Sydney, Australia

Sydney is the biggest and most populated city in Australia. It's situated at the south-east of Australia near the coast of Port Jackson, also named Sydney Harbour. It's very known beacause of its multiculturalism, lots of immigrants choose this city to live. 

CHINESE GARDEN OF FRIENDSHIP

The Chinese Garden of Friendship was built as a beautiful symbol of friendship between Sydney and Guangzhuo in China The garden was designed and built by Chinese landscape architects and gardeners following the Taoist principles of 'Yin-Yang' and the five opposite elements—earth, fire, water, metal and wood. Much more than just a city garden, the walled Chinese Garden respectfully recreates the philosophy and harmony of a traditional Chinese garden with waterfalls, lakes, exotic plants, pavilions and hidden pathways

SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE

Sydney opera house is one of the most famous building of the 20th century because of its strange architecture. It became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2007. It has been designed by the architect Jørn Utzon in 1957 and it has been inaugurated in 1973. In this place are played theatres, ballets and operas or musical productions. 

WILD LIFE SYDNEY

Wild Life Sydney is a zoo completely austrlian. If you visit this place you will can enjoy the animals feeding and hikes aroud the animals habitat. If you want you can have meetings with Koalas or Koala Encounters and have a walk with the Kagaroos and butterflies or Kangaroo and Butterfly Walk-About

LUNA PARK

Now as its opening in 1935, Luna Park is just for fun. It's a people’s park where you can throw a party for the kids, host your dream wedding or stage a gala for thousands people in the Crystal Palace. The park has been utilised as a filming location for several movies and television shows. It has different parts: The face, Midway, the Crystal Palace, Big Top, Coney Island and Maloney's Corner.

MOONLIGHT CINEMA

Moonlight Cinema is one of the Australian’s favourite outdoor cinema. They showi advance screenings, new release or premieres and cult and old films. People can sit on the grass of the Belvedere Amphitheatre under the light of the stars and enjoy a good time with their families and friends.

Amsterdam, Holland

Introduction

Amsterdam is the most populated city of the Kingdom of Netherlands and it is the capital city. Has a population of 2.332.773. This city draw more tan 3.66 million international visitors annually. Ámsterdam is called "North Venice" due to the 100 km of Canals, 1500 bridges that cross it and 90 islands approximately.

Van Gogh Museum

The Van Gogh Museum is one of Amsterdam's must-sees. Opened in 1973 by the collection of Vincent's younger brother Theo, it consists of about 200 paintings and 500 drawings by Vincent and his Friends and contemporaries, such as Gauguin, Monet, Toulouse-Lautrec and Bernard.

Each year, 1.6 million visitors come to the Van Gogh museum, making it one of the 25 most popular museums in the world.

Anne Frank museum

The Anne Frank House is a museum dedicated to Jewish wartime diarist Anne Frank, who hid from Nazi persecution with her family and seven others in the attic of the building. It opened on May 3, 1960 with the help of public subscription. This museum has many visitors who want to see the hiding of Anne Frank.

Flower market

This is the only floating flower market in the world, and one of the most fragrant places of interest of Amsterdam in all seasons. The flower stalls stand on the houseboats. You will find there all sorts of tulips, narcissus and other bulbs and flowers. The bulbs are ready for export, so you can enjoy them at home too. In December the market also sells green Christmas trees.

Dam Square

Dam Square is located in the historic center of Amsterdam and it’s more or less rectangular. His notable buildings and frequent events make it one of the most famous and important of the city.There is the neoclassical Royal Palace, which serves as council from 1655 until his conversion into a royal residence in 1808. Beside it, there is the Gothic church of the fifteenth century, “Nieuwe Kerk” and “Madame Tussaud” museum.

Importance of bicycles

The bicycles have a lot of importance in this city, it’s impossible to know how many bicycles are in Amsterdam, but city authorities say there are well over 600.000 bikes. The bikes have priority over the others vehicles. Amsterdam defends the title as the world’s most bike-friendly city in the 2013 Copenhagenize Index.

Coffee shops

In the Red Light district, as in the other parts of the city, there are coffee shops that sell small amounts of different kind of drugs, usually of very high quality organic. They sell small amounts of drugs to your own consumption and only sell to adults. The coffee shops don’t sell anything that contains alcohol. You can buy only drugs and smoke there. It’s very popular to the population and the visitors, and there are over 220 coffee shops around the city.

Heineken experience

The industrial facility was built as the first Heineken brewery in 1867, serving as the company's primary brewing facility until 1988 when a more modern, larger facility was constructed on the outskirts of the city. At this museum you won’t just learn about the history of the most famous beer on the planet, because during the visit you’ll be able to see, hear, touch, smell and, of course, taste beer. This museum was called by the visitors the most popular tourist attractions in Amsterdam. Also, you can even brew your own beer and have it bottled in a personalised bottle.

