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Monday, July 30, 2007
World's Sexiest Beaches in 2007
Having trouble deciding which of the planet's hottest beaches to spend your seaside vacation on? A friend suggested this article published by Concierge.com. Read it if you would like where the most glamorous beach vacations can be planned. The article will take you around the world presenting 19 leading sand covered places of pure relaxation and fun.
Maybe, just maybe, I'll one day have visited all of them and let you know which is my favorite :) Until then, enjoy your reading.
Some of you might know I am a big fan of planning your own trips. Finding your hotel and booking it online, finding your flights and generally being the sole master of your traveling plans. I have also been writing quite a few reviews on such topics: hotel reservations sites, travel destinations, and so on.
What is the result of all this? Well, my friends call to ask me where to look for a hotel. Who has the best rates? Who has the most cities covered? It happened twice, only this week. And let me tell you it feels great. I know enough to help them out and know they are getting the best! And besides, it makes them call more which is a definite plus given how busy we all are!
I have always been a fan of vacations with an exotic touch, taking you to countries far away. What you know of such places is a mix of what you have read and what others have told you, the photos you've seen and local works of art, and all that mix of bits of information still is unable to make it all less than a breathtaking experience. Australia would be such a country.
You could benefit from cheap hotels in Australia with just a few clicks. But not anywhere in Australia! As the heat is easier to take when a cool breeze is all around you, I am speaking about Surfers' Paradise. That is right, Gold Coast hotels are waiting for you.
Run a quick search by number of starts, pick from the recommended hotels or simply enter your arrival and departure dates and see what's available. Most hotels have their prices listed, but some of them offer price information on request only, which is not something I am a big fan of. I do always recommend and support having your site translated when you're dealing with customers from around the world, and Hotel Club does just that.
If you decide to embark on such an adventure, I recommend you stop by the forum. Get travel details and useful tips and make sure nothing takes you by surprise.
For Few of Us, Blogging Starts When You Turn Seven
Dear all, the Romanian blogosphere was recently joined by a 7 year old blogger. Yes, you read it correctly, Iulia Toma is 7 and she's blogging. She's also sharing her blog with her sister, but plans to prepare one with princesses for her little sister's sixth anniversary.
The blog is in Romanian only, but I can tell you it is very interesting and it introduces you to a very smart little girl. Her father is also a blogger, among other things.
With this powerful heat wave taking over the country, what can one do to cool down a bit? Air conditioning is a killer and it does not work outdoors. A vacation in a significantly chillier place, lets say the Alps would actually do wonders, don't you think? Imagine the cool mornings, the beautiful scenery, the time away from the office...It would all work like magic!
If you make such a wild, on the spot decision, you might find you have a desperate need for someone offering you last minute Alps hotels bookings. As this is a last minute deal, most hotels available are 3 stars and below. If you are a luxury addict, your choice is somewhat limited, but you could nevertheless try the Eurogroup Hotel Le Royal Ours Blanc and choose a Platinum or Gold Room. Room names sound quite glamorous...If you have a hard time deciding which hotel to choose, check the top hotel picks. This is bound to make your choosing a lot less difficult. Should you like to recommend this option to some of your friends, don't worry about their speaking English or not! Alps hotel bookings are available in 12 different languages! Enjoy your trip far from extremely high temperatures!
Some of you might know that I am planning to spend my vacation in the Netherlands. Dates are all set, I have made my plane ticket reservation. I still need something though, and that is making plans for my Netherlands accommodation. As I am not planning to spend a fortune on this, I am also looking for cheap accomodation.
Stumbling upon AccomLine is great from that point of view, especially when you are looking for Amsterdam accommodation. While browsing through their site, I noticed they provide their service in 13 languages. I always pay attention to such details as I know how important localization is. You cannot risk loosing customers over language barriers.
To select your hotel, you can either choose from the recommended hotels, or pick depending on the desired number of stars. An additional rating is displayed for each hotel on the list, along with its location. Therefore, if you need to be accommodated in a precise area, use these details to help you decide.
