Travel Plan

Archive for June, 2010

Senigallia In Le Marche Italy

Senigallia is my favourite coastal town in the whole of the Le Marche region of Italy it has on offer everything you would want to find in an perfect Italian holiday resort. Another coastal resort which I think comes a close second is Porto san Giorgio which is in the south of le Marche. Both it and Senigallia have a quiet understated charm and slightly faded beauty which you do not seem to find in many of the large resorts such as Rimini.

I first went to Senigallia in 1999 on one of my very first visits to Le Marche and I immediately fell in love with the whole feel and atmosphere of the town. I stayed slightly further down the coast in Falconara and also in Portonovo and did not actually spend much time there until 2003 when I travelled there regularly on business.

I just love wandering the many small streets with its great shops bars restaurants and galleries. The main shopping street is the Corso 2 Giugno and it is always busy in the evening after 5pm with the locals on their passagiata or evening stroll. The bars and restaurants are too numerous to mention them all but two of my favourite bars are the Picadilly Dolce vita cocktail bar and the lovely American Lab bar both situated near the Rocca Roveresca.

The town is based at the mouth of the river Misa and this still plays an important part in its daily life. Senigallia dates back to around the 4th century BC and was the first Roman colony on the Adriatic coast. It has many fine historic buildings which includes an impressive Rotonda situated on the famous southern beach or lungomare and a large fort called the Roca Roveresca.

The Rocca Roveresca was first built by the Romans as a small tower to protect the port in 1350 it was enlarged and became the cardinal’s fortress and since then it has been enlarged and improved many times over the centuries. Around the Rocca are small well kept gardens and a large piazza where it is just wonderful to sit and chill on warm summer nights.

In the grounds surrounding the Roca many festivals are held throughout the year including the very popular Summer Jamboree each August. In 2008 the jamboree ran from August 16th to the 24th it went on late into each night and the weather and setting was fantastic. A special feature of the Jamboree is that its main theme is 1950s clothes culture and cars people enter into the spirit of the occasion by dressing up in true 1950s clothes with hairdos to match! This year it runs from August 14th to the 23rd and really should not be missed if you are in the Le Marche and might even be worth a special trip if you live abroad!

Senigallia has also13kms of fine sandy beaches and this is often referred to as the velvet beach or la spiaggia di veluta. Along the beachfront there are numerous bars and really fine fish restaurants areas for children to play and of course that special feature so typical of Italian resorts the rows and rows of colourful umbrellas and beach chairs.

I tend not to be able to visit Senigallia as much as I wish but this year I will certainly try to get there as much as I can given my busy schedule travelling through Le Marche.

About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;Living and working in the UK and in the Ascoli Piceno province of Le Marche in Italy.
Running a house hunting and house restoration business mainly in Le Marche

San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge Of Sonoma County

It is true that San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge does not limit its boundaries to Sonoma County alone but it would be gravely negligent of me to remain silent about its majestic existence along the north shore of San Pablo Bay just because it is shared with two other neighboring counties in northern California; Solano and Napa.

In the notsodistant past less than 150 years ago San Pablo Bay was enveloped by extensive and intricate marshlands perpetually permeated by surging and ebbing tidal waves of the Pacific Ocean and was regarded as one of the largest systems on the western coast of North America. These rich and sprawling swamps provided an ideal environment for aquatic plants which in turn offered safe havens and wealthy feeding grounds for migratory wintering waterfowl such as canvasback ducks native shore and water birds as well as an abounding assortment of other land and water species.

Spanning over approximately twenty thousand acres San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge is just one of sixtyseven wildlife refuges in the San Francisco Bay area that was established in 1974 to restore the delicate equilibrium of the wetlands to secure threatened wildlife habitats and to protect millions of vulnerable and endangered indigenous species of flora and fauna as well as the countless migratory birds. To accomplish this gargantuan task by attempting to reverse the damage inflicted to the local tidal marshes by expending agricultural commercial and industrial activities such as hydraulic gold mining in the 1850s at the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas salt harvesting rerouting and bleeding its waters and constructing dams the management of the San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge had formed a partnership with the Department of the Interior the United .States Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Wildlife Refuge System.

