see you ....

see you ...., originally uploaded by brexians.

σε κάτι λιγότερο από 48 ώρες αρχίζει η καλοκαιρινή περιπέτεια, θα μου λείψετε... θα προσπαθήσω να σας στέλνω ανταποκρίσεις... αλλά φέτος θέλω να κάνω αποτοξίνωση από το διαδίκτυο, για να δούμε θα τα καταφέρω!
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in less than 48hrs and for few weeks, we will be on "vacation mode"...
put "on" the summer mode all of you!
enjoy your vacations !!

WWF - Do You Know?

Kemp's ridley turtle (Lepidochelys kempii)
© Carlos Drews/WWF-Canon

"Sargassum" is one of the more interesting ecosystem types in the Gulf of Mexico. What is it?

The answer is:
b. mats of free-floating seaweed

(Scroll to the bottom of this page to see how your answer compared to others.)

One of the more interesting ecosystem types in the Gulf of Mexico are the mats of free-floating macro algae called sargassum. These floating islands of seaweed that give the Sargasso Sea its name are temporary homes to many economically and ecologically important species. Larval and juvenile yellowfin tuna, wahoo and marlin are suspended in the sargassum--as are juvenile sea turtles like the critically endangered Kemp's ridley.

Today, these living islands are threatened by the oil spill from the damaged BP wellhead. Now at the whim of currents, these sargassum will be destroyed as they pass through the toxic surface oil. And they aren't the only ecosystems at risk. More ecological impacts.

Oil also leads to lethal or chronic impacts on marine wildlife. Seabirds and shorebirds such as egrets, herons and brown pelicans lose buoyancy and the ability to keep warm when their feathers come into contact with oil. They can also suffer liver damage, lesions and other potentially lethal complications from ingesting oil as they feed or attempt to clean their feathers. Blue whales, bottlenose dolphins and other marine mammals inhale toxic fumes every time they surface through the slick to breathe. An estimated 400 to 600 species are potentially at risk as the oil washes ashore, works its way into the marshes and oozes into the estuaries of the Louisiana coastline. These numbers may grow as new threats are uncovered. Species impacts.

Here's how your answer compared to others:

53 106 65 44 a. freshwater marshes b. mats of free-floating seaweed c. saltwater marshes d. vast oyster "reefs"

via worldwildlife.org

Posted via web from brexians posterous

Greek Islands...αιγιοπελαγιτικα τοπια...το καλοκαιρι ειναι κοντα

Στη Μύκονο, στη Σέριφο, στη Σίκινο, στη Μήλο

πετάς κυπαρισσόμηλο κι εγώ πετάω μήλο.

Στην Αμοργό, στην Κίμωλο στη Νιό στη Σαντορίνη

μου στέλνεις κιτρολέμονο σου στέλνω μανταρίνι.

Παράγγειλα του κύρη σου που πίνει τον καφέ του

να σ έχει μαντζουράνα του να σ έχει κατιφέ του.

Παράγγειλα της μάνας σου που πλένει στο σκαφίδι

να μη σου λέει πικρόλογα τι θα τη φάει το φίδι.

Να δώσει η Μεγαλόχαρη κι η Παναγιά η Κανάλα

να μεγαλώσεις γρήγορα σαν τα κορίτσια τ άλλα.

Και τ' Αγιο-Λιός ανήμερα στη Νάξο και στην Πάρο

να δώσει η Καλαμιώτισσα γυναίκα να σε πάρω.

Παράγγειλα του κύρη σου που ρίχνει παραγάδι

να 'ρθεί να κουβεντιάσουμε την Κυριακή το βράδυ.

Παράγγειλα στη μάνα σου που μοιάζει με βαρέλι

να σε ποτίζει αφρόγαλο να σε ταΐζει μέλι.

Στη Μύκονο, στη Σέριφο, στη Σίκινο, στη Μήλο

πετάς κυπαρισσόμηλο κι εγώ πετάω μήλο.

Στην Αμοργό, στην Κίμωλο στη Νιό στη Σαντορίνη

μου στέλνεις κιτρολέμονο σου στέλνω μανταρίνι.

