www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism, travel, transport, the environment, politics, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink.
A contract has been signed to build Vanuatu’s first multi-purpose port terminal in the capital, Port Vila, according to Radio New Zealand International.
Vanuatu’s Minister of Infrastructure and Public Utilities, Esmon Sae, signed the agreement with Japanese construction company TOA Corporation.
Once completed, the new wharf is going to provide for all international cargo vessels to be handled away from the main wharf and where cruise liners anchor.
Mr Sae says the Japanese company is expected to complete the Lapetasi Wharf Project within a two-year time frame and a budget of $US 46.7 million.
TOA Corporation representative Nakamura San says this is their second project in Vanuatu, they completed Lenakel Wharf in Tanna several years ago.
He says TOA Corporation won the bid for the project out of 16 international bidders.
The project is funded by Japan through the Japan International Corporation Agency.
www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism, travel, transport, the environment, politics, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink.
Etter utypisk tysk kaos ser det nå endelig ut som den nye storflyplassen i Berlin vil åpne i 2017 – seks år etter planen, skriver www.travelnews.no
Det er nyhetsbyrået Reuters som melder at den omstridte flyplassen, som vil komme til å koste over fem milliarder euro, endelig ser ut til å skulle åpne i løpet av 2017.
Berlin Brandenburg Willy Brandt Airport har vært et skandaleprosjekt gjennom mange år, med mange politiske, økonomiske og praktiske problemer.
Den rotete prosessen har laget en stygg skrape i omdømmet til Tyskland som verdens mest effektive land, med verdens beste ingeniører. Men nå ser det altså ut som om alle problemer endelig er løst.
– Vi kommer til å være ferdig med alle byggearbeider i løpet av mars 2016, sier Ralf Kunkel, talsmann for Berlins flyplassmyndigheter.
– Deretter vil den nye flyplassen bli testet. Åpningen er planlagt til annen halvdel av 2017. Dersom det virkelig stemmer denne gang, etter en rekke tidligere utsettelser, vil mange puste lettet ut.
Ikke bare politikere og ingeniører, men også et selskap som Air Berlin – som har basert det meste av sin planlagte vekst på nettopp Berlins nye storflyplass.
www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism, travel, transport, the environment, politics, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink.
Dublin is by far the most expensive capital city in Europe to buy a round of drinks, a staggering new survey has found, the www.irishmirror.ie website reported.
The drinks cost 77 euros in Dublin, compared to just 28 euros in Budapest, which came in as the cheapest.
The survey, which will do little for the country’s tourist industry, looked at the cost of 10 drinks – including beer, wine and a glass of champagne – in 10 EU destinations.
Dublin proved the priciest destination, with the drinks costing as much as 77 euros.
A 330ml bottle of beer in the Irish capital, for instance, was 5.20 euros, compared with just 1.48 euros in Budapest.
Similarly, a dry martini in Dublin would set travellers back 10.38 euros but was only 2.64 euros in Budapest.
The next-priciest destination was Barcelona, where a 175ml glass of white wine was 3.65 euros, compared with only 1.27 euros in Budapest.
The drinks proved the least expensive in Budapest, where the cost was 28 euros. The next best-value destination was Prague where the drinks were 36.21 euros, while Riga in Latvia was also good value at 47.55 euros.
For those who don’t want to travel to Eastern Europe, traditional city break favourite Amsterdam is likely to be the cheapest option for a weekend away.
At 57.67 euros for the 10 drinks, it was over 13 per cent cheaper than Paris at 66.50 euros, the number one city break destination and a popular choice among young women.
The fantasy order included a bottle of beer, a bottle of lager, a glass of white wine, a glass of champagne, a shot of Southern Comfort, a cocktail, a gin and tonic, a rum and coke, a scotch and soda and a dry Martini.
The poll by Post Office Travel Money could put off many young people, especially those across the Irish Sea, who might be considering be coming here for a boozy weekend.
Andrew Brown, of Post Office Travel Money, said: “The city break is now the king of holidays, especially among under-35s”.
Around half of them took a city break last year and one of the key reasons is the surging value of sterling, which is making European cities very cheap.
