St. Patrick’s Day – a holiday which is celebrated by all true Irishmen, and all those who feel themselves Irish inside the heart. Worldwide holds festive parades, people are getting dressed and painted in bright green color, all listen to Irish music and sing funny songs. And of course, treat the Irish national dishes and drinks.

The symbol of the holiday and a national symbol of Ireland – shamrock clover, with the help of which, according to legend, Saint Patrick demonstrated the idea of the Holy Trinity. St. Patrick himself, who lived 4-5 centuries, is considered the patron saint of Ireland, and the date March 17 – the day of his death. History tells us that he baptized people and cast out paganism, and the Irish believe that thanks to him there are no snakes on their island.

However, from pagan times other heroes came into the holiday. Thus, some of his heroes are the indispensable leprechauns – fairy shoemakers who possess a hidden pot of gold. If fortunate treasure hunters can catch a leprechaun, this creature must tell the person where his hidden treasure is. However, if you suddenly catch a cobbler, remember that you must not trust him – these fellows insidious and mischievous and can easily fool the unsuspecting treasure hunters.

They say that leprechauns went to the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day recently – companies that sell cards on this holiday, needed a likeable character who could appear in the figures. A severe, though good, the preacher of St. Patrick is not quite suited for this role. In figures leprechauns are usually dressed in a peaked hat and leather apron.

Happiness in St. Patrick’s Day you can find also in some other ways – you just need to find the four-leafed Shamrock. This leaf clover brings good luck always, but in St. Patrick’s Day the happiness is being doubled. It is unclear just what do the people of northern countries, where the holiday falls on a cold early spring, when the clover is in the meadows, and there is no trace.

Indispensable companions in the St. Patrick’s Day – Irish beer and whiskey. There’s even a joke regarding Irish whiskey: “Why did God created whiskey? So that the Irish would never be able to rule the world.” Whiskey is not only drink, but also the basis for various sauces and dishes. The famous Irish beer is just being poured into the holiday river; some of them even paint it green with food coloring. However, the true Irish insist that St. Patrick’s Day they drink alcohol no more than any other day. Indeed, it can’t be more! And then they help themselves with food such as corned beef with steamed vegetables, mashed potatoes with parsley and green onions – and generally any food of green color.

If you have never celebrated St. Patrick’s Day, then you have the opportunity to join a truly global community that supports this glorious tradition. For the Irish around the world is a “magical day when winter dreams begin to turn into the wonders of summer.”

But of course the most magnificent celebration of St. Patrick’s Day is held in Dublin – the capital of the Republic of Ireland. On this day, according to tradition throughout the city they arrange lavish parades, involving people dressed in costumes (red wigs and green caps) and also brass bands, each of which will certainly have some bagpipes. Noisy celebrations continued throughout the day, and ends late in the evening a grand display of fireworks.

Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day already has outgrown the boundaries of “Emerald Isle”, and now it is celebrated in all the major cities of the world. On this day people wear green clothes, “dress up” the building green, and in Chicago, they painted in green, even the urban river. After green – the color of spring, the shamrock and the national color of Ireland, no wonder this Irish Whiskey “Jameson” is bottled in green glass bottles.

Actually St. Patrick’s Day celebration lasts longer in Dublin. Here they begin a six-day festival dedicated to St. Patrick’s Day – the holiday of spring, beer and fun festivities.

Researchers from Queen’s University Belfast prepared a study of how St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated around the world, including such seemingly unrelated to Irish tradition, such as Japan and Russia. “St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated by many people outside of Ireland. On this day, they start to behave” Irish “: wear green wigs, drinking green beer and listen to Irish music,” – said the representative of the Institute for the Study of Ireland University Belfast Dominic Bryan.

In most Irish parades of the St. Patrick’s Day are being held in more than 30 cities, including major parades taking place in Cork, Galway, Limerick and, of course, in Dublin, with its grandiose celebrations.

It’s funny that in Ireland this holiday for a long time was exclusively religious, and until the seventies of last century, Irish law required all pubs to be closed on March 17!

Now the main streets of Dublin hold festive processions in pubs playing live music. Residents of the city wearing red wigs and green caps, which are sold in stores, take with pots with Shamrock (one of the symbols of Ireland – four-leaf clovers) and national flags. On the evening of fireworks are being made in the central squares. Celebration is always held in the unrestrained joy.

Parade in honor of St. Patrick are stretched and scattered like the Irish themselves, who are scattered all over the world.

Except the fact that the Irish holiday is giving a lot of joy to the Irish people of Ireland, the country also benefits from it. Every year the festival attracts millions of tourists to Ireland, bringing an additional 60 million Euros to the national treasury. Anyways this is actually the thing that happens in most of the countries which are annually hosting this kind of festivals.

The hint here is over the fact that each region is specialized on a particular type of alcohol drink and that’s why the best of no-risking is to choose the most popular drinks of the region.

Black Sea coast of Caucasus

Firstly I would like to advise you not to buy the draft beer, which is being sold almost in every corner of the crossroads. It is mostly wretched, with lots of preservatives. You better go along the option of drinking the best homemade red wine, which is being sold in all of the resort areas. Here you can find the solutions for every taste – dry to sweet or something in between. However consider the fact that the one being sold in some streets might somehow be over-sugary and that’s why before buying, you can consult with the locals – where they are buying wine for themselves. Good wine at the Black Sea coast usually costs around 10-15 rubles per liter which is a lot more than in regular malls. Manufacturers of really good homemade wine can not raise their prices high due to the high competition.

Japan

Well, of course, sake. Just do not expect from a special strength from it as from vodka. Sake has only 20-degree strength, and it’s being served in special earthenware bottles with a capacity of a glass. That is, after returning home, we can safely tell your friends about how “we took another Yasubari half a dozen bottles of sake and even crushed them out but this it wasn’t enough”.  This might simply be true. However, if you drink in Japanese way -with tiny portions then it may well be enough. Drinking alcohol in small portions enhances intoxication that’s why you cannot drink too much. There is even an old student recipe: a bottle of beer can be spelt into a soup bowl and eaten as a soup with a spoon.

