Wise Observer

The Relais dell’Ussero at the Villa della Seta di Corliano is on the road which runs along the foot of the hills from Pisa to Lucca, passing through the small town of San Giuliano Terme. The Villa is a historical fifteenth century mansion surrounded by a centuries old park. It is a property of great charm in which the owners offer, in 12 rooms, a relaxing stay immersed in the beauties of the local countryside.
Guests, if they like, can join in the day to day activities of the villa.
A buffet breakfast full of typical Tuscan flavours is served in the dining room which was formerly the ancient wine cellars. Breakfast is served between 8:00 and 10.00. Alternative arrangements regarding change of times can be made other on request, with personalised breakfast baskets taken to your room the evening before.

For a delicious meal we recommend an evening in the Relais restaurant, where you will find a refined and exclusive atmosphere, choosing from either the reserved menu or alla carte, with an extensive wine list of local and regional wines. The Villa restaurant is also available for the organisation of weddings, ceremonies, banquets and business lunches, and the rooms of the Villa are an ideal setting for congresses, business meetings, cocktails, buffets, brunches and lunches.
The Villa della Seta is very conveniently located near the village of Corliano only 2 Km along the road from the health spa of San Giuliano Terme, and halfway between the historical cities of Pisa and Lucca (a 15 minute drive to both). Florence is only an hour away and Siena an hour and a half. Available Florence Hotels Deals for people who want to visit more Tuscan cities.

The Parco Naturale di San Rossore - Migliarino and Massaciuccoli is 7 Km away and besides its natural beauties of dense pine woods and wildlife, it also offers a chance to go horse riding or follow the show-jumping at the well-known race track and arena. The Etruscan archaeological sites of Volterra, San Gimignano, Vetulonia and Rosselle are only a 45 minute drive away. If you are looking for beaches, the small seaside resorts of Marina di Pisa and Tirrenia (2 golf clubs - 9 and 18 hole courses) and Marina di Vecchiano are 20 Km (15 minutes) away. The long sandy beaches of Versilia, with Viareggio and the sophisticated Forte dei Marmi, are just round the corner at a distance of 30 Km (25 minutes). Corliano is a 20 minute drive from the Port of Livorno, where you can embark for the Tuscan archipelago, Sardinia and Corsica.
English and French is spoken, children up to 6 years are free guests (cots and high chairs are available) and a baby-sitter is available with advance booking.
The Relais dell’Ussero at the Villa di Corliano is open from March to November and has spacious private parking. All pets are welcome. All major credit cards are accepted.

Chamonix ski resort is a unique place with the towering Mont Blanc as well as tumbling glaciers. Everyone enjoy going walking or even eating out. I usually travel from Santa Ana and stay at a Chamonix catered chalet for the duration of my break.

My family and I previously stayed in Americas Best Value Inn but it rarely met the standards of its description: We are conveniently located just off of I-64 at exit 197A, I-295 at exit 31B and seven miles from I-95. Our hotel offers 70 guest rooms with cable TV plus HBO and ESPN, coffeemakers, internet access, irons with ironing boards, microwaves, and refrigerators. Our Inn is moments from many of Virginia*s most popular attractions; such as Kings Dominion Amusement Park, Busch Gardens, the White House of the Confederacy, Battlefield Park, Monument Avenue, and Colonial Williamsburg. Come relax and enjoy the value at the Americas Best Value Inn, Richmond airport.

However in Chamonix village the self catered chalet is invariably exceptional. Likewise eating out in our favorite hotel restaurant, Charley O’S Restaurant & Cocktails, enjoying cappuccino cheesecake is a memorable experience. Chamonix Mont Blanc is a large enough village to guarantee that there is plenty for the holiday maker to do. With a spa and a range of terraced caf©s, Chamonix offers a choice of skiing, alpine charm and sightseeing which not many resorts can hope to rival.

The thought of an African safari will probably stir up the emotions of joys and the location of warm Africa. Safaris have been well established in South Africa for decades and have become popular with the UK holiday tourists cause of the fabulous weather and the lovely wildlife that might well be explored.