Red Light district

The Red Light district is a central district of the city of Amsterdam in the Netherlands. It’s famous for his history, his architecture, his cultural life and for being one of the most liberalized districts of the world in terms of attitude towards prostitution, drugs and sexual diversity. It’s composed of three different districts: De Wallen, the most famous of them, Singelgebied and Ruysdaelkade. The neighborhood also has a huge number of sex shops, restaurants, hotels, cafes and exhibition.

Colliure

We have chosen this place because one of us was there a few time ago and she fall in love with it, so when we had to make a post about one place in the world we thought that this could be a good and interesting idea. 

1.Location and demography Cotlliure is a small, picturesque, town located in the French Languedoc-Roussillon, where is located at forty kilometers from La Junquera and thirty from Perpiñán. The population (in 2009) was 2.940 inhabitants, and it is still increasing. However, it seems necessary to say that it has (because of the situation) aspects in common with Catalonia.

2. History and curiosities It was a very important place because it comunicates France and Catalunya, so in the past all the Spanish treaders had to pay if they wanted to go to France. But in 1216 they put a fee in order to bring their products to France. That fee guaranteed their sail security in Vallespir. This is the village where Antonio Machado lived his exile. He died there too. In fact, Collioure has been a refuge for artists who were fleeing from war and for the ones who wanted for inspiration, such as Matisse and Derain. Colliure has a lot of art and poetry tradition. Finally, It has been a fishing place and this village is known for its anchovys too.

3. Art and traditions Because of the landscape, Collioure has always inspirated some artists. Painters such as Matisse or Derain started there their neo impressionism pointillist pictures.                                                                                  

                                                                   ANDRÉ DERAIN

HENRI MATISSE

- Sant Vicent’s celebration: The main festivity is the “Sant Vicent” celebration that is from 14th to 18th of August. In the 16th of August a maritime procession take place in order to celebrate the arrived of the Sant Vicent’s heirloom at the 1701. Eventhought, in 1905 this representation was cancelled because of the establishment of a law which separated the church and the state. 

-Prix International de Littérature Antonio Machado: This award has been given since 1979 bianually until 2007. Nowadays, it is celebrate every year and admits works in catalan, spanish or french, the winner is announced in February in Cotlliure.

Places to visit and typical dishes:  The old neighborhood Mouré & Château Royal

The neighborhood is made up of narrow streets with colorful houses, shops and art galleries, which keep the charm of the French Riviera and the Vieux Port or Old Port. Chateau Royal is the summer residence of the kings of Majorca and Aragon, which was built by the Templars in the twelfth century. 

Typichal dishes French cuisine is influenced by the Mediterranean diet, and in fact practically the same. There people eat a lot of fish with different sauces, vegetables and meats. A meal that is known there is the variety of ice cream in the tents: focus on the streets and the dock. In the seafront there are the most expensive bars: la Balette, l’Ambroisie, Chez Simone, La Trelle, Le Copacabane, where good seafood is served.

OTHER THINGS TO DO THERE: In collioure you can also do a lot of sport activities such as: hiking in the mountains, swimming in the sea, hiking kayaking, biking, rafting, paragliding and climbing.

Conclutions: We could say that Cotlliure is a beautiful village located in France, with influence of Catalonia. It has a lot of monuments to visit like The old neighborhood Mouré or Château Royal. Furthemore it has been an artistic place and a big source of inspiration for painters or writers. For all this things we think that Colliure is a very interesting place in the world!

PARIS: The city of love!!!

DESCRIPTION

Paris is the capital and most populous city of France. It has the most populous urban area in the European Union. Situated on the Seine River, in the north of the country, it is in the centre of the “Paris Region”. The City of Paris has a population 2, 273, 305 people.

Paris is the most popular tourist destination in the world with over 42 million foreign visitors per year. It has many of most famous and admired monuments of the world. For example, the Louvre a museum of modern and contemporary art, the Notre Dame Cathderal, the Eiffel Tower, the Basilica of Sacré-Coeur on Montmatre.In 2013 Paris received 29.3 million visitors, making it one of the world’s top tourist destinations. Paris is also known for its fashion, particularly the twice-yearly Paris Fashion Week, and for its high cooking, and three-star restaurants. 

WHY HAVE WE CHOSEN THIS CITY?

First of all, we choose this city because both have visited it years ago and it’s very interesting the culture for us. We believe that it’s one of the most beautiful site in the world and especially, romance. On the other hand, it has a lot of famous monuments to visit and it also make the best crepes of chocolate.Finally, we recommended visiting Paris anyone who has not yet had the chance. You’ll like it!

