Tips

China opened the longest glass bridge in the world

Walking in the clouds on a transparent walkway: it happens in China where the longest glass bridge in the world has been opened . The structure overlooks a canyon over 230 meters deep (equal to a 66-storey skyscraper) and, to make matters worse, it is equipped with a system that allows it to oscillate. The spectacular bridge was inaugurated at Christmas, it is 488 meters long, connects two spurs of the Hongyagu Scenic Area and is composed of 1077 glass plates .

The catwalk is located in Hebei province , it was designed to swing and is a real challenge, even for the most fearless. Not looking down, on the other hand, is really impossible, but above all it is particularly difficult not to tremble along the glass bridge. Around the landscape is breathtaking, offering a natural spectacle that fascinates visitors. It is located next to another glass walkway that runs along the mountain, equipped with special special effects. In some slabs, in fact, special screens have been installed that create a particular effect , making us believe that the bridge is cracked and that it is about to split at every step.

A cinematic effect that mixes fiction and reality, creating even more suspense when walking on the catwalk. The Hongyagu bridge in China weighs about 70 tons and each glass panel is 1.5 inches thick. According to the specifications disseminated by the creators, the structure can support a maximum of 2 thousand people, but to ensure safety, only 500 visitors can be taken at a time.

The reason? The authorities fear that the structure may end up the glass bridge built on the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon which was closed last year only 13 days after the opening. The event in fact had attracted too many tourists, who had stormed the bridge, putting their safety at risk .

The longest bridge in the world is in Hong Kong

After nine years of work the world’s longest new bridge was inaugurated in China . It is the one that connects Hong Kong with Zhuhai, on the Macau peninsula . With its 55 kilometers in length, it is the bridge of records.

But this bridge is also impressive for other reasons. 400,000 tons of steel were used to build it, as much as would be needed to build 60 Eiffel Towers.

Furthermore, it is able to withstand an earthquake of magnitude 8 and the impact of a 300,000-ton cargo ship.

More than half of the bridge (30 km) is suspended on the Pearl River, but to allow the passage of ships, a part of the bridge about 6.7 km long plunges into the waters in an underwater tunnel that runs along two artificial islands.

This bridge, costing, according to Il Sole 24 Ore , over 15 billion dollars, will link together as many as 68 million people living in this area that will be called Greater Bay Area and which includes Hong Kong, Macao and nine other cities that will found in southern China.

So far, it took Four hours to go from Zhuhai to Hong Kong, with the new bridge taking 30 minutes.

A toll must be paid to access the bridge.

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The “Time” advises: run away from the crowded Tuscany and choose Abruzzo

The advice comes from Time: if you were thinking of organizing your holidays in Tuscany , but the crowd is not right for you, choose Abruzzo . And you won’t regret it.

East of Rome, set between the Adriatic and the Apennines, Abruzzo is a region of splendid contrasts: national parks and nature reserves alternate here with medieval and Renaissance villages, and cities rich in history such as L’Aquila ‘accompany unusual seaside resorts. Just think of the Costa dei Trabocchi, with its coves and traditional piers used for fishing.

The Time recommends: run away from the crowded Tuscany and choose Abruzzo

Time, however, suggests two particular goals: Prezza and Pacentro . Two tiny hamlets, easily reachable from Sulmona and home to extraordinary restaurants, agritourisms, splendid places for a walk. Without forgetting that, in this corner of Abruzzo little known even to Italians, prices are more than affordable.

But what exactly is there to see in Pacentro ? First of all, its historical center: the village develops around the Piazza del Popolo, with the seventeenth century fountain and the church of Santa Maria Maggiore or della Misericordia. And above all, with the noble palaces: the Rocca, seat of the Town Hall, the Granata palace, the Avolio palace and the seventeenth-century Tonno palace , where a large hollowed-out stone (once used as a unit for measuring wheat) recalls when it was used to make you sit who he did not honor his debts, completely naked, so as to be mocked.

Then there is the castle of Pacentro, one of the best preserved fortified structures in Abruzzo , and there is the cave of Colle Nusca which – not far from the center – contains paintings from the rock.

low cost cruises on offer

Cruises start at € 149 per person and can be booked until March 25th. You can leave between April and December aboard beautiful ships that sail the Mediterranean Sea or the seas of Northern Europe.

Among the most interesting cruises in the Mediterranean there is one on board the MSC Orchestra which lasts two days and one night and which leaves from Barcelona to arrive in Genoa: 48 hours to enjoy a splendid ship of more than 92 thousand tons and all its comfort. Like the Body and Mind Spa, the sports center with five swimming pools and a Power Walking route, gourmet restaurants, lots of bars, casino, theater and live shows. Its 300 meters long are home to 2,550 passengers and 1,054 crew members.

Or you can leave on board the MSC Fantasia that sets sail from Genoa to reach Marseille . The cruise lasts two days and one night. Much larger than the Orchestra, the fantasy is a ship of 137,936 tons that can accommodate 4,300 passengers , assisted by a crew of 1,300 people. On its 18 bridges it houses five restaurants, 21 bars , five swimming pools, 12 whirlpool tubs, 150 fountains and water jets and the splendid Aurea Spa .

