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Seattle Slew, horse racing’s lone remaining living Triple Crown winner, passed away on May 7, 2002 at the age of 28. Already ranked among the all time greats by virtue of this accomplishment alone, Slew is even more notable as the only Triple Crown winner to go undefeated as a three year hold. He came from humble beginnings, bought at public auction–the only Triple Crown winner to be acquired in this manner. After retiring to stud in’78 he remained a very profitable horse based on a stud fee of $300,000. His offspring earned over $76 million dollars at the race track and include over 100 stakes race winners including’84 Kentucky Derby champion Swale.

The Seattle Slew story began very modestly at a public auction in Lexington, Kentucky. The Keeneland Summer Yearling sale wasn’t supposed to be the marketplace of champions, and the idea that this particular horse would ever amount to anything other than a farmhand was downright laughable. Slew looked clumsy, due primarily to a right forefoot that splayed outward and resulting in a shuffling gait at a trot. He also wasn’t a majestic beast like his predecessor by a few years, Secretariat. Slew was borderline ugly. So ungainly a creature was he that he was given the less than inspiring nickname “Baby Huey” by the Keeneland staff. He was purchased by two couples (Karen and Mickey Taylor and Jim and Sally Hill) for $17,500. What wasn’t apparent at the yearling sale was the intangibles that make up a championship thoroughbred–poise under pressure, love of competition, toughness, heart and desire. The Taylor’s and Hill’s had stumbled onto an equine Tiger Woods or Michael Jordan who’s competitive fire quickly became apparent to the trainers that worked with him and the jockeys that rode him. His first race came at Belmont in’76, and the three races he entered–and won–as a 2 year old gave a hint of what was to come.

As a three year old, he quickly gained notice by winning his three Derby prep races, including the prestigious Wood Memorial. In the Derby, Slew got off to a terrible start as he stumbled from the gate much like War Emblem did in the 2002 Belmont. Unlike 2002’s Triple Crown contender, however, Slew was able to recover from that miscue and basically force his way through a pack of other horses to position himself at the front of the field at the quarter mile pole. He went on to win the Derby by a length and 3 quarters. Another tough victory in the Preakness set up his Triple Crown winning run at the Belmont, which he won by 4 lengths.

Slew continued to campaign as a four year old, but in the days before the Breeder’s Cup there weren’t many opportunities for an older horse. He retired to stud in’78, where he sired champions such as the aforementioned Swale and’92 Belmont Champ AP Indy. Slew stood at Three Chimneys Farm in Midway, Kentucky from’85 until early 2002 when he was moved to Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm in Lexington, KY following a spinal operation.

Slew was in someways overshadowed during his prime by his predecessor–and arguably the greatest thoroughbred race horse in history–1973 Triple Crown winner Secretariat. In hindsight, however, it has finally been noted what an exceptional horse he really was. Jockey Angel Cordero, who rode Slew during the twilight of his career noted “If I had a chance to take any horse in the world, if someone said your life is depending on riding one horse to win, I would take (Slew). I rode 44,000 horses, but he was special, he was different. He was muscled, like a wrestler. He ran different than any other horse. It was like he came from another planet.”

Following his death in 2002, Slew was laid to rest at Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm in Kentucky under a statue memorializing his legacy.

Ross Everett is a freelance writer and highly respected authority on sports betting odds comparison. He writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Northern Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.

The BC Lions may have turned the corner after a disappointing 1-4 start to the CFL season. This past weekend, a clearly motivated Lions team defeated the Saskatchewan Roughriders 35-20 to improve to 2-4 in CFL play. The Lions first two losses were closely contested affairs, but the previous two had been fairly one sided. The Roughriders dropped to 3-3 in the early going in the CFL season.

Lions defensive end Brent Johnson said that the motivation for this game was simple:

“We were sick of losing. That was our only option – to win tonight. This was the must wins of must wins.”

Johnson led a tenacious Lions defense with three QB sacks. Overall, the BC stop unit combined for five QB sacks and three interceptions in their best performance of the CFL season.

Lions running back Martell Mallett caught one touchdown pass, ran for another and generally made himself a problem for the Riders defense all night. After the game, he credited the play of his offensive line:

“We just went out there and executed. The offensive line blocked well. I was just hitting the holes. They opened it for me and I got in it.”

