Oxford is a city located in the Southeastern portion of England. It covers an area of seventeen square miles and has a population of over one hundred and fifty-three thousand residents. Oxford can trace its history all the way back to Saxon times when the city was known as Oxenaforda. The city originated with the founding of St. Frideswide’s nunnery during the eighth century. During the tenth century, Oxford became a military installation situated between Wessex and Mercia. The city was incorporated at the end of the twelfth century under direct authority of King Henry II. Oxford University was also founded during this very same period of time.

During the early part of the twentieth century, Oxford began a period of rapid growth and industrialization. It also began to experience a population boom as floods of migrant laborers entered the city to work in the manufacturing plants and hospitals. This in turn led to a jump in the number of bars, restaurants, clubs and hotels in the city. Oxford has a number of commercial districts which include Clarendon Shopping Centre, Westgate Shopping Centre, George Street, Cornmarket Street, The High Street, Little Clarendon Street, Queen Street, Golden Cross, The Covered Market, Turl Street and Broad Street. Educational facilities in the city include the University of Oxford, Oxford Brookes University and Ruskin College.

A popular attraction in the city is the main research library for the University of Oxford, Bodleian Library. Bodleian Library is the second largest library in Great Britain. This library was founded in the seventeenth century and has several libraries and collections. These include the Japanese Library, the Law Library, Indian Institute Library, Oriental Institute Library, Philosophy Faculty Library, Radcliffe Science Library, Sackler Library, Bodleian Library of Commonwealth and African Studies at Rhodes House and the Vere Harmsworth Library. Prominent works housed at this library include The Codex Ebnerianus, The Carte Manuscripts, The Song of Roland, The Codex Tischendorfianus III, The Codex Tischendorfianus IV, The Laud Manuscripts and The Magna Carta.

Another prominent attraction in Oxford is the Ashmolean Museum. The Ashmolean Museum contains an incredible collection of historical artifacts and art that spans over four thousand years. Collections housed in this museum include Portrait of the Emperor Maximilian II, Portrait of an Unknown Woman, Portrait of Henri IV, Plan of the Fortifications at Metz, Church of the Invalides with a Well and Haystacks on the right, con of The Virgin Blachernitissa, God the Father and Six Saints, Icon of St Gerasimos, Angelica encountering the wounded Medoro, the Alfred Jewel, lantern Gunpowder Plot carried by Guy Fawkes and the death mask of Oliver Cromwell. Christ Church Picture Gallery is another popular attraction in Oxford. This gallery features over two thousand drawings and two hundred paintings. Artist represented in this body of work include Albrecht Dürer, Peter Paul Rubens, Leonardo da Vinci, Anthony Van Dyck, Frans Hals, Michelangelo, Sano di Pietro, Hugo van der Goes, Annibale Carracci and Paolo Veronese.

Located in the exact center of Oxford is Carfax Tower. This tower is all that remains of St. Martins Church that was built in the thirteenth century. The tower stands seventy-four feet high and contains six bells. These chime on the hour and are occassionally rung on special occassions. The tower is open during the day and visitors can climb to the top to get a fantastic view of the city. The University Church of St Mary the Virgin is a parish church of Oxford University. It was built around the twelfth century and was quickly established as the seat of the universities government. Blackwell’s Books is another popular attraction in Oxford. This bookstoor features a ten thousand square foot room called the Norrington Room. The creators of this bookstore was able to make such a large room by tunnelling under Trinity Gardens College. The bookstore is actually nine seperate stores. The main store holds over a quarter of a million books. Satellite stores are specialized according to art, music, paperbacks, maps, medicine, childrens books, university books and rare books. This bookstore was founded in 1879 by Benjamin Blackwell.

The Sheldonian Theatre was built in the mid sixteenth century for the University of Oxford. It was designed by Christopher Wren and was named after the chancellor of Oxford, Gilbert Sheldon. Today its used for various concerts and university ceremonies. This building seats around one thousand people and features an octagonal cupola that is accessible by a set of stairs. Behind this theater is the Divinity School. Other theaters in the city include the Odeon Cinema, Burton Taylor Theatre, New Theatre, Oxford Playhouse, Ultimate Picture Palace, O’Reilly Theatre, Vue Cinema, Pegasus Theatre, Old Fire Station Theatre and the Phoenix Picture house.

