Cadillac CTS V vs BMW M5 Performance Testing Monday, August 30, 2010

tinyurl.com We pit our favorite super sedan from Munich, the BMW M5, against Motowns all-new CTS-V. First up, we head to the test track to see which car puts down the best numbers.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ju-Fa6d0oAU&hl=en

InterContinental Resort Berchtesgaden - In Germany's Only Alpine National Park Saturday, August 28, 2010

Morning wakeup at InterContinental Resort Berchtesgaden is akin to being above the world. You are on top of a small mountain in Germany's only alpine national park, Berchtesgaden.

If you are facing west, say in duplex suite 347, named Watzmann, you are indeed looking out at that mountain, all of 2,713 metres to its peak, snow-capped even in Summer. And between, if you are as lucky as we were, the valley will be shrouded in early-morning clouds. Add finishing touches that include a clear blue sky and you feel in heaven.

We had arrived at the 138-room resort the previous night after a two-hour drive from Munich (next time I shall fly into nearby Salzburg). Because of meticulous environmental planning you barely see the horseshoe-shaped resort until the car climbs to the front door. Inside the building, which is give-or-take three floors - you will see, soon, what I mean by this - you immediately sense space, the locale, a sense of fun and oodles of style. In front of you as you enter you look through a lounge area with, even in summer, a central real-look log fire under a ceiling-hanging canopy. Beyond is the neat grass of the centre of the horseshow. Either side of this vista, back near you, are walls seven metres high formed of natural rough-cut Stainzergneiss stone. Hanging overhead are three giant - well, three metres high - cream fabric lampshades.

Floors are polished hardwood, from this forested area. Colors are neutral, or orange. The only lasting burst of arrogant color is an over-green oil landscape in the Presidential Suite, but there are also sometimes colorful masks hanging in the main lobby, or little sculptures on 1.5-metre posts, all graduation projects from the nearby wood-carving school, which apparently is renowned.

We were offered a choice of cold herbal teas from named carafes. 347 is one of the highly desirable two-floor suites set alternately, with normal rooms, on the inside facets of the horseshoe arms on the top floor of the building. The total 154 sq metres consists of a main floor office with big desk, a day bed and a half-bathroom. You climb 18 polished wood stairs to an upper level rising from the building's roof. Here you have double-width, as this part extends over your neighbour who only has the normal room mentioned above. Facing outwards, your upper level has an airy parlor with easy-work gas-fuelled fire and a spacious bedroom with pale calf leather headboard: these two adjacent rooms look out to your private rooftop garden, all 100 sq metres of it. In all you have three Philips flatscreens, plus a minibar and hot beverage gear. Next to the bedroom is a walk-in closet with safe, and then comes the toilet. Facing inwards is the Dolomite limestone-clad bathroom, with oval tub, big shower area, electric towel rail, two sinks and Molton Brown. It is very sexy - you can see across the horseshoe into others' rooftop bathrooms, just - and very sensible (bathroom blinds are electronically closed).

I got online instantly, using InterContinental's worldwide broadband connector (public areas are wireless). I rushed down to the basement level, looking out into wildflower pastures below the lobby, to try the 24-hour gym and the two swimming pools, one indoors and lined with mother-of-pearl tiles and the other indoor-outdoor, and beautifully hot. Then it was cocktail time, for me a glass of wine, which produced a carafe and delicate Schott glass, and for my companion the one Bavarian whisky out of the 400 beautifully listed and described in the leather-bound menu in Rocks American Bar.

Le Ciel, the finest restaurant, was fully booked by a Toyota party, so we made eyes at the glass-walled in-cellar winery dining area, but since that seats up to 14 it would have been a bit over-the-top for two. We tried the white asparagus menu on the terrace outside the 360-degrees all-day dining, and honestly I ate so much of the delicious bread, from a baker back down in town, I barely needed anything else.

The breakfast buffet has terribly-addictive yoghurt and more breads than you thought existed, and freshest juice and great coffee. Yes, after a good night's sleep I was hungry, and also ready to go. While my companion did two rounds of the nine-hole golf course (oh so steep, he exclaimed with joy, pointing out that it is a ski slope by winder) I borrowed one of the hotel bikes - Scott Scale Concept 40, naturally, for a place with such style - and pedalled furiously up, for a full 135 minutes nonstop, to Ahornbüchsenkopf, a full 1,600 metres above sea level. The chief concierge, Alexander Koenig, who came from the Side in Hamburg, later told me he had a full spectrum of similar rides for my next visit.

But it was time for the spa, run by Peter Droessel, whom many say is the best in Germany - he came here from Brenner's Park, Baden-Baden. There is a big La Prairie center, and Clarissa Albert, a most beautiful person born in Colombia, gave me truly memorable care. There is also, being Germany, a massive sauna area but I really do not like sweating it out with masses of nude people, regardless of gender. I went for another swim instead.

There are so many wow features. A satellite copy of your favorite newspaper back home is 'no trouble', my maid from Hong Kong was Miss Speed personified, and yet she still had time to replace details. The books in the library beckon for many hours' reading, the wild flowers around are simply glorious. I liked seeing local Bavarian artistocrats in dirndls and lederhosen at Sunday brunch, and the way that General Manager Tom Bauer bowed deeply and kissed my hand when we were first introduced, in the elevator (I also liked having well-signed and immaculately clean fire staircases as alternatives to the elevators). This place has style.

www.intercontinental.com

InterContinental Resort Berchtesgaden - In Germany's only alpine national park

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How to Enjoy Croatia?

