Latvia! We're.. Going .....to........Latvia?

5th European country you haven't heard of.

Yes, exotic Latvia with its...... ummmm ...... its ...... fertile soil and good ports? After extensive research, I must admit Latvia doesn't seem to have too much going for it. I don't want to offend any natives or people who enjoy visiting (for some reason), but I just can't find too much going on in this country. Let's at least start with a history lesson and some fun facts and see where that takes us!


Latvia lies on the Baltic Sea and is bordered by Estonia, Lithuania and Russia to name a few countries. Its people are most similar to the Estonians and Lithuanians as the share a common Baltic heritage. Also, Lithuania and Latvia are the only two places in the world where the people practice Baltic langauges. After WW2, Latvia became a part of the USSR until its collapse in 90's when the Soviets left Latvia. YAY! This country of 2.3 million people seems to have its location as its only resource, though. As a great land and sea connection between east and west Europe, Latvia has built up some large ports.

Culturally speaking, Latvia had an culture of the arts including folklore music from over a thousand years ago. There has been some resurgence of the arts since the Soviets left town but outside of some cheese, log cabins and some museums I could not find anything else! So, my recommendation is to skip Latvia unless you are a sea captain of some sort carrying goods to Russia.

Maybe you know more about Latvia. Maybe you live there and want to tell me why I am ass for speaking about your country this way! Well tell me, please! We look forward to hearing from you.

Going back to Cyprus...

So, we were watching TV last night when we saw House Hunters International featuring Cyprus. Being that we just highlighted Cyprus last week, I thought we'd share some of the show with you. First of all, there was an English couple with a $1 million dollar budget. It seems like a lot until you realize each British Pound is worth 2 of our dollars. The couple was looking at three houses situated close to town, close to the ocean and with nice views of pretty much everything! The houses the looked at ranged from 2000-2500 square feet and were all relatively new and were all furnished.

Ultimately, they chose the 2500 sq foot home for over $1 million and came with a big yard, pool and incredible views of the ocean and mountains. What was very interesting was that there were many English speaking natives as well as transplants that live in Cyprus. Even the couple mentioned they did not need to learn to speak Greek once they got there and realized this fact. Anyways, we will add House Hunters International to our guide from now on. As of right now, we know it's on Sunday at 9:30.

Liechtenstein. Yes, That's a Country, not a Curse Word

European Countries you've never heard of #4 -

Did you ever watch that movie, A Knight's Tale, where Heath Ledger plays a normal guy pretending to be a knight from Leichtenstein? Well that is actually a real place. It is a land-locked country in between Switzerland and Austria that has the Alps running through it. Leichtenstein is pronounced "licked-en-stine" and no one has to say "gesundheit" after you say the country's name.

The country is just over 60 square miles (fourth smallest country in Europe) and only has a population of 35,000 but it continues to prosper due to its winter sports destinations and tax-haven status for businesses. This is one of the few countries in the world with more registered companies than citizens. It is not part of the European Union but its people are German-speaking.

So why and how would anyone get to this country? Well, first, the closest airport is in Zurich Switzerland so you would mosr likely go through there. But once you're there, enjoy a host of activites in this small country! Like its neighbors, Leichtenstein is steeped in the arts, holding all sorts of fairs and concerts devoted to classical and contemporary music. Also, enjoy the historical buildings of the Leichtenstein monarchy that continues to rule in some respect to this day as well as your beautiful churches like many of Europe's hot-spots. Finally, don't forget you're in the Alps. Skiing and other winter sports are a must in this country!

Don't worry folks, there's no need to be scared of war in Leichtenstein. It has no army! It follows a strict nuetrality on every front. Tell us about your stories of Liechtenstein, we would love to hear from you!

Cyprus, Our Next Stop in Unknown Europe

Cyprus, an island nation south of Turkey was once considered the home of Aphrodite (that's right the Goddess of LOVE) and is now a tourist destination for over 2 million people a year. Consider Cyprus a unique, if not distant, Greek Isle.
Don't tell the some of the inhabitants that, though, as Cyprus has strong political viewpoints concerning the sovereignity of other countries. The island was controlled by the English and has subsequently become an independent country (or two). You see, Cyprus is is basically cut in half, with the northern part controlled by the Turkish-controlled government and the south controlled by The Republic of Cyprus government that makes up more than half the island. Both parts are worth seeing for adventurous travellers.

