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Valencia, a Modern Jewel of a City in the Mediterranean

Valencia, a Modern Jewel of a City in the Mediterranean

Valencia is one of Spain’s great cities – the third largest city, after Madrid and Barcelona. Many tourists from all over Spain and the world visit Valencia and one of the things that make this city so famous is because of Las Fallas festival. It has a coastline of some 470km with exquisite beaches and a warm Mediterranean climate that is enjoyed all year long. Valencia has always been a city of art, leaving behind its legacy of fine artists such as Joaquin Sorolla, Francisco Ribalta, Jusepe de Ribera or even contemporary Valencian architect Santiago Calatrava.

Each corner of Valencia is particularly charming, especially the famous neighbourhood of El Carmen. El Carmen is the historic centre of the city and its streets are mixed with the latest fads and bohemian traditions. For those who prefer to party, El Carmen neighbourhood is full of cool places to go to. You can enjoy the Valencian night under the moonlight in one of its beautiful terrace bars or restaurants, have a drink in the mid-afternoon sun with your friends, satisfy your craving in one of the delicious restaurants in the area or dance all night long in an avant-garde nightclub. The choice is yours.

Apart from the El Carmen neighbourhood in the city, there are plenty of other areas to enjoy Valencia’s wondrous nightlife: La Plaza de Canovas, Avenida de Arag?n, Avenida Blasco Ib??ez, La Plaza de Honduras, La Plaza X?quer and the Plaza Juan Llorens. In summertime try El Paseo Neptuno because that’s where the parties are at.

We cannot fail to mention Las Fallas when talking about coming to Valencia. They are one of the most famous, vibrant and noisiest festivals in Spain. The fires, along with the fireworks whip Valencia’s streets into a frenzy.Las Fallas is undoubtedly one of the most unique and crazy festivals in Spain. What started as a feast day for St. Jos?, the patron saint of carpenters, has evolved into a 5-day, multifaceted celebration of fire.Valencia is usually a quiet city with a population of a half-million, but the town swells to an estimated three million flame-loving revellers during Las Fallas. This is the reason why the night of the Crem? (in which the ninots are burned down) is always on March 19th, the Festivity of San Jos?. The ninots are extremely life-like and usually depict bawdy, satirical scenes and current events (Spanish politicians and celebrities are particularly popular). They are crafted by local organizations and take about six months to construct and often cost upwards of 75,000 US dollars!

For the lovers of good food among us Valencia is a paradise. Spain’s famous Paella comes from Valencia. And I’m quite sure that you will not taste better rice in any other place. Other traditional dishes are baked rice, “arroz a la banda” (with fish), black rice (with squid in its ink) and Fideu? (made with noodles). For a drink why not try “el agua de Valencia” which is orange juice with champagne – like a Bucks Fizz. Horchata (called ‘Orxata’ in Valencian language) is a popular soft drink from Valencia and fartons is a kind of bread which together makes an interesting combination. Horchata is made from ‘chufa’ (it’s a root). Arabs brought chufa from Egypt (700 BC).

“La Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias” is a must on any visit to Valencia. It is a reference point for cultural tourism: the music, new technology, the sciences, the ecology, the education, the cinema or the contemporary art are some of the things we can find in this unique space. This incredible agglomeration of buildings showcases Santiago Calatrava’s exceptional proficiency to express what is inside a building through its exterior design. Its 350,000 square metres have made it the largest cultural centre in Europe.

Does this not whet your appetite for a trip to Valencia? Travel to Valencia, discover its wonders, and then fall in love with it. Renting apartments in Valencia is a great way to explore this culture filled jewel on the Mediterranean sea.

Should I Purchase Travel Insurance

Should I Purchase Travel Insurance? Travel Tips

This is one of those age-old questions with no definitive answer. It’s estimated that 30 percent of Americans purchase travel insurance, which is a drastic increase since 9/11, when less than 10 percent of travelers were insured.

If you’re flying on a $150 ticket to see Aunt Irma in Wisconsin, you probably don’t need travel insurance. But on a trip such as yours, travel insurance can come in handy if something unexpectedly disrupts your trip. Your first step is to compare the cost of the trip versus the cost of the policy.

The most common situations when travel insurance comes in handy are:

• Your flight is canceled

• Your passport and wallet are stolen

• You require medical treatment while abroad

• You need to cancel your trip due to illness

• An unexpected hurricane hits your destination

• Your airline/cruise line/tour company go bankrupt

Reasons NOT to purchase travel insurance are:

• You’re afraid of terrorism

• A hurricane is going to hit your destination (this applies if the storm has already been named by the National Weather Service)

• Your pet is ill

• Your flight is delayed for so long that you want to cancel

One major caveat: Never purchase travel insurance from the same tour operator or cruise line with which you’re traveling. If that company goes out of business, there may not be money to cover your claim. Use a third-party provider (that includes travel agents).

