Greece, Cyprus, Turkey –The Perfect Summer Fun Destinations

There is no bigger punishment for one than that one of finding oneself in the big city during the hot summer month of August. The city seems just like a prison for the free spirit that might feel like wondering around or flipping and flopping in the Mediterranean sun. In case you feel somehow punished and kept prisoner in the big city, then it is time for you to fly away. And what better destination for a summer escape and for unleashing your senses than the Mediterranean? And the choices you have come in plenty!

Santorini, Greece
Credit:  Jeka World Photography on Flickr

 

Corfu, Greece
Credit:"DirkVandeVelde trying to catch up" on Flickr

Lefkada
Credit:  Rick Muusers on Flickr

 

Kefallonia
Credit : elsa11 on Flickr

Ithaca
Credit:   matt.hintsa on Flickr

First, there are the Greek islands. Whether you choose one of the refreshing and green Ionian Islands (Zante, Lefkas, Corfu, Kefallonia or even Ithaca) or the whiter than white Aegean Islands, you will not be disappointed. Zante is worldwide famous for its Navagio and for the Caretta Caretta turtles, usually spotted in Laganas. But if you go to Laganas, you will also be impressed by the party spirit of the place and its youthfulness – perfect for a summer getaway! Lefkas has perfect beaches, such as the world class Porto Katsiki, with its perfect stripe of white sand lying by the impressive cliff and the turquoise waters. Vasiliki is the ideal place for wind surfers. As for the gourmands, I'd recommend a visit to the village of Agios Petros just five kilometers away from Vasiliki; there is the perfect tavern awaiting there with the most awesome food and it is called Balkonaki. Enjoy the flavors! If you are in for an even larger dose of natural beauty and sandy beaches in all colors – including red sand! - then Kefallonia is the place! Fiskardo and Assos are places not to be missed for those who want to go wine and dine by the Mediterranean Sea. For the more sophisticated, there is Corfu with its cultured beauties awaiting for be admired and cherished, aside from the regular sun & fun that is by default included in the package. As for those of you who are into the most refined whiter than white experiences, there are the Aegean islands standing as the epitome of an ideal summer experience. For those who enjoy partying and socializing at maximum, there is Mykonos. As for the romantics, they will always have Santorini, with the most impressive sunsets and most gentle waters!

Ancient kourion, Cyprus
Credit : Ru Lochleaon Flickr

Aphrodite's Rocks, Paphos
Credit: ProPhoto.com.cy on Flickr

Sea Caves of Ayia Napa
Credit: KOSTAS GEORGIOU on Flickr

Another summer paradise lying right next to the Greek islands on the map is Cyprus. The wonderful Cyprus is easy to reach at anytime and from anywhere due to the affordable flights that take you there swiftly. The beauty and diversity of the island does not stop surprising its visitors. No wonder its waters are the birthplace of Aphrodite, the Ancient Greek goddess of beauty and love! These are among the best waters around the Mediterranean. Paphos is the place that manages to bring together myth and contemporary fun, as it is considered the exact birth place of Aphrodite. Whomever is on a quest for love and beauty won't regret going to Paphos. As for all that Dionysian summer fun, well... that's to be found at Ayia Napa, which has in store a real bacchanal of the sense, Ayia Napa is one of those places that can equal Ibiza or Mykonos when it comes to summer fun and partying on the beach – all day and all night! So, what are you waiting for! The party has already started! You cannot miss all that fun!

Olympos Turkey
Credit:  Laine Markus on Flickr

The Blue Lagoon
Credit:  artemisia_martin on Flickr

Antalya, Castle
Credit: Annette Elisabeth Rudolph on Flickr

Nevertheless, if that sort of laid back attitude got deeply into you and you already do not feel like moving a finger during your summer holidays, then I could only recommend you the Turkish Riviera. Antalya is worldwide famous by now not only for its natural beauty and the coastlines blessed with the clear waters of the Mediterranean, but also for the perfect all-inclusive services. If you just want to get out of the city walls and find yourself on the perfect beach and on the perfect beach bed, drinking the perfect cocktails and indulging in all that perfect food that comes in plenty, then the Turkish Riviera is definitely what you are searching for. And if you somehow feel adventurous, you can simply rent a gullet and go explore the coastline, swim wherever you feel like and indulge. What is for certain is that even on the gullet you will be surprised by the same high quality of the services offered. Turkey is already famous for spoiling its visitors with everything: it's the all-time all-inclusive heaven!

