Interesting facts about seaside holidays. Myths and facts about the sea

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When we stay at a hotel, the staff go out of their way to make us feel at home. However, this does not always work out for them.

website decided to reveal some facts that hotel workers prefer to hide from their customers.

• Keep in mind that bedspreads in hotel rooms are never changed.
• Glasses for drinks are not always washed. The same goes for the toothbrush cups in the bathroom.
• The TV remote is one of the dirtiest things in the room.
• Carpets in hotels are only vacuumed and disinfected very rarely. At best, once a year. Therefore, under no circumstances should you walk on it barefoot.

• When you check in, it makes sense to ask what additional services are already included in the price. This can be a visit to the pool, gym, use of the mini-bar or the Internet in the room. The administrator may well forget to provide you with such information, so it's best to ask.
• Not everyone knows that hotels give out separate towels that can be used to go to the pool or to the beach. No need to take them from the room. Towels can be obtained at the reception or in other special places. Where exactly, you can always check with the administrator.
• As for the towels in the bathroom, they may not be changed until you throw them on the floor.

• Hotels in some countries often do not have a 13th floor (Great Britain, USA). This is due to the fear of this number. In Asian cultures, there is no 4th floor. The fact is that the pronunciation of the hieroglyph denoting the number "4" resembles the word "death".
• It is worth noting that there is a special, very sensitive attitude towards guests from booking sites on the part of the staff. This is due to the fact that these people rate the service.
• Hotel descriptions often exaggerate the proximity to the beach and other attractive places. To do this, the distance is indicated not in meters, but in minutes. For example, 10 minutes to the sea, which in fact is not so close.
• In some countries, you will have to pay a tourist tax on accommodation, which is either immediately included in the room rate, or taken separately. For example, in Venice, when staying in a 5-star hotel, you will have to pay 5 euros per person per day.

Tourist tax in Venice is approximately 5 euros per day

• If breakfast is included in the room rate, and you are leaving early in the morning for an excursion, you can ask the hotel staff to prepare lunch boxes for you on the road. This should be taken care of in advance, preferably the night before.
• In the restaurants of many hotels, the products left after cooking are not thrown away, but other, lower quality ones are made from them. For example, fish scraps can be used to make soup of the day.
• It is safer to order drinks without ice in the hotel bar. The quality of the water from which it is made leaves much to be desired in some countries.

• Not everyone knows what is allowed to be taken with them from the room, and what will be considered theft. Allowed: bath accessories (shampoo, conditioner, body cream, soap), disposable slippers, pens and notepads with a company logo. The rest of the items are the property of the hotel. If you really liked a bathrobe or towel, there are special shops where you can buy them.
• Dry cleaning services in hotels are not always of a high level of quality, and prices are always too high. If you look for a laundry near the hotel, you can wash things 2-3 times cheaper.
• The price of the same room can vary from source to source, so it's a good idea to call the hotel directly before booking to see if they have special offers, such as weekend rates. So you can save up to 20% of the cost of living.

These world sights need no introduction, everyone has seen and knows them, even if only from photos and descriptions on the Internet. But few people know their little secrets, which guides and guidebooks will not always tell about.

1. Stonehenge

Now it seems unthinkable, but 100 years ago, Stonehenge was sold at auction for 6,600 pounds (today, it is almost half a million pounds, or 777.5 thousand dollars). The buyer was Cecil Chubb, who decided to make an original gift to his wife. But that monument was not appreciated, so after 3 years it was “re-gifted” to England, and the generous husband was awarded the title of baronet.

2. Sydney Opera House

In 1980, culture gave way to bodybuilding: here, half-naked bodybuilders - participants in the world competition "Mr. Olympia" paraded in front of an enthusiastic audience. And then 33-year-old Arnold Schwarzenegger won, for the seventh (and last) time in his career.

3. Tower Bridge

In 1952, he began to breed, when a double-decker bus of the usual London route No. 78 was still driving along it. The driver Albert Gunton did not lose his head - he picked up speed and flew to the other half of the bridge through the resulting meter-wide gap.

