Europe Euphoria

Grayshott spa is a perfect getaway for women who wish to pamper themselves in luxurious surroundings. Set in the deep peace of a beautiful corner of rural England, Grayshott Spa is surrounded by acres of gardens, woods and sweeping lawns. It is England’s leading health spa that will envelop you in the luxury and comfort of its bright, airy environment and encourage you to relax and rejuvenate.

Grayshott has 59 bedrooms that range from stylish and comfortable single and double rooms to the new Junior Suites and Manor House Suites. The Tennyson Suite, which comfortably accommodates three people, is the most spacious with a separate bathroom and a lounge. The rooms are luxurious and have beautiful views over the grounds.

Charges: Starting from £395 per person per night.

Perfect place for Relaxation & Pampering:

Grayshott is the place where you feel you are enveloped in a peaceful, warm and friendly atmosphere. It’s a perfect retreat for the people who desire to relax and pamper themselves in luxury. There are 36 spa treatment rooms that offer the natural therapies. Tuition classes in yoga and other fitness activities are also offered. Spa facilities include indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a nine-hole golf course, gymnasium, exercise classes, yoga and daily walks on the grounds.

Cuisines:

Dining at Grayshott Spa is based on healthy eating, with innovative, delicious cuisine that reflects a balanced diet. There is a selection of organic wine and champagne, fresh juices and smoothies are also available.

Location:

Grayshott Spa is located near Guildford, tucked away in a quiet corner of Surrey just minutes from the village of Grayshott.

Click here for more information.

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Source: Telegraph

An ancient tannery dating to the second or third century has been dug up in Rome. Believed to be the largest ever found in the capital, it is a 1050 -square meter complex structure that includes burial sites and part of a Roman road. So far, at least 97 tubs, measuring more than three feet in diameter have been dug up.

The tannery is located in the Casal Bertone area in the outskirts of Rome, lies between two tunnels of a high-speed railway being built to link Rome and Naples. The site is said to be threatened by the works for the high-speed railway.

The question arises as to whether the high speed rail link work will continue or the site will be saved by stopping the work?

It is said that if the railway work continues the site will be moved to a safer place. The site will be scanned with 3-D laser to move replace the items in their exact positions. The project will be discussed by a panel of experts and will have to be approved by the Italian Culture Ministry.

Archaeologists working on the ruins of an ancient Roman tannery.

The tunnels of a high-speed railway in the background of the ruins of an ancient Roman tannery.

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Source: IHT

Florence, Italy’s Renaissance city is the best place for the people who have keen interest in history. There are many wonderful places that are rich in history and have an eye-popping beauty. From museums to religious places, Florence has lots to be explored and appreciated.

Galleria Dell’Academia:

Here you can marvel at the sexy rock star of Renaissance sculpture. It is also known as David’s house which was created by Michelangelo in 1504 to celebrate the ouster of the Medici clan from power in Florence. In the nearby gallery, you can see the unfinished but mesmerizing statues of four slaves.

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Lorenzo Ghiberti’s Baptistry Doors:

Here, the bronze doors depict scenes from the “Old Testament”. These are known as ‘The Gates of Paradise’. You can take a walk across the Duomo, which was created by Ghiberti’s rival, Brunelleschi.

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Boboli Gardens:

Boboli Gardens, have a massive Egyptian obelisk, classic grottoes and garden temples, and carefully groomed plants and trees.

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The church of Santa Croce:

It’s the last resting place of Michelangelo. Galileo, Ghiberti, Machiavelli and opera composer Rossini are also entombed here. The church overruns with great works of art including frescoes by Giotto and modern crucifix by Donatello.

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Scuola del Cuoio (Leather School) of Santa Croce:

It’s the best place to shop at. Here you can buy butter-soft, finely crafted goods and watch the artisans at work. There are other great leather stores in Florence, but this is the most fun to visit.

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When to Go:

Late October to early April is the best time to visit the Renaissance city of Italy. It’s the best time of the year to plan your visit because this Renaissance epicenter weaves her charms peacefully during this time.

