Welcome to Bordeaux

Bordeaux Health & Safety
Although most of France, and the Bordeaux region in particular, are considered to be fairly safe for tourists, all people traveling abroad in any country need to take some precautions in order to avoid becoming a victim of the tourist-aimed crime that seems to affect more and more travelers all the time in European cities. In order to do this in a place such as Bordeaux, where many tourists visit, try to avoid carrying more cash than you need, especially if you are out shopping or visiting attractions where there is little or no security. Do not wear expensive jewelry, and if staying in a hotel be sure to make use of your hotel's safe for your valuable items. Men should not carry wallets in their back pockets and women need to pay close attention to their bags while shopping and dining. Backpackers should keep their packs locked, especially while they are wearing them. Also, be especially alert in train stations, markets, and other places where large numbers of travelers congregate.
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Bordeaux Weather
Bordeaux is in a temperate zone, far enough north to experiences all four seasons. During the winter months, the region's days can be quite short, with the average number of sunlight hours hovering between two and three in December and January. Bordeaux can also get quite cold during the winter, the temperature often plummeting below the freezing mark.
The region has pleasant and warm spring weather and sometimes hot summers; the average temperature during July and August being around 85 degrees F. Daylight in the summer, between June and August, averages between eight and nine hours. Fall in Bordeaux is also pleasant, with warm daytime temperatures and cool evenings.
Bordeaux gets most of its precipitation during the winter months, its summers being relatively dry in comparison. It can, and does, however rain in the region at all times of year.
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Bordeaux Tourist Board
Discover Bordeaux, the official tourism website of the Bordeaux region of France, is a great place for those who are thinking of visiting the area to begin gathering information. This website is available to read in French or in English and offers an extensive amount of information--more that what is normally offered by tourist board websites--for free.
At Discover Bordeaux potential visitors can read about the region's rich history and learn about its centuries old wine-making traditions. The area's three UNESCO World Heritage Sites, the Saint-André Cathedral, the Saint-Seurin Basilica, and the Saint Michel Basilica, are all profiled on the website, complete with beautiful photos. In addition, the Discover Bordeaux website provides news headlines from area publications, especially about those things which would concern and interest tourists.
Along with these extras, the Bordeaux website also provides more traditional tourism information such as places to stay, things to do, shopping and dining listings, weather reports, and transportation listings.
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Lisbon Health and Safety

Being home to over 600,000 people, Lisbon is a fairly large city. Keeping that in mind, it is a good idea to use the same safety common sense that one would use when visiting any large city. To avoid being pickpocketed, men should carry wallets in their front pockets and women should hold their bags by their bodies, not their straps, while walking or shopping. Women should also keep a close eye on their bags while eating in restaurants or using public transport. Hotel safes should be put to use to store valuables and money, and a photocopy, not the original, of your passport should accompany you when you go out. Leave the original in the safe. Carry only small amounts of cash and avoid wearing expensive jewelry and engaging in behaviors that thieves may notice, such as overtipping.
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Tourist Attractions: The city, which has many cultural and historical monuments, is a famous tourist destination.

Transportation: The city has a reliable transport system. Metro is the city's major public transport system. Bus, funicular and tram services serve the city. Portela Airport, located in the heart of the city with international flights to any destination worldwide links the city with other parts of the world.

Hotels: The city provides wide selection of hotels that serve cheap as well as luxurious reception. Hotel Miraparque Lisbon, Best Western Hotel Flamingo Lisbon, Comfort Inn Embaixador Hotel Lisbon, Comfort Hotel Principe Lisbon, Sana Rex Hotel Lisbon, Holiday Inn Lisbon Continental and Sana Reno Hotel Lisbon are the world-class hotels in Lisbon.

