Friday, January 7, 2011

Travel to Egypt Part 1


Travel to Egypt Part 1

What I know about Egypt before my trip to this country, what is a country of perpetual sun and coral reefs. Just from the history course, I knew that in Egypt are the pyramids, one of the seven wonders of the world. And as the Suez Canal, which connects Europe and Asia, reducing the long way around the African continent.

In Egypt there are two major tourist centers: Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada. The sea and the sun is in both cities. The main difference lies in the fact that a vacation in Hurghada you can visit the Egyptian pyramids, and relaxing in Sharm El Sheikh, you can go on a trip to Israel or Jordan. Just the main difference between this coral in Sharm El Sheikh are large and the fish floating in them are more varied.

Frankly, I'm not a fan of diving, and a holiday I had planned to spend sunbathing on a beach near the sea or the pool. But still I was drawn Jerusalem. This center is the world's religions.
Therefore, the choice I stopped at the Sharm El Sheikh. You could choose a city close to the border with Israel, but price comparisons and reviews on hotels showed that the rest are cheaper and better than it was in Sharm El Sheikh.

So, after collecting all the necessary purchasing a travel agency tickets, we at the appointed time, went to the airport. At the airport we got a nasty surprise, our plane was broken, and how much it will be repaired, we could not say. The approximate flight was delayed for 6 hours. After some discussion, we went home. Returning back to the airport, at the appointed time, we learned that the flight is delayed again for 4 hours. As it turned out, from the airport in Egypt is only one airline flies, and these delays are frequent. After 12 hours of waiting we took off and flew towards the south, summer, and just relaxing.

I love to travel, to look at people who are close to you. Everyone is a whole story, sometimes sad,
sometimes hilarious, sometimes just thoughtful. With us, the plane flew two couples who have only seen before that was a wedding when we were expecting, the aircraft they were looking at the camera video captured on their celebration. Hopefully, the delay of the flight they were not strongly tainted honeymoon.

Egypt welcomed us guides inviting complete documents for crossing the border. And when you exit the airport building a warm wind. How nice it was to get out of the cool wet environment in this summer-like warm breeze. We arrived at 3 am local time, passed passport control boarded on the buses and went to his hotel. By the way, we met checkpoint where there were men armed with machine guns. Became interested in who designed such posts. If the surrounding desert and if you wish, you can circumvent or avoid. Although it might not all so trivial, as it seemed at first glance.

In spite of this hour we have settled in the hotel without any problems. The reception gave us all the necessary documents, which we filled, and then handed us the keys to our room and wished him a pleasant time staying at the hotel.

The first impression of Egypt can be expressed, so there still quite hot in spite of the fact that the court of autumn. In general, it was great, we relaxed, sunbathed, swam in the sea and the water park. Yes, we have on site a water park, and it was great. I love to swim, sunbathe, and love. About the sea, too, can tell a lot of interesting things about how the bank breaks off and goes into the abyss, the bottom I did not notice. The fish were everywhere. There were many, they were different.

I do not like water world, but even I have caused great interest surrounding the water world. Donning a mask, I sailed along the reef and looked at the colorful fish swimming by. Nature was beyond praise. One embarrassing, every evening at the hotel car went in and out of gas, which they hunted, I do not know, but apparently something harmful.

Egypt is not only a gorgeous sea and warm sun, but also Egyptians themselves. With ordinary people, I did not communicate, communicate only with traders, taxi drivers and passers-by. To say that I enjoyed from my contacts, I can not. Knowing a few phrases in different languages, they start to communicate with you in trying to attract your attention, call your brother, a friend of anybody, but if you do not pay any attention to them, or just walk by without saying anything, they begin to swear you in seq. Thus showing that they want only your money. Although it should be noted that so do not all. There are nice people with whom you can just talk about anything, but it is more the exception than the rule.

About travel tour, I'll discuss in the next part of my story.

Friday, July 2, 2010

Luxembourg Part 2.

Luxembourg Part 2.

My trip to Luxembourg

When I was on language training in Paris, then the question arose, where to go at the weekend. The options we had a few: Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg, Germany, Italy, or just go to the ocean. The most interesting options for me were Rome and Luxembourg. Option to go to the ocean I liked, too, but it was difficult to determine where to go, because the cities on the coast so much and so many beautiful places which I would like to visit.

In Rome, my boyfriend lived acquaintance, who could we arrange a free tour of the city. But due to the fact that not all had enough money to pay for travel to Rome and back, this option is not approached.