And that’s how you get drunk from a single bottle of beer. Speaking of beer. Those who can not live without it so much that even in Japan don’t want to drink sake – I can recommend the traditional Japanese beer with a quite good taste and gorgeous name “Ebusya”.

France

France and the wine are inseparable from each other. But everything depends on the place. Parisians themselves recommend that visitors drink Bordeaux or Champagne. And a word about that in order to drink champagne “from the plow” (more precisely, “from the vine”), you must, of course, go to the province of Champagne. If you find yourself in any of the Provence, we recommend to fulfill your wonderful meal drinking pink Cote de Provence or Bandol Rose. In the south-east of France it’s best to drink red wine from local vineyards. Here, literally, find out the name of yonder vineyard on the outskirts, and compare with the inscription on the bottle. They should be the same.

In addition to wine, France is great for drinking cocktails. In Paris – all the exotic: Long Island, Mai-Tai, Weng Weng. In Provinces the traditionally strong drink is pastis – 45-50 degrees, driven from anise. Locals normally dilute pastis 50/50 with water and drink with ice. The parts close to the shores are very popular for the perroke – pastis with mint syrup and ice. One of the symbols of France – Absinthe – is now banned in the country, but in the French Alps, as its replacements can be called chartreuse and Génépi – up to 50-60 degrees. They are served free, but they are strongly recommended to dilute. By the way, though illegally in Paris, absinthe is still selling.

Ireland

Guinness. A thousand times Guinness. Nowhere in the world has Guinness had such gentle creamy foam, nowhere it has such taste, as in Ireland – where it is invented. No, seriously. In pubs Guinness tastes different from what we can get in Germany – at home a taste of Guinness is softer and fuller. The best Guinness is served in Dublin, you can try at the brewery. You can drink something else besides the Guinness – it will be whiskey. Ireland and Scotland are still arguing about who invented whiskey. The official version – whiskey, like Christianity, first appeared (thanks to St Patrick) in Ireland. And almost immediately migrated across the strait to the friendly Scottish tribes. As a fact, the Irish whiskey tastes milder than the Scottish one, and besides it’s cheaper. Whiskey on the island is being added in literally everything. Including the coffee. Irish coffee – is the limit of tenderness. The best thing ever is the whipped milk, coffee and whiskey. This is a favorite drink of women.

Italy

“And goes back to his room aboard the ladder / lodger, carrying grappa in his pocket / committed by a man in a raincoat / son who lost memory, a country, / hump on his crying in the forests of aspen, / if someone is crying about it all. «This is not a non-sense but rather the lines from Brodsky, after which you usually open the bottle. Grappa is an abandoned drink. It is made from marc – the remnants of grapes after they took out all the juice into the wine. It turns out such thing is rather brandy despite the fact that sometimes it is with a strange aftertaste and a slight smell of booze. However, if you suddenly find yourself in Batallya, where you can get this charming golden liquid grappa is of very high quality. At the local, privately owned plantations, grapes are being crushed with a special soft press, and therefore the overflow for grappa is a lot of juice. Drink grappa, but only if the wonderful Italian wine no longer amuses you.

Czech Republic

Beer, beer and more beer again! Naturally, draft. A mug of beer in the Czech Republic is cheaper than in a lot of places, and the quality – excellent. If you want to fully enjoy your time- go to any restaurant, which has its own brewery. Distinguishing them is quite easy – in the first place, usually such things are advertised at the entrance, and secondly, inside there are two giant closed basins. That is, it’s a natural brewery, which is built directly into the restaurant. The quality of beer in the restaurant breweries is often higher than in ordinary factories of Czech beer. .

Finland

In addition to the standard vodka exotics, in Finland is absolutely popular for its wonderful liqueurs: cranberry, cloudberry (Lakka Liqueur) and sea buckthorn. You simply cannot find them anywhere else. That’s why it’s really worth a try. But be reasonable: Duty free shops at the border sell them for five dollars, and in most of Finland – almost fifteen. That’s why you should decide which option will be more convenient for you.

Just take a few minutes at the listing of the most interesting musical festivals in Europe and try to get tickets as they are never enough for all!

Netmage
Italy, 21-23 January 2010

One of the most recent musical trends is cinematographic festivals. So as it is expected in one of the best places of the Italy in Bologna is going to host such a festival soon, in January 2010. It will be providing various kinds of contemporary electronic art and will impress the audience with a range of surprise shows. In the framework of the festival lays the sense of improvisation and unusual atmosphere, created through various audio-visual effects. It might sound a little bit surprising but all of this will be surrounded by the buildings created during the Renaissance era in one of the most beautiful cities.

Springfestival
Austria, 12-15 May 2010

Each year for the May weekend, which is being announced to be the Ascension Day, the majority of clubs in the Austrian Graz transform their stages into the places of performance to the participants of  various  electronic music and art festivals. The program includes all kind of genres: Drum’n'bass dubstep, electro, techno, house, breakbeat, hiphop, reggae, raga and others. And all of this is being represented by not more not less than 250 professional and newer music groups. As the main background of the festivals serves the alpine scenery. In addition to musical performances, you can participate in seminars around various aspects of the creation of electronic music, to improve your skills concerning the audio and video, and learn a lot of new things about the electronic art in overall.

Hellfest
France, 18-20 June 2010

As we all know France is always trying not to be over- left by the neighbor countries with its variety of musical festivals. Like all good festivals this “heavy metal” one, seems to be a place where it is possible to imagine ghosts wandering around at night or looking for a meeting with their friends. In 2010, the headliner of the festival will be one of the most popular rock groups- Kiss.

