Shortly after it started to rain and when we got up for breakfast our skipper Francesco explained that the weather forecast today may not be good enough for us to leave the island, so we have to have a briefing in the early afternoon. Two additional guests had arrived, Franco, another Italian teacher and the co-owner of Laboratorio Linguistico, and his friend Agnieszka, a young music student from Poland who was learning Italian since she was studying music in Rome. Our trusted four-cabin sailboat, the Solitaire II, now had passengers in every cabin, and there were seven of us traveling now.

Herbert, the German television travel journalist, was on an official location scouting trip for his travel show to gather intelligence for next year’s shoot which would feature the Italian learning experience on board of a sailboat, provided by Francesco’s company, Laboratorio Linguistico. Herbert needed to check out all the interesting spots, the lighting, the locations and the facilities so he would be able to make plans for the script and the camera crew that would come down from Germany next year to film the extraordinary experience of learning Italian on a sailboat while cruising through the beautiful Eolian Islands.

So in order to get to know the island better Herbert had asked Francesco to make arrangements with some local experts to take him to different spots on the island. Herbert graciously offered to take other people along on his island exploration, and Claudia and me excitedly agreed. Sure enough, Sabina Giuffré, who we had already met last night at dinner, and her local friend Giancarlo, came to pick us up in a rented vehicle to give us a tour of the island.

We were nice and comfy in the small Italian vehicle and after just a 10 minute drive, we had arrived at our first stop: the “Gola del Diablo”, a gorge cut into the black and brown volcanic rock, featuring an ancient Roman bridge. The stone formations were indeed impressive, and the layers of ancient lava flows were clearly visible.

We also stopped in the village of Lingua where we visited a local ethnographic museum that featured various exhibits, illustrating the ancient ways of life on this local island. An ancient millstone, various farming implements, even an original bedroom from a farm were exhibited in this museum. This small museum provides great insight into the traditional lifestyle on these islands. We then walked around the corner and steps away is the main square of this tiny town. Here at the Bar “Da Alfredo” we congregated and received free samples of granitas ? the semi-frozen Sicilian dessert composed of sugar, water and different flavourings such as strawberry, melon, peach, orange, lime, coffee, almonds and many others.

Similar to sorbets, granitas usually have larger crystals, and the locals often eat them in combination with a brioche. The black sky overhanging the mountains was ominous, but a bright ray of sunshine lit up the façades of the houses around the square. A big husky dog was snoozing contentedly on the floor and I was wondering how this poor dog with his thick fur would be able to handle the hot Sicilian summers. The locals were very hospitable and humorous banter was flying back and forth.

From here we drove back through Salina, dropped off Giancarlo and stopped at Sabina’s house which she has turned into a bed and breakfast . Salina’s dad came to greet us and I couldn’t help but detect a resemblance to famous actor Kirk Douglas. He graciously picked some “nespole” (loquat fruits) for us from his fruit tree. These fruits, originally indigenous to Southeastern China and grown in warm climates around the world today, are similar in appearance to apricots and are similarly sweet and juicy.

We appreciated this little roadside snack, thanked Sabina’s dad and continued our journey towards the next town on this island: Malfa, a small fisherman’s town. Along the way we stopped to admire the malvasia vineyards as well as patches of capers which are big export products for the island of Salina.

Malfa features a big church dedicated to San Lorenzo and incidentally was the hometown of our shipmate Lorenzo’s grandparents and a place that he was going to spend some time in. Sabina took us down to the fishing harbour and then back up the hill to a lookout point called the “semaforo”, a surveillance tower erected in the early 20th century which was also used during the Second World War. Sabina mentioned that UNESCO offered to buy this tower, but the local town turned down the offer. Today it is abandoned and blocked off.

Sabina stopped the vehicle and we walked out onto a lookout point which provided a gorgeous view of the Mediterranean with a great view of the island of Filicudi ? the “reclining pregrant woman”, so called because of its shape, featuring a head and what looks like a big belly, protruding from the sea. To our left was a deeply indented valley which Sabina explained is an ancient volcanic crater, half of which has broken off and disappeared in the sea. Today it is the location for the village of Pollara which has one main tourist attraction: the house where the movie “Il Postino” was filmed.

