Chadi » Tourism http://thechadi.com Reporting live from the centre of the Universe - My living room Tue, 08 May 2012 08:07:15 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Oceanário de Lisboa http://thechadi.com/2012/05/oceanario-de-lisboa/ http://thechadi.com/2012/05/oceanario-de-lisboa/#comments Tue, 08 May 2012 08:07:15 +0000 admin http://thechadi.com/?p=682 Located on the exhibition ground of last century’s World Fair is this massive and beautiful Oceanarium in Lisbon. The Oceanarium itself resembles a docked oil rig from the outside, but on the inside it is very rich with life from the under water. The Lisbon Oceanarium has a large collection of marine species — birds, mammals, fish, cnidaria, and other marine organisms totaling about 16,000 individuals of 450 species.

Inside the Oceanarium there are five main tanks and a further 25 smaller tanks with a wide variety of fish, mammals, crustaceans, jelly fish and fauna on display. The Oceanarium is centred around a 5,000 cubic metre tank which houses a mixture of tropical and temperate aquatic life including sharks, manta-rays, tuna and unusual looking sunfish. A further four tanks representing the North Atlantic, Antarctic, Pacific and Indian oceans are positioned around the main tank. Interspersed there are a further 25 smaller tanks with unusual species including ‘glow in the dark’ deep water fish. They are all separated from the main tank by invisible acrylic walls, giving the impression that all the creatures are swimming in the same space.

The Lisbon Oceanarium is one of the few aquariums in the world to house a sunfish due to their unique and demanding requirements for care. Other interesting species include two large spider crabs and three sea otters.

A really nice place to be in, but it’s the design rather than the size that makes it outstanding. It is the first aquarium ever to incorporate world ocean habitats within a single environment, with impressive recreations of various ocean ecosystems — the Antarctic tank containing penguins, and the Pacific tank with otters playing in rock pools.

]]> http://thechadi.com/2012/05/oceanario-de-lisboa/feed/ 0 Berlin http://thechadi.com/2012/04/berlin/ http://thechadi.com/2012/04/berlin/#comments Tue, 17 Apr 2012 03:07:37 +0000 admin http://thechadi.com/?p=678 Berlin, capital of Germany and one of the greatest capitals of this world. Best known for its historical associations as the German capital, for its internationality and tolerance, for its lively nightlife, for its many cafes, clubs, and bars, for its street art, and for its numerous museums, palaces, and other sites of historic interest. Many albums have been posted on this site of photos showing Berlin and this is merely another post from a long never ending reel of photos taken in this great city. The album features the beautiful Berliner Dom or Cathedral in addition to other landmarks.

]]> http://thechadi.com/2012/04/berlin/feed/ 1 Lisbon http://thechadi.com/2012/04/lisbon/ http://thechadi.com/2012/04/lisbon/#comments Sun, 08 Apr 2012 16:07:49 +0000 admin http://thechadi.com/?p=672 Definitely one of the most impressive cities in Europe with its charming alleys, huge squares and friendly people. Lisbon is a hidden gem on the very western end of Europe overlooking the river Tagus on a very hilly site.  There is an earlier album of this beautiful city which can be found right here with more info about this beautiful city.

]]> http://thechadi.com/2012/04/lisbon/feed/ 1 Alcatraz http://thechadi.com/2012/03/alcatraz/ http://thechadi.com/2012/03/alcatraz/#comments Fri, 16 Mar 2012 10:36:12 +0000 admin http://thechadi.com/?p=652 Referred to as The Rock, this small island just off the coast of San Francisco was first developed with its facilities as a lighthouse, military fortification and a prison at later stages. Due to its isolation from the outside by the cold, strong, hazardous currents of the waters of San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz was used to house prisoners from as early as 1861. Some of the notable criminals that spent time on Alcatraz are Al Capone, Robert Franklin Stroud and George “Machine Gun” Kelly.

In my personal opinion, this place is overrated and over sold. Although a must see for all it represents, I think they market it quite well to maintain a mystery around it. It is definitely a place you want to visit and see, but you will probably not want to go there again. You can see the whole island using the audio guide in less than 3 hours no matter how much time you try to waste.

]]> http://thechadi.com/2012/03/alcatraz/feed/ 0 Berchtesgaden http://thechadi.com/2012/03/berchtesgaden/ http://thechadi.com/2012/03/berchtesgaden/#comments Mon, 05 Mar 2012 01:43:44 +0000 admin http://thechadi.com/?p=647 Berchtesgaden is a picturesque little town in the southern part of Bavaria in Germany and surrounded by Austria from three sides. It is located in a valley at 500 to 1100m altitude in the German Alps and surrounded by a mountain called Untersberg. It is famous for the salt mines and the production of table salt guaranteed it income in the medieval ages. No visit is complete here without a trip down the salt mines.

The town made famous in recent history as a summer getaway place for Adolf Hitler. He had a complex built at the very top of a peak and was used a few times a year. It is most widely known as Kehlsteinhaus or The Eagle’s Nest. I would say a town to see in the Bavarian mountains and enjoy the salt mines for sure.

]]> http://thechadi.com/2012/03/berchtesgaden/feed/ 0 San Francisco http://thechadi.com/2012/02/san-francisco/ http://thechadi.com/2012/02/san-francisco/#comments Tue, 28 Feb 2012 17:47:30 +0000 admin http://thechadi.com/?p=643 It is very difficult to be in a city like San Francisco and not feel instantly welcome. A beautiful city on the Pacific with lots to offer for all tastes and a chilly summer fog that covers its beauty. I do not know why I am writing this because San Francisco is one of those cities that do not really need an introduction. The attractions here are world famous and you will only understand why when you visit. A week’s visit is not nearly enough to cover everything here, but you can get to see a few essentials.