What I don't really like is that prices are not displayed for all the hotels. Regardless of the reason, this shows a certain lack of transparency. Also, I have noticed a very complete search box on the AccomLine home page, which is not also transferred to the local Amsterdam dedicated page. True, there aren't as many locations and hotels, but it would make locating your Amsterdam accommodation mush easier.
AccomLine also offers additional services which can make your planning seem faster and less complicated. Apart from hotel reservations, they also provide insurance services, flight and car bookings and even sightseeing tips.
I am the kind of person that is always ready to move someplace new. I've never thought of myself as living in the same city my whole life, so moving to a different city or country has always been an open option. That's why I keep an eye on existing moving options such as those provided by Relocation.com. Although they are not yet viable when moving from Bucharest, they are still a solution some local companies could learn from.
The site provides a complete set of useful information for those thinking of relocation: mortgage and finance advice, tips on locating an apartment or getting an insured. You should also try analyzing focused auto shipping details and information about international movers. To help select your moving company, you can use the free quote search service Relocation.com offers. You can select from a list of services offered, type your ZIP code and select the appropriate movement size, then compare the returned results and choose the best option for you.
If your moving plans are just an idea and you do not know much about what you're getting yourself into, you can check out the site's resourceful library. You can consult their guides about everything related to your relocation: real estate, career, mortgage, storage and much more. I hope to see such a service provided within Romania!
The RealTravel Blog is the place all travel blog writers should visit. It has a clear and comprehensive layout and the navigation is quite easy, as it is divided based on destinations, editor’s picks, things to do, photos, deals, forums. It is a resourceful collection of all things travel.
The Editors Choice section, the page that greets you when dropping by, is a frequently updated collection of the very best of travel blog stories, photos and recommendation. If news is what you’re there four, or maybe you are interested in a certain continent, you can use the sidebar list of categories to go directly at the information you need.
When searching for a particular place to see, you can either use the selection map in the Destination section to select the area, or you can check out the list of most blogged countries. I was very glad to see Romania on the list.
What I also appreciated is that they do not limit their travel blog to itineraries, photos, and a wide description of things to see and to do. They feature interesting reviews of people who have already been there and RealTravel Blog is a great place to share information, to ad your input and make your experiences, good or bad, known.
There is much talk everywhere about how cool the Rolling Stones concert that has taken place a couple of evenings ago in Bucharest has been. So I won't emphasize on that. I will just share some facts with you:
Bringing your own water/juice to the concert was prohibited (yes, really, not alcohol, water and juice).
There a Code Orange alert in Bucharest because of the excessive heat and doctors advise people to drink a lot of water or what other liquids they might find.
The preferred vendors did not have enough beverages to sell (I cannot understand how this could happen, as they of course knew how many tickets had been sold and the fact that no beverage will be allowed...)
Some people spent 4-5 hour enduring a lot of heat with no water!!!
Seat numbers on certain rows were random?!? As in 1,2,3,15,9,etc...
I remember some similar facts from the Depeche Mode concert last year...I thought they'd learn something. Same stadium, same conditions, more people deciding never to go to concerts again if they are organized in Romania. I am not a big fan of the Rolling Stones, but I would have tried it, I guess. Now I am glad I didn't go.
See some photos and learn how the photographers were treated here (Ro only, sorry).
For those in love with gossip, there is nothing more valuable than celebrity rumors on everyone you could every think about. And that is what CelebrityGossip offers: latest rumors (news sometimes) about everyone every having their 5 minutes of fame: singers, actors, models, all the hot people are there. And I think they have chosen a great slogan to describe the essence of gossip: “Is it true?”
All entries have tabloid-like headlines and are taken from online magazines, newspapers and other such sources. Users can vote for each entry and also comment. Registration is free, but required.
Celebrity Gossip is divided in 4 different sections. The Hot section is meant to display the most interesting rumors published. I guess this should be decided based on votes. But from what I have seen, as they still lack incoming votes, the comments make the difference between hot and not.
