If you had a week it probably will not be enough time to soak in all that Rome has to offer. This is a city that was the centre of the European World two thousand years ago and still has as much of that allure as it did then today. They say “See Rome and Die” and with the number of spectacles the city has to offer there is some real truth to that. With so many things to do in the city some guidance most certainly can be helpful to direct you in the right direction. Some of the best things to do in Rome include.
Trevi Fountain
Piazza di Trevi | Rome
Built in the mid 18th century the Trevi Fountain is a great example of baroque design mixed with ancient Roman Mythology. The scene portrayed involves Neptune emerging from his pool flanked by his trusty Tritons. Roman folk lore says that if you toss one, two, or three coins with your right hand over your left shoulder different good lucks will be bestowed upon you. One coin means you will return to Rome, while two coins means you will fall in love with an attractive Roman, while three coins means you will marry that same Roman. Many feel Trevi Fountain is best seen at night when it lights illuminate the fountain and give it a luminous appearance. Trevi fountain is located near a high concentration of shopping, nightlife, and hotels so is quite easy to find.
Church of San Luigi dei Francesi
Via Santa Giovanna d’Arco 5
A great free attraction to visit in Rome is the San Luigi dei Francesi which features some great works by the Baroque artists Caravaggio. The three works Matthew and the Angel, Matthew’s Martyrdom, theCalling of St. Matthew attraction legions of art lovers each year to enjoy their great opulence. The church closes each day at lunch time and can be found in the Navona neighborhood near the Barberini metro stop.
Trastevere
Trastevere | Rome
If you want to get a sense of what Rome is like, beyond all the attractions and tourists, then head to the Trastevere section of town located just to the south of Vatican City. Trastevere has dozens of restaurants visited by real Romans and affordable shops as well as a great café culture. Walking over the Ponte Sisto leads to a truly stunning view over St Peter’s Basilica to the north and the Gianicolo Hills to the west.
Some say that Detroit has gone on to hard times after recently declaring civil bankruptcy. Though this cannot rightfully be denied, it cannot be denied either that the home of Motown and the heart of automotive industry in the US still has things to offer to visitors. Becoming more and more a haven for artists there is a great art scene developing in the lower rent studios and art spaces around the city. A few different things to do in Detroit include.
Detroit Institute of the Arts
5200 Woodward Avenue
Dating back to 1885 the Detroit Institute of Arts is a massive complex that includes 100 galleries, an 1,150 seat auditorium and a 380 seat lecture hall. With an extensive and well praised permanent collection that includes works such as Vincent Van Gogh’s “Self Portrait” and Diego Rivera’s “Detroit Industry.” The institute also regularly uses its auditorium to host different Friday night concerts as well as once a month brunches with Bach! Visitors to the institute compare it favorably with art galleries around Europe and the US in far larger cities. What is highly lauded is ipads being given to patrons so they can use them to learn more about the art they are viewing. The museum is closed on Monday and Tuesdays and is open from 10 am to 5 pm the remaining days. Admission costs $8 dollars for adults.
Motown Historical Museum
2648 West Grand Boulevard
From 1959 to 1972 Detroit’s Motown record label was a virtual hit making machine. With recording artists under their label such as the Supremes, the Temptations and the Jackson Five Motown helped create an entire genre of music that permanently changed the American music landscape. Now the Motown studios have been altered into a museum to commemorate this trend setting label. The original interior has been kept the same and tour guides can now walk people through Motown delivering tales of the studio in its hay day and the different stars that walked its halls. Perhaps, though the greatest moment to be enjoyed is actually walking into the recording studios where so much hit music was created. The Motown museum can be found on West Grand Boulevard in the Boston Edison Historic District, it is open from 10 am to 6 pm and admission costs around $10 dollars. The museum is closed on Mondays.
Home of the Summer Olympics of 2012, a thousand and one pubs, the Queen’s residence… this is London, England one of the world’s preeminent destinations. Reasons to come here are vast and personal to each person, but in a celebration of this city’s never ending energy and cosmopolitan vibe we will celebrate a few of them here. Still more reasons to visit London include.
Speaker’s Corner
Every Sunday Hyde Park in London hosts a weekly event called Speaker’s Corner. As the title alludes to Speaker’s corner is a chance for each and every person to speak their mind. A vastly entertaining event varied people – some well educated, some not – stand on milk crates speaking on topics dear to them which often connect to religion and politics. The joy of this event is learning about varied topics and doing some people watching while listening to the crack pots rant. What gives the event additional colour is that the talks are two sided as people from the crowd also involve themselves shouting things out. A trip to London will not glimmer quite as much as it can without a trip to speaker’s corner.
Camden Town
Bohemian London starts and ends in Camden Town. Filled with various markets and shops people descend to this part of the city to purchase funky clothes: goth, mod, eletroinca, rocker, jewelry, crafts, music, books and anything else the mind can think of. Camden has long been a location where many of London’s most up and coming bands play. There is also a great theatre and art scene here too.
