Monthly Archives: January 2014

Happy Chinese New Year!

January 31^st marks the official Chinese New Year 2014. It is widely known as one of the most important traditional Chinese Holidays throughout and marks the first day of the Chinese calendar. The Chinese New Year festival celebration is known as the longest in the Chinese calendar, as it lasts from New Years Eve to the 15^th of the first month, otherwise known as the Lantern Festival. That is over two weeks of celebration! chinese-new-year-celebration

There are a number of activities that most Chinese families partake in when celebrating the New Year. The coming of the New Year is a big event, one of new beginnings and of getting rid of the old, evil spirits in order to make way for better, brighter days ahead. If you’re planning on visiting China at all this year, make sure it is during this holiday! Or if you simply want to have a go at celebrating the Chinese New Year, why not try some of these to help bring in the New Year!

Cleaning

Chinese families give their homes a thorough cleaning in preparing for the New Year as this serves to ‘sweep’ or clean away the bad luck gathered over the preceding year, and to make their homes ready for good luck. Sweeping and cleaning instruments like brooms are kept locked away after the clean to ensure that the good luck is not accidentally swept away. Home altars and statues are also cleaned, and if any are adorned with decorations from the previous year, these are taken and burned as a way of cleansing the house of the bad luck of the previous year.

Decorating

Often Chinese Families will decorate their home with lanterns and paper cut-outs depicting Chinese good luck sayings and phrases to welcome in the New Year. Decorators and paper cutters are in high demand in the days preceding New Year, as many people also opt to give their homes and windows a coat of new paint, washing their windows and making sure that everything looks up to date and new.

Primping

Following on from the ‘new beginnings’ theme, purchasing new clothing and shoes in lieu of the New Year can also symbolise a new start, and many Chinese people also opt to get their hair cut before the New Year. Cutting hair on the New Year is considered bad luck because of the connections between the Chinese word for ‘hair’ and the word for ‘prosperity’. It is customary for families to send each other gifts of food to extended family members and business partners, and business partners will often endeavour to clear the debts that they have accrued over the course of the year.

Eating!

And now the fun part! No Chinese New Year Festival would be complete without a selection of delicious traditional dishes. A fish dinner is normally eaten to bring in the New Year, considered as important as a Christmas dinner in the west. In Southern China they make a Niangao, a New Years cake, which is sent to friends and family, whereas in Nothern China, jiaozi or dumplings are popular to eat after midnight. After the meal the family will normally visit the local temples to pray for a prosperous year.

National Corn Chip Day

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Happy Cornchip day! A cornchip, otherwise known as tortilla chip, is a traditional Mexican food made from corn tortillas that are cut into triangle shaped wedges and then fried or baked, depending on the recipe. Made from vegetable oil, corn, salt and water, tortilla chips are used widely in nachos and as crisps, but they have always been considered a traditional Mexican food. Tortilla chips can come in several different colours, including red, blue and green, depending on the variety of corn used in the mix.

They were first created as a way of reusing the rejected, misshaped tortillas made by Ms Carranza and her husband in their Los Angeles tortilla factory. She found that by cutting the tortillas up and then frying them, they could be sold as a snack, and she made a great success out of selling them. Eventually tortilla chips were used in their own creative recipes, accompanied by salsa or guacamole dips, or slathered in cheese and called ‘nachos’. Nachos are an incredibly popular way to eat tortilla chips, and can be savoury or spicy. Nachos are generally a vegetarian dish, but chicken or mince can be chopped up and sprinkled over the tortilla chips to add flavour.

Nachos tend to be a pretty easy dish to make, but for such a simple recipe, many restaurateurs across the world have managed to add their own twist to the classic dish. We’ve compiled a short list of some of the more innovative ideas for nachos.

Steak Nachos

Have your steak, and eat it! These nachos are a step away from the classic tortilla; salsa; cheese combo. These delicious nachos come peppered with slices of rich cooked steak, with a ranch style dressing drizzled over the top to complete the meal. Very American!

Popcorn Nachos

Sounds a little strange doesn’t it? Not to fear, for the recipe for popcorn nachos is exactly the same as your plain nacho recipe, just…substituting the tortilla chips for popcorn. It might make a healthier option, but then again, you wouldn’t be likely to make nachos in the first place if you wanted a healthy meal.

