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Japan is undoubtedly the best place in the world to visit if you love cherry blossoms. In fact, a lot of people travel to Japan specifically for this purpose. If you have not made it during the cherry blossom season, don’t worry. You still have other options. There are places that can give you pretty much the same experience.

1. Meghalaya, India

The Cherry Blossom Festival in this part of India takes place around October to November each year. it is considered one of the earliest cherry blossom festivals in the world. The experience is truly amazing. You will feel like you are in Japan even if you are not.

2. Copenhagen, Denmark

This country also celebrates the Sakura Festival. There have been over 200 cherry trees in the Langelinie Park since 2008. Every year since then, this festival is celebrated. There are also other activities available for visitors and entrance is free.

3. Jerte Valley, Spain

Spain is the last place you can think of when it comes to cherry blossoms, but don’t take Jerte Valley out of your list. This place showcases over 2 million cherry trees. When covered in snow in April, the place looks spectacular. Musical performances, guided tours and local markets are available.

4. Vilnius, Lithuania

This place showcases a really picturesque scene during the cherry blossoms season. There is a Sakura garden that will make you feel like you have visited Japan. It is quite small, but still worth visiting.

5. Bonn, Germany

Every April or May of each year, narrow streets in this city are filled with cherry trees, creating a tunnel of pink. There is also live music available. This is without a doubt the best flower tunnel you will ever find.

Considering the best place to see cherry blossoms outside Japan, you won’t regret that you have missed the sakura season. Besides, you can always go to Japan the next time they have the cherry blossom again. You just have to plan your trip in advance to avoid missing the entire experience again. For now, enjoy these wonderful places. You might even love them more than Japan.

Also read:
How Tourist Attractions Keep Their Grass Looking Trim and Beautiful

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Five Restful Norwich UK HotelsAre you looking for a great night’s rest while visiting the beautiful city of Norwich, UK? If so, you have come to the right place. Here you will find five of the most restful hotels in the city of Norwich. These elegant hotels are the perfect place to rest your bones after a busy day of travel. So let’s take a deeper look at these hotels and see what they can offer you the traveler. You just might fall in love with one today.

Five Places to Get a Good Night’s Rest in Norwich

1. Stracey Hotel

This amazing hotels has served the city of Norwich for many years. Elegant yet affordable, this hotel has some of the nicest rooms in the city. Don’t worry if you have back pain because you will find a very nice bed waiting for you when you arrive and the staff are always warm and caring. Not many hotels in the city can compare to this amazing inn. Over the years this hotel has received some of the top awards for service. You simply won’t find a friendlier place to stay the night. So if you are looking for a great place to catch some shuteye, this is the hotel for you, so why not stay here tonight?

2. The Old Rectory Hotel

Another super nice hotel, this family run inn has tons to offer. Very beautifully designed rooms with some of the most comfortable beds in the city, are all for your enjoyment. Rated as one of the top hotels in the city, you can never go wrong staying here. For peace and quiet this is the perfect place to get some serious rest and relaxation.

3. The Georgain Townhouse

This new addition to the city has some of the freshest rooms in town. Built with beauty and comfort this new hotel has everything you need and more. Large rooms offer guests plenty of area to unwind in and the bathrooms are always clean. If you are looking to try something new this is the place for you.

4. Caistor Hall Hotel

A staple in the city of Norwich, this hotel has been operating for a very long time. The perfect hotel to get a good night’s rest, it is located in one of the best areas of the city. Many people use this beautiful hotel as a location for their wedding reception, because of its stark beauty. Many people who have had the chance to stay at this hotel have great things to say about it. Want a classic styled hotel that surrounds you with all the modern comforts? This is the one for you.

5. Maids Head Hotel

This classic hotel adds beauty to the city of Norwich and has been a part of the community for countless generations. The large brick hotel welcomes you with a hint of yesteryear. While the building itself is of classic, the inside has all the modern luxuries that you are looking for. Each room in this inn inspired hotel has something unique to offer guests and they all have very comfortable beds for the perfect night’s rest.

Also read: What is the Quality Of Water Like in the East of England?

