Witold Skrypczak/Lonely Planet
The Mezquita - impresses people who hate looking around cathedrals
Where: Andalucia, southern Spain
Worth the effort because... Córdoba was, at one point, the most important city in Europe. When Spain was under Islamic rule, Córdoba was the capital and many traces of this period remain. The Jewish quarter is particularly atmospheric, but the big set piece is the Mezquita. A giant mosque converted into a cathedral, the hundreds of painted archways create a bewildering maze - and one that impresses even people who hate looking around cathedrals.
The clincher: There are some excellent tapas bar crawls to be had here. A sit-down restaurant meal is entirely unnecessary.
Getting there: Fly to Seville and then take the train or bus.
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Let us be more phlegmatic and realise that it is more complicated than we can imagine without being involved in the actual negotiations and political manoeuvering.
Cheers, and let's hope there will be no more death and destruction. For instance, I don't hear much in our news about how incredibly bad the Greek economy is at present and how locals fear civil unrest and violence. So much for Europe being a union.
Awful article. Travel isn't about the ability to simply reel off place names. Rubbish. Please can MSN stop revealing 'secret' locations!
When was Monaco 'hidden'?!!!! And as for 'Hard to get to, so you should make the extra effort'...!!! I think it's a fairly well known place!
Perhaps MSN should make an extra effort(or at least some!) and hire a real journalist! Useless!!!!!
bonzodogg - you took the words right out of my mouth/off my ****ers. I dread even signing into MSN Messenger nowadays knowing that half of the screen will be taken up by the latest irrelevant celebrity 'news' stories and out of touch lists repeated ad nauseum (see: the one about unhealthy foods from around the world, which was reposted months later claiming to be a new article yet still contained the same factual errors as before). Finally, an article that somewhat justifies the site's existence. It doesn't excuse the otherwise paltry offerings, but it's proof that even the blindest pig can sniff out a truffle once in a while.
Of course, all that goes out of the window if this article turns out to have been reposted from a different site.
Although I love politics and do enjoy reading a good rant. Come on! This was an article about beautiful and interesting cities not overwhelmed by mass tourism, not greek/turkish relations for the last 50 years.
More importantly i would suggest Poznan in Poland as an undiscovered treat! We got taken there by some Polish friends of ours and I couldn't believe the mix of Polish and Soviet architecture. It also has the last castle ever built by a monarch in europe and I was reliably informed the only place still standing where Hitler is known to have stayed. Lots of history and architecture and half the price of Krakow.
Otherwise I have just added 20 cities to my list of places I want to visit!
This article contains a major error by placing Ohrid in Macedonia. Macedonia is in Greece and our 3000 history proves that. Any attempt to identify Macedonia with the Slavs of Skopje is actually a lie and an attempt to enforce foreign policies in the Balkan peninsula. As for all those who will travel in Skopje or by chance come to meet any Skopjans, ask to them to explain what Macedonia, Alexandros and Philippos mean in their language.
For the Cyprus dispute, I would like to ask as a Greek Cypriot refugee, what kind of peace intervention includes a 36 year-old division of my homeland, 5000 dead, 200 000 refugees, 1619 missing persons, rapes, prisoner executions, desecration of all the religious sites, ravaging and selling of our antiquities, extermination of all that is Greek in the 37% that was taken as well as continuous arrival of Turkish Settlers? A small hint: In English, I think is called genocide and Turkey is quite the expert in this matter.
As for the Greeks in the north you should check cases like beating of the Greeks in the north, murders of Greeks(a case concerns an old man burnt in a car alive), prevention of our religious exercises as well as our right of education as Greeks, among many other restrictions of basic liberties.
Many people will try to explain the reasons which led to the current situation in Cyprus. Some will blame the Greek claim of Enosis(a demand made by 98% of the population in 1950 ukrealist), others will talk about intercommunal clashes, EOKA B, the USA-led Greek Junta and so on... I think that a more clear answer is given by the current Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, Mr Ahmet Davutoglu in his book "Strategic Depth". Mr Davutoglu clearly states that even if there was no Turk or muslim in Cyprus, Turkey would have to find a matter to intervene because Cyprus is too vital to left to the Greeks. So Turkey would even go as far as finding aliens in Cyprus to attack and conquer our homeland.
It is a right to pick sides in a conflict but for all Turkish sympathizers, I would like to remind you that for 36 years my fundamental liberties are being violated by Turkey and her so called peace keeping attempts in Cyprus. As for the Turkish Cypriots they were not expelled by Greeks to leave and settle to the north, but they were threatened by the Turkish TMT and now have to suffer under the yoke of the Turkish army and the settlers which are a major problem to the island. All I want is peace and freedom for Cyprus and the only problem is not my nationalism or the Turkish Cypriot nationalism, but Turkey who refuses to leave the island.
Im tired to hearing about so called Turkish 'invasion' of Cyprus. If you people read your history you would understand why Turkey had to intervene when greece and the UK failed to do so. Greek aims at enosis, attempted genocide against the Turks and finally the overthrow f makarios by the junta in Athens all led to Turkeys intervention. Now all you people claim that Turkey invaded!
Truth is, if the greek side didnt do what it did, Turkey would not have had to intervene!
The north MUST be recognised in order for any progress to happen.
Who cares if Turkey invaded Cyprus, and what right do all of you have to comment on this matter? Are you Cypriot? I'm guessing no, therefore please sush and let us enjoy the photos. Greek and Turks have been neighbours for many years, you're all pathetic for arguing over land, and I let you all know, it wasn't an invasion, Turkey was simply trying to protect certain Cypriots from being burried alive, BUT IT'S WAR, PEOPLE DIE, it's happening right now i.e. Israel's situation with Palestine.
[I'm Cypriot myself, and I think it's about time you all got over the past, we're living in 2010 for heavens sake, not 1974.]
Get over your hate and learn to live like humans. You all look like dogs, arguing over a piece of meat. Grow up.
Now about the pics, beautiful places, would love to visit Coimbra and Ohrid, especially Ohrid, the sun set is beautiful!
My greatest objection is that the name "Macedonia" is greek. Therefore it cannot be used by citizens of another country, which are trying to "invade" in Greece.
Greeks are only pursueing the respect of their history.
In your previous conversation I can only read nationalistic comments. Unfortunatelly the priority of people - no matter where the come from - concentrates on irrelevant facts. The leading political persons of FYROM are uncapable of shaping a straight policy.
We did never ask from anyone (not even stronger countries - such as USA) to give us back areas, that belonged in Greece.
I am positive that common people would prefer to live peacefully.
We cannot change history, but we can certainly form a better future.