Stanislas Square, Nancy

Stanislas Square = Huge Pedestrianized Square - Nancy

Stanislas also known as the place Stan is a huge pedestrianized square in Nancy, Lorraine, France. Nancy is the capital of the Meurthe-et-Moselle Department which is the historical capital of the Duchy of Lorraine as well as the largest urban area in Lorraine region. Besides this it is also the second largest city in Eastern France and the fifth largest university town nationwide with regards to student population.

Three squares in Nancy have been added on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list in 1983 namely Place Stanislas, Place de la Carriere and Place d’Alliance. Due to the easily mined iron ore in the Meurthe River, the region of Nancy settled as early as 800 BCE, though no major settlement existed in ancient times.

Stanislas Square is considered as the most beautiful royal square in Europe and the high point of Nancy’s exceptional collection of the 18th century monuments, on UNESCO’S World Heritage List, the city of Nancy is known across the globe due to Place Stanislas. It has been surrounded by wrought iron worker Jean Lamour’s fine work railings with gold highlights, a magnificent example of Classical French architecture that was built by Emmanuel Here.

Royal Fountains Works of Barthelemy Guibal 

The royal fountains of the Square are the works of Barthelemy Guibal and famous buildings that surround the square comprise of the City Hall, the Theatre-Opera House and the Fine Arts Museum. Towards the middle of the 17th century, the Old Town as well as the New Town of Nancy had been separated by vast esplanade.

An exiled king of Poland, Stanislas Leszcznsko, who had become Duke of Lorraine in 1737 decided to create a square to honour and glorify his son-in-law Louis XV of France. The leading French royal squares, sanctifies the royal image while at the same time is the setting for all famous festivities.

Architect Emmanuel Here and Stanislas had selected a perfect site for their project in mind which was opposed by Marshal de Belle-Isle, a French military commander of the province for a long time. Foundation stone of the first building in the square was officially laid in March 1752 and the inauguration of the royal square was solemnly done in November 1755.

Magnificent Buildings – Classical Style

A bronze statue of Louis XV in the attire of a roman general decorates the centre of the square, which was the work of two sculptors Guibal and Cyffle and the statue together with the surround allegorical figures went missing during the French Revolution. It was only in 1851 that a new statue of Stanislas was erected in its place. The City Hall occupies the whole of the south area and the façade above the main entrance have coats of arms of both the town of Nancy and Stanislas.

 The magnificent buildings surrounding the square are in classical style. Till date the Grand Hotel and the Opera House are on the east side and towards the west area is the Jacquet Pavillion and the Fine Arts Museum which was the College of Medicine during the time of Stanislas. On the north side, the buildings are kept lower for the purpose of defense to enable crossfire between the Vaudemont and Haussonville bastions.

5 Home Buying Tips from Real Estate Agents in Chennai

When it comes to buying a home in metropolitan cities like Chennai, there is no better guide than the Real estate brokers in Chennai. The brokers here have absolute knowledge of the local market, property rates, area specific features, taxation rules, local administrative procedures and knowledge of the prevalent property laws. You can get the comprehensive list of property agents in Chennai on Housing.com, India’s leading online real estate portal that facilitates buying, selling and renting of all kinds of real estate assets. Here are 5 home buying tips from the real estate agents of this southern city –

Location

The property dealers in Chennai advice people to lay special emphasis on location and the property should be finalized only once you are fully convinced about this aspect. The home should be nearer to schools, colleges, bus depot, railway station and if possible an airport as well. The maximum travel time to office or an educational institute should not be more than 1 hour one way. Anything more than an hour is a no and must be avoided if possible.

Accessibility

The home must be easily accessible by at least 2 modes of transportation and must have good roads leading to and fro from it. It should also be nearer to all essential amenities such as vegetable market, department and grocery stores, pharmacy, banks, ATMs, diagnostic centers, hospitals, eateries, malls, multiplexes, hotels, etc. The realty brokers in Chennai caution people against buying a home in a far fringed place for end use, if accessibility is poor.

