Italy: Where I Want To Go- Part 1

Italy is probably the most beautiful countries in the world, lets be honest. It is a country enriched with history, unique culture, spectacular scenery, delicious food... The list could go on. This country gives so much to the world, the most important to me would be the food, of course. 
I have visited Italy before. I was there for a while and stayed on the Adriatic

side of the country in the region of Marche, in the town of Fabriano. From Fabriano, I traveled only to Senigallia, on the Adriatic Coast and Assisi, in the region of Umbria. I flew into and out of Rome of course, but not seeing enough of Italy left me with a hunger to see more! There is so much of the beautiful country left to see and discover that I'm itching to go back.
Having friends in Italy makes the whole idea of visiting Italy a lot more attractive as I have people to show me the best places, to bring me to the best eateries and to ensure I have a good experience and that I won't be disappointed, maybe bring me to places and to show me things I would have missed if I was on my own. For example when I was in Marche, I went to see the Grotte di Frasassi (http://www.frasassi.com/) in Genga (Between Ancona and Assisi). If my friend hadn't suggested to go there, I wouldn't have gotten to see the amazing karst cave endowed with stalagmites and stalactites.
There are a lot of places I wish to visit in Italy, some for the fact I have friends there and wish to discover more, and others because of the popularity and the "need" to go there. Some places I wish to visit are:

Rome/Roma: 

The Capital of the boot-shaped country. I have only flown into Rome Ciampino Airport to then travel 3 more hours to Marche but unfortunately, I spent no

time in Rome. Let's be real, it's a must go place throughout the world. The atmosphere as you travel around the capital is something that resonates across the world but Rome just has this magical vibe to it. Kind of similar to something you'd imagine in Paris. It's something different to places like London or Dublin. Some must see things I wish to see in Italy are:

• The Colosseum: A place of ancient historical significance and recognition worldwide. The Colosseum is a landmark to Italy and a staple of Ancient Roman history. Everyone should be familiar with the gladiator fights that would have taken place in the arena. Now it is a major tourist attraction to Italy.
• The Trevi Fountain: This fountain appears in most movies shot in Rome
  and is an icon to the Trevi district of Rome. It's got a romantic sense to it
  
  that is really attractive and the whole concept to make a wish and throw money in, as a giant wishing well is a really nice idea. (Right hand over left shoulder, so they say). I for sure want to see this fountain at nighttime.
• Piazza Navona: A famed plaza in Italy. The plaza features the Fountain of the Four Rivers and in the middle stands an Egyptian Obelisk. From articles about Rome, it seems like a really unique place to visit.
• The Basilicas: A great way to see unique architecture of different places is to look at the churches and cathedrals that were build as they give a look at the type of architecture that has been passed down. Rome has plenty of basilicas which are enriched with heritage and history, as well as beautiful architecture. Some of the basilicas I wish to see are:
• Santa Maria in Trastevere
• Abbazia di San Paolo Fuori La Mura
• Arcibasilica di San Giovanni in Laterno

Venice

You know, I feel like there is more to Venice than riding a river on a gondola. For sure I wanna do that but it's not all I'd like to do while I'm there. Many

popular movies have been filmed in Venice, so to see some places where famous movies have been shot fits nicely into the Literary/Culture Tourism category. Movies like; James Bond. Lara Croft. The Tourist and Indiana Jones have been filmed in Venice. There are some places in Venice I'd love to see:

• The Grand Canal: I mean, you can't not go to Venice and take a boat ride. It's something that needs to be instagrammed. How can you go to Venice and NOT take a boat ride!
• Opera at La Fenice: Masquerade and Opera are both things famed to come from Venice. Going to the Opera at La Fenice, known as "the most famous and renowned landmarks in the history of Italian theatre"
• Saint Mark's Square: The Main Square in Venice. Near the Square is Saint Mark's Basilica which is renowned for its incredible architecture.

Genoa

The capital of the region of Liguria and the sixth largest city in Italy. This city if famed for being the birthplace of Christopher Columbus, the discoverer of San Salvador, Cuba and other islands in the Caribbean. Genoa, with remarkable enriching art, culture and cuisine, became the culture capital of Europe in 2004. The good thing about Genoa is that it is a seaport and also on the Mediterranean! Who doesn't love a Mediterranean city! Some of the places I'm hoping to visit in Genoa:

• The Royal Palace: When I heard that Genoa had a Royal Palace, like the Palacio Real in Madrid, I have to go and visit! I think the architecture of Royal Palaces are quite fantastic.
• Boccadasse: An old marine village in Genoa that looks really rustic, which
  
  is something that shows the authenticity of a place. It is enclosed in a narrow bay, which I'm sure makes for amazing scenery.
• Palazzi dei Rolli: A street of big buildings! Like, that sounds kinda cool and architecturally amazing!
• Christopher Columbus: Taking a look around Genoa, I feel, would give a great feel for the history. And especially that of Christopher Columbus, seeing any famous sites marked for the navigator or any landmarks. It would be quite unique.

These are just the first three places on my list of places in Italy to visit! Stay tuned for more and if you want anymore on these places, leave a comment!

