<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	>

<channel>
	<title>Global Grasshopper &#124; Travel Tips and Inspiration &#187; Europe</title>
	<atom:link href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/tag/europe/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://www.globalgrasshopper.com</link>
	<description>Travel Tips and Inspiration</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Tue, 27 Jul 2010 09:40:19 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5</generator>
	<language>en</language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
	<xhtml:meta xmlns:xhtml="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" name="robots" content="noindex" />
		<item>
		<title>Experience: The volcanic ash left me stranded in Rome!</title>
		<link>http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/experience-the-volcanic-ash-left-me-stranded-in-rome/?utm_source=rss&amp;utm_medium=rss&amp;utm_campaign=experience-the-volcanic-ash-left-me-stranded-in-rome</link>
		<comments>http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/experience-the-volcanic-ash-left-me-stranded-in-rome/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 06 Jun 2010 10:00:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Scott Balaam</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Travel Experiences]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Ash Cloud]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Europe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[experience]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[GlobalGrasshopper]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Iceland]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Photo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[restaurants in rome]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Roma]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rome]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[trastevere]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[volcano]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/?p=1355</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It was supposed to be a short six day break in my favourite city but turned into a twelve day holiday. You probably would have heard about Iceland's temperamental volcano deciding to spew ash into the flight space above Europe from April onwards this year-ruining many a traveller's holiday...

<h2>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/europe/rome-see-it-all-in-two-days/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Rome: see it all in two days'>Rome: see it all in two days</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/experience-a-long-hike-up-mount-kinabalu/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Experience: A long hike up Mount Kinabalu'>Experience: A long hike up Mount Kinabalu</a></li>
</ol></h2>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1362" title="Stranded in Rome on GlobalGrasshopper.com" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/P1.jpg" alt="Stranded in Rome on GlobalGrasshopper.com" width="640" height="519" /><a title="http://www.flickr.com/photos/olastuen/3729165900/" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/olastuen/3729165900/" target="_blank">Photo</a></p>
<p>It was supposed to be a short six day break in my favourite city but turned into a twelve day holiday. You probably would have heard about Iceland&#8217;s temperamental Eyjafjallajokull <a title="volcano" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8627545.stm" target="_blank">volcano</a> deciding to spew ash into the flight space above Europe from April onwards this year-ruining many a traveller&#8217;s holiday and leaving thousands of others stranded and at the mercy of their credit cards. Well it happened to me and my wife the day we tried to leave Rome and return home. Being stranded isn’t a pleasant experience -you feel a certain vulnerability when you realise you have no options. Although having said that I can think of much worse places to be stuck!</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1364" title="Rome on GlobalGrasshopper.com" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Rome.jpg" alt="Rome on GlobalGrasshopper.com" width="640" height="479" /><a title="http://www.flickr.com/photos/gmacorig/327526960/" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/gmacorig/327526960/" target="_blank">Photo</a></p>
<p>After we eventually got back home I caught one of the many ongoing Ash Cloud news reports and I realised we could have easily been camping out at the airport-we were definitely one of the lucky ones. Here&#8217;s how we coped and how we used the time uncovering some of Rome&#8217;s cultural hidden gems:</p>
<h3>No room at the inn</h3>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1367" title="Trastevere Apartment on GlobalGrasshopper.com" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Trastevere-Apartmement.jpg" alt="Trastevere Apartment on GlobalGrasshopper.com" width="640" height="480" /><a title="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mozzercork/171146473/" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mozzercork/171146473/" target="_blank">Photo</a></p>
<p>At first we were pretty excited about having an extended stay in this beautiful city but then the excitement turned to slight panic about the extra money we would be having to spend and hadn&#8217;t budgeted for. We&#8217;d been staying with a friend but decided imposing on them for an extra six days could really test our friendship! <a title="Roma Rentals" href="http://www.romarentals.net/" target="_blank">Roma Rentals</a> website turned out to be life saver and in not much time at all found a lovely apartment on the outskirts of <a title="Trastevere" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trastevere" target="_blank">Trastevere</a> which was perfect for the two of us. Although by now we getting more than a bit worried about the cost of our beloved dogs residing in some expensive kennels and the airport car park charges were also racking up at €7.50 each day. I could have kicked myself for not taking out any travel insurance&#8230;</p>
<h3>Food and drink</h3>
<p>We also had to look at our limited budget and factor in the extra costs of eating and drinking. Some restaurants in Rome are reasonably priced so we knew if we were a bit savvy about this we could just about manage. We begrudgingly had to give up the 30 euros bottles of wine we had been previously enjoying in the touristy but classy<a title="Campo de Fiori" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campo_de'_Fiori" target="_blank"> Campo di Fiori</a> and swap to a 2 euro version in La Cantina di Bracco in Trastevere.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1366" title="Trastevere on GlobalGrasshopper.com" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Trastevere.jpg" alt="Trastevere on GlobalGrasshopper.com" width="640" height="428" /><a title="http://www.flickr.com/photos/formalfallacy/3345683779/" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/formalfallacy/3345683779/" target="_blank">Photo</a></p>
<p>This restaurant was a great place &#8211; here you can choose your wine and they put it into plastic bottles and charge you by the litre. We also made the most of the shops where they sell slices of fresh (and delicious) pizza and pasta by weight and a great cheap restaurant <a title="Antica Osteria da Giovanni" href="http://goitaly.about.com/od/restaurantsandcafes/gr/dagiovanni.htm" target="_blank">Antica Osteria da Giovanni</a> (Via della Lungara, 41a) where they only charge 5 euros for a main course. Thankfully we didn&#8217;t have to starve…</p>
<h3>Passing the time being culture vultures</h3>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1360" title="Farnesina on GlobalGrasshopper.com" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Farnesina.jpg" alt="Farnesina on GlobalGrasshopper.com" width="640" height="427" /><a title="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsifrancis/2671423947/" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsifrancis/2671423947/" target="_blank">Photo</a></p>
<p>We had plenty of time on our hands waiting for the ash to clear and decided it would be foolish not to use this time wisely in this culturally and historically rich city. Having previously lived in Rome for some time we had already seen all the main sites quite a few time over so we decided to visit a few places not on the major tourist trail. First stop was <a title="Villa Farnesina" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Villa_Farnesina" target="_blank">Villa Farnesina</a>, an incredible renaissance building on Via della Lungara which was completed in 1510, the Villa has wonderful frescos on display by artists including <a title="Raphael" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raphael" target="_blank">Raphael</a>, Sebastiano del Piombo and Il Sodoma.</p>
<p>During the next few days we also managed to squeeze in visits to <a title="Galleria Corsini" href="http://www.galleriaborghese.it/corsini/en/edefault.htm" target="_blank">Galleria Corsini </a>where there was a gallery with an impressive collection of 18th-century furniture, ancient and modern sculpture and art and the impressive and tranquil <a title="Botanical Gardens" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orto_Botanico_dell'Università_di_Roma_%22La_Sapienza%22" target="_blank">Botanical Gardens</a> (Largo Cristina di Svezia, 24) which was a welcome relaxing escape from all the fumey mopeds flying around the city.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1359" title="Caravaggio on GlobalGrasshopper.com" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Caravaggio.jpg" alt="Caravaggio on GlobalGrasshopper.com" width="640" height="480" /><a title="http://www.flickr.com/photos/peteranddorota/3984403169/" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/peteranddorota/3984403169/" target="_blank">Photo</a></p>
<p>The overall cultural highlight was a visit to two different galleries; the first was the <a title="Caravaggio Exhibition" href="http://scuderiequirinale.it/mediacenter/FE/home.aspx" target="_blank">Caravaggio Exhibition</a> which celebrated the 400th anniversary of the artist&#8217;s death. We got there early but still had to queue for about two hours but as you&#8217;ll probably agree from the photo it was definitely worth the effort. A couple of days later we then headed to <a title="Palazzo delle Esposizioni" href="http://www.palazzoesposizioni.it/mediacenter/FE/home.aspx" target="_blank">Palazzo delle Esposizioni </a>where we saw “<a title="Nature According to Chirico " href="http://www.palazzoesposizioni.it/Mediacenter/FE/CategoriaMedia.aspx?idc=263" target="_blank">Nature According to De Chirico</a>”. This was another excellent exhibition; there were more than a hundred paintings from public and private collections.</p>
<h3>Slowly running out of money</h3>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1363" title="Piazza on GlobalGrasshopper.com" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Piazza.jpg" alt="Piazza on GlobalGrasshopper.com" width="640" height="427" /><a title="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinomoscato/3522742657/" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinomoscato/3522742657/" target="_blank">Photo</a></p>
<p>As funds grew low we were forced to find alternative ways to spend the extra days. This wasn&#8217;t difficult &#8211; Rome is the perfect city to sit outside in bars and cafes in Piazzas reading and watching the world go by. We found an excellent English bookshop that had a wide range of books in English and also friendly staff that were more than happy to provide recommendations of places to visit and what to do. Should you be in Rome and have a need for a book then visit <a title="Almost Corner Bookstore" href="http://www.bookstoreguide.org/2010/05/almost-corner-bookshop-rome.html" target="_blank">Almost Corner Bookstore</a> (Via del Moro 45, Trastevere).</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1361" title="Iceland volcano on GlobalGrasshopper.com" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/Iceland.jpg" alt="Iceland volcano on GlobalGrasshopper.com" width="640" height="600" /><a title="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sverrir_thor/4644397686/" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sverrir_thor/4644397686/" target="_blank">Photo</a></p>
<p>Okay so we did spend a lot more money than we had planned but overall it was a pretty exciting and memorable experience and I got to see much more of Rome than I normally get to see. Maybe volcanic ash isn&#8217;t so bad after all…</p>


<div class="shr-bookmarks shr-bookmarks-expand shr-bookmarks-center shr-bookmarks-bg-caring-old">
<ul class="socials">
		<li class="shr-comfeed">
			<a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/experience-the-volcanic-ash-left-me-stranded-in-rome/feed" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Subscribe to the comments for this post?">Subscribe to the comments for this post?</a>
		</li>
		<li class="shr-delicious">
			<a href="http://delicious.com/post?url=http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/experience-the-volcanic-ash-left-me-stranded-in-rome/&amp;title=Experience%3A+The+volcanic+ash+left+me+stranded+in+Rome%21" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Share this on del.icio.us">Share this on del.icio.us</a>
		</li>
		<li class="shr-digg">
			<a href="http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&amp;url=http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/experience-the-volcanic-ash-left-me-stranded-in-rome/&amp;title=Experience%3A+The+volcanic+ash+left+me+stranded+in+Rome%21" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Digg this!">Digg this!</a>
		</li>
		<li class="shr-googlebuzz">
			<a href="http://www.google.com/buzz/post?url=http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/experience-the-volcanic-ash-left-me-stranded-in-rome/&amp;imageurl=" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Post on Google Buzz">Post on Google Buzz</a>
		</li>
		<li class="shr-reddit">
			<a href="http://reddit.com/submit?url=http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/experience-the-volcanic-ash-left-me-stranded-in-rome/&amp;title=Experience%3A+The+volcanic+ash+left+me+stranded+in+Rome%21" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Share this on Reddit">Share this on Reddit</a>
		</li>
		<li class="shr-stumbleupon">
			<a href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/experience-the-volcanic-ash-left-me-stranded-in-rome/&amp;title=Experience%3A+The+volcanic+ash+left+me+stranded+in+Rome%21" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon">Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon</a>
		</li>
		<li class="shr-technorati">
			<a href="http://technorati.com/faves?add=http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/experience-the-volcanic-ash-left-me-stranded-in-rome/" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Share this on Technorati">Share this on Technorati</a>
		</li>
		<li class="shr-twitter">
			<a href="http://twitter.com/home?status=Experience%3A+The+volcanic+ash+left+me+stranded+in+Rome%21+-+http://b2l.me/zk8zd&amp;source=shareaholic" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Tweet This!">Tweet This!</a>
		</li>
</ul>
<div style="clear:both;"></div>
</div>