Of course we needed to check this out so we drove down some narrow winding roads, parked the car and walked up a short stretch on a dusty road to see a rather unremarkable simple and small pink-coloured house with some vines, which is one of the most famous locations on the island. Seen from outside, there was nothing spectacular about this house, and Sabina indicated that it is available for short-term rentals.

The weather was starting to clear up and the view from the northern tip of Salina was gorgeous. The distances on this island are tiny, but due to the narrow and winding road it definitely takes a while to get around. By 1 pm we were back at our boat and had a briefing with our captain: Francesco indicated that due to the weather forecast we were not going to sail today. So we had a comfortable on board lunch and I then headed into Santa Marina to walk around and make some phone calls back to Canada. Unfortunately the Internet café was closed since it was siesta time, which often lasts from about 1 or 1:30 pm to 4 or 4:30 pm. In Sicily you definitely need to time your shopping experiences carefully to make sure the shops are open.

From 4:30 to 6:30 pm Claudia, Agnieszka and I had our first Italian language lesson, provided by Franco on the outdoor terrace of a local bar. Now here is a concept: language learning on the terrace of a bar ? I definitely like it. It made the somewhat painful exercises dealing with the complexities of the Italian “congiuntivo” (the subjunctive) much more palatable. I have studied a lot of languages with different language schools, and Laboratorio Linguistico has definitely created a very unique language learning concept here.

After our intense lesson I took another stroll around Salina and this time the Internet café was open. So far I have found fairly good public Internet access in different parts of Sicily, and it’s always great to be able to connect with home. Our boat crew spent a quiet evening on board, we fixed up a lovely home-cooked dinner with potatoes, salad, sweet carrots, cheese and various sweets for dessert. Some of my travel partners played cards while I organized my photos on the laptop which was conveniently hooked up to the electricity supply provided by the harbour commission in Santa Marina di Salina.

It was nice to have a day of rest in Santa Marina, but I am definitely looking forward to exploring a new island tomorrow: Stromboli!

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Of course plan is very important when we are going to have vacation. Anywhere we are going to have vacation, we need to make a good preparation so our holiday could be organized and runs well. First thing we should plan is about the transportation. When you want to go to Florida, perhaps you want to try cruise and stay by Oasis of The Seas. Since Florida is famous with the ocean and the beach, traveling to Florida by cruise is a real good option to take. Don’t get it too complicated, you can use the service of ocean-florida.co.uk so they can organize you all the things you need in cruise vacation to Florida.

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That took about 45 minutes. We immediately notice the driving was on the left side of the road. Not many stop signs or any type of traffic signs. No speed limits, everyone was moving pretty fast. We arrived safely. Once again the bus driver was so very pleasant. The motel was beautifully, we had the all exclusive deal, all meal and drinks were included in the one price. We ate most of our meals outside. The food was delicious. I really enjoyed the jerk chicken and the goat meat for the morning breakfast. I did not travel to another country to eat American food. I was so ready to try all the dishes. That is exactly what I did. I ate mango every morning. It was great to experience different taste and types of food.

The weather was a perfect 85 degrees with a warm breeze that blew sun up to sun down. The water was crystal clear blue and some spots were green. We took a tour in a glass bottom boat. I thought I was on the animal planet channel. We also took a raft ride down a long river where we seen many exotic plants. No animals though. Along the river, there were Jamaicans doing carvings and sell carvings. Their work was so beautiful, I just wished I had more money, and the ability to have it all shipped back. I would have brought Christmas gifts for everyone.

The beautiful thing is I found a way I can go to Jamaica again and again. But I now have the ability to share the gift of travelling. I have lifetime trips that are also transferrable. I plan on giving out vacations as gifts to the family. Jamaica is a country I feel everyone should experience. Not only is it beautiful, but I also feel the people made it wonderful. I must say once again the workers, the natives were so pleasant. And the seem to work all day long. The Jamaicans were not allowed to received tips at the motel that we stayed at. They seem happy to have a job. They seem to know something or a little more about appreciating what they have. I not sure, but I know their economy is either you are rich or your poor. Their money was $33 dollars of Jamaica money equal $1 of American money. We did tip them anyway, because we got to know them by their names and they made us feel so welcome. They didn’t have to.