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Heading Back To Spain

So in March I went on a trip with my class to Madrid which can be read about in my earlier posts. It was honestly such a good trip. I was in awe of the beauty of Madrid and how unique it was. I tried a lot of new things and had some pretty amazing experiences (Falling in love with calamares, seeing a park with two

lakes, dancing salsa and other amazing things).
Coming back from 4 days in Madrid was quite sad but I mean, I had rubbed the foot of the El Oso y el Madroño so I knew that eventually I would return to Madrid. It was some place that was amazing in itself but perfect to use as a base to travel to other places. It has a metro, amazing world class attractions and WARM WEATHER!! which is difficult to come by in Ireland. So travelling to the airport, going on the metro, boarding the flight and leaving was no a real happy moment.
Back to reality, it was back to the day in- day out slug of going to college, working and coming home. Don't get me wrong, I love college and love studying tourism but routine can be lethal! 
About two weeks after we arrived back from Madrid, the lecturer who brought us to Madrid, came to me and a few other of my classmates and offered us an amazing opportunity. Do our second year of college in Spain. Of course I jumped at the chance to go! The three of us were given the options: Seville, Malaga, Murcia, Alicante, Valencia and Madrid. Some of which I had never been before. It was difficult to decide between the cities and universities.
The following day however, we were told that Madrid had sparked interest in accepting us for the Erasmus program. The University de Rey Juan Carlos is a

incredible college in which a couple of my Spanish friends. Looking back at pictures from Madrid the first time I went, I became increasingly excited to go to these places again and have Spanish food every day!
The applications have been submitted and fingers crossed they come back with 100% assurances of us going (Otherwise this post was pointless) but moving to Spain for a year should be a really amazing experience. While I am in Madrid, I plan to go on trips and travel more so that I can get more tourism experience and also have loads of content to write and amazing pictures!
Places in Spain I want to travel to while in Spain:

• Galicia: The region in the North West of the country above Portugal. A friend lives there and it seems like a really cool coastal place to live.
• Grenada: Down the South of Spain. A historically enriched part of Spain and it's down south so it'll be warm.
• Cadiz
• Seville
• Murcia
• Bilbao
• Santander
• Barcelona
• Valladolid
• Salamanca

Besides travelling domestically, I hope to travel abroad on trips also to a few countries. For example;

• Portugal- It's super close to Spain, so why not!
• Switzerland
• Italy
• The Netherlands
• Gibraltar
• Andorra
• France

Spain should be an amazing experience for me and I encourage anyone in university to do an Erasmus year. Be spontaneous and travel!

"If Adventure is dangerous, try routine, it's lethal!"

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Itinerary: Sligo

1 Getting There and Getting Around

Sligo is situated in the north west of Ireland. It has a bus route that goes and comes to Ireland West Airport Knock, an International Airport Servicing Ireland, Britain, Portugal, Spain and Italy. It also has a bus link to Donegal, Cork, Derry, Belfast, Galway and Dublin. Being so easily accessible to Dublin and Belfast, there are adequate transport links from Dublin Airport and Belfast International Airport, each serving a large range of destinations including a majority of Europe and USA.

Sligo also has a train station. The line solely goes between Sligo and Dublin. Right next to the train station however, is the bus depot. In Sligo town, pedestrian transport is common as everything is within walking distance. All over town also there are bus stops. From each stop, it is possible to travel to areas in Sligo like Strandhill and Rosses Point.

2 Where to Stay

Sligo has many nice places to visit. And with that, has many nice places to stay. Some area recommended to visit on your stay to Sligo are:

• Strandhill: Strandhill is a coastal area of Sligo that has amazing scenery, nice restaurants and a lovely beach. It's a must see place when in Sligo. Places to stay in Strandhill:
• Strandhill Lodge and Suites Hotel- http://strandhilllodgeandsuites.ie/
• Shearwater House- A nice B&B near Strandhill

• Rosses Point: Is the guard to Sligo Harbour and offers amazing scenery of the coast and has some important historic and literary tourism areas. The summer home of W.B. Yeats and the site of the 3 wrecked Spanish Armada boats from 1588. Rosses Point is not a big area. But places to stay are:
• Radisson Blu Hotel Sligo- https://www.radissonblu.com/en/hotel-sligo
• Kintogher B&B
• Enniscrone: Enniscrones beach is a significant area to Enniscrone. It's seen many tourists throughout the years (myself included) and has also seen an airplane surf it's wave, making international news. It's a beautiful region of Sligo. Places to stay are:
• Waterfront House- http://waterfronthouse.ie/
• Diamond Coast Hotel- http://www.diamondcoast.ie/
• Ocean Sands Hotel- http://www.theoceansandshotel.ie/
• Sligo Town: The centre of activity in Sligo with some nices places to see, nice shops and the place where you'll arrive to. There are some nice places to stay in Sligo town:
• The Glasshouse Hotel: http://www.theglasshouse.ie/
• The Riverside Hotel: http://www.riversidesligo.ie/
• The Sligo Park Hotel: http://www.sligoparkhotel.com/
• Clarion Hotel: http://www.clarionhotelsligo.com/
• Great Southern: http://www.greatsouthernhotelsligo.ie/
• Harbour House Hostel: http://harbourhousehostel.com/

3 Things to Do

Sligo is a beautiful, history enriched place to visit. The historical significance of some things in Sligo still resonates today. 