Oxford is a city that contains many places for the weary traveler to rest his head. It has five star, four star, three star and two star hotels. So visitors can always be sure to find the accommadations that not only fits their lifestyle but also their budget. Five star hotels include the Gran Hotel Elba Estepona Thalasso and the Renaissance Hotel. Four star hotels in the city include El Oceano Beach Hotel, The Oxford Hotel, Heritage Randolph Hotel, The Randolph, Oxford Belfry and the AC Malaga Palacio. Three star hotels in the city include Don Manolo, Banbury House, Linton Lodge, Express By Holiday Inn, Eastgate and the Royal Oxford. Two star hotels include the Hotel Residencia Colon and the Days Inn. The city is also home to many shops, restaurants, pubs, cafes and nightclubs. There is something for just about everyone here in this majestic city.

Auckland is the largest city in New Zealand and is located on North Island. It covers an area of four hundred and nineteen square miles and has a population of one million and three hundred thousand residents. Auckland is an urban area that contains over thirty percent of the country’s population and demographics trends show that it will grow at a faster rate then the rest of New Zealand. Auckland currently has the largest Polynesian population of any urban center in the world and has seen a significant increase in the number of Asian residents over the past twenty years.

Auckland is the economic capital of New Zealand, and as a result many multinational corporations have an office in the city. The city also has a high median income which exceeds thirty-three thousand U.S. dollars per capita. The main industrial and commercial area of Auckland is located in its southeastern quadrant. The most expensive office space in the city is situated between Queen St. and the Viaduct Basin. The educational needs of the city is serviced by several primary schools, secondary schools and institutions of higher learning. Schools in the city of Auckland include Massey High School, Rangitoto College, Avondale College, St Peter’s College, University of Auckland, Auckland College of Education, Manukau Institute of Technology, Massey University and Unitec New Zealand.

Auckland can trace its history back to the mid-fourteenth century when the area was settled by the Maori people. The area was a natural choice for the Maori due to the ease of access to the ocean for fresh seafood and access to fertile valleys, which provided a great agricultural base. The main Maori tribes in the area were the Tainui and the Ngati Whatua. When the first Europeans arrived in the area during the seventeenth century, they upset the balance of power between these two tribes. Eventually, the Maori tribes were pushed out of New Zealand by the Europeans. In 1832, Joseph Brooks Weller bought land that present day Auckland is now situated on. In 1840, Great Britain annexed New Zealand and the Treaty of Waitangi was signed.

A prominent and popular attraction in the city is the Auckland War Memorial Museum. This museum is one of the most important museums in the country, as well as serving as a war memorial. It was established in 1852 and was moved to its current location in 1929. During the 1950s, the museum was expanded and an administrative annex and a courtyard was added. Over the last twenty years, the museum has gone through several renovations. First, the building went through an extensive restoration and then an atrium was constructed in the courtyard. This museum contains one of the largest collections in the world of Maori and Pacific Island art and artifacts. The museum also has over a million pictures, and over a million and a half natural history specimens. There is also a large permanent exhibition that covers the wars of New Zealand. Past exhibitions at the museum have included Secrets Revealed, In Memory, T-Rex Named Sue, War in Paradise, Metazoa, Darwin, Paintings by Captain Matt Gaudie, Walsh Brothers to Warbirds, Loli-Pop, Egypt; Beyond the Tomb, Whale Strandings and IHC Art Awards.

Another popular attraction is the National Maritime Museum. This museum contains exhibitions that chronicle New Zealands maritime history from its Polynesian roots to modern day New Zealand. Main exchibitions of the museum include Te Waka Theatre, Aotearoa Evolves, New Beginnings, Landfalls, Blue Water Black Magic, Kiwis and the Coast, Voyager Live and the Edmiston Gallery of Maritime Art. Collections at this museum include the New Zealand Maritime Record, New Zealand Maritime Index, Fraser Collection, Northern Steamship Company, Bill Laxon Maritime Library, Genealogy Documentation, Maritime Paintings and the Edmiston Collection.

