Converted from a military installation to a federal prison in 1934, Alcatraz is one of America’s foremost notorious prisons. Despite the fact it was only used as a prison for 29 years, it’s probably the most famous. There are two main reasons for its being so well known; firstly the notability of prisoner which were housed there, and secondly, its image recorded by Hollywood’s moviemakers. By current standards, the prison wasn’t large, housing only 250 inmates, but because of its island location, there were never any escapes recorded from it – thus adding fuel for entertainment industry to create movies such as “Escape from Alcatraz” where real life escape attempts were transposed into movies for the big screen. TV’s “Mythbusters” have since proved that escape was in fact a possibility, despite Alcatraz’s reputation to the contrary.
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The cherry blossom (sakura) is the unofficial national flower of Japan. It has been celebrated for many centuries and holds a very important position in the Japanese culture. There are many dozens of different varieties of cherry trees in Japan, most of which bloom only for a few days in spring. The Japanese celebrate this time of year with hanami (cherry blossom viewing) parties under the blooming trees.
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Danskerne er nogle af de bedst i verden til at hygge. Vi bruger meget tid på at side sammen om aftenen, med massere af stearinlys så vi kan komme tættere sammen. Der er mange familier som også har faste hyggedage, hvor de skal lave noget sammen.
Nicosia is the centrally located capital of Cyprus and also the largest city on the island. It is also the world’s last divided capital between the Greek Cypriots in the south and the Turkish Cypriots in the north. The barbed wire and guardtowers of the Green Line cuts the town in two, with the northern side being the capital of the self-proclaimed Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and the southern half being the capital of the Republic of Cyprus. Politics aside, Nicosia is a little short on both the archaeological treasure troves and beaches with pulsating nightlife that bring most visitors to Cyprus. But the Old City with its museums and churches is pleasant enough, and precisely due to the comparative lack of tourists, the city retains more of an authentically Cypriot air than the resorts of the southern coast. Fantastic little cafes invite you in for a Cypriot coffee, so just walk around and see the many woodworking shops that are deep within the City, and take a walk down to the Green Line. Being the financial and administrative centre of the island, it is by far the best place for shopaholics.
