Author: Gill Dewar

Where in the World Latvia

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Where in the world.

blank

Latvia:

Where is this unusually shaped building?

Riga Central Market, Latvia, The Baltics

It is not only one of the largest marketplaces in Eastern Europe in area, but also one of the most visited, as 80,000-100,000 people shop there per day on the average.
 
Architecturally-imposing food pavilions, built in the 1920s, are Riga Central Market’s calling card. Originally used as military airship hangars, they were later transformed into market venues.
 
Riga Central Market is unique not only with its pavilions but also with its old warehouses or the so-called spikeri (from German Spéicher), which have now been turned into a hip arts&entertainment quarter.
 
In 1998, the vast territory of Riga Central Market was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list.
 
At Riga Central Market, you can buy Latvian-grown and homemade products, exotic fruit and spices, as well as manufactured merchandise. The market includes 5 pavilions each with its own category – vegetables, dairy, meat, fish and gastronomy products, as well as an outdoor area with stalls and stands, the Night Market and ‘Round the Clock Farmers’ Market.
 
 

Amazing travel fact Latvia

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

blank

Latvia:

In which country did the first ever Christmas Tree originate?

Latvia in the Baltics

The first written record of a decorated Christmas Tree comes from Riga, Latvia from 1510.

Men of the local merchants’ guild decorated a tree with artificial roses, danced around it in the marketplace and then set fire to it. The rose was used for many year and is considered to be a symbol for the Virgin Mary. 

In some accounts, it all began more than 500 years ago. One of legends says that the first Christmas tree was put up by medieval Brotherhood of Blackheads, the guild uniting Riga’s merchants and craftsmen.

It was decorated with anything that came to hand – nuts, apples, dried berries, flowers, ribbons, toys handmade ornaments and then nicely displayed at the central market square (today Riga Town Hall Square) nearby the Blackheads’ House.

Meanwhile, another story reveals that the tree was decorated with paper flowers and set on fire by the Blackheads at the end of the holiday season; most probably, as it was believed to bring good luck. 

Travel to Latvia

 

 

Where in the World Austria

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Where in the world.

blank

Austria:

Where is the highest waterfall in Europe?
 
Krimml Waterfalls, Austria
 
With their impressive waterfall drop of 380 meters, the Krimml Waterfalls are the fifth highest in the world and Europe’s tallest waterfalls.
 
Located in the High Tauern National Park near the village of Krimml, in the Salzburg district, this is a tiered waterfall with three distinct drops.
 
The falls occur on the Krimmler Ache river which is sometimes referred to as a glacial stream as it is fed by waters from a melting glacier but the rate of flow varies greatly throughout the year as it channels the waters of the melting alpine snows. The Krimml Waterfalls are therefore at their most spectacular during the spring and early summer.
 
After passing through the falls, the waters of the river then join the rivers Salzach, Inn and Danube eventually discharging into the Black Sea.
 
The beauty of these spectacular falls has long been recognised and the paths allowing access to visitors date back to the 19th century. The paths and viewing points are well maintained allowing for safe and relatively simple access for those with good standards of fitness and mobility.
 
 

Amazing travel fact Albania

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

blank

Albania:

Do you know Albania is called “Land of the Eagles”.

Amazing right?

Many legends and tales have tried to explain the origin of the name “land of eagles”. The Eagle is one of Albania’s most important symbols which is used in the national flag of the country, in postcards, traditional costumes and handicrafts, literature and history.

Among many others, an old legend says that one day a young boy was hunting in the mountains and saw a big eagle flying above his head with a snake in its mouth. The eagle took the snake at her nest in the sharp peak of a cliff and left it there. The boy became curious and got near to the nest to see the shelter of the eagle by near.

The young boy noticed that inside the nest was a baby eagle which was in danger because the snake was still alive and ready to pinch and poison it. The boy felt compassion for the little baby eagle and decided to kill the snake. He drew an arrow by killing the snake and then he took the baby eagle with him and headed home.

While walking, the big eagle flies around him and begs him to give her baby, by saying: “Why are you taking my baby away?”. The boy replied: “I saved its life so now and after the baby eagle is mine” but the mother eagle was feeling broken hearted and promised him a reward. “Please give me back my baby and I will give you as a reward the sharpness of my eyes and the strength of my arms. You will be strong and impregnable and people will call you in my name.”

The boy accepted and gave back the baby eagle. As the years passed, the young boy grew up being recognized by its land people as strong and heroic. During these years, the little eagle grew up too and accompanied the young boy in hunting for wild animals in wild forests and in each battle with enemies.