For his courage, Albert was awarded a 10-pound bonus (about 250 pounds, or 26,000 rubles in today's money).

4. Hermitage

Hermitage cats are known in Russia no less than the great exhibits of this St. Petersburg museum, but foreign tourists, as a rule, hear about them for the first time. These are full-fledged museum workers - the Life Guards of the Winter Palace, protecting works of art from mice and rats.

Cats are forbidden to walk around the museum halls, but they live and hunt in the dry and warm basement of the palace, which is called “big cat’s”. Each of the fifty fluffy inhabitants of the Hermitage has its own bowl, tray and basket for sleeping, all are under veterinary supervision. By the way, you can become the owner of the Hermitage cat with the right to free access to local exhibition halls for life.

5. Statue of Liberty

The world-famous “symbol of freedom and democracy” forever retained the appearance of two real women. It is believed that the face of the statue belongs to the mother of the sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi, and the body to his mistress.

6. Eiffel Tower

When the Nazis occupied France in 1940, the Parisians cut the cables of the elevators on the tower, so that German soldiers had to climb the structures to hoist the flag of the Third Reich with a swastika on top. But megalomania failed: a huge banner was blown away by the wind in a couple of hours. The soldiers were sent upstairs again, this time with a smaller flag.

And in the summer of 1944, on the orders of Hitler, the Eiffel Tower was to be blown up, and the whole of Paris was to be razed to the ground, but, fortunately, the German military commandant General Dietrich von Choltitz disobeyed and saved the city, surrendering to the French Liberation Forces.

7. Taj Mahal

On the construction of the mausoleum-mosque in Indian Agra, 22,000 people and 1,000 elephants worked, the work took 17 years. Moreover, the padishah Shah Jahan, who ordered the construction of the Taj Mahal in memory of his wife, who died in childbirth of the 14th child, planned to build another similar mausoleum on the opposite bank of the river - made of black marble.

8. Mount Everest

Imagine, the "highest peak in the world" is not really the most high mountain on Earth, measured from base to peak. Everest is inferior in this sense to the Hawaiian volcano Mauna Kea (8.848 meters versus 10.203 meters). The difference is that most of the volcano is hidden under water. So in terms of altitude, Everest will indeed be the winner.

Many cannot imagine life without travel. It's so interesting to visit new countries and cities, to learn the culture and traditions of other peoples, and just to change the situation and escape from everyday problems! Traveling gives us the opportunity to broaden our horizons and get unforgettable emotions.

But it was not always so. Mass tourism appeared only in 1841, before that only very wealthy people could afford to travel. Now almost everyone can go on a trip, there are a huge number of services that allow you to save on tickets and hotels. Even the opportunity to go to a neighboring city is already a journey.

Like any other industry, tourism has developed and continues to develop. Tourism has a long history and many interesting facts. I will write about some of them below.

Thomas Cook

Thomas Cook can be safely called the founder of tourism. And there are several reasons for this:

• On July 5, 1841, Thomas Cook organized the first trip for 570 workers, and Cook himself did not earn anything on this trip. He received his first income only in 1845 by organizing an excursion to the city of Liverpool. Thomas organized travel mainly in Great Britain, and only in 1855 was the first trip abroad organized, to the city of Paris;
• Thomas Cook also organized the first circumnavigation of the world. The journey lasted 222 days;
• Thomas Cook was the founder of the first tour operator, which has been successfully operating to this day;
• The first travel magazine, The Excursionist, was published under the direction and editorship of Thomas Cook.

Comfort tourism

You will not believe who was the first to decide to create the most comfortable conditions for recreation. This is ... Adolf Hitler, who believed that in order to increase stress resistance and performance, a person needs to relax in comfortable conditions.

The most expensive tourist trip in the world

The most expensive tour was bought by Denis Tito, a businessman from America in 2001. The cost of the tour was $20 million. It was a tour into space, to the International Space Station.

