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Avoid the Stresses of the Airport: Try These Strategies

Travel Stories - Shelia - August 13, 2015

All you want is to sun it up in some far flung location. You want the sand between your toes as roaring, lilting waves undulate in the distance. You want to wander down darkened cobbled streets to a peaceful basilica in Italy, or stare onto a perfect vista from a mountain in the middle of nowhere.

Airport Stress

But first you’ve got to face one trial – the airport.

Indeed, many airports appear to have been designed by Hieronymus Bosch as a DVD extra in one of the circles of hell. They’re blander than bland, beiger than beige and feature less substance than a void in a black hole factory.

According to national newspaper the Daily Mail, plenty of people think using an airport as more stressful than moving house. It’s not the perfect way to kick start your holiday.

But instead of feeling your blood pressure rise at the departure lounge, relax into your travels.

There are several ways that you can do exactly that – here are just a few.

Pre-flight tourist

Look away from the airport for a while – let’s take a look at its surroundings. Despite the fact that loads of airports seem to be in the middle of nowhere, a number of them have fascinating surroundings.

Take a drive around the area before you head for your terminal. You might find a sleepy village or a stunning view. It’s the perfect way to start your holiday before you’ve even boarded the plane.

Just be sure you don’t get lost. The last thing you want is to miss your flight.

Pack a plug

People don’t get excited by plugs anymore, do they? If someone produced a nine volt adaptor as a party piece, you probably wouldn’t speak to them again. Yet when your laptop’s battery life is coming to the crunch, an effective adaptor is like an oasis in a desert.

When you settle down in a departure lounge, be sure to choose a seat near a plug socket. No one wants to be staring at a black screen in these purgatorial lounges.

Breathe-easy parking

If there’s one thing guaranteed to set you on edge, it’s searching for a parking space in the gargantuan multi-storeys favoured by airports.

Thankfully, large flight hubs have alternative services to avoid the hassle of poor parking.

Gatwick north valet parking, for example, can be found at Gatwick Airport. With a valet, you’ll be able to drop off your car at your terminal, where it will be taken to a secure location to await your return.

It costs a little bit extra but the price is more than balanced out by the convenience. You’ll feel more relaxed about the airport before you’ve even entered.

Image Courtesy to fabbio

 

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Greece Tourism Guide

Travel Destination - Shelia - August 5, 2015

Thessaloniki is Greece’s second-largest town and therefore the capital town of the Macedonian region of Northern Greece. Spirited festivals, social events and a abuzz nightlife build this town the cultural capital of Greece.

Comprised of a historic center and business district, city offers a treasure treasure of each recent and new gems from its Byzantine walls, White Tower and Turkish baths to colourful food markets, museums and art galleries. city additionally offers a decent searching scene. Proxenou Avenue and Tsimiski Street sare celebrated for his or her varied upmarket boutiques and international name whole shops. Tourists probing for reduced choices can notice them on Egnatia Street.

Thessaloniki’s nightlife is unmatched. From little tavernas to nightclubs, dance halls and entertainment venues, city offers it all. No matter their budget, style and preferences, tourists are guaranteed to notice a venue to their feeling. Ladadika, associate assortment of warehouses containing a good type of taverns and nightclubs close to the port, is that the most well-liked nightlife district within the town. In addition, city options floating bars, wherever tourists will get pleasure from music, performing arts and meeting whereas on a visit round the Thermaic Gulf.

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Meteora Travel Guide

Relaxing Resorts - Shelia - August 3, 2015

The Greek word meteora suggests that “suspended within the air,” and this phrase ably describes the spectacular cliffs that rise over one,200 feet into the air commanding the villages of Kalambaka and Kastraki within the north central ground of Greece. What makes these cliffs even a lot of exalting rethe historic monasteries perked up on the summits. Dating back to the ordinal and sixteenth centuries, these monasteries were engineered by monks who had been living in near caves, seeking non secular isolation and freedom from spiritual persecution. Out of religion and sheer determination, it took years for the monks to move their spiritual materials up the cliffs by means of ropes, baskets and ladders.

While there have been originally twenty four monasteries, solely six of them stay intact nowadays. Accessible by a steps sculpted from the cliffs, the monasteries contain a number of the world’s best samples of spiritual manuscripts and art works, which may be viewed on-site . additionally to the monasteries, Meteora is additionally home to many unusual person and flower species. This makes Meteora a good place to relish out of doors recreation.

At the bottom of the cliffs square measure the most cities of Kalambaka and Kastraki, peaceful and exquisite villages that provide accommodation, shops, restaurants and tavernas furthermore as variety of Byzantine churches, Greek temples and alternative fascinating historic sites.

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Exploring the Middle East through alternative activities

Travel Destination - Shelia - July 30, 2015

When you think about holidaying in the Middle East, it’s natural that at first you’ll turn your mind to the region’s antiquities. Perhaps you’ll bring to mind Egypt’s stunning pyramids and the Sphinx, or Petra in Jordan, the historical city over 2,000 years old that was carved out of the rock.