“We have seen growth of 163 per cent in sales of the Hungarian forint since 2010 on the back of cheap prices in Budapest and the rising value of sterling”.
“But air fares to Eastern Europe may cost more than to cities closer to home so it will pay to do some homework and calculate the cost of flights, accommodation and drinks before booking.”
www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism, travel, transport, the environment, politics, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink.
I Spania kan man reise fra storby til storby med Europas kanskje aller mest effektive lyntog. I løpet av en oval weekend rekker man innom både Madrid, Barcelona og Malaga, skriver VG.
Det tar bare 2 timer og 20 minutter fra man setter seg i AVE-toget (bildet) i Madrid til man ankommer Malaga. Til Barcelona tar det ti minutter lenger.
www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism, travel, transport, the environment, politics, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink.
Bruce Dickinson, på turne med Iron Maiden i Costa Rica, 2008. Foto: wikipedia.org
Bruce Dickinson, vokalist i det britiske tungrock-bandet Iron Maiden, skal hjelpe republikken Djibouti, på Afrikas Horn, med å starte flyselskap, skriver Wales Online og NRK.
Dickinson (56), som selv er flypilot og har sittet bak spakene på Iron Maidens Boeing 757, som bærer navnet Ed Force One, på turneer rundt om i verden, er grunnlegger av selskapet Cardiff Aviation, som tilbyr flygeropplæring og vedlikehold av fly.
Nå ønsker tungrockeren, som har vært med i bandet siden 1981 (Iron Maiden ble startet i 1975), ønsker å gjenopplive Djibouti som flynasjon.
-Djiboutis geografiske plassering gjør det til det perfekte knutepunkt for trafikk fra Europa, Midtøsten og Asia til Afrika, sier Dickinson.
Den lidenskapelig flyopptatte rockemusikeren og piloten vil derfor bygge to nye internasjonale flyplasser i landet. Han ønsker også å få det statlige selskapet Air Djibouti, som eksisterte fra 1963 til 2002, på beina igjen.
-Cardiff Aviation vil hjelpe Djibouti å bli en spydspiss for vekst i en region med enormt potensial, sier Bruce Dickinson til Wales Online.
Djibouti er en tidligere fransk koloni som ble selvstendig i 1977.
www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism, travel, transport, the environment, politics, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink.
Petter Stordalen og Nordic Choice Hotels åpner neste år sitt første hotell i Finlands hovedstad Helsinki. Hotellet ved vannkanten i Jätkässari, en bydel sør i byen, får 427 rom og skal bygges av Arthur Buchardt, skriver VG.
-Våre ambisjoner er å være det største hotellselskapet i Norden, og da er det naturlig å være til stede i alle nordiske land. Vi har lett etter det riktige prosjektet, og nå har vi funnet det, sier Nordic Choice-sjef Torgeir Silseth.
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Illustrasjon: Arkitekt Aki Davidsson.
Clarion Hotel Helsinki blir med sine tre bygninger og 12 konferanserom/saler et nytt landemerke i Jätkässari, slår Helsinkis borgermester Jussi Pajunen fast.
Han karakteriserer bydelen som “fremtidens Helsinki”.
Hotellprosjektet har en prislapp på 120 millioner euro – nær 1,1 milliarder kroner.
www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism, travel, transport, the environment, politics, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink.
Business forum of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was held in Tbilisi on May 19. Prime Minister (PM) of Georgia Irakli Gharibashvili, who opened the forum, estimated Georgian UAE business relations as one of the most important, the www.messenger.com.ge website writes.
“The UAE delegation’s visit to Georgia is very important. This is the demonstration that the UAE’s interest grows toward Georgia. I am pleased to note that the UAE’s investment has amounted to 700 million dollars. Last year our trade turnover increased by a total of approximately 220 million dollars”, the Prime Minister said.
According to Gharibashvili, a Georgian Embassy will be opened in the UAE capital city of Abu Dhabi soon, and a General Consulate in Dubai.
The Prime Minister stressed that the UAE is exemplary for Georgia.
“Dubai is exemplary and there are really a lot of things we can do together. The UAE is interested in bigger investments in Georgia, including tourism, and we have unique places for possible tourism development. Also, they are interested in water Resources”, stated Gharibashvili.
