It was the first time that I went abroad, so this added to my excitement and anxiety at the same time. I also had a fear for flying, because I always thought that there would be a plane crash. Thank God, there were no crashes and I was in Brussels.

I looked for a Brussels hotel close to the company where I would do my internship. The Brussels Hotel was just the place I was looking for. It was a very nice convenient hotel. Thanks to the multilingual staff, I didn’t have any difficulty in communicating. I know it’s hard not to be understood by the staff. One of my friends experienced such a situation. When he asked for an extra pillow, he could only get an extra blanket. Well, at least the “extra” part was right.

Anyway, I began doing internship on weekdays and at the weekends I went sightseeing as much as my feet could stand. My first stop was the Grand Place. It totally dazzled me! It had a square as if ornamented with flowers.  So colorful! So beautiful! It was like a rainbow ornamented carpet extending through the square.

At the next weekend, I head for the Atomium in Heyzel Area. It was a huge atom-shaped building. Weren’t atoms tiny
particles? Well, this one was gigantic and we were also able to go inside. The view up there was great! I took many good photos.

Royal Palace was also an impressing place. The building per se was enough to charm me, but it also had a garden that was wonderful to stroll in. Inside of the palace was even more beautiful. There were paintings and ornate furniture all around. It was furnished so fashionably that it was still fashionable even after so many years.   

I also tried to taste as many Dutch dishes as I could. My favourite restaurant that I went with my friends was the one called Other Belgian where we found good beer with a delicious steak.

We hanged out in Havana Bar at nights when we wanted to have a fling.  Especially on Saturdays, Havana Bar was our fun haven.

Brussels is a very beautiful city full of fun. I was very upset when my internship ended. I’d like to go there again whenever I find a chance to. 

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I think I can give you some ideas

Everyone wants to make real his perfect wedding dream in his mind. Deciding on every detail about the wedding is very depressive, you try to do your best. For a dream wedding, the place is so important. It should be such a place that is remarkable. And it should make you feel comfortable in that special day.

Forbes traveler has made a list for “10 great places to get married”. I will introduce you these places in the list so the list may help you!

1) Keawala’i Congregational Church, Makena Beach, Maui, Hawaii

Keawala’i Congregational Church is located south of Makena Bay and one of the earliest churches in Maui. The church’s name means “ Peaceful Habor” or “Tranquil Heaven”. It has a rich history and the church has a charming atmosphere with old architecture and beautiful scenery. If you schedule your ceremony in the afternoon, you can have much more romantic scene due to the sunset.

2) Villa D’Este, Lake Como, Italy

Villa D’Este is a 16th-century residence with beautiful gardens. The perfect hotel has many famous guests from Mark Twain to Madonna. You cannot find a better charming historical place than Villa D’Este! The hotel offers a private chef and three pools.

3) The Wakaya Club, Fiji

The Wakaya Club is a glamorous island resort with fascinating opportunities in Fiji. You can plan your dream wedding by the sea or in the small Wakaya Village Church. It provides numerous luxurious facilities. Beautiful beaches, clear blue sea, and great nature will make your ceremony unique!

4) Inverlochy Castle, Fort William, Scotland

Inverlochy Castle is the perfect destination for your dream wedding. The historic atmosphere of the castle makes your ceremony special. With its magnificent furniture and architecture, Inverlocy Castle offers many advantages.

5) Guana Island, British Virgin Islands, the Caribbean

Guana Island is one of the few Caribbean islands you can rent. The island has amazing scenery – white sandy beaches, perfect blue sea, and tropical vegetation. Dream weddings can be held in the morning sun in White Bay Beach, in the wonderful sunset in Queen’s Terrace or in the moonlight in the lush Garden of Eden!

6) Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania

Ngorongoro Crater is one of the glamorous wonders of the world with its wonderful scenery and nature. It is a perfect place for the ones dreaming a romantic ceremony! You can held a romantic marriage ceremony viewing the Great Fish River at sunset, followed by a grand riverbank feast with welcoming Zulu drummers!

7) Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Australia

Aborginal people consider Uluru – an ancient rock in this national park – as a spiritual site. Even if you don’t believe such things, this is a perfect place to give a lifelong promise because this rock comes from ancient times that can be a symbol for your eternal love – isn’t it a unique romantic theme for your dream wedding?