INTERESTING SITES

Eiffel Tower

Is an iron tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris.  The tower is the tallest structure in Paris and the most-visited paid monument in the world. It has three levels for visitors with restaurants on the first and second. The third level is an observatory platform at 276m above the ground. Tickets can be purchased to ascend by stairs or elevator to the first and second levels.

 Arc the Triomphe

Is one of the most famous monuments in Paris. It stands in the center of the Place Charles de Gaulle at the end of the Champs-Élysées. The monument stands 50 meters in height, 45m wide and 22m deep. The large vault is 29.19m high and 14.62m wide. Its design was inspired by the Roman Arch of Titus. It was the tallest triumphal arch in existence until the completion of the Monumento a la Revolución in Mexico City.

Cathedral of Notre Dame

Is a historic Catholic cathedral on the eastern half of the Île de la Cité in the fourth arrondissement of Paris. The cathedral is widely considered to be one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture, and it is among the largest and most well-known church buildings in the world. The naturalism of its sculptures and stained glass are in contrast with earlier Romanesque architecture. 

Moulin Rouge

Is a famous Parisian cabaret built in 1889 by Joseph Oller. It is located in the red light district of Pigalle on Boulevard de Clichy at the Montmartre in Paris. The Moulin Rouge today continues to offer a variety of shows for all those who want to evoke the bohemian atmosphere of the Belle Époque. 

Louvre

Is one of the world's largest museums and a historic monument. A central landmark of Paris, France, it is located on the Right Bank of the Seine in the 1st arrondissement. The museum is housed in the Louvre Palace, originally built as a fortress in the late 12th century under Philip II. Remnants of the fortress are visible in the basement of the museum. The building was extended many times to form the present Louvre Palace.

The museum opened on 10 August 1793 with an exhibition of 537 paintings, the majority of the works being royal and confiscated church property.

Disneyland Paris

Is an entertainment resort in Marne-la-Vallée, a new town located 32 km (20 mi) east of the center of Paris, and is the most visited theme park in all of France and Europe. The resort covers 4,800 acres (19 km2) and encompasses two theme parks, several resort hotels, a shopping, dining, and entertainment complex, and a golf course, in addition to several additional recreational and entertainment venues.

Prague!

Description

Prague is the capital and the largest city of Czech Republic within the European Union. It’s situated in the north-west of the country and live around 1.24 million people. The official language is czech and their official currency is the Czech crown. The city has a temperate climate with warm summers and chilly winters. Prague is formed by the union of five historical and ancient cities.

What can we see?

Prague Castle:
It’s the most prominent Prague tourist attraction. Also it’s the largest medieval castle in Europe and is the official residence and office of the President of the Czech Republic. Visitors can wander around the courtyards of this castle for free, but to enter the historic building and to gain a true understanding of their history, you should visit the castle as part of a guided tour.

Charles Bridge:
It’s a 14th century stone bridge linking the two sides of Prague. This magnificent structure, is the main pedestrian route connecting the Old Town with the Lesser Town. This Bridge throngs with people during the day. Street artists and musicians play; look out for the jazz band, who are very entertaining for pedestrians. But for a truly romantic, try early morning or anytime in the evening.

Old Town Square:

The Old Town square is one of two main squares in Prague. With this buildings and magnificent churches, this is one of the most beautiful historical sights in Europe. It dates from the 12th century and started life as the central marketplace for Prague. At the centre of the Old Town Square is the Jan Hus statue, erected on the 6th July 1915 to mark the 500th anniversary of the reformer’s death.

Jan Hus statue

Dancing House:

This building was constructed between 1992 and 1996 and was designed by Frank Ghery. At first this house was controversial for their non-traditional design and their deconstructivist style. Nowadays the Dancing House it’s private because there are offices but the top floor have a restaurant -Ginger and Fred Restaurant- and that’s why are opened to the public. Overall this restaurant is a fine choice for a special occasion.

Ginger and Fred Restaurant offers…

A well balanced first-class menu like sea fish, leg of lamb, beef steaks, duck or pork. Finally, there are superb desserts like French cheeses.

The New Town:
Was founded by Charles IV in 1348 to serve as Prague’s main commercial district. Nowadays this area has businesses, hotels, banks or a few small shopping malls. Wenceslas Square is the heart of the new Town because the commerce, the entertainment (theatres like National Theatre, museums like National Museum ,...) and the nightlife are concentrated here. This area has excellent tram and metro connections.

The Prague astronomical clock:

This watch is a medieval astronomical clock located in Prague. It was made by clockmaker Mikuláš of Kadaň and it was installed in 1410 making it the oldest one still working. It’s localized on the southern wall of Old Town City Hall. The watch have four figures for decorate their structure and represents the vanity and the death.

~You have to go to Praga because is the ideal starting point to reach the heart of Europe~