The Latest section displays the most recent news first, as expected. But if you want to check a certain star, go to the Celebs section. You will find an alphabetized list of everyone and anyone. Most of those present there I have no idea about. Or, if you don’t know how’s become an interesting read these days, check the “Most Talked About Celebrities” top, displayed on the Hot section.
The visual part of the site, the Pictures section, displays photographs of every celebrity ever taken a snapshot of. Angelina Jolie is top of the game in this section, according to the “Most Viewed Pictures” top.
I am not a big fan of celebrity rumors, but I have to say CelebrityGossip seems perfectly designed for what it wants to promote. Catchy headlines, short entries, eye-catching photos, the girlish-glamorous header and background, the large amount of pink, the slogan and the starry logo, it’s all been carefully planned. And I am quite sure they will earn lots of fans among those interested in knowing everything about famous people.
There is no "too early" when planning where to celebrate your New Year's Eve. This year, for example, I started making plans in June. Just because I wanted to make sure I was getting the best offer based on my plans and wishes. That is what I thought suggesting you a destination where to greet 2008 in July is not an exaggeration. This is Sydney, Australia. Looks very festive, glamorous and entertaining, doesn't it? The fireworks show planned for the very stroke of midnight on December 31st on the steel arched Sydney Harbour Bridge are all of that and much more. Last year, 1.2 million people gathered to witness the Midnight Fireworks. And they have been celebrating for 12 hours before the cherry on top event: Every Hour on the Hour entertainment, starting early in the afternoon, the Indigenous Smoking Ceremony, the Family Fireworks and many more. So what do you need to plan? Well, first how to get there, then how long your winter vacation will be and then finally try booking your stay at one of the Sydney Hotels. To choose from the hotels in Sydney, there are a few things you could consider: the number of stars of your hotel, the prices, the area of the city. You should also keep an eye on the current hot deals.
When you are done selecting your Sydney Hotel, you should also think about other things to see while there. A few hints for you: the Centennial Park, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Customs House or the New Theater and their review on censorship. Enjoy your stay and Happy New Year!
I rarely trust NY Times movie reviews. Because they generally hate movies I find interesting. But I found this article on the new Harry Potter movie in today's issue. The Imdb.com score is also pretty high...But I've heard rumors that if you take out the special effects and the amazing scenery, not much is left.
Have any of you seen the movie? What do you think of it. I will see it eventually, but I want to know if it's worth going to the cinema. Thanks!
If you need to visit the UK sometimes soon and you happen to be arriving at the Heathrow Airport, you might also want a hotel that is close to the airport. When you're tired after a flight, all you need is a hot shower and your bed to get back into your Zen mood.
In such cases, having the possibility to book your stay at one of the Heathrow Airport Hotels would definitely take care of everything you need. To pick one of the Heathrow hotels, check the price list and the availability. You can choose your favorite type of room and pay with the card you prefer as a wide range of credit and debit cards are accepted. If you fear online threats, there's also a phone number for you to call and make your reservation.
Now that your stay at the Heathrow airport hotels is taken care of, have a safe flight and enjoy your stay :)
Are you trying to loose some weight? Why not try a calorie counter then? I have always been pretty reluctant to paying attention to every gram I eat, due to lack of time, but it's actually easier than I thought. You just search what you have eaten, add an approximate quantity, and there it is: what you have eaten in numbers!
I've always thought watching your diet and not also trying to also work out was a waste of time. That is why I think MyFitnessPall is so great! It is an absolutely free calorie counter that also features an exercising schedule. And if that isn't enough for you and you need to see how other people are dealing with their diet, after you've checked in to monitor your progress, you can also check the message board. It can always give you the needed support.
I like the fact they plan your diet depending on your current weight and height. And that their recommended diet plan is moderate. Because I never thought loosing weight over night is healthy. Not even close to it!
According to an Evans Data survey, more software developers are thinking Linux when choosing operating system requirements for their new products:
"the total percent of developers targeting any version of Windows has declined significantly – by a full 10 percentage points - since this time last year. This continues a gradual downward trend in actual Windows targeting that has been continuing for the last two years."
