If you have every visited Barcelona, you know it is a place best experienced over a few months instead of a few days. Fortunately, the people of Barcelona know it as well.
Staying in Barcelona for Extended Periods
Like a fine wine, drinking in Barcelona shouldn't be rushed. Visit the city for two or three days and you will get only a small, rushed taste of the flavor of Barcelona. If you have time to spend weeks or months in Barcelona, you should do it. Staying in a hotel, however, isn't particularly attractive. Don't worry, Barcelona has a solution for you.
One of the biggest problem with staying anywhere for an extended period is the lack of accommodation. This is hardly the case in Barcelona. The city has a monstrous apartment rental industry devoted to visitors looking to stay for weeks, months or even a year.
As you might imagine, the apartments come in a variety of styles and prices. Almost universally, they come fully furnished with furniture, linen, towels and so on. Most, however, do not include cleaning, laundry, cooking and so on. Depending on how much you are willing to pay, you can get all of these.
The first step to finding weekly or monthly accommodation in Barcelona is to figure out where you want to stay. While your first thought may be to head to the most attractive, busy section of the city, you need to give it some thought. Yes, it is good to be close to everything, but Barcelona is a late night, bustling place. If you want to take a break from the fun madness, you might find the noise associated with living in the middle of the city is a bit much.
The most popular area of Barcelona is Ciutat Vella, also known as the old city. This is where the action is with nightlife and the exotic tastes of Barcelona. It has an old Roman feel, but never really seems to shut down. The old city is the central tourist destination, so finding accommodations is simple since they are very plentiful. Costs depend on quality, but you can expect to pay $100 to as much as you can splurge per night. Extremely nice places can be had for $150 to $200 a night, which isn't a bad deal if you bring a second person with you.
Barcelona is best experienced over time. Pick up weekly or monthly accommodations and you will enjoy yourself immensely.
Rick Chapo is with Nomad Journals - makers of writing journals for travel. Visit NomadJournalTrips.com for more Internet travel articles on monthly apartment rentals in Barcelona.
Avila, Spain
Madrid is a city almost without equal in Europe. If you need a break from it, you can take a day trip to Avila to catch a bit of fresh air and see some amazing sites.
Avila, Spain
Madrid has so much going on it is often hard to drag yourself away from. You will, however, eventually need a break. A day trip to Avila, a town near Madrid, is definitely worth a trip. In fact, a visit to Avila is a must if you visit Spain. The town is so popular, there are over 20 trains a day from Madrid.
Avila is in the south of Old Castile, part of the Castile and Leon autonomous district. The city was originally known for Teresa of Avila, a Roman Catholic mystic. The cathedral in the city is also considered a masterpiece. While this is no doubt fascinating to you, the real attraction of Avilla is the defensive fortification.
Were you addicted to the Lord of the Rings movies? Enjoy reading about Camelot? Have a thing for castles? You are going to love Avila. The town is home to the second largest defensive walls in the world. Known as Las Murallas, the walls were built in the eleventh century. They are a couple miles long and average 40 feet in height. The walls are partitioned by over 80 towers that reach as high as 65 feet, the equivalent of a six-story building. There are nine gates allowing you to enter and exit the town. All and all, the Avila Walls are a site to be seen.
The amazing thing about the walls is their condition. They are in a near perfect state. If you did not know better, you would swear they were built last week. Happily, you can tromp up and down the towers and walk across the top of the walls. Looking out over the area surrounding Avila, you get a definite feel for what it must have been like for a soldier to defend the city.
Keep in mind Avila is at a high elevation. It can be cold in the winter and blazing hot in the summer.
Rick Chapo is with Nomad Journals - makers of writing journals for travel. Visit NomadJournalTrips.com for more Internet travel articles on the walled city near Madrid.
Tanzania Culture vs. the Tourist
Cultural additions are the latest fashion when taking a safari in Tanzania. I think this is a good thing although I must admit to having one or two misgivings. The people and culture of Tanzania are wonderful and to share this culture is an inexpressible privilege.
A genuine experience, a cultural encounter of the third kind should be top of your list if you are planning to pack your bags and head out for sunny Tanzania. There are, of course, many pseudo experiences on offer. An off-the-shelf cultural tour just won't cut the mustard; you will quite simply be left feeling ripped off.
Every town in high season has its groups of self conscious western tourists doing their best to fit into the surrounds, when in fact they so painful don't belong. The white skins of the northern Europeans freshly pinked from the cruel African sun. There they stand huddled into a group unsure of which way to go, what to do and looking thoroughly harassed.
A good start to enjoying your cultural experience is to organise a home visit and not to try too hard. Show respect; and don't be afraid of the dreaded silence. Sometimes it is better to accept the silence and thereby allow everyone to settle into the stillness. We in the west feel a silence is a void that must be filled at all costs. Do not fear the silence; fear being the fool who rushes in to make a noise where none is necessary.
The visit to a school or better still to visit a home cannot be rushed. Leave your watch at the hotel; it is an instrument of torment for a westerner in Africa. To share food, if offered is a must, to refuse is a slur to your host. Once you have eaten don't hang around for too long. Your host will normally wait for you to say you are leaving. It is not rude to leave as soon as you have eaten. Many times the finishing of a meal can signal the end to the visit.
Your new found friends will now be able to show you places you would not normally get to see. You now have a personal guide who knows the area and the language, who is not trying to sell you curious or a safari you don't want. Suddenly you are not a tourist.
The next stage is to progress from the home visit is short term voluntary work. These may last from a day or two to a few weeks, hospitals, schools or building projects are the norm. The experience is life changing – for everyone. Remember, however poor you may think you are, by third world standards you not. Do not resent your guests if they seem preoccupied with what you consider to be your money. Accept it, deal with it, and don't make into an issue of discontent.
These trips can end in tears if not handled properly. I have witnessed, very occasionally, people struggling with the local customs, living conditions, food and especially the lack of water. Plan your visit and look for an organisation, or tour operator that is able to place you in a community and situation that you will feel comfortable. Do not try to become a hard core mission worker in one afternoon.
The Tanzanian people are truly friendly and love to welcome guests into their homes. The experience is indeed remarkable for individuals or couples. The secret is to relax and be prepared for a few surprises and don't be afraid to laugh with your hosts. You will return home a better person for your experience. Be warned, that once you begin to enjoy Tanzania you will return again and again.
For more information on these issues or any relating to Tanzania see htpp://www.tanzania-info.co.uk and http://www.betheladventure.co.uk tourism can change lives.
