Travel-4Less

The original Library of Alexandria, the legendary seat of great knowledge and learning founded in the third century BC has long been lost to antiquity – accidently burned down by Julius Caesar is one story of its demise, but there are thought to have been several fires beforehand…
The modern library was built as an attempt to rekindle this level of bibliophilia in Alexandria. The waterfront location is as close to the site of the original as they could build, but the ultra modern design couldn’t be more different.  The main reading room stands beneath a 32-meter-high glass-panelled roof, tilted out toward the sea like a sundial, and the walls are of granite mined in Aswan, carved with characters from 120 different human scripts.

If you’re visiting Salisbury, near Stonehenge in Wiltshire, then the historic Salisbury Cathedral, which has the tallest spire in Britain, is a must-see on your itinerary. But if you’re there later in the afternoon, rather than simply exploring inside and admiring the imposing exterior of this impressive medieval cathedral, why not stay to experience Choral Evensong?

Many people visit British cathedrals each year to look at the historical monuments and artifacts displayed. Although this can give you a good sense of history and traditions, one way of taking it a step further is to attend a service. In Salisbury cathedral, and most other cathedrals up and down the country, the ancient tradition of choral evensong, which dates back to about 1549, is still going strong and is sung daily by choirs of men and child choristers.

It takes place up in the quire – the area where there are choir stalls, nearest the high altar – and involves a short service. At Salisbury this is extra special, as the quire stalls are the largest, earliest and most complete set in Britain.

Although you can sit in the nave and listen to the sounds of the choir singing, it’s far more atmospheric and quite a unique experience to sit up with the rest of the congregation in the spare choir stalls or in designated seats. Not only do you get an up close and personal view of the choir, and get to hear fantastic singing at close quarters, but you also get to see all the other activities involved in the service, plus a great view of the historic building.

Photo by Dominic Brenton

During the week at Salisbury cathedral, choral evensong is held daily at 5.30pm (Monday to Saturday) and at 3.00pm on a Sunday. The service is sung by the cathedral choir during term times and, during holidays, many visiting choirs arrive to take their turn at singing the service.

If you’ve never been to a church service before, it can seem a bit intimidating, but do give it a go. Choral Evensong is free to attend and you don’t need to book; neither do you need to pay an entrance fee to the cathedral in order to get in, if you’re attending a service. There are sides people on duty to help guide you to the right area and show you where you can and can’t sit and they’ll be a service guide waiting at your seat, so you can follow along and see exactly what’s going on, being said and being sung.

If you go on a Saturday or Sunday, then there’s usually at least one hymn for everyone to join in with, and for special services, such as Saints Days or Feast Days, there may be a short sermon to listen to. But generally during the week, the Choral Evensong service is relatively short, lasting 30 to 45 minutes.

Sit back and enjoy listening to the mesmerizing voices of the choir and the organ voluntary at the end, and take in the breathtaking view of the stained glass windows beyond the high altar, the intricate carvings on the choir stalls or the high ceilings above you. It can offer a quiet time of reflection, an insight into the history and daily routines in this historic building and of traditions that continue to be followed.
Salisbury Cathedral
33 The Close
Salisbury
Wiltshire
SP1 2EJ
Tel: 01722 555 120

Written by Rachel Newcombe for EuropeUpClose.com

The Citadel of Salah el-Din (or Saladin as he’s known as in the west.), which is a fortress holding a complex of three mosques, one of them being the Mohammad Ali Mosque, or Alabaster Mosque.  Impressive for it’s architecture, the lower part is clad, inside and out, in alabaster as the name suggests, but limestone removed from the Great Pyramid of Giza has been used on the upper section.  The mosque is still in use today as a holy building, but unlike other great mosques everyone who’s willing to behave respectfully is welcome to visit.   The other two mosques are the Mamluk an-Nasir Mohammed Mosque and the Ottoman Suleiman Pasha Mosque.
The citadel’s location, on top of a limestone hill over looking Cairo, means it’s a good place to go in the morning before the heat hazy and the pollution pick up.  As well as the mosques, the citadel has a military museum.
  

The Khufu Ship is an ancient Egyptian barge 44 metres by six metres, that was buried in a pit within the pyramid complex of Giza.  It was buried at the foot of the Great Pyramid so it’s presumed that it was built for Khufu, whose pyramid it is.  The Solar Boat Museum was built up around it to protect it, though it appears to have done perfectly well without – it’s thought that if it was put into water today it would have no trouble sailing – though it was in pieces, as the reeds that lashed the 1,224 planks together had worn away over the millennia.  
It’s thought that the intention of the ship was that it would carry the resurrected king across the heavens, but scientists think it’s been used in water – maybe to carry Khufu’s body to its final resting place.
 

Mumbai Airport Guide Chhatrapati Shivaji Airport is another superb post from: Europe & Beyond a holiday travel blog

Mumbai – guide to Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport

Mumbai’s award-winning Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport is India’s and South Asia’s busiest airport, served by around 50 international airlines whose flights to Mumbai carry some 25 million passengers each year.