St Magnus Festival
Scotland, Orkney Islands, 18-23 June 2010

For fans of the classic music the most outstanding opportunities will be Orkney Arts Festival the superior proposal of the next year. Here you will not enjoy a lot of performances of popular bands, but also witness famous poets reading their own poems, and soloists performing classical works. And all of this will just be at the backdrop of the picturesque Scottish island. As for the participation is not required to be a professional but rather being able to accept new and fresh ideas in those classical art interpretation.

Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide Festival
France, 8-11 July 2010

This artist who has one of the world’s finest collections of music recordings, decided to have a representation of an insane combination of old and beloved Gil Scott Heron and the new stars Diplo French to the world in one of the awesome resorts  of France- Seth. Peterson festivals are considered to be the best and the most unusual ones among the fans of the electronic music due to a unique and original selection of performers. At this time the program is going to be finished by a fantastic 16-hour beach party on the resort town.

Tempo Latino
France, 22-25 July 2010

Salsa-lovers do not need to go to the faraway Brazil, to enjoy its rhythms and dancing for your pleasure. As before, the best festival of Latin music in 2010 will be held in Vic-Fezensac in late July. Here you can not only look at the best dancers, but also learn to dance yourself, and to more experienced ones- to learn new details of the moves. Moreover, master classes are conducted not only for adults but also for the children. Besides the main stage, concerts and dance parties are being held also in the local bars and restaurants.

Soundwave
Croatia, 23-25 July 2010

Although this Croatian Soundwave Festival is held in the old fishing village on the shores of the Adriatic Sea it is rather popular among the local and international audience. The action takes place either in the amphitheater or on the luxurious beach terrace, where you can get tanned under the afternoon sun, and the evenings promise not to be boring as you can dance till you drop until the morning. The beaches in this unique country that stretch for several kilometers are usually deserted and are always there to shelter the dance and music tourists, who got exhausted from the show. A delicious local cuisine will quickly restore power to you once again, so you can have fun enjoying the evening parties.

World Fleadh
Ireland, August 2010

Those who are just going crazy over the Celtic music simply cannot miss the Irish World Fleadh – a festival entirely devoted to Irish culture. You cannot just listen to music, but also have a glance at the inflammatory national dances, or even learn how to join them with simple movements, as well as participate in various performances. The festival makes it possible to distinguish guests and the locals, so you better buy a national costume to make yourself invisible.

No Fun
Sweden, September 2010

If you are familiar with the reputation of Brooklyn Festival No Fan, which is full of sticky traders, special effects overdone by the sound operators, and the atmosphere itself contributes to the noise of the public, then is might be rather weird if you will choose Sweden as a quiet and calm place for the European counterpart. The fall of 2010 in Stockholm, will be interesting especially for the fans of Wolf Eyes and Hair Police. I guess after these name announcements it becomes clear what happened to the “quite Europe” idea.

Iceland Airwaves
Iceland, November 2010

During the entire duration of the festival it seems like the capital of Iceland just breaths with it. Streets which are always overcrowded with music fans and the submission of bands of any genre are both in big clubs, and in tiny attics or cafes with only a few tables. If you are getting tired of loud music or excessive alcohol, it is possible to get a “detoxification» while spending a tour on a snowmobile, or close to the geysers.

There is no scientific method for measuring friendliness of the locals, as you can rely only on your subjective impressions and are mainly results of public surveys. Nevertheless, there are countries that are considered to be the most hospitable in the world due to specific characteristics. Thus, the most of hospitable people in the world are:

5. Georgians
According to the results of different ratings and surveys, Georgians are in the fifth place. According to Western travelers, this Caucasian country is worth of attention not only because of the stunning natural beauty of western motifs, unspoiled mountain springs and mineral waters, ancient churches, but also with cheerful and friendly locals who believe that the God is who sends guests. It is not surprising that every visitor feels like a real member  in a Georgian house. While enjoying your position, you might be careful not to offend gracious hosts. For example, one of the biggest insults in Georgia is when you refuse to drink the wine offered. However, the recent actions of Georgian politicians slightly spoiled the image of Georgian hospitality, but well the politics is not a game of sample locals.

4. Iranians
Iran thinks that its most precious thing is its people. Lonely Planet calls these people “warm” and “interesting”, while the famous journalist Will Hyde that cooperates with Times, returning from a trip to Iran, wrote that the residents of this state are the most friendly people on the planet.  This is something new to know as the comment was made by a public opinion influencing person. As to the data always smiling Iranians are sincere and simple. They are always ready to help travelers by offering them a cup of tea, paying for their lunch or inviting them for dinner, and even inviting to participate in the festivities: if you never visited  Iran, then you cannot even assume, how hot local dancing can be!

3. Canadians
According to a study conducted by Nation Brand Index in 2008, which was held among 20 thousand adult citizens of 20 countries, Canada was chosen by the  respondents to be the friendliest country from the 50 states offered in the survey. This scientific approach to selecting the most hospitable nation may seem a bit formal and not trust-worthy, but, in fact, Canadians deserve such a title. Lonely Planet was even surprised at how people living in a harsh northern climate, can be so pleasant and sociable as most of the time the conditioning goes the opposite way. After all, existing in cold countries is much more difficult, and therefore friendly, despite the cold, citizens of the maple leaf, of course, deserve this award.

2. Australians
A friendly “no worries” and a big smile are guaranteed to everyone who will be in Australia for even a short stay. Australians are very open and friendly people, and their positive thinking, combined with the friendliness allows any traveler that happened to be in that remote country, to feel as at home. As the tourists who have been to Australia mention, it is impossible for anyone to feel lonely, traveling across the Green continent: the locals are always ready to share with you a pint of beer or a cup of latte. This means that the travelling around this smallest continent will never get boring and after all you’ll have a lot of impressions to share with everybody.