<h2>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/europe/rome-see-it-all-in-two-days/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Rome: see it all in two days'>Rome: see it all in two days</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/experience-a-long-hike-up-mount-kinabalu/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Experience: A long hike up Mount Kinabalu'>Experience: A long hike up Mount Kinabalu</a></li>
</ol></h2>
	<h4>Related posts</h4>
	<ul class="st-related-posts">
	<li><a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/travel-ideas/the-best-european-beach-holidays-for-travel-snobs/" title="The best European beach holidays for travel snobs (25 April, 2010)">The best European beach holidays for travel snobs</a> (5)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/europe/rome-see-it-all-in-two-days/" title="Rome: see it all in two days (8 November, 2009)">Rome: see it all in two days</a> (6)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/travel-photo-of-the-week-tuscany-sunset/" title="Travel photo of the week: Tuscany sunset (10 January, 2010)">Travel photo of the week: Tuscany sunset</a> (3)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/south-america/travel-photo-of-the-week-sunset-in-antofagasta-chile/" title="Travel photo of the week: Sunset in Antofagasta, Chile (21 January, 2010)">Travel photo of the week: Sunset in Antofagasta, Chile</a> (2)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/travel-tips/ten-great-alternative-christmas-destinations/" title="Top 10 Alternative Christmas destinations (27 November, 2009)">Top 10 Alternative Christmas destinations</a> (6)</li>
</ul>

]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/experience-the-volcanic-ash-left-me-stranded-in-rome/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>The best European beach holidays for travel snobs</title>
		<link>http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/travel-ideas/the-best-european-beach-holidays-for-travel-snobs/?utm_source=rss&amp;utm_medium=rss&amp;utm_campaign=the-best-european-beach-holidays-for-travel-snobs</link>
		<comments>http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/travel-ideas/the-best-european-beach-holidays-for-travel-snobs/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 25 Apr 2010 17:24:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Becky</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Travel Ideas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beach holidays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beach hut]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beaches]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Europe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[france]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[GlobalGrasshopper]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[holidays]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Italy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Portugal]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rustic charm]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sardinia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sardinia italy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[turquoise sea]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[village atmosphere]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[winding roads]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/?p=1218</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Are you a self-confessed beach bum but have had enough of high rise overdevelopment and rowdy beer boys? If so, we have pulled together a list of some of Europe's finest beach resorts with not a crowded disco bar or banana boat in sight...

<h2>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/travel-photo-of-the-week-tuscany-sunset/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Travel photo of the week: Tuscany sunset'>Travel photo of the week: Tuscany sunset</a></li>
</ol></h2>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1214" title="Kefalonia on GlobalGrasshopper.com" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Kefalonia.jpg" alt="Kefalonia on GlobalGrasshopper.com" width="640" height="479" /></p>
<p>Are you a self-confessed beach bum but have had enough of high rise over-development and rowdy beer boys? If so, we have pulled together a list of some of Europe&#8217;s finest beach resorts with not a crowded disco bar or<a title="Banana Boat" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana_boat_%28boat%29" target="_blank"> banana boat</a> in sight.</p>
<h3>Best for incredible coastline</h3>
<h3>Amalfi Coast, Italy</h3>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1211" title="Amalfi Coast on GlobalGrasshopper.com" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Amalfi.jpg" alt="Amalfi Coast on GlobalGrasshopper.com" width="640" height="427" /><a title="http://www.flickr.com/photos/glenmaclarty/280155800/" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/glenmaclarty/280155800/" target="_blank">Photo</a></p>
<p>You would be hard pressed to find coastline as jaw-droppingly beautiful as the southern side of Sorrento&#8217;s peninsula. The <a title="Amalfi Coast" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amalfi_coast" target="_blank">Amalfi Coast</a> is 50km stretch of towering cliffs, winding roads, pungent lemon groves, vineyards and whitewashed villas. The resort has long been a magnet for the rich and famous and although the area is incredibly popular, thankfully over-development has been limited-probably largely due to it&#8217;s unforgiving terrain. The gorgeously located <a title="Sorrento" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sorrento" target="_blank">Sorrento</a> and <a title="Ravello" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ravello" target="_blank">Ravello</a> shouldn&#8217;t be missed nor should the photogenic but expensive town of <a title="Positano" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positano" target="_blank">Positano</a>.  If you are a tight budget give the exclusive hotels a miss and stay in one of the family run B&amp;Bs instead.</p>
<h3>Best for authentic charm</h3>
<h3>Sesimbra, Portugal</h3>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1217" title="Sesimbra on GlobalGrasshopper.com" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/sesimbra1.jpg" alt="Sesimbra on GlobalGrasshopper.com" width="640" height="513" /><a title="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pedrosimoes7/4486951037/" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pedrosimoes7/4486951037/" target="_blank">Photo</a></p>
<p><a title="Sesimbra" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sesimbra" target="_blank">Sesimbra</a>, located on the west coast of Portugal is a small and attractive working fishing port where visitors will also benefit from a long promenade, a great beach, clear turquoise sea and some better than average hotels. Sesimbra is not what you&#8217;d call underdeveloped but it still somehow manages to retain it&#8217;s rustic charm and village atmosphere &#8211; the resort is the antithesis of the unashamedly brash <a title="Algarve" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algarve" target="_blank">Algarve</a>. Lisbonites come here to escape the city hassles and is undiscovered by most living outside Portugal. The bay is excellent for swimming and dolphin spotting and there are endless rows of cafes and restaurants to enjoy the local catch of the day. Being only an hour&#8217;s drive from the capital, Sesimbra also makes the perfect base to explore <a title="Lisbon" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lisbon" target="_blank">Lisbon</a> and the neighbouring cosmopolitan seaside town <a title="Cascais" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cascais" target="_blank">Cascais</a>.</p>
<h3>Best for hanging out with the beautiful people</h3>
<h3>Sardinia, Italy</h3>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1216" title="Sardinia on GlobalGrasshopper.com" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Sardinia.jpg" alt="Sardinia on GlobalGrasshopper.com" width="640" height="428" /><a title="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anntatti/3498634896/" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anntatti/3498634896/" target="_blank">Photo</a></p>
<p><a title="Sardinia" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sardinia" target="_blank">Sardinia</a>, the second largest island in the Mediterranean sea is popular with affluent tourists, island-hoppers, beautiful bronzed people and the odd celebrity or two. It&#8217;s also a travel destination of contrasts &#8211; it&#8217;s both historic and cosmopolitan and laid-back and lively. As well as some impossibly picturesque traditional towns, Sardinia has natural beauty in abundance and the perfectly clear turquoise sea and white sandy beaches seem to have more in common with islands much nearer the equator. Head for the glitzier resort towns of <a title="Costa Smeralda" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Costa_Smeralda" target="_blank">Costa Smeralda</a> and Porto Rotundo for your celeb-spotting fix.</p>
<h3>Best for boating</h3>
<h3>Kefalonia, Greece</h3>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1214" title="Kefalonia on GlobalGrasshopper.com" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Kefalonia.jpg" alt="Kefalonia on GlobalGrasshopper.com" width="640" height="479" /><a title="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fanintoflames/2680599774/" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/fanintoflames/2680599774/" target="_blank">Photo</a></p>
<p>The popular novel Louis de Bernières <a title="Captain Corelli's Mandolin" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0238112/" target="_blank">Captain Corelli&#8217;s Mandolin</a> turned <a title="Kefalonia" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kefalonia" target="_blank">Kefalonia</a> into one of the most sought after Greek island resorts but yet this large but still traditional island has somehow managed to escape the problems that the other tourist ridden Greek islands have suffered. As well as being blessed with natural beauty, Kefalonia is adorned with all the usual cliched Greek images such as olive groves, white washed villages, incredible beaches and rugged mountain ranges. Try hiring a small boat to discover one of the many secluded bays inaccessible by road or foot, or use <a title="discount cruises" href="http://www.discountcruises.com/" target="_blank">discount cruises</a> to island hop the rest of the <a title="Ionian Islands" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ionian_Islands" target="_blank">Ionian islands</a>.</p>
<h3>Best for timeless beauty</h3>
<h3>Croatia, Dalmatian Coast</h3>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1213" title="Croatia on GlobalGrasshopper.com" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Croatia.jpg" alt="Croatia on GlobalGrasshopper.com" width="640" height="431" /><a title="http://www.flickr.com/photos/garibaldi/328544470/" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/garibaldi/328544470/" target="_blank">Photo</a></p>
<p><a title="Croatia" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croatia" target="_blank">Croatia</a> has come a long way from it&#8217;s unsettled past and is now considered a safe and welcoming country. It&#8217;s also a much-loved and much hyped holiday destination. Rapid development has been kept to a minimum here and Croatia with it&#8217;s bustling fishing ports, stone-built villages, quiet coves and historical towns is one of Europe&#8217;s most unspoilt and timeless places to take a holiday. Part of it&#8217;s appeal is it&#8217;s renowned dramatic and lengthy rugged coastline often known as the <a title="New Riviera" href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/croatia/735821/Is-this-the-new-Riviera.html" target="_blank">New Riviera</a>. <a title="Dubrovnik" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dubrovnik" target="_blank">Dubrovnik</a>, Lord Byron&#8217;s &#8216;pearl of the Adriatic&#8217; deserves a special mention, it&#8217;s a unique city that has pristinely preserved its Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque churches, palaces and monuments.</p>
<h3>Best for rugged scenery and chic coastal towns</h3>
<h3>Corisca, France</h3>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1212" title="Corscia on GlobalGrasshopper.com" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Corscia1.jpg" alt="Corscia on GlobalGrasshopper.com" width="640" height="429" /><a title="http://www.flickr.com/photos/velo_denz/1469663701/" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/velo_denz/1469663701/" target="_blank">Photo</a></p>
<p>Although popular with tourists, <a title="Corsica" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corsica" target="_blank">Corsica</a> is another island that has surprisingly not succumbed to over-development. Holiday-goers flock here for the mild climate, white sand crescent beaches, serene rocky coves and unrivalled diverse landscapes. The rugged mountainous parts of the island attract walkers and hikers and the chic towns and ports lined with pavement cafés and palm trees offer the perfect place to relax. Try the famous <a title="GR20" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GR20" target="_blank">GR20</a> &#8211; one of the top trails in the world for a particularly exhilarating hike or drive.</p>
<h3>Best for budget</h3>
<h3>Patara, Turkey</h3>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1240" title="Patara on GlobalGrasshopper.com" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/patara.jpg" alt="Patara on GlobalGrasshopper.com" width="640" height="428" /></p>
<p><a title="http://www.ceridwenolofson.co.uk" href="http://www.ceridwenolofson.co.uk" target="_blank">Photo</a></p>
<p><a title="Patara" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patara" target="_blank">Patara</a> is a beachside village located on the glistening &#8216;Turkish Riveria&#8217; (the south-west Aegean coast of Turkey). The resort has one of the longest and most beautiful sandy beaches in the Mediterranean and has the added bonus of being outside the expensive euro-zone. Legend has it that Patara is the birthplace of Apollo and at the height of the Roman Empire it was one of the most important harbours in the western Mediterranean, fine examples of excavated Roman masonry can be found in the village&#8217;s ticketed archeological site. Nowadays Patara mostly attracts Turkish day trippers, bohemian foreigners and nesting turtles!</p>


