medestino.com travel blog: December 2011

Friday, 16 December 2011

Old Orhei

Old Orhei is one of the most beautiful places and rocky monasteries in Moldova. This archaeological complex is an open-air museum situated between the villages Trebujeni and Butuceni 60 km North East from Chistanau.

The name Orhei means “fortification”. Earlier at the beginning of the XIV century the Golden Horde conquered this territory. But later inhabitants moved 18 km to the North, to the new Orhei and since then that medieval city Orhei was named «Old Orhei».

The museum complex Old Orhei is a system of historical monuments and natural landscapes. It consists of few promontories. The central promontory in Old Orhei is called Pestere. Its name derives from the many caves carved in it ('Pestere' is translated from Romanian as 'caves'). The Butuceni headland contributes to the Old Orhei very well. Together with the Pestere promontory it forms complete complex harmonizing from all points of view. The Butuceni promontory is great from both geological view and the view point of unique scenery. It has tens of calcareous slates, spacious caves, small grottos. The wonderful view and ancient traces impress every guest of this place.

Old Orhei is famous for the cave monasteries located there. This zone was ideal for the primary monasticism of early Christian community. It was isolated from the outer world. At the time when Christians came here there must have been smaller and bigger caves in the calcareous rocks cut by pre-historic tribes living on this territory. Christian life in the Old Orhei caves became eternal and saint. In the medieval period monastery life intensification made monks to deepen the caves. There also appeared new caves. Nowadays some caves are preserved well. Others were damaged, mainly by earthquakes which are frequent in this area. The researches show that tens of monasteries fell into waters of Raut River. However still many complexes are in good condition.

Another construction of great interest is the Turkish bath. It appeared when the Golden Horde conquered this territory. The city existing here was turned into oriental one with the name Shehr al-Cedid.

Adapted from:

http://www.worldofmoldova.com/en/attractions-of-moldova/old-orhei/

http://micora-tur.md/Moldova.html

http://dzeso.livejournal.com/274734.html

http://www.photoforum.ru/photo/404672/index.ru.html

SZIGET FESTIVAL

"An electronically amplified, warped amusement park that has nothing to do with reality”[1]

Location: Óbudai-Island, Budapest, Hungary

Official website: www.szigetfestival.com

Szigetoffical: http://www.youtube.com/user/szigetofficial

Sziget Festival is one of the biggest music and culture festivals in Europe. It is growing year by year giving home to more than 1000 performances in 2011. Since 2002 it is called Sziget Fesztivál, but before it was called Diáksziget and Pepsi Sziget. All the events are taking place on an island surrounded by Danube River, which also contribute to the festival’s exclusive atmosphere.

There are numerous stages, party halls, installations, chilling tents and bars all around the area, so everybody can find the right place for himself! Most of the people arrive here with tents and live on this unique amusement island for one week. The performing music bands are varying from rock through jazz to electro and national folk groups. During the day food stands, hi-tech games, competitions, handmade product shopping, sunbathing and cultural events are in focus, and after the sun goes down the party night begins with concerts of the most popular singers, DJs and bands from all around the world. For 7 days in every August the place becomes ‘an island which never sleeps’.

Not only for Hungarians is the festival a beloved spot, a great number of English, French, German, Italian, Irish and Dutch people also come to visit every year.

The upcoming Sziget will be held between 6-13, in August 2012, and since the first festival was held in 1993, this is going to be the 20^th birthday of the event!!!! Don’t miss it!! Come to Budapest, Hungary in August, believe me you won’t regret it!!! ;)

[1] http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sziget-Festival/104125199624946

Photos and article adapted from:

http://www.festivals2go.com/en/galleries/galleries-detail/images//sziget-festival-2010/-/1/

http://www.beoclick.com/clanak/Karte-za-Sziget-festival

http://sziget.hu/festival_english/news/date_nr._20..12655.html#.TudSorK8tWg

Wednesday, 14 December 2011

Potala Palace Tibet

The Potala Palace, located in Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, China, was the residence of the Dalai Lama until the 14^th Dailai Lama fled away. The construction of the palace started in 1645, as an advice of Konchog Chophel, saying that the site was ideal as a seat of government. The Potala Palace was inscribed to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1994. Today the palace is a museum.

