Showing posts with label Croatia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Croatia. Show all posts

Monday, 16 May 2016

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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Wednesday, 11 May 2016

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? 
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Friday, 6 May 2016

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.
      • 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.
  • 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?
      • 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:
  • 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:
      • 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:
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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