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Algiers - a Wonderous Mix

algiersAlgiers is located on series of terraces that clamber up the hillsides from the sea, towered over by the ramparts of the medieval Casbah, the Old City. Full of flowers, beautiful villas and luxuriously green gardens, the geography of this Mediterranean city is best understood as a huge triangle.

The seaside European quarter is its wide base, which narrows as it ascends the close winding lanes to the Moorish quarter, eventually coming to a point at the city’s old fortress high above.

Island of the Gull.
The first settlers on the coast of Algiers, aside from the native Berber tribes, arrived around 400 BCE. These were Carthaginian merchants in search of a convenient harbour in the western Mediterranean. During the Punic Wars between Rome and Carthage, this settlement, known as Ikosim (”Island of the Gulls”) fell to the Roman Empire.

The most significant moment in the city’s history came with the conquest of the Late Roman Numidian Kingdom by the Muslim Arabs around 700 CE. The official founding of the city did not take place until 935 CE, when the Berber tribes (by then converted to Islam) named their harbour Al-Jazir (”White Island”). The city extended no further than what is today the Old City of Algiers, the Casbah.

A bastion for pirates.
After the Moors were driven out of Spain in the fifteenth century, Algiers was the launching point for numerous military expeditions to the Iberian Peninsula, but the Moors were never able to regain control of Spain. In fact, the Catholic Spaniards conquered Algiers instead, taking control of the city in 1509. The city suffered under Christian oppression for ten years before Ottoman Khaireddin Barbarossa recaptured Algiers in 1519 in a daring naval assault. The city and country would henceforth be part of the Ottoman Empire.

In the following years, Khaireddin Barbarossa built Algiers into one of the most powerful bastions on the Mediterranean. Up until his death 1546, he used it as the base for countless raids along the Mediterranean coast, besieging Spanish as well as Moorish cities, and bringing all of Algeria under his control. In Europe, the name Algiers became synonymous with a pirate’s den. In France, however, this was not the case. The French had long been in league with Khaireddin.

From allies to conquerors.
Although European nations tried again and again to recapture the city, all attempts failed miserably. Then, in the 19th century, the French gave it another try. Their conquest of Algeria began with the landing in 1830 at Sidi Fredj near Algiers. The final subjugation tool over fifty years.

After Algiers became a French colony in 1882, a huge influx of French companies and workers arrived and the city grew exponentially. The European residential areas built at that time still shape the cityscape of contemporary Algiers particularly at the base of the “triangle” along the 2-km-long boulevard along the harbour.

In the Casbah. The interplay between Berber pride, Ottoman organization and French sophistication lends Algiers a special charm. Visitors climbing from the French-influenced harbour district up to the Old City of the Casbah experience the city’s different cultures as well as its history.

Built around 1500 and declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992, the Casbah is the old citadel of the Ottoman governors of Algiers. The higher one climbs, the more narrow and twisting the lanes become. The houses are crammed so close together that they nearly touch, and balconies are connected to one another above street level. Several important mosques are located in the midst of this confusion, including the Grand Mosque, the New Mosque and the Ketchaoua Mosque. All are renowned for their antiquity and architectural diversity.

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November 17th, 2009travelRead More >No Comments


What does Adelaide Have to Offer?

Adelaide’s city centre measures just one square mile. Wherever you are in the city, it is within the heart of Adelaide. Festivals, food, arts, culture, shopping and sports, this is Adelaide. Whether you want to party or relax on your next holiday, South Australia’s capital has it all. With vibrant inner-city districts, stunning architecture and plush gardens, plenty of hotels and motels to select from, Adelaide is the perfect venue for all sorts of leisure activities.

Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia, located on the Torrens River and surrounded to the east by the ranges and to the west by the beach, it prides itself on its live music and arts scene, its historic building heritage and its central location to one of Australia’s best known wine grape growing regions, the Barossa Valley.

