The European capital of sun, sand and sex, Marbella on the southern coast of Spain is where the rich, famous and fabulous come to let loose and party.

The European capital of sun, sand and sex, Marbella on the southern coast of Spain is where the rich, famous and fabulous congregate to engage in all manner of sinful activities away from the prying lenses of the paparazzi. After all, the area isn’t dubbed the ‘Costa del Crime’ for nothing.

Sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll are all out on display in Marbella, from the alluring bikini babes strewn across its palm-fringed beaches to the hedonism that goes on in its decadent nightclubs.

It’s no wonder celebrities flock here in droves; Bruce Willis has been spotted mingling with a bevy of beautiful women in its bars, Britney Spears has been snapped ordering a bottle of vodka in one of its most famous nightclubs, and heartthrob Antonio Banderas and his wife Melanie Griffith even have a home here. In fact, they flew all the way from Hollywood just so Melanie could give birth here.

A home away from their Hollywood homes for many of our A-list friends, and a bachelor’s paradise for those single and free to mingle, Marbella has it all: glamour, wealth and power. Allow us to take you on a whirlwind tour of this seaside town and fashonista hotspot.

A trip to Marbella wouldn’t be a trip to Marbella without visiting this legendary port. Dubbed the ‘Port of Abuse’ by many of its heavy-drinking insiders, Puerto Banús is named after its designer (and legendary playboy) Jose Banús, who can be credited for single-handedly putting Marbella on the map.

Elsewhere in the world a day at the beach is all about dressing down and chilling out, but not in Marbella. During the hot summer weekends the cool crowd gather at Nikki Beach Marbella, a branch of the hippest beach resort chain around.

The New Orleans Fish House in the MGM Grand Hotel was opened in 1995. Offering authentic cajun style food, this is a must for any fine dining experience. “Bam!”

Chef Emeril Lagasse has seen enourmous success over the last decade. Because of this, it has prompted a signature line of cooking products, cook books, exclusive ingredients and launched his hugely popular Food Network show.

Emeril’s business corporation now heads up a number of fine restaurants in notable cities throughout the country. Lucky for visitors and natives of Las Vegas, Sin City is lucky enough to be one of them.

Emeril Lagasse was born in Massachusetts and studied culinary arts at Johnson and Wales University. After formal studies, Emeril went to Europe where he trained with chefs skilled in classical French cuisine.

The interior of the New Orleans Fish House is upscale, contemporary and spacious, with pockets of ambient colored light. His signature “Emeril” in aqua neon is suspended in the center of the large dining room.

In keeping with his New Orleans Gulf Coast tastes, Emeril’s menu is abundant in seafood: lobster, shrimp, scallops, salmon, oysters and crab, tuna and bass. Appetizers and entrees feature Creole-infused dishes such as the Creole Maine Lobster with andouille sausage or the Creole calamari.

New Orleans Fish House
MGM Grand
3799 Las Vegas Blvd. S.,
Las Vegas, NV 89109

In the Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa, Stevenson’s Library, named for Scottish novelist Robert Louis Stevenson, has always been the place to go for specialty and traditional drinks.

Lively conversation, live music, billiards and board games, plus outdoor seating overlooking Keoneloa Bay make this Kaua‘i’s best luxury nightspot.

Savor the aged Cognac and Scotch selections or indulge in a specialty martini.  The majestic 25 foot-long Koa bar in addition to seating areas with deep-cushioned chairs and sofas provide a variety of areas in which to indulge.

Featuring a Sushi bar Friday through Monday.  Open every evening from 6:00 PM, entertainment begins at 8:00 PM.

Stevenson’s Library
Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa
1571 Poipu Road,
Koloa, Hawaii, USA 96756
Tel: +1 808 742 1234
Fax: +1 808 742 1557

OK, you’re over it. You’re ready to divorce yourself from the Strip and its claustrophobic cluster of people, flashing lights, blaring music and encroaching buildings all bleeding together and assailing the senses.

