The Keen Traveler : The Delights Of Travel

For some people, travel is there passion, while for others, it is a once in a lifetime experience that has come true.

The Keen Traveler: They have a passion to get away from the routine of every day life and to explore exciting new places, experience other cultures and find new ways to get in touch with all their senses.

Unforgettable Memories: The excitement and the memories of good times is what it is all about. They have imagined about it and daydreamed about leaving all their cares behind and just enjoy the freedom to go where they want, when they want and how they want. Their desire to get away sets them on the path of adventure and life-changing experiences.

Exciting Destinations: Every exciting destination opens your eyes to a different culture, people, history, experience, food, language and landscape. Every travel destination has a different story to tell every time back home.

Don't Just Dream About It!

Set Your Travel Goals: Let your imagination come to life by following your dreams and to the best time of your life.

Imagine The Possibilities: Imagine the fun, the excitement and endless possibilities of exploring a different culture through its unique way of life. And, imagine what it will actually feel like to be there.

Visit natural wonders in the most spectacular landscapes. See the popular, the unusual or famous destinations. You can climb mountains, see museums, visit the markets, take cooking courses, learn a new language and enjoy traditional festivals.

There are the picture-postcard European towns filled with old-world charm and beauty or, you can take the road less traveled visiting traditional villages and people still living their old fashioned way of life.

Imagine the thrill of riding an elephant in India, traveling through the rice fields in China, reaching the top of a mountain in Nepal, throwing a coin over your shoulder into Rome's Trevi Fountain or simply enjoying a cup of coffee outside a traditional village kafeneio in rural Greece.

All these wonderful possibilities give the keen traveler a wonderful insight to a place through its people and their way of life. Every day will be different and every travel experience enriches the individual with lasting friendships, unforgettable holiday experiences and memories that will last forever.

The Keen Photographer

Travel opens the door for the keen photographer to take photos of interesting places that are full of color and vibrancy. Every photo will have its own special way of portraying an environment and the people in it. Its an exciting reason to get your camera out and follow your dreams to a favorite destination.

Favorite European Destinations: Traveling through favorite European destinations is an education in history, culture, gastronomy and landscape. It is not only the world leader in art, architecture, food and fashion it also has the most iconic, World Heritage-listed sites.

There are famous cities and contrasting scenic rural landscapes and there are picture post-card, natural and man-made wonders to be enjoyed through exciting land journeys and port stop-overs.

Discover the ancient wonders of Athens and Rome, explore the cultural and historical treasures of classic cities like London, Paris, Vienna, Venice, Amsterdam, Berlin, Budapest, Barcelona and Stockholm to name just a few.

Foundation Of Western Civilization: Built here, during the Golden Age of Greece in the 5th century BC. Literature, art, architecture, philosophy, medicine, law, mathematics the origins of democracy and the Olympic Games began here.

Homer: The world's first great writer who composed the first two greatest epics in world literature, the Iliad and the Odyssey.

Parthenon On The Acropolis: An enduring symbol of Ancient Greece and one of the world's greatest cultural monuments emulated the world over in modern structures.

The Acropolis was formally proclaimed as the pre-eminent monument on the European Cultural Heritage List of monuments on March 26, 2007.

Famous Greek Landmarks:

Acropolis, Athens

Olympia, Peloponnese

Crete, Palace Of Knossos

Medieval Old Town, Rhodes Island

Santorini

Mount Athos

The Greek Islands

History, Culture And Beauty: If you love panoramic views, the simple life and culture then, the Greek Islands are the ideal place to visit.

Picturesque, whitewashed villages, cobblestone streets, tavernas and cafes, Byzantine churches and serene hilltop monasteries, medieval castles, beautiful beaches, bays and coves with crystal clear waters, 300 days of sunshine, beautiful sunsets and, fresh food simply cooked the traditional way are just some of the many reasons why tourists make the Greek Islands one of the world’s top travel destinations.

Famous Greek Islands:

Rhodes

Crete

Santorini

Mykonos

Corfu

Capital of the Dodecanese Islands and famous worldwide for the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

Rhodes Town Divided Into Two: There is the World Heritage Listed medieval Old Town from the 14th and 15th centuries.

The cosmopolitan New Town lies along Mandraki Harbor with the Byzantine fortress of Saint Nicholas, the three windmills and, at the entrance to the harbor stand two bronze deer where the Colossus of Rhodes once stood.