You might prefer to follow in the footsteps of sporting champions at the world-famous Adelaide Oval. Or retreat to the seaside suburbs of Henley Beach, Glenelg & Semaphore. As Adelaide is situated on the coast, its beaches are many. One can choose between city beaches or quieter out-of-town beaches about half an hour from the city centre.

Since Adelaide is situated in a gulf, the beaches are calm and safe. For those who enjoy surfing, the open sea beaches are about one hour away. Since the beaches face west, one can enjoy the most magnificent sunsets.

There is no doubt that Adelaide Oval is indeed one of the most picturesque and photographed cricket grounds in the world. Australians take their cricket extremely seriously, and Adelaide is without doubt an important element of the Australian sporting scene.

Residents of Adelaide can play or watch a number of sports including Aussie Rules Football, swimming, tennis, netball, soccer, hockey, cycling, horse racing and a variety of water sports. South Australians pride themselves on their level of involvement in sport and have a proud tradition of participation and winning in a wide variety of sports.

The mighty Murray River is an hour’s drive from Adelaide. It is a favorite aquatic spot for South Australians and provides many diverse leisure activities such as skiing, angling and swimming.

At the University of Adelaide the new Business School creates a stimulating multidisciplinary learning environment that fosters the pursuit of leadership and excellence in both research and education.

South Australia has over 78,000 small businesses. Of these an estimated 55,000 are located within the Adelaide metropolitan area. Almost 40% of these employ between 1 - 19 people making small business a major source of regional employment within Adelaide.

Adelaide offers a diversity of food, wine & culture, it offers a thriving sports scene and growing small business sector. When planning your next holiday destination or a new residential location take a close look at Adelaide. When in Adelaide don’t hesitate to use the Adelaide Locality Directory to find everything form community groups, hospitals, restaurants, accommodation, employment and much more.

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November 16th, 2009travelRead More >No Comments


Cairns Attractions

Fun, sun and recollections of a carefree beach holiday, these are perfect ingredients for a vacation of your life when you holiday in Cairns and the Tropical North.

Blessed with an ideal climate all year-round, boasting temperatures in the Summer months (October-April) of 29-33 degrees C, and Winter months (April-October) 25-29 degrees C, Cairns is home to some of the earth’s most exciting natural tourist attractions, the reef, the rainforest and the Australian Outback, and they are all here awaiting your visit.

The very friendly locals of Tropical North Queensland will display the kind of friendly and efficient hospitality that has become the standard to aspire to for other tourism areas. Adventure tourism, night life, dining and shopping add to the charm and attraction of this fabulous city.

If you have been here before, welcome home. If you are here for the first time, bathe in our tourist offerings and make the most of your stay.

Queensland’s premier regional city, Cairns is the international entrance to Tropical North Queensland. It is an exciting cosmopolitan destination with warm, sunny tropical days balanced by cooling ocean breezes. Enjoy a stroll along the famous Esplanade or satisfy your tastebuds in one of Cairns’ many multi-cultural, diverse and prize-winning restaurants.

Cairns gives entry to the World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics Rainforests as well as the Australian Outback. Cairns, with its international and domestic airport, is the first stop for most visitors who want to see the authentic Australia.

Relax on the tropical beaches, dive on the reef and experience the unique tropical rainforests that date back to when Australia was part of ancient Gondwanaland, thousands of years ago.

Take a swim in the modern Cairns Esplanade lagoon, then look across the calm waters of Trinity Inlet and you will see coastal mountains and mangrove areas that have not changed since the site was discovered by Captain James Cook in 1770.

The beautiful Esplanade Lagoon is the perfect place to spend a lazy day soaking up the sun and wading in the lagoon’s cool and seductive water. There are many shady spots to escape from the sun in the heat of the day, as well as cooking facilities. The boardwalk has unique displays of Cairns’s local history and has many exercise facilities for those keen on getting a bit more active.

Cairns is extremely well suited to walking, or travel by bicycle. Well trodden routes and dedicated walking tracks abound or a visit to the Cairns Botanical Gardens is not to be missed. 38 hectares of native Australian gardens are maintained to big city botanical garden standards, and many plants found here cannot be seen elsewhere. Located among the plants is a coffee shop and restaurant, it is open every day for breakfast and lunch. Admission to the gardens is free.