And yet you can set off on a mini two-day and one-night cruise from Marseille to Genoa on board the MSC Meraviglia , the largest cruise ship ever built in Europe. It can accommodate up to 5,700 passengers and is considered not just a simple ship but a real travel destination because on board there is really everything: 12 restaurants, 20 bars, two regulation bowling lanes, a Formula 1 simulator, a flight simulator, four pools. There is also the MSC Yacht Club reserved for those looking for luxury and exclusivity, with two-story suites complete with a personal swimming pool. But the distinctive element of this cruise ship is the promenade which is located in the center, a 96 meter long walk with the ceiling entirely covered by an LED screen on which wrap-around scenographies are projected.

Nugo, the app for traveling (without car) with just one click

Plan an entire smartphone journey combining and integrating public, collective and shared transport: trains, subways, buses, ferries, car and bike sharing, taxis and car parking in the railway station car parks. You can do it with a few touches on your phone or tablet thanks to Nugo , a startup that promotes integrated collective mobility from the beginning to the end of a journey.

The new application unifies all the phases of the travel purchase and provides the schedules of about 400 carriers of different modes of transport, 50 of which can already be purchased. A week from the launch of the app there are already about 14 thousand downloads from the Android and iOS stores .

NUGO
The goal is to make it possible to no longer use the private car to reach the destinations, for work, leisure and tourism, through the different means of shared transport and concretizing modal integration, one of the five pillars of the 2017 business plan- 2026 of Italian Fs.

In the stations of Roma Termini, Venezia Santa Lucia and Firenze Santa Maria Novella there are already the ‘Nugo Space Experience’, installations in which travelers and visitors can enter the virtual world of Nugo experiencing a sensory experience with stories of people, images of cities , moving vehicles and artistic abstractions on the journey. In the coming weeks, these installations will also be set up in other Italian railway stations.

Here is how men really behave in front of a solitary traveler

After a fourteen-hour bus ride to Valparaiso, Chile, I dragged my backpack up the steps of Luigi’s apartment and rang the bell. He opened a doorway, smiled and waved me in.

Surely that guy did not look like a clown.

Luigi showed a cut at the Mohawk and was studded with tattoos, and his apartment looked like the seat of a “circus” fraternity-a hoard of empty beer cans, top hats, dirty dishes, and juggling pins.

To some it may seem like a nightmare because the clowns make us immediately think of IT, the pedophiles of Law and Order SVU, or that doll that terrifies Carol Anne in Poltergeist, but you must know that in South America the clowns are much “cooler”.

Inside, a circle of hippies with tattoos, ridges and pigtails was sitting on the floor smoking a cane. Virtually no one spoke English. But after a few minutes, they began to give me balloons in the shape of an animal.

I learned that Luigi was a clown from his profile on couchsurfing.com . But it never occurred to me that I would sleep in a house full of clowns. In any case, it seemed like the kind of extravagant adventure I would normally find myself in.

Some of them were already looking at me like a lion watching a succulent steak, so I immediately went into “big sister” mode. After working and attending mostly male environments as a rafting guide, climber and ski instructor for years, and later as a comedian and a member of the troupe for the New York film industry, I was now an expert on how to make myself completely “non-sweaty” .

Sit down like a man, talk like a man, do not forget the burps. Do not flirt in the most absolute way and keep your head when you talk to them like a footballer. When sent correctly, these powerful non-verbal messages convince them to treat you like one of them rather than a hole in your legs.

It seemed to work like a spell. Finally I felt safe and could relax for once.

Indonesia,tips for an incredible journey between Java to Bali

When the Boieng 777 Emirates EK356 from Dubai starts flying over Aceh at the northern end of Sumatra, it is still almost three hours to land in the capital. First indication of the Indonesian vastness; boundless nation of 17,000 islands in constant geological, economic and social metamorphosis.

A collection of beauties, stories and contradictions from the overwhelming megalopolis of Jakarta to the fragile marine eco-systems of the Raja Ampat of Papua in which the world’s largest archipelago, enchants and fascinates through an extraordinary variety of landscapes and cultural heritage ranging from tribal rituals from the heart of forests to European customs introduced over the centuries. All accompanied by an unprecedented economic boom that is still evident in the capital, is distant light years in most of the rural areas; including rural villages around Yogyakarta. A fertile and volcanic area where the “natural” tofù is still produced in the countryside, according to ancient traditions.

One of the many memories of the first commercial exchanges of the seventh century established by the Kingdom of Srivijaya with China and India and followed by the arrival of the Arab merchants of Gujarat who started the spread of Islam. With the landing of the Dutch, however, begins an intricate colonial history that will mingle with Muslim, animist, Hindu and Buddhist habits with the latter three that after the expulsion from Java, will find exile and peace in Bali; the island of the Gods. More generally, the succession of peoples, religions and customs have created a cultural heritage sui generis, a unique gastronomy and atmospheres of rare elegance and refinement. Particularly tangible in architecture between dwellings resting on perfect waves or built next to fertile rice fields and bamboo pavilions camouflaged in the jungle in the presence of rivers and volcanoes. Suggestions of a journey of extraordinary visual and emotional impact told by twenty unique and memorable experiences that only Indonesia can offer.

