Visit 2 Greece

side of Balkan Peninsula. It is also bordered by Bulgaria and Macedonia in the southeast.

Climate

It has three distinct climates namely Alpine, Mediterranean and temperate climate with mild and wet winters and also hot and dry summers due to Mediterranean affect. Alpine system is seen in mountainous regions. The temperate climate is seen near border along Macedonia. Athens has both temperate and Mediterranean weather.

Local Customs

The Greece is a place with strong historic and cultural background. There are different traditions and customs in different parts of the Greece. The throwing back of a hand is considered to be a negative gesture here in Greece. Casual dress can be worn most of the times. Smoking is prohibited in public transport services and public buildings. Tipping 12 to 1 percent is customary in restaurants, hotels and taxis.

Attractions
- The Olympic Games in Athens (the spot of the historic 2004 Olympic Games)
- Mardi Grass Celebrations in February
- The Parthenon in Athens
- Skiing in Arahova Mountains between October and March
- Easter Celebrations
- Thessaloniki's White Tower and country's rich Byzantine culture



- The south of Corinth
- The beaches in Lesvos
- The wine vineyards in the countryside
- The islands near the Aegean Sea
- The wildlife preserve in Alonissos (Sporades Marine Park)
- The famous, Moni Panagia Chozoviotissa, a Byzantine monastery in Amorgos

Travel

By Air - The national airline of Greece is Olympic Airlines. Many popular airlines like British Airways and Delta Airlines operate daily flight from Athens. The biggest airport is newly constructed Athens International Airport which is located like 17 miles northeast of the city. The other international airports of Greece are Heraklion (Crete), Thessaloniki (Macedonia) and Corfu (Kerkira).


By Sea - The popular Greek ports include Corfu, Heraklion, Igoumenitsa, Patras, Piraeus (Athens), Rhodes, Thessaloniki and Volos. Shipping vessels and ferryboat lines link these ports with Italy, Croatia, Cyprus, Russia and Turkey. Some of the popular cruises operating in Greece are Celebrity Cruises, Costa Cruises, Crystal Cruises, Festival Cruises, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Silversea and Swan Hellenic.

By Rail - If one is coming from UK, the best way is to take Eurostar train to Brussels or Paris and from there take connecting train to Greece.

Duty Free Items
1. Up to 200 cigarettes or 250 gm tobacco
2. 100 cigarillos or 50 cigars
3. 1 liter spirit over 22% or 2 liter wine
4. Perfumes - 50 gm or 250 ml
5. Gifts up to €175

Prohibited Items

Narcotics, firearms, ammunition, weapons, most meat and dairy products, eggs, plants, endangered species, fireworks and alcoholic beverages that contain more than sixty per cent alcohol.

Paris to London: 2hrs 3mins – by Train

I did not see any coverage of this event in our media. It happened on September 4th when EuroStar the high-speed train operator that links the UK with the Continent, ran its inaugural train over Britain’s new 300km/hr (186mph) high-speed line, arriving into the wonderfully restored St Pancras International, Eurostar’s new London terminal.

I learned about this from Railway Herald, which published the picture without attribution which makes me think that it was probably furnished by Eurostar as part of the press kit. Regular service along the 109km (68 mile) high speed line to the channel starts November 14.

The new high speed line cuts twenty minutes from the current timetable for trains between London and Paris or Brussels. Train travel to these destinations produces one tenth the CO2 of flying.

The distance from London to Paris is 213 miles (343 km) from Vancouver to Seattle 150 miles. Think you can do that in two hours (city centre to city centre) even if you flew?

What is our government doing? Widening highways.

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne - the capital of Victoria and Australia's second largest city - is a modern, cosmopolitan city with a host of entertainment, sports, and culinary, cultural and shopping options to be enjoyed. The streets, parks, distinctive cultural precincts and waterfront area of Melbourne make it a magnificent city to explore at leisure.
The city has an amazing range of attractions and activities to keep you entertained all year round.
Enjoy a cruise along the Yarra River, re-live some great sporting memories on a tour of the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) or see some spectacular 360-degree views from the Melbourne Observation Deck.
Explore the animal kingdom at the Melbourne Zoo or dive with the sharks at the Melbourne Aquarium. Join in some interactive footy action at the AFL ( Australian Football League) Hall of Fame & Sensation or enjoy the international art on offer at NGV International and Australian art at The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia.
To find out how Melbourne became the city it is today, spend a day or two at one of the many local museums. The Melbourne Museum houses the state collection in an imposing modern building. The Immigration Museum and Maritime Museum- home of the Polly Woodside, highlight key events in the growth of Melbourne, while the Gold Treasury Museum shows how Melbourne became a city built on gold.
Other histories include the stomach-turning tales of the Old Melbourne Gaol, Ned Kelly's armour at the State Library of Victoria and Cooks' Cottage the parental home of Captain James Cook. Kids will love the hands on workshops and new playground at ArtPlay, and the Champions Australian Racing Museum & Hall of Fame at Federation Square.
Melbourne attractions include:

