Posts for 'General' Category

There is nothing like a little Mediterranean beach vacation to unwind. Unless you happen to travel with dozens of Secret Service agents, trailed by photographers and dogged by controversy. Michelle Obama hoped to enjoy a quiet summer break.

In southern Spain with her younger daughter and a few friends. But the Andalusian getaway has gotten away from her as the European media document her every flamenco dance step and critics back home question the wisdom of such a lavish vacation, which involves at least some taxpayer money, in a time of austerity.

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he boss checked in on Day 1 of the Canadiens’ second part of the development camp this summer to give his take on a few key issues. After spending July 1 dipping his toe into the free agent market, Habs GM Pierre Gauthier gave the official word that UFA’s Dominic Moore, Glen Metropolit, Paul Mara and Marc-Andre Bergeron would not be back in Montreal for the 2010-11 season.

“We communicated to all of our unrestricted free agents on July 1 that we’re not in a position to make any offers. It’s unfortunate, because a lot of those players contributed greatly to our team last year and we thank them for their services,” explained Gauthier. “Between the young players moving their way through the system, the new acquisitions we made recently and, of course, the salary cap, we just couldn’t keep them.”

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Four in 10 Americans say they haven’t had a vacation in the past two years, according to a recently released survey commissioned by Mondial Assistance.

An international travel insurance and assistance provider that has its U.S. headquarters in Henrico County. That is up 6 percentage points from the same survey conducted last year.

A vacation is defined as leisure travel of a week or more to a destination at least 100 miles from home, according to the survey.

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Disney Vacation Club began selling real estate interests for the company’s first family-friendly destination resort in Hawai`i today. Aulani, Disney Vacation Club Villas, Ko Olina, Hawai`i, is scheduled to open its first phase in fall 2011 and will mark the eleventh resort for Disney Vacation Club.

“We are thrilled to give families joining Disney Vacation Club a new resort option in one of the most popular vacation destinations in the world,” said Disney Vacation Club President Jim Lewis. “Once Aulani opens, families will be able to immerse themselves in the culture of Hawai`i while knowing that they will get the quality vacation experience only Disney can deliver.”

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Jeddah As the most cosmopolitan city in the Kingdom, it is the primary resort city where Saudi visitors, especially from Riyadh, escape the dry heat of the desert to enjoy its beautiful beaches, massive shopping malls and countless restaurants and cafes.

Jeddah Summer Festival: The largest summer festival in the Kingdom, which attracted 3.4 million people last year, is scheduled to begin on July 7 with an extravagant ceremony of fireworks, ritual dances and nationalistic songs.

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My wife and I were discussing vacations this morning and I realized we haven’t been practicing what I preach; and that’s bad, especially for a psychologist. Our last extended vacation of three weeks or more was eight years ago.

And for the last five years, we have had a few solo vacations of five to seven days, but little more than three or four days away together. With all the family losses of the last five years, it’s not surprising we’ve neglected vacations, but neither is it healthy.

I encourage others to take vacations for several reasons, the first one being family mental health. The vacation gives you a chance to step off the treadmill that living in a family often becomes. Left behind are the demands of employment, school, endless household management errands, hobbies, TV and volunteer work.

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Ah, summer. The chance to take a break from worrying about work, go on vacation, and spend your time worrying about getting good pictures. Fortunately, your photographic life doesn't have to be as stressful as your work life, as long as you follow a few tips and pack the right gear.Top vacation photo pitfalls and fixes

When shooting vacation pictures you need to consider the same things you do when shooting anywhere else: exposure, composition, adequate sunblock. However, there are some common vacation photo problems that can be easily remedied.

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Just the simple definition makes my soul take wing. I’m not sure what it is in mankind that makes us feel the need to “escape” our everyday lives and relocate for a week or two to unwind, but we need it. We become different people when we vacation.

Things that normally would be out of character like going to the grocery in nothing but a bathing suit and cover up, going all day without makeup or combing our hair, seem second nature when your nomadic instincts take over and you pick up and move yourself to another locale. Suddenly we’re cool, calm and collected. Nothing bothers us, we are indifferent to the rules of regular society, we are first and foremost, “on holiday”.

We play cards into the wee hours on screened in porches, drink frozen drinks, wear mosquito repellent like second skin, let kids stay up late and we say yes to just about anything they ask for. We feel like royalty in our flip flops and terry cloth and we wear our crisp, fresh, sunburns like regal robes of glory. For this brief respite, it’s as if we’re giving the world “the bird” and declaring we won’t be there on Monday.

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Vacations are meant to be escapes from the stresses of your daily routine. So don't let small worries fester just enough to ruin your much-deserved getaway. Taking the necessary precautions to protect your home while you're away will let you rest easier. Rushing out the door to begin enjoying a vacation can cause people to overlook several easy ways to ensure their homes will be protected. StatePoint

Stop the presses A pile of newspapers on the front lawn isn't the signal you want to send to would-be robbers. Temporarily halting newspaper delivery will avoid this problem. Many newspapers let you initiate a vacation stop online. A few seconds of work can save you an unnecessary headache.

Do the simple things That prevacation rush can make anybody scatterbrained. Don't forget the seemingly obvious precautions. Check all doors and windows to make sure they're locked, and draw blinds and curtains. While you're at it, check that appliances like the stove, curling iron and coffeemaker haven't been left on.

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In 2001 I wrote an article in these pages on a similar theme to this one: how to discover our own back yard anew, given that flying abroad was suddenly tricky or inadvisable. Then it was an act of terrorism ("9/11") that kept us grounded. This time it was "an act of God" in the form of a belching volcano. Nine years ago I made the happy discovery that Acker Bilk, of Stranger on the Shore fame, was alive and well and playing a gig on the Isle of Wight.

Well, the evergreen Mr Bilk, who wrote that haunting tune nearly 50 years ago, is still with us, and playing at the celebration concert for Humphrey Lyttelton at the Hammersmith Apollo tomorrow night. And Britain is still as beguilingly beautiful, especially at this time of year. Its advantages of landscape and history never fade, though they might get a bit soggy in the rain.

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