Breathe. Here’s one antidote, at the far end of Las Vegas Boulevard, in a very humble strip mall. Rincon Criollo is a hole-in-the-wall in the best possible meaning. It’s a Cuban restaurant with an utter lack of posturing.

Dallas doesn’t have many homey Cuban food options, which makes Rincon Criollo worth a lunch trip no matter what your budget is. The cooking here has soul: roasted, marinated pork leg falls into tender, ropy chunks. The chicken in the arroz con pollo tastes fresh, and the yellow rice is gently but distinctively seasoned. The Cubano sandwich yields an honest crunch, and scattered slivers of pickle perk up the layered meats between the bread slices.

Don’t forget the sides: maduros (mashed ripe plantains drizzled with olive oil), yucca fries with a garlic-infused dipping sauce and even avocado slices to further enrich the pork leg.

The laid-back service (there may be one person waiting tables) and determinedly plain interior presents a contrary vision of Las Vegas to what most visitors experience. But it can be soothing to enter a glitz-free zone. Perhaps some flan and a strong coffee before you head back?

Many years ago, Hawaii was an isolated tropical paradise, far removed from the rest of the world.  Hawaii was discovered by the Polynesians around  400 A.D. and marked the end of Hawaii’s isolation.  Since the discovery of Hawaii by the Polynesians and the arrival of Europeans in the late eighteenth century, this has caused long-term, negative effects on Hawaii’s fragile ecosystem.

All foreigners who visit Hawaii, directly or indirectly alter the ecosystem of the islands, primarily through the introduction of alien species of flora and fauna.  New species have often overwhelmed Hawaii’s fragile habitat, obliterating many of the island’s native populations of plants and animals.  As a result, many species endemic to Hawaii have been classified as endangered species.

The U.S. government and the Hawaiian government have worked hard to protect the endangered species and prevent further damage to the island’s ecosystem. Several of the species are: the Humpback Whale, the Hawaiian Monk Seal, The Nene, the Hawaiian State Bird, and the Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle.

Most of us have heard about Rome’s catacombs at some point in our lives. These are ancient underground burials, dug into the rock under the city of Rome itself. There are more than forty of these catacombs, some of which have only come to light in recent years.

These catacombs are known best as burial places for Christians, but they have also hosted pagan burials as well as Jewish tombs. The catacombs came about around the second century, since there was a minimum of available land for burial and cemeteries were growing overcrowded.

The land in the general vicinity of Rome isn’t enough for regular burials, but the soft volcanic rock the city is located on is easy to tunnel in. It’s softer before the air touches it, hardening later. The city has many kilometers of tunnels, and in some places, they’re up to four stories deep.

Anyone with an interest in early Jewish or Christian art should take a trip to the catacombs. The incredible frescoes and sculptures located here represent the majority of artistic examples of the cultures prior to the fourth century.

Romans originally cremated their dead. However, at around the second century, it became popular to bury the burnt or unburnt remains of loved ones instead. In addition, Christians preferred this method, as burial was considered important for bodily resurrection.

The first big catacombs were carved through the rock outside the city, since laws at the time forbade burials inside the city limits. These were originally used not just for burial, but for memorials and religious celebrations of Christian martyrs, although they were never used for other regular worship.

In and around Rome, there are forty known catacombs, all built along roads such as the Via Ostiense and Via Appia. The catacombs often are named after saints such as Sebastian and Calixtus, who are believed to be buried in them by some.

Enormous systems of passages were built by these early Christian excavators, all between seven and twenty meters below the earth’s surface, taking up an area of about two and a half kilometers square. The levels are joined using narrow stairways, with passages about three feet wide and eight feet tall. Burial niches are located in the walls of the catacombs.

These relatively small niches contained bodies. Special burial chambers were also built for wealthier Christians. Frescoes and carvings in these tombs made them look much like mainstream Roman ones.

With the rise of Christianity to a status as a state religion, the practice of burial in catacombs declined, though this did not happen right away. As the dead were buried increasingly in churchyards, the catacombs became used only to celebrate the martyrs.