• Sligo Gaol: Although not yet opened. Sligo Gaol is a significant part of
  history as it played a role in shaping the people of political importance who have become famous to us in Ireland.
• The Model Arts Centre: In here, you will see a lot of art on exhibition. One of the main artists on display is Jack. B Yeats. The brother of W.B Yeats, the famed poet. The art is one of a kind and is part of the Niland exhibition.
• Knocknarea: This provides a cool mixture of exercise and history. Knocknarea is where Queen Medb of Connaught is said to be buried, like a lot of places in Ireland. Symbolized by the cairn on the top. The views from Knocknarea are one of a kind.
• Yeats' Grave: Out in an area called Drumcliff sits the area of Yeats' grave. Jill Barber owns a nice tearoom and is the curator for this site. It is fascinating and a must visit.

Other things to do:

• Surf: Out in Strandhill is the perfect place to go surfing. Should you not be a good surfer, Strandhill Surf School lies on the shore. The beach has many nice sand dunes and amazing scenery out to the ocean. Many nice
  eateries lace the shoreline too.
• Benbulbin: Another mountain to climb in Sligo is Benbulbin. This mountain gives probably one of the best views of Sligo I've ever witnessed and is definitely worth a climb.
• Carrowmore Megalithic Tombs: These tombs date back to ancient history of Irish ancestors. The guides are super imformed about the sites and the way they are preserved is amazing.
• Lough Gill: Out at lough Gill. You get a real nice scenic view. Make your way and maybe you can go SUPing out on the water. SUPing in Lough Gill is probably the best experience I've had in Sligo.

4 Places to Eat

There are a lot of nice places to eat in Sligo. It's always hard when you're in the centre of the town and have to decide where to eat cause there are so many good restaurants and cafés. For example:

• The Belfry
• Café Fleur
• Rugantino's
• Fabbrica
• Ealá Bán
• Fiddlers
• A Casa Mia
• The Glasshouse Hotel
• The Swagman Bar
• Grappa
• The Embassy

These are just some of the nice places in Sligo town to eat. As for going out for a drink, here are some nice bars:

• McGarrigles
• Shoot The Crows
• The Snug
• Garavogue
• Fifth on Teeling

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Sligo is a really nice part of Ireland to visit and when it's busy, has a real nice atmosphere and makes for a good time. Spending a couple of days in Sligo will not be disappointing!

Any comments welcome!

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Sensations - A thought about Ireland

Before coming here,  in my mind Ireland was nothing more than a series of stereotyped adjectives: green fields, crazy weather, a lot of rain, wind, cows, sheep, shamrocks, beer and ginger hair people.

But, something brought me to choose to go to that country. The consciousness that Emerald Island's habitants were very nice people known for their cheerfulness, vitality, sociability; people available to give any help and without any regard. This was a rumour too, just a sentence from the street, but something in my mind was more than sure about that.

Beyond sheep, butter and beer, I knew that Ireland would have been full of nice ginger hair people who would make me feel at home anytime during my stay there.

This was the first of all positive sensations that I decided to listen and follow  as well.

Yes, Sensations.

I never followed so much my intuitions and my sensations like now, and I never had so much luck doing that than in this period of my life. So much luck that could set off my previous and omnipresent rotten luck.

After any storm always had to follow an unexpected but right quiet time.

So, if at first ‘my' Ireland could be defined with “illusive reality” oxymoron, then time by time I understood and I’m still understanding that everything that happened, could still be happening and will happen was, is and will be led from something bigger, a more important logical plan and so any unlucky moment have to be followed by a fine solution, a remedial plan decided by destiny or someone in his stead.

Written By: Silvia Carapellese (Instagram: silvii_cara)

Eurovision Song Contest 2016

The Eurovision 2016 was held in Stockholm, Sweden at the Ericsson Globe Arena. From watching the 1st Semi-Final (May 10), the 2nd Semi-Final (May 12) and the Grand Final (May 14), the show seemed to be a roaring success. With an arena that

holds 12,000 packed to capacity on each night and the show garnering a magnificent 200 Million viewers worldwide, the show had a lot riding on it. On the first two semi-finals, the idea was to whittle the 18 acts of each semi-final down to 10 so that they would proceed to the final. In the end, 26 acts made it to the final, with the big 5 and Sweden already in the final without qualifying in a semi-final, but that's not my business. The show was hosted by Swede favorite comedian Perta Mede and last years winner of the Eurovision Song Contest in Austria, Måns Zermerlöw. Night after night, the two made the show extremely entertaining with comedic skits, musical intervals and witty back and forths between each other.

This was the 6th time that Sweden had hosted the Eurovision Song Contest (still not beating Ireland's record though!). This year, Australia became a fixture of the show and had to participate themselves in a semi final to qualify for final and didn't get the

guest pass. This year also marked the first time China and the United States of America were able to watch the Eurovision on their screens. With a lot of problems being earmarked across Europe (Brexit, Crimea and the migrant crisis) but this was just what Europe needed. Under the slogan of "Come Together", it became a new lease of life for Europe and the EBU. The Eurovision should be seen as the proper platform on integration between countries and that it's possible to get along. 