The best time to explore Zambia for an exciting walking safari is around July as the weather is astonishing. The number of Welsh tourists who travel over to South Africa for a walking safari has significantly increased in the last 7 years due to the strong pound and also due to the increased attention of Africa.

The wildlife that you will notice is huge, you will often see tigers and zebras all up close. Africa is spot on for those who wish to come and explore the wildlife and also wish for a romantic holiday. The walking safaris are not too strenuous that you cannot go back to your spectacular hotel in the evening for a romantic evening. That is why safaris in Zambia could be perfect for a honeymoon. Africa has some of the greatest privately owned homes and safaris in the country and should be experienced by you at least once. A Zambian safari in South Africa is available from Shenton Safaris.

Apartments in Amorgos Island Greece.

Whether you are a tourist looking for a longer stay in Amorgos Island, a student looking for an affordable Amorgos apartment or simply a tenant looking out for condos, houses, larger apartments in Amorgos Island, you are sure to find one that fits your budget. You can get some of the best, furnished or unfurnished Amorgos apartments for short on medium term lease. Even if you have a tight budget, you can get a comfortable centrally located apartment in Amorgos Island for rent as low as thirty euros daily or even lower for four week stays.

Some of the Amorgos apartments are located in the tranquil residential locales where you can savor the true Greek culture and be in a family friendly environment. These sunny apartments in Amorgos Island offer the best in private accommodation. Some of the Amorgos apartments are centrally located at places that are at a walking distance from amenities other Amorgos apartments are on the beach and others may be on the mountain where you can enjoy tranquility and a great view from your Amorgos apartment, there is no limit to the choices you have for apartments in Amorgos Island in Greece.

You can get fully equipped Amorgos apartments in some of the best areas of the city. There is no comparable accommodation that beats Amorgos apartments’ low rates that can be as low as thirty euros daily for an Amorgos apartment that accommodates one person or even lower if one stays for four weeks of more or is off season. The Amorgos apartments or rooms have a separate entrance, so you are free to explore Amorgos Island from your Amorgos apartment in Greece whenever you want.

Some Amorgos apartments are daylight-flushed and all the comforts you would look for in an accommodation. Many Amorgos apartments are fully air-conditioned and comprise television, private bathroom, a TV, private kitchenette and many more basic accommodation services. Some do not, and you need to furnish the place, however the rent is much cheaper. Save on commissions and contact the Amorgos apartment owners directly. This way you also put things clear and misunderstandings are less likely to happen when searching for an Amorgos apartment in Amorgos island in Greece.
This article is for sure to help people who are in search of an apartment in Amorgos Island Greece for a short or longer term stay and are on a limited budget.

For more information on apartments in Amorgos Island Greece try one of the links bellow.
This article is to help people in search for Amorgos apartments or apartments in Amorgos Island in Greece.

by S Pappas greekinfo@gmail.com
Rooms Apartments in Athens Greece Athensrooms.
Free Greek travel information traveling in Athens Greece Greekster @ M Savard
Apartments in Athens Greece Self catering.

Why Benidorm for Christmas Dinner? Why not

What is so special about being abroad on Christmas day? What can you get abroad that you can not get in the UK or countries with the same climate at this time of year, a sun tan?

Things to do on Christmas day under the hot Spanish sun, play a round of golf/water ski/swim/ snorkel/sunbathe or to walk around half naked are just a few other things to make your Christmas extra special..

Overlooking the beach while eating Christmas lunch is a phenomenal experience; and should you decide to extend your stay through to the New Year then expect fireworks (Excuse the pun) as the clock strikes midnight all hell breaks loose in Benidorm.

Marvelous firework displays light up the sky over the hotels along the promenade beach front. New Year celebrations continue through to the early hours with bangs and explosions that can be heard all over the Costa Blanca.
This is the only time you will get shivers down your spine in a hot country.

Why not have the best of both worlds if caravan/camping holiday’s are your forte. Benidorm has great camp sites and caravan parks. What a great start to your holiday with guaranteed sunshine by choosing to spend Christmas abroad.