Looking for Cairns tours? Check out what’s available at http://www.attractionscairns.com.au

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November 9th, 2009travelRead More >No Comments


Norfolk Island

A tiny jewel set in the blue seas of the South Pacific, Norfolk Island is only 8 km (5 mi) long, and 1,600 km (994 mi) northeast of Sydney, Australia.

It is the biggest of a cluster of three islands on the Norfolk Ridge, fringed by coral reefs and crowned by pristine rainforest and some of the world’s tallest tree ferns.

On 10 October 1774, James Cook first landed on this beautiful little island and named it in honour of the then Duchess of Norfolk.

Convicts started to arrive 14 years later and over time it gained quite a harsh reputation, becoming known as ‘hell in the Pacific’.

Then in 1856, descendants of the Bounty mutineers with their Tahitian wives and children sailed for five weeks from Pitcairn Island to settle on Norfolk Island. These new settlers brought with them a unique culture and language, and many held mutineers’ names such as Adams, Buffett, Christian and McCoy. From that day, Norfolk Island began its steady climb out of hell and into heaven.

Once sustained by agriculture and fishing, tourists now keep the island alive. But traditional culture remains deep rooted with dancing, singing and a unique cuisine. Banana dumplings, fried fish and Hihi pie, concocted with periwinkles, can be sampled at one of the fine restaurants scattered across the island.

The blue waters around Norfolk Island are teeming with fish, and there are countless fishing charters and scuba-diving trips out to the reef to explore this kaleidoscope underwater world. In the sheltered waters of Emily Bay, you can also indulge in some lazy swimming and snorkeling, and endless relaxation.

Norfolk Island is favoured by well-heeled Australians and New Zealanders, and a few millionaires have migrated to this tax-free haven. There are over 70 low-tax shops and many eager customers. Yet the island seems to balance the old and the new perfectly honouring its Pitcairn people, its rich environment and its visitors.

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August 18th, 2009travelRead More >No Comments


Aldabra Atoll

Aldabra Atoll is part of the Aldabra Group, one of the archipelagos of the Outer Islands of the Seychelles. The second largest atoll in the world after Kiritimati, Aldabra is the coraline tip of a volcanic sea mount, coming up from depths of 4,000 to 4,500m (13,120 to 14,760 ft). At 34 km (21 mi) long, 14.5 km (9 mi) wide and just 8 in (26 ft) above sea level, the atoll consists of four coral limestone islands forming a circle around a lagoon of 224 sq km (86 sq mi).

The lagoon is tidal and two thirds of its water recedes back to the ocean at low tide. Aldabra was given World Heritage status in 1982 to protect its delicate ecological environment.

Because the atoll is so isolated, many of its species of flora and fauna are found only here. The islets and rocky outcrops in the lagoon provide nesting areas for thousands of birds.

It has possibly the largest population of red-tailed tropic birds and the second largest colony of frigate birds in the world. Many other birds are found here too, including the Aldabra flightless rail, the only flightless bird found on any Indian Ocean island.

The Aldabran giant tortoises are, however, the atoll’s most renowned residents, being the last of the giant tortoises which were once spread across the entire region. Commercial exploitation is believed to have rendered all other giant tortoises in the area extinct by the mid-19th century, and very nearly exterminated the Aldabran population. Two species of marine turtle also nest on beaches on Aldabra: the green turtle and hawksbill turtle.

Unlike the nearby Seychelles, the atoll is inhospitable to humans as the limestone has been eroded into sharp spikes and water-filled pits. However, the mangroves support fish nurseries, and the lagoon is home to a wealth of marine life, from black-tipped reef sharks to eagle rays and parrot fish.

For almost a century, scientists have been studying the flora and fauna of the atoll, which is uninhabited other than by those working at the scientific research station.

