About the Country
Belgium is situated in the west of Europe. The land here mostly comprises of flat coastal plains in the northeast, and southeast is occupied by the Ardennes Forest. Dutch, Flemish, French and German are the official languages of Belgium, with Dutch being the widely spoken followed by French. The weather here is pretty predictable. Months from April to September are the warmest. Otherwise the weather is pretty humid and skies are gray, that explains why umbrellas and raincoats are a part of the dressing. So, if the visit is planned for holidays during the rainy season, one must not forget to carry sufficient cover for maximum protection, as this is a coastal region. In case of emergency call 100 or 112.
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Albania is a mountainous country and the one of the smallest countries of Europe. The residents supposedly descended from ancient Illyrians.
Culture
The culture of Albania is majorly influenced by that of the mainland Greeks especially in the urban locality; nodding one’s head means ‘no’ where as shaking the head means ‘yes’. To greet someone, handshaking is preferred, though Shoku (Comrade) was used before, which has been long forgotten now. People dress informally here. Swim suits are meant for the beaches, otherwise women are expected not to dress in a revealing outfit. When addressing someone prefix Zoti(Mr) or Zonja(Mrs) before the name and always remember to carry some gifts when visiting someone, although flowers aren’t much acceptable. The guests are served with coffee, raki or sweets. Smokers don’t have to worry much, but they should avoid it where they see a sign of Ndalohet Duhani or Ndalohet pirja e duhanit. Read the rest of this entry »
About the Country
Located in central Europe, Austria celebrates world’s best music festivals like the Salzburg Festival, Haydn Festival in Vienna, and the International Chamber Music Festival. Vienna is the capital of Austria as well as the musical capital of Europe. Music and art are in full flare here after centuries of hardship and innovation. That explains Vienna being the birthplace of Mozart. Horse dances are also part of these festivals. Since it snows in winter, the snow covered Alps is a must be visited place during the winter. Austria experiences a moderate summer. Rains can be expected year round. Incase of emergency call 120 or 123.
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Amsterdam has a wealth of culture that has been revealed this year with its 2008 “Amsterdam Hidden Treasures” theme. It has proven itself to be an interesting and entertaining city with its wealth of arts, performance, history and fashion and it is well the most visited city in the Netherlands.
Amsterdam will keep any visitor entertained with their dam, semi-circular rings of canals crisscrossed by around 400 bridges and its many churches. These sights are highly worthwhile to spend time seeing, but the city is most famous for its museums. It is home to over fifty museums, including the renowned Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh Museum and Stedelijk Museum. Some lesser known museums include the secret attic church, “Ons Lieve Heer op Solder,” the new Bag and Purse Museum, the Amsterdam Tulip Museum and Anne Frank House. Read the rest of this entry »