Italy also has a rich historical and cultural heritage and so many tourist delights which include Rome, Florence, Venice, Pisa and Naples.

World Heritage Sites: Italy has 51 World Heritage Listed Sites. More than any other country on earth.

The Renaissance: Spread throughout Europe in the 14th to 16th centuries. Its birthplace was the Italian, Tuscan city of Florence.

Classical Antiquity: It inspired a revival of the classical art and intellect of Ancient Greece and Rome and had a huge impact in further developing Western Civilization.

Famous Italian Landmarks:

The Colosseum, Rome, Italy

Trevi Fountain, Rome, Italy

Venice, Italy

Leaning Tower of Pisa, Pisa, Italy

Capital Of Veneto Region: Located on a group of 118 small islands that are linked by canals and bridges and a stunning backdrop of Baroque buildings and famous landmarks which include the Piazza San Marco, Saint Mark's Basilica and Doge's Palace

Romantic Gondola Ride: The most fascinating way to experience the true charm of this cultural rich city is to take a ride through the serene waters of the Grand Canal on a gondola and float through the world-famous Rialto Bridge.

The Trevi Fountain which stands 26.3 metres (86 ft) high and 49.15 metres (161.3 ft) wide is the largest Baroque fountain in Rome and the most famous fountain in the world.

The Legend Of Trevi Fountain: Legend says you should stand with your back to the fountain and toss a coin with your right hand over your left shoulder to ensure a return trip to Rome.

A second legend, inspired by the film “Three Coins in the Fountain“ says that you should throw three coins into the fountain. The first guarantees your return to Rome, the second leads to a new romance, while the third will lead to marriage!

The Municipality Of Rome: Collects the coins from the Trevi Fountain daily to finance a special supermarket that serves the poor in Rome with help from the Italian Red Cross.

Saturnia's famous sulphurous, calcium and carbon waters have a temperature of 37.5 °c that come from several springs stretching from Mount Amiata to the hills of Albenga and Fiora and reaching Roselle and Talamone.

France is the most popular country in the world to visit and is renowned worldwide for its food, wine, art and fashion.

Iconic Attractions: Include the Eiffel Tower, The Louvre which holds some of the world's most famous artistic masterpieces like the "Mona Lisa" painted by Leonardo Da Vinci, there is the Palace of Versailles, Cannes, the French Riviera, the French Alps, the castles of the Loire Valley, Brittany and Normandy and, there are its stunning rural landscapes.

Lourdes, France

A major Catholic pilgrimage site known worldwide for the Sanctuaries Notre-Dame de Lourdes, or the Domain. Every year, millions of pilgrims visit the Grotto of Massabielle where, in 1858, the Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette Soubirous, a venerated Christian Saint of the Catholic Church.

Famous French Landmarks:

Eiffel Tower, Paris

Arc De Triomphe, Paris

Notre-Dame, Paris

Palace of Versailles, Paris

Canal du Midi: You may want to follow in the footsteps of award-winning, English celebrity chef, Rick Stein's idyllic journey onboard the barges Rosa and Anjodi travelling through the Canal du Midi in Southern France from Bordeaux to Marseilles exploring traditional French provincial cooking.

Throughout his much acclaimed French Odyssey television series Rick visits local markets, restaurants and farms sampling the delights of regional delicacies and wines, prepares traditional dishes and shares favorite recipes.

Rural France: Along the way we enjoy the visual delights of rural France and we learn how to prepare some famous French dishes such as magret de canard, petit sale, cassoulet, poule au pot and bouillabaisse. His unforgettable journey ends when he finally reaches Marseilles

Mona Lisa and her mysterious smile was painted by Italian Renaissance artist, Leonardo Da Vinci who began the painting in 1503 or 1504 in Florence, Italy and has been acclaimed as one of the greatest masterpieces of all time.

King Francis I of France acquired the painting and is now on permanent display at the Louvre Museum in Paris since 1797.

The Mona Lisa is said to be "priceless" and Guinness World Records lists it as having the highest insurance value for a painting in history.

The United Kingdom is another popular historical and cultural destination.

Buckingham Palace and the changing of the guard, Big Ben and Westminster Bridge, Tower bridge, Bath, Cornwall, the White Cliffs of Dover, Stonehenge, the Scottish Highlands,Llanberis Pass and Snowdonia in Wales are just some of its many wonderful attractions.

