Posted by seetaludeshi | Under Festivals and Events
This is one of many new features coming to the blog over the next few months. We’ve decided to compile a list of upcoming gigs for next month (that’s Feb 2010!) Over the next three weeks, we are going to have a look at some of the artists that a are touring the world and give you our recommendations of where to go! We are very excited to see so many artists strutting their stuff on stage!
Mariah Carey (1st Feb) – Tower Theatre Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, USA – Some say she is a diva, but her voice is fantastic, with hits like Dreamlover and Heartbreaker Mariah Carey is definitely worth a see!
Timbaland (2nd Feb) – House of Blues Huston, Texas, USA – Famous for not only being a recording artist, but for collaborating with others such as Nelly Futardo and Justin Timberlake, Timbaland’s hit album Shock Value has many other artists too! We are sure his concert will be fantastic!
Ocean Colour Scene (3rd Feb) – 02 Academy Bournemouth, United Kingdom – This English Brit Pop band have some amazing hits such as The Day We Caught the Train and The Circle and with Bournemouth being a great location you are bound to have a good time.
The Beach Boys (4th Feb) – Sydney Opera House, Australia – The Beach Boys are a great old school American Rock band with hits like Surfin’ USA and Surfer Girl, what’s not to like?
La Roux (5th Feb) – Metropolis, Montreal, Canada – Influenced by 1980s sythpop, La Roux has had hits like In For The Kill and Bulletproof and with her individuality and style this will be a great concert.
Air (6th Feb) – Paradiso, Amsterdam, Netherlands – Most famous for their single Sexy Boy, Air have been around since 1997 and are a huge hit band. Definitely one I would personally like to see!
Florence and the Machine (7th Feb) – Laneway Festival, Singapore – If you hear the lead singer sing live your mouth will drop to the floor. If you haven’t seen them live then I would recommend it, with hit singles Dog Days Are Over, you will not be disappointed.
Sting (8th Feb) – Sava Center Concert Hall, Belgrade, Serbia – Who doesn’t love Sting?
White Lies (9th Feb) – Backstage Werk, Munich, Germany – This Alternative Rock Band burst into the scene in 2007 and have been going up and up in the world. A great band to see live.
New Found Glory (10th Feb) – House of Blues Orlando, Florida, USA – forming in 1997, New Found Glory have had some great hits like My Friends Over You and Head on Collision, you are sure to be jumping up and down having a good time.
I was lucky enough to go and see Britney Spears last year. I chose to drive because having been before, I was not willing to wait 2 – 3 hours for the bus, so I picked up my car hire in London and headed over to the Greenwich O2 arena and had the time of my life! She is awesome!
What concerts are you going to in February? Anyone going to any of the one’s listed? Or are you going somewhere completely different? We want to know what your getting up to in Feb!
Tune in next week for Part 2 (11th Feb – 20th Feb) Have a great weekend!
Posted by seetaludeshi | Under City Breaks
Considering northern Portugal makes Port Wine, you’d think this is all there is to see out there. However, Portugal has some great archaeological sites in the Northern part of the country for you to enjoy. If you are looking for a short weekend break, why not pick up a car hire in Portugal and explore the history of this region?
Guimaraes is sometimes known as the birthplace of Portugal as Count Vimara Peres established the 1st County of Portugal and nearby you will find Citania de Briteiros, a beautifully preserved Celtic fortified settlement dating back to the Iron Age. From there you can admire a great view of the River Ave. You can then drive to Amarante and enjoy the views of the River Tamega. In this town you can have some rather unusual shaped pastries, this custom is said to have originated with the Celts to encourage procreation!
Once you reach the Douro Valley, you can admire the way Port Wine is made. You can wander through amazing vine yards such as the Pinhao and Sao Joao da Pesqueira which is considered to be the centre of Port wine and take tasting tours if you are staying in a hotel nearby the vine yards. If you carry on from Douro Valley and drive near the border of Spain, you will find Vale do Coa Archaeological Park, the world’s largest collection of Palaeolithic rock paintings and engravings. This outdoor World Heritage Site is a true art gallery from the old ages. It just puts the icing on the cake before you go home after a wonderful weekend.
If you do choose to explore Northern Portugal, pick up a car hire in Porto so you can drive through the valleys and stop to admire the exquisite views and life out here in Portugal.
I personally haven’t been to Porto, I have only been to Lisbon, but seeing what there is to offer out there, I am considering going on the fly-drive holiday. Have you been to Porto? What were the highlights of your holiday?
Posted by seetaludeshi | Under Travel Trivia
Well done Mel! The 4 official languages spoken in Switzerland are indeed German, French, Italian, and Romansh! Well done for getting our last question in 2009 correct!
Let’s start the New Year with some great Trivia. Where are we going this week? A Hint: Hola!
Our Destination of the Month is Spain. It has an area of 504,030km squared making it the second largest country in Western Europe after France. It also has the 9th largest economy in the World by GDP, it is the 15th highest in terms of living standards and has the 10th highest quality of life index. Thats a lot of good things about Spain! (Did I also mention that it is a lot warmer than the UK?)
