Charlotte, North Carolina A Travel Experience

Charlotte is a fast growing city in the US Southeast, a major financial center - second largest in the United States after New York – and sports venue for the NFL Carolina Panthers, the NBA  Bobcats, the NASCAR Hall of Fame, and the U.S. National Whitewater Center.

Named in honor of Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, queen consort of British King George III, it is a city with many nicknames, including the famed Hornet’s Nest derived from the American Revolutionary War, when British commander General Cornwallis occupied the city but was driven out by hostile residents, prompting him to write that Charlotte was "a hornet's nest of rebellion." Others include: The QC, Crown Town, Home of NASCAR, the Gem of the South, The CLT, Bank Town, Char-Town and City of Trees.

A city with 199 neighborhoods radiating in all directions from Uptown, the eastbound Central Avenue corridor is known for its international population, including East Europeans, Greeks, Middle-Easterners, and Hispanics. North Tryon and the Sugar Creek area include several Asian-American communities. NoDa (North Davidson) and Dilworth, along South Boulevard and East Boulevard, are emerging and established enclaves of urban professionals. Myers Park, Dilworth and Eastover are home to some of Charlotte's oldest and largest houses, on tree-lined boulevards, with Freedom Park, arguably the city's favorite, nearby.

Park Road and South Park’s 120 acre park area have an extensive array of shopping and dining. Many students, researchers, and affiliated professionals live near UNC Charlotte in the northeast area known as University City.

Uptown Charlotte has undergone massive construction of buildings housing Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Hearst Corporation, Duke Energy, several hotels, and multiple condominium developments. 'Il Grande Disco', a bronze sculpture by Italian sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro, is called 'the disco wheel' by the locals; a sister sculpture is in Milan Italy’s Piazza Filippo Meda.

Arts and Culture Charlotte is home to several fine museums and performing arts centers:

Museums the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African American Arts + Culture; Bechtler Museum of Modern Art; The Billy Graham Library; Carolinas Aviation Museum; Charlotte-Mecklenburg Fire Education Center and Museum; Charlotte Nature Museum in Freedom Park; Charlotte Trolley Museum in Historic South End

Discovery Place; Discovery Place KIDS-Huntersville Historic Rosedale Plantation; Levine Museum of the New South; the Light Factory; McColl Center for Visual Art; Mint Museum of Art; Mint Museum of Craft + Design;

NASCAR Hall of Fame; Second Ward Alumni House Museum.

The Performing Arts The Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte; Carolina Actors Studio Theatre (CAST); Charlotte Symphony Orchestra; Children's Theatre of Charlotte; ImaginOn; Opera Carolina; The Robot Johnson Show; Theatre Charlotte; Tremont Music Hall; The chop shop (NoDa).

A Portugal Travel Experience

Lisbon Porto and the Douro Valley

Lisbon a City of Lights and Contrasts is both Atlantic and Mediterranean, illuminated by an extraordinary light that contrasts with landscaped hills tumbling towards the Tagus river. Its architecture features ancient buildings side-by-side with modern constructions. The streets of the Baixa are laid out in a special, ordered design in accordance with the urban ideals of the Enlightenment.  The Chiado, with cafes, shops and bookstores, is the historic heart of the city and its cultural district.

The Medieval Origins of this city can be appreciated from the heights of the Castle of São Jorge, to the ancient cathedral and a descent into the streets of Alfama and its narrow, labyrinthine alleys. The seafarers who left Lisbon to discover exotic new worlds hailed from this neighborhood.
 

The Museu de Arte Antiga contains the treasures that testify to the rich cultural encounter between West and East.

The Espírito Santo Silva Foundation is a museum of decorative arts and a collection of craft workshops where artisan skills restore 18^th century aristocratic interiors.

The Museu Nacional do Azulejo holds a ceramic tiles, one of Portugal’s great art forms, with pieces from the 15th century to the present day.

The Atlantic Coast features the beaches and coves of Cascais, the seductive sea views and luxuriant vegetation of Sintra and Évora, an ancient city of narrow streets, churches, a Roman temple and a Gothic cathedral.

Porto and the Douro Valley

Northern Portugal is famous for its vineyards and granite-carved baroque architecture in Porto, Guimarães and the Douro Valley with its monasteries, palaces and gardens.

Baroque Inspirations amid Magnificent Palaces Private Gardens and Religious Architecture

Porto has a unique urban environment. The ancient district features a Cathedral with romantic and baroque elements, and the Ribeira’s ancient stone quays.

Medieval Guimarães is renowned for its castle, the Palácio Ducal, fine town houses and ancient stone squares.

The Douro Valley is famed for its vines, vineyards and views over the valley and the Douro River. Experience the local typical cuisine, the world-famous port wine cellars and a boat trip on a traditional rabelo amidst steep slopes covered in vines and cypresses.

Connect with Tema

for a Travel Experience in Lisbon Porto and Portugal

Local Knowledge – Global Reach

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