EUROQUEST SideTracks

There are few small towns in Europe that can surprise visitors as much by their impressive architecture as Astorga, this small community of 15000 inhabitants located in Castilla-Leon along the famous St.James' Way to Santiago de Compostela. Boasting altogether 3 outstanding building complexes, visitors are perplexed and wonder how a small town in Northwestern Spain could be so richly endowed with a Roman city wall, a huge Cathedral and magnificent Bishop's Palace. Of course, the town of Astorga was far more important in Roman and Medieval times than in its present role as provincial capital of Northwestern Castilla-Leon. Ever since its founding as a Roman colony as a stop along the traditional Roman Road network across the Iberian Peninsula, Astorga has always lived in the shadows of Leon and Santiago. Yet its Roman city wall, recently rebuilt to its former splendor, attests to its glory days during its Roman occupation, which also brought a steady military tradition to

Croatian Tourism Authorities have been advertising with the slogan "The Mediterranean as it once was" - and featured on billboards and in commercials we usually find some sights from Dubrovnik, Korcula and...Hvar. As the fourth most popular destination for visitors in Croatia, the island of Hvar is undeniably beautiful and yet not overly exploited touristically, stretching with its green bushes from one side of blue sea to another with the blue sky in between. Jagged inlets mark the coastline, while in the center we find a central ridge featuring long grey lines of limestone heaps, built by farmers over many centuries in their efforts to gain arable land for cultivation. This landscape was declared a UNESCCO world heritage site in 2008 as among the best preserved ancient Greek landscape in the Mediterranean. Lavender used to be among the most popular crops until fire reduced its cultivation recently. Yet anything made from lavender, pouches of potpouri or bottles of lave