The Auckland Zoo is another popular attraction in the city. This museum was founded in 1922 and is located next to Western Springs Park. By the 1930s, it had a large collection of animals and the zoological society was formed. During the 1970s, the zoo had expanded into Western Springs Park. Exhibits at the zoo include Animal Planet Elephant Clearing, Aussie Walkabout, Hippo River, BNZ Kiwi and Tuatara house, Native Frog Research Center, Just Juice Primate Trail, Paddlepop Kidzone, Newstalk ZB Rainforest, Pridelands, Sealion and Penguin Shores and Tiger Territory. Animals in the zoo include African clawed frogs, African grey parrots, African crested porcupines, African lions, American alligators, Asian elephants, Asian small-clawed otters, Asiatic golden cats, Australian king parrots, Australasian shovelers, Blue and gold macaws, Blue ducks, Bornean orangutans, Australian cranes, Buff-banded rails, Chacma baboons, Common peafowls, Cotton-top tamarins, Cunningham’s skinks, Eastern blue-tongued skinks, Eclectus parrots, Galapagos tortoises, Golden lion tamarins, Greater flamingos, Green and gold bell frogs, Helmeted Guineafowls, Himalayan monals, Leopard tortoises, Luzon bleeding-heart doves and New Zealand wood pigeons.

Those looking for a break from the urban landscape should check out One Tree Hill. One Tree Hill is a five hundred and forty-six foot high volcanic peak. This peak was formed thirty thousand years ago when lava flow covered the area for ten square miles, creating a large portion of the Auckland Volcanic Field. The main features of One Tree Hill include Maori pa Fort, Cornwall Park, Acacia Cottage and Stardome Observatory. Stardome Observatory is a puublic observatory that was established in 1967.

Other attractions in the city of Auckland include Sky Tower, Albert Park, Bush and Beach, Spookers Haunted Attractions, House of Nobilo Estate, Viaduct Harbour, Woodhill Mountain Bike Park, Mount Eden, Ponsonby, Rainbow’s End Theme Park, Auckland City Art Gallery, Lion Nathan Breweies, Piha Beach, Sky City Casino, Waitakere Ranges, Museum of Transport Technology and Social History, Auckland Harbour Bridge, Auckland Art Gallery, Glenbrook Vintage Railway, Regional Botanical Gardens, Bethells Beach, Matakana Village, Vulcan Lane, Twin Coast Discovery Highway, Cathedral Church of St. Mary, Parnell Rose Gardens, Auckland Buddhist Center, Auckland Unitarian Church, Lopdell House Gallery, The First Presbyterian Church of Saint Andrew, Pitt Street Methodist Church, Auckland Hotel, Tohuna Torea Nature Reserve, Howick Historical Village and Kelly Tarlton’s Antarctic Encounter & Underwater World.

Nashville is the seat of Davidson County and the capital of the state of Tennessee. It is situated on the Cumberland River and is the second most populated city in Tennessee after the city of Memphis. It covers an area of five hundred and twenty-five square miles and has a population of six hundred and twenty-six thousand people. Nashville is known as the “Home to country music” and has become a major music production and recording hub. The music industry is estimated to add over six billion dollars to the city’s economy and employs almost twenty thousand people. Though tourism and the music industry are big pieces of this city’s economic pie, the largest Nashville industry is health care. There are almost three hundred healthcare companies in the city that contribute eighteen billion dollars a year to the economy, and employ over ninety-four thousand people. Other main industries in the city include publishing, finance and insurance. Fortune 500 companies headquarted in Nashville include Dollar General and Hospital Corporation of America.

Nashville is also home to a large number of colleges and universities. This has earned the city the moniker “Athens of the South”. Colleges and universities in the city include Nashville Auto Diesel College, University of Phoenix, Free Will Baptist Bible College, Meharry Medical College, American Baptist College, Watkins College of Art, Design & Film, Tennessee State University, Fisk University, Draughons Junior College, Vanderbilt University, Lipscomb University, Nashville State Community College, Nashville School of Law, Aquinas College, Strayer University, The Art Institute of Tennessee, Gupton College, Belmont University, Trevecca Nazarene University and the International Academy of Design and Technology. Nashville can trace its history back to the sixteenth century, when Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto visited the area. He decided not to build a settlement in the area, so the area was untouched by European settlement until the eighteenth century. This is when French fur traders established a trading post in the area near present day Nashville. This post didn’t last long, however and soon the area was once again without any European settlers until about 1796. The founding of this post and all the posts that were to follow by the French, earned the name “French Lick”.