Costa Blanca is an absolute fabulous choice for campers/ tourists. This coastal region of Spain has the cleanest golden sandy beaches any one could wish for on a holiday. It has been awarded the blue flag emblem so many times for cleanliness; surely that speaks volumes alone.
An all year round resort with so much to do and plenty to see, Benidorm can accommodate the laid back I want to relax tourist or party animals wanting to dance the night away. This is definitely the place for all the Michael Flatleys out there.

The Entertainment scene is lively colorful and action packed, all sparkle and glitter similar to a mini Las Vegas with neon lighting. Wonderful quaint little fishing villages surround the whole of the Costa Blanca, so if the gypsy blood in you urges you to travel then do it. Go see more of the beauty behind Benidorm.

No need to budget in Benidorm, you will find your holiday money will stretch far beyond belief especially on fully inclusive deals. A great gift for the kiddies on Christmas day as much ice cream as they can eat then down to the beach to bury mum/dad in the sand. Food is fantastic and so cheap, recipes to suit all European palettes.

Searching for romance or maybe looking to wed on the beaches of Benidorm, then this is the place with ideal settings for love.

For campers then it has to be Excalibur Caravan Park with its medieval look and feel where you will find statuettes of the sword in the stone and more. These statues stand higher than a house.
A tranquil atmosphere greets you on entering this park with its Camelot theme. The sweet scented aroma of the flowers ousting out of the tubs and flowerbeds in the entrance alone is sight not to miss. Excalibur is a camper’s paradise.

Benidorm gives the tourist what they want and much more.

PS
Remember if you’re going dancing in Benidorm; make sure it is with your partner if not holiday over.

Make your christmas a special one enjoy your festive celebrations on Benidorm beaches. Cheaper to go away than stay at home and into the bargain a chance to top up that sun tan. Cheap tickets can be found at www.benidormbeaches.com

The Historic San Carlos Hotel in Phoenix

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The courtesies of a gentler era can still be found at the only historic hotel still operating in downtown Phoenix, the grand Hotel San Carlos, this year celebrating 75 years of graceful and elegant service.

At a reception attended by the Phoenix and Arizona Historical Societies and Phoenix business leaders, the mayor of Phoenix and the governor of Arizona presented a proclamation and plaque to the hotel. It was not the first time the Hotel San Carlos has received accolades; its history is rich in glamour and significance.

On this same site native Americans once worshipped a god of learning. Perhaps this is why Phoenix’s first school, a one-room adobe structure, was built here for a handful of Indian children in 1874. By 1893 a brick schoolhouse with an expansion to sixteen rooms had replaced the adobe building. For almost a quarter century, the new schoolhouse served the children of Phoenix. Then, in 1927, it was condemned to make way for construction of the Hotel San Carlos.

The historic Hotel San Carlos is a perfect selection for your romantic Phoenix week-end getaway.

In the Phoenix of the 1920s there was a growing need for tourist hotels. The Hotel San Carlos, touted as one of the most modern hotels in the entire Southwest, was welcomed as a state-of-the-art establishment with steam heat, elevators and air cooling, justifying $1.00 higher average daily rates over the other three area hotels. The Hotel San Carlos featured circulation by ice water in every room and “automatic cooled air that changed in each room every three minutes.” Elegant tapestries of medieval Italy adorned the walls of the lobby and a high molded ceiling graced the entrance.

The Hotel San Carlos, is just seven stories high, featuring rooms & suites facing picturesque Central Avenue.

The front page headline of the Arizona Gazette (today’s Arizona Republic) of March 19, 1928, announced that the Hotel San Carlos had reached its goal and would hold its formal opening the following evening. At seven stories, it was the tallest hotel in town, and its construction served as testimony to Phoenix’s rising reputation as a tourist destination.

Immediately the Hotel San Carlos occupied a prominent place in the Phoenix social arena. There were not many places that could be called “fashionable”, where one could go to be seen. The Hotel San Carlos, with card rooms and a place for dancing, was called “smart”. The Arizona Gazette noted that the hotel had a “smoking lounge and writing room”. The Palm Room of the lobby served as the cocktail area. The hotel’s French Café restaurant became a noted dining spot. Literature for the hotel boasted that its French onion soup was the best in town, and fashionable Phoenicians were known, according to the newspaper columns of the day, to enjoy the onion soup on Sunday afternoons. Members of the state legislature would have drinks in the Palm Room after a day at the Capitol building.

