“Welcome to Nashville, man what a great day / The first stop we’re gonna take you is a place called Broadway “ that how the comic duo that are Austin and Colin start off their funny, information and catchy song about Nashville. They take us on a journey through the sights and sounds of Nashville.
Welcome to Nashville – Austin and Colin.
Their first stop is Broadway and it’s a good place to get acquainted with the city. Located in the downtown area, it includes Lower Broadway which is renowned for its honky tonks and live country music as well as restaurants and a number of tourist attractions.
Honky Tonk Central – Nashville, Tennessee, USA
Austin and Colin are seen queuing outside the 100 year old former grain store, that is now the Acme Feed & Seed restaurant and music venue. Head for the rooftop bar with its views of the Cumberland River, the Nissan Stadium, the home to the Tennessee Titans of the NFL and the Broadway strip.
Next on their list is Demonbreun, the area and the street are named after a French-Canadian fur trader who is known at the “first citizen of Nashville”. You can continue to follow their list which then takes you to Belmont, Hillsboro Village, Vandi, Green Hills, Frothy Monkey etc. However, you will probably be visiting for its musical connections and the museums.
Acme Feed & Seed Restaurant & Music Venue – Nashville, Tennessee, USA
Throughout the city you will find numerous music venues playing something to suit everyones taste, it’s not just country music that you will hear in Nashville. In addition you will probably want to head over to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The museum’s core exhibition “Sing Me Back Home: A Journey Through Country Music” tells the story of the origins of country music and its main contributors using artefacts, photographs, recorded sound, vintage video, and interactive touchscreens. You might want to also visit Music Row’s Historic RCA Studio B, the oldest surviving recording studio in Nashville, where landmark recordings by Elvis Presley, Dolly Parton, Waylon Jennings, and many others were made. Due to its size pre-booking is advised. Personally, I would be off to the Johnny Cash Museum by day and will be spending an evening at the Tribute to Elvis Show.
Johnny Cash Museum – Nashville, Tennessee, USA
For car nuts, just over an hour’s drive out of town will take you to Bowling Green, the home of the National Corvette Museum. On display are over 70 Corvettes displayed in periodic settings.
Contact Maggie today to book your trip to the centre of the musical universe.
“We danced on the streets of Bucharest” sing the Romanian pop stars Florian Rus and Maria Mirabela Cismaru, better known as MIRA.The song “Strazile din Bucuresti“ is about young lovers who meet on a Bucharest city street.
Streets of Bucharest – Florian Rus feat. MIRA
Bucharest is home to the world’s biggest parliamentary building. Originally at The Palace of Parliament but more commonly known today as the People’s Palace construction started in 1984 and took thirteen years to build. An area of s (2.7 sq mi) of the old city centre was flattened to allow the construction including monasteries, factories and a hospital. One engineer set out to save as much as he could.
Moving Churches to Safety – Bucharest.
Today the People’s Palace, both houses of the Romanian Parliament., along with the National Museum of Contemporary Art, the Museum of Communist Totalitarianism and the Museum of the Palace.
The People’s Palace – Bucharest, Romania.
Prior to the Second World War Bucharest was known as the “Paris of the East”. The war, the Communist era and an earthquake in 1977 robbed the city of many or the art nouveau buildings. Here and there are places where that former sophistication. The Cantacuzino Palace which now houses the George Enescu museum is one such example which was built between 1901 and 1903 by architect Ion D. Berindey.
Paris of the East, Bucharest, Romania
Berindey was responsible for a number of famous landmarks during this time including the Bucharest observatory that was built between 1908 and 1910. George Enescu incidently is regarded as one of the greatest musicians in Romanian history. You might even choose to stay in the elegant Athenee Palace Hilton hotel designed by the French Theophile Bradeau. Around and about you will find more examples that listed here. Remember to look out for Bucharest’s copy of the Arc de Triomphe.
Arcul de Triumf, Bucharest, Romania.
Personally, I would recommend seeking out the beautiful churches and chapels that fuse Byzantine, Greek, Ottoman and Renaissance styles. On your list head for The Stavropoleous Church in the old city, St Apostle’s and the Doamnei Church.
Orthodox Church, Bucharest, Romania
If you are interested in looking back in time, you might be interested in watching the TV series “Comrade Detective” on Amazon Prime. Set in 1980s Bucharest it tells the story of two police detectives investigating the murder of a colleague. There is more to this story than meets the eye!
