Knowledge Wanders
Wandering the great places…

Archive for August, 2011

26
Aug

Walking Holidays in Italy - The Cinque Terre

Posted in Destinations  by bill_weston on August 26th, 2011

If you are a fan of active walking holidays then you should consider Italy as a destination. Walks in Italy can take you from rolling Tuscan hills to the rugged mountains, but The Cinque Terre in the north-western Ligurian region is widely considered the most beautiful and romantic walking routes. Linking the villages of Monterosso, Riomaggiore, Vernazza, Manarola and Corniglia, the trail leads along cliff edges, past vineyards, olive groves and old farm houses.

If you want to walk the full Cinque Terre you will end up at Monterosso, but less energetic visitors choose to stop at other villages along the way, seizing the opportunity for a nice lunch and to explore the village in question.

Riomaggiore
Most people who walk the Cinque Terre begin in Riomaggiore. With wide pedestrian streets and a colourful town centre, Riomaggiore is the most tourist-focused of the villages, but retains charming history with ruins of a fifteenth century castle among other tourist attractions.

Manarola
The part of the route between Riomaggiore and Manarola is the most famous part of the Cinque Terre - the Via dell’Amore. History goes that lovers from the two villages would meet at the Via dell’Amore to have love affairs, and today’s tourists love to soak up the romantic atmosphere.

Corniglia
Corniglia is the highest of the villages, clinging to cliffs around one hundred metres above the sea, while most of the other villages reside in sheltered ports. Corniglia certainly has some of most breath-taking views of all five villages.

Vernazza
Vernazza is an old fishing village, and is largely untouched by tourism. The most popular attractions in Vernazza are the Church of Santa Margherita d’Antiochia dating back to 1318, as well as Doria Castle, which was built in the 15th century to protect against pirates. It’s also the home of the Shrine of Santuatio di Nostra Signora di Reggio, with great views of hillside vineyards, the water below and several statues of biblical figures.

Monterosso
Monterosso is the most westerly village on the route, and the village where most walkers choose to end their adventure. Monterosso is well-known for having one of the best beaches in Italy, and a ferry can be taken back to the starting point in Riomaggiore.

Walking holidays are a great way of staying healthy and active while on holiday and Italy is one of the most beautiful walking holiday destinations in the whole continent. Combine fine food and wine with some invigorating physical activities and you could be next to recommend walking holidays in Italy to your friends.

Bill Weston writes on a number of subjects including Cinque Terre walking holidays, walking holidays in Italy and walking Cinque Terre.

26
Aug

Walking Holidays in Spain

Posted in Destinations  by bill_weston on August 26th, 2011

If you’re an outdoors type who likes active holidays and good weather, then you should consider a walking holiday in Spain. Whether you simply like going out for a leisurely stroll or a full blown hike, this country has much to offer tourists who enjoy an active lifestyle. Walking is great for health, applies less pressure to joints than jogging or running, and is great, gentle exercise for the whole body. As well as staying healthy you can also relax and enjoy the sights and sounds of Spain. Walking is a great way to explore, and much less disorientating than hopping onto a bus/cab/car/train at every opportunity.

Walking is great exercise, and if done regularly will reduce your weight, but it is also an enjoyable activity. It’s gentle exercise which still allows us to clear our head and think clearly. Walking holidays are healthy, cheap and fun. While some people continue with holidays centred on sun worship and eating and drinking too much, others are enjoying walking holidays which keep you active. Rather than spending a week laying on your back burning your skin, consider exploring your surroundings with some gentle activities. Walking holidays often benefit from being relaxed, with few planned activities and more spontaneous trips.

While there are many beautiful rural areas of Spain, some of the more interesting locations to walk tend to be cities. Barcelona, for example, offers a diverse range of impressive architecture and cultural heritage. Spain is a diverse place and there is plenty for any tourist to see. Each city is generally surrounded by beautiful countryside, with most cities residing up in the mountains. It’s when you leave the cities that you can see the side of Spain which is untouched by tourism, and meet real Spaniards, who are friendly with tourists despite not being in the business of fleecing them.