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What is the Quality Of Water Like in the East of EnglandLike most water supply companies, organisations overlooking the supply of water to the Eastern part of England offer the highest quality of water. The water is monitored 24/7, right from the time it enters the pumping station to the moment it reaches your taps and the teams are vigilant as to what they supply. They assure you absolute clean and potable water with zero defects.

However, there are times when the water supplied may turn out to be a tad too hard. Now hard water is in essence harmless to the human body but is a killer to the electrical appliances, namely the washing machine et al.

What causes water to be hard?

The area East of England, has rocks with very high chalk or Calcium Carbonate content. Now when the water passes through these rocks a fair bit of chalk does get dissolved. As a result of which, the water does get hard.

The water supply departments have clearly demarked areas where hard water is to be expected. East England, in particular, is prominently marked on that map. Hard water can cause different problems.

You won’t like bathing in hard water. Removal of germs and bacteria becomes harder as hard water leaves a small film of soapy curd on the skin.

  • Using dishwashers become a problem too, as it can cause spotting and filming on the crockery.
  • Laundry can become a problem too as clothes can feel dingy and harsh, even after thorough cleaning.
  • Water using appliances like boilers wouldn’t be as efficient when there is hard water.

How do I find out that the water is hard?

Some of the visible signs of hard water include the following:

  • Scales in kettles and internal plumbing
  • White marks on sinks
  • White or grey flakes in the water you use

While normally they do not cause any harm to the human body, but utensils, electrical appliances and kitchen accessories, over a period in time do become rusty and covered with stains from the constant usage of hard water.

What can be done to overcome it?

Slight changes in the way you do things can help improve the situation and extend the life of your utensils and appliances. For example, instead of a mug use a tea pot to make tea. Of course, there is numerous water softening companies peddling their wares, but not all users usually like the idea of water softening.

How can I soften water?

There are many devices available in the market which helps soften water. However, what must be remembered here is that large scale water softening could be expensive and excessive amount of sodium in the water can lead to health issues in the future. But, if it is within the permissible limits, water softening can do wonders to the utensils as well as get rid of the ugly flakes which inhabit your water. For smaller homes, waters softeners like the RV Pro will be enough to provide a family of 4 with clean water.

Water softeners release salt in correct portions to soften the water. As a result at times, if too much softening is done, the water might taste salty. However, in order to avoid that, the softener needs to be checked and maintained properly. If done properly, a water softener is a boon.

Previous post: How Tourist Attractions Keep Their Grass Looking Trim and Beautiful

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How Tourist Attractions Keep Their Grass Looking Trim and Beautiful

Tourist attractions are generally dubbed as such because of the way they look. Vast, scenic spaces that provide people a unique location to create memories – especially if they’re there as guests – are what tourist spots are thought to be. From gloriously lush gardens to beautifully exotic plants, natural tourist attractions are among the most popular of any must-see locations in any place around the world. While they are always well kept and beautiful, a lot of people aren’t exactly sure how they come to be that way. Rarely will you find someone actually tending to the plants, so how do they maintain such a healthy and beautiful status?

Those who want to recreate the beauty on their own property often go out of their way just to ask a local or to stick around until they see someone tending to the tourist attraction. If you really want to find out how natural tourist spots are kept looking trim and beautiful all year round, these tips should get you in the know.

How Tourist Attractions are Kept Looking Trim and Beautiful

1. Grass is Constantly Trimmed

That even, green carpet of grass underneath your shoes didn’t happen just by accident. There are people who are paid to maintain the grass of tourist attractions and a big chunk of the responsibilities include cutting the grass constantly. One of the most unsightly things that could happen to your grass is to allow it to grow beyond what is acceptable. If your tourist attraction looked more like a jungle than it did a pleasant place to hang around, you would probably lose everyone’s interest in less than a day. What’s more, pests and perils like snakes and rats tend to thrive in overgrown gardens, which is why tourist attraction maintenance make it a point to cut their grass regularly. Why is it that you never actually see them, you might ask? Of course, they do it during the hours when there aren’t too many people to watch them, usually at night. This is so locals and tourists won’t have to deal with the unpleasant sight of someone running through the grass on a riding lawn mower, potentially taking away from the appeal of the tourist location.

