Capitola in California

31 August 2018 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, San Francisco Bay Area Reading Time:  2 minutes

Capitola Hotel © Ashokmehta72/cc-by-sa-4.0

Capitola Hotel © Ashokmehta72/cc-by-sa-4.0

Capitola is a city in Santa Cruz County, California, United States, on the coast of Monterey Bay. The population is at 10,000. The original settlement now known as Capitola grew out of what was then called Soquel Landing. Soquel Landing got its name from a wharf located at the mouth of Soquel Creek. This wharf, which dates back to the 1850s, served as an outlet for the produce and lumber grown in the interior. In 1865, Captain John Pope Davenport, a whaleman at Monterey, moved his operations to be near the wharf. Unable to capture any whales, he moved his operations the following year to Point Año Nuevo.   read more…

Xi’an in China

29 August 2018 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  15 minutes

Bell tower © Danielinblue/cc-by-sa-3.0

Bell tower © Danielinblue/cc-by-sa-3.0

Xi’an is the capital of Shaanxi Province, People’s Republic of China. It is a sub-provincial city located in the center of the Guanzhong Plain in Northwestern China. One of the oldest cities in China, Xi’an is the oldest of the Four Great Ancient Capitals, having held the position under several of the most important dynasties in Chinese history, including Western Zhou, Qin, Western Han, Sui, and Tang. Xi’an is the starting point of the Silk Road and home to the Terracotta Army of Emperor Qin Shi Huang.   read more…

Al Reem Island in Abu Dhabi

27 August 2018 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  3 minutes

© reem-island.ae

© reem-island.ae

Reem Island is a natural island 600 metres off the coast of Abu Dhabi island. Sorouh Real Estate, Reem Investments, and Tamouh are independently developing parts of the island with projects like Shams Abu Dhabi. Reem Developers define the overall dimensions of the project as 6.5 million square metres and investment costs as exceeding $30 billion. The project has gained international interest as one of the first free zones in Abu Dhabi, where foreign nationals can buy property as leasehold.   read more…

Theme Week Uruguay – Montevideo

25 August 2018 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  16 minutes

Sunset in Montevideo © Femenias/cc-by-3.0

Sunset in Montevideo © Femenias/cc-by-3.0

Montevideo is the capital and largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2011 census, the city proper has a population of 1,319,108 (about one-third of the country’s total population) in an area of 201 square kilometres (78 sq mi). The southernmost capital city in the Americas, Montevideo is situated in the southern coast of the country, on the northeastern bank of the Río de la Plata. The city was established in 1724 by a Spanish soldier, Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst the SpanishPortuguese dispute over the platine region. It was also under brief British rule in 1807. Montevideo is the seat of the administrative headquarters of Mercosur and ALADI, Latin America’s leading trade blocs, position that entailed comparisons to the role of Brussels in Europe.   read more…

Theme Week Uruguay – Colonia del Sacramento

24 August 2018 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  7 minutes

Misiones de los Tapes Street at night © Flc1980/cc-by-sa-3.0

Misiones de los Tapes Street at night © Flc1980/cc-by-sa-3.0

Colonia del Sacramento, formerly the Portuguese Colónia do Sacramento) is a city in southwestern Uruguay, by the Río de la Plata, facing Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is one of the oldest towns in Uruguay and capital of the Colonia Department. It has a population of around 27,000. It is renowned for its historic quarter, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Modern Colonia del Sacramento produces textiles and has a free trade zone, in addition to a polytechnic centre and various government buildings.   read more…

Seligman in Arizona

24 August 2018 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  7 minutes

Welcome sign © Vidor

Welcome sign © Vidor

Seligman is a census-designated place (CDP) on the northern border of Yavapai County, in northwestern Arizona. Seligman is located at 5,240 feet (1,600 m) in elevation, alongside the Big Chino Wash, in a northern section of Chino Valley. The wash is a major tributary of the Verde River. Seligman is a popular stopping point along Historic U.S. Route 66.   read more…

Theme Week Uruguay – Salto

23 August 2018 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  8 minutes

Downtown Salto © Shant/cc-by-sa-2.5

Downtown Salto © Shant/cc-by-sa-2.5

Salto is the capital city of the Salto Department in northwestern Uruguay. As of the 2011 census it had a population of 104,028 and is the second most populated city in Uruguay. The city is located on Route 3 about 496 kilometres (308 mi) northwest of Montevideo, and on the east bank of the Río Uruguay across from the city of Concordia in Argentina. About 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) north of the city the Salto Grande Bridge, built on top of the Salto Grande Dam, joins the two sides. It is served by the Nueva Hesperides International Airport.   read more…

Theme Week Uruguay – Rivera

22 August 2018 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  7 minutes

View of Rivera, as seen from Cerro Marconi © Mx. Granger

View of Rivera, as seen from Cerro Marconi © Mx. Granger

Rivera is the capital of Rivera Department of Uruguay. The border with Brazil joins it with the Brazilian city of Santana do Livramento, which is only a street away from it, at the north end of Route 5. Together, they form an urban area of around 200,000 inhabitants. As of the census of 2011, it is the sixth most populated city of Uruguay.   read more…

Portrait: Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States of America

22 August 2018 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: Portrait Reading Time:  16 minutes

US President Barack Obama taking his Oath of Office © defenseimagery.mil - Master Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo

US President Barack Obama taking his Oath of Office © defenseimagery.mil – Master Sgt. Cecilio Ricardo

Barack Hussein Obama II is an American politician who served as the 44th President of the United States from January 20, 2009 to January 20, 2017. The first African American to assume the presidency, he was previously the junior United States Senator from Illinois from 2005 to 2008. Before that, he served in the Illinois State Senate from 1997 until 2004. For the moment, he is the last US president who is obliged to the values of the West: democracy, freedom, respect for the right and dignity of man, irrespective of origin, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation or political attitude, and in compliance with national and international law.   read more…

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