Federation Square - Fast becoming the cultural icon of Melbourne with its 'Fractal Façade' system on each building in the square. The façade is made up of triangles made of sandstone, zinc and glass pieced together at different orientations and surface angles. See it from the inside at The Atrium and the BMW Edge Theatre indoor amphitheatre. The Square is home to restaurants, cafes, bars and retail outlets as well as venues including the Melbourne Visitor Centre, the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, the Australian Racing Museum and the Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia - dedicated exclusively to Australian art.
Queen Victoria Market - a Melbourne institution since the late 1860s, you can shop for gourmet food, clothing, toys, souvenirs and more. Closed Monday and Wednesday.
Melbourne Cricket Ground - Melbourne's home of cricket and Australian Rules football, and the heart of the 1956 Olympic Games and the 2006 Commonwealth Games. There are tours and the ground houses the Australian Gallery of Sport, Olympic Museum and the Cricket Hall of Fame.
Southbank - a bustling entertainment complex situated on the south side of the Yarra River, housing Crown Casino, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, cinemas, sculpture, artworks and more. There is an open air Arts & Crafts market on Sundays.
Melbourne Aquarium - a state-of-the-art aquarium located by the Yarra River, featuring sharks, stingrays and coral.
St Patrick's Cathedral - with soaring interiors and stained glass windows.
Melbourne Tram Car Dinner - A unique way to see the city of Melbourne whilst enjoying the fine Australian Cuisine.
Old Melbourne Gaol and Penal Museum - amongst the museum's chilling exhibits are the gallows from which Ned Kelly was hung. If you're brave, take a night-time tour of the jail.
Docklands - New Quay - a short walk or tram ride from the CBD, you'll find restaurants, cafes, bars and riverside walkways decorated with public artworks.
The Shrine of Remembrance - in the parklands of Kings Domain, off St Kilda Road, a fine European-style boulevard.
St Kilda - beachside suburb with restaurants, cafes, bars and famous Luna Park.
Scienceworks - a hands-on, innovative science museum in Spotswood also includes Melbourne Planetarium. Exhibits include Australia's first plane and car.
Melbourne Museum - innovative collection housed in a stunning modernist building.
Lygon Street, Carlton - known as "Little Italy", a popular restaurant, cafe and bar strip.
Brunswick Street, Fitzroy - a street with a bohemian heart, with cafes, restaurants, clubs and fashion shopping.

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne, Australia Bird View

Melbourne, Game Land

Melbourne, Australia

You can't help but fall in love with this southern city that boasts a vibrant cultural scene, a sports crazy population, and culinary indulgences aplenty. While not getting as much international tourism or media attention as its northern neighbor Sydney, Melbourne's sublime appeal lies in its laid-back attitude, its distinctive cosmopolitan flavor, and a rich calendar of events from Formula 1 to comedy festivals. The center of the city is a great starting point with Victorian architectural gems; myriad hidden lane ways; and hole-in-the-wall shops, bars and restaurants. Venture bayside to St. Kilda for a roller-blade along the beach, a slice of cake on Acland Street, and some serious people-watching, or head to funky Fitzroy for more fine food, art galleries, and nightlife. Make sure to drag yourself away from the city itself and explore the coastline along the rugged Great Ocean Road, one of the world's best road trips.
"Melbourne is Australia's most European city, combining stylish café culture and a passion for the arts with world-class sporting venues, new-world wineries, and dramatic coastal scenery." -- Rob Flynn, Global Travel Publisher

Holiday destination: Santorini Tourism

If you talking about most beautiful Island so I recommend Santorini which is one of the natural islands of Greece and good for summer holidays.

The outstanding white painted villages located on the peak point of cliffs and the island has also some beaches to offer with black and red sand. I’d highly recommend travelers to take a tour towards this place. I’m sure tour will be unforgettable.

