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At the base of the Alps to the west and not far from the Dolomites to the east, the Italian lake district has numerous lakes, but only two of any size that are frequented by tourists to any degree. These are Maggiore, with Locarno at its northwestern tip and Como the larger of the two and by almost any tourist standard, the more scenic of the two.

Lake Como (Lago di Como) stretches from the north to its southern limit at the city of Como on its longest branch – just under a hundred miles and about sixty miles on the shorter eastern arm. Como is the lake to visit if you have a limited number of days in Italy and want to see all you can fit in. Europeans and southern Italians who can afford it have long summered in the Lakes region. The shores are populated with pink villas of all shapes and sizes, hotels grand and small, quaint little villages, from the city of Como north to Menaggio.

If you’re driving and approaching Lake Como from the north, perhaps from St. Moritz or Innsbruck, an excellent place to stop is Varenna. It’s on the east side of the widest part of the lake where it splits into two branches and forms a near perfect triangle with Bellagio at the centre of the fork and Menaggio on the west side of the lake.

So park your car, check into your hotel or B and B for two or three days and soak up some Italian small town atmosphere. Varenna is actually on the quieter side of the lake, with a small harbour, a romantic promenade, narrow lanes and its own villa. There’s benches along the promenade, so bring along something to munch on, watch the lovers walking up and down the “passerella” (lakeside walk) at dusk and watch the ferries and ubiquitous motorboats (and regrettably speed boats too) churning up and down the lake.

Next day, take a ferry south to Bellagio. Go anywhere you want around Lake Como, but go by ferry. There’s lots of them, they’re not that expensive and it really adds to your holiday here. Driving along the shores of Como is just not worth it. It’s one small town after another, so most of the time you crawl along at 10-20 mph. And you can see very little of the lake, what you do see is a lot of fences, high walls, etc. and signs in many languages that all translate into one phrase: “Keep Out!” It was that way the first time I came here in 1960-61 and it has only gotten worse. Word from the wise whether you come by car, or by train from Milano, travel by ferry after you get here.

Bellagio, the “Pearl of the Lake” is a combination of class, Old World elegance and affluence. Lots of shops and stalls, selling high priced items for the most part. If you must buy something, shop up the hill where the locals shop. Some lovely lakeside cafes. As I was once told “A nice place to see, an expensive place to be”.

When you have tired of Bellagio, then take the ferry to Menaggio. This puts you across the lake and just a short ferry ride back to your base in Varenna. It’s also only eight miles as the crow flies from Lugano on the Swiss border. Menaggio is a lower priced smaller edition of Bellagio and my favorite of the two. Lake Como is too dirty to swim in but if you are in the mood to take a dip, Menaggio has a nice public pool. Take advantage of it, good public pools are few and far between in most parts of Italy.

If you can spend another day in this area, then next day take the ferry again to Bellagio, but stay on it (or change to another – it depends on the schedule) and get off across the lake at Tremezzo. If you are interested in Grand Hotels, this is the spot. The rich and famous have been staying here for two centuries, even Best Western is here, but where we want to go is the Villa Carlotta.

Built by a Marquis in the eighteenth century, later modified by a Count, with gardens designed by several Dukes. you get the picture; here you walk among the ghosts of royalty. There’s a Botanical Garden well worth the visit by itself, but in addition there is a museum with marble statuary, famous paintings and a large collection of seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth century furniture. Some parts of the Villa itself have been open in the past to guided tours, mostly at the whim of whoever is the current owners and how badly they need the money for upkeep. It’s hard to do this place justice with only word pictures. The Villa itself is an imposing building fronted by a series of ivy-draped marble colonnades facing onto the lake.

So there you have it, a fine three day restful holiday on one small section of Lake Como. Enjoy!

Oh and by the way, if you see George Clooney relaxing at his villa south of Bellagio on the west side of the lake, give him a wave for me.

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Tourism

The Parador Carmona played a big part in one of Spain’s interesting historical epochs. King Pedro the Cruel (known as Pedro The Just by some) built this fortified pleasure palace during his contested reign. He was later killed in a fight with his illegitimate brother, who was contesting the throne.

Pedro, who once said, “A single loaf of bread would be enough to fill the bellies of all those who are loyal to me,” has this castle built next to the ruins of an older Moorish fortress – to house his favorite consort and their daughter. He hired the same Moorish master builders who had built the Alcazar in Sevilla. They achieved a pleasing mix of Gothic and Moorish styles. Later kings and queens appreciated the ambience of the place and stayed here – including Ferdinand and Isabella.

The Parador Carmona is located on the highest hill in the area and commands panoramic views stretching for endless miles out over the plains below. The oldest parts of the building date to the 12th and 13th centuries during the times of Moorish occupation. This really is a sumptuous place to stay. It is peaceful and has one of the most elegant patios you’ll ever encounter.

