Like the Seville region, the province of Cordoba is landlocked, though that should not be a reason for the more adventurous traveller to not visit either for they both are fascinating. The region of Cordoba is split by the mighty Rio Guadalquivir on which lies the ancient city of Cordoba, founded by the Romans, though it flourished under the Moorish occupation and this is evident in the architecture found all over the city.

Built on a sharp bend of the river which is crossed by the Roman bridge, the El Puente Romano, the city was once a port. When the Moors were replaced by the Christians, the city’s beauty was left untouched and the Christian cathedral was built within the mosque, the Mezquita. The Mezquita dates back to the 12 century and symbolises the power of the Moorish Islamic influence on this region of Andalucia. Built in 785AD by Abd al Rahman, the mosque has been added to over the generations by both Christian and Islamic faiths as they each controlled this area.

At the centre of Cordoba is the old Jewish quarter where little has changed in centuries, narrow streets and garden plazas, tapas bars and restaurants, an ideal area to explore and relax in the Spanish way. The bull fighting museum and the cool and refreshing fountains and gardens of the Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos are well worth a visit both being open from Tuesday to Sunday.
(more…)

Miami-based Royal Caribbean International, the world’s second-largest cruise line, announced on February 6, 2006 that it had ordered the largest and most expensive cruise ship in the world, a $1.24 billion vessel which can hold up to 6,400 passengers. It is to be named Project Genesis.

This ship, which is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2009 by shipbuilder Aker Yards of Oslo, will be 220,000 gross register tons. A gross register ton, a standard measure of a ship’s size, is a unit of volume equal to about 100 cubic feet. It is to be built at a Finnish shipyard.

Aker is to be paid 900 million euros ($1 billion) to build the ship, making Project Genesis the most expensive ship ever ordered in the history of commercial shipbuilding. The $1.24 billion figure includes all expenses required for interior finishing of the ship. Royal Caribbean contract with Aker includes an option for a second ship.

Richard Fain, the chairman and chief executive of Royal Caribbean said of Project Genesis, “It is exhilarating to take such a giant step into the future. Project Genesis truly is a remarkable ship. Its bold design, daring innovation and technological advancements will delight our existing customers and help us draw in new ones.”

Aker Yards Finland currently builds Royal Caribbean’s “Freedom” class vessels. However, the Project Genesis ship will be 43 percent larger than the present recordholder, “Freedom of the Seas”, which is currently under construction and scheduled to be finished by April 2006.

The biggest ship currently in operation is the Queen Mary 2, at 151,400 gross register tons. It is owned by the Cunard Line, a unit of the Carnival Corporation, which is the world’s largest cruise ship company. The British-registered liner is 1,132 feet long, more than 236 feet high, and can hold 2,620 passengers. The QM2 is capable of crossing the North Atlantic at a speed of 30 knots. The 14-day 2004 maiden voyage from Southampton, in southern England, to Fort Lauderdale, Florida on January 12, 2004, was completely sold out months before departure.
(more…)

Imagine a vacation where you could really kick back and relax, without the worry of hordes of tourists making you feel like you are back in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. An increasingly popular way to travel and experience peace and tranquillity combined with excitement and adventure when you want it is to charter a yacht, where you can enjoy the luxury of relaxing and soaking up the sunshine as you cruise the waters combined with visiting some truly exciting destinations when you are ready for a little excitement. You can enjoy avoiding the often stressful experience of staying in an overcrowded hotel on your trip, and instead you can really relax on your own vessel leaving the throngs of other tourists and visitors behind. When you charter a yacht you can opt for bareboat, where you have a totally unscrewed vessel, or you can select a partially or fully crewed yacht charter. When you go for a vessel with a crew, you can look forward to the ultimate in relaxation and luxury, as the trained and experienced crew ensure that your trip is everything you hoped it would be.

Enjoy a wide choice of destinations when you charter a crewed vessel

When you decide to hire a boat or yacht for your holiday the possibilities are limitless when it comes to your choice of destination. You can select from all sorts of fabulous areas, from Europe and the Mediterranean to the Bahamas, Miami, and the Caribbean. By opting to have a crew on board you can look forward to some real relaxation without having to worry about the vessel. You can simply lie back and soak up the sunshine in some far flung destination whilst enjoying quality time with your loved ones. Whether you are on a family holiday or whether you have taken someone special away for a romantic experience you will find that having experienced and friendly staff on board can make all the difference when it comes to making the most of your time and your holiday. Wherever you decide to go when you rent a yacht you will be thrilled by the peace and tranquillity you experience whilst the beautiful waters lap around you and the golden sunshine beats down on your very own vessel.
(more…)

I admit it, I am afraid to fly. And I’m not alone, as many as 1 in 6 adults has at least some fears about flying. For me it’s definitely not a rational fear. In fact all my analytical and logical skills fly right out the window whenever I think about getting on a commercial plane. The most amazing part is that I grew up flying. My father owns a small plane and we would go flying every weekend.

In my preteen years I had an aborted takeoff during a commercial flight and while it didn’t scare me at all during the event, when I later found out that it had made the local news I began to see that this was perhaps a bigger deal (it really wasn’t but I was a preteen after all). I also began to recognize my own mortality and realized that I am a control freak and don’t enjoy the thought of putting my life in the hands of pilots I don’t know.
(more…)