Category Archives: Europe

Europe, Travel Tips

Taking a Vacation in Croatia

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Taking a vacation in Croatia

It was my enthusiastic dream for many years to take a vacation in Croatia at least once in my lifetime. I’m glad to say that my dream came true last year and one thing I’ll state unequivocally is that I had a home away from home experience during my visit to Croatia.

Croatia was indeed an amazing destination for my vacation. I could not have enough of the pristine beaches & palm groves, mountainous coastlines, clear waters of the Adriatic sea, spectacular architecture, numerous islands, sublime food, and most importantly, the hospitality of the Croatian people.

The following are some of the amazing things I did and the places I visited in Croatia.

Island hopping

With more than 1200 islands, I needed my whole lifetime to explore all the Croatian islands. But still, I tried my best. Every island I visited was special in its own way. Some islands offered the peace and quiet I had longed for. Others offered 24-hour parties, so whenever I wanted to experience Croatian nightlife, I never missed an island that offered unforgettable parties.

The first island I visited is the island of Brac. The splendid beaches, sheep cheese, seafood and mandarins in this destination will leave you yearning for more. I proceeded to the sunny island of Hvar. With its natural beauty, luxurious beaches, sunny weather, and excellent food, this is a destination I never wanted to leave. The island of Korcula, Krk, Losinj, Cres, Silba, Lastovo and many more had one thing in common; they offer an amazing paradise for travelers looking for a sunny island adventure. Hopping between islands was very simple since ferries, waterboats, and catamarans were readily available.

vacation in croatia

I explored Croatian National Parks

Out of the eight national parks in Croatia, I had an opportunity to visit three of them. The Plitvice Lakes National Park was really a stunning place one can ever visit. I took a bus from Zagreb and within two hours I was at the park. It was boundless funmeandering along the many wooden plank trails, taking pictures of the furious waterfalls and the 16 interconnected lakes. Thereafter, I took a day trip to the Krka National Park where I fell in love with the glistening waterfalls and boat excursions. I winded my national park tour by visiting Paklenica National Park where the largest mountain in Croatia is found.

vacation in croatia

I discovered history of Croatia

Despite being a small sized country, Croatia has seven UNESCO Heritage Sites where I got an opportunity to learn about the culture of Croatia. I visited all the seven historical sites and discovered many things which i never knew about. If you’re considering visiting Croatia, these historical places are worth visiting.

Sailing in the high seas

I’d say that a vacation in Croatia won’t be complete without sailing in the high seas. With my one month stay in this wonderful country, I learnt that it is a sailing paradise for people who love the activity. I rented a waterboat with crew at a very reasonable price. At the sea, my eyes were drawn out to the waters that seems to go forever. Sailing in Croatia gave me a lifetime chance to explore the coast and enjoy its beauty. I anchored just anywhere and soaked in the cool waters of the Adriatic sea. I alsodiscovered beautiful bays, hidden coves, and deserted islets. I also enjoyed fresh seafood in remote bay restaurants.

I discovered Croatian foods and wine

If you’re a foodie and you haven’t visited Croatia yet, you are missing mouthwatering, diverse and glorious foods. Most people in Croatia use seasonal ingredients and their food is indeed unique. Croatian cuisine is more of a Mediterranean cuisine consisting of fish, seafood, veggies and tasty olive oils. Istria had very delicious olive oils.

I fell in love with various traditional dishes such as brudet (fish stew with spices) crni riot, seafood served with blitva, mišanca and homemade pasta.

I also participated in loads of activities such as kayaking, rafting, kite-surfing, truffle hunting, zip-lining, rock climbing, golfing and paragliding.

I never wanted to go back to my home country, when my vacation was over. Croatia had numerous things to do as well as many places to visit. It is an amazing country. Certainly, it will be my obvious destination during my next trip and I cannot wait to take another vacation in Croatia.