Also, don’t forget about medical insurance. Even if you are covered for basic emergency care overseas, in almost all cases, your current health insurance does NOT cover you to evacuate you and fly you back to the U.S. Something called “Medical Evacuation and Repatriation” insurance comes in handy here. You pay a yearly fee, and if you get sick or injured overseas, the policy will get you treated, stabilized and flown back to the U.S. to the hospital of your choice, not theirs. There are a number of good companies that provide this type of plan, such as MedJet Assist.

Must See Festivals Around Europe

5 Must See Festivals Around Europe

Festivals are a great way to experience this amazing continent which is rich in history and diverse in culture that has some the best festivals around the world.  
1. Notting Hill Festival
The Notting Hill Festival which happens on each August bank holiday, it is one of the most spectacular carnivals in the world often been classed second only to the Rio Festival but is Europe’s top carnival with its variety of upbeat music, street parties and twenty miles of vibrant colourful costumes it brings the streets of West London.
2. Seville Festival
The Seville Festival is in fact 2 major carnivals that bring the city alive during the month April with the Seville Fair covering around 1.2 million square metres with a week long party of dancing, drinking and entertainment that often go into the early hours of the morning and in some cases there  is plenty of party goers that will often go through the night.
3. Venice Mask Festival
Venice Carnival is one of the most exuberant and exciting Carnivals in Venice and around the world, with its famous masks and lavish parades, the carnival heightens after each and passing day over nearly 2 weeks of partying in the month of March.   
4. Edinburgh Festival
The Edinburgh Festival is on during the summer month of August and is one of the most spectacular music and arts festivals with its top-notch performance ranging from rock to cabaret with its mixture of modern and alternative music as well as dance and drama.
5. Tomato Fight Festival
Tomato Fight Festival is one of the few festivals with really no meaning known as the La Tomatina is held in the region of Valencia, Spain in a small town called Bunol which as a small population of 9000 and is held on the last Wednesday of August each year where an estimated 30,000 people descend into this small town to participate in this tomato throwing frenzy.

Dallas Tourist Attraction – Dallas Art Museum

Dallas Tourist Attraction – Dallas Art Museum

The Dallas Museum of Art, located at 1717 North Harwood in Dallas, Texas has existed in one form or other since 1903. It was originally known as the Dallas Art Association and exhibited paintings owned by the members at the Dallas Public Library. It moved to many different buildings over the years until it came to its current residence in 1984.
The current size of their collection is calculated at over 23,000 separate pieces of art representative of many different style, time periods, and cultures. This collection includes African art, pottery, and decorative clothing focusing on sub-Saharan art. This is made up primarily of two famous collections: the Clark and Frances Stillman Collection of Congo Sculpture and the collection of Gustav and Franyo Schindler. The American Historical collection exhibits paintings, sculptures, and manuscripts representative of the whole of North America. The collection at the Dallas Museum of Art also boasts many millions of dollars worth of art in the: Ancient Native-American, Ancient Mediterranean, Asian, Contemporary, European, Pacific Island- Polynesian, and Provenance Styles.
The jewel crowning the Dallas Museum of Art is the Wendy and Emery Reves Collection. It was donated in 1985 by Wendy Reves in memory of her late husband. This collection includes over 1,400 individual pieces of art composed of painting, sculpture, decorative pieces, textiles, ceramics, and worked silver in the Contemporary, Impressionist, and Post-Impressionist styles. Some of the more renowned works were done by Auguste Rodin, Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, Honor? Daumier, Gustave Courbet, ?douard Manet, Paul C?zanne, and Vincent van Gogh. The value of the Reves collection is estimated at over 30 million dollars. Such is its importance that the Dallas Museum of Art built a new 15,000 Square foot wing just to accommodate the collection.
A Museum of such size is also expected to host many traveling exhibitions, and the Dallas Museum of Art is no slouch in that regard. It hosts an average of 20 traveling exhibitions and displays each year. In the past two of the most notable have been Van Gogh’s Sheaves of Wheat and a large collection of paintings and sculpture by Matisse. The museum has been honored to be one of only four museums in the country that will be hosting the traveling exhibition “King Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs”, which will be arriving in the Fall of 2008 and departing in mid May of 2009. As one can imagine the art community of Dallas, Texas itself, and many surrounding states are eagerly looking forward to the once-in-a-lifetime visit.