Over the past few years, the airport has undergone extensive modernisation and not only looks better but also has better signage, additional check-in counters, a wider range of food and drink outlets, and improved cleanliness.

It has been named both ‘Best Airport in India’ (Airport International Council) and ‘Best Airport in Public-Private Partnership’ (Air Passengers Association of India), and was the first airport in the country to implement self-service kiosks.

Location and layout

Named after the 17th century Maratha Emperor Chhatrapati Shivaji Raje Bhonsle, the airport is spread across two separate sites located about 3 miles apart – one for the two domestic terminals (1A and 1B), and the other for the two international terminals (2B and 2C). There’s a free coach service every 20 minutes during the day between the international and domestic terminals for transfer passengers.

Trains, buses and taxis connect the airport with central Mumbai, which is located about 20 miles away – or 1-2 hours by road (depending on traffic).

Mumbai Airport Facilities

Duty-free shopping is available at the international terminal, and there is also a pharmacy.

For a spot of pre-flight pampering, the luxurious O2 Spa (www.o2spa.in) is now open on the mezzanine level of the international terminal, offering treatments based on a blend of traditional Thai and Indian techniques. The services are well-targeted at passengers who are on-the-go, including foot reflexology, relaxing neck and back massages, facials, pedicures and manicures. Perfect for calming pre-flight nerves.

Passengers can also use the free Wi-Fi service available throughout the airport.

Eating and drinking

Since its revamp, the airport is now home to a fairly good range of food and drink establishments including pizza places, coffee shops, and plenty of snack bars. In the international terminal 2B there’s a food court incorporating KFC, Pizza Hut, Indian Paradise, Noodle, and The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. In international terminal 2C there are snack bars and coffee shops plus the Celebration Bar & Restaurant.

Hotels near Mumbai Airport

If you need hotel accommodation near Mumbai airport, there are several within a short distance that offer free shuttle services to the airport. These include Leela Kempinski Hotel, the Midland Hotel Mumbai, and Orchid Ecotel Hotel. You can book hotel accommodation at the airport.

Flights from the UK to Mumbai India

Direct flights to India (Mumbai) take approximately 9 hours from the UK. The cheapest fares tend to be from London Heathrow, but you can also fly from many different regional airports including Cardiff, Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester, Aberdeen, and Belfast International. The international terminals are busiest at night.

The airport is the primary hub for Air India and Jet Airways, and also serves as a secondary hub for other airlines such as Indian Airlines, JetLite, GoAir, SpiceJet, IndiGo and Kingfisher.

For more information about Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (airport code: BOM), visit http://www.csia.in/

At their highest, sheerest point, the Cliffs of Mohar rise 214metres out of the Atlantic Ocean just north of O’Brien’s Tower, but they snake dramatically around the coast for another eight kilometres to their lowest point, 120metres below Hag’s Head.   
Atlantic Puffins and hundreds of other species of bird make their homes in the cliffs – there’s thought to be around 30,000 birds living here.  On a clear day the view from the cliffs is one of the most spectacular in Ireland – all the way across the Galway Bay to the Aran Islands.  Both of these are excellent reasons to visit, and this remote looking spot is one of Ireland’s most popular tourist destinations.  It keeps its remote look because its visitor centre is build into the rocks before the cliff.

There are three Aran Islands, Inis Mor (Big Island), Inis Meain (Middle Island), and Inis Oirr (East Island). The islands are filled with history; forts, churches, lighthouses can be found throughout the three islands. In Inis Mor, the largest and most popular island of the three, you will find the ‘Dun Aonghasa’ a famous stone fort overlooking the Atlantic. In Inis Oirr sits the remains of Obriens castle overlooking the sea. There are quaint little villages, like Killronan in Inis Mor – the main port for the ferries – that have great shopping and restaurants serving fresh seafood.

Barcelona La Boqueria – Barcelona’s Famous Market is another superb post from: Europe & Beyond a holiday travel blog

Barcelona – Something for Everyone

What better destination than Barcelona in Spring , the Catalan capital located on the north-east coast of Spain. Low cost flights to Barcelona are easy to come by these days. Your cheap tickets to the sun await you….with a little patience and the internet, you are sure to find yours.

Why choose Barcelona?

Why is it that everyone leaves this city planning their next visit? Barcelona hosts many festivals throughout the year and the city has what everyone dreams of – sun, sea, sand and shops. It accommodates any visitor, young and old.

La Boqueria Barcelona’s Famous Market

One place that suits everyone’s tastes is La Boqueria – Barcelona’s most famous market and one of the best in Europe. La Boqueria market is located off the Rambla and it will greet you with fantastic smells which will tickle your taste buds, and an array of colours resembling a rainbow. You can visit the market at any time of the day – but perhaps it is worth visiting more than once.

