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Archive for February, 2009

Queen of the DanubePeople travel for various reasons, some people head out for some much needed rest and relaxation, while others are compelled to travel for work or business and yet others travel in order to see the famous sights and learn about new cultures. Often some travelers undertake a journey to a specific destination in order to enjoy a particular festival or event keeping in line with their passions. If you belong to the later group and especially enjoy the Arts and Cultural event then you should try not to miss the spectacular Budapest Spring Festival which is scheduled to take place at various venues in the charming Hungarian capital of Budapest from the 20th of March to the 5th of April 2009.

This gorgeous city which is dotted with imposing buildings and historic open squares provides a perfect setting for the Budapest Spring Festival. This cultural extravaganza  was first held in Budapest (which is also known as the Queen of the Danube as it has the mighty river flowing through it) in1981 and since then it has grown into a two week  affair that includes orchestral and chamber concerts, jazz, contemporary dance, film screenings, exhibitions and much more. This largest annual cultural event in Hungary features more than 200 events and showcases the amazing talents of a whole host of Hungarian performers and composers as well as those of several international artists.

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All around the world naturists gather to celebrate their love of the human body in its most natural form - completely naked. Many of these spectacular events are clothing-optional and almost all of them are in good taste (sorry, we skipped the sin-sizzling festivals when compiling our list of favorites). Check out a few of the world’s top nude events!

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Image Credit: Ehvivi!

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Satirical NinotsFiestas are almost synonymous with Spanish culture. All over Spain several towns and cities celebrate annual fiestas which more often than not involve much merry making and revelry as these fiestas are usually held to honor a patron saint. However one of the wildest fiestas to be held in all of Spain is the one that is held every March in the port city of Valencia, known as Las Fallas. The dates of Las Fallas are fixed and the festival is celebrated over four days from the 15th to the 19th of March every year.

Traditions

Apart from the parades, carnivals, bull fights, festival markets that feature in almost every fiesta, Las Fallas includes certain unique traditions which are not found in any other Spanish fiestas. The central theme of Las Fallas is ‘the fires’ and the festival involves the creation, the placement and the ultimate destruction of about 800 ninots which are life-like figures that are fashioned out of wood, cardboard and plaster. These ninots are satirical renditions of political figures and other controversial figures from Spanish life. The ninots are sponsored and created by neighborhood organizations called ‘fallas’. Valencia has 350 fallas or neighborhood associations who members  are known as falleros. All the falleros  participate enthusiastically in this wild celebration which involves much fire power. read more

For a state that is rated the fourth lowest in population density in the entire United States, it comes as a surprise to many that the economy of Montana is based to a large degree on tourism. Right away, we should see this indicative of the fact that there are lots to see in Montana, and that a trip there could in fact be a very good time. Tourism in Montana is based on the natural wonders of the state and includes such things as the ski resorts in the winter time, Glacier National Park, the site where the battle of Little Bighorn took place, as well as the majority of the entrances into Yellowstone National Park.

Rushing Glacier National Park read more

Florida for many represents the perfect place to visit. An oceanfront paradise right within the continental United States, and for many, a holiday to Florida can’t be beat. Even when staying at some of the nicest resorts in the area, a holiday to Florida can be much more affordable than a stay at a resort elsewhere due to the drastically reduced travel costs for most visitors coming to the area.  Also, the ease presented by not having to arrange for international travel makes a vacation at a Florida resort the holiday of choice for thousands of Americans every year.

Vivid view of Downtown Miami read more