José Balido's Posts - Tripatini2024-03-29T05:36:27ZJosé Balidohttps://frugalnomads.ning.com/profile/JoseBalidohttps://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/65755416?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1https://frugalnomads.ning.com/profiles/blog/feed?user=1r6auh53zy64q&xn_auth=no9 Tips for Packing Like a Protag:frugalnomads.ning.com,2021-11-11:3169359:BlogPost:7900022021-11-11T15:43:21.000ZJosé Balidohttps://frugalnomads.ning.com/profile/JoseBalido
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9700725701?profile=original" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9700725701?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="750"></img></a> <em><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/es/foto/mujer-preocupada-por-el-desbordamiento-de-la-maleta-antes-de-viajar-gm1271941382-374371943" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">martin-dm</span></a></em></p>
<p><br></br> </p>
<p>Ah, packing and unpacking - a not-fun but completely necessary evil we must endure in order to go enjoy the…</p>
<p><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9700725701?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9700725701?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><em><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/es/foto/mujer-preocupada-por-el-desbordamiento-de-la-maleta-antes-de-viajar-gm1271941382-374371943" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">martin-dm</span></a></em></p>
<p><br/> </p>
<p>Ah, packing and unpacking - a not-fun but completely necessary evil we must endure in order to go enjoy the pleasures of travel. But at least there are a few techniques out there which will help you maximise your packing efficiency and minimise the time you need to spend on this chore. In interviewing packing experts over the years, our editors have gleaned some pointers that make this admittedly somewhat tedious process as painless as it can possibly be, and is even likely to enhance your experience on the other side. Here are nine of them:</p>
<p> </p>
<h3><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">Don't Over-pack<br/> <br/></span></strong></h3>
<p>This may seem like a no-brainer, but it bears reminding, as plenty of us still try to stuff our cases with items of marginal utility, or too many of the same type of garment. Be ruthless about making your choices with maximum utility in mind. For example, what is truly essential? Do you really need more than one fancy frock or shirt for evening wear? Would it be so terrible to re-wear an item of clothing once or more? Keep in mind, too, that many travellers these days opt for self-catering flats or villas, and if your lodging doesn't already have a washing machine, it's well worth looking for one that does, to allow the same clothes to be worn as much as possible. Remember - especially away from home - nobody cares about seeing you in the same thing more than once or even twice.</p>
<h3><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;"><br/> Rolling vs. Folding</span><br/></strong></h3>
<p><br/> When it comes to clothing, there are two main ways to pack. Rolling is particularly great for backpacks, but can also be used effectively with suitcases, with the added benefit of avoiding wrinkles whilst saving space by minimising the air trapped between the fabric that is more common with folding. But if you do prefer folding, at least try folding two items of clothing together: put down one piece of clothing, then put half the other piece over it. Fold the bottom one over the top one, and the top one over the folded piece of the bottom one. That way there's a bit of cushion between clothes, also helping to reduce wrinkes.</p>
<h3><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;"><br/> Heavier Stuff on the Bottom</span></strong></h3>
<p><br/> This applies to trousers, shoes, and jackets, along with non-clothing items such as vanity kits, mirrors, shavers, and footwear. This should, again, cut down considerably on wrinkled clothing.</p>
<h3><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong><br/> Use Shoes as Containers</strong></span></h3>
<p><br/> Speaking of footwear, if you've got any in your bags, don't pass up the chance to use the spaces inside each shoe or boot to store smaller items such as (but by no means limited to) socks and belts. It may not seem like much, but depending on the size of your case, every little bit can help.</p>
<h3><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong><br/> Don't Stash Valuables in Checked Luggage</strong></span></h3>
<p><br/> This is of course in the unlikely event your bag goes missing (and even more unlikely, that it's never recovered). That includes not just the likes of jewelry and electronics, but also important documents. Again, you might think this perhaps a no-brainer, but again, you might be surprised at how many travellers unwittingly break this rule - please don't become one of them!</p>
<h3><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong><br/> Do Stash Larger Liquids in Checked Luggage</strong></span></h3>
<p><br/> Not to seem too obvious - but then again, some people ignore the obvious. Since the travel-security theatre of this day and age requires any liquids you bring with you to be confined to containers of no more than 100 millilitres (3.4 ounces) each, in addition to relying on "travel-size" shampoo, conditioner, and other toiletries, you can be a bit more eco-conscious by packing normal-size toiletries in your checked bags. And of course this also applies to any liquid souvenirs you may pick up along the way, such as wine and spirits.</p>
<h3><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;"><br/> Try Wearing the Heaviest Clothing You'll Need Onboard<br/></span></strong></h3>
<p><br/> As we noted above, in this situation every little bit counts, so rather than packing them, wearing one or more of your bulkier garments on a flight or train ride will add an additional bit of room inside your luggage as well as better distribute the weight within. (Of course, there might be circumstances in which this may not work quite ideally, such as wearing heavy coats and/or sweaters when going from a warm climate to a colder one - but on the other hand, you can always carry them over one arm; the considerable space you'll free up in your bag may well be worth the minor inconvenience.)</p>
<h3><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong><br/> Cross Pack</strong></span></h3>
<p><br/> Hmmm, what exactly does "cross pack" mean? Well, essentially it's putting some of your stuff in your partner’s suitcase and some of his/her stuff in yours (the same applies to your kids, if you’re traveling with any). This way, in the unlikely event one of your cases doesn’t arrive at your destination when you do, you'll have at least some clothes to wear until it does.</p>
<h3><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;"><br/> Try Systems Like Luggage Cubes or Pouches<br/></span></strong></h3>
<p><br/> You'll recall that in my second point, when talking about rolling, a key aspect of packing compactly is to minimise the air trapped between items. Clever folks have come up with the idea of selling compact pouches to compress and compartmentalise your clothing and other items to do just that, and you can find them all over the Internet - some sold with small reverse vacuums to suck out as much additional air as possible. Definitely worth a go, in our experience.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Hope this helps - now get packing, and happy trails!</p>
<p> </p>Landscape of Light: Celebrating the City of Madrid's Very First UNESCO World Heritage Sitetag:frugalnomads.ning.com,2021-09-14:3169359:BlogPost:7884092021-09-14T13:00:00.000ZJosé Balidohttps://frugalnomads.ning.com/profile/JoseBalido
<h6><em><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9574059481?profile=original" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9574059481?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="750"></img></a> <a href="https://www.tripatini.com/profile/JoseBalido?xg_source=profiles_memberList" rel="noopener" target="_blank">José Balido</a></span><br></br></em></h6>
<p><br></br> </p>
<p>Congratulations are in order! <strong>UNESCO</strong> (the <strong>United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization</strong>) has just…</p>
<h6><em><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9574059481?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/9574059481?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><a href="https://www.tripatini.com/profile/JoseBalido?xg_source=profiles_memberList" target="_blank" rel="noopener">José Balido</a></span><br/></em></h6>
<p><br/> </p>
<p>Congratulations are in order! <strong>UNESCO</strong> (the <strong>United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization</strong>) has just this summer honored <a href="https://www.tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/10-musts-of-madrid-spain" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Spain</strong>'s capital city</a> with <a href="https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1618" target="_blank" rel="noopener">its first <strong>World Heritage Site</strong> designation</a>, elevating <strong>Madrid</strong> to the ranks of destinations with districts or monuments worth preserving for future generations (the larger Madrid community surrounding the capital already had UNESCO sites, including <a href="https://love2fly.iberia.com/2015/01/delightful-day-trips-from-madrid/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the royal complexes of <strong>El Escorial</strong> and <strong>Aranjuez</strong>, which make marvelous day trips)</a>.</p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p><br/> <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AhVWiYQ1Ghs?wmode=opaque" allowfullscreen="" width="640" height="400" frameborder="0"></iframe>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The leafy <strong>Paseo del Prado</strong> boulevard, long a favorite of urban strollers, joins the nearby <a href="https://love2fly.iberia.com/2015/08/retiro-park-madrid-spain/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Buen Retiro Park</strong></a> and 90 other adjacent monuments and institutions to form the "<strong>Landscape of Arts and Sciences</strong>," reflecting a true gem of urban planning: the unique mix of culture, learning, nature, and leisure that have been brought together in this beautiful corner of our city whose universal value UNESCO has just recognized.<br/></p>
<p>Arts and sciences being the light that guides our civilisation, this corridor has also been dubbed the "<strong>Landscape of Light</strong>," doubly appropriate for its allusion both to the Enlightenment of the 18th century, a period during which many of its key elements were built, and to the intense luminosity of our Madrid skies, born of our clear dry air and setting high on the <strong>Meseta Central</strong> plateau near the <strong>Guadarrama Mountains</strong>.</p>
<p> </p>
<h6><a href="https://labs.tinkle.es/mgv/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/l2f-sep-21-pic-spain-madrid-unesco-world-heritage-site-plaza-cibeles-istock-508451794.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://labs.tinkle.es/mgv/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/l2f-sep-21-pic-spain-madrid-unesco-world-heritage-site-plaza-cibeles-istock-508451794.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="1254"/></a><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/es/foto/fuente-de-la-cibeles-en-la-plaza-de-cibeles-en-madrid-gm508451794-85266395" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em><span style="font-size: 8pt;">GoranQ</span></em></a></h6>
<p><br/> </p>
<p>The district includes some of the city’s most iconic landmarks and cultural institutions along the tree-lined Paseo del Prado running just under a mile (1.5 kilometres) between a pair of squares - the <strong>Plaza de Cibeles</strong> at its northern end south to the <strong>Plaza de Atocha</strong> (officially the <strong>Plaza del Emperador Carlos V</strong>). With roots in the mid-17th century, it's a lovely stroll (about 20 minutes without stops), along a verdant landscaped median past statuary and monumental fountains – most notably the late-18th-century <strong>Neptune Fountain</strong> and especially the also neoclassical <strong>Cibeles Fountain</strong> (above), built around the same time. This depicts the Roman goddess of fertility riding in a chariot drawn by a pair of lions, and it's a truly inspiring and iconic sight, especially as set against the elaborate Madrid city council building, a glorious mix of Modernist, Art Deco and other styles designed by prominent Madrid architects of a century ago <strong>Antonino Palacios</strong> and <strong>Joaquin Otamendi</strong> and inaugurated as the national postal-service headquarters in 1919.</p>
<p> </p>
<h6><em><a href="https://labs.tinkle.es/mgv/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/l2f-sep-21-pic-spain-madrid-unesco-world-heritage-site-prado-interior-foupic-wikipedia.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://labs.tinkle.es/mgv/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/l2f-sep-21-pic-spain-madrid-unesco-world-heritage-site-prado-interior-foupic-wikipedia.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="1199"/></a></em><em><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Interior_del_Museo_del_Prado.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">FouPic</span></a></em></h6>
<p><br/> </p>
<p>And it's here, too, that the arts and sciences come into play, because on and around the Paseo del Prado are several of <a href="https://love2fly.iberia.com/2014/05/the-impressive-museums-of-madrid/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Madrid's most distinguished museums</a>. The top of the list is of course the <a href="https://www.museodelprado.es/en" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Museo del Prado</strong></a> (above), Spain's foremost art museum, while other institutions include the <a href="https://www.museothyssen.org/en" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Thyssen-Bornemisza</strong></a> (spanning eight centuries of European and U.S. artists) and the <a href="https://www.esmadrid.com/en/tourist-information/caixaforum-madrid" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>CaixaForum</strong></a> (international art from the 1980s to the present day), the astronomical <a href="https://www.esmadrid.com/en/tourist-information/real-observatorio-de-madrid" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Royal Observatory</strong></a> (dating back to the end of the 18th century and open for visits/tours) and the <a href="https://www.esmadrid.com/en/tourist-information/real-jardin-botanico" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Royal Botanical Garden</strong></a> (occupying this site since 1781 and home to some 30,000 plants plus 1,500 trees). Meanwhile, just a block away from the Paseo you'll find the <a href="https://www.museoreinasofia.es/en" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Reina Sofía</strong></a>, Spain's premier modern art museum, as well as the <a href="https://www.esmadrid.com/en/tourist-information/museo-arqueologico-nacional" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Anthropology Museum</strong></a>, specialising in non-European cultures and particularly those once ruled by the Spanish empire - not just in <strong>Latin America</strong> but <a href="https://love2fly.iberia.com/2019/05/spain-spanish-history-asia-africa-colonies/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">also in <strong>Asia</strong> and <strong>Africa</strong></a>.</p>
<p> </p>
<h6><a href="https://labs.tinkle.es/mgv/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/l2f-sep-21-pic-madrid-unesco-world-heritage-sites-buen-retiro-park-lake-istock-672802922.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://labs.tinkle.es/mgv/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/l2f-sep-21-pic-madrid-unesco-world-heritage-sites-buen-retiro-park-lake-istock-672802922.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="1257"/></a><em><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/es/foto/buen-retiro-park-en-madrid-espa%C3%B1a-gm672802922-126309243" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Ershov_Maks</span></a></em></h6>
<p><br/> </p>
<p>Just east of the Paseo del Prado, the new UNESCO site also includes one of Madrid's onetime city gates, the 243-year-old <strong>Puerta del Alcalá</strong> (top) and adjacent to it the city's most prominent park, the aforementioned Buen Retiro. Created in the late 17th century as a <em>buen retiro</em> ("pleasant retreat") for the royal court and since 1868 a public park, this 120-hectare (297-acre) spread is anchored by a manmade water basin presided by a 1922 colonnade and equestrian statue of late-19th-century king <strong>Alfonso XII</strong> (these days it's plied by rentable dinghies). Notable buildings in the park include the <strong>Palacio Velázquez</strong> and <strong>Palacio de Cristal</strong>, both built in the 1880s, as well as the 17th-century <strong>Salón de Reinos</strong> ("Hall of Kingdoms"), a remnant of the original Buen Retiro royal palace; all are used these days for temporary exhibitions. Meanwhile, out amid the woodsy and grassy patches interspersed with smaller ponds you'll find plantings including a rose garden. Among the statuary, one especially curious standout is possibly the world's only public statue of Lucifer, the 1878 <strong>Fountain of the Fallen Angel</strong>. Most days and especially on weekends, you can find both locals and visitors strolling, biking, sunbathing, and sitting in outdoor cafés.</p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>So whether you’re looking for an city stroll, culture, learning, or a spot of nature, Madrid’s newly anointed Landscape of Light is certain to illuminate your visit to our capital city, as it will now continue to do for generations to come.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>How They Celebrate New Year's in Chinatag:frugalnomads.ning.com,2020-12-31:3169359:BlogPost:7510652020-12-31T17:14:42.000ZJosé Balidohttps://frugalnomads.ning.com/profile/JoseBalido
<p> <a href="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/L2F-Dec-19-pic-China-New-Years-Eve-Shanghai-fireworks-iStock-1189325269.jpg" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/L2F-Dec-19-pic-China-New-Years-Eve-Shanghai-fireworks-iStock-1189325269.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="1254"></img></a> <em><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/fireworks-in-shanghai-cityscape-in-china-gm1189325269-336715951" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Topics</span></a></em></p>
<p><br></br> </p>
<p>You might wonder why this is even a question. But in fact, the Chinese-speaking world has…</p>
<p> <a href="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/L2F-Dec-19-pic-China-New-Years-Eve-Shanghai-fireworks-iStock-1189325269.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/L2F-Dec-19-pic-China-New-Years-Eve-Shanghai-fireworks-iStock-1189325269.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="1254"/></a><em><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/fireworks-in-shanghai-cityscape-in-china-gm1189325269-336715951" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Topics</span></a></em></p>
<p><br/> </p>
<p>You might wonder why this is even a question. But in fact, the Chinese-speaking world has its own big <strong>Lunar New Year</strong> celebration (in 2021, it's 12 February), and so while much of the rest of the planet makes a big deal out of <strong>New Year's Eve</strong> tonight, for many of the nearly 1½ billion inhabitants of this vast country, it simply isn't all that much of a thing. There are of course exceptions, and that's what I'm here to talk about.</p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<h6><a href="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/L2F-Dec-19-pic-China-New-Years-Eve-Beijing-fireworks-iStock-471832631.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/L2F-Dec-19-pic-China-New-Years-Eve-Beijing-fireworks-iStock-471832631.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="1254"/></a><em><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/happy-new-year-at-forbidden-city-in-beijing-china-gm471832631-26603651" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">lusea</span></a></em></h6>
<p><br/> </p>
<p>Mainly, Western-style <strong>NYE</strong> tends to be observed mostly in <strong>China</strong>'s most Westernised big cities, and even there largely but not totally limited to fashionable young locals, those who've lived abroad, and of course quite a few business and diplomatic expatriates. Number one among them on the mainland is <strong><a href="https://www.tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/shanghai-old-and-new" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shanghai</a></strong>, where such folks power parties at private homes and select nightspots, as well as gather on the riverfront <strong>Bund</strong> promenade to watch and sound-and-light show including fireworks (remember, they were invented in China!). The situation is similar in <strong><a href="https://www.tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/peking-beijing-china-travel-tourism-attractions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Beijing</a></strong> - especially boosted by the presence of even more expat embassy staffers. Celebrations with fireworks and rock concerts have taken place at its <strong>Solana Blue Harbor Shopping Park,</strong> while cultural shows and other events are held at the city's Millennium Monument, the <strong>Temple of Heaven</strong>, <strong>Summer Palace</strong>, <strong>Great Wall</strong>, and <strong>Olympic Green</strong>.</p>
<p> </p>
<h6><img class="size-full wp-image-31084" src="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/L2F-Dec-19-pic-China-New-Years-Eve-Hong-Kong-fireworks-iStock-529194979.jpg" alt="Fireworks Celebration at Hong Kong Victoria Bay view From Kowloon" width="1254" height="836"/><em><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/fireworks-celebration-at-hong-kong-city-gm529194979-53912348" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Noppasin</a></em></h6>
<p><br/> </p>
<p>A couple of other key exceptions are <strong><a href="https://www.tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/hong-kong-attractions-activities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hong Kong</a></strong> (above) and <strong><a href="https://www.tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/macau-china-attractions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Macau</a></strong>, both of which were European colonies until 20 years ago. In <strong>HK</strong>, crowds gather in shopping districts like <strong>Central</strong>, <strong>Causeway Bay</strong>, and <strong>Tsim Sha Tsui</strong>, while the <strong>Two International Finance Centre</strong> skyscraper and <strong>Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre</strong> stage lights displays followed by fireworks. In Macau, thousands are on hand for an elaborate fireworks show at <strong>Nam Van Lake</strong> at the southern end of the territory's peninsula, and parties are held at bars, clubs, hotels, restaurants, and glitzy casinos throughout the city.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Well, that's this blog's last post of 2020, so here's wishing readers <em>Xīnnián Kuàilè</em> (Happy New Year)!</p>
<p> </p>The Top 12 Archaeological Sites of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsulatag:frugalnomads.ning.com,2020-11-25:3169359:BlogPost:6746492020-11-25T02:30:00.000ZJosé Balidohttps://frugalnomads.ning.com/profile/JoseBalido
<h6 class="aligncenter"><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/L2F-Jun-17-pic-Mexico-Yucatan-Uxmal-Pyramid-Magician-shutterstock-640x425.jpg" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/L2F-Jun-17-pic-Mexico-Yucatan-Uxmal-Pyramid-Magician-shutterstock-640x425.jpg?width=640" width="640"></img></a> <span style="font-size: 8pt;"> <a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/es/image-photo/temple-magician-mayan-ruins-uxmal-mexico-553212190?src=lV1_DRGG_MUbJMbVsU-EuQ-1-0" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><em>Progettocrema</em></a></span><strong><br></br></strong></h6>
<p></p>
<p>Some of…</p>
<h6 class="aligncenter"><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/L2F-Jun-17-pic-Mexico-Yucatan-Uxmal-Pyramid-Magician-shutterstock-640x425.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/L2F-Jun-17-pic-Mexico-Yucatan-Uxmal-Pyramid-Magician-shutterstock-640x425.jpg?width=640" class="align-center" width="640"/></a> <span style="font-size: 8pt;"> <a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/es/image-photo/temple-magician-mayan-ruins-uxmal-mexico-553212190?src=lV1_DRGG_MUbJMbVsU-EuQ-1-0" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Progettocrema</em></a></span><strong><br/></strong></h6>
<p></p>
<p>Some of the world’s most famous ruins can be found in this expansive, steamy lowland peninsula covering the southern Mexican states of<span> </span><strong>Yucatán</strong>,<span> </span><strong>Campeche</strong>, and<span> </span><strong>Quintana Roo</strong><span> </span>(as well as, many people don’t realise, northern<span> </span><strong>Belize</strong><span> </span>and the Guatemalan state of<span> </span><strong>Petén</strong>, home to <strong>Tikal</strong>). The “Big Three”,<span> </span><strong>Chichén Itzá, Tulum</strong>, and<span> </span><strong>Uxmal</strong>, are celebrated for a reason. But if you’re particularly fascinated, as I am, with the<span> </span><strong>Mundo Maya</strong>, you’ll want to add several more days to your visit here, as there dozens more ravishing ruins – many of them within an hour or two of tourist destinations such as Yucatan capital<span> </span><strong>Mérida</strong>, as well as holiday meccas<a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/2015/12/cancun-riviera-maya-mexico/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><span> </span>Cancún</strong><span> </span>and the<span> </span><strong>Riviera Maya</strong></a>.<span id="more-18606"></span></p>
<p></p>
<h3><span><strong>Chichén Itzá</strong></span></h3>
<p><br/> One of the largest Mayan cities, just under 90 minutes from Mérida and just over two hours from<span> </span><strong>Cancun</strong><span> </span>and<span> </span><strong>Playa del Carmen</strong>, Chichén has also become one of Mexico’s most popular tourist sites. It was a going concern from around 600 to 1200 AD, with a diversity of styles and influences, including non-Mayan. Key structures, include<span> </span><strong>El Castillo</strong><span> </span>(the Castle, aka the<span> </span><strong>Temple of Kukulkán</strong>, the “feathered serpent” god also known as<span> </span><strong>Quetzalcoátl</strong>), the<span> </span><strong>Caracol</strong><span> </span>(Snail’s Shell, thought to have been used as an observatory), the<span> </span><strong>Casa de las Monjas</strong><span> </span>(House of the Nuns, though it was actually a government building), and the<span> </span><strong>ball court </strong>(below). Along a path away from the main complex are two cenotes (natural, water-filled sinkholes), which the locals used both as a water source and a place to throw sacrificial objects as well as human sacrifices.</p>
<p></p>
<h3><span><strong>Tulum</strong></span></h3>
<p><br/> This is unique among Mayan ruins in that it perches on a bluff over the<span> </span><strong>Gulf of Mexico</strong><span> </span>– a lovely seaside setting, with a beach below you can frolic at after tromping through the site (though sadly, these days the site is absolutely jammed with cruise ship day trippers out of <strong>Cozumel</strong>, the buildings roped off, and the beach somewhat dirty). With architecture similar to Chichén, Tulum was built late in the game (around 1200 AD) and abandoned by the end of the 16th century. With both smaller scale buildings and a smaller population (1,000 to 1,600), it was thought to have been founded to expand coastal trade routes. Located near a charming beach resort town of the same name, it’s just under an hour from Playa del Carmen, two hours from Cancún, and three hours from Mérida. Unfortunately, it’s extremely popular with cruise shore excursions, so is often slammed with tourists, and unlike other ruins, many structures are roped off.</p>
<h3><span><strong><br/> Uxmal</strong></span></h3>
<p><br/> An important capital in the western, Uxmal (top) has been dated back to 500 AD and reached its peak in from about 800 to 1000 (with a population estimated around 15,000), after which it declined (though was still apparently populated when the Spaniards conquered the peninsula in the mid-16th century. It’s different in style from Chichén, especially with its rounded, smooth pyramids such as the<span> </span><strong>Pirámide del Mago</strong><span> </span>(Pyramid of the Magician), and in addition to being the best preserved of the archaeological sites, it’s also widely considered the most elegant (they also stage a lovely “sound and light” show these days). Just over an hour from Mérida, some four hours from Cancún and Playa del Carmen.</p>
<p></p>
<h6 class="aligncenter"><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/L2F-Jun-17-pic-Mexico-Yucatan-Cob%C3%A1-main-temple-640x426.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/L2F-Jun-17-pic-Mexico-Yucatan-Cob%C3%A1-main-temple-640x426.jpg?width=640" class="align-center" width="640"/></a> <span style="font-size: 8pt;"> </span> <a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/es/image-photo/view-ancient-mayan-pyramid-coba-mexico-439331797?src=387EeUtzk_iJDo6snYcPlw-1-56" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em><span style="font-size: 8pt;">studiolaska</span></em></a></h6>
<p><br/> <br/> Another nine sites are particularly worth a visit if you have more time, or on a return visit. Many have museums and/or visitors’ centres attached to help explain the artifacts displayed and the history of the sites.</p>
<h3><span><strong><br/> Becán</strong></span></h3>
<p><br/> Considered one of the more impressive Mayan sites outside the Big Three (as well as the oldest), this site was occupied from around 600 BC through around 1200 AD. Outstanding features include a two-kilometre (1¼-mile) moat around the city, a unique part of Mexico’s oldest known defensive fortifications. It is, however, one of the more secluded sites – in the jungles of Campeche state a 5½ -hour drive from Mérida, nearly five hours from Playa del Carmen, and 5¾ hours from Cancún (the nearest largish city is<span> </span><strong>Chetumal,</strong><span> </span>90 minutes east).</p>
<h3><span><strong><br/> Calakmul</strong></span></h3>
<p><br/> Basically down the road from Becán, Calakmul was one of the two most important Mayan cities in the “Classic Period”, when it had a population of up to 50,000 its rivalry with Tikal dominated the Mayan geopolitical landscape, something akin to a “superpower” rivalry. Monuments date here back to 5th century AD, and political authority had collapse by the beginning of the 10th. Calakmul’s Great Pyramid is one of the tallest and most massive in the Mundo Maya, at 148 feet (45 meters) high, and the five-hectares (12 acres) excavated so far also boast a large number of carved stelae and another unusual structure called the<span> </span><strong>Building of the Three Towers</strong>. It’s located nearly six hours from Mérida; 5¾ hours from Cancún; 4¾ hours from Playa del Carmen.</p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/L2F-Jun-17-pic-Mexico-Yucatan-Chichen-Itza-ball-court-640x291.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/L2F-Jun-17-pic-Mexico-Yucatan-Chichen-Itza-ball-court-640x291.jpg?width=640" class="align-center" width="640"/></a> <em><span style="font-size: 8pt;"> </span><a title="User:Uspn" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chichen-Itza-Ballcourt-Panorama-2010.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Bjørn Christian Tørrissen</span></a></em></p>
<h3><span><strong><br/> Cobá<br/> <br/></strong></span></h3>
<p>One of my own favorite lesser known sites because of its jungly setting, which makes you feel a bit like Indiana Jones as you clamber around pyramids, temples, stelae, and ball courts half buried in the jungle. Its 27 sq. miles (70 sq. kilometers) amid five lakes were occupied by also as many as 50,000 inhabitants from 500 AD till at least the 14th century and possibly a bit beyond. What’s particularly special here is that Cobá is also the nexus of the Mundo Maya’s largest road network, some 16 causeways linking it to sites as far away as 62 mi (100 km). It’s about a half hour inland from Tulum, two hours from Cancún, 90 minutes from Playa del Carmen, and 2½ from Mérida.</p>
<h3><span><strong><br/> Chunchucmil</strong></span></h3>
<p class="aligncenter"><br/> A good-size site urban center (9½ sq. mi./2,500 hectares, with suburbs and farmstead 25 sq. mi./6,400 ha.), rather than a seat of political power Chunchucmil was more of a commercial center, channeling trade to/from the interior and apparently somewhat specialized in the salt trade along the coast, 17 mi. (27 km) away. Characterized by stone-lined pathways and a honeycomb of stone walls, with a dozen pyramids at its center, Chunchu's located in a semi-arid scrub-forest area of present-day Campeche, the driest part of the Yucatan. Its heyday was during the 5th through the mid-7th centuries. Less than an hour away from the more important Mayan city<span> </span><strong>Oxkintok</strong><span> </span>(see below), it can be reached from Mérida just under 90 minutes from both Cancún and Playa in 4½ hours.</p>
<p class="aligncenter"></p>
<h6 class="aligncenter"><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/L2F-Jun-17-pic-Mexico-Yucatan-Ek-Balam-main-pyramid-640x360.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/L2F-Jun-17-pic-Mexico-Yucatan-Ek-Balam-main-pyramid-640x360.jpg?width=640" class="align-center" width="640"/></a> <span style="font-size: 8pt;"> </span><em><a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/es/image-photo/acropolis-largest-structure-ek-balam-contains-517085131?src=RnqG2c4z-G6MM-4frYQubg-1-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Anton_Ivanov</span></a></em></h6>
<h3><span><strong><br/> Dzibilchaltún</strong></span></h3>
<p><br/> The closest site to Mérida (10 mi./16 km), this city was one of the earliest, occupied from around 300 BC to the time the Spanish invaders arrived, and eventually grew into some importance, a population up to 200,000 and some 8,400 structures (though it waned as the power of Chichén Itzá, now about 1½ hours away, waxed). Notable among those structures today is the<span> </span><strong>Temple of the Seven Dolls</strong>; there’s also the nearby<span> </span><strong>Cenote Xlacah</strong>, which served as a water source then and a swimming hole for visitors and locals now. It’s around 3½ hours from both Cancún and Playa.</p>
<h3><span><strong><br/> Ek’ Balam</strong></span></h3>
<p><br/> Just a half hour north of the charming colonial city of<span> </span><strong>Valladolid</strong>, “Black Jaguar” was occupied for a millennium beginning around 100 BC, but had its peak heyday around 700 to 1100 AD, but like Dzibilchaltún also eventually was eclipsed by Chichén Itzá, now just an hour’s drive away). It’s still largely unexcavated, but you can see some 45 buildings including a massive pyramid,<span> </span><strong>La Torre</strong><span> </span>(home to some of the peninsula’s most impressive remaining artwork), as well as several temples and a pair of palaces, all surrounded by two defensive walls. It’s reachable in just under two hours from all three main tourist destinations: Mérida, Cancún, and Playa del Carmen.</p>
<h3><span><strong><br/> Mayapán</strong></span></h3>
<p><br/> About a half hour southeast of Mérida, the Yucatan’s most important city from around 1200 (after the fall of Chichen Itzá, now some 90 minutes away) to the 1440s dates back to around 1000 AD. It grew into an major fortified urb with a densely populated central area, some 4,000 structures, and population estimated at 10,000 to 17,000. Pretty much the last major center of civilization by the time the Spaniards invaded, Mayapán includes a wealth of temples, shrines, platforms, observatories, dominated by a main pyramid modelled after El Castillo at Chichén Itzá. Just over three hours from Cancun and Playa.</p>
<p><br/> <em class="aligncenter"><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/L2F-Jun-17-pic-Mexico-Yucatan-Cancun-El-Rey-640x480.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/L2F-Jun-17-pic-Mexico-Yucatan-Cancun-El-Rey-640x480.jpg?width=640" class="align-center" width="640"/></a></em><em class="aligncenter"> <span style="font-size: 8pt;"> <a href="https://www.tripatini.com/profile/DavidPaulAppell" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">David Paul Appell</span></a></span></em></p>
<h3><span><strong><br/> Oxkintok</strong></span></h3>
<p><br/> Located near the Yucatan’s northwestern coast just 45 minutes from Uxmal and less than an hour from Chunchucmil, this was one of the first Maya states to develop in the northern lowlands, and its unique features include a goodly number of stone monuments inscribed with particularly ancient hieroglyphs, as well as early buildings significantly different from other Mayan sites; one of the most interesting is the Labyrinth, with three levels superimposed on each other. Just over an hour from Mérida and about four from Cancun and Playa del Carmen.</p>
<h3><span><strong><br/> Ruinas del Rey</strong></span></h3>
<p><br/> Finally, believe it or not, if you’re staying in Cancún and are<span> </span><em>really</em><span> </span>lazy, on the road between the hotel zone and the airport. Dating to around 300 BC and now open daily during daylight hours, this little complex (above) seems to have had a focus mixing fishing, coastal commerce, and astronomy, as well as served as a royal burial ground. There are two main avenues and two main plazas with 47 structures, and it’s actually pretty cool – I see echoes of many other Mayan sites I’ve visited – except that instead of a heart-thumper of a workout by climbing a few stories up a pyramid in the Yucatan’s sultry heat, there’s pretty much nothing here that’s higher than two stories. What’s more, whenever I’ve visited the place has always been delightfully peaceful; you may very well find yourselves literally the only visitors.</p>
<p></p>
