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Planning a romantic getaway to Florence

Relaxing Resorts, Travel Destination - Shelia - August 17, 2015

If you are loved up this summer, it could be time to think about getting away from it all and spending a week or two alone with your favorite person in the world. These days, what with our high-flying jobs, ever-expanding families, and wonderfully chaotic homes, it is no wonder we find it easy to forget the true value of a romantic break.

Yet, if you work hard all year to maintain all of these things, you deserve a getaway, and if it can be with the one you love, you are a lucky person indeed. The question is, where to go? There are a hundred different cities in a hundred different countries that are perfect for a romantic break, so how do you choose the best one for you?

If la dolce vita sounds like heaven to you, why not consider a trip to Florence, which is commonly referred to as the most romantic city in the world? This Italian haven has long been a port of call for newlyweds due to its abundance of fountains, its remarkable hilltop gardens, and its wealth of marble and bronze statues – here are a few ideas for your Florentine getaway.

Go big with an Escape apartment

If you are planning a romantic getaway, you are going to need a suitably romantic place to stay, preferably somewhere central enough to allow you to get a feel for the atmosphere of the city, but secluded enough to offer you lots of privacy. With a WorldEscape rental apartment, situated at the heart of Florence, you can retreat to not just a hotel but also a home from home.

Take a stroll through Boboli Gardens

Once you have got acquainted with your holiday apartment, it is time to take a leisurely stroll through flawlessly maintained avenues, filled with wonderful fountains and statues, in the luxurious hilltop Boboli Gardens of the Pitti Palace. You can find the gardens south of the River Arno, which is another great place to take a pit stop and snap some photos of the Florence cityscape.

Pamper yourself at a Montecatini spa

If your better half has a penchant for pampering, buy them a ticket to the peaceful town of Montecatini and spend a relaxed afternoon in one of the spas there. The town can be found nestled in between Pisa and Florence, so either take a bus, catch a train, or enjoy a scenic drive there. Once you have bathed in the thermal pool of the Tamerici, you will have a hard time wanting to go back home.

Remember the value of a surprise

While it is certainly a good idea to plan days out, sightseeing excursions, and romantic dinners by the river, you do not have to organize every tiny detail of the trip. In fact, you will probably have an even better experience if you leave some things to chance – in other words, a little spontaneity can only add excitement. If your partner wants to jump on a paddle boat, let them. If a night beneath a tent on the beach suddenly appeals, don’t hold back.

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Why You Should Stay At A Japanese Ryokan, For The Best Relaxing Holiday – El Take It Easy

Travel Tips - Shelia - August 16, 2015

Mostly, we decide to take holidays for relaxation, after working too hard. If you want an experience that feels more like a spa weekend than a hotel stay, a Japanese ryokan is definitely for you. A ryokan is a traditional Japanese inn, which is usually more than 100 years’ old, and you should be able to find one with an array of nearby temples or shrines. But what’s so great about ryokan anyway?

 Next Level Hospitality

 At a ryokan, you will encounter hospitality like you’ve never experienced before. As a guest, the members of staff will bend over backwards to make sure that you have a relaxing stay, and you’ll barely have to lift a finger. Nothing is too much trouble. You’ll know exactly what I mean, when you experience your first stay in a ryokan – Japanese hospitality at its finest.

 Dress Code

 There are a few things to bear in mind, when you visit a ryokan for the first time. As you walk in, you’ll find yourself in an entrance space called the ‘genkan’ – the ground is lower than the inn’s floor. Here, you will have to remove your shoes, and you’ll be given slippers to wear. Yes, while indoors – you will always wear slippers.

Within your room, you will find yukata (a summer kimono) – it’s likely that a member of staff will show you how to wear it, or dress you. It’s really comfortable, and many ryokans have pretty patterns for female guests to choose from.

 Traditional Japanese Food And Culture

If you are fussy with your food, and rarely eat anything other than chips, burgers, and macaroni, a ryokan isn’t for you. However, those who are open to new cuisine will be spoilt with an array of amazing, traditional Japanese dishes. Often, breakfast is included within the price (and sometimes even dinner too).  A ryokan is a really great opportunity to be surprised at every turn, in terms of culture shock (in a good way). You will have a really special time.

 Onsen

One of the best things about ryokan is that you will be able to use the ryokan’s bath house, or onsen. Soak in there for half an hour, and you will be addicted to how rested and youthful you feel. You will have to get naked in front of strangers, however, if your room doesn’t come with its own private onsen, but that’s just how they do in Japan. Even if you are initially shy, you should be fine.

 Getting There

Many ryokans provide a shuttle service from certain areas, as ryokans are often out-of-the-way. If you’re nervous about using public transport to reach your ryokan, you can often get a private car from the airport, if your ryokan is close to a main city, such as Tokyo. Blacklane offers a really fantastic service, and it’s nice to have everything sorted out for you, after an extremely long flight.

