EUROQUEST SideTracks

New Orleans is back - there can be no doubt about it. Everywhere construction is taking place, restoring the city to its former glory following the destruction of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. As we explored in our first article, most visitors will focus on the traditional tourist areas around the French Quarter and Canal Street in Downtown New Orleans. Even in those key neighborhoods, we argued, alternative visitor experiences are possible and highly rewarding. Yet given the impact of destruction by Katrina almost 6 years ago and the enormous community response since then, hardly any neighborhood visit in New Orleans could be more sobering yet uplifting and enriching than to the Lower Ninth Ward. For that reason we would like to take a closer look at a day out in the ward not involving "sighseeing" or tourist activities but rather charity work, community spirit and being part of grassroots movements in the neighborhood. See the full gallery on posterous The Lower Nin...

"Laissez les bons temps rouler" has always been the slogan associated with the "Big Easy". Lately, times have not been too good on the Gulf of Mexico - from the destructive powers of Katrina in 2005 to last year's oil spill in the Gulf, the area has had to endure catastrophes and challenges galore recently. But New Orleans is back, and this time we hope it is bound to stay. Many parts of the city have recovered, residents have returned and visitors are flocking back to enjoy the laid-back attitude of the Big Easy. Business is not quite back to normal, and some aspects of life in New Orleans have changed irreversibly, whereas other aspects have remained unchanged. For that reason, New Orleans is a perfect destination for alternative visitors to the Southern U.S., particularly those that dare to venture beyond the bars on Bourbon Street and the most touristic sections of the French Quarter. Euroquest Sidetracks therefore will cover the Big Easy in two separat...

Most visitors flying into the Levante region of Spain head right to the beaches of the Costa Blanca or may pay a visit to Alicante along the way. Yet this part of the COMUNIDAD VALENCIANA has much more to offer than beaches and sunshine, in particular further inland away from the coast. As we have covered repeatedly on previous editions of Euroquest Sidetracks, there is plenty of unchartered territory left to discover in and around Alicante - and ELCHE, with 250000 inhabitants the area's 3rd largest city after Valencia and Alicante, should certainly rank high on the list of places to see for alternative visitors to Spain. A gem of a medieval and baroque city in sparkling clean and refurbished condition, ELCHE boasts not one but TWO UNESCO World-Heritage sites - its famous "Palmeral" (Grove of Palm Trees) and the "MISTERI D"ELX" (Mystery of Elche) play in August. So this week we'd like to take a closer look at this unique, beautiful and quintessenti...