Destinations, Europe, Sport and Adventure

5 Best Camino de Santiago Routes

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Nowadays, more and more people are choosing to go on walking holidays, rather than your average vacation getaway. This is because walking holidays give you the chance to really get out and explore the world and everything that it has to offer. One of the best walking holidays you can choose to take is undeniably the Camino de Santiago. It has a variety of different routes that you can take to get to Santiago de Compostela. The capital of Galicia is actually a historic city, complete with a beautiful cathedral. There is definitely a lot to see there, but getting there is all the fun!

Here are a few of the best Camino de Santiago routes:

#1 – Camino del Norte

The Camino del Norte is actually not as well known as many of the others. It is sometimes referred to as the Camino del Costa. It travels along the coast, giving you views of the sea along the way. For those that love a beach view, this could be a great route to take. It is historically known for being one of the oldest routes to Santiago de Compostela. This route is also well developed, making it ideal for new travelers. It starts out in the small town of Irun, and runs alongside the coastline. The full distance is 825 km.

#2 – Camino de Madrid

The Camino de Madrid is one of the less popular routes.  If you are looking for a walking holiday that is not too packed with other tourists, this may be the route for you. Along the way, there are a lot of great historic places to stop in at and visit. From churches and signs, to other relics, this route offers a lot in the way of culture. This route starts out in Madrid, and is only 322 km long. It has a pretty decent terrain, but it can be challenging in the beginning as you go through some hilly areas.

#3 – Via de la Plata

The Via de la Plata is a great route to take if you are looking for a longer holiday. This is actually the longest route leading to Santiago de Compostela. It was not really populous until just a few decades ago, when there were a lot of upgrades made. It starts out in the lower region of Spain, and is 1000 km long.  That means that it can take up to 8 weeks to make the entire trip. The good news is that you can start the trip further in if you need to, based on how much time you have. Take in views of Roman architecture and culture all along the way.

#4 – Camino Frances

The Camino Frances is the most popular route along the way. It is 780-kilometers long, and starts out at St. Jean Pied de Port. Since it is more popular than others, chances are you will meet some people from different walks of life right away. The route is really very built up, and has great infrastructure. This means it is great even for those that tend to get lost. Just follow the road and the signs and take in the sights on this journey.

#5 – Camino Ingles

Finally, we have the Camino Ingles. This route takes you through the northern parts of Spain. It is actually the shortest route, at just 118 km. That makes it a great choice for those that don’t have a month to spend hiking and walking. It does have some patches of rough terrain, however it has good markings so you can be sure you will not get lost.

Europe, Infographic, Street Food Guide, Travel Tips

How to Say Avocado on Toast Around the World

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It’s safe to say the world has been struck by avocado fever. Over the past five years, there has been a 405% increase in the number of online searches for ‘avocado on toast’ around the world.

If you’re wondering how to order the nations favourite dish ‘Avocado on toast’ look no further, Canvas Holidays compiled the ultimate guide to ordering it in 27 different languages as well as 5 fictional dialects.

Dorthaki (Game of Thrones)  – “Fichat anna havon zhavvorsa sovi” 

Elvish – (Lord of the Rings) – “Amin irma avocado coimas“

If you’re heading to Portugal, simply ask for “Desejo uma torrada com abacate por favor” 

As well as these languages, we’ve compared prices around some of the major cities in Europe.

With many of us now getting ready to book our 2018 holidays, we thought it would be useful to show you how to order your beloved ‘Avocado on Toast’ in every language in the EU… and a few others like Dothraki and Klingon in case you plan on travelling farther afield…

Infographic provided by https://www.canvasholidays.co.uk/blog/2018/02/01/ordering-avocado-on-toast-around-europe

Europe, Luxury Travel, Sport and Adventure

10 Reasons Why Cruise in Croatia

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  1. CLEAR SEA

Croatia is, for years, in the top of European countries of sea cleanness. Sea quality is excellent in 99% cases of diameter measurements. Croatia is constantly taking care of sea cleanliness because of sea environment, clean nature and it’s development potential, especially for touristic ones.

Croatia, is on the quality of the sea,  in the top three countries.