Famous United Kingdom Landmarks:

Buckingham Palace, London

Big Ben, London

Tower Of London

Tower Bridge, London

Stonehenge, Wiltshire

The old world charm and beautiful rural settings of the English countryside will take your breath away. There, you will discover market towns and villages with their pretty country gardens, farmlands and their famous pubs, inns and tea rooms.

Driving Tour Of The English Countryside: As you drive through winding country roads with their distinctive stone walls you will pass through rolling green hills and valleys, woodlands, dales and tranquil rivers and streams.

Cheshire, Dorset, Cornwall, Cotswolds, the Lakes District and Bronte Country, an area of south Pennine hills west of Bradford in West Yorkshire where the Brontë sisters wrote such literary classics as Jane Eyre (Charlotte Brontë), Wuthering Heights (Emily Brontë), and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (Anne Brontë).

Switzerland is one of the most natural and beautiful places in the world. It borders with France, Italy, Austria, Liechtenstein and Germany.

Famous For Its: Swiss watches, pocket knives, cheese, chocolate, music festivals and for its stunning alpine locations.

Four National Languages: German, French, Italian and Rumantsch.

Important Cities: Zurich, Geneva, Basel, Lausanne, Bern, Winterthur, St. Gallen and Lucerne.

Beautiful Attractions Include: The Jungfrau Region, the Swiss Riviera on the shores of Lake Geneva (Chateau de Chillon, Montreux), Geneva, the Matterhorn at Zermatt and the winter resort of St. Moritz.

The Swiss Alps

One of the great mountain ranges of Europe filled with beautiful lakes and rivers, the Swiss Alps include the Matterhorn, Eiger, Jungfrau and Mont Blanc which, at 4810 metres (15,782 feet), is the highest peak, and are famous for their climbing, skiing, hiking, biking, tobogganing, paragliding and golfing.

Scenic Rail Journeys: One of the most picturesque mountain journeys in the world, the Albula route between Chur and St. Moritz and the curved Landwasser viaduct offers the traveller natural, awe-inspiring, alpine landscapes, 55 tunnels, 196 bridges and viaducts along the way.

The Albula Tunnel: The highest in the country and the train reaches the highest point of 2,253 m along the Bernina route.

World Heritage Site: In 2008, Albula Railway and the Bernina Railway which are a part of the Rhaetian Railway and connect Switzerland with Italy, were included in the list of World Heritage Sites.

Famous for its clogs, Gouda cheese, tulip fields, windmills, Anne Frank (young Jewish diarist and victim of the Holocaust) and world-renowned painters such as Vincent van Gogh, Johannes Vermeer and Rembrandt van Rijn.

Amsterdam: Beautiful Dutch capital, famous for its canals and picturesque bridges, narrow streets and bicycles, its narrow houses with gabled facades and, for its 17th century Golden Age
in which Dutch exploration of new territory, trade, science, military, and art thrived.

European river and canal cruises combine history, culture and landscape to offer unforgettable and life-enriching experiences via its picturesque waterways.

River Cruises: A wonderful, tranquil way to stir your imagination along scenic rivers like the Danube, Rhine, Rhône, Seine and Moselle dotted with old-world towns, traditional villages, lush vineyards and medieval castles that will leave you with lasting memories and great photos.

The Danube: Was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire.

It flows southeast for 1,914 km (1,189 mi) taking you from the Black Forest in Germany to the Black Sea in Romania.

Passes Through Or Between Ten Nations: They include Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Moldova and Ukraine on the way.

It also passes through several cities which include four national capitals, more than any other river in the world. They are:

1. Vienna: Capital of Austria has an artistic and intellectual legacy that was shaped by famous residents like Mozart, Beethoven and Sigmund Freud.

Famous For Its: Imperial palaces which include Schönbrunn and the Habsburgs’ summer residence, its Museums Quartier district and the stunning white Lipizzaner horses at the Spanish Riding School.

Queen Marie Antoinette, composer Johann Strauss, Hollywood director Otto Preminger, actress Hedy Lamarr and actor Maximilian Schell are some of its famous people who were born there.

2. Bratislava: Capital of Slovakia. Influenced by people of different nations and religions such as Austrians, Czechs, Hungarians, Jews, Serbs and Slovaks.

The city was the capital of the Kingdom of Hungary which was a part of the larger Habsburg Monarchy territories from 1536 to 1783.

3. Budapest, the capital of Hungary, is actually two cities, Buda and Pest, divided by a river and packed with history, culture and spas.

