Do you remember ‘The Alchemist‘ by Paulo Coelho? Do you remember the tales of the little shepherd boy who visits Tarifa on his way to Morocco? I’m sure you do

For those who have read the book and for those who didn’t I will give you more details about a spectacular and mysterious place in Spain.

Ten kilometers of white beach, unspoilt countryside and some of the best windsurfing conditions in Europe have established Tarifa as a true surfers paradise.

Just 11 km across the Straits of Gibraltar at its narrowest point, this southern-most tip of Europe where the Mediteranian meets the Atlantic Ocean, enjoys spectacular views of the Riff Mountains of Africa across the water.

If you don’t belive me, please have a look! There is Tanger city from Marocco!!

I visited this place in June 2006 and it was a great experience to be there, in a different world even if I was in Europe, Southern Spain. For sure if you will go there you will feel like in Africa.

The Arabic influence reflects in the alleys and colorful decorated courtyards. The local inhabitants (14.000) support Spanish language programs. Spanish is the only language to communicate with the locals because they do not speak any foreign languages.

This little fishing town was the first point of the Moorish invasion of Southern Spain in AD711. In 1295 Guzman El Bueno defended the town against the invading Moors. According to the local legend, the Moors captured his son and threatened to kill him if Guzman didn’t surrender the town. He refused and threw down his sword with which they killed his son.

I‘ve stayed in Tarifa only one day but it was enough for me to have a walk on its narrow cobbled and small streets, tumbling jasmine and beautiful wrought-iron rajas, with small Arabian houses. Every house has a little shop at the ground floor and they were selling gold, precious stones, African deco and Moroccan desert.

The original castellated city walls of this ancient town are tightly woven into the fabric of the whitewashed houses. However, much of what we see today was constructed in the 18th Century.

After a quite walk you can relax and have a coffee or lunch at one of seafood restaurantsFresh seafood it guaranteed :) the restaurants are just few meters away from the sea!

If you need a recommendation, go to Almedina restaurant!!! Is such a beautiful place and the food is great!

If you want to go to the beach prepare for and desert experience! The golden sand is so hot than you hardly could walk without slippers and the wind is so intense than you need a scarf for protecting your face.

The sea is so blue, the golden sand is so thin, the beach is so quiet and the waves are so big!!!

Ohh! I had such a great freedom sensation ! Without thinking at anything for few moments!

Tarifa guarantees you a balance of a relaxing and fun vacation. In spite of the recent foreign influences the traditions are still very much alive. Ten kilometers of white sandy beaches, unspoilt countryside and some of the best windsurfing conditions in Europe have established Tarifa as a true surfers paradise.

There are a lot of opportunities to explore the rolling countryside:hang-gliding, surfing, horse-riding; rock-climbing and diving to name but a few.

 

Situated on two continents Europe and Asia, Its history tracks back from Byzantium to Constantinople to its place at the head of the Ottoman Empire. Today it hums as Turkey’s cultural heart and good-time capital. I visited this fantastic place last autumn. It was a 4 days short trip, but  I made the most of it and I can say I lived as for one month! 

Istanbul is the city which you can’t love it! It is fascinating you from the beginning. Will thousands of small streets, million of people dressed in modern and traditional Muslims clothes and women with covered faces where you can see only their eyes. 

It is a city  with million of tourists from all over the world, great hospitality from local people who know how to do good commerce ,how to serve you and how to make you to feel important.

 It was very funny how came out the idea of visiting Istanbul: it was a very busy period at my workplace with 3 major projects which I was involved in. I was very stressed and behaving like a machine: get up early in the morning, going to work, hard working for almost 10 hours per day, coming back home, eating and sleeping.  What can I say?? This was my program for 3 weeks. One day, a very good friend of mine came up with the idea of doing something nice and funny: Visiting Istanbul for the weekend. Even if I was so tired, the idea seemed to me very good! Something spontaneous, without any arrangements, I’ve just said yes! 