  1. PERFECT WEATHER

Croatia belongs in the Mediterranean climate zone which is characterized by dry and warm summers and mild winters, with an average of 2,600 hours per year. The Adriatic coast is one of the sunniest in the Mediterranean and the sea temperature in summer period is from 25°C to 27°C. Croatian islands and middle Dalmatia have best climate, warmest summers and mild winters. All this makes Croatia ideal location, for summer and winter adventurers!

  1. BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPES

Hidden bays, sandy beaches, secret uninhabited islands, amazing untouched nature, early sunrises and late sunsets. Croatia has fantastic natural landscapes, it is very known because of islands and coastal towns. Whole Croatia is full of greenery, but most beautiful are islands and Dalmatia, where summer shows all the best. Best way to discover Croatian landscape is gulet cruising Croatia.

  1. DIVINE FOOD

Mediterranean food is one of the best! That’s confirmed! Seashells, crabs, lobsters, shrimps, fishes, mussels, octopus and other divine seafood, are something that you MUST taste if you’re staying in Croatia. Amazing Croatian coast is one of the most beautiful and well known in the world. Characterized by amazing clear sea, beautiful landscapes, kind people and the best food ever. Because of its position, Croatia has the best climate and it makes it the top destination for tourists during the whole year, but especially during the summer period.

That is one of the things that makes Croatia such as it is – special.

  1. KIND PEOPLE

Croatian people are very kind and friendly. People in Dalmatia are traditionally engaged in tourism, and they will do their best, so that you can remember your cruising in Croatia, only for good things.

  1. PLENTY ACTIVITIES

Many restaurants, beaches & cocktail bars, beach entertainment with day and night activities are something that you can’t miss it in Croatia. Every bar and restaurant is full, every beach is full, jet skis, bananas, kayaks, paragliding, rafting and scuba diving are one of the many things that Croatian coast offers to their visitors.

  1. UNFORGETTABLE NIGHTS

As the matter of fact that Croatia is the host of Ultra Europe festival, good fun is guaranteed, that’s for sure! Festival revises town of Split in the middle of summer and it gives it special magic. Except for this manifestation, Croatia (particularly Dalmatia) lives during summer holidays, so because of that, your holidays will be filled with many fun, good people, cheap drinks and food. In summertime every night is a night to go out and have fun! 

  1. LOTS OF PEOPLE

Croatia is favorite destination for all ages of people, from younger till middle ages, so everybody will definitely find something for themselves. Beautiful beaches are perfect for long summer walks, quiet and louder restaurants and bars will find their customers, crowded or hidden beaches and bays are just waiting for swimmers. In every direction where you look can find many people, from tourists to local people. If you wish for a little piece, you can walk at the beach at night and enjoy in warm air and summer in Croatia. And you can go for a night swimming! We recommend!

  1. GOOD PRICES

This land is known because of good prices, so you will be able to eat, drink, have fun in a very cheap way. There are couple of things that are more expensive, but most prices are acceptable.

  1. PERFECT PLACE FOR PERFECT MEMORIES

You could not choose better country for making memories…
To see more check your Croatian cruise expert!

 

Cultural and Historical Heritage, Europe

North Ireland coast

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North Ireland coast

Words: Len Rutledge  Images: Phensri Rutledge

Stunning coastline, windswept cliffs, spectacular scenery and fabulous unspoiled beaches are the promise on one of the world’s great road journeys. Unfortunately, all we can see at the moment is fog.

My wife and I are on the Causeway Coastal Route in Northern Ireland with high expectations but so far the results have been disappointing. We have crawled out of Belfast and are now peering through the gloom at Carrickfergus’s well-preserved 12th century Norman Castle.

The road heads north and the weather improves. It’s now inland to the charming village of Glenarm then on through flower-filled Broughshane where Saint Patrick is said to have tended livestock in the 5th century.

Bright sunshine appears on approaching Ballycastle. Our spirits have soared and so too has the scenery. We stop at the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge which traverses a 30-metre deep canyon. I am immediately intimidated, however, despite my fears I make it across, as have salmon fishermen for 350 years.North Ireland coast

We are surprised to discover that the bridge is more than a kilometre from the car park but the walk along the cliff-top path is exhilarating with stunning views across to Rathlin Island. Spring has brought wildflowers and a profusion of bird life.

