Insignia - May 13, 2024

Dubai is a popular destination for a relaxing beach holiday, an adventurous desert experience, wild nightlife or a weekend away to shop in the electronics and gold markets. Dubai has beautiful white beaches, clear blue seas, first class international hotels, and fine restaurants. In fact, Dubai has everything you could wish for to have a memorable getaway.

Dubai is a popular destination for a relaxing beach holiday, an adventurous desert experience, wild nightlife or a weekend away to shop in the electronics and gold markets. Dubai has beautiful white beaches, clear blue seas, first class international hotels, and fine restaurants. In fact, Dubai has everything you could wish for to have a memorable getaway.

Fujairah city, the capital of the emirate, is characterized by the jagged Hajar mountains, which border the fertile coastal plain where most settlement has taken place. Blessed with dramatic scenery, Fujairah attractions include some excellent diving sites, the natural beauty of the mountains and coastline, cultural and historic attractions and of course, reliable winter sunshine.

The Suez Canal is an artificial waterway running across the Isthmus of Suez in northeastern Egypt. It connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Gulf of Suez, an arm of the Red Sea. The canal, about 101 miles long, has no locks because the Mediterranean Sea and the Gulf of Suez have roughly the same water level. Most of the canal has only a single traffic lane, with several passing bays.

With its steep volcanic flanks looming straight up from the sea, and the tiny white village of Thira clinging high atop the cliffs, Santorini is perhaps the most breathtaking and legendary of all the Greek Isles. To the south is Akrotiri, where recent Minoan excavations support the theories that Santorini might be the fabled lost continent of Atlantis.

Piraeus is the seaport for Athens, the capital of western civilization, which boasts a fantastic mix of classical ruins and vivacious modern life. In a single day, you can climb the hill of the Acropolis to wonder at the Parthenon, join the lively Athenians in Constitution Square, and then find a welcoming taverna for some spirited bizouki music, plenty of ouzo to drink, and with luck, energetic Greek dancing.

Dubrovnik, a Croatian port, is considered the most beautiful city on the Dalmatian coast. Dubrovnik sits high on a cliff overlooking the sea, and is nestled in the shadow of Mount Srdj. The walls of the city are one of its landmarks, and many structures from the medieval era remain standing, despite the many battles fought in Dubrovnik throughout history.

This natural harbor on the Adriatic coast of Montenegro was an important artistic and commercial center with famous masonry and iconography schools in the Middle Ages. A large number of its monuments, among which four Romanesque churches and the town walls, were heavily damaged by an earthquake in 1979 but the town is now completely restored.

Located in the middle of the Mediterranean, Malta's coastline features many harbors, bays, sandy beaches and rocky coves. After a leisurely stroll through the Barracca Gardens you'll be awarded with a spectacular view of the harbor of Valetta.

The setting for Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, Messina has much to offer in the way of history. Its dramatic, boulder-filled harbor has challenged navigators since the days of Ulysses. Try to visit the city's Bell Tower at the stroke of noon--the hour when one of the world's largest and most fanciful mechanical clocks springs into action. Messina's museum is also noteworthy for its Renaissance masterworks.

Some of Italy's most romantic villages cling to the dramatic slopes of the ruggedly beautiful Amalfi Coast. Sorrento's one so beautiful it inspired a song. Take a drive along the scenic coastal road. Or venture further, to the amazing ruins of Pompeii, uncovered from the ashes of Vesuvius, or to Capri, known as the "Island of Love."

Civitavecchia is just moments from Rome, Italy's Eternal City. One of the most geographically perfect ports in the world, Civitavecchia boasts a number of compelling area attractions. Stroll through the streets of the medieval town of Tarquinia. View the resplendent Madonnina at the Resort of Pantano.

The world's most famous casino (a must see even if you do not gamble), glittering nightlife, first-class dining and shopping, make it one of the world's most glamorous destinations. The casino is an elaborate Italianate structure capped by four towers and a copper-tin roof.

Barcelona is the cultural heartland of Spain, yet its first language is Catalan, the native tongue of the proudly independent Catalonia region. Stroll down the shady, tree-lined Ramblas between street musicians and elegant bistros. Then perhaps visit the venerable Gothic cathedral, Picasso Museum or enjoy the architectural genius of Antonio Gaudi's Church of the Holy Family.

Barcelona is the cultural heartland of Spain, yet its first language is Catalan, the native tongue of the proudly independent Catalonia region. Stroll down the shady, tree-lined Ramblas between street musicians and elegant bistros. Then perhaps visit the venerable Gothic cathedral, Picasso Museum or enjoy the architectural genius of Antonio Gaudi's Church of the Holy Family.