Source: MSNBC

Denmark’s Whiskey belt is probably going to be my next travel destination. After reading the NYtimes article on the belt, I am very influenced. People visit the Whiskey belt for the narrow strip of beaches, forests, and great public gardens. This does sound like fun to me.

Whiskey Belt?

Although the term Whiskey belt is a bad name given to the place, it still works a many locals will agree. Why did they label this place Whiskey belt? Well, the story goes: the people in Copenhagen drink a lot of cheap beer whereas,the north side of Copenhagen is so good that people drink whiskey. Speaking of which, I can’t wait to try out some Danish alcohol.

If you compare this part of the world to US, you will find some great similarities. The single artery of Strandvejen resembles the Pacific coastline. Copenhagen is connected by mass transit system very much like NYC or any other big city. The system is called S-train.

Copenhagen:

Copenhagen is a very unique city. Coupled with awesome outskirts/countryside and lengthy festivities, the place truly is a paradise for visitors. I am positive that you won’t ever be bored. The best and most comfortable time to visit Copenhagen would be between the months of May through September.

Several interesting tourist spots like the Bakken and Tivoli. Bakken is home to the world’s oldest amusement park. An interesting FYI here: The amusement park owners are called tent holders. There is also a Deer park right behind the beach.

If you get hungry you can grab a bite at Pieter Lieps Hus (a restaurant in the neighborhood). Also you can drop in at Strandmoeller Kroen to taste the Danish food.

So if you want to magnificent lights of Tivoli park, and enjoy the splendid Danish culture with a blend of Danish food and wine, come on down to Copenhagen. I am positive that you will have a blast.

Image Credits: Themeparkreview, Virtualtourist, Trekearth

Italianate village of Portmeirion is a fantasy town, a unique village dreamed up by an architect called Clough Williams-Ellis. Built from 1925 to 1975 on a peninsula off the coast of Snowdonia, the village was the setting for the famous T. V. series, The Prisoner.

Portmeirion has all sorts of architectural elements such as fountains, statues, paths, arches, cottages, balconies, cobbles, gateways and many others. It’s a strange jewel in a magnificent setting, inspired by medieval Tuscan hill towns and partly by Portofino.

Portmeirion is now owned by a charitable trust and is run by Sir Clough’s grandson, Robin Llywelyn. If you want to stay in the village, you can hire cottages which are part of the Portmeirion Hotel.

The village is surrounded by sub-tropical woodlands and miles of sandy beaches. If you enjoy gardens then this is the place for you! Also, there are several shops, restaurants and cafe. For an excellent day out why not visit Portmeirion Village. Believe me, it’s a full day out for the family and will appeal adults and children alike.

Getting There:

Portmeirion is a two-hour drive from Manchester, Liverpool and Birmingham and nearly five hours from London. Trains to the nearest major stop, Bangor, are three and a half hours from London or two hours from Manchester. Taxi service is also available.

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Source: The New York Times

Have you heard of festival which participants attend in a coffin? Every year on 29th July a small Spanish town, Las Neves celebrates the unusual festival known as the Fiesta de Santa Marta de Ribarteme (Festival of the near death experience).

It’s a celebration for those people who have had a near death experience and lived to tell the tale. Those people who have had a near death experience have to attend the festival in a coffin.

Thousands of people fill the narrow streets on the day of Santa Maria to hear stories of the survivors. The relatives carry the coffins containing the loved ones to the small church where there is a shrine to the Virgin Santa Marta to hear the mass. After the mass is over, the procession then winds its way up to the local cemetery. The effigy of Santa Marta around the church follows the procession.

If you know Spanish, the festival is a wonderful place to hear stories and tales of the different near death experiences and although this is a slightly strange festival, you can have a good time. The festival provides a great opportunity to have good old chats about near-death-experience.

Source: Gadling

Danfoss Universe which is Denmark’s largest Science and Experience Park located next to the Danfoss headquarters in Nordborg has added another feather to its cap. Berlin architect Jurgen Mayer H. recently completed the extension of the park which include two new buildings.

Jurgen Mayer H. designed one of his typical organic architectures, a building which almost elides any borders between structure and surrounding landscape.

The new exhibition building Curiosity Center (1200 sq. m.) and the cafe (500 sq. m.) is designed to make the Outdoor Park accessible also in winter with new exhibition spaces and space for scientific experiments.