The locals were amazed by the bravery of the man and used to call him “The son of the eagles” and the lands where they lived were called The Land of Eagles (Shqiperi) – Eagle (Shqipe).

Travel to Albania

 

Amazing travel fact Miami

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

blank

Miami:

Interestingly, the city of Miami was founded by a woman—the only female founder of a major American city.
 
Amazing right?
 
In 1874, Julia Tuttle, who hailed from Cleveland, headed to Florida to visit her father, who lived in the area.
 
Despite the mosquito-infested swamps, she liked what she saw. After her father died and left her his land, she purchased more acreage and then talked railroad builder Henry Flagler into extending tracks southward.
 
Tuttle met with Flagler, a multi-millionaire who was going to extend his railroad south along Florida’s east coast to develop cities and resorts along the way.
 
Tuttle wanted him to extend his railroad to her area. After negotiations, Flagler agreed to do so in exchange for hundreds of acres of land from Tuttle and Tuttle’s neighbors William and Mary Brickell who were the other main landowners in the area.
 
Flagler also agreed to lay the foundations for a city on either side of the Miami River and to build a large hotel. The first train arrived in what became Miami city on April 13, 1896.
 
Miami was officially incorporated as a city in a pool hall meeting days later on July 28, 1896. Its first laundry, first bakery and the first dairy were reportedly started by Mrs. Tuttle. In 1896 the city she had founded was incorporated; by the 1920s, it was a bustling metropolis.
 
In 2010, a 10-foot tall statue of Julia Tuttle, the “Mother of Miami,” was erected in Bayfront Park.
 

 

 

Amazing travel fact Lebanon

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

blank

Lebanon:

Lebanon is home to the oldest city in the world.
 
Amazing right?
 
Byblos is the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world. It’s around 20 miles (30 km) north of modern Beirut.
 
The name Byblos is actually Greek.
 
Interestingly, the world papyrus got its greek name – Byblos – when it was exported to the Aegean through Byblos. So, the English word Bible is really derived from Byblos – it’s a “papyrus book”.
 
Recent excavations found that Byblos was occupied as early as the Neolithic period, from 8000 BC to 4000 BC. It was a chief harbour for exporting cedar and valuable wood to Egypt and was known as Kubna in Ancient Egyptian.
 
We know this because Egyptian monuments and inscriptions are very similar to those found on the River Nile.
 
The world’s first alphabet was created here too. The Phoenician alphabet was born in Byblos. 
 

 

Amazing travel fact Costa Rica

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

blank

Costa Rica:

With over 500,000 species of animals, Costa Rica is one of the world’s most biodiverse countries.
 
Amazing right?
 
Costa Rica is covered in blankets of protected jungle and rainforest, where wildlife spotting opportunities are in abundance.
 
Costa Rica is a haven for bird-lovers, but in addition to the variety of feathered inhabitants, Costa Rica has hundreds of exotic land animals to see in the wild, including six species of wild cats.

From the adorable sloths to playful monkeys, tiny colorful tree frogs to mammoth 16 foot crocodiles; from endangered Jaguars to tiny wild jungle cats; from pre historic iguanas to the rainbow of more than 918 species of tropical birds; from gentle giants like the whale shark and giant sea turtle to tiny but deadly snakes and frogs.

Animals are the most beautiful when in their natural habitat.  Watch sea turtles come ashore to lay their eggs in Tortuguero National Park or catch white faced capuchin monkeys trying to steal your snacks in Manuel Antonio. Wake up to the sound of howler monkeys in Guanacaste and the Nicoya Peninsula, watch a lazy sloth taking a nap in Puerto Viejo by the Caribbean Coast or spot the stunning humpback whales in Drake Bay, Osa Peninsula. Why not come and find as many Costa Rica animals as you can on your next Costa Rica vacation.

Travel to Costa Rica

 

Where in the World Costa Rica

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Where in the world.

blank

Costa Rica:

Where does this amazing phenomenon take place?

The beach of Ostional in Costa Rica is the scenery for a rarely-seen biological wonder.

In rainy season, the week before new moon, hundreds – and sometimes hundreds of thousand sea turtles come to one specific mile of beach at Ostional to dig their eggs into the black, volcanic sand.

Every month at Costa Rica’s Ostional National Wildlife Refuge, tens to hundreds of thousands of female sea turtles arrive, often within a few days of each other, to lay their eggs on the beach.

