Athens – the heart of Ancient Greece

Athens, Greece, an extremely popular destination for tourists for hundreds and hundreds of years. Over the last 10 years however, Athens has been drastically improved, in part due to the show that the city put on in its successful bid to stage the 2004 Olympic Games. The Greek Government, aided by the EU, has funded money into major infrastructure projects such as the new, high-tech "Eleftherios Venizelos" International Airport, the enormous expansion of the Athens Metro system, and the new Attiki Odos Motorway. These infrastructure projects have helped make the quality of life better for the people and tourists that live in or visit Athens, and have eased overall traffic problems for the city. The city is currently the 6th most visited capital.

Athens is located at a transition point between the Mediterranean and the Alpine climatic zones. The city enjoys a typical Mediterranean climate, with the greatest amounts of rain fall mainly occurring from mid-October to mid-April. Any rain fall is sparse during summer so you will only see the odd shower and/or thunderstorm. However, the Athenian climate is very dry compared with most of Mediterranean Europe. The mountainous northern suburbs, however, experience a somewhat differentiated climate with generally lower temperatures and more considerable snowfalls in winter. Fog is highly unusual in the city centre but is more frequent to the east, behind the Hymettus mountain range.

The heritage of the classical era is still evident in the city, portrayed through a number of ancient monuments and artworks, the most famous of all being the Parthenon on the Acropolis, standing as an epic landmark of western civilization. The city also has a huge variety of Roman and Byzantine monuments, as well as a small remaining number of Ottoman monuments that project the city's long history through the centuries. Modern landmarks can also be found, dating back as far as 1830 (establishment of the new independent Greek State), such as the Greek Parliament (19th century) and the Athens Trilogy (Library, University, Academy).

Dublin – Capital of Ireland

The city of Dublin is the largest city in Ireland with an urban population of approximately 600,000 and is the capital of the Republic of Ireland. The city is located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey. The city of Dublin and the surrounding Dublin County has a total population of approximately 1.1 million people. Today, it is an economic, administrative and cultural centre for Ireland, and has one of the fastest growing populations of any European capital city.

Dublin County is the surrounding area of the city where you can find an abundance of picturesque seaside villages, rolling mountains and rural hinterland and all within half an hour of the city centre.

Dublin is the centre of Ireland’s transport system as the port is the country’s busiest sea port and Dublin airport being the busiest on the island. There are many low cost airlines such as Ryanair and Easyjet who fly to Dublin airport from all over Europe as well as larger commercial flight operators therefore flying would be considered the best option. Dublin Airport is located off the M1 Motorway (Dublin-Belfast road) approximately 10km (6 miles) north from the city centre and 2 km (1 mile) south of the nearest town, Swords. Currently there is a direct bus service from the airport to several destinations in the city centre along with many direct taxis available (usually priced €18 to €40, depending on traffic.) Plans are underway to construct an underground railway directly from Dublin city centre to Swords.

However if you fancy something different from flying and prefer the sea air then there is also a Ferry service from Liverpool to Dublin port with several journeys each day.

Dublin is becoming increasingly popular with tourists as the city has so much to offer such as the nightlife. Known as one of the most youthful cities in Europe - with estimates of 50% of inhabitants being younger than 25, so it’s great for those who like to party. St Stephen’s Green - especially Harcourt Street, Camden Street, Wexford Street - is a centre for some of the most popular nightclubs and pubs in Dublin. Also the internationally notorious Temple Bar area is famous for stag and hen nights, offering a wide range of pubs and clubs however generally can be considered as a tourist trap and pricey.

Ireland is also home to the world famous Guinness drink and the original factory is located just outside the city where you can take one of the many daily tours and taste “real” Guinness. For those who appreciate the Arts, Dublin has various galleries, museums and theatres which exhibit lots of traditional Irish work, from paintings, literature and theatrical performances. Of course you cannot forget traditional Irish music which is famous around the world and in the city of Dublin it is never too difficult to find live music on the streets or in one of the many bars around the city.

Dublin is definitely city filled with sports. The city hosts many sports like soccer, rugby and most famously, the traditional Irish sports; Gaelic football and Hurling. The home of Gaelic sports is Croke Park: the 4^th largest stadium in Europe.

Apart from the previous attractions, Dublin is also a popular shopping spot for both Irish people and tourists. Dublin city centre has several shopping districts, including Grafton Street and Henry Street and the adjacent Stephen Green’s Shopping Centre, Jervis Shopping Centre to name a few and there are plans from the city council to invest more money into the expansion of many shopping areas.

Almagro

Home to less than 10,000 people, the town of Almagro is one of the greatest jewels in Spain. Situated south east of Ciudad Real the town is full of convents and palaces worth visiting. It is a surprising city with terraces of all types with many heavily influenced by the Arabs who settled here many years ago.

If you come to Almagro, it’s like taking a stroll through history as there are many sights to visit such as the church of the Dominican ones, San Bartholomew, and the church of the Mother of God. They all deserve a visit as well as the hermitages of San Juan, San Blas and San Francisco and furthermore the hermitage of San Augustin has even been turned into an exhibition hall. In the main square aptly titled “Plaza Mayor” all kinds of taverns may be found offering the typical gastronomy of the region. For example “gachas” are a typical dish from the area made with eggplants or “migas” with fish and peppers.

In July, during the International Theatre Festival, a special visit to Almagro is worth the trouble in spite of the summery heat. During these days the Corral de Comedias, a traditional theatre dating from the XVII century reopens its doors for performances.