Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Wine Tours in Spain



Spain lies in southwestern Europe, on the Iberian Peninsula. The country's eastern coastline edges the Mediterranean Sea. While not as widely known for wine as France, Spain is actually the third largest wine maker in the world. In fact, Spain has an impressive list of grape varieties it can claim as native.

A few of the Spanish grape varieties are: Tempranillo, Monastrell, and Palomino. The vast vineyards over scenic and rugged terrain are amazing. There are grand wine tours in Spain in the wine making regions like Ribera del Duero, Catalonia and Andalusia.



The Wine Making Region

The villages in the regions where wine tours in Spain can be found are largely unaffected by tourism. Villages may be small, but the views are spectacular. There are no crowds there, just scenic beauty and lovely vineyards The view and the wine tours in Spain go together. Ribera del Duero in the north of the country produces red wine almost exclusively.

Catalonia in the northeastern corner of Spain, is an autonomous community. Catalan wine is the name of the wine made there and Catalonia it is where sparkling wine originated. Andalusia is in the south of Spain. Vino de la Tierra wines are produced here. Tours in these three areas would each give a unique experience of the wine tours in Spain.
Wine tours in Spain

Wineries and More

Information about Spain can only encourage planning a visit to the wine regions. Recommendations can certainly be made for Ribera del Duero, Catalonia and Andalusia. Gourmet dinners with Spain's finest cuisine is included in a wine tour. The food of Spain varies from north to south.

Each region will offer locally grown fruits and vegetables with bean dishes, seafood, tortillas and more. When planning wine tours in Spain, there are indeed special places to love. 


Thursday, November 18, 2010

Online Chess




Chess is one of the oldest games which originated in India and was originally played by Kings or members of royal families. It has since spread like wildfire and continues to be one of the most played games in this century.

Chess is also a replica of history, giving us a small glimpse of the medieval times. Just study the pieces on the board and how they are used and you will see that it represents how people lived in those times.

Playing chess helps to challenge your mental abilities because it is a game of skill. It expands your thinking process and allows you to see things from different angles. Since there is very little time for people to get together and enjoy each other these days, having the option of playing online chess allows chess players to continue to improve their skills.

Online chess


There are many different websites that will allow you to play online chess. These websites are usually free and allow you to play with friends or strangers on the other side of the world. Some websites will even offer you strategies to use to help you be more successful when playing online chess.

When playing chess online you can play in tournaments so that you can challenge your skills. Online chess also offers you training videos, on some sites, to help you to improve your rating. There is even an option for you to download online chess to your mobile phone. There are only a few phones that will allow this application but one of them is the iPhone and the iPod touch.

Since this game is a trial of one's skill, the main objective of the game is to have a draw but checkmate will work. What will it be for you, draw or checkmate?

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Pyrenees Tours


Pyrenees tours – Just Amazing

Pyrenees tours are a must when visiting Spain. The mountains that border France and Spain are gorgeous and full of natural sites, hiking trails, forest, picturesque rocks and terraced canyons. The Ordesa National Park is located in the Pyrenees along with the Aigues Tortes National Park which is farther east. The name of this park means twisted waters, so upon visiting, be ready to observe many waterfalls cascading down jagged rocks.



Village encounters

Places to stop while on a Pyrenees tours would be Benasque in Aragon. This is an enchanting village that is lined by two mountain walls. The streets are cobblestone and all the buildings are made of stone from these mountains. Many people love to vacation within this charming village that is positioned next to the highest Peak Posets and another called Aneto.

Hiking

The well equipped hiker can proceed from Benasque up the Estos Valley on one of the many Pyrenees tours available. The route also referred to as GR11 marks one of the most exquisitely beautiful valleys in the entire Pyrenees Mountains. Along this lovely valley hiking path the scenes will be filled with the sounds of the pine marten and the bearded vultures to name a few aviary residents. The valley floor is covered with meadows of lilies, pines and beech wood forests. There are small mountain villages built into the stony mountainsides that can be more than 500 years old and are a part of many Pyrenees tours.



Activities

Not all Pyrenees Tours are done on foot. There is horseback riding, hot air balloon rides and mountain biking. Keeping the strength up is important while visiting the villages. Fine wines and local Pyrenees cuisine is available with varieties of meats, fish and sausages for dining pleasure upon staying at the quaint Pyrenees inns.

Private tours Barcelona


A Few Ideas For Private Tours In Barcelona

Barcelona, Spain’s second largest city after Madrid, is located on the north-eastern shore of the Iberian Peninsula. The city, built on a plateau, has a grand view of the Mediterranean Sea, and when taking private tours in Barcelona, the Port Vell area, with the largest aquarium in Europe, would be a good stop to include.



Private Tours or Group Tours

Private tours in Barcelona are different from group tours in several ways. In a group tour, you would join a number of random people, and the tour would follow a general preset itinerary. But with private tours in Barcelona, you would know everyone in your group, share a common language, and follow an itinerary planned by your group. This would be especially handy for those who have a particular interest in the city.



Art of Many Eras

When taking private tours in Barcelona, you will have a wide variety of itinerary themes to choose from. If art is your interest, the Montjuic art museum offers paintings, stone and metal sculptures and carvings, from Romanesque to Baroque.



Architecture of Guadi

If architecture is your interest, the work of the Spanish master Antonio Guadi can be seen throughout the city. Among his most famous works is La Pedrera, an apartment building turned museum, which has undulating balconies and roof, making it look as though you are seeing it through water. Also, La Sagrada Familia, an immense church begun in 1882 and still under construction, projected to be finished by 2026.

World Famous Beach

There are many other alluring attractions to recommend taking private tours in Barcelona, but most famous are the beaches. Called the “Best beach city in the world” by National Geographic, Barcelona’s beach was rated the best urban beach in the world in the Discovery Channel 2005 documentary film, Worlds’ Best Beaches.