As Taiwan prepares to host the 2009 World Games in July, the Main Stadium in Kaohsiung has a unique feature that will provide for the area long after the games have finished. The roof has 14,155 square meters of solar panels that will provide enough electricity to keep the stadium lit and power the two jumbotron screens.   The 50,000 seat stadium was designed by well-known Japanese architect Toyo Ito and...

Châteaux de La Jarthe is set on 120 hectares, or 297 acres, in the Dordogne region of France, not far from Perigueux. The former refuge of the Order of the Knights Templar is on the market for some 5.5 million euros, according to the listing, and is an ideal place to host guests or create new homes and attractions.   The Châteaux de La Jarthe has extensive and varied grounds and offers an ideal...

The second home market in Italy is doing better than many others, according to a recently released report from Italian estate agents association FIAIP. The report looks at the market in the second half of 2008 and the beginning of 2009 and covers the top 20 resort areas in the country.   Property values have remained steady, according to the report. The values of second homes in the popular resort areas...

There was an increase in the number of international departures from Brazilian airports in April, 2009, according to the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC). April saw a 3.5 percent increase in international flights when compared to the same period in 2008. The number of passengers per flight also went up slightly as well..   The two main airlines in Brazil are TAM and Gol, and together they capture...

Authorities in Dubai are getting set to review all pending development projects. A new law gives authority to the Real Estate Regulatory Authority (RERA) and the Dubai Land Department to cancel projects that do not start construction within six months of approval from the government. Currently there are 27 projects that are being considered for cancellation and RERA is ready to look at additional...

A  British Kayak Coach is attracting visitors to the Turkish coast with a new way to see the stunning coastline. Anyone who wants to get a different perspective on the beautiful coastline of Turkey can now experience it from a kayak, courtesy of English expat Dean Livesey. His company Seven Capes is based in Fethiye along the Mediterranean coast of Turkey and is operated by Dean and his Turkish-born wife...

The average price for property in Spain has fallen 10 percent from April, 2008 to April, 2009, according to the latest figures from Spanish appraisal company Tinsa. The year on year fall was led by the coastal regions, or costas, where prices fell by approximately 13.5 percent over that period.   The large cities, including Madrid and Barcelona, saw property prices declining by 10.3 percent over the past...

A uniquely-designed collection of 80 terraced apartments in Copenhagen, Denmark takes its inspiration from Mt.Everest, according to the architects. Danish firm Bjarke Ingels Group has designed the apartment complex on top of a parking garage. The design uses the garage as a “mountain of cars,” according to Bjarke Ingels, the designer.   The apartment complex is named, appropriately, Mountain Dwellings...

Abu Dhabi’s SaadiyatIsland development is set to begin construction work on the St. Regis hotel in July, according to the Tourism and Development Company (TDIC). The construction contract for the hotel will be announced in the next several weeks, while the whole development is planned to be finished by 2020, two years later than originally projected.   “The first phase of the development is on...

The 7th International Sand Sculpture Festival (FIESA) is set to take place in the town of Pera in Portugal’s Algarve region beginning on May 22. It is considered the largest festival of sand sculpture in the world by many aficionados and this year’s spectacle will run all summer and end on October 22.   The festival opens to the public on May 22, and some 60 international teams have been busy...