If you are a regular visitor to Tripandom you have probably noticed we like a good museum, we have featured plenty of car, plane, science and history museums but never one like this one we found in Toronto Canada. The Bata Shoe Museum is as the name suggests a museum dedicated to those things you wear on your feet, shoes. This huge 4 storey museum has over 10,000 shoes which represent over 4500 years of footwear history. There is everything from ancient sandals to the glamorous high heels of today. One of the most popular exhibits is the Walk of Fame where famous people have left their footprints or in many cases their shoes for everyone’s enjoyment. There are some huge names including John Lennon, Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Picasso and a great pair of Elton John’s platform boots from the 70’s. The museum features continual changing and traveling exhibits and has a shoe for everyone- you might even be able to buy a pair of shoes in the gift shop.
From October to April in Dubai is camel racing season and no better place to see this special is at the Nad Al Sheba Racecourse which have races on Thursdays and Fridays. Camel racing is big business in the United Arab Emirates with over 14,000 camels actively racing. The camel racing industry is a large employer in the country. Strangely betting on races in the UAE is illegal but winners receive huge prizes including luxury cars and apartments. Some of the top camels can be worth millions of dollars. Races are quiet long compared to other forms of animal racing with lengths of up to 10 Kms usually with a fleet of 4WDs following them for a better view and there can be up to 70 or more camels in a race. A new rule as entered the sport prohibiting children younger than 15 riding, previously there were some jockeys as young as 6 riding camels, this is being outlawed although there are some reports some children slip under the radar. Read the rest of this entry »
The Eiffel Tower is one of the world’s most beautiful structures and to think it was only built temporary and the city planned to pull it down before it became useful as a tower for antennas. Many visitors are thinking the queues are much to long to brave to visit the lookout but there is another way to experience this lovely piece of ironwork and opt for a more tranquil visit with a magnificent Parisian picnic on the beautiful lawns below the tower. Dusk is the most romantic time to visit when the 20,000 odd bulbs flash in shimmering display lighting up the Paris sky. For the visitor there are plenty of French Bakeries and food stores within 10 or so minutes walk where you can pick up some of the freshest bread, pastries, the worlds best cheese, pate and wine for you to have the picnic to remember. Read the rest of this entry »
The Fersehturm is one of Berlin’s more striking icons, close to Alexanderplatz this tour was built by the former German Democratic Republic and rises 268 metres above street level. There is a visitors platform at 204 metres which offers some spectacular views of Berlin stretching well over 40kms on a good day. As with all good towers it features a revolving restaurant and souvenir shop. The tower was built to house communications antennas for television, radio and the like but he tower also was used as a powerful expression of the East German Government to the west of their Utopian socialist dreams.
Puroland in Tokyo is an indoor theme park dedicated to the Sanrio characters of whom the most famous is everyone’s favorite cat, Hello Kitty. Hello Kitty is something of a phenonemum in Japan and elsewhere across the world with fans unable to get enough of Kitty and her merchandise. If you are a Hello Kitty tragic you will enjoy the video above of the park’s boat ride, if you cant make it through the whole 7 mins this park may not be for you. Don’t get us wrong we love Kitty but we still have cute overload flashbacks from Disney’s “it’s a small world” ride. Sanrio Puroland is located in the Tama New Town district of Tokyo approx 40 mins by train from Shinjuku station. Read the rest of this entry »
The Sydney Harbor Bridge opened in 1932 and has become one of Australia’s most loved icons and is recognized all around the world and you can walk this massive steel structure for free. Sure you can drive across it for $3 or take the train or even climb the arch for a fee but if your budget is tight and you still want to see the magnificent harbor from a different perspective then put on your walking shoes and go for a stroll. The bridge is 1149 metres long making it still one of the worlds greatest bridges. For an even better view from the bridge and for under $10 take the two hundred stairs up the south pylon and see the view from 87 metres above the harbour. There are some fascinating displays and you never know who you might see along the way, even the Cookie Monster, Elmo and Bob the Builder have braved the stairs for a look at the Sydney skyline.
The famous New Frontier Casino in Las Vegas is no more after a spectacular implosion brought down the historic building over night. The New Frontier is most famous for being the first of the Strip’s theme casinos and the first Las Vegas performance of Elvis Presley, the hotel has had other famous performers over the years including ex President Ronald Regan, Wayne Newton and Vegas favorites Siegfried and Roy. The Last Frontier opened in 1942 as a cowboy inspired casino then took on a bit of a space age theme for a while before returning back to the western theme with cheap hotel rooms and bikini bull riding to name a few of its features. In its place will be the most lavish resort and casino on the strip. Developers plan to spend about 5 billion dollars and expect doors to open some time late 2010 early 2011. The strip (as usual) is going through some huge changes with several billion dollar plus projects planned or under construction.
Legendary rock group Kiss will be the star attractions along with the best of Formula One motorsport and the mighty Australian V8 Supercars at the Australian Grand Prix held in Melbourne, March next year. The band has had a long history of playing special concerts in Melbourne, they recorded a television special there a few years back with a one of concert with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra with classical music set to their greatest hits. The Melbourne Grand Prix is the first event on the 2008 Grand Prix calendar and promises to be huge with several hundred thousand people attending over the four day event. Held beautiful Albert Park with sweeping views of the city the Grand Prix is regarded one of the world’s best and with next years special guests Kiss it promises to be even better.
We love a Disneyland story and this one is a real bummer, well literally. One of the most memorable rides ‘It’s a small world’ attraction and its closing for a while for a bit of a refit. The boats are going to be made a bit bigger and the water a bit deeper and a few other high tech changes. Disney are quoted as saying the ride is getting a bit out of date and needs some new equipment while others are suggesting that the people riding the attraction are getting a bit heavier and the boats are not quiet coping with the extra weight. The ride opened in 1964 and is one of the most popular boat rides in the park but the boats are starting to bottom out and stopping the ride. Time will tell- and let’s hope they don’t change that can’t get it out of your head song…. it’s a small world after all, it’s a small world after all…
Nearly 4 million people queue for hours to visit the amazing history, artworks and culture of the Vatican Museums or Musei Vaticani. The museum has just celebrated its 500th anniversary and is home to some of the worlds most precious treasures. The list of artwork is astounding with collections by Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci, Giotto, Fra Angelico, Caravaggio to name a few. But the highlight of the visit for most people is the visit to the Sistine Chapel to see the ceiling by Michelangelo who’s fresco is breathtaking. Painted from 1508 to 1512 and commissioned by Pope Julius II this incredible piece has been painstakingly restored in recent years to what is believed to be its original colours. The museums will easily fill up a full day and art lovers will probably want to come back for more. The museums are closed special holidays on Sunday’s except for the last when the usual 13 euro charge is dropped but the crowds on this day make it a bad choice. Its much better to pay and come on a much quieter day.