Price

Price is another factor that brokers advise to closely look at. This is important irrespective of you looking to buy an investment asset or a house for end use. Paying a higher price for property that is not worth it, is the biggest mistake that you will ever do in realty transaction and hence it should be avoided at all costs. To get the best price you must search for a home online through credible web portal such as Housing.com that features thousands of verified homes all across Chennai including the city center, upcoming and developed locations.

Features

One of the most important aspects of home buying process is the feature associated by the property. Hence, the property dealers in Chennai advice the prospective home buyers to do due diligence of the home in terms of features and the amenities offered. A good home must come well equipped with basic facilities such as lift, parking, small garden / park and security.

Paperwork

Last but not the least, getting the paper work right is the most important aspect in the property purchase process, not only in the metro city of Chennai but across India. Hence, you need to be extra vigilant when it comes to signing any legal documents pertaining to realty dealings. In case you chose to transact through Housing.com, you will face no such issues since its team will take care of all aspects including the legal documentation, stamp duty, execution of sale deed, housing loan, etc. However, in case of offline sales you need to involve a good property lawyer to take care of the paperwork.

Vatican City

The Vatican – Awesome History & Artwork

The Vatican needs no introduction and being the centre of the Roman Catholic Church, the Vatican City State together with the surrounding Italian districts of Borgo, Prati as well as the surrounding area of Monte Mario has an awesome history and artwork than most of the cities in the world. The Vatican City is located on the Vatican hill towards the right bank of the Triber River and is a walled enclave within the city of Rome.

It has an area of around 44 hectares with a population of 842 and is the smallest internationally recognised independent state in the world in terms of area and population. The Vatican City is different from the Holy See dating back to the early Christianity and is the main episcopal see of 1.2 billion Eastern Catholic and Latin believers all across the globe. Vatican City is the temporal seat of the Pope, the head of the worldwide Catholic Church.

World’s Smallest State

It is surrounded by the city of Rome in Italy and is the world’s smallest state. Vatican City which is the papal residence was built on the tomb of Saint Peter and the Vatican’s position as a sovereign state was defined by Lateran Treaty by 2029, marked by the building of a new road – Via della Conciliazione which led from the huge St. Peter’s basilica to the Castel Sant’ Angelo, which is an old grim monument.Beyond the Vatican City, there are thirteen buildings in Rome and one at Castel Gandolfo which is the Pope’s summer residence that enjoys extraterritorial rights.

 Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina had been elected on March 13, 2013 as Pontiff and ruler of the Vatican, who took the name of Francis. The Pope has full legal, executive and judicial control. Executive powers over the areas tend to fall in the hands of a commission of cardinals that have been appointed by the pope.The pope’s chief advisory body is the College of Cardinals and after his death, the cardinals elect his successor for life.

Radio Station Broadcast in 29 Languages

Within the Vatican City there are 11 Vatican Museums together with the restored work of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel and Vatican Garden which is an enchanted area with large and small gardens, together with fountain, fish pool and enclosure for rabbits. It dates back to the medieval time when the vineyards and the orchards had extended to the north of the Apostolic Palace.

The radio station of Vatican City broadcasts in 29 languages all over the world and has its television station, the daily newspaper, post office together with the Vatican stamps, offices, shops and publishing house which are all signposted in highly sophisticated system of organisation. Over a thousand residents perform in the smooth daily running of the nerve centre of official Christianity together with the Pope at its head which is all guarded by the Swiss Guard.

The Swiss Guard has the task of protecting the Pontiff himself and tends to wear colourful clothing which is similar to the uniforms that are worn by Renaissance-era soldiers, winter palette of clothing differing from summer palette. The economy of Vatican City is financially supported through the sale of postage stamps and tourists mementos, sale of publications and fees for the admission to the museums.

New Orleans

New Orleans – Major United States Port

New Orleans, a major United States port is the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. It is situated in south-eastern Louisiana spanning the Mississippi River and the city and Orleans Parch are coterminous.

