Travel and tips

The Blackpool Tower has stood over the seaside town of Blackpool, Lancashire in England for over a century since its completion in 1984. It has become one of the major tourist attractions that Blackpool has to offer. The tower stands 158 meters or 518 feet tall. Its’ shape and form was inspired by the great Eiffel Tower in France, but unlike the Parisian masterpiece, The Blackpool Tower is not freestanding. Though it was originally built to be an observation vantage point, the tower also holds numerous establishments including a Ballroom and the Tower Circus arena, which is located at the base of the structure. Sad as it may seem, the Blackpool tower nearly reached its’ end around the 1920s. The reason for this is the fact that the original paintjob on the structure was so poor that the tower had started to corrode. This caused the discussion on whether the tower should be taken down or not, the engineers then came to conclusion that they would repair and rebuild the damage instead of taking the entire piece down. The tower has also had its’ share of tragic events – of note is when a ship mistook the tower for a lighthouse, turned around, drifted away and was wrecked. A great feature of the Blackpool tower is the glass floor that has been built into the top level. This allows those above to look straight down onto the road below. This feature of the Blackpool Tower is popular with almost every tourist that came to visit. The Blackpool Tower ballroom is the venue or a lot of great events and functions and has even been voted as one of the most magnificent ballrooms in the entire world. The tower also holds the ‘Blackpool Tower Circus’ arena and the circus has never missed one season since the day that it opened. Another interesting feature about the Blackpool tower is its’ Aquarium that has been known to hold numerous species of fish and marine life.
Something that not everyone knows about the Blackpool Tower is that the structure has been constructed so that if it ever collapses – the greater mass of it would fall into the sea. Another thing is the fact that the Blackpool Tower base is stealthily concealed by the different buildings that surrounds it. The city of Blackpool will always attract visitors who have a fine taste for performing arts, the splendid culture of the place and the architectural wonder of the Blackpool tower adds up to the “must visit” reason of everyone.

Shopping In FranceFrance is the ultimate shopping destination for the sophisticated consumer. It offers everything from the ultimate in haute couture to perfumes to wines and cheeses. And shopping in France is not theutilitarian experience it can be elsewhere. Rather it’s a serious activity that demands attention and a certain flair. First we look at Paris where the shops make up an important part of the fabric of the city’s cultural identity. Then we’ll head to Bordeaux which offers more than just its famous wines.
Shopping In Paris Think of Paris and you think of designer fashions, perfumes, and accessories with brand names famous for their chic the world over. But of course they come with hefty price tags. Here’s a tip. Bargain seekers should do their window shopping at the grand fashion houses to get a feel of what’s in vogue. Then head to the budget shops and markets to get similar items at pennies on the dollar.
If you’re short on time you can get all your designer labels under one roof at one of the large French department stores. The two queens, les grands magasins Printemps and Galeries Lafayette, sit side-by-side on Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement. Fully exploring them could take days. If you want the real Paris shopping experience, head for one of the unique wonders of the city – the galleries or passages. These are glass-roofed shopping arcades that date back to the 19th century. They ooze charm and transform rainy days into episodes of romance and discovery.
Don’t’ forget that Sundays are closing days for most stores in Paris. But fear not, one of the city’s many flea markets will provide a great alternative shopping experience.
Shopping In Bordeaux Bordeaux is truly one of Europe’s best kept shopping secrets. In the scenic charm of the city you’ll find the world’s most popular brand names: Cartier and Rolex for watches, Hermes and Christian Lacroix for fabrics and clothes, Louis Vuitton for luggage, Mont Blanc for pens, the list is endless.
Bordeaux is home to the longest pedestrianised street in Europe. Rue St. Catherine runs from the stately Place de la Comedie to the student district near the place de la Victoire. And its entire length is graced with some of the country’s premier shopping outlets.
Bordeaux’s epicenter for shopping is known fittingly as the Golden Triangle. This triangle contains the prime shopping zones of the Allйes de Tourny, the Cours de l’Intendance and the Cours Clemenceau. In its heart is the Place des Grands-Hommes, where you’ll find Bordeaux’s most prestigious outlets.
If such luxury doesn’t tempt you, don’t worry. Bordeaux is home to a plethora of chain stores that offer good value purchases. And the local boutiques offer distinctive items without the brand name mark ups.
