The Canary Islands offer much better value for money for anyone seeking a winter break than more exotic destinations. And they are also much more convenient for tourists residing in countries such as the UK and Germany.  As these seven islands are located just four hours away by air from all major British airports.

This year flight prices have dropped like a stone thanks to the arrival on the scene of the low cost specialists Ryanair.  Who are offering tickets at prices never seen before – for example returns to Lanzarote for under £10.

Of the seven islands Lanzarote is regarded as one of the least spoiled.  There’s none of the high rise hotels and packed beaches of Tenerife.  With plenty of cultural attractions available for those who like to do more than just soak up the sun at the beach or by the pool.

There are plenty of places to stay on the island too – ranging from studios through to five star hotels.

A growing number of visitors now prefer to book their own holidays direct online, thanks to the rise of the web.  And this effect has seen a real explosion in demand for private holiday apartments and villas in Lanzarote.  The bulk of which are located in the resorts of Playa Blanca and Puerto del Carmen.  Which also offer the best weather and climate conditions the island during the winter months.

Two bedroom holiday villas in Playa Blanca with pools rent out from around £400 per week.  Although prices can be much higher during peak holiday seasons such as Christmas and New Year.  Which is one of the busiest times of the year on the island.  Children will be delighted to find that they can in fact celebrate Christmas twice here – as the Spanish custom is that kids don’t get their presents until Three Kings Day on January 5^th.

Either way the weather will be warm enough to enjoy plenty of time in the sun with temperature sin the low 20´ñs and very little chance of rainfall. Thanks to Lanzarote´s location juts off the coast of southern Morocco.

There’s close to 100 beaches to explore along with lots of pretty towns and villages.  Such as the former island capital of Teguise which boasts a great deal of history as this was the first Spanish’s settlement in the Canary Islands.  And there are still buildings standing here that date back as far as the 15^th century.

Are you planning a trip for October?  Well, wait a minute!  You’re going to miss it, or most of it.  It starts the third Saturday in September and is over by early October.  The festival lasts for 16-18 days.

It originated as a wedding feast fit for a prince in 1810, and apparently they had so much fun that it just kept going.

On the first day, it starts with a colorful parade through town to the fairgrounds, the Theresienwiese (called the Wies’n for short).  The Wiesenwirten, the breweries, have oompah bands and horsedrawn carts piled high with beer barrels.  The beer wagons and the draft horses are decorated, and there are lots of people marching and dancing along in traditional clothes.  If you’re lucky enough to be there on opening day, dance along behind the parade and follow them to the Wies’n.

There are currently fourteen big beer tents set up by the breweries.  You can choose your tent by beer preference if you like; we’ve always just chosen a tent where we were lucky enough to get a seat!

It’s free to get into the Wies’n grounds, you pay for food and rides as you go… and of course the beer.

Getting to the fairgrounds is easy…. There is public transportation.  It’s right behind the Hauptbahnhof (the central train station).  Just follow the crowds!  Most of the  beer tents open at 10:30 in the morning… a little early to start drinking, but you might want to grab a seat.

It’s harder to get a seat the later you arrive.  There are company tables/reserved tables.  Don’t sit there, but don’t be shy, do squeeze in where you can and get friendly.  In order to be served a beer at Oktoberfest, you must be seated.

Don’t worry if you can’t get into a beer tent.  Each of them has tables outside, and it can be easier to get a seat there.  You can probably hear the bands from outside.

Oktoberfest beer is potent stuff.  8 percent alcohol.  AND it comes in those LITER mugs.

Be sure to take plenty of cash, those beer toting beer maids don’t want to stop to swipe your credit card!  There are ATMs at the Weis’n, but the lines could be long.

Drinking all that beer, you’ll want to find a toilet.  Americans want to look for “restrooms”, but you need to look for “WC” or “toiletten”.  If you have a seat, make sure you leave a friend behind to keep it reserved for you.  If you leave a tent, it might be hard to get back in.

Walk around and see the rides and the rest of the fair.  There are plenty of food stalls outside of the tents, and lots of carnival type rides, both new and old style.

The Weis’n is a big fairground.  The ground is uneven, and if you wander to see all the rides, you’ll be walking a long way.  You’ll be walking to get to the the subway too, so wear comfortable shoes.