El Tamarindo Golf Resort, Manzanillo, Mexico

El Tamarindo Golf Resort is a perfect combination of great nature and luxury. The resort offers numerous fascinating facilities. A wedding in this amazing resort can be memorable. El Tamarindo Golf Resort provides excellent catering services. Before the “exciting day”, there is spa and beauty services to make you relax!

http://www.gtahotels.com/cities/manzanillo.htm

9) Caneel Bay, St. John, USVI

“Paradise as it was intended”, Caneel Bay is situated in the Caribbeans with its marvelous scenery. Caneel Bay offers a memorable ceremony for you! It arranges everything perfectly from flowers to menu planning.
10) Hotel Plaza Athenee, Paris, France

The Hotel Plaza Athenee is one of the most romantic hotels in the world. The hotel tries to do the best to make
your ceremony unique and unforgettable. You can enjoy special cuisine and chic decoration in your wedding! Your
guests and you will have the best service such a luxury in the most romantic city, Paris.

 http://www.gtahotels.com/hotels/plaza_athenee_hotel_paris.htm?

 Congratulations!

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Eindhoven is a city in the Netherlands. It is always warm there. It gets dark generally at 10 pm. There are many sites that can be visited in Eindhoven. To see how it is like to live in the medieval times, you must visit the Historical Open-air Museum. If you interested in art, you will enjoy yourself in the Kempenland Museum.

For those feeling active enough, there are yearly bicycle tours in Eindhoven. Actually, bicycling is very common here and people love to ride a bike. You can even see a serious-looking dressed up businessman riding a bike. It is an interesting scene indeed.

You can find music, fun, theater and performances all together in the Park Theater. If you come around February, you will not miss the Ice Sculptures Festival where you can see many beautiful little wonders. It is really nice to look at them. Don’t forget to take something warm with you when attending the festival. After I saw those ice sculptures, I tried to make one for me at home, but to be honest result was horrible. What I did didn’t resemble to them at all. Besides, when mum saw the little pool in the middle of the kitchen, I received a good reprimand So, don’t try that at home!

To eat something delicious, you can go to the restaurant called Taj Mahal. The service is quick and food is very good there. You can also spend lively nights in Eindhoven. It is full of bars and discos.

 If you want to visit Eindhoven and see the amazing Ice sculptures in winter or enjoy the city in the summer, have a look at our unbeatable hotel rates

http://www.gtahotels.com/cities/eindhoven.htm
    

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My Ukraine Odessa trip was such a good one. I went there with my best friend Amy. We bought our plane tickets and did all the other preparations together. We had a wonderful dream of Ukraine. When the big day came, we  arrived at the Odessa International Airport. We stayed at Chorne More Hotel which was 11 km from the airport. Its location was very convenient, very close to the railway station. There were many things we wanted to do  in Odessa. We weren’t sure about where to start. We finally decided to visit museums first, and then we would go on sightseeing. The Arts Museum on the Sophia Street was the first place we went to. There were marvelous paintings of many artists there. We admired the artists’ skills. There was a portrait of a girl which Amy insisted that resembled to me! Maybe she was my grand grand grand mother !

Next museum was the Museum of Western and Oriental Art on the Pushkin Street. It was a very nice museum trip.

It was enough of museums. We wanted to walk in a green place, so we went to the Shevchenko Park. It was very nice
to relax in the park. Especially watching the Black Sea was very peaceful. Amy took photos of me while I was looking curiously at the memorial there. They are very funny photos. I am looking at the memorial with a big question mark on my face ! Well, at least my curiosity worked and we learned that it was the tomb of an unknown  sailor. The question of who the sailor was was making me curious now. OK, as Amy reminded me, curiosity killed the cat. But don’t cats have nine lives? So it must be ok for them. On the other hand, I am not a cat that much.

The Catacombs were the next. We were getting more and more excited as we got nearer to the catacombs. As we learned from our guide, those catacombs were 2.500 km long, which left our mouths open! We saw there in how harsh cconditions the partisans hid themselves from Germans during World War II. It was a great historic site to visit. We thanked God that we didn’t live in those times. But, still wars don’t end and innocent people are killed, right?

We wanted to try some Ukrainian Cuisine before we leave the country. Thus we went to the restaurant called Ukrainian Lassunka on De Ribas Street. When they offered us Ukraininian moonshine as a gift from the restaurant, we were very glad to see such hospitability. I guess Ukrainian people are nearly as hospitable as Turkish people.
Anyway, we enjoyed our meal very much. It was already night and we were leaving the next day. So we wanted to have
a fling before we left ! We went to the nightclub called Ibiza and never regretted it except for the ache in our feet caused by dancing too much.

All in all, it was an unforgettable journey. When Amy and I meet, we still remind each other such beautiful days.

You too can enjoy all that Odessa has to offer.  But before you do, check out of great hotel offers. rates start at less than EUR 30 for 2 people sharing a room.

http://www.gtahotels.com/cities/odessa.htm

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Vasa Museum was a great place to learn about the history of the town. The shipwreck made us wonder about the reason why it sank. It was a very interesting story. I will not tell you that here so as not to spoil your excitement for visiting the museum. The visit to the Royal Palace in Gamla Stan was wonderful. It was a huge building built in the Baroque style. Especially the changing of the guards in accompaniment of the march is worth seeing. When we learned that there were also woman soldiers in Sweden, we got quite surprised indeed.

