Dubrovnik in Croatia

Cruises are interesting because we can visit different countries or at least different cities in only some days. We can't explore those ports in-depth, but we can still visit the most special touristic objects. One of these ports is Dubrovnik in Croatia. I read somewhere that it's the most beautiful town in Europe. Sure is that many cruise ships visit the town.


«город Дубровник в Хорватии» на Яндекс.Фотках

It's possible you don't know that Dubrovnik is a town of great artistic interest. I noticed that all the tourists that visited it do not write about it's artistic beauties. Neither about it's numerous feasts. If you don't like them, you can enjoy it's modernity, too: nightlife, shows, water sports, adventure vacation and beaches. What I like particularly, is the rich nature and wild animals that are not too afraid of humans.

Great Savings with Online Canadian Pharmacy

CanadaDrugCenter.com is a fully licensed online Canadian pharmacy selling prescription and non-prescription medications. You can save up to 90% on your meds thanks to the difference of the prices in countries like Canada and USA, for example. When you look for your medicine, you can choose from the list of brands and generic products. You have total control of the available drugs and their prices and can decide personally what medicine you want to order.

Let’s suppose you buy effexor, a medicine that cures depression with success. CanadaDrugCenter.com offers the list of equivalents with all the informations about the drug in the bottom of the page. You can find answers on your questions there, too. The most important are who and how can take this medicine. Don't forgetto study side effects when youdecide to buy it.

If you have high cholesterol levels, you probably buy lipitor to avoid deseases like heart attack and strokes. With CanadaDrugCenter.com you can save appreciably not only the lowest price is guaranteed by the company. Send a valid prescription written by your doctor with your order and request the drug you choose among the rich  list of generic products there.

And your savings do not finish here. Imagine, you buy fosamax and save so significantly with the change and great chooice of prices. Look at right of the list of the products where you can see a little green button "Earn $35". Don't overlook it! It's a really great possibility- Because for every person you refere, you receive $35 credit. And your friend, too! Is it not a great gift to your budget?

Winter Is Here. In Italy, too

Yesterday, the temperature was so nice. Yesterday, we had still autumn. Somebody could say it was similar to summer. Yesterday, the temperature was 18°C. It was yesterday.

Today, we have 8°C.
Probably, you will laugh. Is it cold winter? Well, maybe it is not cold if you look at it generally. But if we think that the temperature was 18°C till yesterday and it is 10 degrees lower today -this is the difference.
Yes, it's not like Siberia


«автор фото -Natavoro» на Яндекс.Фотках

They said that Vesuvius is covered with snow today. I did not see it because I was not from that part of our hill today. I'll photograph it tomorrow, promise. But Vesuvius is 1281 meters high and the temperature is low over 1000 m.

I'm afraid that all the water that fall on the earth in these 2 weeks becomes ice till tomorrow. Here, on the hills, it can happen. And I'm afraid to use the car in these conditions.  But now, when I write it, I hear that the rain continue.

So, what do you mean when you say "winter"?

A Particular Christmas Nativity Scene

One of the most important local traditions is to create Christmas Nativity scenes. They believe, it's a good omen to create and to visit them.

There are entire shops and even streets where they sell only Nativity scene's pieces. And different villages and associations organize alive Nativity scenes, too. It comes from the times of St. Francisc of Assisi who tryed to explain the Bible to the unalphabet persons this way.
I write about it every year so I'll not stop on it this time.

 The Feast of the Immaculate Conception I passed with a trekking association. We had an excellent walk from Sorrento to Massa Lubrense and back. Here you see the main square of Sorrento with the Christmas tree.

I like the new custom to place a syntetic Christmas tree in the towns. They do not use to kill the alive trees more. But what I wanted to tell you this time is an interesting Christmas Nativity scene that is organized as you see in a gorge where there were the mills in antiquity.
The scenes are real: the participants change their places every day and Gesus Christ appears in the crib only when He is just born. So, here you see only the beginning of the story.

Italy: Sunny November

Autumn is the best season in Italy. I just wtìrote about it in my article Autumn in Italy -Best Vacation Choice Do you like autumn? Many of us like it. But here, in southern Italy autumn is long, very-very long.

This year, all November was cool, too. Normally, this month is rainy. And December is lovely, than. But sometimes we can enjoy so high temperatures! Once, it was possible to swim till November! It's not about this year but... look at these photos, they will explain everything without words.