1. Why Croatia? Croatia is the closest Mediterranean destination to central Europe. It takes 2 hours by plane from London, 45 minutes from Munich... Croatian natural beauties are significant and amongst the best preserved in the world (over 5800 km of coast, over 1000 islands, numerous national parks...) More about Croatia can be found on the official web site.

2. How to Croatia? Traveling by car you have to keep in mind that the traffic is increased in summer season. National ferry line is Jadrolinija and the national airline company is Croatia Airlines.

3. Where in Croatia? Although the inland of Croatia is beautiful as well, lot of tourists decide for one of the places along the Croatian coast. Most of the beautiful places in Croatia are located on the Adriatic sea coast (National Park Brijuni islands, Roman arena in Pula, National Park Kornati islands, old towns Dubrovnik, Zadar, Trogir, Sibenik, Split, National Park island Mljet...) Having one day trip in inland you can visit more Croatian beauties like National Park Plitvice lakes, National Park on river Krka, National Park Paklenica...)

4. Stay (sail) in Croatia? Usually tourists rent a hotel room or an apartment and spend a week laying on a beach not aware that there are plenty other places around worth to be visited. Instead of changing hotels and moving your stuff from one place to another trying to see as much as possible, you can rent a boat (skipper if necessary), visit all the places along the Croatian coast and islands and have an extraordinary holidays.

Croatian coast has 1000 of islands so there are no big waves and high sea. The conditions are perfect for nice and easy sailing. There are no long distance routes across the open sea. You can anchor anytime you want and take a swim. The price for sailing holidays in Croatia is equal to price for a hotel accommodation. More about yacht charter in Croatia find on web site Yacht Charter Croatia There you can find a complete yacht charter offer in Croatia: more than 3000 charter yachts belonging to all relevant charter companies in Croatia (having at least 10 to 100 boats in their fleet). You can compare the prices for different boat models and select the most appropriate one. To answer the question how to enjoy in Croatia - sail in Croatia!

About The Author

Neven Grubisic
Star: Charter Yacht Croatia

BMW Munich plant

BMW Munich plant



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Oatqeixdlk&hl=en

The Munich Beer Festival

The 'world city with heart,' Munich is your destination for "beer festival." Beer festivals are the festivals in which a variety of beers and often other alcoholic drinks are available for tasting and purchase. Beer festivals are organized in a number of countries. There are several big and small beer festivals celebrated in Germany all over the year, but the Munich beer festival is the oldest and the largest beer festival in the world.

The Munich beer festival, known as Oktoberfest, is a two-week festival held each year in Munich, Bavaria, Germany during late September and early October. Oktoberfest is one of the most celebrated events in Germany. It is largest fair in the world, with some six million people attending every year.

Traditionally, Oktoberfest takes place during the 16 days up to and including the first Sunday in October. The festival takes place on the area known as "Theresienwiese" (Field or meadow of Therese), often called "d' Wiesn" or "d'Waasn" for short. Beer is the key note of the festival. The festival begins with a keg of beer tapped by the Mayor of Munich who declares in Bavarian tone "O'zapft is!" (It's tapped!).

The first Munich beer festival took place on October 12, 1810 when "Oktoberfest" was organized to commemorate the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig (King Ludwig I) and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen, from whose name the name of the festival ground, "Theresienwiese" came. On the first "Oktoberfest," a great horse race was organized.

People brew special Oktoberfest beer for the occasion; the beer is slightly darker and stronger, in both taste and alcohol. It is served in Maß, a one-liter-tankard. The first bulk of beer is served to the Bavarian Minister-President. Beer is served by only local Munich breweries that are allowed to serve this beer in a Bierzelt, a beer tent which is large enough for thousands. People also consume large quantities of food, most of it traditional hearty fare such as sausage, hendl (chicken), käsespätzle (cheese noodles), and sauerkraut, along with such Bavarian delicacies as roast ox tails.

Oktoberfest became the enormously world-famous festival by 1960, but the year marked the end of Horse races. The Japanese, Americans, and New Zealanders discovered the festival and often traveled to Germany during late September and early October to enjoy the Munich beer festival. Munich became the world famous city, and traditional German dresses, such as Sennerhut, Lederhosen, and Dirndl became extremely famous world wide.

There are often problems associated with the people who can't hold large amounts of alcohol. Sometimes some people fall sick due to drunkenness, and there is often a medical tent to treat drunks as well as sick people. The concept of the "quiet Oktoberfest" was developed in 2005 to undermine the violence in the festival. The music played in the afternoon is limited to 85 decibels. The tents only play quiet music, traditional wind music until 6:00 PM, and Schlager and pop music are played later.

The Munich beer festival is still one of the most famous festivals in the world. So, if you are planning your tour to Germany and you love drinking, do plan your tour during late September and early October to make yourselves part of the world famous Oktoberfest.

Orson Johnson writes for Holiday Velvet, a website providing listings for apartments, bed and breakfasts, Munich holiday apartments hotels and Munich vacation rentals

Mandarin Oriental Munich - Munich Luxury Hotel

Discover the Mandarin Oriental Munich, selected as the Only Luxury Hotel in Munich by Grand Luxury Hotels. Discover the Hotel and Mark's Restaurant (1 Michelin Star Restaurant).



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRW1eeBOJV8&hl=en