Wednesday, September 12, 2018

Spain - Seville

Early in July my sister and I made a city trip to Seville in Spain. That time of the month, the temperatures don't run too high yet - around 32°-34° degrees Celsius. Bearable heat, especially when you drink enough.

We had picked a hotel right in the center. Hotel Ateneo Seville is situated in an old adobe, a couple of centuries old. The rooms are magnificent. Ours had a very special ceiling.


From the  hotel it was only minutes walk to the most important sights. To the cathedral: about 10 minutes. To the bullfighter rink: 15 minutes tops. To the Alcazar: about 15 to 20 minutes. Plazza d'Espana: about 20 minutes.  A walk to Triana (a part of the city worth visiting) also about 20 minutes.

Seville is a city where walking is made easy. Also for those who like to bike there are many opportunities and bikes are provided nearly everywhere.

The cathedral of Seville with its Giralda tower is one of the eldest in Europe. It is certainly worth seeing. Inside you can find the tomb of Christopher Columbus, for instance. And if you don't mind climbing, going up the Giralda tower is a must. When you reached the highest level, you have a magnificent view over Seville and over the rooftops. After the visit of the cathedral (which I advise you take in the morning, as the cues are not overlong then) you can relax on the terrace of one of the many cafés and bodegas Seville has and taste their sangria and tapas.


On another day we walked in the director of the Bull Ring. Also worth a visit. Every Thursday evening there are bullfights during the summer season. The Bull Ring has a small museum as well and you can take a guided tour of it.


From the Bull Ring, near the Guadalquivir river, it is not far to Triana, a part of the town to see. There is a mercado (market) and the place where the famous tiles are produced.


Not to miss is a visit to the Real Alcazar. If you want to see the state rooms as well, I'd advise taking an online ticket in advance as the places are limited and the groups can't be too big. Photography is not allowed, so take care. While the state rooms are beautiful, I even found the inside gardens and courtyards better. It's a nice place to walk around and you can easily spend a couple of hours there.


If you stay a couple of days, you can see most of what Seville has to offer. And you're well off for food and drink. Seville has the best tapas, and they are not expensive!

Thursday, June 21, 2018

Czechia - Prague

The capital city of the Czech republic is definitely worth a visit. In fact, it's ideal for a city trip.

As you know, the old town center has been placed on UNESCO's list of World Heritage. And that's not for nothing. One of the nicknames of the city is 'the town of hundred towers' - well, actually Prague has more than 500!


Prague was the seat of the Bohemian kings, some of which ruled of Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. The town blossomed under the reign of Charles IV, who ordered the building of the New Town. Many of the town's main attractions date back to this age.


My sister and I took this trip at the end of May. Just a short break to get away from work in her case, but enough to get a feel of the city.

Our hotel was quite near the historical center, and it was easy to just walk into it. Places worth seeing were Old Town Square, with it's astronomical clock tower. Not far off, you're into the Jewish Quarter, with winding streets where the legend of the Golem still lingers.


And of course, you should also see the famous Charles Bridge, spanning the river Vlatava (Moldau). Better still, take a boat trip on the river, so you can see all the beautiful buildings and bridges from the water.


Finally, we went to visit Prague Castle, high on the hill. I'd not recommend to do this walk on foot. Better take a cab, they are quite cheap over there - well, most things are compared to our prices!

Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Oman - Khasab and Musandam

During our stay in the UAE we also made a full day trip to Oman. More precisely, to the region of Khasab and Musandam.

Khasab is a peaceful town located at the foot of Wadi Khasab and overlooking the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz. Khasab in Arabian means 'fertility' which refers to the large produce of dates (did you know they're about good for nearly everything?) and to the fresh water.

In Khasab we boarded a dhow (traditional boat used in the Arab countries) to explore the fjord of Khor Sham. That's a spectacular sheltered 16 km long fjord with crystal clear water. Because of the presence of mountains around, it has been given the nickname 'The Norway of Arabia'. It truly is very beautiful!


Along the cruise, we were able to see some old villages, dating back ages ago and still inhabited by some families - those of Nadiff, Qanaha and Maqlab - and also passed Telegraph Island where the British built a telegraph station in 1865. They laid an underwater cable from India to Basra in Iraq to get a telegraph connection between England and India. The island was only manned for a very short time. Now it's surrounded by reefs and corals and is one of the best places for swimming and snorkeling. You can also spot dolphins there.