1. The Irish
In the publication of the Bluelist 2008 Lonely Planet have recognized the Irish as the most friendly nation in the world. It makes little sense to discuss if the Irish are more or less welcoming than Canadians or Iranians are Irish are just different. The truth is that the citizens of the country of St. Patrick are really very nice and kind. Despite the fact that Irish are mistakenly described as those who always complain about the weather, the economic difficulties and high prices , they remain good-natured and honest people, always ready to help any tourist. And therefore, despite the inhospitable climate the pleasant nature of the inhabitants of Ireland makes this country one of the best places to travel.

However, perhaps our readers will not agree with this ranking. Everybody has his/her own list of most hospitable countries. We will be interested to hear what nationalities deserve the title of the friendliest, in your opinion.

Sirocco
Bangkok, Thailand
There is no single night in Bangkok that passes by without full house at the famous bar-restaurant called Sirocco. One of the most prestigious and expensive bars in the capital of Thailand is located on the 64th floor of State Tower skyscraper. The hotel that can truly be called a skyscraper was built originally as a complex of luxury apartments for long stay guests earlier.

Sirocco is open for its visitors not only at night, so those who wish to dine in a picturesque place will hardly find a better alternative. Lunch or dinner at Sirocco can cost a pretty penny, but at the entrance you will have to pass the dress code, so you might choose an appropriate attire to be able to get in.

But it’s worth to visit this place at least once to go up to the top of the glass bar, to touch the sky and breathe the warm air of Asia. These are the memories that last a lifetime for sure.

The Penthouse
Madrid, Spain

The luxury hotel Me by Melia, which is considered to be the pride of Madrid is located in the heart of the city. The Me by Melia, in turn, has a separate “zest” – bar called The Penthouse, located on the roof became a favorite place for all tourists. Climbing up to the bar, you can see all the beauty of central Madrid. It seems impossible to think of a better location to see the area of Santa Ana.

The bar owner, Ranger Gerber, is a famous entrepreneur in the area of nightlife and the husband of Cindy Crawford. Exclusively star guests are visiting the bar. Mere mortals will be able to visit the place during the “happy hour”. The bar is, of course, working until three o’clock in the morning, but getting there after midnight is an extremely difficult task to do. The large crowds wishing to visit this place speaks for itself.

Luna Bar
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Luna Bar is one of the most interesting bars of this famous city, located on the roof of a skyscraper, with views of the twin towers and the night lights of Kuala Lumpur. Visitors to the bar at any time can plunge into the pool and in an atmosphere of 1920-30’s, which reigns in the Luna Bar decor and accessories.

Rooftop Bar
Melbourne, Australia
The British Daily Telegraph newspaper has recently published five of the most fashionable bars and nightclubs in the world. The Rooftop Bar, located at the 16th floor of Curtin House was named as one of the best one. Its doors are open to all visitors daily  starting from 8pm. Rooftop Bar will especially be a good place for movie lovers. In addition to drink and delicious food, the evening program includes watching various films in the hall with a capacity of 200 people. So try to get into the top 100!

Gravity
Dublin, Ireland
In December 2000, 50 million dollars was invested in the project to restore the Guinness Storehouse. Since the architect Robinson Keefe Devane converted this room into a museum, the cradle of brand dark beer, which became one of the most recognizable brands, began to attract many more tourists from all over the world.

Founded in 1904, the seven-storey building was designed primarily for storage of ingredients for the neighborhood brewery called St.James’ Gate. But now a Gravity Bar is located on its roof. It is an indispensable para stop of visitors to the museum, where everyone can enjoy a panoramic view of Dublin. It is believed that the bar can be visited only by paying an entrance fee to the museum. But if you want to drink a mug of Guinness beer, then you can get into the bar absolutely free of charge, finding the path to a hotel elevator. Statistics show that annually Gravity bar is visited by about 570 thousand tourists.

Top Floor Bar
London, United Kingdom
Looking for a convenient place where you can avoid the whole pathos of London?  Well as a solution of the problem can be suggested this -Top Floor Bar  situated on the top floor of a skyscraper Swiss Re Tower. Its visitors can spend an unforgettable evening under the glass roof in the form of a cone, admiring the stunning views of the night in London.

Moon
Las Vegas, Nevada
A couple of years ago at the top of a huge entertainment center Palms in Las Vegas was opened Playboy Club, situated on the 53th floor of Palms. The sound system in the club is extremely strong, so at first some visitors don’t even feel comfortable because of the strong sound. But the charming atmosphere will make you relax afterwards for sure.

Captain Bar
Shanghai, China
This is a cool place that offers a huge selection of cocktails and offers its visitors beautiful views of the The Bund skyscraper. Located on the roof of the Captain Hostel the bar is pretty simple, but the prices do not delight the eye but do rather impress. The Captain Bar is always ready to welcome its visitors with a quiet relaxing music.

Hudson Sky Terrace
New York, New York
On the hot New York day people want to plunge into the cool, drink a few glasses of amazing Sangria. All this can be done on the roof of the Hudson Sky Terrace. However, the only way to be on the beautiful air-conditioned section of the roof is to register in The Hudson hotel. If this option sounds good to you then go on with it.

Condesa DF Rooftop Bar
Mexico City, Mexico
Condesa DF Rooftop Bar is the most luxurious place, also located on the roof of the hotel. Condesa DF, from tablecloths and finishing furniture, has its own unique extraordinary style. Hotel is designed exclusively for quality, so only 40 people can enter the hotel at a time. And only in these selected individuals will be able to properly enjoy the Rooftop Bar. But for those who want to enjoy the uniqueness of Mexico it might be a price to pay.

1. London, Great Britain
Many well-known authors either were born in the capital of the Great Britain, or have lived here the most part of a life, and, certainly, have described this city in their works. So, Charles Dickens’s admirers can visit his house which has become a museum, fans of detective histories of sir Arthur Conan Doyle will try to find five-six places where great detective Sherlok Holmes conducted investigation, and by all means will visit his “residence” on Baker Street 221b. There will be everything for all of them who are interested in art of Jeffrey Choser, John Keats, Herbert Wells.

