Alma's Travel Guide

Hello, Welcome back to my blog!

As much as I hate saying this, this week is our last blog post week. I am honored that so many came to look at my blogs every week and thank you for sticking around.

Today, Monday 12.5.16, I was leaving my house to go to work and getting out of my house I didn’t realize how much snow was outside. It looked like a winter wonderland. Usually it takes me about 15 minutes to get to work and it took me over an hour. So in honor of my situation today, I wanted to talk about our winter wonderland state of Vermont.

I was born in Vermont, so I am use to the weather but I have never been a huge fan of the cold. I hate being cold but I love snow. I love how bright the sky I when it snows and it makes everything feel homey. I just want to light some candles, drink hot chocolate and watch Netflix (which is what I plan to do today). The past few winters in Vermont have not been the best snow wise and I am hoping this year there is a lot of snow. I wanted to look at some of the facts about winters in Vermont.

WINTER 2001-2002 March 1, 2002

The winter of 2001-2002 was the first in Vermont’s recorded weather history in which the temperature did not fall below zero.

Hello classmates, friends and people who are new to my blog. Welcome!

This week I wanted to change things up. Since we are getting around to the holidays and especially close to Thanksgiving, I wanted to direct my post to the Thanksgiving holiday. Although I am not able to share my Thanksgiving with my family who are in Bosnia, I wanted to share it with you this year. Thanksgiving is a holiday where we can get together with our family, eat lots of food and take time to appreciate everything that we have.

My very first Thanksgiving was celebrated with my family when we first moved to America. We had no idea what it was really about but my dad always used to get free turkeys from his work and we would eat so much food and be with all our family. I love the atmosphere that Thanksgiving brings.

Here are some fun facts about Thanksgiving, hope you enjoy!

1. It was not until 1941, that congress declared Thanksgiving as a national holiday. It was declared to be the fourth Thursday in November.
2. 91% of Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving Day.
3. Benjamin Franklin wanted the national bird to be a turkey.
4. The first Thanksgiving was not a feast, but rather a time when Native Americans helped Pilgrims by bringing them food and helping them build off the land.
5. The First Thanksgiving lasted for three days.
6. No turkey on the menu at the first Thanksgiving.
7. No forks at the first Thanksgiving!
8. Thanksgiving is the reason for TV dinners!

I hope you enjoyed reading these fun facts and I hope you are your family have a great Thanksgiving.

See you next week! Alma xo

http://www.coolest-holiday-parties.com/thanksgiving-facts.html

http://www.allparenting.com/my-life/articles/969379/20-thanksgiving-fun-facts-to-teach-kids

I do not own any of the images in this blog post 🙂

 

 

Καλώς ήρθατε στην Ελλάδα (Welcome to Greece!)

Welcome back to this weeks blog post. I am super excited to share with you my places to go on my adventure bucket list. The semester is coming to an end and I wish I could share 100 more places to go. Greece will forever be on my bucket list. It looks like one the most beautiful places to go in the world. I am obsessed with countries that have such a historical background because it gives the place such an old time feel which I live for.

One of my favorite things that Greece has to offer are there ancient buildings. They are so breathtaking and full of history. If you look at the pictures below you will see how detailed these buildings are and how they were made to last forever. Truly breath taking. There are city’s in Greece where buildings like this are untouched but so old. It’s surprising to me because here in America a lot of abandoned and old buildings are destroyed with graffiti. The people of Greece maintain there buildings and cherish them.

Another really wonderful thing about Greece is that they have amazing beaches. Like I’ve said before, if I could live on a beach I would and Greece would be the first place I would go too. Thousands of people takes cruises to Greece so they can stay in houses like the ones pictured below on the first row (right picture). It is expensive but it is worth it. Below you will see how beautiful Greece is at night, the water, the people and the thousands of buildings. There are many tourist places you can go, restaurants, concerts, clubs, etc.

The reason why I fell in love with the life in Greece is from the movie Sisterhood of Travelling Pants where one of the characters spent her whole summer in Greece. Ever since that movie I have always wanted to go to Greece.

Thank you for stopping by. See you next week!

xo

The pictures used in this blog post are from Google images. I do not own any of the images.

Manava i te Bora Bora! (Welcome to Bora Bora)

This week blog post will take us to the island of Bora Bora also known as the island of romance. If you are new to my blogs, I write about places I want to go that are on my adventure bucket list. I am fascinated about going to places around the world and I love travelling. Even though I don’t have thousands of dollars to go travel, this blog will help people like myself experience a journey without spending money or leaving your home. Since we have explored everything but a nice beachy island I thought we should change it up a bit.