It’s very crowded, and you will probably get a little tipsy, so leave your valuables locked in a safe in your hotel.  By all means take your camera, but keep track of it.  All the caveats about watching out for pickpockets apply, but when you’re going to something like this, you should know that!

They close at 11:00 pm or midnight, but they stop serving beer earlier than that….  It takes a while to drink that whole liter!  If you stay until closing time, it is a mass exodus to the subway (U-Bahn or S-Bahn)…. but the crowd is mostly friendly drunks.

Reserve your room well in advance.  Rooms will be more expensive during the festival and hard to get.

If you know what to expect and you do a little advance planning, that September holiday to Oktoberfest should be lots of fun.

The spectacle was first performed at Easter.  Now the performances go on for about five months, but still, it only happens every ten years… at the end of the decade in the year that ends with zero, so 2010, 2020, 2030, etc.

The play lasts for six to seven hours.  (Don’t worry, you won’t starve.  A meal is served during the intermission.)  It’s performed by about 1,400 amateur actors, not to mention a few hundred musicians and technicians.  All of them are local people or their family members.  Audiences come from all over the world to see the spectacle.  The play is performed in German.  There is a theater built just for the play.  It is partially open-air, but the spectators sit under a partial roof, so it is never cancelled for rain.

Other than Munich, Oberammergau is one of the best-known towns in Bavaria… right up there with Rothenberg ob der Tauber.  Other than the Oberammergau Passion Play, it’s famous for wood carved sculptures and painted houses.

Wait a minute, you’re thinking, MY house is painted, so what’s the big deal?  This is special.  It’s the colorful style of Bavarian trompe-l’eoil house painting known locally as “Luftlmalerei”.  The houses look like Bavarian chalets (well they are).

These chalets are painted with these characteristic frescos which are mostly religious themes … many of them based on the Oberammergau Passion Play.  There are also sometimes fairy tales scenes or even beer hall vignettes.  Around these painted scenes, extravagant trompe-l’eoil “frames” surround the windows.  Wooden Balconies spill over with geraniums in the summer.  The whole package gives the town a distinctive look… a cute one.  You can see this type of house decoration in other areas of Upper Bavaria, as in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, but Oberammergau is the probably the best known for them.

You can visit shops to see the wood carving art that is practiced here.  There have been wood carvers in Oberbammergau since the middle ages.  Traditionally the carvings were done by farmers during the snowy winter season for a little extra money.  Now there are full-time artists that produce religious art, toys, household goods, and humorous portraits… all for sale in shops in town.

Oberammergau itself sits in a beautiful setting in the Bavarian Alps.  The third of Ludwig’s castles, Schloss Linderhof is near Oberammergau.  It was Ludwig’s favorite castle.  Visiting the town is worth it even is you won’t be going to the Oberammergau Passion Play…. That tongue-twister of a name is fun to use on your friends.

If you won’t be visiting in 2010, there is plenty of charm here…. spend the night in a cute little gasthaus for a giant dose of Bavarian charm.

We’ve talked about some of the ancient Irish monuments we’ve seen…, the passage tombs of Bru na Boinne and sites like the Hill of Tara….  But what are all those other monument scattered around all of Ireland.

We’ll start with “Passage Tombs” like Newgrange and Knowth.  These are round tombs with an identifiable passage that leads from an entrance to a burial chamber.  They often have spectacular solar alignments….  The passage at Newgrange lights up during the Winter Solstice.

Some call these “passage cairns”, arguing that they were burial chambers only for very important people…. That instead of a grave, the chamber may be likened instead to a womb, and that they may have been linked to an earth goddess and fertility.

Interpretations aside, “Passage Tombs” are round mounds with passages and chambers.

Other types of tombs are “portal tombs” which are constructed of three or more huge standing stones and covered with earth.  “Dolmens” are the uncovered remains of “portal tombs”.  One haunting “dolmen” stands out on the Burren.  There are “court tombs” which are half-circles with a courtyard in front, and “wedge tombs” which look like pie shaped versions of “court tombs”.

Moving on to other ancient Irish monuments, you have just plain old “cairns” which are basically piles of stones which may or may not contain a tomb.

