Skywatch#119 Entrance To the Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery

This is the entrance to the Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery, Nagcarlan, Laguna.  Both the church and the cemetery are now considered part of the national  historical sites of the Philippines.





 

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A Visitor’s Guide to Florence

Florence is considered as one of the most important cities of Europe. The city is the birthplace of the opera, the Italian renaissance and also the neo-classical architecture. Florence was also a major cultural and political hotbed in its time and this makes it one of the must-visit places for anyone visiting Italy. Below is a brief visitor’s guide to Florence.

Ideal Time to Visit

Florence falls in the Tuscan region which gets pretty hot during the summer’s peak. This causes most of the local people to retreat to the coastal areas in the period between June and August. As a tourist, the ideal time would be to visit either before or after the summer season passes. April, May, September and October are quite warm and sunny without being too hot.

Notable Attractions

The cathedral Santa Maria del Fiore is the star attraction of Florence. It is a beautiful piece of architecture that dominates the city and is a must-visit. Giotto’s Tower, adjacent to the above cathedral, offers viewers an excellent view of the city that is worth appreciating.

There are also plenty of places to visit in case you want to combine history with leisure shopping. The Ponte Vecchio (literal meaning is ‘Old Bridge’) is home to many shops. The place is also known to be the traditional jewelry buying destination for Florentines.

You can also visit the tombs of great medieval personalities like Michelangelo, Dante, Galileo and Machiavelli.

Exquisite Cuisine

Italians love their food and Florentines are no different when it comes to their palates. Although both meat and fish dishes are dominant in the region, the cuisine is mostly seasonal. There are also many places that serve up inexpensive and yet tasty stuff. Wine lovers can also have a drink in Florence.

While it’s only a brief guide to Florence, most of these places will ensure that you experience the heart of Florentine culture.

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Skywatch#118 Quezon Memorial Circle

I took a chance to explore Quezon Memorial Circle on my first weekend of my study-training. We had rainy days previous to that weekend and it was just such a relief when Saturday promised to be a sunny day. While my roommates were busy lounging inside our hotel room, I explored the circle where the former Philippine president Manuel L. Quezon and his wife are buried.

I got off at the Philcoa Building and walked through the underpass to get to the circle's gate. The park was clean, green and spacious. Families were walking around and there were some brave souls who jogged under the scorching sun.  Security guards were seen around patrolling the area and to my surprise, the park has a lot of interesting nooks for people from all walks of life to enjoy in.

 

 

This monument is located at the center of the circle. Underneath it is a museum housing the memorabilia of President Quezon and also his sarcophagus. His First Lady, Dona Aurora Quezon, is also buried here. The museum is being managed by one of the daughters.

 

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Three of the Best Short Haul Holiday Hot Spots

Are you hoping to travel abroad in 2012? The current economic climate has meant that fewer holidaymakers are venturing abroad for stints in the sun. With cheap Tenerife holidays and bargain holidays in Cyprus on offer online, why settle for a staycation this summer?

1.       Cyprus

Holidays in Cyprus offer the most varied resorts and most sensational climate in the Mediterranean. Whatever your travel tastes, the birth place of Aphrodite caters for love birds, families and party rockers alike.

Limassol’s shallow waters are superb for young families, while Paphos is a great all round resort for couples, culture lovers and families with plenty of sightseeing opportunities as well as a local waterpark. Ayia Napa is the place to be if you are looking to hit the clubs on the island.

2.       Rhodes

Rhodes is officially the driest island in the Mediterranean with over 300 days of sunshine every year. Whenever you choose to stay from mid-May to October, you are guaranteed to experience gorgeous weather.

The striking resort of Lindos is home to the Acropolis of Lindos, one of the most visited landmarks on the island. A favourite spot for couples tying the knot, Lindos boasts some of the more elite hotels in Rhodes.

The tip of the island is reserved for those who want to experience the best of both worlds – Rhodes Town is an eclectic mix of old and new, with the ancient walled town standing adjacent to the cosmopolitan centre.

3.       Tenerife

Cheap Tenerife holidays are excellent for those travelling on a budget. As part of the Canary Islands, just off the coast of Africa, Tenerife benefits from sensational summers with highs reaching 30 degrees C. 

Once of the livelier Canarian destinations, Tenerife resorts are active with plenty of watersports lining their 16 blue flag beaches.

Wherever you choose to stay, search online to discover some of the best prices on holidays in Cyprus, Rhodes and Tenerife.

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Skywatch#117 State House Of South Carolina

The State House of South Carolina at dusk. The State House is located at the intersection of Senate and Main Streets of Columbia City. The photo was taken from the back of the building.

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Overbooked Flights Being Banned

Sometime ago, I read through a bloggers’ horrific experience with one of the budget airlines in the country. She may have had fun with her Boracay vacation with her friends, even raved about their Boracay hotel but her experience with the budget airlines was the extreme opposite of her pleasant experience at the island-paradise.

They were bumped off the overbooked flights and worried that they might not make it on time to report for work on the next day, they begged to be accommodated. However, they were not the only ones begging to get accommodated. What also exacerbated their situation was that the ground crew were aloof, arrogant and unresponsive to their plight. At the end of her post, she promised that she and her friends might pursue a legal case against the budget airline.

This nightmarish experience is not uncommon among budget airlines. Trying to recover the revenues lost from their promos, overbooking the flight somehow helps but the travelers unwittingly suffer because of this. Fortunately, the country’s aviation regulator is banning the overbooking of flights effective June 15. I hope this will prosper, for the sake of the travelers.

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Skywatch#116 Sunset Rays At Times Beach

 
While we waited for the Earth Hour at Times Beach last March 2012, I took photos of clouds.

Same clouds but with different setting in a span of a few seconds.


 This is my entry for:

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