The city with the longest name in the world

Krung Tep Maha Nakorn Amon Rattanakosin Mahanindra Ayutthaya Mahadilok Pop Noprarat Ratchatani Burirom Udomratnivet Amonpiman Avatansatip Sapkakatiya Visanuukkampasit (and this is a somewhat abbreviated version), which means the City of Angels, the great city, the residence of the Emerald Buddha, the impregnable city, the great capital of the world, endowed with nine ancient stones, replete with huge royal palaces, reminiscent of a paradise dwelling, from which the personification of God rules, the city presented by Indra, built by Wissanukam. The name of this city is included in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest name of a settlement in the world. And in order for tourists, and indeed all people, not to suffer, pronouncing the long name of the city, it was shortened. This is the famous city of Bangkok.

How Thailand Became a Popular Destination

Thailand began to gain popularity after the Vietnam War. The country was the home front and resting place for American soldiers. The soldiers really liked the nature of Thailand, and the low prices for holidays in the resort became popular.

The largest swimming pool in the world

The largest pool is located, no, not in UAE, as many people think, but in San Alfonso del Mar is a resort in Chile. Pool depth 35 meters, and the length is 1 kilometer, in basin sea ​​water.

The most "falling tower"

And this is not Pisa, which has an inclination of 4 degrees. And the tower, whose slope is 12 degrees, is located in Suizhong County.

The most dangerous excursion

The most interesting and at the same time the most dangerous excursion in the world, according to many travel publications, including Forbes magazine, this is an excursion to the Chernobyl nuclear power plant zone.

In Mexico, at the Eco Alberto Recreation Park, you can book a night tour where you can feel like a Mexican migrant trying to cross the border with America. A night full of adventure awaits you: you will have to run a lot, crawl and hide, overcome various obstacles.

Buy a whole state

For only $80,000 (the price is indicated at the beginning of 2017) you can buy the whole state of Liechtenstein. You will receive the keys to the state, you will be able to arrange a dinner party in the palace. The whole state will be yours, but only 24 hours.

"For memory"

We all bring various souvenirs from our travels, magnets, local delicacies, sea shells or stones that are part of ancient structures. For example, in Athens, the authorities are very concerned about the fate of the Parthenon. The authorities are afraid that the architectural monument will be taken apart piece by piece, and decided to hire special workers who scatter marble stones around the temple at night.

Forgotten things

Tourists often forget various things in hotels, most often it is clothes. In the English city of Peterborough, a maid found an urn with ashes. To the most unusual forgotten things also include: a suitcase full of Marvel comics, a huge stuffed parrot, an Olympic torch.

Australia and Austria

Quite often, tourists confuse the name of these two countries, and this is not surprising, because they are very consonant. There are even road signs in Austria that say/drawn "No kangaroos here". Also sold a lot of souvenirs with the same logo.

Traveling gnomes

In the 80s years in the West, an interesting tradition appeared. Travelers "borrowed" garden gnomes, in their place they left a note "I want to see the world." They took the gnomes on a trip, took a photo of the gnome against the background of the sights and then returned with an attached photo from the place where they were.

Kingdom of Bhutan

Despite the fact that many countries are fighting among themselves for every attracted tourist, there is a country that is against the development of mass tourism in its country. Until 1974, it was possible to get into this country only with an invitation from the royal family, that is, in no way.

Today you can visit Bhutan, but not more than 15 days and subject to payment of a daily tax, by the way, quite large. You can buy a tour to the kingdom from just a few tour operators who have a special license. In this way, rulers protect their culture and nature.

If your family loves leisure, then you, of course, will not refuse a trip to nature. Whether you are heading to the lake, the forest or the mountains, you will discover a lot of new interesting things.

We invite you to familiarize yourself with a few facts about outdoor recreation. Which of them did you already know?

Crickets can detect temperature

In order to determine how cold it is outside the window, it is not necessary to buy expensive gadgets. In spring and summer, just listen to the chirping of crickets.

