7 ene 2011

Trip to the City of Manchester Know Their Sites and Beautiful Women


Manchester is in the north west of England. The city proper has a population of around half a million, while the larger conurbation, referred to as either Greater Manchester or Manchester City Region, has over 2.5 million inhabitants.Manchester is known by some for its influence on the histories of industry and music, and for its sporting connections. It has a large number of students. It is seen by many as the "capital" of the north of England, the second city of the United Kingdom and is home to the UK's largest airport outside London, which is owned by the ten local authorities of Greater Manchester. Others viewBirmingham as the 2nd city, however it is not an official sanction and opinion is very much divided, whilst Leeds also lays claim to capital of the north.

City information

Manchester is in the northwest region of England, about equidistant between Liverpool and Leeds. Due to its proximity to the Pennines ( the range which forms England's spine, from just south of the Scottish border down into the region known as The East Midlands ), which force the prevailing Atlantic westerly clouds to rise, it receives more than
its fair share of wet weather.Manchester once had a negative reputation derived from i
ts industrial past. Things have dramatically changed in the last decade and now the city has a vibrant, exciting air. Investment in the city's regeneration following the 19
96 IRA bomb and 2002 Commonwealth Games has paid off and Manchester is well worth a visit, even if just for a couple of days, or for longer, if you plan to use it as a base to explore northern England and North Wales.

Climate

Manchester has a temperate maritime climate and rarely gets too warm or too cold. The city receives below average rainfall for the UK. It is not significantly far behind London in terms of the average number of hours of sunlight per day (within nine minutes per day, based on the last 100 years data from Met office) though it does have a few more days with rain. However, as a result of relatively mild winter conditions, there is never a period that one should avoid visiting due to extreme
weather conditions. As with any city it puts on a good show when the weather is fine in spring and summer and there is a lot of al fresco drinking and eating. It does have its fair share of dull, grey days which can strangely add to its charm for the visitor!

Buy

Manchester's shopping district is one of the most diverse shopping districts in the UK and the majority of city centre shops are within reasonable walking distance of each other (15 minutes at most) and most are served by a metroshuttle service. Even in the most upmarket stores you are treated in a friendly manner, which many think is not the case in the capital. The recently redeveloped Arndale Centre is a large 1970's city-centre shopping mall, with 280 stores across just under 2 million sqft of retail space making it the largest city centre shopping mall in Europe, including the largest Next store in the world. The place retains some of its 1970's concrete charms and STILL some of the infamous yellow tiles that are a testament to bad urban planni
ng of that era. It is connected via link bridge to the Marks and Spencer and Selfridges department stores adjacent in Exchange Square. Part awaits an update to the exterior, but the section modernised after the 1996 bomb is a great improvement, although different to that of The Trafford Centre with a more modern simplistic feel compared with the grand exterior of the Trafford Centre. The inside has had a total revamp. It does get very busy at weekends and, unlike at The Trafford Centre, there are far too few places to sit down. If you do need to sit down there are a few benches on the lower floor around the staircase near the market.There are a number of large shops aimed at bargain hunters ,including the largest Primark in the country, which is great for a bargain and much loved by US cabin crew when in town, and an Aldi food hall on Market Street (just off Piccadilly Gardens).

Do

Free Go to Cloud 23 bar on the 23rd floor of The Hilton, Deansgate. A pricey bar, but you can have a look at the skyline for free if you ask.Visit the Trafford Area of this area of fascinating industrial heritage.Manchester has a couple of big multi-screen cinemas located centrally, AMC off Deansgate (as cheap as £3.20 if you're a student) and Odeon in the Printworks show the usual
Hollywood fare; the Cornerhouse onOxford Road tends to show smaller, independent, art house and foreign language movies. there is an Imax inside the Odeon in the Printworks.Shows in Manchester, Manchester has many theatres and live music venues so see what's on when and where.Hire a supercar in Manchester; Northern Ferrari hire offer self drive supercar hire in Manchester.

Eat

As you would expect from such a cosmopolitan city, Manchester has a huge selection of restaurants and eateries that serve a vast array of cuisines. Look hard enough and you will be able find any type of international food. It is also worth exploring some of the suburbs for superb, small independent bistros / restaurants. West Didsbury and Chorlton are noted for their large number of great eateries. If you can get there, the quaintly named and somewhat trendy village of Ramsbottom, just north of Bury, directly north of Manchester, is said to be "the new Chorlton", as regards restaurants, and THE place to eat .In RamsbottomRansoms has won many awards both regionally and nationally. The usual, well established UK chains like Cafe Rouge, Pizza Express, Nando's, Bella Italia etc are all to be found in Manchester city centre and out of town too.