So, what are you waiting for!? Summer is not waiting for longer! It's August and now's the time for summer fun! Whether it's Greece, Cyprus or the Turkish Riviera, you will not regret it! Have fun!

The bath of Culture and Events: Bath Literature Festival

(getty images)

History means heritage and this is definitely an issue to be taken seriously, as it builds our identity and shows us the way – past paths with a view towards the future. No wonder that there are so many cities worldwide proud of their own unique history! As there is a sense of pride in paying tribute to one's own past and identity. It is in such places that we find our inspiration, that we usually connect with ourselves and manage to see clearly towards the future, as the remnants of old civilizations are usually able to trigger not only the  imagination, but also a broader vision towards life and the course of things.

From the once almighty Rome to classic Athens and from China to the Pyramids of Egypt, the world hosts innumerable monuments worth exploring. And what makes us feel even more fulfilled and pleased when visiting a historical place is the sense that the mere story of the place is being well taken care of, mingled in the webs of present moment, as if still an ongoing story that we – visitors – can also be part of. Cultural events are the glue of the past with the present, making us feel part of something grand that still brings life and energy to places that, otherwise, might give one the impression that gave their all already. Bath is one of these places with a breathtaking story that, somehow, still manages to breath – and it does it fully, by all means!

Bath is an historical city of England. Located in the Somerset County, in the South Western part of England, Bath is already well known to the informed tourists. Bath flourished as a famous spa town during the Georgian era and the city’s Roman Baths are the region’s most visited touristic attraction up till today. Moreover, the whole city of Bath has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987. Thus, wherever you may find yourself walking in Bath, bear in mind that you are taking a stroll through history, witnessing the miracles and wonders of it, created for us to enjoy.

We might all know by now that holidays in England can mean a trip to history and an embrace of our modern culture just as well; it feels in no way different when visiting Bath. Culture manages, with its always transforming vibrant events, to adapt places to an adopted moment in the present, and it surely plays a special role, even in a place such as Bath, which have already a story and a voice of their own. In Bath, a number of cultural events are offering the chance to locals and visitors alike to feel that the city cares deeply about its past, its story and its status as a place with a unique cultural heritage. As for hotels in Bath for your stay to be worth it, my recommendation would be to keep it simple and search for a Travelodge hotel in Bath where comfort meets reasonable prices. After all, it is all about visiting Bath, not the expensive hotels!

Let’s now take a look at what qualifies as the most renowned festival that takes place in Bath year by year: the Bath Literature Festival!

Bath Literature Festival

Established in 1995, the Bath Literature Festival is by now a very prestigious international literature event. Over the years, a number of leading writers and intellectuals have been giving lectures in front of those audiences that are always thirsty for knowledge. Influential figures such as Doris Lessing, Margaret Atwood, Tariq Ali, the late Anna Politkovskaya and Eric Hobsbawm, Steve Bell and Wendy Cope among many others have participated in this celebration of literature.

This year, the festival was held in the first week of March and was met with significant success. The two most prominent figures that naturally stole the attention were Hilary Mantel and J.K. Rowling.

Hilary Mantel

Hilary Mantel is the only female writer that won twice the Booker Prize, one of the most significant of all literature awards. Her books belong to the historical fiction genre, but her splendid writing skills make these books the exact opposite of a book filled with boring, endless information about facts of historical relevance. Recently, she found herself in the middle of a storm due to a highly critical statement that she made against the Duchess of Cambridge. Hopefully for her (and her fans), though, during her lecture at the festival the audience didn’t seem to care a lot about the controversy.