And of course don’t forget the wine. The Bordeaux region is France’s premier wine making area and you can get sublime local vintages by the bottle or by the case.

Napoleon famously remarked that Britain was a nation of shopkeepers and it’s still true today. But bear in mind that taxes are high with VAT a whopping 17.5%. Fortunately discount outlets and other types of bargain shopping abound. Other than purchases from bargain outlets, your best buys are things made in Britain that would cost more abroad. These include Body Shop and Filofax products along with woolens and cashmere items. Shopping In LondonLondon is one of the world’s great shopping cities. From the swank excitement of Harrods to the cosmopolitan colour of Portobello Road street market, the whole city seems like one huge emporium. Here we’ll take a look at the famous West End.
The West End was long the traditional heart of London shopping and still attracts bargain hunters from all over the world. Renowned Oxford Street has revamped its facade over recent decades. The big old faithfuls such as Marks and Spencers are still there but much of the area has been taken over by ethnic specialty stores.However, if it’s tradition you’re after, nearby Regent and Bond streets still retain their exclusive upmarket air.
One great ‘new’ place in the West End to pick up threads is the famous Carnaby Street now rising from the ashes. Once the colourful haunt of 60s models, actors, musicians and fashion photographers, the area is now attracting a new wave of designers.
Shopping In BirminghamFor another great UK shopping experience, head up the M1 to Birmingham. Brum, as the UK’s second largest city is affectionately known, is home to over 700 retail stores, including the queen of them all, Selfridges. Other notable outlets include the Mailbox complex at Wharfside Street. Once Birmingham’s mail sorting hub, it’s now a huge shopping center and home to all the grand department stores including Harvey Nichols. You can also find all your favorite labels here including Armani, Hugo Boss and Jaeger.
Another city-center parvenu is The Bullring. It’s Europe’s biggest city-center retail zone and offers a more down to earth shopping experience that the Mailbox with offerings from H M, Gap, FCUK, and Footlocker.
Shopping In EdinburghNorth of the border, Scotland’s capital city offers a medley of boutiques, souvenir shops, and department stores including old steadfast John Lewis. Harvey Nichols, darling of the Absolutely Fabulous crowd, has also arrived in “Auld Reekie” in recent years. New Town’s Princes Street is Edinburgh’s principal shopping thoroughfare and home to the leading department stores. For more exclusive outlets, such as Laura Ashley, George Street is the place to go. For tourists in search of tartan, Highland trinkets, kilts or sporrans, the Old Town’s Royal Mile is the mother lode.

Can you think of a place other than Los Angeles to spend an evening with the Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra at the Hollywood Bowl? Having a night out on the town with your friends but don’t want to have to worry about transportation and parking? Then hire a party bus to take you and your party out for an afternoon or night on the town. Go between bars or Night clubs. It’s a safe and luxurious way to enjoy LA’s nightlife. With all the risks of drinking and driving you should make your decision to use a Los Angeles Party Bus limo service - a responsible and indispensable one. Let them do the driving and you do the partying!Let’s say it’s your Prom night. The most important day of your High School year must be the most memorable one. Los Angeles party bus rental services can make any special event an unforgettable one. Why not start the party earlier, on the way to the Prom? You will definitely rock the night and make quite an entrance! Imagine you and your buddies in that cool Los Angeles Party Bus enjoying the Soft drinks and Apple Cider. Los Angeles Prom goers, your party bus driver will make as many stops as you like before taking you to your prom / graduation and he will be ready to pick you up when the evening is over. So, have a wild Los Angeles party bus and a professional driver at your service throughout your glamorous prom evening. And they have a message for all LA parents: why worry about your teenagers’ safety traveling to and from a Los Angeles prom? Professional and certified drivers will stay focused on their task while your teenagers have fun and enjoy the evening. You can relax and feel confident that they will pick them up and deliver them to your front door safely. Los Angeles limo bus rental services can meet the needs for all your limo requirements in Los Angeles and surrounding areas. And the limo bus drivers provide the highest quality service!Or, think about this: next time you’re heading to a big game or a concert at Staples Center, Anaheim pond, Rose bowl, Dodgers Stadium or Home Depot center, rent a Party Bus for you and your friends. You’ll get there in comfort, luxury and safety. Any available LA party Bus will take you to the concert, baseball, football, hockey, or basketball game in style! Such party buses are also suitable for you and your buddies when going and coming back from your favorite baseball, football, hockey, or basketball game. Don’t let drinking and driving ruin your life, take advantage of those special services offers to see, for example, your favorite sports teams. You can find special packages to Convention Center, Staples Center Area, Dodgers Stadium, Memorial Coliseum USC and many more destinations.