Isles of Scilly, England

Call them the Isles of Scilly, or just Scilly, England's smallest official "Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty" lies sprinkled in the Atlantic 28 miles southwest of Land's End. Scilly is an administrative part of Cornwall (owned, in fact, by the Duchy of Cornwall) easily accessible by boat, helicopter, or plane from the mainland. The islands are a collection of secluded sandy beaches, Bronze Age burial chambers, and rocky promontories, and a smattering of beautifully located cafés ensure plenty of diversions -- such as kayaking, sailing, and windsurfing -- en route. There are five inhabited islands: St. Mary's, Tresco, St. Martin's, St. Agnes, and Bryher, along with more than 150 uninhabited ones that lay scattered across the shallow turquoise seas. Fringed with beaches of soft, pale sand, the archipelago has the exotic appeal of some faraway holiday paradise, an impression enhanced by the balmy, frost-free climate and colorful subtropical plants. While the sometimes harsh winters scare people off, summers do anything but: You're advised to book well ahead as Scilly's limited accommodations are reserved solid for much of the year. May sees the islands largest gathering of temporary visitors, as the annual gig-racing champions bring spectators intrigued by the 19th century vessels used by the competing teams.

Isles of Scilly

Isles of Scilly

Isles of Scilly

Isles of Scilly

Isles of Scilly

Isles of Scilly

Isles of Scilly

Isles of Scilly

Isles of Scilly

The Wonderfull Mountain of Matterhorn

The Wonderfull Mountain of Matterhorn

Mount Matterhorn is a mountain located in Switzerland and has a pyramid shape whose four sides facing the four cardinal directions. Sequentially North and East facing the East Valley and Gornegrat in Switzerland. The southern part of Breuil-Cervinia, and overlooking the western part menghgadap Dent D'Herens. the north and south and then meet in puncak.Matterhorn has a height of 4.478 meters above sea level (14.692 ft)
Matterhorn, but now can be enjoyed by using the rails that have been built. some areas that have facilities that include Unterrothron and Klein Matterhorn (3.883 m). The Hornli Hut (3.260 m), which starts from the normal route through, is the easiest access from pendaki.Konon Schwarzsee and is often used, stood at the top of the Matterhorn will be able to see at least 38 of about 200 mountain peaks in the Alps that are in the area borders five countries, Switzerland, Austria, France, Germany and Italy. Presumably, these various advantages, which make the Matterhorn became the most popular mountain in Switzerland.

Salta Province, Argentina

While many a traveler's Argentine gaze rarely moves off Buenos Aires's bountiful charms, visitors seeking a genuine gaucho experience in one of the country's most visually stunning regions have been schlepping the nearly 1,000 miles from the capital to Salta. A forward-thinking government has spent the last decade focused on connecting the region's colonial-era towns, encouraging agricultural modernization (like the young but robust wine industry), and making it easier for tourists to get an eyeful of scenery that rivals the American Southwest in natural beauty -- especially along the road from Salta to Cafayate, which is dotted by red rocks and cliffs and some two dozen wineries. The Tren a las Nubes ("train to the clouds") reopened in 2008 and now ferries passengers 13,842 feet above ground, over 269 miles on the day-long journey through mountains and desert, colonial towns and adobe villages, crossing the paths of gauchos, Indians, and European winemakers along the way. For an urban experience, Salta City's restaurants serve local cuisine that's inspired rather than parochial, and folk taverns fill with dancers and musicians playing along to the region's Salteña soundtrack.

Read more: http://www.frommers.com/articles/6469.html##ixzz0nW2OExWg

Salta Province

Salta Province

Salta Province

Salta Province

Beauty of Maldives Island

Beauty of Maldives Island

Sun, sand and sea, a thousand ‘Robinson Crusoe’ islands, massive lagoons with different depths and infinite shades of blue and turquoise, dazzling underwater coral gardens; a perfect natural combination for the ideal tropical holiday destination. However there is more to the Maldives than just that.
source : visit maldives

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

While all the focus has been on its neighbor Dubai, Abu Dhabi, the capital of the seven city-states that make up the United Arab Emirates, has pursued similar global playground goals, but with more restraint and focus. Which is why when Dubai cried "uncle" to its creditors in late November, everyone looked to Abu Dhabi to help set it straight. This fiscal crisis will give the world the opportunity to see how a gulf state that didn't spend all its money on indoor ski resorts and a palm tree-shaped island can weather a crisis. For travelers -- especially business ones -- it will be the year that defines whether Abu Dhabi will be a flash in the pan or the next serious entrant on the global stage. In our guidebook to the region we said, "Abu Dhabi can seem a little slow and perhaps even a bit boring. But its beaches are just as beautiful, there's less traffic and more greenery, and the character is distinctly Emirati, preserving much of the conservative heritage that its northeastern neighbor has begun to toss off."

Abu Dhabi City

Abu Dhabi Ferrari Theme Park
View

Abu Dhabi Bird View

Abu Dhabi Future Buildings

Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi Towers