When Rome was sacked by northern invaders, these catacombs were ransacked, and by the tenth century, they were scarcely used, and all holy relics had been moved above ground. After this point, the catacombs were forgotten until the late sixteenth century, when they were rediscovered.

Over the centuries, these excavations were intermittently explored, though professional studies weren’t published until the nineteenth century. They now act as an important early Christian monument, and are maintained by the Vatican.  Author: Larry Pocobor

Photo: Vatican (Catacombs of Latium)

Chinaman’s Hat – Oahu, Hawaii

Chinaman’s Hat, also referred to as Mokolii (“little lizard”), is a small island located off Kaneohe Bay in Ohau, Hawaii. It’s a 12.5 acre, 206 foot tall basalt island, about one-third of a mile offshore of Kualoa Point.

Chinaman’s Hat is a cone shaped outcropping of lava off Kualoa Point. Chinaman’s Hat got its name because it resembles the peasant’s chapeau (straw hat) worn by rural Chinese immigrants.

The reef surrounding the island supports an abundance of marine life and is one of the O’ahu’s best offshore islands.

The island’s eponymous profile is well-known from numerous vantage points on Oahu’s windward coast.

You can see Chinaman’s Hat from numerous vantage points along the coast but the best view is to actually go out to the island. You can walk there during low tide but the best way to get there is via kayak.

On the island is a small beach nestled in a secluded cove. There is also a small cave carved out of lava and a steep volcanic cone perfect for exploring. The view of the Koolau Mountains, Mokapun peninsula, Kahaluu, Kaneohe, and Kailua is unmatched.

Directions:
Off the Kamehameha Highway offshore from the Kualoa Point State Recreation Area, approximately 45 minute drive from Honolulu.

Berlin, the capital city of Germany is the biggest city in the country. It is most famous for its historical places, nightlife, cafes, clubs, bars, museums, palaces, and further sightseeing options.

After the fall of the Berlin War, the city has become a genuine melting pot as far as culture is concerned. It has become a place where all types of art, music, and fashion come together.

The city has numerous museums. Museums managed by the government do not need to be paid for to enter four hours prior to their shutting down each Thursday, and there is also the three day Museum Pass which lets visitors have admission to about 70 museums.

Museumsinsel, also known as Museum Island is famous for housing the Pergamon Museum which has a huge compilation of Greek and Islamic art. Additional museums on the island consist of the Altes Museum with Egyptian collections, the Alte National galleries with mostly German collections, and the Bode Museum with Byzantine art.

You can discover a lot of museums that cover the history of the country, particularly the Holocaust. In addition, Berlin is one of those few cities that do not attempt to conceal the negative sides of its history. You can view remnants of the Berlin Wall as well as Jewish museums that cover the Holocaust.

The Deutches Historisches Museum has an enormous assortment of German history items covering all ages. This museum is extremely huge, so make sure you have sufficient stamina to spend hours looking at the whole thing. The Judisches Museum is the Jewish museum. There are many historical items about Jews in Germany in this museum. In addition there is a Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe which covers one entire block. There is an underground museum with information concerning the Holocaust. This is one of the most visited as well as most striking museums in Berlin.

The Berlin Wall may not be there anymore, but a portion of it is still visible along the river. This has been preserved as a gallery, and there are very nice murals on it. There is also a Berlin War Memorial for those that died crossing the wall. There is a viewing platform that lets you imagine exactly what it must have been like when the wall was still in place. Checkpoint Charlie used to be a crossing point between the two sides of Germany, and is also well worth a visit.

The Tempelhof airport is the airport that was used for the duration of the Berlin Airlift in 1948. There is now a memorial here to remember the airlifts around the blockade. This airport has also been featured in numerous films, and has a matchless architecture. With its countless halls and buildings, it was built to become an entry point to Europe, and is still one of the most enormous buildings in the world.