Get there early on your first visit to the market and avoid the crowds. This is the best way to explore every corner and check out the best bars and restaurants. Go back another day for lunch at one of the venues which caught your attention, such as El Quim, Pintxo or Antonio’s restaurant. Pass by the market around 6 p.m. for your last visit after a day of sightseeing and pick up a bargain. All fresh fruit salads and juices go at half price before the market closes…..

You can appreciate the American southwest desert for its natural imprint of soaring red rock, plains of cacti and coyote, peaks that reach to occasional snow cover, and at other times you can appreciate it for the more unusual imprint humans superimpose on it.  Landing by air in Las Vegas, you catch a glimpse of one such man-made phenomenon in the huge and sprawling shape of Lake Mead below you.  In fact, this “lake” is a reservoir fed by the Colorado River, and consists of several bodies of water – one being Boulder Basin, which is closest to the Hoover Dam, and which is an ideal arena for kayaking.
Geographically the most accessible to urban life, Boulder Basin can become complicated to get into at times.   An experienced group of paddlers might want to paddle across the most exposed portions of the lake and take a view of the dam from the lake side.  It is about a five mile paddle to Hoover Dam, and about a four mile paddle to some other areas with nice beaches and interesting shoreline — at Castle Cove, for instance.  A more novice group might just paddle a mile out to Boulder Island, circumnavigate some of the islands and come ashore for a picnic.  Boulder Island and other “islands” within Lake Mead are of course originally just hilly high ground of the alluvial plain that was flooded to create the lake, and today you observe much the same flora and fauna as the rest of the Mohave desert, the creosote brush being the dominant shrub.  The waters are home to the box turtle, bass, trout and crayfish, while on land you may spot mountain sheep, rocky spine lizards and above you an eagle or heron. 
One way to avoid most of the crowds is to leave the organization to small local adventure outfitter Kayak Lake Mead.  Their meet-up begins in nearby Boulder City, and then depending on the weather conditions – meaning largely the wind factor – and the kayak experience of the group, their guide will select the best launch point onto Boulder Basin.  Kayak Lake Mead finds high performance kayaks rather than wider bodied kayaks work better in sometimes windier conditions out on the lake.  While the lake has no current – except when the wind has been blowing consistently for hours in one direction – it does pick up some wave action when stronger Pacific storms or just summer afternoon flash storms move in.

The eclectic city of Strasbourg comes alive in the spring, and this year is no exception. There are a plethora of unique musical and cultural festivals sure to please even the most selective European travelers.

Printemps des Bretelles Festival (March 19-28)
There is no better way to welcome spring in Europe than with the sweet strains of an accordion. Perhaps this is why accordionists from all over the world come to Strasbourg’s annual Printemps des Bretelles to play in concerts that take place all over the city  (at outdoor markets, in theaters, in restaurants, and in libraries). Festival passes cost between 25 and 50 euros and can be purchased online.

Artefacts Music Festival (April 16- 24)
The music continues (with fewer accordions this time) at the Artefacts Music Festival. This year, the weekend festival welcomes well-known international indie and electro artists such as Zenith, Nada Surf, Iggy and the Stooges and Mumford & Sons. For a complete list of artists and to purchase tickets, see the festival website.

Envies de Printemps Spring Expo (April 26-29)
Garden lovers will be in heaven at Strasbourg’s Envies de Printemps Expo. For one weekend, le Parc des Expositions is filled with stalls and products having to do with home, garden, health and leisure. The entry fee is 4.50 euros.

Bric-A-Brac Fair (May 24-25)
The perfect activity for treasure hunters, Strasbourg’s “puces brocantes” takes place three times a year at Le Parc des Expositions. One can find literally anything at this huge antiques and bric-a-brac fair, including: antique books; French, German and Alsatian decorative objects; vintage jewelry; and small pieces of furniture. This is a wonderful place to find a one-of-a-kind souvenir.

Festival de Musique (June 3-26)
If you couldn’t tell already, residents of Strasbourg take their spring and summer music festivals seriously— and they should, seeing as they bring in some of music’s biggest names in a variety of genres. The largest and longest running (70 years) of these is the month long Festival de Musique.  World- class classical musicians (from soloists to orchestras) delight audiences at various locations throughout the city.

Strasbulles Comic Festival (June 1-6)
The first ever Strasbulles Comic Festival will be held in Strasbourg’s La Bourse building. This is a unique opportunity for comic aficionados to pick up a special souvenir. Their site offers information about the festival as well as general information on comic culture in France and Alsace.

La Foire St. Jean (June 26-July 18)
Though it technically takes place in the summer, I had to include La Foire Saint-Jean in this post. This annual festival brings out Alsacians from all walks of life and attracts quite a few tourists as well. Spend some time at the Parc du Rhin listening to live music, enjoying traditional gaufres (waffles), riding the merry-go-round and soaking in Stasbourgian culture at its best. Kids of all ages will enjoy the large ferris wheel overlooking the Rhine River.