Then you have Ring Forts.  That sounds pretty simple doesn’t it?  A fort shaped in a ring?  Not so fast.

You’ve got “Cashels” which are ring forts built mainly of stone.  “Crannogs”  are ring forts built on small islands near a shoreline and connected by a causeway.  “Raths” are ring forts of ditch and earth-wall construction which was topped with a wooden palisade.

Hill forts are ring forts on hilltops.  And Promontory Forts are self-explanatory…. Sometimes with one side consisting of a sheer cliff.

And then you get into “stones”….  You’ll find “Standing Stones” of course.  We’ve talked about those before.  They may stand alone or as part of a “henge monument.”  “La Tene Stones” are standing stones with Celtic carvings.  And “Ongham-Stones” bear inscriptions in a special language that was used in ancient times.

Among the more controversial “constructions” are “Ley-Lines”.  These are supposed alignments; straight lines connecting important sites or some say “power points.”  Let’s just say that there may be a lot of speculation here, which leads us to….

Faires of course.  Because it’s Ireland, you also will find references to Fianna and Fairy Hills.  The scientific explanation is that after hundreds or thousands of years some monuments like passage tombs developed legends around them that they might be passages to the “other world”.

Can’t tell your ancient Irish mounments without a scorcard… and there you have it…. crannogs, raths, fairy hills and all!  Next you’ll be seeing leprechauns!

He was deposed on grounds of mental illness and died mysteriously a day later… but while he lived he built extravagant castles. There was a family “precedent” to the strange behavior of Ludwig II. His grandfather, King Ludwig I, came from a family of eccentrics and was also deposed.

Neuschwanstein is the most famous of the castles he lived in, and it is high on most tourist lists. He built two others and grew up in two older castles. Touring all five of the castles of Ludwig II makes for a fun trip to Bavaria. He was born in Nymphemberg Palace.

The city of Munich has closed in around it, so it now sits in a suburb of Munich making it an easy day trip. He lived for much of his childhood in Hohenschwangau. This was the 12th century castle his father had re-built near Fussen on Schwanee (Swan Lake). It’s a “homey” castle if you can say that about castles. Ludwig loved the area so much that he had

Neuschwanstein built nearby on the top of the hill. Near Oberammergau you can visit Linderhof. This small castle was Ludwig’s favorite and the only one he completed before he died. It’s surrounded by beautiful gardens with fountains, rolling fields, and forest. See the outbuildings after you see the small castle…. The Moroccan house with it’s brightly tiled interior is quite a sight.

Visit the Grotto which is an artificial cave with artificial stalactites and an artificial underground lake. The Mauritanian Kiosk is another small building with an amazing interior. Chiemsee is the largest lake in Bavaria. On the island of Herenchiemsee in this lake, you’ll find another of the castles of Ludwig II. This was the last one to be built. It’s called Neues Schloss or Konigschloss. It was meant to be a replica of Versailles, but it wasn’t completed because of the “mysterious” death of Ludwig II.

Even with only the central part completed, it’s pretty amazing to tour. You have to pay for the round trip boat fare in addition to the entrance fee. All of the castles except for Nymphenberg require guided tours. You will get an assigned tour time. Tours are available in German, English and several other languages. You could take a fun driving trip to see all of them. Schloss Herenchiemsee is about 60 miles (96 km) south east of Munich and Schloss Nymphenberg. Loop across southern Bavaria to Linderhof, Hohenschwangau and Neuschwanstein. Those three are close together, about 100 miles (160 km) from Herenchiemsee. So there you have it… tour the Castles of Ludwig, sprinkle in some other sights along the way, drive back to Munich, and you’ve got a great trip.

How you plan your trip pretty much depends on where you’re going to land, how much time you have, and what your interests are.  And do you want to see both parts of the country, or just the Republic, or just the North?

Are you interested in castles?  There are plenty of them….  Some are just ruins, some have been converted to luxury hotels like Dromoland Castle and Ashford Castle.  You could devise a whole tour just based on visiting castles.

Are you interested in golf?  Ireland is almost as famous for its golf courses as Scotland is.  If you’re a golfer, you’ve probably heard of the Ballybunion Old Course.  You could combine golf and a castle stay at Dromoland Castle or Ashford Castle or others if you want to splurge.

