Archive for October 3rd, 2008
England is a most beautiful and wonderful nation to visit for a vacation. There are a great many visitor attractions well worth a visit perfectly suited for all tastes. There is the ancient city of York which has been inhabited since the days of the Romans, Torquay (which is widely known as the English Riviera) and Liverpool (which won the title of European City of Culture in 2008). One place to visit that should not be missed is London the capital city of the U. K.
London is an amazing city to visit, possibly just for a weekend or, hopefully for longer. You would be surprised at how many folk who reside in the United Kingdom who have never visited London, this is especially surprising when you are mindful of the fact it is commonly top of the vast majority of visitors lists (of places they enjoyed most).
There are so many things to see and do in London that it is almost impossible to recall them all at once. Surprisingly one of the newest attractions in London also happens to be one of the most popular - The London Eye. Another popular attraction nearby to the London Eye is the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. However, one place which must not be missed is Buckingham Palace.
Buckingham Palace is England’s most well known Royal residence, possibly because it is home to Queen Elizabeth II of England. The Palace is to be found right in the very center of London which makes it the perfect focus for visitors. The daily pageant of ‘Changing of the Guard’ is interesting to watch and ever so English.
Buckingham Palace was originally known as Buckingham House. It was originally a large town house, constructed in 1703 for the Duke of Buckingham. It is actually the townhouse which forms the main core of the palace as we are familiar with today.
Over the subsequent 3 quarters of a century Buckingham House was made larger by the addition of 3 wings creating a central courtyard. The main architects responsible for these constructions were John Nash and Edward Blore. John Nash was also responsible for the interior design of the monumental staterooms.
The famous architect Aston Webb was responsible for the creation of the principal facade of Buckingham Palace which, in 1912, he re-designed. Webb together with the sculptor Sir Thomas Brock were the winners of a competition to design a memorial to Queen Victoria. This memorial still exists today.
The Queen has many other royal residences other than Buckingham Palace. Each and every year the Queen stays, at Sandringham House in Norfolk, during the Christmas period. Sandringham House is actually privately owned by the Queen (classed as a private royal residence.
A further private residence is Balmoral Castle, in Royal Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Queen Elizabeth was in residence at Balmoral Castle when she was told of the tragic accident involving Princess Diana.
If you would like to take a vacation in England you might be surprised to discover that it is possible to find a cheap London hotel without too much difficulty, on the other hand you may wish to reside in more luxurious accommodation and the fine selection of boutique hotels in London should more than satisfy.
Prior to deciding where to stay in Christchurch New Zealand, it is worth considering all the options. You may be staying in Christchurch on business, checking up on family, or just touring around. You may be on financial limitations, looking for a luxurious romantic getaway or wanting comfortable accommodation with facilities to suit your needs.
It does not take long by international standards to get to the central city from any of the suburbs.
If you prefer to stay in the country, among some of our sheep, then you will be able to stay in the country with around a 30 minute drive to be in the city. Even during peak travel times it would take around 45 minutes.
Christchurch has a population of around 368,000 people.
Travelling from the beaches to the central city is roughly a 15 to 30 minute drive. By bus you will be looking at 25 to 40 minutes plus any time spent waiting for the next bus.
Christchurch streets are laid out in a network of squares with many streets tucked in behind the main streets. Hotels, motels, apartments and even bed and breakfasts can be found in places undiscovered by the tourist.
Like any city, Christchurch also has places you will not necessarily be aware of. One of our fancied spots is the suburb of Sumner found on the beach at the foot of the Port Hills.
This is a little village offering very much its own village atmosphere and a relaxed setting. There are a selection of Christchurch beaches where you will find a place to stay, most of the other beaches are on a more open strip of beach front from South Brighton up to Spencer Park.
There are some delightful places to stay on the Port Hills, the backdrop to Christchurch City. Accommodation on the hills tends to be more the homestay or bed and breakfast type of accommodation.
Usually the large Christchurch Hotels are found in the Christchurch Central Business District, although there are some out by the airport. There are Christchurch hotels with a smaller amount of accommodation found in most parts of Christchurch including Christchurch beaches, the suburbs and the Christchurch rural area.
Rangiora is a small town to the north of Christchurch. Many people commute from there to their work in the city. To stay away from the city, you may enjoy a stay either in Rangiora or in the rural area between there and the city.
The rural area around Christchurch offers a selection of homestays, farmstays or bed and breakfast accommodation as well as a choice of lodges.
For any art class or student, coming to Barcelona is always an inspiration, an excitement and very possibly a dream for many foreign artists (whether coming from Britain, Germany, France or any other country). Just seeing Gaudi’s work, the Picasso museum and the Miro museum is such an inspiration; I should know as I too was once one of those art students visiting Barcelona for these very three reasons. However, above all that, can you imagine actually being able to exhibit your work in Barcelona? The answer is probably yes, but actually going further than imagining it is beyond most budding artists’ wildest dreams.
Well, there’s a new organisation that can make these dreams come true. They’re called Untitled Barcelona and they arose from the idea that two friends had that art should be accessible to everyone. According to Jessica Casey and Xavier Kaye, no-one should feel intimidated about art, visiting new exhibitions and going after what they want, no matter how old they are, how much money they have or how much ‘art-speak’ they know. So they decided to create a space in the centre of Barcelona where anyone can exhibit their work.
For a small fee, this organisation provides art students with a once in a lifetime opportunity (for most) to exhibit in the centre of one of the most contemporary art melting pots in Europe and maybe even the world. They provide all necessary marketing for a week long exhibition and even provide you with a full week of cultural and arty activities so that you can make the most of your time in the city. The company also provides similar experiences for young, up and coming artists, no matter what their situation.
Even if you’re not a budding Picasso or the next Miro, this gallery is one hundred percent worth the visit. Who knows, you could be one of the first people to see work from the next big name in the art world.
Find Untitled Barcelona in Barcelona and London ad be sure to visit their site http://www.untitledbcn.com/ for more information (or for just a snoop at the gallery).
Barcelona! Famous for Gaudi, Picasso and Miro right? But what about Pablo L
ABOUT
The Christian Travel Site