During the heyday of Hollywood in the forties and fifties, celebrities such as Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy, Carole Lombard, Jean Harlow, Cary Grant, Gene Autry, Marilyn Monroe, Gary Cooper, Humphrey Bogart, and others stayed - and played - at the Hotel San Carlos.

“Mae West stayed here during her run at the Orpheum theatre,” says hotel general manager Bruce Barnes. “After one performance, she stopped at the front desk, asked that champagne be delivered to her suite with two glasses, and that she not be disturbed until 3 p.m. the next day.”

In 1928, governor Rose Mofford proclaimed April 25th as “Hotel San Carlos Day”. The proclamation recognized the importance of the hotel as the only property in Phoenix selected to join the prestigious Historic Hotels of America, an exclusive affiliation based on historical character, architectural quality, and preservation efforts made by owners who are dedicated to maintaining historic integrity.

The Melikian family, owners for the past thirty-one years, have been keeping this tradition alive: to commemorate the Hotel San Carlos’ sixty-fifth anniversary in March, 1993, the San Carlos Hollywood Star Walk was inlaid on both the Central and Monroe sidewalks adjacent to the hotel with the names of famous movie stars and big band leaders who occupied the hotel while playing at the Orpheum theatre, or the Palace West theater, or the Riverside Ballroom. In addition, suites on each floor of the hotel were named in honor of the famous visitors who slept in them.

Historic Decor -

Rich in design as well as history, the Hotel San Carlos is visually reminiscent of the Italian Renaissance period. The entrances are decorated with vertical ribbed, glazed terra cotta tiles.

Above the entryway, at the second and third floor levels, are neoclassical column ornamentations. Fabulous artwork by the likes of Frank Weston Benson, Frederic Remington, Charles M. Russell, Thomas Moran, and Albert Bierstadt can be found gracing each floor, making the walk to your room like passing through a famous art gallery.

Such an historic ediface is not without its tales of tragedy as well as fame.

“The Hotel San Carlos was the first skyscraper, had the first elevator, and the first suicide,” says history-enthusiast Dawna Higgins of Phoenix.

At 2:30 a.m. May 7, 1928, just months after the opening of the Hotel San Carlos, a 22-year-old woman garbed in a fashionable evening gown jumped from the roof to her death in the street below. Miss Leone Jensen left a note, explaining that she was heart-broken from being spurned in love by a bellboy who worked in another hotel. Today her ghost has been seen in a white gown, and Barnes says the housekeeping staff will never go to the seventh floor except in twos and threes. The entire hotel staff talks of paintings on seventh floor walls that remain crooked no matter how often straightened, and clock radios, turned off, that come on again by themselves. A woman’s figure, in the form of a white cloud, accompanied by unexplainable breezes, has often been reported.

There are also confirmed reports that the ghosts of young children have been heard running through the halls of the San Carlos.

“Four Indian children drowned in the well in the late 1800s,” explains Barnes. The San Carlos water well, originally built for the schoolhouse in 1874 and still operating in the hotel’s basement, is believed to be the center of the countercurrent. “But they’re happy ghosts. They laugh and cackle and giggle. Cynthia, the head housekeeper, the engineering staff, and even nearby store tenants have heard them.

“There’s definitely phenomenon here,” adds Barnes. A normally practical Australian, Barnes relates how psychics and psychologists of the paranormal have visited the hotel and come away convinced of ghostly presences.

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Carolyn Proctor, Jetsetters Magazine Correspondent- Read Jetsetters Magazine at www.jetsettersmagazine.com To book travel visit Jetstreams.com at www.jetstreams.com and for Beach Resorts visit Beach Booker at www.beachbooker.com

About the Author

CArolyn Proctor, Jetsetters Magazine Correspondent. Join the Travel Writers Network in the logo at www.jetsettersmagazine.com

Britain’s thrilling & commonly grim history is most likely most exemplified in it’s buildings, and nowhere is this better perceptible than in those properties familiar to the Royal Family & their ceremonies.