2. Plants are Given Enough Water

If you’ve ever been to a natural tourist attraction, one of the things you might notice is how it’s always humid. Your hair will barely ever look the way you want it to in pictures, and that’s because maintenance teams always ensure that every plant is given enough water. Some tourist attractions like to do it manually with a hose or a watering can, others still make use of sprinklers and other instant watering installments. Whatever the method of choice, one goal is clear – plants should always be given enough water to thrive and survive. This is why natural tourist attractions, aside from their plants and well kept grass, boast pools of water where fish and other marine creatures dwell. While these pools and ponds don’t necessarily water gardens directly, they do add to the moisture in the atmosphere, making it much more comfortable for plants and other vegetation.

3. Sunlight is Not Obstructed

Natural tourist attractions are rarely ever indoors and this is for a very good reason. Another cause for the humid atmosphere is the presence of sunlight. Plants are sustained by sun and water which is why tourist attraction maintenance and landscapers always see to it that plants get as much sunlight as they need. Those with less sun requirements are placed close underneath taller, bigger plants with extensive leaf structures that can blot out some of the sun. It’s this strategic placement of plants that optimizes their ability to grow and survive.

Also read: The Self Balancing Scooter – A Tourist’s Dream Vehicle For Exploring?

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self balancing scooterHaving recently exploded in popularity, the self balancing scooter has quickly made a name for itself. While few know exactly where they came from, everyone can attest to how interesting they are as both a concept and practical means of moving around. More and more uses are being found for the self balancing scooter every day.

In particular, riding a self balancing scooter as a way to explore while on vacation in the East of England is growing increasingly popular. Is it a good idea? Let’s take a moment to review the pros and cons of the self balancing scooter.

Pros:

Lessens The Amount of Walking:

A self balancing scooter means that you will walk a lot less when exploring on vacation. It will allow you to travel up to 10 miles per hour, allowing you to get to destinations far quicker than if you were walking. In addition to saving you time, it can save your fatigued muscles and leave you more energized for the remainder of your stay.

Lightweight And Portable:

The self balancing scooter is lightweight and portable. It can be attached to a backpack if you want to visit a restaurant or museum and it will not add much weight. Whether you are carrying it in luggage or with you as you explore a new and interesting city, the self balancing scooter is the perfect way to get around.

Cons:

Hard To Travel With:

Are you traveling to another country? Are you using a train, plane, or bus to get there? Every month there are more and more regulations regarding traveling with self balancing scooter. With a reputation of sometimes setting on fire, many agencies have stopped allowing self balancing scooters to stored or travel with. This will make bringing your self balancing scooter with you very challenging. At the same time, you may be able to find a self balancing scooter rental at your vacation destination.

Battery Life Is Short:

The battery life of a self balancing scooter is only a few hours. As most models of the self balancing scooter use a 4400mAH Battery, it is hard to find one not ridiculously expensive for longer battery life. This can represent a challenge when it comes to charging. If you are in an unfamiliar city and can not find an outlet, then you are going to be forced to keep your treks out short, to identify charging stations before you leave, or be willing to carry around a self balancing scooter with you during your travels.

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What are the Biggest Rowing Events in the East of EnglandIt should come as no surprise to anyone that rowing is one of the most popular sports in all of England, as the sport was practically “invented” out on the river Thames in London in the middle of the 18th century.

Ever since those early professional watermen decided to hold impromptu races against one another just to keep the job a little bit more lively the sport has been incredibly popular throughout the UK and the rest of the world, for that matter. It’s one of the oldest and most established Olympic sports (with people competing since 1900), and the World Rowing Championships are held every year to help uncover which international team is the very best of the best.

If you’d love to catch a bit of competitive rowing, you’re going to want to check out at least some of these competitions. Not only are they going to be incredibly instructive as far as how the highest level of competition is conducted, but they are also going to give you a unique opportunity to learn more about the sport and find rowing clubs that you may be able to get more involved with.

Here are some of the biggest rowing events in East of England that you cannot miss!

1. The Star Club “Head of the River”

Easily one of the very biggest races in all of the United Kingdom, and certainly one of the most important races in the East of England, this “Head of the River” competition is held at 17 January and is one of the first championship races of the New Year.

