The Untamed Beauty of Scotland Shines Through in the Isle of Skye. Definately one of the most beautiful locations to enjoy nature in all of Europe.
Tips, Advice & Information on Visiting the Isle of Skye, Scotland
1. Book Your Accommodation Early – The Island gets booked up quickly in the high season so you may need to stay off island in Plockton. I would recommend making your accommodation reservations six months in advance if you really want to stay on the Isle.
2. Rent a Car – To see all that the Isle of Skye has to offer you must have your own car.
3. Make Dinner Reservations – with so few restaurants and hordes of tourists in the high season it is a very good idea to make reservations for dinner or you may be eating out of tin cans.
4. Visit the Slate Peninsula – amazing vegetation
5. Visit Dunvegan Castle – very cool castle to visit and walk through the gardens.
6. Visit Portree the Capital of the Isle of Skye and Home to the ATM (Cashpoint).
7. Check Out the Waterfalls along the coasts.
8. Visit Kilt Rock – A sheer cliff that looks just like a kilt.
9. The Old Man of Storr – a very phallic looking stone rock.
10. Local Producers: Lots of Wool Weavers and Distilleries. You can weave with the weavers if you know how and the Distillery is run by the family from Monday through Saturday.
11. Hiking in the Cullen Hills. It may not have Edward and Bella in them, but they are amazing mountains/hills to hike through and fall in love with all the same.
12. Eileen Dolan Castle – From numerous movies and just outside the Isle of Skye.
Filmed on the Isle of Skye
Other Helpful Websites
Wolters World Visit Scotland Country Page – Top 10 Towns, Things You Will Love & Hate About Visiting Scotland & Much More.
Whether reliving your favorite King Leonidas moments from the Battle of Thermopylae in the hit movie “300” or hitting the beach to work on your own bronze tan there are a few decent things to check out in Sparta and Gythio, Greece.
What to See & Do in Gythio, Sparta & Mystras
What to See in Sparta:
Sparta itself is a new city and has basically no old world charm as it has been rebuilt on a nice grid structure. However, there are some neat things to check out when you are in Sparta,
The King Leonidas I Statue at the Football stadium (it is the requisite picture for any true honest to goodness tourist).
The Museum of the Olive and Olive Oil: A very modern museum telling the history of the olive and olive oil throughout the world, but especially Greece. I found it rather interesting and our little son (4 at the time) had a fun time there too.
The Archeological Museum: This has a nice collection of artifacts from around the area that are well worth checking out.
The Ruins of the Acropolis: the old market/town has been overrun with weeds and growth, but you can still go hiking through it all and get a feel for the size of ancient Sparta.
3.5 hours from Athens on the Bus.
Mystras: This Byzantine fortress town is still home to a few nuns and a whole lot of cool buildings and history. Not part of the ancient Greek tour it does though give you a neat take on 12th and 13th century Greece. They still hold concerts and events there as well. Amazingly well preserved. It is about 5KM (3 miles) from Sparta, lots of buses go there from the bus station in Sparta.
What to See in Gythio:
The prettiest of the towns/locales discussed in this blog Gythio has the Greek beaches we all know and love as well as a great harbor to walk around and take in the “People Watching.” So what should you see and do there?
Museum of Mani History: Basically the history of the region taken from a traveler’s perspective… traverlers from a few hundred years ago that is. Pretty interesting.
Acropolis: the requisite acropolis for any good Greek town.
Walk along the water front, the sea is CRYSTAL clear here, you will see to the bottom and it makes for quite interesting conversation with small children. Also look out for the lighthouse and waving man statue.
Eat the seafood outside. The waterfront is chock full of restaurants with great seafood, just as the waiter what is on special when you are there (and don’t forget the wine).
Hit the beaches around town. Let’s be honest, you are down in Gythio to go to the beach so go enjoy it. There are local buses that will take you there or just hop in a taxi.
You can take ferries from Gythio to Crete as well as a few other stops. Buses to Sparta take a bit less than an hour (winding road, so be prepared).
Other Helpful Websites
Wolters World Visit Greece Country Page – Information on travelling in Greece as well as the Top 10 cities to visit in Greece and Things You Will Love & Hate about Visiting Greece.