So, I left my office during my working day with 3 friends of mine and we have driven to Istanbul for 10 hours. Our accommodation was in a great hostel “Orient Hostel” http://www.orienthostel.com/ very close to Agia Sofia and the Blue Mosque.The staff was very nice, the rooms were clean and the hostel atmosphere was great.

Open and covered terrace where in the evening all the tourists from the hostel were chatting and sharing from their travel experience, or playing cards, dancing, singing, smoking pipe!The terrace is also perfect for photo shooting J 

What can I say about the beautiful places that I visit it??? I will start with “Basilica Cistern”(Yerebatan Cistern Museum). 

When my friend told me to visit this touristic place I said a very big “NO”. From outside nothing promised the big surprise I was about to discover later, inside. After you go down by stairs to the underground you are welcomed by a spectacular show of lights and sounds.

Beethoven and Strauss’s music  is welcoming you with a spectacular light show through the 300 Doric colonnades.I was feeling like a princes and I was just dancing without saying anything and thinking at anything! 

The place is perfect for a romantic dinner, for a perfect wedding and why not for shooting a spot or a movie! 

This enormous underground water reservoir is one of the most obscure architecture in Istanbul.
It was built in 532 by Justianus to secure the waters ply of the big palace at the Hippodrome. It was one of the biggest secrets of the city.
The Osman conquerors only discovered it a century after their victory when they saw people fishing through a whole in there cellar floor. At least that’s how the legend goes… 

Photographers tip:

Don’t use a flash but bring a tripod. And watch out for the extreme humidityJ   

 Bath is a designated World Heritage City with its famed  hot roman-bath.jpg,, Abbey and Georgian architecture. Many of the buildings that you see today were built in the 18th century when Bath became the society venue for those taking the waters, attending balls, or just wanting to be seen.

I visited Bath  twice and I was impressed by its architecture and by the warm, chic and romantic atmosphere of the city. Even I would go there for one hundred times I’m sure I would have the same feeling! Fore sure there is something in the air

Perhaps it’s something to do with Bath’s seductive, golden-stoned architecture (it is, after all, a World Heritage Site). Or possibly its setting, cupped between green hills and woodlands that merge harmoniously with its Georgian terraces. Or the exceptional range of venues in the city and surrounding countryside, all perfect for that intimate romantic break, honeymoon or wedding ceremony JIf you will visit Bath don’t miss one of the coziest and beautiful place were you can eat tasty buns (exceptionally light semi sweet bread). The place is called Sally Lunn’s House and is the oldest house in Bath

The oldest home in the city was built in 1492, although Roman, Saxon and Medieval underpinnings have since been unearthed. Its most well-known resident, Sally Lunn, arrived from France in 1680, bringing with her a recipe for now famous brioche style bread. Following her death, the recipe disappeared, although it was later recovered from a secret compartment in 1937. The bread is served here daily. There’s also a fascinating museum and a cellar inhabited by stalagmites and stalactites.

After a great lunch at Sally Lunn’s you can have a smooth walk on Grande Parade and Poultney Bridge to

 Jane Austen Center  

(the house of the famous Georgian writer who wrote Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion, Sense and Sensibility, and so on..).

Actually “Persuasion” was written during her stay in Bath, so when you will read the book after visiting Bath, you will be able to recognize some key places.

On Jane Austen Center you will find the heroes personages from her books, even Mr. D’Arcy mr-darcy.jpgmr-darcy.jpgis there.

So imagine yourself having a ride with gorgeous Mr. D’Arcy (from “Pride and Prejudice”) to Royal Crescent.

 If you are wandering where it better to have accommodation in Bath I can tell you that will not be a problem at all.  Is not necessary to stay in a fancy hotel to feel the great atmosphere of the city. On the contrary, I recommend you to choose a local bed and breakfast with an authentic Georgian architecture and warm hospitality.

Have a look at http://www.thehenry.com

The price is not so expensive (40- 70 Pounds /room/night)

 Just come to visit Bath for at least one week

Taste tasty buns prepared after a the secret recipe from 1680’s, have a five o’clock tea at the Pump Room and feel the flavor of a romantic walk on Bath streets, because there “Something is in the air”