<p>More information:<span> </span><a href="http://mundomaya.travel/en/arqueologia-maya/category/yucatan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Campeche</a>,<span> </span><a href="http://mundomaya.travel/en/arqueologia-maya/category/quintana-roo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Quintana Roo</a></p>
<p></p>Getting to Know the USA's Tribal Peoplestag:frugalnomads.ning.com,2020-10-12:3169359:BlogPost:7467082020-10-12T15:15:18.000ZJosé Balidohttps://frugalnomads.ning.com/profile/JoseBalido
<h6><a href="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/L2F-Oct-19-pic-USA-First-Nations-Native-Americans-Indians-headdress-iStock-539280183.jpg" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/L2F-Oct-19-pic-USA-First-Nations-Native-Americans-Indians-headdress-iStock-539280183.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="750"></img></a> <em><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/native-american-headdress-gm539280183-59750830" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">AleksandarNikic</span></a></em></h6>
<p><br></br> <br></br> As most of us know, today is <strong>Columbus Day</strong> in the <strong>United…</strong></p>
<h6><a href="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/L2F-Oct-19-pic-USA-First-Nations-Native-Americans-Indians-headdress-iStock-539280183.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/L2F-Oct-19-pic-USA-First-Nations-Native-Americans-Indians-headdress-iStock-539280183.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><em><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/native-american-headdress-gm539280183-59750830" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">AleksandarNikic</span></a></em></h6>
<p><br/> <br/>
As most of us know, today is <strong>Columbus Day</strong> in the <strong>United States</strong> and other countries, and <strong>Indigenous People's Day</strong> in much of Latin America, marking the 528th anniversary of the <strong>Christopher Columbus</strong> expedition's first landing in the <strong>Americas</strong> (actually 12 October), on the coast of <strong>Hispaniola</strong>, the Caribbean island home to the <strong>Dominican Republic</strong> and <strong>Haiti</strong>. <br/>
<br/>
Of course, many of the Amerindian tribes that were already living here when the Spaniards arrived are still part of the societies that evolved in the <strong>Western Hemisphere</strong> since that fateful event (in the <strong>USA</strong> they're usually referred to as <strong>Native Americans</strong>, but I prefer <strong>Canada</strong>'s term <strong>First Nations</strong>, which I feel is more accurate since they, too, were not "native" - nor "indigenous"- but they were certainly first). And from <strong>New England</strong> to the desert <strong>Southwest</strong>, and <strong>South Florida</strong> to the <strong>Pacific Northwest</strong>, there are numerous marvelous opportunities to meet them and/or explore their heritage and culture, from sites open year round to annual powwows (mass meetings) and other events. Here are a just few of the most rewarding:<br/>
</p>
<p></p>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/s3pTKfgalKI?wmode=opaque" allowfullscreen="" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0"></iframe>
</p>
<h3><span style="color: #ff0000; font-size: 12pt;"><strong><br/> Arizona</strong></span></h3>
<p><br/> This state is home to some 22 tribes, with the reservations of the largest, the <a href="https://www.visitarizona.com/uniquely-az/unique-communities/hopi-tribe" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Hopi</strong></a> and the <strong>Diné</strong> (also the USA's largest, better known to us as the <a href="https://www.discovernavajo.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Navajo Nation</strong></a>), occupy a goodly swath of Arizona's northeastern corner, overlapping northwest <strong>New Mexico</strong>, southeast <strong>Utah</strong>, and southwest <strong>Colorado</strong>, the former with its capital in the town of <strong>Kykotsmovi</strong> (about two hours from <strong>Flagstaff</strong>) and the latter in <strong>Window Rock</strong> (just under three hours). Others include the <strong>Apache</strong>, the <strong>Mojave</strong>, <strong>Yavapai</strong> (including around the <strong>Grand Canyon</strong>), and the <strong>Zuni</strong>; get the complete list <a href="https://www.visitarizona.com/uniquely-az/american-indian-tribes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. Prominent museums devoted to First Nations art and culture include the <a href="https://heard.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Heard</strong></a> in <strong>Phoenix</strong> and the <strong><a href="https://www.discovernavajo.com/museums.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Explore Navajo Interactive Museum</a></strong> in <strong>Tuba City</strong>.</p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IK4YnwhsEjM?wmode=opaque" allowfullscreen="" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0"></iframe>
</p>
<h3><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong><br/> <span style="font-size: 12pt;">Florida</span></strong></span></h3>
<p><br/> Out in the <strong>Everglades</strong> is the reservation of the <a href="https://tribe.miccosukee.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Miccosukee</strong></a>, a subset of the <strong>Seminole</strong> tribe who originated in what is today <strong>Georgia</strong> and as a result of relentless white encroachment and forced removal (such as the infamous "<strong>Trail of Tears</strong>") eventually ended up on a self-governing reservation in southern Florida (the USA's 326 sovereign reservations have control over, for example, their own law enforcement and education). <br/>
<br/>
On the largest section of reservation, a 333-acre (1.35-square-kilometer) swath about an hour west of downtown <a href="https://love2fly.iberia.com/2016/06/mainland-miami-florida/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Miami</strong></a>, they've set up the <a href="https://village.miccosukee.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Miccosukee Village</strong></a>, a charmingly homespun affair with handicraft stands under thatched roofs, a small museum, a gift shop (of course), and the centerpiece: a collection of live alligators lazing around a small island, and right next to it, a tiny open-air theater where several times a day a staff member wrangles gators for visitors - and offers them a chance to hold a baby gator and (for an extra fee), pose astride one of the big ones (not to worry, their jaws are taped shut, and in any case these animals are sluggish and docile during the day; it's at night that they become active for hunting). <br/>
<br/>
And right across the road, the tribe also operates a thrilling half-hour <a href="https://airboats.miccosukee.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">airboat tour</a> of the surrounding chunk of Everglades, including a stop at a tiny island with thatched pavillions that were home to a Miccosukee family as recently as 1978. To cap it all off, down the road is a <a href="https://gladeseats.miccosukee.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">restaurant</a> where regular fare is supplemented by the likes off alligator bites and Miccosukee fry bread, as well as the medium-size <a href="https://mrg.miccosukee.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Miccosukee Hotel & Casino</strong></a> (some 45 minutes north of Miami in the city of Hollywood, the <a href="https://www.seminolehardrockhollywood.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Seminole Hard Rock</strong></a> is a far more elaborate casino resort and entertainment complex with international headliners).</p>
<p></p>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_Sp7szY1HVk?wmode=opaque" allowfullscreen="" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0"></iframe>
</p>
<h3><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong><br/> <span style="font-size: 12pt;">New Mexico</span></strong></span></h3>
<p><br/> Home to the marvelously atmsopheric cities of <strong>Taos</strong> and <a href="https://love2fly.iberia.com/2016/09/santa-fe-new-mexico/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Santa Fe</strong></a>, this state is one of the richest when it comes to First Nations culture, with nearly two dozen places to experience it. One of the most prominent and accessible is <a href="https://taospueblo.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Taos Pueblo</strong></a>, an adobe town of around 4,500 which is open to visitors most of the year, with plenty of local shopping and dining opportunities, and very much a living <strong>Tiwa Pueblo</strong> community, continuously inhabited for more than a thousand years and both a <strong>UNESCO World Heritage Site</strong> and U.S. <strong>National Historic Landmark</strong>. Others include Apache, <strong>Mescalero</strong>, and Navajo; for the complete list, click <a href="https://www.newmexico.org/places-to-visit/native-culture/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. <br/>
<br/>
And of course don't miss <strong>Chaco Culture National Historical Park</strong> with its Pueblo sites dating back to the 9th century, including fascinating adobe ruins<strong>.</strong> There are quite a few relevant museums in the state, as well, including several in Santa Fe, such as the <strong><a href="https://wheelwright.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian</a></strong>, <a href="http://www.indianartsandculture.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Museum of Indian Arts and Culture</strong></a>, and <a href="https://poehcenter.org/museum/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Poeh Museum and Cultural Center</strong></a>, and <strong><a href="https://iaia.edu/mocna/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Museum of American Indian Arts</a></strong>. An hour south in the state's largest city <strong>Albuquerque</strong>, meanwhile, it's also worth checking out the <strong><a href="https://www.indianpueblo.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indian Pueblo Cultural Center</a></strong>., and Taos has the <a href="https://millicentrogers.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Millicent Rogers Museum</strong></a> of art. <br/>
</p>
<p></p>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EqZqfaM-Fps?wmode=opaque" allowfullscreen="" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0"></iframe>
</p>
<h3><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong><br/> <span style="font-size: 12pt;">New York</span></strong></span></h3>
<p><br/> Right near the southermmost tip of <strong>Manhattan</strong> (whose name comes from the language of the long extinct Lenape tribe), the free-of-charge <a href="https://americanindian.si.edu/visit/newyork" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>National Museum of the American Indian</strong></a> occupies the early-20th-century, Beaux-Arts <strong>Customs House</strong> and displays more than 700 objects including headdresses, carvings, and an authentic tipi (aka teepee) dwelling, as well as multimedia exhibits and plenty of events and live programs. <br/>
</p>
<p></p>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9xCHpl4Phw4?wmode=opaque" allowfullscreen="" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0"></iframe>
</p>
<h3><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong><br/> <span style="font-size: 12pt;">Oklahoma</span></strong></span></h3>
<p></p>
<p class="Paragraph__component">The very name of this enitre state comes from the Choctaw <em>okla humma</em> ("red people"), and it was home to nearly 70 tribes - today down to 39 thanks to forced relocation and other shameful policies of the past. You can get a taste of the history and culture at key places such as <a href="http://www.travelok.com/tahlequah" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Tahlequah</strong></a>, capital of the <a href="https://www.visitcherokeenation.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Cherokee Nation</strong></a> in the foothills of the <strong>Ozark Mountains</strong>, in the northeast three hours east of capital <strong>Oklahoma City</strong> and an hour 20 minutes from <strong>Tulsa</strong> (which by the way is home to the <a href="https://gilcrease.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Gilcrease Museum</strong></a>, the world’s largest collection of American Indian and Western art and artifacts). Here some street signs are bilingual and attractions here and in the area include the <a href="http://www.cherokeeheritage.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Cherokee Heritage Center</strong></a>, the <a href="https://www.visitcherokeenation.com/attractions/cherokee-national-history-museum" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Cherokee National History Museum</strong></a>, and the <a href="https://www.visitcherokeenation.com/attractions/sequoyahs-cabin-museum" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cabin/museum of <strong>Sequoyah</strong></a>, who created the Cherokee written language. <br/> <br/>
And just under two hours south of Oklahoma City in the town of <strong>Sulphur</strong>, check out the <a href="https://www.chickasawculturalcenter.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Chickasaw Cultural Center</strong></a>, and in <strong>Muscogee</strong> between OK City and Tahlequah, learn more about the Cherokee and Chickasaw, as well as <strong>Choctaw</strong>, <strong>Muskogee</strong> (aka Creek), and <strong>Seminole</strong>, at the <a href="http://www.fivetribes.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Five Civilized Tribes Museum</strong></a>. Finally, an hour 20 minutes southeast of Muskogee, another fascinating stop is the town of <strong>Spiro</strong>'s <a href="https://www.okhistory.org/sites/spiromounds.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Spiro Mounds Archaeological Center</strong></a>, documenting a prehistoric site of the <strong>Mississippian Culture</strong>.</p>
<p></p>
<h6><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2QtrjPU2J3w?wmode=opaque" allowfullscreen="" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0"></iframe>
</h6>
<p></p>
<h3><span style="color: #ff0000; font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Washington DC</strong></span></h3>
<p><br/> The <a href="https://americanindian.si.edu/visit/washington" target="_blank" rel="noopener">main branch of the National Museum of the American Indian</a> is actually part of the <a href="https://love2fly.iberia.com/2015/07/washington-dc-district-of-columbia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">national capital</a>'s <strong>Smithsonian Insitution</strong>, with more than 800,000 items and a native foods café. In addition to its amazing permanent collection, there are plenty of innovative temporary exhibitions showcasing some of today's top First Nations artists and a calendar of public programmes, including concerts, festivals, symposiums and theater.</p>
<p></p>
<h6 class="Paragraph__component"><a href="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/L2F-Oct-19-pic-USA-First-Nations-Native-Americans-Indians-Seattle-Washington-totem-pole-iStock-157439835.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/L2F-Oct-19-pic-USA-First-Nations-Native-Americans-Indians-Seattle-Washington-totem-pole-iStock-157439835.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><em><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/close-up-of-totem-pole-in-pioneer-square-gm157439835-10483618" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">gregobagel</span></a></em></h6>
<h3 class="Paragraph__component"></h3>
<h3><span style="color: #ff0000; font-size: 12pt;"><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">Washington State</span></strong></span></h3>
<p class="Paragraph__component"><span style="color: #000000;"><br/> The more than one dozen <a href="https://www.washingtontribes.org/tribes-map" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tribes in this state</a> include the <strong>Duwamish</strong>, <strong>Coast Salish</strong>, <strong>Spokane</strong>, <strong>Suquamish</strong>, <strong>Tilalip</strong>, <strong>TIlicum</strong>, and <strong>Yakama</strong>, and a particularly distinctive feature of their culture is the towering, dramatic cedar totem pole. The area around <a href="https://love2fly.iberia.com/2016/08/seattle-washington-attractions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Seattle</strong></a> (named after a Duwamish chief) has the <a href="https://www.duwamishtribe.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Duwamish Longhouse and Cultural Center</strong></a>; the <a href="http://suquamishmuseum.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Suquamish Museum</strong></a>; and the Tulalips' <a href="https://www.hibulbculturalcenter.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Hibulb Cultural Center</strong></a>. A bit over 2 1/2 hours inland, the town of <strong>Toppenish</strong> is the seat of the <strong>Yakama Reservation</strong> and site of the <strong><a href="http://www.experiencewa.com/wa/museums/yakama-nation-museum-cultural-center">Yakama Nation Museum and Cultural Center</a></strong> and <strong><a href="http://www.yakamamuseum.com/hi-restaurant.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Heritage Inn Restaurant</a></strong>, which serves traditional foods such as buffalo stew, salmon, and huckleberries. And the <strong><a href="http://makahmuseum.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Makah Cultural and Research Museum</a></strong>, on the northwestern tip of the <strong><a href="http://www.experiencewa.com/visit/olympic-peninsula-visitors-bureau">Olympic Peninsula</a></strong>, contains 500-year-old artifacts recovered from Ozette Village, an archaeological site where six longhouses were perfectly preserved after a landslide; here you can for example learn how to make your own cedar mat or oliveshell necklace.</span></p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p>More info: <a href="https://nativeamerica.travel/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NativeAmerica.travel</a>, <a href="https://www.americanindiansandroute66.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AmericanIndiansandRoute66.com</a>.</p>
<p></p>
<p></p>Rijeka, en Croacia, Joya de la Costa Dálmata y Capital de la Cultura Europea 2020tag:frugalnomads.ning.com,2020-07-31:3169359:BlogPost:7386352020-07-31T05:43:00.000ZJosé Balidohttps://frugalnomads.ning.com/profile/JoseBalido
<h6><a href="https://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/1_800px-Rijeka_Riva_promenade_aerial-640x426.jpg" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="https://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/1_800px-Rijeka_Riva_promenade_aerial-640x426.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="750"></img></a> <span style="color: #ff0000;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rijeka_Riva_promenade_aerial.jpg" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><em><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Antonio199cro</span></em></a></span></h6>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p>Desde siempre, nuestro blog ha dado mucho cariño a <strong>Croacia</strong> y especialmente a su…</p>
<h6><a href="https://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/1_800px-Rijeka_Riva_promenade_aerial-640x426.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/1_800px-Rijeka_Riva_promenade_aerial-640x426.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><span style="color: #ff0000;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rijeka_Riva_promenade_aerial.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Antonio199cro</span></em></a></span></h6>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p>Desde siempre, nuestro blog ha dado mucho cariño a <strong>Croacia</strong> y especialmente a su cálida costa dálmata, que se expande a lo largo del mar Adriático y que ofrece al visitante encantadores lugares como Dubrovnik, Split, Zadar o Hvar, por poner solo algunos ejemplos. Pero también hay ciudades, playas y paisajes de primer nivel en la parte norte del país, como la espectacular Rijeka: hablamos del mayor puerto del país y de la tercera urbe más grande de Croacia, con unos 130.000 habitantes, capital de la región de Gorski Kotar y un atractivo destino por su historia, su arquitectura, su amplia escena cultural y su divertida vida nocturna. Este 2020, además, ha sido designada como una de las dos Capitales Europeas de la Cultura, junto a la irlandesa Galway. ¿Te ha picado la curiosidad? ¡Te contamos más sobre Rijeka!</p>
<p><span id="more-33353"></span></p>
<p>Sus raíces se remontan a un asentamiento celta del siglo I, que fue evolucionando hasta convertirse en la antigua ciudad romana de Flumen; formó parte del Imperio Austrohúngaro desde 1466 hasta 1918 y, tras la Segunda Guerra Mundial, pasó a la recién formada Yugoslavia hasta su pertenencia a la Croacia independiente en 1991. Este amplio legado histórico ha dejado importantes muestras de arquitectura con estilos que van desde el barroco hasta el Art Nouveau, aunque, también es cierto, buena parte de las construcciones históricas quedaron destrozadas como consecuencia de un terremoto en 1750.</p>
<p></p>
<h6><a href="https://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2_800px-Rijeka-korzo-2018-640x469.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2_800px-Rijeka-korzo-2018-640x469.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><span style="color: #ff0000;"><em><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rijeka-korzo-2018.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Antonio199cro</span></a></em></span></h6>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p>Tendrás la oportunidad de contemplar hermosos edificios de la época de los Habsburgo a lo largo del principal boulevard del centro histórico, Korzo, peatonalizado y rodeado de cafeterías y tiendas de primeras marcas. El punto más destacado es la torre del reloj del siglo XVII, que sobrevivió al seísmo y que, en su momento, formó parte de las antiguas puertas de la ciudad; cerca de la torre hay también un arco de piedra que en su día marcó la entrada a la fortaleza romana que existía antiguamente y de la que aún hoy se conservan restos arqueológicos.</p>
<p></p>
<h6><a href="https://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/3_L2F-Jan-20-pic-Croatia-Rijeka-St-Vitus-Cathedral-iStock-1155078371-640x515.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/3_L2F-Jan-20-pic-Croatia-Rijeka-St-Vitus-Cathedral-iStock-1155078371-640x515.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><span style="color: #ff0000;"><em><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/st-vitus-cathedral-in-rijeka-croatia-gm1155078371-314334988" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Julia Javrinenko</span></a></em></span></h6>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p>Otro lugar destacado, un poco más al norte del arco, es la catedral de San Vito, un templo barroco de forma circular construido por los jesuitas en 1638 y que no alcanzó la categoría de catedral hasta el año 1969. En su interior, entre los pilares de mármol encontrarás una excelente colección de pinturas y otras obras de arte sacro, así como pulcros trabajos en oro y grabados.</p>
<p></p>
<h6><a href="https://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/4_L2F-Jan-20-pic-Croatia-Rijeka-Trsat-iStock-645451324-640x427.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/4_L2F-Jan-20-pic-Croatia-Rijeka-Trsat-iStock-645451324-640x427.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><span style="color: #ff0000;"><em><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/fort-on-the-hill-above-town-gm645451324-117005953" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">mrak_hr</span></a></em></span></h6>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p>Desde la Ciudad Vieja puedes subir a Trsat a través de una escalera de piedra de 561 peldaños y que data del siglo XVI: es una zona ubicada en lo alto de la ciudad en la que encontrarás el Castillo de Trsat, que alberga en su interior un mausoleo neoclásico y otras estructuras de gran interés. Además de ofrecer excelentes vistas sobre la ciudad, el valle que la rodea y el mar Adriático, alberga exposiciones de historia y arte y sirve como sede para eventos como conciertos al aire libre o desfiles de moda. Cerca de allí, el Santuario de Nuestra Señora de Trsat, construido a finales del siglo XIII, es lugar de peregrinación para los marineros, que acuden a rezar a la virgen para que los proteja de las inclemencias del mar.</p>
<p></p>
<h6><a href="https://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/5_L2F-Jan-20-pic-Croatia-Rijeka-market-iStock-491148616-640x427.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/5_L2F-Jan-20-pic-Croatia-Rijeka-market-iStock-491148616-640x427.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><span style="color: #ff0000;"><em><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/fish-market-rijeka-gm491148616-75600463" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Baloncici</span></a></em></span></h6>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p>Y, hablando del mar, siempre merece la pena pasear por el colorido Velika Placa, un mercado cubierto de la década de 1880 donde no pocos lugareños hacen sus compras de pescado y productos frescos y también aprovechan para degustar la gastronomía local en los puestos de comida. Cerca de allí encontramos el imponente Teatro Nacional de Croacia, en el que se representan obras de teatro, ópera, ballet y música clásica.</p>
<p></p>
<h6><a href="https://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/6_L2F-Jan-20-pic-Croatia-Rijeka-Croatian-National-Theatre-iStock-177241606-640x427.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://megustavolar.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/6_L2F-Jan-20-pic-Croatia-Rijeka-Croatian-National-Theatre-iStock-177241606-640x427.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><span style="color: #ff0000;"><em><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/kasalisni-park-and-theater-building-in-rijeka-croatia-gm177241606-20015106" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">anshar73</span></a></em></span></h6>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p>¿Museos? Por supuesto, hay un par de centros que no debes perderte: el Museo de la Ciudad de Rijeka, de dos plantas, donde obtendrás una visión general de su historia; junto a él, el Museo Marítimo e Histórico del Litoral se ubica en el palacio del gobernador, que amplía esta percepción a la región y al noroeste de Croacia (aunque, todo sea dicho, no hay muchas explicaciones en inglés). Y si estás interesado en hacerte una idea de la pintura y la escultura local, un par de calles más arriba está el Museo de Arte Moderno y Contemporáneo.</p>
<p><br/> Para finalizar, en este 2020 el Teatro Nacional será uno de los lugares de más alto perfil para el programa de la capitalidad europea, con unos seiscientos eventos culturales que involucran a cientos de instituciones de Croacia y de otros países colaboradores. Su gran esfuerzo radica en proyectar a la ciudad como un ‘puerto de diversidad’, y los organizadores han establecido tres temas principales para la ocasión: el agua (Rijeka no solo ha estado desde siempre relacionada con el mar, también pretenden concienciar sobre el futuro de los océanos), el trabajo (especialmente en la era postindustrial) y la migración (algo fundamental en la historia de la ciudad, también un tema candente para la Europa actual). Rijeka también es conocida por su carnaval previo a la Cuaresma, y la edición de este año se extiende hasta el 26 de febrero; claro está, en esta ocasión será más espectacular de lo habitual, que ya es decir.</p>
<p><br/> Para obtener más información sobre el programa cultural y el calendario de 2020 puedes hacer clic <a href="https://rijeka2020.eu/en/">aquí</a>.</p>
<p></p>
<p></p>The Top 6 Revolutionary War Sites of New York Citytag:frugalnomads.ning.com,2020-07-04:3169359:BlogPost:7369352020-07-04T23:56:10.000ZJosé Balidohttps://frugalnomads.ning.com/profile/JoseBalido
<h6><em><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NYC_Federal_Hall.jpg" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/L2F-Jul-17-pic-USA-New-York-City-Federal-Hall-Daniel-Schwen-Wikipedia-640x427.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="750"></img></a></em> <em><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NYC_Federal_Hall.jpg" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Daniel Schwen</span></a></em></h6>
<p><br></br> <br></br> <br></br> Back before, during, and after the <strong>American Revolution</strong> (1776-1983) and the years leading up to it, <strong>New York City</strong> was as now the largest and one…</p>
<h6><em><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NYC_Federal_Hall.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/L2F-Jul-17-pic-USA-New-York-City-Federal-Hall-Daniel-Schwen-Wikipedia-640x427.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a></em><em><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NYC_Federal_Hall.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Daniel Schwen</span></a></em></h6>
<p><br/> <br/> <br/> Back before, during, and after the <strong>American Revolution</strong> (1776-1983) and the years leading up to it, <strong>New York City</strong> was as now the largest and one of the most important cities of the nascent <strong>United States of America</strong> – and in fact even served as the independent country’s very first capital, from 1789 to 1790. So it goes without saying that the <strong>Big Apple</strong> is home to a number of military and political landmarks that were absolutely key to the beginning of the USA’s national history. So on the 244th anniversary of its <strong>Declaration of Independence</strong>, here are a half dozen of the most evocative.</p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<h3><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong><a style="color: #ff0000;" href="https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/city-hall-park" target="_blank" rel="noopener">City Hall Park</a><a style="color: #ff0000;" href="https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/city-hall-park" target="_blank" rel="noopener"></a></strong></span></h3>
<p><br/> On <strong>Manhatta</strong>n’s downtown <strong>Broadway</strong> in front of – wait for it – <strong>NYC</strong>’s <strong>City Hall</strong> – this petite park was one of the Revolution’s most significant local sites. New Yorkers protested Britain’s <strong>Stamp Act</strong> here in 1765, and a year later built a “<strong>Liberty Pole</strong>” to express their desire for independence (a 1921 replica stands nearby). The British forces who occupied New York during the war used the debtors’ prison here to house and execute POW’s – including 21-year-old <strong>Continental Army</strong> spy <strong>Nathan Hale</strong> (who famously said, “I regret that I have only one life to lose for my country”), memorialized here by a statue. In 1776, <strong>George Washington</strong> read the <strong>Declaration of Independence</strong> to his troops here.</p>
<p></p>
<h3><span style="color: #ff0000;"><a style="color: #ff0000;" href="https://www.nps.gov/feha/index.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Federal Hall</strong></a></span></h3>
<p><br/> Right on <strong>Wall Street</strong> In the heart of Manhattan’s <strong>Financial District</strong>, this neoclassical building with its Greek columns and pediment (top) was once the very linchpin of the new nation. Washington was inaugurated as the first president in 1789 on its steps (his statue stands out front) and Congress sat here; the U.S. Congress met here for the first time (also in 1789, and ratified the <strong>Constitution</strong>’s <strong>Bill of Rights</strong> in 1791); and in fact was also the first home of the entire government, including the <strong>Executive Branch</strong> and <strong>Supreme Court</strong>. There’s a <strong>National Parks</strong> visitor center to elucidate it all for you.</p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<h6><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fraunces_Tavern,_south_side.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/L2F-Jul-17-pic-USA-New-York-City-Fraunces-Tavern-Wikipedia-640x424.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fraunces_Tavern,_south_side.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Tim Pierce</span></em></a></h6>
<p></p>
<h3><span style="color: #ff0000;"><a style="color: #ff0000;" href="http://www.frauncestavern.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Fraunces Tavern</strong></a></span></h3>
<p><br/> <br/> Celebrating its 303rd anniversary this year, handsome brick building (above) in what’s now also Manhattan’s Financial District is still a tavern/restaurant popular among Wall Streeters. Originally built as an urban manse, in 1765 it was a pivotal meeting place during the tea crisis, and in the 1770s before and during the <strong>Revolutionary War</strong> was it was a meeting spot for the Sons of Liberty. Once the war was one and British troops left New York City in 1783, George Washington delivered his farewell in 1783 during a victory feast. Expanded over the years to five buildings and eight dining rooms, the colonial atmosphere is still evident today, and there’s a museum of the epoch as well.</p>
<p></p>
<h3><span style="color: #ff0000;"><a style="color: #ff0000;" href="https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/fort-washington-park/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Fort Washington/Bennett</strong> <strong>Park</strong></a></span></h3>
<p><br/> Up in Manhattan’s <strong>Washington Heights</strong> (181st Street Station of subway line A), this park is built around a fort built in 1776 on the borough’s highest hill. It was the scene of one of the worst defeats of the colonies that same year, when 8,000 British troops overwhelmed more than 2,800 American soldiers, killing a few dozen and capturing the rest. The fort itself is gone, but there are a number of memorial markers, and the red lighthouse on the <strong>Hudson River</strong> (NYC's only remaining lighthouse, in fact) is a major landmark here, with a autumn festival revolving around it, in early October. There’s also a <strong>Harvest Festival</strong> (also in October), as well as occasional Revolutionary War re-enactments.</p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<h6><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NYC_-_St_Paul_Chapel_-_Interior_1.JPG" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/L2F-Jul-17-pic-USA-New-York-City-St-Paul-Chapel-Wikipedia-Jean-Christophe-Benoiste-640x427.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NYC_-_St_Paul_Chapel_-_Interior_1.JPG" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Jean-Christopher Benoiste</em></a></span></h6>
<h3><span style="color: #ff0000;"><a style="color: #ff0000;" href="http://www.morrisjumel.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Morris-Jumel Mansion</strong></a></span></h3>
<p><br/> Also uptown in Washington Heights, in <strong>Roger Morris Park</strong>, Manhattan’s oldest remaining house (1765) is a petite neoclassical Federal-style affair (the result of an 1810 renovation) which was General Washington’s headquarters during the <strong>Battle of Harlem Heights</strong> in 1776, and then the HQ of the British along with Hessian mercenaries. As president, Washington returned here in 1790 to meet with members of his cabinet. In addition to visiting the interior with its original 19th-century furnishings and décor, there’s always something on here – music performances, art shows, tai chi classes, even a duel re-enactment! (Fun fact: the manse is supposedly haunted, and was the subject of an episode of a TV show called <strong><em>Ghost Adventures</em></strong>.)</p>
<p></p>
<h3><span style="color: #ff0000;"><a style="color: #ff0000;" href="https://www.trinitywallstreet.org/about/stpaulschapel" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>St. Paul’s Chapel</strong></a></span></h3>
<p><br/> Down on Broadway in the Financial District, Manhattan’s oldest surviving church (1766) is where Washington attended services on his inauguration day as well as during the subsequent two years NYC was the U.S. capital. During the British wartime occupation, commanders <strong>William Howe</strong> and <strong>Lord Cornwallis</strong> also worshipped here. Also NYC’s oldest still functional building, the Episcopal church was renovated in 2016, and its elegant, blue-vaulted interior has a number of Revolutionary period highlights, such as Washington’s original pew; a 1777 monument to fallen <strong>General Richard Montgomery</strong> (also among the many Revolutionary War figures buried here); and a neo-Baroque altarpiece by <strong>Pierre L'Enfant</strong>, who designed the new capital Washington, D.C.</p>
<p></p>
<p></p>Discovering Guatemala's Second City, Quetzaltenango (aka Xela)tag:frugalnomads.ning.com,2020-06-01:3169359:BlogPost:7340872020-06-01T16:53:03.000ZJosé Balidohttps://frugalnomads.ning.com/profile/JoseBalido
<h6><em><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/harrydiaz/15611480090" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5614/15611480090_388d5a8a34_b.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="1024"></img></a></em> <em><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/harrydiaz/15611480090" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Harry D.</span></a></em></h6>
<p><br></br> </p>
<p>You've of course heard of <a href="https://love2fly.iberia.com/2014/05/tikal-greatest-of-ancient-mayan-cities/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Tikal</strong></a>,…</p>
<h6><em><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/harrydiaz/15611480090" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5614/15611480090_388d5a8a34_b.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="1024"/></a></em><em><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/harrydiaz/15611480090" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Harry D.</span></a></em></h6>
<p><br/> </p>