To book your city break to see the Streets of Bucharest and visit the Paris of the East. Contact Maggie today.
The song Abu Dhabi is by Mikolas Josef, the Czech singer and songwriter. You might know him from the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest where his finished sixth with his song “Lie to Me”. The most successful Czech entry in Eurovision at the time of writing.
Abu Dhabi – Mikolas Josef
If the United Arab Emirates is under your consideration for a visit this year then you might want to head for the capital Abu Dhabi. There are a wide range of experiences on offer whether you are on a short break or lengthier stay.
Although it is the second largest city in the UAE, it is home to largest and allegedly most beautiful mosque. The Sheikh Zaved Grand Mosque is home to the world’s longest hand-knotted carpet and can hold up to 40,000 worshippers. If you are planning a visit remember dress modestly, loose cloaks are available free of charge at the mosque.
Sheikh Zaved Grand Mosque Abu Dhabi UAE
A complete contrast to the mosque and its historical connections with the Persians and Moghuls is the Louvre Abu Dhabi. It is the first foreign output of the famous French museum and gallery. Due to loans and special exhibitions signed with other famous Parisian museums you will find a wide range of works including those by da Vinci and Picasso.
Louvre Abu Dhabi UAE
Go for gold and visit the Emirates Palace, the official guest palace of the city’s government. Gold is everywhere amongst its 394 rooms; it is even in the coffee and the ice cream. Nearby the palace you can find the Founder’s Memorial, where Sheikh Zayed, the country’s is commemorated. Fancy an adrenaline filled day then head for Yas Island, more familiar to most of us as the venue for the Abu Dhabi F1 race. Here you can ride the world’s fastest rollercoaster at Ferrari World and explore the six immersive worlds at Warner Bros World.
We haven’t even mentioned the desert. We will return to Abu Dhabi at a future date to discover more of what this wonderful city has to offer.
Desert Abu Dhabi UAE
Contact Maggie today to book your trip to Abu Dhabi now.
Watching a rerun of the Hitchcock classic “North by Northwest” starring Cary Grant reminded of the lyrics from “I’m gonna shake out all that snow. Riding years ago, through the South Dakota roads.“ from the song “Shaking Out the Snow”* by Nanci Griffith the American singer and songwriter. Those of you familiar with the song will know that ending of the film is set in South Dakota and Mount Rushmore specifically. If you haven’t visited this part of the USA then maybe it should be on your itinerary in the coming months.
A good starting point for any trip to South Dakota is a road trip based on I-90. I-90 is the longest interstate highway in the USA and the longest east-west road across South Dakota. Although it doesn’t pass through the South Dakotan capital of Pierre it does provide the focus on a great holiday in this part of the world.
The route will take in a number of impressive geographical features starting off with the Sioux Falls after which the state’s largest city is named. Over 7000 gallons of water cascade down every second. That’s a lot of water by anyone’s standards.
Sioux Falls – South Dakota USA
The striking landscape of Badlands National Parks features a maze of buttes, canyons, pinnacles and spires. The native Lakota people gave this land its name, “mako sica,” meaning “land bad.” Erosion of the Badlands reveals sedimentary layers of different colors: purple and yellow, tan and grey, red and orange and white. Bison, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, mule and whitetail deer, prairie dogs, coyotes, eagles and hawks are amongst the wildlife you are likely to see.
Badlands – South Dakota USA
If Native American history and culture is your cup of tea then at Mitchell you will find a Prehistoric Indian Village that is more than 1,000 years old. On-going excavations and laboratory analyses are discovering more about how these people lived. A trip to the Akta Lakota Museum on the campus of the St Joseph’s Indian School in Chamberlain provides history and learning about Native American life in a unique way. Check out the mini-theater, interactive displays, English-Lakota descriptions, and its beautiful gift shop.
Finally there are a few attractions that you will want to check out that you might not have expected. Whilst visiting the Akta Lakota museum take in the Dignity Monument.
Dignity Monument – South Dakota USA
The sculpture was erected in 2016 near I-90 in honour of the 125th anniversary of South Dakota statehood. It depicts an indigenous woman in plains style attire. If you enjoy sculptures, then head to the Porter Sculpture Park at Exit 374 and spend time viewing the sculptures made by Wayne Porter who makes his sculptures mainly from junk metal.