Teams from all over the United Kingdom come to compete against one another, and some international teams are also invited to the competition. It’s an entire day event filled with fun, food, and friendly competition – and it’s the perfect event to start the year off right.

 

2. The Cambridge “Head To Head”

This competition is held just a few days after the one above (23 January), and is a little bit more “involved” and a lot more competitive. The second major tournament of the year, this is where some of the very best in the world compete, each of them planning their entire “new season” off of how they’ll train for this event.

 

3. The Star Regatta

As far as the eastern side of England is concerned, the Star Regatta is a major atonement that most international teams will do everything in their power not to miss.

Held a little bit earlier (12 June) this year than years before, it’s a start of summer kind of tournament that rowing teams from all over the world flock to just to see how they stack up against the rest of the competition.

 

4. The Peterborough Summer Sprint

One of those rowing tournaments that really symbolizes the middle of the summer, this “Summer Sprint” is scheduled for 13 August, and is one of the most looked forward to events in the English rowing community.

 

Although it may not feel exactly like rowing in a river, it’s good enough especially if you’re looking to have a bit of a workout while strengthening your body. Doing so will ensure you’re properly prepared when it’s time to head out for some real rowing fun.

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Exotic momentous houses small and big, impressive gardens, working mills or simply discover the beautiful waterways of Cambridgeshire either by boat, by bike or by foot.

Docwra’s Manor Garden: it is located inside the farmyard walls. The parts said to belong to Middle Ages. When you visit Docwra’s Manor Garden, you can discover plants between the partitioning hedges of lilax, cordon apples, beech, and yew. The early spring visitors can enjoy hellebores, cyclamen, and snowdrops followed by lily flower and daffodils drops. There are numerous sites apart from these. You can explore plants Mediterranean background, thistles, eryngium, rose, rock and cistus along the herbaceous perennials. The autumns contribute more nerine, colchicum, and cyclamen. The species found in various parts of the world are favoured to those raised by the art of hybridizer. Clematis and rose are seen out from the trees tops, and the bulbs are seen through gravel and between cobbles.

Anglesey Abbey Gardens: It provides an abundance of colour and interest throughout the year. The winter garden remains bright even on the coldest winter days. The trees and shrubs specially offer amazing scent, beautiful textures, and vivid colours. Ensure not to miss the Himalayan Silver Birch Grove. Their bright white Sterns look amazing on all seasons. During the months of January and February, you can watch carpets of snowdrops and winter aconites. The summer offers the beautiful sweeping herbaceous boundary filled with colour, dazzling dahlias, Rose Garden scents, and lovely natural wildlife meadows that are spread about 30 acres. It is marvellous to look at the lawn area of the pilgrims and the conclusion garden area created by Lord Fairhaven.

Houghton Meadows walk: The walking will start from the Houghton Mill across the water meadows which you can discover the market town’s past glories. When you are walking through the beautiful Ouse valley landscape, you can explore the St Ives history. It is the best to walk in this area. It is a dog-friendly pathway. It may take about two hours to reach the Hemingfords village. There are baby changing facilities available on the lane. The Riverside NT tea area serves scones and snacks.

Peckover Garden and House: Peckover is a beautiful Georgian townhouse filled with surprise that is refined and elegant. It is also relaxed and intimate. The garden located at the Peckover House has excellent Victorian character. It is known as a popular town gardens present in this period. The puck over House has a beautiful drawing room. It is said that the Peckover family have spent several mornings at this place.

Read More:Explore Norfolk this Christmas

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No matter you want to explore wildlife, rest in a gentle place or love to remain active, Essex is a spectacular country with loads of choices. It is a contrasting country infused with unique natural, historical and architectural treasures, steeped in history, summarizing everything within the countryside and the coast. Essex has several hidden gems that you can discover and explore while touring the country.

Ingatestone Hall: It takes the visitors back to the sixteenth century. It is the home for Scions of Peter family and Sir William Peter who is the State Secretary to four Tudor rulers. The visitors can explore the eight principle halls as part of the fascinating tour. It contains memorabilia, furniture, and paintings collected over the centuries.

Crossing Temple: It is the hoariest timber-framed outbuilding in the world. The Knights Templar – elite warrior monks owned the medieval trenched farmstead long ago. It is was established in 1119 to serve pilgrims wandering to the Holy Terrestrial. The pilgrims were given the crossing temple in around 1137. Thus, it became the most important and largest estate in Essex.