<div class="shr-bookmarks shr-bookmarks-expand shr-bookmarks-center shr-bookmarks-bg-caring-old">
<ul class="socials">
		<li class="shr-comfeed">
			<a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/travel-ideas/the-best-european-beach-holidays-for-travel-snobs/feed" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Subscribe to the comments for this post?">Subscribe to the comments for this post?</a>
		</li>
		<li class="shr-delicious">
			<a href="http://delicious.com/post?url=http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/travel-ideas/the-best-european-beach-holidays-for-travel-snobs/&amp;title=The+best+European+beach+holidays+for+travel+snobs" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Share this on del.icio.us">Share this on del.icio.us</a>
		</li>
		<li class="shr-digg">
			<a href="http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&amp;url=http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/travel-ideas/the-best-european-beach-holidays-for-travel-snobs/&amp;title=The+best+European+beach+holidays+for+travel+snobs" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Digg this!">Digg this!</a>
		</li>
		<li class="shr-googlebuzz">
			<a href="http://www.google.com/buzz/post?url=http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/travel-ideas/the-best-european-beach-holidays-for-travel-snobs/&amp;imageurl=" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Post on Google Buzz">Post on Google Buzz</a>
		</li>
		<li class="shr-reddit">
			<a href="http://reddit.com/submit?url=http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/travel-ideas/the-best-european-beach-holidays-for-travel-snobs/&amp;title=The+best+European+beach+holidays+for+travel+snobs" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Share this on Reddit">Share this on Reddit</a>
		</li>
		<li class="shr-stumbleupon">
			<a href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/travel-ideas/the-best-european-beach-holidays-for-travel-snobs/&amp;title=The+best+European+beach+holidays+for+travel+snobs" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon">Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon</a>
		</li>
		<li class="shr-technorati">
			<a href="http://technorati.com/faves?add=http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/travel-ideas/the-best-european-beach-holidays-for-travel-snobs/" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Share this on Technorati">Share this on Technorati</a>
		</li>
		<li class="shr-twitter">
			<a href="http://twitter.com/home?status=The+best+European+beach+holidays+for+travel+snobs+-+http://b2l.me/q8fa5&amp;source=shareaholic" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Tweet This!">Tweet This!</a>
		</li>
</ul>
<div style="clear:both;"></div>
</div>



<h2>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/travel-photo-of-the-week-tuscany-sunset/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Travel photo of the week: Tuscany sunset'>Travel photo of the week: Tuscany sunset</a></li>
</ol></h2>
	<h4>Related posts</h4>
	<ul class="st-related-posts">
	<li><a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/experience-the-volcanic-ash-left-me-stranded-in-rome/" title="Experience: The volcanic ash left me stranded in Rome! (6 June, 2010)">Experience: The volcanic ash left me stranded in Rome!</a> (1)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/travel-photo-of-the-week-tuscany-sunset/" title="Travel photo of the week: Tuscany sunset (10 January, 2010)">Travel photo of the week: Tuscany sunset</a> (3)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/travel-tips/ten-great-alternative-christmas-destinations/" title="Top 10 Alternative Christmas destinations (27 November, 2009)">Top 10 Alternative Christmas destinations</a> (6)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/travel-advice/the-10-commandments-of-backpacking/" title="The 10 Commandments of backpacking (18 April, 2010)">The 10 Commandments of backpacking</a> (3)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/europe/rome-see-it-all-in-two-days/" title="Rome: see it all in two days (8 November, 2009)">Rome: see it all in two days</a> (6)</li>
</ul>

]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/travel-ideas/the-best-european-beach-holidays-for-travel-snobs/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Top 10 Alternative Christmas destinations</title>
		<link>http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/travel-tips/ten-great-alternative-christmas-destinations/?utm_source=rss&amp;utm_medium=rss&amp;utm_campaign=ten-great-alternative-christmas-destinations</link>
		<comments>http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/travel-tips/ten-great-alternative-christmas-destinations/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 27 Nov 2009 10:25:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Becky</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Travel Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Australia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Europe]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/?p=549</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Do you love Christmas but can't stand another year of arguing with the relatives and watching the Great Escape on television for the hundredth time? Do you long for a stress-free non-traditional break with not a dry bit of turkey or cold brussels sprout in sight? If so here are some great alternatives to spending your Christmas at home...

<h2>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/uk/top-10-christmas-shopping-destinations-in-the-uk/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Top 10 Christmas shopping destinations in the UK'>Top 10 Christmas shopping destinations in the UK</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/europe/in-pictures-northern-lights/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: In pictures: northern lights'>In pictures: northern lights</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/europe/a-guide-to-the-best-christmas-markets-in-europe/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: A guide to the best Christmas Markets in Europe'>A guide to the best Christmas Markets in Europe</a></li>
</ol></h2>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-551" title="Bondi Beach on GlobalGrasshopper.com" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/332538309_43a3fc4b1c_b.jpg" alt="Bondi Beach on GlobalGrasshopper.com" /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/marv/332538309/" target="_blank">Photo credit</a></p>
<p>Do you love Christmas but can&#8217;t stand another year of arguing with the relatives and watching the <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057115/" target="_blank">Great Escape</a> on television for the hundredth time? Do you long for a stress-free non-traditional break with not a dry bit of turkey or cold brussel sprout in sight? If so here are some great alternatives to spending your Christmas at home.</p>
<h3>Hanging out with Santa in Lapland, Finland</h3>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-551" title="Log cabin in snow on GlobalGrasshopper.com" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/2095668365_dfa8db4751_b.jpg" alt="Log cabin in snow on GlobalGrasshopper.com" width="640" height="480" /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ezioman/2095668365/" target="_blank">Photo credit</a><br />
Keep the kids (and the young at heart) happy and spend Christmas in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lapland_(Finland)" target="_blank">Lapland, Finland.</a> Forget sitting at home and fighting the boredom, Lapland is where Christmas can truly be fairytale experience. Ride husky or reindeer driven sleighs (or just bomb around on a snowmobile), make gingerbread men cookies, snowshoe walk to your cosy log cabin and of course meet Santa in a personal one-to-one. Lapland is now cheaper and easier to get to than ever before.</p>
<h3>Spend vast amounts of money in New York</h3>
<p><img class="ngg-singlepic ngg-center" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/gallery/altern-xmas/69534937_21fead5bb7_o.jpg" alt="Rockerfeller Centre skating on GlobalGrasshopper.com" /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/feil/69534937/" target="_blank">Photo credit</a></p>
<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York" target="_blank">New Yorkers</a> really know how to celebrate Christmas and as expected everything is on a very large scale. The Christmas trees, the lights, the shows on Broadway and the world-famous shopping are just a few examples. Ride a horse-drawn carriage through Central Park, make a fool of yourself ice-skating in the Rockefeller centre, spend a fortune in <a href="http://www.macys.com/" target="_blank">Macys</a> and stop for an eggnog latte in <a href="http://www.bloomingdales.com/" target="_blank">Bloomingdales</a>.</p>
<h3>A country cottage in Ireland</h3>
<p><img class="ngg-singlepic ngg-center" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/gallery/altern-xmas/3266913643_cc926f1565_b.jpg" alt="Cottage in Ireland on GlobalGrasshopper.com" /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonnyandanne/3266913643/" target="_blank">Photo credit</a></p>
<p>Book a cottage in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ireland" target="_blank">Irish</a> countryside and you could be relaxing by a log fire and sipping whiskey on Christmas day. Christmas is a very important time of year in Ireland and if you like your seasonal break to be traditional and spiritual Ireland is the place to be. Join the congregation at midnight mass, sing your heart out at the local carol concert and walk off the Christmas dinner in the beautiful Irish countryside.</p>
<h3>A grand hotel in Edinburgh</h3>
<p><img class="ngg-singlepic ngg-center" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/gallery/altern-xmas/1347101519_8fe1e777ea_b.jpg" alt="Edinburgh on GlobalGrasshopper.com" /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/krustysplodge/1347101519/" target="_blank">Photo credit</a></p>
<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edinburgh" target="_blank">Edinburgh</a> is another place where Christmas is taken very seriously. Pick a grand hotel like the Caledonian Hilton or The Balmoral and enjoy heather-fed lamb or rabbit &amp; pheasant terrine for Christmas dinner instead of turkey. The city hosts many events on the run-up to Christmas, try scaring the kids on Scotland&#8217;s largest ferris wheel or wandering the traditional German Christmas market and overfilling on the obligatory mince pies and mulled wine. Of course you&#8217;ll have to stay for the legendary <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hogmanay" target="_blank">Hogmanay</a>, one of the best new years eve celebrations in the world.</p>
<h3>Working on a tan in Sydney, Australia</h3>
<p><img class="ngg-singlepic ngg-center" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/gallery/altern-xmas/332538309_43a3fc4b1c_b.jpg" alt="Bondi Beach on GlobalGrasshopper.com" /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/marv/332538309/" target="_blank">Photo credit</a></p>
<p>If you can&#8217;t stand the cold and would rather spend your Christmas with bronzed hunks/bikini babes then book a flight to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sydney" target="_blank">Sydney</a>. December is the first month of summer in Australia and the city regularly attracts 40,000 international visitors a year. For a true Aussie Christmas head down to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bondi_Beach,_New_South_Wales" target="_blank">Bondi</a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manly_beach" target="_blank">Manly beach</a> and have shrimps on the barbie as well as a wide range of seafood and salads washed down with plenty of chilled beer.</p>
<h3>With the beautiful people in Aspen, Colorado</h3>
<p><img class="ngg-singlepic ngg-center" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/gallery/altern-xmas/105694885_ec8eb2f700_o.jpg" alt="Aspen Colorado on GlobalGrasshopper.com" /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jkgroove/105694885/" target="_blank">Photo credit</a></p>
<p>This mountain resort <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aspen,_Colorado" target="_blank">playground</a> of the rich and famous would make a fantastic hip and very cool Christmas break. Check out the enormous star placed on the Rocky Mountains to mark the beginning of the festive season, spend Christmas Eve in a trendy nightclub, hang out on the slopes with <a href="http://katehudson.co.uk/" target="_blank">Kate Hudson</a> and <a href="http://cameronfan.com/" target="_blank">Cameron Diaz</a> (well maybe) and stay in a luxurious hotel or romantic ski lodge for Christmas day. Not really a place to bring the kids but if you&#8217;re young and hot this might be your ideal Christmas break location.</p>
<h3>With the American Danes in Solvang, California</h3>
<p><img class="ngg-singlepic ngg-center" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/gallery/altern-xmas/2719415654_d5fb8832a8_b.jpg" alt="Solvang California on GlobalGrasshopper.com" /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jvnunag/2719415654/" target="_blank">Photo credit</a></p>
<p>Where else would be better to spend your Christmas than a Danish town in eh.. California? It may sound a bit bizarre but <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solvang,_California" target="_blank">Solvang</a> isn&#8217;t a place that does things by halves. People and families travel for miles to visit the annual Winterfest here. Christmas Carol singers emerge from every corner, festive music fills the streets and hundreds of twinkling lights illuminate this charming and kitsch old-world style town. Also visit the family run <a href="http://www.solvangschristmashouse.com/" target="_blank">Jule Hus</a> (Danish for Christmas House) to buy all your traditional European Christmas ornaments.</p>
<h3>With furry friends in Anchorage, Alaska</h3>
<p><img class="ngg-singlepic ngg-center" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/gallery/altern-xmas/263906054_3acfb540a3_o.jpg" alt="Reindeer on GlobalGrasshopper.com" /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lindarobinson/263906054/" target="_blank">Photo credit</a></p>
<p>If you&#8217;re an animal lover and have a fondness for reindeer then consider visiting <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anchorage,_Alaska" target="_blank">Anchorage, Alaska</a>. At the reindeer farm (located off the Old Glen Highway just north of Anchorage) you can enjoy a tour where you can feed and pet the reindeer as well as other animals such as elk, moose and blacktail deer. Although if you&#8217;re a sensitive individual be warned you might end up being served poor Rudolph in the restaurant at the end of your tour.</p>
<h3>A country music Christmas in Nashville, Tennessee</h3>
<p><img class="ngg-singlepic ngg-center" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/gallery/altern-xmas/3172992576_6e5d5dcab4_b.jpg" alt="Gaylord Opryland Hotel on GlobalGrasshopper.com" /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/27128806@N06/3172992576/" target="_blank">Photo credit</a></p>
<p>This might not be an obvious choice but you like your Christmas experience to be pretty extreme try <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nashville" target="_blank">Nashville&#8217;s</a> Gaylord Opryland Hotel. It was voted &#8220;The most Christmassy hotel in the nation&#8221; and named in the top ten places to spend Christmas in the world (by Travel &amp; Leisure magazine). If you sign up for the hotel&#8217;s country Christmas package you&#8217;ll see more than a dozen music shows and about 2 million lights. In fact all the people of Nashville know how to properly celebrate Christmas and there are plenty of Christmas events happening here ranging from a Christmas tree auction to a display of interactive ice sculptures of Charles Schulze&#8217;s <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peanuts" target="_blank">Peanuts</a> gang!</p>
<h3>With cocktails and cigars in Cuba</h3>
<p><img class="ngg-singlepic ngg-center" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/gallery/altern-xmas/2036419005_03c05da441_b.jpg" alt="Cuba beach on GlobalGrasshopper.com" /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/abdouw/2036419005/" target="_blank">Photo credit</a></p>
<p>If family Christmas celebrations really bring out the worst in you then <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuba" target="_blank">Cuba</a> might be the perfect antidote. Leave the cold behind and smoke cigars, sip <a href="http://www.cocktail.uk.com/Cocktail-Recipe/Mojito.htm" target="_blank">mojitos</a> and salsa dance the night away on a white sandy beach. Spend Christmas day touring the main sites of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Havana" target="_blank">Havana</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varadero" target="_blank">Varadero</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jardines_del_Rey" target="_blank">Jardines del Rey</a> (a cluster of coral reef islands located off Cuba&#8217;s north coast) in a 1950&#8217;s <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/1950-cadillac/" target="_blank">Cadillac</a>.</p>


