IF you are from the United States and you are given ample time to tour Europe, let’s start kicking off things with Salamanca. Salamanca is one place in Spain where Americans feel they are at home because it was the set of a major Hollywood production which will be released later this year, Vantage Point. According to the story in Vantage Point, there was an international conference in Salamanca and the United States president narrowly escaped an assassination attempt. And because Vantage Point has assembled an ensemble cast, there were lots of American actors and actresses who came here last year such as Matthew Fox, Dennis Quaid, Sigourney Weaver, William Hurt, Forest Whitaker and Zoe Saldana.

This endeavor has made a permanent mark in Salamanca culture. Because of a lot of American visitors that trooped in this British tourist magnet at one time, a lot of the locals have differentiated American English from British English twang. That’s why existing English language schools in Salamanca are now offering American twang subjects similar to those spoken on CNN. They also offer different American regional twangs such as those spoken in the black ghettos as well as American cultural awareness. The United States embassy in Madrid has helped a lot in these efforts and the instructors in these language programs are Americans.

Without doubt, information technology runs the world today. Information technology therefore plays a very relevant role in shaping Europe as it is. It is in this regard that the continent hosts an annual conference on information technology aptly named as TOOLS. It’s actually a conference series, the first conference will be all about Software Engineering Approaches for Offshore and Outsourced Development while the second one will be the International Conference on Model Transformation. I would like you to visit the first one if you’re an American and you are an entrepreneurial one. You can now create your own business and if you need technical support in your business, you can outsource it to people from other continents beyond Europe such as the Philippines or India. It’s the name of the game these days.

But if you are a technology buff yourself, you can go to Integrated Systems Europe 2008, another convention with a techie twist. It will be held this January 21-31 in Amsterdam. This is definitely one exciting event not to be missed because aside from the overwhelming lectures, there will be a road show with over 400 exhibitors in attendance. Take note that Integrated Systems Europe 2008 is not just for technology buffs like you but is also for event organizers and advertising agency executives. So if you fall under any of these two, you can definitely quality to be in this event.

But if you are a chemistry buff, you better attend Photonics Europe come April 7 to 11 in Strasbourg. This is a very opportune event as you will get not only to know more about the latest challenges in photonics, fiber optics, so-called biophotonics, wavelength connectors and silicon lasers, you will also discover the beauty of Strasbourg.

IMAGINE if you’re given a whole year to tour Europe. What will you do and where will you start? The most rational way of celebrating New Year in Europe is right at the heart of London when Big Ben announces the strike of 12 midnight to usher in the new year. That is if you’re a partygoer. But there are lots of more romantic places to spend New Year’s Eve or simply New Year’s as they say. One can be at candlelit midnight dinner at the roofdeck of a five-star hotel overlooking the Eiffel Tower and River Seine with New Year fireworks as the backdrop of your very intimate dining experience. It can be helped if there is a live jazz band around but if you’re not into public display of affection with your loved one, then recorded romantic music will do. Don’t worry about the preparations, let your French date handle that. They surely are the most romantic bunch in the world, whether male or female. And with the fully lit Eiffel Tower in the distance, your New Year’s holiday can never be close to this fantastic. It is not even a difficult trip to plan - look into a eurorail passes which will give you economic flexibility and so you can relax on your European break, knowing the travel side of the vacation is taken care of. Be aware of the frequent offers too - this can really help cut costs on your travels!

After New Year festivities are over, it’s time now to hop onto the numerous attractions in Europe. If you are into wintry sports, then try the Swiss Alps. Aside from skiing, there are also sled racings, mountain bikings and other winter sport variants available in the Swiss Alps. Of course, staff at hospitality resorts in the Swiss Alps are well-trained since they are educated at Swiss hotel colleges which are the toughest and the best in the world. It’s like Harvard in the world of hospitality education. And resorts all over Europe have one common denominator – they are all given the blue flag accreditation which means they are inspected every quarter by the European Union for quality of service. But if the Swiss Alps is not your thing, then there’s another alternative winter destination – the Pyrenees somewhere in the Spanish-French border.

During summer, the most favorite destination of mine are the nudist beaches. I don’t know if that suits your taste too but I will roll out to you the hottest nudist beaches in Europe which you will never ever find in Jersey City. The best of the best can be find in the domed city of Cap d’Agde in France. It is actually a huge seaside shopping mall but everybody – from salesladies to patrons – are nude. Cap d’Agde also doubles as a hotel complete with a spa as well as a beach resort. Other hot nudist beaches in Europe are the Plage de Tahiti in the French Riviera, Paradise Beach in Mykonos and Playa d’En Bossa in Ibiza.

Summer can also be relaxing in such areas as Valencia where real estate development along the coastline is in full swing in preparation for America’s Cup 2009, the premier sailing race in the world.

Furthermore, if the water appeals - don’t forget about Europe’s most unique city - Venice! The architecture is extravagant, the food is delicious and the atmosphere is buzzing- it really is the perfect city break. With respect to cost, the home of St Mark’s Square more pocket friendly than one migt think when considering the grand cathedral and city centre edifices. Hotels in Venice are varied - like any big city, the accommodation there is over a wide scale and so every budget is catered for - similarly with regard to restaurants, bars and nightlife. Tourist attractions are relatively cheap and furthermore, if you go in the low season, you’ll not have to waste a minute queuing!