Tasmania Island

Have you ever wondered what is the small island hanging down at the right corner of Australia? Well that small island is the Tasmania which is also the 26th among the largest of islands in the world and a state of Australia. 68,401 square kilometers in area, Tasmania is 364km long North/South wise and 306km broad East/ West wise. Hobart is the capital city. Abel Tasman a Dutchman is the discoverer of this beautiful lone island. That was in November 1642.  Geologists believe that once this island was a part of Australia even though now it is separated by the Bass Strait from mainland. Another geologically interesting fact is that Tasmania is the place that has the world's largest areas of dolerite. Amazing, huh???

Most famous destinations one can find in Tasmania are Hobart, Cradle Mountains, Launceston, Strahan, Port Arthur, Freycinet and Wineglass Bay, Bruny Island etc. The highest peak of Tasmania is the Mount Ossa which is 1,617 metres found in Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. There are many famous rivers flowing through out the island. Some of them are Derwent River, Tamar River, Mersey River, Franklin and Gordon Rivers, South Esk River; longest river in Tasmania. 

One of the few advantages of being an isolated island is that you get lots of genetically unique flora and fauna. With less population and more land for natural vegetation, Tasmania has extremely diverse vegetation with alpine heathlands, dry Midlands, tall evergreen eucalypt forest, temperate rainforests and moorlands. Tasmania is also home for the Thylacine aka the Tasmanian Tiger and the Tasmanian devil. Tasmanians faces four distinct seasons with cool temperature. 

Apart from the natural liabilities, there are many cultural experiences one can have when visiting Tasmania. Such events include the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, Taste of Tasmania food and wine festival, road rally Targa Tasmania, Agfest; a three-day agricultural show, Royal Hobart Show and Royal Launceston Show, Falls Festival at Marion Bay and Southern Roots Festival. 

Travellers Guide

Tasmania is a famous travel destination for honeymoon couples, sightseers and adventure sports. If you are planning to visit Tasmania, main Tasmanian hot spots include Hobart, Cradle Mountain, Port Arthur, Bruny Island, Freycinet and Wineglass Bay, Launceston, Strahan. Accommodation in Tasmania is equipped with 110 Hobart hotels, 4 Cradle Mountain hotels, 58 Launceston hotels, 25 Strahan hotels and Stanley hotels, Freycinet hotels and Port Arthur hotels. Some of the famous ones are,

Cradle Mountain Highlanders Cottages 

3876 Cradle Mountain Road

Country Club Villas 

Casino Rise Prospect Vale

City Park Grand Hotel 

22 Tamar Street

Grand Chancellor Hotel Hobart 

1 Davey Street

Aldermere Estate Luxury Accommodation 

27 Harvey Street

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Sydney Opera House

Perhaps Sydney's most wonderful place is its Opera House. World renowned for its importance as a place of performing arts, Opera House's modern architecture and roofing are few among many that attract visitors to it everyday. Opera House which is located at the Bennelong Point in Sydney Harbour, is a creation by the Danish architect Jørn Utzon for which he received the Pritzker Prize; the highest honour awarded for an architect. On 20th October, 1973 this master piece was open for public and today it is a world heritage site. The structure rises up to a height of 65m, it is 183m long, 120m wide and it covers an area of 4.4 acres. 

Sydney Opera House falls into the design category Expressionist design and it depicts qualities of late modern architecture. What amazes us most it the distinct roofing with sets of interlocking vaulted shells upon a vast terraced platform and surrounded by terrace areas that function as pedestrian concourses. Towards the western end of the complex is the Concert Hall and in vice versa is the Opera Theatre. There are also the Drama Theatre, the Playhouse, and The Studio which are actually found beneath the Concert Hall. Towards the western part of the Monumental Steps is the Bennelong Restaurant. 

The House has an immense capacity. Its Concert Hall has 2679 seats and is home for the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Another importance we find here is the Sydney Opera House Grand Organ which can be recognized as the world's largest mechanical tracker action organ. On the other hand, the Opera Theatre has 1507 seats and houses the Opera Australia and The Australian Ballet. The Drama Theatre has 544 seats, the Playhouse has an end stage with 398 seats and the Studio has a max. capacity of 400. There is also a small multipurpose room named the Utzon Room which can accommodate up to 210. The Forecourt is used as a open air performing space. So in total it has about 5738 seats in the place.

The first ever piano recital was by Romola Costantino in the Concert Hall in 1973. Sergei Prokofiev's War and Peace is the first Opera in the theatre. Sydney Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Charles Mackerras performed the first public concert of the Opera House on 28th September, 1973. 

Travellers' Guide

If you are planning to visit the Sydney Opera House, there are various tours arranged by the Opera House. Each tour will last about one hour,  you can select the language guide you want from English, German, French, Japanese etc. The package touring may include dining experiences and accommodation. For more details on tour plans you can visit the official website.

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Statue Of Liberty

You cannot find a single person who doesn't know about the Statue of Liberty in Liberty Island and the Ellis Island. Well for obvious reasons the Lady Liberty can be one of the most famous women in this world. Marking the friendship between two important countries of the world, Statue of Liberty was gifted to USA by France to universalize the idea of freedom and democracy during the American Revolution. The statue is a lady with a high held torch because she represents the Goddess Libertas who is the Roman goddess for freedom. This National Monument which is also a UNESCO World heritage site can be reached by a ferry from Battery Park. The Statue is a creation by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi and the pedestal by Alexandre Gustave Eiffel. On October 28, 1886, the statue was given for the people. It was named a National Monument in 1924 and was restored for her centennial on July 4, 1986. 