In 1779, a permanent colony of settlers was finally established. Two hundred settlers, led by John Donelson and James Robertson, arrived on the banks of the Cumberland River on Christmas day. The would then go on to build a log stockade that they named Fort Nashborough in memory of American Revolution General Francis Nash. This fort would grow on to become a full fledged community and was incorporated in 1784 in the then state of North Carolina and renamed it Nashville. In 1796, land from the Allegheny Mountains to the Mississippi were ceded to the federal government by North Carolina. The area was admitted to the United States as the state of Tennessee.

Nashville has a thriving tourism trade and features many attractions and special events. Annual events in the city include the Tennessee State Fair, Nashville Film Festival, Australian Festival, Country Music Marathon, Tomato Art Festival, CMA Music Festival, Nashville Fourth of July Celebration, African Street Festival, Country Music Association Awards and the Gospel Music Association Dove Awards. The city is also known for its Civil War enactments which include the Battle of Stones River, Battle of Nashville and the Battle of Franklin.

If sports are your cup of tea, then Nashville has you covered there too. The city has NBA, NHL, MLB and NCAA teams which include the Tennessee Titans, Nashville Storm, Nashville Predators, Nashville Metros soccer team, Music City Stars and the Nashville Sounds. Sport venues in the city include Music City Motorplex, LP Field, Allen Arena, Sommet Center, Gentry Center, Nashville Municipal Auditorium, Curb Event Center at Belmont University, Herschel Greer Stadium, Hawkins Field at Vanderbilt University, Memorial Gymnasium at Vanderbilt University, Vanderbilt Stadium at Dudley Field and Ezell Park.

A popular attraction in the city is the Cheekwood Botanical Garden and Museum of Art. This museum and botanical garden is located on fifty-five acres that originally belonged to the Cheek family of Nashville. It has a thirty thousand square foot mansion that was opened in 1960 as a museum. The flora and fauna included at the botanical gardens include magnolia trees, hydrangea, holly, ferns, Japanese Maple trees, dogwood and conifers. The museums permanent collection includes over five thousand prints and six hundred painting that encompass the history of American art. Artists represented in its collection include Davies, Edmondson, Bradford, Luks, Hamilton and Shinn.

Another popular attraction in the city is the Tennessee State Museum. This museum chronicles the history of Tennessee from the pre-colonization era to the twentieth century. The museum has over seventy thousand square feet of exhibit space. Sixty thousand feet are dedicated to the permanent collection and ten thousand feet dedicated to the rotating exhibits. The combined total area of the museum is over one hundred and twenty thousand feet and covers three floors. The history of the Tennessee State Museum goes back to 1817, when Ralph E. W. Earl opened a museum in Nashville’s public square. A larger state museum was opened by the General Assembly of Nashville in 1937. Eventually, in 1981, the museum would become housed in its current location at the James K. Polk building. It shares this building with the Tennessee Performing Arts Center.

Other prominent attractions in the city include Ryman Auditorium, The Hermitage, Grand Ole Opry, Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, RCA Studio B, Texas Troubadour Theater, Opryland Hotel Gardens, Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum, Belle Meade Plantation, Belmont Mansion, Adventure Science Center, Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park, The Parthenon, Opryland Museum, Riverfront Park, Centennial Park, Lotz House, Nashville Zoo, Willie Nelson and Friends Showcase Museum, Nashville Toy Museum, Schermerhorn Symphony Center, Radnor Lake State Park, Cooter’s Garage, B.B. King’s Blues Club, Travellers Rest Plantation and Museum, General Jackson Showboat, Athena Statue, Downtown Antique Mall, Gaylord Entertainment Center and Fort Negley Park.

