Europe Everything about Europe

Most of us are aware that Europeans pay a lot more than Americans do, when it comes to domestic fuel prices. Oil prices in Europe have been high since ages, when fuel in the USA was sold at $2/gallon; it was roughly priced at $5/gallon in many parts of Europe. The reason for such a marked difference is that there are mammoth oil taxes levied on oil by the governments in Europe. According to a study, the rate at which Europe gets its crude oil supplies is actually lower than the prices at which the USA gets it. So then, why is there such a telling gap in the final cost of fuel in America and the cost of fuel in Europe? The answer lies in the fact that in the US, only 10% of what the end-user pays goes to the white house, while in Europe, this percentage is roughly 70%.
People have adapted rather well to the spiraling costs of fuel in Europe by choosing some of the most innovative methods. People have started looking out for residences that are at a walking distance from the place they work, they have started using scooters that are far more fuel efficient than cars and they have also started opting for smaller fuel efficient cars than the gas-guzzling ones. SUVs are almost out of the market in European nations, with the cost of gas touching $9/gallon in some areas.
There is another peculiar, rather interesting feature of the taxes imposed and the cost of oil in European nations. Because the Europeans pay a lot more taxes on fuel, the present rise in the cost of crude oil, that has taken the world by a shock hasn’t affected much of Europe. The reason is that America has seen its oil prices double in the last few months, but in Europe, there has been a rise of just 40%-50% on their fuel costs, as the governments, particularly that of Nicholas sarkozy, have reduced the taxes levied. This step has acted as a buffer to the general public against the global surge in fuel prices.
Most affected though, are the people living in the isle regions of the Netherlands and Greece, because most of their commodities and supplies come via boats, and boats run on oil. Oil therefore, is pretty cheap in the Greek Isles as compared to the rest of the continent, and is priced at around $7/gallon.

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European Wedding

It is said that “marriages are made in heaven” and this heaven is beyond doubt based in Europe. A European wedding is a big occasion which is considered to be very sacred. European marriages vary from country to country but they have the same belief. These weddings are planned on grand scale with flamboyant arrangements for many weeks. European weddings are performed with ancient traditions and practices. Loads of these traditions have seen revival in recognition in current years as several younger couples are on the lookout for more traditional roots.
Generally, a European wedding is declared with humility in the respective families of the bride and the groom. The preparations start with the help of a family member or a wedding planner. And then starts the beautiful series of beliefs and traditions. For instance, in Czechoslovakia, bride’s friends sow a tree in her backyard and put some ribbons and red painted egg shells on it. This tree is a promise for her marriage’s existence, prosperity and fertility. The tree is a symbol of bride’s long life and the egg signifies the fruitfulness of the couple. The bride is supposed to water the seed everyday till her wedding day.
The wedding day is the most beautiful day in every woman’s life. It is made special in different ways. In England, the groom waits for the bride in front of the church and the bride would arrive with her best man. The best man hands over the bride to the groom with a promise that the groom will take care of the bride for his life time. Long back, Germany initiated the concept of the best man, which is now followed by many countries in Europe. In Hungry, the bride is presented with an egg, on her arrival to the church, to bless her with health and fertility all her life. A piece of bread or a cake plays a very important role in the European weddings. It epitomizes fertility and happiness in the couple’s married life. In Poland, the bride and the bridegroom are presented with bread, salt and wine and honey cakes for their flourishing married life.
In Italy, the groom and the bride exchange rings. The wedding day is called the D –day. The rituals are very sacred. They are performed with chaste in the holy church with a ribbon outside the church. All the enjoyment is done after the wedding at the reception party. Cultures may vary, but the feeling is the same. Each and every ritual, performed in a European wedding is special, which is cherished for a lifetime.

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European Restaurants

Europe has one of the finest eating places in the world that offer the best cuisines in the world. If you happen to visit England, you can’t do without visiting The Fat Duck Restaurant. It is the topmost restaurant in Europe. It has been listed as the second best restaurant in the world. The restaurant has been designed in a modest manner manifesting a conventional cottage look. The Fat Duck Restaurant, originally started as a French restaurant, was established by Chef Heston Blumenthal in Berkshire. This place has the rapture of true culinary seduction.