We liked the Skansen which comprised an aquarium, a small zoo and an open-air museum most. I adored the butterfly garden. It was so colorful that I couldn’t believe it was real. There were many animals in the aquarium. Don’t think that it is only fish because it’s called aquarium. Scorpions, spiders, parrots and lemurs were also there. We even fed a snake! We were afraid at first, but after we saw even a little girl feeding a snake, we decided that we could try it, too. Thanks to the little girl who inspired us (well, ok maybe a little jealous of her courage), we had a whole strange experience. Tired but happy, we returned to our hotel called New World Hotel which was quite nice and clean.

The next day, an even different experience was waiting for us. We took a tour in the Viking boats. The view of Stockholm from the boat was really spectacular. We also saw many people using Gingers as transportation vehicles. We were very very lucky to catch the annual Jazz Festival held in Stockholm. It was really fun! We danced and drank till we dropped! We could also see the Cow Parade. It was like those in Europe. Many colorful cows all surrounded the city. I felt I was in a meadow when I saw them. At night, the party aboard was waiting for us! Dancing on the waves! Watching the stars while dancing! It was all nothing but fun! I am talking about the party we joined at the Patricia Nightclub. I will never forget that night. I had never had so much fun before. We decided to go to a restaurant where we could try some local dishes. We were charmed by both the décor and the food of the Koh Phangan Restaurant. At the end of our Stockholm trip, the lines that I wrote into my diary were: A wonderful place to spend holiday in. Hope I’ll have time to come here again… I guess those sentences summarize my impressions of Stockholm

If you aretempted top visit Stockholm, check out our great hotel rates that start from under EUR 50 for a room for 2 persons

 http://www.gtahotels.com/cities/stockholm.htm

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Omonia square is the oldest square in Athens. The square today is surrounded by hotels and cafes and is where you will find Omonia train and metro station.
If you want to see works by Argyros Umvertos then head for the National Gallery which houses more than 15,000 works of art and sculpture. The museum is closed on Tuesdays and also closes mid afternoon every day so it’s best to visit in the mornings.
The port in Athens is called Pireaus and from here all of the cruise ships that are coming to Athens dock. Also from here you can start your Greek Island hopping!

If you want to participate in our Travel Trivia Questions and be kept up to date with our great hotel deals then sign up for our newsletter

http://www.gtahotels.com/membersignup.php

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What is the name of Biarritz’s largest beach?
If you are a chocolate lover in Biarritz, where should you visit?
Fish fun for all the family! Where in Biarritz can you see more than 150 marine life?

Biarritz has many sandy beaches and is also well known for its surfing beaches. However the largest beach is called La Grande Plage.

Chocolate lovers visiting Biarritz should visit the Musée du Chocolat. This museum traces everyones favourite must eat! The Chocolate tour and tasting sessions are available Monday to Saturday from 10 to 12 and 2 to 6.

Looking for fishy fun in Biarritz then head for the Musée de la Mer. The aquarium is housed in a Art Deco building and as well as the fish displays, you get to watch the seals being fed at 10.30 and 5pm every day.

If you want to participate in our Travel Trivia Questions and be kept up to date with our great hotel deals then
sign up for our newsletter

http://www.gtahotels.com/membersignup.php

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I started next day bright and early. Chowpatty Beach was very nice; once I went there at night and saw that it was full of food stalls, entertainers, vendors and children’s rides. It was awesome. I had even more fun than children. As for the parks, I liked the Pherozeshah Mehta Gardens the most. We even had a chance to picnic.                           
All in all, Mumbai is a gem. I will certainly go there again if I find the chance to. And yes I still had the same name when I left the country I was lucky, huh

If Old Bombay or new Mumbai tempts you, then check out our Mumbai hotel deals.  Rates start from EUR 50  for 2 persons sharing a room

 http://www.gtahotels.com/cities/mumbai.htm
 

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My curiosity about Dubai began when I read some news about a skyscraper that would be completed in 2010. The skyscraper would be the first building to be in motion! Imagine your sweet home changing its place! Thus you could get various views of the city! I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw its pictures. It is still a project, but I am sure we will all be stunned to see it just in two years. Technology has developed so much that I think one day our houses will drive us to work  what a comfort it would be! But this time we would have house-traffic. Well, let’s go back to my journey to Dubai.

I was very excited when my plane landed at Dubai International Airport. It took me 15 minutes to reach my hotel called Palm Beach Rotana Inn Hotel. It was quite a nice hotel with many facilities. Well, maybe it wasn’t as huge and modern as the Burj Al Arab which has 7 stars, but it was still very modern and comfortable. By the way, I saw Burj Al Arab; it was marvelous and really resembled to a “giant sail”.

