The Way Christmas Is Celebrated in Different Countries

Because Christmas is approaching, I decided to learn something about the Christmas traditions in Germany, Japan, and Spain by reading several articles on the Internet.
Germans begin preparing for Christmas early. The night of December 5th is called Nikolaustag in German, and it is the time when German children put their boots outside. Santa Claus, whose German name is Nikolaus, leaves presents in the shoes of the good kids. However, the naughty children receive some unpleasant things from Nikolaus's servant, Knecht Ruprecht. On Christmas Eve, some parents place gifts for their kids in a room that also contains a decorated Christmas tree and lock the room. After that, they open it in order for their children to see the presents and the tree, and the whole family sings Christmas carols.

Although most of the residents of Japan are not Christians, many Japanese people celebrate it, and their number often increases. The way Christmas is celebrated in Japan consists in people decorating the places where they live, giving presents to their friends, and eating special food. By special food I mean an amazing Christmas cake. The image in the post is an example of such a cake.

Celebrating Christmas in Spain starts early and continues until January 6th. On December 22nd, the winning lottery ticket for El Gordo, a lottery with very big prizes, is drawn, which is an important Christmas event. Some Spaniards receive presents on Christmas Eve, whereas others do it on January 6th. There is an additional celebration between the beginning and the end of the period during which Christmas is celebrated. It is something like April's Fools Day and happens on December 28th.

If you would like to find out where I took the information from, click on the following links:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/christmas/german/

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2299.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/christmas/spanish/

Spain's Skiing Places

I recently read an article about the ski resorts of Spain, and I learned some facts that I find interesting.

For example, Spain's places where you can ski aren't the main things that contribute to the country's reputation for being popular for tourists, but they are also great. The high average elevation of Spain makes it the second most mountainous country in Europe; Switzerland is the most mountainous one. Therefore, Spain has many ski resorts that appeal to various kinds of tourists.

One of those resorts attracted my attention. It is called Sierra Nevada, and it is Europe's southernmost spot where skiing is possible. Some of its peaks have altitudes of more than 3,000 meters. However, during some parts of the year, Sierra Nevada offers the amazing opportunity to ski and then go swimming in the Mediterranean on the same day.

Ohrid

Ohrid, Macedonia, is an amazing city, and it is one of the best Balkan places to spend a weekend in. First, Ohrid has access to the famous lake whose name is the same as the name of the city. This lake's depth of about 300 meters makes it one of the deepest ones in Europe, and its water is extremely clear. The city's area's beauty comes mainly from the lake. However, there are other things because of which Ohrid is beautiful. By other things I mean the great buildings that the city is full of and its numerous churches; there are about 350 of them. The activities that you can do if you are in Ohrid include visiting the churches and museums, swimming and sailing. Even just watching the lake is not boring. I have been to Ohrid three times, but I hope that I will travel to the city again.

Vlasina Lake

The Vlasina lake is in Serbia, close to the Bulgarian border. The area around it is a very beautiful place, and it provides fantastic opportunities for tourism. The region where the lake is situated is mountainous, and its altitude is about 1200 meters, so it is suitable for people who enjoy mountains and hiking. What is more, the buildings near the lake are also vey nice; most of them are splendid wooden houses that make you want to stay in them when you see them. If someone is a fan of cycling, they may find the roads that connect the lake to nearby Serbian cities wonderful. I mean that they are probably among some of the least crowded ones in Europe; if you encounter a car on one of these roads, you can be sure that no other vehicles will appear in the next fifteen minutes. Last but not least, several football and basketball fields that everyone can use allow tourisits to play these sports as much as they wish. However, your ball is likely to enter the lake if you kick or throw it too hard.

Morocco

Morocco is a great country that is worth visiting because of its amazing mountains and cities. The country's highest mountain is one of the tallest ones in Africa with its height of 4165 meters. Therefore, even if you go to Morocco during the summer, you will see some snow. This African country has several fascinating cities, the best of which is probably Marrakech. If you are interested in seeing some photos from this city, click on the following link: http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/Africa/Morocco/South/Marrakech/. Other examples of great Moroccan cities are Casablanca and Agadir.

The Best European Cities I Have Visited

The best European cities I have been to are Oslo, the capital city of Norway, Vienna, the Austrian capital, and Bled, a really beautiful town in Slovenia.

I think that Oslo is better than Vienna and Bled, so it deserves to be represented by two parts of the mosaic above the text. The city's great attractions such as museums, parks, and beautiful buildings are the things that make me think so.

Vienna's attractions aren't less numerous than those of Oslo, but I think it is the second best European city I have visited because I haven't been there for more than five years, and I don't remember it very well.

Bled is not a big city and lacks some opportunities for entertainment, but it is great too. The town's lake and castle are its most famous landmarks.

Paris

Paris is one of the greatest cities in the world because of the amazing attractions it is full of. First, the Eiffel Tower, which is still one of the tallest structures in the world, is probably Paris's most famous landmark. If you want to see some nice photographs showing the tower, click on the following link: http://www.world-city-photos.org/Paris/photos/Eiffel_Tower/. Secondly, many world-class museums can be visited in Paris. The Louvre is one of them. If you are interested in learning something about it, you may find this website useful: http://www.louvre.fr/llv/commun/home.jsp?bmLocale=en. Last but not least, Paris's other buildings also deserve some attention. The city owes its reputation for being very beautiful to them. If you wish to see some of them on photographs, go to this website: http://www.photos-voyages.com/paris/indexen.html. I hope you will love Paris after seeing the things that the sites to which the links are show.

My Trip to Norway

If you want to see what I saw, look at the picture above.

I went on a trip to Norway two years ago, and since then Norway has probably been my favorite country.
At the beginning of the trip, I visited Oslo, the capital city of Norway. Oslo is one of the best cities I have ever seen. Its streets are a lot less crowded than those of Sofia, where I live, and it is safe to cross at red lights because there aren't many cars. Another characteristic of Oslo which I like is the fact that it is full of beautiful buildings. If you go to the Norwegian capital, you will see many nice churches, cathedrals, palaces, and houses. Some of them are really colorful and beautifully ornamented. Last but not least, some amazing attractions can be seen in Oslo. These include museums, roller coasters, and parks with sculptures. That's why I would like to visit Oslo again.
The second part of my trip wasn't less exciting than the first one. I went to the northern part of Norway. It was incredible. The sun didn't set at all, and there wasn't any difference between a night and an afternoon. I was impressed by locals' reaction to the weather there; they wore shorts and T-shirts even though it was chilly. What is more, I saw that there were opportunities to ski all around the year in that part of Norway. I could see glaciers from one of the towns I visited. These opportunities appealed to me a lot because I am a real fan of skiing. I hope that I will travel to the northern part of Norway again.

Thanks, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Troms%C3%B8_view.jpg