Wolters World Visit Athens City Page – Tourist information on the Greek capital, what to see & do as well as things you will love & hate about the capital.
The Official Greek Tourism Website www.visitgreece.com beyond helpful with tons of information on Sparta, Gythio and all parts of Greece.
Wolters World Learn Greek Video Series – Short series to teach travelers a few words and phrases that travelers will need while in Greece.
Wolters World Destinations – Choose from Numerous Countries, Cities and Regions to learn about what to see & do & Not Do while traveling.
With the 41st annual European Marketing Academy Conference (EMAC) being held in the Portuguese capital you may be asking yourself, what should I do and see while I am in Lisbon? Let us at Wolters World help you out by giving you some recommendations and tips for enjoying the best of what Lisbon has to offer. So between talks and presentations at EMAC 2012 make sure you get out and enjoy this wonderful city the locals call Lisboa!
The Five Things You Will Love & Hate About Visiting Lisbon
Five Things You Will Hate About Visiting Lisbon: 1. The Crazy Drivers: be careful crossing the street, driving, standing on the street corner the Portuguese are little rally drivers, so be careful.
2. Dog poop on the slippery streets: Watch your step walking around town as the slippery when wet cobblestones or piles of dog poop will get you.
3. Restaurants closed from 3-8pm: A lot of non-tourist restaurants close their kitchens from 3pm to 7pm, so you may find it hard to get some of the traditional dishes like Acorda or Porco Preto at 6pm, but there are numerous cafes that will have sandwiches and snacks open 24 hours a day. Also, vegetarians may have a hard time in the meat and fish capital of Europe.
4. No good medium or cheap accommodation: This is improving in Lisbon over the past few years there has been a boom in Hostels and decent hotels, however you will still need to look for them.
5. Drug dealers on Rua da Augusta (the pedestrian street) they will harass you and ask you again and again. It is disgusting.
Five Things You Will Love About Visiting Lisbon
1. Cheap eats and shopping: Lisbon is chock full of great Portuguese restaurants with cheap seafood (I recommend the Robalo or Dorada fish, but Grilled Sardines (Sardinhas Assadas) are pretty good too this time of the year.
2. Great weather: Whether you come in January or June you will be blessed with great weather and lots of sun. So bring sun block!
3. Going out in Bairro Alto: having drinks, dinning and having a good time there at night is THE thing to do in Lisbon.
4. Cheap good transport: buses, trams, metro, and even the taxis are cheap.
5. Easy access to beaches: Estoril and Cascais are two “beach towns” you can easily reach on the suburban train that hugs the riverfront from Lisbon to the Atlantic Ocean.
The Top Ten Tourist Sites in Lisbon, Portugal
Lisbon has a bit of everything, there is a world class zoo and oceanarium for the kid in all of us as well as nice museums and beaches to enjoy a cocktail at. Here are Wolters World’s Top 10.
1. Belem District: Mosteiro de Jeronimos Church, Torre de Belem (Tower of Belem), Pasteis de Belem (Custard Tart Restaurant).
2. Alfama District: Se (Catherdal), wander the windy and hilly streets for cafes and tascas (restaurants).
3. Baixa District: The “Low” district with Rua Augusta (pedestrian street), trains to Sintra.
4. Bairro Alto District: The bar district in Lisbon, home of the nightlife of Lisbon.
5. Castelo Sao Jorge: Views from the castle are amazing, more ruins than castle, but again great views.
6. Sao Vicente da Fora: Amazing church with great collection of Azulejos (Blue Portuguese Tiles) of fables.
7. Jardim Zoologico: The Lisbon Zoo is great for all ages.
8. Museu de Arte Antiga: Stock full of European art.
9. Gulbeinken Museum: Eclectic collection of thousands of years of art.
10. The Expo: Home of the World Expo 1998 this district has been built as a modern oasis in Lisbon. It has shopping, restaurants (the Brazilian restaurants are the best) and the largest Oceanarium in Europe (great for kids).
And If you are in Lisbon you should learn a few words of Portuguese to make nice with the locals. Here are the Top Ten Portuguese Words that Tourists should know.