No matter the event, party bus rental services can meet the needs for all your Formal, Ball, and Prom requirements in Los Angeles and surrounding areas. Whether it’s a night out or your bachelor party, you are provided with the highest quality services. You can relax and feel confident that your party bus driver will pick you up and deliver you, as well, to your front door safely!

Escort has been known for its incomparable radar detectors for many years now. Their Passport detectors are often classified as the best radar detectors in the business. An excellent example of this is the Escort Passport 8500 radar detector.
The Escort Passport 8500 offers advanced digital signal processing which can be reprogrammed. It will also allow you to customize your detector to suit your needs. This radar detectors has a very clever auto sensitivity mode, which automatically reduces false alarms. And what makes this all the better is that it reduces these false alarms better than other radar detectors.
Many consumers buy the Escort Passport 8500 because of its appearance. It has a sleek modern design that is pleasing on the eyes. It has an attractive design, which is clothed with platinum sheet metal. The Escort Passport 8500 radar detector has the following feature:• It has a 360 degree radar and laser coverage• It offers POP3, K & Ka, L, X, K, and Photo detection. • It has a VG-2 alert that makes the Escort 8500 invisible to majority of radar detectors. • It has mute button and LED indicator light.
• It has an adjustable brightness and sound. • It has a bar graph LED signal strength meter. • It has a Spec Display, which displays numerical digital readouts. • It has an auto mute, which turns the sound off after making alerts. • It has the ability to detect eight signals at one time. • This radar detector allows you to detect upto, two Ka, 2K bands and up to four X bands. • It has a very comprehensive owner’s manual. • It comes with built-in customizable settings. This feature allows you to update your Escort Passport 8500 when new radar technology becomes available. • It also has a nighttime feature.
Unlike other radar detectors, the Escort 8500 alerts you to radar threats by means of a beep, which becomes more persistant as you get closer to the radar signal. The Escort also comes with a very easy to read red colored LED display. A blue LCD display is available, though it will cost you 40 dollars or more extra.
You can order the Escort Passport 8500 through internet suppliers or any local mobile electronics outlet.

All people need a break, to reconnect with the spouse, to reward the kids, to recharge the soul. But planning a vacation getaway can quickly turn into a stressful project when the subject of expenses comes up. Airfare alone can kill the fantasy. And when people already factor in accommodations, food, and shopping, any budget-conscious mother would just give up and stay home.
Thankfully, there are now more options for quick and fun vacations without having the costly air fares.
Cheap AirfareSo, how does low-cost or cheap air fare work exactly? Simple: Budget air travel gets you to your destination in the shortest time and at the cheapest possible price.
The main reason these airlines are able to keep airfare prices low is the no-frills concept. First, there’s no ticketing office to sustain. All reservations and purchases are transacted online. Through e-ticketing, tickets can be purchased on the Web, which eliminates the need to employ more people for processing or maintain international offices.
However, people can still avail of cheaper airfares even if they don’t want to take chances with budget air travel.
Here’s how:1. Purchasing the airline ticket at least 10 days ahead of the scheduled trip will enable the individual to avail of super low fares.
2. It is best to choose a weekday departure and arrival date when possible. This is because weekend flights get filled up faster than weekdays and airlines often offer discounts to fill up the weekday flights.
3. It would be better to book as a group of three or more to get even more discounts on fees.
4. People compare notes with and consult their friends and colleagues who have recently traveled. 5. In order to get the cheap airfares, people should be on the lookout for discounted rates on the Internet. Most of the cheap airfares are available online.
6. It is best to shop around for the cheap airfare first before you jump on the first deal you see. This is because there are airlines that may offer cheap airfares but the quality of service is entirely bad. Most airlines with cheap airfares have low quality of service and lacking the usual amenities.
All of these boil down to the fact that low-cost airlines may help people to extend their vacation and make it more memorable. They just have to shop around to get those that offer cheap airfare but the quality of service is not taken for granted.