If you are visiting South Dakota as a road trip that a trip to the Pioneer Auto Show at Murdo is a must. There are more than 30 buildings displaying it’s unrivaled collection of cars, motorcycles, tractors, scooters and bicycles. Plus other automobilia including gas pumps and antique toys. In case you are in the mood, they also have classic American cars for sale.
Rapid City is South Dakota’s second-largest city and this is the place to head for to see the Mount Rushmore Memorial, the Custer State Park and the Crazy Horse Memorial. Which is where we started. We have run out of space to do justice to everything South Dakota has to offer, we will be back again.
Mount Rushmore – South Dakota USA
Contact Maggie today to book your I-90 road trip and a meeting with four Presidents of the United States.
No words are needed to accompany Yanni’s “Santorini”. The song is dedicated to one of the most beautiful islands in the world. The song “Santorini” is said to be a timeless classic masterpiece since it manages to epitomise the music balance you can find in Greek Music and Greek nature.
Santorini – Yanni
Santorini is located some 120 miles off the coast of the Greek mainland and is the southern most of the Cyclades islands. The island was the site of one of the largest recorded volcanic eruptions 3600 years ago.
Santorini – Sea View Caldera
Today the island’s volcanic past dictates its landscape but also makes it the perfect getaway island if you are thinking of heading for Greece. The main remaining landscape feature is the cauldron shaped caldera (rim of an old volcano) which is largely submerged but gives the island its distinctive shape and geography.
Santorini – Mountain View
Oia one of the island’s most visited villages, it is known as the best place to view the sunset, argued by many to be amongst the best sunset views in the world.
Santorini Sunset
Oia is built on the steep slope of the caldera, the houses, restaurants and other buildings are built close together they look like they might all collapse on top of each other and fall into the sea. The idyllic surroundings of the town are dominated by a complex of white washed, blue domed churches and charming, traditional Cycladic houses and cave houses that are carved into the rock face on top of the cliff. The village captures the essence of the island. If you want something different then a trip to Mesa Gonia might be for you. After the island was hit by an earthquake in 1965, Mesa Gonia became a ghost town. Wild cats are now its main inhabitants.
Santorini at Night
Be prepared for steps everywhere, it is as if the word flat does not exist on the island. However what you get for your efforts are the most amazing views, whether you are looking down, up or across, make sure you have your camera to the ready. The island caters for a wide range of visitors and offers a full repertoire of accommodation from the basic to the most luxurious. For water sport enthusiasts, head to Perissa and Kamari where you can take part in diving, waterskiing wind-kiting and banana-boating. The black sandy beaches here are also ideal for sitting back and relaxing.
To book your trip to see one of the best sunsets in the world, contact Maggie today.
It’s the Sunny Side of Life is probably not on many people’s playlists, but the Maldives continues to be one of the most popular long-haul holiday destinations for UK travellers thanks to its picturesque islands, white sand beaches and crystal-clear lagoons. The song was Official song of MATATO Maldives Travel Awards 2015. It is regularly used in tourism material by the Maldives Tourism Authorities.
It’s the Sunny Side of Life
The Maldives has undergone an expansion of its tourism infrastructure in recent years offering more choice for travellers. Visitor figures to the Maldives grew prior to Covid with UK visitors comprising 7.3% of the total market share.
The Maldives – Beach View
The Maldives are said to be the most romantic destination on earth. Each resort is a private enclave perched on an individual island, providing its occupants with exclusive tranquillity. Imagine waking up on the private island, surrounded by swaying palm trees, azure blue sea and pristine soft white sand every day. From the moment you touch down to the moment you leave you will be pampered all the way.
The Maldives – Night View
The islands are considered to be one of the best snorkelling/diving locations in the world. In many resorts you can snorkel at any time of day. Swim in your own giant aquarium. You will be snorkelling amongst an variety of corals, sea turtles, reef sharks, stingrays, and numerous other forms of sea life.
Contact Maggie today to book your holiday in paradise.
Red Poppy Flowers on Monte Cassino / Czerwone Maki na Monte Cassino
This song was written shortly after the capture of the Monte Cassino, Italy on 18th May 1944. It is a tribute to thousands of soldiers who fell in the shadow of Monte Cassino Monastery. Over 1000 Poles lost their lives in the taking of the Monastery during May 1944. The words in English are:
“The red poppies on Monte Cassino Drank Polish blood instead of dew… O’er the poppies the soldiers did go ‘Mid death, and to their anger stayed true! Years will come and ages will go, Enshrining their strivings and their toil!… And the poppies on Monte Cassino Will be redder for Poles’ blood in their soil.”