Top Ten Portuguese Words for Tourists
The Top Ten Portuguese Words
1. Please – Por favor
2. Thank you – Obrigado (for a man), Obrigada (for a woman).
3. Yes – Sim
4. No – Nao
5. I am – Eu sou
6. I want – Eu quero
7. How much – Quanto?
8. Where – onde?
9. Toilet/Bathroom – Casa de banho (Portugal) – Banheiro (Brasil)
10. Beer/Wine – Cerveja/Vinho
What to Eat in Lisbon during EMAC 2012?
Eat Fish and Seafood:
Arroz de Marisco = Sea food rice, basically shell fish, fish and rice all mixed as a big stew. Huge portion and should be shared.
Pastel de Belem = Custard Tart pastry, a city tradition. I am sure they will have this as a recommendation at the conference.
Grilled Fish called Robalo or Dorada (one is sea bass and one is bream, both grilled served with boiled potatoes and veggies).
Best Indian (and Vegetarian spot) Place in town = Natraj Indian Restaurant
it is at Rua do Sol ao Rato 52, beginning of the Yellow line at the Rato stop. The best Indian place in town hands down. I used to live two houses down from it too and ballooned up 50 pounds because of it. Taxi fair from ISCTE should be about 10 euros or less.
Wolters World’s Portugal Country Page – What to see and do in Portugal, from the tip top of Porto and Braga to the very south on the beaches in the Algarve.
Wolters World’s Lisbon City Page – Insider tips on what to see and do in Lisbon (Wolters World home for five years).
Wolters World Learn Portuguese Videos – Learn Portuguese while seeing various locales all over the country. Good for beginners to advanced Portuguese speakers.
North Carolina is an amazing state and the capital Raleigh and its surrounding areas is often referred to as the Research Triangle (Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill). These cities are the homes to three major universities (Raleigh has NC State, Durham has Duke, Chapel Hill has UNC Chapel Hill), and with those universities and the fact that Raleigh is the state capital there is much to see and do in the area. Here is Wolters World’s list of the Top Ten Attractions for Tourists visiting the Research Triangle.
Top Ten Sights in the Research Triangle
of Raleigh, Durham & Chapel Hill
The Top Ten of the Research Triangle
1. North Carolina Museum of Art: www.ncartmuseum.org Great travelling exhibits, decent permanent collection of baroque and some Romanesque pieces. You should eat at the restaurant as it is really really good.
2. North Carolina Natural History Museum: Actually called “North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences” www.naturalsciences.org Fun for all ages, dinosaur bones, whales, all the cool stuff from natural history museums in a very interactive and nice museum. I loved it.
4. North Carolina Museum of History:www.ncmuseumofhistory.org Lots of historic information on settlers, Native Americans, and all things Carolina.
5. Sports Entertainment: Professional and Collegiate sports teams abound in the triangle, this is basketball country with North Carolina and Duke (and NC State) winning NCAA National Championships. There is also professional hockey with the Carolina Hurricanes and the Durham Bulls minor league baseball.
6. Local Festivals: There are more festivals in the triangle than I can mention check out www.ncfestivals.comwww.hopscotchmusicfest.comwww.beerandbourbon.com for just a few. My favourite is the Beer Bourbon & BBQ Festival that highlights NC craft beers and NC barbeque.
7. Local Breweries & Beer Tours: The great water found in the state allows for some amazing beers to be brewed in the state. There are numerous breweries in the area and it is worth taking a tour or just drinking the local brews.
8. Walking Along the Outdoor Paths: The triangle is crisscrossed with walking paths that can take you all over the place, bring your shoes or a bike and enjoy the outdoors on these paths/trails.
9. The Campuses of Duke & UNC Chapel Hill: www.unc.eduwww.duke.edu the campuses of these two universities are truly breathtaking, if you have to choose best to visit the Duke Chapel and Gardens.
11. Eating in the Triangle: The triangle is stock chock full of great restaurants from numerous countries/cultures and the local BBQ is amazing in itself. You will eat very well in the Triangle.
Filmed in Raleigh, North Carolina
Other Websites
Wolters World Visit North Carolina State Page – Tourist Information on North Carolina and the Top Ten Places to Visit in North Carolina.
