Medina, you have to visit it before you die

It is holy city for all Muslims over the world, so it is consider second choice after Mecca. Both of these holy cities are located in Saudi Arabia. It is a bit overcrowded and overpriced in Ramadan and Hajj seasons, these are two specific months, most of Muslims prefer to visit the holy places at. However, it is a good value for money if tourists come at a different time.

 

Medina has areas and suburbs which surrounded by hugh mounts such as Uhod and Ayr, all  this areas have very different characters and identities. I would recommend visiting prophet Mohammed mosque and make sure you book a hotel near to it. Do not miss visiting sultana street which located in city centre. where you can found different restaurant to eat in and many coffee to drink in, but I suggest going straight to Albaik restaurant which serve a the best traditional fray chicken meals in whole middle east

 

It has Islamic University in Madinah which is the biggest one around the world , it graduates more than 2500 students every year. No body deny that Medina has a long tradition of welcoming visitors student from around the world, many of whom have settled here permanently
 

I found it a safe place to live and is home to community, because of a diverse and multi-ethnic society, where students of all backgrounds are welcome and their involvement in local communities is valued
 

One thing to be wary of is having a private car very important to travel from place to place , because Madina does not have public transport . also wearing a scarf for women whom want visit Medina .

Have you been lucky enough to visit my hometown?!

" Babol " is one of the most famous cities in the north of Iran. History of this city goes back to around one thouthand years ago when it was a trading centre for people who used to buy or sell goods from east to west because of it's stratetigcal situation. Financial and business related jobs have always been very popular there. Also the north of Iran is an agricultural centre and vital for supplying food for all Iranians. There are lots of villages around babol where plenty of farms are located which most of them are rice farms. Furthermore, orange, apple and fruit are other produces there.The city is surrounded by northerns woods and also located between Alborz mountain range and Caspian sea which is the largest inland lake in the world. Because of this geographical situation the weather is usually rainy and very humid. Some villages are built on the top of the Alborz which means approximately more than 3000 meter higher than sea surface. There are very popular place for holidays because of pure nature and a new experience of relaxation over the clouds! The scenery is stunning which means you can sea also Caspian sea from that height and also northern woods and mountain in one single view.
This city is well-known as " The city of orange blossoms " . During spring everywhere is covered with smell of orange blossoms which come from orange trees. Local people make different products such as jam,syrup and drink from this blossom.

Historical background of the city is about two communities of Muslim and Jewish people. This fact affects on the appearance of the buildings which means some of them belong to Islamic architecture and some of them to Jewish ones. Some buildings, bridges and neighbourhoods plus one musuem are useful places for finding lots of information about them.
Folks in this area have been interested in different arts like painting,music and calligraphy. However lots of sport champions are from this city especially in wrestling, Taekwondo, wightlifting and football and sports are very important to local people.

Don Benito, the lively city of Extremadura

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Extremadura is the Spanish area located north of Andalucia and east of Portugal. Don Benito is one of the biggest villages in this area, with a population around 33,000 habitants. It is just one hour far from Badajoz and half an hour far from the capital of Extremadura: Merida, widely known city because of its Roman ruins.

However, people don't need to go to the main cities to find important fashion shops, shoe shops, jewellers... Don Benito is considered the heart of shopping for all villages close to it. The shopping area is concentrated around the city centre, where it is forbidden the traffic. So it's the perfect place to forget the car, leave the stress of the “big city” behind and enjoy a long walk looking around.

But if your passion is the food, there are many restaurants where it is offered typical Spanish food. Don't forget taste Serrano ham and the other special pork products, widely known in all this area thanks to their quality and excellent flavour.

Yet if you are a Cosmopolitan person and you love fast food restaurants, don't freak out! McDonalds doesn't exist there, but there are many others that you can enjoy as well.

The weather, the nightlife and Cultural activities are other attractions that you will find in this warm and lively city. 

Avenida de la Constitucion

Come and visit me in Germany!

