Metropolitan Borough Birmingham

The photos are from Wikipedia
My friends that know Greek language told me, we do not use the word "metropolis" in correct way today. It means infact "mother town", the town from where these or that persons come. To explain the concept: the greek population of Italian colonies (like Neapolis or Pithekoussai and all the others) could come from different towns of Greece. Those towns were metropolis for that Greeks.

I read from time to time about motropolitan boroughs in UK and those mean agglomerations of persons near this or that city. Near London, near Birminghem in this case.

The city has for example the population about 700 000 persons but in the metropolitan borough live more than 2 millions.

This part of UK is the West Midlands county and the metropolitan borough of Birminghem is so big today to cover the territory of other counties. So, don't be mistaken if you plan to go to this city. We speak now about Birminghem-Birminghem and not about it's distant approaches.


«площадь перед торговым центром» на Яндекс.Фотках


«торговый центр» на Яндекс.Фотках

I read about this city in the news today and wanted to see some photos. So, I found some tooooo modern images like those you see here. And was surprised. This place was occupied by humans just about 11 000 years ago. It has to be an old center there. But the persons visiting it seem to appreciate this ultra modern stile.

Infact, you see the silhouettes of the antic buildings.
Now, I really want to visit this town because I don't understand how is it possible to put together such different mentalities. As for me, I surely would preserve the historical integrity of the landscape.

Problems With Tickets And Agencies

The new year's plans lead to the thoughts about the destinations of trips and tickets. So, I began to look for the offers and news about airlines and railway routs. Here are some short lines to describe the situation. We, clients, don't know it and can fall in traps.

First of all, be sure the site or agency where you book your tickets are authorized to sell them.
I never thought about it. It stands to reason for me, the agency selling tickets may do it. But not everything is so simple as it seems. The news write about such deceptions.

Personally, I had other problems with agencies.
They do not like other "brothers" even if they work FOR them (agency selling tickets of the railway). And they do not like clients that buy in other places (online) and than come to them to solve problems. They HAVE to solve your problem but they don'y want do it and damage you if they are forced.

For example, once I had to change my train ticket bought online. I went in a railway station office, but it was possible to do ONLY in an agency. I had to do somersaults to force the employee to change that ticket. Finally he did it. His revenge I understood when I entered the compartment where I had to pass sitting! all the night. It was a compartment only for men. 5 men and me. One of them, in front of me -as to spite- was a cretin that touched my legs all the night under the table that was in center of the compartment, and was happy to look at my reaction. I had to travel other 2 days that time, so the beginning was really showing great promise.

From that "adventure" I think 10 times before I book something. So that I have not to change it than.

Is Right Outdoor Clothing Important For Traveller?

Years ago I was sure, the outdoor clothing is not important for traveller and for outdoor activities. If you have a desire to walk or to enjoy the nature, it's enough to wear comfortable things you use everyday, I said. We are addicted by consumerism, that was my opinion about it. It was so till my husband began to run and to practise mountain trekking he got back to his normal weight. First of all he went in the specialized shop and tried all the brands like Berghaus, for example, those are his favourite.

I still could not understand why he needs special boots or trousers, jackets or backpacks. Surely we go in the mountains together, and the first time I wore my normal clothes. It's for my age, I thought, because I was too tired after it. So, the next visit to the shop I wanted to try the boots. Just to see what is the difference. I like to walk and am able to cover many kilometers trekking. That is why the bad state of my feet after my favourite pastime worried me. I liked the walking boots and bought them. It was great, you know. Simply great.

They envelop the feet, make them protected from anything they can meet -stones, sliding or casual, holes etc on your way. Feet are always in the right position and do not hurt. You will laugh: I changed my footwear and use shoes for trekking when I can now. You know, I live on the mountain, and when I have to go somewhere, I have to make at least 2 kilometers up and down the mountain to reach the bus. Having sturdy clothing makes all the difference when outside.

Well, it was my main problem and I wrote so much about it. Other clothes for outdoors are comfortable too. They are very light and have the same task to solve the problems of the person during the trekking. Imagine, you can find stuff for any outdoor activity and climatic zone. So, next time you think about a new trip try special clothes.

Impermanence As The Travel Destination

Everybody of us is afraid of changes in the life. The old, usual world goes away and something unknown comes on it's place. We can't know, if it is good or bad, we don't know, if it will take benefits or sufferings. We think, sufferings are more frequent in this life, and we don't like them.

Well, you are not right, I don't want to open courses of philosophy here. I want to suggest you a new way to choose the aim of your next trip. Impermanence. What I mean with it? Now I'll explain the idea to you with the photos.


