For 2012, 14 best beach awards have landed on the shores of the island. Isle of Wight beaches to be recognised for the coveted Blue Flag (which represents water quality as well as the overall cleanliness and good maintenance of the beach) include Shanklin, Sandown and Ventnor. The three championship beaches also secured Quality Coast awards, which are offered by the venerable Keep Britain Tidy scheme as a recognition of litter-free sand and pebbles.

Ventnor Beach, England, UK by Andreas Trepte

Colwell; Springvale; Cowes and East Cowes; Gurnard; Yaverland; and Totland join the multi-award winning three as other proud recipients of the Quality Coast award.

The award winning beaches cover most of the island’s coast and most of the places frequently visited by tourists. Local authorities and businesses inspect the beaches on a daily basis to make sure they are clean and safe, and have implemented a set of guidelines for safe use of the Isle of Wight’s beaches, intended to help beach users get the most from the environment without spoiling it for themselves or for others.

For crab hunting, rock pool hunting or just sitting down on the sand and quietly contemplating the sea, Bembridge’s beaches are just the ticket. The town boasts a number of quiet bays, filled with either sand, pebble or shell. While they are close to busy waters (they overlook the Solent), the beaches themselves are quiet and endearing. They are popular with families who like to scramble around the tidal reach, collecting shells and gazing into the mysteries of the ocean creatures who live there!

For a quiet family stay, the west coast of the island is where it’s at. Here smaller beaches mean fewer people, and many of the sandy coves are tucked away so discreetly that they can get overlooked altogether. Queen of the quiet beaches, Colwell bay is a small sandy bay, and offers pleasant lunches in one or two cafes. The clear water attracts families who come to investigate the life below the waves.

Compton bay, Isle of Wight, England, UK by JimChampion

For more action and adventure, surfers of all stripes tend to head over to Compton bay. A beach break working at all stages of the tide, Compton benefits from brisk winds, which power the sailed craft with ease. Also, Compton is a great place to go fossil hunting – at low tide you can see fossilised dinosaur footprints in the rocks at the edges of the bay.

Freshwater is another excellent family beach, which enjoys shelter from a small headland. Freshwater is well served with cafes and also enjoys proximity to the local golf course.

Author Bio:

The author along with the family live on the Isle of Wight since 2004 and owns Wight Locations, a self-catering holiday cottage company with holiday properties across the Island. With a keen love for the Island, the author writes about the experiences and about the best things to do when visiting.

The post Isle of Wight’s Captivating Beaches | England, UK appeared first on Europe Explored.

Photo by admin

Start Planning

A simple but effective tip is to start early. If you can book a ticket early on say a month or two in advance, your chances of finding cheap airline tickets will be higher. In fact, some travel guides suggest starting as early as six months ahead of scheduled departure. At least, you will not end up with the costliest ticket on the plane.

Go Online

The best place to begin your search for cheap tickets is the internet. Try various websites to get a decent idea of what the charges are for tickets. Once you figure out the lowest cost flights, contact the airlines directly or check their website. Sometimes, airlines advertise low prices on their own websites.

Talking Directly to Airlines

Do not talk with airlines before finding the cheapest flights online. Take their phone number and talk to them in person to reassure the price. If the phone price is cheaper, book it immediately but if it is higher, haggle for discounts.

Always Be Flexible

Do not stick to a single date or time of departure. Try searching for early and late flights. Time flexibility will allow you to capture cheaper flights early in the day and avoid costlier flights close to afternoon time. Even the Red Eye is cheaper than most other flights and they tend to get booked last so your chances of getting a cheap ticket will be there even a week before flying out.

Discounts and Vouchers

Members of Auto Club, AARP, NRA, AAA and many MNCs automatically get organization discounts with some airlines. Check with the organization or call the airlines to find out what discounts or vouchers they have in place for you.

Try Non-Direct

Airlines prefer giving customers non-direct flights in an attempt to fill seats and in return, they provide lower rates. Ask them about this and you may be able to save some money at the expense of extra travel time. Maybe you can tour the city while your connecting flight gets ready for takeoff.

Accept Flight Vouchers

Many airlines like to offer discount vouchers and coupons to frequent fliers and those willing to give up their seat for a later or next day flight. Take these offers whenever possible such as on a return trip back home. They come handy in future when searching for cheap flight options.

Autor Bio: This article was provided by Catalina G., a university student and a travel blogger. The name of her blog is Channel Voyager. There you can find more information about finding cheap flights (it is interesting to know that the term in Norwegian is billige flyreiser).