I live in a beautiful little town in the North of Germany called Bodenburg. This area is definitely worth a visit. There are numerous things to do. On the one hand you can enjoy all the advantages of a buzzing city nearby being just one hour away from Hanover and on the other hand you have the opportunity to just stay in town and experience idyllic country life. It's an amazing and unique adventure to go there. It's particularly good for people who prefer to spend their holidays off the beaten track and who are looking for special places. Going for a stroll in the vast fields in the sunset is a must. If you fancy doing sports then I'd recommend you to go for a run or join the local football club. Make sure to go to a game on Sunday. The team has lots of fans for a small town and they love to make a gigantic spectacle of it especially at season's end. You should also try going to some of the local pubs where they offer you refreshing drinks, delicious food and interesting company. I suggest that you go there on a Saturday evening. But as stunning as this small town is, it is also simply that: small. If you are from a big city and enjoy the vibrant life there, then probably staying in my town for a long time wouldn't make you happy. It doesn't offer you nightclubs, cinemas or highclass bars. But if you look behind the "boring small town facade" then you have the possibilty to experience what it means to live in a community.

Where I live ...

France,

I live in one of the smallest cities in «Greater» Paris. It seems like a small city, especially for the area but I really enjoy living there, it's not a typical town. It’s located in the South-East of Paris and it’s beside the Parisian wood : le bois de Vincennes.

I live in a flat in front of the city's shop, therefore it's easier when you need something.
I live just beside a river (the one that goes through Paris as well, called La Marne), it's great because it feels a bit like the country side, you can feed some ducks or swans, you can ride your bike without paying attention to the traffic and there are some squares for the children.
There is a primary school next to my flat and it still has its old entrance which gives more personality to my town. Also the town hall is pretty old. However we have a modern church which I don't like at all but since it's not near my flat I don't mind that much.

City Hall

There are many events throughout the year, most of them are for the children. Sometimes it can also be cultural, when different countries from Europe meet and celebrate their friendship. In my town for instance, we are paired with one city in Germany, Italy and Switzerland.
If you want you can participate in many activities, it can be sports like tennis or sewing in a club. And our library is big and diverse especially for a small town.
There is also a well-known hospital called “Esquirol” where Victor Hugo's daughter has been. Most of the hospital's buildings are for mental illnesses and it's located on a small hill.
I love living there because it's not a big city and there's not many things to do. Nevertheless, Paris is not far away by car or even by train. You can easily go there if you want to go out with your friends or family. However there are also a lot of restauranst in the street beside mine (Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Italian, French) if you don’t want to go too far away.

I think my town is a great place to live near Paris without feeling all the stress from a capital.

Brazil, it’s a must-see!

I wrote here a little bit about my country, Brazil, in case you decide to visit there some day. First of all, Brazilians don’t speak Spanish different from what a lot of people think. Brazil is the only country in Latin America that speaks Portuguese given that it was colonized by Portugal in the sixteen century. The population is completely mixed and was hugely influenced by Europeans (mainly Portuguese and Italians), Black Africans and native indigenous. We also can find Brazilians descendent from Jewish, Chinese, Koreans, Lebanese, and so on... With all this multicultural origin, it wouldn’t be a surprise to find Brazil a very diverse country. Each area has its own cuisine, music, dressing style, accent, etc. Even Samba, the most famous Brazilian rhythm, varies according to the area.

Brazil is one of the biggest countries in the world and due its size it hosts several types of vegetation, topography and climate. This is the main reason for the country having so many natural attractions. Although the tourism in Brazil is still being developed (represents less than 4% of the GDP), the country offers a wide range of holiday’s options. This includes ecotourism (for those who fancy being close to the nature), leisure and recreation (if you prefer relaxing in one of the sunny beaches), adventure travels (for people that like explore the wild world) and cultural and historic tourism (if you want to know a little bit more of the country’s history). The most popular destinations are: the beaches in Rio de Janeiro and Northeast coast, Amazon Rainforest, historic villages in Minas Gerais, Iguaçu Falls (second-greatest average annual flow of any waterfall in the world after Niagara Falls), Pantanal (one of the world's largest wetlands) and São Paulo city (for business trips and gastronomy).

Fernando de Noronha - Pernambuco

Iguaçu Falls - Paraná

Before going to Brazil, if you can’t speak any Portuguese, I do recommend you to check if the places that you are visiting are able to communicate with you in any language that you speak.

Brazilian people in general are very friendly and like to help, mainly if you are a foreigner (or gringo, as Brazilians informally call its foreigners). If you come from some country where people are more introverted, you might find quite different the way that Brazilians are tactile and talkative. Nevertheless, despite all this warm welcome, be wary that not everyone has good intentions. Crimes against tourist happen mainly because some tourist doesn’t follow basic rules such as: watch your own belongings when in public areas and do not go to places that you have no information about its safety (some tourists, full of the spirit of curiosity, try to visit areas where only the police would go). Apart the drawbacks, Brazil it’s a must! Definitely it's some place to visit!