Drink

Manchester has a diverse nightlife and can offer a wide range of night-time activities. It has a vibrant and varied nightlife scene, including numerous clubs as well as a huge range of drinking establishments from traditional pubs to ultra-chic concept bars. Very high-profile, of late, is the Cloud 23 bar on the 23rd floor ofThe Hilton, Deansgate. A bit pricey, but with attentive table service, and worth it for the views alone. By the way the personnel is very friendly and won't kick you out if you just want to have a look - you can go up for free. To avoid the sometimes 2 hour long queues, try it during the week. The bars in The SAS Radisson andThe Aurora Hotel are also upmarket. For other upmarket venues (there are some very discrete ones catering for the most privileged in town ), your hotel concierge should be of help in pointing you in the right direction.For a slightly more querky place to have a drink, The Temple of Convenience is aptly named as it is a converted underground public toilet in the city centre. The bar receives many high reviews although it's quite small and may be crowded.Famed for its musical past, the University of Manchester Student's Union on Oxford Road hosts almost nightly gigs in its three venues on Oxford road ranging from local unsigned bands to international superstars. The Manchester Apollo in Ardwick is a slightly bigger venue having boasted appearances from Blondie to new-comers like Kasabian. Smaller bands can also be seen at a range of excellent venues in the city including the Roadhouse, Night and Day, both in the Northern Quarter, and Jabez Clegg, a pub/club offOxford Road.

Source: Wikitravel.org

18 dic 2010

Milan Travel to and View Fashion and Women

Milan (Italian: Milano)[1] is financially the most important city inItaly and the second largest in Italy. While not considered as beautiful as some Italian cities, having been greatly destroyed by Second World War bomb raids, the city has rebuilt itself into a thriving cosmopolitan business capital. In essence, for a tourist, what makes Milan interesting compared to other places is that the city is truly more about the lifestyle of enjoying worldly pleasures: a paradise for shopping, football, opera, and nightlife. Milan remains the marketplace for Italian fashion – fashion aficionados, supermodels and international paparazzi descend upon the city twice a year for its spring and autumn fairs.Milan is famous for its wealth of historical and modern sights - the Duomo, one of the biggest and grandest Gothic cathedrals in the world, La Scala, one of the best established opera houses in the globe, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, an ancient and glamorous arcaded shopping gallery, the Brera art gallery, with some of the finest artistic works in Europe, the Pirelli tower, a majestic example of 1960s modernist Italian architecture, the San Siro, a huge and famed stadium, or the Castello Sforzesco, a grand medieval castle. So, one has their fair share of old and new monuments. Plus, it contains one of the world's most famous paintings - Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper.
Understand

If Rome represents the "old" Italy, Milan represents the "new" Italy. Milan is the most modern of all Italian cities, and it still keeps most of its past history intact.At first sight, Milan lo
oks like a bustling and relatively stylish (with is shiny display windows and elegant shops) metropolis, with a good number of
grand palaces and fine churches in the centre, but might seem like a slightly prosaic, soulless and business-orientated place. It can be quite rainy, grey and foggy, and some of the buildings, ancient or modern, have quite a severe appearance. Whilst there are a lot of parks, Milan looks as if it has very little greenery, and apart from the very well-kept historic part, many areas are indeed quite scruffy and dirty. However, Milan, unlike most usually historical European cities which throw the sights in your face, requires quite a lot of expl
oring - take it as it is, and you might enjoy its fashionable glitter and business-like
modernity, but might find it not very "captivating". If you spend time, though, strolling through less well known areas such as the pretty Navigli, the chic Brera district, the lively University quarter, or some of the smaller churches and buildings, you'll find a forward thinking, diverse city filled in every corner with history, and with a plethora of hidden gems. Plus, with such an established history in theatre, music, literature, sport, art and fashion, there's really not much you can miss.

When to visit
Milan, depending on how you want to tour the city, is virtually visitable all the year.In autumn, the weather is warm/cool, and in later months can be quite rainy and foggy. At this time of the year, the city's inhabitants are very busy with work, so, the only people you're likely to see wandering around are tourists. All the major venues and shops are opened, since it is the working part of the year.In winter, the city can become very, very cold (often below or aroun
d zero degrees centigrade), and the weather is usually foggy and rainy if not snowy. However, the city, in the few weeks before Christmas, becomes delightful to visit - the main sights are all illuminated by stunning lights, a huge Christmas tree is set up in front of the Duomo, vendors and markets can be found everywhere, many shop and display windows are decorated and the streets become bustling with locals and tourists alike. However, the only downside is that it can become extremely crowded, noisy and busy.In spring, the weather is similar to that of autumn. People go back to wor
k, and the atmosphere becomes more quiet, yet serious unlike that of the winter. Parks become nice to visit, as trees blossom. The city is also quite nice to visit at Carnival, where people dress up and celebrate, and during Easter, where there are special services held in churches and some special events.