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August 16th, 2009travelRead More >No Comments


The Lake Islands of Sweden

Lake Malaren is one of the largest lakes in Sweden, next to the town of Stockholm. The lake’s area is 1,140 square km and its greatest depth is 64 metres. Its many islands contain an incredibly rich history, a beautiful lush historical landscape with palaces, old churches, rune stones, forty castles, and two World Heritage Sites - the Palace of Drottningholm on the island of Lovo and the Viking sites of Birka on Bjorkb and HovgArden on Adelso.

The Royal domain of Drottningliolm with its Chinese pavilion, wooden theatre, and Baroque gardens is a stunning 17th century palace complex, modeled on Versailles and set in the pastoral landscape of Lovo. Birka, Sweden’s oldest city, and one of its most famous old monuments, is situated on Bjorko — an island that today has a romantic, desolate air about it.

Birka was founded at the end of the 8th century and for nearly 200 years was at the centre of European commerce In the late tenth century the build up of sediment made the lake too shallow for ships to navigate and the city was abandoned.

Hovgarden, the kings farm on the neighbouring island of Adelso, remained in use until the late Middle Ages. Today these lovely islands are beautiful places in which to walk and ride as well as see the incredibly well preserved Viking ruins.

The landscape of Lake Malaren was formed at the end of the lee Age when the land started to rise as a result of the gradual melting of the ice-cap lifting the tons of pressure that had been bearing down on it.

Quite apart from the cultural heritage contained in these islands, the moraine ridges and lush valleys are scenically lovely. They include rolling farmland dotted with oak trees, pine forest on rocky hills, and trees and grasses growing right down to the water’s edge.

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August 8th, 2009travelRead More >No Comments


The Island of Zitny Ostrov - Slovakia

Extending from Bratislava to Korman in southwestern Slovakia, Zitny Ostrov (Rye Island) is Europe’s most sizable river island. It is so big that most visitors are unaware of being on one. It lies between the Danube, and its slower running tributary the Little Danube, in the Danubian Plain.

Several rivers flow across it and the dark alluvial soil deposits make it the most fertile land in Slovakia. The island also contains central Europe’s largest storage of pristine potable water and it has the warmest and least humid weather in Slovakia.

A beautiful area of marshes, natural and man-made lakes and rich farmland, the south has been designated a Protected Landscape. The calm waters of the Little Danube provide excellent boating through the alluvial forests. While on the water, the controversial hydroelectric dam at Gabcikovo may also be visited.

Zitny Ostrov has two main towns, both of which have strong Hungarian cultural influences. DunajskA Streda has a majority Hungarian population, though the only reminder of a significant Jewish minority is a memorial erected in 1991. There is also signs of Bronze Age settlement here.

In the late 1990s the town centre was rebuilt with unique white buildings topped by towers and elaborate tiled roofs. A large thermal park offers year-round bathing in naturally heated water.

Komarno, Slovakia’s main port, lies on the Hungarian border — a bridge leads into Hungarian Komarom, which used to be part of Komarno. Here the majority of the population speak Hungarian and the street signs are in two languages.

Europe Place is a large shopping and tourist centre built in a variety of European architectural styles. A native son of Komamo, Franz Lehar, is honoured with a biennial music festival, whilst the annual Komarno Days Festival celebrates Slovak and Hungarian culture.

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July 26th, 2009travelRead More >No Comments


The City of Peace - Jerusalem

israelJerusalem is one of the oldest continuously populated cities on the planet. The Canaanite Phoenician “city of peace”, Urushalim, developed into Jerusalem after it was over run by King David around the year 1000 BCE.

Living in Jerusalem has always been a bit of a gamble. The ancient Babylonians, Egyptians and Persians all cast greedy eyes on Jerusalem’s wealth. In the seventh century, Moslems invaded the “Holy Land” along with its city sacred to three faiths.

During the Crusades, Jerusalem changed hands frequently. After the knights of the First Crusade succeeded in breaking through Jerusalem’s walls, they killed nearly everyone within them, regardless of religion, wiping out as many as 40,000.