Dessert Nachos

dessert-nachos And now for some after dinner snacks. Dessert nachos are made with sugar and cinnamon in place of the salt content in the normal recipe. They work as like a deep fried crepe or pancake, and can be drizzled with chocolate, lemon, cream, various fruits or whatever sweet toppings you feel like adding that day.

Ham and Asparagus Nachos

Going down the healthy route, ham and asparagus is generally a very good combination. But added to tortilla chips with a sprinkling of low fat margarita cheese just doesn’t seem like the best way to eat it to us. Alternatively this could make an ice-breaking appetiser if you are planning on hosting a Mexican/Upper Class Britain themed party.

Ultimately it’s your nacho and your choice, but if you want a taste of the real thing, you can always head on over to Mexico to try traditional Nachos from the hilariously named Nacho Daddy Restaurant & Bar, located a short 6 minutes drive from Puerto Vallarta town centre.

50 States Road Trip – Wisconsin

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Pack your travel bag, because Wisconsin is a relative treasure trove of hiking trails, adventure parks and fantastic locations ideal for fishing and camping holidays. Whether you love living in the great outdoors, or you just like visiting it on occasion, Wisconsin has so much to offer. Aside from the numerous hiking trails and camping locations, Wisconsin has a couple of other gems for those travellers looking for something a little different.

wisconsin-map

Cave of the Mounds

One of the most famous caves of America, Cave of the Mounds is a National Natural Landmark, created over hundreds of thousands of years to become the natural wonder you can go and see today. It is referred to as the ‘jewel box of America’ out of the major natural caves, due to its intricate and unique formations.

cave-mounds Guided tours of the cave are available all year round, and because the interior of the cave is always warm, the cave is a popular destination to take the family in the winter. Guests can wander around the intricate butterfly and prairie gardens, as well as participating in their own fossil dig. The gift shop of Cave of the Mounds contains rock and fossil specimens from all over the world, making it an essential tour stop.

Cheese and Wine

Wisconsin is a state famous for its dairy produce, its cheese in particular. With over 100 cheese factories, visitors are truly spoilt for choice when it comes to eating delicious cheese. For a unique experience, try the Cedar Valley Cheese Store where you can sample some 300 varieties of Wisconsin cheese.

Hire a car and drive south for around 20 miles where you will find the Cedar Creek Winery, a historic mill built in the 1860’s. This mill creates several award winning wines, made with a variety of spices and fragrances, ideal as an accompaniment to the beautiful cheeses of the Cedar Valley Cheese store, or on its own.

Milwaukee Art Museum

Milwaukee-Art-Museum

A giant art museum that holds over 30,000 stunning pieces of art. Located by Lake Michigan in Milwaukee this art museum is visited by over 350,000 people a year, and has a self states mission to ‘collect and preserve art, presenting it to the community as a vital source of inspiration and education’. The museum has also been praised for its extensive collection of individual architecture.

Various pieces of historical architecture include the 1957 War Memorial Centre by finnish-american architect Eero Saarinen and the Quadracci Pavilion created by Santiago Calatrava in 2001, a Spanish architect.

Next Stop…

Still heading East on our journey through the 50 states of America, we travel into Michigan next time, home to the largest crucifix in the world. Detroit, which is the state of Michigan’s most populous city, is also known as the car capital of the world.

Things To See In Moscow

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Moscow is the capital of Russia, and the hub of much of the country’s financial and political activity. Along with St Petersburg, it is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Russia, and is known primarily for its long history, its spectacular architecture and its eclectic culture.

Moskva River

One of the first things you will likely see upon entering Moscow is the Moskva River, which flows through the centre of the city, followed by the famous ring road system with which you will need to acquaint yourself if you are planning on driving in Moscow, as much of the city’s layout is determined by these essential roads.

Red Square

There are some beautiful sights to be seen in Moscow, and you’ll want to make sure you get as many of these in as possible. One of these sights you absolutely can’t miss is the Red Square, found at the very heart of the city. This is surrounded by some of Moscow’s greatest landmarks, including St Basil’s Cathedral, Lenin’s Mausoleum and one of the walls of the Kremlin.

