Discovering Puduhepa And Nefertari

Wishing you all the best in the new year, I want to tell about an interesting place to visit "before you die" as suggest the widget for travellers. This place is connected with the feasts because I tell you about the capital of a very powerful kingdom mentioned in the Bible. I tell you about hittites and their capital Hattusa.

If you read the romance about Ramesses II and his battle against the hittits (near Qadesh 1274 BC) -you understand, what are we telling about here. So, the place to visit is in Turkey.

There are special tours when you can visit all the places connected with the history of hittites Empire. GAZIANTEP - URFA - ADIYAMAN-NEMRUT - ANTIOCHIA -MERSIN - SILIFKE - KONYA -CAPPADOCIA - HATTUSAS (photo Wikipedia)

As for me, I was very interested to listen (in un documentary) the story about Hattusili III, his wife Puduhepa and HER relations with the wife of Ramessese, Nefertari. The women of that period were so independant that did not need femminism else...
Mmmm? I awoke your interest?

Neapoletan Christmas Cribs

Happy Christmas!

One of the traditions in Campania are the visits of "Presepe", the representations of Christ's birth. The idea comes from S.Francisc that wanted to explain the Bible to the simple persons. But it seems, the greatest diffusion it became in Neapoletan area. There are entire streets in Neaples dedicated to sell pieces of Presepe. And many of them are really works of art. To visit Presepe is a sign of auspice. And there are different possibilities. There are, for example, alive representstions where the persons show a sort of theater. There are little and large size pictures.

I visited one of them, exposed every year not far from Dom. The scene is crated on a round table, so I made some photos walking around it. Hope, this visit will bring you fortune too! :0)))

Many persons probably create a Presepe in their homes too. There are many places and even special shops where you can buy everything you need for it. All the figures seem to be alive. Made with great attention and love.

What is interesting, the image of Christ-child they put it on it's place only AFTER the birth. And in some cases all the "partecipants" like visitors of the Holy Family "come" every day nearer and nearer to the place of birth. Every day when you visit Presepe you will find other situation.

Don't Forget To Visit In Paris

Yes, you are right, I suggest you to visit a cemetery in Paris. Precisely Cimetière du Père-Lachaise situated on Boulevard de Ménilmontant.

There are tombs of many important and famous persons there. What you see on the photo from Wikipedia is the tomb of one of the most famous Franch composers, Georges Bizet.

This cemetery is one of the most known in the world. The list of the celebrities burried here would be probably longer as this blog. Bizet is maybe not the greatest among them, and if you want to go there, you have to collect all the necessary information whom you want to visit.

I don't know, if ther are many other places in Parigi dedicated to this unfortunate in the life person. So many composers of genius had not luck and happiness in their lives. At least we have his tomb to thank him for his music.

Salto San Martin On Iguazu

I continue to present you the photos of the falls on Iguazu river in Argentine. The first 2 posts,
The Power Of Attraction Of Waterfalls
Devil's Throat in Iguazu Falls,
were about the biggest of them and general information. This time I will tell you about an other of the falls, salto San Martin.

By the way, I forgot about the map. The National park of the Iguazu river is situated on the highest part of the "horn" of the top, right side. I just said you, the park had excellent organization for the tourists. You can not only walk near and over the river. There is a possibility to near the falls on the boats too. If you like this sort of experiences, you have to visit them in summer, I think. Except this, it's possible to practice water sports and climbing.

If you are interested to know everything about existing waterfalls, you can open "World Waterfall Database". There you will find the langest falls "complex" is on Mekong River in Laos (10 km contro 2,7 of Iguazu) and the highest seems to be Salto Angel in Venezuela (979 m contro 80 of Iguazu).

The Power Of Attraction Of Waterfalls

In my previous post Devil's Throat in Iguazu Falls I began to tell you about the waterfalls on the river Iguazu in Argentina (and Brazil).

When I read about this trip of a friend of my husband, I thought, the humans surely are attracted by great water and falling water. Turn back to read about my trip to the Cascades of Emerald Valley I described in a serie of posts a year ago. You can see the long and breathtaking bridges that connect different levels and places where you can enjoy the entire complex. A guide told us these places are full of tourists all summer. They come there to stay days and days in the "plates" of water under every waterfall.