The Pierre Gagnaire Restaurant, Paris definitely holds the second position. It is undoubtedly the best restaurant in France. Chef Pierre Gagnaire experiments with French flavors efficiently and adds exclusivity to each recipe offered. The third best restaurant in Europe is The Noma, located in Copenhagen, Denmark. Noma is popular all over the world for their Martini Bars and Asian delight mixed with native touch. Fourth is the Gambero Rosso, located in San Vincenzo, Italy. They make the best meat dishes to flatter your palate. Holding the fifth position is the Le Louis XV Restaurant, located in Monaco, Paris. You will not get to experience the Le Louis fish delight anywhere else in the world. They make outstanding rock fish in indigenous flavors.

To complete your Switzerland tour, we have two of the world famous restaurants for you The L’Hotel de Ville, located in Crissier and the Brasserie Lipp, sited in the heart of Zurich. The L’Hotel, Europe’s sixth best restaurant, provides sophisticated presentation and premium quality food. The Brasserie Lipp, Europe’s seventh best restaurant, was originated in Paris. They make the best garlic dishes in the world. Their garlic butter chicken and the garlic tomato sauce are one of their most loved dishes.

Not forgetting about the Hof van Cleve, located in Belgium, the eighth best restaurant in Europe, gives an indigenous look, with cheese and bacon extravagance. Situated on the countryside, they present a beautiful ambience, surprisingly rustic. Netherlands is not far in offering palatial delight. The Oud Sluis, located in Sluis, Netherlands is the ninth best eating place in Europe. You can enjoy your drive to the restaurant as it is away from the country. They offer a wide range of fruit recipes. Their Oyster recipes are outstanding .The Cracco peck, located in Milan, the Fashion Capital of Italy, is the tenth best eating place in Europe. Their best offerings include the take on saffron risotto and breaded veal cutlet and steam cooked tiramisu. If you are planning for a vacation, a Europe tour is the best way to give yourself a culinary treat with all these remarkable places.

1. The Fat Duck Restaurant (England)
2. The Pierre Gagnaire Restaurant (Paris)
3. The Noma Restaurant (Denmark)
4. Gambero Rosso Restaurant (San Vincenzo, Italy)
5. Le Louis XV Restaurant (Monaco, Paris)
6. L’Hotel de Ville (Zurich)
7. The Brasserie Lipp (Paris)
8. Hof van Cleve (Belgium)
9. The Oud Sluis Restaurant (Netherlands)
10. The Cracco Peck Restaurant (Milan)

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Europe – Ghent Festival

If magnanimity, eloquence and grandeur are what you idealize in your perfect festival, then Ghent festival is the place for you to be this summer. With almost 2 million people attending the festival in 2008 in Ghent, Belgium, the festival became the largest open-air cultural festival in Europe by distance. The Ghent festival is composed primarily of three festivals- the International Street Theatre Festival, The International Puppet Buskers Festival and the Blue Note Festival, which is also affectionately called the jazz festival.
The Ghent festival evolved in the 19th century, when the ‘fathers’ of Ghent decided to organize the Sunday feasts by the peasants into a more civilized festivity in the form of the Ghent festival. The feasts that the peasants indulged in were nothing more than drunken orgies and often resulted in mass absenteeism on the part of the peasants on Monday mornings due to heavy liquor consumption on the weekends. This resulted the clergy of the town to ponder upon a solution to this menace, and they came up with the idea of festivities for the common-folk of the town, which later evolved into a full-fledged festival known as the Ghent Festival, which was organized by the governments and the richer strata of the society for the masses to enjoy.
For decades, the festival had carried on like this, and in its checkered history of more than 165 years, the Ghent festival has witnessed many ups and downs. With the rich folks occupying the paved areas and others celebrating in the dusty and dirty streets, the Ghent Festival was being stereotyped as being ‘pathetically middle-class’ by the late 1950s. It was with the entrance of Walter De Buck, who, along with his band of musicians and friends engaged everyone belonging to different strata of the society, including the priests, the commons and the classes of the society. He had brought the charm back to the Ghent festival and was a hit of his age. Since then, people from all over the Europe have been frequenting the Ghent Festival, which, in its modern form takes place in and around the city center and is the most famous for its Jazz festival, awesome food and electrifying environment.