The city and parish are surrounded by the parishes of St. Tammany towards the north, St. Bernard towards the east, Plaquemine to the south and Jefferson to the south and west. Part of Lake Pontchartrain which is included in the city limits, lies to the north while Lake Borgne is to the east. It is one of the world’s most fascinating historically rich destination and a home to unique culture, food and music.

The city has been named after the Duke of Orleans who had reigned for Louis XV as Regent from 1715 to 1723, since it was establish by the French colonist, strongly influenced by European culture. It is also well known for its diverse French and Spanish Creole architecture together with cross cultural as well as multilingual heritage. New Orleans is very popular for its amazing cuisine and music especially as the birthplace of jazz. Mardi Gras, is its annual celebrations and festival which dates back to French colonial times and the city is frequently referred as the most unique city in the United States.

Famous Parish – Ranks Third in Population

Prior to Hurricane Katrina, Orleans Parish in Louisiana was considered as the most famous parish and now ranks third in population, trailing neighbouring East Baton Rouge Parish and Jefferson Parish. It was founded in 1718 and one of the nation’s oldest cities with a rich atmosphere having a mixture of French sophistication, Creole, African-American, Caribbean, Haitian, Irish, German and Vietnamese. Although it was hit hard in 2005, by Hurricane Katrina the city has reverberated and remains to be the largest city in Louisiana and also one of the top tourist attractions in the United States.

Besides the famous Creole food, New Orleans is also known for its abundant alcohol, various styles of music, nearby swamps and plantations, 18th and 19th century architecture, together with antiques, gay pride, streetcars, and museums. It has had a reputation as an adult oriented city and has been nicknamed the Big Easy. Besides these, the city also has several other attractions for families with their children and for people fond of art and culture. Due to the European origins, the population of the city has a majority of Roman Catholics.

Mardi Gras/Jazz Fest

The famous festivals of Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest brings about tourist from all over the world which takes place two times in a year and booking for the same needs to be done well in advance for a room there.

Moreover, the city also tends to host various other smaller festivals and gatherings such as the French Quarter Festival, Creole Tomato Festival, Satchmo SummerFest, the Essence Festival which are hosted by the magazine, Saint Patrick’s Day and Saint Joseph’s Day together with Halloween parading and costume balls, Southern Decadence and much more.

Most of the events in New Orleans often have a touch of Mardi Gras and the city uses any occasion to parade, party and live music. It is said that the people in New Orleans are either planning a party, enjoying one or even recovering from one and seems to be a fun filled city.

Fisherman’s Wharf, San Francisco

Fisherman’s Wharf – A Famous Tourist Site in San Francisco

Fisherman’s Wharf, a neighbourhood as well as a famous tourist site in San Francisco, California includes the northern waterfront area of San Francisco from Ghirardelli Squares or Van Ness Avenue which is east to Pier 35 or the Kearny Street. Fisherman’s Wharf has a wide range of land, sea as well as air activities to offer.

Running through the area, we have the F Market streetcar, Powell-Hyde cable car lines that run to Aquatic Park and at the edge of the Wharf with the Powell-Mason cable car line which runs a few blocks away. The Wharf has got its name and neighbourhood characteristics during the early of the mid to later part of 1800s when Italian immigrant fishermen had come to the city by the bay for the purpose of influx of population due to the gold rush.

An Anchille Paladini was successful in wholesaling local fish and became the owner of Paladini Fish Company which was known as the `Fish King’. Several of the Italian immigrant fishermen thereafter settled in North Beach territory which was close to the wharf and fished for the local delicacies which is presently the famed Dungeness crab.

Home Base of San Francisco’s Fishing Fleet

Since then till present times, it remained the home base of San Francisco’s fishing fleetwherein inspite of its redevelopments in converting it into a tourist attraction during the 1970s and 1980s this location remains to be the home to several fishermen together with their fleets.

A development plan costing $15,000,000 was proposed in 2010 by the city officials with the intention of revitalizing its appearance for the tourists and to change its downward trend in its popularity with the residents of San Francisco who had avoided the locale for years.