All You Want to Know About St. Pats in Savannah, Georgia
From Tourist Tips to Ways to Enjoy the Parade.
Savannah at St. Patrick’s Day is a city dedicated to one thing, having a great green old time. The large Irish community in Savannah has helped bring about one of the largest St. Patrick’s Day Parades in the US (but it is not only the Irish community). Over 1,000,000 people visited Savannah for St. Pats in 2012 and the city was overrun with fun, sun and lots of plastic drinking cups. Here are our ten tips to help you have an even better time in Savannah, Georgia for St. Patrick’s Day.
Statistics: 1,000,000 visitors in 2012, 15,000 participants in the parade. The whole city goes crazy and people come from all over the world to celebrate.
Get There Early for a Spot: There are barriers up on the parks, so you cannot actually get a spot until 6AM, but people are there as early as 2AM to block off their spot. If you just want to watch the parade you will want to get there around 8 or 9AM to get a decent standing spot along the parade route.
Book Hotels Early: Savannah has a lot of hotels, but not an unlimited number. You should book well ahead of St. Pats in order to make sure you get a room. Also, there are a lot of extra rules at the hotels during St. Patrick’s Day and the days surrounding it. The room capacity rules are strictly enforced; some hotels have your wear wristbands so they know who their hotel guests actually are. Also one parking spot per car downtown.
Keep an Eye Out for a Toilet: with all the drinking and people you will be waiting in line for a long time if you have to pee. Try to make friends with locals and be able to use their home toilet along the route.
Parade Starts at 10:15: Parade runs from 10:15 until approximately noon to 2PM.
Parking is a Nightmare: Get there early so you can get a parking spot. You will have to walk 30-45 minutes. They close down a few of the main streets for the parade and this adds even more confusion to the driving chaos.
The Parade is in the Morning, the Party goes all day and night: So pace yourself, I have seen people passed out on the street (the cops do not like that), but just know the parade is in the morning then the afternoon there are concerts and parties going on all over the historic center. And it goes to the wee hours of the morning as well.
Open Liquor is Allowed, But It Must Be in Plastic Cups 16oz or less (half liter): Savannah is one of the few cities in America that allows you to walk around with alcohol in the streets (in the historic district only). But that does not mean you can walk around with a can of Old Milwaukee. Alcohol has to be in plastic cups no larger than 16oz (half liter). You will be looking at a few hundred dollar fine from the police.
Restaurants are Booked Up: You won’t get to eat at the fancy restaurants as the waits are long. Eat what you can get. Lots of the bars have corn beef and cabbage or other “Irish” food just for St. Pats. You may be best off eating something simple at your bar of choice then fighting the lines at some of the cities more popular restaurants.
Enjoy Savannah at St. Pats: The whole city is celebrating, from the oldest to the youngest. The fountains are dyed green, concerts, shows, parades, amazing stuff! I promise you will love Savannah for St. Patrick’s Day. I know I did.
Other Websites for Savannah Tourism
Wolters World Visit Savannah City Page – Travel Information with the Top 10 Sights in Savannah, Five Things You Will Love & Hate about Visiting Savannah.
Wolters World Visit Georgia State Page – Travel information on the Peach State, what to see and what to do.
Wolters World Visit America Country Page – Videos and Articles for travelers heading to the US, the best and worst of many towns, cities, states, Loves and Hates for regions and so much more.
http://SavannahStPats.com – Guide for what to do, where to stay, where to drink, and how to have fun on St. Patrick’s day in Savannah, Georgia.
http://StPatsGuide.com – Link to the Savannah St. Patrick’s Day App you can download to your Smartphone. Has parade route, tourist information and history of St. Pat’s in Savannah.
http://VisitSavannah.com – Tourist information galore in multiple languages. Hotels, events, restaurants, everything tourists need. They have a twitter feed that is good for tourists #visitsavannah
http://SavannahNow.com – Local News, Weather and more. Good to keep you up-to-date on news & issues in Savannah.
http://SavannahSecrets.com – Focuses on Tourist Events and Tourist News in Savannah, lots of little things to check out if you are looking for something special.
