Barcelona

Barcelona

Barcelona  the second largest city in Spain and is located directly on the northeastern Mediterranean coast of Spain, has a rich history dating back at least 2,000 years when it gained prominence as a Roman town.  In 1992, Barcelona gained international recognition by hosting the Olympic games which brought a massive uptick to the tourism industry in the city.  Barcelona is today one of the world's leading tourist, economic and cultural-sports centres, and its influences in commerce, education, entertainment, media, fashion, science, and the arts all contribute to its status as one of the world's major global cities.  Barcelona is today an important cultural centre and a major tourist destination and has a rich cultural heritage. Particularly renowned are architectural works of Antoni Gaudí and Lluís Domènech i Montaner that have been designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites. 

History in short
The founding of Barcelona is the subject of two different legends. The first attributes the founding of the city to the mythological Hercules 400 years before the building of Rome. The second legend attributes the foundation of the city directly to the historical Carthaginian Hamilcar Barca, father of Hannibal, who named the city Barcino after his family, in the 3rd century BC. 

Climate
   Barcelona has a Mediterranean climate.  with mild, humid winters and warm, dry summers. Barcelona is located on the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula, so Atlantic west winds often arrive in Barcelona with low humidity, producing no rain.  The proximity of the Atlantic, its latitude, and the relief, are the reasons why the summers are not as dry as in most other Mediterranean Basin locations. Lows (not surface lows but high-atmospheric "cold invasions") can easily affect the area of Barcelona, causing storms, particularly in August. Some years, the beginning of June is still cool and rainy, like April and May. Together with August, September, October and November these months are the wettest of the year. The driest are February, March, June and July. As in many parts of Catalonia, the annual weather pattern varies greatly from year to year. Snowfalls are rare, seldom causing any disruption to traffic, but frost at night is common on the outskirts of the city. Thunderstorms, which occasionally reach severe limits, are common from mid August until November. Though Barcelona is normally not a windy city, it is affected by sea breezes from May/June to September and winds from the west and northwest in winter. Barcelona is generally a sunny city, however, some days of fog and spells of cloudy days are not rare. Sea fog is frequent in early spring, when the first warm African air masses come in over the cold sea water. Cloudy days are most frequent from April to October/November.
 
Arrival
August is probably the busiest time in Barcelona; at the same time about 10% of shops and restaurants can be found closed from mid-August to early September, when the owners go on vacations. You'll find cheap accommodation and a much quieter city as a vast majority of Spaniards go on vacation in August. Business is low, people from Barcelona tend to be on vacation, hotels that remain open but don't have their business customers tend to lower prices and make offers. However there will still be plenty of tourists. Barcelona has decent enough beaches but the locals will really appreciate it if visitors do not consider it a beach resort and don't wear beachwear when visiting churches, restaurants, etc.

Low cost carriers operating to Barcelona from many major cities. Barcelona International Airport, also known as El Prat, is a major transport hub and fields flights from all over Europe and beyond.  The airport is only about 10 km away from the city center. Airport transfers can be arranged for groups, taxis are available but expensive (€20-30 to the city center). Taxis and Minibuses can be pre-booked online.   

Several trains per day (including overnight hotel trains) from other parts of Europe (via France) are regular & reliable. There are three main stations.Barcelona-Sants (to the south west of the center), Barcelona-Passeig de Gràcia (in the center of the city), and Barcelona-Estació de França, Avinguda Marquès de l´Argentera (on the edge of the old town next to the seafront district of Barceloneta). 

You can also get in by sea. The city's port is one of the busiest on the Mediterranean. It supports both ferries and cruise ships.

Get Around

  The Bus Turístic links all of the Barcelona tourist sites you could possibly want to visit. You can buy tickets at the bus stops and elsewhere (e.g., better hotels) valid for one day (€23) or two consecutive days (€30). The metro is also a best way to get around Barcelona.   A one-journey ticket cost €1.45, so it's best to buy a multi-person 10-ride ticket for €8.25 for Zone 1 which includes most tourist areas (called a T-10) or a personal 50-ride monthly ticket for €33.10. These tickets are also valid on the buses, trams, FGC (Catalan Railway Network) and on the main Spanish Trains (RENFE). 1- to 5-day public transport tickets are available that allow unlimited travel on the metro and bus networks (€5.90 for one day, €11.20 for two days, €23.10 for five days). Metro operating hours are: Sunday and Mon-Thur 5:00 to

Chicago : The windy city

Image via Wikipedia Chicago is the home of the blues and the truth of jazz, the heart of comedy and the idea of the skyscraper. Chicago is the largest city in Illinois. The name "Chicago" is derived from a French rendering of the Native American word shikaakwa, translated as "wild onion" or "wild garlic," from the Miami-Illinois language. The city is a center for business and finance and is listed as one of the world's top ten Global Financial Centers.