Στίχοι: Νίκος Γκάτσος

Μουσική: Μάνος Χατζιδάκις

Ερμηνευτής: Μανόλης Μητσιάς

οι φωτογραφιες απο την Γεωργία, την γνωστη σαν NosyParker

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

Exploring Greece's Ancient Past: Delphi, Epidavros, and Mycenae

Epidavros' theater is the finest and best-preserved of all of Greece's ancient theaters - and that's saying something in a country with 132 of them. (photo credit: Cameron Hewitt

At Delphi's theater, singer-songwriters from all over the Greek-speaking world would perform hymns in honor of Apollo, accompanied by a flute or lyre. (photo credit: Gene Openshaw)

When traveling in a country as old as Greece, ancient ruins can quickly go from magnificent to mind-numbing. Great — yet another nameless hill with more stony remnants of people from centuries past. Just because something dates from B.C. doesn’t mean it has to be seen. Be selective about your ancient sightseeing. Three of my favorite ruins are Delphi, Epidavros, and Mycenae. All are within three hours of Athens — and all are well worth the trek....


more @: Exploring Greece's Ancient Past: Delphi, Epidavros, and Mycenae

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

The tourist's NOT-to-DO list for Bulgaria

by VESSELIN ZHELEV

To spare yourself from worries and deceptions, and to enjoy a safe and pleasant summer holidays in Bulgaria, here is a list of things to avoid while there:

Don't take a train. Bulgaria's railway company BDZ has recently admitted that 300 of its 320 train engines lack valid safety certificates and have not undergone mandatory technical examinations. Only .....

A bulldozer prepares a beach for tourists near the Bulgarian Black Sea port of Varna (Photo: Stoyanov, Anton (Trud Daily))

Don't fall ill. Eighty percent of Bulgaria's hospitals are substandard, according to a recent report by the state medical audit agency. A two-....

Don't trust taxi drivers. Especially those who doorstep foreigners at air terminals' arrival exits. They are sure to rip .....

Don't miss a chance to use the Sofia subway. Its construction started in 1972, and the metro system already has one 18 kilometre-long stretch with a total of 14 stations. That makes 474 metres (yards), or 0.37 stations per year.

Don't hope for fast internet. Consider yourself lucky if you have coverage at all. Broadband penetration in Bulgaria is 13 percent (the lowest in the European Union) compared to the EU average of 28.4 percent.

Don't miss a chance to win in the state lottery. The jackpot has reached almost 2.7 million Bulgarian leva (some €1.35 million), and is expected to exceed 3 million leva (some €1.5 million) on Thursday (June 3).

Don't get confused by nods. In contrast to mainstream Europe, Bulgarians indicate a "no" by moving their heads up and down and "yes" by shaking heads from left to right.

Don't be afraid to smoke. There are smoking and non-smoking areas in all establishments larger than 50 square....

Don't be surprised by Bulgarian football. It is only natural if the public invades the pitch en masse to beat up the referee or/and some underperforming players. The latest such case happened in the town of Mezdra. But it was not the first one.

Don't get scared by morning TV shows. They normally start with a reality police action. Officers in riot gear raid someone's home or office, throw him on the ground and point guns at his wife and children, yelling ....

Don't miss out on Bulgarian, cuisine, wine and music. If you do, you will regret it for the rest of your life.  

Bulgarians discover cheap holidays at their seaside with …German tour operators

by VICTOR IVANOV

Bulgarians are enjoying an unexpected benefit of the single European market this year. They can already book a cheap holiday at the Bulgarian Black Sea resorts through the largest German tour operators 

more @: waz.euobserver.com / The tourist's not-to-do list for Bulgaria

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

Tower bridge, London UK

Tower bridge, originally uploaded by brunoat.

movable bridge of the double-leaf bascule (drawbridge) type that spans the River Thames between the Greater London boroughs of Tower Hamlets and Southwark. It is a distinct landmark that aesthetically complements the Tower of London, which it adjoins.
The bridge was completed in 1894 and provides an opening 250 feet (76 metres) wide. Its twin towers rise 200 feet (61 metres) above the Thames.
Between the towers stretch a pair of glass-covered walkways that are popular among tourists. The walkways were originally designed to allow pedestrians to cross even while the bridge was raised, but they became hangouts for prostitutes and thieves and so were closed from 1909 to 1982.
The Tower Bridge was operated by hydraulic pumps driven by steam until 1976, when electric motors were put into operation; the steam power system is still kept (in good repair) as a tourist display. Because of the reduction in shipping at the London Docklands, however, the leaves are now seldom raised.

source: Wikipedia

Photo Soundtrack: "Final Battle", from Van Helsing. (Composed by Alan Silvestri).

