martes, 29 de noviembre de 2011

BUENOS AIRES

BUENOS AIRES




Mix together a beautiful European-like city with attractive residents (call them porteños), gourmet cuisine, awesome shopping, a frenzied nightlife and top-drawer activities, and you get Buenos Aires, a cosmopolitan metropolis with both slick neighborhoods and equally downtrodden areas –but that’s part of the appeal. It’s an elegant, seductive place with a ragged edge, laced with old-world languor and yet full of contemporary attitude. BA is somehow strangely familiar, but unlike any other city in the world.

   In between cutting-edge designer boutiques, ritzy neighborhoods and grand parks are unkempt streets full of spewing buses and bustling fervor. Seek out classic BA: the old-world cafés, colonial architecture, fun outdoor markets and diverse communities. Rub shoulders with the formerly rich and famous in Recoleta’s cemetery, making sure to sidestep the ubiquitous dog piles on the sidewalks. Fill your belly at a parrilla (steak restaurant), then spend the night partying away in Palermo Viejo’s trendiest dance club.





   Hunt for that antique gem in a dusty San Telmo shop, or visit on Sunday for the barrio’s spectacularly popular fair. Learn to sweep your leg dancing the sultry tango, and then attend a super-passionate fútbol match between River and Boca. These unforgettable adventures (and many more) are just waiting for you to go out and experience them.





   Everyone knows someone who has been here and raved about it. You’ve put it off long enough. Come to Buenos Aires and you’ll understand why so many people have fallen in love with this amazing city, and even decided to stay. There’s a good chance you’ll be one of them.

jueves, 17 de noviembre de 2011

LONDON



London 







London  is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its founding by the Romans, who called it Londinium.London's ancient core, the City of London, largely retains its square-mile medieval boundaries. Since at least the 19th century, the name London has also referred to the metropolis developed around this core.The bulk of this conurbation forms the London and the Greater London administrative area, governed by the elected Mayor of London and the London Assembly.London is a leading global city, with strengths in the arts, commerce, education, entertainment, fashion, finance, healthcare, media, professional services, research and development, tourism and transport all contributing to its prominence. It is the world's largest financial centre alongside  and has the largest city GDP in Europe. It has the most international visitors of any city in the world and London Heathrow is the world's busiest airport by number of international passengers.London's 43 universities form the largest concentration of higher education in Europe.      In 2012 London will become the first city to host the modern Summer Olympic Games three times.
London has a diverse range of peoples, cultures and religions and more than 300 languages are spoken within its boundaries. In July 2010 Greater London had an official population of 7,825,200, making it the most populous municipality in the European Union.The Greater London Urban Area is the second-largest in the EU with a population of 8,278,251,while London's metropolitan area is the largest in the EU with an estimated total population of between 12 million and 14 million.London had the largest population of any city in the world from around 1831 to 1925. London contains four World Heritage Sites: the Tower of London; Kew Gardens; the site comprising the Palace of Westminster, Westminster Abbey, and St Margaret's Church; and the historic settlement of Greenwich (in which the Royal Observatory marks the Prime Meridian (0° longitude) and GMT).  Other famous landmarks include Buckingham Palace, the London Eye, Piccadilly Circus, 30 St Mary Axe ("The Gherkin"), St Paul's Cathedral, Tower Bridge, Trafalgar Square and Wembley Stadium. London is home to numerous museums, galleries, libraries, sporting events and other cultural institutions, including the British Museum, National Gallery, British Library, Wimbledon and 40 theatres.London's Chinatown is the largest in Europe.






                    Early modern
During the Tudor period the Reformation produced a gradual shift to Protestantism, with much of London passing from church to private ownership  Mercantilism grew and monopoly trading companies such as the East India Company were established, with trade expanding to the New World. London became the principal North Sea port, with migrants arriving from England and abroad. The population rose from an estimated 50,000 in 1530 to about 225,000 in 1605.
In the 16th century William Shakespeare and his contemporaries lived in London at a time of hostility to the development of the theatre. By the end of the Tudor period in 1603, London was still very compact. There was an assassination attempt on James I in Westminster, through the Gunpowder Plot on 5 November 1605. London was plagued by disease in the early 17th century,culminating in the Great Plague of 1665–1666, which killed up to 100,000 people, or a fifth of the population.
The Great Fire of London broke out in 1666 in Pudding Lane in the city and quickly swept through the wooden buildings.  Rebuilding took over ten years . In 1708 Christopher Wren's masterpiece, St Paul's Cathedral was completed. During the Georgian era new districts such as Mayfair were formed in the west; and new bridges over the Thames encouraged development in South London. In the east, the Port of London expanded downstream.
In 1762 George III acquired Buckingham House and it was enlarged over the next 75 years. During the 18th century, London was dogged by crime and the Bow Street Runners were established in 1750 as a professional police force In total, more than 200 offences were punishable by death, and women and children were hanged for petty theft. Over 74 per cent of children born in London died before they were five. The coffeehouse became a popular place to debate ideas, with growing literacy and the development of the printing press making news widely available; and Fleet Street became the centre of the British press.