If you’re feeling rather more adventurous, however, there are plenty of opportunities to test your skills and nerves by taking part in adrenaline sports in many parts of the region.

Winter and summer sports in Lebanon

If you thought the whole of the Middle East was hot all the year round, think again. The mountains in Lebanon stretch from the north of the country to the south, and to the east of the capital, Beirut. The Mzaar valley has been developing its winter sports for some time now, and there are great opportunities if you like to ski or snowboard – there are 42 slopes to enjoy, with 80km of piste spread over three distinct valleys. You can also go snowmobiling, ski touring, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.

In the summer, you can take part in thrilling sports such as hang gliding and paragliding, mountain biking and quad biking. It’s cooler up in the mountains than on the coast, but you can combine time among the peaks with a swim in the Mediterranean Sea.

Going wild in Dubai

Perhaps the first things you think of in Dubai are the massive buildings soaring towards the sky, especially the immense Burj Khalifa, which thrusts 2,717ft into the sky and dominates its surroundings.

If skydiving is your thing, then Dubai is the place to be in the Middle East. Even if you’ve never done it before, you can take lessons at a skydiving center. Experienced instructors will take you through how to skydive safely, building up your skills and knowledge until they consider you ready for your first adrenaline-filled solo jump.

If you’ve no previous experience, then why not try a tandem jump? You’ll be harnessed to a professional instructor, and you can enjoy the thrill of flying through the air before landing safely.

Experienced skydivers can take part in formations or learn how to freefly with a wingsuit, as well as just getting in some freefall practice.

Base jumping

If you’re after serious thrills, then base jumping – parachuting from a building, antenna, or cliff – may be your thing. In Beirut, M1 Group has a range of buildings in the city, and although at the moment none of them are high enough to do base jumping safely, the company is working on taller buildings for the future where it could be possible to try it out – with permission, of course. Find out more information from the M1 Group bio.

Dubai gives permission from time to time to base jump from some of its enormous buildings. However, it’s not advisable to do to it without authorization as Middle Eastern countries can have serious penalties for breaking the law.

Whatever your adventurous interests, you can find many exciting things to do when you visit the Middle East.

Image Courtesy to rabiem22 under Creative Common License

 

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Glasses, sunglasses, no glasses!

Lazy Destinations - Shelia - July 30, 2015

Whether you need a new pair of glasses, are looking for trendy shades for the summer, are thinking about contact lenses, or perhaps undergoing a laser vision correction procedure, there is sure to be a solution to suit your personal tastes.

Glasses

Not too long ago, it used to be a case of visiting your local optician or optometrist, having your vision checked, and then struggling to choose your new frames from a boring, unimaginative and unflattering display of brands.

Today, all that has changed and you have the option of selecting from a bewildering and dazzling range of designer frames from some of the best-known fashion houses in the world. Think of names such as Hugo Boss, Calvin Klein, and Tommy Hilfiger, and you start to get the picture. Because the market has become so competitive, there are frames available to suit almost every pocket.

The perception of glasses has changed so much over the past few years that celebrities and fashionistas who have perfect vision are wearing designer frames fitted with plain glass lenses simply as style accessories to go with their Louboutin shoes, Stella McCartney dresses and Tiffany jewelry.

Sunglasses

The world of sunglasses has always been significantly more designer oriented than that of its less glamorous counterpart, but even here, something of a revolution has been quietly taking place over the past decade or so.

Now, you can purchase sunglasses designed to make you look good and enhance your enjoyment of a whole host of outdoor activities and action sports, from rock climbing and snowboarding to driving and walking. Thanks to technological improvements, the lenses help protect your eyes from potentially harmful UV rays, the frames are lighter than ever, and they are designed to stay in place, no matter what you are doing.

Choose from classic styles by the likes of Karl Lagerfeld, D&G, and Karen Millen, or sporty brands such as Timberland, Oakley, and Nike.

No glasses

If you really would prefer to avoid wearing glasses, there are several great alternatives available; the two most popular are a laser vision correction procedure – for example, lasik (laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis) – and contact lenses.

A quick search on the internet will reveal a list of highly reputable centers offering lasik surgery. For example, if you reside in Florida, you can easily Find a lasik specialist in Jacksonville or elsewhere in the state. An incredibly accurate laser is used to remove microns of tissue from the cornea without damaging the surrounding tissue to correct both myopia (short-sightedness) and hyperopia (far-sightedness).

Modern contact lenses are infinitely more comfortable than they used to be and can be worn for several days at a time, saving all the hassle of having to remove and clean them every day. They are a great choice if you find spectacles inconvenient. In addition to clear lenses, contacts can be purchased in a range of tints, which means you can change your eye color to match your mood or attire.

If you haven’t checked out the latest eyewear, get down to your local shopping mall or go online to take a look at all the exciting new products; and remember, if glasses aren’t your thing, there are practical and affordable alternatives.

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