The Camino Santiago is one of the best walks in Spain. The Way of St. James is a pilgrimage route started well over one thousand years ago. Starting at St Jean Pied De Port in the Pyrenees, most people follow this route to Santiago de Compostella. Thousands make the trek each year along the pilgrim’s routes, and cheap and basic hostels are available for them to stay in.

Walking holidays in Spain are some of the best in Europe. Whether you’re walking for enjoyment, a healthy lifestyle or for a cheap holiday, walking holidays can take you to places that you otherwise would simply not have considered. There’s no better way to explore your surroundings and engage with the environment.

Bill Weston writes on a number of subjects including walking holiday, walking holidays, walking holidays in Europe.

26
Aug

Walking Holidays in Spain - Camino de Santiago

Posted in Travel  by bill_weston on August 26th, 2011

The Camino de Santiago is a group of pilgrimage routes which join up at Santiago de Compostela in North Western Spain. They are popular walking and cycling routes, especially at special religious times. The most commonly walked route is from St Jean Pied de Port in the Pyrenees, in Southern France, finishing 780k later in Santiago at St. James’ tomb. This walk can take around a month to complete for the average walker, so it’s no walk in the park.

This route is known as the Camino Frances, and is the most well-known of all the Camino routes. The hardest day of the 780k trek is the first, with steep paths and sharp drops into Roncesvalles, a small village in northern Spain on the river Urrobi. There are pilgrim-only hostels in Roncesvalles, with communal rooms, showers and cooking areas. Pilgrims must prove their credentials in order to gain entry to the cheap and sometimes free hostels, by producing their Pilgrims Passport. These hostels are usually managed by volunteers who have walked the Camino de Santiago themselves.

Following the pilgrimage routes walkers will walk the breadth of Northern Spain, across two mountain ranges with their worldly possessions on their back. It’s an incredible journey which most people are lucky to make once in a lifetime, although some people get addicted and come back again and again. It’s no wonder that some people return many times when you consider the stunningly beautiful scenery of these holy and historically-significant routes.

Walkers usually get on rather well, and this is no surprise as walking together for six to eight hours per day is a great ice breaker. Loose groups of friends form and there is a real sense of community on these routes. The local population tend to support the endeavours of walkers, not complaining about the rise in tourists invading their space each year, like many of their city-dwelling counterparts. Many tourists are surprised by the friendliness of the locals in these areas, and for many it’s the reason that Spain becomes an annual holiday destination.

You can continue to walk from Santiago de Compostela to Finisterre in around four days. Finisterre is on the west coast of Spain, and is crammed with pilgrims during the summer. At the headland the lighthouse attracts pilgrims, who sit and watch the sunset from the cliff tops. Walking holidays in Spain are some of the most beautiful active holidays in the world, so if you fancy a walking trip in some favourable weather, consider the Camino de Santiago.

Bill Weston writes on a number of subjects including Camino de Santiago tours, Camino tours and walking holidays Spain.

25
Aug

The Las Vegas Helicopter Tours

Posted in Travel  by LanceThorington on August 25th, 2011

The Las Vegas strip is a stretch of roughly 6.8 kilometers. It is situated beyond the city limits of Las Vegas proper. The location of the strip is within the Winchester and Paradise, which are both townships. The Las Vegas helicopter tours are famous and vital to many individuals. For once, it is imperative to note that most of the largest casinos, resort properties and hotels are situated on the strip. Most flights to the Grand Canyon West are boarded from the strip.

The fact that Vegas makes use of modern architectural designs and that the hotels therein are modernized makes it popular with tourists. The helicopter flights are marvelous too. Mostly, air conditioned jet helicopters are used. For those opting for quiet rids, whisper jet technology is used. With this, passengers are assured of absolute calm and relaxation in the course of travel.