Architecture
Characterised by any particular architectural style, and have been built over a long period of time. Many grand houses and public buildings, such as the National Gallery, are constructed from Portland stone. Some areas of the city, particularly those just west of the centre, are characterised by white stucco or whitewashed buildings. Few structures pre-date the Great Fire of 1666, except for a few trace Roman remains, the Tower of London and a few scattered Tudor survivors in the City. 
The Monument in the City of London provides views of the surrounding area while commemorating the Great Fire of London, which originated nearby. Marble Arch and Wellington Arch, at the north and south ends of Park Lane respectively, have royal connections, as do the Albert Memorial and Royal Albert Hall in Kensington. Nelson's Column is a nationally recognised monument in Trafalgar Square, one of the focal points of the city centre.     Buckingham Palace is the official residence of the British monarc.
 







           
 Leisure and entertainment
Within the City of Westminster, the entertainment district of the West End has its focus around Leicester Square, where London and world film premieres are held, and Piccadilly Circus, with its giant electronic advertisements.London's theatre district is here, as are many cinemas, bars, clubs and restaurants, including the city's Chinatown district (in Soho), and just to the east is Covent Garden, an area housing speciality shops. The United Kingdom's Royal Ballet, English National Ballet, Royal Opera and English National Opera are based in London and perform at the Royal Opera House, the London Coliseum, Sadler's Wells Theatre and the Royal Albert Hall as well as touring the country.
 

BOSTON


Boston





Built in 1630, Boston is worldwide considered the major centre of culture, science and education. Not to mention also being the capital and largest city of the state of Massachusetts, where it is said to be the economical and political centre of this particular region. Its own unique style often gives Boston the name of “New England”.
When you enter the city, you can first notice the highly academician atmosphere, very calm and peaceful, but also very colorful and full of life. From the streets you can see the brightly colored flowers emerging from flower pots hanging over the lampposts and smell the sweet delicious scent all over the place. The order and cleanness of the streets are unbelievable, and we can see how respectful, tidy and caring the Bostonian population is, since they are responsible for maintaining such wonderful neatness and its incredible beauty.
Boston is mostly characterized by its inimitable style, which mixes the past with the present. We can see this type of architecture represented everywhere: from ancient churches and red brick sidewalks to glass towers. In several cases, architects accomplished to join past and present by placing strategically the glass buildings next to antique constructions, so we can see the old churches and buildings reflected onto the modern ones. 





One key factor that makes this city so culturally rich in every way is its huge diversity of cultures. We can see this characteristic in languages, foods and philosophies all the way through Boston. What gathers all the foreigners in this particular town are two of the most famous, prestigious and with best reputation universities around the world, including Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, better known as M.I.T. Both of them are specialized in sciences, so the city is considered one of the most important centers in the world of research, electronics, engineering, technology, finance and biotechnology.  
The city has several attractions...

TOKYO


TOKYO








Tokyo (東京 Tōkyō?, "Eastern Capital"), English:; officially Tokyo Metropolis (東京都 Tōkyō-to?),[3] is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family. Tokyo is located in the Kantō region on the southeastern side of the main island Honshu and includes the Izu Islands and Ogasawara Islands.[4] Tokyo Metropolis was formed in 1943 from the merger of the former Tokyo Prefecture (東京府 Tōkyō-fu?) and the city of Tokyo (東京市 Tōkyō-shi?).







The Tokyo Metropolitan government administers the twenty-three special wards of Tokyo (each governed as a city), which cover the area that was the city of Tokyo, as well as 39 municipalities in the western part of the prefecture and the two outlying island chains.