Interested in ancient sites?  You’ll have to go to Bru na Boinne and see the Passage Tombs of Newgrange and Knowth.  If you go to Trinity College in Dublin, you can see the Book of Kells.  The Hill of Tara in the County Meath is the ancient seat of the High Kings of Ireland.  While there really isn’t much there in the way of structures or ancient monuments at the Hill of Tara, it’s worth visiting just for the sweeping views.  There are passage tombs and standing stones, but mostly you should go to “feel” the history here.

You can follow a trail of sites associated with Saint Patrick, the Patron Saint of Ireland.  From the Rock of Cashel where he was supposed to have converted the King of Munster to Christianity to Downpatrick where he is supposed to be buried in the Down Cathedral.

Are you just interested in seeing the green and the scenery?  Well, you can see that almost everywhere, but you’ll want to get to the Cliffs of Moher…. 650 foot high cliffs (198 meters) drop straight in to the Atlantic.  For stark barren beauty see the Burren near Galway. This limestone plateau has ancient dolmens and bizarre rock formations.  And if you can get all the way to the northern tip of the country you can visit the Giants Causeway… basalt columns that seem to form a giant pathway to Scotland.

You’ll probably want to get to Blarney Castle and the kiss the Blarney Stone.  Some guidebooks will tell you that this is a little too touristy.  Well maybe, but we went the first time we visited the country, and we thought it was fun to see Blarney Castle… why not?  We had our nieces with us… one of them kissed the Blarney Stone twice!  Yes, she’s a talker.

As for beer, you can tour the Guiness Storehouse in Dublin.  It’s a modern museum inside an old brewery.  If you just want a Guiness, you can get one in any pub.

You can taste Irish Whiskey almost anywhere in the country, but just know that most of the places you find for tours are not working distilleries.  It’s still fun.

There are several ways to get around on your visit.  You can choose to take a tour of the country which focuses on your interests.  Another choice is to visit on your own and use public transportation, but it may be hard to get to some of the more out of the way sights.

Driving yourself around Ireland is fun and a great way to see it, but you must we willing to drive on the left.  You need steady nerves on some of those narrow roads, but they will lead you to all the great sights.  However you choose to visit, Ireland is well worth a visit.

The site contains passage graves, standing stones, henges and other features.  It’s a World Heritage site, and literature says it contains some of the world’s most historically important Neoltic passage graves, most notably Newgrange, Dowth and Knowth.

OK… but… what is it about the site that “takes your breath away”?  I guess it’s because it’s origins are lost in Ireland’s misty ancient history.  Newgrange is mentioned in several Celtic sagas.

A thousand years older than Stonehenge in England, it is a powerful and evocative testament to the mind-boggling achievements of prehistoric humans…. There’s another reason it’s so special… because it shows us what we can achieve.  I mean, if ancient peoples could do THAT… just think what we can do.

To a certain extent, you need to have a fascination with ancient monuments and standing stones.  If you do, then certainly you will enjoy Bru na Boinne.  The monuments at this site seem to have always been associated with “magic”.   They seem tied to astromony… in this case mostly the Winter Solstice.

Through the centuries, they were woven into myths and legends and became regarded as the cemetary of the High-Kings of Tara and Ireland.

The main monuments here are Newgrange, Knowth, and Dowth.

Newgrange is a passage tomb, but that sounds so… ordinary.  It is one of the most famous prehistoric sites in the world.  It consists of a mound which is 250 feet (76 meters) across and 40 feet (12 meters) high.  What makes it visually so impressive is that the front is faced with a wall of sparkling white quartz stones.  Close up it is the art on the stones that will impress.  The burial chamber inside has remained intact for 5,000 years.

Knowth is the largest of the passage graves here.  Its large mound is impressive, but it lacks the spectacular white front of New Grange.  There is, however, an impressive amount of megalithic art in this tomb.

Dowth is the oldest of these three, but it is the least attractive to tourists because it is less excavated. Its decorations are not as complex, though it may once have been faced with quartz like Newgrange.  Newgrange and Dowth have passages that allow light in during the Winter Solstice.

OK… a bunch of graves, right?  NO…. a magical site… Irish Fairies aside.