Now, I see similar constructions on the photos here. Imagine, they have to be longer and more numerous as those of that little waterfalls in Caucasus (but not so romantic sure). I did not understand if it's possible to swimm under Iguazu falls too. Well, they are so large and high... Probably not. It would be dangerous, I think.

In any case you see there are crowds of tourists.
Who knows, maybe humans, like elefants, have acquatic ancestors too...

Devil's Throat in Iguazu Falls

Jose Luis, an Argentinian friend of my husband, visited some interesting places in Argentina, among them Devil's Throat in Iguazu Falls. Jose Luis allowed me to use his photos for my blog, so I can "explore" this places with you sitting for our PC-s.



Here you see the biggest of the waterfalls of Iguazu, Devil's Throat. It represents the state frontier between Argentina and Brasile. Both steates have national parks including these falls, so you can reach them from one and from other state. Most falls are on the territory of Argentina. The nearest cities are Foz do Iguacu (Br.) and Puerto Iguazu (Ar.)

Interesting is that this region is in the list of "New 7 Wonders of Nature".

All together there are more than 270 falls in this area and they occupy 2,7 km of the river. There are many islands and bridges, connecting them, so if you go there you can make a very nice walk and enjoy all the area from different points.

It's the second large waterfalls complex after the Victoria Falls.

E-Ticket For The Next Flight

In one of my previous posts Is It Posible To Plan A Trip With Iberia? I began to tell you about the vacation my husband planned for next month. I can't know, if they read my post in Iberia but after that torture I described you, suddenly the things changed for the best. They changed the flights 2 times more, yes, but at least they did not obbligued me to call their paid client service. They understood, they can perfectly communicate me the non essential changes via e-mail.

Well, now the day of the departure is for the door. And there are some important things to remember. Passport and travel tax. I forgot them completely.
First of all we have to remember to control if the passport is valid. My god, do you think it's clear as the daylight? Yes, but not when your mind is full of problems: the last gifts, little things to buy, PC that does not work, gas and wood and ... Everything to repair, to control...
And if your flight is on Monday and you remember about passport and travel tax on Friday...

But I wanted to tell you about e-tickets.
It's the greatest invention of the era of internet, believe me. I remember those times, when I had to go in the capital to buy flight tickets for my vacations. There were terrible queues, I had to stay hours and hours, days and days there, to reach booking office.

Now I find the flight in internet, I book it. It's not necessary even to print the mail with the confirmation. I print it, but nobody asks for it in the airport. It's enough to show the passport. Great! The flight ticket is the confirmation of your payment. Nothing more. I really LOVE e-tickets.

The only thing you have to look carefuly is when you book your flight. Some companies do not accept e-tickets. And it's written near the information about the flight. So, if you have to receive your flight ticket by post, you need to book the flight at least a month before the day of departure!

And the last good thing of e-booking is e-checking. :0)))
It's possible to choose your place in the airplane sitting for your PC. It's important if you have preferences or your flight is long and you don't want to disturb the sleeping persons that sit near you, for example.

Meeting Of Those Who Promote Archeological Tourism

Our Archeological Group participates every autumn on these events. These are meetings of all those who wants to promote archeological tourism. Archeologists and tour operators, archeological groups and governors of the regions where there are many archeological objects -persons from many countries come there.

I had not much time for the photos. From the moment I came there I had to stay near the stand with the books -to sell them. So I have only these photos to give you a little source of this feast.



It is interesting. You can take many maps, special books for tourists etc. You can look at the dancers and listen to the folk musik, taste regional foods and sample wines from different countries. Hundreds of persons go from one stand to other, speak with specialists, take part on the conferences.

One of the conferences was about Longobards this year. And there I had to present our books. The most known archeologists from all Italy told what they discovered about Longobards in their regions. On my photos you see the images of the women of that period -presented by Chiara Lambert, an archeologist of Salerno.



This is a Longobard woman

Discovering Sardinia With Sardinia Open Voucher

Sardinia is a very intreresting to visit part of Italy. I have friends there and know they have normally better weather conditions as we in Campania. Now there is a possibility to plan and organize a trip round the island using servises of Portale Sardegna that offers special search engine to customize your itinerary online so as you are communicating with a travel agent.