Rangers control access to the bridge and we are told that sometimes there are considerable delays for the thousands of visitors who want the challenge of the crossing.

It is now on to Northern Ireland’s top natural attraction, the Giant’s Causeway. Apart from the amazing layered basalt columns plunging into the ocean, there are famous legends and colourful folklore associated with the causeway.

The six-sided basalt columns have been formed when molten lava filled a river valley 60 million years ago, then cooled and cracked. The site is now owned by the National Trust there is an excellent Visitor’s Centre.

The area around the causeway is attractive. Grasslands, heath, cliffs, marshes, the rocky shore and the sea provide homes for a wide variety of plants and animals. We see purple orchid flowers, vivid yellow gorse, colourful stonechats, petrels and peregrine falcons.

The tourism development manager tells us how the causeway is made up of three promontories with one curving gently out to sea towards Scotland. She also points out strange rock formations known as the camel, the organ and the harp.

The historic 1830s Causeway Hotel is serving food but we cannot resist a visit to the Old Bushmills Distillery, Ireland’s oldest whiskey distillery which was granted a licence in 1608. Luckily there are guided tours, a gift shop and a cafe.

A few kilometres, further along, is Dunluce Castle, said to be the most romantic and picturesque in Ireland. The ruined castle has clung onto its dramatic hilltop location since the 14th century. We pay the admission charge then wander around by ourselves fantasising about events long past.

Nearby Portrush has been a fun destination for generations of people and its beaches, hotels, amusements and stimulating nightlife are still here. We stop at the Royal Portrush Golf Club which is home to 2010 U.S. Open winner Graeme McDowell and 2011 British Open Champion Darren Clarke.

The club founded in 1888 is one of Ireland’s premier tournament venues and has dramatic physical features that provide a formidable challenge to all players.

Mountsandel Wood is a venue of a different kind. This is the earliest known settlement of man in Ireland dating back nearly 10,000 years. There are an earthen fort and a forest walk.

Next is Downhill Demesne, a stunning landscaped park with sheltered gardens and cliff walks. Close to the edge of a sheer drop stands Mussendon Temple, an 18th century folly based on the Roman temple at Tivoli, Italy.

We drive on to Londonderry, Northern Ireland’s second city but our thoughts are still on the special place we have just visited. As they say here, “When God made time, he made plenty of it!” we have seen it in a day but we could equally have taken a week.

IF YOU GO.

The Irish Tourist Board can provide good information on Ireland and Northern Ireland. https://www.discoverireland.ie/

Detailed information on the region is available from www.causewaycoastandglens.com

For details on the Giant’s Causeway and Carrick-a-Rede attractions contact www.nationaltrust.org.uk

For Dunluce Castle information contact https://www.glenarmcastle.com/dunluce-castle

 

www.LenRutledge.com

Len Rutledge is the author of Experience Ireland 2018 available at https://amazon.com/dp/B078GJW7JK

Destinations, Europe

Born to be mild. Brits are happiest at a surprisingly average 20 degrees Celsius.

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Born to be mild. Brits are happiest at a surprisingly average 20 degrees Celsius.

Chilly winter weather can often have us day-dreaming about tropical heat but a new survey from Thomas Cook shows that we Brits actually feel happiest at a rather mild 20 degrees Celsius.

The survey simply asked, ‘at what temperature are you happiest?’ with a quarter of people opting for a fairly balmy 20 degrees mark. There were some other surprises in the results too. 7% of people are happiest at a sweat-inducing 35 degrees and 1% actually said they are happiest at a bracing 5 degrees – the average winter temperature according to Met Office data for 2016/17.

