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Showing posts with label Europe. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Europe. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

10 of the Best Cities to Visit in Europe

">Written by Karen BryanWelcome to my blog, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

Many visitors ask which are the the must see cities in Europe. That’s a hard question to answer. It depends on your personal preferences, budget and how much time you have. Here is the Europe a la Carte pick of the best cities to visit in Europe, in random order.

Berlin

Although Berlin is not a personal favourite of mine, most people I’ve spoken to have really enjoyed the city.  It’s got a great music and arts scene. Amanda has collated the Europe a la Carte posts about the city in the “Best of Berlin Travel Tips“.

Street Art in Berlin

Click here to find the cheapest prices on Berlin hotels on the HotelsCombined price comparison site.

Paris

Paris is one of my favourite European cities. In fact despite all the hype, Paris exceeded my expectations. It was the destination for my easyJet 15 Hour Blogger Challenge in November 2010 and I was quite flummoxed by trying to decide what to do during such a brief visit. You can get ideas on what to do in the city in our “Best of Paris Travel Tips“.

Me outside the Louvre Pyramid in Paris

Click here to find the cheapest prices on Paris hotels on the HotelsCombined price comparison site.

Vienna

Vienna conjures up images of classical music, palaces, glossy Lippzaner horses and coffee culture. You can read our “Best of Vienna Travel Tips” and recommendations for “The Best Places to Stay in Vienna“.

Schonnbrun Palace by @Steve

Click here to find the cheapest prices for Vienna hotels on the HotelsCombined price comparison site.

London

There’s no doubt that London is an amazing city. I visited many times and feel that I’ve only scratched the surface. I reckon that you can visit London all year round as there are plenty of things to do indoors even if the weather’s not great. Get some ideas on what to in the UK capital on our “Best of London Travel Tips“.

The London Eye at night

Click here to find the cheapest prices for London hotels on the HotelsCombined price comparison site.

Prague

The capital of the Czech republic is also high on my would love to visit list. The Europe a la Carte blogging team have plenty of tips of “What to Do & Where to Stay in Prague“, that I hope I’ll be following soon.

Prague by fklv

Click here to find the cheapest prices for Prague hotels on the HotelsCombined price comparison site.

Edinburgh

Now I have to come clean here and state that I’m Scottish, so I’m bound to be biased. However the Scottish capital is hard to beat (well apart from weather wise). It’s located on the Forth Estuary so is a coastal city with a beach and lovely views down to the sea. It’s compact enough to walk around.  I’d recommend a visit in April to June or September to October, as it gets very busy and expensive during the summer Edinburgh Festival. You can read my article “Edinburgh Off the Beaten Track” for some ideas on free things to do in the city.  You’ll find all the blog posts about Edinburgh here with tips on how to find cheap hotel rooms, restaurant reviews and attractions.

View from Nelson’s Monument Edinburgh

Click here to find the cheapest prices for Edinburgh hotels on the HotelsCombined price comparison site.

Lisbon

Lisbon is on my must visit list, inspired by the Europe a la Carte “Best of Lisbon Travel  Tips“. It’s the cheapest capital city in the Eurozone, always appealing to a Scot.

Lisbon Cathedral by pedrosimoes7

Click here to find the cheapest prices at Lisbon hotels on the HotelsCombined price comparison site.

Barcelona

Barcelona has a winning combination of a hip city with a sunny beach. I enjoyed exploring the sea front and Gothic Quarter on a Segway Tour.  If you can get to Barcelona during one of the many fiestas the atmosphere will be even more electric. Amanda has written “10 Things to Do in Barcelona”.

Barcelona marina

Click here to find the cheapest prices for Barcelona hotels on the HotelsCombined price comparison site.

Athens

Athens is the cradle of civilisation and the new Acropolis Museum looks fantastic, it’s one of Amanda’s “Seven Things to Do in Athens“. I’d avoid the Greek capital in the Summer, as it’s just too hot (that’s when you should be on one of the islands).

Acropolis Museum by dullhunk

Click here to find the cheapest prices for Athens hotels on the HotelsCombined price comparison site.

Venice

Yes, I know that Venice is a real tourist trap. It was pretty busy with tourists even on a dull, cold Tuesday in February when we visited. Nevertheless the city still has a magical feel making it a must visit European city. Get some tips for your visit in Amanda’s “Ten Things to Do in Venice“.

Venice by JoeDuck

Click here to find the cheapest prices for Venice hotels using the HotelsCombined price comparison site.

Vote for Your Must See European City

Please vote below for your favourite European city. I voted for Paris, as I thought if I could only see one city in Europe, I’d choose the French capital.

Share and Enjoy:This entry was postedon Monday, January 31st, 2011 at 9:45 amand is filed under European Travel Tips.You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Related posts:Five of the Best Things to Do in TuscanyHow to find the cheapest hotel rateFind the cheapest hotel with HotelscombinedLondon voted greatest holiday destinationThe (almost) perfect travel affiliate scheme?3 Responses to “” CN Heidelberg on January 31st, 2011 at 9:58 am

If people tell me they can only visit one city in Europe, I tell them to go to Rome.

Tweets that mention -- Topsy.com on January 31st, 2011 at 10:05 am

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Keith Jenkins, Nellie Huang, Karen Bryan, Karen Bryan, Karen Bryan and others. Karen Bryan said: @Liligo_UK I based http://bit.ly/edCezY on opinions of other Europe a la Carte writers & friends [...]

Karen Bryan on January 31st, 2011 at 10:06 am

CN – Yes Rome is a wonderful city. The 10 cities I mentioned I mentioned are really just a starting point, maybe another Europe a la Carte post in the future “10 More Must See European Cities”?