In this years Eurovision, there were some notable absences that have been poignant in previous years, for example: Turkey, Portugal, Slovakia and Romania. But although there were some absences in this years show, there were also some

returning acts. Czech Republic, Croatia and Ukraine being big participants to return. The show had 42 participating countries. This meant a lot of songs, a lot of performances and a lot of effort. Russia brought their own set to the Eurovision, many performers had visual effects. Not only was there a lot of effort and music but there was a lot of inter-country comradeship as before, during and after the contest, performers and fans showed their support for each other. Countries who had been eliminated in the semi final, their fans stayed for the final to participate in the celebrations of crowning the winner of this years contest. And watching it from home, it was very heartwarming to see the friendships being made and the whole idea of "come together" being made a reality.

The list of finalists are as follows:

• Belgium
• Czech Republic 
• The Netherlands
• Azerbaijan
• Hungary
• Italy 
• Israel
• Bulgaria
• Sweden
• Germany
• France
• Poland
• Australia
• Cyprus
• Serbia
• Lithuania
• Croatia
• Russia 
• Spain
• Latvia
• Ukraine
• Malta
• Georgia
• Austria
• UK
• Armenia

The final show was 3 and a half hours long. Each country performed and then the interval act came out. None other than Justin Timberlake himself. Playing on a stage

in front of 200 Million people internationallu. Petra and Måns then took the time to sing a song about the "Formula" to Eurovision success. Then the new voting system was introduced which saw the national jury and the televoting be taken into consideration. I voted 13 times. Hardcore fan right here. 2 out of the 5 I voted for came in the top 5, Russia and Bulgaria. Once the jury's votes had been read out, Australia was in the lead. The came the televotes. The suspense was killing me as Petra and Måns Zermerlöw read out the scores. It came down to the last 4 votes and everyone was on the edge of their seat. Finally, the country who won with a whopping

534 Points was Ukraine. Represented by Jamala, Ukraine won by televotes with their song "1944" a song about Crimean Tatar troubles.

Next years Eurovision will be held in Ukraine and it's safe to say that Ukraine will have a tough time trying to match the success of Eurovision Song Contest 2016, Stockholm, Sweden.

Congratulations to Jamala and Ukraine!

*Pic Credit: foxbet.gr, expressen.se, cromosomax.com, nanonews.com*

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Did you watch the Eurovision? What was your favourite song and what did you think of the outcome?

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Trend: Voluntourism

What is it?
When people take time out of their busy lives and donate their time and money to organisations or causes. Most notably, volunteering their time in developing countries in areas that lack facilities in housing, education, health and sanitation. Lack of basic needs and facilities attract international attention and garner the consideration of people from developed countries.
Trends today show that voluntourism is most popular amongst people in their twenties and thirties, which is believed to be popular because of the idea of added risk with going to under developed countries. Another few reasons young people volunteer abroad is to boost their CV/Resume, travel in a group with friends for a rewarding purpose and for a way to see the world.
Why is this trend important?
Voluntourism is important as it gives back to communities who may not even have a form of tourism or any basic facility. People living in dyer situations with no water, no food and rely on the help of international resources to help them survive. In countries where starvation and dehydration is too common, it's incredibly important for people like us, living in countries where if we get too full, we throw our food in the bin or let the water run down the drain. It is important for us to not take things for granted and give back to these people who suffer immensely. But volunteering isn't just heading off to a developing country or a country hit by disaster. People can go and volunteer in many different aspects both domestically and internationally. There is volunteering time on behalf of an organisation in hopes to raise money i.e Climbing Kilimanjaro and getting the community to donate to the cause.
Helping out at events and international celebrations i.e Heading to Stockholm to help out at the Eurovision Song Contest.
Volunteerism takes many forms and generally has people doing it out of interest, concern or hoping to better themselves through helping others
Pros and Cons:
Skills; It's all well and good to be investing time and money to travel away to go volunteering but it's another thing to be useful wherever you go. Different projects require different skills and expertise. Although people are good of heart to go and help, they may not be qualified. It can be difficult on organisations to refuse help but volunteers are much cheaper then paid staff.
Image: By volunteering, it looks good on CV's and Resumes. It gives a person a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment knowing they've helped and done something good for those in need.
Motivation: Aprés Volunteering, it gives people a sense of motivation with their lives when they see first hand just how bad some people are living and do their best to help out. It gives the mindset that some people have it worse and motivates and drives people to do more with their lives.
Integration: It is a problem that volunteer staff, although may be highly educated, dominate over the local staff as they think they know best.

It is important to consider volunteering for the part that it gives back to those who need help in the world. Organisations do need the help in most cases and volunteering should be emphasized more in communities.

Eurovision Season

With the first part of this years semi-finals over, and 16 acts already through to the final, the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 is truly underway. For me, the Eurovision is like an unwritten tradition of mine. Every May, it's fun to sit and watch the competition and then wasting all my call credit on texting in. 