JK Rowling

As for JK Rowling, well… you know what they say: it is difficult to write her name in a sentence that doesn’t include the words “Harry Potter” as well! The publishing phenomenon of the last decades, Rowling, for good or for bad, will always be linked with the books that made a generation of kids and teenagers or those who always feel teenagers at heart to fall in love with reading (while forgetting about their game consoles for a bit)! To be honest, I don’t think people will stop asking her questions about the books that made her rich and famous, no matter how many years will have passed. After one of these types of questions during her speech at the Bath Literature Festival, Rowling rejected the idea of writing a prequel to Harry Potter’s adventures. As far as it concerns her latest book, the first after the Harry Potter series, it took mixed responses from the critics, but it still sold fast!

Nevertheless, the Bath Literature Festival is not the one and only cultural event taking place in Bath, but just the most prolific. However, there are other festivals held in Bath that are worth the attention, such as the Bath International Music Festival and the Children Literature Festival. With all these cultural events taking place in such a marvelous location, Bath does sound like a very attractive destination!

I dream that we'll always be together in electrical dreams

“Vlasta is reproaching to me that I am a dreamer. It means that I do not see thing the way they are. No, I disagree, I do see things the way they are but except for seeing the visible things I also see the invisible ones. Imagined ideas are not something useless. There are precisely these that turn our houses into homes”

 - Milan Kundera, The Joke 

And there are precisely our dreams that turn our planet into a wonderful endless universe to explore and awaiting to be discovered, into that void of endless beauty and marvels surprising us at every step. Whether we take a walk in our surrounding neighborhood or catch the plane to go and check on some interesting sites on the other side of the planet, our dreamy eyes turn the space into a place – our place, our home, our universe of wonders and amazement!

Allow me, please, to tell you what I am dreaming about… I dream about a world where we all walk freely, srns the world into our neighborhood and our neighborhood into a whole world infused with life and wonderful surprises. It would all be so lonely if not reaching out for one another! And it would all be so boring to explore it for ourselves!

I dream about living in a world where people have differences, as differences bring that diversity that makes us wonder even more, triggering thirst for knowledge. But I equally dream about a world of dialogue, as through dialogue we reach for one another, share and, so, find out even more about the world we live in, building a marvelous world of knowledge.

In this imaginary world of mine, people love to debate (using as many arguments as one can and always come up with findings that encompass all sides and facets, turning shadow into light and grey to green or brightest colorful way of living, as some of the most hidden secrets in life reside in all these paradoxes … for instance, I had this revelation while visiting what they call The Grey City. While lodged at Travelodge hotel in Aberdeen, lying on my bed, looking at the ceiling, I reflected at the marvelous day I had just had in this wonderful place that you might think it is gray and boring, if judging from its nickname. Not at all! Amazing gardens of a greener than green, many lively parks; as for the granite buildings, these are all works of art and wonders of architecture and style! After all, Mies van der Rohe had a point when stating that 'God is in the detail', as details make the difference that brings the many shades and twists of living, pimping it up at every step! 

And so, I keep on dreaming, enjoying my dream-life experience, as this is precisely what gives me hope and keeps me on going! I dream of seeing people caring daily about each other and about the dreams they drive them through. I dream of the world where all of us people want to achieve exactly what they dream of, in the pursuit of happiness that is inscribed into the mere act of living. What would be of the world today if, for instance, electricity had not been just another dream that so many worked for and for turning it into a palpable reality, so that the whole world and generations to come could live in light and comfort! A dream changed the perspective of time, as it brought daylight into the night and it shed light on many matters that would have stayed in darkness otherwise. A dream turned into facts brought the whole world together! As, due to an electrical dream, railways were built and a whole network changed the perspective upon space. It all got closer, we all got friendlier, eager to share and dream together! Now we have airplanes, and, as the title of the song states it, “we'll always be together in electrical dreams”.

A dream came true is a joy for the whole world and only a dream came true brings change. As for the dreamer, his joy is to share, as fulfillment and satisfaction are being acquired only by sharing dreams, hopes and nice feelings. Cheers!