Venice, which is perhaps one of the foremost romantic destinations in the World, is best known for its canals and its unique geographic situation (the city is an archipelago of small islands in the middle of the Venetian lagoon). Who hasn’t dreamed of exploring the city on a gondola while the stripy shirt-wearing conductor croons sweet melodies? Unless of course, you are the Indiana Jones type who fantasizes about boat chases and mystical underground sewers. But either way, when one thinks of Venice, one word comes to mind: water.

However, when you take a closer look, you realize that Venice has a lot more in store for the cultured, the dreamer and the adventurous.

The Basilica di San Marco is a unique blend of roman, gothic, renaissance and Byzantine architecture. Once inside the cross-shaped edifice, you’ll be astounded by its five domes and astonishing mosaics. In front of the basilica, the world-famous Piazza di San Marco is surrounded by countless little cafes. Caffe Quadri and Caffe Florian in particular are visitors’ favorites, with local musicians providing the entertainment.
Basilica di San Marco: free admission but the line can be incredibly long so it may be wise to reserve your visit in advance. Access to the museum (3 euros) and the high altar (2 euros), on the other hand are not free.

The Galleria dell’Accademia di Venezia hosts the primary collection of Venetian art from the XIVth to the 18th Century. You’ll see paintings from Bellini, Cima de Conegliano, Titian and many other Italian masters. A must see for all art lovers.
Galleria dell’Accademia di Venezia: admission is 6.50 euros (reservation available for 1 extra euro

Riding a vaporetto on the Grand Canal will provide you with an exceptional view of the many architectural wonders that border it (including the Ducale Palace and the Santa Maria della Salute church). A popular sight along the ride is definitely the winged lion on a column at the foot of the Piazza San Marco, which makes for great photography.

The Grand Canal: take the Vaporetto number one, which will take you all the way across town into the train station. The vaporetto is a great alternative to the more glamorous Gondola, which can be a bit pricy.

Take a walk through the many small streets and canals of the city. Getting lost in this urban maize is a great way to experience the more authentic Venice and its architectural wonders.

For a quick getaway, take the vaporetto number 12 to the Island of Burano (40 mins) and enjoy its peaceful gardens and notice the many colorful fishermen’s houses that make this little island so special.

If you don’t mind the extra commute, the vaporetto number 12 will also take you to the Island of Torcello (1 hour), where the Cathedral Santa Maria Assunta was built. This Venetian-Byzantine architectural jewel is one of the oldest buildings in the city and hosts breathtaking mosaics.

Whether you are looking for romance, culture or simply a great holiday getaway, Venice has so much to offer that you will not want to miss the experience.

A variety of places in Tenerife are named Wigan Pier, especially bars and restaurants. The original Wigan Pier bar is one of the most famous bars around Tenerife and is a hot spot for tourists to hang out and experience the life of Tenerife first hand.

The Original Wigan Pier has completed 16 years of existence, and has an active and vibrant community of regular customers along with an influx of tourists all through the season. Their updated website with lots of information about its history, staff, parties and bashes is a hit among all online surfers and provides them with a vicarious feel for things to come before their travel through pictures and details about every aspect of life at Wigan Pier. In fact, it has carved out such a niche for itself among tourists and enthusiasts across the globe, that people visit Tenerife to get a feel of Wigan Pier and this place forms an integral part of their tourist package!

Such is the attraction this place provides, that bashes such as the New Year bash or the Christmas bash are events celebrated throughout the island and one of the largest gatherings of people takes place during these times.

The food has also formed an integral part of what defines Wigan Pier, with tourists and locals enjoying the delicacies equally. Special meals are prepared on Sundays, which attract many people to this place to eat out with their families on the weekend.

The staff is well trained and young and pretty, enough to attract the attention of people sitting and making their wait worth the time. In addition, there are a few live performances by bands, so music enjoyers can have a field day here. The vibrant atmosphere keeps one and all glued to the place, irrespective of age, gender or nationality.

The night entertainment makes sure you have a great weekend partying your best at this place to make for a memorable weekend. The place also forms a fine amalgamation of locals and tourists, which also makes it more dynamic and gives the tourists a chance to have a sneak-peek into the local life.

For the locals, they get to know about the various varieties of people attracted to their island. Probably the only criticism that it has been able to garner is that the service is a bit slow. However, considering the fact that it serves a very large customer base, one can give them the benefit of doubt and overlook this minor aspect of their place.

Malta Island is the largest out of the three islands that make up the Republic of Malta. Located in the middle of the Mediterranean just south of Italy it is definitely a unique vacation destination. Depending on what time of year you visit you may be lucky enough to see one of the popular annual activities.

In June they have a festival with plenty of music, folk dancing, food, and colorful horses and even a donkey race. This Festival known as Imnarja is centuries old and a tradition that has not changed throughout the years. Also known as the Harvest Festival it is always celebrated on June 29th, the feast of St. Paul and St. Peter includes a nightlong picnic in Buskett Garden feasting on the native dish of stewed rabbit and an equal amount of local wine. A marching band and folklore songs competitions liven up the night long proceedings.

If you visit in September you will be there to see the Regatta which is the celebration of Malta’s victory during the great siege of 1565 and the World War ll. Fort St. Angelo provides an riveting background to the colorful Maltese boats, marching bands, a water carnival, boat races and a fireworks display.

Karnival is another Maltese favorite among the locals. Taking place a few days before lent, Karnival is a great treat for locals and tourists alike. This festivities last for three days and was introduced in Malta in 1535 under Grand Master Pietro del Ponte, five years after Knights took control of the island. This main celebration takes place in the capital city Valletta, but every town and village participates to an extent. The Valletta parade is amazing, including King Carnival and followed by many beautiful well made exquisite floats. Until a few years ago this event also held dances and a masked ball which was the tradition as was the burning of King Carnival on the final day of Karnival.

Though there are many, many other festivals happening throughout the year in Malta the last one to write about is Christmas in Malta. Similar to other places a special church service and other celebrations to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. The streets are decorated with beautiful garland and lights and most shops get into the holiday season hoping to lure in customers by dressing their windows with Christmas trees and a variety of items that are sold there to entice the buyers to come in and shop. In the background is the joyful ringing of church bells that ring throughout the island greeting the nativity of Christ.

Malta seems an ideal vacation spot for those who don’t want to be homesick celebrating Christmas, boat races, parades and fireworks are found all over the world it is the beauty of the majestic island of Malta that makes this trip so amazingly special.