One of the beaches in the industrial zone of Salerno is desert. Nobody tryes to touch the water. I did not touch it, too. The stay near the sea is always not only joy, you absorb this healthy air and the rays of sun with every cell of your body.



Fishers find always time to sit on the stones that maintain the seaside in the center of Salerno. You can find them here day and night. I looked in their buckets but did not see anything else except young fishes. What is their interest in sitting there is a mystery for me.



The other interesting specie of humans flourish in the town: runners. The seaside of Salerno is very long. And, if you have this wish, you can arrive, comfortably running, till the end of the town. The most beloved is this central part that is about 1,5 km long.



Finally, if you do not belong to fishers and runners, you can always meditate looking on the boats that are slowly passing in front of you, giving to your walk and to all your vacation that incredible sense of calm and extreem relax.

What Affects Premiums of Car Insurance Policy

Vehicle insurance is an important financial system thought to protect every participant of the traffic from damages and liability in case of collision. But the premium can vary considerably. We do not have to take it for granted for simple reason: the premium of a good informed person may save for her great amount of dollars every year because there are so many variables that can affect the premium! Here are some of them to keep your eye on.

You can lower your insurance premium if you take some precautions, first of all. Check your car, instal safety features and devices, take safe-driving courses. It's important not only for insurance companies but is a very important psychological factor for you, too. The feeling that you are brave and have everything and meet the requirements will entail low number of accidents and tickets. The scientifically proved fact is that more collisions and tickets have those persons that just have many of them (accidents and tickets).

Next step is to choose your car insurance where you will obtain interesting price and good discounts. An important thing that not all the drivers remember at the moment they shop for the car insurance is how many years they drive without violations. The number of requested years vary from company to company and can be three or five, for example. So, good driving records and attention to the peculiarities will help you to safe money.

Italy: Interesting and Unexplored

Italy offers not only beautiful places to visit. There are many and frequent manifestations and exhibitions where you can learn practically anything here, too.

Some days ago I visited one of them, dedicated to the archaeological tourism. They said, it was the last of these manifestations (XIV) and I could not miss it since I am working as a travel agent, as you know.

I wanted to know people that will tell abut their lands. It was very interesting for me. Unfortunatelly, there were not representatives from north Italy but in any case, I could have a great tour of the large part of the country.



I took everything I could that was exposed there (every tour operator took books and brochures to give to those who is interested in), and now I have half of the house covered with that brochures that I have to systematize. It will be useful not only to answer the questions of the persons that ask me what and where they can visit in Italy. It is very interesting for me, too. Because I love to visit interesting places and to explore this country.

It's very often that I can't find enough information about this or that city or national, archaeological park or something other. I don't like to go somewhere and to discover after the visit that I did not see the main, the most interesting part of it. If I go somewhere, I go to learn the country, to discover it's importance, not to say than to my friends and relatives that "I was there".  It's senseless and too expensive way to throw time and money, you know.

Well, now, when I accumulated all that treasure, I will study these brochures and will organize absolutely unforgettable travels for me and for my clients. And I've just seen some veeery veeeery ... :-)))

Impressive Mountains

Sud Apennine mountains are very low if we look at them from the part where I live, between Salerno and Naples. They are similar to the hills more than to the mountains. You begin to understand that you are near the mountains when you travel on sud of Salerno. Here you can admire them and the frequent clouds over them, too. It's clear thet the tops of the moountain chains are much more clod than the plains but you understand it when you see the town on the beach caressed by the sunshine and treatening clouds that cover all the area only 4-5 km fare from there.

We were in Battipaglia and Eboli some days ago and I was amazed by the view of the mountains over Salerno how they present from that part. (and the clouds, as you see, do not delude me -I've told you the truth :-) )



But these mountains are very different from Vesuvius, for example, that is formed from the volcanic rock. Here you can see the layers from that our Earth is built. Sometimes they are calm as on this photo, other times they are broken violently. It makes a strange impression: you can see that terrible event with your own eyes if you have some imagination.



The mountains in our zone and in all Campania are not too high, but don't think they are old, low, tired. First of all, they arrive to 1800 (almost...) meter near Avellino and to the south of Salerno. And there are splendid stalactitic grotto there, too!

Monaco is the November Vacation of my Dreams

Monaco is situated not too far from the place where my friends have their summer flat. When I visited them for the first time about 25 years ago, they wanted to show me all the most interesting places and Monaco was among them. We travelled with the car, and there were the custom barriers in that period. I had the permission to stay only in Italy and could not pass the border, normally. But we found one place where the customs officers did not look at the passes (even if the first time I laid on the seat under the coat).This way we passed every afternoon and evening abroad.