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A dancer at Notting Hill Carnival, London, UK / extrageographic

With millions on track to the UK for the greatest show on earth, what are the non-Olympics alternatives for those fatigued with the Games?

Alan Turing’s Life and Legacy – The Science Museum

Though you mightn’t be familiar with Alan Turing you’re probably using one of his inventions as we speak. So as you know, Turing invented the computer. He is also the codebreaker who managed to shorten the Second World War by years. This exhibition pays homage to Alan Turing, whose short tragic life impacts on us all on a daily basis. Based in the excellent Science Museum in London, Codebreaker: Alan Turing Life and Legacy is a must see exhibition this summer.

Damien Hirst – Tate Modern

Whether you see Damien Hirst as the greatest artist of our generation or consider him part business man/ part showman, this exhibition is a must see on a trip to London. Held at the brilliant and beautiful Tate Modern, the artist’s greatest works are in abundance and a visit allows you to see all the meat, medicine and animals suspended in tanks of preserving chemicals you will ever hope for. It’s certainly worth a visit, whether you’re a lover or even a hater of Hirst.

Notting Hill Carnival

Since its beginnings in 1964, the Notting Hill Carnival has become a weekend of significant spectacle. Take part in the celebrations and watch the flats, dancing and ambitious celebration. It’s a vibrant celebration and one that celebrates multi-cultured of Britain in all its colourful glory. Sunday is the best day for family, but the whole festival is a feast for the senses.

Another London – Tate Britain

A wonderful exhibition that documents London’s period of change that was 1930 – 1980. With over 150 photos from some of the twentieth centuries top photographers, this is a must see exhibition to get an insight into the UK’s main city. From the photographers experience of UK immigration to the relationships the photographers had with the city as tourists and citizens, this is a must see and gives a fantastic sense of perspective on London. All the greats are on show, including Henri Cartier-Bresson, Elliott Erwitt, Marc Riboud, Irving Penn, Bill Brandt, Dora Maar and Robert Frank.

Superhuman – Welcome Institute

What better time to look at man’s efforts into enhancing physical performance than just in time for the Olympics. From early prosthesis found in an Egyptian tomb to aids in sight, hearing and limbs, this exhibition focuses on the history of prosthetics. The exhibition has pieces of the wondrous as well as the weird and includes everything from silver noses attached to spectacles for women who disfigured from syphilis, to a piece on the rise of isotonic drinks.

With so much on in London in summer 2012, we’re pretty sure you might even get side-tracked from the Olympics.

Cormac Reynolds writes for specialist UK visa site Global Visas and lives in London.

The post Great London Events during the 2012 Olympics appeared first on Europe Explored.

London underground / Amanda Vincent-Rous

The Underground, like all train-lines, has to be reliable and fast; if it isn’t, then people are late for work, the companies fail to make profit and the economy suffers. While Britain is far from having the most reliable and on-time underground system, it is still very impressive – just don’t expect to be comfortable in the tubes.

As a result, the London Underground has changed quite a lot over the years. As the world’s first underground railway, 1863 was an important year for London’s transport vision. While the official title of ‘London Underground’ would only come into play in 1985, the underground rail network in London has been in full flow for well over a century, transporting passengers on a daily basis.

Now carrying three million passengers every day, the London Underground is a business in itself, but it hasn’t always been like that. Back in 1863, the first line was laid and stretched just under four miles between Paddington and Farrington Street. It wasn’t much, but it was a start of something that would turn into a massive line of railway across the capital.

1880 saw the opening of the first Tube tunnel, from the Tower of London to Bermondsey, which represented another milestone and leap for the evolution of the railway network underground. As the world entered the 20th century, electric lines were introduced to the District and Circle route, cementing the future of the concept.

London transport museum / Julian Tysoe

Changes and additions to lines and new stations were made as the decades rolled by until the exciting introduction of dot-matrix train destination indicators in 1983. This was perhaps a big sign of the more modern-approach to the London Underground as we pushed towards the end of the 20th century.

Tragically, the late ‘80’s saw a fatal fire at King’s Cross killing 31 people which not only shook the nation but called for new safety and fire regulations to be introduced. As we welcomed in the 21st century, 2002 saw the Oyster card for the first time in the London Underground – something that is still used to this day.

It may not be comfortable in the tubes for the passengers – especially at peak times – but the Underground remains a massive part of people’s everyday lives for commuting and pleasure. Who knows where the London Underground is going in the next 100 years (my money is on maglev technology), but one thing is for certain: it will definitely still be there!