Now for this week’s question, Barcelona is on the Mediterranean Coast with many beautiful sights to see. One of the most famous landmarks, started construction in 1882 and is not due for completion until 2026, it is a wonderful tourist attraction and lights up Barcelona, can you give me the full official name, and the name of the architect who designed this masterpiece?
Posted by seetaludeshi | Under Holiday Inspiration
In one calender year, a city is chosen to showcase it’s cultural life and development. The candidate is selected by the European Union and this gives the city a chance to transform itself into something truly amazing. It was created by Melina Mercouri in 1983 who used to be the Greek Minister of Culture and it finally launched in 1985 giving Athens the first title holder.
This year there are 3 cities that have been given the title and the chance to show off their culture. This was because the EU grew from 15 to 24 states in 2004, so they have decided that as of 2009, more cities will be chosen, combining the old and new. Lets take a look at the winners of this year and see what they have to offer.
Essen, Germany
Located in Germany’s Ruhr Region, this town transformed from a mining town to a service industry centre. The city’s motto is “Change through culture — Culture through change.” Archaeologists have suggested that there are remains from over 2000 years ago within the city, which is very exciting for the historians out there. There are so many beautiful historic attractions in Essen such as The Zeche Zollverein which used to be a coal mine production site, now stands as artists studios, offices and workshop. Today, it is a World Heritage Site.
If you choose to hire a car in Essen you can also enjoy Essen Cathedral and Treasury which dates back to 845 and 870. The church had actually burnt down in 1275 but some remains were saved. It houses the most precious exhibit, The Golden Madonna of Essen, made around 980 and is the oldest known sculpture of Madonna in the world and the oldest free standing sculpture North of the Alps. Also located here is the Emperor Otto III seven branched Christian candelabrum as well as many other artefacts from Ottonian times.
These are just some of the great things to see in Essen, during its time as the European Capital of Culture, I am sure it’s going to have many festivals and celebrations within the city centre. Why not stay a little outside the city so you can take in some of the more quieter cities around, and hire a car so you have the freedom to do everything you want to.
Istanbul, Turkey
Being the largest city in Turkey it is the cultural and financial centre of the country. The city’s motto is “Our energy is from Istanbul”. Istanbul has actually been the capital for Roman Empire between 330 – 395, Eastern Roman Empire from 395 – 1204 and 1261 – 1453, The Latin Empire 1204 – 1261 and the Ottoman Empire 1453 – 1922. All the historic areas of Istanbul were added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1985. With such a rich history, how can it not be the European Capital of Culture?
There are many attractions to see if you pick up a car hire in Istanbul, you can enjoy so much here such as Maiden’s Tower, one of the beautiful symbols of the city that was originally built in 408 BC. Also visit the Column of Constantine which was erected in dedication to the new city of the Roman Empire. There are so many more including Hippodrome of Constantinople, Great Palace of Constantinople, the Column of Marcian and the Hagia Sophia which was the largest ever cathedral in the world for over a thousand years until the cathedral in Seville was completed to name just a few.
Pécs, Hungary
This is the fifth largest city in Hungary, the last of our capital’s of culture, their motto is “The Borderless City”. Pecs has been inhabited since the ancient times with findings that date back to over 6000 years ago. When the Roman Empire reigned, they found several wine producing colonies. There are Christian cemeteries dating back to the 4th century which are worth a visit as they are now under the World Heritage List. Hungary conquered Pecs in the late 9th century early 10th century and since then it has been part of this beautiful country.
There is so much history to be enjoyed here, you just have to get a car rental in Hungary and enjoy sights such as the Baranya Castle which was the capital when Hungary conquered. The cathedral here was built in the 11th century after the previous one burnt down, you can find the first university of Pecs here also, founded in 1367. There are also some great mosques in Hungary, such as the Mosque of Gazi Kaszim Pasa which is in the main square. This mosque is actually a church but the crescent moon remains on top of the cupola. There are also ruins of Turkish Baths and the Mausoleum.
There are so many more for you to enjoy as well. Why not think about picking up a car hire so you can enjoy these sights at your leisure.
The 3 Capital’s of Culture are a must see this year. There will be festivals, parties, concerts and all sorts going on, so why not have a think of going somewhere different for your holidays this year!
Have you been to any of these 3 cities? What did you think of them? Tell us about your experiences!
Posted by mariamarquez | Under Travel Experiences
It is party time! The New Year Eve is getting close and people around the world are almost ready to celebrate the start of 2010. Here are the New Year’s celebrations and festivities on the biggest capitals of the world.
- Sydney (Happy New Year!) – The fun starts with the firing of the Harbour canon on Fort Dennison at 1 PM, and then fired every hour until midnight . Other events include live music, theatre , street performers, special cruises and fireworks from the Harbour Bridge and the Harbour of Light Parade.
- Rio de Janeiro (Feliz Ano Novo!) – The big party is held at Copacabana Beach with fireworks and around 2 million people, most of them dressed up in white in celebration of peace.