I been there two more times since then. People tell me about all their different vacations. I feel like don’t fix what is not broke. I just can’t wait until I go back to Jamaica again. One of my goals in life is to go every year, and spend at least 3 weeks when I do.

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The Top 3 BIGGEST Beijing Attractions:

1. The Great Wall: Mongolians stay out! Like all the other attractions featured in today’s article, this was built ever so long ago as a defence against the country’s northern invaders. You can see this wall from up in space, they say, and really, this place needs no introduction. The walls wind all the way as far as the eye can see. Badaling is the portion of the wall most people may tell you to go because it has been rebuilt and you will get all the towers and rebuilt walls for your camera. However, JinShanLing and SiMaTai attract good reviews from the more adventurous tourists because there will be less people there and the scenery more picturesque.

2. Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City: Wow, if you think you have seen enough palaces and castles from travelling around the world, you ain’t seen nothing yet. The Forbidden City is fronted by the Tiananmen Square, the worlds largest public square (if there is anywhere close to this, it would be absolutely amazing) and scene of the Tiananmen Massacre. The sight of green-uniformed, red badged guards stationed around the square gives a real feel of the old communist state ruled with an firm fist. Common folk were once forbidden from entering the great palace that you see beyond the square, and when you enter the most enormous courtyard you have every seen, and thus the beginning of a place that feels like a whole different world by itself. Architecture here is also quientessentially Chinese, and perhaps the best bird’s eye view of it all can be seen at Mao’s Masoleum (located outside, next to the Tiananmen Square)the resting place of the father of communism in China.

3. Summer Palace: Beijing gets pretty hot in the summer, and once you’ve been to the Forbidden City, you will imagine its a real oven there especially! So the royalty moves to the Summer Palace then, where the collection of palace temples, gardens, pavilions, and lakes served as a cooler retreat for the imperial court. Whilst a major part of the place is taken up by Kunming Lake, its boats and lakeside resting places, along with the main tower/hall, a personal highlight is also the a long corridor along one side of the lake, filled with mythical paintings and scenes.

Top Notes of Caution:

1. People: There are just so many of them! That alone is alright, but many smart local Chinese folks start having the dollar sign in their eyes when they spot the foreigner walking by. Taxi? Souveneir? Take photo with mascot dressed up as Chinese Emperor? You want woman?! They will sell you anything, and be aware that a big number of unlicensed/selling low quality products/pricing goods depending on how rich you look. No kidding. Best advice may be a) don’t start, because they will NOT let you off that easily thereafter; and b) inspect goods’ quality and know your prices before you start – what is cheap to you may be a killing to them, especially if they are selling you non-authentic souveneirs.

2. Extreme Weathers: Beijing is located quite far from the coastline, is packed with people and mega-structures, and is in fact next to the desert. Winters (subzero temperatures) and summers (above 40 degrees Celcius) are extreme so autumns may be a good time (with less tourists as well).

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Because the home safety is really an important thing for you and family, it is better to make sure that your house already had a great security system, in this case an alarm system. Using an ADT home security service is a wise decision to protect your home, family, and your loved one from burglar, fire, and any disturbance from outside. By visiting homesecurityteam.com, you may get more information regarding the best ADT security system available in your city. If you’re living in Florida, regarding using an ADT in Florida is a perfect way to protect your house. I found this site when I was trying to find a reliable ADT device over the internet. Homesecurityteam.com also provides service for residents in Florida, with their ADT in FL package.

The same situation also may apply to the California resident, where they can obtain all information regarding ADT in California through this site. So for those of you the residents of California, who really cares about home security system, may visit this site and obtain the ADT in CA service.

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Tapas. Flamenco. Bullfighting. Art. Poetry. Pottery. Architecture. Style. History. Cervicitas!* It is all here ? in splendour.

Seville , in the southern Spanish region called Andalusia , is what many people describe as “the most Spanish of all Spanish cities”. It was home to Carmen and Don Juan and boats grand plazas, sculptured gardens and flowerbox-filled balconies. Walking through Seville ’s impossibly narrow, cobblestone streets you can look up at any moment and gape at pink-turreted churches, ever-present, resplendent tiles, and hosts of other visual treats that are the legacy of both Moorish and Colonial architecture.