Why we chose Luxembourg, rather than Belgium, Holland or Germany? Probably because some of us had already been to Belgium, someone was in the Netherlands, and someone already had time to visit Germany. But no one was in Luxembourg. So we went to the station to buy train tickets to Luxembourg.

I like to travel in Europe, because if you are under 26 years, and book a ticket in advance, then you can buy it for a small price. If we had time, and we pre-booked tickets, it would go in Rome. But until the weekend left two days, and round-trip cost 150 euros.

Getting started Luxembourg
For us, it starts from the station. Early in the morning we left the train and went to the station.

Tip: If you are the first time in a strange town looking for a tourist office, where you will be told about all the local attractions to supply the city map and wish a pleasant journey. One but you have to say even if in English or original language in which you eat. :)

Watching the internet pictures of Luxembourg, I expected to find himself, if not in the mountains, in the hilly terrain accurately. But having left the station, I did not find anything like this. The truth was that before the old part of town had to pass before we see all that show up in Internet photos, tourists visit the city.

All day we walked around the town, considering its sights. Once the car was met with Russian numbers, driving along a lonely road, on Saturday, life in the city stopped, wandered around the city just the same as we are tourists. Local residents apparently prefer their own travel or just sit home and relax.

I'm not going to advertise the city. I can only say if you like old buildings, you love to wander its narrow streets, then you can go to Luxembourg and the city you should definitely appear. But besides the beauty around us so we do not know about the city. A pity, in this city should be a very turbulent history. In my next trip to Luxembourg, I always prepared well, or just use a tourist trip, where the city's history will tell me a guide.

After strolling around the city all day in the evening we had a bite in coffee, and returned to the station where we waited for the last surprise. If you went to the TGV, you should know that before you get into a train ticket to valide otherwise it will be invalid. Imagine our surprise when we did not find any device for that. We decided to ask for help from the staff SNCF. He told us that outside France tickets are not valide, they just need to show the controller and all.

At the end of our trip to the quiet but beautiful city of Luxembourg, in two hours, we returned to the noisy, boiling life of Paris.

Sunday, May 30, 2010

Strasbourg Part 2.


Strasbourg Part 2.

Traveling in France, in every city you will find some zest. Strasbourg is no exception. The city itself is located in the place where he once held the Maginot Line. In the early 20 th century war minister André Maginot decided to create a system of French defensive structures to strengthen the border. Facilities consisted of seventy bunkers, 510 casemates, 500 infantry and artillery units, observation posts and bunkers.

In Strasbourg, you'll find many museums:

Le Palais Rohan (Museum of Decorative Art, Archaeology and Art)
Address: 2 place du Château
Monday - Friday (except Tuesday) 12.00 - 18.00
Saturday and Sunday 10.00 - 18.00

Le Musée de l'Oeuvre Notre-Dame
Address: 2 place du Château
Tuesday - Friday 12.00 - 18.00
Saturday and Sunday 10.00 - 18.00

Museum of Alsace
Address: 23-25 quai Saint Nicolas
Monday - Friday (except Tuesday) 12.00 - 18.00
Sunday and Saturday and 10.00 - 18.00

Museum of Modern Art
Address: 1 place Jean-Hans Arp
Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday 12.00 - 19.00
Thursday 12.00 - 21.00
Saturday and Sunday 10.00 - 18.00

Zoological Museum
Address: 29 boulevard de la Victoire
Monday - Friday (except Tuesday) 12.00 - 18.00
Saturday and Sunday 10.00 - 18.00
The price of tickets to a museum:
Full ticket - 5 €
Discount tickets (group more than 25 people) - 2,50 €
Free (persons under 18 years)

Planetarium
Address: Rue de l'Observatoire
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 9.00 - 12.00 and 14.00 - 17.00
Wednesday and Sunday 14.00 - 18.00
Ticket price to the museum:
Full ticket - 7,50 €
Child ticket - 4,20 €

Museum of "The Secret of chocolate"
Address: rue du Pont du Péage
Tuesday - Saturday 9.00 - 19.00
Sunday (and holidays) 14.00 - 19.00
Ticket price to the museum:
Full ticket - 6 €
Children's tickets (from 5 to 15 years) - 4 €
Less than 5 years - free

In Strasbourg, you can stroll along the alleys parks and gardens, which in sufficient quantity. Here are the most popular places for walking:

Botanical garden
Address: 28 rue Goethe
Admission is free (except if the garden will be held special events)

Citadel Park
The park is located on the territory of ten hectares among the remains of an ancient fortress.

Park Orangery
The park is located opposite the Palace of Europe.