Actor S.Z. Sakall, director Michael Curtiz, and the two actress sisters Zsa Zsa Gabor Eva Gabor and Eva Gabor were born here.

4. Belgrade: Capital of Serbia and home to Communist-era architecture and Kalemegdan Park, site of an ancient fortress held successively by the Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires.

Blue Danube Waltz: It is the most famous waltz ever written. Austrian composer Johann Strauss II ("The Waltz King"), composed it in 1866.

Durnstein: Well-known wine growing area is a small town on the Danube river in Austria and is one of the most visited tourist destinations in the Wachau region.

In 1192, the English king, Richard the Lionheart, was held captive here in a castle by Duke Lepold V of Austria.

Melk: Famous for its architectural variety from many centuries and for its massive baroque Benedictine Abbey which was founded in 1089 above the town of Melk in Austria overlooking the Danube river adjoining the Wachau valley.

Neuschwanstein: "The castle of the fairy-tale king", built in the late 19th century for King Ludwig II on a hill above the village of Hohenschwangau in Bavaria, Germany. The palace was intended as a retreat and personal refuge for the reclusive king, and as a homage to Richard Wagner.

It is one of the most popular of all the palaces and castles in Europe where very year, 1.4 million people visit. In the summer around 6,000 visitors a day stream through rooms that were intended for a single inhabitant.

Breisach: Gateway to Germany’s famous Black Forest. Its most prominent landmark, the Cathedral of Saint. Stephanus towers high above the Rhine and is Visible from any part of the city.

Esztergom-Hungary: A city 46 kilometres (29 miles) northwest of the capital Budapest on the right bank of the river Danube, which forms the border with Slovakia.

Established around 972 A.D, Esztergom was the birth and coronation place of the first Hungarian king, St. Stephen, as well as the capital of Hungary until the 13th century.

The Basilica of Esztergom: Dedicated to the Saint Mary of the Assumption and Saint Adalbert is a masterpiece of Classicism is the biggest building in Hungary and the third largest church in Europe.

Saint Basil’s Cathedral, Moscow, Russia
A church in Red Square built from 1555–61 on orders from Ivan the Terrible.

Dubrovnik, Croatia
Known for its distinctive Old Town encircled with massive stone walls and completed in the 16th century.

Barcelona, Spain
Founded as a Roman city, Barcelona is the cosmopolitan capital of Spain’s Catalonia region. It is renowned for the architectural works of Antoni Gaudí's La Sagrada Familia and Lluís Domènech i Montaner, which have been designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Fátima, Portugal
Famous for the Apparitions of Our Lady of the Rosary that appeared to three shepherd children, Lucia dos Santos and her two younger cousins, Francisco and Jacinta Marto in 1917.

Fjords of Norway

The Norwegian coastline, dotted with villages, mountains, deep valleys and the most beautiful fjords in the world. These natural wonders have steep land on three sides and narrow inlets filled with ocean water.

The Northern Lights-Sweden

Abisko: The best place in the world to see the Northern lights is Abisko in Swedish Lapland, deep within the Arctic Circle. Surrounded by this vast winter wonderland, these lights are one of nature’s most awe-inspiring wonders. The best time to view the aurora are on clear nights during the winter months between November and April.

Other European Natural Wonders:

Cliffs of Moher – Ireland

The Upper Kaunertal Valley, Austria

The Rock of Gibraltar

Lake Bled, Slovenia

The Picos de Europa, Spain

Loriga‘s River Beach, Portugal

Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland

Meteora, Greece

Salzburg Old Town, (Aldstadt)

Lies along the southern bank of the Salzach River, the Aldstadt is an enclave of winding cobbled alleyways, airy piazzas and many fine Baroque churches. It is also the birthplace of famous musician and composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Schonbrunn Palace, Vienna

Former imperial summer residence, the 1,441-room Baroque palace is one of the most important architectural, cultural and historical monuments in Austria.

s.

Heidelberg Old City

Famous for its romantic and picturesque cityscape, including Heidelberg Castle and the baroque style Old Town.

Berlin Wall

Prominent symbol of the Cold War which pitted democracy (Western Bloc) and communism (USSR). The wall was constructed by the German Democratic Republic (GDR, East Germany) that divided not only the city of Berlin from 1961 to 1989.but also the democratic western world.

Although most traces of the the Berlin Wall were removed following German re-unification, about 2km still stands as a symbol of the triumph of freedom over oppression.