Fisherman’s Wharf, is considered as one of the most well-known tourist attractions as well as the busiest in western United States and is best known for being the location of Pier 39 which is the Cannery Shopping Centre, Ghirardelli Square, a Ripley’s Believe it or not Museum, Wax Museum and the Musee Mecanique at Fisherman’s Wharf as well as the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park.

One will find seafood restaurants in plenty in this location which include the floating Forbes Island restaurant at Pier 39 which serves fresh seafood especially Dungeness crab together with clam chowder which is served in a sourdough bread bowl.

World Class Fireworks Display

Restaurants like Fishermen’s Grotto, Pompei’s Grotto and Aliotos’ which has a three generation family ownership provides some of the most appetizing menus to the tourist while other restaurants comprises of chains like Joe’s Crab Shack and Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Fisherman’s Wharf also hosts several San Francisco event which comprises of world-class fireworks which are displayed on 4th July with some of the best displays of the Fleet Week Air shows that feature the Blue Angels.

The city’s most famous figure is a controversial and harmless resident of Fisherman’s Wharf known as the World Famous Bushman who is a local street performer sitting behind some branches, startling people who tend to walk in that area and has been a permanent entertainer at the Fisherman’s Wharf for the past 39 years. Many tourist as well as locals has been warned about him taking people by surprise.

8 Must See Attractions in Vancouver

Vancouver is situated on the Pacific Coast in South-Western British Columbia. It is termed as the second best city in the world. The residents over here are called as Vancouverites. It is a multicultural city. Tourism has grown considerably where more than five millions visitors visit each year. Few of the tourist destinations are as follows:

STANLEY PARK: It is the first largest park in Vancouver. It is situated next to downtown core. This park is surrounded by sea from all sides giving access to boat and beaches. One can enjoy scenic views of mountain water, Sky and majestic trees, local wild life and historical landmark. There is also an AQUARIUM with beautiful Belugas, whales, seals and other animals. Birdwatching, hiking,cycling, rollerblade, horse ride or going for a miniature railway ride also can be done.

CAPILANO SUSPENSION BRIDGE PARK: It is one of the Top attractions in Vancouver just on top of Capilano River. One can have a splendid view of the river below and old growth forest. After crossing the bridge one can experience the cliff walk and tree tops adventure. From these  breath-taking places one can appreciate nature.

KITSILANO BEACH PARK: It is the most popular beach usually visited during summer. The boat house is another attraction where one can spend time in a bar, have a good dinner and enjoy the best view of the waterfront. Kitsilano is also called as KITS. Those wanting to enjoy water based games cantry windsurfing, skim board and stand up paddle. One can enjoy sunbathe at KITS beach.

CYPRESS MOUNTAIN SKI AREA: It is an official freestyle skiing, snowboard venue and Vancouver’sspectualar mountain playground.It provides the skiers, riders and sliders with the most vertical drop, most terrain, mostly lifts and best snow conditions.

JERICHO BEACH: It is situated at the north side of JERICHO PARK between Wallace St. and Discovery St. Mostly people flock during the summer season to this popular beaches and sailing club. The east side of the beach caters to the swimmers and west side to the sailboats and windsurfers. This park offers plenty of recreation opportunity during other seasons.

CANADIAN ROCKIES: To visit this place one has to travel by train through the most beautiful scenery along with great views. The train passes through the soaring peaks and twisting valleys of the coastal range.Beautiful landscape, stunningvalley of the Peaks, an Ice Explorer ride across Athabasca glacier and Vancouver’s vibrant multicultural atmosphere is something that one has to experience it.

SUNSET BEACH PLAYLAND: One of the most popular attractions at the PNE site is Play land amusement Park that attracts many tourists. This park was named Happy Land in 1926 and remained in the original site until 1958 and thereafter moved to a new site known as Play Land .The wooden roller coaster is the most popular ride on this site. They also have crazy beach party, a stomach churning ride and high flying monster ride.

