World Travellers

When planning your European trip, check your arrival and departures dates and see if they take into account peak, off-peak and shoulder travel periods.

Peak periods are the times when majority of travelers fly in and out of countries and these periods usually coincide with school holidays, Christmas, Easter and New Year. The country you are flying into will also have peak periods unique to that country, so expect flights and accommodation to be heavily booked and tickets to be more expensive. This peak period generally covers late December to January (because of the Christmas season) and late June to the end of August (summer break). Travel during the Christmas holidays can be difficult as plane ticket prices soar and ski resorts start overcharging. Public transport is also reduced in most areas since only a few trains will leave on Christmas day. The “shoulder period” is in spring and autumn and the low or “off-peak” periods are usually in the remaining months and in the winter.

When planning a trip to a foreign country, typically Iceland is not the first place that comes to mind. One may think of Iceland as a cold, dreary, lonely and isolated place but this is just not true.

Iceland is an extremely beautiful country, rich with culture and scenery. The fact that it is geologically and volcanically active plays a big part in defining the landscape of this Nordic country. With volcanoes, geysers, natural hot springs, waterfalls, and geothermal pools; Iceland is anything but ice.

If you prefer outdoor activities, Iceland may be for you. There are rivers for white water rafting and kayaking, though according to the Iceland Tourist Board’s website, kayaking is not native to the country, the many natural waterways are ideally suited for the sport. You will also find deep sea fishing, snowmobiling, dog sledding, and skiing for other popular activities in Iceland.

During summer months, you can play golf at one of the many golf courses throughout the island. In the month of June, 24-hour golf is available, as the sun does not set at that time. Hiking is a popular summer pastime in Iceland, as is swimming, horseback riding, and bike riding (available for rent in most towns).

Ireland is a land of great mystery and rich history. Many people journey there every year to enjoy the beautiful countryside and friendly locals. Paying for your vacation is the most difficult and tricky part, but it is the most crucial part of traveling. Hence, people nowadays often take advantage of budget travel options. Ireland has various budget travel options to make your holiday, vacation or weekend getaway affordable.

Budget travel packages give you an estimate of your costs before you start your journey. It includes everything from airfare to accommodations, and food to sightseeing tours. Ireland offers adventure tours, water sports and other services to meet your vacation requirements. You can also go for rental cars and go on a drive with your partner.

The travel budgets are flexible and can stretch to meet your needs. You are given a prearranged list among which you can make a pick on the type of travel budget you want to opt for, along with the different facilities and requirements you would like to have during the trip. The tension-free trip rejuvenates your senses and let you take full pleasure of your precious time out with your family. So if you are planning a trip to Ireland to admire its splendid beauty, all you need to do is take your pick of travel budgets and know that everything else is taken care of. Then you just have to sit back during the trip and enjoy the day and nights of your vacation.

After just a gorgeous day on the Alpine peaks at the Austrian / Italian / Slovenian border, the weather gods were not as kind yesterday. It rained and drizzled pretty much the whole day and I spent a relaxing day in my home town, visiting with friends and doing errands. The big excitement was reserved for the evening: a live concert at the Kunsthaus Weiz, a recently constructed multi-purpose performance venue. My sister-in-law Anneliese and I got ready for an evening of classical music that would feature works by Mozart, Strauss and Verdi.

Just before 7:30 pm we strolled into the concert hall and were just able to find two separate seats in a packed venue. Many local dignitaries were present, and this was an important event in Weiz’ social calendar. The concert was organized by the Weiz Lions Club as a fundraising event and the concert featured the AIMS Festival Orchestra and Soloists. AIMS stands for “American Institute of Musical Studies”, a Graz-based organization that offers six-week long programs in Vocal Lessons, Opera and Lieder Coaching, Master Classes, Foreign Language Diction, Conversational German and career-related courses for professional musicians, pianists and singers.

Without doubt the capital is the most popular as regards film locations in Ireland. Strange as it may seem the areas used in and around Dublin aren’t always used to depict Irish scenes. For example, Kilmainham Gaol was used in the “Italian Job”, Smithfield Market was used in “The Spy Who Came in from the Cold” and Trinity College, Dublin was passed off as an English University in “Educating Rita”.