Copped Hall: It is an 18th-century mansion. It got destroyed due to the electric fault that took place on 1917. The damage made the Copped Hall into a burnt shell. The beautiful Georgian mansion is going through the renovation process. It is worth to visit the gardens located within the building. Rod Stewart, who is a rock star, lives on the property that is within the Copped Hall land.

Layer Marney Tower: It is the tallest Tudor gatehouse and best instances of Tudor architecture. Henry VIII resided in the beautiful and impressive tower in 1522. You need to climb ninety-nine steps that are eighty feet tower to take a breathtaking view of North Country.

Hylands House: The Hylands House is liberated from ruin and immersed in history. It is beautiful restored and fascinating country house listed in Grade II. It was constructed in 1730. It is said to be the modest red brick house with Queen Anne style. It has been changed eventually throughout the history. The visitors can explore stunning views and spectacular rooms above the landscaped parkland.

Roman Heritage: Colchester’s Roman relics are the most impressive and earliest in the country. It is the eldest recorded town and also the said to be the Roman Empire’s first capital in Britain. Ensure to visit Colchester Castle to get a knowledge of fascinating antiquity of the town.

Read More:Places to Visit in Cambridgeshire

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There are only a few regions in the world that are large as Norfolk with multiple personalities. Are you planning to visit Norfolk and its surrounding areas? The hub of Norfolk consists of a blooming modern town with cherished medieval heritage and magnificent cathedral. The Norwich is an excellent destination for retail therapy. Apart from Norwich, there are picturesque villages and well-conserved market towns, the Fens covering the wilderness wetlands, the heathlands and sandy pine forests of the Brecks, the South Norfolk’s rolling countryside, the exclusive man-made Broads, and cultivated farms and arable fields.

You will discover different pace of life the bursting metropolis and the relaxed coastal villages.

Some of the places you should visit in Norfolk are ninety-three miles of coast that are located in an area of extraordinary natural beauty, tailed and topped by the coastal appeals of Hun Stanton and the Great Yarmouth. In between the journey you will discover salt marshes and pine-fringed beaches of North Norfolk along with the Eastern dunes and marram grass.

No matter you are looking for relaxing weekend break or action filled family holiday for two, you will find the Norfolk parts a perfect destination for you. It is filled with lots of adventure, fun, history and entertainment that you can even save some destinations for the next time.

Places you should Visit in Norfolk are the Fens and the West Norfolk, Waveney Valley and South Norfolk, Norwich, North Norfolk, Greater Yarmouth, Norfolk Broods, the Thetford forest and the Brecks.

The Brecks is an exclusive and fascinating landscape in the United Kingdom. It has the best climate with hot summers and low rainfall. Thetford is an ancient town located on the boundary of Suffolk and Norfolk border that remains as the Brecks gateway. It is the right place where you can start the diversity of the area, rich history, fun outdoor activities and the outstanding wildlife.

Read More:Places you need to check out in Essex

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East Anglia is a wonderful place to visit with family. This place is well known for the various praiseworthy destinations it has. In fact, there are many people who state this place as their favourite vacation destination. Some vital castles available in the area are discussed here.

Hedingham Castle is a wonderful castle that is worth a visit in the area. This castle is said to be 900 years old that lies in an area of 160 acres. The woodland and beautiful landscape with garden are said to be the prime reasons for visiting this place. The Lindsay family and their generation are sad to be the owners of this place. This place can be described as a wild, romantic, beautiful, ancient and historic place that lets a person set the imagination free. It is considered to be one among the best heritages in the country.

Next is the Hadleigh Castle that is nothing but the remains of the big fortress which is said to be constructed many centuries ago. Eye Castle is another attractive place that lies between spectacular countryside. This is a Victorian folly with medieval walls. Some of the other famous castles available in this area are given below Rayleigh Mount, Castle Rising Castle, Weeting Castle, Bungay Castle, Pleshey Castle, Harwich Redoubt Fort, New Buckenham Castle, Baconsthorpe Castle, Framlingham Castle, Mountfitchet Castle, Coalhouse castle and so on.