Wales travel tips and stories. Vacations ideas, cruises spa and resorts

The Dominion Arboretum of Canada, in 1886 a few farms, south west of Ottawa, were set aside as the Central Experimental Farm. Soon, the Dominion Arboretum and Ornamental Gardens were established. The first 200 species of trees and shrubs were planted in the autumn of 1889. By the end of the 19th century, more than 3,000 specimens made up the scientific and research collection. A collection in the north-east corner of the Arboretum can be viewed from Prince of Wales Drive, just as you enter The Farm from Dows Lake. It contains eight species, three varieties and has a wonderful showing of flowers during the early spring.

Continue reading A brilliant collection, making peace and harmony

The Eiffel Tower, an immense stucture of exposed latticework supports made of iron, was erected for the Paris Exposition of 1889. The Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII of England) officiated at the ceremonial opening. Of the 700 proposals submitted in a design competition, one was unanimously chosen, a radical creation from the French structural engineer Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (b. Dec. 15, 1832, d. Dec. 28, 1923), who was assisted in the design by engineers Maurice Koechlin and Emile Nouguier, and architect Stephen Sauvestre.

However, the controversial tower elicited some strong reactions, and a petition of 300 names — including those of Maupassant, Emile Zola, Charles Garnier (architect of the Opéra Garnier), and Dumas the Younger — was presented to the city government, protesting its construction. The petition read, “We, the writers, painters, sculptors, architects and lovers of the beauty of Paris, do protest with all our vigour and all our indignation, in the name of French taste and endangered French art and history, against the useless and monstrous Eiffel Tower.”

Continue reading The most famous tower on the Earth

The origins of Shwedagon are lost in antiquity, its age unknown. Long before the pagoda was built, its location on Singuttara hill was already an ancient sacred site because of the buried relics of the three previous Buddhas. According to one legend, nearly 5000 years had passed since the last Buddha walked the Earth, and Singuttara hill would soon lose its blessedness unless it was reconsecrated with relics of a new Buddha. In order that such new relics might be obtained, King Okkalapa of Suvannabhumi spent much time atop the hill, meditating and praying. A series of miracles ensued and eight hairs of the historical Buddha were, somewhat magically, brought to the hill. To enshrine the relics, multiple pagodas of silver, tin, copper, lead, marble, iron and gold where built one on top of the other to a height of twenty meters. During the following centuries, passing from myth to historical fact, the pagoda grew to its present height of ninety-eight meters. Much of the continued construction of Shwedagon was actually reconstruction following disastrous earthquakes. During the 17th century the pagoda suffered earthquake damage on at least eight occasions. A particularly bad quake in 1786 brought the entire top half of the pagoda to the ground and its current shape and height date from the reconstruction of that time.

Continue reading The mountain of gold

Stonehenge is surely Britain’s greatest national icon, symbolizing mystery, power and endurance. Its original purpose is unclear to us, but some have speculated that it was a temple made for the worship of ancient earth deities. It has been called an astronomical observatory for marking significant events on the prehistoric calendar. Others claim that it was a sacred site for the burial of high-ranking citizens from the societies of long ago.

While we can’t say with any degree of certainty what it was for, we can say that it wasn’t constructed for any casual purpose. Only something very important to the ancients would have been worth the effort and investment that it took to construct Stonehenge.

Continue reading Planning Your Visit to Stonehenge

Australia is the land of contrasts. From the tropical splendor of the Great Barrier Reef and North Queensland`s lush rainforests to the otherworldly beauty of the vast outback, there is something for everyone here. The English-speaking rambunctious Aussies are some of the warmest and funniest people on earth. Stop a while and have a tinny (a beer) or billie tea with an Aussie and you have made a friend for life. Australia offers some of the wackiest wildlife anywhere—where else will you find a `drop bear`, kanga or duck-billed platypus?

Crystal clear waters, beautiful beaches, spectacular natural wonders and great hospitality: This is the Land Down Under. Whether you`re a snorkeler, trekker, opera fanatic, thrill seeker, scuba diver or just like to take life at your own pace, you will find the perfect holiday. There`s an amazing and confusing array of choices. Talk to our experts to figure out the best itinerary for you to see the most of this great country at a mellow pace.

Continue reading Australia is the land of contrasts