RIVER ROCK CASINO RESORTS: This resort is located 3 miles from downtown Richmond British Columbia. It is five minutes from Vancouver International Airport. This resort has live entertainment, a casino and five restaurant .This resorts is a four story lobby featuring pond, cascading waterfalls and variety of natural elements and it is also a beautiful architectural building.

Why is the Historic Environment Important?

Are you a history buff? Does anybody you know thirst for knowledge about the history of the world we live in? If you answered yes to either of these questions, the Internet is an amazing resource that will allow you to access any piece of historical information you need. However, not all historical websites are created equal. The information they contain can vary greatly. Many websites that feature information about history tend to only focus on a specific period of time. Therefore, if you are looking for a comprehensive historical site, this make take more time to find. Here is how you can go about searching for great sites to learn about ancient history.

Ask high school or college history teachers

People who teach history for a living are sure to know all of the best places on the Internet to gather historical information. In fact, they most likely use many of these sites themselves when they are planning lessons for their classes. Ask the teachers if they know of any sites devoted to the specific historical time periods you are interested in. You should also find out about any comprehensives sites that they are aware of. This is good information to know because you may need a site with comprehensive historical information in the future. You can learn more  about the best historical sites to visit by asking some students who work as assistants to history teachers.

Use a search engine

You can always search for yourself. You may stumble onto a site that is much better than any of the sites that the history teachers mentioned to you. As a way to help you and make your search go faster, you can also use some of the many review websites to your advantage. There are sites where people review sites that feature every topic you can think of. Try to find reviews of historical sites. Pay a visit to the sites that get the highest ratings and best reviews. You have nothing to lose by giving these sites a shot. If they do not contain the info you need, simply move on to the next one.

10 Top Tourist Attraction in Cambodia

Remi Jouan

Cambodia is situated in Southeast Asia. Buddhism is the religion followed by most of the people in Cambodia. People come here from all over the world to enjoy the beautiful places. Some of the tourist attractions are mentioned here:

Angkor Wat: It is one of the temples located in this vicinity. Thetemples of Angkor aremore than 1000 years old. It is a famous monument. This temple is a whole and soul of Cambodia. It is termed as the seventh wonder of the world. The walls are carved with beautiful scenic drawingsand also with fantastic architecture.

The Royal Palace Phnom Penh: This Palace is 100 year old. This Palace gleams in gold. The roof of the tower is very beautifully decorated with golden coloured tiles. Usually this Palace is used for honouring foreign dignitaries, high official celebration, Coronation and for the functions of government officials. In the surroundings of the Royal Palace is the Silver Pagoda. The flooring is made up of silver in Silver Pagoda. There is image of Emerald Buddha made up of Baccarat crystal. There is also a beautiful statue of Buddha made of 90 kgs gold.

Botum Sakor National Park: It is said to be one of the big forests in this city. It is situated at the foot of the Cardamom Mountain Range. There are different types of plant and animal species. Some of the wild animals like the Asian elephant, the Indo Chinese tiger, the clouded leopard, the sun bear, king cobra and Siamese crocodile can be seen here.

Koh Tonsay: It is also known as RABBIT ISLAND. It is a white sand beach with shallow water which is ideal place for swimming. This Island is in the shape of an animal. It is a right place for relaxation. One can enjoy swimming, snorkelling and eat fresh sea food.

The Cambodian Cultural Village: It is a theme park or it can be called as a museum. It represents culture and ethnic on Cambodia people. There are miniature of historical building, stone carving and wood work etc. Also entertainment like dances, circus, acrobats, boxing and the Apsara dance entertain the people who are visiting the cultural village.

Sihanoukville In Cambodia: Boating, touring around, mini golf, scuba diving, snorkelling,visiting different islands, disco and eating delicious food are some of the entertaining things that can be experienced here.
Bokar Hill:It is a very high mountain having good view from above. From the top of the mountain Kampot Town, Kep Beach, Sihanouk Province and blue sea water can be viewed clearly. On the way to the mountain there are Interesting temples and nice resorts with casinos.

Angkor Water Slide: This is the only one water slide in Siem Reap. If you want to have some fun then surely you have to visit this water park. There are slides for small children too.