One evening we were near the famous casino of Monaco and wanted to enter inside. Together with the very beautiful women with evening dresses. :-) that went out from Aston Martins cabriolets... Do you think, it was unpossible to enter there? No, we could enter without any problem in the main hall. But it was only a beautiful building... The entrance of the casino was in that main hall. Clearly, we could not enter there without special evening clothes.
Monaco was so beautiful in the daytime and in the evening, and I was so much impressed by it's beauty...I thought, it is the most beautiful place I've ever seen in my life (betraying my love for Saint Petersburg).
Hotel in Monaco
I would like to visit Monaco once more. But NOW, in this period. Do you know, why? Because they have the most important feast on Nov. 19 and it will be the fireworks show in the evening. They say that those fireworks are the most beautiful in Europe. I would like to see this show...

Two Faces of Sorrento

Sorrento is one of the ports of call for the cruise ships in Campania, in Italy. This little town is actually all faced to the tourists and they can found there everything they could look for when they step on the soil. There are comfortable connections to the other cities and tourist objects of Campania, too.

Sorrento is situated on the "terrace" of vulcanic stone (it's practically one tongue of lava) 50 meters over the port where there are only some services like taxis and bars. The tourists have to go up the stairs to reach the town for excursion or to take a train or a bus. This is the "new", the "modern" part.




If you are interested to explore the antique, original mode of life of the local population, you have to visit Marina Grande, a fishers' village that is situated from the other side of the rock you see on the first photo and that is possible to reach walking about 15 minutes from the center of the town. Here you can enjoy not only the colorful houses of the fishers but -if you want- you can swimm in those warm waters, too. So, if you like swimming and have to explore Sorrento don't forget your bathing suit. There is free and paid possibility and you will have a great walk up in the town after that -if you don't prefere the bus that stops directly on the beach.




Do you like Sorrento? You can book a cruise from this page -there is a cruise search engine on the right of this article. And remember -if you book your cruise from MY site, you can ask me to guide you in one of the touristic objects in Campania. There you will find the hotel search engine, too. If you prefere, you can contact me for last minute and other offers -you just know that  I'm a home based travel agent.

Unusual Cruises Around the World

Cruise holidays have become more and more popular over the years. Now catering for all age groups, cruises have it all in one place.

With locations constantly updated and cruise liners continuously being improved, cruises are the modern way to see the world.

They are no longer limited to the popular regions of the Caribbean, Mediterranean and Baltics, but now also go to more unusual places, such as the Norwegian Fjords and the Alaskan wilderness.

Here we look at some of the unusual cruise options available around her world:



Norway

A cruise along the Norwegian Fjords showcases a profusion of unique natural wonders; waterfalls, lakes, glaciers and fjords. Along the way, the majority of the ports visited are little fishing towns perched on the side of the bays, providing intimate and low key cruises.

There are a number of different stop-offs, which include Bergen, Oslo where you can see the Vigeland sculptures, Stavangar, the Viking capital of Trondheim and the gateway to the Arctic. Some liners cross the Article circle where you can visit the lunar landscapes as well as the world's most northern town, Hammerfest.

The town is the best place to see the spectacular Northern Lights and is a very popular tourist area. Norwegian liners vary in size and luxury; a number boast private balconies, which at a slight extra cost provide a perfect way to view the Norwegian scenery.



Alaska

Despite being the largest state in America, Alaska is a land of immense beauty whilst being very sparsely populated. Similarly to Norway, Alaska boasts a number of fjords, glaciers, icebergs, coastal wilderness and snow-capped mountains as well as fertile rainforests. A range of animals are also regularly spotted including whales, bears and eagles.

Alaskan cruises offer a number of different experiences that cannot be enjoyed anywhere else. Guests have the chance to enjoy the unspoiled wilderness whilst also visiting frontier towns full of history and experiencing up-close encounters with wildlife in their original and undisturbed natural habitats. There are also a number of on shore excursions available, including helicopter tours, river trips, bear watching and dog sledding.

With two passages available, an Alaskan cruise has benefits for all kinds of people. The Inside Passage is usually a trip that does not involve flying into one city and out of another, but instead boasts a roundtrip sail. On the other hand, the Gulf of Alaska allows the travellers to see a wider range of the Alaskan scenery, including additional glaciers. However, there is also the option for custom made trips to Alaska, which could include land tours of the interior country or Canadian Rockies as well as the conventional cruise route.