The Ostional Wildlife Refuge was created in 1984 to protect the area from poachers stealing the sea turtle eggs. This makes this National Wildlife Refuge a very important Sea Turtle Conservation project.

But what makes Ostional Beach so special is the size of the arribadas, or “arrivals”. They are truly massive and at its peak, there are so many turtles it is almost impossible to walk on the beach! As a result, the first eggs often end up being trampled by the following turtles. For this reason it is legal for locals to collect some of the eggs.

Travel to Costa Rica

 

Where in the World Albania

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Where in the world.

blank

Albania:

Does anyone know where this little bridge is?
 
Its in Albania.
 
The largest and best preserved bridge from the Ottoman Empire in Albania, Mes Bridge (Ura e Mesit) crosses the Kir River about 6 kilometers North of Shkodër in the village of Mes.
 
Built about 1770, the 108 meter long bridge is not only historic, but stunningly beautiful.
 
Situated along the ancient trade route between Shkodra and Kosovo, Romans, Venetians, and many other powers used this route to visit highly important route through the Drini Valley.
 

Where in the World Los Angeles

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Where in the world.

blank

Los Angeles:

Where is this beautiful cathedral?

St. Vincent de Paul Church, Los Angeles, USA
 
A Roman Catholic parish built in the 1920s and designed by architect Albert C. Martin, Sr. Paid for by local oilman Edward J. Doheny and thus is known colloquially as “the Church of Holy Oils.”
 
It was dedicated in 1925, it was located in what was then one of the wealthiest sections of the city, on land adjacent to the Stephen Dorsey mansion and Stimson House. It was the second Roman Catholic church in Los Angeles to be consecrated.
 
The climactic scene of the 1999 film End of Days, featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger’s battle against Satan was filmed in the church. The church’s altar is featured prominently in the film’s final scenes. The church also appears in the movie Constantine. The church was also featured in the Warrant video “The Bitter Pill” (acoustic version), with lead singer Jani Lane performing the song in front of and around the church.
 
The church was also featured in the Charmed episode “When Bad Warlocks Turn Good”; furthermore the church is visible in the Madonna’s music video of “God Control”, and some parts of it in her video of “Dark Ballet”.
 
 

Amazing travel fact Los Angeles

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

blank

Los Angeles:

Do you know which famous 1990 film thrust The Beverly Wilshire hotel in LA into the limelight?

Pretty Woman is one of the highest grossing romantic comedies in history, starring Richard Gere and Julia Roberts.
 
In her Oscar-nominated performance, Roberts plays Vivian Ward, a Hollywood prostitute hired by Edward Lewis (Gere), a ruthless corporate raider who changes his ways after he hires her to be his escort at social events while he’s in Los Angeles. Numerous scenes take place and were filmed in Beverly Hills, including a shopping spree on Rodeo Drive and the hotel where Roberts stays, the landmark Beverly Wilshire, Beverly Hills.
 
For the last 30 years the Beverly Wilshire hotel has capitalized on the success of Pretty Woman. Funny, considering that the hotel appears on screen for just under three minutes of the film’s two-hour running time, as only exteriors of the building were shot there.
 
 

Where in the World Las Vegas

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Where in the world.

blank

Las Vegas:

Where would you find this huge mural?

The Plaza Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas.

Las Vegas has embraced downtown’s growing art culture. In February 2017, the Plaza debuted two 21-story murals by internationally known artists, Shepard Fairey and D*Face on its North Tower.
 
In September 2017, the artistic duo of Faile debuted the third mural on the north tower, which pays tribute to the Dogs Playing Poker paintings by Cassius Marcellus Coolidge. The trio of murals – likely the largest ever installed on a single building – add a vibrant artistic flare to the Plaza without compromising its historic integrity or classic ambiance.
 
The murals are a unique element that further diversifies the visitors’ experience at the Plaza.
“The scale of this, when you stand underneath it, is just amazing,” Jonathan Jossel, the hotel’s CEO, said as he peered up from the fifth floor pool deck.
 

Amazing travel fact Las Vegas

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

blank

Las Vegas:

Do you know where we can find the most expensive hotel suite in the world?
 
It comes with 24-hour butlers, a chauffeured car and $10k credit to use in the resort.
 
Amazing right?
 
It is the Palms Casino Resort.
 
It completed a two year renovation last year, rumoured (at about 1 billion dollars), to be the most costly in history, the Palms Casino Resort now has one of the world’s most extensive art collections outside of a museum. The revamped 1395 rooms and suites include the Kingpin Suite, which houses bowling lanes ($15000 a night), and The Hardwood Suite, with its own basketball court ($20,000 a night).
 
