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!

What to expect while driving around the globe

For some, cars might seem to be a relatively recent invention, as the year of birth of the automobile dates back to only 1886 (the end of the 19^th century, that is). Comapred to the infinity of centuries going back in human history, 1886 makes for a quite recent date, being very close to nowadays. Still, cars feel so much part of our everyday realities that it somehow feels that they have been here, among humans and for humans, since times immemorial. But when I say "our" everyday realities I have to be specific and stress out that I am particularly refering to Western societies, defined by values which promote democracy, equity and equality of rights, personal, social and political freedoms and the like.

Western societies, though, are not the only societies existing in the wide world we live in. And, even though the planet is round, I won't pretend that just because of that I cannot see through to the other side of it. On the contrary, I insist on stretching my neck to take a look at what is the case with cars and car-related issues in other parts of the globe as well. Let's take China, for a start.

China

Did you know that, as a non-Chinese, you cannnot actually drive around China, even if you have the International Driver's License? Well, yes, it is true; unfortunately, China did not book for that. However, if you happen to go by plane to China and land in one of its major cities, you might want to convert your International Driver's Permit into a Chinese permit at the especially assigned counters in the airport. This is the only chance you've got! Otherwise, I guess you will just have to pass the Chinese examination for a Chinese driver's licence and I wish you good luck with it!

Central Ningbo -

Immediately after, you might also need to forget any driving rule you might have known, as there will be no other way for you to adapt to the Chinese traffic otherwise. Maybe just because of that, taking the car in China might prove to be dangerous, especially if not adapted to the chaos. There are twice as many car accidents happening in China annually compared to the United States, even though the numbers of cars registered in the US are four times more than those registered in the whole China. Interesting numbers! Not to mention that most of the car accidents happening in China prove to be fatal in too many instances. So, if you are in for some extreme adventure and for that drive on the 'wild side', just try out driving in China!

Eastern Europe – Romania

However, if China seems too far away, but you are still into a drive on the wild side, why not take a car tour of countries that used to belong to the former Eastern European block? You might be impressed with the number of very expensive and truly luxurious cars that you might be faced with in these parts of the world. It so many times happens to get surprised when over there!

Transfăgărășan Highway, Romania

Romania is famous for the very expensive cars that one might get to see on the roads, but also for the ... unfinished highway leading to the West – or linking the Central-West to its more Eastern paths. So, if coming from the west, pay attention to this uniquosity and avoid the road that leads to nowhere. As funny as it might seem, I think that it might get less amusing if you find out, for instance, that the AA breakdown cover will be of no use in these "off the beaten track" situations - literally speaking! Good luck with it!

Africa

Cars are also present in Africa, even though to a much lesser extent than in other parts of the world. Safari in Africa sounds very posh to anyone's ears, as it stands for a very exquisite treat that one might offer to him/herself, don't you think? Maybe because for a safari in Africa you need a car and cars are rather scarce on the African continent. You will find the rather practical cars, well equipped with a very strong engine to take you out of troybling roads – as a paved road is hard to find on the Black continent – that's a fact!

Saudi Arabia

Last, but not least, in case you go to Saudi Arabia, well ... you will be seeing cars. But the cars will only be driven by ... men. Saudi Arabia is one of those cases of striking discrimination when it comes to gender issues that could drive any European nuts. Over there, only the boy can play with his toy – namely, the car – and women are left outside of it. Maybe that is why the roads are also unsafe, as the drivers tend to onfenly get agressive.

Well, I hope you enjoyed the car ride around some of the places you could visit around the world. I also conclude that, even though it might come natural to many of us to drive a car, it seems that the car is, indeed, a rather recent invention and it still has a long way to go. Maybe not for us – those offspring of Western societies -, but certainly for those born non-Western.

Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros - Home

A song for all nostalgics out there :)

Let the Fun Begin! Champions League Final, 2013.

FC Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund 

The time has come, at last! What do you mean you have no idea what I’m talking about? Let me tell you, then: this Saturday night we will finally know the winner of this year’s Champions League! You don’t really need to be a big soccer fan to be tempted to spend two hours in front of your television and preferably along with some good old friends, bringing over some beers and pizzas. The Champions League final is an event of global interest, as soccer (we all know it!) is the “King of Sports”. And we love sports, as much as we are thrilled with the competition.

