...of course not. There are even 3 IKEA stores in Berlin. Only one of them is situated in the city centre. Take the circle line to Südkreuz and from there it's only a 5-minute walk to the Swedish furniture oasis. If you like classier design furniture and interior items head to "Stilwerk" in Kanstraße near Ku'damm. http://www. stilwerk.de/ A tip for students or those who prefer second hand or retro furniture. Visit Berlin's fleamarkets (see topic "weekend markets") and you can be sure to find a stylish bargain like 70s lamps, comfy sofas or retro household articles.

If you are in Boston you have to take the short trip to Cambridge and see Harvard Yard. After you stroll around the University buildings visit The Harvard Co-op Bookstore. Even if your chances of making it into Harvard are similar to winning the National Lottery, you can still pretend to be a student here. Search the shelves for rare academic titles and then relax over a latte in the great cafe. They seem to turn a blind eye to reading the books in the cafe, which means you can enjoy some very expensive literature for free. It's probably not the place to thumb through your copy of Cosmo though...

Even if you can't make it to St Petersburg to see The Hermitage museum you can see it on screen in the movie Russian Ark. The movie is set within the palace and is unique in that it was filmed entirely in one continuous shot. That's incredible enough but when you consider all the elaborate costuming and the ball and theatre scenes it really is spectacular. See the movie before you go and then go and see the real thing! 34 Dvortsovaya Naberezhnaya , St. Petersburg 190000 Tel.: (812)110-90-79 Fax: (812)312-15-50 http://www.hermitagemuseum.org/

The Jacaranda Tree can be seen in many places in Australia. You'll see it everywhere in spring and summer and they can't be missed because of their stunning blue-mauve flowers. Grafton in the Clarence County, NSW has so many of them that they have a festival for it. The Jacaranda Festival is held on the last Saturday in October each year. There is a queen crowning ceremony to mark the start of the major festival week, and the final weekend features a spectacular street parade.

Chapel is a nice bar on Ponsonby Rd with a casual atmosphere. No matter if you come in the afternoon or in the evening - it's always busy, even during the week. It's my flatmate's favourite bar in Auckland, and he lived here for all his life... http://www.chapel.co.nz/

Every Monday from 8 am - 2 pm a huge market takes place in Castellón. You can get very cheap and fresh vegies and fruit here, clothes, shoes, leather goods, rummage... It's lovely spending a Monday morning here (if you don't need to work or go to uni), walking around in the sun and getting some good bargains. The market takes place at a big plaza on Avenida del Mar, close to McDonald's.

This mountain stands a towering 22, 840 feet, and it is the tallest in the Americas. It is 4,000 feet higher than any of the neighboring mountains in the Andes. Climbing Aconcagua is the type of climbing to prepare for future Himalayan climbs. Training needs to be at the forefront when considering this epic climb. For a successful and enjoyable trip, it is wise to keep in mind that training for three months or more is necessary for climbing Aconcagua. Keep in mind when training that the official climbing season is from November 15 to March 31. If you go early, then your mind can rest during the holidays and eat as much turkey as you want. But the prices are...