History in short

In 1803, the United States Army built Fort Dearborn, which was destroyed in the War of 1812 Battle of Fort Dearborn. The Ottawa, Ojibwe, and Potawatomi had ceded additional land to the United States in the 1804 Treaty of St. Louis. The Potawatomi were eventually forcibly removed from their land following the Treaty of Chicago in 1833. On August 12, 1833, the Town of Chicago was organized with a population of around 200 at that time. Within seven years it would grow to a population of over 4,000. The City of Chicago was incorporated on Saturday, March 4, 1837.

Climate
The city lies within the humid continental climate zone, and experiences four distinct seasons. It is a place where the climate has to be taken into consideration. May and September are pleasant and mild; April and June are mostly fine, although thunderstorms with heavy winds can also occur suddenly. Although there may be a slight chill in the air in October, it rarely calls for more than a light coat and some days that's not even necessary. In some years, the warmth stored by the lake may prolong a pleasant autumn into November.

Arrival

Chicago has two major airports, O'Hare International Airport and Midway Airport. There are many taxis from and to city center but they are expensive . They will charge from $30 to $40. CTA trains provide direct service to both larger airports for $2.25

New York City: The city that never sleeps

New York City (also referred to as "New York", "NYC", "The Big Apple", or just "the City" by locals)

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is the most populous city in the United States. It is famous for global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and entertainment. New York is an important center for international affairs and is widely deemed the cultural capital of the world. It is located on a large natural harbor on the Atlantic coast of the Northeastern United States. More than 800 languages are spoken in New York City. Immigrants from over 180 countries live here. Travelers are attracted to New York City for its culture, energy and cosmopolitanism.

History in short

The region was inhabited by the Lenape Native Americans at the time of its European discovery in 1524 by Giovanni da Verrazzano, a Florentine explorer in the service of the French crown, who named it "Nouvelle Angoulême" (New Angoulême)

Paris: La ville lumière

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The capital and the largest city in France is Paris. It is situated on Seine river, in northern France. It is also known as city of light and Capital of fashion. Paris also ranked among the ten greenest European cities in 2010. Paris is also known as the birth place of many photographers.

History in short

The archaeological signs of permanent settlements in the Paris area dates from around 4200 B.C. Throughout the history Paris has been a destination for the immigrants. Its considered to be a multicultural city with new immigrants from all over the world.

Climate

Summers in Paris are warm and pleasant. Spring and fall are normally cool and wet. The moderating effect of the Atlantic Ocean helps to temper temperature extremes in much of western Europe, including France.

 Reach

Paris is served by 3 international airport. Charles de Gaulle International Airport( Roissy), Orly International Airport and Beauvais (Aéroport de Beauvais Tillé). There are seven major train stations connected to the rest of Europe.

Venice

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        Venice is one of the lovely and interesting places in the world. Venice (Venezia in Italian) is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of Veneto region. Other names of Venice are  "La Dominante", "Serenissima", "Queen of the Adriatic", "City of Water", "City of Masks", "City of Bridges", "The Floating City", and "City of Canals". Luigi Barzini.

        The most famous is the area comprising the 118 islands in the main districts that are called "Sestieri" and they are: Cannaregio, Castello, Dorsoduro, San Polo, Santa Croce and San Marco. Venice has an average of 50000 tourists everyday.

History in short

There are no historical records for the origin of Venice. But traditional founding is identified that the oldest church, San Giocomo is said to have been at the stroke of noon on 25 March 421. This sanctuary on a lagoon is virtually the same as it was six hundred years ago, which adds to the fascinating character. Venice has decayed since its heyday and is heavily touristed (there are slightly more tourists than residents), but the romantic charm remains.

 Climate

If you are planning a trip then plan to go in spring or fall. The summer will be the worst time for you to visit. Venice has a Humid subtropical climate, with cool winters and very warm summers.