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Avoid the Stresses of the Airport: Try These Strategies

Travel Stories - Shelia - August 13, 2015

All you want is to sun it up in some far flung location. You want the sand between your toes as roaring, lilting waves undulate in the distance. You want to wander down darkened cobbled streets to a peaceful basilica in Italy, or stare onto a perfect vista from a mountain in the middle of nowhere.

Airport Stress

But first you’ve got to face one trial – the airport.

Indeed, many airports appear to have been designed by Hieronymus Bosch as a DVD extra in one of the circles of hell. They’re blander than bland, beiger than beige and feature less substance than a void in a black hole factory.

According to national newspaper the Daily Mail, plenty of people think using an airport as more stressful than moving house. It’s not the perfect way to kick start your holiday.

But instead of feeling your blood pressure rise at the departure lounge, relax into your travels.

There are several ways that you can do exactly that – here are just a few.

Pre-flight tourist

Look away from the airport for a while – let’s take a look at its surroundings. Despite the fact that loads of airports seem to be in the middle of nowhere, a number of them have fascinating surroundings.

Take a drive around the area before you head for your terminal. You might find a sleepy village or a stunning view. It’s the perfect way to start your holiday before you’ve even boarded the plane.

Just be sure you don’t get lost. The last thing you want is to miss your flight.

Pack a plug

People don’t get excited by plugs anymore, do they? If someone produced a nine volt adaptor as a party piece, you probably wouldn’t speak to them again. Yet when your laptop’s battery life is coming to the crunch, an effective adaptor is like an oasis in a desert.

When you settle down in a departure lounge, be sure to choose a seat near a plug socket. No one wants to be staring at a black screen in these purgatorial lounges.

Breathe-easy parking

If there’s one thing guaranteed to set you on edge, it’s searching for a parking space in the gargantuan multi-storeys favoured by airports.

Thankfully, large flight hubs have alternative services to avoid the hassle of poor parking.

Gatwick north valet parking, for example, can be found at Gatwick Airport. With a valet, you’ll be able to drop off your car at your terminal, where it will be taken to a secure location to await your return.

It costs a little bit extra but the price is more than balanced out by the convenience. You’ll feel more relaxed about the airport before you’ve even entered.

Image Courtesy to fabbio

 

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Greece Tourism Guide

Travel Destination - Shelia - August 5, 2015

Thessaloniki is Greece’s second-largest town and therefore the capital town of the Macedonian region of Northern Greece. Spirited festivals, social events and a abuzz nightlife build this town the cultural capital of Greece.

Comprised of a historic center and business district, city offers a treasure treasure of each recent and new gems from its Byzantine walls, White Tower and Turkish baths to colourful food markets, museums and art galleries. city additionally offers a decent searching scene. Proxenou Avenue and Tsimiski Street sare celebrated for his or her varied upmarket boutiques and international name whole shops. Tourists probing for reduced choices can notice them on Egnatia Street.

Thessaloniki’s nightlife is unmatched. From little tavernas to nightclubs, dance halls and entertainment venues, city offers it all. No matter their budget, style and preferences, tourists are guaranteed to notice a venue to their feeling. Ladadika, associate assortment of warehouses containing a good type of taverns and nightclubs close to the port, is that the most well-liked nightlife district within the town. In addition, city options floating bars, wherever tourists will get pleasure from music, performing arts and meeting whereas on a visit round the Thermaic Gulf.

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Meteora Travel Guide

Relaxing Resorts - Shelia - August 3, 2015

The Greek word meteora suggests that “suspended within the air,” and this phrase ably describes the spectacular cliffs that rise over one,200 feet into the air commanding the villages of Kalambaka and Kastraki within the north central ground of Greece. What makes these cliffs even a lot of exalting rethe historic monasteries perked up on the summits. Dating back to the ordinal and sixteenth centuries, these monasteries were engineered by monks who had been living in near caves, seeking non secular isolation and freedom from spiritual persecution. Out of religion and sheer determination, it took years for the monks to move their spiritual materials up the cliffs by means of ropes, baskets and ladders.

While there have been originally twenty four monasteries, solely six of them stay intact nowadays. Accessible by a steps sculpted from the cliffs, the monasteries contain a number of the world’s best samples of spiritual manuscripts and art works, which may be viewed on-site . additionally to the monasteries, Meteora is additionally home to many unusual person and flower species. This makes Meteora a good place to relish out of doors recreation.

At the bottom of the cliffs square measure the most cities of Kalambaka and Kastraki, peaceful and exquisite villages that provide accommodation, shops, restaurants and tavernas furthermore as variety of Byzantine churches, Greek temples and alternative fascinating historic sites.

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