Most expensive room?
The Empathy Suite: $100,000 a night
 
What do you get?
In this 8500 square foot, Damien Hirst-designed penthouse you’ll find an outdoor, cantilevered pool ‘hanging’ hundreds of feet in the air, pillars covered in his signature dots, six specially commissioned art works, including two sharks suspended in formaldehyde, a 13-seater bar and spectacular views over The Strip. But until our luck at the roulette table changes, we’ll be slumming it in one of the hotel’s other 702 rooms, which start from a mere $60.
 
Extra treats?
24-hour butlers, a chauffeured car and $10k credit to use in the resort.
 
Who stays?
If you’re a casino big spender (over a million dollars), you get to stay for free but they are tight- lipped about who has actually paid to sleep here.
 
 

Where in the World Chicago

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Where in the world.

blank

Chicago:

Where is this scary lift?
 
Willis Tower and the Skydeck, Chicago
 
Willis Tower—originally known as the Sears Tower—was the world’s tallest building for 23 years until it was unseated in 1996 by the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur.
 
The 110-story skyscraper is still mighty impressive.
The tower’s height is even more thrilling when measured from the 103rd-floor windows of the Skydeck observatory and the Ledge, a glass-enclosed box which juts more than four feet out from the side of the building so that visitors can (gingerly) walk out and stand 1,353 feet above the street.
 
 

Amazing travel fact Chicago

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

blank

Chicago:

What famous criminal started a soup kitchen?

In 1931, the Chicago Tribune proclaimed that “120,000 meals are served by Capone Free Soup Kitchen,” making Al Capone out to be a “Robin Hood”.
 
Many of those served by Capone said that he was doing more for the poor than the government.
 
The kitchen employed a few people, but fed many more. In fact, preceding the passage of the Social Security Act, “soup kitchens” like the one Al Capone founded, provided the only meals that some unemployed Americans had.
 
They rose to prominence in the U.S. during the Great Depression. One of the first and obvious benefits of a soup kitchen was to provide a place where the homeless and poor could get free food and a brief rest from the struggles of surviving on the streets. 
 

Amazing travel fact New York

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

blank

New York:

We all know that New York is called ‘The Big Apple’. But do you know how it got its nickname?
 
The nickname is linked to horse racing. 
 
A bit more history:
 
The Big Apple was popularized as a name for New York City by John J. Fitz Gerald in a number of horse-racing articles for the New York Morning Telegraph in the 1920s. The earliest of these was a casual reference on 3 May 1921:
 
“J. P. Smith, with Tippity Witchet and others of the L. T. Bauer string, is scheduled to start for “the big apple” to-morrow after a most prosperous Spring campaign at Bowie and Havre de Grace”.
 
Fitz Gerald referred to the “big apple” frequently thereafter. He explained his use in a column dated February 18, 1924, under the headline “Around the Big Apple”:
 
“The Big Apple. The dream of every lad that ever threw a leg over a thoroughbred and the goal of all horsemen. There’s only one Big Apple. That’s New York.”
 
Fitz Gerald reportedly first heard “The Big Apple” used to describe New York’s racetracks by two African American stable hands at the New Orleans Fair Grounds. Using racing records, Popik traced that conversation to January 1920.
 
In recognition of Fitz Gerald’s role in promulgating “The Big Apple” as a nickname for New York City, in 1997 Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani signed legislation designating as “Big Apple Corner” the southwest corner of West 54th Street and Broadway, the corner on which John J. Fitz Gerald lived from 1934 to 1963. The Hotel Ameritania also once had a plaque which was installed in 1996, according to Popik, but it was removed during renovations to the building and was lost.
 
Evidence can also be found in the Chicago Defender, an African-American newspaper that had a national circulation. Writing for the Defender on September 16, 1922, “Ragtime” Billy Tucker used the name “big apple” to refer to New York in a non-horse-racing context:
 
I trust your trip to ‘the big apple’ (New York) was a huge success and only wish that I had been able to make it with you.
 
Tucker had also earlier used “big apple” as a reference to Los Angeles. It is possible that he simply used “big apple” as a nickname for any large city. But that’s another story.
 

Amazing travel fact Malaysia

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

blank

Malaysia:

Genting Highlands Resort, Malaysia is the biggest hotel in the world.

Amazing right?

Most people would assume that the largest hotel in the world would be in one of the large vacation cities like Las Vegas or some tropical island in the Bahamas.
 