<div class="shr-bookmarks shr-bookmarks-expand shr-bookmarks-center shr-bookmarks-bg-caring-old">
<ul class="socials">
		<li class="shr-comfeed">
			<a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/travel-tips/ten-great-alternative-christmas-destinations/feed" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Subscribe to the comments for this post?">Subscribe to the comments for this post?</a>
		</li>
		<li class="shr-delicious">
			<a href="http://delicious.com/post?url=http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/travel-tips/ten-great-alternative-christmas-destinations/&amp;title=Top+10+Alternative+Christmas+destinations" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Share this on del.icio.us">Share this on del.icio.us</a>
		</li>
		<li class="shr-digg">
			<a href="http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&amp;url=http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/travel-tips/ten-great-alternative-christmas-destinations/&amp;title=Top+10+Alternative+Christmas+destinations" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Digg this!">Digg this!</a>
		</li>
		<li class="shr-googlebuzz">
			<a href="http://www.google.com/buzz/post?url=http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/travel-tips/ten-great-alternative-christmas-destinations/&amp;imageurl=" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Post on Google Buzz">Post on Google Buzz</a>
		</li>
		<li class="shr-reddit">
			<a href="http://reddit.com/submit?url=http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/travel-tips/ten-great-alternative-christmas-destinations/&amp;title=Top+10+Alternative+Christmas+destinations" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Share this on Reddit">Share this on Reddit</a>
		</li>
		<li class="shr-stumbleupon">
			<a href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/travel-tips/ten-great-alternative-christmas-destinations/&amp;title=Top+10+Alternative+Christmas+destinations" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon">Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon</a>
		</li>
		<li class="shr-technorati">
			<a href="http://technorati.com/faves?add=http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/travel-tips/ten-great-alternative-christmas-destinations/" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Share this on Technorati">Share this on Technorati</a>
		</li>
		<li class="shr-twitter">
			<a href="http://twitter.com/home?status=Top+10+Alternative+Christmas+destinations+-+http://b2l.me/bc9t9&amp;source=shareaholic" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Tweet This!">Tweet This!</a>
		</li>
</ul>
<div style="clear:both;"></div>
</div>



<h2>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/uk/top-10-christmas-shopping-destinations-in-the-uk/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Top 10 Christmas shopping destinations in the UK'>Top 10 Christmas shopping destinations in the UK</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/europe/in-pictures-northern-lights/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: In pictures: northern lights'>In pictures: northern lights</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/europe/a-guide-to-the-best-christmas-markets-in-europe/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: A guide to the best Christmas Markets in Europe'>A guide to the best Christmas Markets in Europe</a></li>
</ol></h2>
	<h4>Related posts</h4>
	<ul class="st-related-posts">
	<li><a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/australia/top-10-places-to-visit-in-australia/" title="Top 10 places to visit in Australia (11 February, 2010)">Top 10 places to visit in Australia</a> (6)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/europe/rome-see-it-all-in-two-days/" title="Rome: see it all in two days (8 November, 2009)">Rome: see it all in two days</a> (6)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/about/" title="About GlobalGrasshopper (18 October, 2009)">About GlobalGrasshopper</a> (0)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/travel-news/welcome-to-globalgrasshopper/" title="Welcome to GlobalGrasshopper (22 October, 2009)">Welcome to GlobalGrasshopper</a> (1)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/travel-photo-of-the-week-tuscany-sunset/" title="Travel photo of the week: Tuscany sunset (10 January, 2010)">Travel photo of the week: Tuscany sunset</a> (3)</li>
</ul>

]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/travel-tips/ten-great-alternative-christmas-destinations/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>In pictures: northern lights</title>
		<link>http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/europe/in-pictures-northern-lights/?utm_source=rss&amp;utm_medium=rss&amp;utm_campaign=in-pictures-northern-lights</link>
		<comments>http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/europe/in-pictures-northern-lights/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:30:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Graham</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Destinations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Europe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Travel Photography]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[northern lights]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[travel photo]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/?p=462</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The northern lights or aurora borealis have fascinated many for thousands of years. A naturally occurring phenomenon, the lights appear as solar wind particles collide with air molecules in the Earth's atmosphere, and emit excess energy as light...


No related posts.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-461" title="Northern Lights on GlobalGrasshopper.com" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/n_lights5.jpg" alt="Northern Lights on GlobalGrasshopper.com" width="640" height="417" />Photo: Joshua Strang, USAF</p>
<p>The northern lights or <a title="Aurora Borealis" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurora_(astronomy)" target="_blank">aurora borealis</a> have fascinated many for thousands of years. A naturally occurring phenomenon, the lights appear as solar wind particles collide with air molecules in the Earth&#8217;s atmosphere, and emit excess energy as light.</p>
<p>The winter months provide the best conditions to see them in the northern regions of Iceland, Canada, Finland, Sweden and Norway. You&#8217;re not always guaranteed to see them, but on a clear evening, far away from natural lights, and as far north as possible, you could witness this incredible display of nature.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-460" title="Northern Lights on GlobalGrasshopper.com" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/n_lights4.jpg" alt="Northern Lights on GlobalGrasshopper.com" width="640" height="427" /><a title="Northern lights" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/satoru_kikuchi/2320051383/" target="_blank">Photo credit</a></p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-459" title="Northern Lights on GlobalGrasshopper.com" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/n_lights3.jpg" alt="Northern Lights on GlobalGrasshopper.com" width="640" height="427" /><a title="Northern lights" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nickrussill/150410912/" target="_blank">Photo credit</a></p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-458" title="Northern Lights on GlobalGrasshopper.com" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/n_lights2.jpg" alt="Northern Lights on GlobalGrasshopper.com" width="640" height="422" /><a title="Northern lights" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nickrussill/150410999" target="_blank">Photo credit</a></p>
<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-457" title="Northern Lights on GlobalGrasshopper.com" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/n_lights1.jpg" alt="Northern Lights on GlobalGrasshopper.com" width="640" height="428" /><a title="Northern lights" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dalli/3252091276/" target="_blank">Photo credit</a></p>
<h2>Where to stay</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>Sweden:</strong> <a href="http://www.hotelscombined.com/Hotel/Icehotel_Jukkasjarvi.htm?label=Icehotel&amp;a_aid=15944" target="_blank">Icehotel</a> &#8211; Built entirely from snow and ice, a stylish hotel north of the Arctic Circle in Lapland</li>
<li><strong>Iceland:</strong> <a href="http://www.hotelscombined.com/Hotel/Hotel_Ranga_Hella.htm?label=Hotel+Ranga&amp;a_aid=15944" target="_blank">Hotel Rangá</a> &#8211; A member of the Special Hotels Of The World, a luxury resort 1hr from Reykjavik</li>
<li><strong>Finland:</strong> <a href="http://www.hotelscombined.com/Hotel/Holiday_Club_Hotel_Saariselkä.htm?label=Holiday+Club+Hotel+Saariselka&amp;a_aid=15944" target="_blank">Holiday Club Hotel Saariselka</a> &#8211; The northernmost spa hotel in Europe</li>
<li><strong>Canada:</strong> <a href="http://www.hotelscombined.com/Hotel/Explorer_Hotel_Yellowknife.htm?label=Explorer+Hotel&amp;a_aid=15944" target="_blank">Explorer Hotel</a> &#8211; In northwest Canada, 500km from the Arctic Circle</li>
</ul>