Windows is still holds its pole position, but RedHat and SuSE are catching up.
"Total Linux targeting has increased by 34% from 8.8% targeting a year ago to 11.8% now"
Well, good news then...Especially since Vista users are not as many!
See more here. BTW, reading Evans Data reports requires you to register.
Why would you choose Brisbane, Australia, as your travel destination? Well, have your pick of reasons: beautiful sceneries, exotic animals, the beautiful cheap hotels in Brisbane. Everything is there, waiting for you. Would you like to experience a breath-taking view of the city? Then drive to the top of Mt. Coot-tha Lookout to see the entire Brisbane at your feet. Do you feel like having a glamorous looking cocktail while laying in the sun and listening to the waves? Then go to the beaches of South Bank. While there, should you feel like doing more cultural activities, I recommend the Cultural Centre. Take this opportunity to visit the Queensland Art Museum and the Gallery of Modern Art. As you see, options for all tastes and types of tourists. When you decide to spend you next vacation there, make sure you book your stay at one of the Brisbane Hotels. To make sure your Hotel Accommodation in Brisbane is worthwhile, choose whatever you like by sorting the offers by number of stars, location or price. And if I've convinced you to leave now, don't forget to check the last minute deals. Enjoy your stay!
While vacations are supposed to be a careless adventure for all of us, accidents and medical emergencies have this bad habit of ruining our fun time. That is why travel insurances have been introduces at a certain moment. As we are now part of the European Union, travel policies have much changed for us Romanians.
Before, one used to go to a travel agency, pay for the insurance and go about one's business. Today, if you have the time to the health authority in your city or town, you get this new card allowing you to benefit from health insurance without any additional payments, as long as you travel within the EU territory. Otherwise, you still have to pay for separate travel insurances.
What no one tells you is that if you're like me and have to go to your home town to have this taken care of, you can still pay for a travel insurance on a limited period and travel with no worries.
If you're interested in a specialized travel insurance provider, try CoverMyTravels.com that offers age concern travel insurance. They offer their services regardless of your age and at a relatively low price.
There's this thing with photos and keeping them in a frame. It's nice to have a memory of a place you loved, a dear one, a crazy moment placed near you and be able to always look at it when you feel like it. It's an easy way to forget about stress, daily routine and other annoyances. If you are like me, you'd also prefer to have the photos changed once in a while, so that you don't get bored from seeing the same picture over and over again.
But changing photos is time consuming. I only take digital photos, so changing one would mean have it printed and then change the existing one. Not to mention that removing a photo from a frame might damage it. The solution? How about a digital photo frame? How it works? Well, quite easily. You just save all your favorite photos on a memory stick and plug it in, then view the photos on your digital picture frame. If you have a 2 GB mem stick, it will be months before you get tired of your photos and want to have them changed again.
If you like making home movies, you will also have the change to have them displayed on your frame. So instead of browsing your computer when sharing stories from your recent holiday, you can simply use your frame to share the funny experiences with your friends. This in indeed an interesting gadget, a bit expensive if you asked me, but still, a new experience to try out.
When you say "long weekend", people assume fun was in order. Not this time, not for me. I was supposed to finish everything and pick up my car early in the morning, then go to work. Well, things in Ploiesti are never that fast! At noon I was still waiting for papers to be signed...I cannot complain about the Peugeot repair shop, but the Omniasig office was a pain.
I was kindly asked to wait for an hour and a half to then see how they did everything in 5 minutes...Did I mention there were no customers before me? These people should really refrain from spending so much time doing God knows what if it's open to the public...
Anyway, I also bought 3 new books. All of them on PR...Yup, I am getting a bit obsessed with the job thing...I feel I need some more theory right now. And dusty memories from university are not enough this time :P
We've spend Saturday and Sunday at D's parents and also visited his grandparents for about half an hour. Being called D's girl made me want to laugh like crazy. "Take good care of her and never use foul words," said his grandma...It was actually quite cool and funny...
