It is situated on the coast of the Bay of Naples and it is conspicuous in the wonderful landscape featured by the Bay of Naples when one views it from the sea. The volcano is famous for its eruption during the AD 79 which has led to the destruction of Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Vesuvius is considered by the Greeks and Romans as being holy to the hero and demigod Heracles/Hercules and the town of the Herculaneum, which was built at its base, was then named after him.

vesuvius, italy, attraction

The city is a significant shipping port and ferry dock and people can actually take ferries and boats from the city going to different destinations such as Thira, Rhodes, Egypt, Haifa and Mainland Greece. It has a warm Mediterranean climate where the summers are characterized as hot and dry with clear skies while the winters are mild in the lowlands with rare frost.

It serves as the capital of Heraklion Prefecture which has an international airport that was named after the writer Nikos Kazantzakis. For many centuries, the city was known as Candia—a Venetian adaptation of “Candida o Candidus” which refers to whiteland. Heraklion is also considered as the fourth largest city in the country.

heraklion, greece, destination

Its natural beauty includes vast mountains and peaks, sheltered islets, wonderful stretches of seashore and large virgin areas. The archipelago is also well known for its bountiful water resources and it serves as the home of numerous creatures. If you love adventure, bring along your loved one in some remarkable activities in Lofoten. They actually offer a one of kind rock climbing and mountaineering. The place offers 24 hours of daylight during summer and it amazingly has an Alpine-style ridges and summits, and glaciers.

lofoten, norway, destination

It is made from eaux-de-vie which means “waters of life” produced through doubly distilling the white wines made in any of the growth areas of the region. The wine is characterized as very dry, acidic, thin wine and not actually appropriate for drinking but is best for distillation.

There are different grades of cognac showcased in the market and these are the VS or Very Special, VSOP or Very Superior Old Pale and XO or extra old. Among the flavors of the cognac are the grande champagne, petite champagne, borderies, fins bois, bons bois and the bois ordinaries.

cognac, france, beverage

It was Joseph Sheridan, a head chef at Foynes, County Limerick, who invented the Irish coffee. The coffee was then conceived after a group of American passengers disembarked at the airport in the area on a miserable evening during the 1940s. The chef decided to add whiskey to the coffee to warm the said passengers.

The preparation of the Irish coffee is very easy. First, one has to pour a black coffee into the mug then whiskey and at least one teaspoon of sugar is stirred until the ingredients are fully dissolved. The thick cream is then carefully poured over the back of a spoon above the surface of the coffee and it is raised a little.

irish coffee, ireland, beverage

]]> http://sizzlingeurope.com/tasting-the-irish-coffee/feed/ http://sizzlingeurope.com/ashtarak%e2%80%99s-churches-a-story-to-behold/ http://sizzlingeurope.com/ashtarak%e2%80%99s-churches-a-story-to-behold/#comments Tue, 05 Feb 2008 08:08:04 +0000 boj_works Places to Visit Attractions Armenia http://sizzlingeurope.com/ashtarak%e2%80%99s-churches-a-story-to-behold/ Ashtarak is regarded as an industrial town situated on the Kasagh River gorge, Armenia. It serves as the capital of Aragatsotn province and it has a bout 30,000 inhabitants. It is a significant crossroad of routes to the three of the most important towns which are Yerevan, Gyumri and Vanadzor.

A lot of people living in the city say that there were three sisters who lived in Ashtarak who all fell in love with the same man—Prince Sargis.  The two elder sisters committed suicide so that their youngest sister could live with the prince. One of the elder sisters wore an apricot-orange dress and the other one wore a red dress when they jumped off the gorge.

Just as when the youngest sister found out, she wore a white dress and then threw herself into the gorge. The prince then became a hermit and there were three small churches which appeared at the edge of the gorge which was named after the dress colors of the sisters.

ashtarak, armenia, destination

It was in the year 1936 when the province was separated from Oulu and after the World War II, Petsamo and Salla areas were surrendered to the Soviet Union. The province’s coat of arms is said to be made of the coat of arms of Lapponia and Ostrobothnia. While the Regional Council of Lapland on the other hand, uses the Finnish variation of the coat of arms for Lapponia.

There are about seven various ministries in the joint regional authority of its State Provincial Office. This office fosters the national and the regional objectives of the State central administration. There are also about 21 municipalities which comprised Lapland. About 3.6% of the population of the country lives in the province.

lapland, finland, destination

The rye bread for one is a kind of bread produced in the country which is a dark, sour bread. For the Finnish people, it is considered as the most popular bread. These breads lack the greasy or moist texture of most breads. Another kind of Finnish bread is the limppu. It is common in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan but it can also be served in pubs and diners across the peninsula.

There are also wheat breads produced in Finland. And these include the vesirinkeli which resembles bagels and are placed usually in a salted boiling water just before it is baked. Another kind is the oat bread and these are often used in rolls and buns. There is also the potato bread, Christmas bread, Pulla and a lot more.

finnish breads, finland, food