Disney Themed

Themed cruises are also becoming more popular with choices such as active, relaxing and for the kids amongst you, the Disney cruisers. Starting in Florida, the Disney cruise transports you into a fairytale world with activities for all ages. The cruise liners offer classic beauty with a twist of modern luxuries favoured by cruises nowadays. A wide range of dining is available, from snacks to sit down meals, buffets to adult only restaurants.

Disney theatres are located on the liners so that travellers can enjoy an abundance of Disney themed shows throughout their trip. As well as this, there are regular character greetings, which give children and adults the chance to meet the Disney favourites. With restaurants, pools, rooms and spas named specifically after Disney characters and movies, the Disney cruise is a must for any Disney fan.

Hawaii

For those wishing for a more relaxing cruise, the Caribbean can provide a perfect place for a relaxed and harmonious cruise. The Caribbean provides individuality and spectacular landscape and diverse culture. Cruises around the area are usually divided into three areas; eastern, western and southern. The eastern itinerary includes islands such as Barbados, St Lucia and Antigua; the western offers the Mexican Riviera, whilst the southern surrounds itself with the Panama Canal, Margarita Island, Aruba and Curacao.

A slightly less popular destination on the Caribbean cruise is Hawaii, due to its distance. However with its historical traditions, it is an ideal destination on relaxing cruises and can be combined with stopovers in other cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco and Las Vegas.



Luxury

There are a number of luxury cruise liners that run around the world. Despite most cruises offering luxury holidays and accommodation, certain liners go that extra way to ensure that guests have an even more luxurious time aboard their ships. Not just for the privileged, luxury cruises allow the traveller to travel around the world in the most stylish ocean liners.

With the majority also having an all inclusive policy, food and drink are included in the price with some liners offering premium wines, spirits and champagnes. Luxury liners give a feel of a private yacht rather than a large cruise liner with exceptional service. Staff to guest ratios are close to 1:1 with personal service throughout your stay. Award winning restaurants are also available aboard the luxury liners, with culinary masterpieces influenced by renowned international chefs.

For those after smaller, less commercialised cruises, luxury liners are a perfect choice. Exclusively designed for fewer guests, the liner boasts more space despite being generally smaller than other liners. Due to this it also enables the cruise itineraries to be based around more exotic and unique destinations, as they have the ability to call into ports that large mainstream cruise liners are not able to dock in. Regardless of the size, the liners still have the same facilities seen in a normal liner; show lounges, casinos, spas, swimming pools and large fitness facilities.

Although possessing similar facilities to mainstream liners the facilities come with a much higher specification and level of comfort. Suites are also high-end luxury with many possessing balconies. 24 hour room service is also commonplace to complement the spacious suites, bathrooms, fine cotton bed linen and high quality toiletries; personal butlers are also sometimes provided with individual suites.



Family

Cruise holidays are also now becoming more popular for the whole family rather than just couples; it is not uncommon to find more than 1000 kids on board certain mainstream large liners. With Disney cruises being very popular, other themes have also sprung up with certain liners specifically set up for families.

Family cruises contain specific children's facilities, which can often rival those at land resorts. New liners are now being nicknamed 'floating resorts' as they possess everything expected on a land resort to keep children happy whilst allowing parents to relax, knowing their children are safe.

Milan -Cathedral Trimmed with Lace

I was in Milan 2 days a week ago. It was a very busy trip but I had some hours free before I had to go home and decided to pass them exploring the terraces of the Dom. I was in Milan different times but I never had the possibility to visit it's interesting places. The only place I've just seen was right the Dome but it was under reconstruction in that period. So, this time I was sure I'll climb the stairs.

It was possible and there was a ticket -6 euro. But if you pay 10 euro, you can go there with the lift. Normally, there are 2 lifts as I understood. But one of them did not work. I spent more time to look wherer that lift is situating because it was from the other side of the building and I could not find it.

Other Travel Destinations

Here are some photos of the terraces of the Dom:

Autumn in Russia

Autumn is the best time of the year. I love it everywhere, in any place of the world. Sometimes they say that autumn is sad or cold. But it's not so.

We spoke about autumn in Alaska with some friends some days ago. You know that I sell cruises and they told me that the best time to go in Alaska is summer. But if you like nature -and the cruise in Alaska is the time dedicated to the nature first of all- you HAVE to see Alaska in autumn. Not only for incredible colors that you can't see in an other places or seasons. There are many animals visible in this period because they graze in the open places.