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China Europe Trade

Most of China’s business with the outer world resides in the Yellow River basin, particularly in and around Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Guangdong provinces. For some one who has had an experience of trading in Europe, it should be relatively easier to adjust to the culture and demographical differences in China. Again, Hong-Kong should be the starting point for penetrating in to China because of the larger English speaking population that we have there.
Hong Kong is a city full of energy and passion, and there are a lot of similarities at the CEO levels between Hong Kong and some major parts of Europe. The main difference though is that, promises here are of lesser value, and promises made should not be taken for their word as traders can easily revert at getting better deals. Therefore, everything needs to be inked down after the corporate dinner and Binge drinking! The Chinese are relatively quick to make promises, but they should only be taken into account once the contract is through, because most of the time, they would not even remember the next day what they had promised.
Hierarchy also plays a prominent part in the way the Chinese carry out their business. The Chinese are totally bureaucratic and love to take into account the value of the signature. Assistants and lower level management have little or no say in taking the final decision, which are mostly reserved for those at the top of the lot. Therefore, you should use the lower level workers to network yourself up to the top of the pyramid to seal the deal. Unlike Europe, where employees at various levels, even at the ground-level have a say in the internal decision making of a corporation, in China, they might be fired for ‘poking their noses’ in the company’s internal affairs.
To be successful for trading in China, you need to network a lot. News and offers spread like wild fire here, and therefore, it is in your interest to make the best use of the grapevine to take your deal to those who matter the most. Versatility, public relations and networking therefore, are the pillars around which a foreigner needs to invest his time to be successful at trading in mainland China and Hong Kong especially.

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European Wine

We have appreciated European wine for years now. Wine, in Europe, is associated with prosperity. It is a rich part of European culture. Europe has the perfect conditions for wine making and its wine making methods are still traditional which is not found in any other part of the world. Although some of these methods have been replaced by advanced means, but the roots are the same. European wines have an ecstatic fruitfulness to them along with flavor and novelty. We can say that wine is an essential element of life in Europe. No wonder, people from all over the world visit Europe for classy wines.
Europe is one of the major producers of wine in the world. France, Italy and Belgium are very famous for their fine wines and other form of liquor. France is the major producer of wine in Europe. Popular French wines like Cote du Rhone, Cote du Provence and Borgogne are the pride of France. The fine quality champagne is made up of the best quality grapes of numerous varieties over here. Their richness can not be stated in words. If you happen to visit France then remember that French wines are as imperative as the Eiffel tower visit would be. Did you know that Champagne is a French invention?
Italy is no less in its wine production. Italy is world famous for its pastas, pizzas and wines. Some of Italy’s world class wines include the Frascati, the Chianti, the Bardolino, the Marsala, the Lacryma Christi, the Soave and the Valpolicella. The Marsala is the finest Italian wine made of aperitif. It is very popular in Europe especially served after the dinner as a desert as it has a special sweet taste to it which is palate enchanting. Another wine worth mentioning is the Soave which is made up of a special recipe consisting of lemon and almonds. Asti Spumante is a dazzling wine. It is the best choice for parties and celebrations. It is world’s foremost sparkling wine after champagne. Borodino is a red wine made up of grape mix of Italy.
As we know that wine is a way of lifestyle in Europe, therefore, there are proper learning centers set up for educating people about fine methods to make wine. European Wine Academy is an International Wine College. They provide distant education through e-learning. Learning to make fine wine is an art and Europeans have mastered it for years now.

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The Europa

Europe is one place which a perfect combination of myth, reality and modernity. Having a history of thousands of years, Europe, believed to have been named after the Greek Goddess Europa, has many unknown facts associated with it. Things like Europe being the second smallest continent with an almost stable birth rate are little known to the world. Europe is also home to top 10 charitable countries in the world. These are some of the relatively unknown facts about Europe.
Being home to some wonderful capital cities, Europe is a beauty of a place to be at. Most beautiful cities in Europe include London, Amsterdam, Stockholm, France, Madrid, Rome and Berlin. Almost all European capitals have a distinct taste of history and culture to offer. The capitals of Europe, or as they say in Europe- the capitales de Europa are known all over the world for their splendor and magnificence.
London has probably the best to offer in terms of history and modernity in the whole of Europe. From the London Bridge, to taking an open bus tour of the city, London has it all. Madrid is known as the sports capital of Europe by many, and is home to some of the best football players that Europe has produced in years. The city is also known for its recreational activities, especially music and theater. Madrid and nearby cities are known for some beautiful beaches as well. Known as an architectural marvel, Amsterdam is supposed to be one of the most beautiful countries in the world. With a heritage dating back to hundreds of years, this town beckons one and all to its watered alleys and beautiful lanes, lined with old-wooden houses and creeks. The beaches and the former Heineken Brewery are also one of the major attractions of this town.
Europeans love to do a lot of things, and watching football is one of these. Frenetic football fans with beer mugs and colorful outfits can be seen dancing to the tunes of the anthems of their favorite teams. Europa is one of the most watched football tournaments in Europe, and looking at the popularity of the Europa, the federation has introduces the pay per view feature for the Europa 2008, wherein, you would get live streaming of Europa cup matches that you want to watch, directly to your computer.
These were just a few snippets from the beautiful movie that Europe is, just a few hues of the colorful picture that Europeans paint, and be rest assured, once you set your foot on this beautiful continent, you are bound to be faced with unparalleled culture, cuisine and forms of life.