Cornwall is a county located in the United Kingdom that forms the tio of the southwestern peninsula of Great Britain. To its west and north is the Atlantic Ocean, to its south is the English Channel and bordering its eastern border is Devon County. Cornwall covers an area of thirteen hundred square miles and has a permanent population of over half a million people. The region is considered to be one of the poorest parts of the United Kingdom, with a great disparity between the very poor and the very rich. Its economy is heavily dependent on tourism, and it make up over a quarter of its income. The county attracts visitors from all over the world because of its beautiful scenery, culture and mild weather. It has many beaches, moorlands, gardens and historic sites as well. Ever year, Cornwall receives over five million visitors each year, with the majority of them coming from other parts of the United Kingdom. Other important sectors of Cornwall’s economy include fishing, agriculture, graphic design, architecture, web design and photography.

Cornwall is well known for its cuisine. Since the county is surrounded by ocean on three out of four sides, there is an ample amount of fresh seafood available to restaurants in its borders. Foods in the area include Stargazy Pie, pasties, Cornish fudge, saffron cake, Cornish ice cream, fairing biscuits, scones and whortleberry pie. Cornwall also has its own style of beers which include brews from St. Austell Brewery, Skinner’s Brewery and Sharps Brewery. These three make many different types of lagers, stouts and ales. There are also several microbreweries which produce cider, wine and even mead.

Cornwall can trace its history to pre-Roman times when it was inhabited by the Cornish and Brythonic people and was a part of the territory that was owned by the Dumnonii tribe. The Roman Empire ruled the county for a short period of time, but eventually the governing of the area was left to Celtic chieftains. Eventually, Great Britain would become conquered by the Saxons, but Cornwall remained under the rule of the Celtic chieftains. Around the sixth century, the Kingdom of Cornwall was formed. Its ruling elite were the successors of the Kingdom of Dumnonia. During this time, the Wessex Saxons were expanding in strength and fast approaching the region. During the eighth century, the Cornish was defeated by Egbert of Wessex. Within a fifty year span of time, Cornwall Church had more and more Saxon priests appointed to it and they had powerful influence. This went on until the tenth century, when Cornwall Church fell under the jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Canterbury. During the Norman Conquest, the majority of lands located in Cornwall were given to the Norman ruling class. Most of it went to the Count of Mortain. It was during this period of time that several Norman castles were erected in Tintagel, Trematon, Launceston and Restormel. During the end of the fifteenth century, Henry VII raise taxes and the miners in Cornwall rose up in what is called the Cornish Rebellion.

A popular attraction in Cornwall County is the Lost Gardens of Heligan. This is a very popular botanical garden that is situated near Mevagissey. These gardens were founded by the Temayne family in the middle of the eighteenth century. Around the turn of the century, the garden required twenty-two gardeners for maintanence. But, many of these gardeners died during World War I and eventually the garden was being looked after by only eight gardeners. After World War I, these gardens fell into neglect but was restored in the 1990s. The name of the garden comes from the Cornish word ‘Helygan”, which means ”willow tree”. These gardens form around Heligan House and the private gardens of the Temayne family. Today, the Lost Gardens of Heligan has a large collection of camellias and rhododendrons. The garden also has the only pineapple grove in all of Europe. These pineapple trees are able to be grown in the cold weather by placing them into pineapple pits. This method of growing the trees uses aged manure and composting to keep the roots of the tree warm during the winter. Also in the garden is a large collection of ferns and two figures composed of plants and rock called the ”Giant’s Head” and ”Mud Maid”.

Another prominent attraction in Cornwall is Tintagel Castle. This castles is located on Tintagel Island, situated close to the village of Tintagel. The site was originally used as a Roman settlement, but the remains of the castle that can be seen today dates from the thirteenth century. It was built by the Earl of Cornwall as a way to link the area with the legends of King Arthur. It was built in a more primitive style to make it look like it predated the thirteenth century. After the Earl died, the castle was given to the county sheriff. At various points in its history it was used as a prison and at times the land was left fallow. In the fourteenth century, the castle continued to deteriorate and the Great Hall was torn down. Over the years the castle has continued to degrade and is now only a shell of what it used to be.