St Basil’s Cathedral

St Basil's Cathedral

The 16^th century St Basil’s Cathedral is one of the most iconic sites in the entire country, and is breathtakingly beautiful. This Russian Orthodox building is highly characteristic with its onion-shaped domes, golden spires and vibrant colours, and it is thought that the influences for the building were primarily Byzantine and Asian in origin, rather than European as many people thought.

The Kremlin

The Kremlin is another significantly important site in Moscow, and is well worth a visit. This historic complex overlooks the river, and is the official residence of the Russian president. The Armoury certainly shouldn’t be missed, especially for its stunning diamond collection. You may also like to attend the ballet to see some world class performances, go on a guided tour or take yourself off to wander at your leisure.

Museums

Tretyakov Gallery

If you are interested in museums, you’ll certainly be in the right place in Moscow. The Tretyakov Gallery is dedicated primarily to Russian art, featuring the work of famous Russians through time. The Pushkin Museum, in contrast, displays an impressive collection of Western art, focusing particularly on Impressionism and Post-Impressionism. For Realism, the Institute of Russian Realist Art (IRRA) should be your first stop.

Summer Trips

Gorky Park

For summer visits when the weather is fine, take a trip to Gorky Park for a laid back afternoon of relaxing and exploring. There are cafes, open-air film screenings, public art projects and design and craft fairs taking place all the time in this buzzing park, and it’s a great place to sit and watch the residents of Moscow going about their daily business.

Penguin’s Bucket List – Things to do and see before you die

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By definition a bucket list is a list made by people – mostly when you reach your midlife crisis – who want to do certain things or visit certain places before they die. The phrase ‘bucket list’ takes inspiration from the saying ‘to kick the bucket’ because your bucket list wants to be complete before you ‘kick the bucket’. These lists can comprise of anything; see a long lost loved one, travel the world, even spend a day doing absolutely nothing. It all depends on the individual. However most people worldwide have a list of places they would like to see before they died. Other people want to make a bucket list, but aren’t quite sure what to put on there. Why don’t we help? With a collection of truly magnificent, memorable and beautiful places that you should really visit before you die.

Zhangye’s Colourful Rock Formations

zanghye-danxia-formations Known as the Zhangye Danxia, these mountains consist of over 24 million years worth of laying down different mineral deposits. The creation of these landforms is something so perfect, so beautiful, that only nature could have done it by accident. Over time the layers of mineral deposit were compressed into rock, and then undulations were caused by the collision of the Eurasian and Indo-Australian tectonic plates, resulting in the stunning landforms we see today. These collisions made by the same two tectonic plates would also create the Himalayan Mountains.

The contrasting layers of different mineral rock make the formations look as if bright white lines have been painted across the landscape. Considering that these fantastic mountains were once just sand blowing in the wind, the Zhangye Danxia formations serve as a great representation of the magic of time.

The National Park where these formations are located is about an hour’s drive from the city of Zhangye, and although no tour buses or coaches normally go there, it is easy to hire a car and drive to see these fantastic formations for yourself!

The Mysterious Moai Statues of Easter Island

These statues were thought to be a monument to the seafaring skills of ancient Polynesian peoples, however little to none oral or written history has survived regarding the Moai statues. They were painstakingly carved and sculpted, then moved to the location in which they now stand, by the ancient people of Rapa Nui. Each head averages around 4 metres in height and weighs a staggering 14 tons.

The statues are situated in a nearly unbroken line around the island, and a further 600 more have recently been discovered in a quarry, all in various stages of completion. The overwhelming sense of mystery that accompanies this island is what makes Easter Island a frequent subject among historians. Nobody quite knows why the Moai statues exist or their relevance to ancient culture, but the stalwart design and eerie frequency of these statues makes Easter Island a must see on bucket lists worldwide.

Want to create your own Bucket List?

We will be focusing on ‘places to visit before you die’ throughout the coming months, so why not check back regularly for ideas?