The service called Sardinia Open Voucher is composed from a hotel and rental car formula. You can choose from 60 three and four stars hotels situating in any part of Sardinia and pick up the car and drop it off at the airport. This will cost you euro 29,99 a day. This price is for the period from October till March. It will change surely according to class and seasonality. In other periods the price is higher but it is very interesting the same. Control the price list on the site when you plan your travel.

Sardinia travel is an unforgettable experience in any season. I told you just about very nice weather conditions all year round. But you will surely enjoy not only beaches, mountains and air. There are many important historical places there. The population often conserves it's ancestral traditions and you can partecipate on the folkloric feasts.
Once visited the island, you will return there.

National Geographic About Shangri-La Treasures

This day was full of important notices. One of them was about the "Shangri-La" Caves Yield Treasures found in Nepal. Sincerely it's the first time I've seen a video of such explorations and was very impressed.

In the caves were found texts originated from XV century and belong to Buddhist and Bon traditions. Because Buddhism came in Tibet in VIII century, they say, this find demonstrates the 2 religions "lived" together for some time. Some of the texts are completely unknown and this has very great value specially for Bon religion.

The wall paintings are from XIII -XiV centuries. The human bones are about 2700 years old.
National Geographic published photos from the caves too. You can see them in "Shangri-La Cave Pictures"

Longobard's Women

This year I decided to partecipate on the manifestation promoting archeological tourism "Borsa Mediterranea Del Turismo Archeologico". Our Archeological Group partecipates on it every year but it is too far from the place where I live, so it is too complicate for me to go there. This year there are different conferences, and they need more persons, so I said I'll come too.

I (with other women of our group) have to present the typical plates coming from Longobard period. Those have to be cooked by Archeological groups of different regions of Italy. I'll write about it in my later posts. Now I wanted to inform myself about the clothes and hairstyle of the women of that period. That is why I did a great research in internet.

What you see here, on the photo from Wikipedia, is the picture of Theodolinda, a queen with Longobard roots. I found only one other picture of a Longobard queen -with similar hairstyle. So, sunday I'll try to make something like this on my head too. :0)))

What is interesting about the Longobard's women: it seems they had important role in their society. We notice it from the very first legend about the future Longobards. When they have to fight against the Vandals, the 2 brothers leading the group go to their mother, G'ambara, to ask what to do. The mother asks to help them Freja, the wife of Godan (Odin). Freja turns the bed of Godan in the morning (!), so that he sees first Winnilies with their wives under him (Winnilies were not very numerous, so the women were there to show great number of persons to Godan).

I read about different Longobard queens, and all they had very active role near their husbands.

S. Peter At Court -A Monument To Visit In Salerno

One of the most interesting monuments you can find open in Salerno is S. Peter At Court. A must to visit for those who wants to see in one place all the history of Salerno from the time when it was a building of Roman public baths, than Paleochristian church and cemetery, than a private chapel of Longobard Prince Areki II, than oratorium...

You see the entrance on the photo. The building is on the right. We are voluntaries of the Archeological Group of Salerno and come here every morning to open the monument. It is difficult for many of us, for those who studys or works. But it is really very important for the town where only 2 or 3 other monuments are open every day.

There is other room over the place of archeological excavation where we are but this room is closed for visits.

When the visitors comne we tell them the story of this building and what the archeologists discovered in the site. Most persons are very impressed not only to have a free guide but to meet so much dedication of the volunteers.



Here, 7 meters under the actual street level, are the rests of the Roman baths. The ceiling is reconstructed, but it was it's natural hight and form. In the attached S. Anna chapel we expose books, magazines etc.

Memorable Golf Vacations In Myrtle Beach

Myrtle Beach Golf is one of the attractions for those, who comes in this splendid location on the ocean, year-round. If you like golf, this is the right place for your vacations. Because there is a really great collection of more than 100 courses there. The professionals will introduce you in different traditions of this game, even in the true Scottish tradition.

The best is that you can book your Myrtle Beach Golf Vacations directly online. There is a very simple form to choose the course, time when you want to come there and number of golfers. Notice that if you are interested in tee times, there are some restrictions to observe.