Berlin is an amazing city to see for tourists, and if you can only go to one city in Germany then you should go to Berlin. Its history will help you connect to it, and you will be haunted the rest of your life by many of the historic sites you see here.  Author: Robert M Freeman

The Rat Pack Is Back, now playing at the Plaza downtown, is an amusing trip down Memory Lane. It is appearing at the Plaza Showroom on Main Street, and well worth the trip for anyone who loved the “Old” Las Vegas and/or the original Rat Pack.

Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Joey Bishop, and Peter Lawford made up the Rat Pack. They played the Sands Hotel Copa Room. Not only were they great singers and comedians, but also were renowned for their wild night life and all night partying. Almost more entertaining than their music and jokes was the camaraderie and banter that went on endlessly whenever they were together.

Being led to your table by a distinguished, tuxedo-clad maitre’d, you will notice the red walls, red banquette seating for VIP’s amd ornate chandeliers, and be plummeted back to the 60’s, when this kind of grandeur could be seen at all hotels on the strip.

There is a dinner show available (now that is something from the past!) and the only part of it that is not authentic, is that the food is good.

This show is produced by Dick Feeney and Sandy Hackett (son of Buddy). It has a revolving cast, with some of the performers taking the show on national tours for a few weeks at a time. When seen by this reporter, Frank was played by Brian Duprey, Sammy by Kyle Diamond, Dean by Eric Martin, and Joey by Mickey Joseph. Peter Lawford was no longer part of the show.

You will enjoy listening to all of the Rat Pack’s most famous songs and laughing at their good natured banter. The 12-piece Tribute Orchestra is terrific. The true magic of this group was the way they played to each other, and this is captured perfectly. Mickey Joseph deserves special kudos for never allowing a lull in the performance with his zany antics, dead-pan jokes, and impeccable timing.

So take a giant step back in time and go see The Rat Pack Is Back.

Showtimes are Monday through Friday, 7:30 PM, with the option of dinner at 6:00 PM; Saturdays at 7:30 PM and 10:00 PM. They are dark on Sunday.

Authored by: Sandra Oertell

The Plaza Showroom
Plaza Hotel and Casino
Las Vegas, Nevada 89125
1 Main Street
www.ratpackvegas.com
(702) 386-2444

Contemporary design and high tech amenities combine for a unique Vegas experience at the new Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel!

This full-service property offers a superior location on Paradise Road just one half mile east of Las Vegas Boulevard and adjacent to the Las Vegas Convention Center.

The Renaissance features five hundred forty-eight rooms including executive level accommodations with private lounge and thirty VIP suites and specially designed exhibitor suites. Elegant style and modern convenience come together in a perfect balance of nostalgia and technology in the large guest rooms.

Fine fabric and wood combine with flat screen televisions and high speed Internet access to bring what was the best of old Las Vegas to the new millennium.

From the moment you step into the lobby of the Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel, you will be taken back to a time lost, but not forgotten. You can almost hear the voices of a Vegas past resonating from the classic restaurant and lounge.

A fitness center, outdoor pool and whirlpool, spa services, twenty thousand square feet of flexible meeting space and seventeen fully ADA compliant rooms are also available. Parking is complimentary for registered guests.

For those who wish to enjoy the area attractions, the world famous Las Vegas Strip is just a short monorail ride away.

Renaissance: Consistently unique hotels and resorts. Stay interesting!

As Vegas’ premier exhibition venue, the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art showcases magnificent works of art within a AAA Five Diamond Award resort setting.

Located in the heart of the Bellagio Hotel Las Vegas you’ll find the Gallery of Fine Art. Stop by and visit current exhibits to see the artworks that have come from museums as well as private collections.

Here you can expect to view a gallery committed to the presentation of intimate exhibitions of the world’s most compelling artists.

Each year the gallery presents world-class exhibitions of artworks and objects drawn from internationally acclaimed museums and private collections.

Definitely a things to do in Las Vegas for art enthusiasts and those interested in expanding their cultural knowledge.