But for those who aren't European, what is the Eurovision?
The Eurovision Song Contest is an international TV song competition and is the longest-running annual song contest of this scale. The Eurovision Song Contest is primarily held between countries that are in the European Broadcasting Union and has been going on for the last 60 years (Since 1956).
The basis behind the Song Contest is for each participating country to create, submit and perform an original song that is then put to the public vote, with the catch that you can't vote for your own country. The show has gone on for the last 60 years and has become the one of the most watched non-sporting event in the world with annual figures between 100 and 600 million internationally. It has also been shown in countries that don't even participate i.e US and China. 
One of the recent changes that made Eurovision history was the addition of

Australia as a participating country even though it wasn't a member of the EBU. To date, Ireland holds the most wins (7), has a 3 in a row streak and has won 4 times in 5 years (Ain't that great!).
The great thing about the Eurovision is that is creates a platform for international music creativity and gives artists a platform they may never have had before. Shows other countries music in other languages, different styles of music, cultures and demonstrates the diversity in the European Broadcasting Union. Some of the most popular winners to have successful careers after the contest would be: ABBA (Swedish Winners in 1974), Bucks Fizz (UK Winners in 1981) and Celine Dion (Swiss Winner in 1988).
How important is the Eurovision Song Contest?
I believe the Eurovision is a really important, if not a key staple of the reason the European Union exists, the reason why positive international relations is

important and is possibly the way forward for the world to be accepting of different customs and cultures. In terms of economy, I think it is probably one of the most important events for tourism as it brings huge crowds to a country. Take a country like Serbia who won in 2007 and hosted in 2008. That year, 43 countries participated and that means supporters from each country came along to Belgrade to watch and support their act. The Kombank Arena in Belgrade holds 18,300 approx. people coming to Belgrade, staying, eating, drinking, shopping, sight-seeing. The Eurovision doesn't just bring people together but also helps the economy of a country, boosts the the artist's profile and keeps a sense of bringing people together. 
Since 2002, the host broadcasters comes up with the slogan of their hosted Eurovision and from there, the theme and visuals are designed. These slogans, I think, detail what the Eurovision is about, for example:

• 2002 (Tallinn, Estonia)- "A Modern Fairytale"
• 2004 (Istanbul, Turkey)- "Under the Same Sky"
• 2010 (Oslo, Norway)- "Share the Moment"
• 2013 (Malmo, Sweden)- "We Are One"
• 2015 (Vienna, Austria)- "Building Bridges"

These slogans create a sense of coming together and show the initiative of the Eurovision and it's commitment to having people share the moment, build

bridges and becomes on under the same sky! It's always lovely to see on TV that people holding different flags cheering and enjoying making friends.

If you haven't checked out the Eurovision Song Contest 2016, the second semi-final is on Thursday (Ireland performs) and the final is on Saturday where the next host and the winner of this years contest will be crowned!

To watch and find out more, check out: http://www.eurovision.tv

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What has been your favorite year of the Eurovision? If you've ever been, what was your experience? Favorite act you ever had? 

Leave a comment below!

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Travelling to Italy: Assisi

Going to nice regional places in Italy like Senigallia and around Fabriano was a really nice thing to do on a trip as it gave a sense of non-tourist dense Italy like Rome or Milan. Many people to this day wonder why I picked Marche of all places to visit, but I don't regret it as it was an experience that I won't forget as it was different and very homely because I was staying with a family. Being in rural Italy was a real cool experience because I got to see the culture of the

town and area, 
One of the places I got to experience was the quaint but religiously significant town of Assisi. Assisi is an hour drive from Fabriano, in the Marche Region and 2 hours away from Florence and Rome. Assisi is in the provence of Perugia in the Umbria region of Italy, bang smack in the middle of Italy.
The story behind Assisi is that it is the birthplace of St. Francis (San Francesco), the man behind the the Franciscan order, St. Ciara (San Chiara) who is woman behind the Poor Sisters order and Saint Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows. All these religiously iconic saints were said to have been born, lived and done their duty to god in Assisi. In total, there are 7 saints who are said to have been from Assisi.

One morning, deciding what to do in Italy was a surprisingly difficult thing to figure out. Many options were thrown out on the table. Eventually it was decided to go to Assisi. I never heard of the place before but I was trusting that it would be a cool place to visit and a cool place to see the sites, in the heart of Italy. My friend, his father and I got in the car pretty early in the morning and headed off to make Assisi in good time and have enough time to come back home. The day that was in it was very warm and sunny, perfect really for traveling. 
The drive to Assisi was really nice. There wasn't a cloud to be seen and the landscape was amazing. The hills that had houses on them really intrigued me, it was like they were suspended in gravity from falling off the hill. If it were me, I'd be having a panic attack every time I got home. The road was in between valleys for a majority of the way so it made the drive very relaxing and didn't heat up the car too much, so no passing out from heat exhaustion (Yay!).
Driving into the area, you could tell which was Assisi. The Basilica di San Francesco was easily recognizable. From a distance, it was a magnificent looking building and couldn't wait to take a look around it. Driving in, it was actually quite busy. Buses of tourists disembarking and walking around in a group. Typical tourists with their hats, glasses and fanny packs. So it was difficult to find a parking space. But eventually going to the underground carpark. We went down so many levels I was wondering when we'd meet Satan. Thankfully we didn't and found a parking spot and I was getting kind of energetic to see this new place.
Coming out of the carpark was like a slap in the face with heat. I kind of lost my breath going from cold carpark to summer sun. But looking around at the tourists and the views of Perugia was absolutely amazing. Hoping for a better view, my friend said that Assisi, you walk up the way so I would get a better view eventually. Walking up the streets was actually the coolest thing. Seeing the old style Italian houses and how tall they were. They actually curved, they