«Мессинский пролив. г.Мессина. Вид на материк, часть региона Калабрия (самый-самый мысочек итальянского сапога)» на Яндекс.Фотках

On the photo over here is Messina/Sicilia and the strait between it and the Italian peninsula. This is the classic view that remains so for years and centuries. But it will not be so forever. The Italian government wants to build a bridge here, connecting the island with the mainland. This way, they say, the cars will arrive the ports and the life on the island will be not so expensive.

The problem is that just in this strait, between these parts of earth there is a place where 2 big parts of the earth crost meet and move. What will happen with the bridge over them?

In any case if you visit Messina today, before they begin to build that bridge, you can see it so as the Earthfather created it. If you will come some years later, you will probably find i new bridge -or the rests of it. (the bridge in Istanbul on the photo)


«Стамбул-Константинополь» на Яндекс.Фотках

Confronting Mosques And Russian Churches Architecture

«Великая Мечеть Джумейры (Jumeira Grand Mosque)» на Яндекс.Фотках

In one of my previous posts about the architecture of the Russian churches ( look here Russian Churches Of XII Century , The Golden Ring of Russia , What is Kizhi? ) Footiam wrote that these churches are similar to the mosques, if without cross. Not that I did not see the mosques in my life, but I've never looked on them from this point of view. So, I decided to control this affirmation and to tell you about the results here.

The Jumeirah Grand Mosque of Dubai (over here) is a splendid example of the modern antique architecture, I think. I could not find the year when this mosque was build, unfortunatelly. What is very interesting to notice, you can visit it, if you are in this biggest city of SA. I thought, every mosque is closed for visitors, even if it is one of the most touristic attractions of the city.

The next photo is the real antiquity -Samarkand. I never was in this city but my father told us about it with great delight about it, it's mosques and medrese.


«Самарканд» на Яндекс.Фотках

If you confront the architecture of these buildings and those of Russian churches in the posts I just listed, you will notice they have really some common traits. We can find different explanations of this peculiarities. Probably it's the common karma of all us, human beings. We like cupola, round forms generally. Cupola, I think, represents the vault of heaven for the religions, the image of the sky over our heads.

And this could allow to the architects and governors to transform one very important temple of Christentum, H.Sophia, Constantinople/ Istanbul in a mosque.

Wikipedia

Pirates of Port Royal/ Giamaica

As you can see on the map (Wikipedia), we remain in the Caribbean sea in this second part of our travel in search of pirates and treasures. The first post I wrote about the Turtle Island near Haiti (there is at least one Turtle island more, I told you), the capital of pirates in XVII century.

This city was a center of shipping commerce, had a very comfortable harbour and it was situated near the main routs of the Spanish and French commercial ships. After the pirates of Turtle Island left it and came in Port Royal, this city became definitely "the Sodom of the New World". There were probably more drinking houses than persons there, and the life was "Wine and Women".

It's enough, therefore, to walk through the city to inspire the air of adventure.

Do you know, what is interesting? When I looked for the staff to write this post, I wanted to add here a picture that corrisponds the traditional immagination we have about the pirats. I made a list of the most known names of the pirats of that times and looked for their portraits. And I did not find them. The contemporal pictures of these characters are "normal citizens". Maybe with the face a little to... but there are many persons with faces inspiring fear. So, nothing pirat images. Only this beautiful vessel.


«Карибы. Аруба. Оранжестад.» на Яндекс.Фотках

How a Traveller Can Use Web Directories

My blog is maybe too full of different destinations to visit, and you find rarely articles with suggestions to make the life of a traveller easier. So, I'll tell you how to find your best deal using a web directory today.

Those are sites collecting informations about all the sides of the life. They have many categories, and all the sites are divided to make the research as easy as possible. It's enough to write the keyword to open the lists. For example, if we write "vacation", we find "vacation destination listings" or "cruise ships" or "travel reservation" etc to choose from. I found agencies selling tickets this way. Than there are all the interesting offers of organized trips.

You would say, it's the same than other search engines. Not properly. Because the search engines give you too much unuseful information, and sometimes you need time to find what you need. From other side, free web directory gives possibility to be noticed to many internet users, bloggers and others. Web directories are visited by great number of persons. They lead traffic to the blogs and help us to be more known in this infinite world.

Web directories are not only simple lists. They offer any help to the visitors. The business.com
has expert guides and users can ask questions. I like to read this collection of answers. It's a good source of ideas, when I don't find inspiration to write, too. In this site you find even business advises. An interesting article I found, for example, tells how to save money when you travel. So, there are many things to learn there.

Other interesting directory is BOTW including local search and blog search. This site offers only links and site descriptions. By the way, it's good to add the address of our blogs to these directories.