What On Earth

Maybe I just watch too many NatGeo and Discovery episodes. Or maybe my frustration in becoming a pilot has gotten deeper over the years. Whatever the reason, my hopes are still up that one morning, I’ll pack my bags and set off for an adventure to one or all these amazing places.

My Dream Tour, as follows.

1. Madrid, Spain - I have my reasons. And apart from them, there’s just something about this “once-European-superpower” that puts it on top of my list.

Unlike the times of…oh, I don’t know, Catalina de Aragon, maybe, Madrid now boasts of modern infrastructure. However, it has kept its old-world charm. You may not need to tour the city in a white horse and a petit coat dress anymore, but Spain’s capital is proud for preserving its numerous museums, a considerable number of catholic churches (and most of them were built during the Spanish Golden Age), galleries and historical palaces (The Royal Palace of Madrid is the largest palace in Western Europe). It also takes pride in Real Madrid FC, the wealthiest football club in the world, which houses itself in the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. For the  Madridistas, football is not a sport. It’s religion.

Madrid is the 3rd richest city in Europe in terms of abosulte GDP. So people here enjoy high quality living. What’s more, State Education is free in Spain, and Madrid is home to some of the oldest universities in the world. I won’t even begin to talk about the night life in Madrid. The Bullfighting matches alone are enough to give me an Atake de Corazon.

2. Buenos Aires, Argentina - Besides my love for their imported corned beef and Gonzalo Gerardo Higuain, Buenos Aires is a place I see in my dreams every so often.

Los Portenos (People of the Port), as the natives of Buenos Aires are called, and the rest of the Argentines have Italian and Spanish origins. Thus, they adopt the Rioplatense Spanish (heavily influenced by Andalusian Spanish and the Neopolitan Language of Italy). Even the architecture of the Los Portenos resembles those of Paris and Barcelona.

Buenos Aires is called “Paris of South America”. But at the same time, this culturally-rich city has developed a sense unique in its own. The city boasts of theatres, hundreds of bookstores and public libraries that house literature about the city’s history. Every April, the city celebrates the “Buenos Aires International Book Fair” (one of the top 5 book fairs in the world), and in November, they do “La Noche de los Museos” (Night of Museums), when the museums in the city would be open all night long.

Los Portenos love the cinema, arts, music and dance. Tango music was born in Buenos Aires (good to know). This should also explain their presence of theatres around the city (It’s home to Teatro Colon, one of the most prominent in the w0rld). And since the Argentines may be half Italian and half Espanyol, football is just about as part of their daily lives as their morning cups of coffee (Diego Armando Maradona—football god, rings a bell?) And I cannot even begin to think of how they end the day when it’s time to party. Well then I guess I’ll just have to find out.

 3. Santorini, Greece -  Santorini is a volcanic island. How cool is that? It’s what remains of an enormous volcanic explosion (the largest in recorded history), destroying the earliest settlements on what was formerly a single island. Oh and yes, they say that the city this volcanic eruption destroyed may actually be Atlantis.

Now, Modern Santorini boasts of its wine industry. See, I don’t drink (I’m deathly allergic to alcohol, i know, i know, how unfortunate), but then again the Vino is not the only reason this island is heaven on earth. What we know as “cherry tomatoes” are actually Santorini tomatoes. Yep, they come from all the way here.

Since volcanic ash is abundant here, their popular low-lying cubicle houses are actually made from limewashed local stones with volcanic ash as color. This is what makes the island unique and quite a sight to look at from afar. As of 2001, there are about 12,000 people living here, but it’s no boring spot to be. Santorini actually has a beach, and its local cafes take pride in their world-reknowned greek menu. Oh and I hear they have quite a nightlife, too. And if the islands ever gets you going curious for more of their cultural heritage, hit the Prehistoric Museum.

Now if the idea of vacationing in a sunken volcano isn’t appealing enough for you, you’d be glad to know Santorini is just 200 kilometers away from Greece’s mainland and that they actually have a major airport (and yes it can accomodate modern jets such as Boeing 757s, thank you.) I will bet, however, you won’t want to leave.

4. Agra, India – I’ll skip cosmopolitan New Delhi and leave Mumbai to the leopards that roam the city. I’ll set a trip to Agra and see the Taj Mahal up close and personal.

This city is one of the best kept in India. Agra has some of the finest Hotels and Spas . It’s home to Asia’s largest spa called Kaya Kalp — The Royal Spa, located at the Hotel Mughal. Although be warned, a tour of Agra may be a bit less than the typical vacay you’re picturing in your head. Not everything will be pretty, tiled, air-conditioned or um…clean. But if you’re after an adventure, then this is the place to be.

Experiencing Agra culture means seeing one of the wonders of the world, the Taj Mahal. The Taj was built by a Persian Architect and is actually a royal mausoleum. Agra Fort (or the Red Fort) is a UNESCO World heritage site and one of the city’s prides. It is the most important fort in India. The great Mugals lived here, and the country was governed from here. So be sure to grab a killer SLR before hitting Agra. You will want to snap away..

The city of Agra also houses restaurants that serve the best Mughlai cuisine in India. There are also a couple of 5-star hotels, if that’s what tickles your fancy. But then again, this is India. There’s no need for the choosy tour, for its rich culture is always at its finest.

 

5. Vienna, Austria – Monocle Magazine rates this city as one of the top 25 Livable cities in the world. Okay, disclaimer. I don’t want to live here. But I sure want to go.

Music, theatre, opera, museums, architecture, old universities, and food. I’m a sucker for them. And I hear Vienna offers its own collection of such. I know I said i don’t drink, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t interest me to find out that Vienna, along with Paris, Prague, Bratislava, Warsaw, Barcelona and London is one of the few remaining world capital cities with its own vineyards. I’m a sweet tooth. And thanks to Queen Marie Antoinette’s passion for the same, the city has a long tradition of producing the finest cakes and desserts. 

I hear one of the cultural attractions in this city are its balls. Okay, don’t laugh. I don’t mean ball-balls. I mean dance-balls. Vienna is the last great capital of the 19th century ball. There are over 200 significant balls per year, some featuring as many as nine live orchestras. Balls are held in the many beautiful palaces in Vienna, with the principal venue being the Hofburg Palace at Heldenplatz. Viennese of at least middle class may visit a number of balls in their lifetime. For many, the ball season lasts three months and can include up to ten or fifteen separate appearances. Dancers and opera singers from the Vienna Staatsoper often perform at the openings of the larger balls.

Now unless you speak German, Austrian, Croatian, Slovene or Hungarian, bring a dictionary, a ball gown, a pair of walking shoes for the tour, and your reliable digital camera to document the experience of a lifetime.;)

 

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