Other attractions in Cornwall county include Pecorama, Launceston Steam Railway, Minack Theater, Lanhydrock, Tamar Otter and Wildlife Centre, Global Boarders Surf School, St. Mellion Golf Club, Cornish Cyder Farm, Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden, Pendennis Castle, National Maritime Museum, Charlestown Shipwreck & Heritage Center, Geevor Tin Mine, Sandymouth Beach, Blue Reef Aquarium, Lusty Glaze Adventure Center, Tradstract Gallery, Porthmeor Beach, Trevarno Garden, Museum of Witchcraft, St. Mawes Castle, Wills Lane Gallery, Exchange Art Gallery, Lamorran House Garden, Newquay Zoo, China Clay Country Park, Sea Safari, Balnoon Cemetery, World in Miniature, Killiow Park Golf Course, Shires Family Adventure Park, Saltash Waterside, Cornwall’s Crealy Great Adventure Park, National Seal Sanctuary, The Relentless Sea, Cornwall Hotel, Waterside Meadery, Royal Cornwall Museum, China Fleet Country Club and Mount Edgcumbe House.
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Genoa is a city that is the capital of the Genoa Province located in northern Italy. It covers an area of ninety-four square miles and has a population of over six hundred thousand people, with a total of nine hundred thousand people in the surrounding urban area. Genoa is a city that can trace its roots back to the sixth century BC, when the area was a Celtic settlement. During the third century BC, the city was destroyed by the Carthaginians because of its allegiance to Rome. After the Carthaginian Wars the city was rebuilt and founded as a municipality. The city would go on to become an important sea port with Genoa traders dealing in everything from wool and animal hides to honey and wood. When the Roman Empire fell in the fifth century, Genoa was briefly occupied by various Ostrogoth tribes. Then during the seventh century, the city was invaded by the Lombards. The Lombards retained possession of the city until the eighth century, when the Lombard Kingdom was annexed by the Frank empire. Genoa would continue to grow as a major trade hub, but this growth was temporarily slowed during the tenth century, when the city was destroyed by Arab pirates.

By the twelfth century, Genoa had been rebuilt and emerged as a Maritime Republic. The city’s prosperous trade and its shipbuilding capacities allowed it to support one of the most powerful navies in the Mediterranean. This allowed the city to exercise control over the Tyrrhenian Sea and extend its political and military reach to other cities such as Corsica, Sardinia and Liguria. Genoa would also defeat rival cities such as Pisa and Venice over several battles during the end of the thirteenth century. Genoa’s prosperity was short lived however, when the Black Death visited the city in the fourteenth century. This caused a catastrophic decline in the city’s population, which in turned caused an economic collapse. Genoa would then restructure its government structure to a Venetian model. When the New World was discovered, and trade routes were shifted away from the Mediterranean, the city of Genoa would enter a period of steady political and economic decline. At the end of the eighteenth century, Genoa became a French protectorate named the Ligurian Republic. Eight years later, the Ligurian Republic was annexed by France. In 1814, Genoa revolted against France and would eventually become incorporated into the Sardinian Kingdom. In 1860, Giuseppe Mazzini began the Expedition of the Thousand, a military campaign that would lead to the dissolution of the city from the Sardinian Kingdom and would set the stage for a unified kingdom of Italy.

Today, Genoa is a prominent port town that has an annual trade volume of almost sixty million tons of cargo. The city also has several cruise lines that serve over three million passengers a year. The city also has a fine educational system that is comprised of several schools. The crown jewel of its educational system is the University of Genoa. The University of Genoa is the biggest university in Italy and is made up of fourteen libraries, fifty-one departments and eleven faculties. Other colleges and universities in Genoa include the Italian Shipping Academy, Italian Hydrographic Institute, Niccolo Paganini Conservatory, Italian Institute of Technology and the Ligurian Academy of Fine Arts. But, the best thing about the city of Genoa is its large collection of attractions, museums and parks. Genoa is a city that has over eight hundred thousand square feet of parks. Parks in the city include the Villetta Di Negro, Nervi Park and the Villa Durazzo-Pallavicini. Villa Durazzo-Pallavicini is a nineteenth century villa that has a park and a botanical garden. The park was designed by Michele Canzio and built in 1846. It covers an area of over two hundred and ninety thousand square feet and is located behind the villa. The park contains various structures, statues, ponds and a grotto. The park also contains various specimens of Camelia japonica, Pinus pinea, Podocarpus macrophillus, Cedrus libani, Araucaria bidwilli, Jubaea chilensis and Cinnamomum glanduliferum.