Wicklow is probably the next most popular with filmmakers. Classics such as “Braveheart”, “Excalibur” and “Michael Collins” were shot on location in the Wicklow Mountains. Indeed the Wicklow Mountains don’t look at all out of place doubling as the Scottish Highlands in “Braveheart”.

You can also tour the areas where these blockbusters were filmed. Then there’s the popular BBC series Ballykissangel shot in beautiful Avoca (all the outside filming) and Ardmore Studios (for the inside filming).

Next up it has to be Kerry and “Ryan’s Daughter”. Set in the Dingle Peninsula, the film caused major hysteria at the time when Hollywood A-listers, Robert Mitchum, Trevor Howard, John Mills and Sarah Miles descended on our humble county. The film also starred the cream of the Irish acting world. As well as breathtaking scenery, the village was actually a specially constructed Hollywood set.

Vienna is the largest and primary city of the Republic of Austria, with a population of about 1.7 million as of 2009. It is the 10th largest city in the European Union, and is known as a major cultural, political, and economic center. The city straddles the River Danube, and the old city center is named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, for its rich historical importance.

Vienna goes back to the medieval Holy Roman Empire, which it was in the heart of. You’ll still find areas of Roman artifacts throughout the city. Vienna features Europe’s oldest zoo, as well as several famous sites such as the Spanish Riding School, the imposing Ring Boulevard buildings, and St. Stephen’s Cathedral. There are many architectural styles to be found in Vienna, such as the Romanesque Ruprechtskirche, Baroque, Classical, modern architecture and some great examples of Art Nouveau.

Part of Vienna’s unique history is the 19th-century ball. Vienna keeps this tradition alive in grand style by holding over 200 balls every year, with some featuring as many as nine orchestras. The balls are in any of the beautiful palaces in Vienna, with the most prominent being the Hofburg Palace at Heldenplatz. A ball is an all-night affair, with the cultural festivities lasting generally from 9 PM until 5 AM, although many of the guests will continue their celebrations throughout the following day.

When you are ready for you next vacation you may think about going to Belarus. Belarus is famous for its nature, historical monuments and its women. Minsk, the capital of Belarus, is considered to be much cheaper than Moscow in Russia and Kiev in the Ukraine and at the same time it is more secure and safe place to go. Belarus people are open minded, friendly and ready to help.

Unfortunately, Belarus is still considered to have problems with tourist infrastructure, lack of information in English and the obligatory requirement of visa. All this is paid off if you want to experience the real adventure. The main point to know that all the tourist services are present, most of them were recently developed and provide high quality of service.

When you plan your trip to Belarus you should know that you will be required to have an entrance visa. In general it can be obtained in Belarus Embassy in your country of residence or in Minsk Airport upon arrival. If you do your private or business visit you will have to provide an invitation from a person or a company in Belarus. This is one of the most important requirements for the visit. Another way is to turn to a travel agency and buy a complete tour including visa support, but in such case you will be required to pay a significant sum of money.

There are many species of wild animals in Norway such as: Elks, lynx, squirrels, Adders,wolves, foxes, roa deer, snakes, deer, birds, insects, wild cats, badger and bears.

Most of these animals are not dangerous as long as they don’t feel threatened, especially during the mating and giving birth seasons.

You can go up to the mountains, woods,forests, fjords without being worried about getting hurt by wild animals.

Elks are the largest animals in Norwegian woods. The male adult elk can be up to 240 cm tall and weigh 850 kg.

Many Norwegians who have hunting permissions and licenses go for hunting during the hunting season in fall and winter.

Elk hunting with dog( hound) is an old tradition. Norwegians consider it as a fine training. Some of the elk hounds are born to be great hunters!

Do you know why elks have fur? The reason is that fur keep them warm and some times they even have fur on their horns! Such elks are sick and need medical attention. Elks can be very mean if they feel threatened! Some people say elks are the forest rebel!