There are some major disagreements on what the place of a Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) is among renters. Some claim a CDW is just another way of ripping of the renter, while some business men suggest it is necessary. Some traveling business men suggest that a good way to save money is by declining the CDW, but you need to be careful of how to proceed. If you decline the CDW when renting a car, you are basically bound by a promise to bring back the car in the same exact condition as when you first rented it. If it is damaged from any cause, whether it is your fault or not, you will have to pay to fix the damage.
An additional fee that some companies add is the “loss of use” charge. A “loss of use” charge charges you to reimburse them for the rental income they could have made if the car had not been in the shop. Loss of use charges are not allowed in all jurisdictions, but it is a major enough fee that you need to know ahead of time. Because of the CDW requirement, it is always a good idea when picking up the car to walk around and make sure it does not have any dings or visible damage that you might be charged for. If you find any, call them to the attention of the rental agent and have them noted on your contract to avoid paying for something you shouldn’t.
If you go without a CDW and the worst should happen and the car is damaged, you might be tempted to return it and walk away, hoping no one will notice. DON’T! Someone will notice. This is a clear change for a rental company to jack up the charges, they won’t pass on it. Someone will notice. It is much better to admit the damage up front and inspect the car with the rental agent, to see if you can agree on the extent of the damage.
Some credit card companies cover rental insucrance, as long as you rent the car on the card. They may cover collision damage, too, but only if you report it within 30 days. If they do, give the credit card company complete information, so this doesn’t somehow disappear and become your responsibility. Include a photocopy of your rental contract and credit card charge slip.
A CDW may cover damage, but it also tends to be very expensive. If your normal car insurance or credit card company covers these expenses, dodging the CDW might be the best fiscally responsible decision you can make in renting a car.

Most people living in large populated urban cities across the world will agree that our roads resemble a war ground. With growing traffic and limited road space traffic congestion in major cities of the world is a matter of great concern. While governments are doing what is in their power by improving public transport infrastructure i.e incorporating mass transit transport and fine tuning the existing network, commuters also need to take an initiative. Indimoto.com an Indian website has taken the initiative for spreading awareness about carpools and its benefits. Indimoto.com is India’s first carpool matching site and is a major success among commuters there. Indimoto.com is also a free to use service.
According to the founder & CEO of Indimoto.com Mr. Udit Bhandari, carpools help in many ways including:1. Save Money: Carpoolers can share the fuel, parking and vehicle maintenance expenses.
2. Save the Environment: By sharing a vehicle emissions of harmful gases are controlled and less fuel is burnt.
3. Reduce Traffic Congestion: Its simple when users share their vehicles and travel together there will be a decline in the number of vehicle on the road leading to faster movement.
4. Promote Community Living: Carpools help people in meeting new people and encourages the spirit of community and sharing ones resources for the benefit of all.
Indimoto.com want to make carpools a habit among commuters in India and also wants to replicate this in other developing countries which till now are not aware or don’t have a system in place for efficient carpooling. The site enables users to search for or post carpool ads for free and the search can be done based on city and other parameters for getting exact matches. Carpools are a win win situation for all and sites like Indimoto.com are helping users in India get the perfect match.

The capital of Northern Ireland is the beautiful city of Belfast. It is the biggest city in Northern Island and the second biggest city in entire Ireland. Located on the eastern coast of Northern Ireland this charming city is encircled with an array of hills including the famous Cavehill. The temperate climate of Belfast makes it a perfect tourist destination. The city has two airports which helps in transportation. The George Best Belfast City Airport is near to the Belfast Lough and the Belfast International Airport is near the Lough Neagh.
The major places of interest are the southern portion of Belfast along Botanic Avenue and University Road around the Queen’s University. The quaint locale of Botanic Avenue is filled with cafes, restaurants and shops. On the Lisburn Road beyond the University, there are bars, restaurants, coffee shops and pubs. The major attractions here are Queen’s University and Queen’s Film Theatre which is the venue for annual Belfast Film Festival. The Botanical Gardens is a very popular tourist destination where the Palm House offers rare sight of carnivorous plants. The Tropical Ravine beside the Palm House offers a sight of tropical flora and fauna. The Ulster Museum has a rare collection of art while the Lyric Theatre is the only theatre that does full time producing in Northern Ireland. In the north of the city there is Belfast Zoo and Belfast Castle while in the east there is Stormont Parliament Buildings and the Ulster Fort and Transport Museum.
