Archive for the ‘Cities’ Category

American Express -- Beijing: Room 2313-14, China World Tower 1, China World Trade Center; tel. 010/6505-2639. After hours: U.S. hot line tel. 001336/668-6809. Emergency card replacement: 00852/1220-62796. Stolen traveler's checks: 010800/744-0106 (toll-free). Area Codes -- In mainland China, area codes begin with a zero, which must be dropped when calling China from abroad. The whole area code can be dropped when calling another number in the ... Full story

Babysitters -- Your hotel front desk is your best bet for finding a babysitter. Bookstores -- In Habana Vieja, check out La Moderna Poesía, Calle Obispo 527 (tel. 7/861-6640), or La Librería Internacional, Calle Obispo 526 (tel. 7/861-3283), which are directly across the street from each other. In Vedado, head to Ateneo, Calle Linea, between Calles 12 and 14 (tel. 7/833-9609). Currency Exchange -- Currency exchange ... Full story

American Express -- The Mexico City office is at Reforma 234 (tel. 55/5207-7282), in the Zona Rosa. It's open for banking, the pickup of American Express clients' mail, and travel advice Monday through Friday from 9am to 6pm and Saturday from 9am to 1pm. Banks -- Banks are usually open Monday through Friday from 9am to 4pm; many now offer Saturday business hours. Bank branches ... Full story

ATMs -- You'll find automated-teller machines (ATMs) at Schiphol Airport, Centraal Station, other main rail stations, and throughout the city. Among the centrally located ATMs accessible by cards linked to the Cirrus and Plus networks and the major credit and charge cards are those at ABN AMRO Bank, Dam 2 (tram: 4, 9, 14, 16, 24, or 25) and Leidsestraat 1 (tram: 1, 2, ... Full story

American Express -- Türk Expres is the official representative of Amex Travel Related Services in Turkey, at Cumhuriyet Cad. 47/1, 3rd floor, Taksim (tel. 0212/235-9500). The worldwide customer assist service center number is tel. 00800/4491-4820. Amex also provides a toll-free number within Turkey for Global Assist (tel. 0312/935-3601). Area Codes -- The three-digit area code for the European side of Istanbul is 212; for the ... Full story

American Express -- For your mail or banking needs, you can go to the American Express office at the airport. ATM Networks/Cashpoints -- PLUS, Cirrus, and other networks connecting automated-teller machines operate in Spain, and ATMs are plentiful in Madrid. Babysitters -- Most major hotels can arrange for babysitters, called canguros (literally, kangaroos) or niñeras. Usually the concierge keeps a list of reliable nursemaids and will ... Full story

American Express -- There are two American Express Offices in Barcelona: one at Passeig de Gràcia 101 (tel. 93-255-00-29), and the other at Les Ramblas 74 (tel. 93-301-11-66). Area Codes -- The area code for Barcelona is 93. ATM Networks -- Maestro, Cirrus, and Visa cards are readily accepted at all ATMs. Business Hours -- Banks are open Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 2pm. Most offices ... Full story

Antiquity The Church of Sv. Georgi is among the oldest Christian churches in the Balkan peninsula dating back to 4th century Sofia was originally a Thracian settlement called Serdica, or Sardica, possibly named after the Thracian tribe Serdi. Around 500 BC another tribe settled in the region, the Odrysi, known as an ethnos with their own kingdom. For a short period during the 4th century BC, the ... Full story

Plovdiv is one of the oldest cities in Europe, the city is contemporary of Troy. Homer, Herodotes and other ancient authors describe the life, traditions and the rich culture of the Tracians, who are the oldest population in the Balkan Peninsula. Many ancient authors speak highly of the Thrace's wine and honey. The gold and silverware and jewelry found show an exceptional skill and high artistic ... Full story