Trip Planning & Dinner | History of Algeria | Travel Agent | Photos of Algiers | Viking Star Overview |
Trip Planning |
History and Map of Algeria |
Algeria (Arabic: Dzayer; French: Algérie), officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a sovereign state in North Africa on the Mediterranean
coast. Its capital and most populous city is Algiers, located in the country's far north. With an area of 2,381,741 square kilometres (919,595 sq mi), Algeria is the tenth-largest country in the world, and the largest in Africa.
Algeria is bordered to the northeast by Tunisia, to the east by Libya, to the west by Morocco, to the southwest by the Western Saharan territory, Mauritania, and Mali, to the southeast by Niger, and to the north by the Mediterranean Sea. The country is a semi-presidential republic consisting of 48 provinces and 1,541 communes (counties). Abdelaziz Bouteflika has been President since 1999. Ancient Algeria has known many empires and dynasties, including ancient Numidians, Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Vandals, Byzantines, Umayyads, Abbasids, Idrisid, Aghlabid, Rustamid, Fatimids, Zirid, Hammadids, Almoravids, Almohads, Spaniards, Ottomans and the French colonial empire. Berbers are the indigenous inhabitants of Algeria. Algeria is a regional and middle power. The North African country supplies large amounts of natural gas to Europe, and energy exports are the backbone of the economy. According to OPEC Algeria has the 16th largest oil reserves in the world and the second largest in Africa, while it has the 9th largest reserves of natural gas. Sonatrach, the national oil company, is the largest company in Africa. Algeria has one of the largest militaries in Africa and the largest defence budget on the continent; most of Algeria's weapons are imported from Russia, with whom they are a close ally. Algeria is a member of the African Union, the Arab League, OPEC, the United Nations and is the founding member of the Maghreb Union. |
My Personal Travel Agent - Setting up trips to Austria, Morocco, Portugal and many other destinations for me. |
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Departure Lounge Travel Agency
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Viviane Tondeur MBA, CTC, DS
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vtondeur@departurelounge.com
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818-268-6552
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*** Check out the web site at Travel Planning by Viviane for the latest updates on traveling. ***
Impressions of Algiers |
Get acquainted with Algiers’s Berber, Arabic and French heritage on this motor-coach tour of key historic sites.
You will first ride to the 302-foot-high Martyrs Monument. Dedicated to the heroes of Algeria’s 1954–1962 War of Independence
It takes the shape of three giant, stylized palm leaves sheltering an eternal flame at the base. Stop for a photo to capture commanding views of the Casbah and Bay of Algiers. (See the photo on the right of this page.)
Next ride through the city center to see La Grande Poste, built by the French in 1920. Massive turrets, keyhole doors, and elegant neo-Moorish fittings (including an opulent mailbox) make it one of the city’s most whimsical modern buildings.
Enjoy a brief photo stop before you continue riding along the Parisian-style boulevards of the French Quarter, toward the busy Bab El Oued district.
Glimpse the imposing Basilica of Notre Dame D’ Afrique (Our Lady of Africa), seen by many as a symbol of religious tolerance, before returning back to your ship.
Docking in Algeria
View of Algiers as we dock at the port, dark and dreary, light rain and a nasty wind!
Casbah
The shore has the French Connection, all built in the French style and known as the Casbah and and is located on the Bay of Algiers. In Morocco and in Iberia, the Arabic word form of kasbah frequently refers to multiple buildings in a keep, a citadel, or several structures behind a defensive wall. The Spanish word alcazaba is a cognate naming the equivalent building in Andalusia or Moorish Spain. In Portuguese, it evolved into the word alcáçova. In Catalan, the evolution resulted in "alcassaba". A kasbah was a place for the local leader to live and a defense when a city was under attack. A kasbah has high walls, usually without windows. Sometimes, they were built on hilltops so that they could be more easily defended. Some were placed near the entrance to harbors. Having a kasbah built was a sign of wealth of some families in the city. When colonization started in 1830, in northern Algeria, there were a great number of kasbahs that lasted for more than 100 years.
Virginia and Chuck on the Ship
Virginia and I enjoying the view of Algiers and the famous Casbah!
Old Fortress |
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This mosgue was built by fishermen. |
You might ride to the 302-foot-high Martyrs Monument. Dedicated to the heroes of Algeria’s 1954–1962 War of Independence |
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Old buildings converting to hotels. |
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Different country, same stores! |
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Viking Star and the Chefs Table - Chinese - 2018.02.06 |
Leaving Algiera and Birthday dinner at the Chefs Table!
Overview of theViking Star Cruise Ship and the Ports of Call
The meal was good but as Virginia told me, it is hard to pare wines with Chinese foods. Also the desert was strange, the spring roll was hard as a rock and not sure what creme brulee had to do with the meal.
Created on: 2018_02_06
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Updated on: 2022.12.07