Monte Cassino, Italy
We visit Monte Cassino this time, as an increasing number of tourists each year will travel not just to Italy, but throughout Europe, the USA and South East Asia to walk in the footsteps of those servicemen and woman who bravely fought in years gone past. Each has their own reason for doing this, some want to see where their relatives were posted, others out of historical interest or to give their visit to a country a purpose.
This story of the taking of Monte Cassino by the Allies is actually a very sad one. The Germans said that Monastery was to be a neutral zone, but the allies didn’t believe them and thought it was a ruse. It wasn’t and so it was bombed by the Allies killing innocent civilians and religious staff sheltering inside. Once attacked by the Allies the Germans then decided make the most of the strategic position on the Monastery and the hill to fortify the ruins and they proved to be a worthy foe.
War Memorial
There were over 55,0000 Allied casualties in the effort to take Monte Cassino, but its taking was part of the long and bitter struggle led to the taking of Rome, the first Axis capital to fall to the Allies and the turned the tide of the battle for control of Italy.
Paestrum, Salerno, Italy
Paestrum was a major Greek city on the southern Italian coast which is famous for its three temples that date back to around 550 to 450BC. The temples themselves are well preserved, as are the city walls and amphitheatre. There are many other wonderful sites that can be visited as part of your “Italian Campaign”. Contact Maggie today to arrange an interesting holiday to Italy.
Have you been to Florida or planning a trip to Florida? Then you are likely to have been to Orlando or Miami. How many of you have ever considered St Augustine? This is where our song takes us this time. “St Augustine at night” was a single released in October 2020 by the Californian based American Band “Dawes*”from their album “Good Luck with Whatever*” that reached No5 in the American Folk Chart.
St Augustine at Night – Dawes
St Augustine itself is the oldest city in the USA, it is home to the oldest wooden school house in the USA and it is the location of the oldest street in the USA. The St Augustine tourist authority describes the destination as full of old-world charm, historical monuments, unique attractions, world class shopping, sunny weather and beaches just minutes away. On that basis St Augustine makes an ideal holiday destination for everyone.
Aviles Street, St Augustine, Florida, USA
Aviles Street in St. Augustine is the oldest street in the USA. Archaeologists digging down several layers under the brick paving, have found pottery shards from the early 1600s. The Pilgrim Fathers didn’t land on the continent until 1620. This historic street is also St. Augustine’s original artist district, dating back to the 1930s when the Hamblin Hardware warehouse at 11 Aviles Street was transformed into studio and gallery spaces for artists. The street also boasts some of St Augustine’s oldest historical sites.
The Ximenez-Fatio House Museum is one of the best preserved colonial buildings in the town and is preserved to recall the first tourist boom in Florida from the 1830s to 1850s. The Spanish Military Hospital Museum is an authentic reconstruction of a military hospital that stood on this site during the Second Spanish Colonial Period (1784–1821) and depicts the state of care that was on offer during the 1790s.. Finally the Father O’Reilly House Museum that was constructed in 1691, purchased by Father Miguel O’Reilly in 1785. Father Miguel, an Irish priest in the service of the preserving the old values.
Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse in the USA, St Augustine, Florida, USA
The Oldest Wooden School House is cited as being the oldest wooden school building in the United States. The exact date of construction is unknown, but it first appears on tax records in 1716. We know that it cannot have been built before 1702 because the British burnt the City to the ground. Since 1937 the building has been encircled by a large chain, to help anchor it to the ground in case of a hurricane. The classroom was one of the first in the US to be co-ed educating both boys and girls since 1788.
Bridge of Lions, St Augustine, Florida, USA
In 1982, the Bridge of Lions was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It was built in the mid-1920s as a way for cars to travel from St. Augustine on the mainland to Anastasia Island The bridge is a double-leaf bascule bridge, also known simply as a drawbridge, which allows commercial and recreational boats to pass through a center channel when the moveable span is in the up position. It poses a magical image at dusk as it is all lit up.
There is plenty more to see in St Augustine. We haven’t even mentioned the pirates!! I hope that the video above by “Dawes” has inspired you to find out more about this beautiful city, often forgotten as a holiday destination due the bright lights and thrill rides of destinations like Miami and Orlando.
Call Maggie today and book your “Florida Holiday full of Old World Charm”. Let someone else take the stress out of booking your 2021 break.