<p>You've of course heard of <a href="https://love2fly.iberia.com/2014/05/tikal-greatest-of-ancient-mayan-cities/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Tikal</strong></a>, <a href="https://love2fly.iberia.com/2014/01/antigua-guatemala/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Antigua</strong></a>, and <a href="https://love2fly.iberia.com/2015/11/guatemala-city-attractions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Guatemala City</strong></a>. But 2,330 metres (7,644 feet) up in the western highlands just two or so hours from the capital, this country’s second largest city (pop. around 225,000) is a dynamic, untouristy trove that not only has a lot to offer on its own terms but is also a great jumping off point for other attractions, including <a href="https://love2fly.iberia.com/2016/02/guatemala-lake-atitlan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Lake Atitlán</strong></a> and several of <strong>Guatemala</strong>'s <a href="https://love2fly.iberia.com/2014/11/ecotourism-in-guatemala/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">awesome ecotourism wonders</a>.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<h6><a href="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/L2F-Dec-18-pic-Guatemala-Quetzaltenango-central-square-640x480.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/L2F-Dec-18-pic-Guatemala-Quetzaltenango-central-square-640x480.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><em><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/guatemala-quetzaltenango-streets-in-historic-city-center-gm1060535630-283488513" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elijah-Lovkoff</a></em></span></h6>
<p><br/> </p>
<p>Originally the pre-Columbian Mayan city of <strong>Xelajú</strong> (and still called that, or simply <strong>Xela</strong>, by many - especially the local <strong>K'iche' Mayans</strong>, though it was officially rechristened <strong>Quetzaltenango</strong> by the Spaniards thanks to the central-Mexican Nahuatl guides of its <em>conquistadores</em> in 1524) this is a cosmpolitan place whose historic centre is characterised by vibrant street life and mostly neoclassical architecture. The district's main hub is the oblong, 19th-century <strong>Parque Centro América</strong>, with its signature central rotunda and ringed by historic buildings including the 16th-century <strong>Espíritu Santo Cathedral,</strong> destroyed in an earthquake but its façade remaining (below; its neoclassical replacement, built in the 1990s, stands behind it); the 1812 city hall; the Italianate <strong>Pasaje Enríquez</strong>, home to several shops and restaurants; and the column-flanked <strong>Museum of Art and Natural History</strong>.</p>
<p> </p>
<h6><a href="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/L2F-Dec-18-pic-Guatemala-Cathedral-Esp%C3%ADritu-Santo-fa%C3%A7ade-iStock-501819386-640x425.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/L2F-Dec-18-pic-Guatemala-Cathedral-Esp%C3%ADritu-Santo-fa%C3%A7ade-iStock-501819386-640x425.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><em><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/white-big-church-beside-in-front-of-mountains-under-blue-gm501819386-81530245" target="_blank" rel="noopener">attiarndt</a></em></h6>
<p><br/> </p>
<p>Other interesting museums include the <strong>Centro Intercultural</strong>, once the city train station, now home to a trio of options. One of them, appropriately, is the <strong>Museo del Ferrocarril de los Altos</strong>, devoted to the railway that linked Xela to the Pacific coast in the 1930s, while the <strong>Museo Ixkik'</strong> shows off Mayan weaving and traditional outfits and the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Escuela-y-Museo-de-Arte-de-Quetzaltenango-Guatemala-512151895602515/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Museo de Arte</strong></a> displays hundreds of works by Guatemala's leading modernist painters. Meanwhile, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Casa-NOJ/533507450065614" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Casa No'j</strong></a>, in a handsome old townhouse, this year marks a decade of promoting Xela's art and culture.</p>
<p> </p>
<h6><em><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Templo_a_Minerva.JPG" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a0/Templo_a_Minerva.JPG/800px-Templo_a_Minerva.JPG?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="800"/></a></em><em><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Templo_a_Minerva.JPG" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Guiller Cupil</span></a></em></h6>
<p><br/> </p>
<p>Another curious landmark, now part of the city zoo, is a neoclassical pavillion called the <strong>Templo de Minerva</strong> (above) one of several built in Guatemala at the beginning of the 20th century to honour learning (Minerva being the classical Roman goddess of wisdom). And to get a great view over the city, surrounding plains, and volcanoes that surround them, head to the wooded hill <strong>Cerro Baúl</strong>, marked by an obelisk to the great Mayan warrior <strong>Tecún Umán</strong>.</p>
<p> </p>
<h6><a href="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/L2F-Dec-18-pic-Guatemala-Quetzaltenango-Santiaguito-Volcano-iStock-1058105182-640x427.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/L2F-Dec-18-pic-Guatemala-Quetzaltenango-Santiaguito-Volcano-iStock-1058105182-640x427.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><em><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/santiaguito-volcano-eruption-gm1058105182-282783848" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">shayes17</span></a></em></h6>
<p><br/> </p>
<p>Speaking of volcanoes, there are eight near Xela, most of them visitable with various local tour operators. <strong>Santa María</strong> (40 minutes away) is one of the most popular, and nearby <strong>Santiaguito</strong> (above) one of the most active - still belching smoke and lava every day - while <strong>Atitlán</strong> and <strong>San Pedro</strong> are on the shores of Lake Atitlán, a three-hour drive. <strong>Chicabal</strong>, an hour away, has a lagoon in its caldera, while at the foot of <strong>Zunil</strong> (40 minutes) you can laze in the <strong>Fuentes Georginas</strong> geothermal pools, while <strong>Tajumulco</strong> (two hours 20 minutes) is <strong>Central America</strong>'s highest, at 4,220 metres (13,850 feet) - a truly spectacular climb, with several small villages at its foot.</p>
<p> </p>
<h6><a href="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/L2F-Dec-18-pic-Guatemala-Quetzaltenango-Fuentes-Georginas-iStock-619502034-640x480.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/L2F-Dec-18-pic-Guatemala-Quetzaltenango-Fuentes-Georginas-iStock-619502034-640x480.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><em><a class="photographer" href="https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/man-relaxing-at-fuentes-georginas-hot-springs-in-quetzaltenango-guatemala-gm619502034-108033429" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Avi_Cohen_Nehemia</a></em></h6>
<p><br/> </p>
<p>All throughout, you'll be charmed by Xela's very local and untouristy vibe - although there's also a fair contingent of gringos in town, both expats and folks attending the myriad Spanish-language schools here. Another side of Guatemala well worth exploring!</p>
<p></p>
<p>More info: <a href="https://visitguatemala.com/?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">VisitGuatemala.com</a>.<br/> <br/>
</p>
<p></p>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BIyQkIJWFRw?wmode=opaque" allowfullscreen="" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0"></iframe>
</p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p></p>The Colonial (and Beachy!) Charms of Trinidad, Cubatag:frugalnomads.ning.com,2020-05-22:3169359:BlogPost:7345672020-05-22T10:53:07.000ZJosé Balidohttps://frugalnomads.ning.com/profile/JoseBalido
<p><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b2/Trinidad_%28Kuba%29_03.jpg/640px-Trinidad_%28Kuba%29_03.jpg" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b2/Trinidad_%28Kuba%29_03.jpg/640px-Trinidad_%28Kuba%29_03.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="750"></img></a> <em><span style="font-size: 8px;"><a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Trinidad_(Kuba)_03.jpg" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 8px;">Dieter Mueller</span></a><br></br></span></em> <br></br> <br></br> When I started visiting one of…</p>
<p><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b2/Trinidad_%28Kuba%29_03.jpg/640px-Trinidad_%28Kuba%29_03.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b2/Trinidad_%28Kuba%29_03.jpg/640px-Trinidad_%28Kuba%29_03.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><em><span style="font-size: 8px;"><a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Trinidad_(Kuba)_03.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-size: 8px;">Dieter Mueller</span></a><br/></span></em> <br/> <br/> When I started visiting one of <strong><a href="https://love2fly.iberia.com/2015/02/cuba-travel-highlights/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cuba</a></strong>’s earliest settlements (founded in 1514), down in the central south coast some five or so hours from <strong><a href="https://love2fly.iberia.com/2015/06/havana-cuba-attractions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Havana</a></strong>, in the late 1990s, <strong>Trinidad</strong> was a sleepy little colonial gem in the rough – as in, fairly shabby like most other Cuban towns, seemingly trapped in amber, even smaller feeling than its population of a little over 70,000.</p>
<p><br/> The colonial quarter was all about cobblestone streets lined with those retro old U.S. cars parked in front of low-slung, late-colonial homes and shops (cigars, art and tourist kitsch especially prominent) with red-terracotta-tile roofs, some also with façades in pastel colors adorned with wrought-iron or wooden window grills. Many other Cuban towns and cities have no shortage of similarly charming archictecture, but here it felt more like a “time capsule” from its early-19th-century heyday than any place outside <strong>Old Havana</strong> – so perfectly preserved it’s long been a <strong>UNESCO World Heritage Site</strong>.<br/> <br/> And of course, at that time tourism infrastructure was still minimal and basic – some 20 minutes out along the coast at <strong>Playa Ancón</strong> (below, pictured today) there was a trio of somewhat dated, low-rent beach resorts dating back to the very early years of the <strong>Castro revolution</strong>, but in the old quarter there were just a limited handful of <strong><em>casas particulares</em></strong> (private rooms and flats for rent) of, shall we say, highly varying standards.</p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/L2F-Sep-16-pic-Cuba-Trinidad-Playa-Anc%C3%B3n-Aleksandar-Todorovic-shutterstock_49204522.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/L2F-Sep-16-pic-Cuba-Trinidad-Playa-Anc%C3%B3n-Aleksandar-Todorovic-shutterstock_49204522-640x427.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><em><span style="font-size: 8px;">photo | <a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-93637p1.html"><span style="font-size: 8px;">Aleksandar Todorovic</span></a></span></em></p>
<p></p>
<p>Fast-forward 21 years, and today Trinidad is one of the country’s most popular destinations outside Havana – both as a day trip from the capital (though it makes for a ruddy long day), via tour operator, taxi, or more cheaply a bus company like <strong><a href="http://www.viazul.com/index.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ViaAzul</a></strong>. But it’s truly worth at least one or two nights, to be able to fully absorb the charm of the now far livelier and spruced up historic centre, with a raft of shops, hotels, restaurants, bars, and music venues catering to the tourist trade – not to mention several interesting sites right outside town.</p>
<p><br/> Said historic centre has as its focal point the <strong>Plaza Mayor</strong> (top), a curious bit of business unlike most others I’ve seen because it’s divided by white wrought-iron fences into mini gardens. The neoclassical <strong>Church of the Holy Trinity</strong> is the main building, the current incarnation finished in 1892, housing a prized wood statue of <strong>Christ</strong> (the “<strong>Lord of the True Cross</strong>”) dating from the 18th century. Alongside, yellow with white balustrades, is the 18th-to-early-19th-century <strong>Palacio Brunet</strong>, now housing the <strong><a href="https://www.ecured.cu/index.php/Museo_Rom%C3%A1ntico" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Museo Romántico</a></strong>, which showcases period furnishings and and art. Elsewhere on the square sits the 18th-century manse of the <strong>Sánchez Iznaga</strong> family of sugar barons, now a museum of architecture of the period, and the also neoclassical <strong>Palacio Cantero</strong>, housing the <strong>Museo Histórico Municipal</strong> (great view over the old town from the roof here, too).</p>
<p><br/> Other museums include the onetime <strong>church and convent of San Francisco</strong> on <strong>Calle Echerri</strong>, now devoted to the “<strong>National Museum of the Struggle Against Bandits</strong>”, documenting the 1960s fight against anti-Castro guerrillas who held out in the rugged nearby <strong>Escambray Mountains</strong> for several years (if you take the ideological bias with a few necessary grains of salt, it’s still a fascinating look back at that tumultuous period), and the <strong>Casa de Aldeman Ortiz</strong> on the Plaza Mayor, displaying (and selling) very good-quality contemporary <strong>Cuban art</strong>.</p>
<p><br/> Furthermore, these days, as in Old Havana, the cobblestones of Trinidad ring with the sound of música – both bands playing in bars and restaurants, and music and dancing venues offering a range of tropical sounds, from classic <em><strong>boleros</strong></em>, <em><strong>trova</strong></em>, and <em><strong>son</strong></em> to <strong>salsa</strong> and <strong>reggatetón</strong>, as the open-air <strong>Casa de la Musica</strong>, just off the Plaza Mayor, and also nearby on Calle Cristo, the <strong>Casa de la Trova</strong>. Of course, once you get away from this lively historic center, much of the rest of old Trinidad remains rather shabby, run-down, and poor, but that in itself makes for some interesting – and don’t worry, safe – strolling.</p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/L2F-Sep-16-pic-Cuba-Trinidad-Valle-de-los-Ingenios-Iznaga-Tower-steam-train-PHB.cz-Richard-Semik-shutterstock_66492262.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/L2F-Sep-16-pic-Cuba-Trinidad-Valle-de-los-Ingenios-Iznaga-Tower-steam-train-PHB.cz-Richard-Semik-shutterstock_66492262.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="1000"/></a><em><span style="font-size: 8px;"><a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-422962p1.html"><span style="font-size: 8px;">PHB.cz (Richard Semik)</span></a></span></em></p>
<p></p>
<p>Outside of town, if sun, sand, and surf are your thing, lovely Playa Ancón is absolutely worth a visit (and here's a thought for our U.S. readers: even with their recent tightening, current U.S. government rules on travel to Cuba still do allow it for cultural and other learning purposes, but not for frolics on the beach, so Trinidad actually offers a brilliant option for having your cake and eating it, too).</p>
<p><br/> Meanwhile, while some 20 to 30 minutes inland you’ll find the other component of the UNESCO World Heritage site: a three-valley region collectively called the <strong>Valle de los Ingenios</strong> (<strong>Valley of the Sugar Mills</strong>), where among the ruins of 70-some sugar mills you can get a sense of what plantation life was like at select sites such as <strong>Guachinango</strong>, where the <em><strong>casona</strong></em> (“great house”) is mostly intact, and especially <strong>Manaca Iznaga</strong>, where in addition to the <em>casona</em> you can see some slave quarters and climb the iconic <strong>Torre Iznaga</strong> (above), an actually rather fetching, 147-foot (45-meter) masonry tower, built in 1816 and once Cuba’s highest structure, from which overseers could keep a better eye on the slaves going about their business below. They've also in the years since my first visit added a restored steam train to boost the tourist trade.</p>
<p><strong><br/> Chattel slavery</strong> was a horrifically brutal business, to be sure, but as with so much else in this world, it made Trinidad what it is today.</p>
<p><br/></p>
<p> </p>In New York City, a Cheer for the Bronxtag:frugalnomads.ning.com,2020-05-11:3169359:BlogPost:7338842020-05-11T18:16:03.000ZJosé Balidohttps://frugalnomads.ning.com/profile/JoseBalido
<p><em><a href="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/L2F-Apr-17-pic-USA-NYC-Bronx-Grand-Concourse-Wikipedia-640x480.jpg" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/L2F-Apr-17-pic-USA-NYC-Bronx-Grand-Concourse-Wikipedia-640x480.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="750"></img></a> <span style="font-size: 8px;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Grand_Concourse_197_jeh.JPG" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 8px;"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">jim.henderson</span></span></a></span></em></p>
<p><br></br> <br></br> <br></br> For many around the world (and even in the…</p>
<p><em><a href="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/L2F-Apr-17-pic-USA-NYC-Bronx-Grand-Concourse-Wikipedia-640x480.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/L2F-Apr-17-pic-USA-NYC-Bronx-Grand-Concourse-Wikipedia-640x480.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a> <span style="font-size: 8px;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Grand_Concourse_197_jeh.JPG" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-size: 8px;"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">jim.henderson</span></span></a></span></em></p>
<p><br/> <br/> <br/> For many around the world (and even in the United States), <strong>New York City</strong> is essentially synonymous with its central borough, the island of of <strong>Manhattan</strong>, which hogs much of the wealth, glamour, and attractions of this metropolis. And of course in recent years the borough of <strong><a href="https://www.tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/6-top-cool-experiences-in-brooklyn-new-york-city" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brooklyn</a></strong> has also been winning a measure of reknown for its hipster, cultural, and dining scenes. But there are three other boroughs that have much to offer but are less well known, or known for the wrong reasons. The northernmost (and technically, the only one on the U.S. mainland) is the <strong>Bronx</strong>, founded in 1639 as part of the Dutch colony by settler <strong>Jonas Bronck</strong>.</p>
<p><br/> Sadly, by the late 20th century, for various reasons including poor urban planning, much of the borough – particularly the <strong>South Bronx</strong> – decayed into a notorious icon of urban blight, poverty, and crime, and despite major revitalization in recent years, pockets of that blight remain. Nonetheless, these days the future looks brighter than it has in years, and there are some truly great attractions that merit grabbing the subway (Underground) uptown for a day or even two.</p>
<p></p>
<p><br/> <em><a href="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/L2F-Apr-17-pic-USA-New-York-Bronx-Zoo-Wally-Gobetz-Flickr-640x426.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/L2F-Apr-17-pic-USA-New-York-Bronx-Zoo-Wally-Gobetz-Flickr-640x426.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/wallyg/469434261/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Wally Gobetz</a></span></em></p>
<p></p>
<p>Probably the most famous of these attractions is the award-winning <a href="http://bronxzoo.com/?gclid=CNnQt5Gi6NICFQcFaQodMngLfA" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Bronx Zoo</strong></a> (2300 Southern Boulevard), the USA’s largest city zoo (265 acres/107 hectares), founded in 1899 and now home to some 650 species. And turning from fauna to flora, the borough is also home to the even older, 250-acre (100ha) <a href="http://www.nybg.org/home/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>New York Botanical Garden</strong></a> (Southern Blvd. at Bedford Park Blvd.), with 28 specialty gardens such as the Americas’ largest herbarium, and truly fantastic exhibits, such as the current, monumental orchid show. Other lovely green spaces include parks such as <strong>Pelham Bay Park</strong> (NYC’s largest, also home to the mid-19th-century <a href="http://www.bartowpellmansionmuseum.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Bartow-Pell Mansion</strong></a> and gardens) and <strong>Van Cortlandt Park</strong>, home to the <a href="http://www.vchm.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Van Cortland House</strong></a>, the oldest in the borough (1748) and now a beautiful museum.</p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p><em><a href="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/L2F-Apr-17-Bronx-City-Island-Lobster-House-Flickr-640x427.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/L2F-Apr-17-Bronx-City-Island-Lobster-House-Flickr-640x427.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/josepha/6389785489" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joseph</a></span></em></p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p>At these places you’d never guess you were in New York City, and that’s true also of quaint <strong>City Island</strong>, just 253 acres (one square kilometer) in size, up near the Bronx’s northeastern corner. It really feels more like coastal <strong>New England</strong>, with marinas; Victorian manses; and seafood restaurants such as <strong>Tony’s Pier</strong>, the <strong>City Island Lobster House</strong>, and the <strong>Original Crab Shanty</strong>. Check out the <a href="http://www.cityislandmuseum.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>City Island Nautical Museum</strong></a> (190 Fordham St., weekends only) for a history of a truly unique NYC neighborhood, whose native-born residents are dubbed to as “<strong>clamdiggers</strong>”.</p>
<p><br/> Speaking of museums, though most of NYC’s highest-octane museums are located, again, in either Manhattan or Brooklyn, the 49-year-old <a href="http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/nyy/ballpark/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Bronx Museum of the Arts</strong></a> (1040 Grand Concourse) is very much worth a visit for its largely American but also international contemporary and 20th-century collection of more than a thousands works, as well as exhibitions and interactive programs. Farther up on the <strong>Grand Concourse</strong>, at 2640, you’ll also find, believe it or not, the <a href="http://bronxhistoricalsociety.org/poe-cottage/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Edgar Allen Poe Cottage</strong></a> (below), a modest white clapboard farmhouse tucked away amid humdrum apartment buildings, where from 1846 to 1849 in the onetime village of Fordham the famed Baltimore writer lived and wrote tales such as <strong><em>The Cask of Amontillado</em></strong>. Meanwhile, the <a href="http://bronxhistoricalsociety.org/museum-of-bronx-history/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Museum of Bronx History</strong></a> (3309 Bainbridge Avenue) displays an eye-opening collection in a two-story stone house, the Bronx’s second oldest (1758), just north of the botanical garden.</p>
<p></p>
<p><em><a href="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/L2F-Apr-17-NYC-Bronx-Edgar-Allan-Poe-Cottage-Flickr-Shannon-McGee-640x480.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/L2F-Apr-17-NYC-Bronx-Edgar-Allan-Poe-Cottage-Flickr-Shannon-McGee-640x480.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><span style="font-size: 8px;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/shan213/1217135097" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-size: 8px;"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Shannon McGee</span></span></a></span></em></p>
<p></p>
<p>The Grand Concourse itself (top) is well worth a stroll – one of the Bronx’s main thoroughfares, modeled after none other than the <strong>Champs Elysées</strong> and opened in 1909, with a handsome mix of <strong>Beaux-Arts</strong> and later <strong>Art Deco</strong> architecture (in fact, the stretch from 153rd to 167th Streets was recently declared a city historic district). The Concourse is also home to many of the borough’s main civic institutions such as the courthouse and post office, and today offers an interesting microcosm of the Bronx, from gracious to gritty – a mix of retailers, working class, gentrification, and also pockets of blight left over from the depradations of the late 20th century.</p>
<p><br/> Finally, if you’re interested in sampling “<strong>America’s pastime</strong>” during the <strong>baseball</strong> season from April through October, check out the games at <a href="http://newyork.yankees.mlb.com/nyy/ballpark/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Yankee Stadium</strong></a> (1 East 161st St.), which by the way is the world’s priciest stadium to date (ballpark tours are also available). It's time to "play ball!" in the Bronx.</p>
<p><br/> <br/> More information: <a href="http://www.nycgo.com/boroughs-neighborhoods/the-bronx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NYCGo.com</a>.</p>
<p></p>
<p></p>Uruguay's Sweet Little Vintage Gem: Colonia del Sacramentotag:frugalnomads.ning.com,2020-05-05:3169359:BlogPost:6175632020-05-05T20:48:08.000ZJosé Balidohttps://frugalnomads.ning.com/profile/JoseBalido
<p><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/ba/ColoniaDelSacramentoCalleDeLosSuspiros2013.JPG/640px-ColoniaDelSacramentoCalleDeLosSuspiros2013.JPG" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/ba/ColoniaDelSacramentoCalleDeLosSuspiros2013.JPG/640px-ColoniaDelSacramentoCalleDeLosSuspiros2013.JPG?width=640&profile=RESIZE_710x" width="750"></img></a> <span class="font-size-1"><em><a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ColoniaDelSacramentoCalleDeLosSuspiros2013.JPG" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Flc1980</a></em></span></p>
<p><br></br> <br></br> The last time I visited Buenos Aires, one of the most memorable days of the trip,…</p>
<p><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/ba/ColoniaDelSacramentoCalleDeLosSuspiros2013.JPG/640px-ColoniaDelSacramentoCalleDeLosSuspiros2013.JPG" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/ba/ColoniaDelSacramentoCalleDeLosSuspiros2013.JPG/640px-ColoniaDelSacramentoCalleDeLosSuspiros2013.JPG?width=640&profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><span class="font-size-1"><em><a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ColoniaDelSacramentoCalleDeLosSuspiros2013.JPG" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Flc1980</a></em></span></p>
<p><br/> <br/> The last time I visited Buenos Aires, one of the most memorable days of the trip, was spent, ironically enough, in Uruguay. A comfy,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b><a href="http://www.buquebus.com/BQBPreHome.html">Buquebus</a></b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>high-speed ferry ride away across the wide, murky <b>Río Plata</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>(one to three hours, depending on the ship, as well as a 2½-hour drive from Uruguay’s capital Montevideo) lies a small city that's home to the loveliest Spanish colonial old town in<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b>South America</b>’s<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b>Southern Cone</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>(and one of the most fetching on the entire continent, well deserving of its<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b>UNESCO World Heritage</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>status.<br/> <br/> With a present-day population just under 27,000,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><b>Colonia del Sacramento</b><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>is one of this country’s oldest settlements, founded on a peninsula in 1680 not by Spaniards but by Portuguese settlers, then switching back and forth between Portugal and Spain, then independent Brazil, before finally becoming part of Uruguay.<br/> <br/> It’s a pleasant stroll of a few blocks from where the Buquebus lets off along<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Avenida General Flores</strong><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>to the old quarter, but once you hit pass through the old city gate (complete with drawbridge) and hit the cobblestones, you’re transported back in time (and since it was built by the Portuguese, if you’ve been to, say, Lisbon’s old Alfama district, some of it may have a familiar feel). And while it’s obviously set up for tourists, it’s nonetheless a mostly tranquil and classy experience.</p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/72/Faro_de_Colonia_del_Sacramento%2C_Uruguay1.JPG/640px-Faro_de_Colonia_del_Sacramento%2C_Uruguay1.JPG" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/72/Faro_de_Colonia_del_Sacramento%2C_Uruguay1.JPG/640px-Faro_de_Colonia_del_Sacramento%2C_Uruguay1.JPG?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><span class="font-size-1"><em><a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Faro_de_Colonia_del_Sacramento,_Uruguay1.JPG" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Poco a poco</a></em></span></p>
<p><br/> The leafy <strong>Plaza Mayor</strong><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>is, as with other squares of its type throughout the Hispanic world, the old city’s epicenter, with several of the historic district’s top landmarks, including the ruins of the 17th-century<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Convento de San Francisco</strong>, and right next to it, the white 19th-century<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>lighthouse</strong> (above), which you can climb for a good view over the old town. Also here in a small stone house is the<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Museo Portugués</strong>, documenting the town’s earliest settlement, and not far off you’ll find the settlement’s principal church, Uruguay’s oldest, the whitewashed <strong>Iglesia Matriz</strong>, a relatively simple affair with a certain rustic charm.<br/> <br/> There are several other modest<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.museoscolonia.com.uy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">museums<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></a>here, as well, including the <strong>Museo Indígena</strong><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>(dealing with the pre-Columbian peoples of the area),<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Museo Casa de Nacarello</strong><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>(showing what an old-time homestead was like), the<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Museo del Ferrocarril</strong><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>(a handful of restored old-time rail cars, one of which houses a restaurant), and a<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Museo de los Naufragios y Tesoros</strong><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>(shipwrecks and treasure recovered from the River Plate, which really is remarkably oceanlike hereabouts).<br/> <br/> But really, the charm of the place is just roaming the streets, like the sweet little<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>Calle de los Suspiros</strong><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>(Street of Sighs, top), its slablike paving stones leading past gorgeously weathered houses, some now occupied by shops and eateries.<br/> <br/> Speaking of which, don’t tell my Argentine friends I said so, but the best<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>parrillada</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>(mixed grill) I had on that trip was right here; Uruguay, too, is known for its cattle-raising and<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>gauchos</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>(cowboys). Here<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em>parrillada</em><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>is called<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><em><strong>asado</strong>,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></em>and the top place to go for it (and I’m sure there are plenty of other good spots, too) is<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong>El Asador</strong>, in a charming colonial house at Calle Ituzaingó 168. <em>Bon appétit!</em></p>
<p><em><br/> More information:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a href="http://www.welcomeuruguay.com/colonia/outings.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WelcomeUruguay.com</a>.</em></p>
<p><span> <br/> <br/></span></p>
<p></p>
<p><span class="font-size-1"> </span></p>
<p></p>Welcome to Santiago de Cuba, the Country's Second Citytag:frugalnomads.ning.com,2020-05-02:3169359:BlogPost:6463462020-05-02T06:00:00.000ZJosé Balidohttps://frugalnomads.ning.com/profile/JoseBalido
<p></p>
<p style="background: #ffffff; margin: 0px 0px 16px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; text-align: justify; color: #333333; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; clear: both; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; word-spacing: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/L2F-Oct-15-pic-Cuba-Santiago-Parque-de-C%C3%A9spedes-cathedral-Libor-P%C3%AD%C5%A1ka-shutterstock_123896782-640x426.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/L2F-Oct-15-pic-Cuba-Santiago-Parque-de-C%C3%A9spedes-cathedral-Libor-P%C3%AD%C5%A1ka-shutterstock_123896782-640x426.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><br/> <br/> When it comes to cities in <strong>Cuba</strong>, capital <strong>Havana<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></strong>does hog a disproportionate share of the attention – and it’s not hard to understand why. But at the southeastern tip of this island country, 540 miles (<span>870 kilometres</span>) from the capital, is another which amply deserves to be part of any visit to Cuba. One of the first of many settlements in the Americas to be named after mother country Spain’s revered pilgrimage city of <strong>Santiago de Compostela</strong>,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>the bayside port of<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong style="background: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">Santiago de Cuba</strong><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>is this country’s second largest urb, and one with a distinctly different personality to Havana’s. <span id="more-11095" style="background: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></p>
<p style="background: #ffffff; margin: 0px 0px 16px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; text-align: justify; color: #333333; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; clear: both; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; word-spacing: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"></p>
<h3 style="background: #ffffff; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; color: #d7192c; text-transform: none; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; clear: both; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; word-spacing: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><span style="background: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; color: #ff0000; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="background: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">A City of Firsts</strong></span></h3>
<p style="background: #ffffff; margin: 0px 0px 16px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; text-align: justify; color: #333333; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; clear: both; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; word-spacing: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"></p>
<p style="background: #ffffff; margin: 0px 0px 16px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; text-align: justify; color: #333333; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; clear: both; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; word-spacing: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;">With a population just over a half million, Santiago was in fact founded a year earlier (1514) than Havana, and traces of that long history can be found in a small but fine old quarter with cobblestone streets and remarkable landmarks such as the classically Baroque<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong style="background: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption</strong>, the first in Cuba (the current structure dating back to 1555 after the original burned down). Across from it on the other side of<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong style="background: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">Céspedes Park</strong>, the <strong style="background: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">Diego Velázquez House<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></strong>was the residence of the island’s first governor; reckoned to be the oldest home still standing in the Americas, it’s now a museum of the life and times of<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong style="background: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">colonial Cuba</strong>. Speaking of museums, Cuba’s first (1899) is the handsome, neoclassical<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong style="background: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">Emilio Bacardí Moreau Museum</strong>, an interesting mixed bag of<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong style="background: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">archaeology</strong>,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong style="background: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">Cuban art</strong>, and the country’s pre-Communist history.</p>
