia, and Bavaria were consolidated, and the German king was crowned Holy Roman Emperor of these regions in 962. Under the reign of the Salian emperors (1024-1125) , the Holy Roman Empire absorbed northern Italy and Burgundy, although the emperors lost power through the Investiture Controversy. Under the Hohenstaufen emperors (1138-1254) , the German princes increased their influence further south and east into territories inhabited by Slavs. Northern German towns grew prosperous as members of the Hanseatic League.
Martin Luther, (1483–1546) initiated the Protestant Reformation.The edict of the Golden Bull in 1356 provided the basic constitution of the empire that lasted until its dissolution. It codified the election of the emperor by seven prince-electors who ruled some of the most powerful principalities and archbishoprics. Beginning in the 15th century, the emperors were elected nearly exclusively from the Habsburg dynasty of Austria.
The monk Martin Luther wrote his 95 Theses questioning the Roman Catholic Church in 1517, thereby sparking the Protestant Reformation. A separate Lutheran church was acknowledged as the newly sanctioned religion in many German states after 1530. Religious conflict led to the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) , which devastated German lands.[9] The population of the German states was reduced by about 30%.[10] The Peace of Westphalia (1648) ended religious warfare among the German states, but the empire was de facto divided into numerous independent principalities. From 1740 onwards, the dualism between the Austrian Habsburg Monarchy and the Kingdom of Prussia dominated German history. In 1806, the Imperium was overrun and dissolved as a result of the Napoleonic Wars.[11]
See also: Medieval demography
Restoration and revolution (1814–1871)
Main article: German Confederation
Frankfurt Parliament in 1848Following the fall of Napoleon Bonaparte, the Congress of Vienna convened in 1814 and founded the German Confederation (Deutscher Bund) , a loose league of 39 sovereign states. Disagreement with restoration politics partly led to the rise of liberal movements, demanding unity and freedom. These, however, were followed by new measures of repression on the part of the Austrian statesman Metternich. The Zollverein, a tariff union, profoundly furthered economic unity in the German states. During this era many Germans had been stirred by the ideals of the French Revolution, and nationalism became a more significant force, especially among young intellectuals. For the first time, the colours of black, red and gold were chosen to represent the movement, which later became the national colours.[12]
In light of a series of revolutionary movements in Europe, which successfully established a republic in France, intellectuals and commoners started the Revolutions of 1848 in the German states. The monarchs initially yielded to the revolutionaries' liberal demands. King Frederick William IV of Prussia was offered the title of Emperor, but with a loss of power; he rejected the crown and the proposed constitution, leading to a temporary setback for the movement. Conflict between King William I of Prussia and the increasingly liberal parliament erupted over military reforms in 1862, and the king appointed Otto von Bismarck the new Prime Minister of Prussia. Bismarck successfully waged war on Denmark in 1864. Prussian victory in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 enabled him to create the North German Federation (Norddeutscher Bund) and to exclude Austria, formerly the leading German state, from the affairs of the remaining German states.
German Empire (1871–1918)
Main article: German Empire
Foundation of modern Germany in Versailles-France, 1871. Bismarck is at the centre in a white uniformThe state known as Germany was unified as a modern nation-state in 1871, when the German Empire was forged, with the Kingdom of Prussia as its largest constituent. After the French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, the German Empire (Deutsches Kaiserreich) was proclaimed in Versailles on 18 January 1871. The Hohenzollern dynasty of Prussia ruled the new empire, whose capital was Berlin. The empire was a unification of all the scattered parts of Germany except Austria (Kleindeutschland, or "Lesser Germany"). Beginning in 1884, Germany began establishing several colonies outside of Europe.
In the Gründerzeit period following the unification of Germany, Emperor William I's foreign policy secured Germany's position as a great nation by forging alliances, isolating France by diplomatic means, and avoiding war. Under William II, however, Germany, like other European powers, took an imperialistic course leading to friction with neighbouring countries. Most alliances in which Germany had been previously involved were not renewed, and new alliances excluded the country. Specifically, France established new relationships by signing the Entente Cordiale with the United Kingdom and securing ties with the Russian Empire. Aside from its contacts with Austria-Hungary, Germany became increasingly isolated.
Imperial Germany (1871–1918) , with the dominant Kingdom of Prussia in blue.Germany's imperialism reached outside of its own country and joined many other powers in Europe to claim their share of Africa. The Berlin Conference divided Africa between the European powers. Germany owned several pieces of land on Africa including German East Africa, South-West Africa, Togo, and Cameroon. The Scramble for Africa caused tension between the great powers that may have contributed to the conditions that led to World War I.
