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Erbonne, San Fedele Intelvi, Como, Italy

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Erbonne is a part of the comune of San Fedele Intelvi, in the province of Como. The village is located at 940 meters above sea level and is located on the left side of Breggia River, on the highest portion of the Breggia, which in Switzerland it’s called the Valle di Muggio. It consists of 52 buildings and a few other farmhouses, other buildings housing use to protect animals in winter and typical stone houses of the Alpe: Squadrina Erada, Ca’s Monda, Genzago ‘s, Pesciò ‘s and Orimento ‘s, are all enclosed in the Valley. From Erbonne it’s easy to access to Switzerland on foot or by mountain bike over a bridge, which leads to Scudellate, village which is about 1 kilometer far. The nearest Italian country is Casasco d’Intelvi (6 miles by road). In Erbonne area and more exactly in the cave Generosa (known as bear’s Cave for the discovery of remains of the extinct cave bear dating back to 40,000 years ago) have been found pieces attributed to Neanderthals dating between 50 and 60,000 years ago. You can visit the small Museum of the Guardia di Finanza and smuggling which is located in the tiny barracks outside the town on old route which communicates with the Swiss settlement Scudellate. You can’t enter to the Museum physically, cause of its small size, but through small windows items can be observed from outside from the time when smuggling was a livelihood for local people. In August 2012, there were only 9 inhabitants.

Tips

The only way to get there is by car or mountain bike but you can’t enter the village, you’ll have to park your car at the entrance of the village and go to 500 meters walk.

It is advisable to bring sports shoes to avoid slipping on the stone or on the lawn because if you want to go to the bridge that communicates with Switzerland you have to do it coming down the mountain on the lawn, in full nature.

It is advisable to make the visit during the day because the road is very winding and in some places is difficult to pass if you find yourself with a car in the opposite direction. The use of the horn is strongly recommended.

Bring a sweater because the temperature will be cooler in the mountains.

Cartagena de Indias, Bolívar, Colombia

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Cartagena de Indias is a port city and the capital of Bolívar Department, Colombia. It is located on the northern coast of the country, at the edge of the Caribbean Sea, about 120 km from Barranquilla. It has been very important to the Spanish Empire for almost three centuries; it was also a center for the slave trade itself as well as the transit of gold from looting destined for Spain. The city and its fortress are classified as World Heritage by UNESCO. There are several fortifications such as the fortress of San Felipe de Barajas and its twelve kilometers of ramparts. The historic center is inside the ramparts. It has a semi-arid tropical climate. To see: the San José Bastion, the San Fernando Fort of Bocachica, the Church of Santo Domingo, the Cathedral of Saint Catherine of Alexandria, the Gold Museum, the Church of Saint Peter Claver and the sanctuary with the relics of the saint. It is a very touristy city and it also receives a lot of people thanks to the cruise ships. Most hotels, restaurants and shops are located in the Bocagrande area.

Tips

Avoid traveling in May-June or October-November as rain will be present.

Let yourself be charmed by the old colonial city, you will find many colorful and flowery balconies, monuments, even churches as small restaurants very pleasant.

For a lively night out, go to Santo Domingo Square, the perfect place to have a drink and mix with the city’s residents. You will also find a famous statue of Botero, the Gorda Gertrudis (the fat Gertrude).

If you like the beach, ask about visiting nearby islands either by land or with small excursion boats.

Turks and Caicos, Antilles, Northern Caribbean

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Turks and Caicos also known as the Turquoises Islands; are an archipelago of the Antilles, in the southeast of Bahamas, in the Northern Caribbean. They are about 40 islands but only 8 are inhabited. Since 1973, they are a British overseas territory. Their climate is hot and dry with very little rain and hurricanes are frequent in the region. The wet season is short, from October to December and little marked. The archipelago has limited amounts of water so the inhabitants are used to install tanks to collect rainwater for diary use.Their plant environment consists of marshes and mangroves on a calcareous soil. The average temperature is 29 °C. Tourism, fishing and offshore financial services are the main economic activities of the archipelago. Its main economic resources are lobster and conch. There are beautiful beaches. Among the activities, golf and water sports are held.
Since 1917, Canada is trying to annex the Islands but in 2014, the Foreign Minister John Baird, says that his Government is not interested in annexing the Islands but the minister Peter Goldring continues to pressure while the Prime Minister of the Islands Rufus Ewing maintains its position of wanting to strengthen the ties between its territory and Canada.

Tips

It is a beautiful place to dive, there are catamarans which organize tours to do it.
If you like fishing it is possible to do it.
You can also rent a scooter to know the different beaches.
We recommend you to visit the islands between February to April, it’s the ideal time because the temperatures are pleasant and there are less tourist crowds.
If you visit the Grand Turk Island, you can visit the Museum to know about the history of the Islands.
You can also visit Salt Cay, with its infrastructure recalling salt as the island of Providenciales with its plantations of cotton, its beautiful beaches and its coral reef.