Next day, I went to Jumeirah to see the great Jumeirah Mosque. I was taking a photo of the mosque when I heard the sonorous voice coming from the mosque. I felt very excited, because I hadn’t heard any call to pray before. It seemed as if the impressive voice came from the sky. After the call to prayer, I saw some Muslims going to the mosque. I also took some photos of them, because it was interesting to see people all leaving what they were doing and going to perform prayer. I learned that non-Muslims are also allowed to enter the mosque. Although I needed to cover my shoulders and hair with the help of a scarf, it was no problem for me. I took off my shoes while entering a Buddhist temple, so I could cover my head while entering a mosque. It is considered as signs of respect by them.

As I liked shopping, a friend of mine advised me to go to the street market called the Gold Souk. Diamonds and gold in the shop were as if winking at me! Ifelt dizzy when I tried to look at every one of them. They were so bright! At the very first moment that I saw them, I immediately wanted to marry with the shop owner. Well, when I glanced at him, I again immediately gave up! Obviously NOT my type! Anyway, after I bought a golden necklace, I went on sightseeing. My next place to visit was the Dubai Museum on Al-Fahidi Street. It was very beneficial to visit the museum for I grasped the history of the city there. I was shocked to learn that this gorgeous city was once a small deserted town! What they call metamorphosis must be that!

I wanted to see Dubai Creek next, so I took a creek cruise which was the most wonderful cruise that I have attended. The Creek was very calm and peaceful. It was also kind of romantic to watch around in the pale light of the moon. Well, it would be more romantic if my boyfriend was with me. Maybe I should reconsider the guy in the Gold Souk LOL. I also tasted the sweetest fruit of my life: Dates. They were so delicious and as I learned from the date seller, they were very nutritive, too. I liked the different exotic dishes in Dubai. I couldn’t find any alcoholic beverage in some places, but it was ok for me.
 I already wanted a sober holiday about which I would remember every detail. These were just some of the things I could do in Dubai; actually it takes a long time to enjoy all attractions of the city. So it is still a place to be discovered for me.

 If Dubai tempts your senses.  Do check our even more tempting hotel rates;

http://www.gtahotels.com/cities/dubai.htm

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Do you planning to come and see one of the wonderful cities in the world? So, you should get ready to take a trip full of action! If you want to see all historical attractions, you will need a vast time or you can take a tour by open bus for the best sightseeing!

 In the charming atmosphere of the city, you will have a great time with perfect scenery. Istanbul is the only city that built on two continents, it combines them perfectly. Istanbul is a link between the east and the west and Europe and Asia!

 The only thing that you should do is to sit the air-conditioned comfortable bus and watch the unique scenery and feel the fascinating history of this ancient city. Recorded commentary in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Russian, Hebrew and Dutch is also available in these tours for your better-learning!

These open-bus tours are available in everyday. The departure point is Sultanahmet Center. Open-buses take off in
every 60 minutes from 10.00 am to 6.00 pm. Hotel pickup is not available so you should go to Sultanahmet Center on your own.

The price is 25 Euro per person. I guess there is a discount for the students.

You can see the followings from the open top buses:

Hagia Sophia
Blue Mosque
Hippodrome
Underground Cistern
Gulhane Park
Archeological Museum
Sirkeci Train Station for “Orient Express”
Topkapi Palace
Port of Bosphorus
Boats to Asia and Princes’ Islands
Chamber of Commerce
New Mosque
Spice Bazaar
Galata Bridge
Women’s Prison
Galata Tower
Kilic Ali Pasa Mosque
Tophane (Cannon Factory)
Kilic Ali Pasa Mosque
Nusretiye Mosque
Chamber of Shipping
Academy of Fine Arts (1st Ottoman Parliament)
Dolmabahce Mosque
Dolmabahce Palace (PHOTO STOP)
Stadium
Japanese and German Consulates
Ataturk Cultural Center
Taksim Square
Istiklal Street
Tarlabasi Avenue
Golden Horn
Tuyap Exhibition Center
Pera Palas Hotel (of Agatha Christie’s)
Old Pera
Ataturk Bridge
Suleymaniye Mosque
Fatih Mosque
Aqueduct of Valens
Pantocrator
Patriarchate of Fener
Bulgarian (Meetal) Church
Ahrida Synagogue
Jewish Hospital
Justinian Palace
Pierre Loti Cafe
Eyup Sultan Mosque
City Walls
Egrikapi
Edirnekapi
Topkapi
Balikli Monastery
Mevlanakapi
Silivrikapi
Abdi Ipekci Sports Halls
Belgradkapi
Yedikule Dungeons
Golden Gate
Byzantine Harbour
Doors to Byzantium
Yenikapi
Fish Market
Kumkapi
Catladikapi

Have  a look at our Istanbul tours. You can even travel to Gallipoli in a day!

 http://www.gtahotels.com/activities/activitiessearch.php?city=Istanbul

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