You’ll enter via the Mudejar courtyard with its gurgling fountain, columns, arches, and Cuenca tiles. A more captivating courtyard you’d be hard-pressed to find. The Parador has inlaid walls and ceilings. In the many halls of the castle, hang medieval swords, banners, and other antiquities of a bygone era. The bedrooms are all large and have wonderful views to the plains of the river Corbones. Your accomodations will be filled with the unique light of Andalucia and fitted-out in fine classical decoration.

Interesting nearby excursions from Parador Carmona:

- Carmona is a very interesting town that provides the visitor with a chance to explore both Roman and Almohad (Moorish) ruins as well as an appealing old town.

Interesting day trips from the Carmona Parador include:

This city is perfectly situated to serve as a base for day trips.

- Sevilla is one-of-a-kind and not to be missed. Many travelers return again and again.

- Cordoba and its awe-inspiring Mezquita and beautiful flower-filled patios.

- Drive out to typical Andalusian towns like Marchena, Utrera, Osuna and others.

There is no place that embodies the feeling of Andalucia more than the Parador at Carmona. Come here and drink in the romance and sweetness of another age. You won’t want to ever leave!

SpainParador.com makes it easy for you to plan and arrange your next trip to Spain. This time stay in palaces, castles, and other places of great historical interest and rare beauty – the wonderful Paradors of Spain. http://www.SpainParador.com

The world of budget travel is one of the most exciting and interesting, and in today’s world traveling on a budget is becoming more and more of a necessity for all those aspiring tourists. Keeping costs low while traveling is important, whether you are a solo traveler seeing the world for the first time or a family with a carload full of kids heading for the beach or the theme park.

When it comes to coming up with a travel budget, the first step should be to decide what is important to you and where you can cut back a bit. For instance, some travelers are comfortable spending a bit more for a better class of hotel, while others prefer to save money by using budget accommodations and spend the money they saved on sightseeing or a special meal for the family. Again, it all depends on your tastes.

As with other aspects of finance, it is a good idea to create a travel budget before you start your trip. Determine a budget for the various aspects of your vacation, such as hotel, airfare, rental cars, sightseeing, gasoline, etc. Once you have a good idea of what each element of the vacation should cost, it is time to start shopping around for the best deals.

Once you have determined what is most important to you, it is time to start determining how to get the best deals. Often, admission deals on area attractions are the easiest to come by, since many theme parks, museums and other destinations run specials to attract out of town guests.

To score big discounts on area attractions, the best place to start is the web site of the attraction itself. Be sure to check the web site for any specials, such as two for one deals, free admission for children, special reduced admission days, etc.

If you are a member of the military, a senior citizen or a member of an organization such as AAA, there are often additional discounts available. Most AAA offices sell discount admission tickets to theme parks, museums and other popular attractions within driving distance, and most AAA offices sell discounted admissions to popular attractions like Walt Disney World as well. The key to making your travel budget stretch farther is to ask about, and take advantage of, all discounts that may be available.

If you are driving to your destination, one great way to make your travel budget go further is to make sure your car is in tip top shape before embarking on your trip. Small details, such as under-inflated tires or worn spark plugs can really eat into your gas mileage and end up costing you a bundle, especially on a long road trip.

A good map can also be a money saver, since it will keep you from driving around in circles and wasting gas. Finding your way easily to and from the hotel and the surrounding area will make your vacation more pleasant and less costly.

No matter how you save money on your next vacation, having a budget and sticking to it will help you enjoy your vacation more, and worry less about paying for it.

Traveling will always be a great experience if you choose the right place to go. Next time you plan your vacations consider Mexico as your next destiny. You’ll love it.

http://travel-mexico-review.blogspot.com

The main activity before and during your diet is planning. Any samples of diet plans that you find can be modified according to your eating style.
It is always necessary to find as much information as possible before you start any kind of treatment or dieting.

A 1,200 calorie diabetic diet can be followed by many people, not just diabetics. Many, but not all. A 1,200 calorie diabetic diet will not be right for everyone. If you are a man with very active lifestyle, then this diet is absolutely not for you. Because this number of calories is not enough and your doctor will never advise you this diet. It better fits for women with average active or sedentary lifestyle.

Planning your meals for three days of diet will not be difficult for you. Search the web, and you’ll find hundreds of plan samples. Each of them is based on strict calorie counting.

Your breakfast can consist of a cup of cereals, skimmed milk, a cup of any fruit and a muffin. For lunch you can have any kind of vegetable. And there will be at least 5 variants of food for your dinner to choose from. And don’t forget that any samples of diet plans that you find can be modified according to your eating style.

1770 was when the first lodge was completed in Chamonix Haute Savoie France. Prior to this Chamonix Haute Savoie embodied a wild and craggy farming town where folks captured their animals and harvested their cereals.