It was a very pleasurable cruise. We were comfortable (I don't mind sitting on cushions) and got everything we needed. At noon we were treated to a nice lunch aboard the vessel. Rice and vegetables and chicken + fruit as much as you liked.


Thursday, April 19, 2018

UAE - Ras Al Khaimah

One of the smaller emirates is Ras Al Khaimah. We only discovered it by accident, while checking for hotels in the wider region of Dubai. Looked up more information on the internet, and decided to also spend a couple of days there.

We were lodged in the Hilton Resort & Spa, a big hotel with various swimming pools, private beach, spa and health club, etc., etc. We had a sumptuous suite (being in a mood to spend some money) and everything was more than fine.


While you can stay in the resort itself and just have a beach holiday (like most tourists, especially those with children) Ras Al Khaimah has other possibilities.


One way to discover the area is doing a tour, preferably with a private guide. We took this opportunity to spend a whole afternoon exploring the area. We drove to Marjan Island, where the most expensive hotels are being built, into the desert where we could watch falcon training and see Arabian horses. We also went to the Dhayah fortress, which is one of the oldest in the region. You have to be fit, though, because you have to mount over 200 steps to reach the top of the mountain on which the fortress is built.


Ras Al Khaimah is near Oman and the Hajar mountains form the border. The highest of these mountains is Jebel Jais. You can drive out to there, have a picknick if you like or do some mountain climbing or try the zip line. They have the longest zip line there, 3 km between two mountain tops! The government of RAK is doing everything to boost tourism, and like everywhere in the emirates it has to be bigger and better than anywhere else!

Thursday, April 12, 2018

UAE - Dubai

When you talk about Dubai to most people they ask: 'Is there anything to see there?' Well, there surely is.

For starters, Dubai is the only town in the UAE which still has an old town. It's very nice to walk around there, finding all kinds of quaint shops. There is also a massive renovation going on (Dubai will host the World Expo in 2020) but here they are doing a good thing. They restore houses and shops just like they used to be ages ago, and you can't even tell the difference!


Next to the palm islands, Dubai has a creek. Our hotel was near to it, and from our room we could watch the dhows go and leave the harbor. A visit to Palm Jumeirah is of course due. You can do that by car, or by helicopter (we did both). On Palm Jumeirah the most expensive hotels are to be found, including two 7-star hotels (Atlantis and Burj Al Arab). You can only enter them if you are a guest there, but you're allowed to take pictures from the outside. Jumeirah also has a marina. Very pricely real estate there, as well!


Most people will have heard about Burj Khalifa, up to now the highest building in the world (though the government intends to build one that's even higher). Tourists can go up to three different levels, and of course the ticket price will correspond. You already have breathtaking views from the 125th floor. When leaving the Burj Khalifa, you can see the fountains that move to music starting at 6 pm. It is really worth waiting for that.


When you get tired of the sun, and want to do something more active than shopping in the many malls and souks, you can go indoor skiing. Ski Dubai is modern and has nice slopes for beginners and experts alike. Outside +32° Celsius and inside -4°. Included in the ticket price is the rental of the material, which is in good quality I must say. We tried it out and it was a very nice day. You can ski, have a warm drink or grab a bite to eat nearby.


Just outside Dubai there's the desert. Different compagnies offer trips into it. We went for a sunset camel trek. We had private transport into the desert (about one hour's drive). The last part of the drive was riding up and down the sand dunes (nice!). Then we went for our camel ride (just take care when the camel gets up) in the early evening. When we returned to the bedouin camp we got some mint tea and dates, and afterwards we could sit down to a traditional dinner. Very tasty, and quite to my liking. After dinner there were traditional dances and opportunity to have a henna tatoo on your hands. You could also pose for pictures with a falcon on your arm.


Saturday, January 6, 2018

UK - Camden (London)

It's a bit off the beaten path for most tourists, but a visit to the neighborhood of Camden really is worth a visit.


We stayed at a hotel in Islington this time (also a bit out of the center already, but near to the tube station of Angel) and from there it's only a short ride by underground (7 minutes) to Camden Town. They have a partly open, partly closed market there and you can find really anything there. Especially when the weather is fine, you can easily spend a couple of hours in this neighborhood.


You won't die of hunger or thirst either. The market provided enough stalls and eateries where you can find food from all over the world.

Camden is also near the canal system which cruises through London. You can take walks along these canals, and they can bring you all through the capital of Great-Britain. We once took a walk from Islington to Regent's Park, but had to take shelter there as it began to pour with rain.