This gaze at the glorious London undergound was contributed to us by chessingtonholidays.co.uk – hoping you’ll pay a visit next time you’re in London!

View How the London Underground has Changed in a larger map

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Mediterranean Sea / Photo by admin

Spain

Since its days as a Roman outpost, Spain was a Moorish settlement before evolving into the contemporary European country it is today. Its historic sites celebrate the full breadth of its heritage, but none captures its Moorish past more than the breathtaking, Andalucia. On the left bank of the River Darro and occupying a strategic hilltop overlooking the city of Granada, this breathtaking palace and fortress complex was constructed during the mid 14th century by the Berber rulers of the Emirate of Granada. The Moorish architecture, shady courtyards and beautiful gardens, with views of the Sierra Nevada mountains have visitors from around the world flocking there on a daily basis. The areas open to the public are the Alcazaba, the Nasrid Palaces, the Mosque baths and the Generalife gardens. Since entrance is strictly controlled, visitors should purchase tickets in advance, to avoid disappointment. To arrive in Granada and not be able to visit the Alhambra, would be a tragedy.

France

Languedoc Roussillon in southern France has one of the most well preserved Roman aqueducts in existence. The 1st century Pont du Gard is just part of an extensive water system designed to carry water from the River Eure to Nimes, some 30 miles away. The half mile long and 165 feet high tri-level aqueduct was originally constructed without the use of mortar, and its stones are held together with iron clamps. The stones, some of which weigh more than six tons, were hoisted into place by a human-powered treadmill block and tackle winch. The aqueduct was restored during the 18th century, and visitors today can now walk across it.

Italy

Known as the “Eternal city,” no visit to Italy is complete without a visit to Rome, which abounds with historical sites, Roman architecture and masterpieces of art, spanning the different historical layers which have built this amazing city through the centuries, from the remains of the Roman empire, through the Medieval and Renaissance periods to the modern day site of 21st century architectural statements. The city’s quintessential spectacle has to be the, commissioned by Vespasian in 72 A.D. and inaugurated by Titus in 80 A.D. Elliptical in shape, its 76 entrances allowed 50,000 spectators to enter and watch gladiatorial battles. Built from brick and concrete, and faced with travertine and marble, the amphitheatre boasts three levels of arcades in Doric, Ionic and Corinthian styles. The Coliseum deteriorated into little more than ruins, until 1750 when it was saved by Pope Benedict XIV, who declared “this is a holy place, where Christian martyrs’ blood was shed..”

Greece

Athens may be a modern day nightmare when it comes to traffic and getting around, but this should not deter visitors from seeking out the Acropolis, atop of which sits the Parthenon, commonly known as the Temple of Athena. Constructed between 447-432 BCE, the Doric temple was dedicated to the goddess Athena, also known as Parthenos (virgin) and housed a monumental statue of her which was made from gold and ivory by Pheidias. Mathematicians will be interested to learn that with eight columns at the front and seventeen columns at the flank, the temple conforms to the ratio of 9:4, which its builders used to govern the vertical and horizontal proportions of not only the temple structure, but many other proportions within it, such as the height of the columns and the space between them.

Israel

History and archaeology lovers, as well as pilgrims from around the world have plenty of sites to visit in Israel. One of the most visited is the fortress of Massada, built in 30 BCE by King Herod. It sits on top of a steep mountain overlooking the desert to the west and the Dead Sea and Jordan to the east. At the start of the revolt against Rome in 68 BCE, Massada was conquered by a group of Jewish zealots and was to become their final stronghold, before the Romans besieged the fortress, having constructed an earthen rampart on the western side of the mountain. Built on three rock terraces, the most impressive structures still standing are Herod’s northern palace, a large bath house with a mosaic floor and walls decorated with murals.

Egypt

The oldest and only of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World to remain largely intact, the Great Pyramid of Giza is the largest of the three pyramids in the Giza Necropolis. Built as a tomb for fourth dynasty Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu, over a 20-year period from around 2540 BCE, the pyramid, which originally stood 480 feet tall, and comprises more than 2.3 million stone blocks weighing two and a half tons each, remains an amazing feat of construction that still has engineers, archeologists and scholars in awe of its magnitude. Erosion has reduced the pyramid by around 30 feet in height, but it remained the tallest man-made structure for 3,800 years.

Hannah writes for medwelcome.

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