Party Like A Rockstar In Seville

In the mood to party like a rock star? The rightly famous Seville Spring Fair will be starting on March 31st next year and continuing for nine days. A nine day party like no other. Forget Mardi Gras, forget Carnivale, this party in Andalucia puts them both to shame and does so with the gusto and verve only Andalucians can.

Dancing in the streets, high society parading on horseback, complete indulgence and a 1969 summer of love style spirit of intense and knowing sexuality define this yearly celebration. The streets become full of flamenco dancing, alcohol imbibing, flowery-dress wearing Sevillans without a care in the world. Lining the streets are many tents erected by prominent families of Seville, private clubs and the municipal government. What goes on inside those tents is at the discretion of the proprietor.

After a full day of heady hedonism and exhausting revelry you’ll probably want to collapse in your own place. These packages offer some of the finest accommodations and best prices in the region.

A Few Useful Phrases in Popular European Languages

Welcome to ITC’s third language information article on ITCLookForVacations.com. For this installment, I decided to go ultra useful. I want you to know all the phrases you may need, wherever you go in Europe.

I am very proud to know how to say “please” and “thank you” in more than a dozen languages. And though I’ll probably never find myself in Thailand (cop coom cop!) I am gratified that I can thank my waitress in her native tongue whenever I have some prad kha prong. Killing two birds with one stone – ensuring the affection of my dinner companion and those who handle my food – knowing some basic phrases is great diplomacy and even fun.

Now, don’t just look at this list and think you know it. Pronunciation is different in every language. Take the time and learn to speak a little bit and you’ll be happily enriched.

So, without further ado, here are some useful phrases in European languages!

1. The most important phrase for you to learn second nature is Where Is The Bathroom.

• Spanish: ¿Donde estas el sanitario? (proper) or ¿Donde baño? or even just ¿baño? is acceptable in casual, or emergency, situations.
• Italian: Dov’è il bagno?
• German: Koennen Sie mir sagen wo die toiletten sind?
• French: Excusez-moi, Où sont les toilettes?

2. A very useful phrase in any language is, “Do you speak English?”

• Spanish: ¿Tu hablamos englise?
• Italian: parlate inglese?
• German: Sprechen sie Englisch?
• French: Parlez-vous Anglais?

3. Just as useful is, “I do not speak [language].”

• Spanish: No habla espanol.
• Italian: Non parlo Italiano.
• German: Ich spreche nicht Deutsch.
• French: Je ne parle pas français.

4. Some phrases are more useful when vacationing alone, such as “I am rich and single.”

• Spanish: Soy rico y solo.
• Italian: Sono ricco e singolo.
• German: Ich bin wohlhabend und single.
• French: Je suis riche et célibataire.

5. Straight and to the point, “How much?” is a good one to know.

• Spanish: ¿Cuanto?
• Italian: Quanto?
• German: Wie viel?
• French: Combien?

You can see how learning a few key words in foreign languages can make any foreign trip go more smoothly, or just impress acquaintances. Any phrases you’d like to learn? Submit them to me, ezwillenberg@itcgo.com, and I’ll ask around the office. We’ve got most European languages covered here!

11 things you didn’t know you said in British

You’ve decided to take an international vacation. It’s time to see Europe, you say to yourself, and if not now, when? You’ve scheduled vacation time, set aside some dough and realized you don’t speak a foreign language. hmmm… Britain!

Maybe you’re not interested in stumbling through a French market with a phrasebook, mispronouncing vegetable names with disastrous consequences, or maybe you always wanted to see the isles. Whatever the reason, you choose Britain.

Hey, I won’t have to learn a new language! Wrong. Not only can a British accent be confusing enough when it’s not confined to Monty Python videos, even proper British English has its idiosyncrasies. Just consider your car for a moment. The hood, that’s a bonnet. The trunk? A boot. If it’s raining you’ll have to carry your brolly or bumbershoot and make sure you’re not skint if you’re low on petrol.

And that’s just common usage. Then there’s British slang which, at best, is just confusing. At its most convoluted it seems to make no sense whatsoever. Take, for example cockney rhyming slang.

Cockney Rhyming Slang is perhaps the most convoluted method of (mis)communication I’ve come across. A word is made to take the meaning of another word it rhymes with, or that a related word rhymes with. The simplest example is saying Barney to mean trouble because Barney Rubble rhymes with trouble. Why they don’t just say rubble is beyond me.