If you want to choose a Myrtle Beach Golf Package you don't need to book a hotel too. There are golf only packages that offer different course designs and the joy to improve your skills with legendary players.

You can confront Golf Packages Myrtle Beach visiting Ttimes Only, where you will find descriptions of every course, their rates, news and events, and all the other informations you can need to plan and organize your memorable vacation.

The Bronze Door Of The Cathedral Of Salerno

What you see on the photo is the yard of the Cathedral of Salerno. And one of the most important manufacts of this Dom and of the Middle Ages generally is it's bronze door (in center).

This door was made in Constantinople at the end of the XI century. There are not many similar doors in Europe and the first of them were made in Constantinople.

The very first was the door of Pantheon in Rome made by Romans in 125. This one inspired merchants resident of Amalfi, Pantaleone and his son, and they donated similar door to the cathedral of Amalfi in 1060. The other they ordined for the abbey of Montecassino in 1066. The cathedral of Salerno was a copy of that of Montecassino. It's clear that it had to have similar door too. So one of the rich donators, Landolfo Butromile, ordined this door in Constantinople . This last is more beautiful as previous. It contains figures of the Saints. Near S. Mattheus you can see the figures of the donators, Landolfo and his wife, Gisana.



I was very curious why there are so many churches in Salerno and so many donated pieces.
In Middle Ages, the people believed they will go in the paradise if they donatre something important to the God. The cathedral needed this door, and so Landolfo and his wife could live happily insured their places in paradise.

After the death, both were burried in the cathedral, and you can see their gravestones preserved near the door they donated, today.

Glory Of Palmira

«Тени былого величия» на Яндекс.Фотках

When I was younger, I heard many times Leningrad (S.Petersburg today) was called Nothern Palmira. Sincerely I've never thought about these words. Yesterday I could listen to it's story, of Palmira, told by Valerio Massimo Manfredi, historian and very successful writer (probably you've read his book "The Last Legion" -my translation of the title- and I know that they told about a movie)

There were reconstruction of the city in the documentary. It was a city of incredible beauty and very very big. Enormous. Manfredi said, there were different millions of residents there! And it was so antient that even the Bible tells about it!

In the times when Roman Empire had great problems, there was a young and beautiful queen Zenobia in Palmyra that was so courageous to rebell against Romans. She was not very happy in her ribellion. One of the Roman Emperors (the name originaly means "head of the military troups"), Aurelian, captured her and brought in Rome...

I thought, he, Aurelian, loved Zenobia, so as Giulius Cesare loved Cleopatra, because Manfredi said, Aurelius had something special in mind for her...
...but the truth is absolutely not romantic. He wanted her to walk in chains (golden chains) through the streets of Rome for his triumphal return home.

The plant on the photo has the name of queen Zenobia. It is Zenobia pulverulenta (Honeycup) and the residents of Carolina and Virginia (US) maybe know it.

So, if you plan to go in Syria, don't forget to visit Palmira and remember this rebelle woman...

«Крепость Крак де Шевалье» на Яндекс.Фотках

War As A Tourist Attraction

«день за днём» на Яндекс.Фотках

Everybody is free to chose the own way to go in vacation. It's clear. Some people find strainge ways. Today I knew about this one.

Some persons go in the dangerous zones of the Earth. Those, where there is war.

And there are not one or two of them. They create entire groups, and the best entertainment for them is to pass from point A to point B through the zones where they shoot. I read a report of one of them, where a retiree-war tourist tells how their group passed from airport to the hotel trough the dangerous zone. The militars did not want to allow them to go there but they did it.

Extreem tourism...


«Дорога на Бамиан.» на Яндекс.Фотках

Best Flight Offers You Can Find In Australia

In my previous post I wrote about one of the main Australian attractions, about sharks. There are many companies and airfares that offer flights that can bring you in any part of the continent and so you can easily follow the natural events or maybe organize our visits of different regions or main cities. With Travel.com.au you can book directly online all the flightes you can need for your vacation. What is very important they offer multistop and other possibilities. So when your vacation begins you can think only about relaxing activities.

Tourists from other continents will find all the proposals of international flights including round the world and multistop trips. There are many interesting tings to study on the site. Cruises, special vacation offers in different parts of the world. And if you are not sure what to do, you can speak or chat with the experts of the company directly from the site! You will meet really great passion about the business they do.