A city that closes down between the hours of 2 and 5 pm , it makes the perfect holiday destination. Why? Because in Seville , it is impossible to do anything for 3 hours everyday except relish in two of the living arts the Spanish have perfected: eating and enjoying life. If you stay long enough it will not be long until you hone the enjoying life art to the even finer art of taking an afternoon nap. (Ah, the siesta! A joy heinously ignored by the majority of the world).

WHERE TO STAY

‘ El centro ‘, the historical centre of the city, is where the beer and tapas forever flow and where you will feel compelled to live half your life socialising in the street like all the immaculately dressed locals.

RESTAURANTS & BARS

Seville is tapas bar heaven. Here is a selection worth checking out:

Coloniales ? famous for large, cheap tapas. Very popular spot, you might even meet someone!

La Alameda is the local word on the place to go for night life in this city. La Alameda is actually a small, tree-filled area which is full of bars and people. Any night of the week is a good night here. La Madrasa on Calle P Mencheta is the pick of places in this area for tapas.

FOOD MUST TRIES

You are in Spain , so repeat after me: 1) I am not afraid of oil, or anything (and everything) fried in it. 2) I will not get hungry for lunch before 2 or 3 pm , nor for dinner until 11pm . When you finally do get to eat, two fabulous factors are in your favour. One, the food is not expensive and two, the Spanish love food. Try the local, Sevillano specialties like mojama (dried tuna fish known as ham of the sea) and salmorejo (thick gazpacho). And, of course, the classic, Spanish Tortilla.

MUST SEES

* Real Alcázar. This enchanting building was a fortress from the Muslim-era and later changed hands to become the home of Christian royalty for many centuries. Today the gardens, tapestries and varied architecture remain some of Seville ’s most appealing treasures.

* Plaza de España. A truly spectacular plaza, equal with any in the country. It was the centrepiece of the 1929 Spanish-Americas Fair and is an arc of tiled glory and historic handwork. Across the tree-lined road from the plaza is the enchanting Parque de María.

* A Flamenco Show. Seville is one of the legendary homes of flamenco. You can opt for a tourist-geared spectacular or a more intimate café setting. Recommended spectacular: El Tablao Flamenco Los Gallos.Recommended café: La Casa del Carmen

* Cathedral and the Giralda. The cathedral is the largest Gothic building in the world and the pride of Seville . The emblem of Seville is the Giralda, the weathercock that sits atop the Cathedral. You can climb the Giralda, which is in the form of a woman representing Faith, for spectacular city views.

* Plaza de Toros de la Real Maestranza Museum (Seville’s Bullring). This is one of the oldest bullrings in Spain . Check out the museum and definitely see a bullfight if possible.

* Museo de Bellas Artes ( Museum of Fine Art ) is categorised as a major worldscale museum and considered to house some of the greatest paintings in all of Spain .

In Seville , the spirit of Spain engulfs you. When I visited I felt naked without a flamenco frock on and pair of castanets in my hand. In this city, Spain ’s famous flavours are things very difficult to resist. And why on earth would you want to?

ENJOY!

* Cervecita: a social little glass of beer taken either at lunch or at dinner, or, delightfully, at both.

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Seeing Hands Massage

With the onset of the genocidal rule of the Khmer Rouge, Cambodia took a serious turn for the worse from the late 1970s through the early eighties. When the Khmer Rouge were finished killing or starving as much as twenty percent of the population and finally thrown out of power, the land turned into a lawless morass with all that implies. During this time, numerous people were left disabled. A particularly significant disability was blindness, which arose from torture or muggings undertaken by throwing battery acid in the face of victims.

As the country recovers, a unique and heartening development has occurred with Cambodians that are blind. The Association for the Blind in Cambodia, along with international backers, has been training the blind to be masseuses. Their motto is, “The blind can see with there hands.”

Members of the association travel the country to find potential masseuses. The individuals are then trained until they are masters of the art of massage. The Association has even gone one step further. In Sihanoukville, Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, the Association for the Blind has opened massage businesses known as “Seeing Hands,” which solely employee the blind masseuses.