West End Theatres
A trip to London needs time spent in the city’s second to none theatre district. From the classics – like Shakespeare and Dickens, to the avant garde – like Samuel Beckett – any variety of theatre is performed here. People often look to the cheaper ticket wholesalers around Leister Square to secure themselves cheaper tickets to the show. Seeing performances in, the world famous, west end theatre district is definitely one of the main reasons for visiting London.
Pub Life
People come to London to sit in a pub and watch the evening go by. There is no place that celebrates the pub to the same extent and enjoys so feverishly a good old drink after work on the week day than the pubs across England and in London. People come to the pubs to watch sports and spend their leisure time. More so than anywhere else the pub is a respected place to gather and not seen as a den of vice. When you come to London you have to get down to the good old pub too, and have a pint of the famous – if not tasty – English bitters.
Truly one of the most stunning cities of Peru, and South America for that matter, is Cusco. Filled with a variety of ancient temple, monuments and plazas on its own Cusco is a place that definitely must be visited. Combine all of this with Cuzco’s proximity to Manchu Picchu – the famous Inca capital – and you have a very special vacationing location indeed. Though most visitors focus on seeing Manchu Picchu it is a mistake not to enjoy the sights and sounds of Cusco as well! A few of the best things to do in Cusco include.
Plaza de Armas
Portal de Comercio, Historic Center
Plaza de Armas’ long history stretches back to the time of the Inca Empire. The Inca’s originally built this square – which had been twice its present size – for ceremonies and festivals. The Inca’s considered the plaza to be the exact centre of their empire. Within this very same square the Spanish conquistadors constructed both La Compañia and the Cathedral which both were built in the location of the former Inca Palace. In contemporary times visitors to the city enjoy the combination of both Spanish and Andean history as well as the overall buzz and energy that is in the plaza. Plaza de Armas is located in Cusco’s historic centre and is easy to locate.
Machu Picchu
Remarkable Manch Picchu was not discovered by the Spanish for hundreds of years during their South American conquest. The aptly named “lost city of the Incas” is a matrix of temples, aqueducts, and gardens that were hidden away in the mountains and hills of the Peruvian country side. A few of the most beloved locations within Manchu Picchu include Funeral Rock, the House of the Terrace Caretaker, the Temple of the Sun – which has a wealth of fantastic Incan masonry and architecture, the Temple of the Three Windows, which offers fantastic views over Machu Picchu from its trapezoidal lookouts. Last but not least visit the iconic Temple of the Condor, which was the ancient symbol of the Incans of the heavens. There are two ways to get to Manchu Picchu, either you can take the 24 mile trek along the Incan trail or take a Peru Rail train closer to the site. Trains depart every 15 minutes from downtown Cusco. Visitors must pick up a ticket from the Instituto Nacional de Cultural office in Cusco or Aguas Calientes for around $42 US dollars. Visitors are welcomes to Manchu Picchu from 6 am until 5 pm.
A city like none other Bangkok has an intriguing mixture of old world Asian heritage and modern, sometimes seedy, diversions. Each year, thousands upon thousands of visitors descend upon this city to enjoy its monuments, parties, and temptations. For those not as interested in Bangkok’s legendary party scene there are so many different museums and wonderful old buildings to visit. Things for all personality types are here to do, you just need to know where to look. A few more things to do in Bangkok include.
Grand Palace
Th Na Phra Lan | Bangkok, Thailand
The Grand Palace was built in 1782 as the home of the Kings of Siam. The palace is am immaculate structure that possesses several wonders that include its European and Thai fused architectural style and the 18 inch Emerald Buddha. All first time visitors to Thailand must see the Grand Palace, though other tourists warn that it is often heavily crowded and there are scam artists working. The palace complex is open from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm daily except when it is hosting special events. The cost of admission is around $11 US dollars.
Siam Paragon
1 Pathum Wan | Bangkok, Thailand
Once you have enjoyed the more traditional fairs of Bangkok perhaps you fancy a day of shopping. Especially on a hot afternoon the air conditioned halls of the Siam Paragon shopping centre may be calling to you. There is pretty much everything here with all types of restaurants, plenty of jewelry shops, interior design shops, clothes shops and any kind of shop you can think of. The mall even has an aquarium in it, as well as a great food court. Travelers say it is easy to spend an entire day at this massive mall. The mall hours are from 10 am to 7 pm and it can be found out metro BTS SIAM station.
Siam Ocean World
991 Rama 1 Road | Bangkok
Located inside the Siam Paragon is the Siam Ocean World aquarium which has more than 30,000 different sea animals. Some of the aquarium’s locals include penguins, jellyfish, and even hammerhead sharks. The aquarium has plenty of special options as well like taking a fish spa, or a glass bottom boat rides, and even – if you have the nerve for it – swimming with sharks. Perhaps these add ons are a little expensive, so if you are on a budget it may be wise to skip out on those. Regular admission costs about $20 US dollars.