<p style="background: #ffffff; margin: 0px 0px 16px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; text-align: justify; color: #333333; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; clear: both; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; word-spacing: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;">Outside the city centre, tourists are often driven by the Art Deco<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong style="background: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">Moncada Barracks</strong>, built in 1938 and where<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong style="background: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">Fidel Castro</strong><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>and<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong style="background: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">Che Guevara</strong>’s guerrilla band essentially launched the <strong style="background: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">Cuban Revolution</strong><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>with its attack in 1953 (there’s a small museum near one of the gates). Other top draws include the<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong style="background: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">San Pedro de la Roca</strong><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>fort (aka<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong style="background: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">El Morro Castle</strong>), a<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong style="background: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">UNESCO World Heritage Site</strong><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>thanks to its “exceptional” military architecture, built in the 17th century mainly to protect the city against pirate attacks. And out on the western edge of the city, <strong style="background: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">Santa Ifigenia Cemetery</strong><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>is one of the hemisphere’s more distinguished necropolises, in the league of Havana’s Colón, Recoleta in Buenos Aires, and even Père Lachaise in Paris; among the notable figures interred here is Cuba’s highly revered independence hero (and local son) <strong style="background: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">José Martí</strong>.</p>
<p style="background: #ffffff; margin: 0px 0px 16px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; text-align: justify; color: #333333; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; clear: both; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; word-spacing: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"></p>
<p style="background: #ffffff; margin: 0px 0px 16px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; text-align: justify; color: #333333; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; clear: both; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; word-spacing: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/L2F-Oct-15-pic-Cuba-Santiago-Our-Lady-of-El-Cobre-Flickr-Sheeper.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/L2F-Oct-15-pic-Cuba-Santiago-Our-Lady-of-El-Cobre-Flickr-Sheeper-640x427.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a></p>
<p style="background: #ffffff; margin: 0px 0px 16px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; text-align: justify; color: #333333; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; clear: both; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; word-spacing: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"></p>
<p style="background: #ffffff; margin: 0px 0px 16px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; text-align: justify; color: #333333; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; clear: both; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; word-spacing: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;">A bit farther afield, some <span>37 miles (</span>60 kilometres) outside the city, <span>328 square-mi.</span> (849-sq.-km) <strong style="background: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">Baconao Park</strong><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>is a<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong style="background: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">UNESCO World Heritage Biosphere Reserve</strong>, and makes a great day trip with a variety of activities. Besides birdwatching and hiking (including up to an enormous boulder called<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong style="background: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">La Gran Piedra</strong>, offering sweeping views from atop), there’s an aquarium; a botanical garden; a car museum; a park with lifesize sculptures of prehistoric creatures; and a reproduction of a village of the pre-Columbian<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong style="background: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">Taíno Indians</strong>, who were largely wiped out by the Spaniards.</p>
<p style="background: #ffffff; margin: 0px 0px 16px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; text-align: justify; color: #333333; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; clear: both; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; word-spacing: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;">But perhaps the most highly notable landmark in the area, in the<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong style="background: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">Sierra Maestra</strong><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>foothills just above Santiago, is the neo-Baroque<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong style="background: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">Basilica of Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre</strong>, built in the 1920s and dedicated to Cuba’s patron saint – and famous for being the only place in Cuba where regular people can post messages critical of the régime.</p>
<p style="background: #ffffff; margin: 0px 0px 16px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; text-align: justify; color: #333333; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; clear: both; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; word-spacing: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"></p>
<h3 style="background: #ffffff; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; color: #d7192c; text-transform: none; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; clear: both; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; word-spacing: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/L2F-Oct-15-pic-Cuba-Santiago-Casa-de-la-Trova-music-dubes-sonego-shutterstock_289960403.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/L2F-Oct-15-pic-Cuba-Santiago-Casa-de-la-Trova-music-dubes-sonego-shutterstock_289960403-640x427.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a></h3>
<h3 style="background: #ffffff; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; color: #d7192c; text-transform: none; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; clear: both; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; word-spacing: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"></h3>
<h3 style="background: #ffffff; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; color: #d7192c; text-transform: none; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; clear: both; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; word-spacing: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><span style="background: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; color: #ff0000; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="background: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">A Cuban Culture Powerhouse</strong></span></h3>
<p style="background: #ffffff; margin: 0px 0px 16px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; text-align: justify; color: #333333; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; clear: both; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; word-spacing: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"></p>
<p style="background: #ffffff; margin: 0px 0px 16px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; text-align: justify; color: #333333; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; clear: both; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; word-spacing: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;">Besides all these cool attractions, Santiago also is known for its cultural and especially<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong style="background: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">Cuban music</strong><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>scene. The<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong style="background: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">conga</strong><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>originated here, as did<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong style="background: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline;">son</em></strong>, the root of<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong style="background: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">salsa</strong>, along with the likes of 1950s bandleader<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong style="background: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">Desi Arnaz</strong><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>and<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong style="background: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">Buena Vista Social Club</strong>’s<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong style="background: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">Compay Segundo</strong><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>and<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong style="background: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">Ibrahim Ferrer</strong>. Top musical venues include<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong style="background: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">Café Cantante</strong>,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong style="background: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">Casa de la Trova</strong>, and<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong style="background: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">Casa del Caribe</strong>.</p>
<p style="background: #ffffff; margin: 0px 0px 16px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; text-align: justify; color: #333333; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; clear: both; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; word-spacing: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;">One final note worth making about Santiago is that it’s also especially notable as a centre of and music venues, as well as for its high percentage of<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong style="background: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">Afro-Cubans</strong><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>and practice of <strong style="background: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">santería</strong>, a Catholic/traditional African hybrid comparable to Haiti’s voudon (and in fact, in addition to being the practice among the original Yoruba slaves of the area, it was also bolstered by an influex of Haitian immigrants in the 19th century). There are no formal temples, but visitors can ask around – hotel concierges, owners of their holiday rentals, and so forth – about availability of private worship ceremonies that might be willing to invite them as observers.</p>
<p style="background: #ffffff; margin: 0px 0px 16px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; text-align: justify; color: #333333; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; clear: both; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; word-spacing: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;">If you can make it here the last week in July for the pre-Lenten<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><strong style="background: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline;">Carnaval<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></strong>celebration that’s one of the Caribbean’s most joyous, it will be an unforgettable experience (and be sure to book well ahead, because the lodging situation is still rather more limited than it is in Havana). But even if not,</p>
<p style="background: #ffffff; margin: 0px 0px 16px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; text-align: justify; color: #333333; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; clear: both; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; word-spacing: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"><em style="background: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline;"><br/> More information in English: <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a style="background: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; color: #d7192d; vertical-align: baseline;" href="http://www.santiagodecubacity.org/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SantiagodeCubaCity.org</a>.<br/></em> <br/> <span style="background: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; font-size: 8px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br/> <em style="background: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline;">photo | <a id="portfolio_link" style="background: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; color: #d7192d; vertical-align: baseline;" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-202399p1.html" name="portfolio_link">Libor Píška</a>,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a style="background: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; color: #d7192d; vertical-align: baseline;" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/40885549@N00/139129501/sizes/o/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sheeper</a>, <a id="portfolio_link" style="background: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; color: #d7192d; vertical-align: baseline;" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-167212p1.html" name="portfolio_link">dubes sonego</a></em></span></p>
<p style="background: #ffffff; margin: 0px 0px 16px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; text-align: justify; color: #333333; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; clear: both; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; word-spacing: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"> </p>
<p style="background: #ffffff; margin: 0px 0px 16px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; border: 0px currentColor; text-align: justify; color: #333333; text-transform: none; text-indent: 0px; letter-spacing: normal; clear: both; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; word-spacing: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;"></p>Meet Me in Monacotag:frugalnomads.ning.com,2020-02-26:3169359:BlogPost:7295472020-02-26T11:05:10.000ZJosé Balidohttps://frugalnomads.ning.com/profile/JoseBalido
<p></p>
<h6><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/L2F-Sep-18-pic-Monaco-overview-shutterstock_367170923-640x427.jpg" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/L2F-Sep-18-pic-Monaco-overview-shutterstock_367170923-640x427.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="750"></img></a> <br></br> </h6>
<p>Few are the names that so reek of true Olde Worlde glamor; money both old and new; and self-conscious "class" than <strong>Monaco</strong>, aka <strong>Monte Carlo</strong>. The second smallest state in the world after the <strong>Vatican</strong> and the world's most densely populated - about ¾…</p>
<p></p>
<h6><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/L2F-Sep-18-pic-Monaco-overview-shutterstock_367170923-640x427.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/L2F-Sep-18-pic-Monaco-overview-shutterstock_367170923-640x427.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><br/> </h6>
<p>Few are the names that so reek of true Olde Worlde glamor; money both old and new; and self-conscious "class" than <strong>Monaco</strong>, aka <strong>Monte Carlo</strong>. The second smallest state in the world after the <strong>Vatican</strong> and the world's most densely populated - about ¾ of a square mile (just over two sq. kilometres) - this principality a half-hour bus ride from <strong>Nice</strong> along a lovely stretch of the <strong>Côte d'Azur</strong> has a population of just over 38,000, but more than 30 percent of them are millionaires, perhaps the world's single highest concentration. Once part of the Italian Republic of <strong>Genoa</strong> (the local dialect, <strong>Monégasque</strong>, is closer to Italian than French), the territory was seized by the first of the <strong>Grimaldi dynasty</strong>, <strong>Francesco Grimaldi</strong>, in 1297, and it's remained all in the family ever since. For this mere hoi polloi, it made a fascinating day trip on my recent visit to Nice.</p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="https://www.tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/monaco-monte-carlo-attractions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">read post</a></p>
<p></p>
<p></p>Rijeka Is Another Croatian Coastal Gem – and a 2020 European Capital of Culturetag:frugalnomads.ning.com,2020-01-22:3169359:BlogPost:7274022020-01-22T07:07:51.000ZJosé Balidohttps://frugalnomads.ning.com/profile/JoseBalido
<p> </p>
<h6><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/89/Rijeka_Riva_promenade_aerial.jpg/800px-Rijeka_Riva_promenade_aerial.jpg" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/89/Rijeka_Riva_promenade_aerial.jpg/800px-Rijeka_Riva_promenade_aerial.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="750"></img></a> <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rijeka_Riva_promenade_aerial.jpg" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><em><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Antonio199cro</span></em></a></h6>
<p><br></br> </p>
<p>When it comes to <strong>Croatia</strong>, the balmy Dalmatian Coast along the <strong>Adriatic…</strong></p>
<p> </p>
<h6><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/89/Rijeka_Riva_promenade_aerial.jpg/800px-Rijeka_Riva_promenade_aerial.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/89/Rijeka_Riva_promenade_aerial.jpg/800px-Rijeka_Riva_promenade_aerial.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rijeka_Riva_promenade_aerial.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Antonio199cro</span></em></a></h6>
<p><br/> </p>
<p>When it comes to <strong>Croatia</strong>, the balmy Dalmatian Coast along the <strong>Adriatic Sea</strong>, hogs most of the attention with loads of lovely spots such as <strong><a href="https://www.tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/dubrovnik-jewel-of-croatia-a-top-treasure-of-europe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dubrovnik</a></strong>, <strong><a href="https://www.tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/split-croatia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Split</a></strong>, <strong>Zadar</strong>, <strong>Korčula</strong>, and <strong>Hvar</strong>. But the towns, beaches, and landscapes on the Adriatic north of here are also first rate, and though by now you've no doubt heard of most or all of the places I just mentioned, chances are the name <strong>Rijeka</strong> is new to you. But the country's largest port and third largest city (pop. around 129,000), capital of a western Croatian region called <strong>Gorski Kotar</strong> is also an appealing destination for its history/architecture, fun nightlife, cultural scene, and cool annual festivals. The last two items are going into overdrive in what should be a banner year for Rijeka, as it's been designated one of 2020's two annual <a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-admin/edit.php?tag=european-capitals-of-culture" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>European Capitals of Culture</strong></a> (the other being <strong><a href="https://www.tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/galway-ireland-attractions-2020-european-capital-of-culture" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Galway, Ireland</a></strong>). Curious? Here's a peek.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="https://youtu.be/gLr7h3Xev_U"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gLr7h3Xev_U?wmode=opaque" allowfullscreen="" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0"><a href="https://youtu.be/gLr7h3Xev_U"></a><a href="https://youtu.be/gLr7h3Xev_U"></a><a href="https://youtu.be/gLr7h3Xev_U"></a><a href="https://youtu.be/gLr7h3Xev_U"></a><a href="https://youtu.be/gLr7h3Xev_U"></a><a href="https://youtu.be/gLr7h3Xev_U"></a><a href="https://youtu.be/gLr7h3Xev_U"></a><a href="https://youtu.be/gLr7h3Xev_U"></a><a href="https://youtu.be/gLr7h3Xev_U"></a><a href="https://youtu.be/gLr7h3Xev_U"></a><a href="https://youtu.be/gLr7h3Xev_U"></a><a href="https://youtu.be/gLr7h3Xev_U"></a><a href="https://youtu.be/gLr7h3Xev_U"></a><a href="https://youtu.be/gLr7h3Xev_U"></a><a href="https://youtu.be/gLr7h3Xev_U"></a><a href="https://youtu.be/gLr7h3Xev_U"></a><a href="https://youtu.be/gLr7h3Xev_U"></a><p></p>
<p> <br/> <br/>
</p>
<p>Its roots dating back to a Celtic settlement first mentioned in the 1st century CE, evolving into the ancient Roman city <strong>Flumen</strong>, Rijeka was part of the <strong>Austro-Hungarian Empire</strong> from 1466 to 1918; then briefly became the free state of <strong>Fiume</strong>; until it fell under the rule of fascist <strong>Italy</strong> for 20 years. In the aftermath of World War II it passed to newly formed <strong>Yugoslavia</strong> in before finally ending up in independent Croatia in 1991. All this variegated history left it with a legacy of gracious architecture from Baroque to Art Nouveau (although much of it leans toward post-1750 thanks to an earthquake that year which took down many older buildings and monuments).</p>
<p> </p>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b9/Rijeka-korzo-2018.jpg/800px-Rijeka-korzo-2018.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b9/Rijeka-korzo-2018.jpg/800px-Rijeka-korzo-2018.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rijeka-korzo-2018.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Antonio199cro</span></a><br/>
<p><br/> </p>
<p>For example, you'll spot many handsome <strong>Habsburg</strong>-era buildings along center city's main boulevard <strong>Korzo</strong>, pedestrianized for some years now and lined with cafés and shops (the name derives from Fiumen, the local dialect of Venetian, since in the <strong>Middle Ages</strong> this like many settlements along this coast was strongly influenced by Venetian and Italian culture); the most distinctive landmark here is the 17th-century clock tower, which survived the earthquake and was once part of the old city gates. Near the tower is a simple, ancient stone arch that once marked the entrance to the ancient Roman fort that once stood here (there's also a small site of excavated ruins here).</p>
<p> </p>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/L2F-Jan-20-pic-Croatia-Rijeka-St-Vitus-Cathedral-iStock-1155078371.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/L2F-Jan-20-pic-Croatia-Rijeka-St-Vitus-Cathedral-iStock-1155078371.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/st-vitus-cathedral-in-rijeka-croatia-gm1155078371-314334988" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Julia Javrinenko</span></a><br/>
<p><br/> </p>
<p>Another notable landmark, north of the arch, <strong>St. Vitus</strong> (above) is an unusual round Baroque church built by the Jesuits in 1638 which became the city's cathedral just in 1969. Inside amid the marble pillars you'll find a fine collection of paintings and other religious art, as well as gold work and rare books and prints.</p>
<p></p>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/L2F-Jan-20-pic-Croatia-Rijeka-Trsat-iStock-645451324.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/L2F-Jan-20-pic-Croatia-Rijeka-Trsat-iStock-645451324.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/fort-on-the-hill-above-town-gm645451324-117005953" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">mrak_hr</span></a><br/>
<p><br/> </p>
<p>From the Old City you can climb a 16th-century, 561-step stone votive staircase, lined with small chapels, up to <strong>Trsat Hill</strong> just above the city, where you'll find <strong>Trsat Castle</strong> dating back to at least 1288 and modified in later centuries to include a neoclassical mausoleum and other structures. Besides offering great views over the city, surrounding valley, and Adriatic, it houses history and art exhibitions and serves as a warm-weather venue for open-air concerts, fashion shows, and other events. Nearby, the <strong>Shrine of Our Lady of Trsat</strong> complex, built in the late 13th century and home to a Baroque Franciscan church and monastery, is something of a pilgrimage site, especially for mariners, who come to pray to the Virgin Mary for protection at sea and venerate the Gothic sculpture of the <strong>Madonna of Slunj</strong>.</p>
<p> </p>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/L2F-Jan-20-pic-Croatia-Rijeka-market-iStock-491148616.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/L2F-Jan-20-pic-Croatia-Rijeka-market-iStock-491148616.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/fish-market-rijeka-gm491148616-75600463" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Baloncici</span></a><br/>
<p><br/> </p>
<p>Speaking of the sea, down by the docks it's always worth a meander through the colourful <strong>Velika P</strong><b>laca</b>, a classic old-school covered market of 1880s vintage where locals browse for their dinner tables - and sometimes even eat dinner, in the food stalls and sit-down joints. Not far off stands the handsome, 135-year-old</p>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<a href="http://hnk-zajc.hr/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hrvastko Narodno Kazaliste (Croatian National Theater, below)</a>, staging the city's most prestigious drama, opera, ballet, and classical and other music performances.<br/>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/L2F-Jan-20-pic-Croatia-Rijeka-Croatian-National-Theatre-iStock-177241606.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/L2F-Jan-20-pic-Croatia-Rijeka-Croatian-National-Theatre-iStock-177241606.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/kasalisni-park-and-theater-building-in-rijeka-croatia-gm177241606-20015106" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">anshar73</span></a><br/>
<p><br/> </p>
<p>Museums? But of course - one pair not to miss include the two-story</p>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
<a href="http://www.visitrijeka.eu/What_To_See/Museums_and_Collections/City_Museum_of_Rijeka" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Rijeka City Museum</strong></a>, which is a good place to get an overview of the life and times of this urb back to its early history. Alongside it, the <a href="http://ppmhp.hr/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Maritime & History Museum of the Croatian Coast</strong></a> occupying the 1890s neo-Renaissance <strong>Governor's Palace</strong> expands that overview to the larger region and northwest Croatia (though unfortunately there's not much explanation in English). Plus if you're interested in getting a sense of local and national painting and sculpture, chek out the <a href="https://mmsu.hr/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art</strong></a>, a few blocks north of here.<br/>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p><br/> <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uI0jvD5h9ds?wmode=opaque" allowfullscreen="" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0"></iframe>
</p>
</iframe>
</a></p>
<a href="https://youtu.be/gLr7h3Xev_U"><br />
</a><p></p>
<p><a href="https://youtu.be/gLr7h3Xev_U"></a></p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="https://youtu.be/gLr7h3Xev_U"></a></p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="https://youtu.be/gLr7h3Xev_U"></a></p>
<p><a href="https://youtu.be/gLr7h3Xev_U"></a></p>
<p>Its roots dating back to a Celtic settlement first mentioned in the 1st century CE, evolving into the ancient Roman city <strong>Flumen</strong>, Rijeka was part of the <strong>Austro-Hungarian Empire</strong> from 1466 to 1918; then briefly became the free state of <strong>Fiume</strong>; until it fell under the rule of fascist <strong>Italy</strong> for 20 years. In the aftermath of World War II it passed to newly formed <strong>Yugoslavia</strong> in before finally ending up in independent Croatia in 1991. All this variegated history left it with a legacy of gracious architecture from Baroque to Art Nouveau (although much of it leans toward post-1750 thanks to an earthquake that year which took down many older buildings and monuments).</p>
<p></p>
<h6><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b9/Rijeka-korzo-2018.jpg/800px-Rijeka-korzo-2018.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b9/Rijeka-korzo-2018.jpg/800px-Rijeka-korzo-2018.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="800"/></a><em><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rijeka-korzo-2018.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Antonio199cro</span></a></em></h6>
<p> </p>
<p><br/> For example, you’ll spot many handsome <strong>Habsburg</strong>-era buildings along center city’s main boulevard <strong>Korzo</strong>, pedestrianized for some years now and lined with cafés and shops (the name derives from Fiumen, the local dialect of Venetian, since in the <strong>Middle Ages</strong> this like many settlements along this coast was strongly influenced by Venetian and Italian culture); the most distinctive landmark here is the 17th-century clock tower, which survived the earthquake and was once part of the old city gates. Near the tower is a simple, ancient stone arch that once marked the entrance to the ancient Roman fort that once stood here (there’s also a small site of excavated ruins here).</p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<h6><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/L2F-Jan-20-pic-Croatia-Rijeka-St-Vitus-Cathedral-iStock-1155078371.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/L2F-Jan-20-pic-Croatia-Rijeka-St-Vitus-Cathedral-iStock-1155078371.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><em><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/st-vitus-cathedral-in-rijeka-croatia-gm1155078371-314334988" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Julia Javrinenko</a></em></span></h6>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>Another notable landmark, north of the arch, <strong>St. Vitus</strong> (above) is an unusual round Baroque church built by the Jesuits in 1638 which became the city’s cathedral just in 1969. Inside amid the marble pillars you’ll find a fine collection of paintings and other religious art, as well as gold work and rare books and prints.</p>
<p></p>
<h6><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/L2F-Jan-20-pic-Croatia-Rijeka-Trsat-iStock-645451324.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/L2F-Jan-20-pic-Croatia-Rijeka-Trsat-iStock-645451324.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><em><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/fort-on-the-hill-above-town-gm645451324-117005953" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">mrak_hr</span></a></em></h6>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>From the Old City you can climb a 16th-century, 561-step stone votive staircase, lined with small chapels, up to <strong>Trsat Hill</strong> just above the city, where you’ll find <strong>Trsat Castle</strong> dating back to at least 1288 and modified in later centuries to include a neoclassical mausoleum and other structures. Besides offering great views over the city, surrounding valley, and Adriatic, it houses history and art exhibitions and serves as a warm-weather venue for open-air concerts, fashion shows, and other events. Nearby, the <strong>Shrine of Our Lady of Trsat</strong> complex, built in the late 13th century and home to a Baroque Franciscan church and monastery, is something of a pilgrimage site, especially for mariners, who come to pray to the Virgin Mary for protection at sea and venerate the Gothic sculpture of the <strong>Madonna of Slunj</strong>.</p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<h6><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/L2F-Jan-20-pic-Croatia-Rijeka-market-iStock-491148616.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/L2F-Jan-20-pic-Croatia-Rijeka-market-iStock-491148616.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><em><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/fish-market-rijeka-gm491148616-75600463" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Baloncici</span></a></em></h6>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p>Speaking of the sea, down by the docks it’s always worth a meander through the colourful <strong>Velika P</strong><b>laca</b>, a classic old-school covered market of 1880s vintage where locals browse for their dinner tables – and sometimes even eat dinner, in the food stalls and sit-down joints. Not far off stands the handsome, 135-year-old <strong><a href="http://hnk-zajc.hr/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hrvastko Narodno Kazaliste (Croatian National Theater, below)</a></strong>, staging the city’s most prestigious drama, opera, ballet, and classical and other music performances.</p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<h6><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/L2F-Jan-20-pic-Croatia-Rijeka-Croatian-National-Theatre-iStock-177241606.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/L2F-Jan-20-pic-Croatia-Rijeka-Croatian-National-Theatre-iStock-177241606.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><em><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/kasalisni-park-and-theater-building-in-rijeka-croatia-gm177241606-20015106" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">anshar73</span></a></em></h6>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Museums? But of course – one pair not to miss include the two-story <a href="http://www.visitrijeka.eu/What_To_See/Museums_and_Collections/City_Museum_of_Rijeka" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Rijeka City Museum</strong></a>, which is a good place to get an overview of the life and times of this urb back to its early history. Alongside it, the <a href="http://ppmhp.hr/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Maritime & History Museum of the Croatian Coast</strong></a> occupying the 1890s neo-Renaissance <strong>Governor’s Palace</strong> expands that overview to the larger region and northwest Croatia (though unfortunately there’s not much explanation in English). Plus if you’re interested in getting a sense of local and national painting and sculpture, check out the <a href="https://mmsu.hr/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art</strong></a>, a few blocks north of here.</p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uI0jvD5h9ds?wmode=opaque" allowfullscreen="" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0"></iframe>
</p>
<p></p>
<p><br/> <br/>
And finally, this year the National Theater I mentioned will be one of the higher profile venues for the European Capital of Culture program cooked up by <strong>Rijeka 2020</strong>, with some 600 cultural and other events involving hundreds of institutions and organizations from Croatia and 40 other countries across the world. Striving to project the city as a "port of diversity", the organizers have established three themes for the occasion: water (as Rijeka has always been sea-oriented as well as rainier than average, and also focusing on the big picture: the ecological future of the oceans), work (especially in the post-industrial era), and migration (also critical to this city's history as well as a hot, extremely important topic in Europe and the world). And by the way, this city's known for its annual pre-Lenten <a href="https://www.rijecki-karneval.hr/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Carnival</a>, and this year's edition, which started this past Friday and runs through 26 February, is turning out to be even more exuberant, coinciding with Rijeka 2020. For more information and a program calendar, click <a href="https://rijeka2020.eu/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p>
<p></p>
<p><br/> <br/>
More info: <a href="http://www.visitrijeka.eu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">VisitRijeka.eu</a>.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<p></p>Meet Me in Monacotag:frugalnomads.ning.com,2020-01-05:3169359:BlogPost:7263662020-01-05T16:13:58.000ZJosé Balidohttps://frugalnomads.ning.com/profile/JoseBalido
<h6><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/L2F-Sep-18-pic-Monaco-overview-shutterstock_367170923-640x427.jpg" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/L2F-Sep-18-pic-Monaco-overview-shutterstock_367170923-640x427.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="750"></img></a> <em><a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/es/image-photo/panoramic-view-princes-palace-monte-carlo-367170923?src=HijGrSJ3KS8aaFiWbRR4tA-1-0" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">S-F</span></a></em></h6>
<p><br></br> </p>
<p>Few are the names that so reek of true Olde Worlde glamor; money both old…</p>
<h6><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/L2F-Sep-18-pic-Monaco-overview-shutterstock_367170923-640x427.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/L2F-Sep-18-pic-Monaco-overview-shutterstock_367170923-640x427.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><em><a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/es/image-photo/panoramic-view-princes-palace-monte-carlo-367170923?src=HijGrSJ3KS8aaFiWbRR4tA-1-0" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">S-F</span></a></em></h6>
<p><br/> </p>