Hong Cong, one of the shiniest pearls of the Asian world, with its business mayhem, with its lights and their reflection in the water, with its modern architecture, troubled history and ancient culture. Who wouldn't want to go there, at least once? First of all you should check the hotels in Hong Kong, to then have your pick. Select your arrival and departure dates, the number of stars for your hotel, and then search the Asian-Hotels.com/Hong Kong site. Additionally, you can sort the already displayed hotels in Hong Kong by name, price,or availability of instant confirmations. What I think this site still needs is availability in more languages, as otherwise it gives competition an important advantage. Regardless of what other criteria you use when choosing your hotels in Hong Kong, don't forget that there are plenty of things to see: Victoria Peak, Kowloon promenade, the Arts Museum, the Space Museum, etc. You should make sure your hotel is close to the things you want to see. Also, remember to check the travel information before you leave. Brought to you by Asian-Hotels.com
Quick Update of Things I Wanted to Mention but Didin't
For lack of time reasons, mosly...
It was the USA Independence Day yesterday! Wonderful event, I am not against it. But I still don't get why there was a need for streets in Bucharest to be closed for 4th of July related events??? I doubt Washington would do the same on December 1st...We are such impostors at times and our officials are so keen on ass-kissing it amazes me...No ego people?
I've been busy with repairing my car. The situation will be over by Monday, I hope. I am car-less again, God knows for how long :( Update: Just got news. I am picking the car tomorrow. My precious Mushroom...
I've met Zu (hope you don't mind me posting) and had a wonderful time chatting over lemonade and cherry juice. She tricked me :P Note to self: choose restroom moments carefully! :P
I heard this bewildering conversation in the morning: Headquarters Clerk Lady: Call for address X. Who's going? Taxi Driver: I am. 2 minutes. ....... ...... same HCL: The young lady kindly asks you to make it under to minutes. TD: In how many minutes then? HCL (slightly ironic): She did not say, she just mentioned having an emergecy. TD: Then tell her I'm not going anymore. ..... HCL: I hope that was a joke! TD: No. I am NOT going!
I would have fired the bastard. That lady only kindly asked for something. If possible. She did not scream get here now...Why this reaction???
NetBoy has tagged me. A simple and short one: say you got to talk to God and then Lucifer. What would you say? What would they say?
Alina: ...... God: Oh, come on, I've heard you talking non-stop all your life! You cannot be speechless now! Alina: OK....(And then He would probably regret ever encouraging me to start talking :P)
Alina: I really think you looked better in South Park. Actually, I am sure. I really do not like you, and that is rare of me. Lucifer: Yeah, yeah! Heard that one before! Anyway, you also look better in pictures...
This is how Diogenes sees blogging and how he promotes it through his "Fine Art of Blogging" project. On his blog, he has gathered valuable input from first class bloggers on blogging, why and how to blog, what makes a blog stand out and generally everything there is to know about bloggers and their art.
Read an interview with Diogenes regarding this very project on the New WOBM.
As some of you know, I am a supporter of paid reviews as a means to blog for money, as long as they are honest and also bring quality content for a blog's readers. When it comes to singing up for services allowing to get paid for blogging, I tend to follow Mig's advice. That's how I came across Smorty and was convinced to join.
I am still new to the service, so there is a lot for me to learn. What I really liked was their quick notification service and their extremely fast approval of my account. Connecting advertisers with bloggers, Smorty offers a comprehensive account manager displaying all your needed details in one place: your posts, your payment details, available opportunities and so on. Blog advertising made easy.
Smorty requires PayPal accounts, but this service also makes payments every week. It's the best payment time frame I have encountered up to know. I'll check their affiliate program now. You should also try Smorty!
It's amazing what a powerful effect a few free days have on moral and efficiency. My days out of the office did wonders to my general state. After getting as lazy as I could ever get for some time now, I am back in shape: I have actually started to work on my license paper, I've been reading and posting on both blogs, I have also been through all the remaining Greece photos and decided which to post. Speaking of which, do check Views of a Broken Mirror tomorrow, to see new snapshots of Greece, Athens. In the mean time, feel free to check the latest posts on the New WOBM.