For a monumentous occasion now the English Monarchy has been believed to be significant to the prosperity of the UK. They have captivated overseas people for years & maintain to stimulate the curiosity of foreign visitors of all years. Buckingham Place has been branded the London home of the British monarchy from the time when Queen Victoria became queen in eighteen thirty-seven. It is one of a petite number of operational royal palaces enduring in England currently. Buckingham Palace history can be found at the official site for tourism in England.

Buckingham Palace is used principally as a workplace but can as well turn out to be a social events venue for the fifty-thousand guests invited to the Palace annually. There are well over 600 bedrooms, including 19 state quarters, fifty-two royal & visitor bedrooms, seventy eight bathrooms, 92 offices, but more remarkably an in-house theatre & swimming pool.

Right the way through the spring and summer, foreign holiday-makers can take a trip around the elegant state bedrooms, which help to shape the heart of the Palace. These super digs are highlighted with a gathering of the finest possessions from the Royal compilation of works, including sculptures by Canova and also paintings by the many celebrated artists such as Rembrandt, Rubens and Canaletto.

In 2001 the Serengeti had 100,000 visitors; in contrast the
Katavi National Park in the remote and inaccessible west of
Tanzania had only 83 guests. It is rumored that when a guest
arrives at the park gates the wardens there are shocked and
bewildered, so rare are tourists to this park. Here, in this
park the only other people you will meet are other guests and
the staff at the one [tented] lodge in the entire park. Here you
have one million hectares to yourself.

I am sure you have heard and read many times about destinations
being ‘off the beaten track’ - this park is the personification
of overused term ‘well off the beaten track’. That is for the
moment; with the tourists insatiable appetite for something new,
somewhere not frequented by other tourists, in this ever
shrinking world, one wonders how long this park will remain
remote and secret.

To drive to this park is an endurance test in the extreme.
Departing from Aruhsa, or Dar es Salaam, involves a three to
five day, spine breaking drive in a robust 4 x 4. Alternatively
to hire a charter flight is an easier option, if not equally
more expensive. I say easier but this also involves a four hour
flight in a light aircraft, with a refueling stop en-route.

If you dive with the intention to camp, you must be totally self
sufficient. You will be driving into the true wilderness. When
you think of campsite, think of a cleared piece of ground for
the pitching of tents. Here you will be truly alone with nature.
It is well worth the effort if you are up to the adventure.

The park is truly magnificent, covering over one million
hectares of land. There are two lakes, Lake Katavi in the north
and Lake Chada and the Katuma River in the south. Diverse
woodland and acacia bush in the park is home to elephant and
many types of antelope. The game here is said to be unrivaled in
the rest of Africa, this park offering a exceptional opportunity
to see Africa as it once was. Reputedly there are herds of
buffalo in access of three/four thousand animals. The park is
mostly high plains grassland - grassland in the dry season, and
swampy wetland in the wet season. The best time to visit is in
the dry season - June to October.

In the dry season all the animals in this park congregate around
the lakes and along the river. Huge crocodiles line the rivers
and share the lakes with a solid mass of hippo. If you like
hippo this park is the place to see them en-mass. Some of the
pools and the centre of Lake Chada can have three thousand
hippo’ at any one time. There are also leopard and many lions in
this park. The buffalo being the preferred meal for a lion means
there are no shortages of lion in this park.

There are over four hundred species of birds, including -
Angolan Pitta, Blackfaced Barbet and the Blue Swallow. A
highlight of viewing the birds is to watch the Maribou Stock
wading in the mud and feeding on the barbel [cat fish]. At times
the mud boils with these fish and the stocks causally extract
them form the soft mud for a quick and easy meal.

Now is the time to visit this park before more lodges open and
the remoteness and matchless beauty are lost to the tourism.

Okay, ladies: listen up! I am here to tell you what men want for Christmas. It isn’t cologne and it isn’t some awful looking tie. Please! It could be NFL playoff tickets, but we know that prices for them are through the roof. Instead, us guys want stuff that is both useful and practical something we won’t pretend to like and hide away in our closets, but stuff that we will use all the time. I’ve made a list to make it easy on you as I know how hard it can be for us guys to communicate to our gals.