Among the most requied are cheap flights today. Visiting Travel.com.au you will find not only special discounts or offers. There is for example Hot Specials page that presents best deals, cheap flights on sale and many other possibilities. It's better if you control it personally because I could make an entire list for you here. And it's a post where I only present you the company.

Just because I began to tell you about the best deals, I want to remember that Travel.com.au represents all the main airkrafts operating in Australia like singapore airlines. When you open their pages you find not only the last offers of every company but their rules, terms and coditions too. It's important to know them before you come in the airport.

Tourists Look For Sharks!!!

«Улыбкой Джоконды это не назовешь!» на Яндекс.Фотках

One of the last surveys discovered: when the governors of that of this region announce the zone is close for the presence of the sharks, it... attracts tourists!

The persons pay big money to have the possibility to see them, sharks, from the cage submerged in the ocean. Sincerely, I would do it too. And woud like to visit the places where is possible whale watching and where I could see the sharks in their "element". Not that I do not understand danger. But it would be really GREAT experience in my life.


Посмотреть на Яндекс.Фотках

Naica Mountain Giant Crystal Cave

This crystals are known, and I've just seen their photos some times. What was new for me, I did not imagine those crystals are really giant. Selenite gypsum crystals that were created by the nature when the mountain was created. Together.

The photo is from National Geographic, "Giant Crystal Caves Come To Light" where there is more information and there are more photos too.

I don't know if it's possible to visit this cave. Surely if will be. The problem is that they are in Mexico that seems to have ethernal internal problems and as not enough of sufferings they have that swine flu too... Well, we will pray the good God donates them peace and wellbeing and so everybody can visit this country without fear.

PS
I read that it's dangerous to enter these cave because there are toxic air or water or something else... Maybe it's better for conservation of this miracle of the nature.

Aurora Borealis In Photos

«Северное сияние» на Яндекс.Фотках

About 2 or 3 years ago one of the most loved anchormen of the Italian TV, Mike Bongiorno (dead a month ago), wanted to partecipate on an expedition to the North Pole. He was more than 70 years old. So, I think, if one wants to see the Aurora Borealis, there have to be special tours and there are possibilities to visit one of the cities like that where the author took his photos.

The author of these photos lives in Norilsk. I've seen many photos of Aurora Borealis. I wrote about a special site and the "championships" for the best photo of it. They were beautiful, the photos, but "photoshopped". And they had no landscaft there. It seemed not natural. That is why I like these photos.


«Северное сияние» на Яндекс.Фотках


«Северное сияние» на Яндекс.Фотках

Towers On The Grove Of The Myrtle Beach

This Myrtle Beach Resort is very interesting because you have the impression it rises directly from the sands of the beach in Cherry Grove, a section of the North Myrtle beach, famous vacation's destination. People like to come here to enjoy oceanfront coastline views, the relaxing noise of the waves and at the same time many and different attractions for children and adults. Interesting museums and concerts of known singers and bands, shopping malls and parks, even Alligator Adventure you can live here.

Towers on the Grove, Oceanfront Myrtle Beach Resort, is a new beach destination that offers to the guests friendly athmosphere and quality amenities. Romantic ocean views from the windows of your rooms -there are 1, 2 and 3 bedroom condos with full kitchens, private balconies and designer furnishings- will spellbound you. This resort has tropical pood deck, covered pools, lazy river and private beach access. Your vacation will donate you really great experiences.

One of the Myrtle Beach Resorts, Towers on the Grove offers you not only competitive prices. Visiting the site you can discover different and very interesting specials. They change with the seasons to give the best possibilities of the vacations. This way you can combine great services with great price.

Soaring In The Clouds

I read many romantic books about Greece when I was a student. No, not about the antient times. About modern life. To be more precise, about the places of incredible beauty. And about orthodox monasteries where the life is so as it was centuries ago when the founders come here. In those cases when the women can enter the territory of the monastery, they have to wear covering clothes, the trousers are forbidden too.

Places like this, Meteora. The name means "soaring in the clouds".

Посмотреть на Яндекс.Фотках

Посмотреть на Яндекс.Фотках

«Греция,Фессалия, метеоры» на Яндекс.Фотках