<div class="shr-bookmarks shr-bookmarks-expand shr-bookmarks-center shr-bookmarks-bg-caring-old">
<ul class="socials">
		<li class="shr-comfeed">
			<a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/europe/in-pictures-northern-lights/feed" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Subscribe to the comments for this post?">Subscribe to the comments for this post?</a>
		</li>
		<li class="shr-delicious">
			<a href="http://delicious.com/post?url=http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/europe/in-pictures-northern-lights/&amp;title=In+pictures%3A+northern+lights" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Share this on del.icio.us">Share this on del.icio.us</a>
		</li>
		<li class="shr-digg">
			<a href="http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&amp;url=http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/europe/in-pictures-northern-lights/&amp;title=In+pictures%3A+northern+lights" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Digg this!">Digg this!</a>
		</li>
		<li class="shr-googlebuzz">
			<a href="http://www.google.com/buzz/post?url=http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/europe/in-pictures-northern-lights/&amp;imageurl=" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Post on Google Buzz">Post on Google Buzz</a>
		</li>
		<li class="shr-reddit">
			<a href="http://reddit.com/submit?url=http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/europe/in-pictures-northern-lights/&amp;title=In+pictures%3A+northern+lights" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Share this on Reddit">Share this on Reddit</a>
		</li>
		<li class="shr-stumbleupon">
			<a href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/europe/in-pictures-northern-lights/&amp;title=In+pictures%3A+northern+lights" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon">Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon</a>
		</li>
		<li class="shr-technorati">
			<a href="http://technorati.com/faves?add=http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/europe/in-pictures-northern-lights/" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Share this on Technorati">Share this on Technorati</a>
		</li>
		<li class="shr-twitter">
			<a href="http://twitter.com/home?status=In+pictures%3A+northern+lights+-+File: /home/vps_useracct/b2l.me/functions.php<br />Line: 66<br />Message: Duplicate entry 'bcMz2' for key 2&amp;source=shareaholic" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Tweet This!">Tweet This!</a>
		</li>
</ul>
<div style="clear:both;"></div>
</div>



<p>No related posts.</p>
	<h4>Related posts</h4>
	<ul class="st-related-posts">
	<li><a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/uk/travel-photo-of-the-week-west-pier-at-dusk-brighton/" title="Travel photo of the week: West Pier at dusk, Brighton (29 November, 2009)">Travel photo of the week: West Pier at dusk, Brighton</a> (0)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/travel-photo-of-the-week-tuscany-sunset/" title="Travel photo of the week: Tuscany sunset (10 January, 2010)">Travel photo of the week: Tuscany sunset</a> (3)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/south-america/travel-photo-of-the-week-sunset-in-antofagasta-chile/" title="Travel photo of the week: Sunset in Antofagasta, Chile (21 January, 2010)">Travel photo of the week: Sunset in Antofagasta, Chile</a> (2)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/travel-photo-of-the-week-hong-kong-pandas/" title="Travel photo of the week: Hong Kong Pandas (14 November, 2009)">Travel photo of the week: Hong Kong Pandas</a> (0)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/travel-photo-of-the-week-calistoga-napa-valley/" title="Travel photo of the week: Calistoga, Napa Valley (22 November, 2009)">Travel photo of the week: Calistoga, Napa Valley</a> (0)</li>
</ul>

]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/europe/in-pictures-northern-lights/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Rome: see it all in two days</title>
		<link>http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/europe/rome-see-it-all-in-two-days/?utm_source=rss&amp;utm_medium=rss&amp;utm_campaign=rome-see-it-all-in-two-days</link>
		<comments>http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/europe/rome-see-it-all-in-two-days/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 08 Nov 2009 15:44:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Scott Balaam</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Destinations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Europe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Travel Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[City Guide]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hotels]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Rome]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/?p=367</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Rome is a wonderful place. It’s a truly beautiful and sometimes mysterious city. Rome was my home for over two years and these were some of the best years of my life so far. During my time there I learned a lot, although it’s an incredible place it also be a hard place to visit. I hope this guide will help you enjoy this famous and ancient city even more...


No related posts.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-380" title="Rome Colosseum" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Rome101.jpg" alt="Rome Colosseum" width="640" height="427" /></p>
<p><a title="Rome" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rome" target="_blank">Rome</a> is a wonderful place. It’s a truly beautiful and sometimes mysterious city. Rome was my home for over two years and these were some of the best years of my life so far. During my time there I learned a lot, although it’s an incredible place it also be a hard place to visit. I hope this guide will help you enjoy this famous and ancient city even more.</p>
<h3>Getting around</h3>
<p><img class="ngg-singlepic ngg-right" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/gallery/rome/thumbs/thumbs_rome5.jpg" alt="Caesar statue in Rome on GlabalGrasshopper.com" />My first recommendation is to avoid taxis! Personally I am not a big fan taxi drivers anyway but in Rome 90% of the time you feel you have been ripped off. Rome is a fairly small place and easy to navigate around. You can get around most of the city using the bus or my favourite option, walking. Avoid the bus tours everyone tries to sell you and buy either a one day travel pass (€4) or a three day pass (€11). This will entitle you to unlimited travel around the whole of Rome.</p>
<h3>Where to stay</h3>
<p><img class="ngg-singlepic ngg-left" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/gallery/rome/thumbs/thumbs_rome9.jpg" alt="St Peters, Rome on GlabalGrasshopper.com" />When you visit Rome like with so many cities, it’s important to chose the right location when you’re looking for somewhere to stay. I have a few suggestions, <a title="Piazza Venezia, Rome" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piazza_Venezia" target="_blank">Piazza Venezia</a> or <a title="Piazza Barberini, Rome" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piazza_Barberini" target="_blank">Piazza Barberini</a> would be a good choice because of their central location. <a title="St Peters, Rome" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Peter%27s_Basilica" target="_blank">St Peters</a> and The Vatican is a nice area to stay but it can be a little harder to get to other places from. My personal preference would be to stay in <a title="Trastevere, Rome" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trastevere" target="_blank">Trastevere</a>; this would give you a real Roman experience although there are only a handful of hotels located there.</p>
<p><a title="Termini, Rome" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roma_Termini_railway_station" target="_blank">Termini</a> seems to be a popular tourist location because it has plenty of cheap hotels and is accessible to all the main sights in Rome. Personally I would avoid Termini, the restaurants are appalling and the crime rate here is above average.</p>
<h3>Places to see</h3>
<p>No matter how many days you plan to spend in Rome it will never be enough. When people come to Rome they often only stay for two or three days so here is a suggested itinerary for two days:</p>
<h3>Recommended Itinerary &#8211; Day 1</h3>
<ol>
<li>Early Morning: Take a trip to St Peters. If possible try to visit before 9am as you will beat the crowds and get a completely different experience to one when it is full of hundreds of people all taking photos and driving you crazy.</li>
<li>When you have finished at St.Peters follow the surrounding wall around to the <a title="Vatican, Rome" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vatican_Museums " target="_blank">Vatican museum</a> (on your way you will see a little ice cream shop on your right, my personal favourite in all of Rome). Again it is best to get to the museum as early as possible as the queues can get ridiculous. Ignore the people trying to sell you tours and head in on your own, you can always hire an audio guide once inside. Allow a couple of hours in the museum.</li>
<li>Once you have finished in the museum jump on the <a title="Metro, Rome" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cipro_(Rome_Metro)" target="_blank">metro</a> and head in the direction of Termini for three stops. Once at <a title="Metro, Rome" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flaminio_-_Piazza_del_Popolo_(Rome_Metro)" target="_blank">Flaminio</a> jump off and head to <a title="Piazza del Popolo" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piazza_del_Popolo" target="_blank">Piazza del Popolo</a>. I would imagine that you are now feeling a little hungry and in need of a beer. A great stop for excellent pizzas is Pizza Re (Pizza King) on Via di Ripetta.</li>
<li>Next head along <a title="Via del Corso, Rome" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Via_del_Corso" target="_blank">Via del Corso</a> and check out the shops. Some shops you might like and some you might wonder who the hell buys the stuff in them. Romans tend to have a unique sense of fashion (as you will see from those around you!).</li>
<li><img class="ngg-singlepic ngg-right" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/gallery/rome/thumbs/thumbs_rome11.jpg" alt="Trevi Fountain, Rome on GlobalGrasshopper.com" />Follow the signs or your map to the <a title="Trevi Fountain, Rome" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trevi_Fountain" target="_blank">Trevi Fountain</a>, once there beware of beggars and people trying to sell you useless rubbish.</li>
<li>Round the corner from the Trevi Fountain you will find the famous <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_Steps" target="_blank">Spanish Steps</a>. Walk and up feel free to count them (if you’re feeling masochistic!). Now with your back to the steps, head right and make your way to <a title="Barberini, Rome" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palazzo_Barberini" target="_blank">Barberini</a> (along Via Sistina).</li>
<li>Once at Barberini you will see one of Bernini’s famous fountains, an impressive sight before the final part of the journey. Walk along Via Barberini until you come to <a title="Piazza della Repubblica, Rome" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piazza_della_Repubblica" target="_blank">Piazza della Repubblica</a>. If you feel like you’ve earned a special treat, I would suggest sitting outside the Boscolo Hotel and enjoy an expensive but well deserved <a title="Mojito Cocktail" href="http://www.cocktail.uk.com/Cocktail-Recipe/Mojito.htm" target="_blank">Mojito</a>.</li>
<li>After a pretty hectic day you might fancy a quiet meal. I would recommend “Perdincibacco” next to St.Peters on Via delle Fornaci. The food here is good and you’ll get a very good litre of house red for just €6.</li>
</ol>
<h3>Recommended Itinerary &#8211; Day 2</h3>
<ol>
<li><img class="ngg-singlepic ngg-right" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/gallery/rome/thumbs/thumbs_rome4.jpg" alt="Colosseum, Rome on GlobalGrasshopper.com" />The first stop is to visit the <a title="Colosseum, Rome" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colosseum" target="_blank">Colosseum</a>, if possible I would suggest trying to get a ticket in advance, there is a good chance you can get it from your hotel or they will point you in the right direction. Again avoid the offers of tour guides or having your photo taken people dressed up as gladiators. It may look fun but they will charge you over €10 for the privilege!</li>
<li>After you’ve exhausted the Colosseum head to the <a title="Roman Forum" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Forum" target="_blank">Forum</a> , here you can walk around ancient ruins for free.</li>
<li>You will end up in <a title="Piazza Venezia, Rome" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piazza_Venezia" target="_blank">Piazza Venezia</a>, from here it would be a good spot to stop for a coffee. In cafes you will rarely see Italians sitting down having a coffee, this is because they know the coffee prices are ridiculous in tourist spots (two or three times the normal price!)</li>
<li><img class="ngg-singlepic ngg-right" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/gallery/rome/thumbs/thumbs_rome2.jpg" alt="Pantheon at night, Rome on GlobalGrasshopper.com" />After you’ve enjoyed your probably very expensive coffee, make your way down <a title="Via del Corso, Rome" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Via_del_Corso" target="_blank">Via del Corso</a> until you see signs on your left for the <a title="Pantheon, Rome" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantheon,_Rome" target="_blank">Pantheon</a>. The Pantheon is a very busy spot, but a good mix of locals and tourists. Once past the crowds head inside and have a good look around, it’s an incredible monument and my personal favourite.</li>
<li>For lunch you can do as Romans do and stop off for <a title="Pizza al taglio, Rome" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pizza_al_taglio" target="_blank">Pizza al Taglio</a>. You will probably have seen various places selling large slabs of pizza. A slice of pizza will be cut off for you depending how hungry you are! They will then weigh it and tell you how much you owe. The pizza in Rome is incredible and very different to what you have probably eaten in the rest of the world!</li>
<li>After the Pantheon and lunch make your way to <a title="Piazza Navona" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piazza_Navona" target="_blank">Piazza Navona</a> and <a title="Campo de Fiori, Rome" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Campo_de%27_Fiori" target="_blank">Campo di Fiori</a> (field of flowers, not that you will see any there!), both places are fantastic spots to stop for a coffee (this time it’s worth paying the extra and having a seat). Kick back, take a rest and do some quality people watching. Caffe della Pace behind Piazza Navona it isn’t a cheap stop at €5 for a freshly squeezed orange juice, but it’s well worth it.</li>
<li>Once the sun has gone down, I would highly recommend heading back to the Colosseum to get some photos, an incredible sight with the<img class="ngg-singlepic ngg-right" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/gallery/rome/thumbs/thumbs_rome1.jpg" alt="St Peters at night, Rome on GlobalGrasshopper.com" /> lights inside turned on.</li>
<li>Then head to <a title="Trastevere, Rome" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trastevere" target="_blank">Trastevere</a> and take a stroll around the cobbled streets before choosing one of the many excellent local restaurants. I would recommend “Da Agusto” or a lovely trattoria “Da Lucia.” A good tip when choosing a restaurant is that if you see a group of Italians waiting outside it’s a pretty safe bet.</li>
<li>After dinner and maybe an ice cream (you can’t come to Rome and not try their ice cream!) you may fancy a bar or club. Most tourists would head to Campo di Fiori but some of the city’s best night clubs are in <a title="Testaccio, Rome" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Testaccio" target="_blank">Testaccio</a>. Rome’s nightclubs are a pretty unusual experience but definitely worth a visit.</li>
</ol>
<p>Rome is a wonderful place with so much to offer. If you enjoy it half as much as I did you I’m sure you’ll have a great time!</p>
<h3>Rome: the Lowdown</h3>
<p><em>Rome is the capital of Italy and is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber river. Rome is a very historic city and is over two and a half thousand years old and was one of the founding and most powerful cities in Western Civilization. It is often cited as one of the best cities to visit in the world. Rome has hot dry summers, wet and cold winters and pleasant temperatures in spring and autumn. It is not uncommon to have fine beach weather from the start of May until the middle of October.</em></p>
<h3>Good value popular hotels in Rome</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.hotelscombined.com/Hotel/WRH_Trastevere_Hotel_Rome.htm?label=WRH+Trastevere&amp;a_aid=15944" target="_blank">WRH Trastevere</a> (One of only a few hotels in Trastevere)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.hotelscombined.com/Hotel/Hotel_Aquarium_Rome.htm?label=Apollo+Hotel&amp;a_aid=15944" target="_blank">Apollo Hotel</a> (near the Colosseum and the Trevi Fountain)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.hotelscombined.com/Hotel/Hotel_Artorius_Rome.htm?label=Hotel+Artorius&amp;a_aid=15944" target="_blank">Hotel Artorius</a> (quiet but very central location)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.hotelscombined.com/Hotel/Caesar_House_Residenze_Romane_Rome.htm?label=Caesar+House+Residenze+Romane&amp;a_aid=15944" target="_blank">Caesar House Residenze Romane</a> (close to the Colosseum with views over the Roman Forum)</li>
<li><a href="http://www.hotelscombined.com/City/Rome.htm?label=Or+search+over+30+major+travel+sites+at+once+to+find+the+best+price+for+all+hotels+in+Rome.&amp;a_aid=15944" target="_blank">Or search over 30 major travel sites at once to find the best price for all hotels in Rome.</a></li>
</ul>