Places of Attraction: Baixa or Pombaline Downtown, a district constructed after 1755 Lisbon earthquake is organized in a grid system and network of squares. It is a famous tourist attracted spot. The Castle of Sمo Jorge, situated on the top of the tallest hill of the central city, Praça do Comércio with the beautiful façade of the Church of Nossa Senhora da Conceiçمo Velha, Rossio Square, Restauradores Square, Elevador de Santa Justa, an elevator in Gothic revival style, Jerَnimos Monastery, Belém Tower, Padrمo dos Descobrimentos a monument of the Discoveries, are the well known monuments in the city. The city that is rich in architecture is worldly known for Romanesque, Gothic, Manueline, Baroque, Traditional Portuguese, Modern and Post-Modern constructions. It is also known for many museums such as The Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga -National Museum of Ancient Art, the Museu dos Azulejos -Museum of Portuguese-style Tile Mosaics, the Museu Calouste Gulbenkian- Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, Oceanلrio de Lisboa and the Lisbon Oceanarium the largest in Europe, are the various museums in the city that preserves the cultural and historical reminiscence. The monument to Christ the King that stands on the left side of the river, in Almada is the largest in Europe and is often viewed by tourists.
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Welcome to Barcelona

Barcelona is the second largest city of Spain and the capital of Catalonia region. Barcelona is situated on the Mediterranean coast, beside Llobregat River. The city is quite old and has important historical significance in Spain. During middle ages it was referred with multiple names like Barchenona Barchinona, Barchelona, and Barcalona etc.

Barcelona Health & Safety :
Be alert, as in any large city. The central part of Barcelona, especially always crowded La Rambla, is renowned for petty crime, such as pickpocketing and bag snatching, so be watchful when sightseeing, taking pictures or watching street artists. Pickpockets are known to be crafty when devising ruses to dupe tourists out of their money. One popular method is fixing supposed games of chance. An example is the "shell game," where a con artist will have a ball and three boxes. He will show you the ball under one box, and then move them around quickly and have you try to guess which box the ball is under. Two of his accomplices will be betting on the game, apparently winning large amounts of money. When someone else tries to play, though, they never win, since the con artist will pocket the ball so that it isn't under any of the boxes.

The safest thing to do is to not respond to anybody unknown to you who comes up to you on the street, no matter how safe they appear to be. Seemingly benign people can turn dangerous in a heartbeat. Criminals are known to pretend to be hurt, and even dress up in women's clothing, asking for assistance in the street. When the unwary tourist approaches them, however, they will rob him and run off.

Don’t take any valuables with you, keep your bags closed and don’t carry money in your pockets. Also be cautious when using public transportation. In restaurants always keep your bag or backpack beside you or between your legs on the floor so you can constantly see it. Overall, Barcelona is a safe city where violent crimes are rare.

Barcelona Weather :

Mild Climate
Barcelona, benefiting from its location on the Mediterranean, enjoys warm summers and cool winters. Summer is ideal for sunbathing on the city's ample public beaches, with temperature climbing into the 80s (27 C) most days during the hottest months of July and August. Some residents consider August to be too hot, and leave the city in favor of coastal resorts. Expect beaches to be packed with tourists during the summer. Winters are cool, but temperatures rarely dip below freezing. Average lows in December, January and February hover around 40 degrees (4 C) and highs can climb into the fifties. Consider visiting the city during the off-season months of October or April, when Barcelona is less crowded, but temperatures are still relatively warm, although probably not beach-worthy. The wettest months are September and October, which each receive between three to four inches (75-95mm) of rain on average. Averages for the other months are between one to two inches (27-47mm).

Festivals
Special festivals occur in Barcelona throughout the year to celebrate the various seasons. The largest of these is Festes de la Mercè, a week-long party that happens around the 24th of September. The festival commemorates the patron saint of Barcelona, La Mare de Dieu de la Mercè. Events take place around the clock, such as concerts, plays and celebrations in the streets. One popular event is the construction of 'Castellers,' or human towers, which can climb to a height of nine people.