1. NFL Tickets!!! No, wait! You can go to eBay and get “discounted” tickets for a mid-January meeting between the Giants and some other team for a lot less than what you’ll pay through a neighborhood scalper. How many fans do you think will put up with ten degree Meadowlands cold on a January day to see the Giants. Oh, yeah, I forgot: plenty. Tickets are likely to go for one or two thousand a piece!

2. Hockey Time. More down to earth in price are NHL hockey tickets. Heck, the toothless boys sat out the season last year and everyone is chomping at the bit to see them play. With no strike on the horizon, your guy is likely to be able to see a complete game. All that bloodletting and head bashing for a song! For grins, get him Stanley Cup tickets. Nothing beats watching a hockey game in June when it is 93 degrees outside!

3. To The Islands! No, not Staten Island and certainly not Long Island. A January or February trip to a warmer climate will be both reasonably priced and fun. Just don’t pick a place that was trashed by one of the 23 tropical systems that attacked the Caribbean, the Americas and the Gulf Coast this year. No telling what amenities are in place! One rule: have the grandparents come to your house to watch the kid. Junior getting the flu is no reason for you not to go! [Blush!]

4. Get Tools. Yes, if your man enjoys tinkering around the house, get him an electric saw, a power drill, or anything else that he can use to fix that darn, lose railing in the family room! [wink, wink] If you aren’t sure what to get him, a gift certificate will do. Sounds tacky? Well, it certainly beats a “thanks, dear” when he opens up his gift and finds a water pump inside!

5. Stuff For His Truck. What a guy really wants is something for his truck. Nah, let him get his own gun rack and ammo; I’m talking about a cold air intake or a performance chip. Something that brings power to the ole pick up! What am I saying? Get him something that he can really use that will bring a smile to his face. Performance exhaust systems, Altezza lights, roof rails, side window vents, fog lights, truck liners, step rails, brake dust shields, hitches, alloy wheels, a set of new tires, head light covers, hood protectors, and an engine pulley are some of the items that are sure to be hot this Christmas. He’ll be happy and he will think you know something about his truck - hey, you are the one who wants him to talk with you, right?

Still not sure? Then ask. Chances are I already mentioned something that he wants. If you are low on cash a set of new truck mats will suffice, but please let him pick the color. Somehow Summer Rose floor mats just don’t match his Silverado’s interior!

Matt Keegan is a wacky auto enthusiast and contributing writer for
PitStop Auto Parts, a seller of discount auto accessories including

Nifty floor mats and
Power Flow mud flaps for your motor vehicle.

Hotels are an important part of the hospitality industry in many countries, especially in those attracting a large tourist trade. The evolution of hotels as commercial institutions is a development in the past few centuries and may be traced to the U.S. The current volume of hotel construction has increased enormously, mainly because of the growing importance of business travel.

Hotels are categorized according to their locations, clientele served, and services offered. These establishments serve to provide lodging, food, and comfort to the public. Hotels in California are well-known for their facilities and excellent services. Only a few places have hotels with good pools, and downtown California is one of them. One can select a hotel offering a range of amenities.

California hotels offer a wide variety of services for a tourist as well as a business traveler. All hotels are listed by AAA and Mobil Travel Guide. The California Hotel Service jointly works with many new discount hotel suppliers to ensure that potential travelers can avail themselves of the discounted, reasonably low-cost service on the Internet. Tourist package deals, including hotel accommodations all over California, are available.

California hotels live up to the expectations of value, efficient and friendly services, and clean accommodations. Affable and gracious service is a hallmark of the downtown properties, especially the chain of gaming entertainment properties belonging to the Boyd Gaming Corporation. California hotels offer several amenities such as fitness centers, hi-speed Internet access, cable TV, individual A/C and heater, wake-up service, and in-room coffeemakers and refrigerators. Outdoor parking is also possible.

Whether it is travel associated with business or pleasure, a stay in the California hotels is sure to be an exciting, unforgettable, and immensely enjoyable experience.