There are several hostels providing accommodation in Belfast. The Arnies Backpackers is situated in the area of Queen’s University. This is a small, cozy hostel that offers free tea, coffee on arrival. This hostel also has a small garden. The Belfast International Hostel, situated on Donegall Road provides a tour of the Belfast city. The Ark Hostel is situated in Belfast’s famous University area and provides single, twin double and dormitory accommodation in various ranges. It is at a stone’s throw distance from the Ulster Museum, Botanic Gardens, Concert Halls and also pubs, cafes and clubs. This hostel also provides internet and laundry facilities and charges 10.90 pound per person per night. Located on Springfield road, The Farset International guarantees world class accommodation at the most affordable price. The serenity of the locale of Farset International provides the visitors a slice of serenity far from the city life. It offers a scintillating sight of this charming city. This hostel provides twenty four hours parking facilities for cars and coaches along with self catering kitchen and laundry facilities. It charges twenty pounds per person sharing and thirty pounds per single supplement.
Belfast also has some classy hotels with world class facilities. Situated on Dunmurry/ Suffolk junction of the M1 Motorway in the rural south Belfast, the Balmoral Hotel is the ideal accommodation for the purpose of business and leisure. It has easy access to Belfast City centre, the King’s Hall Conference and Exhibition Centre. The hotel is within the reach of city and international airports. This hotel is an ideal combination of modern amenities with traditional hospitality. The hotel has forty two classy en suite bedrooms. The Beechlawn House hotel offers excellent modern amenities like forty two en-suite bedrooms, the cozy Beechers Bistro, Bar and Restaurant, Conference Suites, Function Rooms, a Multi Media Suite and complimentary Wireless Internet access ‘Wi Fi’ for all people residing in the hotel. This hotel is just ten minutes from Belfast and Lisburn city centres. Other hotels in Belfast include the Clarion hotel which is a three star Mediterranean style hotel, the Camfort Hotel Antrim, Best Western Wellington Park Hotel and many more.
Guest houses are also available in plenty. Located in Windsor Avenue, Ash-Rowan Town House provides luxury accommodation along with amenities like a choice of nine gourmet breakfasts which includes homemade bread and preserves. Avenue House is another guest house on Eglantine Avenue with services like private parking, wireless internet facility and bedrooms en suite with television. Keef Halla Country House, Malone Guest House and Camera House are other guest houses.
Voted as the fourth best city in United Kingdom, Belfast is a perfect destination. Along with beautiful locales, visitors can also experience some good food and places to shop which will complete the visit.

Where do you Start?Let’s start with equipment. I’m not going to get into your set make up or equipment brand, we can talk about that later, what I’m interested in at the moment, are your grips. I don’t care how good your equipment is, or how much it cost…if your grips are not in good shape, I, (or any Pro for that matter) cannot properly teach you how to swing a golf club.
Almost everyone I come in contact with on the range or at the club takes pretty good care of his or her golf clubs, with the exception of the grips. The only contact you have with the golf ball is directly through the grips of your golf clubs, you have to take care of them. A Professional golfer has their grips cleaned after practice sessions, before a round, during a round, and has them changed regularly.
Have you cleaned your grips yet? Your grips should feel slightly tacky in your hands so you don’t have to squeeze your golf club, which robs you of the ability to swing the golf club with any speed or consistency. Most grips today are still made out of rubber or a rubber compound that can be kept in “like new” condition simply with hot soapy water. When you play golf or practice, the dust, dirt, and oil from your hands gets ground into the pores of the rubber, clogging them up and making your grips slick and hard. Washing your grips will clean out the pores making your grips feel tacky again and ready for your next round. If your grips have been neglected for a while, try a window cleaner solution on them, this will cut through the oils and dirt and should bring even a neglected grip back to life. If they have been badly neglected and you can’t get them back to a “tacky” state, have them replaced at your local Pro-Shop. The good news is they’re very inexpensive, starting at around $2.00, and while you’re there you can have them sized to fit your hand perfectly. This will help immensely when you learn to swing the golf club using the C.O.G. effortless power method. OK, now that you’ve got your grips cleaned and looked after, keep them that way, like I said earlier, every Professional golfer has new grips or has their grips cleaned before every round.