Just count the number of sounds you hear in 14 seconds, add 40 to that number, and you get the temperature in Fahrenheit.

Lyme disease is no joke

With Lyme disease, a person has unpleasant symptoms that do not appear immediately. This disease is transmitted through the bite of an infected ixodid tick. The disease should never be ignored or left untreated.

In order for a tick to infect a person, it needs to be attached to the body for up to 36 hours. Every time you return from outdoor recreation, carefully check yourself and your loved ones for a tick bite. If you find it, you should consult a doctor.

Appearances are deceptive

Often, during outdoor recreation, you can meet with its inhabitants. Many of them look very cute, but for safety, do not underestimate them.

For example, raccoons are very cute creatures that, moreover, are able to purr just like cats, but you should not approach them in the wild. Do not forget that despite their harmless appearance, they are not tame animals.

Raccoons can steal your food and, in some cases, even carry diseases. In order to protect yourself from an unpleasant meeting, it is better to hide food and not leave garbage open.

Outdoor recreation is your salvation

Many people believe that outdoor activities are good for health. This is true, but it is also able to improve the emotional state and cheer up.

During relaxation and simple stay in nature, much more oxygen, serotonin and melanin enters the body than indoors, due to which the level of stress is noticeably reduced. In addition, it is not easy to remain serious and depressed for a long time when you are relaxing in a pleasant environment in the fresh air.

Camping is the best we can provide to our body, mind and soul.

Beware of insects

In addition to crickets, a huge number of different species of insects live in nature, which can turn your vacation into a real test. Despite the fact that many of them are not dangerous, the proximity to them can cause discomfort.

In order to protect yourself from these annoying little creatures, use insect sprays and wear light-colored calm clothes - mosquitoes and midges are clearly visible on it, and it will be easier for you to find and get rid of them.

Don't forget to rest

If you like long hikes with tents, remember that you should not exhaust yourself. Make stops when you feel tired. Sleep is very important in order to replenish lost energy, because without it you will not be able to continue on your way.

In order to sleep peacefully and comfortably, choose tents that are appropriate for the season and don't forget to bring a pillow.

What can you eat

Eating at least a few times a day is very important, which is why you can take various nuts, bars, jerky or soup and beans in jars with you on a hike.

These products are stored for a long time and will perfectly replenish the energy supply for a long time.

Be careful with fire

All of us in childhood were taught not to play with matches - during hiking and outdoor recreation, you should be guided by this important advice. Fire lights our way and keeps us warm during long cold nights, but we should be extremely careful.

Before starting a fire, make sure that water or any other means to fight the fire is within walking distance. Use it immediately if the fire gets out of hand.

Manage your finances properly

Try to splurge on things you really need - don't skimp on a tent, food, clothing, and equipment. Be sure to buy a flashlight and stock up on quality and nutritious food.

If your budget allows, buy as many small things as you think you might need.

How to dress

The best option is to put on several layers. If it’s cool outside or the weather is changeable, you should not wear one warm thing.

It would be much more expedient to put on something light, a warmer thing on top, and so on, so that, in case of warming, one of the resulting layers can be removed.

Don't rely on yourself

Even if you think that you are perfectly guided by natural marks and surroundings, you should not be too self-confident. It is worth making sure, because anything can happen.

A compass or map in your backpack will not take up much space, but it will never be redundant.

Things to do

Many people in the modern world depend on gadgets and cannot imagine life without them. However, it is possible to have a useful and fun time without them.

Hiking or outdoor recreation, you can find a lot of interesting activities, such as fishing, hiking, photography, bird and animal watching. This is what makes our life truly beautiful and fills it with bright colors.

Resting with children - remember a few simple rules

Don't take your kids on long hikes right away - start small. Arrange a small trip where you will teach the children to set up a tent, cook food and navigate the area.

You can choose a few interesting games to entertain children on a hike or a walk, because the game is the best way to instill in your child an interest and love for anything.