were so tall. It was so unique and it felt Italian to me! Walking up these small streets, it was our mission to first go to the Basilica di San Francesco, the main guy of Assisi.
Mesmerized by the whole place, I didn't notice the walk up to the Basilica. Watching the different people on the streets and the cool souvenirs. We came up the entrance of the basilica which was an amazing building, Truly it was spectacular. The whole design of the place and the architecture was so cool. Going in, it was amazing. The ancient feel to the building and the whole history. The different artists that worked on the building and how uniquely designed it was, was one of a kind. It was so different to Irish artistry and from anything I've seen. Walking around, you can feel the depth of history and how much the building has seen and how significant it was.
Our next stop was to the Basilica di Santa Chiara. The woman behind the Poor

Sisters was woman steeped in history and her tomb lay in the basilica. The church dates back to 1260 and apparently her remains lay in the earth under the alter of the church. The place was very ominous. I think it was mainly due to the fact that her remains were there. It kind chilled me out. The place itself was really really cool a place that's over 700 years old and preserved so well, it was really amazing to see how cool it was and even the way to see her the area where her remains lay was a cool sight to see.
And then came the key point of my day. Food. The only constant in my life that keeps me content. Being in Italy, breakfast, lunch and dinner was on another level. So of course I had to go and have lasagne. At this point, it was the only Italian food I hadn't tried in Italy. We walked around a little plaza, deciding where to eat. We came across this nice place: Hosteria terra Chiama. It was a

lovely quaint place and not too many tourists were there, thankfully. The menu, all of its items were just as nice as the others. But lasagne was the only Italian dish I hadn't tried in Italy, so I had to order that.
Being in a place of Religious importance, the food was a godsend! Like, a miracle to my taste buds. I can't even describe the emotions I was feeling I was eating. It was a lot to comprehend. All I know is that it was amazing.
The food was gone in minutes, it was just so good. And it was so well priced too! Like, 6 or 7€ for a nice slice of lasagne with a drink. It was heavenly! After

lunch, it was time to wash it down with a nice coffee under the sun. We came to this nice place in a plaza called "Bar Minerva Assisi" which was really amazing because it was outside the Temple of Minerva (Roman Goddess of Craft and Wisdom). We sat and drank a coffee in the unwinding day. Just ahead of us was a guy making chalk painting on the ground. The painting was of the Virgin Mary and it was spectacular. Walking around this courtyard were a lot of Franciscan monks, which were so cool to see. 
As the day came to an end, I made sure to get some souvenirs for my grandparents. Being in a place so religious, it'd be a sin if I didn't get them something! So picking up a couple of bits and pieces, it was time to set off. On the way down to the car, I looked out at a high point and the view was one of a kind. Looking across the heart of Italy. I've never seen anything to compare to it yet. It was really something amazing. And that was our day in Assisi, getting back in the car and heading back as the sun was starting to come down. It was a perfect day and probably the kickstart into loving tourism I got!
*Pic Credit: ciaoumbria.it, italia.it, marcovoleri.it, geoplan.it, homemadeitalianrecipes.com, assisiitaly.ca*
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Leave a comment if you've ever been to Assisi or a place that left you speechless!
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Sun Holidays-Europe's Upcoming Destinations

Considering how sunny it is (In Ireland. I'm confused too), it seems appropriate to address those big ol' sun holidays.
Going about your business on a day to day basis gets repetitive and people look forwards to time off and time away from all those adult responsibilities (Scary, I know). And nothing sounds nicer when you're stressed out than booking a

trip away to the coast of some tropic or Mediterranean country and relaxing with a cocktail in your hand.
In the last decade or two, sun holidays have increased in popularity. If you went to south east Spain for a trip away during the summer, you'd be lucky to find a spot on the beach to even place your towel, let alone rent a sun lounger. So when it comes to the summer seasons and you get time off, you don't want the added stress of walking along a beach in hopes of finding a place to sit down. Not saying there is anything wrong with highly crowded beaches, kids tend to make friends and there is generally a good atmosphere from the people.
When it comes to the idea of going on a sun holiday, however, the idea is generally to go for what's cheap and go for what's easy. A place that has sun, booze and a waterpark. The essentials! In the last 5-10 years, people are stepping away from the typical locations of sun holidays and finding alternative places that not only give a unique place for a nice, relaxing sun vacation but also a great experience. These destinations would not have been incredibly popular for the general tourist in the past but are now on an increase to becoming nice places to visit for sun holidays and of course, reaping the benefits of increased tourism.