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Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Top Five Posts on the Europe a la Carte Blog in 2010

">Written by Karen BryanWelcome to my blog, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

The five most popular posts on the Europe a la Carte Blog in 2010 were:

Best Mastercard Prepaid Debit Card to Avoid the Ryanair Admin Fees - How to avoid paying the £5 per person per flight admin fee.Wine Tourism in Croatia: Wines of the Istrian Peninsula – Following the Wine Trail in Istria.Travelling with a Netbook: A Blessing or a Curse – In my opinion, definitely a blessing, as long as your hotel has free wifi with a decent signal.Mali Losinj: A Croatian Island Treasure – Try some local seafood and brandy on this beautiful island.Market Day in Annecy, France – Some say this is France’s best market.

Annecy, France

Podcast about Top 5 Posts on the Europe a la Carte Blog in 2010

Subscribe to the Europe a la Carte Podcast in itunes or audioboo.

Which was your favourite post on the Europe a la Carte Blog in 2010?

Share and Enjoy:This entry was postedon Friday, December 31st, 2010 at 10:23 pmand is filed under European Travel Tips, Podcasts.You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Related posts:Podcast 12 November 2010: Packing tips, Lille Christmas market, the Greek island of Samos, SAS & Travelodge UKPodcast 28 November 2010: UK Crown Jewels, things to do in Athens, top attractions in France & using English abroadPodcast 21 October 2010: National Museum of Archaeology in France, Kayersi in Turkey and Vieste’s outdoor marketMali Losinj – A Croatian Island TreasurePodcast 20 November 2010: Europe a la Carte Dream European Travel ItineraryOne Response to “” Natalie on January 1st, 2011 at 5:53 am

I liked Inka’s post on Kayseri. It was nice to read before I left on my trip there. She wrote about it a beautiful way and gave me good vibes for the whole trip.

http://www.europealacarte.co.uk/blog/2010/10/21/kayseri-attractions-things-to-do-in-kayseri/

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Golf BreaksIf you’re looking for a golf break, take a look at these amazing Marriott golf packages available throughout the UK, Ireland, Egypt, Spain and Portugal.

Hotel ResortsMarriott hotel resorts offer sensational sojourns in some of the world’s most enticing locations. Aruba, Bali, Cayman Islands, Costa Rica – where will you go?

Country BreaksA country break in a Marriott Hotel & Country Club will get you back to nature in some style. Time to treat yourself…

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Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Christmas traditions in Europe

">Written by Jeremy BranhamWelcome to my blog, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!

As we celebrate the Christmas holiday, there are a number of unique celebrations and traditions around the world that originated in Europe.  Throughout Europe, countries like France, Germany, Norway, England, and others have their own unique ways of celebrating Christmas.

As we look ahead to Christmas, here are some well-known and unusual Christmas traditions throughout Europe.

1.  Mistletoe - This tradition originated from the Celtic Druids around 500 B.C. in England.  These pagan worshipers loved nature and believed that holly and mistletoe warded off evil spirits and helped ensure futility.  In the Christmas tradition, mistletoe was symbolized everlasting life through Christ and faith which would never die.

An English tradition, kissing under the mistletoe has been practiced for years though no one is certain how the tradition started.  It probably has something to do with with the fertility celebration by the Druids.

Mistletoe (Flickr: Dramatic)

2.  Christmas cards - The first Christmas card was issued in December 1843 by Sir Henry Cole.  During this time of the year, holiday messages were written on calling cards to friends and acquaintances.  Sir Henry Cole was too busy and hired London artist John Calcott Horsley to design a card with a Christmas message.  The first Christmas card greeting read “Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to you.”  With post offices in England and the United States, this Christmas tradition was spread.

Christmas Card (Flickr: mjurn)

3.  Fruitcake - For people who have tasted fruit cake, it is something that is either loved or hated.  However, the tradition of the fruitcake began in Italy.  Italians have a variety of fruitcakes – panettone (big bread), pandoro (golden bread), panforte (strong bread), and pandolce (sweet bread).

Fruitcake is a blend of break and fried fruits celebrated and eaten throughout various regions in Italy.  While each region enjoys its favorite, the history of fruitcake is debated.  Many believe it may have been created in the 12th century by Sienese monks.

However, the popular, romatic story of fruitcake is that of panettone,  A baker from Milan fell in love with a woman and wanted to capture her love with a delicious cake.  His mixture included eggs, candied fruit, and too much yeast.  The result was panettone version of fruitcake which is popular all over Italy.

Panettone (Flickr: ben hanbury)

4.  Silent Night - This famous Christmas carol was first performed in Austria in 1818.  Legend has it that a local priest was out on Christmas night to bless a baby.  On his way home, the experience of that night on a starlit evening inspired him to write a poem.  Franz Gruber, the church organist, set the poem to music and on Christmas Eve 1818, the song was performed for the first time.  In Obendorf, Austria, the Silent Night Chapel stands on the place where Gruber and priest Joseph Mohr stood as it was performed for the first time.

5.  Nutcrackers - Nutcrackers were believed to originate from the Nürnberg region of Germany.  Legend has it that a man was on his deathbed but schoolchildren sang to him and he recovered.  In appreciation, he gathered what he had – wire, prunes, figs, and walnuts – and made a little man.  These became very popular and were sold in the markets.

Over the years, the Nutcracker became a wooden figurine of policeman, soldiers, and more used to crack the toughest of nuts.  These wooden versions were designed in 15th century Saxony as miners became woodworkers and developed these popular figures.

Nutcracker (Flickr: mikejmartelli)

For many celebrating Christmas, many of the popular traditions originate from Europe.  From mistletoe to Silent Night, the origins of these traditions go back many years.  While the origin of some of these Christmas traditions aren’t certain, it is these Christmas traditions which make celebrating Christmas in Europe so memorable and fun.