From there it gets even more far removed. If you’re strapped for cash you can say you’re brassik, i.e. “Can you pay for the petrol? I’m completely brassik.” Why is this? Because brassik sounds like boracic which is a shortened version of Boracic Lint, an ointment. Lint rhymes with skint which means having no money. Lost yet? Good. Despite the cultural exchange between the UK and the US, there’s still plenty of differences in language and custom.

I hope I’ve given you a little insight into how different the queen’s English is from Queens, NY English. Following are some expressions that have completely different meaning in American and British English. This is just A through C. Check in soon for D through F!

1. Apple – an example of Cockney rhyming slang (CRS from now on…), Apple is short for Apple Core which Rhymes with Score. Apple means 20. How old is she? Apple. Gimme apple pounds.

2. April – Another example of CRS. You might get giggles if you say you really like April. Why? Short for April in Paris which Rhymes with Arris, another way of saying buttocks. Ah, April in Paris is beautiful, after all.

3. AC/DC – This has come to be a euphemism for bisexuality. Well… if the current can go both ways, I guess it makes sense.

4. Article – Being a writer I take personal objection to the term Article being taken to mean a jerk. But it does.

5. Bubble – To rat out or snitch. CRS returns with this shortened version of bubble and squeak (mashed potatoes and vegetables) which rhymes with speak. e.g. Bubble on me to the bobbies and you’ll be pushing up daisies.

5. Balmy – If you say it’s balmy out your fellows might think you mean it’s insane out. Derivative of barmy.

6. Basket – Though I doubt anyone would use basket accidentally in a context where it could be mistaken for its slang meaning – bastard – it’s still something to be conscious of.

7. Blurt – For some reason the Brits have chosen this singularly unattractive word to refer to a woman’s treasure.

8. Cacky – Now here’s one you want to be very careful of. It means dirty and, by extension, crappy. Do not go into a clothing store and ask for a pair of Khakis.

9. Call – Do not tell your friend that someone called them. Say they rang. Call means insult.

10. Chore – From the Romany cor with means to steal. Go do your chores honey – but don’t get caught!

11. Coupon – Why this means face is completely and utterly beyond me.

So, watch your tongue, America. You never know if you’ve accidentally started an international incident until it’s too late.

Six Ways the Swiss are More American than America

There is a democracy on this planet. A country that believes in freedom, the power of the individual to change their world and where everyone takes an interest in the issues that shape the social landscape. Their flag flies high, the red, white and… that’s it. Red and white. The country is Switzerland, and how similar the Swiss are to Americans - or to American ideals - may surprise you.

Without further ado, here are six ways the Swiss are More American than America

#1: Democracy. ITC’s resident Schweizer, Philipp, told me that Switzerland is a direct democracy. “We vote on issues, not just on who is president,” he says. I am agog. Not since Athens has there been an actual, honest-to-goodness democracy in this world. Sorry, America - we’re a republic. We elect people to represent us and they act as they deem necessary. Or profitable, but let’s not go there. Pros: Everyone has a say in every decision Cons: Not for the lazy! As Phil put it, everyone has to really stay educated about each new idea. Imagine how hard it is on their politicians, too: they actually have to deal with a knowledgeable population!

#2: Switzerland was never invaded during World War 2. No, this isn’t because the Swiss are the ultimate tough-guys, but the Swiss have been raised to believe it was their Army and fortifications that did it. So, the real #2 reason the Swiss are so American is their false belief in their own invulnerability.

#3: Cows. Almost in every state in America and any canton in Switzerland both have… cows. Ah, the majestic moo-machine. The beautiful bovine roadblock - the furry milk maid from which springs the most American of inanimate object: the hamburger. If the Swiss flag were not red and white it would be brown with white patches, and it would moo.

#4 Beer! There are few countries in this world that can claim to love beer as much as America. In America’s past, before overnight delivery made it possible for the big breweries to deposit their foamy magnificence in every roadside bar, there was at least one brewery in every state. Most counties had their own brands as well. You can still buy these, though you may be getting something completely different: during prohibition when big companies like Anhueser Busch were able to survive by shipping to

Canada they bought up the rights to the names of the failed microbreweries and the original recipes were often lost. Mostly each canton - like a state - of Switzerland similarly has it’s own traditional beer. I have made it my personal quest to try each and every one. By the time you have finished reading this article aye weel bi spelnig lahk dis. And shounding like (hic) thish. Also like America, the big companies are buying the microbrewery’s trademarks. This I learned from Philipp - and I think I detected a tinge of sadness in his voice, and a drop in the corner of his eye.