Here are 3 of the upcoming destinations from my personal opinion and feedback I've gotten from tourists as to where are growing places for sun holidays, where to stay and how to get there:

• Croatia: In the last couple of years, I have heard from many people that
  
  they went or are going to Croatia for sun holidays, "lads" holidays or even just weekends away. Croatia offers good value and is one of the least spoiled countries in Euripe, if not the world. But where to go in Croatia?
• Dubrovnik. This is the capital of Croatia and is a coastal city. Dubrovnik is accessible by many airlines including Ryanair, Easyjet, Iberia, Croatia Airlines, Aer Lingus and British Airways
• It has many beaches and places to relax including:
• Buza Beach
• Copacabana
• Banje Beach
• Just off the coast of Dubrovnik is the Elaphit Islands which contain Lopud and Kolocep, two islands with sandy beaches.
• Where to stay in Dubrovnik?
• Hotel Kompas- Hotel which overlooks the Lapad Bay
• Tirena Hotel- http://www.valamar.com/en/hotels-dubrovnik/tirena-hotel
• Valamar Club Dubrovnik- Free Airport Transfer
• Hostel Villa Angelina (Old Town)
• Split: Croatia's second largest city. It lies on the coast of the
  
  Adriatic Sea. The city acts as a link to the Apennine Region and Adriatic Islands. Split's Airport is served by airlines such as: Eurowings, Easyjet, British Airways, Scandinavian Airlines and Thomas Cook Airlines.
• Being on the coast, Split has many beaches.
• Kasuni Beach
• Kastelet Beach
• Ovcice Beach
• Where to stay in Split?
• Divota Apartment Hotel- http://divota.hr/
• Cornaro Hotel- http://cornarohotel.com/
• Split Guesthouse and Hostel- http://www.splitguesthouse.hostel.com/
• Sicily: The Island off the Italian Coast and situated in the Mediterranean sea. It is the largest island in the Mediterranean. It has 2 main airports. Catania International and Palermo International. These airports are
  
  served by: Ryanair, Easyjet, Volotea, Germanwings etc. Where to go for a sun holiday in Italy?
• Palermo: A city in the north-east of Italy and the Capital of the Island. Palermo is in a region famed for its art, history, culture and gastronomy. Palermo is served by Palermo International and has many beautiful beaches, for examples:
• Mondello Beach
• Aspra Beach- With Beautiful Boats in the town.
• Cefalu Beach.
• Where to Stay in Palermo?
• Hotel Porta Felice- http://hotelportafelice.it/en/#slide-2
• Hotel Bel 3
• Mondello Home Hostel
• Catania: Situated between Messina and Syracuse, this city rests
  
  near Mount Etna and has very unique landscape as a result. It has a beautiful location on the Ionian Sea. It is served by Catania Airport. Being on the east coast of the Island, it has many cool beaches:
• Playa
• Scogliera- Famed for it's seafood gastronomy
• Ognina
• Where to stay in Catania?
• UNA Palace Hotel- http://www.unahotels.it/en/una_hotel_palace/catania_hotels.htm
• Hotel Biscari- http://hotelbiscaricatania.com/
• City-in Hostel B&B- http://www.cityinhostel.it/en/
• South of France: The South of France is somewhat seen as a destination for those who are endowed with money and seen as an exclusive place, or at least it used to be. In recent years, it is a recently increasing destination
  
  to travel to. Here are some places in the South of France to travel to:
• Marseille: The second largest city in France after Paris. Marseille is situated in the Provence-Alpes-Cotes d'Azur region. It is a popular city along the South of France for visitors and is served by the Marseille Provence Airport which hosts airlines such as: British Airways, Lufthansa, Pegasus, Twin jet, Easyjet and Ryanair. It also has some beautiful beaches:
• Plage du Prado
• Plage des Catalans
• Calanques at Cassis (In the nearby town of Cassis)
• Where to stay in Marseille?
• Residence de Vieux Port- http://www.hotel-residence-marseille.com/en/
• Hotel Bellevue- http://hotelbellevuemarseille.com/en/
• Vertigo Centre Hostel- http://hotelvertigo.fr/
• Toulon: Toulon is situated in the same region as Marseille but however, does not have it's own big airport. It's airport does
  
  regional flights to Bordeaux, Paris and Brest. As well as domestic, there are international flights to Amsterdam, Southampton and Tunis with airlines like; Air France, Jetairfly and Flybe. Toulon is a port city with it's famed function being a military base for the French Navy. Toulon has some nice beaches also:
• Mourillon
• Plage de Pipady
• Plage de la Mitre
• Where to stay in Toulon?
• Les Voiles Hotel- http://www.hotel-voiles.com/en/
• Grand Hotel Dauphine- http://www.grandhoteldauphine.com/
• Hotel Bonaparte

These are some of the destinations that are on the rise as new places to go as sun holiday locations and are not to be overlooked when you want some downtime. On one hand, sure, it's nice to get away from the hustle and bustle of life. But on the other hand, different countries offer different experiences with so much culture, history, art, heritage and cuisine to offer. Set yourself outside the box!

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Leave a comment if you have suggestions or places you've been on sun holidays!