<p>Few are the names that so reek of true Olde Worlde glamor; money both old and new; and self-conscious "class" than <strong>Monaco</strong>, aka <strong>Monte Carlo</strong>. The second smallest state in the world after the <strong>Vatican</strong> and the world's most densely populated - about ¾ of a square mile (just over two sq. kilometres) - this principality a half-hour bus ride from <strong>Nice</strong> along a lovely stretch of the <strong>Côte d'Azur</strong> has a population of just over 38,000, but more than 30 percent of them are millionaires, perhaps the world's single highest concentration. Once part of the Italian Republic of <strong>Genoa</strong> (the local dialect, <strong>Monégasque</strong>, is closer to Italian than French), the territory was seized by the first of the <strong>Grimaldi dynasty</strong>, <strong>Francesco Grimaldi</strong>, in 1297, and it's remained all in the family ever since. For this mere hoi polloi, it made a fascinating day trip on my recent visit to Nice.</p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<h6><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/51/The_Palace_Guards.jpg/799px-The_Palace_Guards.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/51/The_Palace_Guards.jpg/799px-The_Palace_Guards.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="799"/></a><em><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Palace_Guards.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Qypchak</span></a></em></h6>
<p><br/> </p>
<p>The 100 public bus (just 1.50 euros!) from Nice's boat harbor leaves you at Monaco's unremarkable <strong>Place d'Armes</strong>, from which you climb the shallow steps up <strong>Le Rocher</strong> hill to the old town, arriving at the <strong>Place du Palais</strong>. The palace in question is the <a href="http://www.palais.mc/en/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Palais Princier</strong></a>, fairly modest as royal abodes go, its entrance "guarded" by a small squad of chaps tarted up in white in summer and black in winter (in white at least, they remind me a bit of Bahamian traffic cops); you can witness the changing of the guard daily at noon. Presided over by the ruling Grimaldi prince and princess <strong>Albert</strong> and <strong>Charlene</strong> (a former South African swimming champion), most of it is of course off limits to the public, but the throne room and other opulent state rooms are, and quite well explained by an audio tour.</p>
<p><br/> You can buy tickets for the palace at a big shop right on the square out front, as well as for the red doubledecker <strong><a href="https://www.monacolegrandtour.com/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Monaco Le Gran Tour</a></strong> busses leaving right across the square, which provides a hop-on/hop-off tour of the principality's highlights. And touristy as it is, after a pleasant al fresco lunch on <strong>Rue Comte Félix Gastaldi</strong> across from the palace, that's just what we did, because it makes taking it all in quite easy, leaving the option to get off at or go back to revisit particularly interesting attractions.</p>
<p> </p>
<h6><em><a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/es/image-photo/side-oceanographic-institute-principality-monaco-131926568?src=-V7biIe43o2fsUoZc2LFpg-1-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/L2F-Sep-18-pic-Monaco-Oceanography-Museum-shutterstock_131926568-640x428.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a></em><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><em><a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/es/image-photo/side-oceanographic-institute-principality-monaco-131926568?src=-V7biIe43o2fsUoZc2LFpg-1-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dmytro Surkov</a></em></span></h6>
<p><br/> </p>
<p>The bus passes the Romanesque-Revival <strong>Cathedral of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception</strong> (finished at the beginning of the 20th century); the Baroque-Revival <strong><a href="https://www.oceano.mc/en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Oceanographic Museum</a></strong> (a great wedge built in 1911 on a huge cliffside rock during the reign of a prince who was an amateur oceanographer, with various exhibits of marine life and maritime paraphernalia); the yacht harbour and nearby posh shopping of <strong>La Condamine</strong> district; and the <strong><a href="https://www.mtcc.mc/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Collection de Voitures de S.A.S. le Prince de Monaco</a></strong> (featuring the hundred-car collection of <strong>Prince Rainier</strong>, ranging from a 1903 <strong>De Dion Bouton</strong> to a 2013 <strong>Lotus F1</strong> and including many cars which have competed in the reknowned <a href="https://www.monaco-grand-prix.com/en/2542-monaco-f1/?pgs=1&si=&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIlbTemfjW3QIVBwxpCh1FXAPWEAAYBCAAEgISyPD_BwE" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Monaco Grand Prix</strong></a> and the <a href="http://acm.mc/en/edition/rallye-monte-carlo-edition-2019/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Monte-Carlo Rally</strong></a>).</p>
<p> </p>
<h6><em><a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/es/image-photo/grand-casino-monaco-night-155335406?src=rQCAkI87ZopNOUBvwShH_A-1-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/L2F-Sep-18-pic-Monaco-Casino-Monte-Carlo-shutterstock_155335406-640x397.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a></em><em><a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/es/image-photo/grand-casino-monaco-night-155335406?src=rQCAkI87ZopNOUBvwShH_A-1-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Tatiana Ganapolskaya</span></a></em></h6>
<p><br/> </p>
<p>Then finally our big red bus arrived at Monaco's other main attraction, the <a href="http://www.casinomontecarlo.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Casino de Monte-Carlo</strong></a> (Monte Carlo is actually the name of the district occupying the middle of Monaco), and here we did alight, to see what all the fuss is about. With <strong>Maseratis</strong>, <strong>Lamberghinis</strong>, <strong>Alfa-Romeos</strong>, <strong>Rolls-Royces</strong>, and other ritzy rides parked out front, the casino allows us riffraff to freely roam its lobby, and for ten euros even gain access to its less exclusive outer gaming room. Dripping with gilt and fancy frippery, the space at that time was also hosting an installation in the form of a maze lined with larger-than-life playing cards, some with cutouts for cutesy selfies.</p>
<p> </p>
<h6><em><a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/es/image-photo/montecarlo-monaco-27052018-grand-prix-f1-1105977701?src=HijGrSJ3KS8aaFiWbRR4tA-1-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/L2F-Sep-18-pic-Monaco-Grand-Prix-shutterstock_1105977701-640x427.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a></em><em><a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/es/image-photo/montecarlo-monaco-27052018-grand-prix-f1-1105977701?src=HijGrSJ3KS8aaFiWbRR4tA-1-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">cristiano barni</span></a></em></h6>
<p><br/> </p>
<p>Going back to the subject of high-performance autos for a moment, the aforementioned Grand Prix (above, one of the triple crown events of world motor sport, being held this year on May 21-24) and Monte Carlo Rally (January 23-26) have become world famous, but an already crowded principality becomes packed to bursting during these events, so only hardcore racing enthusiasts will want to brave them.<br/> <br/> <br/> <br/> <iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SVLZTttOO58?wmode=opaque" allowfullscreen="" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0"></iframe>
<br/></p>
<p><br/> Obviously, there's so much going on here under the surface - a lot of shady tax-haven and even Russian and Italian mafia doings. But what casual visitors get to see and do is pretty cool and impressive. So all in all, it was a splendid day - we got to sleep lateish, get a lovely ride along the coast, have a nice lunch plus a taste of a legendary principality, and get back to Nice in time for dinner. <em>Pas mal du tout!</em></p>
<p><br/> More info: <a href="https://www.visitmonaco.com/us/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">VisitMonaco.com</a>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="https://youtu.be/SVLZTttOO58"></a></p>
<p></p>Celebrating New Year's Eve in Japantag:frugalnomads.ning.com,2019-12-31:3169359:BlogPost:7253632019-12-31T07:08:54.000ZJosé Balidohttps://frugalnomads.ning.com/profile/JoseBalido
<h6><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/L2F-Dec-18-pic-Japan-New-Year-temple-bell-iStock-1082377806-.jpg" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/L2F-Dec-18-pic-Japan-New-Year-temple-bell-iStock-1082377806-.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="750"></img></a> <a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/a-kimono-woman-heading-for-a-new-year-to-the-temple-on-the-day-when-the-new-year-is-gm1082377806-290275801" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><em>Shoko Shimabakuro</em></a></h6>
<p><br></br> </p>
<p>Celebrated by the Japanese according to the Gregorian calendar only since 1873,…</p>
<h6><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/L2F-Dec-18-pic-Japan-New-Year-temple-bell-iStock-1082377806-.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/L2F-Dec-18-pic-Japan-New-Year-temple-bell-iStock-1082377806-.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/a-kimono-woman-heading-for-a-new-year-to-the-temple-on-the-day-when-the-new-year-is-gm1082377806-290275801" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Shoko Shimabakuro</em></a></h6>
<p><br/> </p>
<p>Celebrated by the Japanese according to the Gregorian calendar only since 1873, <strong>New Year's Eve</strong> and <strong>New Year's Day</strong> have evolved their own unique set of customs. Let me share a quick primer on <strong>Shōgatsu</strong> in <strong>Japan</strong> with you - it's a festive time of year to visit!</p>
<p> </p>
<h6><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/L2F-Dec-18-pic-Japan-New-Year-osechi-ryori-iStock-902172410-.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/L2F-Dec-18-pic-Japan-New-Year-osechi-ryori-iStock-902172410-.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><em><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/new-year-in-japan-gm902172410-248868806" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">kumikomini</span></a></em></h6>
<p><br/> </p>
<p>In the days leading up to New Year’s Eve, many Japanese engage in <em>osoji</em> (cleaning), their equivalent of spring cleaning, with the idea that this is a good time to purify their environment to begin the new year afresh. Once the house is spotless, it's time to get cooking! On NYE, soba noodles are served in houses and temples across the country, along with traditional dishes such as <i>osechi-ryōri</i> (above; boiled seaweed, fish cakes, mashed sweet potato with chestnut, simmered burdock root, and sweetened black soybeans, presented in <i>bentō</i> boxes) and <em>ozoni</em> (a mochi-sticky-rice-cake-based soup). On the seventh day of January, a seven-herb rice soup called <em>nanakusa-gayu</em> is served to allow the stomach to rest. Other New Year's practices include sending holiday postcards known as <em>nengajo</em> and handing small decorated envelopes of money to children, a custom called <em>otoshidama</em>.</p>
<p> </p>
<h6><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/L2F-Dec-18-pic-Japan-New-Year-Tokyo-skyline-iStock-1016174028.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/L2F-Dec-18-pic-Japan-New-Year-Tokyo-skyline-iStock-1016174028.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><em><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/tokyo-skyline-on-new-years-day-gm1016174028-273386279" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">LeoPatrizi</span></a></em></h6>
<p><br/> </p>
<p>These holiday observances and customs take place all over the country, of course, but as you might expect, <strong>Tokyo</strong> is especially abuzz at this time of year. On NYE the city's trains - which normally stop running at midnight - run for 24 hours, and crowds flock to midnight countdowns and fireworks at spots like <b>Shibuya Crossing</b> (said to be the world's busiest intersection); the <b>Sky Circus Sunshine 60</b> observation deck; various hotels, restaurants, and nightclubs; and theme parks such as <b>Tokyo Joypolice</b> <b>Hanayashiki de Toshi Matagi</b>, <b>Kasai Rinkai Park</b>, and <strong>Namco Namja Town</strong>. You can even take a countdown cruise on <strong>Tokyo Bay</strong> on <a href="https://www.symphony-cruise.co.jp/english/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Symphony Luxury Lines</strong></a>.</p>
<p> </p>
<h6><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/L2F-Dec-18-pic-Japan-New-Year-Hanazono-Shrine-iStock-925831012.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/L2F-Dec-18-pic-Japan-New-Year-Hanazono-Shrine-iStock-925831012.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><em><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/hanazono-shrine-in-shinjuku-tokyo-japan-gm925831012-254057201" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">winhorse</span></a></em></h6>
<p><br/> </p>
<p>On the more traditional side, beginning tonight at the stroke of midnight Buddhist and Shinto temple priests ring the <em>joya-no-kane</em> (New Year’s Eve bell) 108 times (to banish the 108 <em>bono</em>, sins such as greed and anger). Then for the first three days of the New Year, temples and shrines are crowded with Japanese praying for good luck in the coming year; the year's first temple or shrine visit is known as <em>hatsumode</em>. People arrive from midnight through the following day, and priests wave beautiful white paper streamers attached to wooden purification wands over them. Top choices in Tokyo include <strong>Hanazono</strong> (above), the <strong>Meiji Shrine</strong>, <strong>Sensoji Temple</strong>, <strong>Tokyo Daijingu</strong>, and <strong>Yoyogi Hachimangu</strong>.</p>
<p><br/> In short, truly a spectacular city and country in which to ring in 2020 - or 2021. So <em>akemashite omedetou</em> (Happy New Year)!</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="https://youtu.be/8iqejlGKHCM">https://youtu.be/8iqejlGKHCM</a></p>Vieques & Culebra, Puerto Rico's Paradise Islestag:frugalnomads.ning.com,2019-12-06:3169359:BlogPost:7247772019-12-06T16:00:00.000ZJosé Balidohttps://frugalnomads.ning.com/profile/JoseBalido
<h6><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/L2F-Apr-18-pic-Puerto-Rico-Vieques-horse-on-beach-shutterstock_115828672-640x425.jpg" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/L2F-Apr-18-pic-Puerto-Rico-Vieques-horse-on-beach-shutterstock_115828672-640x425.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="750"></img></a> <em><a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/group-feral-horses-on-beach-island-115828672?src=hWy3l_qXneLd4BaS-xqfKA-1-14" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Sasha Fenix</span></a></em></h6>
<p><br></br> </p>
<p>The Latin-flavored bit of the <strong>USA</strong> in the…</p>
<h6><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/L2F-Apr-18-pic-Puerto-Rico-Vieques-horse-on-beach-shutterstock_115828672-640x425.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/L2F-Apr-18-pic-Puerto-Rico-Vieques-horse-on-beach-shutterstock_115828672-640x425.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><em><a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/group-feral-horses-on-beach-island-115828672?src=hWy3l_qXneLd4BaS-xqfKA-1-14" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Sasha Fenix</span></a></em></h6>
<p><br/> </p>
<p>The Latin-flavored bit of the <strong>USA</strong> in the <strong>Caribbean</strong> that is <strong>Puerto Rico</strong> is itself a tropical paradise of balmy, palm-fringed beaches, rain forests, and vibrant island culture and history. But when Puerto Ricans themselves want to "get away from it all", they (and a few discerning gringo visitors) escape to their own pair of smaller islands off the east coast, like unpretentious, castaway slices of the olde-tyme Caribbee. Welcome, <em>amigos</em>, to <strong>Vieques</strong> and <strong>Culebra</strong>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<h6><em><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vieques_alcald%C3%ADa.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/L2F-Apr-18-pic-Puerto-Rico-Vieques-Isabel-Segunda-town-hall-Wikipedia-640x427.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a></em><em><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vieques_alcald%C3%ADa.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Haakon S. Krohn</span></a></em></h6>
<p><br/> </p>
<h3><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>Vieques</strong></span></h3>
<p><br/> The larger, nearer of the two, it's about an hour-15-minute ferry ride from <strong>Fajardo</strong>, an hourlong, 80USD taxi ride from <strong>San Juan</strong> (or if you're in a rush, just a ten-minute flight from the nearby town of <strong>Ceiba</strong>). Some 21 miles (34 kilometres) long by five mi. (six km) wide, the island Puerto Ricans dub <strong><em>la Isla Nena</em></strong> (Little Girl Island) has a population of around 9,300, and two very laid-back towns, tiny <strong>Isabel Segunda</strong> (above, named after the 19th-century queen of Spain) and even tinier <strong>Esperanza</strong>, with no traffic lights and exuding low-key Spanish colonial charm.</p>
<p><br/> But what brings most here are Vieques' dreamy, white-sand beaches, some 40 of them, considered among the Caribbean's very best; aficionados especially love <strong>García</strong>, <strong>Navio</strong>, <strong>Sun Bay</strong>, <strong>Caracas</strong>, and <strong>Media Luna</strong>. For a change of pace, there's also a black-sand beach, <strong>Playa Negra</strong>. There's great surfing, snorkeling, and diving at many of the above.</p>
<p><br/> There are a few land-based eco and even historical/cultural activities, as well. Many of the former are based in the <a href="https://www.fws.gov/refuge/vieques/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Vieques National Wildlife Refuge</strong></a> covering most of the east of the island and great for hiking, biking, birding, beaching, and spotting marine wildlife including dolphins, whales, and manatees. (The reserve was created, by the way, on the site of a notorious U.S. Navy firing and bombing range, which after more than a half century of environmental damage and a local death, was driven out by massive protests in 2003.)</p>
<p><br/> Manmade landmarks, meanwhile, include Isabel Segunda's <strong>Fortín Conde de Mirasol</strong> (aka <strong>Fuerte de Vieques</strong>), a small fort that was the last built by Spain in the Americas, in 1845; the <strong>Faro Punta Mulas</strong>, an 1896 lighthouse with a museum; and Esperanza's ruins of an old sugar mill. It's also worth a visit to Esperanza's <a href="http://www.vcht.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Vieques Conservation and Historical Trust</strong></a>, with exhibits about local history, wildlife, art, and culture.</p>
<p><br/> Another major draw here is one of the world's rare bioluminescent bays, inhabited by micro-organisms that glow in the dark. <strong>Mosquito Bay</strong> (aka <strong>Phosphorescent Bay</strong>) is reputed to be the world's brightest, a mangrove-sheltered inlet that you can kayak, canoe, and swim in - your paddles and body glowing as well as they glide through the water. It's an awe-inspiring experience, to be sure!</p>
<p><br/> Interesting side note: you may also come across free-roaming horses (top), on beaches, roads, or hiking trails. They're not wild, and if needed, their owners somehow know how to find them!</p>
<p>More info: <a href="https://vieques.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vieques.com</a>, <a href="http://www.vieques-island.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vieques-Island.com</a>, <a href="http://viequestravel.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ViequesTravel.com</a>.</p>
<p> </p>
<h6><a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/culebra-puerto-rico-01-04-2017-796823500" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/L2F-Apr-18-pic-Puerto-Rico-Culebra-Playa-Flamenco-shutterstock_796823500-640x427.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/culebra-puerto-rico-01-04-2017-796823500" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em><span style="font-size: 8pt;">christianthiel.net</span></em></a></h6>
<p><br/> </p>
<h3><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>Culebra</strong></span></h3>
<p><br/> Geographically part of the <strong>Virgin Islands</strong> archipelago (<strong>St. Thomas</strong> is practically next door), Culebra is so laid back, it makes Vieques look like <strong>Aruba</strong> or the <strong>Dominican Republic</strong>! Just seven by five 5 mi. (11 by eight km), with a population just over 1,800, it's surrounded by 23 islets and cays and has a shoreline with a mix of cliffs, mangroves, and heartbreakingly lovely beaches. It's a 20- to 30-minute flight from San Juan or Ceiba (an hourlong, 80USD taxi ride from San Juan) and a cheaper, 90-minute ferry ride from Fajardo (but this can be an iffier proposition, often late and/or irregular).</p>
<p><br/> After likely dropping your bags in the main village, <strong>Dewey</strong>, (aka <strong>Culebra Pueblo</strong>), where you'll do most of your shopping, drinking and dining, there's not much to "do" (well, apart from an interesting little local museum, <a href="https://culebrapuertorico.com/museo-historico-de-culebra-el-polvorin/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>El Polvorín</strong></a>, a short drive east of Dewey on the way to <strong>Zoni Beach</strong>) except kick back, and enjoy Culebra's nature and spectacular strands.</p>
<p>The island's star beach (according to some, one of the Caribbean's top three) is <strong>Playa Flamenco</strong>, a half-mile crescent with shallow, turquoise waters and amenties including food and drink, outdoor showers, and rental of chairs and umbrellas. Though it's Culebra's most popular, Flamenco rarely feels "crowded", and some stretches are positively deserted. Other fine beaches including <strong>Tamarindo</strong>, <strong>Resaca</strong>, <strong>Melones</strong>, and the aforementioned Zoni. For ecotourism, check out the <strong><a href="https://www.fws.gov/refuge/culebra/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Culebra National Wildlife Refuge</a></strong> (turning 110 next year!), distributed throughout the island and offshore islets and cays. It includes dry subtropical forests, beaches, mangroves, and coral reefs, and can be visited via Dewey-based tour operators.</p>
<p></p>
<p>More info: <a href="https://culebrapuertorico.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CulebraPuertoRico.com</a>, <a href="http://www.islaculebra.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IslaCulebra.com</a>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>The ‘Bons Temps’ Still Rolling on the River in New Orleanstag:frugalnomads.ning.com,2019-11-23:3169359:BlogPost:7244302019-11-23T02:30:00.000ZJosé Balidohttps://frugalnomads.ning.com/profile/JoseBalido
<p> </p>
<h6><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/L2F-May-19-pic-USA-Louisiana-New-Orleans-French-Quarter-iStock-479604202.jpg" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/L2F-May-19-pic-USA-Louisiana-New-Orleans-French-Quarter-iStock-479604202.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="750"></img></a> <span style="font-size: 8pt;"><em><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/crowds-at-mardi-gras-2013-gm479604202-68393549" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Joel Carillet</a></em></span></h6>
<p><br></br> </p>
<p>Truly, very few US cities have such a particular flavour, colour, and culture as the…</p>
<p> </p>
<h6><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/L2F-May-19-pic-USA-Louisiana-New-Orleans-French-Quarter-iStock-479604202.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/L2F-May-19-pic-USA-Louisiana-New-Orleans-French-Quarter-iStock-479604202.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><em><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/crowds-at-mardi-gras-2013-gm479604202-68393549" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joel Carillet</a></em></span></h6>
<p><br/> </p>
<p>Truly, very few US cities have such a particular flavour, colour, and culture as the <strong>Crescent City</strong>, and that goes all the way back to its origins - founded in 1718 not by the usual English or Spanish but rather the French, who named it their settlement after the <strong>Duke of Orléans Philippe II</strong>, <strong>France</strong>'s Regent at the time. Add to that the new U.S. influence following the <strong>Louisiana Purchase</strong> of 1803, and the musical, religious, and other cultural influence of what became a majority-black population - fed originally by the mass importation of African slaves, then followed by immigration from the <strong>Caribbean</strong>. Stir in the easygoing, fun-loving spirit of the locals (hence that famous local motto <em>laissez les bons temps rouler</em>, "let the good times roll"), and the result is a spicy, savoury gumbo unlike any other in this country and perhaps the planet. One of the proverbial bucket-listers for all travellers, now it's time to dive right into the <strong>Big Easy</strong> - <em>allons-y</em>!</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<h6><img class="size-full wp-image-28407" src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/L2F-May-19-pic-USA-Louisiana-New-Orleans-Jackson-Square-iStock-564604962.jpg" alt="New Orleans, Louisiana at Jackson Square." width="1254" height="837"/><em><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/jackson-square-new-orleans-gm564604962-99036317" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">SeanPavonePhoto</span></a></em></h6>
<p><br/> </p>
<p>The wrought-iron-balcony- and often reveller-lined streets of central <strong>New Orlean</strong>'s <strong>Vieux Carré</strong> (aka the <strong>French Quarter</strong>, top) are of course the city's most iconic, dating back to the late 18th and early 19th centuries, during the period (1763-1801) when Spain ruled the Louisiana territory, and especially in the early decades (particularly the 1820s) after the Louisiana Purchase by the <strong>United States</strong>. Covering some 78 square blocks, the Quarter has as its hub <strong>Jackson Square</strong>, site of three of <strong>NOLA</strong>'s top colonial landmarks, all dating to the Spanish era: <a href="http://www.stlouiscathedral.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>St. Louis Cathedral</strong></a> (the oldest in the USA, though most of what we see today dates to an 1850 rebuild), the <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20150111014904/http://louisianastatemuseum.org/museums/the-cabildo" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Cabildo</strong></a> (once the city hall, now a museum of Louisiana history), and the <strong><a title="The Presbytere" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180320174700/http://louisianastatemuseum.org/museums/the-presbytere" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Presbytère</a></strong> (so named because it was intended for Catholic Church use, but ended up as the state supreme court before also becoming a museum in 1911 - currently housing exhibits on <strong>Mardi Gras</strong> as well as 2005's <strong>Hurricane Katrina</strong> and its aftermath).</p>
<p> </p>
<h6><img class="size-full wp-image-28414" src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/L2F-May-19-pic-USA-Louisiana-New-Orleans-jazz-band-iStock-115442809.jpg" alt="New Orleans, LA, USA - December 27, 2006: A Jazz band plays trombones and stad up bass in Jackson Square on December 27, 2006 in New Orleans, LA, USA." width="1254" height="836"/><em><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/jackson-square-band-gm115442809-16075707" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">joeygil</span></a></em></h6>
<p><br/> </p>
<p>Then, besides the famous bars, restaurants along <strong>Bourbon Street</strong> and neighbouring streets of the Quarter, highlights here include the <strong><a href="https://www.nps.gov/jela/french-quarter-site.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">French Quarter Visitors Centre</a></strong>, the <strong><a href="https://www.neworleans.com/listing/old-ursuline-convent-museum/30728/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Old Ursuline Convent Museum</a></strong> (completed in 1752, it's the USA's oldest French-colonial building), a great <a href="https://louisianastatemuseum.org/museum/new-orleans-jazz-museum-old-us-mint" target="_blank" rel="noopener">jazz museum</a>, a <a href="https://www.pharmacymuseum.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pharmacy museum</a> in the USA's first licenced pharmacy (1816), and a variety of period houses including the <a href="https://www.bkhouse.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Beauregard-Keyes House</strong></a>, the <a href="http://www.hgghh.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Hermann-Grima House</strong></a>, <a href="https://louisianastatemuseum.org/museum/madame-johns-legacy" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Madame John's Legacy</strong></a>, and the <a href="https://louisianastatemuseum.org/museum/1850-house" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>1850 House</strong></a>.</p>
<p> </p>
<h6><em><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Voodoo_Altar_New_Orleans.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="aligncenter" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/24/Voodoo_Altar_New_Orleans.jpg/800px-Voodoo_Altar_New_Orleans.jpg" alt="File:Voodoo Altar New Orleans.jpg" width="800" height="534"/></a></em><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><em><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Voodoo_Altar_New_Orleans.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Greg Willis</a></em></span></h6>
<p><br/> </p>
<p>And of course no visit is complete without exploring Lousiana's traditions of voodoo, witchcraft, the occult, and alternative spirituality in spots like <strong><a href="https://voodooneworleans.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marie Laveau's House of Voodoo</a></strong>, <a href="https://www.hexwitch.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Hex: Old World Witchery</strong></a>, the <a href="https://www.neworleans.com/listing/voodoo-museum/32662/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Voodoo Museum</strong></a>, <a href="https://voodoospiritualtemple.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Voodoo Spiritual Temple</strong></a>, and <strong><a href="https://bloodymarystours.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A Bloody Mary Haunted Museum and Le Spirit Shop</a></strong> (which also offers paranormal- and psychic-oriented tours of the Quarter), and the <a href="https://feelthebite.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Boutique du Vampyre</strong></a>.</p>
<p> </p>
<h6><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/L2F-May-19-pic-USA-Louisiana-New-Orleans-Natchez-steamboat-iStock-687127554.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/L2F-May-19-pic-USA-Louisiana-New-Orleans-Natchez-steamboat-iStock-687127554.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><em><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/steamer-natchez-in-new-orleans-louisiana-usa-gm687127554-126513545" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gargolas</a></em></span></h6>
<p><br/> </p>
<p>If you have enough time, you can also take in a stage production at the 103-year-old <strong><a href="http://www.lepetittheatre.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Le Petit Theatre</a></strong>; and hop aboard the famous streetcars as well as the <a href="https://www.steamboatnatchez.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Steamboat Natchez</strong></a> (above), an early-20th-century paddle-wheeler which offers a variety of cruises on the harbour and <strong>Mississippi River,</strong> all including live jazz.<br/></p>
<p>Keep in mind, too, that other of the dozens of attractions include the <strong><a href="https://audubonnatureinstitute.org/aquarium" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Audubon Aquarium</a></strong> and <a href="https://audubonnatureinstitute.org/zoo" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Audubon Zoo</strong></a>, as well as distinguished museums such as the <a href="https://noma.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>New Orleans Museum of Art</strong></a>, the <a href="https://www.noaam.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>New Orleans African American Museum</strong></a>, and the <a href="https://ogdenmuseum.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Ogden Museum of Southern Art</strong></a>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="https://youtu.be/f9U4Okth6zQ"></a></p>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/f9U4Okth6zQ?wmode=opaque" allowfullscreen="" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0"></iframe>
</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Plus you'll want to make time for several other key neighbourhoods, as well. Head north into the <strong>Faubourg Marigny</strong>, where Georgian, Creole, and Greek Revival houses nestle together along with trendy restaurants and shops, along with of course the famous jazz clubs of <strong>Frenchman Street</strong>. West of the Quarter, <strong>Tremé</strong> is one of the oldest, and still a centre for black and jazz culture, centred on <strong>Congo Square</strong> (and given a huge boost in visibility by the eponymous <a href="https://www.hbo.com/treme/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>HBO</strong> series</a> which ran 2010-13). The <strong>Garden District</strong> is of course known for its gracious live-oak-lined streets and Victorian manses, as well as its share of restaurants, shops, galleries, and <strong>Lafayette Cemetery No. 1</strong>, one of NOLA's famous and extremely atmospheric above-ground graveyards (above; all of this made even more sought out by former resident <strong>Anne Rice</strong>'s <em>Vampire Diaries</em>).</p>
<p> </p>
<h6><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/L2F-May-19-pic-USA-Louisiana-New-Orleans-food-shrimp-sausage-gumbo-iStock-165857377.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/L2F-May-19-pic-USA-Louisiana-New-Orleans-food-shrimp-sausage-gumbo-iStock-165857377.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><em><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/shrimp-and-sausage-gumbo-gm165857377-23630292" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">LauriPatterson</span></a></em></h6>
<p><br/> </p>
<p>Byeond besides jazz and voodoo/the occult, another bit of culture that especially distinguishes NOLA is its cuisines, Creole (a bit more sophisticated) and <strong>Cajun</strong> (more rustic, with lots of seasoning), drawing from a rich palette of European influences (especially French, but also Spanish, Italian, and even <em>ein bisschen</em> German) as well as Choctaw, Caribbean and African.<br/></p>
<p>Heavy on seafood, its classics include <em>andouille</em> and <em>boudin</em> pork sausage; bananas Foster (served with vanilla ice cream and sauce made from butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, dark rum, and banana liqueur), gumbo (thick meat and/or shellfish soup, above); hot pepper sauce (Tabasco being the best known); jambalaya (a paella-like dish of Spanish origin); sandwiches including muffulettas (olive salad with cheeses and Italian cold cuts on round focaccia-style bread) and po'boys (baguettes with meat or fried seafood, usually dressed with mayonnaise); oysters Rockefeller (baked on the half shell with breadcrumbs, butter, and green herbs), remoulade sauce (mayonnaise seasoned with hot sauce, garlic, paprika, and mustard).</p>
<p><br/> So as you can imagine, many New Orleanians take their eating quite seriously, and the city has more than its share of fantastic restaurants, including classics that have been around for generations - some more than a century - such as <strong>Antoine's</strong> (the oldest, founded in 1840), <strong>Brennan's</strong>, and <strong>Galatoire's</strong>. But the new foodie scene has added tremendously to their number of late, while those less inclined or able to splurge have plenty of more affordable options. And those who want to take it a step further can get cooking demos and classes at <a href="https://www.neworleans.com/listing/crescent-city-cooks-cooking-school/29476/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Crescent City Cooking School</strong></a> and <a href="https://neworleansschoolofcooking.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>New Orleans School of Cooking</strong></a>. Yes, you might want to consider a diet or buying stretch pants before visiting to be able to take unabashed advantage of it all.<br/><br/><br/><br/><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OGKpozFHmkM?wmode=opaque" allowfullscreen="" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0"></iframe>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Finally, if you're up for the crowds and the craziness, by all means do come (and book weeeeell in advance) for one of the city's norotrious no-holds-barred annual parties - not just its world famous <a href="https://www.neworleans.com/events/holidays-seasonal/mardi-gras/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Mardi Gras</strong></a> (January-February, with the height of the 2020 festivities falling 22-25 February) but also the <a href="https://frenchquarterfest.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>French Quarter Festival</strong></a> (2-5 April), the <a href="https://www.nojazzfest.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Jazz & Heritage Festival</strong></a> (23 April-3 May), the gay <a href="http://www.southerndecadence.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Southern Decadence</strong></a> (29 August-2 September), and the pre-<strong>Halloween</strong> <strong><a href="https://www.voodoofestival.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Voodoo Music + Arts Experience</a></strong> (25-27 October); find many more <a href="https://www.neworleans.com/things-to-do/festivals/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p>