<div class="shr-bookmarks shr-bookmarks-expand shr-bookmarks-center shr-bookmarks-bg-caring-old">
<ul class="socials">
		<li class="shr-comfeed">
			<a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/europe/rome-see-it-all-in-two-days/feed" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Subscribe to the comments for this post?">Subscribe to the comments for this post?</a>
		</li>
		<li class="shr-delicious">
			<a href="http://delicious.com/post?url=http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/europe/rome-see-it-all-in-two-days/&amp;title=Rome%3A+see+it+all+in+two+days" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Share this on del.icio.us">Share this on del.icio.us</a>
		</li>
		<li class="shr-digg">
			<a href="http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&amp;url=http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/europe/rome-see-it-all-in-two-days/&amp;title=Rome%3A+see+it+all+in+two+days" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Digg this!">Digg this!</a>
		</li>
		<li class="shr-googlebuzz">
			<a href="http://www.google.com/buzz/post?url=http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/europe/rome-see-it-all-in-two-days/&amp;imageurl=" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Post on Google Buzz">Post on Google Buzz</a>
		</li>
		<li class="shr-reddit">
			<a href="http://reddit.com/submit?url=http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/europe/rome-see-it-all-in-two-days/&amp;title=Rome%3A+see+it+all+in+two+days" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Share this on Reddit">Share this on Reddit</a>
		</li>
		<li class="shr-stumbleupon">
			<a href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/europe/rome-see-it-all-in-two-days/&amp;title=Rome%3A+see+it+all+in+two+days" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon">Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon</a>
		</li>
		<li class="shr-technorati">
			<a href="http://technorati.com/faves?add=http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/europe/rome-see-it-all-in-two-days/" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Share this on Technorati">Share this on Technorati</a>
		</li>
		<li class="shr-twitter">
			<a href="http://twitter.com/home?status=Rome%3A+see+it+all+in+two+days+-+http://b2l.me/bdfsh&amp;source=shareaholic" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Tweet This!">Tweet This!</a>
		</li>
</ul>
<div style="clear:both;"></div>
</div>



<p>No related posts.</p>
	<h4>Related posts</h4>
	<ul class="st-related-posts">
	<li><a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/about/" title="About GlobalGrasshopper (18 October, 2009)">About GlobalGrasshopper</a> (0)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/travel-tips/ten-great-alternative-christmas-destinations/" title="Top 10 Alternative Christmas destinations (27 November, 2009)">Top 10 Alternative Christmas destinations</a> (6)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/experience-the-volcanic-ash-left-me-stranded-in-rome/" title="Experience: The volcanic ash left me stranded in Rome! (6 June, 2010)">Experience: The volcanic ash left me stranded in Rome!</a> (1)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/travel-news/welcome-to-globalgrasshopper/" title="Welcome to GlobalGrasshopper (22 October, 2009)">Welcome to GlobalGrasshopper</a> (1)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/travel-photo-of-the-week-tuscany-sunset/" title="Travel photo of the week: Tuscany sunset (10 January, 2010)">Travel photo of the week: Tuscany sunset</a> (3)</li>
</ul>

]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/europe/rome-see-it-all-in-two-days/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>A guide to the best Christmas Markets in Europe</title>
		<link>http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/europe/a-guide-to-the-best-christmas-markets-in-europe/?utm_source=rss&amp;utm_medium=rss&amp;utm_campaign=a-guide-to-the-best-christmas-markets-in-europe</link>
		<comments>http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/europe/a-guide-to-the-best-christmas-markets-in-europe/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 04 Nov 2009 21:35:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Becky</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Destinations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Europe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Travel Ideas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[christmas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[shopping]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/?p=340</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>
If you are yearning for all things festive then take a look at our guide to some of the best European Christmas markets. Europe has a wide range of Christmas markets so whether you are hankering after the ultimate Christmas tree topper or have just developed a strong liking for mulled wine and Christmas cake you are sure to find something here to your taste. Christmas markets offer many goods at discounted prices in December so shop around for the [...]