Things To Do In Toulouse

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Toulouse is one of the many beautiful classical French Cities of the modern world. Its’ cultural and heritage sites are located mainly in the Old Town, and there are countless things to do for any tourist looking for a culturally rich experience while holidaying in the south of France.

Toulouse is known as the Pink City or La Ville Rose, and this is because of the huge number of red brick buildings located in Toulouse. Although Toulouse is a beautiful city in itself, it is important to make sure that you check out all the best cultural and popular spots for tourists, when visiting Toulouse. We have compiled a list of some of the best things to do while in Toulouse, so that you are sure to find something for everyone in the family!

Toulouse By Night

Museum of Toulouse/Botanical Gardens

The Museum of Toulouse is Toulouse’s National History Museum and contains much of Toulouse’s cultural history and the history of France itself. With Study Days specially made for students, and exhibitions on the native animals of France and their habitats, the Toulouse Natural History Museum is a great stop for any animal lover wanting to know more about the wildlife of southern France.

Toulouse_Grand_Rond_05195 Plus with the Botanical gardens right next to the Natural History Museum, you can come along and walk amongst a variety of beautiful flowers and several species of birds native to France. It is a public area, with free entry, and tourists can picnic among the flowers and the birds, for a truly magical experience.

Jolimont Observatory

A great place to visit at any time of day, and surrounded by the beautiful gardens of Toulouse, the Jolimont Observatory is best visited in the evening at winter time, as stargazing is available, and you can get a fantastic view of the night lit city of Toulouse from the observatory as well. There are several sessions of covering stargazing taught throughout the week with lessons tailored towards children, conducted by the Popular Astronomy Society.

Space City

Toulouse holds the role as a capital city of the European Space Program, so the Space City includes exciting sights to see including model displays of ships as well as life-size replicas that include the Mir Space Station and the Ariane 5 Space Rocket.

Plus with hands on interactive displays, there is plenty to see for both children and adults, and there is even a virtual reality space experience available, if you think you are brave enough. The Space City entrance fee is around twenty Euros, depending on the age of your children, and the City is open daily from 9:30 until 5pm. It can be accessed by bus.

Farmers Market in Toulouse

If you want a more casual, light-hearted day, you could always go for a brief walk or wander around one of the many small markets of Toulouse, as it is a beautiful city. Toulouse also has a number of professional restaurants to offer, many of which are popular with both tourists visiting the city and the natives living there. A sign of a good French restaurant is to see lots of native eating there!

About the Author

This post was written by Amy Jenkins who writes for a number of online publications about European travel and has provided the article on behalf of SFHV, the number one site for holiday villa rentals in the south of France.

50 States Road Trip – Minnesota

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The state of Minnesota has a load of hidden gems for tourists of all ages to enjoy, whether you have young children looking to visit some famous theme parks, you’re a budding artist looking for inspiration, or if you just really love Spam, Minnesota has it all.

usa-map-minnesota

Nickelodeon Universe

Fancy a shopping trip and a half? hire a car and drive down to the Mall of America, located in the city of Bloomington, for a shopping experience like no other. A leading centre in retail, entertainment and attractions, Mall of America has a huge range of top brand shops, restaurants and cinemas. Plus it is also home to the Nickelodeon Universe, a unique theme park located inside the centre of the Mall.

Nickelodeon Universe

The park is a huge seven acres filled to bursting with unique attractions, entertainment and Nickelodeon characters. A number of themed rides will have your kids laughing and begging for more. Let them meet their favourite characters at character meet and greets, and get some fantastic souvenirs from the Nickelodeon gift shop. Plus there is always the rest of the mall to explore, if you wanted to leave Mum or Dad to watch the kids for a bit!

Franconia Sculpture Park

For a real hidden gem, why not drop by the Franconia Sculpture Park in the St. Croix River Valley region of Minnesota. It is a not-for-profits arts organization that encourages the participation of famous artists and sculptors across the globe in its 25 acre park in Minnesota. These artists will receive either a ‘fellowship’ or an ‘internship’ where they are given a budget, studio space, tools for creating the artwork and on site housing so that they can create their own masterpiece within the parks boundaries.