30 secs audio clip (real audio) here.
Complete audio clip (mp3 24 kbps) here.

See more info about Photo Soundtrack here.

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

Lamberts Castle, Dorset, UK

A walk around Lamberts Castle offers stunning views of the Marshwood Vale with its clay valleys and rolling greens and hills. On a clear day you can see Chesil beach and Portland to the east and out toward the sea at Charmouth to the south.

Lambert's Castle is an Iron Age hill fort in Dorset, England, United Kingdom.
The fort rises to a height of 256 m on a broad northerly spur, with steep natural slopes on three sides, and linear ramparts across the flat southern approaches.
The site is owned by the National Trust. The is a car park accessible down a track off the B3165 east of Axminster. Coney's Castle is about 1.5 km to the south, and Pilsdon Pen about 5 km to the north-east.
It is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest on account of its geology, archaeology and ecology. It was notified as an SSSI in 1981.

Main hillfort with repairs to the ramparts Photo: NATIONAL TRUST

more @: Lambert's castle
and @: Lamberts Castle, Dorset: Walk of the week - Telegraph

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

5 "HOT Summer" Deals

Go island hopping in Greece, stay at a beachfront hotel in Bali, plus three more discounted getaways around the world.
All prices are per person and, if lodging is a component of the package, based upon two people traveling together (unless otherwise noted). The prices listed are general starting rates; see "What Else You'll Have to Pay" for details about associated taxes and fees. Base-prices, taxes, and fees can vary based on point of departure and time of travel. Trip add-ons like sightseeing tours and meal plans may also increase the price. Check with the tour operator for additional gateways and any single supplements, which is the extra cost that a solo traveler would pay to book the deal.



Photo Caption: The waterfront in Mykonos, Greece.
Photo by Helen Weismeyer/Frommers.com Community

Read more: Frommer's 5 Deals for June 9, 2010 Slideshow at Frommer's

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

From Istanbul to Alexandria, travel in the footsteps of Alexander The Great

By Peter Mckay 

The Irish actor Colin Farrell's portrayal of Alexander the Great in Oliver Stone's 2004 Hollywood blockbuster Alexander was unsatisfactory from a purist's point of view. His career  -  conquering three continents by the time he died,.....

Great expectations: The elegant Marmara waterfront in Istanbul was the starting point for Peter McKay's epic cruise adventure

Most of Stone's Alexander was shot at Pinewood Studios, Bucks. Swan Hellenic's MV Minerva zigzagged from Istanbul, Turkey to Alexandria, Egypt by way of Thessaloniki and Kavalla, Greece; Kusadasi, Turkey; Rhodes, Greece; Fethiye, Antalya and Tasucu, Turkey; and then Larnaca, Cyprus; before cruising to Alexandria. We boarded after ....

All at sea: The Minerva looks more like a ship than a cruise liner and has room for about 320 guests

Modern air travel's arrivals and departures are dismal experiences, but coming and going on ocean liners are pure pleasures. Tugboats fussed around as the ship's hooter blasted a minaret-wobbling farewell to Istanbul. Minerva glided out into the Marmara Sea. 

A necklace of shore lights sparkled for the next few hours as we headed through the softly warm night towards the Dardanelles and Gallipoli where, in the sad-all-over year of 1915, under the leadership of Winston Churchill, ........ 

Rocks of ages: Temples at Kusadasi, on Turkey's Aegean coast, were among the highlights of the Alexander the Great cruise

Some new ocean liners resemble blocks of flats and carry as many as 6,000 passengers, but Minerva looks like a ship and has room for about 320. Although 'retro' in design, the 12,500 tonnes, 435ft-long vessel was built in 1997 and has ultra-modern propulsion and navigational systems. 

There are six passenger decks, two restaurants, a cinema, the shipwide Darwin Lounge on Main Deck used for classical concerts and lectures, a gym, shops, beauty salon, good library with internet access and all the usual conveniences, including a small pool, card room and smoking room. 