Today, the Israeli and Palestinian states covet to parts of the city and Jerusalem’s bloody, violent history continues.

Since 1980, Jerusalem has been the base of the Israeli government, although all foreign diplomatic missions are based in Tel Aviv in accordance with a United Nations mandate.

Three major religions live together in Jerusalem, which naturally leads to a multiplicity of points of view. Each religious group is split and subdivided into factions and sects. There are as many as a dozen different Christian splinter groups, the largest of which is the Greek Orthodox community. This diversity of belief should contribute to Jerusalem’s attraction, but, in reality, it too often leads to strife and bloddshed. The incredible concentration of sacred sites draw visitors, religious or not, from all over the world.

For Jews and Christians alike, Jerusalem is the Holy City and the centre of their faiths. For Moslems, Jerusalem is the third holiest city after Mecca and Medina. It was the destination of Mohammed’s miraculous journey to and from Mecca in a single night. Its Temple Mount is the place from which Mohammed ascended to, and returned from, heaven.

Three architectural styles
The Old City of Jerusalem was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981. It is split into four districts. The Armenian Quarter occupies the south-west, the Christian Quarter, the north-west, the Jewish Quarter, the south-east and the Moslem Quarter, the north-east.

The wall around the Old City was built on the order of the Ottoman sultan Suleyman the Magnificent in the 16th century.

Jerusalem’s treasures are so many that only a handful can be mentioned here. The most visited site is probably the Wailing Wall, a 400-metre-long section of the retaining wall of the terrace on top of the Temple Mount where Herod the Great built his great Jewish temple.

This temple was destroyed by the Romans in the year 70 CE. Important pilgrimage sites for Christians include the Via Dolorosa, the name of the path Christ walked on his way to the crucifixion, and the fourth-century Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

One of the most grand Islamic monuments is the Dome of the Rock. Erected on the Temple Mount over the place from which the Prophet Mohammed ascended to heaven, the Dome of the Rock is not a mosque. The remarkable Al-Aqsa Congregational Mosque, one of the largest and oldest in the world, is located nearby, also on top of the terrace of the destroyed Jewish temple.

More than a lookout
The Mount of Olives (Hebrew: Har Ha-Zetim) is a historical hill on the eastern outskirts of Jerusalem. The ridge of hills is within sight of the Old City. The Temple Mount is actually higher than the Mount of Olives, which is just 809 metres above sea level. The Mount of Olives has great significance for all three major religions.

According to the Jewish faith, the Messiah will cross the Mount of Olives to Jerusalem before the Last Judgment takes place in the Kidron Valley. Moslems also believe the Final Judgment will take place there. For Christians, the Mount of Olives is inextricably linked to the life and death of Jesus. Today it plays a more mundane role for many tourists, because its lookout deck affords a breathtaking view of Old Jerusalem.

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June 2nd, 2009travelRead More >No Comments


The Benefits of Steaming Vegetables

steamed-vegetablesVegetables are essential to our diet. The latest recommendation from dieticians is a minimum of five serves of vegetables per day. The truth is we can get a great deal of our daily vitamin and mineral content from vegetables.

We need to ensure that how we cook them does not drain vitamin contents and benefits of consumption.

Cooking vegetables can be tricky. Over cooking can make vegetables tasteless and mushy. My belief is that vegetables should not be boiled. Boling not only robs us of vitamin content, it is the main culprit in turning vegetables to a lifeless, tasteless form.

If we cannot boil, how do we proceed?

Steaming vegetables is always a good choice. This will leave vegetables full of colour and texture. They will be crisp and colorful. It will also not deplete the vegetables of their vitamin content.

It is a fast method of cooking too. By rule of thumb, vegetables will only need a few minutes in the steam. In some cases you may be able to cook your vegetables on the table and immediately serve them up.

For those who do not have purpose made vegetable steamers, an easy steamer can be fashioned out a of pot, a metal colander, and a pot lid.