Block out all of your fellow tourists and try to imagine yourself transported 4000-5000 years back in time.  You approach by boat on the River Boyne, through an ancient Irish landscape.  There, high on a hill in the distance you see the sunlight dancing off the white quartz and granite facade of a monument… something that is already ancient that you know very little about.  Wouldn’t that seem magical?

Even now, approaching the monuments in Bru na Boinne, you can feel the sacredness of the site if you will just let yourself.  That’s the magic of it… And THAT is why it’s so special.

Driving yourself is the best way to see this, but we should tell you that driving in Ireland is not necessarily for the faint of heart or the timid.  The roads tend to be narrow with hedgerows or stonewalls right up to the edge of them…. and add in the challenge of driving on the left.  You’ll also most likely be driving a stick shift unless you’ve specifically requested an automatic shift car when you make your rental car reservations.

Driving yourself is not hard, we just wanted to be sure you know what you’re getting into.  And on the Ring of Kerry, you will encounter some of those narrow roads, especially if you take a few diversions along even narrower roads to see some of the sights the guidebooks recommend.

This driving route tends to get crowded in high season. You might get stuck behind a caravan as European motor homes are called.  You’re even apt to come across a tourist bus on these roads… that’s a thrill!  If you start earlier in the day, you may be able to avoid these.

You can find driving guides telling you which roads to take and what to look.  Do your research in guidebooks and on the internet.  You’ll most likely want to start and end this loop in Killarney.

You can make the whole circuit of the Ring of Kerry in a day if you leave early in the morning, but we think you should allow two or three days so you can really enjoy it… and avoid those buses.  There really isn’t any problem finding small hotels, B-and-B’s or Pubs with rooms along the way.

If you drive in a counter-clockwise (or anti-clockwise) direction you’ll be heading in the same direction as the buses.  You might be frustrated following them from time to time, but you’ll be less likely to meet them head on.  With those narrow roads, following a slow bus might be preferable.

You’ll pass craggy coasts, brooding mountains and charming small towns and villages.  You can find ancient stone forts along the way.  The Leacanabuaile stone fort was inhabited during the bronze age and maybe much earlier.  There are also remains of beehive huts there.  If you cross a causeway to Laentia Island, you’ll find not only tiny patchwork fields that look oh-so-Irish, you’ll also find Glanleam subtropical gardens… that’s right subtropical gardens.  Amazing what those ocean currents can do isn’t it?

Along the coast the towering rocks of Great Skellig and Little Skellig are seabird sanctuaries now, but in the 12th century, monks lived and worked here in more of those beehive huts.  One of the most beautiful views in this circuit of natural beauty is the “Ladies View” of the Killarney Lakes and the National Park.  Look for signs so you can take in this view that Queen Victoria’s ladies-in-waiting loved.

In spite of the crowds and buses, the Ring of Kerry is pretty enough that it’s worth seeing.  Everything there is just so… so Irish.

You can start in Killarney just as you would for the Ring of Kerry.  Before you start your drive to Dingle, you can take in the Muckross House and the Ross Castle near Killarney.

Muckross House is about 3.6 miles (6 km) from Killarney town center.  It is a lovely large old Victorian manor house furnished in period style of the 19th century. There are wonderful gardens, and the site is beautifully situated in the Killarney National Park overlooking the Lakes of Killarney.

Ross Castle is a typical example of the stronghold of an Irish Chieftain during the Middle Ages.  It was probably built during the 1400s.  It does contain some furnishings… 16th and 17th century oak furniture.  Because it is close to Killarney and the Ring of Kerry, it gets very busy in the high season.

You would visit those if you were driving the Ring of Kerry, but for the Irish “country road and great scenery” experience without the crowds, head now for the Dingle Peninsula.  Start by driving through the city of Tralee.  It’s a cute little city.  You could stop here for the night or just head straight out to Dingle.

You don’t get much more Irish than in this area.  You need to know the word “Gaeltachts”.  These are national parks for traditional culture… where the old Irish ways are protected, and where Irish or Gaelic is spoken.  You’ll have to know what you’re looking for because most map names and signposts are in Gaelic…. and some even have old style lettering, so you’ll have to be on your toes.