Farmhouses at this time were used to raise herds over the summer months. Milk was kept by making it into cheese and kept in the valley for use over the long winter times. Throughout the winter season the chalets were locked, and valued possessions were locked in a shed.

The person who invented the catered chalet is nameless, however it was in all likelihood a few enthusiastic folk who recognized a idea that was novel. For entrepreneur Erna Low it started when she was a unhappy postgraduate and could not afford to visit her parents back home as often as she liked. And so in 1931 she took a risk and placed a small advertisement in the London Times to tempt punters on a ski holiday. For £15 they journeyed to and from the ski resort, were provided with food and lodging in the only inn, and paid for ski gear and instruction. Skiing was laborious , there weren’t any ski lifts, no safety bindings, merely hard leather shoes, however it was such a hit that she carried on taking friends on holiday, seeing to it that she sourced excellent hotels and instructors.

Catered chalet holidays during the formative years were a far cry from the luxury we have today. Back then hot water was in limited supply, the bathrooms had to be shared out by all of the customers, and there was no a cook; all the guests were expected to help out with the chores. No one knew who may share the accommodation for a trip, you could be pleased by meeting new skiers, or not gel with the group.

Catered chalet holidays were later marketed on its new pluses. A cook, who served you cooked breakfast and an evening meal and provided you cakes, lots of warm water.

“On the last night/morning, many people were stricken with a gastrointestinal illness that caused diarrhea and vomiting. A great deal of vomit was on the stairs, elevator and other public areas by Friday morning.” So a passenger from Canada, on December 30, 2005, sailing on the Zuiderdam in the Holland America Line, reported to the website cruisejunkie.com.

Norovirus is a highly contagious gastrointestinal virus where the potential for someone who is sick to infect others exists from the moment they become sick, to at least 3 days after they get better. Disturbingly, some people remain contagious for up to 2 weeks after recovering. This may be a factor in successive cruises becoming infected. And it remains questionable whether sick passengers and crew are confined to their cabins for 3 days after they get better.

Whilst norovirus outbreaks are by no means confined to cruise ships, the nature of a cruise increases the likelihood of an infection spreading. This is similar to the potential for infections spreading in other closed communities like nursing homes. The ‘cruise ship virus’ can be spread through contaminated food and drink, which is particularly concerning if the crew members who serve or prepare food become sick.

Passengers can pick up the virus from touching infected surfaces like handrails, walls and mirrors. When a suspected norovirus outbreak occurs on a cruise ship, crew will spray disinfectant on all common surfaces, and sick passengers are confined to their staterooms.

Sick passengers and crew have acute symptoms of nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Some also have stomach cramps, headaches, a low grade fever, and chills. One 21 year old man actually died two days after disembarking from his ship. The cause of death was cited as being complications from a norovirus infection.

This isn’t common however. Norovirus infections are usually not significant health risks, though they are highly unpleasant, both for passengers and cruise ship companies. For passengers, what is meant to be a relaxing holiday turns into a retching and wretched nightmare at sea. For cruise companies with ever increasing ship capacities, it is a public relations nightmare.

Owning the correct fishing equipment is a crucial thing to keep in mind when your are considering your forthcoming fishing trip. You must allow yourself the finest tools to fall into the “mood” & receive the best benefits of fishing. Procuring the best fishing tools will assist you in different ways. As you may know, the more fishing gear you get the more exciting the fishing will be. One of the fundamental things you need to ask yourself is, do you possess all that you need previous to you heading out on your fishing trip? To be victorious you would be clever to make sure that your fishing excursion begins with getting the right fishing supplies. There are many sorts of items & it normally depends on type of water you will be fishing in, what kind of fish you are searching for & the style of fishing that you crave.

There are a number of manufactures and styles of fishing reels that carry a range of affordability. If you are wanting to enter into professional fishing you should guarantee that your fishing equipment is meant for that sort of purpose. Commercial fishing demands a great deal more resilient gear. Because commercial fishing tools demands twice to 3 times the use they wear much more rapidly. This certainly makes it much more cost effective to pay put the extra money up front. There are a variety of manufactured goods so that you can make a selection based on requirements as well as what you can actually realistically get.

The particular sort of fishing rod is also another important part of the tackle that you will want. You may need to evaluate what brand of rod that you will need for your fishing trip. Just as there are an array of reels there is an array of fishing rods to purchase. It is recommended to select your decision on the kind of fish that you are endeavouring to catch. Find great offers on horse riding clothes online today.

Wireless networking is 1 of the greatest new computer technologies in terms of convenience. If you’re weighing the pros and cons of wireless before taking the leap, here are 5 to put in the “pro” column.

#1: No More Wires

Of all the reasons to switch your network to wireless, this is perhaps the most important. Wires are inconvenient, expensive, dangerous, and downright ugly.