Minister of Agriculture Otar Danelia estimated the forum positively. According to him, a visit to the UEA is planned soon.
“We have serious potential for trade improvement, because the needed balance is not big yet. They have interest almost in every sphere of business, but the main subject is the livestock sector. Putting more investment in the Georgian market is on schedule. Arab businessmen have already had a meeting with my deputy and discussed specific areas. I think this year we will have a visible picture of this sphere”, stated Danelia.
www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism, travel, transport, the environment, politics, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink.
Ibiza er neste stopp på kokkebrødrene Ferran og Albert Adrias (bildet) sin kreative lek med matens muligheter. 28.mai åpner brødrene – best kjent for “verdens beste restaurant” – El Bulli i Spania – Heart Ibiza på Ibiza Grand Hotel, skriver Se og Hør.
Ibiza Grand Hotel (ibizagrandhotel.com)
Denne gangen samarbeider de med Cirque du Soleil, så matelskere og publikum ellers kan vente seg en heftig kombo av mat, musikk og kunst.
El Bulli, i flere år kåret til verdens beste restaurant, ble åpnet i 1961 i Cala Montjoi ved byen Roses i Gironi i Katalonia, og var åpent bare deler av året. Bordbestillinger måtte man gjøre året i forveien før man skulle spise der. Restauranten stengte i 2011, men gjenoppstod som et kreativt senter i 2014.
www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism, travel, transport, the environment, politics, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink.
Only stop of the Formula E world tour in Germany coming on 23 May
Racing around Tempelhofer Feld with a 270 hp electric engine: The FIA Formula E race is coming to Berlin on 23 May.
Ten teams with two drivers and four electric-powered racing cars each will meet on the track set up on what used to be the tarmac of the former Tempelhof Airport. Joining in are some old favourites from the world of racing: Former Formula 1 drivers Nick Heidfeld and Jarno Trulli are among those competing for a spot on the podium in Berlin. The eco-friendly race is a perfect fit with the German capital, the greenest city in Europe, and will attract many visitors.
Top-notch day of racing with a varied programme
The day will run at full throttle from 8 in the morning until 9 at night: Before the race starts at 4 o’clock, motor sport fans can come out to watch the practice and qualifying runs in person. Plus there will be plenty to do in the eVillage for fans, including an e-bike stunt show and an autograph session with the drivers. A party after the awards ceremony will close out the day’s fun.
Berlin is hosting the eighth of the eleven races in the motorsport series launched in 2014. The first match-up took place in Beijing in September last year. After stops in major international cities such as Buenos Aires, Miami, and Monte Carlo, the tour heads to London on 28 June 2015 to battle it out for the overall victory. More information is available atwww.fiaformulae.com/berlin.
Berlin, the City of Sports
Whether at Tempelhofer Feld, Olympic Stadium, or Max-Schmeling-Halle, Berlin is repeatedly the stage for major sporting events. Among the annual highlights are the ISTAF international athletics meeting, the DFB men’s football cup, and the BMW Berlin Marathon. In addition, six pro sports clubs playing in five sports make Berlin the capital of sport.
www.hovedsteder.blogg.no is a Norway-based blog about the capitals of the world, with a focus on tourism, travel, transport, the environment, politics, diplomatic affairs, lifestyle, culture and entertainment, food and drink.
Albanian Minister of Economic Development, Tourism, Trade and Entrepreneurship has stated that the country is working hard to develop tourism, the www.balkans.com website reported.
“We are in advanced negotiations to remove exclusivity from Tirana Rinas airport, which is the only airport in Albania and give the opportunity to Albania to have three other airports, two in the south and one in the north,” Arben Ahmetaj said, during the presentation of the draft law on tourism in the Productive Activities Committee.
Ahmetaj admitted that Albania’s coastline is not very clean and more people will be employed in the next four months to clean it.
“The coastline is dirty. Imagine that we are welcoming 25 percent more tourists. We have undertaken an initiative which will pass in the government, to give a chance to the Coastline Agency to employ more people during the next four months to clean the coastline,” Ahmetaj said.