- Tokyo (Kinga Shinnen!) – In Japan it is a tradition that before the New Year’s, balloons are released to pray for happiness and peace. People write their wishes on paper and wait for the countdown. Before midnight on New Year’s Eve, temples around the country begin to ring bells 108 times called joya-no-kane. It is believed that the tolling of the bells purify ourselves of our 108 worldly desires. People say to each other “yoi otoshiwo” which means “Have a nice year passing” on New Year’s Eve.
- Moscow (S Novim Godom!) – The meeting point is Read Square in the heart of Moscow with large crowds gathering to hear the bells of the Kremlin’s clock countdown to year 2010 amidst fireworks and live performances.
- Berlin (Prosit Neujahr!) – On New Year’s Eve, Berlin has the biggest open air party at the Bradenburg Gate with several stages, dance floors and tents with live music, performances, and international Djs. Traditionally, there are also international food stands and bars open all night.
- New York (Happy New Year!) – As every year the meeting point on New Year’s Eve will be at the symbolic center is the iconic Times Square. The ball drop tradition starts at 11:59 pm to arrive exactly at midnight. The celebrations feature musical performances balloons, pom-poms, confetti, a colorful pyrotechnic display and about a million of people.
- London (Happy New Year!) – This year’s fireworks display in Central London will be at the London Eye celebrating its 10th anniversary with the Big Ben countdown, complete with New Year’s Day parade that finishes up in Piccadilly.
Where will you be celebrating New Year’s Eve? Will you be following any rituals or traditions?
Happy New Year!
Posted by mariamarquez | Under Travel Trivia
No one got the answer last week! The answer to last week’s, Every year, a new President of the Confederation is elected in Switzerland. There has only ever been two women presidents in Switzerland so far, can you tell me the name of the first one and what year she was elected? Was Ruth Dreifuss in 1999
Let’s see if we can do better this week everyone!
Switzerland has a beautiful culture for everyone to enjoy, our final question this week is, Switzerland has four official languages. Can you name them all?
Posted by mariamarquez | Under Travel News
Santa Claus has to see the world to deliver presents to all the good children. And now you can follow him as he makes the journey in his sleigh and reindeers. The Norad (North American Aerospace Defense) in the US has a satellite and radar technology to track Santa’s fantastic flight around the world and children worldwide can get updates on Google Maps and Google Earth.
The tradition started back in 1955 when a misprinted advert in a Colorado newspaper called Santa on a special hotline but mistakenly put them in touch with Continental Air Defence Command, which later became Norad. As more mistaken calls came in, staff answered the queries and the tradition has grown.
On the 24th of December Santa’s location will be tracked for the whole day and users from around the world will be able to follow his progress. Children can view computer generated images of him flying through world landmarks including Big Ben.
Follow Santa’s progress at Norad and tell us your story!
Merry Christmas from Auto Europe!
Posted by mariamarquez | Under Friday Drivetime
Oh Tobi that’s not the right answer, the right answer was in fact Lake Geneva better luck next time! Let’s see if you can get this week’s question…
Every year, a new President of the Confederation is elected in Switzerland. There has only ever been two women presidents in Switzerland so far, can you tell me the name of the first one and what year she was elected?
Posted by mariamarquez | Under Friday Drivetime
I hope everyone has all their presents under the tree and just can’t wait to open them! I thought I would save this Friday Drivetime will this time because Christmas is only around the corner! With only 1 week to go until the big day of ripping open presents, too much food and useless TV programmes which have been aired since 2000, but hey, it’s a great holiday, let’s just hope for a White Christmas! Traditional Christmas songs have been around since 4th century Rome and these days there are all kinds of Christmas songs around, mostly now covers. I know just how annoying Christmas songs can be, some shops have been playing them since November! I am going to see what one’s I can dish out, some may be bad, some may be good, but, it’s Christmas and it’s a time for happiness.
The Best Of…Christmas:
- Cliff Richard – Saviour’s Day
- Slade – Merry Xmas Everybody
- John Lennon – So This is Christmas
- Chris Rea – Driving Home for Christmas
- Michael Jackson – Rockin’ Robin (Not about Christmas but it’s about a Robin!)
- Brenda Lee – Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree
- Paul McCartney & The Wings – Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time
- Kylie Minogue – Santa Baby
- Wizzard – I Wish it Could be Christmas Everyday
- Bing Crosby – Winter Wonderland
Posted by mariamarquez | Under Travel Trivia
Well Done Sven, the answer to last week’s question was indeed Freddy Mercury, and it was taken in Montreux in Switzerland, well done!
Now for this week’s question…
Switzerland has many beautiful lakes which offer tranquil surroundings as well as chalets for rent which you can enjoy travelling to via a car hire. You can find lakes of all kinds, shapes and sizes for example, Lake Constance borders Germany and Austria which is a freshwater lake that supplies water for south west Germany, or Lake Zurich which is controlled by the Rapperswil Dam.
What we want to know is what is the name of the lake in Switzerland which has the largest body of freshwater in continental Europe?