My cabin had a large window rather than a port hole, twin beds, a shower, wash basin and loo  -  cosy rather than ......

more @
Cruise holidays: From Istanbul to Alexandria, travel in the footsteps of Alexander The Great | Mail Online

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

Mykonos, Cyclades, Greece

Ask anybody who has visited the Greek islands and they will tell you that apart from the beaches, nothing compares to the early-evening stroll in the islands' towns. The light of the late hour, the pleasant buzz, the narrow streets filled with locals and tourists alike, and the romantic ambience in the air as you stroll along streets can lead you to anything from a modern restaurant, a pleasant taverna, a fortress, or an ancient, unassuming site.

Despite its intense commercialism and seething crowds in high season, Hora is still the quintessential Cycladic town and is worth a visit to the island in itself. The best way to see the town is to venture inland from the port and wander. Browse the window displays, go inside an art gallery, a store, or an old church that may be open but empty inside. Keep in mind that the town is bounded on two sides by the bay, and on the other two by the busy vehicular District Road, and that all paths funnel eventually into one of the main squares:Plateia Mantos Mavroyenous,on the port (calledTaxi Squarebecause it's the main taxi stand);Plateia Tria Pigadia;andPlateia Laka,near the south bus station.
Hora also has the remains of a smallVenetian kastro(fortress) and the island's most famous church,Panagia Paraportiani (Our Lady of the Postern Gate),

Read more: Frommer's Mykonos (Cyclades, Greece)

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

Air Travel’s Costly Future

By SUSAN STELLIN

Anyone who flies regularly knows that the state of air travel is bleak, so it may be encouraging to hear that the federal government has put together an influential group to suggest ways to fix the industry’s most pressing problems.

Jen Hsieh

The Future of Aviation Advisory Committee held its first meeting in Washington late last month, and while, yes, other blue-ribbon committees have been convened in the past, the Transportation Department has been more aggressive lately about tackling long-ignored challenges.

Among the issues the group is charged with addressing: .....

more @: Air Travel’s Costly Future - NYTimes.com

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

Ramallah’s Clubs Attract Young, Diverse Crowd, West Bank, Israel

Rina Castelnuovo for The New York Times

By MICHAEL T. LUONGO

THE open-air deck pulsed with the rhythmic dancing of hundreds of young people, their hands raised toward the pine trees above them, needles sparkling yellow, red and blue in the disco lights. Couples watched from the sides by bonfires, huddling against the breezes billowing in from the valley below the club.

Amira Bernadette Dibdy, lead singer of CultureShoc, called out to the crowd in a mix of Arabic and English. The band was Snowbar’s live Thursday performance, a ritual that has made the club the hottest spot in Ramallah, the de facto capital of the West Bank. Though Yasser Arafat’s floodlit tomb loomed nearby, no one was talking about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict at Snowbar. They were too focused on the music.

The barrier walls here are certainly intimidating, and Ramallah doesn’t have the holy mystique of Bethlehem, but this city on the West Bank has become a destination for thousands of young North Americans, Europeans and offspring of the Palestinian elite. Some work for locally based non-governmental organizations or new businesses; others are visiting. Many of the hot spots are set in restored Ottoman buildings, streamlined Art Deco houses that date from the British mandate, or atop new high-rises. Some residents say the scene is an undiscovered challenge to what Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Amman, Jordan — each a few miles but a psychological world away — offer young people in the Middle East.

John Saadeh, 24, a Palestinian-American from San Francisco, moved to Ramallah last year after his parents opened a pizzeria near Ramallah’s historic Old City. He likes the night life, he said, because “everybody knows everybody out here. You’re like a celebrity. It’s very easy to meet people.”

Veronica Grant, a Jewish American from North Carolina, also 24, lives in Ramallah but commutes to graduate school at Jerusalem’s Hebrew University. “I wanted to experience the Palestinian side, because I grew up with the Jewish side,” she said. “I find Ramallah one of the more liberal places in the Middle East, even more than Amman.”

Part of the appeal for these young travelers is the sophisticated culture embodied by night spots like Orjuwan, an Italian-Palestinian fusion restaurant and bar opened in November by three young members of a prominent West Bank family: Sari Sakakini; his brother, Salim; and sister, Katia. The restaurant has a couch-strewn patio, a wine bar under a vaulted Ottoman ceiling and a dining room with a view of the Old City.

“We wanted to make five-star...

more @: Next Stop - Ramallah’s Clubs Attract Young, Diverse Crowd - NYTimes.com

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

From Black Sea beaches to Byzantine Nessebar, Bulgaria

By Claire Gervat

Lunch hadn't been this relaxing for ages. On one side of the terrace was the sea, deep blue and sparkling; on the other was the restaurant, almost hidden by a huge fig tree surrounded by irises.