No more wires across the floor improves the safety of your home, since it’s easy to trip over exposed wires.

The average Ethernet wire doesn’t cost much per foot, but it adds up quickly. To run wires between rooms or floors, you have to knock holes in the walls, which might not even be an option for renters.

Plus when you move you don’t have the mess of disconnecting all the wires only to re-connect them at the other end. Nor do you have to examine every wire for damage if your internet connection goes down.

#2: Internet Access For All

Wireless networking gives you a cheap, easy way to share 1 internet connection among multiple computers. You can add new computers to your network simply by plugging in a wireless card and switching them on — they get an internet connection immediately!

#3: Share Files And Printers

A wireless network gives you access to your files wherever you are, and makes it easy to synchronize the data of a laptop and a desktop computer. It’s much easier to send files between computers with a wireless network than by email, or CD.

Plus, with the printer connected, you can also write things wherever you happen to be, press print, and go collect them from a printer connected to another computer. Printers plugged into 1 of the network’s computers are shared by all the computers automatically.

#4: Always ON

Broadband revolutionized networking with internet connections being continuously connected — no need to dial in every time. Wireless networking lets network connections be always-on, so any of your computers can connect to the internet whenever you want. Take laptops from room to room or out on the deck — they’ll have an internet connection. Plus, there’s no need for excessive password entry.

#5: Freedom!

With wireless networking, you can even take your computer wherever the signal reaches. Going wireless is much like the switching from the old fashioned wall-mounted telephone to a cellular phone. The freedom is exhilarating.

Visit Wireless Internet for more info. Ron King is a full-time researcher, writer, and web developer. Copyright 2005 Ron King. This article may be reprinted if the resource box is left intact.

What is Algebra?

Maths has been one of the less popular subjects in American classrooms. Although children in other countries graduate with excellence in mathematics, many of the average high school age students in the United States scratch their heads when given questions about converting fractions to decimals, converting measures and units, solving linear inequalities , or solving radical equations. It makes sense that this predicament is as universal as it is. Algebra consists of various complex mathematical equations that it is easy for a pupil to get lost when expected to explain synthetic division or adding fractions . For that matter, letters are heavily employed for replacing the numbers when it comes to algebra. While this isn’t extremely complicated in and of itself, it lends itself poorly to the ‘jump in and play’ view of some math. Put simply, the ability to perform a certain algebraic task is based on the individual already having learned a task that led to it. This is to say that Algebra is a process that involves mastery of every step in order to advance. A pupil can’t hope for finding square root radicals and roots when he or she has not learned proportions and ratios, or converting measures and units.

Technological Assistance for Algebra:

Although this is nothing new, it looks that math grades have dropped off even further in recent years. The blame can be attributed to many parties, but no solution will come out as a result of blame game. Lately, there have been extracurricular assists on the market to aid children enhance mathematical skills when out of the classroom. What little computer software or program there was, more geared towards assisting younger children grasp the concepts of arithmetic. Luckily, the market for such a product has coincided with the technology necessary, allowing an inflow of ‘algebra computer software‘ or ‘algebra solver‘ programs that let the mastery of algebra to anybody with a computer and a mouse.

Algebra Solvers:

The algebra calculators vary depending on the brand and the program. Some may offer such abilities as graphing a circle, or solving simultaneous equations, but may not have the computer programing needed for re solving exponential equations or adding exponents. The users are suggested to evaluate the algebra software system upon purchase, although virtually all the software packages advertise their features. The best bet for anybody who is interested in computer aid for subtracting rational expressions or converting decimals to fractions; fundamentally, whatever particular requirement you would have, is to consult the web and research the product in question.

Sky Lanterns or Wish Lanterns are a prominent feature in the Loy Krathong festival in Thailand. The origins of the Loy Krathong festival are unclear to say the least but it is generally understood that the festival was born in India, a Hindu festival similar to that of ‘Deepravali’, as a thanksgiving to the Deity of the Gangee. It was adapted by Buddhists in Thailand as a ceremony to honour the original Buddha, Siddharta Guatama. The Festival is an exciting spectacle filled with beautiful decorations and symbolic gestures, which takes place on the full moon of the twelfth month of the Thai Lunar calendar- this is usually November. Interestingly enough, the word ‘Loi’ means to float, and ‘Krathong’ is a raft roughly the size of a hand span in diameter. It is traditionally made from a section of a banana tree-trunk. It is also decorated with elaborately constructed banana leaves, flowers, candles, and incense sticks. A beautiful sight to see! During the aptly named festival, these rafts- or Krathongs- are floated on the river to symbolise the floating away of anxieties, grudges and frustrations. It is often the case that people cut or shave their hair, and clip their fingernails and release these, to represent the discarding of the bad parts of the self.