The White Palace is a part of Potala Place. It was also the living area of the Dalai Lama. It was originally built during the lifetime of the 5^th Dalai Lama in 1649. Then it was extended to its size today by the 13^th Dalai Lama in the early twentieth century.

Rapid modernization of this area became a concern for UNESCO. Thus the Chinese government responded by enacting a rule preventing building any construction taller than 21 meters. The number of visitors to the palace is strictly controlled, which was 1600 a day, and now around 6000 visitors would descend on the site during the peak period. Thus it is better to visit the palace during the period from July to September.

Article and photos adapted from:

http://www.nipic.com/show/1/62/70c593ba7d83adfc.html

http://htoto.tuchong.com/152030/

Friday, 9 December 2011

Night in Belgium

There are a lot of wonderful places in Belgium that are worth to visit.

One of them is Ghent. Small, student town by the river, with a lot of bars and restaurants. There are some specialties like the liquor “jenever” also called Dutch gin for aperitif and spare ribs for dinner. In Belgium all restaurants close very early, Belgian people seem to live a healthy life and do not eat after 6 pm. So hurry up to book a table because in some spots in Ghent you may stand for hours in line, waiting for the table. Nevertheless you won’t regret any minute of it – meal will be delicious, beyond your every expectation. After dinner it is time to go to a small and cozy bar, they are so different and each of them has something special.

The time here is passing slowly with no hurry in the air.

Night sightseeing in Ghent will bring you many pleasure minutes. It feels like you are in the town from a Fairy-tail…

Cricova

Cricova is a nice small town, not so far away from the capital of Moldova Chisinau. But what is it famous for?

Cricova is also the company of wine production, there are the 2 largest wine cellars after Milesti Mici in Moldova, which makes it very attractive for the tourists. The cellars are 120 km of labyrinthine roadways, versus MM's 200 km; the tunnels have existed under Cricova since the 15th century, when limestone was dug out to help build Chișinău. They were converted into an underground wine emporium in the 1950s. Half of the roadways are used for wine storage. The roads are named by the wine they store. This "wine city" has its warehouse, tasting rooms and other facilities underground. It goes down to 100 metres (330 ft) below ground and holds 1.25 million bottles of rare wine. The oldest wine dates back to 1902. The temperature is maintained at about 12 °C (54 °F) all year round (which is perfect for wine).

Cricova is one of the very few wineries in the world that produce sparkling wines in accordance with the classical French method, purportedly invented centuries ago by the monkDom Pierre Perignon- "Methode Champenoise".

Cricova makes a unique sparkling red wine, kodrinskoie-sparkling, made from cabernet sauvignon stocks and marketed as having a 'rich velvet texture and a blackcurrant and cherry taste.

The "Grand Cellars of Cricova" house a remarkable collection of wines – The National Oenotec. However, the pride of the Oenotec are, first of all, the wines bearing the name "Cricova", which brought the winery a collection of national and international tasting awards. As of 2008, the collection consists of over 70 silver, gold and Grand Prix awards.

Visit Moldova Cricova with Medestino.com!

Photos and article adapted from:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cricova_(winery)

http://allmoldova.com/uimg/Cricova/cricova180810_2.jpg

http://blogovine.ru/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/cricova-wine.jpg\

http://discovery.md/wp-content/gallery/cricova/cricova.jpg

http://discovery.md/wp-content/gallery/cricova/img_6591.jpg

http://globus-tur.md/ckfinder/userfiles/images/cricova-cellar.jpg

SAPA – “The town in fog”

Three days traveling in Sapa brings you a little of different feelings from the other parts of Vietnam. The climate is moderate, cool in the summer, foggy and cold in the winter with occasional snowfalls due to the geological high mountain and the close proximity to the border of China. In the spring time whole Sapa is blanketed soon by thickening fog and cloud, which makes the town look more mysterious.

