Morocco Travel Guide

24/03/2019

24/06/2017

Culture & Tourism in Paris

-Historic Art

The city of Paris is a treasure trove for any art lover. Paris has many art museums. The largest Parisian art museum (and one of the largest museums in the entire world) is the Louvre. The Louvre is located in the center of Paris in the first arrondissement, or Parisian city district, a block from the Seine. Visitors approach the museum via several entrances. The most famous entrance is the glass pyramid designed by architect I. M. Pei. The museum is divided into three sections; the Sully, Richelieu, and Denon wings. Two other Parisian art museums nearby are the Orangerie and the Musee D’Orsay. The Orangerie is located in a corner of the Jardin des Tuileries. The museum showcases a collection of Monet’s famous water lily paintings as well as works by other Impressionists. The Musee D’Orsay is housed in a former railway terminal. Visitors will find five floors that focus primarily on 19th century art as well as sculpture and photographs.

-Modern and Non-European Art

Paris has several museums devoted to modern art as well. The Pompidou Center showcases works by Alexander Calder as well other contemporary art exhibits. There’s a fifth-floor restaurant and a child’s exploration area. Visit the Musee du Quai Branly for a look at art from the Americas, Africa, and Australia. The Quai Branly is a short walk from the Eiffel Tower.
The Opera and Ballet
The Paris Opera is a world-renowned stage for the fine arts. With a ceiling painted by famed artist Marc Chagall, the opera is home to the Paris Opera Ballet and the Opera de Paris. The ballet was founded in the 17th century by a French king. The Paris Opera Ballet has staged historically important works by choreographers from Taglioni to Bejart. The opera was founded in the late 19th century.

-Paris Museum Pass

The Paris Museum Pass is available for two to six days. Visitors pay a single fee and are granted access to more than 60 museums all over Paris as well as other attractions. These include the Saint Chappelle and Concierge prison where Marie Antoinette was held before being executed. The pass may be purchased with a credit card in many different Parisian locations as well as in advance online.

-Historical Cafes

Parisian life has often centered around hours spent drinking coffee and watching others. Writers and artists have contemplated great works of art while sipping a cup of coffee and slowly munching on a pain au chocolate. Visit Les Deux Margot, where Ernest Hemingway found inspiration for his masterworks.

24/06/2017

Cordoba - Spain

While it’s not as touristy as its neighbours Seville and Granada, Cordoba is a must visit for any Hispanophile. Once one of the greatest cities of the medieval world, Cordoba was the capital of Al-Andalus, the Muslim occupied part of the Iberian Peninsula, and home to one of the grandest mosques in the western world. Today, the magnificent Mezquita (Mosque) of Cordoba is still one of the wonders of Europe – especially since a cathedral was built at its heart by the Christians during the re-conquest of Spain. The city is perfect for those who like to explore on foot as the narrow streets surrounding the Mezquita are filled with beautiful plazas, narrow side-streets and bustling tapas bars. Scorching-hot in the summer, May is the best month to visit as locals decorate their courtyards with potted plants and flowers during the Patios Festival – an annual competition that draws thousands of visitors. During the last week in May you can also catch the Feria de Cordoba, a week-long festival with plenty of sherry, horses and dancing.

Airport Connections: Cordoba doesn’t have an international airport. The nearest airports are Malaga (103 miles/167 km) and Seville (82 miles/133km). EasyJet fly from various UK airports including Bristol, Liverpool, Gatwick and Luton.

24/06/2017

13/06/2017

12/01/2017

Marrakech is a city in the grip of a feverish imagination – a thousand-year-old carnival with its plentiful storytellers and soothsayers, acrobats and water sellers making their way through the labyrinth of alleyways and past 100’s of minarets. An enchanted place where time has been suspended, giving you a glimpse of its rich and remote roots, its ancient past still planted firmly and unshakingly in the present.

There is also a modern Marrakech, with luxury hotels and streets with impatient mopeds and guides, all coexisting seamlessly with the past. It is a Berber rather than Arab city; the traditional capital of Atlas tribes, Mahgrebis from the plains, Saharan nomads and slaves from beyond the desert. It was founded around 1062 and in 1126 the first circuit of walls were raised from “tabia” – the red mud of the plains.