St. Vitus Cathedral, St. Wenceslas and St. Adalbert, Prague, Czech Republic

rose Leave a comment

St. Vitus Cathedral, St. Wenceslas and St. Adalbert is located in Prague, the Czech Republic and is the seat of the archbishop of the city. It is the biggest and most important church in the country, located within the Prague Castle. Henry the Fowler offered to the Duke Wenceslas 1 a relic of Saint Vit around the year 925 and to house it, the Duke Wenceslas built a church on a place of pagan site dedicated to the goddess of mythology Slavic life (Siwa). In 973 the church was chosen as the seat of bishopric and in 1060, a Roman basilica is raised instead. Through the centuries, the original church took the form of what is now a mainly Gothic church. St. Wenceslas Chapel contains the tomb of the saint, it is adorned with murals on the top, representing the saint’s life and in the lower part there are semiprecious stones. The crown jewels are locked in the chapel. There is also the burial crypt of Czech kings, which contains the tombs of Charles IV, Wenceslas IV and Rodolphe II. St. John of Nepomuk has a tomb in silver. The windows date mostly from XX century. Zygmunt Bell (the biggest Czech bell, 1548) is in the south tower. There is also a carved monumental cross, in wood, dating from 1899.

Tips

Do not leave without climbing the south tower from where you can have a beautiful panoramic view of the city. Guided tours in the cathedral are organized by the Administration of Prague Castle but you can not just buy the visit to the Cathedral, this visit will be included by purchasing one of two tours offered. Tickets are on sale in the Information Center. There are discounts for children and adolescents under 16, seniors 65 and over and families.

Vancouver, British Colombia, Canada

rose Leave a comment

Vancouver is a large island of British Colombia, in Canada, on the Pacific coast. Separated from the mainland by the Strait of Georgia, being the largest island on the West coast of America. Almost the half of the population live in the metropolitan area of Victoria, in the South of the island, which is also the provincial capital of British Colombia. Other cities are Nanaimo, Port Alberni, Parksville, Courtenay and Campbell River. Visiting Vancouver is quick and easy, whether by seaplane or aboard one of the many ferries of the company BC Ferries, comfortable and well equipped. They leave South or Northwest Vancouver terminals to reach either Victoria or Nanaimo on the island after a passage of 1 hour 35′. Other ferries connects Seattle, United States. to Victoria .

Tips

The island is inhabited only in the South, the rest is wild and almost intact. Moreover, they say that this is one of the last places in the world that is almost entirely wild. This makes this island a paradise for fauna and flora observation.

Here are 4 destinations that we recommend:

1 – The city of Victoria where everything is calm and charm. They live under English stylke by having advantage of the traditional afternoon tea, with gardens all in flower and admiring its Victorian architecture. You can’t miss the Butchart Garden and the Royal BC Museum, which tells the story of the Indians of Canada in a very original way.

2 – The Pacific Rim of the island national park has the Pacific ocean as a backdrop. We uggested to you, especially, the Long Beach area, miles and miles of deserted beaches, with surprising vegetation and abundant marine and terrestrial life. This area of the Park offers 9 trails that you can mostly do in less than an hour.

3 – Cathedral Grove in the MacMillan Park is a wonderful place which is one of the last vestiges of the temperate rain forest which covered the entire island of Vancouver over 1000 years ago. It is a forest of huge trees and an amazing ecosystem, which can make us think to redwood forests that you can visit on a trip to California. When you walk in this forest, you’ll be unable to see the sky cause the vegetation is dense. For the Indians of Vancouver Island, it is a sacred place! You will quickly understand why.

4 – In the North of the island, you will discover the beautiful village of Telegraph Cove. You will be charmed by its time stilt houses connected by boardwalks. Telegraph Cove is the best place in the world for the observation of the orcs. From there, you will find a lot of excursions for an observation trip.

 

Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico

Rose Carluci Leave a comment

Mazatlán is a Mexican city located in the state of Sinaloa and has the same name as the municipality. The city is well known for its port which serves as a stopover for several cruise ships. The city is on the Pacific coast northwest of the federal capital. It was founded in 1531. There are many tourist complexes as well as several kilometers of beach. The average annual temperature is 26°C with the humidity factor in summer the temperatures are felt far above what the thermometer marks. To visit: the historic center with its parks, its typical restaurants and its magnificent cathedral which is a must see, the Church of San José, the Aquarium, the Botanical Garden, the promenade by the sea, among others. Among the most popular beaches are Olas Altas and Playa Norte, both of which are not far from the historic center. Mazatlán’s Carnival is quite well known, especially for Ash Wednesday.

Tips

If you visit Mazatlán in a cruise stop, leaving the port, you must follow the big blue line which is marked in the middle of the streets and you will arrive by walking to the historic center very easily. You will also have the opportunity to see the nice colorful houses with beautiful wrought iron doors and fences.

If you want to shop, you have a shopping center next to the port and several small shops in the historic district and in front of the cathedral you will find a large area of two floors: Liverpool Mazatlán Centro.