It will also not be superfluous to explain to the children how important it is to clean up after yourself the garbage, put out the fire and leave the chosen place in the same clean condition as before your arrival.

Fact 1: No matter how many times I was on the Riviera, I didn’t know or didn’t pay attention from absent-mindedness that exactly opposite the coast of Cannes there are two islands - Sainte-Marguerite and Saint-Honora. The second (which is smaller) has been in the possession of the Lerins monastery for centuries and the monks living there to this day. It is worth stopping by for a day (water transport departs from the port of Cannes every half an hour) to walk along quiet island and its vineyards, see the old fortress, stop for lunch with local wine - in a restaurant on the coast, and if the soul asks for a complete "detox" - stay in the monastery for a couple of days (here you can rent a room for a while). But you should be prepared to spend these days in complete silence and without any means of communication.

Fact 2: In the house opposite the very center of the Marche Provencal market in Antibes (at 25, Cours Massena) there is a souvenir shop "with a surprise" - in its 19th century basement there is an absinthe bar, the owner of which will prepare absinthe of any strength and taste with his own hands, and will also let you play on piano or try on one of your hat collections.

Fact 3: An obligatory point of the cultural program of every traveler along the Cote d'Azur is usually the town of artists Saint-Paul-de-Vence (the third most visited in all of France). But not everyone knows that after visiting it at sunset, you should definitely stop for dinner at the Michelin-recommended Alain Llorca restaurant. Here, in addition to a priori delicious food, there is an excellent view of Saint-Paul-de-Vence and the landscapes of Provence. Adjacent to the restaurant is the eponymous hotel of 10 luxury villas. In general, this place "begs" not only to stay there for the night, but also to celebrate here, for example, a wedding or an anniversary.

Facts 4 and 5: Two more places not far from Saint-Paul-de-Vence worth knowing about are the La Fondation Maeght museum and the neighboring hotel Les Messugues (still the same owner Alan Llorca). The museum is primarily known for its complex of modernist buildings, park and sculptures installed in it. Well, after, of course, - and exhibitions of contemporary art, which are held there. The hotel Les Messugues, which is located right next to the museum, is good because it is convenient to stay in it if you travel around the Cote d'Azur or Provence by car and change your location every day. Breakfast overlooking the vineyards and an hour or two by the pool in a quiet garden is the right place to take a breath.

Fact 6: One of the historic hotels of the Côte d'Azur (such as the Negresco in Nice or the Carlton in Cannes) is the Belles Rives Hotel in Juan-les-Pins. Pablo Picasso, Ramon Novarro, Umberto Eco, Edith Piaf once lived in it, and Francis Scott Fitzgerald wrote his "Tender is the Night" and "The Great Gatsby" here. As a more budget option, there is a cozy hotel Juana nearby, where you can stay and go here for sunbathing.

Fact 7: I highly recommend to all lovers of classic sightseeing tours of the city in Nice to take one on a segway. There is where to accelerate, the route is convenient and covers the most important things, the trip will be unforgettable, especially if this is your first Segway experience. And if you first go through a slightly longer training, then you can ride all day without an escort and wherever you like.

Fact 8: Usually you find good bars in the city by a lot of nightly trial and error. Some are too pretentious, some, on the contrary, are very “close to the people”. Bar Le Hussard (in the center of the old town) is a unique place with a ratio of price, quality, pleasant music and the public around.

Fact 9: Especially for the Cannes Film Festival in 2015, Uber launched the UberCopter delivery service from Nice airport to the foot of the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès in Cannes. Everyone is still only talking about the fact that perhaps soon Uber will launch this service here on an ongoing basis. And that would be so true! It is breathtaking to look at the Cote d'Azur from a bird's eye view, even for the most unromantic nature.

Fact 10: And this is only a small part of the unknown and unbanal that can be found on the Cote d'Azur. And yet, it’s great to meet “Indian summer” here in early September, when there are not so many tourists anymore, and the weather is still great.

Photo source: press archives, Getty Images