Welcome to Andalusia

Andalusia Culture :

The culture of the Andalusia region of Spain was most highly influenced by the Muslim Moors who governed the region for almost 800 years until the late 1400's. During the time of the Moors' reign, the region flourished culturally with new music, art, and theatre. Technological advances were made, and a tradition of intellectual growth and nurture was founded. Many of these cultural advances laid the groundwork for Andalusia's culture today which is known for its art, dance and music in particular. In 1790 the guitar was invented in Andalusia when innovative musicians added an extra string to a Moorish lute. Less than 100 years later Flamenco music and ballet was born, showcasing the new instrument. Andalusia has also been home to many famous artists including Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali.
The Moors also introduced several new ideas to Europe through their universities in Seville, Granada, and Cordoba including the mathematical concept of zero and several other concepts in physics and medicine that were so influential that they eventually led to the founding of Europe's first universities.

Andalusia Health & Safety :

Many people visit Andalusia each year and return home safely without incident, but most recently the region has experienced an increase in the number of crimes reported there, especially those which are aimed towards tourists. This tourist crime seems to be most prevalent in tourist-friendly cities, like Seville and Malaga, and at attractions such as museums as well as at beaches, resorts, and train stations--all of which attract large numbers of travelers. Most of the crimes reported are petty thievery and pick-pocketing, though some assaults have been reported as well. According to Frommer's, many of these crimes seem to be aimed at elderly travelers and Asians, who are perceived by thieves as having greater amounts of money than other travelers.

To protect yourself from tourist crimes while visiting Andalusia be sure to carry as little cash as possible and avoid wearing expensive jewelry and watches. Leave all valuables in your hotel's safe, including your passport. Carry a photocopy of it on your person instead of the real thing.

Thefts from cars are also common so be sure your doors are always locked and that you do not leave items in view where thieves will see them and be temped to break in.

Andalusia Weather :
Andalusia, Spain's southernmost region, has a relatively mild Mediterranean climate that attracts visitors throughout the entire year. Its southern coast, or La Costa del Sol, also known at the The Sun Coast, is somewhat warmer in the winter than Andalusia's Atlantic coast and attracts winter visitors from northern Europe and North America. During the spring, summer and fall months Andalusia is full of tourists visiting its many beaches and historic attractions.

As Andalusia is a large area, its average temperatures can vary from region to region, with the coldest areas during the winter and the coolest in the summer being in the mountains. Many of Andalusia's coastal areas can reach temperatures of over 100 degrees F during July and August. The region as a whole gets more rain during the winter than in the summers, which are generally rain-free, with the rainiest months being December through March.

Andalusia Tourist Board :
Andalusia's official government tourism office has a web page, Andalusia, which provides travelers and would-be travelers to the region with a variety of helpful tourism and travel information and advice. The site provides a nice map of Andalusia's provinces as well as a searchable map and direction feature that allows travelers to choose their destination by street address. Travel brochures can also be ordered via the site as can Andalusia Magazine, the official tourism magazine of the region. Weather reports, travel planners, and transportation information are also available, as well as dining listings and and hotel information.
Another of the site's useful features is its routes planner, featuring several travel routes through the region for driving, hiking, and biking as well as through rural and flamenco territories.

Andalusia Arriving & Departing :
Andalusia is a large area in southern Spain, encompassing many cities. Traveling to the Andalusia region can be accomplished in a variety of ways due to the region's size and the number of major airports, seaports, and roadways found there. Depending upon where one wants to go in Andalusia, one can fly into airports in Seville, Málaga, Almería, Córdoba, Granada or La Parra. Major sea ports are located in Algeciras and Cadiz. Good highways are available to drive to any of these Andalucian cities, or other areas of the province, from any other point in Spain.
The Adalucia tourism website has an excellent transportation page where travelers can go to to search for the best transportation options for them. One simply puts in their destination and preferred mode of travel and the search engine provides information on the nearest airports, seaports, and roadways.