Step Back In Time: A part of American history known as the Old West has a rich and colorful Western heritage that encompassed the period after the Civil War and up to the early part of the 20th century.

Life In The Wild West: Vividly portrayed by childhood television heroes like Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, Hopalong Cassidy and the Lone Ranger.

Other popular cowboy shows included Bonanza, Rawhide, Cheyenne, Bronco, Wagon Train, Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson and Rin Tin Tin to name just a few.

Movie Western Heroes: They include John Wayne, Randolph Scott, Joel McCrea, Gary Cooper, James Stewart and Audie Murphy.

The Wild West: Its unique legends and tales of famous Cowboys and Indians, the lucky prospectors who found gold, feared outlaws, gunfighters, gamblers and lawmen who walked the streets, the famous river steamboats and, where thousands of pioneers made their way westward in search of land and better lives.

Today, you can visit these old trail towns, mining camps, cowtowns and prairies where the buffalo roamed.

Famous Old West towns include:

Tombstone, Arizona: Famous for its colorful history, its mining camps and for the gunfight at the O.K. Corral in 1881 between the Earp brothers (Wyatt, Virgil and Morgan) and "Doc" Holliday against Billy Clanton and the McLaury brothers.

Dodge City, Kansas: Famous for its rich history as a frontier cowtown and for Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson and Doc Holliday.

Deadwood-South Dakota: Famous for the Black Hills of Dakota, Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane.

Elvis Presley: The king of Rock and Roll. Side-burns, pushed-back hair and upturned collar, his impact in music history has been one of the greatest and is revered worldwide.

Annual Pilgrimage: Fans from around the world make their annual pilgrimage to Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee for Elvis Week to celebrate his life and career and to pay their respects with a solemn candlelight vigil where the king of rock and roll, his mother, father and grandmother are buried.

The Lucky Country: The Land of Opportunity is the world's largest island and the sixth largest country in the world.

The Land Down Under: Offers many exciting contrasts and spectacularly beautiful attractions.

Australia Has 19 World Heritage-Listed Sites: It is famous its Outback, coral reefs, tropical rainforests, scorched, red deserts, beautiful beaches, unique animal wildlife which include the kangaroo, koala and duck-billed platypus, flora and fauna that cannot be found anywhere else in the world and, for its exciting Australian Rules football.

Anna Creek Cattle Station-South Australia: The largest in the world. At over 34,000 square kilometres, it is eight times bigger than the biggest ranch in Texas, USA and bigger than the country of Belgium.

Famous Australian Landmarks Include:

Sydney Opera House

Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney

Uluru - Ayres Rock

Shark Bay - Western Australia

Great Barrier Reef- Queensland

Kakadu National Park-Northern Territory

Capital Of South Australia: The City of Churches has large public squares and is surrounded by lush, green parklands.

High Quality Lifestyle: Its residents enjoy a high quality lifestyle living in tree-lined suburbs, quarter-acre block homes and uniformly straight streets.

Adelaide Christmas Pageant: Held annually on the second Saturday of November every year since 1933, it is the largest Christmas Pageant of its kind in the world, attracting crowds of over 400,000 that line the 3.3km pageant route to see Santa Claus (Father Christmas).

A huge line-up of floats, clowns, bands, dancing groups and walking performers wind through the city in a colorful spectacle and concludes at the Magic Cave.

Port Adelaide Football Club: Adelaide is also home to the famous Port Adelaide Football club who have won 36 South Australian league premierships, including six in a row and, 1 AFL Premiership to its achievements.

South Australian Landmarks:

Barossa Valley

River Murray

Kangaroo Island

Coober Pedy

Flinders Ranges and Outback

Port Lincoln

For the devout Christian, a pilgrimage to the Holy Land is a spiritual journey to the land where Jesus' Birth, Ministry, Death and Resurrection took place. For many, it is an unforgettable and life-changing experience that gives their faith new meaning.

Holy Land Landmarks

Bethlehem (Birthplace of Jesus)

Nazareth (childhood Home of Jesus)

Jordan River (site where Jesus was Baptized by John the Baptist)

Sea Of Galilee (call of the first Disciples by Jesus)

Capernaum (important events in the public life of Jesus Christ took place)

Mount of Olives (east of Jerusalem's Old City)

Jerusalem (The Last Supper, Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus)

Church of the Holy Sepulcher ( built where Jesus was Crucified, and Buried and where He later Resurrected)