2. Stratford-Upon-Avon, Great Britain
There will hardly be a person in the world who never heard about William Shakespeare. And consequently every year Stratford-Upon-Avon – city where the well-known writer was born – is visited by about 3 million people. Here you can see the museum of the English genius, theater and many other sightseeings connected with a name of the well-known playwright.

3. Edinburgh, Scotland
A lot of world literature classics have lived and wrote in this city: sir Arthur Conan Doyle, sir Walter Scott, Robert Louis Stevenson. Today Edinburgh had a new literary symbol – Joanne Rowling, the author of the well-known story about Harry Potter. If you wish to learn about all writers and the poets ever been in this place, simply visit the Museum of writers. By the way, Edinburgh was the first to be recognized “as a city of the literature” by UNESCO.

4. Dublin, Ireland
Many new ideas and innovative products were born in this country and especially in its capital. For example the “Dublins” or “Ulis” of James Joyce. In XX century Samuel Beckett has created here the concept of absurdity drama. And if you ever come to be on the far northern island, by all means visit not only the museum of writers and National library of Ireland, but also take a glance to the literary pub Crawl.

5. New York, USA
It would be surprising, if no writer has settled in “the Big Apple”. Such authors of bats-generations, as Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg have lived here for some time. The city became the arena of one of literary revolutions of XX century – the so-called “Harlem Renaissance”, which has given such popular afroamerican authors, as Zora Neale Hurston or Langston Hughes.

6. Concord, Massachusetts, USA
Though Concord is only a small town with 20 thousand inhabitants, it has played the important role in the history of the American literature. In the beginning of XIX century there lived the most popular authors of that time Ralph Waldo Emerson and Gotorn, and in 1817 the American philosopher and writer David Toro was born here.

7. Paris, France
Paris has been the center of the French and European culture for a long time. Writers, artists, musicians from all world longed for getting to this city . And that`s why many writers remember it`s streets , starting from the giants of the French literature, such, as Voltaire, Victor Hugo, Alexander Duma and Onore de Balzac, and finishing with newcomers from far America which ran to Paris to find sexual, religious or personal freedom among which were Gertrude Stein, Ernest Hemingway and Francis Scott Fitzgerald.

8. San Francisco, California, USA
As well as New York, this city is also connected first of all with bats-generations. After, Ginsberg and Kerouac have left “the Big Apple” for the various reasons, they have settled here and have brought not only a unique literary style, but also fans from all over the state. ”Beatnik`s”admirers necessarily should visit cafe “Vesuvius” – Jack Kerouac’s favourite place. The author of “Tropic of Cancer” Henry Miller also passed some time in vicinities of San Francisco.

9. Rome, Italy
Ancient Rome is the birthplace of many antique writers and the philosophers who have affected all European art. In this city the author of “Eneida” of Virgilio created for some time. Later on, inspired by ancient beauty of ancient city, Percy Shelley with his wife Mary Shelley, Keats and Henry James have lodged in Rome.

10. St.-Petersburg, Russia
Petersburg was always the important city for the Russian literature. Alexander Pushkin and Lev Tolstoy, Anton Chekhov and Fyodor Dostoevsky, Nikolai Gumilev and Anna Akhmatova were passing by the streets of the second Russian capital in XIX-XX centuries. Among the most visited literary museums are Pushkin’s last haven on Moyka and Dostoevsky’s apartment on the Kuznechny lane.

Giant’s Causeway, Ireland
The main geological landmark of Northern Ireland is a “Giant’s Causeway” rock consisting of columns of fairly regular hexagonal shape. The place where the height of columns is nearly similar resembles the causeway. The world first learned of the existence of “Causeway“ in 1693, and since then this place is cluttered with legends and theories faster than the celebrity rumors. Someone thinks that these are the remnants of a stone gat, built by the giants between Ireland and Scotland; others argue that the “Causeway” has a natural volcanic origin, while others believe that it is the work of extraterrestrials.

Frozen waves, Arizona, United States
Photos of this natural formation have always been commentaries such as  “Photoshop!” Well a man who has not personally seen this miracle cannot believe in its existence. The gigantic stone wave looks too incredible to be truly natural. With its occurrence this miracle is obliged to water having washed away the layers of sandstone for millions of years, formed back in the Jurassic period!

McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica
Located on the land of Victoria, to the West from the strait of McMurdo valleys there have not been rain for more than two million years. This is the driest place on earth. Endless sands, skeletons and rocks carved by a mad speed winds, looks like a fiction movie shooting area or  a decorative scenario. Landscapes and natural conditions of these places are very far from being earthy, and more resemble Mars. NASA had spent a lot of trials here before starting the “Viking” on a “Red Planet”.

Rio Tinto, Spain
Rio Tinto River passes its blood-red waters through the copper-rich mountainous lands in Andalusia. And this alien landscape, unlike the previous ones is the handiwork of humans. As a result of thousands of years output, launched by Carthaginians, local soils have been very strongly oxidized, and the water of the river, having acquired a strange color, became poisonous. And, although, the extraction of fossil is not conducted in the last decades, because of the rising prices on copper, it can be restored.

Black Rock Desert, Nevada, USA
An amazing mystical place with a dry colorful cliffs and sparkling geysers attracts with its unearthly atmosphere. The appearance of the volcano-like seems rather attractive. And, apparently, that is why the unique festival of Burning Man is held here gathering tens of thousands of people who cannot sit in one place, and who want to be not the same as all. During the festival the circulation of money is completely prohibited on its territory, as well as the travel by car.

Cave of Crystals, Mexico
Crystals have already been popular among the people especially in their pricy forms. No surprise that the cave that has a temperature of almost 60 degrees and 100 percent humidity of air makes the area almost inaccessible to man, but  a lot of people are ready to go not only to such sacrifices to look at the giant crystals of gypsum. Crystals that were discovered here in 2000 are the largest on Earth; the largest specimens reach 11 meters in length and a half in circumference and weigh over 50 tons.