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European Beaches

Europe’s natural beauty and its mention are incomplete without its spectacular beaches. People from all over the globe visit Europe for radiant blue oceans, cool breezes and glinting sand with glamorous coastal lines. European beaches have a special attraction. Here are the top ten European beaches in the world.
The Biarritz Beach, located in France, definitely deserves the first position in the list of top ten beaches in Europe. The beach is very well-ordered. Biarritz gives you fine reasons to enjoy. It has partitioned swimming and surfing areas, cafes, resorts, and bars. The Biarritz festival has been attracting people for more than forty years now.
If you are a party freak then Ibiza is the place for you. The second best beach in Europe is the Ibiza, located in Spain, which is a beautiful island. It is very popular for its musical ambience with night clubs, rocking DJs and foot-tapping parties. Cannes, located in France, has some of the most glamorous beaches in Europe. It is the third best in our list. It has all the facilities like umbrella sheds, cafes and sports.
Tarifa, located in Spain, holds the fourth position in this list. It is one of the windiest beaches in the world. This is one reason that people love this beach for surfing against the winds. Tarifia’s major attraction is water sports which are organized every year. Tarifia is surrounded by rising peaks on one side which makes it very popular for rock climbing as well.
St. Tropez, located in France, is the fifth best beach in Europe. The beach is adorned with classy bars, restaurants and hotels. This beach is the ideal place for your celebrity hunt. The Kefalonia, located in Greece, holding the sixth position, are one the most beautiful beaches of Europe. The beaches have more of natural beauty than made up attractions. This place is a true retreat for your soul. The Brighton Beaches, located in England, are no less in beauty. Positioned at number seven in our list, this place is the traveler’s paradise. It is very famous for its night life with fun filled night clubs, bars, restaurants and beach shops.
The Marbella Beaches, located in Spain hold the eighth position. These beaches are very delightful. You can relax amidst Palm trees, beautiful oasis and giant elephant showers. Toscana, Punta Ala, located in the west coast of Northern Rome, Italy, is a quite beach. This place is not very flamboyant. It is a long stretch of sand lining the striking monuments of Rome. Caldiz, located in Spain, is the tenth best beach in Europe. This beach is glutted with natural beauty of sunsets and sand.
Once again, we summarize the list as follows:
1. Biarritz Beach, France.
2. Ibiza, Spain.
3. Cannes, France.
4. Tarifa, Spain.
5. Tropez, France.
6. Kefalonia, Greece.
7. Brighton, England.
8. Marbella, Spain.
9. Toscana, Italy.
10. Caldiz, Spain.

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French People

Being the second most taught language internationally after English, and having a readership and following which are commiserate with the number of its students, French is definitely the language to know these days. With English, French is the only other “international” language, being spoken in 5 continents. The international body supervising the following of French as a language is known as the International Organization of Francophonie, which has 51 countries as its member states and out of these 51 states, 28 countries have French as their official language.
The widespread use of French as a language can also be inferred from the fact that French, with English is the official language of many towering organizations of the world, such as the UN, NATO, UNESCO, the International Red Cross Association and IOC (The International Olympic Committee), to name a few. From a recent survey, it has been noted that almost 70% of jobs in the US require or prefer the aspirants who know French, other than English, which is a testimony to the importance of French.
The importance of French has demographic and economic consequences for major economies in the world, even the US. For example, French is the official global language of Canada, which caries out major trade deals with the US. The knowledge of French for traders to such countries becomes all the more important when you realize that Canada, for example, has provinces like Quebec, which trades more than 70 billion Dollars annually with the US, and the major international language being followed there is French.
Apart from the economic influence of French and France, there is a high degree of intellectual importance associated with French as a language and the French thought for modernism and secularism. French doctors and scientists have been the fore-runners of technology in the modern era. France has the largest R&D center on nuclear physics in the world and also boasts as being the site of the world’s first nuclear fusion reactor. The French doctors were the first to isolate the HIV virus from the body of an infected human being- a ground breaking attempt to find a cure for AIDS. In order to decipher all their findings and discoveries, to understand their intellect and to admire it, it has become inevitable for the intelligentsia and researchers of today to adopt French as a global language.

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