The reason I chose Bora Bora for this week is because all of my friends have been there and have said that I have to go before I die because of how beautiful it is. If you aren’t a beach kind of person than this may not be the best place for you but personally I could live on a beach. Especially a beach with clear water. If you don’t know where Bora Bora is, take a look below. The first picture is the actual island, the one on the right is the map of the island so you get a clearer vision of where it is exactly.

Now that we know exactly where Bora Bora is on the map, lets explore and see what this island has to offer.  Most of the economy is driven by the amount of people who go there. There are many resorts that are currently there and still being built around this island. You can rent out suites with views of the water and mountains. It is truly one of the best and most peaceful places to go on your honeymoon or family vacation. One of the pro’s o Bora Bora is that it is very private and you can get part of the water to yourself which is much more different than where I am from. The water is clear making it more relaxing for you to swim. It’s basically the best place ever.

Gorgeous, right?

Another good plus for vacationing in Bora Bora is that there are places you can go to see the aftermath of the WWII. Once the attack on Pearl Harbor happened the US chose this Island to be  one of there military bases. There are eight artillery canons sitting at the base of Mount Otemanu located in this island. There are also military bunkers still located in parts of the jungle. Because of its history, Bora Bora is that much more special.

Thank you for coming with me on this weeks adventure, I hope to see you next week.

The pictures used in this blog post come from google images and I do not own any copyright to these photos.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bora_Bora

Welcome to Dubai (مرحبا بكم في دبي),

Dubai has always been one of the most fascinating places on Earth. I say this because it is the fastest growing place in the world. In 1968 Dubai only had 13 cars, today the city is backed up by traffic. Another interesting fact is that Dubai virtually have 0 percent crime. It is one of the safest places in the world. The people of Dubai (mostly made up of Indians and a small population of immigrants) strongly believe in morality which has made the crime rate 0.

I am extremely amazed at what Dubai has to offer. It has one of the biggest malls on earth, tallest hotels and handmade buildings that tower Dubai. Since it is one of the most fastest growing places on the planet, there is so much Dubai has to offer. They even have indoor skiing, if that isn’t awesome I don’t know what is! There are so many places to go and things to do in Dubai. Below you will see some of my favorite places I would go.

Let’s start with the good stuff. Here are some of the best places to go to Dubai. The first place you can enjoy is the mall. The mall of Dubai has over 1000 (not a typo) retail stores. It is over 5.9 million square feet and it offers things such as a theater, underground zoo, a forest café, ice rink and aquarium. Hundreds of thousands of people come to this mall daily because it has so much to offer. As if this mall isn’t big enough, they are planning to expand the mall by a million more square feet. Below you will see the wonderful places this mall has to offer.

Rainforest Café

Ice Rink

Underwater Zoo/Aquarium

Outside of the mall

Dinosaur Museum

 

 

 

 

Bienvenido al real Madrid, España!!! (Welcome to Real Madrid, Spain!)

Hello friends, classmates and to all the new people that have been reading my blog, welcome. This week’s adventure will be us going to Real Madrid, Spain one of the most beautiful places in the world.

One of the reasons why I chose Real Madrid for this week is because I am a huge Real Madrid soccer fan. Ever since I can remember Spain was somewhere I wanted to go. I studied Spanish in high school and was always interesting in the culture and history of Spain. There are hundreds of places that I would go in this part of Spain but I have decided to add some of the places I would go.

1. Real Madrid Soccer

If you a die hard fan of Real Madrid like I am, the best place to be is at one of the stadiums watching Real Madrid play. Not only is soccer extremely popular in Spain but it is a way of life. It brings people together and thousands of people gather to watch the game. It is really a way of life. Here are some of the stadiums and national team.

2. Prado National Museum

If you love history like myself, this is a must when you go to Spain. This museum stores some of the most beautiful history in all of Spain. It has thousands of paintings from the famous Spanish artists. “The Museo Nacional del Prado possesses one of the most important Art libraries in Spain, specialized in European Painting, Sculpture, Drawing, Engraving and Decorative Arts from Middle Ages to the 19th century.The Library contains approximately 75.000 monographs and 1.500 periodicals as well as audiovisual material and specialized digital resources.”

This kind of museum will show you thing you’ve never seen before. It does back so far back in history and you will be amazed how much Spain has evolved.

 

https://www.museodelprado.es/en/learn

 

東京へようこそ (Welcome to Tokyo!)

I am so excited to share this weeks adventure to Tokyo. One of the biggest reasons why I love Tokyo is because of the cars. The love for Tokyo started for me when I watched The Fast And the Furious: Tokyo drift. Something about the fast cars and culture of Japan made me want to buy a ticket for myself and my car to Tokyo. Not only do they have the nicest sports cars around the night life looks amazing compared to the Vermont night life. If you have a passion for cars this is a must go to place! There are many sight seeing places to go in Japan and I wanted to focus on one thing, cars.