Baksei Chamkrong: This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is a temple older than Angor Wat. This temple was named after a bird that sheltered the king under its wings. It has a shrine on the top with a pyramid base. There are steps on all four sides. There are also carvings done all over the temple. The architecture is based on astronomical alignments.

Flight of Gibbon Review: It is an adventure to go on this flight of Gibbon. During the flight they give a lot of information on nature and historical monuments and also get a gorgeous view of the jungle. It is an expensive trip.

Angkor Balloon Ride: It is safe and a nice ride. It gives a view of the whole area of Seam Reap and one can take pictures of Angkor Wat from above. The sunrise and the sunset should not be missed out while touring in the balloon ride.

Experience the World Extreme Places

Some of you would like to spend your holidays byexperiencing the world’s extreme places relating to so many adventurous’ things. Let’s look at some of them.

Dead Sea of Jordan: Jordan rift valley is a beautiful landscape where the Dead Sea is located. This is situated in Israel which is the lowest point on earth. Waterfrom number of rivers along with river Jordan flows into the dead sea .Once they flow in that sea they are land locked and cannot flow anywhere so they evaporate and then leave salt and minerals which is useful for industry, agriculture and medicines. It is ten times saltier than the sea water. If one swims in it you will only float without ever being drowned. The black mud can be applied on your body as it rejuvenates your skin since it has many minerals in it. This place is mostly also visited by the Christians whenever they are on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

Angel Falls World Highest Waterfalls: Angel falls is located in Guayana highlands. It is located in Canaima National Parkwhich is the second largest national park in Venezula.Water pours down from a flat topped plateau Called Auyan Tepui in English known as Devil’s mountain. Angel falls is named after the American Aviator Jimmie Angel. He became the first person to fly overthem. This fall is also known as Salto Angel.

Lut Desert Iran World Hottest Place: It is situated in the eastern region of Iran. The sun heats these two belts of the land more than any other part of the earth which has turned into a Desert. It is a largest salt desert and world 25th largest desert and one of the world’s driest places. Usually no living creatures can survive for long in this place. The only thing what this desert has to offer is the tallest sand pyramid of the world.

Cherrapunji India World Wettest Place: Cherrapunji is in Meghalaya. Here it rains throughout the year. This town is also known as Sohra and Churra. It is also known as Land of Oranges. In spite of having heavy rains they face a lot of water shortage. Besides being a wet seasons throughout the year people still enjoy trekking, rock climbing and camping. There are many place of sightseeing that is Seven Sisters Falls, Living root bridges,Nohkalikai Falls,Mawsynram and khoh Ramhah and Thangkharang Park.

Kilauea Hawaii World Most Active Volcano: It is a shield type of volcano on the south-eastern side of Big Island of Hawaii.Constant eruption of volcano has destroyed hundreds of houses and area of coastal highway. It is located within Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Here millions of tourist each year makes it a point to visit this place.

Salar De Uyuni Bolivia World Flattest Place: It is like stepping on a white ocean .This is a largest salt flat place also called the world largest mirror where the lakes are dried over thousands of years that formed into a giant salt pan. There are some islands which are come up on this flat surface, where number of tourist comes to visit this place.

Oymyakon Russia World Coldest Inhabited Place: This place is situated in Siberia. Oymyakon is a tiny village in Russia. This place is known as The Pole of cold. Here the Oymyakon River does not freeze. This place is frozen throughout the year. People who live in this place mostly eat meat and drink milk. More than 500 people stay here. The residents staying here have to face a lot of difficulties in their day to day life because of the cold.

Everest Nepal/China World Highest Mountain: Nepal Is Known as Land of Himalayas. One of them is Mount Everest. This Mountain stretches along the border of Nepal and Tibet/China in Southern Asia. MountEverest has shrunk by 2.5cm after an earthquake. Mount Everest is also called as Chomolungma. There is much beautiful scenery to enjoy on the way to Mount Everest. The sun- rise at Mount Everest is on the top highlights of the China side.