A prominent attraction in the city is the Piazza De Ferrari. The Piazza De Ferrari is located in the center of Genoa and is best known for the beautiful fountain situated there. This plaza is surrounding by the financial district of the city, but there are also several historical buildings around it as well. These include the Palace of the Doges, Palazzo Italia di Navigazione, Palace of the Ligurian Academy of Fine Arts, Palace of the Duke of Galliera and the Theatre Carlo Felice. Also located in this plaza is the equestrian statue of Giuseppe Garibaldi which was created by the Italian sculptor Augusto Rivalta. The Theatre Carlo Felice is an opera house in Genoa that hosts many opera, ballet and orchestral performances. It was founded in 1824 and is named after the Duke Carlo Felice. It contains a two thousand seat hall, and a smaller two hundred seat auditorium.

The Palazzo Bianco contains one of the greatest art museums in the city and was constructed in the sixteenth century. The gallery contains many works of art from the twelfth to the seventeenth centuries from artists such as Francisco Zurbaran, Jusepe de Ribera, Bartolome Esteban Murillo, Ludovico Brea, Luca Cambiaso, Barnaba da Modena, Paolo Veronese, Filippino Lippi, Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione, Gregorio De Ferrari and Bernardo Strozzi.

Other prominent attractions in Genoa include Genoa Aquarium, Galata Museo del Mare, the Old Port, Museo di Sant’Agostino, Via Garibaldi, Cattedrale di San Lorenzo Campanile, Museo d’Arte Orientale Edoardo Chiossone, Galleria Nazionale di Palazzo Spinola, Dolceacqua, Mercato Orientale, Piazza San Matteo, Palazzo Ducale, I Palazzi dei Rolli, Porta Soprana, Gallery of the Red Palace, Caruggi District, The Bigo, Campopisano, Chiesa del Gesu, Basilica of Santa Maria di Castello, Piazza Banchi, Chiesa di Santo Stefano, La Commenda di Pre, Palazzo Reale, Palazzo di San Giorgio, Palazzo del Principe, Via XX September, Palazzo Tursi, Bagni Aldebaran, Bagni Covo di Nord Est, Bagni Marinella, Bagni La Marina, Museo di Archeologia Ligure, Academy of Fine Arts Genoa, Orto botanico and Mura della citta. Genoa is also home to a number of fine restaurants, cafes and hotels.

Santa Fe is the fourth largest city and the capital of New Mexico. It covers an area of thirty-seven square miles and has a population of seventy-two thousand residents. This city can trace its history to the eleventh century when it was occupied by several Pueblo Indian tribes. During the sixteenth century, it became the capital of the Spanish province Nuevo Mexico. By the end of the sixteenth century, New Mexico was extensively settled by Spanish colonists and Don Juan de Onate was named the first governor of the area. The city was officially founded by the Spanish in 1608 by New Mexico’s third governor Don Pedro de Peralta. This makes the city the third oldest European settled city left in the United States. During the Mexican War of Independence, the city became a possession of Mexico. This was formalized in the Mexican constitution of 1824.

In 1846, the United States and Mexico went to war and Brigadier General Stephen W. Kearny lead a force of over seventeen hundred soldiers into the city to claim it for the U.S. The city of Santa Fe and the state of New Mexico officially became a possession of the United States under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848. Three years later, Jean Baptiste Lamy arrived in the city and started the construction of St. Francis Cathedral. In 1912, the state of New Mexico became the 47th state of the United States and Santa Fe was named its capital. Today, Santa Fe is a culturally diverse city with a healthy economy. One of the principal sections of the city’s economy is based upon tourism. Each year, visitors are attracted to the city by its beautiful year round climate, outdoor recreations and its many cultural attractions.

