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Trakai and misterious Karaites
Trakai is a picturesque town, located among lakes and forests. It’s a former royal city, which takes back to the times of Grand Duchy of Lithuania. One of the main tourist attractions is a castle, situated in the one of the islands of Galwie lake. It was erected at the end of 14th century by Grand Duke of Lithuania – Vytauas the Great in order to protect the city against Teutonic Order. The way to the castle leads through two bridges and another little islet, where you can admire beautiful landscape of the lake and the nearby town. Besides the castle, Trakai is a popular tourist attraction because here you…
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Renting a car
A car on a holiday gives independence and possibility to visit a lot of places in a relatively short time. Nowadays, rental prices are so competitive that it’s better to leave our car at home. Is renting a car a very complicated thing? The answer is no, however you need to know several things to avoid possible problems. Documents: To hire a car abroad, you need: ID or passport, driving license (in some countries, additionally an international driving license is required) and credit card. There’re a lot of rental companies, but in our opinion is better to book a car from well – known companies like: Avis, Budget, Dollar,…
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Nové Město nad Metují – between the bliss and hell
Nové Město nad Metují is located in the Czech Republic, around 7 miles from Polish border. However, believe me that a trip there is definitely not a piece of cake. First stop – the town Náchod, famous for perfectly equipped shops. Staple goods like very good beer and better beer abound in this town, so for some a trip to Czech Republic, not only starts there but also unexpectedly ends. Those who miraculously manage to go past this town, have another problem. The way to Nové Město nad Metují, goes between the big lake – Bliss and the valley called the Hell in translation. All in all, going to the…
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Thai cuisine part II
First meeting with Thai cuisine can be very shocking especially for foreign tourist. As a matter of fact, Bangkok streets are a one big canteen but this doesn’t mean that this city smells tastefully. The number of food stalls is comparable to cars on Bangkok streets. As a result beautiful aroma of Thai dishes with predominating fresh smell of lemongrass is mixed with exhaust fumes. In a word, our ideal picture of aromatic Thai cuisine came to grief just after getting off crowded metro. But this aroma is a quintessence of Bangkok and similarly to it, one can love it or hate it. It doesn’t mean that we worn…
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Thai cuisine part I
Cuisine is an inseparable element which characterizes the culture of the country. Nowhere else it isn’t as visible as in Thailand. The way of eating and preparing dishes reflects Thais customs and history. A lot of books and TV shows about Thai cuisine were created but none even the best recipe won’t taste the same as those courses which are prepared hastily on improvisational stalls on Bangkok streets. Street vendors specialize in few dishes so that the teste of Pad Thai prepared by elder Thai is comparable to the experience on grandma’s dinner. Four tastes: sweet, sour, salty and spicy are the base of every Thai dish. It’s impossible to…
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Asisi – Basilica on the Hill of the Hell
Asisi, called by the Italians Terra dei Santi (the Land of Saints) is famous for numerous saints like St. Francis, St. Clare or St. Gabriel. The main tourist spot is obviously the St. Francis Basilica. Ironically, the Basilica was built on the Hill of the Hell, famous for executions which were performed there. The name Haven Hill was established by the Pope Gregory IX, just after the St. Francis canonization. The interior of the Basilica is full of pictures presenting the life of this saint. During the strong earthquake which stroke this place on 8th September 1997, died 4 monks and a lot of unique frescos were irretrievably damaged. Another…
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Bulgaria
When I think about Bulgaria and I see a heavy loaded Fiat 126p with four/five – person family inside and a lot of stuff like camping equipment and goods for sale. It doesn’t matter whether Bulgarians like it or not, even nowadays their country is recognized as the Mecca of the Eastern Block. Places like Varna with nearby Golden Sands or Sunny Beach known also as Las Vegas of the Eastern Europe were the main holiday destination. So how does Bulgaria look like nowadays? Is it worth visiting this country? Besides the fact that a lot of time has passed, Bulgaria still seems to be torn between the communism…
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Hoi An – a peaceful meeting place
Hoi An is by far my favorite place in Vietnam. Its name means “peaceful meeting place” and in a fact this translation describes this place accurately. Apart from quite a big amount of tourists, it’s a very peaceful place where you take a break from the noise of mopeds. Hoi An is an exceptional place, where influences of different cultures mix together. Between 15th and 19th century, the town was an important port on the so called “silk route”. A lot of sailors from Asia or even Europe called at this place. However, sailors from China and Japan were the largest group here, that’s why they had major impact on…
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Sandomierz and the optimist’s stone!
Sandomierz is a picturesque town located on the seven hills, surrounded by loess gorges. However, not only beautiful landscapes invite to this place. Strolling along the Old Town streets, you can get the impression as if the time here has stopped. Sandomierz charm lies in numerous monuments and townhouses. What’s more, it’s leisure atmosphere, makes it an ideal place for rest. Medieval Gate The entrance to the Old Town is the Opatowska Gate, from top of which you can admire a beautiful view of nearby townhouses and the panorama of the Vistula river. Besides amazing, medieval architecture in Sandomierz you can find a lot of parks. The perfect place for…