<p><br/> <br/> More info: <a href="https://www.neworleans.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NewOrleans.com</a>, <a href="http://www.experienceneworleans.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ExperienceNewOrleans.com</a>.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sQRNkpGkT2Y?wmode=opaque" allowfullscreen="" width="750" height="400" frameborder="0"></iframe>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>History & Culture in Cuba's Third City, Camagüeytag:frugalnomads.ning.com,2019-05-16:3169359:BlogPost:7106382019-05-16T13:02:58.000ZJosé Balidohttps://frugalnomads.ning.com/profile/JoseBalido
<h6><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/L2F-Dec-18-pic-Cuba-Camag%C3%BCey-top-photo-with-car-iStock-525217601-640x427.jpg" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/L2F-Dec-18-pic-Cuba-Camag%C3%BCey-top-photo-with-car-iStock-525217601-640x427.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="640"></img></a> <em> <span style="font-size: 8pt;"><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/streets-of-camaguey-gm525217601-48709752" rel="noopener" target="_blank">MikeVanSchoonderwalt</a></span></em></h6>
<p><br></br> </p>
<p>There's no other Caribbean island that's quite the total package like…</p>
<h6><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/L2F-Dec-18-pic-Cuba-Camag%C3%BCey-top-photo-with-car-iStock-525217601-640x427.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/L2F-Dec-18-pic-Cuba-Camag%C3%BCey-top-photo-with-car-iStock-525217601-640x427.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="640"/></a><em> <span style="font-size: 8pt;"><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/streets-of-camaguey-gm525217601-48709752" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MikeVanSchoonderwalt</a></span></em></h6>
<p><br/> </p>
<p>There's no other Caribbean island that's quite the total package like <strong>Cuba</strong>, with not just enticing beaches and verdant landscapes but history, culture, and friendly people. And though many visitors don't get beyond splendid capital <a href="https://www.tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/discovering-fascinating-havana-cuba" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Havana</a> and the equally splendid beaches of <strong>Varadero</strong> and <strong>Cayo Coco</strong>, there are also dozens of handsome cities waiting to be discovered. I wrote in this blog about second city <a href="https://www.tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/welcome-to-santiago-cuba-s-second-city" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Santiago de Cuba</a> some time back, and now it's time to give this island's third largest - and second most cultured - city <a href="https://cubaenlinea.ning.com/group/camaguey" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Camagüey</strong></a> its due. Come with me?</p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<h6><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/L2F-Dec-18-pic-Cuba-Camag%C3%BCey-yellow-Church-of-La-Soledad-iStock-1046423208-640x427.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/L2F-Dec-18-pic-Cuba-Camag%C3%BCey-yellow-Church-of-La-Soledad-iStock-1046423208-640x427.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="640"/></a><em> <span style="font-size: 8pt;"><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/nuestra-senora-de-la-soledad-church-and-spanish-colonial-colorful-gm1046423208-279976281" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vadim_Nefedov</a></span></em></h6>
<p><br/> </p>
<p>Refreshingly untouristy, with a population of around 322,000 and located on a plain near the center of the island, a 6½-hour drive east of Havana (you can also fly here in about 90 minutes), Camagüey was founded in 1514, and its <strong>UNESCO World Heritage</strong> historic center (Cuba's largest) preserves much of its colonial flavor, dating back to the 17th century when it was rebuilt as a maze of short, twisty streets and alleyways after being burnt by English pirate <strong>Henry Morgan</strong>, to thwart future attackers.</p>
<p> </p>
<h6><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/L2F-Dec-18-pic-Cuba-Camag%C3%BCey-tinaj%C3%B3n-iStock-508813250-640x427.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/L2F-Dec-18-pic-Cuba-Camag%C3%BCey-tinaj%C3%B3n-iStock-508813250-640x427.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="640"/></a><em> <span style="font-size: 8pt;"><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/tinajon-gm508813250-85452043" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Richard_G</a></span></em></h6>
<p><br/> </p>
<p>You'll want to start your perambulations at one of its picturesque squares, particularly the cobblestone <strong>Plaza del Carmen</strong>, adorned with statues of <em>camagüeyanos</em> (locals) in everyday poses along with large red-terracotta jars called <em>tinajones</em> (above, pronounced "teen-a-HO-ness", emblems of the city and also a word sometimes used to describe locals); it's anchored by the <strong>Church of Nuestra Señora del Carmen</strong>, one of 15 in a city considered the main bastion of the Cuban <strong>Roman Catholic Church</strong>. Another is <strong>Plaza San Juan de Dios</strong>, widely considered the city's top gem (not to mention, some say, one of the entire island's), ringed by various restaurants as well as the <strong>Museo de San Juan de Dios</strong>, once a colonial hospital run by a friar who became Cuba's first saint, now full of exhibits about local history along with some paintings.</p>
<p> </p>
<h6><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/L2F-Dec-18-pic-Cuba-Camag%C3%BCey-Parque-Agramonte-iStock-513477706-640x427.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/L2F-Dec-18-pic-Cuba-Camag%C3%BCey-Parque-Agramonte-iStock-513477706-640x427.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="640"/></a><em> <span style="font-size: 8pt;"><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/view-to-the-ignacio-agramonte-monument-gm513477706-87626833" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fotoember</a></span></em></h6>
<p><br/> </p>
<p>And above all don't miss Camagüey's marble-bench-lined "outdoor living room" in the heart of it all, the <strong>Parque Ignacio Agramonte</strong>, named after the native son who was a main hero of the unsuccessful <strong>Ten Years' War</strong> (1868-1878) against Spanish rule - that's him up there on the equestrian statue. On one side is the <strong>Cathedral of Our Lady of La Candelaria</strong>, dating back to the early 18th century, and on another the <strong>Casa de la Trova</strong>, where the flower-bedecked courtyard hosts live music performances day and night.</p>
<p> </p>
<h6><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/L2F-Dec-18-pic-Cuba-Camag%C3%BCey-cityscape-iStock-628749160-640x376.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/L2F-Dec-18-pic-Cuba-Camag%C3%BCey-cityscape-iStock-628749160-640x376.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="640"/></a><em> <span style="font-size: 8pt;"><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/camaguey-cuba-gm628749160-111698385" target="_blank" rel="noopener">alxpin</a></span></em></h6>
<p><br/> </p>
<p>Museums not to miss include <a href="https://www.cubawhatson.com/event/camaguey-museo-casa-natal-ignacio-agramonte/?lang=EN" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Agramonte's early-19th-century birthplace</a> on <strong>Plaza de los Trabajadores</strong> (also home to exhibits on natural history and decorative arts) and the <a href="http://www.pprincipe.cult.cu/instituciones-culturales/museo-provincial-ignacio-agramonte" target="_blank" rel="noopener">provincial museum</a> (also named after Agramonte), covering the area's history, natural history, culture, and ethnography; from here, have a stroll along one of the city's main drag, <strong>Calle República</strong>, which will take you past many shops, eateries, galleries, and cultural institutions.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gcAvPzripd0?wmode=opaque" allowfullscreen="" width="640" height="315" frameborder="0"></iframe>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>To continue the cultural theme, in addition to the Casa de la Trova, other music venues (check with the local tourism office), and art museums/galleries, once you're in town definitely check to see if there are any performances by <a href="http://www.afrocubaweb.com/desandann.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Desandann</strong></a> ("Descendants", above), a ten-person choral group preserving the traditions of the country's many Cubans of Haitian descent (it's claimed numbering 300,000 to as many as a million, depending on whom you ask - though a million does seem like a lot in a country numbering just over 11 million ), from immigration dating back to the late 18th century; I first heard them back in 2000, and their melodious sound is absolutely divine. These days they tour all over the country and the world, though, so - fingers crossed!</p>
<p><br/> More info: <a href="https://www.cubatravel.cu/en/destinations/camaguey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CubaTravel.cu</a>.</p>
<p></p>
<p> </p>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MCZndVXnwoc?wmode=opaque" allowfullscreen="" width="640" height="315" frameborder="0"></iframe>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>7 Eggstraordinary Easter Spots in Europetag:frugalnomads.ning.com,2019-04-21:3169359:BlogPost:7075972019-04-21T12:22:07.000ZJosé Balidohttps://frugalnomads.ning.com/profile/JoseBalido
<h6><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/L2F-Apr-18-pic-Europe-Easter-Prague-eggs-shutterstock_797149432-640x427.jpg" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/L2F-Apr-18-pic-Europe-Easter-Prague-eggs-shutterstock_797149432-640x427.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="750"></img></a> <a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/czech-republic-prague-march-2016-famous-797149432?src=2Jes06W8-Uz9ISqUo4B3YQ-1-10" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><em><span style="font-size: 8pt;">kaprik</span></em></a></h6>
<p><br></br> </p>
<p>As the cradle of Christianity, the <strong>Old…</strong></p>
<h6><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/L2F-Apr-18-pic-Europe-Easter-Prague-eggs-shutterstock_797149432-640x427.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/L2F-Apr-18-pic-Europe-Easter-Prague-eggs-shutterstock_797149432-640x427.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/czech-republic-prague-march-2016-famous-797149432?src=2Jes06W8-Uz9ISqUo4B3YQ-1-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em><span style="font-size: 8pt;">kaprik</span></em></a></h6>
<p><br/> </p>
<p>As the cradle of Christianity, the <strong>Old Continent</strong>’s history with <strong>Easter</strong> is millennia old. And though recently it has evolved from a merely religious observance to an secular cultural (even pop cultural) phenomenon, the mix of elaborate religious pageantry and modern developments like bunnies, chicks, and <strong>Easter eggs</strong> is quite something to experience during <strong>Easter week</strong>. Here are a half dozen of my favorites:</p>
<p> </p>
<h6><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/L2F-Apr-18-pic-Europe-Easter-UK-Scotland-Edinburgh-Holyrood-shutterstock_137562908-640x424.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/L2F-Apr-18-pic-Europe-Easter-UK-Scotland-Edinburgh-Holyrood-shutterstock_137562908-640x424.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><em><a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/holyrood-palace-edinburgh-scotland-137562908?src=znS6BbHbmaY2Tm510_B8YA-1-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Ignatius Tan</span></a></em></h6>
<p><br/> </p>
<h3>Edinburgh</h3>
<p><br/> </p>
<p>Bunnies, chicks, and eggs are popping up in décor all over town, of course. But several spots are particularly worth your while, especially if you’re traveling with little ones. The local palace of the royal family since the 16th century, <strong>Holyroodhouse</strong> (above), opens its doors for a commoner-family run; music and storytelling; and the <a href="https://www.royalcollection.org.uk/event/faberge-egg-hunt-04-2017#/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Fabergé Family Fun</strong></a> day, featuring an egg hunt and a “make-your-own” <strong>Fabergé egg</strong> session. And while you’re here, have a look at the impressive royal apartments and atmospheric abbey ruins.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, covering 28 hectares (70 acres), the 17th-century <strong>Royal Botanic Garden</strong> hosts an <a href="http://www.rbge.org.uk/whats-on/event-details/3790" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Easter Trail</a> featuring the “Botanics Bunny”. And <strong>Edinburgh Castle,</strong> dating back to the 12th century and looming over the city’s old quarter, is staging its own <a href="https://www.edinburghcastle.gov.uk/whatson/events/easter-puppet-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fun program</a> include an egg-and-spoon race, crafts making, Easter treats, and the <strong>Alba Puppets Easter Show</strong>. More info: <a href="http://edinburgh.org/blog/top-10-things-to-do-in-edinburgh-this-easter/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Edinburgh.org</a>.</p>
<p> </p>
<h6><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/L2F-Mar-18-pic-Italy-Florence-Easter-Scoppio-del-Carro-shutterstock_98325599-640x470.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/L2F-Mar-18-pic-Italy-Florence-Easter-Scoppio-del-Carro-shutterstock_98325599-640x470.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><em><a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/florence-italy-easter-sunday-april-16-98325599?src=PRhr532VDEBpJqIJmngo5Q-1-0" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Pecold</span></a></em></h6>
<p><br/> </p>
<h3><span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>Florence/Rome<br/></strong></span></h3>
<p><br/> <strong><br/>
Pascua</strong> is big all over Catholic <strong>Italy</strong>, of course, and many Italians are drama queens par excellence, but nowhere is the observance more dramatic than in <strong>Tuscany</strong>’s capital, where during Easter Sunday mass in the <strong>Duomo</strong> a mechanical dove flies from the altar out into a two-storey oxcart in the square outside, setting off spectacular fireworks. Held in honor of a Crusader knight this centuries-old tradition of the <strong>Scoppio del Carro</strong> (Explosion of the Cart) is supposed to be auspicious for prosperity in the coming year.</p>
<p><br/> Parenthetically, down in <strong>Rome</strong>, the Pope blesses the torchlit stations of the cross set up near the <strong>Colosseum</strong>, while in other cities and towns there are processions Friday through Monday involving statues of <strong>Jesus Christ</strong> and the <strong>Virgin Mary</strong>, as well as dances, concerts, and sometimes traditional games (check and see what’s on in the places you’re interested in visiting; there will surely be something).</p>
<p> </p>
<h6><em><a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/london-uk-april-6-2013-people-611485988?src=08mPFBMQRJw5Tbe53KitdA-1-71" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/L2F-Apr-18-pic-Europe-Easter-UK-London-Covent-Garden-shutterstock_611485988-640x427.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a></em><em><a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/london-uk-april-6-2013-people-611485988?src=08mPFBMQRJw5Tbe53KitdA-1-71" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Kzlmax</span></a></em></h6>
<p><br/> </p>
<h3><span style="color: #ff0000;">London</span></h3>
<p><br/> </p>
<p>No exploding oxcarts in <strong>Britain</strong>’s capital, but plenty of elaborate doings around town during this season. Of course Easter mass in grand churches like <strong>Westminster Abbey</strong>, <strong>St Paul’s Cathedral</strong>, and <strong>St Martin-in-the-Fields</strong> is quite an experience, but so is <strong>Good Friday</strong>’s dramatic re-enactment of the <strong>Passion of Christ</strong> in <strong>Trafalgar Square</strong> (above).</p>
<p><br/> For something more interactive and secular, the <strong>Horniman Museum</strong>, a 1901 manse devoted to anthropology, natural history, and musical instruments, runs an <a href="https://www.horniman.ac.uk/visit/events/horniman-easter-fair-1402" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Easter Fair</strong></a> with games, music, crafts, storytelling, and more, while <a href="https://www.coventgarden.london/whats-on/best-store-experiences-over-easter-weekend" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Covent Garden</strong></a> (above) runs a pop-up-market and various other activities. And did your kids see the recent <strong><em>Peter Rabbit</em></strong> movie? They’ll love the <a href="https://www.kew.org/kew-gardens/whats-on/a-big-day-out-with-peter-rabbit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PR-themed days</a> at the famous 18th-century <strong>Kew Gardens</strong> botanical park, including games and other entertainment, from 20 March to 15 April. Then of course there are the elaborate Easter windows and interior displays at grand department stores such as <strong>Harrod’s</strong>, <strong>Marks & Spencer</strong>, and <strong>Selfridges</strong>. More info: <a href="https://www.visitlondon.com/things-to-do/event/7883676-easter-weekend" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Visit London</strong></a>.</p>
<p> </p>
<h6><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/L2F-Apr-18-pic-Europe-Easter-Paris-Eiffel-tower-tulip-tree-shutterstock_389964913-640x426.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/L2F-Apr-18-pic-Europe-Easter-Paris-Eiffel-tower-tulip-tree-shutterstock_389964913-640x426.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><em><a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/beautiful-pink-magnolia-paris-near-eiffel-389964913?src=Od_-FDRE5pVCyxwY-EnUTg-1-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Ekaterina Pokrovsky</span></a></em></h6>
<p><br/> </p>
<h3><strong>Paris</strong></h3>
<p><br/> </p>
<p>No better time to experience masses in landmark churches like <strong>Sacré-Coeur</strong> (if you can get in!), but there are also plenty of <em>chasses aux oeufs</em> (egg hunts) and other fun family activities all around town (try the one on the <strong>Champs de Mars</strong> in front of the <strong>Eiffel Tower</strong> - now there's a backdrop that can't be beat!). And Euro Disney – well, you can imagine. <strong>Paris</strong>’ many exquisite <em>chocolatiers</em> and <em>pâtisseries</em> roll out special Easter treats; churches and other (mostly classical) venues stage special Easter concerts; and if you’re up for splurging, indulge in a special Easter brunch menu at various of the city’s elegant restaurants and hotels. The Paris tourist office can provide specifics at <a href="https://en.parisinfo.com/discovering-paris/major-events/easter-in-paris" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ParisInfo.com</a>.</p>
<p> </p>
<h6><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/L2F-Apr-18-pic-Europe-Easter-Prague-Old-Town-Square-shutterstock_1026611998-640x427.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/L2F-Apr-18-pic-Europe-Easter-Prague-Old-Town-Square-shutterstock_1026611998-640x427.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><em><a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/easter-tree-old-town-square-prague-1026611998?src=2Jes06W8-Uz9ISqUo4B3YQ-1-13" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">stdesign</span></a></em></h6>
<p><br/> </p>
<h3><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">Prague</span></strong></h3>
<p><br/> </p>
<p>The big thing in the Czech capital is Easter markets held 21 March to 12 April, especially at the foot of <strong>Wenceslas Square</strong> and in <strong>Old Town Square</strong>, brimming with traditional food and crafts vendors (get an egg handpainted with your name or any other message). You’ll also find smaller markets on <strong>Kampa Island</strong> in the <strong>Moldau River</strong>, <strong>Havelská Street</strong>, as well as in front of the basilica up in the <strong>Prague Castle</strong> district (above). Folk music and dance performances take place on a stage set up in Old Town Square, and there are booths where kids can try their own hands at crafts. More info from <strong><a href="https://www.prague.eu/en/easter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Prague Tourism</a>.</strong></p>
<p> </p>
<h6><a href="https://img.altwiener-markt.at/cCLnPXGMUB80-A1pncbB2pnMgwA=/http://a.storyblok.com/f/40149/800x566/4463900a52/ostermarkt-freyung-2018-141_1.JPG" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://img.altwiener-markt.at/cCLnPXGMUB80-A1pncbB2pnMgwA=/http://a.storyblok.com/f/40149/800x566/4463900a52/ostermarkt-freyung-2018-141_1.JPG?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><em>Altwiener-Markt</em></span></h6>
<p><br/> </p>
<h3><span style="color: #ff0000;">Vienna</span></h3>
<p><br/> The <strong>Ostermarkt</strong> (Easter market) is also big in Catholic <strong>Austria</strong>’s capital, with the biggest being the dozens of vendors assembled in from of the <a href="http://www.ostermarkt.co.at/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Schönbrunn Palace</strong></a> from 17 March to 2 April, which also includes activities for kids, in which they make marzipan bunnies and flower arrangements, as well as participate in an egg hunt. Over in the <strong>Innere Stadt</strong> (old quarter) the elegant square called <strong>Am Hof</strong> hosts <a href="http://www.ostermarkt-hof.at/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">another</a>, and just a bunny hop away on the gracious 19th-century <strong>Freyung</strong> square, the <a href="http://www.altwiener-markt.at/de/home" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Old Viennese Easter Market</strong></a>’s star is being Europe’s biggest tower of eggs – some 40,000! Meanwhile, a little farther from the centre (just 15 minutes by tram), the <a href="http://www.kalvarienbergfest.at/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Kalvarienburg Festival</strong></a> on <strong>Kalvarienburggasse</strong> not only has crafts and food vendors but music, a kids’ program, and crafts workshops. All this, of course, in addition to the usual special Easter masses, concerts, and meals in the churches, restaurants, and hotels of this grand and elegant Habsburg city. <a href="https://www.wien.info/en/shopping-wining-dining/markets/easter-markets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">More info</a>.<br/>
<br/>
<br/>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Y3X1S_BgOec?wmode=opaque" allowfullscreen="" width="750" height="315" frameborder="0"></iframe>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>Diving into Roatán, Hondurastag:frugalnomads.ning.com,2019-04-19:3169359:BlogPost:7076422019-04-19T04:47:44.000ZJosé Balidohttps://frugalnomads.ning.com/profile/JoseBalido
<p><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/TBP-pic-Honduras-Roatan-West-End-Beach-Renee-Vititoe-shutterstock_171623777.jpg" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/TBP-pic-Honduras-Roatan-West-End-Beach-Renee-Vititoe-shutterstock_171623777-640x419.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="750"></img></a> <em><a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-945844p1.html"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Renee Vititoe</span></a></em></p>
<div class="license-size el-upsell standard"></div>
<p><br></br> Right astride the <strong>Caribbean</strong>'s largest barrier reef – also the world’s second largest after…</p>
<p><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/TBP-pic-Honduras-Roatan-West-End-Beach-Renee-Vititoe-shutterstock_171623777.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/TBP-pic-Honduras-Roatan-West-End-Beach-Renee-Vititoe-shutterstock_171623777-640x419.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><em><a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-945844p1.html"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Renee Vititoe</span></a></em></p>
<div class="license-size el-upsell standard"></div>
<p><br/> Right astride the <strong>Caribbean</strong>'s largest barrier reef – also the world’s second largest after <strong>Australia</strong>’s <strong>Great Barrier Reef</strong> – this small island (just 32 square miles (83 sq. kilometres) off the coast of <strong>Honduras</strong> has become not only this country’s top visitor draw (outstripping the other main one, the impressive Mayan archaeological site <strong><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/2013/12/copan-honduras/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Copán</a></strong>) but also, unsurprisingly, a star among the world’s diving community.</p>
<p><br/> Actually the largest of seven <strong>Islas de la Bahía</strong> (<strong>Bay Islands</strong>), this onetime pirate hideout today has several towns and villages spread over its), the largest of which is <strong>Coxen Hole</strong> – with around a mere 5,000 permanent residents. Like other Caribbean coastal areas of <strong>Central America</strong>, there is a strong influence of <strong>Garifunas</strong> – <strong>Afro-Caribbean</strong> English speakers – intermixed with Hispanics from mainland Honduras.<br/></p>
<p><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/L2F-Sep-16-pic-Honduras-Roatan-Prince-Albert-wrech-diving-John-A.-Anderson-shutterstock_36278611.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/L2F-Sep-16-pic-Honduras-Roatan-Prince-Albert-wrech-diving-John-A.-Anderson-shutterstock_36278611-640x388.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><em><a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-67871p1.html">John A. Anderson</a></em>.</span></p>
<div class="license-size el-upsell standard"><p><br/> <br/> Other cool little towns include <strong>West End</strong> (aka “the strip”, known for its variety of restaurants and bars), <strong>Dixon Cove</strong>, <strong>West Bay</strong> (perhaps the island’s best known stretch of paradisiacal beach), and <strong>French Harbor</strong>. Most of the vibe here is low-key, barefoot Caribbean, where it’s all about sun, sand, surf, partying – and, of course <strong>diving</strong>/<strong>snorkeling</strong>.</p>
</div>
<p><br/> Top dive highlights, for example, include “<strong>Mary’s Place</strong>”, with deep cracks full of colorful fish and coral overhangs; the wreck of the freighter <strong>Prince Albert</strong> (above); <strong>Cemetery Wall</strong>, starting at about 25 feet (7.6 meters); the <strong>Labyrinth</strong>, with towering formations and canyons, from 15 down to 60 ft. (4.6 to just over 18 m.); and <strong>Shark Dive</strong>, the only spot where you can reliably see these toothy critters on a regular basis.</p>
<p><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/L2F-Sep-16-pic-Honduras-Roatan-Garifunas-gary-yim-shutterstock_130173209.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/L2F-Sep-16-pic-Honduras-Roatan-Garifunas-gary-yim-shutterstock_130173209-640x427.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="750"/></a><em><a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-287167p1.html"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">gary yim</span></a></em></p>
<p> </p>
<p><br/> To go along with that, you also have many of the activities you would expect in an outdoors vacation destination – golf, ziplining, various water sports, deepwater fishing, and sailing. In addition, there are several interesting attractions worth visitors’ while. The eco-minded might want to stop in at the 40-acre (16-hectare) <strong>Carambola Gardens</strong> near <strong>Sandy Bay</strong>, on a forested mountain slope, where you can get a splendid eyeful (and guided tours of) the local flora and fauna. The <strong>Blue Harbor Tropical Arboretum</strong> is even larger (160 acres/65 ha)), and throws in a hydroponics farms and obstacle course on which to challenge yourself. And the 12-acre (five-ha.) <strong>Archie’s Iguana Farm and Marine Park</strong> in <strong>French Cay</strong> specializes, obviously, in iguanas – some of which grow to up to four feet long – but you’ll also find monkeys, rescued sea turtles, and tarpon fish.</p>
<p><br/> One particularly interesting aspect to pursue is exploring the culture of the local Garifunas (above), black people whose ancestors were from the English-speaking Caribbean and who are spread up and down much of Central America’s Caribbean coast. The village of <strong>Punta Gorda</strong> is perhaps the best place to meet them; learn about their culture; witness their music and drumming; and buy their crafts. You can visit on your own or through local tour operators such as <strong><a href="http://www.roatanculturetours.com/#_=_" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Roatán Culture Tours</a>.</strong></p>
<p><br/> More info: <a href="http://www.roatantravelguide.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RoatanTravelGuide.com</a>.</p>
<p></p>29 of Mexico's Most Magnificent Beachestag:frugalnomads.ning.com,2019-02-03:3169359:BlogPost:6996782019-02-03T11:11:01.000ZJosé Balidohttps://frugalnomads.ning.com/profile/JoseBalido
<p><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/L2F-Oct-15-pic-Mexico-beaches-oneinchpunch-shutterstock_183713843.jpg" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/L2F-Oct-15-pic-Mexico-beaches-oneinchpunch-shutterstock_183713843-640x424.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="640"></img></a> <span style="font-size: 8px;"><em><a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-1993499p1.html" id="portfolio_link" name="portfolio_link"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">oneinchpunch</span></a></em></span></p>
<p></p>
<p>This is quite a tough list to compile without letting it balloon to a cast of dozens. I…</p>
<p><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/L2F-Oct-15-pic-Mexico-beaches-oneinchpunch-shutterstock_183713843.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/L2F-Oct-15-pic-Mexico-beaches-oneinchpunch-shutterstock_183713843-640x424.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="640"/></a> <span style="font-size: 8px;"><em><a id="portfolio_link" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-1993499p1.html" name="portfolio_link"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">oneinchpunch</span></a></em></span></p>
<p></p>
<p>This is quite a tough list to compile without letting it balloon to a cast of dozens. I have beached all over <strong>Mexico</strong>, and if I had to narrow it down to the true crème de la sand, I’d cite the following 29 in and around the country’s most popular resort areas (then stay tuned for a follow-up post on castaway beaches for when you really want to get as far as possible from the madding crowd!). And it goes without saying that many make tempting escapes from the chill this winter and upcoming autumn/winter!</p>
<p></p>
<h3><strong><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/L2F-Oct-15-pic-Mexico-beaches-Cabo-Los-Cabos-Playa-del-Amor-Lovers-Beach-Javier-Garcia-shutterstock_302126465.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/L2F-Oct-15-pic-Mexico-beaches-Cabo-Los-Cabos-Playa-del-Amor-Lovers-Beach-Javier-Garcia-shutterstock_302126465-640x395.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="640"/></a> <span style="font-size: 8px;"><em><a id="portfolio_link" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-2993081p1.html" name="portfolio_link"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Javier Garcia</span></a></em></span> <br/> <br/> <span style="color: #ff0000; font-size: 10pt;">Los Cabos</span></strong></h3>
<p><br/> At the southern tip of <strong>Baja California</strong>, the resort-lined corridor between the towns of <strong>Cabo San Lucas</strong> and <strong>San José del Cabo</strong> are just chock full of sweet sands. Keep in mind that a number are closed to swimmers because of the powerful undertow, but that still leaves s number of awesome options, including the longest stretch, <strong>Playa El Médano</strong>, along with <strong>Playa del Amor</strong> (above), <strong>Barco Varado</strong>, <strong>Chileno</strong>, <strong>Palmilla</strong>, <strong>Santa María</strong>, and <strong>Solmar</strong>.</p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/L2F-Oct-15-pic-Mexico-beaches-Puerto-Vallarta-Elena-Elisseeva-shutterstock_54784912.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/L2F-Oct-15-pic-Mexico-beaches-Puerto-Vallarta-Elena-Elisseeva-shutterstock_54784912-640x425.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="640"/></a> <span style="font-size: 8pt;"><em><a id="portfolio_link" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-56478p1.html" name="portfolio_link">Elena Elisseeva</a>,</em></span> <br/> <br/> <br/> <strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">Puerto Vallarta/Riviera Nayarit</span></strong></p>
<p><br/> <br/> One of Mexico’s original beach resorts, dating back to the 1960s, is still one of its most picturesque, thanks to <strong>Old Vallarta</strong> (also dubbed the <strong>Zona Romántica</strong>), with its atmospheric cobblestone streets and historic architecture... all combined with some of Mexico’s best resort shopping, dining, nightlife – and the beaches that started it all. They include the main/most popular in-town beach, <strong>Playa de los Muertos</strong> and the gay-popular <strong>Blue Chairs</strong>, as well as others south of town and north in the more modern <strong>Nueva Vallarta/Marina Vallarta</strong> area, such as <strong>Las Caletas</strong>, <strong>Las Conchas</strong>, <strong>Camarones</strong>, <strong>El Salado</strong>, <strong>Las Glorias</strong>, <strong>Mismaloya</strong>, and <strong>Yelapa</strong>.</p>
<p><br/> And in recent years, the 200-mile stretch north of Vallarta dubbed the <strong>Riviera Nayarit</strong> has also begun to boom as the latest frontier in <strong>Mexican beach resorts</strong> development. Yet despite the growth in large resorts and attendant development, there are still funky little beach towns to enjoy, such as <strong>Sayulita</strong> (one of whose two beaches is especially popular with surfers) and <strong>San Blas</strong> (colonial architecture, sweet <strong>Playa Borrego</strong>), and <strong>Bucerías</strong> (sleepy, typical, with good eateries/crafts shopping and a long stretch of sand). Nearby <strong>Punta Mita</strong>, meanwhile, has acquired more of an upmarket reputation – and for some real castaway feel, take an excursion from here out to the protected <strong>Marieta Islands</strong>.</p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/L2F-Oct-15-pic-Mexico-beaches-Riviera-Maya-Tulum-Svetlana-Bogomolova-shutterstock_179080061.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/L2F-Oct-15-pic-Mexico-beaches-Riviera-Maya-Tulum-Svetlana-Bogomolova-shutterstock_179080061-640x425.jpg?profile=RESIZE_710x" class="align-center" width="640"/></a> <span style="font-size: 8pt;"><em><a id="portfolio_link" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-2146286p1.html" name="portfolio_link">Svetlana Bogomolova</a></em></span><br/> <br/> <br/> <span style="color: #ff0000;"><strong>Yucatan Coast</strong></span></p>
<p><br/> Besides sun and fun, one of my favorite perks of this area is that its in easy visiting distance of absolutely awesome <strong>Mayan archaeological sites</strong> such as <strong>Chichén Itzá</strong> and <strong>Uxmal</strong>. The <strong>Zona Hotelera</strong> (<strong>Hotel Zone</strong>) of <strong>Cancún</strong> has become a beach resort powerhouse first and foremost on the strength of its gorgeous sands and invigorating surf on stretches such as <strong>Playa Delfines</strong> – adding impressive shopping, dining, nightlife, and activities galore to the mix. For something slightly more laid back, hop the ferry out to the smaller isle <strong>Isla Mujeres</strong> (my fave: <strong>Playa Norte</strong>).</p>
<p><br/> The 84-mile (135-kilometer) coastline south of here, the so-called <strong>Riviera Maya</strong>, has come a long way, baby, since I first started visiting in the 1990s. If what you’re interested in is a mix of lovely sand and sea with a buzzy social scene, <strong>Playa Mamitas</strong> and the rest of the strand alongside the strip’s main city, <strong>Playa del Carmen</strong>, is definitely your choice. North of town, along with big to gargantuan resorts lining the coast, you’ll find equally lovely but more laid-back beach options at <strong>Puerto Morelos</strong> and offshore <strong>Isla Holbox</strong>. Also laid back, south of Playa, the town of Akumal is known for its five bays of shimmering beaches and magnificent snorkeling – during which you may well see giant, marine <strong>green turtles</strong> that come here to nest. A bit farther south still, <strong>Playa Paraíso</strong> and the other powdery sands of <strong>Tulum</strong> are also more laid back, with small lodgings and bungalows along with the occasional large property; its most magical beach of all, though, may be right below the seaside <strong>Mayan ruins</strong> – a uniquely dramatic counterpoint to the natural beauty.</p>
<p><span style="font-size: 8px;"><br/> <em><a id="portfolio_link" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-2146286p1.html" name="portfolio_link"></a></em></span></p>In Southern Italy, Why 2019 European Capital of Culture Matera Is a Marveltag:frugalnomads.ning.com,2019-01-30:3169359:BlogPost:6996122019-01-30T13:01:58.000ZJosé Balidohttps://frugalnomads.ning.com/profile/JoseBalido
<h6><img alt="Matera, European Capitals of Culture 2019" class="size-full wp-image-26852" height="836" src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/L2F-Jan-19-pic-Italy-Matera-skyline-from-Sassi-iStock-1040315976.jpg" width="1254"></img> <em><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/woman-looking-at-view-from-a-cave-of-matera-basilicata-italy-gm1040315976-278502635" rel="noopener" target="_blank">deimagine</a></em></h6>
<p><br></br> </p>
<p>Some three to four hours from <a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/2014/10/naples-italy-attractions/" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong>Naples</strong></a> (depending on whether you're driving or taking the bus/train) and six south of…</p>
<h6><img class="size-full wp-image-26852" src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/L2F-Jan-19-pic-Italy-Matera-skyline-from-Sassi-iStock-1040315976.jpg" alt="Matera, European Capitals of Culture 2019" width="1254" height="836"/><em><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/woman-looking-at-view-from-a-cave-of-matera-basilicata-italy-gm1040315976-278502635" target="_blank" rel="noopener">deimagine</a></em></h6>