With a few months of winter weather still ahead of us in the UK, Thomas Cook has pulled together a handy list of destinations to help Brits plot out locations that mean they’re able to stay at their ‘happy heat’ all year round

  • January – Mexico, Los Angeles
  • February – Morocco, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria
  • March – Tunisia, Ayia Napa
  • April – Bodrum, Crete, Balearic Islands
  • May – Sunny Beach, Montreal, Paris
  • June – Amsterdam, Boston
  • July – Vancouver, Lapland, Dona Paula
  • August – Stockholm, Oregon
  • September – Croatia, Calgary
  • October – Cape Town, New York
  • November – Texas, Algarve, Sicily, Ibiza
  • December – San Antonio, Cyprus, Egypt

Where will you go to find your happiness heat? ☀

Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Cultural and Historical Heritage, Destinations, Entertainment, Europe, North America, South America

Halloween Around The World

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Halloween Around The World

Marriage proposals in Italy, baking bread in the shape of babies in Ecuador, and burning expensive possessions to appease the souls of the dead in China. Across the globe there some strange but wonderful ways locals celebrate their own versions of Halloween. Thomas Cook has collated 50 of the outlandish laws, traditions and locations to create a Halloween map of the world full of need to know trivia you never knew existed.

Here are a few highlights from around the globe:

Halloween Haters

  • In Dublin, Georgia, USA your face must be fully visible and recognisable by law on Halloween
  • Vendragues, France it is illegal to wear clown costumes or makeup on this event if you are more than 12 years old
  • The country of Jordan made Halloween in its entirety illegal in 2014

Most haunted destinations

  • Multiple UFO, ghosts, orbs sightings and the abduction and reappearance a decade later of a young girl at Barranco de Badajoz in Spain make this the place to visit for believers in life beyond earth.
  • Visit the Valley of the Kings in Egypt, to become one of many who have spotted a Pharaoh wearing his golden collar, headdress, and riding a fiery chariot with black phantom horse.

Ghostly Traditions

  • The Romanian ‘Feast of St. Andrew’ involves eating garlic the night before and placing it near doors, windows and chimneys to ward off evil spirits.
  • In Germany, locals look to protect the visiting spirits drawn out during ‘All Souls Week’, by hiding all their knives so they won’t be injured.
  • Hati locals celebrate ‘Fed Gede’ alongside the visiting spirits, eating, drinking, warming their bones by the fire and dancing with them.

halloween

You can Map out all the countries and their traditions here: https://www.thomascook.com/halloween-around-the-world 

Africa, Asia, Editor's Picks, Europe, Luxury Travel, North America, Travel Planning

The Best Travel Destinations for 2018

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The Best Travel Destinations for 2018

Len Rutledge

The travel and tourism industry is booming as more and more people take advantage of low airfares and increased opportunities to see new places. While there has been some resistance to increased visitor numbers in some European destinations, much of the world is still welcoming visitors with open arms.

Here are some suggestions for places to travel and activities to experience in 2018.

The Philippines

Brilliant green rice fields, teeming cities, colourful jeepneys, stunning beaches, and smiling, happy-go-lucky people are all part of the Philippines scene. With more than 7000 tropical islands to choose from, you can find what you are looking for. Divers have long known about the country’s underwater attractions while Northern Palawan is perfect for sea kayakers, and Boracay is a world-class kiteboarding and beach destination.

The Philippines was colonised for 400 years and vestiges of the Spanish era can be seen in exuberant town festivals and centuries-old stone churches while huge shopping malls, fast-food chains and widespread spoken English come from the influence of the Americans.

travel

Boracay Beach. Credit: Philippines Tourism

Manila, the capital, is a pulsating hub that blends the quaint with the modern, the mundane with the extraordinary. Cebu is a choice tourist destination with balmy weather, pristine beaches, crystalline waters, and luxurious resorts. Banaue is a place for nature adventures and cultural immersion and the rice terraces are quite extraordinary. Palawan has thick green forest, white-sand beach, sparkling water and magnificently sculpted jade islands.

Philippines Airlines operates from most continents to Manila and there are some direct services to Cebu.

South Africa

Go almost anywhere in South Africa and you can experience a combination of nature, wildlife, culture, adventure, heritage and style. During these tough economic times, it’s good to find a bargain destination where you can even afford luxury and have spending money left over. There is natural beauty in mountains, forests, coasts and deserts and world-class facilities.