During your tour of the park you will meet artists at work, finished creations and artists in residence who are more than happy to answer your questions. It is a one of a kind engaging, artistic experience.

Museum of Spam

Spam_wall Have you always dreamed of visiting a place where Spam reigns above all? Well now you can by visiting the National Museum of Spam, located in Austin! Packed with important information about the nations favourite blended meat, the Spam Museum includes a World War II Spam Exhibit, a Monty Python Spam Tribute, plus a gift shop where you can purchase every variety of Spam available on the market.

The Spam Museum is the self named most comprehensive collection of spiced pork artefacts all located under one meaty roof. Plus, admission is free! What more could you want, apart from maybe a fork…

Next Stop:

Our next destination in the 50 states is ‘America’s Dairyland’ made famous for its dairy producers and many different types of cheese. We are of course, talking about the state of Wisconsin.

National Penguin Awareness Day

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Penguins are one of the world’s most well known, popular and sociable little creatures, and today is one of their days (The other being 25^th April which is World Penguin Day).

emperor-penguin-family

Famous for their strange colouring, adorable walk, and the ability to come in literally all shapes and sizes, both adults and children can see a variety of penguins in zoos across the world.

One of the most famous zoos in the UK for penguins is Edinburgh Zoo, and these little birds are some of the most spoilt in the world, with the biggest outdoor penguin pool in Europe; a pool that is over 65 metres long and containing 1.2 million litres of water. The outdoor penguin pool has a selection of sandy beaches and rocky areas which provide diversity for the penguins, which is great for their feet.

Fun Fact!
The largest species of penguin is the Emperor penguin, which can grow as heavy as 90 lbs, whereas the smallest species is the fairy penguin, weighing in at a tiny 2 lbs. There are a total of eighteen discovered species of penguin.

Edinburgh zoo is also home to the world famous Penguin Parade, a gorgeous little activity that occurs every day at or around 2:15pm. It is situated just outside the Penguins Rock pool and animal participation is completely voluntary. This means that you may get more or less penguins coming out to parade on certain days. Some days there may be no participants at all in the parade, which is a shame for visitors looking to see the parade, but acceptable all the same. These are wild animals after all.

Aside from the number of voluntary participants, the Penguin Parade is subject to local weather conditions and can be cancelled due to bad weather, storms etc. If you want to visit the zoo purely to see the parade, make sure to check your local weather forecast!

Fun Fact!
A penguin’s colouring is known as ‘countershading’, and it provides the perfect level of camouflage from both above and below when penguins are swimming in the water. Penguins can spend up to 75% of their lives at sea.

As well as the fantastic Penguin Parade, Edinburgh zoo offers a number of interactive activities, including Giant Panda viewings. The zoo is a mere 9 minutes drive from Edinburgh Airport, and it is also a 15 minute drive from the city centre. Why not hire a car and take the family for a fantastic day out?

Happy Penguin Awareness Day!

Hiking in Norway

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Norway is a truly beautiful country. With a wide range of climates and some beautiful landscapes, vast open moorlands and snowy mountains Norway is an ideal hiking country. Norway has a number of different hikes suitable for hikers of all ages and skill levels. From beginner to expert, Norway has hikes to suit everyone. Norway is also a great country for hiking as there are several destinations made purely for hiking, with amenities, camping sites and even hotels set up for hikers, all available a short drive by hired car from the routes or even within walking distance. What more could you ask for? We’ll be having a look at some of Norway’s best hiking locations, both for beginners and for experts, to make sure that nobody gets left out.

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Rondane National Park Hiking

Home to the famous triangle route, Rondane National Park has a huge variety of different tours, and where you go will depend on what you want to see. For the more dedicated hikers there are tours that loop around the mountains in the park, or that climb up steep valleys with rocky outcroppings.

Rondane offers hikes that can last any time between three and seven hours, the longest being the hike from Rondvassbu to Doralseter via Langholet which is a staggering seven hours. The Rondvassbu – Doralseter route is mainly for those looking for a hiking challenge, as seven hours can be extremely taxing, especially for those that are new to hiking.

