Montmartre in Paris

30 September 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Paris / Île-de-France Reading Time:  8 minutes

Montmartre, dominated by the Basilica of the Sacré Cœur © Christophe Meneboeuf - www.pixinn.net/cc-by-sa-3.0

Montmartre, dominated by the Basilica of the Sacré Cœur © Christophe Meneboeuf – www.pixinn.net/cc-by-sa-3.0

Montmartre is a large hill (French butte Montmartre) in Paris‘s 18th arrondissement. It is 130 metres high and gives its name to the surrounding district, part of the Right Bank in the northern section of the city. The historic district established by the City of Paris in 1995 is bordered by rue Caulaincourt and rue Custine on the north; rue de Clignancourt on the east; boulevard Clichy and boulevard Rochechouart to the south; and rue Caulaincourt to the on the North, containing sixty hectares. Montmartre is primarily known for the white-domed Basilica of the Sacré Cœur on its summit and as a nightclub district. The other, older, church on the hill is Saint Pierre de Montmartre, which claims to be the location at which the Jesuit order of priests was founded.   read more…

Böblingen in Baden-Württemberg

29 September 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  5 minutes

City Square © Jessica Kemper

City Square © Jessica Kemper

Böblingen is the seat of Böblingen District. Physically Sindelfingen and Böblingen are continuous. In 1962, Böblingen was designated a Große Kreisstadt (major district town). Its current boundaries were established in 1971 when it was merged with the municipality of Dagersheim.   read more…

Porto Santo Stefano on the Tyrrhenian Sea

29 September 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  6 minutes

© Ceppicone/cc-by-sa-3.0

© Ceppicone/cc-by-sa-3.0

Porto Santo Stefano is a seaport town on the west coast of Italy, in the municipality of Monte Argentario, in the Province of Grosseto, Tuscany. It is the municipal seat of Monte Argentario and one of the two major towns that form the township, along with Porto Ercole. The region is on the slopes of Mount Argentario, which dominates the whole area. Porto Santo Stefano is 150 kilometres (95 miles) northwest of Rome.   read more…

Theme Week Lebanon – The seaside town of Jounieh

28 September 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Union for the Mediterranean Reading Time:  7 minutes

Casino du Liban © Yoniw

Casino du Liban © Yoniw

Jounieh is a coastal city about 16 km (10 mi) north of Beirut, Lebanon and is part of Greater Beirut. Jounieh is known for its seaside resorts and bustling nightlife, as well as its old stone souk, ferry port, and gondola lift (le téléphérique), which takes passengers up the mountain to the shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa. Above Jounieh, and on the way to Harissa, a small hill named Bkerké, overlooking the Jounieh bay, is the seat of the Patriarch of the Maronite Catholic Church. Residents of Jounieh and the surrounding towns are overwhelmingly Maronite Christians.   read more…

The megayacht Octopus

28 September 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Superyachts Reading Time:  4 minutes

Octopus in Venice © Thorongil

Octopus in Venice © Thorongil

Octopus is a 414 foot (126 m) megayacht owned by Paul Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft. Delivered in 2003, it was believed to be the biggest such yacht at the time of its construction. It is currently the world’s 13th largest superyacht, the fifth largest superyacht not owned by a head of state, and the largest expedition yacht.   read more…

The seaside resort of Opatija in Croatia

27 September 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  6 minutes

Hotel Kvarner © Gt-man/cc-by-sa-2.0-de

Hotel Kvarner © Gt-man/cc-by-sa-2.0-de

Opatija is a town in western Croatia, just southwest of Rijeka on the Adriatic coast. The town proper has a population of 8,000, with the municipality having a total of 13,000 inhabitants. Opatija is situated in the Gulf of Kvarner in a sheltered position at the foot of Učka mountain, with Vojak peak at 1401 m. Opatija is located 90 km from Trieste by rail and 82 km from Pula by road. The city is geographically on the Istrian peninsula, though it is not in Istria county, but Primorje-Gorski Kotar county.   read more…

The Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park

26 September 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Palaces, Castles, Manors, Parks Reading Time:  5 minutes

© Luca Galuzzi/cc-by-sa-2.5

© Luca Galuzzi/cc-by-sa-2.5

Monument Valley is a region of the Colorado Plateau characterized by a cluster of vast sandstone buttes, the largest reaching 1,000 ft (300 m) above the valley floor. It is located on the ArizonaUtah state line, near the Four Corners area. The valley lies within the range of the Navajo Nation Reservation and is accessible from U.S. Highway 163.   read more…

Theme Week New Caledonia – Pouembout

26 September 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  5 minutes

Traditional architecture © Torbenbrinker/cc-by-sa-3.0

Traditional architecture © Torbenbrinker/cc-by-sa-3.0

Pouembout is a commune in the North Province. It is located 258 km north-west of Noumea on the main island Grande Terre and also includes some small islands off the coast of the main island. The highest elevation is the Massif de Kopeto 1134 m.   read more…

Theme Week Queensland – Cairns

26 September 2015 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Bon voyage, Theme Weeks Reading Time:  9 minutes

Cairns Esplanade - Pier (Shangrila Hotel) © Donaldytong

Cairns Esplanade – Pier (Shangrila Hotel) © Donaldytong

Cairns is a regional city, encompassing smaller townships, in the far north of Queensland, Australia, founded 1876. The city was named after William Wellington Cairns, then-current Governor of Queensland. It was formed to serve miners heading for the Hodgkinson River goldfield, but experienced a decline when an easier route was discovered from Port Douglas. It later developed into a railhead and major port for exporting sugar cane, gold and other metals, minerals and agricultural products from surrounding coastal areas and the Atherton Tableland region. The population is at was approximately 156,000. Cairns is located about 1,700 km (1,056 mi) from Brisbane. It is a popular travel destination for foreign tourists because of its tropical climate. It serves as a starting point for people wanting to visit the Great Barrier Reef and Far North Queensland.   read more…

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