Teruel, Up, Up On The Mountain

La Escalinata (Teruel)

I know it's been a while, but I guess I got hooked up with life, not to say a bit lazy, but time is our eternal enemy and that's a very good excuse.

In mid october I went for a day trip to Teruel, a small mountainous Spanish city north of Valencia, in the Aragon Province, best known for it's Lovers and Mudejar architecture style.  

First of all when you walk on Teruelesque earth comming from the train stration you are welcomed by La Escalinata, a quite long stair, to keep you fit. This stair is made in a beautiful Mudejar style and it's like nothing I've ever seen before.

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Top 10 European Travel Destinations

Europe is packed with must see historical places, but one probably would need a lifetime to see them all. Here I created a list of the top 10 European travel destinations to help you with your research.

Top 10 European Travel Destinations #10
ATHENS, Greece
Top 10 European Travel DestinationsThe history of Athens begins more then 3000 years ago when during the prehistoric times its first inhabitants created their first settlement on the rock of Acropolis. Athens is a city of contradictions, as frustrating as it is seductive. It is the oldest city in Europe, yet still in a state of transition. It’s one of Europe’s safest and liveliest destinations – a heady mix of grunge and grace with an undeniable urban soul.

Top 10 European Travel Destinations #9
DUBLIN, Ireland
Top 10 European Travel DestinationsProbably most people wouldn´t include Dublin in the top 10 European travel destinations, except the Irish of course, but I certainly love Dublin and I think it deserves to be on the list. Dublin is not the typical capital, busy and ugly with modern sky scrapers. Dublin has mostly houses. Your can barely spot a tall building in the whole city. And the locals are so friendly, you won´t even remember you are in a capital. The Irish green, the luck of the Irish and the Irish pubs are all to be tried. Be careful with the leprechauns!

Top 10 European Travel Destinations #6
ROME, Italy
Top 10 European Travel DestinationsRome is the Eternal City, the city founded by Remus and Romulus. Here, modern and old, past and present go side by side all the time. Whether you are in Rome for 3 days, 3 weeks or 3 months, be prepared to step into the world’s biggest open air museum.

Top 10 European Travel Destinations #5
VENICE, Italy
Top 10 European Travel DestinationsVenice pays tribute to the waters a few centimeters every year, like a captive princess to a beast. Get lost on the Venetian streets without a map if you want to discover the full beauty of this unique European destination. Best time to visit Venice is during the carnival period in February, but in the meantime, be prepared to face the crowds as this is high season for Venice. No matter when you visit Venice, don´t do it by yourself. Be in love!

Top 10 European Travel Destinations #4
BARCELONA, Spain

Top 10 European Travel DestinationsBarcelona never sleeps and Gaudi is omnipresent like a God. With a warm climate throughout the year, this is a destination you can visit anytime, as many times as you want. Barcelona is alive, colorful and sexy 24/7 and it will make you feel the same too.

Top 10 European Travel Destinations #3
AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands
Top 10 European Travel DestinationsSometimes referred to as "The Venice of the North", Amsterdam is bike friendly, sex friendly and drugs friendly which makes it one of the most tourist friendly destinations in the world. With a stunning architecture, criss-crossing canals and top museums, Amsterdam is the third on my top 10 European travel destinations because it offers the visitor a different perspective on life.

Top 10 European Travel Destinations #2
LONDON, UK

Top 10 European Travel DestinationsWith many internationally well known sights, London is a must visit city. The traditional red English phone booths will guarantee you the most envied by friends photo from your European holiday. They will congratulate your for your originality. Let them do that, don´t spoil it. You are a grown up and can keep a secret. People are cuing to have their picture taken in the red phone booths. Before you visit the Buckingham Palace, stop by the supermarket and buy some peanuts. Than, after watching the change of the guards, go for a walk in the beautiful park in front of the palace and feed the squirrels. They will definitely thank you for that and ask for more. And last but not least, London is the European travel destination for musicals. Go see at least one!

Top 10 European Travel Destinations #1
PARIS, France

Top 10 European Travel DestinationsThe "city in love" is nevertheless the Nº 1 travel destination in Europe. Lovers from all around the world meet next to the banks of the River Seine, shopping lovers explore shiny shop windows, art lovers wonder in front of Venus de Milo and Mona Lisa and romantics climb the Eiffel Tower. But this symbols of Paris are just the surface. What makes Paris the Nº 1 European travel destination are the atmosphere, the cafes, the never ending walks one can take around the city without ever getting bored. The most vivid memory I have from Paris is bathing my tired feet in the fountains in front of The Louvre Museum, along with so many other tourists from every corner of the world. How do I know Paris is the European Travel Destination? Easy! Every time I plan a trip and the destination question pops up, my answer is always the same: Paris!

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Halloween in Europe

Halloween is a European holiday at core. It basically drags it´s roots from the Celtic festival of Samhain which celebrated summer's end. Halloween was taken to US by the Irish immigrants. Though nowadays Halloween is thoroughly celebrated all over US and is one of the most important US holidays, Europe celebrates Halloween too. Wearing costumes and attending costume parties, dining in Halloween decorated restaurants, ghost tours, watching horror movies and telling scary stories are common Halloween activities in Europe. Trick or treating is not as common but is not unheard of in some counties.
See the bat on top of the Valencian Town Hall


And on top of "La Puerta del Mar" (Sea Door) from Valencia

I love Valencia by night as the streets are inundated by this pumpkin like light color. Last night everybody was there: The Kitties, The Nurses, The Wiches, The Devils, The Vampires who don´t show of in pictures because they are, well, vampires, even characters from Alice in Wonderland. It was a hell of a Halloween party!

Valencia BatHalloween in Europe Halloween in Europe Halloween in EuropeHalloween in Europe Halloween in Europe

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Cheap Europe Accommodation - Etap Hotels Review

Cheap Accomodation in Europe - Etap Hotels ReviewEtap Hotels are a cheaper alternative to the traditional hotels and a more comfortable alternative to the youth hostels. Basically one could say Etap Hotels are somewhere in between the hotels and the hostels. I want to make it clear right from the beginning of this review that I have no connection whatsoever with Etap Hotels. I am simply a backpacker grateful to have discovered an Etap Hotel just behind the Munich main rail station while looking desperately for budget accommodation in an expensive city. Since then I´ve stayed in different Etap Hotels around Europe and they grew on me because every time I opened a hotel room door it felt like home as I knew what to expect. It´s like McDonald´s - everywhere same quality.

Remember that Etap Hotels are budget accommodation. In some countries they are not even considered hotels. If you are looking for luxury, a 4* or a 5* hotel is probably better for you. Etap Hotels are meant for people who don't want to spend much money on accommodation and for that they are great value. And they are far cleaner and comfortable than a slightly cheaper youth hostel with dorms for 12 people.

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Valencia Travel - The Silk Exchange

The Silk Exchange (La Lonja de la Seda), Valencia

Today I´ve visited La Lonja de la Seda (The Silk Exchange) in Valencia for the thousandth time. I love it. The entrance is free and the place is not very big and lacks furniture, but it is really refreshing and castle like, with huge doors, very high ceiling and enormous columns. The Silk Exchange was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996 for being one of the most stunning, most important and best preserved examples of Late Gothic architecture in the entire Europe.
The Silk Exchange (La Lonja de la Seda), ValenciaThe Silk Exchange (La Lonja de la Seda), ValenciaThe Silk Exchange (La Lonja de la Seda), ValenciaThe Silk Exchange (La Lonja de la Seda), ValenciaThe Silk Exchange (La Lonja de la Seda), Valencia The Silk Exchange (La Lonja de la Seda), Valencia

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