A prominent attraction in Santa Fe is the Palace of the Governors. This palace was built in 1610 and is situated on Palace Avenue on the Plaza of Santa Fe. Construction on this palace was begun by governor of the Spanish territory, Pedro de Peralta. The Palace of the Governors original capacity was to serve as the seat of government of the Spanish colony of Nuevo Mexico (New Mexico). After the state became a possession of Mexico, the palace was the administrative seat of the territory. Finally, when the state became a possession of the United States, the palace would be used as the territories first capitol. In 1909, the legislature of New Mexico turned it into a museum detailing the history of the state. In 1960, it was made a National Historic Landmark.

Another popular attraction in the city is the New Mexico Museum of Art. This museum was built in 1917 by architect Isaac Rapp. It is built in the Pueblo Revival a architectural style and is the oldest art museum in New Mexico. The New Mexico Museum of Art contains over twenty thousands works of art that spans the art colonies of Santa Fe and Taos. Artists represented by the works contained here include Bruce Naumann, Gloria Graham, Luis Jimenez, Georgia O’Keeffe, Allan Graham, Raymond Jonson, Francis Bacon, Gustave Baumann, Wolfgang Laib, Susan Rothenberg, Cordelia Wilson, Salvador Dali, T. C. Cannon, Maria Martinez, Paul Cezanne, Gerry Snyder, Gaston Lachaise, James Luna, Fritz Scholder, John Connell, Bill Barrett and Elliot Porter.

Museum of International Folk Art is another museum to check out in Santa Fe. This museum was established by Florence Dibell Bartlett in 1953 and has since gained international recognition for its collection of international folk art, which is considered to be the largest in the world. There are more than one hundred and thirty-five thousand artifacts which are located in four wings. These wings are named the Girard, Bartlett, Hispanic Heritage and Neutrogena. The Girard Wing contains popular and folk art, toys and textile from more than one hundred countries. There are dolls, costumes, masks, religious art, paintings and bead work contained here. The Bartlett Wing has rotating displays that are based on the museum’s collections and culture specific field studies. The Hispanic Heritage Wing is dedicated to Spanish and Hispanic art from around the world. The Neutrogena Collection has almost three thousand examples of textiles, carvings and ceramics from around the world.

The Museum of Indian Arts and Culture is another popular attraction in Santa Fe. It was founded by Edgar Lee Hewett in 1909, as a way to preserve Southwestern Native American culture. Then in 1927, John D. Rockefeller added the Laboratory of Anthropology to study the indigenous cultures of the Southwest. Fifty years later, the legislature of New Mexico designed a new museum of Indian culture and the facilities opened to the public in 1987. This museum contains over thirteen hundred objects on display that relate to Southwestern Native American culture.

Other popular attractions in the city of Santa Fe include the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian, Gallerie Zuger, Museum of Fine Arts, Santa Fe Farmers Market, Rockin’ Rollers Event Arena, Nedra Matteucci Galleries, Kakawa Chocolate House, Bataan Memorial Military Museum and Library, Santa Fe Traditional Flea Market, Randall Davey Audubon Center, Mountain Trails Gallery, Loretto Chapel, Ski Santa Fe, Museum of Spanish Colonial Art, J.W. Eaves Movie Ranch, Marty Sanchez Links de Santa Fe, Hyde Memorial Park, Santa Fe Balloon Company, Puye Cliffs, Santa Fe Plaza and Davis Mather Folk Art Gallery. The city is also home to fine restaurants and hotels. Prominent restaurants in the city include Geronimo Restaurant, Cowgirl Hall of Fame, Coyote Cafe, Pink Adobe, Santacafe, Compound Restaurant and the El Farol Restaurant & Lounge. Hotels in the city of Santa Fe include the Santa Fe Sage Inn, Eldorado Hotel & Spa, Inn and Spa at Loretto, Hotel Santa Fe, Hotel St Francis, Hotel Plaza Real and Inn of the Governors. And that is just a small sampling of the many exciting attractions located in this Southwestern city. There are also many parks, trails and exciting tours that are available in the area. There is something to do here for the entire family, and the city makes for a beautiful winter retreat.