Archive for category World and Travel

Glasgow rose from its beginnings as a small fishing village 2,000 years ago to become one of the leading ship building centres in the world. It has always had a reputation as a tough city, from the humour of its raucous comedians to the hard-edged musicians who come from these parts. By the 12^th century the current cathedral’s first stones had been laid and in 1990 Glasgow’s renaissance was recognised when it was named European City of Culture.

Glasgow Bus Tours

One of the greatest ways to gain access to many of Glasgow’s tourist attractions is to buy a 24-hour bus ticket, which allows you over the period of a day to get on and off the open-top tour buses at 21 conveniently placed stops around the city. This way you get a fabulous view of the town from the bus and the ability to create your own, personalised tour. The trip itself is accompanied by a running commentary, describing the sights along the way, on the hour and 20 minute journey.

The “Hop On, Hop Off” Sight Seeing Tours include such sights as the Gallery of Modern Art in Georges Square, Glasgow Cathedral, St Mungo Museum of Religious Life, Science Centre and the Glenlee Tall Ship at Pointhouse Quay. The bus trip takes a circular route from the city centre into the suburbs with regular stops to jump off and explore the surrounding areas, they run every fifteen minutes so you are never left waiting for too long and the 24-hour ticket is valid for consecutive days.

City of Culture

The legacy from the European City of Culture is still present today and there are over 20 museums and galleries scattered across Glasgow. There are fabulous collections such as the eccentric and varied pieces by Sir William Burrell, while Glasgow’s Art Gallery in Kilvingrove has one of Scotland’s greatest displays of art. The GoMA, Gallery of Modern Art also showcases the best in current artistic trends highlighting the works of many contemporary international artists. Housed in the old, historic Business Exchange building the gallery provides a place of exhibition and working environment as well, with its own library, café and Internet connections.

One of Scotland’s foremost artist, designers, Charles Rennie Mackintosh is also celebrated in his former school, now opened as the Museum of Education. The city’s industrial past is also preserved in the Riverside Museum where visitors can see excellent exhibits featuring many trains and trams, along with the tall ship berthed alongside.

Staying in Glasgow

An ideal base for your Glasgow experience is the Radisson Blu Hotel in the heart of Glasgow, from here you will have easy access to all the main city centre tourist attractions, museums, pubs and restaurants. This Glasgow hotel is a tower of glass and affords uninterrupted views across the city’s panorama.  It has 250 stylish rooms and delicious restaurants and bars where Mediterranean meals, which are blended with a Scottish angle are dished up.

A trip to Egypt must take in the capital, Cairo, a bustling city, teeming with millions of people, crazy souk markets and above all a good many interesting and entertaining museums and galleries around which you can wander. In between this there are trips out to the Pyramids at Giza on the outskirts of Cairo, a romantic Nile cruise or a visit to the historic Necropolis of Abu Sir.

Egyptology has gripped the world for centuries, the mystery of the hieroglyphs, the impressive burials of the pharaohs, mummification and the search for hidden treasure. Nowhere on earth has a better collection of Egyptian artefacts been assembled than at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

The Egyptian Museum has amassed in excess of 120,000 antiquarian items, included in this vast treasure trove of history are 27 mummified remains, of which only 9 at a time are ever on show and 3,500 objects from the tomb of Tutankhamun. The prize of which is the solid gold lifelike mask weighing 24.5 pounds.

The Coptic Museum was assembled in 1910 and contains the largest collection of early Christian relics right through the modern times. In 1931 it became a part of the state museums and under the auspices of the Department of Antiquities also inherited many early items of Coptic treasures from the Egyptian Museum as well as lots of examples of frescoes, vestments and religious trappings donated by the local community. The museum contains over 15,000 objects, including a collection of 1,200 manuscripts.

The Agricultural Museum is another place to find the historic collections detailing Egypt’s long and illustrious past. This former palace of Princess Fatima was converted in 1930 and now houses relics of the countries contribution to agricultural practices. It also serves as a repository for the social history of how people have worked and managed the harsh landscape over the centuries.

Islamic Ceramics Museum at the Palace of Prince Amr Abrahim in the Zamalek district of Cairo provides an insight into the long history of ceramic pottery in Egypt. It covers a wide range of periods, styles and decorative techniques and has a wide selection of decorative, functional and ceremonial pieces. The prize collection can be found in the Fatima Hall and the fine display of Turkish pottery and Ottoman ware.

Where to stay in Cairo?

The magnificent Radisson Blu, Cairo Heliopolis Hotel, situated in the exclusive district, offers high quality facilities with easy access to the major attractions of Cairo. The impressive 427 rooms are fully air-conditioned, offering comfortable surroundings against the searing temperatures outside and come in a diverse range of styles. There is a worldwide selection of cuisine available at the restaurants, from traditional Italian food at Filini’s to the eclectic selections of Lebanese and Asian meals in the MIX restaurant.

Brussels is the capital city of Belgium and the headquarters of many prestigious European institutions as well as the European Union. You might think that being such an important city would make it a bit stuffy and boring, but the opposite is true. Brussels is a fascinating melting pot of culture with its own unique character. Its historic centre holds many fine museums, beautiful art nouveau buildings, and some of the best chocolate shops in the world. It is a historic heirloom filled with fine food, café culture, and amazing artwork.

If you are setting out to enjoy beautiful Brussels, here are some ideas of what to do:

Visit the Grand Place

This is one of the major public squares in the city, and it is a must-see during your stay in Brussels. It is surrounded by the city town, and many other beautiful buildings dating back 300 years. Each of these elegant buildings features incredibly elaborate engravings and designs. The Grand Place is a thriving central square in the daytime, but at night it becomes even more beautiful with colorful lights illuminating the buildings and live music filling the air. Be sure try the delicious Belgian waffles from the little shops on the northeast quarter of the square.

Check Out the Belgian Comic Strip Center

Brussels is known as the home of the comic strip, and everything you ever wanted to know about comic book art you could find out at this fascinating center. You can even just sit in the basement and read comic books if you want. Fans of Tin Tin, Belgium’s most well known comic strip character, will love all of the information and history that they will find here about the comic and its creator Georges Remi. Be sure to check out the gift shop on the way out to find merchandise featuring your favorite characters.

See the Royal Palace

This enormous building spans the entire length of a road, and is an impressive example of the grandeur of days gone by. The façade was built around 1900, but the garden grounds date back to the Middle Ages. As you stroll through the interior of this beautiful palace, you will be blown away by the luxurious furniture, elaborate details, and wall-to-wall artistic masterpieces. Don’t miss the throne room, which has high vaulted ceilings and amazing crystal chandeliers.

Walk Through Sablon

This is one of the most prestigious and picturesque parts of the city, and it is fun place to explore. There are many beautiful antique shops and cute little mini art galleries to wander into. Also, Sablon is famous for being one of the best places in the city to sample truly luxurious authentic Belgian chocolate from world-renowned chocolatiers such as Peirre Marcolini and Wittamers.

While you are in Brussels, a great place to stay is the Radisson Blu Royal Hotel. You will notice its sleek Art Deco design right away, which was created by Brussels architect Michel Jaspers. Inside you will find sophisticated and uniquely designed rooms with all of the modern amenities including high speed wireless internet. Alternatively the Park Inn Midi is located in the heart of the city right by the Gare du Midi train station.

Enjoy exploring the beautiful city of Brussels!