Well, you can't maybe see all those animals if you visit Russia. They do not feel so free there. But the nature is very beautiful there, too. Here are some photos my friends took these days. I'm sure you will feel the calm, the silence, the infinity. Unfortunatelly, you can't feel the smels of the autumn... Imagine them.



Посмотреть на Яндекс.Фотках



«вид с холмов города Владимира» на Яндекс.Фотках

 
Посмотреть на Яндекс.Фотках

 
Посмотреть на Яндекс.Фотках

Zoosafari of Fasano, Italy

Zoosafari of Fasano in Apulia waws the dream of my husband for years. But there was always a reason to set aside the travel. Last Monday, he has a day free and decided that we have to go there, finally. He says, we are not so young more, the life passes dedicated to the job and to duties only. And the dreams leave aside. So, he decided to fulfil his dreams.

It was a splendid experience, I have to say you. We saw persons that love animals. Than, there were many interesting scenes. I can't show you everything, it's clear but I want to share the feeling we had there.

We met a tiger for the entrance...



He was about 2 months old and loved his adoptive "mum" very much (he was week when he was born and his real mum did not want him). We were in the cage of the lions and of the tigers



We have seen many big herbivorous that were not so big as I thought watching them in TV.



Only some of them were so as I imagined them



The main part of Zoosafary was great experience that we loved very much.

Canada of my Dreams

I never was in Canada. But I read so much about it's nature. And I wrote abut it many times, too. it's possible that I lived in a similar place in one of my previous lives -how can I explain this unusual love that I feel for the northern parts of this Earth? :-)

 Sometimes I read the question when is the best time to visit New England and Canada -it's because the not very numerous rooms for tourists (specially the best) are sold about a year before the season. But there are always free rooms in Spring and Autumn. The "aborigens" say, that spring and autumn are more interesting for those who loves nature. It's because there are not only incredible colors in this period but you can see many animals grazing in the open spaces.

Here are some images I found about Canada in the web.


«Национальный парк Джаспер,остров Спирит» на Яндекс.Фотках
 

Montecassino is a White Stone Miracle

Finally, we visited Montecassino, the place where the founder of the Benedictine Rule passed many years and created his monastery (Montecassino and Salerno Main Churches are Twins ). All the buildings were destroyed during the World War II but the love to the Saint is so great that all the monastery was created according to the numerous pictures and stories about it's origins.

The place is simply astonishing. It's unpossible to tell or explain. There is a feeling that you join something ... very special. Maybe it's a "place of power"? They say, the old churches, other places where people pray for centuries become marvelous. This monastery was founded in 529, so it has about 1500 years of very anguished history...

Some Views of Russia...

Russia... You look in the morning from your tent and think if you have just to wash yourself... But somebody prepared just coffee on the fire and it's smell pulls you out... You make some exercises to extend your members ...and the day begins. Other infinite spaces wait for you here.


«река Уфа в тумане» на Яндекс.Фотках
«Александовская сопка под дождем» на Яндекс.Фотках
«река Уфа» на Яндекс.Фотках

Sochi is in Russia

I have a day of nostalgy today. I think about my mother, about my country, about my happy young past days.

My mother lives in Sochi today. You could hear this name maybe. It's a costal city with subtropical climate in Russia. And my mother is there. She has 70 years this year. And I have seen her 3 years ago last time... I'm nostalgic and sad. There is not job here, in Italy, and I can't visit my mother because I have not job. So, I can only look at this photos.

Italian Feast "Sagra"

If you plan to visit Italy, you probably want to taste local foods and to partecipate on local feasts and life. So, you have to look for announcements that you can see normally on the walls, on the poles and in special places that tell about the "Sagra". You can have them all year round. When residents of this or that village need money for their projects, they organize Sagras.

We have a period of mushrooms now and different villages offer sagras where they offer home made food with mushrooms. I do not eat mushrooms normally, but once a year I like to taste them, so we visited one of the sagras this Sunday, and I took photos for you.



All the sagras I ever visited in the time I live in Italy have the same "plan": you receive the menu, choose what you want to eat, pay it



Than you take your dishes in the other stall



...and choose the place where you want to eat them.



It looks like this



all the receipes were with porcinis this time



Residents of this village needed money for the pilgrimage to Lourdes.
What is good in these kind of feasts is that you can taste real local cuisine and pay 2-3 times less than you would pay in a restaurant in the same zone or village. We paid euro 10 for all what you see on the tray. And it was possible to buy a glass of local wine for 0,50 euro.