This is, actually the great land to have a memorable vacation, which adding more color to your journey with Sapa’s hidden values, admiring beauty of the rich nature, sharing understanding of locals and even your interesting personal experience and cultures.

Sa Pa is a quiet mountain town and home to a great diversity of ethnic minority people: Hmong, Dao, Tay, Kinh… Most of them live in small villages and hamlets scattering in valleys and mountains. Luckily, in spite of all fast changes taken place in recent years, the ethnic minority people in Sapa still maintain well their colorful and unique culture. One of the attractive things of Sapa is the ethnic market. Even though, minority people live their life in self-subsidiary style, the need for exchanging their products is always strong. More significantly, this is a chance for everyone to meet others when they live in remote and isolated villages. The market, especially, is the place for youngsters to make friends and seek for love! Perhaps because of this reason, tribal people always dress up in their best colorful traditional costumes to go to the market like attending a festival.

All should be realized in a proper way as what you wish and do not forget to bring the gifted handicrafts of Sapa, which are made by skillful hands of the locals.

Article and photos adapted from:

http://www.sapa-vietnam.com/sapa-information/index.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sa_Pa#Topography

http://www.dulichag.com/Du_lich_Sapa.asp

http://sapaviettravel.com/photos-gallery/

http://blog.allpointseast.com/2011/03/enterprising-hmong/

The most beautiful river in the world – "river of five colors" Caño Cristales

Caño Cristales river flows in Colombia. The name of the river means "crystal creek" or "crystal river." Its unusual appearance resembles canvas of impressionists. Locals call this river "River of five colors."

Caño Cristales originates from the southern part of the country in the mountain chain called the Macarena and flows to the East until its confluence with the famous river Guayabero. Caño Cristales looks like an extraordinary series of rapids, valleys and waterfalls.

The water of Caño is very clean, if you look closely - you can easily see the bottom. It consists of several colors: red, yellow, black, blue and green. All these colors are the product of life of a large number of algal, colors change in every season.

Travel with medestino.com and discover the world!

Photos and article adapted from:

http://www.factroom.ru/facts/9179

The Natural Ink Lake

http://www.factroom.ru/facts/7151

This unique natural phenomenon is located near the town of Sidi Bel Abbes, Algeria. There are no fish or plants, only ink! The black ink the lake is filled instead of water is toxic to living organisms and is suitable only for writing.

This phenomenon was a mystery for scientists for a long period of time. However, recently it became clear, why such an unusual substance appeared.

It turned out that two rivers flow into the lake. One of them contains a lot of iron salts. The second contains a variety of organic compounds from swamps. Interacting with each other, the water of these rivers as a result of chemical reactions constitutes the ink.

http://ladieshealth.net/news/89.html

There are a lot of legends and mysteries about this lake among the local residents. Some consider it a work of Satan and keep away it, while others are actively benefiting from it. The ink of the lake can be purchased at office supply stores like Algeria and other countries. The lake has a lot of wondrous names. The most popular of them are - Ink, The Eye of the Devil, Black Lake.

If want to explore more secrets of nature, medestino.com invites you to make a trip of your lifetime!

Adapted from: http://ladieshealth.net/news/89.html

Fish with Soy Sauce (Hongshaoyu)

Ingredients:

Fish fillet
Soy Sauce 250 ml
Sugar
Pure lemon juice
Spring onions
Rice
Courgettes
Peppers

Fish with Soy Sauce:

Step 1

Chop spring onions into long pieces
Put the fish and sunflower oil in a frying pan
Add pure lemon juice to the fish and fry it as long as it loses its smell and water

Step 2

Take out the fish and clean the frying pan
Prepare a glass of water in case the fish gets burnt
Fry the chopped onions in a lot of oil
Put the fish on the top of onions and fry it
Add soy sauce to the fish and taste whether it is salty enough
Add half handful of sugar to the fish and fry it for another couple of minutes

Rice with courgettes and peppers:

Step 1

Put rice into cold water and start boiling
Blend it regularly
Taste after 5 mins of heavy boiling and if too sticky add some water

Step 2

If rice is wet put into microwave on max power for 5-10 minutes
Taste it and if it is soft and dry enough then proceed to step 3

Step 3

Fry courgettes and peppers in a frying pan and add salt
Add oil and the rice and fry for 1 minute

Prague time!

