The sail training ship Gorch Fock II

1 September 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: Tall ships, Yacht of the Month Reading Time:  6 minutes

Gorch Fock II in Kiel, Germany © ProfessorX

Gorch Fock II in Kiel, Germany © ProfessorX

The Gorch Fock is a tall ship of the German Navy (Deutsche Marine). She is the second ship of that name and a sister ship of the Gorch Fock built in 1933. Both ships are named in honor of the German writer Johann Kinau who wrote under the pseudonym “Gorch Fock” and died in the battle of Jutland/Skagerrak in 1916. The modern-day Gorch Fock was built in 1958 and has since then undertaken 180 cruises (as of 2011), including one tour around the world in 1988. She is sometimes referred to (unofficially) as the Gorch Fock II to distinguish her from her older sister ship.   read more…

The World Wonders Project

1 September 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, UNESCO World Heritage Reading Time:  3 minutes

From the archaeological areas of Pompeii to the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, Google’s World Wonders Project aims to bring to life the wonders of the modern and ancient world.   read more…

Norway’s Selling a Super Villain Starter Set

1 September 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, House of the Month Reading Time:  3 minutes

Olavsvern Naval Submarine Base

Olavsvern Naval Submarine Base

You can’t very well take over the world from your parent’s basement, now can you? No, a proper arch-nemesis needs a sufficiently intimidating hidden base. Luckily, Norway is selling off its defunct Olavsvern Naval Submarine Base for a $17.5 million pittance.   read more…

Siciliy’s green diamonds – the pistachios city of Bronte

31 August 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  7 minutes

© SR/Julia Leiendecker

© SR/Julia Leiendecker

Bronte is a town and comune of Sicily. Bronte is located slightly northwest of Mount Etna, on the side of the valley of the Simeto river. It is about 30 kilometers west of the coast.   read more…

Colchester in Essex is UK’s oldest city

30 August 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  6 minutes

High Street © colchesterguide.co.uk

High Street © colchesterguide.co.uk

Colchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England. At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain’s fastest growing towns. As the oldest recorded Roman town in Britain, Colchester claims to be the oldest town in Britain. It was for a time the capital of Roman Britain and also claims to have the United Kingdom’s oldest recorded market. The town is a member of the Most Ancient European Towns Network.   read more…

Djamaâ el Djazaïr is set to become the third biggest mosque in the world

29 August 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Architecture, Union for the Mediterranean Reading Time:  5 minutes

© competitionline.com

© competitionline.com

PROJECT
Djamaâ el Djazaïr is set to become the third biggest mosque in the world, with a prayer hall capable of holding 35,000 worshippers and a complex including conference rooms, libraries and other facilities. Architects Drees & Sommer are working with Jürgen Engel Architekten and the engineering consultancy Krebs und Kiefer on the project, which is likely to take more than four years to complete.   read more…

Jerez de la Frontera, the hometown of Sherry in Andalusia

29 August 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  6 minutes

Sherry Regulate Council © Mao06

Sherry Regulate Council © Mao06

Jerez de la Frontera is a municipality in the Province of Cádiz in the autonomous community of Andalusia, (Andalucía in Spanish) in southwestern Spain, situated midway between the sea and the mountains. As of 2010, the city, the largest in the province, had 208,896 inhabitants; it is the fifth largest in Andalusia. It has become the transportation and communications hub of the province, surpassing even Cádiz, the provincial capital, in economic activity. Jerez de la Frontera is also, in terms of land area, the largest municipality in the province, and its sprawling outlying areas are a fertile zone for agriculture. There are also many cattle ranches and horse-breeding operations, as well as a world-renowned wine industry. Jerez is known as the capital of sherry wine, horsemanship, and flamenco dancing. It is the home of the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art, a riding school comparable to the world-famous Spanish Riding School in Vienna. Jerez, the city where flamenco singing began, is also proud of its Andalusian Centre of Flamenco.   read more…

Krefeld in North Rhine-Westphalia

27 August 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  6 minutes

Brewery Gleumes © DER UNFASSBARE

Brewery Gleumes © DER UNFASSBARE

Krefeld, also known as Crefeld until 1929, is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia. It is located northwest of Düsseldorf, its centre lying just a few kilometres to the west of the River Rhine; the borough of Uerdingen is situated directly on the Rhine. Krefeld is also called the “Velvet and Silk City” and belong to the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.   read more…

The Highland Games

25 August 2012 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Sport Reading Time:  4 minutes

Braemar - General Games Day © TheCreator

Braemar - General Games Day © TheCreator

Taking place around Scotland during the summer months, Highland games provide a unique combination of culture, sport and social entertainment.   read more…

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