Do

Milan is a great city to walk around and see the sights and people.Football — Watch AC Milan [46] or FC Internazionale [47] at the famous Giuseppe Meazza Stadium, also known as San Siro, which is shared as a home stadium by both clubs. Tickets for most matches are available in advance or on the day. The rivalry between the two sides is very bitter, and considered to be
one of the biggest in Italy, and matches between both sides, known as the Derby della Madonnina, are particularly charged affairs which always attract sell-out crowds. Watch out for the
scalpers at the stadium as they sell the tickets for much more than the official ticket offices. As many as 60 matches per year are played in San Siro from late August until late May. MM1 Lotto Station or streetcar 16.Exhibition Fairs — Many exhibitions are held during the year, ranging from wines to
computers, industrial equipment and chocolate. The old exhibitions area is in central Milan (MM1 Amendola Fiera or MM1 Lotto - Fiera 2 Stations), the new one is in Rho (North West Milan, MM1 Rho Fiera Station, A4 highway Pero exit). For more information, visit the Fiera Milano website [48].If you want to see Milan from above you can go on Duomo roof (by stairs or lift), between spires and statues. Its a great experience for a stunning, panoramic view of the city.
Another choice is the Branca Tower (Camoens street, near Triennale, inside Sempione Park), built in 1933 by architect Giò Ponti. The tower is 108 m high.

Buy

Milan, being a worldwide trendsetter, is a fashion shoppers' paradise.There is pretty much every form of shopping in this city that one can imagine: from the designer's prestigious emporia, retail giants' outlets, small entrepreneur's tiny and funky boutiques, to second-hand average shops.


Armani Megastore, Via Manzoni 31, near La Scala (Metro: Montenapoleone), ☎ 02-7231-8630. Giorgio Armani's flagship store. Covering over 8,000 square feet with outlets for his high-fashion creations, the Emporio Armani and Armani Jeans lines, plus the new Armani Casa selection of home furnishings as well as flower, book, and art shops; a high-tech Sony electronics boutique/play center in the basement; and an Emporio Café and branch of New York's Nobu sushi bar.

Abercrombie & Fitch, 12 Corso Giacomo Matteotti (Metro: San Babila). Opened in October 2009, this is one of the most popular flagship stores in Milan, it is the world's first to host Abercrombie kids and A&F together in one shop. It is a big department store, with three floors, and occupies just over 30,000 square feet. Right near the heart of Milan's top shopping district, and a walk's distance away from the Via Monte Napol
eone and other streets in the fashion quadrilateral.

Dolce e Gabbana, Via della Spiga no. 2 (Metro: San Babila), ☎ 02-7600-1155, [58]. High end designer store dedicated to womens wear.

Gucci Flagship, Via Montenapoleone, no. 5-7 (Metro: San Babila [Montenapoleone is not to far]), ☎ 02-771-271, [59]. This is Gucci's flagship store in the city, opened in 2002, which has haute couture (high fashion) clothing and accessories. There are also some other Gucci stores in Milan, including the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, and even in Milan's Malpensa airport.

Prada, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, no. 63 (Metro: Duomo). One of Prada's several boutiques in the city, the one in the Galleria is the closest to the Duomo and the central square. It sells a variety of high-fashion items, such as shoes, perfume, handbags, accessories etc, both classical and modern, in a chandelier-filled, multi-floored shop (it is bigger than it looks from the out
side)

Eat

Although Milan is a city that changes its mind as quickly as fashion trends come and go, it remains one of the strongest bastions of traditional Italian cooking, where homemade elements are still very much praised and appreciated. There are trattorias, enoteche (wine bars) and restaurants (including luxury ones) everywhere that offer traditional Milanese and Italian dishes to eat. This city's traditional cooking is based on filling dishes like osso buco (braised veal shanks) and risotto alla milanese (chicken-broth risotto made with saffron).Dining times tend to be a shade earlier than in Rome or Florence, with lunch generally served between 12:30PM and 2:30PM and dinner from 7:30PM to 9:30PM. Dinner, and sometimes lunch, are usually preceded by that great Milanese institution, the aperitivo—a glass of sparkling wine or a Campari soda in a sophisticated hotel bar.
Source: Wikireavel.org