The assassination of Austria's crown prince on 28 June 1914 triggered World War I. Germany, as part of the unsuccessful Central Powers, suffered defeat against the Allied Powers in one of the bloodiest conflicts of all time. The German Revolution broke out in November 1918, and Emperor William II and all German ruling princes abdicated. An armistice putting an end to the war was signed on 11 November and Germany was forced to sign the Treaty of Versailles in June 1919. Its negotiation, contrary to traditional post-war diplomacy, excluded the defeated Central Powers. The treaty was perceived in Germany as a humiliating continuation of the war by other means and its harshness is often cited as having facilitated the later rise of Nazism in the country.[13]
Weimar Republic (1919–1933)
Main article: Weimar Republic
Billboard advertising Die Dreigroschenoper by Bertolt Brecht. The Weimar era was dominated by political unrest and cultural liberation.After the success of the German Revolution in November 1918, a republic was proclaimed. The Weimar Constitution came into effect with its signing by President Friedrich Ebert on 11 August 1919. The German Communist Party was established by Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht in 1918, and the German Workers Party, later known as the National Socialist German Workers Party or Nazi Party, was founded in January 1919.
Suffering from the Great Depression, the harsh peace conditions dictated by the Treaty of Versailles, and a long succession of more or less unstable governments, the political masses in Germany increasingly lacked identification with their political system of parliamentary democracy. This was exacerbated by a wide-spread right-wing (monarchist, völkisch, and Nazi) Dolchstoßlegende, a political myth which claimed that Germany lost World War I because of the German Revolution, not because of military defeat. On the other hand, radical left-wing communists, such as the Spartacist League, had wanted to abolish what they perceived as "capitalist rule" in favour of a Räterepublik. Paramilitary troops were set up by several parties and there were thousands of politically motivated murders. The paramilitary intimidated voters and seeded violence and anger among the public, which suffered from high unemployment and poverty. After a series of unsuccessful cabinets, President Paul von Hindenburg, seeing little alternative and pushed by right-wing advisors, appointed Adolf Hitler Chancellor of Germany on 30 January 1933.
Third Reich (1933–1945)
Main articles: Nazi Germany and World War II
Adolf Hitler (right), nazi dictatorOn 27 February 1933, the Reichstag was set on fire. Some basic democratic rights were quickly abrogated afterwards under an emergency decree. An Enabling Act gave Hitler's government full legislative power. Only the Social Democratic Party of Germany voted against it; the Communists were not able to present opposition, as their deputies had already been murdered or imprisoned.[14][15] A centralised totalitarian state was established by a series of moves and decrees making Germany a single-party state. Industry was closely regulated with quotas and requirements, to shift the economy towards a war production base. In 1936 German troops entered the demilitarized Rhineland, and British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain's appeasement policies proved inadequate. Emboldened, Hitler followed from 1938 onwards a policy of expansionism to establish Greater Germany. To avoid a two-front war, Hitler concluded the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact with the Soviet Union, a pact which was later broken by Germany.
In 1939, the growing tensions from nationalism, militarism, and territorial issues led to the Germans launching a blitzkrieg on September 1 against Poland, followed two days later by declarations of war by Britain and France, marking the beginning of World War II. Germany quickly gained direct or indirect control of the majority of Europe.
Berlin in ruins after World War II, Potsdamer Platz 1945On 22 June 1941, Hitler broke the pact with the Soviet Union by opening the Eastern Front and invading the Soviet Union. Shortly after Japan attacked the American base at Pearl Harbor, Germany declared war on the United States. Although initially the German army rapidly advanced into the Soviet Union, the Battle of Stalingrad marked a major turning point in the war. Subsequently, the German army commenced retreating on the Eastern Front. D-Day marked a major turning point on the Western front, as Allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy and made rapid advances into German territory. Germany's defeat soon followed. On 8 May 1945, the German armed forces surrendered after the Red Army occupied Berlin.
In what later became known as The Holocaust, the Third Reich regime enacted governmental policies directly subjugating many parts of society: Jews, Communists, Roma, homosexuals, freemasons, political dissidents, priests, preachers, religious opponents, and the disabled, amongst others. During the Nazi era, about eleven million people were murdered in the Holocaust, including six million Jews and three million Poles. World War II and the Nazi genocide were responsible for about 35 million dead in Europe.
read more
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