The buildings rise up from the ground and provide spaces which articulate the fusion of outdoor landscape and indoor exhibition. The endpoints of the buildings smear the line between building and park by offering inside-out spaces as display areas and projection surfaces related to the temporary exhibitions inside.

The unusual appearance of the building underlines the educational and innovative principles of Danfoss Universe and is designed to rouse interest in nature and science.

Scroll down for more pictures.

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Source: Spluch

If you’re in Tuscany in August, don’t miss Tuscan Sun Festival. Named one of the Ten Best Summer Arts Festivals in Europe, the festival is celebrating its fifth anniversary with most spectacular artistic array.

From classical music to food, art exhibitions and alternative medicine, the festival offers an unmissable spectrum of artistic programming at venues throughout the town. Italy’s beloved Sophia Loren will officially open the Festival during a gala concert in honor of her late husband, legendary film producer Carlo Ponti, on August 4.

The festival then features performances by the Belcea Quartet, Joshua Bell, Elina Garanca, Emmanuelle Haim, Angelika Kirchschlager, Nina Kotova, Viktoria Mullova, Anna Netrebko, Jean-Yves Thibaudet and many others.

In addition to the musical program, the festival will also be celebrating its fifth year with unique cookery and literary events, wine tastings, receptions, yoga sessions and art exhibitions.

With lots more on offer, this festival is sure to gather international interest from all quarters of the artistic world. The festival will run from August 4 to August 16.

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Source: Festivaldelsole

Your exploration of Odessa, Ukraine would not be complete without a visit to the maze of catacombs that lace their way under the city and its environment. The catacombs were dug out nearly 200 years ago during mining of building materials that were used to build the city.

The catacombs are particularly important to Odessa’s history, because during World War 2, nearly 2000 Russian partisans lived in these tunnels to hide from the Nazis.

The Odessa catacombs are much younger than catacombs in Rome or Paris, but much longer than both together. The size of Odessa catacombs is more than 2500 km. At present only 1700 km are studied. The average height is 1.5 - 3.5 m, width 2 - 4.5 m. The depth can reach 50 m below sea level.

The entrance is dressed up with giant stairs down from ground level and a wide open entrance, which soon dissolved into tiny narrow passageways and small yellow light bulbs every 50 ft or so lights up the way.

There is a small museum at the exit. The most prized item in the museum’s collection is a handwritten letter by Fidel Castro which he wrote for the catacombs during his visit here in 1986.

In summer, air temperature in Odessa is about 30 degrees C, so the underground walk through these catacombs is refreshing and chilly, as the temperature never grows higher than +14C.

Rumors persist that the occasional unaccompanied visitors have been lost in the tunnels never to be located. So, guided tours to catacombs are preferable. Hotels and local travel agencies also assist visitors in booking a tour of Odessa’s catacombs at a cost of 25 U.S. dollars.

Scroll down for more pictures of Odessa Catacombs.

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Source: Gadling

If you’re planning a break from work or a weekend away from the hustle and bustle of the world, Hambleton Hall is a sybaritic paradise. The location is unrivaled, standing in stately grandeur on a wooded hillock, surrounded by manicured lawns, surveying the expanse of Rutland Water. The hotel has luxurious interior.

Hambleton Hall is a small hotel with just seventeen rooms converted from a Victorian residence to a hotel in the late Seventies. The lakeside situation is what really sets the hotel apart, but every aspect is well executed, from the efficiency of the service to the elegance of the decor and especially the quality of the cuisine, overseen by Michelin-starred chef Aaron Patterson.

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The hotel has manicured gardens, tennis courts, and a swimming pool. The restaurant is a haven for foodies and wine lovers and the rooms combine comfort and style.

Exceptional service standards and warmth of welcome make Hambleton Hall a perfect destination for a relaxing and luxurious escape or an exploration of a charming unspoiled region.

Location: 2 miles E of Oakham on peninsula jutting into Rutland Water. The hotel has ample car parking.

Facilities: Sitting rooms, 3 dining rooms, bar, garden, swimming pool, and helipad.

Source: Telegraph