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Maybe not the best known song containing Gibraltar but in this post we start off with Gibraltar by Maxi Priest. You might be more familiar with “Rock of Gibraltar” by Frankie Laine. If you would like to reacquaint yourself with this song about a brush salesman, click here .
The video below was recorded in 2016 and as you will be able to see was filmed on the rock a few days before his first public performance on the song at the Gibraltar Music Festival.
He wrote the song, he said, for many different reasons.
“As a kid I remember my mother always used to say to me ‘you’ve got to be solid as the Rock of Gibraltar’ and we just kind of took it because it had a ring to it but not really knowing the full meaning to it. Then coming here and its history immediately made me click… in a funny way emotionally, it is something your parents said to you and you’d use it, you’d say it but you never really quite understood exactly what it meant.”
Maxi Priest – Gibraltar
If you have a look at the current travel corridors, Gibraltar is one place that you can travel to at the time of writing without having a Covid test prior or on entry and there is no need to quarantine on your return. Daytime temperatures are average around 16oC in January and can get into the low 20s. It is pleasant enough to sit out and eat lunch during the day, but gets a bit chilly for dinner in the evening.
Although Gibraltar is relatively small, there is still plenty to do. Scenery wise there is a little bit of everything. There are beaches which during the winter you might not want to sit on but they are great places to walk, take in the sea air and the views. There is plenty of history on Gibraltar due to its geography at the entrance of the Mediterranean Sea which has been a highly valued possession. You will find a mixture of influences and reminders of the Romans, the Moors, the Spanish and the British all over the island.
St Micheal’s Cave – Gibraltar – visitgibraltar.gi
St Michael’s Cave is one of the many wonders of Gibraltar, and has enticed visitors for hundreds of years. While staying in Gibraltar it’s well worth paying a visit. The cave is actually a series of caves that are 300m above sea level. They are Gibraltar’s main tourist attraction with over 1,000,000 visitors a year. One of the largest caves serves as an auditorium and during WW2 the caves served as a hospital.
You cannot visit Gibraltar without seeing the Barbary Macaques, these monkey inhabitants of the rock are the only monkeys on the continent of Europe. They are well looked after in the Gibraltar nature reserve that covers 40% of the country.
Barbary Macaque – African coastline of Morocco in the background.
Two other attractions I wouldn’t want to miss out on if I were going on a short break. One would be the 11th century Moorish castle complex. In its heyday it was much larger that it is today. Look out for The Tower of Homage and the Gate House. In 1704 the British flag was placed on top of the castle and it still files today. The other would be the Great Siege Tunnels which were built at the end of the 18th century during the Great Siege of Gibraltar when France and Spain attempted to capture Gibraltar. The tunnels dug out by hand mainly using sledgehammers and crowbars with the occasional gunpowder blast are impressive.
Moorish Castle and view over Gibraltar. visitgibraltar.gi
Book your short break to Gibraltar with Maggie today.
“Kiss Kiss” is probably the most famous song to come out of Turkey but you didn’t realise it. The original song “Şımarık” was a hit for Tarken, a German born Turkish singer. You are probably more familiar with the versions by the Greek-American singer Stella Soleil in 2001, which was itself covered by the Australian actress Holly Valance a year later.
Kiss Kiss, Şımarık, Simarik – Tarkan
So today we are off to one of Turkey’s main tourist destinations the Antalya region. The area is famous historically as the centre of the Lycian Empire and was the last region on the Mediterranean Sea to become part of the Roman Empire. You cannot go far without coming across reminders of its past. If visiting the area you must take some time out to see Hadrian’s Gate located in Antalya city centre and the rock tombs in Myra.
Rock Tombs
The main resort of Antalya offers a wide range of hotel accommodation from luxury hotels to small boutique hotels and there are a range of beaches to suit everyone’s’ needs whether its small and quite or big and noisy. The best months to visit weather wise are May to October. Daytime highs during these months are 26°C and above, with only a slight chance of rain.
Beaches – Antalya
Çıralı, one of Antalya’s most beautiful quieter beaches. Here you will find the ancient Lycian city of Olympos. You can walk among the ruins after a day of lying on the beach. For more serious walkers there is the “Lycian Trail”. This is a marked walking trail that takes approximately 29 days to trek, taking in 25 historical sights over a distance of more than 500 kilometers.
Call Maggie today and book your “Turkish Delight”. Let someone else take the stress out of booking your 2021 break.
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