Some easier tours are available, with walks through beautiful valley floors, or along the Ula River with views of the mountains that surround the park. The Mysusete to Rondvassbu hike is a good choice for first time hikers, as it is mainly hilly areas with views of the mountains as opposed to more dangerous, rocky climbs. Plus at three hours long, it can substitute for a nice long walk in the fresh air.

Dovrefjell

A massive stretch of wide open mountainous terrain, Dovrefjell is a sigh to see. With wild musk oxen roaming its hills and even the occasional rare reindeer, it is ideal for a steady days hike. Suitable for hikers of all ages, however it is a long hike, up to the top of mount Snohetta, which is one of Norway’s highest mountains. It stands at 2286 metres above sea level and is also considered to be Norway’s most beautiful mountain.

musk-oxen-norway
Seeing the wild musk oxen, which have lived in the mountains of Dovrefjell since the ice age, is a sight to behold. With thick shaggy fur and powerful antlers, they are not to be missed. If you hike up mount Snohetta, on a good day you might even get to see a wild reindeer, which is very rare nowadays.

Don’t Forget

Even if it is a sunny and warm day, you’ll need to remember to dress suitably for the conditions on high altitude hikes. Wrap up really warm, or you’ll regret it later! Wear strong sturdy walking boots, with more heavy set hiking boots if you plan to climb steep valleys. Always wear protective eyewear in winter, as the harsh winds can be bitter .

And remember to have fun!

Strawberry Ice Cream Day; Bon Appetit

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2552806737_959657e7bf_o So today is national Strawberry Ice Cream Day. A universal snack for during the summer, often accompanied by a romantic film or used as a soothing technique when confronted by an awkward break-up. Not many people dislike this fantastic sugary treat – those who are intolerant to lactose not included – and though it’s not a spectacular culinary dish, there can be no denying the popularity of ice cream on holidays. Ice cream and holidays are synonymic in that you can’t have one without the other. So why not have a look at the best places to have one of the world’s most famous holiday snacks?

In the Persian Empire, residents would pour grape juice over snow and eat it as a treat in the hot weather. Later on it was adopted by several other civilisations, where they would use various fruit syrups over ice to make different flavours. Originally it was thought that the Arabs first used milk to make ice cream, using sugar as opposed to fruit juices to sweeten it, and then flavouring it with fruit and nuts. many people dislike this fantastic sugary treat – those who are intolerant to lactose not included – and though it’s not a spectacular culinary dish, there can be no denying the popularity of ice cream on holidays. Ice cream and holidays are synonymic in that you can’t have one without the other. So why not have a look at the best places to have one of the world’s most famous holiday snacks?

Italy first brought ice cream to Europe in the 16^th century and since then its popularity has grown immensely. There are countless flavours, both predictable, and strange, such as eel and octopus ice cream made in Japan (where else?), and every country has an associated favourite flavour. So where is the best place to eat it?

Perché No! In Florence, Italy

Translated as ‘Why not!’ This ice cream shop was founded in 1939 and is one of the most iconic ice cream shops in Italy. The ice cream is all made fresh from produce daily, using carefully chosen ingredients. The fruit ice creams and sorbets are made entirely from fresh juice and are free of colouring agents. There are some more inventive flavours; such as the ‘Chesnut Honey and Sesame Seeds’, or you could try the classical ‘Whipped Cream’ flavour, ever present as a favourite.

Glacé In Sydney, Australia

Established in 1984, Glacé has quickly become famous throughout Australia for its innovative ice creams, sorbets and ice cream based desserts., Because it uses fresh ingredients, including full cream milk and fresh cream, Glacé is incredibly popular as a manufacturer of ice cream. The company itself has won over 100 awards by industry groups for their creative ice cream based desserts. Plus they do wedding cakes!

Special Mention: Ice Cream City

Known for their eccentricity, what is Japan without dipping their toes into the market of ice cream? The ice cream city is a magical place inside the indoor theme park in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, with hundreds of flavours of ice cream, from the traditional vanilla, chocolate and story, to the more exotic crab or snake flavoured ice cream.

Located in the Sunshine City Complex, only a short drive by hired car from the Ikebukuro subway station, the theme park has a small entry fee plus an additional fee to purchase each miniature tub of ice cream, but it is certainly well worth it!