Prince & Skyline Museum

If you are a die hard fan for cars, this is the place to be. Over 34 cars are on display including the Club Le Mans R32 Skyline GT-R, Group A and Group N R32 GT-Rs and until August 23rd, the Group 5 TomicaR30 Skyline Silhouette car. This has a showcase of the most popular fast cars that have rode the streets of Tokyo. A lot of the have been modified to be some of the fasts cars ever. Below you will see some of the cars that they showcase. It looks amazing!

Tokyo Nightlife

If you are looking for the best night life and attractions than Tokyo is the best place to be. One of the main reasons I recommend this place to visit is because if the stunning buildings that they have. They are much more developed than we are here in Vermont. There are thousands of bars, clubs and restaurants all around Tokyo. They also have live music every night. If you are looking for a fun adventurous night out the best place for that would be Tokyo, Japan.

All images have been used from google images, I do not own any of the pictures.

Bonjour, Bienvenue ! (Hello, Welcome)

This week we are taking a trip to Paris, France, one of the most amazing and beautiful places in the world. When thinking about Paris, we think of love, coffee and the Eiffel tower. Every year about 47 million people come and visit France. It is known for it’s shopping center/markets, wine and culture. There are so many things to see in Paris but I wanted to breakdown the top two places to go while in Paris, France.

The Eiffel Tower

As you may already know, the Eiffel Tower is the top tourist places in the world. It was originally built in 1889 and it was not intended to stay permanent. It takes about 1,665 steps to get to the top of the tower where you can see all of France. The main reason people visit the tower is because of its history, what you see inside and the breathtaking photos you can take. The Eiffel Tower represents it’s city and inside the tower there are snack bars, a little apartment and a souvenir shop.

Daytime vs. Nighttime

The Louvre

If you are a history geek like I am or if you love old art collection you have to go to The Louvre. This is a well-known and important museums in history. The beautiful museum holds the famous Mona Lisa painting. There are over 35,000 thousands paintings. It was first a private museum only open to King Francis I. In 1793, during the French Revolution, the Louvre became a national art museum and the private royal collection opened to the public. Ever since than it has become one of the most important museums in history.

Outside of the Louvre

Inside the Louvre

 

http://www.the-www-directory.com/paris-trips/5_reasons_to_visit_the_eiffel_tower.html

http://www.parisdigest.com/information/facts.html

http://www.aviewoncities.com/paris/louvre.htm

 

 

Cao, Benvenuto! (hello, welcome)

Italy is one of the most historic and beautiful places in the world. Rome is known to be founded in the year 753 BC. Because it is so old, it is known as the “eternal city.” Rome is known for the famous monument that has survived from the classical world. It was built two thousand years ago and it still stands today. It was used for hosting violent gladiator games where thousands of men would fight for there lives, even against animals! Thousands of people would come and watch someone get sacrificed and it would be just like watching a soccer game. The crowds would cheer and clap during these games.

One of the great things about Italy is that the history never ends, the streets are filled with thousand year old buildings, pictures and sculptures made by the Romans. It’s fascinating how the coliseum still stands even after all these years. This goes to show after all the changes that happen through Italy, it’s history and makers will stay the same.

There are tour guides in Rome that show you around the coliseum where you can experience the history yourself and get the feel of how little Italy was back thousands of years ago.

“Art is never finished, only abandoned..”

From the famous Italian Artist, Leonardo da Vince

http://www.roman-empire.net/children/history.html

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=history+of+rome+italy&view=detailv2&&id=2274A65D905D953B6D69F7632304AE0799C155F5&selectedIndex=10&ccid=dfo%2f4EHE&simid=608006184475495948&thid=OIP.M75fa3fe041c4a3cb97a31ab40635e099H0&ajaxhist=0

http://romancolosseum.org/

Mostar, one of the most beautiful places in Bosnia I Herzegovina is considered my home. I love Mostar for so many reasons, the people, the history and a huge part is because of the tasty food. This is a very toured area, where thousands of people around the world come to see Mostar for its wonderful food, for the people, it’s history and the famous bridge Stari Most. If I could tell anyone where to go in Europe, this would be the first place that I would tell people to go.

War broke out in Bosnia in 1992, where thousands of Bosnians were sent out of Bosnia. The war ended in 95 and the country was torn. Everything was destroyed, families were separated, there was nothing left. One of the biggest tragedies was when the Stari Most collapsed from the bridge being bombed. It was rebuilt today where thousands of people come to see it in person, there are also diving every year that goes on on that bridge. After 21 years after the war, Bosnians have rebuilt Bosnia I Herzegovina more beautifully than it was before it was gone.

One of the reasons I love Mostar is because of its breathtaking views. Everywhere you go you see something you have never seen before. There are so many historically buildings that give you a story of love, war and survival. That is the beauty of Bosnia.

Here are some pictures of Mostar from my trip back in July…