<h2>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/uk/top-10-christmas-shopping-destinations-in-the-uk/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Top 10 Christmas shopping destinations in the UK'>Top 10 Christmas shopping destinations in the UK</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/asia/hong-kong-the-best-way-to-start-exploring-asia/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Hong Kong: The best way to start exploring Asia?'>Hong Kong: The best way to start exploring Asia?</a></li>
</ol></h2>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-353" title="Christmas Market" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Xmas-Market1.jpg" alt="Christmas Market" width="640" height="480" /><br />
If you are yearning for all things festive then take a look at our guide to some of the best European Christmas markets. Europe has a wide range of Christmas markets so whether you are hankering after the ultimate Christmas tree topper or have just developed a strong liking for mulled wine and Christmas cake you are sure to find something here to your taste. Christmas markets offer many goods at discounted prices in December so shop around for the best price.</p>
<h3>Best for Atmosphere</h3>
<p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cologne" target="_blank">Cologne</a> Christmas market is actually six markets in one town, the four largest and the most impressive are located right outside the town&#8217;s beautiful Gothic cathedral. The markets are a huge event and every year they regularly attract 2 million visitors. The half-timber stalls, the temporary ice-rink, the floating market and the Medieval Christmas market outside the <a href="http://www.schokoladenmuseum.de/index_e.html" target="_blank">Chocolate museum</a> are particularly attractive to visitors and are just a few of the reasons why this market has charmed so many to keep returning in huge numbers year after year. In fact nobody does a Christmas market quite like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuremberg" target="_blank">Germany and Nuremberg</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dresden" target="_blank">Dresden</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munich" target="_blank">Munich</a> are also considered some of the most beautiful and atmospheric.</p>
<p><strong>Cologne Christmas market:</strong> 27th November – 23rd December 2009<br />
<strong>Nuremberg Christmas market:</strong> 27th November &#8211; 24th December 2009<br />
<strong>Dresden Christmas market:</strong> 26th November–24th December 2009<br />
<strong>Munich Christmas market:</strong> 27th November &#8211; 24th December 2009</p>
<p>Good value and popular hotels in Cologne:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.hotelscombined.com/Hotel/Azimut_Hotel_City_Center_Cologne.htm?label=Azimut+Hotel+City+Center&#038;a_aid=15944" target="_blank">Azimut Hotel City Center</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.hotelscombined.com/Hotel/Hotel_Lyskirchen_Cologne.htm?label=Hotel+Lyskirchen&#038;a_aid=15944" target="_blank">Hotel Lyskirchen</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.hotelscombined.com/Hotel/Hotel_Domstern_Cologne.htm?label=Hotel+Domstern&#038;a_aid=15944" target="_blank">Hotel Domstern</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.hotelscombined.com/City/Cologne.htm?label=Or+search+all+hotels+in+Cologne&#038;a_aid=15944" target="_blank">Or search all hotels in Cologne</a></li>
</ul>
<p>Search all hotels in <a href="http://www.hotelscombined.com/City/Nuremberg.htm?label=Nuremburg&#038;a_aid=15944" target="_blank">Nuremburg</a>, <a href="http://www.hotelscombined.com/City/Dithmarschen.htm?label=Dresden&#038;a_aid=15944" target="_blank">Dresden</a> or <a href="http://www.hotelscombined.com/City/Munich.htm?label=Munich&#038;a_aid=15944" target="_blank">Munich</a></p>
<h3>Best for Children</h3>
<p>There is a strong emphasis on fairy tales and folk-lore at the the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prague" target="_blank">Prague</a> Christmas markets and the organisers really go that extra mile in creating a true &#8220;Winter Wonderland&#8221; setting. There is even a nativity style petting zoo, a very large (and extremely well lit!) Christmas tree, dance and singing concerts and horse carriage rides as well as traditional seasonal foods and decoration/gifts.</p>
<p><strong>Prague Christmas Market:</strong> 28th November 2009 &#8211; 1st January 2010</p>
<p>Good value and popular hotels in Prague:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.hotelscombined.com/Hotel/Arcadia_Residence_Prague.htm?label=Arcadia+Residence&#038;a_aid=15944" target="_blank">Arcadia Residence</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.hotelscombined.com/Hotel/Park_Inn_Hotel_Prague.htm?label=Park+Inn+Hotel&#038;a_aid=15944" target="_blank">Park Inn Hotel</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.hotelscombined.com/Hotel/Julian_Hotel_Prague.htm?label=Hotel+Julian&#038;a_aid=15944" target="_blank">Hotel Julian</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.hotelscombined.com/City/Prague.htm?label=Or+search+all+hotels+in+Prague&#038;a_aid=15944" target="_blank">Or search all hotels in Prague</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Best for Budget</h3>
<p>It might not be the most famous market but this traditional but less commercial Christmas market in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bratislava" target="_blank">Bratislava</a>, Slovakia might be the perfect choice for a more budget-conscious traveller. Popular with tourists and locals alike this market offers everything from locally crafted gifts, winter clothing and ceramics as well as everything in between. Watch live entertainment as you scoff bread with dripping and onion and potato pancakes filled with goose liver (or just fruit-filled pancakes and apple pies..)</p>
<p><strong>Bratislava Christmas Market:</strong> 1st November 2009 &#8211; 1st January 2010</p>
<p>Good value and popular hotels in Bratislava:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.hotelscombined.com/Hotel/Hotel_Arcus_Bratislava.htm?label=Hotel+Arcus&#038;a_aid=15944" target="_blank">Hotel Arcus</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.hotelscombined.com/Hotel/Hotel_Antares_Bratislava.htm?label=Hotel+Antares&#038;a_aid=15944" target="_blank">Hotel Antares</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.hotelscombined.com/Hotel/Ibis_Bratislava_Centrum_Hotel.htm?label=Ibis+Bratislava+Centrum&#038;a_aid=15944" target="_blank">Ibis Bratislava Centrum</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.hotelscombined.com/City/Bratislava.htm?label=Or+search+all+hotels+in+Bratislava&#038;a_aid=15944" target="_blank">Or search all hotels in Bratislava</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Most Unique Shopping Experience</h3>
<p><a class="thickbox" href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/gallery/xmas-market/xmas-market3.jpg"><img class="ngg-singlepic ngg-right" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/gallery/xmas-market/thumbs/thumbs_xmas-market3.jpg" alt="Christmas Market" /></a>If you&#8217;re after something a little bit different then perhaps the Christmas market in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valkenburg_aan_de_Geul" target="_blank">Valkenburg</a>, Holland would appeal, the whole market takes place in a cave underneath the city. Trawl the candle-lit labyrinth of passageways and caverns for gifts and decorations and marvel at the impressive mural carvings and sculptures also located there.</p>
<p><strong>Valkenburg Christmas Market:</strong> 28th November &#8211; 14th December 2009</p>
<p>Good value and popular hotels in Valkenburg:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.hotelscombined.com/Hotel/Hotel_LeTo_Valkenburg.htm?label=Hotel+LeTo&#038;a_aid=15944" target="_blank">Hotel LeTo</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.hotelscombined.com/Hotel/Atlanta_Hotel_Valkenburg.htm?label=Hotel+Atlanta&#038;a_aid=15944" target="_blank">Hotel Atlanta</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.hotelscombined.com/Hotel/Hotel_Schaepkens_van_St_Fijt_Valkenburg.htm?label=Schaepkens+van+St+Fijt+Hotel&#038;a_aid=15944" target="_blank">Schaepkens van St Fijt Hotel</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.hotelscombined.com/City/Valkenburg.htm?label=Or+search+all+hotels+in+Valkenburg&#038;a_aid=15944" target="_blank">Or search all hotels in Valkenburg</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Best for Chocolate Lovers</h3>
<p>If you or your family had a particular addiction to all things chocolate then the popular Christmas fair in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brussels" target="_blank">Brussels</a>, Belgium should be right up your street. The &#8220;Winter Wonderland&#8221; takes place on the Place Sainte Catherine and as well as culinary delights such as steamed snails, oysters, gingerbread and forest mushrooms on toast, as expected there is also a vast range of Belgian chocolate treats.</p>
<p><strong>Brussels Christmas Market:</strong> 27th November 2009 &#8211; 3rd January 2010</p>
<p>Good value and popular hotels in Brussels:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.hotelscombined.com/Hotel/NH_Stephanie_Hotel_Brussels.htm?label=NH+Stephanie&#038;a_aid=15944" target="_blank">NH Stephanie</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.hotelscombined.com/Hotel/Hotel_A_La_Grande_Cloche_Brussels.htm?label=Hotel+a+la+Grande+Cloche&#038;a_aid=15944" target="_blank">Hotel a la Grande Cloche</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.hotelscombined.com/Hotel/Four_Points_by_Sheraton_Hotel_Brussels.htm?label=Four+Points+by+Sheraton&#038;a_aid=15944" target="_blank">Four Points by Sheraton</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.hotelscombined.com/City/Brussels.htm?label=Or+search+all+hotels+in+Brussels&#038;a_aid=15944" target="_blank">Or search all hotels in Brussels</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Coolest Christmas Market</h3>
<p><img class="ngg-singlepic ngg-left" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/gallery/xmas-market/thumbs/thumbs_xmas-market2.jpg" alt="Christmas bauble" /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barcelona" target="_blank">Barcelona</a> is often considered one of the coolest European cities and Christmas in Barcelona is no exception. The weather is still warm enough to walk comfortably around the city at night and the lively street artists in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Ramblas" target="_blank">Las Ramblas</a> make for a very good atmosphere. The Santa Lucia market is located near the cathedral in the Gothic quarter in Barcelona, here you can buy local crafts, unusual gifts (including <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caganer" target="_blank">Caganer,</a> a Catalan &#8220;pooping&#8221; statue!) and the traditional Spanish Christmas sweet <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turron" target="_blank">turron</a>. If you plan your stay around the 28th December, you&#8217;ll be treated to the Spanish version of April Fool&#8217;s Day when the streets will be filled with even more lively entertainment, artists and music.</p>
<p><strong>Santa Lucia Christmas Market:</strong> 1st &#8211; 24th December or 28th December 2009 for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Innocents" target="_blank">&#8220;Holy Innocents&#8217; Day&#8221;</a> (the Spanish version of April Fools Day).</p>
<p>Good value and popular hotels in Barcelona:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.hotelscombined.com/Hotel/Hotel_Condado_Barcelona.htm?label=Condado+Hotel&#038;a_aid=15944" target="_blank">Condado Hotel</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.hotelscombined.com/Hotel/Praktik_Rambla_Hotel_Barcelona.htm?label=Hotel+Praktik+Rambla&#038;a_aid=15944" target="_blank">Hotel Praktik Rambla</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.hotelscombined.com/Hotel/Catalonia_Port_Hotel_Barcelona.htm?label=Catalonia+Port&#038;a_aid=15944" target="_blank">Catalonia Port</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.hotelscombined.com/City/Barcelona.htm?label=Or+search+all+hotels+in+Barcelona&#038;a_aid=15944" target="_blank">Or search all hotels in Barcelona</a></li>
</ul>
<h3>Best all rounder</h3>
<p>The &#8220;Christkindlmärkte&#8221; in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vienna" target="_blank">Vienna</a>, Austria is another very popular (and seven hundred year old!) Christmas market. It&#8217;s a very traditional market with an emphasis on nostalgia, fun and romance. As well as the usual concerts and nativity displays there is also a well-loved live advent calendar display and a Children&#8217;s Christmas Workshop in the City Hall. The atmospheric streets, town square and the surrounding park are all filled with the aromas of candied fruits, cotton candy, Christmas punch and roasted chestnuts, surely the perfect way to get you in the Christmas mood?</p>
<p><strong>Vienna Christmas Market:</strong> 14th November &#8211; 24th December 2009</p>
<p>Good value and popular hotels in Vienna:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.hotelscombined.com/Hotel/Rathaus_Wein_And_Design_Hotel_Vienna.htm?label=Hotel+Rathaus+Wein+%26+Design+Wien&#038;a_aid=15944" target="_blank">Hotel Rathaus Wein &#038; Design Wien</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.hotelscombined.com/Hotel/Bella_Vienna_City_Hotel.htm?label=Bella+Vienna+City+Hotel&#038;a_aid=15944" target="_blank">Bella Vienna City Hotel</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.hotelscombined.com/Hotel/Starlight_Suiten_Am_Salzgries_Hotel_Vienna.htm?label=Starlight+Suiten+Am+Salzgries&#038;a_aid=15944" target="_blank">Starlight Suiten Am Salzgries</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.hotelscombined.com/City/Vienna.htm?label=Or+search+all+hotels+in+Vienna&#038;a_aid=15944" target="_blank">Or search all hotels in Vienna</a></li>
</ul>


<div class="shr-bookmarks shr-bookmarks-expand shr-bookmarks-center shr-bookmarks-bg-caring-old">
<ul class="socials">
		<li class="shr-comfeed">
			<a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/europe/a-guide-to-the-best-christmas-markets-in-europe/feed" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Subscribe to the comments for this post?">Subscribe to the comments for this post?</a>
		</li>
		<li class="shr-delicious">
			<a href="http://delicious.com/post?url=http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/europe/a-guide-to-the-best-christmas-markets-in-europe/&amp;title=A+guide+to+the+best+Christmas+Markets+in+Europe+" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Share this on del.icio.us">Share this on del.icio.us</a>
		</li>
		<li class="shr-digg">
			<a href="http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&amp;url=http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/europe/a-guide-to-the-best-christmas-markets-in-europe/&amp;title=A+guide+to+the+best+Christmas+Markets+in+Europe+" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Digg this!">Digg this!</a>
		</li>
		<li class="shr-googlebuzz">
			<a href="http://www.google.com/buzz/post?url=http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/europe/a-guide-to-the-best-christmas-markets-in-europe/&amp;imageurl=" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Post on Google Buzz">Post on Google Buzz</a>
		</li>
		<li class="shr-reddit">
			<a href="http://reddit.com/submit?url=http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/europe/a-guide-to-the-best-christmas-markets-in-europe/&amp;title=A+guide+to+the+best+Christmas+Markets+in+Europe+" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Share this on Reddit">Share this on Reddit</a>
		</li>
		<li class="shr-stumbleupon">
			<a href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/europe/a-guide-to-the-best-christmas-markets-in-europe/&amp;title=A+guide+to+the+best+Christmas+Markets+in+Europe+" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon">Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon</a>
		</li>
		<li class="shr-technorati">
			<a href="http://technorati.com/faves?add=http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/europe/a-guide-to-the-best-christmas-markets-in-europe/" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Share this on Technorati">Share this on Technorati</a>
		</li>
		<li class="shr-twitter">
			<a href="http://twitter.com/home?status=A+guide+to+the+best+Christmas+Markets+in+Europe++-+http://b2l.me/bc9ez&amp;source=shareaholic" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Tweet This!">Tweet This!</a>
		</li>
</ul>
<div style="clear:both;"></div>
</div>