On the table was a plate of perfectly grilled sardine-sized fish, a bowl of salad and a glass of a local dry white wine: the ideal finale to a sunny morning of gentle sightseeing. My first day on Bulgaria's Black Sea Riviera was already a good one.

Uncrowded sands: Bulgaria has 125 miles of Black Sea coastline, ideal for cheap summer breaks

The omens had been positive from the moment I'd opened my bedroom curtains and spotted two dolphins cruising in the bay below.

It wasn't what I'd expected at all. When I had started my search for a holiday with guaranteed summer sun, Bulgaria had caught my eye mainly because it seemed so reasonably priced.

Wedged between Greece and Turkey, and just three hours flight away, it seemed too good to be true. I was worried that I'd end up in a bargain basement version of the Costa del Sol.

My fears were misplaced; there are large new resorts along the 125-mile coastline, but I wasn't in one of them.

I was staying in the modern Hotel Festa Panorama in the newer part of the small seaside town of Nessebar near Burgas, perfectly positioned between the five-mile curve of golden sand backed by the cheek-by-jowl hotels of Sunny Beach resort and the old part of town.

The hotel is looking neat and chic after a change of ownership and decor over the winter, and I was tempted to spend my first morning by the large pool and practising the odd word of Bulgarian (mainly 'thank you') on the staff.

However, all the guidebooks agreed that Old Nessebar is one of the Black Sea coast's loveliest spots, so I headed out to see if they were right. They certainly were.

Squeezed on to a peninsula no more than half a mile long and barely a quarter of a mile wide, Old Nessebar is a delight - cobbled lanes, Byzantine churches and weathered woodand-stone houses wrapped in the remains of its defensive ramparts.

I started my morning of explorations outside the walls, walking through the fish market to the harbour where I watched fishermen painting their boats while house martins swooped above.

From there, a short flight of stairs up into the heart of the town brought me to the best-preserved of Old Nessebar's churches, Sveti Stefan.

......

more @: Bulgaria holidays: From Black Sea beaches to Byzantine Nessebar | Mail Online

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

see you in few days

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

Czech's New Brewery Hotels

What could be more relaxing than bathing in…beer? (Courtesy Zámek Zábřeh)

Stříbro is reachable by rail via nine daily departures from Prague's Hlavní nádražzí main train station. Book at the station (or online at eshop.cd.cz, in English, click on "Inland Tickets") for about $10 each way. The hotel is a mile from the train station, uphill. Taxis are available.

U Rybiček offers seven doubles, starting at $43. Also available are two suites, which have two to three times as much living space as standard rooms, along with couches, coffee tables, and small kitchens, from $80. 011-420/604-280-787, urybicek.eu.

Zámek Zábřeh

Located in the northeastern Moravian city of Ostrava, the 16th-century Zábřeh château was converted into a luxury hotel and brewpub in 2007. Decorated with period antiques and exposed beams dating back centuries, the 18 rooms include several large suites. Soak in a beer bath at its mini-spa. U Zámku 42/1, Ostrava, 011-420/554-819-411, zamek-zabreh.cz, doubles from $65.

Purkmistr
Hosting one of the country's best craft-beer festivals (September 18 this year), the Purkmistr hotel, brewery, and restaurant is located in Plzeň, the birthplace of pilsner. The building, opened in 2007 after restoration, originally dates from 1603. There are 32 guest rooms (including two suites), decorated in a contemporary style with partially exposed brick walls hung with French Impressionist prints. Purkmistr also bowls a strike for fun with its own three-lane bowling alley. Selská náves 21/2, 011-420/377-994-311, purkmistr.cz, doubles from $118.

Hotel St. Florian
During the filming of the recent remake of the James Bond flick Casino Royale, the hilltop Bohemian burg of Loket stood in for a charming town in Montenegro. The Hotel St. Florian, a.k.a. "Hotel Svatý Florián" in Czech, offers 27 simple guest rooms as well as an excellent amber lager brewed on the premises. T.G. Masaryka 70, Loket, 011-420/352-685-109, hotel-loket.cz, doubles from $95.

more @ The Czech Republic's New Brewery Hotels - Budget Travel

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler