From the staff writers of LifeVisions.

Slovenia is a beautiful and little known country in Central Europe. It is a mountainous country, a little smaller than Vermont. The coastline is also quite small and the best city on the coast is Piran. When you visit Piran, you can get the flavor of all of Slovenia.

Slovenia has a history that stretches back almost 2,000 years. In that time it has been a part of the Roman Empire, the Venetian Republic (you can particularly see this in Piran itself), the Hapsburg Empire, and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia – to name a few. So the influences in food, agriculture and architecture are a wonderful mix of ancient Roman, Italian, Austrian, Russian and German.

Piran, being on the coast, definitely has the feel of Venice. From the Venetian-style campanile to the stucco houses with red tile roofs, you could imagine yourself in an Italian fishing village. I love the crooked streets and narrow alleys. The houses are either beautiful pastels or crumbling brick. Everyone is friendly and English is readily spoken in most hotels and restaurants.

These days Slovenian food is inspired by the Slow Food movement and the restaurants of Piran celebrate the bounty of the ocean admirably. Many of the restaurants jut out on to the tip of the land, so they have amazing views of the water. Slovenia’s wines are celebrated for good reason. The wine selection is excellent and the prices are amazing. It is usually cheaper to get wine rather than a soda or lemonade. There are many surrounding vineyards which offer tastings and tours. If you are staying for a few days in Piran, make sure to set aside a day for a winery tour.

Although Slovenia is small, you may want to linger on the coast. In less than an hour you can be in Trieste, Italy or you can take a hydrofoil to Venice for the day. Even getting to Ljubljana, the capital, is only a few hours’ drive or train trip. I found that the accommodations in Piran were cheaper than anywhere else in Slovenia (it was the off-season) and it was a fine place to make my base of operations.

Slovenia is charming. The people, the food and the countryside are authentic and unspoiled. I look forward to spending more time hiking in the mountains, swimming in the deep Alpine lakes and fishing in the rivers. Whether you are a nature lover, a foodie or a history buff, Slovenia has something to offer you.

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You are looking down from a tethered hot air balloon at the enchanting Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen; before you know it, you’re wandering through the majestic courtyard of Catherine the Great’s majestic Palace in St Petersburg; then you’re gazing in wonder at the breathtaking domes of the Nevski Russian Orthodox Cathedral, before standing in the baroque majesty of Toompea Castle in Estonia. Finally, you’re shopping in the fabulous city of Oslo, with its surrounding snow-capped mountains. In case you’re wondering, this is not a dream: it’s a cruise. These scenes are part of a typical itinerary for Baltic cruises and there are many other cruises to choose from.

Veteran operators like P&O Cruises, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Princess Cruises and Thomson Cruises have so many ,cruise offers you’ll find your head starting to spin. If there’s a sea route, there’s a cruise. And the onboard experience can be tailored to your budget. These big players all run fleets of ships, from the extravagantly huge to the small and personal; and there are always great cruise deals to be found.

The bigger vessels tend to be best for the young and active, and for families with young children, mainly because they have a spectacular array of activities and attractions onboard to burn up excess energy. Anything from water skiing, ice skating, water parks, golf and rock wall climbing can be found in various big ships, as well as pools, kids clubs and babysitting services. Cruise and stay holidays give you the best of both worlds ñ a week in a fabulous resort and a week of cruising. These kind of cruise deals give you the chance to experience the very best of both worlds as you spend time aboard a fantastic liner but also onshore and some wonderful resorts and cities. Build some precious memories with a cruise.

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The fascinating city of Cairo needs no introduction being one of the most visited cities in the world. Boasting all the wonders of ancient Egypt, as well as an unrivalled cultural atmosphere, it is a holiday location that will appeal to nearly every taste. Cheap flights to the Egyptian capital are offered by budget airlines and all in all it may not be as expensive as you might think. Regular flights to London are available and a good range of airlines run frequent flights to Cairo.

Easily the biggest attractions are the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx in nearby Giza, but in the city itself you will find a wealth of other historical sites. The “Hanging Church” in Zabaleen, Pharaonic Village and the Citadel, in Islamic Cairo are all well worth a visit, while for museum lovers, the Egyptian Museum and the Coptic Museum should definitely not be missed. And if you want to do some sightseeing in the open air, Giza Zoo and the Cairo Botanical Gardens will provide the perfect opportunity for an active and inspiring day out.

Accommodation in the city is numerous and varied, so you are certain to find somewhere to suit your budget. However, it is recommended to stay at a reputable location. There are some stunning five-star hotels along the banks of the Nile, but other cheaper alternatives can be found in the downtown area. Accommodation is cheap in Cairo so it is worth spending money on a good room ñ hostels can often be less than appealing.

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(This is a guest post from my friend Greg).

Every few years our family holds a reunion. Normally this is based around a wedding, christening and unfortunately my mother’s funeral. In tribute to her memory we decided to meet up last month and celebrate my parents wedding anniversary. My Mother loved London. She worked and lived there most of her life. Reluctantly she moved away to raise a family but she would drag us kicking to her favorite places when we were kids.

As I actually live in Scotland now it worked out cheaper to fly to London rather than get the train. We found some great flight deals and flew to Gatwick. From there we connected with the Gatwick express train which takes you right into the heart of the underground system.

We looked at several hotels in London and decided to treat my Dad to the five star experience, whilst we stayed in more modest accommodation ourselves. We were more than comfortable in our little B and B’s which, being so close to the underground were never more than fifteen minutes away from each other. London does splendor greater than any city in the world. Our Dad’s hotel looked like a palace covered in marble, crystal and traditional British style.

Since our trip was a celebration of our Mother we decided to do the things she enjoyed most. We went shopping in Harrods and noted (with some satisfaction) that our dad’s hotel was actually nicer. Afterwards we walked to Hyde Park where we took rowing boats across the lake in the glorious summer sun. Unfortunately, I stood up and plunged headfirst into the water. Obviously this was hilarious to watch but not so much fun for me! It was something straight out of a Hugh Grant movie. Luckily London’s shopping is the stuff of legends and I was able to buy new clothes so I didn’t have to go to hotel to change (although I did get some funny looks on the tube).

I come from a very theatrical family and as such we thought it would be fitting to take a trip down to the West End. London theatre tickets may have gone up since my Mother’s day but with so much on offer it was almost impossible not to find something we could afford. We decided that a comedy club would be a great idea. We were in hysterics for the rest of the night retelling jokes and eventually deciding to stay in Grandad’s suite and order room service into the early hours. London is a perfect place to relive old memories but as we discovered, its also perfect to make new ones.

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