As it was gifted to USA from France, most of the construction was from France. The statue rises to a height of 46 meters and from the ground around to torch up to 93 meters. The statue's head after completion was exhibited at the Paris World Fair, 1878. This statue cannot be considered just standing still because one out of many features that normally people cannot see which is the broken chain wrapped around the feet protruding from the robes of the statue. This feature depicts that the statue's freedom to move forward enlightening the world with the torch free from oppression and servitude. Visitors are allowed to climb the Statue from inside covering up 354 steps until the crown. At the top of the Statue is one of the few places in NY, Manhattan to experience the true beauty of the city. 

The Statue's face is more than 8 feet tall. The tablet in the hand of the statue is 23' 7" tall and 13' 7" wide inscribed with the date JULY IV MDCCLXXVI (July 4, 1776). It's waistline is almost about 35 feet. The lady Liberty wears a crown which has seven rays, one for each of the seven continents, each measuring up to 9 feet in length and weighing as much as 150 pounds. Total weight of the Statue of Liberty is 225 tons. After 1986 restoration, the statue's torch was covered with 24k gold. As the statue's exterior is built from Copper which is 3/32 of an inch thick, the natural weathering of Copper has given the statue its light green colour. 

Climatic conditions near the Statue area is not severe but weather can vary greatly in New York City area, including NY Harbor.Temperature ranges from 0 degrees in winter to over 100 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer with high levels of humidity.

Travellers' Guide

If you are planning to visit Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, it is open daily from 9:30am to 4:30pm and extended summer hours. And it is closed Christmas Day. Schedule subject to change. 

Ferry boat sailings: Daily: 9:00am - 3:30pm. Ferry schedules subject to change.

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Sagrada Família

Sagrada Família is a Roman Catholic church found in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaudí and still unfinished. The original inspiration for the church is by the Catalan bookseller, Josep Maria Bocabella. After that architect Antoni Gaudí began working on the project in 1883. On 18 March 1883, Villar retired from the project, and Gaudí took over the design adding so many changes to it. The construction period was so long and it could not be finished fully when Gaudi died in 1926. After his death, responsibility for the church construction came under Domènec Sugrañes i Gras until interrupted by the Spanish Civil War in 1936.Some parts were destroyed by Catalan anarchists and the present design is a mixture of modern and old. Modern technology was involved to accelerate the construction process.

Sagrada Familia shows the design mixture of Spanish Late Gothic, Catalan Modernism and Art Nouveau or Catalan Noucentisme. Although initially it was planned to be a cathedral sized building, later it became one as it depicts various parts of usual cathedrals with vast modifications, for example like the ground plan, double isles, an ambulatory with a chevet of seven apsidal chapels, a multitude of towers and three portals. The building consists of three grand façades: the Nativity façade to the East, the Passion façade to the West, and the Glory façade to the South which is yet to be finished. 

Nativity façade was the first façade to be completed which was built between 1894 and 1930. It is also decorated with scenes reminiscent of elements of life. Passion Façade is seen as a contrast to the earlier in other words more simple and plain. This is dedicated to the passion of Christ, suffering of Jesus during his crucifixion, and the façade was to portray the sins of man. The largest and most beautiful of all is the Glory Façade whose construction began in 2002. This is dedicated to the Celestial Glory of Jesus; it represents the road to God: Death, Final Judgment, and Glory, while Hell is left for those who deviate from God's will.

 As earlier mentioned, Gaudi made drastic changes in the original plan so that basically the church will be able to accommodate 13,000 people and the completed structure will have 18 towers. Four on each three facades is to represent the 12 apostles while another four is to represent the the 4 evangelists. They will surround the largest which will be dedicated to Jesus Christ and the last tower is for Virgin Mary, which will be built over the apse. 

Travellers’ Guide

If you are planning to visit Sagrada Familia, don’t hesitate thinking that it’s yet to be finished. Sagrada Familia is full of fascination. You can visit the crypt where Gaudí is buried and the towers.

Hotels near Sagrada Familia

Castro Exclusive Residences

Provenza, 414, Eixample, Barcelona (0.1 km from Sagrada Familia)

Apartaments Restaurant Hispanos 7 Suiza

Sicilia, 255, Eixample, Barcelona (0.2 km from Sagrada Familia)

Apartments Hostemplo Suites

Mallorca, 362, Eixample, Barcelona(0.2 km from Sagrada Familia)

Dailyflats Rosselló

Rosselló, 380-382, Eixample, Barcelona(0.3 km from Sagrada Familia)

Ayre Hotel Rosellón 

Roselló, 390, Eixample, Barcelona (0.3 km from Sagrada Familia)

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Neuschwanstein Castle

Situated above the village of Hohenschwangau near Füssen in southwest Bavaria of Germany is this beautiful castle. Originally twin in ruins though, the new palace was built as a commission for Richard Wagner by Ludwig II of Bavaria.  Ludwig used to call the new palace he built as New Hohenschwangau Castle but after his death it was named as Neuschwanstein. Inspiration for the construction of this castle was found from Wartburg near Eisenach and Château de Pierrefonds. However the design of the building was by the stage designer Christian Jank and realized by the architect Eduard Riedel. As typical the palace may seem for the 19th century architecture, shapes of Romanesque, Gothic and the Throne Hall décor were mingled with 19th century technical achievements. 

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