European Holiday Destinations
Vacation Ideas

Barcelona, a city of broad avenues and dignified boulevards, and of winding medieval streets and ancient neighborhoods, is also dotted with modern and ultramodern museums, hotels, and restaurants; it even has a few futuristic skyscrapers.

A basic itinerary of Barcelona must include a visit to Las Ramblas. Las Ramblas is a series of tree-lined streets leading through some of the city's oldest and quaintest neighborhoods.

It snakes past expansive markets, bistros, cafes, and motley stalls, and ending where the sea begins--a point marked by an impressive and much admired statue of Christopher Columbus. The Cathedral of La Sagrada Familia is another necessary reference point for the discerning tourist.

It is work that, in its divinely inspired surreality, predates and anticipates the pictorial brilliance of Dali, the Catalan painter who best exemplified the creative spirit of the city during his lifetime. Everything I have described about the city, I have done. And I cannot recommend strongly and impassionedly enough this magical Mediterranean city as a superb European vacation idea.

The harbor tour takes you to famous Copenhagen sites such as the Little Mermaid, the new Opera House, the Royal Family's palace, and basically, presents a brief, but wonderful overview of the city. After the tour, I visited Tivoli Gardens, which is like an amusement park for both adults (did someone say beer garden?) and kids. There's plenty to do here and the gardens themselves are gorgeous and colorful.

I also visited Stroget Street, which is a long, pedestrian only street with many unique shops and dining. I believe I spent quite a few Danish Kroners on trinkets to take home while on this street. The wedding was to be held in another city, so I drove from Copenhagen to Aalborg, which is a fairly large city. Driving in Denmark is easy because the citizens drive on the same side of the road as the US.

The only problem I had was reading the street signs and at one point, I did end up close to Sweden. But, it was still a lot of fun to drive across Denmark. The wedding was held at an amazing castle in Denmark called Dronninglund Slot. Many guests, including myself stayed at the castle as part of the wedding. It was an experience I will never forget! Denmark is a top European holiday destinations.

I travelled by plane, by car and by ferry, so it was a quite long distance, but it was worth it! It was my first time on the ferry, and even if i felt sick, I stayed out on the desk in order to watch the sea and the waves.

Elba is a famous island in Italy and I heard that in summer it is absolutely full of tourists all over the world, but when I arrived, there weren’t many tourists. It was quiet, the weather was so fine (15 Celsius degrees, on the 28th of December!), and the people so nice. The island has more ports which can be considered districts. I have stayed in Porto Azzuro (Blue Port) at Plaza Hotel.

The room was very big, and I had a fabulous view: I could see the fortress where Napoleon was kept as a prisoner, surrounded by the sea. Don’t have the words to describe the beauty of the view in the sunset. There isn’t much you can do in winter on an island; I have just relaxed walking around.

Near the hotel, there is this big square where people gather around in summer for playing different fun games, such as rummy, cards, or backgammon. I also went shopping, but in another port, Porto Feraio where you can find some well-known stores with sportswear.

The food was …mmm delicious! I must admit it was my first time eating sea fruits, but I love them! Italians are so good at preparing them. If you have a chance, don’t miss it! Go to Elba, because it is worth every cent you pay. If you just want to relax go from autumn to spring, but if you really want to have fun, then go in summer!

If you go in summer, there are a lot more activities for you, from getting a tan in the sun to riding sky jets and boats. You can even go there by your own yacht, if you have one! No one will have something against that. There aren't many places you can visit there, as the fortress is a prison now, but I am sure you won’t feel sorry if you choose to go there for your vacation. Italians are waiting to comfort you!

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