Ciak on Sicily: trip to the lighthouse of Salina, cinema of Lipari up to the taste of Trapani between sea magic, food and culture

Sicilia. Aeolian Islands. Ideal and real set for tourists and artists. The Sicilian archipelago made of sun, sea, wind and fire is one of the most exciting summer docks. Starting from Salina and its lighthouse of Capofaro, symbol of the island, still active, silent guardian of the cliff overlooking the islands of Stromboli and Panarea, which is reborn in this month of July with the opening to hospitality, thanks to the project of recovery and valorisation entrusted – through a national tender – to the Tasca d’Almerita , the historic Sicilian family, owners of the wine estate and of the Locanda & Malvasia that bears its name: in the spaces originally occupied by the guardian housing, today there are six new rooms and suites. Dizzying.

To disembark at Lipari , the largest of the seven islands-mountains, and immerse yourself in its ” Un Mare di Cinema ” which returns from Monday (23 July) to the 35th edition organized by the Centro Studi Eoliano with a tribute at 21.00 to Vittorio Taviani with the film “Kaos” partially shot on the island on the music performed live by maestro Carmelo Travia. And until July 31 presents appointments and clapperboard with the main purpose of contributing through the cinema to the dissemination of a culture that enhances the sea of ​​myth and the Aeolian territory making it known beauties and particularities.

BACK TO THE FARO DI SALINA overlooking the splendor of the Aeolian sea and its twin “volcanoes”, Didyme, which gave its name to the island in antiquity and today to the wine produced by the Tasca d’Almerita. The lighthouse tower is 12 meters high and its light is 56 meters above sea level with a nominal range of 18 miles (about 35 km) and is an example of industrial navigation archeology: the first official documents attesting to its existence they date back to 1882 when new lighting fixtures were used that came directly from Paris to a design by Henry Lepaute, a collaborator of Gustave Eiffel. Around the fifties, the lantern was moved to the position it now occupies.

In the wake of this enhancement project, the Micro Museum of the Sea and Malvasia was created, which tells, through a multimedia journey, the historical and cultural heritage that weaves the history of the island of Salina , its economic development based on the production of Malvasia delle Lipari and the development of the Marina through the lighthouses, which have always represented the strategic human settlement to protect the territory.

6 reasons to see Brighton at least once in a lifetime

BRIGHTON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 04: The start of Brighton Pride Parade 2018 from Hove Lawns on August 4, 2018 in Brighton, England. (Photo by Tabatha Fireman/Redferns)

For the British it is London by the sea: a more relaxed marine version of the city, less than an hour by train from Victoria Station (and Gatwick). But the bright and proud Brighton there is not only the good retreat of Londoners fleeing from stress and so, focusing on the mix of youth, music and creativity, last year she managed to take home the title of the most hipster city of world.

What this could mean you will discover it only by walking through its crowded alleys, by day or by night. And even if you do not understand what it really means to be the most hipster city of all, Brighton will surprise you anyway. That’s how.

The festivals

The most famous is the Brighton Festival , held every year in May: the beauty of three weeks of music, theater, dance, circus, art, cinema, literature, debates, outdoor events, which since 1967 take place in various location between Brighton and Hove, including the Brighton Dome . And if a festival is not enough for you, here is the Brighton Fringe , a theatrical happening, which takes place more or less on the same days and is second in importance only to the Edinburgh Festival. Also in May (which is evidently one of the best times to visit Brighton) the Artists Open House s explodes in the city , a festival of contemporary art in the homes and studios of artists and The Great Escape, a music festival that sees 500 emerging artists from all over the world performing around the city.

The musical scene

The proximity to London makes itself felt: in Brighton it is easy to cross great stars passing through for some concerts. But the city is proud of its independent music scene, where they find space “indie” labels such as Acid House and clubs like Mono , with dj sets of electronic music that can last even 5 hours. To watch performances of local talent in a sort of famous (indie version), go to the Green Door , which is located under the Brighton station. When we say underground music.

Vienna is the most livable city in the world in 2018 (but in the Economist standings there is no place for Italy)

Aerial view over the rooftops of Vienna from the north tower of St. Stephen’s Cathedral including the cathedral’s famous ornately patterned, richly colored roof created by 230,000 glazed tiles, Austria

Vienna is the most livable city in the world in 2018. This is stated in the Global Liveability Index published annually by the Economist Intelligence Unit, according to which this year the Austrian capital has undermined Melbourne, which had the record in the last seven editions.

The ranking is based on a series of parameters including infrastructure, education, health services, and examines 150 cities worldwide each year. “In recent years, European cities have been hit by the increasingly widespread threat of terrorism – explain the experts who prepared the ranking – while now they seem to be back to normal”.

It was precisely the lowering of the terrorist threat, coupled with a low rate of criminality, that led to overtaking. There is no trace of Italian cities in the posts of excellence in the index. In reality, it also goes bad for the rest of Europe. in the top ten the only other European is Copenhagen. On the other hand, the worst city in terms of livability is Damascus, followed by Dhaka and the Nigerian capital Lagos.