Most of the helicopters are meant for six passengers with seats that face forward. In the course of the journey, one listens to music genre of their choice, with narration in different languages enabled. For adequate balance, weight limits are imposed. Those weighing over 275lbs do not qualify for single seats. They have to purchase additional seats. Booking is mostly done in advance.

The distance of separation between Vegas and the Grand Canyon west is not that long. The canyon is situated in the state of Arizona and is carved by Colorado River. It also lies adjacent to the national park. A feature that makes helicopter tours popular is the distances to be covered. The canyon alone is approximately four hundred and forty six kilometers long and twenty nine kilometers wide. Therefore, to cover the distance adequately and for a more scenic view, the flights come in handy.

From the helicopter, one is able to observe the various plant species on offer. It is estimated that there are close to one thousand seven hundred and thirty seven species of plants. Animals are also of diverse species. In Vegas, observation of the casinos and famous buildings is enabled. The golf courses and the general beautiful scenery can be seen clearly and from suitable aerial angles.

Las Vegas helicopter tours have been attractive over the years. However, currently scenic flights are prohibited when done within one thousand five hundred feet of the canyon. This applies especially so to those flying within the park. This is attributed to a crash that took place in the late 1990s. For an even more scenic journey, the route via Lake Las Vegas may be used.

The west edge of the canyon is preferable to the south. It not only provides different but also very unique beauty and environment. Most individuals or tourists prefer it to the other rims. It also has more plant and animal species.

On the dark side however, crashes have been reported in the Las Vegas helicopter tours. Some happen through collisions and others poor weather and environment conditions. Still, it is evident that the flights are impressive and worth trying out.

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25
Aug

Things to Know Before Buying Carry On Luggage with Wheels

Posted in Travel  by jfcrook on August 25th, 2011

There are many benefits to using a carry on luggage with wheels during your travels. You can easily breeze through airport security and airplane protocols with just a luggage to your name. You can also save your back from the pain of lugging around a heavy bag on your shoulders. But these benefits of a carry on rolling luggage can only be enjoyed if and when you chose the right one in the first place.

Know the Definition
With airport security as it is today, the definition of luggage with wheels is important for an obvious reason - you may not see eye to eye with the airport and airplane officials about what a carry on luggage is. This can create travel issues that nobody wants to experience.

Generally speaking, a carry on bag has dimensions of 22×14x9 inches although it must be said that airplanes will have varying specifications depending on the type of airplane. Keep in mind that luggage will be kept in overhead compartments. At the very least, you can argue that your luggage does count as a carry on based on these general dimensions.

Know the Purpose
Then, you must determine what, where and when you will be using the luggage with wheels - at least, for most of the time. Will you be using it for weekend travels out of town? Will you be stuffing it with the kids’ things for visits to grandma? Will you be using it for business purposes?

The purpose for which the carry on rolling luggage will be used for shall determine its size, materials and features. For example, if the luggage will be used mostly for weekends on mini-vacations in resorts, then the design will be on the casual side. But if it will be used for business meetings, then professional design complete with the compartments for laptops and other business what-not must be included.

It does pay to think things over when choosing carry on luggage with wheels in terms of knowing where and when it will be used for. You want to be properly dressed for the occasion, so to speak.

Choose the Material
Now, let’s move on to the materials used on the luggage. Your final choice from among these materials will largely depend on your budget as well as your personal style:

* Leather is the most preferred material because it is durable, functional and beautiful. Its good qualities are such that you can take leather luggage anywhere and you will still be fashionable. Choices in leather include full-grain, top-grain and Napa leather.
* Polycarbonate is a lightweight material that still provides for the necessary protection for the things inside the luggage. This can usually be found on hard-sided luggage with affordable price tags.
* Fabrics like nylon are also good choices for luggage because of their flexibility in containing various items. These are casual materials so bringing a fabric carry on for a business meeting is not advisable.

You can then choose the features - number of pockets, handles and other hardware - of the carry on luggage with wheels once you have decided on the above mentioned three things to know about it.

CarryonLuggageExpress.com continually researches for new types of carry on luggage. We want to bring you the latest carry on luggage with wheels that can be found online.