Spotted lake, Canada
Located about a mile to the North of the border of Washington and British Columbia (Canada) lake, known in the language of the local people as Klikuk, steaming under the hot sun, is divided into many small water reservoirs, painted in the most incredible shades of white, green and yellow. This is explained by one of the highest concentrations of minerals in the water. This is something worth to see. Trails between the lakes are actually composed of salts of titanium, calcium, sulfur and other useful minerals.

The mosaic pavement, Tanzania
It is hard to believe, but these are extremely flat rectangles, located on the isthmus of Eaglehawk Neck, are not the handiwork of man but a natural resulted scenario. As well as the stone waves in Arizona, this wonder of nature is the product of prolonged erosion, as well as tides and sea-salt deposits.

The dried salt lake, Bolivia
Stretching for tens of kilometers a dried-up salt lake (Salar de Uyuni) contains 10 billion tons of salt and looks like a piece of another planet,. Surprisingly it is listed as unknown in South America. The sky mirrored in the salt crust merges with the horizon, and there is a feeling that you are in a blue and white endless void, and the pyramids of salt, collected by local workers for further exports, evoke thoughts of the forthcoming visit of extraterrestrials.

Cappadocia, Turkey
Rocky lunar landscape of Cappadocia with caves, carved in stones of Hittites was the only example of its kind even 3 thousand years ago. More than anywhere else in the world there are not so many fantastically shaped rocks in the natural origin of which is hard to believe. Nevertheless, all these flourish is the handiwork of the Mother Nature. Local tour guides carefully cultivate the legend that it is from this point; George Lucas sketched landscapes of Tatooine for the “Star Wars”.

Moon Valley, Brazil
Finding yourself in the national park of Chapada dos Veadeyrus it is not difficult to imagine that you have left your home planet and travelled for miles to have a visit to a planet nearby. Located in the Brazilian savanna, near the town of Chapada (Chapada), washed by the waters of the river San Miguel rock formations got the name of Moon Alley for the unearthly view. These stone labyrinths are about 1.8 billion years old – one of the oldest on the planet and they are almost entirely composed of quartz ore.

White Desert, Egypt
Huge boulders of chalk rise in the middle of hot desert, like icebergs. The creator this time is wind.This surrealistic landscape looks mysterious and arcane, against the backdrop of the setting sun. Once you separate from the group of tourists, and you can feel bewildered in time, as if there is no civilization, but the scorching sun around and the endless sands and maybe upcoming other creatures.

Bloody Pond, Japan
In Japan, near the town of Beppu there are several such places, which the Japanese themselves call hell. It is not recommended to bath in them because of high temperature reaching 90 degrees, and high concentrations of iron salts, which dye the water in an alarming red color and shocking steaming. It is covering the water, and adding even more enhances the sense of alien presence.

Stone Forest, China
400 square kilometers of stone wonders, located in the Province of Yunnan, is an amazing example of the water effect on such a seemingly solid stone rock. “The trees in this forest are composed of limestone, which was tempted slowly for many millenniums by the retreating sea which has washed away all the soft rock, leaving only the high columns, like trees.

Caves Eisriesenwelt, Austria
Ice caves located near Salzburg are the largest of all known to man. They stretch for more than 40 kilometers, and only a small part of them is open to visitors taking into account of the fact of the safety. Entrance does not make an impression of anything unusual, but its worth to take a step, and you seem to find yourself in another world, consisting of frozen waterfalls, giant ice stalagmites and other ice formations.

1. Museum of mummies, Guanajuato, Mexico
This museum will haunt the visitors into terrible but despite this, the flow of tourists does not decrease for years. The museum was founded in 1853, and has a collection of about hundred dried human remains to be looked at. In contrast to the famous Egyptian mummies , Mexican  ones are not having a noble origin and have not been deliberately embalmed. The exhibits are carried from the local cemetery, where relatives of the victims are unable to pay an annual tax for the dead. So, behind the glass one can see bodies that were laid on the ground for decades. And although because of the extremely low humidity and high content of minerals in the local soil, buried corpses do not decompose, they still look terrible.

2. Church of St. Michael, Dublin, Ireland
Church of St. Michael in Dublin was founded in the XVI century and most of all it is famous for its vaults, in which the bodies remain incorrupt even in open coffins for hundreds of centuries. Most of the underground galleries are closed from the eyes of the curious tourists, but some can still be visited. So the tourists with particularly strong nerves can descend into the caves and wander among the open stone coffins, from which mummified limbs protrude. Or, conversely, search for the bodies of ex-thieves and criminals who have limbs missing. If the experience is not enough, then go to the burial of the crusader, whose body was broken in halves to squeeze in a coffin. After lifting to the surface you are quite ready to celebrate the Halloween and it is guaranteed you will be afraid of even a pumpkin with a candle.

3. Catacombs of Paris, France
This place is rather popular among tourists, “on the eve of all saints”, so the visit to the ancient underground becomes a particularly meaningful ritual. One can hardly think of a better place for a holiday, everything you need is your surroundings and the underground, too. Catacombs of Paris are lined with the bones of the dead, like ornaments, dozens of miles of corridors, lined with skulls and femur bone, and only a small part is open to tourists for satisfying their interest. When there was no more room in the cemeteries of Paris, they started deceasing dead men from the catacombs, and for hundreds of years plenty of them were accumulated here. If your nerves are strong enough, you can scare others in spirit of the holiday, and beg them for candies, but do not overdo it.

4. Old Jewish Cemetery, Prague, Czech Republic
Landfill of century-old tombstones in the old Jewish cemetery in Prague looks so terrible that even the acknowledged master of horror, Franz Kafka often sought inspiration here. Since Jews were forbidden to bury their dead outside the station, then over the next five hundred years, the tombs were piled on each other, and now at such a tiny area, there are over 200 thousand graves, the oldest of which is 560 years old.