<p><br/> </p>
<p>Some three to four hours from <a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/2014/10/naples-italy-attractions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Naples</strong></a> (depending on whether you're driving or taking the bus/train) and six south of <a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/2014/01/rome-in-one-weekend/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Rome</strong></a> - not to mention less than an hour from <strong>Bari</strong>, newly served during the summer season by <strong>Iberia Express</strong>), the <strong>Basilicata</strong> region sits right atop the instep of <strong>Italy</strong>'s boot. And in the south of this country's most mountainous region, both its Adriatic coast and inland offer fantastic, otherworldly landscapes. But it's one of Basilicata's major cities, <strong>Matera</strong> (pop. just over 60,000). And in 2019 <strong>Europe</strong>'s oldest continuously inhabited city - and third oldest in the world - is spending a year in the spotlight as one of the continent's two <strong>European Capitals of Culture</strong> (the other being <a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/2019/01/plovdiv-bulgarias-second-city-a-2019-european-capital-of-culture/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Plovdiv</strong></a>, <strong>Bulgaria</strong>). What is it about Matera that makes it unique in Europe - and, indeed, enough to make it an extra special <strong>UNESCO World Heritage Site</strong>?</p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>
<h6><img class="size-full wp-image-26854" src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/L2F-Jan-19-pic-Italy-Matera-Sassi-iStock-152999596.jpg" alt="The Ancient town of Matera in southern Italy." width="1391" height="754"/><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/the-sassi-matera-italy-gm152999596-15832224" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>blueplace</em></a></h6>
<p><br/> </p>
<p>Two words that require some explanation: <strong>I Sassi</strong>. This is Matera's ancient town occupying tuff rock caves lining <strong>La Gravina</strong>, the gorge below the rest of the city's historic centre. Much of what we see now of these cave dwellings dates back to the 13th century, but they were first inhabited by the Neolithic peoples responsible for the city's status as Europe's oldest - with human settlement dated back to 10,000 BCE. Throughout the <strong>Middle Ages</strong> locals built their own dwellings not just inside but on top of them, and by the 1950s they'd had deteriorated into an nationally embarassing nest of poverty, crime, and pestilence, so Italy's postwar government forcibly relocated their inhabitants.</p>
<p> </p>
<h6><img class="size-full wp-image-26856" src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/L2F-Jan-19-pic-Italy-Matera-Sassi-church-interior-iStock-531503901.jpg" alt="Fresco in a rock church in the ancient town of Matera in southern Italy." width="1254" height="836"/><em><a href="https://www.istockphoto.com/photo/the-sassi-matera-italy-gm531503901-54159104" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blueplace</a></em></h6>
<p><br/> </p>
<p>Today a number of these house restaurants, lodgings, shops, even nightspots, along with an <a href="http://www.moom.bio/language/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">olive-oil museum</a> and cleaned-up period dwellings (such as the <strong>Casa-Grotto di Vico Solitario</strong>) and scores of preserved "rupestrian" (rock) churches of the Dark and Middle Ages (pictured above). They fascinate me and countless other visitors - and indeed have become the major attraction of <strong>Matera tourism</strong>, for example lending it the nickname "the Underground City". This district's zigzagging staircases, steep lanes, and tiny courtyards are truly an otherworldly time capsule - so evocative that they've served as backdrop for several movies, such as <em>Ben-Hur</em>, <em>The Passion of the Christ</em>, and <em>The Gospel According to St. Matthew</em>. You can also sign onto tours of the district like <strong><a href="https://selectitaly.com/tours-excursions/the-cave-world-of-matera/441" target="_blank" rel="noopener">"The Cave World of Matera"</a></strong>, as well as get a multimedia overview of the history of the <em>sassi</em> and Matera itself at the <strong><a href="https://www.fondoambiente.it/luoghi/casa-noha" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Casa Noha</a></strong>.</p>
<p> </p>
<h6><img class="aligncenter" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e9/Duomo_di_matera%2C_esterno_01.jpg/800px-Duomo_di_matera%2C_esterno_01.jpg" alt="File:Duomo di matera, esterno 01.jpg" width="800" height="570"/><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Duomo_di_matera,_esterno_01.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Sailko</em></a></h6>
<p><br/> </p>
<p>The historic centre's mediaeval quarter, <strong>Il Piano</strong>, sports its own charming maze of cobblestone streets and squares, such as lively <strong>Piazza Vittorio Veneto</strong>, with several churches, cafés, and Roman remains, and <strong>Via del Corso</strong>, a shopping high street leading from it to <strong>Piazza San Francesco</strong> and <strong>Piazza Sedile</strong>. Notable landmarks include the 13th-century Romanesque <strong>Santa Maria della Bruna Cathedral</strong> (the inside was redone in 18th-century neo-Baroque, but also has older gems such as a Byzantine-style 13th-century Madonna, a 14th-century fresco of the <em>Last Judgement</em>, and frescoed crypts from the 12th century. The early-July <strong>Festival of the Madonna Bruna</strong> is quite a sight to behold, with its pageantry and spectacular fireworks display. You can also have a look at early-16th-century <strong>Tramontano Castle</strong>. But apart from the <em>sassi</em>, Matera's most astounding sight is without a doubt the <strong>Palombaro Lungo</strong>, an enormous, nearly cathedral-like water cistern hewn out of the rock under Piazza Vittorio Veneto in the 16th century; you can book a fascinating half-hour tour in English.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="https://youtu.be/epKQ9sgxct4">https://youtu.be/epKQ9sgxct4</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p>There are plenty of other cool churches to visit, too - standouts include the also Romanesque <strong>San Giovanni Battista</strong> and the 18th-century Baroque <strong>Purgatorio Nuovo</strong> - as well as interesting museums such as the <strong><a href="https://museolaboratorio.it/en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Museum of Peasant Life</a></strong>; the <a href="http://musei.basilicata.beniculturali.it/en/museums/?mid=69&nome=museo-archeologico-nazionale-domenico-ridola" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>Domenico Ridola National Archaeological Museum</strong></a>; the mediaeval- and modern-art museum in the 17th-century <strong>Palazzo Lanfranchi</strong>; and the <strong><a href="http://www.musma.it/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Museum of Contemporary Sculpture (MUSMA)</a></strong> (housed partly in tuff caves and mostly in the frescoed interior of the 16th-century <strong>Palazzo Pomarici</strong>).</p>
<p> </p>
<h6><em><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Parco_della_Murgia_Materana_04.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="aligncenter" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/70/Parco_della_Murgia_Materana_04.jpg/800px-Parco_della_Murgia_Materana_04.jpg" alt="File:Parco della Murgia Materana 04.jpg" width="800" height="600"/></a></em><em><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Parco_della_Murgia_Materana_04.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Superchilum</a></em></h6>
<p><br/> </p>
<p>Then a short drive out of town, the theme of the rock churches continues in <strong>Murghia Materana National Park</strong>, 80 square kilometres (31 sq. miles) set in a dramatic gorge riddled with caves and more than 150 of the churches. A must out here is the <strong>Crypt of the Original Sin</strong>, considered the rupestrian “<strong>Sistine Chapel</strong>”, with frescoes dating back to the 9th century (pre-booking a must).</p>
<p> </p>
<h6><em><a href="https://www.instagram.com/matera2019/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-26828" src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/L2F-Jan-19-pic-Italy-Matera-2019.jpg" alt="L2F Jan 19 pic Italy Matera 2019" width="1200" height="630"/>Matera2019</a></em></h6>
<p><br/> </p>
<p>And now comes <strong><a href="https://www.matera-basilicata2019.it/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matera2019</a></strong>, which kicks off this coming Saturday - with themes throughout the year including "Utopias and Distopias", "Continuity and Disruption", and "Ancient Future" - and which promises to be a milestone in the amazing cultural renaissance unfolding in Europe's oldest city. If you're planning a trip to Italy in 2019, I'd highly recommend including Matera in your itinerary; I think it's fair to say you'll be blown away.</p>
<p>More info: <a href="https://discoverbasilicata.com/places-to-visit-2/matera/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DiscoverBasilicata.com</a>, <a href="http://www.visitmatera.it/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">VisitMatera.com</a> (the latter in Italian but with a helpful listing of sights).</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="https://youtu.be/sK6x0lKrRAI">https://youtu.be/sK6x0lKrRAI</a></p>Saddling Up on Uruguay Ranch Vacationstag:frugalnomads.ning.com,2019-01-08:3169359:BlogPost:6970832019-01-08T09:46:12.000ZJosé Balidohttps://frugalnomads.ning.com/profile/JoseBalido
<div class="TweetButton_button" style="float: left; margin: 0 10px 5px 0;"></div>
<p><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/L2F-Aug-16-pic-Uruguay-ranches-gaucho-with-horses-Kobby-Dagan-shutterstock_28097362.jpg" rel="noopener" target="_blank"> <img class="align-center" src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/L2F-Aug-16-pic-Uruguay-ranches-gaucho-with-horses-Kobby-Dagan-shutterstock_28097362-640x428.jpg?width=640" width="640"></img></a> <em><span style="font-size: 8px;"><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-80313p1.html">Kobby Dagan</a></span> </span></em></p>
<p><strong><br></br> Argentina…</strong></p>
<div class="TweetButton_button" style="float: left; margin: 0 10px 5px 0;"></div>
<p><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/L2F-Aug-16-pic-Uruguay-ranches-gaucho-with-horses-Kobby-Dagan-shutterstock_28097362.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> <img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/L2F-Aug-16-pic-Uruguay-ranches-gaucho-with-horses-Kobby-Dagan-shutterstock_28097362-640x428.jpg?width=640" class="align-center" width="640"/></a> <em><span style="font-size: 8px;"><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-80313p1.html">Kobby Dagan</a></span> </span></em></p>
<p><strong><br/> Argentina</strong> may be famous for its <strong>pampas</strong> (lowlands), ranching, beef, and of course <strong>gauchos</strong> (cowboys, such as the one above and those in the video below). But fewer people are aware that these characterize its much smaller next door neighbor <strong>Uruguay</strong>, to an even greater extent. In fact, unlike Argentina, here the pampas cover practically 90 percent of the country beyond the coast and capital <strong><a href="https://www.tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/montevideo-uruguay" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Montevideo</a></strong>, and the gaucho tradition and culture is if anything a more defining aspect of national history.<span id="more-14792"></span></p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/L2F-pic-Uruguay-ranches-Estancia-Guardia-Del-Monte-PeerV-Wikipedia.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/L2F-pic-Uruguay-ranches-Estancia-Guardia-Del-Monte-PeerV-Wikipedia.jpg?width=640" class="align-center" width="640"/></a> <em><span style="font-size: 8px;"> <span style="font-size: 8pt;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Uruguay_Estancia_GuardiaDelMonte.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PeerV</a></span></span></em></p>
<p></p>
<p>And here on its rolling hills and grasslands, the <em><strong>estancias</strong></em> (<strong>cattle and sheep ranches</strong>) still stand, and dozens of them these days open their doors to visitors (and, by the way, are often a better deal than their Argentine counterparts).</p>
<p></p>
<p>You can just use them as you would a hotel, exploring towns and ecotourism in the region, or you can saddle up and do some riding yourself; there’s even, in some, the option to do chores (and not backbreaking work, fear not!) in exchange for bed and board. Some are historic while others are modern, and amenities vary from comfortable but simple to more tourism-oriented, and a few nearly luxurious (with perks like swimming pools).</p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/L2F-Aug-16-pic-Uruguay-ranches-gauchos-asado-grill-Kobby-Dagan-shutterstock_28097371.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/L2F-Aug-16-pic-Uruguay-ranches-gauchos-asado-grill-Kobby-Dagan-shutterstock_28097371-640x458.jpg?width=640" class="align-center" width="640"/></a><em><span style="font-size: 8px;"> <span style="font-size: 8pt;"><a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-80313p1.html">Kobby Dagan</a></span></span></em></p>
<p></p>
<p>They’re scattered across the country, often 90 minutes’ to three hours’ drive from Montevideo. Several choice choices include <strong>Finca Piedra</strong> (which also includes a vineyard and winery!), <strong>Guardia del Monte</strong> (above), <strong>Lagunas del Catedral</strong>, <strong>La Salamora</strong>, <strong>Estancia Tornero</strong>, and <strong>La Vigna</strong> (this last a somewhat artsy-flavored one which is also convenient to visiting one of <strong>South America</strong>’s loveliest colonial towns, the <strong>UNESCO World Heritage</strong> old quarter of <strong><a href="https://www.tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/uruguay-colonia-del-sacramento" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Colonia del Sacramento</a></strong>).</p>
<p><br/> The best time to visit is during Uruguay’s summer, November through March (when in the early days of the month – the 7th through 12th in 2017 – the country’s top gaucho festival is held in the northeast town of <strong>Tacuarembó</strong>).</p>
<p><br/> <br/>
More information: <a href="http://www.explore-uruguay.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Explore-Uruguay.com</a>, <a href="http://www.estancias-uruguay.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Estancias-Uruguay.com</a>, <a href="http://patriagaucha.com.uy/?p=3321" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PatriaGaucha.com.uy</a>.</p>
<p></p>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MAFP5lIfTC8?wmode=opaque" allowfullscreen="" width="640" height="315" frameborder="0"></iframe>
</p>
<p></p>What Do You Do on Boxing Day in London?tag:frugalnomads.ning.com,2018-12-26:3169359:BlogPost:6960122018-12-26T13:20:50.000ZJosé Balidohttps://frugalnomads.ning.com/profile/JoseBalido
<p><br></br> <br></br> <img alt="L2F Nov 17 London Ice Skating by Glenn Brunette Flickr commercial license" class="alignleft size-large wp-image-21405" height="427" src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/L2F-Nov-17-London-Ice-Skating-by-Glenn-Brunette-Flickr-commercial-license-640x427.png" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position-x: 0%; background-position-y: 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; color: #333333; display: block; float: left; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; height: 427px; letter-spacing: normal; max-width: 640px; orphans: 2; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; width: 640px; word-spacing: 0px; padding: 0px; margin: 4px 24px 12px 0px; border: 0px none #333333;" width="640"></img> <br></br> <br></br></p>
<p><br/> <br/> <img class="alignleft size-large wp-image-21405" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position-x: 0%; background-position-y: 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; color: #333333; display: block; float: left; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; height: 427px; letter-spacing: normal; max-width: 640px; orphans: 2; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; width: 640px; word-spacing: 0px; padding: 0px; margin: 4px 24px 12px 0px; border: 0px none #333333;" alt="L2F Nov 17 London Ice Skating by Glenn Brunette Flickr commercial license" src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/L2F-Nov-17-London-Ice-Skating-by-Glenn-Brunette-Flickr-commercial-license-640x427.png" width="640" height="427"/><br/> <br/></p>
<h6 class="aligncenter" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position-x: 0%; background-position-y: 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; clear: both; color: #d7192c; display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 8.73px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 10px 0px; border: 0px none #d7192c;"><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><em style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position-x: 0%; background-position-y: 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; font-style: italic; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px none #d7192c;"><a style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position-x: 0%; background-position-y: 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; color: #d7192d; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px none #d7192d;" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/gbrunett/5327912656/in/photolist-dyiJu8-iH98pX-dFvrFs-dzK641-dyq1mM-dx59Xh-hE5uyz-XFSqU8-xafS8-xafSe-7oWiXF-xafRE-7oZpuA-7oVDPk-xafR1-xafRK-7oVeuH-7oVfLp-xafRw-xafS2-7oVdbp-C2ceY-xafRa-dwYEy2-5AMzU5-hE5vqz-toyAy-8xhL9-2UnuP5-bWG5Z-WgQ1sg-8Xpvnj-hVpRZb-97NVW1-5RWq4c-97NWP3-8xhs3-8xh8V-8xhwQ-8xhde-5LHT6A-8xh2y-8xh5K-8xhFf-8xhm9-8xhho-8xhov-8xhAu-7oV778-xafQH">Glenn Brunette</a></em></span></h6>
<p class="aligncenter" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position-x: 0%; background-position-y: 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; clear: both; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 16px 0px; border: 0px none #333333;"><br/> <br/> So you’re in the capital of merry olde <strong style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position-x: 0%; background-position-y: 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; font-weight: bold; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px none #333333;">England</strong> for the winter holidays, enjoying the festive lights and good cheer, and suddenly you realize that your British friends are off on the day after Christmas for something called <strong style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position-x: 0%; background-position-y: 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; font-weight: bold; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px none #333333;">Boxing Day</strong>. Setting aside any jealousy over a work-free day many of us don’t share, you wonder what this “boxing” thing could possibly be. Are there matches scheduled around <strong style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position-x: 0%; background-position-y: 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; font-weight: bold; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px none #333333;">London</strong>? Where are the rings, and how do you get tickets?</p>
<p style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position-x: 0%; background-position-y: 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 16px 0px; border: 0px none #333333;"><br/> Well, Boxing Day has nothing to do with grown men pummeling each other in public, old chap. In the <strong style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position-x: 0%; background-position-y: 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; font-weight: bold; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px none #333333;">U.K.</strong>, as in much of the <strong style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position-x: 0%; background-position-y: 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; font-weight: bold; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px none #333333;">British Commonwealth</strong>, December 26th is an official holiday that harks back to a time when servants of various kinds received a gratuity for a year of good service in a “<strong style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position-x: 0%; background-position-y: 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; font-weight: bold; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px none #333333;">Christmas box</strong>“. These days, however, the date is better known for other types of pursuits, many of which you may find enjoyable during your visit (many Londoners, for their part, take the chance to spend much of the day in pubs!).<br/> <br/> <span id="more-21404" style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position-x: 0%; background-position-y: 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px none #333333;"></span></p>
<p style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position-x: 0%; background-position-y: 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 16px 0px; border: 0px none #333333;">First of all, be aware that many attractions that were closed for Christmas are still closed on the 26th, so if there are any that your heart is set on, make sure to check ahead. That being said, perhaps the foremost activity is <strong style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position-x: 0%; background-position-y: 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; font-weight: bold; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px none #333333;">shopping</strong>, as most retailers will start their <strong style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position-x: 0%; background-position-y: 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; font-weight: bold; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px none #333333;">January sales</strong> on Boxing Day. This may then be the perfect time to grab your credit cards and hit stores both large and small, whether you’re looking for a great souvenir for Aunt Millie back home, or a glamorous stole to wrap around your neck as you engage in another Boxing-Day classic: <strong style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position-x: 0%; background-position-y: 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; font-weight: bold; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px none #333333;"><a style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position-x: 0%; background-position-y: 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; color: #d7192d; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px none #d7192d;" href="https://www.visitlondon.com/things-to-do/whats-on/christmas/best-ice-skating-rinks-in-london">ice skating</a></strong>!<br/></p>
<p style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position-x: 0%; background-position-y: 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 16px 0px; border: 0px none #333333;">London has no shortage of fabulous venues to show off your skills on ice, some of which may prove to be among your finest memories of the trip. How about ice skating in front of King Henry VIII’s modest digs at <strong style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position-x: 0%; background-position-y: 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; font-weight: bold; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px none #333333;">Hampton Court Palace</strong>? Or for museum buffs, at the <strong style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position-x: 0%; background-position-y: 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; font-weight: bold; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px none #333333;">Natural History Museum</strong> ice rink? Or perhaps you’re more the type to glide gracefully in the rink set up in the <strong style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position-x: 0%; background-position-y: 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; font-weight: bold; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px none #333333;">Tower of London</strong>’s dry moat (above). With choices like these, you can’t go wrong.</p>
<p style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position-x: 0%; background-position-y: 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 16px 0px; border: 0px none #333333;"><br/> You can also ice skate, among a multitude of other options, at the truly magical <strong style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position-x: 0%; background-position-y: 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; font-weight: bold; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px none #333333;"><a style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position-x: 0%; background-position-y: 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; color: #d7192d; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px none #d7192d;" href="https://www.visitlondon.com/things-to-do/event/8696953-winter-wonderland-in-hyde-park">Winter Wonderland</a></strong> in Hyde Park. This could easily be a full-day option, with a circus, a 200-foot Ferris wheel, roller coaster, sprawling Christmas markets, and lots of food and fun everywhere you look. Travelers on a budget will appreciate that there is no admission charge (though some attractions, including the ice skating, do require tickets).</p>
<p style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position-x: 0%; background-position-y: 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 16px 0px; border: 0px none #333333;"><br/> Finally, another great way to wrap up your <strong style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position-x: 0%; background-position-y: 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; font-weight: bold; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px none #333333;">Boxing Day in London</strong> is… you guessed it… a <strong style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position-x: 0%; background-position-y: 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; font-weight: bold; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px none #333333;"><a style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position-x: 0%; background-position-y: 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; color: #d7192d; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px none #d7192d;" href="https://www.visitlondon.com/things-to-do/whats-on/theatre/top-ten-musicals#7PkdL6BoLFLVeDtl.97">West End show or musical</a></strong>. Whether you’re feeling <em style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position-x: 0%; background-position-y: 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; font-style: italic; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px none #333333;"><strong style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position-x: 0%; background-position-y: 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; font-weight: bold; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px none #333333;">Wicked</strong></em> or like a <em style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position-x: 0%; background-position-y: 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; font-style: italic; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px none #333333;"><strong style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position-x: 0%; background-position-y: 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; font-weight: bold; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px none #333333;">Lion King</strong></em>, London’s famed theater will raise your spirits and elevate your cultural horizons.</p>
<p style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position-x: 0%; background-position-y: 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 16px 0px; border: 0px none #333333;"><br/> For more information on <strong style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position-x: 0%; background-position-y: 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; font-weight: bold; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px none #333333;">what to do in London</strong> on the day after Christmas, check out <strong style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position-x: 0%; background-position-y: 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; font-weight: bold; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px none #333333;">Visit London</strong>’s other <a style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position-x: 0%; background-position-y: 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; color: #d7192d; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px none #d7192d;" href="https://www.visitlondon.com/things-to-do/whats-on/christmas/things-to-do-in-london-on-christmas-day#KgPXr6hpGol2Z3hW.97">suggestions</a>. Cheers!</p>
<p style="background-attachment: scroll; background-clip: border-box; background-color: transparent; background-image: none; background-origin: padding-box; background-position-x: 0%; background-position-y: 0%; background-repeat: repeat; background-size: auto; border-image-outset: 0; border-image-repeat: stretch; border-image-slice: 100%; border-image-source: none; border-image-width: 1; clear: both; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; outline-color: invert; outline-style: none; outline-width: 0px; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 16px 0px; border: 0px none #333333;"></p>Discovering Fascinating Havana, Cubatag:frugalnomads.ning.com,2018-12-09:3169359:BlogPost:6940552018-12-09T12:35:54.000ZJosé Balidohttps://frugalnomads.ning.com/profile/JoseBalido
<p><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/L2F-June-15-Cuba-Havana-Morro-Malec%C3%B3n-old-car-lazyllama-shutterstock_279160181.jpg" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/L2F-June-15-Cuba-Havana-Morro-Malec%C3%B3n-old-car-lazyllama-shutterstock_279160181.jpg?width=1000" width="1000"></img></a></p>
<p>For those of you who haven’t visited this city of just over two million residents, I highly recommend you put it on your bucket list, because it’s an experience like no other in the world. <br></br> <br></br> <span id="more-9224"></span></p>
<p>Once known as the “<strong>Paris of the…</strong></p>
<p><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/L2F-June-15-Cuba-Havana-Morro-Malec%C3%B3n-old-car-lazyllama-shutterstock_279160181.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/L2F-June-15-Cuba-Havana-Morro-Malec%C3%B3n-old-car-lazyllama-shutterstock_279160181.jpg?width=1000" class="align-center" width="1000"/></a></p>
<p>For those of you who haven’t visited this city of just over two million residents, I highly recommend you put it on your bucket list, because it’s an experience like no other in the world. <br/> <br/> <span id="more-9224"></span></p>
<p>Once known as the “<strong>Paris of the Caribbean</strong>” thanks to its impressive architecture, culture, and general atmosphere, <strong>Havana</strong> today still remains one of a kind in the entire world, its urban allures mixing with an earthy, informal vibe as well as a vibrant arts and music scene. And thanks to an almost total absence of redevelopment in the latter part of the 20th century, much of the cityscape has a famously vintage feel to it, sometimes cinematically so.</p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/L2F-Jun-15-pic-Cuba-Havana-Cathedral-Square-El-Patio-Kamira-shutterstock_229287367.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/L2F-Jun-15-pic-Cuba-Havana-Cathedral-Square-El-Patio-Kamira-shutterstock_229287367.jpg?width=1000" class="align-center" width="1000"/></a></p>
<h3><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;"><br/> A Call to Armas</span></strong></h3>
<p><br/> In any exploration of the city, the spot to start is <strong>Habana Vieja</strong>, the Spanish colonial core – specifically, the bayside <strong>Plaza de Armas</strong>, which marks the spot where <strong>San Cristóbal de la Habana</strong> was founded November 16, 1519 and now a favourite of outdoor booksellers and buyers. That founding is marked on this leafy square by a miniature Graeco-Roman-style temple, the <strong>Templete</strong>, built in the 19th century; the thorny <em><strong>ceiba</strong></em> (silk cotton) tree that grows out front is considered sacred by the island’s many adherents of Afro-Cuban religions such as <em><strong>santería</strong></em>, and every November 16, believers and non-believers alike circle the tree three times, throw coins at its base, and make three wishes.</p>
<p><br/> Across the way is the <strong>Palace of the Captains General</strong>, from which the colonial governors (and in the early 20th century, Cuban presidents) ruled; now it’s restored and is home to the <strong>Museum of the City</strong>, with exhibitions and a wealth of ornate period furniture and horse carriages, including a throne that once awaited the visit of the King of Spain.</p>
<p><br/> Another landmark that lends character to this plaza is the small <strong>Castillo de la Real Fuerza</strong>, a doughty-looking gray stone fortress complete with moat, intended to defend against pirates; today visitors can take in a small naval/maritime museum here.</p>
<p><br/> That was civil power – the religious side of things is covered in another of Old Havana’s five main squares, several streets over: the more compact <strong>Plaza de la Catedral</strong> (above). Here the <strong>Havana cathedral</strong> (1777) presents the uniquely graceful spectacle of an Italianate Baroque church built in coral rock. The inside is fairly simple, but the experience of sitting over a mojito, beer, or meal at the outdoor tables of <strong>El Patio</strong> restaurant (above left), in a colonial building a few steps away, never gets old for me – and it’s especially magical at night.</p>
<p><br/> Personally, my own favorite church in Old Havana may actually be <strong>San Francisco de Asís</strong> (<strong>St. Francis of Assisi</strong>, 1591), on the eponymous square several blocks to the other side of Plaza de Armas, especially because of the peaceful cloister of its adjacent monastery; these days it houses a museum of religious art, as well as regular classical concerts (love the acoustics!). The square outside is lovely, as well, with its Lions Fountain and graceful buildings including the neo-Renaissance <strong>Lonja de Comercio</strong> (former Stock Exchange, 1909), now an office building.</p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/L2F-Jun-15-pic-Cuba-Havana-Partag%C3%A1s-cigar-factory-T-photography-shutterstock_209224075.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/L2F-Jun-15-pic-Cuba-Havana-Partag%C3%A1s-cigar-factory-T-photography-shutterstock_209224075.jpg?width=1000" class="align-center" width="1000"/></a></p>
<h3><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;">Stogies, Forts – and Pet Grooming</span></strong></h3>
<p><br/> Another couple of Old Havana musts right next to each other are the <strong>Museum of the Revolution</strong>, installed in the wedding-cakelike presidential palace used from 1920 right up till <strong>Fulgencio Batista</strong>‘s abdication in 1959 (his office is preserved as he left it, as are several other sumptuous salons, while other rooms are given over to history – mostly of the <strong>Castro revolution</strong> (with a predictably propagandistic tilt), but also some prerevolutionary material dating back to the <strong>War of Independence</strong> of 1895-98; many especially get a kick out of the vintage tanks and planes outside, as well as the famous <strong><em>Granma</em></strong>, the boat that brought the revolutionaries back from exile in Mexico).</p>
<p><br/> A few feet away, I highly recommend a visit to the <strong>Partagás cigar factory</strong>, where old-fashioned <strong>cigar rollers</strong> and other workers create <em><strong>puros</strong></em> (stogies) not unlike they did a hundred years ago. Whether or not you’re a cigar aficionado, this affords a fascinating window into a key area of <strong>Cuban culture</strong> and history.</p>
<p><br/> Then, before leaving Old Havana, you absolutely must take a hop over the bay (you’ll need to grab a taxi if you’re not taking an organized tour) to the city’s great pair of defensive fortresses, the early-17th-century <strong>El Morro</strong> and late-18th-century <strong>La Cabaña</strong>. The former houses interesting museum exhibits, but the main charm lies in wandering the passageways, chambers, and ramparts. Same for the larger La Cabaña, practically alongside, now full of tourists, restaurants, pubs, a military museum, another devoted to <strong>Che Guevara</strong>, and nightly cannon firing in colonial-era uniform. Needless to say, the views out over the city are positively picture-postcard-like.</p>
<p><br/> Make your way out of Old Havana along <strong>Obispo</strong> Street, one of the neighborhood’s most interesting streets, now crammed with restaurants, art galleries, and shops (including the antique pharmacy <strong>Taquechel</strong> and, believe it or not, a posh pet-grooming salon). There is music everywhere in Old Havana these days, but especially here on <strong>Calle Obispo</strong>, thanks mostly to its sundry pubs and eateries.</p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/L2F-Jun-15-pic-Cuba-Havana-Capitolio-Shutterstock.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/L2F-Jun-15-pic-Cuba-Havana-Capitolio-Shutterstock.jpg?width=720" class="align-center" width="720"/></a></p>