As a matter of fact, the interest for the winner of a Champions league Final is usually so high that hundreds of millions of viewers have the chance to watch it live from their television screens. From South Korea to Nigeria, from Argentina to Russia and from England (the motherland of soccer) to Japan, the whole world is waiting for this night!

Two German teams -FC Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund - qualified this year for the big final. If I want to be completely honest with you, that didn’t make me entirely happy; you see, I’m actually a big fan of Barcelona. However, I couldn’t have done otherwise than to accept the simple fact that the two BEST teams made it to the final this year and Barcelona, unfortunately, was not one of them this time. Even if I supported Barcelona against Bayern Munich during the semifinal that took place a few weeks ago, the performance of the German team in these two games was very good and one might say nearly exceptional, given the reputation of the opponents. It also brought a shade of bitterness, though, if comparing Barcelona's performance from previous recent years and the nevertheless weaker performance that they had this year.

It takes to be a narrow minded fanatic not to accept that your team IS NOT always the one deserving to win and Bayern, for some years now, it is undoubtedly the best team in Europe. Since, despite some sadness in doing so, I accept that Barca is not on top right now, I consequently acknowledge the fact that Bayern is for the moment the top team of the world.

As for speaking in terms of the big admiration that I have as a soccer fan for players from Argentina and Brazil (just like Messi, for instance), I still have to admit on the fact that the European soccer clubs that they are playing for are definitely a few steps ahead in terms of organization and budgets, compared to soccer clubs from the places that these remarkable players originate from. One might accurately point out on the fact that I am not at all ashamed of openly declaring that I am a big fan of European soccer – always! Given this detail that could not pass unnoticed, I am looking forward for next 'Saturday night's fever'.

Bayern Munich will play against Borussia Dortmund, yet another German giant that has risen from mediocrity to the top in only few years of hard work and serious planning. The final will take place in London, on the legendary Wembley Stadium. One fascinating detail is that the two teams took around 25.000 tickets each for the needs of their devoted supporters. Why am I not surprised!? However, what comes as an even more striking detail is that there were more than… half amillion Dortmund fans that applied for one of these tickets! Given the huge discrepancy between demand and supply, I guess that many fans will have no other choice than to watch this big game elsewhere than on the Wembley Stadium - at home, in their favorite pub or on their friends' sofas.

As for the Bayern fans that couldn’t make it to London, well, they are given another choice. The game will be screened on Bayern’s stadium, the famous Allianz Arena, one of Europe’s most impressive soccer venues. Some 45.000 of Bayern's fans surely hope to celebrate the 5^th trophy in the club’s history. In case you’re not one the those lucky few who will go to watch the game on Wembley, then you might just as well be interested to explore Bayern’s headquarters, so make sure to book your place at the FC Bayern Soccer Tour with the GoSeeDoattraction tickets.  As for other available options, another screen will be placed in Theresienwiese, where Oktoberfest is annually held. I wonder if Bayern fans will drink more beers than the Oktoberfest attendees.  That, we could not know for certain! What I know for sure, though, is that Munich is a fantastic city; who wouldn’t take pride in 'taking a ride' to the city of BMW and BC Bayern, after all?

Soccer-wise, from where we stand at the moment, there is only one thing we can be sure of at the moment: no one can safely predict the winner in a game between two equal teams.  We could even call it a derby. One can only hope for the best team to win, scoring as many breathtaking goals as possible.

And one last thing: Be it coincidence or not, Gary Lineker’s famous words could not possibly be left unvoiced, especially this year. Lineker, a legend of British soccer, once said that “soccer is a game for twenty two people that run around, play the ball and in the end Germany always wins." Like it or not, this year Germans will celebrate the trophy and who can possibly deny them that!

Empty billboards in Greece

Take a look on some... empty billboards. Weird.
Reblogged from Deserted Places.


Deserted Places: Empty billboards in Greece: They can still be found all around Greece, along the highways and inside the city centers. Today though, many advertisement billboards have stopped carrying messages.

Worn by time and assaulted by bad weather, the message the billboards carry today, is the absence of message.

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!