Place a small amount of water in the bottom of the pot. Fit the metal colander into the pot. Start to boil the water. You will begin the see the steam rise. Place your vegetables into the metal colander and place the pot lid over the metal colander and pot. This collection of kitchen items will allow you to steam vegetables as good as any fancy store bought steamer.

Another good option is to cook your vegetables in a wok. The secret to the wok is that it cooks quickly at a very high temperature. Vegetables retain their flavors, textures, and colors with small amount of vitamin loss.

My favorite wok recipe for vegetables is to cook broccoli, carrots, bok choy, and snow peas in a very light garlic sauce. The vegetables remain crisp and the herb adds just the right amount of flavour. This combination can be served with any cut of meat including chicken, beef, pork, lamb or fish.

I hope you will see that secret to cooking vegetables is not to over cook. Vegetables need to remain crisp and retain their texture. As you learn different tricks to bringing your vegetables to life, these will become the most requested dishes on your dinner table.

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June 2nd, 2009travelRead More >No Comments


Manila History

colourful-jeepneyManila is the political and economic focal point of the Philippines, and it serves as a honey-pot for people from all over the Philippines. For most visitors from North America or Australia, this mega-city does not seem to merit more than a few days’ visit, after which the tranquility of the provinces may seem all that much more attractive. Although a visit to Manila can be taxing, it nevertheless gives the tourist important insights into the culture, history and politics of this island republic, insights that stem from its very wealth of contradictions.

In the sights of foreign conquerors
Natives who settled at the mouth of the Pasig River in Manila have seen a great many conquerors come and leave. The first to come were the Malaysians, who arrived in the Philippines during the pre-Christian era. Hindu and Buddhist rulers from Indonesia followed. Islam got to Manila at the end of the fifteenth century. The Muslim reign established in the mid-sixteenth century had been in existence for barely a decade when Spanish Catholic sailors appeared on the horizon.

Colonial Manila
Miguel de Legaspi conquered Manila in 1571, declaring it to be the capital of the Spanish colony of the Philippines. Despite the ravages of World War Two, when Manila was heavily bombed, traces of the city’s colonial past are still in evidence, particularly in the Intramuros district. Intramuros, literally “within the walls”, meaning within the wall enclosure of the city/fortress. The city centre, with its partially restored wall , is the site of a number of sixteenth-century buildings including Fort Santiago, Manila Cathedral and the church of San Augustin, the oldest in the city.

At the centre of power
The heart of Manila is now elsewhere, in Makati, the modern commercial and banking quarter. Elegant high rises, gorgeous residential groves, super-modern shopping centres and numerous international hotels can be found there. The modern development of this quarter began in the mid-twentieth century. Like much of the growth in Manila, Makati is closely connected to the politically powerful Zobel de Ayala family. The family name is found throughout the city, on streets, buildings and public monuments.

They come here not only to pray
Pasay City is located in the south-west of Manila across the superhighway from high-class Makati. On Wednesdays, Pasay is overrun with people. In Baclaran, the faithful crowd into Redemption Church, where weekly services are held in honour of the Virgin Mary. But one suspects that even more Manilans make their way to Pasay in order to patronize the neighbourhood’s famous lech6n stands, known to be the best source of that quintessential Philippine specialty, roast suckling pig.

A bit of folk culture
Throughout Manila, a light rail station is never far away. If your stomach is complaining after a feast of suckling pig, a gentle ride on this elevated railway is highly recommended. The trip back to town can also be made by Jeepney, of course, though it will be slower and more crowded.

Jeepneys were originally former United States Army jeeps that had been made into passenger vehicles with as many as fourteen canopied seats. These days, however, most Jeepneys come fresh from the production line. Skillful painting and ornamentation are a must have for genuine Jeepney status. Most have Catholic religious figures as their central theme, but they may include lighthearted comic strip images.

Many Jeepneys are so thoroughly covered in advertising that they resemble moving billboards, while others looks like temples on wheels. What’s important for visitors to remember, however, is that Jeepneys follow specific routes, just like buses. It is always best to inquire about the route before getting on board.

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May 22nd, 2009travelRead More >No Comments


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