In other news, I gave up the whole Big Trip Around Europe idea. Mostly because I know realize so much driving will get me way to tired to actually enjoy what I see. So I came up with a different plan. D and I are going to the Netherlands in August. We will be staying in Alkmaar, at Trisi's and I also hope to see Bart while there. I am sure it will all be amazing!
I’ve had the opportunity to see Rome when in high-school due to the fact I was one of those geeky students interested in Latin. So I competed, along with other 9 students representing Romania, in an international Latin contest. And my biggest reward was seeing Rome. My favorite place there? Fontana di Trevi, a place full of dreams and people’s wishes, a place where you free your thoughts and let them be carried away by the falling water. Admiring art, being in the prefect scenery for romantic encounters, wishing and hoping, dreaming of the future, all is possible there. My next top attractions on the list are the Colosseum, Basilica San Pietro (Vatican), La Boca della Verita, Piazza di Spagna and the list could go on for ever.
If you want to experience the mysterious remains of the Roman Empire and the long line of Italian history, feel free to select one of the cheap hotels in Rome and unleash your traveling imagination. And, why not, book a hotel exactly near the Colosseum!
Ali and her mom have invented a meme which fits a weekend entry perfectly. Which are the rules to the game?
If you had the opportunity to do a 1-year internship in a company or field completely unrelated to your current career or specialty, what would be your top 5 choices?
Tough choice, don't you think? Well, here are mine:
1. Professional photographer 2. Tango Dancer 3. Movies script writer 4. Something related with Ballet Planning for the Opera 5. Working for a Formula 1 Team, Ferrari if possible :P
As the tag is open on Ali's site, I tag anyone feeling inspired to write an entry on this topic.
Broadway, the true milestone for musicals. One would really enjoy seeing any of the Broadway plays in any of the major US cities where available: New York, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles and San Francisco. The problem with suck plays is that tickets are sold out almost instantly.
Should you like to see Grease (I would personally kill for this one), Jersey Boys or Lion King, what is there to be done when there are no tickets? SoldoutBroadwayTickets.com offers the perfect solution for such tricky situations. They provide you with sold-out or premium tickets to the plays you’ve been waiting for, all for a certain price. The site makes a point of proving that there is a solution to any problem, to any Broadway ticket problem, at least!
While doing my daily blog reading, I saw an excellent article on Mihaela Lica's (Mig) blog. It is something all those who blog should read: a collection of musts and must nots of blogging, adapted to fit the 10 commandments pattern. Click here to read this entry on blogging ethics.
In other news, I have updated my photoblog with three new posts. Enjoy them!
Thinking of where to go next on your vacation? Why not try Irland, Dublin to be more precise? If you need reasons to choose this specific travel destination, then let’s review what you could see there. What about the world famous Guinness Storehouse? It would give you a whole different view on Guinness Beer. You could then take a peak through TrinityCollege’s Old Library and glance at the Book of Kells, or follow the trail of Dublin medieval history at Dublinia. You can then try shopping on Grafton and Henry Street and finally experience the local pubs, the real deal of Irish fun!
When you have decided Dublin is the place to spend your next holiday, find one of the cheap hotels in Dublin and book your stay. If your vacation starts tomorrow, check the last minute deals. If you have time to plan, revise carefully all the year round prices offered by Dublin accommodation providers. You can choose where to stay: city center, Rathgar or near the airport.
CheaperThanHotel offers a few dozens locations to choose from offered in the region selection dropdown menu. Another plus is the fact that you get to book a cheap Melbourne hotel in your desired language: English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese and Chinese.
Site visitors can have all the hotels listed, then sort them by name, type, location or price. If you are more interested in hotel category, running a search by number of stars is made extremely easy. As for the color scheme, they’re using red, so I absolutely love it. I also noticed the site guarantees payment on arrival, which doesn’t always happen. Some sites feature hotels that charge your card in advance.
Name: Alina Home: Bucharest, Bucharest, Romania About Me: "This is my church. This is where I heal my hurts". It's also where I feel free and my preferred means of expression. See my complete profile
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