The Christmas is coming and there is festive spirit in the air. Everywhere.

All the capital cities in Europe are preparing for this beautiful and warm holiday.There are some places where the magic of Christmas stays for the entire year. For clarifying, the fairy-tail’s spirit follows you all along your stay in such city as Prague, Czech Republic.It is always a good decision to come for a couple of days to Prague. And if you have a big dream, there is a chance that it will come true when making a wish on the Charlie’s bridge.

The Czech Republic’s capital city is always pleased to have visitors and offers a big amount of different interesting architecture, amazing view on Vltava river from the bridges, tasty food (as gulash (cz. Gulaš) with traditional bread dumplings “knedliky”),mulled wine on the street when it is cold outside it is a really good and warm idea.

For those who are going to spend more time in the city it would be interesting to visit Prague’s opera where opera singers from all over the world show their beautiful talents.

Long, narrow streets with cozy little shops, a lot of tourists everywhere, the smell of grilled sausages in the air, various kinds of beer – this is the spirit of the oldest and most beautiful capital city in Europe.

This is the place that should be on everybody’s “must see” list.

Thursday, 8 December 2011

Koninginnedag and Orange craze

Queen’s day, or Koningnnedag, is the national holiday in The Netherlands. However, it has gone far from the traditional meaning of national holiday. Queen’s day is one of the most unique national holidays in the world because it brings a fresh excitement and attracts around 700 thousand visitors every year.

The biggest celebration takes place in Amsterdam, starting from the night of 29^th April and the whole day of 30^th as a carnival-like festival. On this day the Dutch celebrate the birthday of the Queen of the Netherlands. What is special about the Queen's Day is that it includes all elements of the huge party. It is combined with the market in the streets of the whole city (in Dutch: Vrijmarkt) and all kinds of activities and parties. Almost all kinds of activities for festivals and events can be found on Queen’s day. The dress code on Queen’s day is orange – the Dutch national color.

The Queen’s day has been celebrated all over the Netherlands for more than 50 years. As a matter of fact that Amsterdam is the capital and the biggest festival takes place there, year by year, the popularity of the event has been growing fast. You can find any type of exciting elements with this holiday, from the Free market traditional trading, Queen’s night party, Queen’s day party, Rock and DJ party to Gay parties.

Despite the overcrowding, the atmosphere on Queen’s day is fantastically relaxed and enjoyable. It is said that the Queen’s night is the time to be in Amsterdam because most people will go out on this night. All the clubs across the country have special events, especially in the crowded Amsterdam. The celebration starts at around 7pm until early hour of the Queen’s day.

The Rock concert starts at around 11am on Queen’s day on Museumplein and attracts thousands of young participants. Other places you can find live music at are Leidseplein and Stoperaplein (at the Waterlooplein). Across the city, the canals are full of boats with loud music to enhance the lively atmosphere. If you are a fan of Tiesto, you must enjoy the celebration more since you get the chance to watch him perform live for free on Queen’s day. All clubs in Amsterdam organize special programs and different kinds of music as well.

Amsterdam, being famous as a city with exceptional charms like Red light districts, coffee shops and gay bars all around the central area, celebrates Queen’s day in its own way. Usually a big open-air party for gay and gay friendly people is held on the Westermarkt at the Homo Monument (beginning at 11 a.m. on the Queen's day until late in the afternoon), and another one at the Reguliersdwarsstraat, in a 10 minutes walking distance from Leidseplein. Gay bars and clubs also hold different kinds of events on this day.

Though the main activity for this event is to party, you should have your accommodation booked as well since you need a place to rest in between. Party, sleep, party, sleep again & party, that’s the way it should be on Queen’s day.

See you on Queen’s day in Amsterdam!