Sadly only fifteen percent of this natural treasure remains unblemished but there is great hope for the future. Presently San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge is a protected sanctuary for a thriving yearround local population of the California Clapper and Black Rails the Salt Marsh Harvest Mice the Song Sparrows of San Pablo and the Suisun Shrews. Furthermore San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge is a welcoming winter resort for various species of birds especially the diving ducks as well as eleven kinds of fish that annually cross the San Pablo Bay to their fresh water spawning grounds.

Now that we have seen what San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge does for wildlife let us examine what it can do for you and me and I am please to inform you that it can do plenty with a capital “P.” Being open to the public every day of the year from sun up to sun down it offers: handson educational programs for elementary school classes; offwater fishing in the open bay and sloughs accessible by boats; hunting grounds which are subject to State and Federal regulations and seasonal restriction; hiking and walking trails; and wildlife viewing and capturing on film.

And if you wish to turn your visit to San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge into a true vacation you will find plenty of charming rustic and beautifully maintained local accommodations such as BBs and inns.

About the writer:  Learn more about Sonoma County Real Estate and homes for sale in Sonoma County by visiting us today.

Royal Hotel Paris Champs-elysees France Travel Hotel

There’s an old saying that you’ve probably heard before “When in Rome do as the Romans do”. This simply means that when traveling to a place that isn’t your home you should do your best to experience the culture and ethnicities of the local residents. Would you visit Germany and dine every day at McDonald’s? Of course not! So why wouldn’t you want to stay at a true Parisian hotel while seeing the sites in Paris France? The Royal Hotel Paris ChampsElysees is the perfect “home away from home” for your stay in Paris and here are just 5 of the many reason for doing so:

1.FourStar Hotel This popular rating system translates into a luxury hotel with many popular amenities for guests to enjoy. 174 spacious yet comfortable rooms of which 16 are elegantly decorated townhousestyled suites are designed for both a business and leisure stay in Paris.

2.Gallery of Art within the Walls of the Royal Hotel Paris ChampsElysees. An astonishing private collection of over 4000 pictures adorns the hallways bedrooms and suites of the hotel including a Picasso and a Buffet!

3.Packages for Just about Everyone Whether you’re in the Paris to shop see the sites or spend some time alone on your honeymoon the Royal Hotel Paris ChampsElysees has a package for you! Rates include superb hotel accommodations plus breakfast coupons dinner or tickets to a real French Cabaret! Offers are subject to availability and usually require advance reservations.

4.The avenue des Champslyses one of the most famous city streets in the world is just a short 50 meter walk from the front door of the Royal Hotel Paris ChampsElysees. Cinemas cafes and luxury specialty shops line this street which is also called “La plus belle avenue du monde” French for “The most beautiful avenue in the world.”

5.Location The Royal Hotel Paris ChampsElysees truly has an exceptional location in the city of Paris. At the westend of the avenue des ChampsElysees the Arc de Triomhelt stands as one of the primary tourist destinations of the city. For just 8 euros you cn climb to the top of this triumphant arch 165 feet into the Paris sky. If you’re up for a scenic walk through the city enjoy the city as you walk to the Louvre. Of course you may want to take a cab to this world renouned museum to save your energy to view some of the most famous pieces of art to ever grace the world. In the new Richelieu wing antiques from the Orient French sculptures and Islamic art collections are just a few of the treasures on display for visitors. Don’t forget to see the masterpieces during your visit for who could leave the Louvre without seeing the Venus de Milo or Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa.

About the writer:  John Tressel recommends that you visit http://www.royalhotel.com for more information on Royal Hotel Paris ChampsElysees France.