5. San Bernardino, Milan, Italy
Very modest and unremarkable church from the outside, turns out to be a mysterious place, densely decorated with mosaics  of bones and skulls from the inside. When there was no place available in adjacent cemetery (it happened in the XII century) they began to fold the dead in a specially constructed building, which later became a Church!!! And the remains of the dead became a worthy addition to the interior decoration. Do the modern designers, after all this, still seem  too ambitious?

6. Castle Dracula, Romania
Located on the border of Transylvania and Wallachia, Bran Castle became famous, and was visited by the crowds of tourists, after Bram Stoker placed here his Dracula and Francis Ford Coppola shot the same film. Built on a hilltop, castle is beautiful enough even without old bloodsuckers. But the chilling stories of guides about the atrocities of Vlad Tepes, who, visited the castle extremely rare, created an ominous atmosphere around the castle.

7. Day of the Dead, Mexico
While the whole Catholic world celebrates “on the eve of all saints “, Mexico celebrates “the Day of the Dead “. Christian traditions, faced with the cults of Maya were distorted beyond recognition, and the relationships of Mexicans to death are very different from ours. This event, particularly brightly is held in Oaxaca, where in the evening of October 31 musicians, dressed as skeletons ,go out to the streets, , and at night the whole country rushes to the graves of relatives, taking tequila, favorite food of the deceased and sugar skulls with their names on their foreheads. The tradition is used to be a way getting reunited with your dead relatives and friends. Children as in European world also enjoy candies except the fact that they are shaped as skulls and dead.

8. Ossuary, Kutna Hora, Czech Republic
In Europe, where there was often no place for the dead, assures are not so rare. But  in the town of Sedlec, near the town of Kutna Hora, one of the largest and the most famous is located. About 40 thousand human skeletons used on the creation of the interior. Nearly all internal decorations, including a huge chandelier are made of skeletons parts. Interiors have turned out to be so terrible, that have repeatedly been the scenarios for the films creating the appropriate entourage.

9. Impasse Mary King, Edinburgh, Scotland
Old streets with the dark past were hidden under a new city with the time, but in 2003 the place where in the XVII century, the plague patients were left to die, was opened to tourists. Descending into the dungeon sightseers unanimously declare on the paranormal activity. The tourists are touched by the hands and feet by something invisible, it is believed that it is the ghost of Annie, a young girl whose parents left her there in 1645, particularly impressionable people can even see her ghost.

10. Pere Lachaise Cemetery, Paris, France
If you enjoy walking through the cemetery, you will  like the Pere Lachaise for sure. Kilometers of headstones, statues, tombs, family mausoleums storing the remains of the greatest representatives of humanity, will be the ideal venue for celebrating the Halloween. The spirits of Jim Morrison and Honore de Balzac buried here as well as tens of thousands of idlers tourists will help to celebrate the fist. It won’t be boring here in the night of November 1, for sure.

1. Showing “thumb up” in Iran

In all the countries of Europe and the United States compressed fist or raised up thumb are completely innocent gesture, telling you that everything is correct, everything is going well, you are completely satisfied. But we should not express our feelings this way in Iran. It is considered a gross and obscene insult there.

Another familiar Euro-American symbol is “OK” when the thumb and index finger form a circle, it should not be used in Turkey and Brazil, because the locals will think you are comparing them with some intimate parts of the human body.

2.Touching your head in Thailand

In Buddhist countries, heads of human beings are sacred, as the soul lives there, and therefore, touching the head of even a tiny baby means to offend him. One should never refer to something with a finger. For example, in Malaysia it is considered to be very improper, and in the Philippines, local residents can allow themselves to point to objects and people only with eyes.

3. Calling Ireland, the British Isles

Each state has its own “taboos”. It is not necessary to discuss the Aborigines in Australia, dowry in India and human rights in China. Irish categorically do not like it when their land is called “one of the British Isles”. By the way, if you are not sure whether you can talk about something in a particular country, it is best to stay on neutral issues – the gastronomy and the beauty of the landscape.

4. Dressing as gauchos in Argentina

Some tourists can not resist the temptation to try on a national costume. However, before you dress like the locals, learn the laws of the country. Thus, for the wearing of batik in Indonesia you will have to pay a fine, and it is really quite improper to try on gaucho in Argentina, and go to the barbecue.

5. Entering the Japanese house in shoes

In Japan and other Eastern countries be prepared to take off your shoes before entering the temple or to any house. In the Land of the Rising Sun you will certainly be offered to replace street shoes with slippers, in which you can walk from front door to the living room. However, before you embark on the mat you will have to part with interchangeable footwear. Therefore, always wear clean socks!

6. Presenting bouquet of 12 carnations in Germany

Bouquet seems a perfect gift; however, one should be careful with them as well, because the flowers, their color and the number may have a hidden meaning. In Germany, Poland and Sweden a carnation is brought for the funeral. In Belgium, Italy, France, Spain and Turkey chrysanthemums are used for this purpose. In France and Austria, red roses mean romantic interest, and in Mexico, Chile yellow roses are a sign of grief and separation. An odd number of colors can bring misfortune in China and Indonesia, and in Germany, Turkey and India, as in Russia, by contrast, there should not be an even number of stems in the bouquet.

7. Confusing the name and the surname of the Chinese

The Chinese write their names and surnames not in the usual order, as it is customary in Europe and America: the name usually follows the surname, and therefore appealing to Lee Wong Chi “Mr. Chi” will sound just as absurd as if you call James Smith “Mr. James”.

8. Presenting alcohol to Muslim

Islam does not allow people to drink alcohol. And even if the Muslims drink, they do not do it publicly. Therefore, to give Muslims a bottle of cognac – means to show him his sin. And if the bottle is enclosed even in a luxury case made of pig skin, it will be an obvious insult, because dogs and pigs in the Islamic countries are considered unclean animals.