It is actually located in Pahang Darul Makmur, which is an area in Malaysia.
 
Resorts World Genting is a premier leisure and entertainment resort destination in Malaysia with over 10,000 hotel rooms, 150,000 sqm of event space, an indoor theme park and more than 165 local and international retail stores and restaurants.
 
Situated atop Genting Highlands, Resorts World Genting stands majestically at 6,000 feet above sea level, and is surrounded by pristine rainforest that dates back over 100 million years.
 
The average temperature is a cool 16 -24 degrees all year round which makes the resort a unique destination for business meetings, exhibitions, conventions and special events.
 

Where in the World Malaysia

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Where in the world.

blank

Malaysia:

Where would you find this spectacular cave bar?

Its called Jeff’s Cellar, Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat, Ipoh in Malaysia.
 
Set within a 260-million-year-old limestone cave, the magnificent Jeff’s Cellar is one of the most unique wine bars in the world, and its award as one of the top-five magnificent bars in the world by CNN Greece attests to its original characteristics. Jeff’s Cellar also was named one of the top 20 restaurants in Malaysia according to Malaysia Tatler’s the Best Restaurants Guide.
 
Built around the beauty of nature, The Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat is Ipoh, Malaysia’s first luxury natural hot springs wellness retreat offering bespoke holistic experiences for ultimate relaxation, restoring overall wellbeing, finding inspirational ideas, rekindling romance, hosting the wedding or events of your dreams and more.
 
With its 45 sumptuous Garden, Water and Lake villas, a pampering Spa and Wellness Centre and a host of retreat experiences available, this hotel makes for the ultimate getaway spot to recharge and reenergise.
 
Take a dip in the Geothermal Hot Springs Dipping Pools, or take in the towering rock formations around the retreat. Stroll through the jungle at your own pace and be one in nature, or find your inner peace in the Meditation Cave.
 

Amazing travel fact New Zealand

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

blank

New Zealand:

Do you know who the first European to discover New Zealand was?
 
Abel Janszoon Tasman was a Dutch seafarer, explorer, and merchant, best known for his voyages of 1642 and 1644 in the service of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). He was the first known European explorer to reach the islands of Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania), Fiji and New Zealand.
 
He landed in New Zealand on 13 December 1642.
 
Two names that his expedition gave to landmarks in the far north of New Zealand still endure: Cape Maria van Diemen and Three Kings Islands. (Kaap Pieter Boreels was renamed Cape Egmont by Captain James Cook 125 years later.
 
Captain James Cook, who reached New Zealand in October 1769 on the first of his three voyages, was the first European to circumnavigate and map New Zealand.
 

Amazing travel fact Singapore

Written by Gill Dewar on . Posted in Amazing Facts.

blank

Singapore:

Did you know the Singapore Sling was invented to disguise fruit juice served to ladies as they weren’t allowed to drink alcohol when the bar first opened?

Amazing right?

The historic Long Bar, Raffles Hotel, Singapore is the home of the iconic Singapore Sling. The famous counter shines like new amidst decor that marries architecture and contemporary plantation-inspired motifs.

The earthy décor of the two-storey Long Bar is inspired by Malayan life in the 1920s. The deep, rich colours and lush greenery transport patrons to the edge of a tropical plantation. In keeping with the relaxed atmosphere, guests are invited to brush peanut shells off the table and bar counter to the floor.
 
The Singapore Sling, widely regarded as the national drink, was first created in 1915 by Raffles bartender Ngiam Tong Boon. Primarily a gin-based cocktail, the Singapore Sling also contains pineapple juice, lime juice, curaçao and Bénédictine. Giving it the pretty pink hue are grenadine and cherry liqueur.
 

blank


Private Facebook group
for the travel industry

Travel Talks Platform Group


5.8k members

Travel Talks Platform for the travel industry

Follow the travel news – Traveltalksplatform is the number 1 news site to stay updated on amazing travel facts, the latest news, events, incentive ideas, MICE news, job opportunities and shows.

Specially composed for the travel industry, you will find the latest travel facts at your fingertips.

Submit



Subscribe

Stay updated about the latest travel news worldwide

blank

The latest airline news, hotel news, cruise news and MICE news in your inbox:
Stay updated about
the latest travel news worldwide

 

 

Copyright © 2021 e-motions international

disclaimer:

We assume no responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions in the content of this site. The information contained in this site is provided on an "as is" basis with no guarantees of completeness, accuracy, usefulness or timeliness.