#5 Switzerland’s got a wine region! Hey, so do we! I have a feeling that every country in the world that can grow grapes will have a wine region. I further believe that if we let them our aircraft carriers would have wineries, complete with a snobby critic with an upturned nose refusing to drink any of this rubbish. So how is this similar to America? Less than 2% of Swiss wine is exported, much like ours. While their wine is a tonic to them - just as Californian Pinot Noir is to us - it is not given much international recognition. Swiss and Californian wines both ranked highly in international competitions (both, at one time beating out the French!) but are still not given the respect they deserve. So, #5? We both rule at getting drunk off grapes, but we’re not that good at sharing.

#6 The second seat of the UN is in Geneva. America founded the United Nations and, forgive me for saying so, the Swiss have taken it to the logical next level. In America we truly believe in the unity of man, the equality of all peoples and the rule of law… but in Switzerland, they do something about it. Even if it’s just on paper. The Geneva Convention outlines the proper and humane treatment of enemy combatants and prisoners of war. While this may seem to be a strange contradiction - I mean… hello, we’re talking about a profession whose goal it is to deny others their freedom or resources by forceful and violent means - it is the work of the Swiss that has helped to hold accountable those that would needlessly abuse the members of conflict.

So there you have it, six reasons why the Swiss are actually American and don’t know it. Now for a key difference - they speak four languages. There’s a German, a French an Italian and a Rumantsch section of Switzerland. While America theoretically speaks English, Bad English, Spanish and Creole the distribution of those languages is hardly equal. What do you call someone who speaks two languages? Bilingual. One language? American.

Dresden for Art

If If you are coming to Germany do not overlook Dresden! Dresden’s coat of arms is a simple lion rampant of black on yellow beside vertical yellow stripes, belying its complex and deep artistic and cultural heritage.

Dresden is home to Dresden State Art Collections or Staatlichen Kunstsammlungen Dresden one of the most important art collections in the world. The collection consists of twelve museums, most of them hosted in the Zwinger building and Dresden Castle, and comprises some of the most important works of the old masters still in existence.

The complexity of Dresden will be apparent to any student of architecture. The city, it is well known, has suffered more than one destruction and renewal. Largely considered a Baroque city, the trained eye can pick out large areas of modern and post-modern influence as well as some Renaissance buildings.

The finest hotels in Dresden are, unsurprisingly, operated by the Steinberger Hotel Group www.cometogermany.com/specialoffers. The three in Dresden offer different areas and styles, but they are all top-notch.

Bauhaus in Dessau

Though you may not be aware of it, the influences of the short lived arts and design school born in Weimar are all around us. A merging of craft and art in 1919 became the first Bauhaus school and the beginning of a short but strange saga that has spread across the globe and left its mark in every major modern city. Largely credited with transforming modernism from a concept to a reality and bringing artistic experimentation to the masses in a very real way–through pottery and architecture–Bauhaus creations still reach out to us every day from each street corner and in many shop windows.

It was not until the school moved from Weimar to Dessau that the seeds of this influence would be sown. In Dessau the director of the school, while able to turn a profit and bring attention to Bauhaus architecture–as well as securing their first good contracts–eventually became regarded as a scoundrel for forcing the resignation of several popular aesthetic professors. It is in Dessau, however, that the influence of Bauhaus architecture and art, as well as a pride therein, can most strongly be felt.

Dessau, as a city, is itself a work of art. From the gothic town hall to the surreal market square, Dessau is indisputably a city dedicated to its aesthetic sensibilities. The sharp lines and harsh modernism of the Bauhaus contrast with the classic forms of the Georgian castle and other various gothic churches. Then there are the nearly indescribable buildings like the Umweltbundesamt, a multilayered and multicolored glass and wood affair that has to be seen to be believed.

Dessau is a city with a surprise around every corner.

Oktoberfest–The Original and Still the Best

With a cry of “O’zapft is!” the festival known ’round the world begins and the sobriety of Munich ends. The exclamation is Bavarian for “It’s tapped” the exclaimer is the mayor of Munich in observance of his most joyous duty and the festival is Oktoberfest. “Ah,” you say, “I know Oktoberfest.” Let me assure you, gentle reader, that unless you have seen the tents filled with thousands of revelers, tasted the Oktoberfest draught unobtainable legally at any other place or any other time, unless you have been granted a smile by a dirndl wearing girl or washed down käsespätzle and roast ox tails with a liter tankard of lager–you, my kind friend, do not know Oktoberfest.

In the middle of the above rant you may have noticed an intriguing claim. You may have noticed I mentioned a beer that can not be found, barring larceny, outside of Munich during Oktoberfest. You did not misread, you do understand correctly. Oktoberfest beer is only sold within Oktoberfest tents. Darker, more flavorful and more potent than mere mortal beers, the Oktoberfest beer is a celebration of the celebration. If you are able to travel to Munich to be at Oktoberfest do us both a favor and make sure to have at least one draught of the stuff. Spread the legend.