9. Drinking between toasts in Georgia and Azerbaijan

In Northern Europe, Russia and the former Soviet Union countries toasts are treated very seriously. In Scandinavia and Germany, when saying “Ska!” Or “Prost!” one needs to look into the eyes of those who lift their glasses. In Russia, foreigners are recommended to drink vodka in one gulp. And in Georgia and Azerbaijan, toasts can be pronounced for hours. However, little sip from the glass between the toasts is considered very impolite.

10. Inserting sticks into rice in Japan
If you have decided to take up hashi – chopsticks intended for food, you are to examine the many rituals associated with it. They should always be kept a little up; they cannot intersect or be used as a pointer. And the worst thing that can be done with hashi is to stick them upright in a bowl with rice. So, in Japan they do so only during the funeral rituals.

]]> http://www.travelvivi.com/10-fatal-mistakes-of-travelers/feed/ 0 http://www.travelvivi.com/wonderful-journeys-for-the-entire-year/ http://www.travelvivi.com/wonderful-journeys-for-the-entire-year/#comments Fri, 18 Sep 2009 08:55:51 +0000 travelgirl http://www.travelvivi.com/?p=1033 Though the world is in difficult financial situation, but people always want to travel. For those who wish to find something special the entire year the edition of HRI compiled a list of unusual trips for each month of the year.
January, of course, could remain in your memory by going to meet the coming year in one of the countries of Southeast Asia in the end of the month. In fact, it is very interesting to be able to appreciate the celebration of yet another New Year event, albeit completely different from European culture.

On February 14, take your sweetheart to watch the migration of butterflies in the Mexican province Miokan or go to the carnival in Salvador, not as famous as the carnival in Rio, but more sincere. There is much less direction, and anyone can join the marchers, what is happening on all the streets of this very African city of Brazil.

Do not go to warm countries for fun in March and say goodbye to winter on a merry note. The easiest way for this is the snow and music festival in Mayrhofen Austria. Every year, at an altitude of 2000 meters above sea level, under the motto “Snowboards day, dancing the night” lovers of winter fun and hot parties are gathered here. After active outdoor recreation follows a more active recreation in clubs, dance parties with the best European D.Js, street costume shows, and live music under the roof and in the middle of the Alps … In general, the main issue is not about where to go, but to keep up everywhere.

If the dancing attracts less than politics, and creative impulses nevertheless need to vent, go to Valencia to engage with local people constructing a giant papier-mâché dolls of famous public figures. It does not matter if the figure created by you would seem unsuccessful: they will be happily burned in the last day of the fire festival. They say that the spectacle of the burning of giant figures with gradually separating parts of their “body” is fascinating and is more impressive than any, even the most grandiose firework.

The festival in the orange of the Netherlands is considered to be the best to celebrate the arrival of the heat and the offensive of spring. Despite the fact that the ruling queen’s birthday is in January, and her predecessor was born on April 30, on the last day of the month citizens dressed in orange, from the morning start to celebrate the holiday which has become national. The most interesting thing is happening in Hague, where the palace of the Queen is, and in Amsterdam, where the Orange mortal river is. Moving in accordance with the bends of channels, people sing, dances and light fireworks. The evening ends with a carnival. By the way, this day the police is not allowed to intervene in what is happening, that is why the fun reaches unimaginable proportions.

An alternative would be to go to Barcelona at St. George’s Day, colorful analogue of Valentine’s Day, when everywhere in the streets there are red roses, and on the square before the cathedral flock of dragons sit peacefully. All day dragons are quietly photographed with everyone allowing dragging their tail, but at midnight, they are prepared for attack, snorting with fire and smoke, cramp the audience. As a result, the emerged victorious St. George wins fire-breathing dragons and in token of reconciliation red roses grow from their jaws.

While choosing where to go in May, you should pay attention to the Scottish Festival of whiskey. It is in May, that a month of whiskey is announced in Scotland. You can visit the distillery usually closed to the outside public and take part in tastings of rare aged varieties.

In June, it is best to choose the white nights of St. Petersburg. You need to only buy tickets in advance on the train or plane, and then, walking at night, enjoy the mystical and romantic atmosphere of the city on the Neva.
Leaving for the traditional European resorts in July (and August) ,perhaps ,will be a madness: it is hot and the crowds are everywhere. It is much better and more interesting to make a fascinating journey along the rivers and lakes of Finland. The choice of water transport means can be anything from a kayak or raft to the comfortable ship, and road maps of water drawn in such detail that even the novice traveler will not get lost in the numerous rivers and lakes of the country.

In August, it’s high time to go to Ireland for a traditional Puck Fair, the world’s oldest non-religious holiday. Known for their love of horses, the Irish turned it into a big fair, where horses are sold and many horse races take place, incendiary Irish music sounds and beer flows. Those who cannot handle the horse are always offered to take part in silly contests like throwing a pie or competitions for the longest tongue. Winner takes on the keg of “Guinness”. The coronation of a wild goat caught in good time in the mountains will be the culmination of the feast.

If you enjoy art, do not miss the most intriguing exhibition of the year in September. In the UK Tate Gallery Turner and Masters Exhibition will be held, where famous British landscape painter’s paintings, which he bequeathed to the gallery, will be paired with the works of those whose style he once imitated.

In October you should go on a camel fair in the Indian city of Pushkar (Rajasthan) by all means. It was once visited only by the locals, but now the fair has gradually become not only the largest place of trade with the animals, but also a national festival that attracts many tourists. Despite the fact that the Year’s Fair is dedicated to the Hindu festival, carnival atmosphere and fun makes it attractive for all. The highlight of the festival is the racing camels.

In November it will be interesting to visit the show in the open air at Brandenburg gates, dedicated to the fall of the Berlin Wall. And of course, December is associated with the wires of the outgoing and the new meeting. To escape from the pre-holiday hustle and get entirely different impressions is possible if you go to the festival of dancing Dervishes in the Turkish city of Konya.