<h2>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/uk/top-10-christmas-shopping-destinations-in-the-uk/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Top 10 Christmas shopping destinations in the UK'>Top 10 Christmas shopping destinations in the UK</a></li>
<li><a href='http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/asia/hong-kong-the-best-way-to-start-exploring-asia/' rel='bookmark' title='Permanent Link: Hong Kong: The best way to start exploring Asia?'>Hong Kong: The best way to start exploring Asia?</a></li>
</ol></h2>
	<h4>Related posts</h4>
	<ul class="st-related-posts">
	<li><a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/europe/travel-photo-of-the-week-winter-in-utrecht/" title="Travel photo of the week: Winter in Utrecht (6 December, 2009)">Travel photo of the week: Winter in Utrecht</a> (0)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/uk/travel-photo-of-the-week-west-pier-at-dusk-brighton/" title="Travel photo of the week: West Pier at dusk, Brighton (29 November, 2009)">Travel photo of the week: West Pier at dusk, Brighton</a> (0)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/uk/top-10-christmas-shopping-destinations-in-the-uk/" title="Top 10 Christmas shopping destinations in the UK (1 November, 2009)">Top 10 Christmas shopping destinations in the UK</a> (2)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/travel-tips/ten-great-alternative-christmas-destinations/" title="Top 10 Alternative Christmas destinations (27 November, 2009)">Top 10 Alternative Christmas destinations</a> (6)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/travel-ideas/the-best-european-beach-holidays-for-travel-snobs/" title="The best European beach holidays for travel snobs (25 April, 2010)">The best European beach holidays for travel snobs</a> (5)</li>
</ul>

]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/europe/a-guide-to-the-best-christmas-markets-in-europe/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>About GlobalGrasshopper</title>
		<link>http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/about/?utm_source=rss&amp;utm_medium=rss&amp;utm_campaign=about</link>
		<comments>http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/about/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 18 Oct 2009 13:57:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Graham</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Asia]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[City Guide]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Europe]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[UK]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/?page_id=2</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[
	


<p>Welcome to our travel blog and resource for independently minded global travellers.</p>
<p>All our writers love to travel, conveniently a few of us love photography and one of us loves designing websites. At GlobalGrasshopper we like independent travel, discovering places away from the usual tourist haunts, quirky hotels and beautiful photos and this website is the product of all our favourite things. We just hope you enjoy it as much as we do&#8230;</p>
<p>Join our mailing list to keep up-to-date on all [...]


No related posts.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/gallery/usa/malibu-beach.jpg" title="Santa Monica beach on GlobalGrasshopper.com" class="thickbox" rel="singlepic15" >
	<img class="ngg-singlepic ngg-center" src="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/wp-content/gallery/cache/15__640x_malibu-beach.jpg" alt="Santa Monica beach, California on GlobalGrasshopper.com" title="Santa Monica beach, California on GlobalGrasshopper.com" />
</a>

<p><strong>Welcome to our travel blog and resource for independently minded global travellers.</strong></p>
<p>All our writers love to travel, conveniently a few of us love photography and one of us loves designing websites. At GlobalGrasshopper we like independent travel, discovering places away from the usual tourist haunts, quirky hotels and beautiful photos and this website is the product of all our favourite things. We just hope you enjoy it as much as we do&#8230;</p>
<p>Join our mailing list to keep up-to-date on all the latest news, travel advice, top tens, unusual hotel guides and great photography.</p>
<p>Several of our writers are available for freelance writing work and we also offer a variety of advertising packages (GlobalGrasshopper is Page Rank 3)  please contact us for further details or if you want to swap links.</p>
<p>Meet the team:</p>
<div class="shortcode-author-avatars"><div class="author-list"><div class="user with-name"><a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/author/becky/"><span class="avatar"><img src='http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/3cc0689e34059652ee32348131e625a2?s=96&amp;d=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gravatar.com%2Favatar%2Fad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536%3Fs%3D96&amp;r=G' class='avatar avatar-96 photo' height='96' width='96' alt="Becky" title="Becky" /></span><span class="name">Becky</span></a></div><div class="user with-name"><a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/author/camile/"><span class="avatar"><img src='http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/f73ea0154750d10016402164b7b5b39c?s=96&amp;d=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gravatar.com%2Favatar%2Fad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536%3Fs%3D96&amp;r=G' class='avatar avatar-96 photo' height='96' width='96' alt="Camille" title="Camille" /></span><span class="name">Camille</span></a></div><div class="user with-name"><a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/author/carly/"><span class="avatar"><img src='http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/ecf3baed5fae9b656e02ceec7e8ee1c4?s=96&amp;d=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gravatar.com%2Favatar%2Fad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536%3Fs%3D96&amp;r=G' class='avatar avatar-96 photo' height='96' width='96' alt="Carly" title="Carly" /></span><span class="name">Carly</span></a></div><div class="user with-name"><a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/author/emmaglobalgrasshopper-com/"><span class="avatar"><img src='http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/a575de6984c48309b517838f1ed9f291?s=96&amp;d=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gravatar.com%2Favatar%2Fad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536%3Fs%3D96&amp;r=G' class='avatar avatar-96 photo' height='96' width='96' alt="Emma Clair Kelly" title="Emma Clair Kelly" /></span><span class="name">Emma Clair Kelly</span></a></div><div class="user with-name"><a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/author/graham/"><span class="avatar"><img src='http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/f81a1983499a410a558e67957547d98f?s=96&amp;d=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gravatar.com%2Favatar%2Fad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536%3Fs%3D96&amp;r=G' class='avatar avatar-96 photo' height='96' width='96' alt="Graham" title="Graham" /></span><span class="name">Graham</span></a></div><div class="user with-name"><a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/author/aldo/"><span class="avatar"><img src='http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/9753998f9ed1ac6618624f03787e38ed?s=96&amp;d=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gravatar.com%2Favatar%2Fad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536%3Fs%3D96&amp;r=G' class='avatar avatar-96 photo' height='96' width='96' alt="Guest Writer" title="Guest Writer" /></span><span class="name">Guest Writer</span></a></div><div class="user with-name"><a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/author/leeglobalgrasshopper-com/"><span class="avatar"><img src='http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/e0cdf74c2509be9a6f9a89d1776fc134?s=96&amp;d=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gravatar.com%2Favatar%2Fad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536%3Fs%3D96&amp;r=G' class='avatar avatar-96 photo' height='96' width='96' alt="Lee Hubbard" title="Lee Hubbard" /></span><span class="name">Lee Hubbard</span></a></div><div class="user with-name"><a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/author/ross/"><span class="avatar"><img src='http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/e23631533e8f1096d09bdbe43eb3296a?s=96&amp;d=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gravatar.com%2Favatar%2Fad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536%3Fs%3D96&amp;r=G' class='avatar avatar-96 photo' height='96' width='96' alt="Ross Taylor" title="Ross Taylor" /></span><span class="name">Ross Taylor</span></a></div><div class="user with-name"><a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/author/scott/"><span class="avatar"><img src='http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/3721872a05dfb0a128e6dc3c08d157a2?s=96&amp;d=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gravatar.com%2Favatar%2Fad516503a11cd5ca435acc9bb6523536%3Fs%3D96&amp;r=G' class='avatar avatar-96 photo' height='96' width='96' alt="Scott Balaam" title="Scott Balaam" /></span><span class="name">Scott Balaam</span></a></div></div></div>
<p>GlobalGrasshopper illustration by the great <a href="http://twitter.com/bobbinrobin" target="_blank">bobbinrobin</a></p>


<div class="shr-bookmarks shr-bookmarks-expand shr-bookmarks-center shr-bookmarks-bg-caring-old">
<ul class="socials">
		<li class="shr-comfeed">
			<a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/about/feed" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Subscribe to the comments for this post?">Subscribe to the comments for this post?</a>
		</li>
		<li class="shr-delicious">
			<a href="http://delicious.com/post?url=http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/about/&amp;title=About+GlobalGrasshopper" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Share this on del.icio.us">Share this on del.icio.us</a>
		</li>
		<li class="shr-digg">
			<a href="http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&amp;url=http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/about/&amp;title=About+GlobalGrasshopper" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Digg this!">Digg this!</a>
		</li>
		<li class="shr-googlebuzz">
			<a href="http://www.google.com/buzz/post?url=http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/about/&amp;imageurl=" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Post on Google Buzz">Post on Google Buzz</a>
		</li>
		<li class="shr-reddit">
			<a href="http://reddit.com/submit?url=http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/about/&amp;title=About+GlobalGrasshopper" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Share this on Reddit">Share this on Reddit</a>
		</li>
		<li class="shr-stumbleupon">
			<a href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/submit?url=http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/about/&amp;title=About+GlobalGrasshopper" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon">Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon</a>
		</li>
		<li class="shr-technorati">
			<a href="http://technorati.com/faves?add=http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/about/" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Share this on Technorati">Share this on Technorati</a>
		</li>
		<li class="shr-twitter">
			<a href="http://twitter.com/home?status=About+GlobalGrasshopper+-+http://b2l.me/bjcfs&amp;source=shareaholic" rel="nofollow" class="external" title="Tweet This!">Tweet This!</a>
		</li>
</ul>
<div style="clear:both;"></div>
</div>



<p>No related posts.</p>
	<h4>Related posts</h4>
	<ul class="st-related-posts">
	<li><a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/europe/rome-see-it-all-in-two-days/" title="Rome: see it all in two days (8 November, 2009)">Rome: see it all in two days</a> (6)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/travel-tips/ten-great-alternative-christmas-destinations/" title="Top 10 Alternative Christmas destinations (27 November, 2009)">Top 10 Alternative Christmas destinations</a> (6)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/asia/singapore-making-the-most-of-your-stay/" title="Singapore: Making the most of your stay (6 January, 2010)">Singapore: Making the most of your stay</a> (3)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/destinations/asia/siem-reap-angkor-wat-cambodia-an-independent-travel-guide/" title="Siem Reap &#038; Angkor Wat, Cambodia &#8211; an independent travel guide (2 May, 2010)">Siem Reap &#038; Angkor Wat, Cambodia &#8211; an independent travel guide</a> (12)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/travel/travel-news/welcome-to-globalgrasshopper/" title="Welcome to GlobalGrasshopper (22 October, 2009)">Welcome to GlobalGrasshopper</a> (1)</li>
</ul>

]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.globalgrasshopper.com/about/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
	</channel>
</rss>