The only “big town” out here is Dingle… with a population of… oh, about 2,000.  There are only a few streets with houses, shops and pubs painted in happy, bright colors.  It’s easy to find a B-and-B here, and meals are easy to come by in pubs as well as restaurants and cafes…. and at night you will probably have the opportunity to hear traditional Irish music.

Leave the little town behind for a circle drive around the end of the Dingle Peninsula.  The whole area has the feel of an open air museum.  There are the remains of Stone Age ring forts, and beehive huts that Monks lived in during the Dark Ages.  There are rugged coastline views and tiny green pastures with sheep grazing.  There is an ancient church called the Gallarus Oratory from about 800.  You’ll get all the way out to Slea Head at the tip of the peninsula… the point in Europe closest to America before you head back to Dingle or Tralee.

You can explore the peninsula by car or bike.  It is only 10 miles (16 km) wide and from Tralee to Slea Head it is only 40 miles (64 km) long.  The whole drive can be leisurely taken in just a few hours, but this is not an area for frenzied tourists…. it’s quiet and peaceful.

Take your time.  You will see the signs in Gaelic and hear the lilt of the words and feel like you’ve slipped back in time… back in Irish time.

About the county

Italy, the birthplace of pasta and pizza provides a wide range of choices for artwork lovers to experience. A temperate climate exists here with very hot summers and not so cold winters. The weather is the best in spring and autumn with pleasant temperatures and scenic views. At that time of the year, the place isn’t crowded much and things can be enjoyed in leisure. Incase of emergency call 112. For fire call 115 and for ambulance call 118.

Culture

Italian is widely spoken and is the official language. English isn’t very familiar to the locals. Family ties are of utmost importance here and hence social courtesies mean a lot to the locals. There is a great impact of the Roman Catholic Church on the culture here. There is a high content of chlorine in tap waters, so bottled water is recommended for staying fit during the trip. Since Italian is spoken on a wide scale, it is highly recommended to learn few common Italian phrases which can be of great use. Social gatherings call for formal wear, but one can dress in casuals otherwise. At some religious places, sleeveless shirt and shorts are frowned upon. So they are better avoided. Purses and wallets should be well guarded and in case of any theft, police should be informed about the incident.

Site Seeing

The first thing to check out is the leaning tower of Pisa, where Olympics originated. At places like museums and art galleries, photography, especially flash photography is restricted. Check out the ticket counter for more information. Italy should be majorly discovered on foot for a thorough viewing of all the beautiful buildings and monuments. Coaches and trains are a good option to get to a tourist spot.

Shopping

Shops here are open from 9am to 8pm, closed for lunch. Quality of goods is great although the prices are very less. Items like crystals, lacework, leather good, and jewelry can be bought at the stores. Remember to hold on to the receipt. Tipping of 10% is customary along with the service tax levied on the bill. Italy is famous for top designers of the world, so do buy clothes and accessories to update your wardrobe. Cruises have formal gatherings in the evening, so ensure to buy a cocktail dress or some formal wear, though casuals can be worn at other times.

Electricity

The voltage used is 220 volts and 50 Hz frequency.

Getting there

Alitalia is the national airline of Italy. Many other flights connect to Italy from USA, Canada and Australia and there is big competition to attract passengers giving a wide range of offers to travelers. Rome airport is located 26 km away from the city and it takes 45 minutes to get there from the airport. Trains connect directly to Termini Station from where one can take taxi to get to their destination. Duty free shops, bank, car hire and restaurants are the other services provided at this airport. Milan has another famous airport here, which is at a distance of 45km away from the city.

Brindisi, Ancona, Naples and Venice are the major seaports of Italy. Italian State Railways connects many European cities. But, Eurostar provides the fastest train service.

If choosing to drive, don’t forget to carry international driving license and international insurance certificate. Roads connect Italy to France, Austria and Switzerland. Many coach services are provided from the neighboring countries.

Duty Free Items

1. 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 100 cigarillos or 250g of tobacco
2. 2liter of wine and 1liter of spirits (over 22 per cent) or 2liter of fortified or sparkling wine
3. 50g of perfume and 250ml of eau de toilette; 500g of coffee or 200g of coffee extract (if over 15 years of age)
4. 100g of tea or 40g of tea extract
5. Gifts not exceeding ?89.96 (if entering from an EU country), ?175 (if entering from a non-EU country).