]]> http://thechadi.com/2012/02/san-francisco/feed/ 1 New York City http://thechadi.com/2012/02/nyc/ http://thechadi.com/2012/02/nyc/#comments Fri, 24 Feb 2012 17:44:23 +0000 admin http://thechadi.com/?p=638 If you are a fan of big sky scrappers, crowded places, traffic jams and rats then NYC is definitely the place for you. World famous for the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building and Wall Street. I do not think my knowledge of the city would add more to anybody’s knowledge so I leave you with the photos.

]]> http://thechadi.com/2012/02/nyc/feed/ 1 Riga http://thechadi.com/2012/02/riga/ http://thechadi.com/2012/02/riga/#comments Wed, 22 Feb 2012 01:29:38 +0000 admin http://thechadi.com/?p=665 Rīga or Riga is the capital city of Latvia. It also happens to be the largest city in the Baltic states and one of the largest in Northern Europe. A short stopover in this city is a must if you want to truly experience a global city in its truest sense. Here is a glimpse into this city during the winter.

]]> http://thechadi.com/2012/02/riga/feed/ 0 Helsinki http://thechadi.com/2012/02/helsinki/ http://thechadi.com/2012/02/helsinki/#comments Mon, 20 Feb 2012 18:08:01 +0000 admin http://thechadi.com/?p=634 If you are still looking for a winter wonderland, look no more, Helsinki is the place you want to land in. It is at crossroads between Stockholm in Sweden, St. Petersburg in Russia and Tallinn in Estonia and has very close historical ties to all three cities. The architecture of the city can easily show off some of the historical foot prints.

The most prominent from the Russian influence would be the Uspenski Orthodox Cathedral and the Suomenlinna sea fortress from the Swedish times. Viapori, Sveaborg or simply Suomenlinna is an inhabited sea fortress built on six islands. It was commissioned as the largest sea fortress by the Swedes in the face of Russian expansionism.  The fortress however surrendered to the Russians in 1808. Russian naval guns can still be seen on the island.

The Finns are renowned for their original design aesthetic, a mix of Scandinavian minimalism and wild, quirky, Moomin-ish colours, textures and patterns. Given that, it is no surprise that Helsinki is the 2012 World Design Capital.

]]> http://thechadi.com/2012/02/helsinki/feed/ 0 Oregon Coast http://thechadi.com/2012/02/oregon-coast/ http://thechadi.com/2012/02/oregon-coast/#comments Thu, 16 Feb 2012 22:29:57 +0000 admin http://thechadi.com/?p=630 Almost nothing can be said about this beautiful coast that can possibly give it justice for its scenery and serenity. I spent a long time driving down this coast from Washington to California. It is a long coast and has a lot of nice things to see. My suggestion is if you want to see this, just drive South from Washington state and take it all in. Filming this part of the US was very difficult because it seems like a continuous stretch that a picture can’t just capture.

]]> http://thechadi.com/2012/02/oregon-coast/feed/ 0 Seattle http://thechadi.com/2012/02/seattle/ http://thechadi.com/2012/02/seattle/#comments Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:52:32 +0000 admin http://thechadi.com/?p=625 Seattle, The Emerald City, is an ever changing city that will captivate you right away. To me, Seattle is best described as a city in progress. The cranes are all over the place, you can tell buildings are going up while others are going down. Work just does not seem to stop. A city that seems to keep reinventing itself from logging, to being a gateway to Alaska, Boeing came along and things started rocking to the tunes of grunge. Nirvana and Pearl Jam were merely local groups from this wonderful city. After being the centre of aircraft manufacturing, a local genius came along and started a company that has dominated most of our times and established Seattle as a tech hub. Yes that local genius was Bill Gates who founded Microsoft in Seattle. Amazon.com was established years later in Seattle. Lets not forget the original Starbucks at Pike Place Market in Seattle that has been founded there since 1971.

You see, the city seems to keep changing the whole time and one thing remains, the spirit and beauty of a great city in the Pacific Northwest. The Seattle skyline is very unique and famous through various productions that have aired worldwide. The most known landmark would have to be the Space Needle built for the World Fair in 1962. Visiting Seattle is not complete without going up to the observation deck of the Space Needle. You may also want to pay a visit to the original Starbucks, Pike Place Market, Pioneer Square, Seattle Aquarium, Seattle Waterfall Garden, Seattle Monorail and a visit to Alki Beach and West Seattle. The city has so much to offer, head across with an open mind and a lot of free time to allow things to sink in.

]]> http://thechadi.com/2012/02/seattle/feed/ 1 Cefalù http://thechadi.com/2011/12/cefalu/ http://thechadi.com/2011/12/cefalu/#comments Tue, 27 Dec 2011 12:58:35 +0000 admin http://thechadi.com/?p=622 A beautiful coastal city in the province of Palermo,  Cefalù is one of the most visited cities in Sicily by tourists from all across Italy and  Europe. The Cathedral of Cefalù is probably the most visited attraction that stands out in this city. There are other churches all around the city and a few old palaces. What is most impressive though is the view you have whether you are standing on top of the mountain side looking down to the sea or the opposite; it simply is breathtaking. Do not let the size of this city fool you, during the summer time you can barely set a foot here due to the flocking of tourists from all over Europe.  That is partly thanks to the active night life, events, tour operators and mainly the happy atmosphere that is there.

 

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