Germany is an amazing country to visit with so much for travelers, but it is not all Beer & Bratwurst, here are our Five Things You Will Love & Hate About Visiting Germany!
Things you will hate about Germany
1. The People: they are a bit stiff/cold/serious/over organized, however once you are their friend you will have a friend for life.
2. You have to pay to use the toilets. Yep you have to pay about 50 cents to pee or do other business in the restrooms in Germany. Luckily that means there is an attendent that cleans the toilet so they are usually nice and clean.
3. Expensive compared to other European countries. If you compare to France, Italy, Spain, or Portugal, Germany is not a cheap place to visit, the transport is rather pricey and so are the hotels. However, the Germans do earn good money and the prices are relatively appropriate for their income level.
4. German Friendly Service: perfect example: “Excuse me, do you have an English menu?” Answer from waiter, “Yes.” And then walks away, but does not bring an English menu back, as you only asked if they had one, not that you wanted one. You will understand after you visit there. However, they are very professional about their service.
5. Everything is closed on Sundays. So, no shopping or such on Sundays. Stores usually close by 8pm on weekdays.
Five Things You Will LOVE About Germany
1. ITS CLEAN AND ORGANIZED! The country is beautiful and there is no dog poop, overflowing trash bins, or other garbage around. It is a wonderful thing to see.
2. The People Make Great Friends: Make a German friend and you have a friend for life. Germans are amazing people once you get to know them. Get into their circle of friends and you will have a life long friend that will still visit you in the middle of nowhere town you come from.
3. The Public Transport: Public transport goes everywhere. Every little town has a great bus system, the links between cities with trains are amazing. You never need to even think about a car or a taxi as public transport takes you everywhere.
4. The Tourist & Nature Sights! There are amazing cities, castles, museums and landscape in Germany. Go explore and you will understand.
5. The festivals: whether Beer at Oktoberfest in Munich, or the Berlin Film Festival, or Carneval in Cologne the Germans really let their hair down at their festivals.
Germany is very easy to travel around with children, whether it is safe, clean and efficient public transport to numerous children’s stores placed throughout cities. Having lived in Germany as an adult and having visited Germany numerous times with my family there are a few words that each child should know for them to more enjoy their visit to Germany. Knowing a few words can help small children feel more integrated and a part of the trip. The smiles they make with their German helps them warm others’ hearts and their own.
Seven German Words Every Child Tourist Should Know
Visiting Brazil for the World Cup or Olympics? Having a Weekend in Lisbon?
Here are 10 Portuguese words you need to know as a tourist.
When in a Portuguese speaking country, there are ten words you must know in order to survive. Learning these words will help you fit in with the locals. That is why Wolters World has a list of the ten most important words to know in Portuguese. In just 4 quick, easy minutes, you will have the language skills need to survive.
1. Please – Por favor
2. Thank you – Obrigado (for a guy), Obrigada (for a woman).
3. Yes – Sim
4. No – Nao
5. I am – Eu sou
6. I want – Eu quero
7. How much – Quanto?
8. Where – onde?
9. Toilet/Bathroom – Casa de banho (Portugal) – Banheiro (Brasil)
10. Beer/Wine – Cerveja/Vinho
Learn Portuese with Wolters World!
Learn Portuguese Online for Free with Wolters World – Videos filmed all over Portugal. Learning Portuguese and much more about Portuguese Culture.
Surviving Erasmus Tips: How to Choose Classes While Studying Abroad
Hey if you are planning on studying abroad and are worrying about what classes to take or whether or not you will get credit from your home university, check out this video!
I outline 6 easy steps for you to follow to ensure you’re taking easy classes for maximum credit!
Six Things To Know About Choosing Coursework Abroad
1. Find out what classes are accepted by your home university.
2. Go to your home university professor and ask them if the classes you want to take will count for credit,
3. When you arrive, ask other erasmus and local students what are good classes and take them. (make sure they are accepted at your home uni).
4. Go to class, your professor will be more likely to be nice to you and help with grade transfers if he/she actually knows you.
5. Choose the hard classes from your home university, they may be easier abroad (but ask other students).
6. Get your grades and transcript before you leave as it may take months for the foreign university to transfer your grades to your home uni, which may prolong graduation.