It is not possible to talk about South Africa without mentioning wildlife. Everyone wants to see the Big Five, but there are also whales, penguins, meerkats, wild dogs, birds and much more. If you are looking to experience wildlife viewing in luxury, Tintswalo Safari Lodge, in the pristine private Manyeleti Game Reserve could be the answer. It shares an unfenced boundary with the renowned Kruger National Park and suites are decorated to reflect colonial times.

Tintswalo Atlantic Resort. Credit: Tintswalo Atlantic

The same company has beach-side Tintswalo Atlantic, a 5 star, award-winning boutique lodge nestled at the base of Table Mountain National Park near Cape Town. This is one of the city’s hidden gems. The views of a wild sea crashing below contrasting with a roaring fire and fabulous welcome drinks will set the tone for a memorable stay.

For a city location, the all-suites Michelangelo Towers in Sandton, Johannesburg appeals because it is directly connected to the Michelangelo Towers Mall and the Sandton Convention Centre, and is located directly opposite Sandton City and Nelson Mandela Square in the in heart of South Africa’s  Richest Square Mile.

Monaco

Situated at France’s southeastern corner near the Italian border, occupying an area of just 2.8 sq. km, Monaco might be the second smallest country in the world (after the Vatican), but what it lacks in size it sure makes up for in attitude and variety.

There is an ornate opera house, Michelin-starred restaurants, and casinos, palaces, cathedrals, supercars, mega yachts, deluxe hotels and designer boutiques. There are also museums and galleries, festivals, nightclubs, and gardens with exotic plants and sea views.

Monaco. Credit: Monaco Government Tourist Bureau

The country is one of the most surprising and rewarding destinations in Europe. It is just 30 minutes by car, bus or taxi from Nice Airport through hairpin bends and along rocky cliffs. Monaco enjoys over 300 days of sunshine a year and a temperate climate.

Berlin

As most readers will know, Berlin has had a chequered history in recent decades. It is now emerging as one of Europe’s leading centres of culture. The modern Mitte district has the Museum Island UNESCO World Heritage Site, but also two opera houses and six major theatres, as well as museums, innumerable galleries and arts venues. Now, many new major cultural projects are locating here, just a few minutes’ walk apart.

Opened earlier this year, the new Pierre Boulez Saal is a major international concert hall with the elliptically-shaped hall regularly presenting concerts and chamber music. A complete contrast is provided by the 1740s Staatsoper Unter den Linden, Berlin’s first opera house, which reopened in October 2017. Unfortunately, Berlin’s most popular museum, the Pergamon, is partially closed but from mid- 2018, visitors can view part of the Pergamon Altar’s treasures at a temporary exhibition building directly opposite Museum Island.

The James-Simon-Galerie will be the Museum Island’s new central entrance and visitor centre with central ticket office, cloakrooms and facilities, cafés and a museum shop when it opens in 2019.

Berlin-Ansichten. Credit: Visit Berlin

To complement all this development, several major hotels have opened in 2017 and more are scheduled for 2018.

The Berlin City Centre Alexanderplatz, opened in May offering 344 rooms with a modern design over nine floors. Later, The Yard,  4-star boutique hotel with 55 rooms opened, followed by the Orani Berlin, a classy hotel with 42 subtle but rather luxuriously furnished rooms. Between now and year’s end the 60-metre-high Motel One Berlin-Alexanderplatz with 708 rooms, The Meininger Hotel Berlin East Side Gallery with 245 rooms and the Hilton Berlin City East with 254 rooms will all open.

Bargain rooms may well be on offer during the European winter.

Los Angeles

Many readers will have been to Los Angeles, USA but most will not be aware of the wide range of museums, art galleries and concert halls that are spread throughout the city. In the downtown area, the futuristic Walt Disney Theatre is an architectural masterpiece and is right next door to the city’s newest cultural and design showpiece, The Broad. L.A.Live is another vibrant entertainment complex offering restaurants and live music venues.

