Travelweekly

  You can see something queer, when you are ever in Italy in mid-August, cities which in other times are busy quiet down. Stores are shut, plants are vacated and even the buzzing of the tourists reduces. It is Ferragosto, and to Italians it is not a holiday, but almost consecrated.   Its origin dates back in ancient Rome, when Emperor Augustus used to declare a day of rest following the lengthy period of harvest. It became a summer festivity that incorporates history and religion over the centuries as well as a mere relaxation of pace. August 15 th, Ferragosto, is today, it is the heart of the Italian summer because they are throwing away and going to the coast or the mountains or even to the center of their hometowns to have lunch together, laugh, and enjoy the sunshine.                            Note: If you are travelling and want to hav...

  It is somehow intimate to enter an art gallery in France. It is not only about the paintings or the sculptures, but about the fact that even the space itself appears to be telling you to have a chat. Contrary to the magnificent reverberating halls that one is apt to see in other regions of the world, many French galleries resemble the living room of someone rather than a museum.   I recall that one rainy afternoon I had found myself in a small gallery in Le Marais, Paris. A woman in her sixties with a scarf tied around her neck met me in a way that made me feel that we were old friends. No tickets, no ceremony, only the low tones of jazz and the faint odor of paint. She informed me that the majority of the artists were based locally and that most of them would show up frequently to discuss their work with visitors. In some way that made all the pieces on the wall appear to be alive.   Note: For a stress-free travel experience, I always choose meet and greet Stansted...

  Upon my arrival in Valencia I hoped to find a smaller and more peaceful Barcelona, lovely, seaside, and maybe in the shadow of the renowned neighbor. Instead, I discovered a city that has its rhythm, a city that perfectly mixes old-world appeal and new-world vigor in the most unobtrusive manner.   Note: Always  cheap Heathrow airport parking   before travelling and book according to your needs.   A stroll in the historic center was like you were in a storybook. Alleys led to sunlit plazas where people hung about and had coffee and the smell of oranges was in the air, not unexpectedly Valencia is known to produce them.   The Cathedral of Valencia was proudly Gothic and I was elevated by the tower of the bells where I was able to see the terracotta roofs all the way to the sea.   But Valencia is not all about history. A stroll took me to the futuristic City of Arts and Sciences, a glittering system of white curves and glass that resembled s...

 Upon my arrival in Valencia I hoped to find a smaller and more peaceful Barcelona, lovely, seaside, and maybe in the shadow of the renowned neighbor. Instead, I discovered a city that has its rhythm, a city that perfectly mixes old-world appeal and new-world vigor in the most unobtrusive manner.   Note: Always  Long Stay Parking Stansted   before travelling and book according to your needs.   A stroll in the historic center was like you were in a storybook. Alleys led to sunlit plazas where people hung about and had coffee and the smell of oranges was in the air, not unexpectedly Valencia is known to produce them.   The Cathedral of Valencia was proudly Gothic and I was elevated by the tower of the bells where I was able to see the terracotta roofs all the way to the sea.   But Valencia is not all about history. A stroll took me to the futuristic City of Arts and Sciences, a glittering system of white curves and glass that resembled something ...