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Topic: Adventure Tourism

Worldwide, adventure tourism is steadily growing annually as a tourism market and many people globally will take part in some form of it during a vacation or trip away. Adventure tourism is a niche segment of marketing that involves an aspect of exploration and comes with a perceived level of risk which would require you to have a particular skill set.
According to Adventure Tourism studies conducted internationally, Adventure tourism falls within 2 sub categories, Soft Adventure and Hard Adventure. Soft Adventure Tourism is a form of travel experience that steps outside the box of a regular travel itinerary. For people engaging in soft adventure tourism, it is a rewarding experience for the mind and the spirit and does not require an excessive amount of exertion and is regarded as being quite safe. Examples of such type of soft adventure tourism would be biking, camping, walking etc.
Some international companies working in soft adventure tourism would be:

• Country Walkers (US)- http://www.countrywalkers.com/  "At Country Walkers, we want you to experience the best the world has to offer, whether that means midnight kayak rides through Icelandic lagoons or games of khuru with Bhutanese villagers"  (Taken from Website)
• PureTrails New Zealand (NZ)- http://www.puretrailsnewzealand.co.nz/ "Our Tours are well planned, thoughtfully paced, and full of fun and adventure as well as excellent" (Taken from website)
• Adventure South NZ (NZ)- http://www.adventuresouth.co.nz/ "Our walks offer pure off-the-beaten-track opportunities as well as some of the best sections of some of the more famous walking trails" (Taken from Website)

Hard Adventure Tourism is a travel experience that has a more physical aspect to it and comes with a higher element of risk added to it. Hard Adventure Tourism is seen as a very physically, emotionally and spiritually rewarding

experience as it pushes people outside their comfort zones, people overcome fears and people push themselves. People who perform acts in favor of hard adventure tourism tend to keep doing it due to the rush and adrenaline of it all. Types of Hard Adventure Tourism includes: Bungee Jumping, Mountaineering, Cliff Diving etc. 

Companies that work in Hard Adventure Tourism:

• River Boarding (NZ)- http://www.riverboarding.co.nz/index.html 
• Mountain Madness- http://www.mountainmadness.com/ "We've taken the time to pioneer the most interesting and scenic routes, scout out the best campsites, and discover incredible things off the beaten track." (Taken from website)
• Gravity Bolivia (Bolivia)- http://www.gravitybolivia.com/index.php?mod=homeb "Some of the best technical downhill mountain bike trails in the world are located just outside of La Paz Bolivia, and Gravity can take you there" (Taken fron website)
• Kiliwarrior Expeditions (Tanzania)- http://kiliwarriorexpeditions.com/ "With superior quality, safety, service and great attention to detail, our team of experts is recognized as the premier trekking outfitters helping people, like you, reach the summit of Mt. Kilimanjaro" (Taken from website)

Internationally, considering the increase of demand for adventure tourism, countries are adapting their tourism products and segments and put themselves in the mix to become good adventure destinations. The #AdventureCapital is an online, social media hashtag campaign being used in places of high adventure content i.e New Zealand and is now becoming a worldwide trend. New Zealand would be considered one of and if not, the most popular Adventure Capital and has worldwide recognition for this. 

In recent years, Ireland itself is pushing itself to use its natural resources and

find opportunity in what we have to become an adventure capital. Watersports in Ireland is particularly famous with surfing, SUPing and hiking being particularly popular adventure activities. The Wild Atlantic Way initiative is an indicator of Ireland's dedication to promoting many forms of tourism along the western Irish coast, one that dominates however is Adventure Tourism with the Atlantic coast in Ireland being a hotspot for international surfing. Other famed activities and events along the western Irish coast would be the Redbull Cliff Diving in the Aran Islands, Mountaineering in Connemara etc.

Adventure Tourism provides a knock-on effect for business and for some, creates a doorway for them to conduct business in the market. With surfing being a popular sport along the Atlantic coast of Ireland, surf schools have opened in popular surfing destinations like Strandhill (Strandhill Surf School- http://www.strandhillsurfschool.com/ ) or the businesses I mentioned earlier. 

New businesses are emerging through fashion and are using their brand as a form of promotion for adventure tourism and use their social media as a way for their customers to highlight their experience through their brand. i.e AdventuristCo. An adventure lifestyle brand that "share a passion for the

outdoors, sports, travel, photography & more" they provide adventure t-shirts . @adventuristco (Instagram)

Adventure Centers across are popping up internationally as a way for adventure to be more than one activity. Adventure Centers offer activities like surfing, rock climbing, zip lining etc. 

An example of a popular Adventure Center would be Donegal Adventure Centre (http://donegaladventurecentre.net/) which offers groups an array of adventure and teambuilding activities which, I myself have done and found very fun!

Adventure Tourism is an incredibly popular niche segment in tourism and should be focused on by tourism authorities worldwide as a plausible and very important form of tourism. With a variety of what can be considered tourism, its a very dynamic segment in the tourism industy. Not only has Adventure Tourism as a tourism product grown significantly and continues to grow but Adventure tourism has become so significant as part of education in Tourism. Courses that teach a module in or have majors in Adventure tourism teach the ins and outs of adventure tourism, which is important for sustainability of the Adventure Tourism market.
Some Institutes that offer such courses/modules in Adventure Tourism:

• Institute of Technology, Sligo (https://itsligo.ie/courses/bb-in-tourism-with-event-management/)
• Queenstown Resort College, New Zealand (http://www.queenstownresortcollege.com/diplomas/adventure-tourism/course-outline/)
• University of the Highlands and Islands, Scotland (https://www.uhi.ac.uk/en/courses/ba-hons-adventure-tourism-management)
• West Coast Adventure College, Canada (http://www.westcoastadventurecollege.com/)

*Pic Credit: aqualandia.it*
**The people at AdventuristCo are giving my readers a 15% off promo code. Check out this link: https://teespring.com/adventuristco?pr=TPST

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