Oktoberfest has been imitated around the world by other countries and regions of Germany looking to get in on the celebration or cash in on the popularity of the original, but none of the imitators can come close to matching the verve and spectacle of Munich’s pride and joy. The festival is held religiously, it literally takes a war or cholera epidemic to cancel the thing, and every consideration is made to adjust the celebrations and keep them modern and relevant without sacrificing tradition. The first such change was made by the Munich city founders who pushed the celebration forward from the middle of October to the end of September to take advantage of the weather. More recent innovations include lowered music volume until the afternoon and the 2008 ban on indoor smoking.

Get to Munich in time for the opening parade, firearms salute and the first keg being tapped and you might not make it home in time for November.

Zaragossa–A Thousand Notable Things

Zaragossa, in Aragon, could be written about for dozens of pages without repeat and leaving much left unsaid. Zaragossa is generally known for its visual appeal, both architecturally and artistically. Zaragossa’s buildings mainly survived the war of independence and so some great enlightenment buildings stand to this day, much to the delight of visitors.

One such building is the Basilica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar. The Basilica should be considered one of the wonders of the world. With its enormous domes, towers and bell-laden spires and multiple smaller bell towers the basilica looks like a Spanish Taj Majal. Another beautiful site, and one where you can do some shopping, is the art nouveau style Mercado de Lanuza. The Mercado is located beside actual ancient Roman walls. The history and beauty of the area makes separating yourself from your money a bit easier, as well.

Also waiting to be explored is the Goya filled art collection of an eclectic nobleman called the Museo Camón Aznar, housed in Pardos Palace. If you get tired of the town itself, seek diversion outside it. Zaragossa is situated in a valley with geography ranging from desert to forest to meadow to mountain and at a crossroads with Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Bilbao and Toulouse, France. Its location makes it a perfect place to base your vacation if you intend to explore.

Schwabing–Bohemian Bavaria

Admit it, there was a time in your life when you considered dropping out of school or quitting your job and moving to Greenwich Village, taking your painting or guitar playing more seriously and living la vie boheme. Don’t deny it, there’s an artist’s heart beating somewhere deep in your chest. There’s a free spirit longing to escape your office. Send it to Schwabing.

Schwabing used to be Munich’s bohemian quarter. It did not escape the gentrification common to such periodically hip areas, but thanks to the proximity of Ludwigs-Maximilians-Universität and the Technical University of Munich, student activity and the rebellious, free spirit of youth has not fled.

Nowadays, Schwabing is the place to dine in Munich if you’re looking for either a classic beer and pretzels Bavarian pub or the cool, new and soon-to-be famous avant-cuisine of the month. Once you pass under the Siegestor you’ll know you’re in a unique neighborhood. As a bonus, if you’re not up for finding yourself you can always get lost in one of the largest public parks in the world. Now that’s wild.

Staying in Germany? Break the Language Barrier.

One of the primary concerns when visiting a foreign country is communication. Every well prepared traveler deals with this concern, and each one does so in a different way. There are the old standbys: learning a few key phrases, carrying an inter-language phrase book or dictionary or perhaps one of those nifty electronic translators. Then there’s the real traveler’s method: taking a language course.

For the person who wants to really get into the spirit of travel and immerse themselves in a foreign culture–and there is no way to get more out of your vacation than by becoming part of the area you visit–learning to speak the language is the way to go. You don’t have to become fluent, but learning how to say more than, “Where is the bathroom?” will make your stay easier, more enjoyable and impress your friends more than a tan and some souvenirs. Even better, you can carry that knowledge with you wherever you go. If you’re considering alternate accommodations–and you ought to be–learning a bit of German will make your stay many times more relaxing.

Staying in a rented home or apartment affords the same kind of cultural immersion that learning the language does. The two really go hand in hand: knowing what to ask for at the grocery store, or how to read a label, makes the ability to cook in your rental’s kitchen that much easier. Interacting with the locals is obviously enhanced as well, and that is the best way to appreciate a locality: making friends. German isn’t a hard language to learn, either. English is a Germanic language and so much of it will seem familiar to the novice speaker. You have to learn a few new letters, but it’s spelled phonetically. If you’ve got a couple of months before you are traveling I suggest enrolling in your local university’s language course. In addition to learning enough German to get by you’ll have conversation practice partners and, most likely, a native German to tell you all about where you’ll be visiting.

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