If you have a high tech grip material and you’re not sure what to clean them with, simply contact the manufacturer and ask, they will last longer and perform much better. Notice at the top and the bottom of your grip. There is a small hash mark that indicates the center mark of your shaft, these are very important marks, take notice of them now, and we’ll talk more about them later. Now that we have that looked after, we can talk about the BOSS of the golf club. The BOSS: Your target side hand, (the one with the glove) is the Boss of the golf club, that’s why we wear the glove on that hand. On the target hand, (the left hand for right handed golfers) the top three fingers assume control of the golf club. This is the Pinky, the Ring, and the Middle finger, (2) leaving the index finger and thumb to rest lightly on the grip. When these three fingers are in control of the golf club, you will be able to swing the club at a high speed with very little effort and fire your “Piston” *(release the club head), however, if your trail hand (right hand for right hand golfers) gets involved, it will slow down the swinging process and turn the action into a “hit”. Work on keeping the target hand the BOSS of the club, this will help prevent two other common problems,1)The hole in the glove… 2)The “fat” shot… Hole in your glove?1)If you are the golfer that always has a hole in the heel of your golf glove, not only am I going to save you $50 to $100 dollars in golf gloves this year alone, but also should save you a quite a few strokes as well. The hole in your golf glove comes from the BOSS fingers giving up control of the golf club. When you take your back swing, if at the top of your swing, the BOSS fingers have let go, creating a gap between your fingers and the heel of your hand; the hole in the glove is soon to follow. * (Piston) refers to the action of releasing the club head.
Why does this happen?head of a swinging golf club weighs about a pound for every mile per hour it moves through centrifugal force. A typical golf professional moves the club head from the address position to the top of the backswing in approximately 1 second. At the point of transition to the down swing, the club head weighs about 14 pounds. That’s the equivalent of a 14-pound weight being held by the top 3 fingers of the target (gloved) hand. Most people can hold this weight OK but if the club travels to the top of the swing faster than that, the transition weight of the club head becomes heavier and the separation of the top 3 fingers (or the GAP) occurs. When the (GAP) happens, you transfer control of the club head to the Trail hand (right hand) and the butt end of the grip rubs or tears the leather of the glove on the transition to the downswing. This all happens very quickly and is hard to catch if you don’t know what to look for or what is actually happening. The dreaded hole in the glove is NOT a normal occurrence in golf; it is the product of a change of control of the golf club from your target hand, to your trail hand during the course of transition from the top of your back swing to the beginning of your down swing. This action can and even MUST be controlled if you are to learn to swing a golf club like you see your favorite Professional swing it every day. We’ll discuss how to control this little later on in the book when we set up the easy 3-piece golf swing and discover that 1-move can solve 4 problems we have in the backswing alone and set us up for consistency and power in our swing towards the target.
2.) The other benefit of learning to control your golf club with the top 3 fingers of the BOSS hand at the transition point to the downswing is controlling the “FAT” shot. The fat shot is the one where you stick the club head into the ground before it touches the golf ball, sending it trickling mere feet from where you’re standing. The fat shot is a totally wasted stroke as little or no ground is covered and we have to hit the same shot over again. At the transition point of your golf swing when the club changes direction back to the ball, if your BOSS hand loses control of the golf club, the weight of the club head rests on the trigger finger (index finger) of your Trail hand (right hand) and that hand becomes the BOSS of the golf club at that moment. Once the trail hand becomes the BOSS of the golf club, the down swing motion becomes too steep and your trail hand throws the club head into the ground behind the ball. If this is the case, you may have noticed your ball position creeping back in your stance and your shots traveling too low and too far for the club you’re using at the moment. This is a side effect of a weak BOSS hand; you have to change the geometry of your golf swing in order to make contact with the ball. When this condition develops, all kinds of mistakes can happen as you try to judge where the bottom of your swing is going to happen. Always remember, when your target side hand (the one with the glove) is the BOSS of the golf club, the bottom of your golf swing will always be on your Center of Gravity (shirt-button) so you can predict proper ball position, trajectory, and distance control of each club in your bag, and eliminate the dreaded FAT shot.