<p><br/> |At the end of Obispo, straddling the “border” between Old Havana and <strong>Centro Habana</strong> is the <strong>Parque del Prado, </strong>a compact park notable for its <em><strong>esquina caliente</strong></em> (“hot corner”), where (mostly) men gather to argue passionately about Cuba’s national pastime, baseball. It’s a fast pitch throw from several astonishing buildings, including the gorgeous <strong>Centro Asturiano</strong> (one of many social clubs for immigrants, this one from <strong>Spain</strong>‘s <strong>Asturias</strong> region, and now transformed into the <strong>Museum of Fine Arts</strong>); the also ornate <strong>García Lorca Theatre</strong>, with its classical music concerts and especially popular ballet season (remember, this is the land of <strong>Alicia Alonso</strong>); and the <strong>Capitolio</strong>, modeled after the U.S. Capitol, where the pre-Castro legislature met (you can still see the halls and chambers inside). Heading out from here toward the sea is the <strong>Paseo del Prado</strong>, an avenue with a tree-shaded, statue-lined central pedestrian promenade.</p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f6/MaleconHavane.JPG/640px-MaleconHavane.JPG" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f6/MaleconHavane.JPG/640px-MaleconHavane.JPG" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<h3><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;"><br/> I Cover the Waterfront</span></strong></h3>
<p><br/> Arriving at the end of the Paseo, you reach more postcard views along the sea-level oceanfront boulevard, the <strong>Malecón</strong>, which runs eight kilometres (five miles) along Old Havana, Centro Habana, and <strong>El Vedado</strong>. Especially in recent years, more of the rundown waterfront buildings have been tarted up, and new businesses are opening. What hasn’t changed is the propensity of <strong><em>habaneros</em></strong> to hang out along the promenade – some of them swimming or fishing in the daytime, others strolling or sitting on the sea walls.<br/></p>
<p>If you take a detour off the Malecón after <strong>Antonio Maceo Park</strong> into the Centro Habana neighbourhood, you’ll find another cool little spot: the <strong>Callejón de Hamel. </strong>This is basically an alley which in recent years has become a focus of santería and Afro-Cuban culture generally thanks to its murals, sculptures, shops, and Sunday afternoon music/dancing.</p>
<p><br/> Arriving in Vedado, definitely have a pop into the <strong>Hotel Nacional de Cuba</strong>, one of Havana’s most imposing buildings, perched on a bluff and dating from 1930. Even if you don’t stay here, having a drink on its back patio is classic.<br/></p>
<p>Another spot not to miss in Vedado farther inland is the <strong>Cementerio de Colón</strong> (Columbus Cemetery), built in 1876 and on a par with burial grounds like Père Lachaise in Paris and Buenos Aires’ Recoleta for its more than 500 elaborately sculpted tombs and mausoleums (one of the more recent additions is that of <strong>Ibrahim Ferrer</strong>, of <strong><em>Buena Vista Social Club</em></strong> fame).</p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/L2F-Jun-15-pic-Havana-Cuba-Bodeguita-del-Medio-restaurant-bar-T-photography-shutterstock_209254996.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/L2F-Jun-15-pic-Havana-Cuba-Bodeguita-del-Medio-restaurant-bar-T-photography-shutterstock_209254996.jpg?width=1000" class="align-center" width="1000"/></a></p>
<h3><strong><span style="color: #ff0000;"><br/> For Whom Havana Tolls</span></strong></h3>
<p><br/> Another classic Cuba experience not to miss: the <strong>Ernest Hemingway</strong> trail. This legendary 20th-century American writer owned a lovely farm in the outlying town of <strong>Cojímar</strong>, <strong>Finca Vigía</strong>, which is open to visitors. But there are also several spots in Old Havana associated with him, including the <strong>Ambos Mundos</strong> hotel, where Papa lived for several years in the 1930s (a portion of <em><strong>For Whom the Bell Tolls</strong></em> was written in room 511, now preserved in its original state for tourists). <strong>El Floridita</strong> restaurant and bar, at the end of Calle Obispo near Paseo del Prado, not only serves good seafood but also invented the daiquiri cocktail, and was a hangout in the 1940s and 50s for Hemingway and other literary types; understandably, that vibe is still cultivated here to this day. Hemingway also used to say, “My mojito in La Bodeguita, my daiquiri in El Floridita”, and indeed, <strong>La Bodeguita del Medio</strong> (above) just off Cathedral Square, still trades off that today, with its walls famously scratched in graffitti; the <strong>Cuban food</strong> is also pretty good here.<br/></p>
<p>Whew. Even with all this, the above just scratches the surface of Havana. After my family escaped in the late 1960s, I first started coming back here in 1999, and never tire of this wonderful city.</p>
<p></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 8px;"><br/> <span style="font-size: 8pt;"><em>photos | <a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-279160181/stock-photo-havana-cuba-may-brightly-colored-cuban-taxi-drives-in-front-of-el-morro-lighhouse.html?src=eGl7kbv54TOcnBCUTvax-A-1-75" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lazyllama</a>, <a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-229287367/stock-photo-the-havana-cathedral-on-a-beautiful-sunny-day.html?src=J8jxwYQ5xODV--JDqpIcww-1-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kamira</a>, <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:MaleconHavane.JPG" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kirua</a>, <a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-209224075/stock-photo-havana-cuba-november-partagas-the-cigar-factory-in-havana-cuba-among-the-oldest.html?src=YDBuiyVvxlvqN3Y1uS_YSQ-1-17" target="_blank" rel="noopener">T photography</a> </em></span></span></p>
<p></p>Cloudspotting: Clouds From Both Sides Nowtag:frugalnomads.ning.com,2018-11-23:3169359:BlogPost:6925632018-11-23T15:07:20.000ZJosé Balidohttps://frugalnomads.ning.com/profile/JoseBalido
<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/L2F-Nov-13-cloudspotting-Noppasin-shutterstock_1406264051.jpg"><img alt="L2F Nov 13 cloudspotting Noppasin shutterstock_140626405" class="wp-image-6187 aligncenter" height="444" src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/L2F-Nov-13-cloudspotting-Noppasin-shutterstock_1406264051.jpg" width="700"></img></a> <br></br> <br></br> When many of us are wee nippers, we stare up at the clouds in fascination at the various and multifarious fantastic forms simple water droplets are capable of creating in our atmosphere. As Joni Mitchell once sang it, “rows and flows of angel hair/ and ice cream castles in the air/and feather canyons…</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/L2F-Nov-13-cloudspotting-Noppasin-shutterstock_1406264051.jpg"><img class="wp-image-6187 aligncenter" alt="L2F Nov 13 cloudspotting Noppasin shutterstock_140626405" src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/L2F-Nov-13-cloudspotting-Noppasin-shutterstock_1406264051.jpg" width="700" height="444"/></a><br/> <br/> When many of us are wee nippers, we stare up at the clouds in fascination at the various and multifarious fantastic forms simple water droplets are capable of creating in our atmosphere. As Joni Mitchell once sang it, “rows and flows of angel hair/ and ice cream castles in the air/and feather canyons everywhere”.<br/></p>
<p>Then, when we start flying in jet airliners, we finally get to see the other side of these great puffy, wispy wonders. But beyond simply marveling (at least at first, before it becomes ho-hum) at the sight of those great cottony expanses spreading out around you, do you ever wonder at the shapes you see out your airplane window?<span id="more-6123"></span></p>
<p></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/L2F-Nov-14-pic-cloudspotting-Jason-dot-org.png" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/L2F-Nov-14-pic-cloudspotting-Jason-dot-org.png?width=300" class="align-right" width="300"/></a>If you’re like me, way back in school you spent a class or two learning about the <strong>meteorology</strong> and the atmosphere, including <strong>cloud types</strong>. But unless you’re a true weather geek, or member of something like the <strong><a href="http://cloudappreciationsociety.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cloud Appreciation Society</a></strong> (“we believe that clouds are…nature’s poetry…unjustly maligned and that life would be immeasurably poorer without them”), you’ve probably gotten a little hazy (heh, a lil’ meteorology joke there) on the specifics. So here’s a very “quick ‘n’ dirty” little refresher on some of the more common types of what you’re seeing out there:</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong><br/> Cumulus</strong>-type clouds tend to be vertical and multi-level, with flat bases and puffy, domed tops, formed by rising thermals. <strong>Cumulonimbus</strong> clouds can produce thunderstorms.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p><img class="aligncenter" alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f7/Anvil_of_Cumulonimbus_and_Cu_con.JPG/800px-Anvil_of_Cumulonimbus_and_Cu_con.JPG" width="800" height="600"/></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><strong><br/> Cirrus</strong> types are generally fairly high and characterized by thin, wispy strands, generally white or light gray in color. They can herald storm fronts.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/L2F-Nov-13-pic-cloudspotting-cirrus-PiccoloNamek-Wikipedia.png"><img class=" wp-image-6189 aligncenter" alt="L2F Nov 13 pic cloudspotting cirrus PiccoloNamek Wikipedia" src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/L2F-Nov-13-pic-cloudspotting-cirrus-PiccoloNamek-Wikipedia.png" width="795" height="486"/></a></p>
<p></p>
<p><strong>Stratus</strong> clouds are low-level, essentially flat, hazy, and featureless, varying in color from dark gray to nearly white.</p>
<p></p>
<p><img alt="File:Stratus-Opacus-Uniformis.jpg" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d1/Stratus-Opacus-Uniformis.jpg/800px-Stratus-Opacus-Uniformis.jpg"/></p>
<p></p>
<p>Then of course there are myriad gradations and combinations of the above, such as <strong>stratocumulus</strong>, <strong>cumulonimbus</strong>, and <strong>nimbostratus</strong> (check out also the graphic above right).</p>
<p></p>
<p>Intrigued to learn even more? There’s a <a href="https://cloudspotterapp.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong>cloudspotting</strong> app</a> out, but of course. But if you’re just out for a little something extra, have a go at the cloudspotting video below:</p>
<p></p>
<p><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/QWeorlkJ39M?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque" allowfullscreen="" width="640" height="360" frameborder="0"></iframe>
</p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><em><span style="font-size: 8px;">photos | Noppasin/Shutterstock, <a href="http://www.crh.noaa.gov/lmk/?n=cloud_classification" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JASON.org</a>, <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anvil_of_Cumulonimbus_and_Cu_con.JPG" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Living Shadow</a>, <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:CirrusField-color.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PiccoloNamek</a></span></em></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"></p>10 Must-Visit National Parks of the USAtag:frugalnomads.ning.com,2018-08-15:3169359:BlogPost:6822342018-08-15T20:40:24.000ZJosé Balidohttps://frugalnomads.ning.com/profile/JoseBalido
<p><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/L2F-May-pic-USA-national-parks-Yellowstone-Old-Faithful-f11photo-shutterstock_206238292.jpg" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/L2F-May-pic-USA-national-parks-Yellowstone-Old-Faithful-f11photo-shutterstock_206238292-640x427.jpg?width=640" width="640"></img></a></p>
<p><br></br> Many if not most countries of the world, of course, set aside choice pieces of territory to protect and often showcase precious natural environments. But thanks to its size and a conservationist ethos dating back to the mid-19th century, few countries offer the number and…</p>
<p><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/L2F-May-pic-USA-national-parks-Yellowstone-Old-Faithful-f11photo-shutterstock_206238292.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/L2F-May-pic-USA-national-parks-Yellowstone-Old-Faithful-f11photo-shutterstock_206238292-640x427.jpg?width=640" width="640" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p><br/> Many if not most countries of the world, of course, set aside choice pieces of territory to protect and often showcase precious natural environments. But thanks to its size and a conservationist ethos dating back to the mid-19th century, few countries offer the number and diversity of natural parks – state and national – as the<span> </span><strong>United States of America</strong>, from “sea to shining sea”, as its national anthem poetically puts it. And its 400<span> </span><strong>national parks</strong><span> </span>are particularly spectacular for all sorts of different reasons. <span id="more-13424"></span></p>
<p><br/> Of these 400, ten are particular stars, and I've listed them below, in alphabetical order; limiting this list to ten was very tough indeed, meaning that other glorious parks you’ll have to<span> </span><a href="https://www.nps.gov/findapark/index.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">browse here</a>; what I’ve tried to do with this list is curate for a diversity of geography, experiences and landscapes. If you feel I’ve been remiss in overlooking one, please let us know in comments below!</p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/L2F-May-16-pic-USA-national-parks-map-Mwierschkec-Wikipedia.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/L2F-May-16-pic-USA-national-parks-map-Mwierschkec-Wikipedia-640x494.jpg?width=640" width="640" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p><span><strong><br/> Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah<br/> <br/></strong></span></p>
<p>Some of the most striking landscapes of the arid western state of<span> </span><strong>Utah</strong><span> </span>are its “<strong>red-rock country</strong>”, and this park in far southern Utah – four hours’ drive from state capital<span> </span><strong>Salt Lake City</strong><span> </span>as well as<span> </span><strong><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/2015/12/museums-las-vegas-nevada/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Las Vegas</a></strong>,<span> </span><strong>Nevada</strong><span> </span>– is a spectacular showcase for it. Particularly cool are the unique towering pillars called “hoodoos”, sometimes the height of skyscrapers. You can drive, hike (eight trails from easy to challenging), or ride horseback.</p>
<p><span><strong><br/> Chaco Culture National Historical Park, New Mexico</strong></span></p>
<p><br/> I’ve included this one because in addition to the beauty of its desert landscapes, this<span> </span><strong>UNESCO World Heritage Site</strong><span> </span>in northwestern<span> </span><strong>New Mexico</strong><span> </span>also includes more than 4,000 archaeological sites of the<span> </span><strong>Pueblo</strong><span> </span>people dating back to the 9th century, including fascinating adobe ruins. As a bonus, its distance from large cities (three hours from<span> </span><strong>Santa Fe</strong><span> </span>and<span> </span><strong>Albuquerque</strong>) makes it incredible for stargazing; there are organised programs, and Chaco is now even certified as an<span> </span><strong>International Dark Sky Park</strong>.</p>
<p><span><strong><br/> Everglades National Park, Florida</strong></span></p>
<p><br/> There’s nothing else in the country like this “River of Grass” in my own South Florida backyard – a seemingly endless expanse of wetlands, lakes, and dry “hammocks” (small wooded islands), reachable in about an hour from<span> </span><strong><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/2015/03/miami-beach-florida-centennial/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Miami</a></strong><span> </span>or<span> </span><strong><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/2015/11/fort-lauderdale-florida/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fort Lauderdale</a></strong>. You can explore a variety of locales here via hiking/biking trails, canoe/kayak, and high-speed airboat, and you’ll spot<span> </span><strong>crocodiles</strong>and perhaps<span> </span><strong>manatees</strong><span> </span>(though unlikely the more elusive<span> </span><strong>Florida panther</strong>), along with a host of exotic bird life. The<span> </span><strong>Miccosukee</strong><span> </span>tribe also has a reservation out here, and members operate cultural centres as well as tours and attractions. (Go in winter, when you won’t be eaten alive by the most fearsome wildlife of all –<span> </span><strong>mosquitos</strong>.)</p>
<p><span><strong><br/> Glacier National Park, Montana</strong></span></p>
<p><br/> Just as the name says, in addition to the majestic mountains, lush forests, and shimmering lakes in this northwest<span> </span><strong>Montana</strong><span> </span>expanse (one of the nearest major cities is<span> </span><strong>Helena</strong>, 3½ hours away), the stars here are some two dozen<span> </span><strong>glaciers</strong>, of which<span> </span><strong>Grinnell Glacier</strong><span> </span>is the most notable. And this is especially one to bucket-list, because due to climate change, sadly these glaciers are shrinking, and even worse, are expected to totally disappear by 2030 – come see them before they do.</p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/L2F-USA-national-parks-Grand-Canyon-Arizona-Skywalk-jorik-shutterstock_117909091.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/L2F-USA-national-parks-Grand-Canyon-Arizona-Skywalk-jorik-shutterstock_117909091-640x427.jpg?width=640" width="640" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p><span><strong><br/> Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona</strong></span></p>
<p><br/> This of course is the one that’s truly a household name around the world. Another of today’s <strong>Seven Natural Wonders of the World</strong>, it’s 4-8 miles (6.5-29 kilometres) wide and up to 6,100 feet (1,860 metres) deep, with the<span> </span><strong>Colorado River</strong><span> </span>running 277 miles (445 km) through it. Most people take it all in from the edges (including some from the transparent glass<span> </span><strong>Skywalk</strong><span> </span>hanging over the edge), while some hike or take a guided mule ride down, and still others opt for a whitewater rafting excursion. Absolutely unforgettable, any way you do it. An hour 15 minutes from<span> </span><strong>Flagstaff</strong>, 3 hours 15 minutes from<span> </span><strong>Phoenix</strong>.</p>
<p><span><strong><br/> Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee/North Carolina</strong></span></p>
<p><br/> Part of the<span> </span><strong>Appalachian Mountains</strong><span> </span>and straddling the border between two states, the USA’s most visited national park is a hiker’s heaven (including a good stretch of the the famous<span> </span><strong>Appalachian Trail</strong>), and called “smoky” because parts are picturesquely swathed in fog. Furthermore, amid its forested ridges and vales, you can also get a taste of homespun historical Americana at five areas settled by 19th-century pioneers – some 80 buildings in all. Entrances are located at<span> </span><strong>Gatlinburg</strong>,<span> </span><strong>Tennessee</strong><span> </span>and<span> </span><strong>Cherokee</strong>,<span> </span><strong>North Carolina</strong>.</p>
<p><span><strong><br/> Hawaii Volcanoes National Park</strong></span></p>
<p><br/> Near<span> </span><strong>Hilo</strong><span> </span>on the southeast shore of the<span> </span><strong>Big Island</strong>, this is another one-of-a-kind park (below) thanks to the presence of the worlds most massive volcano,<span> </span><strong>Mauna Loa</strong>, 3,680 ft. (4,170 m) high, as well as its most active,<span> </span><strong>Kilauea</strong>. And sure enough, you want lava flows and shows? They’re all over the place, and always in flux. Viewing can be done on foot, driving through, by boat, and (perhaps especially impressively) via helicopter. You can even overnight at a small hotel on Kilauea’s rim. You may have heard, though, about the recent eruptions here, and as a result, for the time being much of this park remains closed, so you'll need to monitor for when it is safe enough to reopen.</p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/L2F-May-16-pic-USA-national-parks-Hawaii-Volcanoes-lava-Juancat-shutterstock_190651931.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/L2F-May-16-pic-USA-national-parks-Hawaii-Volcanoes-lava-Juancat-shutterstock_190651931-640x427.jpg?width=640" width="640" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p><span><strong><br/> Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky</strong></span></p>
<p><br/> Time to go down under, into the planet’s longest<span> </span><strong>cave system</strong>, its phantasmagoric underground passages snaking hundreds of kilometres from the starting point near<span> </span><strong>Brownsville</strong>,<span> </span><strong>KY</strong><span> </span>(near<span> </span><strong>Bowling Green</strong><span> </span>and 90 minutes from the state’s largest city,<span> </span><strong>Louisville</strong>). You can experience these dramatic caves’ wonders (including their resident<span> </span><strong>bats</strong>) via guided tours of varying durations, and choose either the easy-peasy walkways and stairs or longer/tougher tours that involve climbing and navigating the “wilder”, undeveloped stretches (gulp).</p>
<p><span><strong><br/> Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming</strong></span></p>
<p><br/> The world’s first national park remains one of the USA’s highest-profile, thanks not just to its wildlife spotting (including bison, elk, and grizzly bears) and lovely landscapes of forests, meadows, mountains, lakes, and rivers, but its<span> </span><strong>geothermal</strong><span> </span>features such as<span> </span><strong>hot lakes</strong>,<span> </span><strong>boiling mud pools</strong>, and<span> </span><strong>geysers</strong><span> </span>like the famous<span> </span><strong>Old Faithful</strong><span> </span>(top, as well as the world’s largest,<span> </span><strong>Steamboat Geyser</strong>, all powered by a subterranean “<strong>supervolcano</strong>”). Super skiing in winter, too. An hour from the city of<span> </span><strong>Cody</strong>, an hour 15 minutes from Jackson Hole, 6½ hours from state capital<span> </span><strong>Cheyenne</strong>.</p>
<p><span><strong><br/> Yosemite National Park, California</strong></span></p>
<p><br/> Part of the<span> </span><strong>Sierra Nevada Mountains</strong><span> </span>some three hours east of<span> </span><strong><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/2015/05/san-francisco-california-attractions/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">San Francisco</a></strong>, another of the USA’s oldest (128 years), grandest, and most iconic national parks is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It offers some of the most majestic scenery we associate with the USA’s mountain west, including jawdropping waterfalls and towering granite cliffs such as<span> </span><strong>El Capitan</strong><span> </span>– which of course in recent years have been in the spotlight as a hotbed of the rock climbing craze of the last few years.</p>
<p><br/> <span><br/> <span style="font-size: 8pt;"><em>photos | <a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-611893p1.html">f11photo</a>, <a class="new" title="User:Mwierschkec (page does not exist)" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:NationalParks.forwiki.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mwierschkec</a>, <a id="portfolio_link" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-885076p1.html" name="portfolio_link">jorik</a>, <a id="portfolio_link" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-1125233p1.html" name="portfolio_link">Juancat</a> </em></span></span></p>
<p></p>Alentejo Dreamin' - Portugal Bucolic & Beachytag:frugalnomads.ning.com,2018-06-15:3169359:BlogPost:6780142018-06-15T18:38:55.000ZJosé Balidohttps://frugalnomads.ning.com/profile/JoseBalido
<div class="plus-one-wrap"><div id="___plusone_0"><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/L2F-Sep-16-pic-Portugal-Alentejo-Zambujeira-do-Mar-Francisco-beach-Caravana-shutterstock_107079179-640x427.jpg" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/L2F-Sep-16-pic-Portugal-Alentejo-Zambujeira-do-Mar-Francisco-beach-Caravana-shutterstock_107079179-640x427.jpg"></img></a> <em><span> <span style="font-size: 8pt;"><a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-174361p1.html">Francisco Caravana</a></span></span></em><br></br> <br></br> <br></br> When it comes to the many attractions…</div>
</div>
<div class="plus-one-wrap"><div id="___plusone_0"><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/L2F-Sep-16-pic-Portugal-Alentejo-Zambujeira-do-Mar-Francisco-beach-Caravana-shutterstock_107079179-640x427.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/L2F-Sep-16-pic-Portugal-Alentejo-Zambujeira-do-Mar-Francisco-beach-Caravana-shutterstock_107079179-640x427.jpg" class="align-center"/></a><em><span> <span style="font-size: 8pt;"><a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-174361p1.html">Francisco Caravana</a></span></span></em><br/> <br/> <br/> When it comes to the many attractions of <strong>Portugal</strong>, cities like <strong>Lisbon</strong>, <strong>Porto</strong>, and <strong>Coimbra</strong>, along with regions such as the <strong><a href="https://www.tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/an-introduction-to-portugal-s-awesome-algarve" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Algarve</a></strong>, seem to get much of the attention. But down between Lisbon and the Algarve lies a low-slung, low-key region –actually making up some 30 percent of the country’s territory – which combines a coast boasting some of <strong>Europe</strong>’s best – yet very much undersung – beaches with a bucolic hinterland of rolling hills and plains (photo at bottom), dotted with farmland and cork forests as well as charming villages and towns.</div>
</div>
<p><span id="more-14903"></span></p>
<p><strong>The Alentejo</strong>’s capital,<span> </span><strong>Évora</strong><span> </span>(about an hour and a half from Lisbon) is part of that hinterland – and a bit unusual, as well, as its not on any signficant river or lake. Nonetheless, as a trade entrepôt and religious center whose history stretches two millennia back to the<span> </span><strong><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/2016/03/celtic-spain/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Celts</a></strong>, this city of 57,000 is a historical, architectural, and cultural gem – in fact, a<span> </span><strong>UNESCO World Heritage Site</strong>– all of which has left a rich legacy that can keep visitors busy for days. The ancient Roman temple (below) is one of its highlights, and both within and without its doughty medieval walls there’s a wealth of buildings and art from the<span> </span><strong>Middle Ages</strong><span> </span>onward. <br/></p>
<p></p>
<p><em><span><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/L2F-Sep-16-pic-Portugal-Alentejo-%C3%89vora-Roman-temple-of-Diana-saiko3p-shutterstock_254030104-640x427.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/L2F-Sep-16-pic-Portugal-Alentejo-%C3%89vora-Roman-temple-of-Diana-saiko3p-shutterstock_254030104-640x427.jpg" class="align-center"/></a> <a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-453007p1.html"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">saiko3p</span></a></span></em></p>
<p></p>
<p>Other inland cities especially worth a visit in the region include<span> </span><strong>Elvas</strong>, out east of Évora close to the border with Spain. This hilltop city of 23,000 boasts at its core a fortified town dating from the 15th century which is also a World Heritage Site; highlights include an impressive castle, a massive aqueduct, a contemporary art museum, and of course those massive town walls. Located between Elvas and Évora and considerably smaller than either,<span> </span><strong>Estremoz</strong><span> </span>has a similarly long history, and in additional to another fine castle and a cool arts scene is especially known for marble production (the world’s highest after<span> </span><strong>Carrara</strong>,<span> </span><strong>Italy</strong>).</p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/L2F-Sep-16-pic-Portugal-Alentejo-spring-landscape-Carpeira-shutterstock_105769898-640x427.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/L2F-Sep-16-pic-Portugal-Alentejo-spring-landscape-Carpeira-shutterstock_105769898-640x427.jpg" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p><em><span> <a href="http://www.shutterstock.com/gallery-649408p1.html"><span style="font-size: 8pt;">Carpeira</span></a></span></em></p>
<p></p>
<p>Of course, what brings many to Alentejo as to the rest of southern Portugal is its lovely coast and beaches – including some which are blessedly uncrowded even during the height of summer. It starts across from<span> </span><strong>Setúbal</strong><span> </span>with the<span> </span><strong>Tróia Peninsula</strong><span> </span>in<span> </span><strong>Grândola</strong><span> </span>municipality, with spectacular sands such as<span> </span><strong>Tróia Galé</strong><span> </span>(plus the fascinating ruins of an ancient Roman town devoted to fish-salting, including houses, thermal baths, and a necropolis); other marvelous Grândola beaches include<span> </span><strong>Comporta</strong>,<span> </span><strong>Carvalhal</strong>, and<span> </span><strong>Melides</strong>.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Below them is Sines, the coast’s largest city (pop. 19,000), which though it has some amount of industry these days also boast an old town, along with lovely beaches like<span> </span><strong>São Torpes</strong><span> </span>and secluded<span> </span><strong>Samoqueira</strong>. Continuing southward,<span> </span><strong>Odemira</strong><span> </span>has expansive <strong>Almograve</strong><span> </span>(aka<span> </span><strong>Praia Grande</strong>),<span> </span><strong>Furnas</strong>, and<span> </span><strong>Zambujeira do Mar</strong><span> </span>(top, site of the<span> </span><strong><a href="http://sudoeste.meo.pt/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sudeoeste Festival</a></strong><span> </span>en the first week of every August, perhaps the biggest annual deal in the region). The southernmost stretch of the Alentejo coast is taken up by the<span> </span><strong>Southwest Alentejo and Coast Natural Park</strong>, with a suitably pristine string of strands.</p>
<p></p>
<p>More information:<span> </span><strong><a href="http://www.visitalentejo.pt/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">VisitAlentejo.pt</a></strong>,<span> </span><strong><a href="https://www.visitportugal.com/en/destinos/alentejo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">VisitPortugal.com</a></strong>.</p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wHRhWv9vkwo?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p></p>Street Art of Havana: A Photo Essaytag:frugalnomads.ning.com,2018-03-26:3169359:BlogPost:6732092018-03-26T14:02:58.000ZJosé Balidohttps://frugalnomads.ning.com/profile/JoseBalido
<p><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/L2F-Mar-17-pic-Cuba-Havana-street-art-dancer-malecon-640x480.jpg" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><img class="align-center" src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/L2F-Mar-17-pic-Cuba-Havana-street-art-dancer-malecon-640x480.jpg?width=640" width="640"></img></a></p>
<p></p>
<p>In the past decade or two,<span> </span><strong>art</strong><span> </span>has truly been one of the bright spots in<span> </span><strong>Cuba</strong>‘s cities, and especially in capital<span> </span><strong>Havana</strong>. In addition to a quite fine<span> …</span></p>
<p><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/L2F-Mar-17-pic-Cuba-Havana-street-art-dancer-malecon-640x480.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/L2F-Mar-17-pic-Cuba-Havana-street-art-dancer-malecon-640x480.jpg?width=640" width="640" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p></p>
<p>In the past decade or two,<span> </span><strong>art</strong><span> </span>has truly been one of the bright spots in<span> </span><strong>Cuba</strong>‘s cities, and especially in capital<span> </span><strong>Havana</strong>. In addition to a quite fine<span> </span><strong><a href="http://www.bellasartes.cult.cu/index.php/colecciones-mnba/arte-cubano" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Museum of Cuban Fine Arts</a></strong><span> </span>(Calle Trocadero between Zulueta & Monserrate), with works spanning the early colonial period to just yesterday, these days there are also myriad galleries and shops.</p>
<p><br/> Many of them, especially in<span> </span><strong>Old Havana</strong>, traffick largely in tourist kitsch, but you can also find some world-class work in galleries such as<span> </span><strong><a href="http://www.galerihabana.com/index.php?lg=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Galería Habana</a></strong> in the<span> </span><strong>El Vedado</strong><span> </span>neighbourhood and the<span> </span><strong><a href="http://www.fac.cu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fábrica de Arte Cubano</a></strong>, in the same district. And if you can make it down for the triennial art extravaganza called <strong><a href="http://www.wlam.cult.cu/index.php/17-noticias/41-13-bienal-de-la-habana" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bienal de la Habana</a></strong><span> </span>(next held in November 2018), it’s truly a big, impressive deal, not just in the Cuban context but also for<span> </span><strong>Latin America</strong><span> </span>in general.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Beyond that, perhaps more than most cities I can name, you can get an eyeful of art just by walking the streets, as increasingly the shabby façades are being enlivened and made more interesting by a growing array of street art – some “official”, some not.<span id="more-17243"></span></p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/L2F-Mar-17-pic-Cuba-Havana-street-art-Callejon-de-Hamel-shutterstock_128879407-640x427.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/L2F-Mar-17-pic-Cuba-Havana-street-art-Callejon-de-Hamel-shutterstock_128879407-640x427.jpg?width=640" width="640" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p></p>
<p>The oldest examples – dating back to the 1990s – are the colourful wall murals on<span> </span><strong>Centro Habana</strong>‘s<span> </span><strong>Callejón de Hamel</strong> (above), a center of<span> </span><strong>Afro-Cuban culture</strong><span> </span>where many of the images reflect the African-Catholic hybrid religion known as<span> </span><strong>Santería</strong><span> </span>(go on Sunday around noon, when there’s amazing music and dancing, as well).</p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/L2F-Mar-17-pic-Cuba-Havana-street-art-jinetera-640x480.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/L2F-Mar-17-pic-Cuba-Havana-street-art-jinetera-640x480.jpg?width=640" width="640" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p></p>
<p>But there’s <em>mucho</em> more public art these days. Newer works I noticed on my most recent visit included a dramatic sculpture (top) on the<span> </span><em><strong>malecón</strong><span> </span></em>waterfront promenade by<span> </span><strong>Rafael San Juan</strong>, inspired by the movement and spirit of<span> </span><strong>Cuban National Ballet</strong><span> </span>dancer<span> </span><strong>Viengsay Valdés</strong>. And I was mighty surprised to find, in Old Havana’s tourist-popular<span> </span><strong>Plaza Vieja</strong>, the social commentary of sculptor <strong>Roberto Fabelo</strong>‘s nude woman with a fork riding a rooster (above; think of its single-syllable synonym); she is clearly a<span> </span><strong><em>jinetera</em></strong><span> </span>(rider), a woman who goes with foreigners to survive, since it’s impossible to survive purely on local salaries.</p>
<p><br/> Here are a few other striking bits of street art I spotted on my recent perambulations:</p>
<p></p>
<p><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/L2F-Mar-17-pic-Cuba-Havana-street-art-Paseo-del-Prado-with-old-blue-car-640x399.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/L2F-Mar-17-pic-Cuba-Havana-street-art-Paseo-del-Prado-with-old-blue-car-640x399.jpg?width=640" width="640" class="align-center"/></a></p>
<p><em><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/L2F-Mar-17-pic-Cuba-Havana-street-art-woman-with-fish-640x480.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/L2F-Mar-17-pic-Cuba-Havana-street-art-woman-with-fish-640x480.jpg?width=640" width="640" class="align-center"/></a></em></p>
<p><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/L2F-Mar-17-pic-Cuba-Havana-street-art-old-car-on-junkyard-door-640x367.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/L2F-Mar-17-pic-Cuba-Havana-street-art-old-car-on-junkyard-door-640x367.jpg?width=640" width="640" class="align-center"/></a><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/L2F-Mar-17-pic-Cuba-Havana-street-art-faces-at-bus-stop-599x600.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/L2F-Mar-17-pic-Cuba-Havana-street-art-faces-at-bus-stop-599x600.jpg?width=599" width="599" class="align-center"/></a><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/L2F-Mar-17-pic-Cuba-Havana-street-art-OReilly-corner-640x480.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/L2F-Mar-17-pic-Cuba-Havana-street-art-OReilly-corner-640x480.jpg?width=640" width="640" class="align-center"/></a><a href="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/L2F-Mar-17-pic-Cuba-Havana-street-art-Paseo-del-Prado-triptych-640x364.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="http://love2fly.iberia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/L2F-Mar-17-pic-Cuba-Havana-street-art-Paseo-del-Prado-triptych-640x364.jpg?width=640" width="640" class="align-center"/></a><br/> <em><span><br/> <br/> <span style="font-size: 8pt;">photos | José Balido, </span></span></em><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/es/image-photo/havana-cuba-dec-30-graffiti-on-128879407?src=uSUQQqXAsX60EmIFOZvcTw-1-22" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Evgenia Bolyukh</em></a></span></p>
<p></p>
<p></p>