The capital of Cyprus is Nicosia and, just as Berlin was once cut in half, so too is Nicosia. Neither government, though at odds with each other, are tyrannical like you might think when picturing Berlin before the collapse of the wall.

There are many sights to see including museums and churches, but a lot of the fun resides outside the city, where you can get a Greek Isle feel with the countryside and sea-side caves to explore. The rest of the island can be explored out of such cities as Limassol (industrial center of Cyprus) and Pafos (resort area). Inside and outside of these cities, you can find incredible archeological sites from Greek temples to Venician ruins.

So for those of you who appreciate a good political fight, history, culture, beaches and mountains, visit Cyprus! This can be an ideal location for any type of vacation including those of you with children. If you've already been, share your stories with us. We look forward to hearing from you!

And for those Real Housewives of NJ fans, Cyprus is where Dina's daughter vacationed for a couple weeks!

Malta, a Nation of Islands in Europe

In the second installment of the "Europe's Least Known Countries", we head south of Sicily in the middle of the Mediterranean to a cluster of islands that have been of extreme historical significance, Malta. This country of 400,000 inhabitants resembles Hawaii in the US. There are three main inhabited islands and numerous others. Malta is generally warm, attributing its relatively stable climate to the Mediterranean that surrounds it.

Being in the middle of this sea has been Malta's blessing and it's curse in that, throughout history, the islands have benfited from being a trading post for Europe yet also a strategic base for many different armies and navies: Phoenicians, Romans, Sicilians, The Knight's of St. John, French and English to name a few. In fact, it wasn't until the early 20th century that the English granted autonomy to Malta. Currently, the official languages are English and Maltes.

So why would any traveller want to go to Malta? Well, like any predominantly Roman Catholic country, Malta provides many beautiful churches for you to see. Also, its cuisine is superb, being your traditional Mediterranean fare (lots of seafood, yummy, yummy seafood) with an Italian approach. Sicily is on a few hundred miles away. Also, Malta boasts the oldest freestanding structures in Europe, the Megalithic Temples. This UNESCO site was made in approximately 3600 BC! Stonehenge, eat your heart out. For all you history buffs. Malta is an offical member of EU, allowing you free access to visit from any other EU country once you've entered.

I have always heard of Malta as an important part of history, but I certainly did not know it was an actual country! If you've been to Malta, share your experiences with us and let us all know how the trip went. We look forward to hearing from you!

10 European countries you've never heard of....#1-Andorra

Starting with today's blog, we will be focusing on the LEAST known countries in Europe. Our focus today, Andorra!

Andorra is a land-locked country sandwiched in the Pyrenees between France and Spain. One reason Europeans love to visit the sixth smallest country in Europe is the fact that it is a tax-haven. With hardly any arable land, the people of this country (83,000 pop.) are dependent on trade with other countries for food. That seems to be alright with the Andorrans, as they live relatively lavish lifestyles being that 80% of the country's GDP comes from tourism. Speaking of tourism, it happens to be the one reason for the country's recent population boom and their success. Many foreigners (particularly from France and Spain) spend time in Andorra skiing, hiking, and checking out the beautiful scenery in other ways.

If you know Spanish, you'll understand some Catalan which is the primary language of the country. This is the last remaining bastion of Catalan in the world (though the Barcelonans would disagree). But don't worry, many of the populous are foreigners from France and Spain and know those languages and more. In fact, the native Catalans are the minority in this country!

The capital of the Andorra is Andorra La Vella and is accessible directly by road and within miles of the train station. Unfortunately, there are no major airports in the country, but there are heliports that can fly you in from Barcelona and other close cities!

If you have ever been to Andorra, please tell us about it! This country is amazingly beautiful and unique, but we want to hear why from you! We look forward to hearing from you!