I heartily and enthusiastically recommend you get a massage at Seeing Hands if you’re traveling in Cambodia. Driving anywhere in Cambodia is a bone jarring experience. There is no better way to get out the knots than one of these massages. The masseuses are friendly and seem to be able to find every little knot. I guarantee you’ll feel like a new man or woman after getting one.

Each Seeing Hands location has slightly different prices, but all are cheap as is typical for Cambodia. You can expect to spend between three to five dollars for the best one-hour massage you’ve ever had.

On top of it, you’ll feel good to know you’re helping people help themselves. In fact, many of the masseuses make more money a month than people who can see!

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1. Keep on tab a list of baby sitters who would be willing to pitch in, even overnight if required. Keep a small book handy in which you jot down things like what the kids eat, their schedules, important phone numbers, likes and dislikes, as well as numbers of the doctors and list of medications including known allergies.

2. Keep a travel bag always packed and ready to go. Pack a combination of clothes so that they will tide you over irrespective of the weather in your destination. Wear easy to maintain and dark colors on trips. They don’t show stains, are wrinkle free and will drape well.

3. Always eat lightly and foods that are cooked avoid raw salads and water as well as ice. It is wise to snack before a flight and also to try and sleep during flight. This way you will arrive at your destination refreshed. Be sure to drink plenty of bottled water during travel.

4. Set up a schedule to call home at time zones that work for you and your loved ones. Make it a point to get mementoes for your family members as also the baby sitter and others who pick up the slack while you are away. It shows them that you care.

5. Put safety first always place a “do not disturb sign on your hotel door and if nervous place a chair under the door knob like they do in movies. Keep your cell phone on and fully charged by you at all times and carry protection in the form of pepper spray, an alarm, or if you are trained and licensed a small weapon with its safety on. In most cities the police organize training classes for women to learn how to protect themselves and what one must do in an emergency. Try and make time to attend these.

6. Avoid dark lanes and abandoned roads. Never talk to strangers or accept food or drink from someone you don’t know. While traveling never leave food or drink unattended. Be vigilant at all times.

7. Choose a hotel with care. Choose to stay at well established hotels or small inns and B&B where the proprietors are generally family people. Always e-mail and fax details of your staying arrangements and travel plans to your home as well as office.

8. Always carry important documents, money, traveler’s checks, and passport in a money belt worn around your waist.

9. Always act confident and move around in groups there is always safety in numbers.

10. If unwell go to a state run hospital. Never to a private clinic.

11. Never travel with valuables like jewelry and always carry a small flashlight and medical kit with you.

12. For safety reasons arrange with your family to take appropriate action if you do not get in touch with them as planned.

Avoid room service and eat in the hotel dinning room. Also never reveal details of where you come from or your travel plans to anyone.

Be vigilant and smart and you will be able to travel often and safely.

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Most pretended to be oblivious to the young man’s plight and continued their way along one of London’s busiest and thriving shopping streets.

Several minutes passed before an elegantly dressed woman took pity on the youth. Digging deep into her pockets she produced a couple of coins and offered them to the poor guy.

As I sipped my coffee and observed the exchange, it puzzled me how two human beings could take such radically different paths on their journey through life.

At what stage of life do some people make the wrong choice and set off on the road to oblivion.

Or maybe our ultimate destiny is already decided and fate has made our decisions for us.

Whatever the truth, the two exchanged smiles as the woman made her merry way and entered a nearby store.

Oxford Street is the shopping hub of London, a wealth of designer stores that can damage even the most affluent of credit cards.

The cosmopolitan capital city of England, London simply oozes history and culture on virtually every street corner.

Its vast multi-ethnic population makes for a tremendously diverse range of shops, bars and restaurants to cover the tastes of most visiting palettes.

London’s recent history has been dominated by the suicide bombings during the summer of 2005 and the devastating effects suffered by so many families and friends of the innocent victims.

If any good came from these tragic events it was the show of strength from the communities, how people bonded together and formed lasting friendships.

But the events demonstrated how vulnerable we all are, even somewhere as prosperous as London.

In today’s world where more and more becomes affordable to so many, it’s important to remember those not as fortunate as ourselves.

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