Walt Disney Theatre. Credit: Discover LA. Photo by Matt Marriott

The Westside perhaps has even more attractions. There is the Getty Center located atop the Santa Monica Mountains then on Museum Row, there is the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Pettersen Automotive Museum, the Craft and Folk Museum and the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum. In Century City you will find the Annenberg Space for Photography.

Hollywood, known as the entertainment capital of the world, is an essential part of the L.A. experience. Film enthusiasts will love the renovated TCL Chinese Theatre and you can tour the Dolby Theatre, home of the Oscars. Not far away is Universal Studios Hollywood with its rides, shows and tours.

If you consider L.A. nothing more than a gateway to the USA, you had better re-think. It is one of the top picks for places to visit in 2018.

The Best Travel Destinations for 2018www.LenRutledge.com

www.LenRutledge.com

Asia, Europe, Infographic, North America

The Bizarre & Amusing Translations of Place Names Around The World [Infographic]

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The Bizarre & Amusing Translations of Place Names Around The World

It’s fair to say that we don’t always put a lot of thought into the names of places we visit. In fact, unless they are in the English language, we just take them as read.

This point is widely proven across the USA and the UK, where we all enjoy poking fun at some of the truly ridiculously named villages, towns and cities across both nations.

Ridiculous Place Names

Just take a look at this very enjoyable article from The Telegraph which lists 10 of the silliest place names in Britain.

As you can see, history often plays a big role in naming certain places. Because of this, the original meaning becomes lost and ends up becoming something much more humorous!

The sheer volume of strangely named places is perfectly illustrated in this post from Thought Catalog which lists 52 across the United States, including the likes of Accident, Maryland and Coupon, Pennsylvania.

Clearly, there is no shortage of odd place names in the English language, However, if this is what one language has to offer, how many ridiculous ones exist in all of the other languages?

Well, thanks to a new infographic from clarendonlondon.com, it turns out there’s plenty of them.

The Bizarre & Amusing Translations Of Place Names Around The World

They have gone about translating some of the strangest names into English, with quite frankly hilarious results.

It’s called ‘The Bizarre & Amusing Translations Of Place Names Around The World ‘ and you can take a look below.

This infographic covers a number of continents. However, the conclusion it clearly comes to is that there are a wealth of silly named places in Europe.

Germany is seemingly a wonderful example with a wealth of giggle-inducing place names. The infographic includes Feuchtwangen, which translates as “wet cheeks” and Kotzen, which translates as “vomit”.

place names

Europe, Infographic

21 Things You Didn’t Know About London [Infographic]

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21 things you didn’t know about London

In recent years, the popularity of London city break has gone from strength to strength. It seems that millennials are doing away with the week beach break and instead favouring three days in one of the world’s great metropolises.

As you can see from this post from UK travel association ABTA, statistics now show that they are in fact as popular as beach holidays.

It’s really not hard to see why either. With more cheaper flights than ever and budget accommodation via Airbnb and other services, city breaks can prove to cost very little.

In fact, for the amount of money it takes to book one beach holiday, you could quite easily enjoy two city breaks.

When it comes to selecting a city break, there’s certainly a few everyone must visit. One of these is, of course, London.

London is bar far one of the most popular tourist cities on the planet. In fact, the Evening Standard reported earlier this year that a record 19 million tourist visited the English capital last year.

It’s pretty easy to see why too. London is both a city with a wealth of history and also bucket loads of contemporary attractions.

Just take a look at this post from Planet Ware, which lists a number of world famous attractions.

If you’re planning on visiting this marvelous city, it would be beneficial to learn a little about it first.

And thanks to a new infographic from Central London Apartments, you can do just that!

It’s called ‘21 Things You Didn’t Know About London’ and you can see it for yourself below.

It covers some truly fascinating things relating to contemporary London and also its rich history.

For example, do you know how many people use the London Underground each year? Or why the Palace of Westminster is positioned on the River Thames? You can find the answers and plenty more fascinating things by reading the infographic.

london