BC starting QB Buck Pierce had been hearing some criticism from the Vancouver media suggesting that he lose his starting spot. His solid play in the victory may have turned down the heat for now. After the game, he spoke of the team effort in the win:

“I was very proud of our offence tonight. “The way we stayed poised, the way we moved the ball. Running and throwing the ball, we were very good.”

Saskatchewan quarterback Darian Durrant blamed the loss on his teams lack of execution and failure to capitalize on opportunities:

“It was frustrating. B.C. gave us plenty of opportunities to put more points on the board. We just didn’t capitalize.”

Despite the satisfying victory, Lions coach Wally Buono realizes that his team still has plenty of work to do:

“We have to play much better football than what we did. I saw the intensity that you need, I see the resilience and I saw some guys make some plays.”

BC now heads to Toronto to play the struggling Argonauts on Thursday. Saskatchewan will host the Hamilton Tiger Cats.

Ross Everett is a widely published freelance writer and highly respected authority on football betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sportsbooks and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Las Vegas with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.

If someone wishes to spend the holidays out of the house with their family full of the happiness and pleasure a trip could bring. This can be done with a small budget If you find some cheap holiday deals. Using the internet, one may be able to map out how to spend the holidays. There are some additional facilities, which can be the reason which this trip turns into a low cost one.

You need to know where you want to spend your holidays. Outside the country or within the country on which location you like to spend your holidays. How much expense you can bear and with which companies package you are planning to use for that purpose.

Enjoying the holiday outside the home is a common habit of most people, they would like to enjoy this segment of pleasure with their family, relatives or sometimes with their friends. This could be more energetic and full of fun if this segment of a persons life is done with low cost and less irritation. It has become a memorable tour and remains in the participants mind for their whole life.

Spend the holiday out of the residence is a normal activity of many individuals, and this piece of enjoyment if spent with the family and relatives or friends became more beautiful than to enjoy it alone. This event could be more lively and bursting if it finished with a low cost and trouble free time, it happened to be an unforgettable trip and remains in minds for the entire life.

Within the present circumstances from where you belong by utilizing some of your time on the internet and searching you be able to map your trip, happiness and bliss. Many organizations have a lot of less cost plans by selecting one of the suitable plans. You can spend your free days with comfort, be careful while selecting any package it would be according to your desires and needs, selection of a near to perfect plan able you to make your trip nice and smooth.

Now where do you want to spend this free time? The choice is yours, you can talk to your family members, and with your relatives about this but keep one thing in your mind, where you like to go should be according to your wishes and likes. You may like to spend some time near the sea or maybe a city full of enjoyment which you like most, for example, games, casinos, clubs, etc.

One more important thing relating to your vacation place is where it is located. In your state or in any other state of your country or any other place in the world there are many beautiful, full of natural points you can discover all over the world and one must be located in your own country too. Time is of no substance now, where ever this spot is located, air travel would have resulted in order to drop you there within a short time against the travel by road or by train, etc.

While this trip is commenced at a low cost, but even you have to active your pocket for this purpose and the budget is the most important part of your trip. Find the package according to your funds and for more satisfaction that can turn the trip into a cheap holiday deals.

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Sports gambling is a popular pursuit because everyone understands the basics of how teams win and lose and why. Horses, meanwhile, are an entirely different animal”no pun intended. It is a complex discipline unto itself, and a sound background in handicapping sports doesn’t insure success, or even mediocrity in handicapping the ponies. In fact, the history of sports betting is replete with successful gamblers that had a weakness for horse betting, with an emphasis on the word weakness. Most notable, perhaps, is the former resident handicapper at CBS, Jimmy The Greek Snyder. The story goes that The Greek was a first rate sports handicapper, but he couldn’t pick the winner of a one horse race when playing the ponies. The bad news for The Greek is that he enjoyed playing the ponies nonetheless, and often frittered away the money he won at the other end of the sportsbook.

Below are some very basic concepts that you need to know to enjoy a day at the horse track. This information doesn’t even scratch the surface of what you’ll need to know if your goal is to become a serious horse betting devotee. If that is the case, you’re best advised to check out one of the many theoretical books devoted to the subject.

Do your reading: When you arrive at the horse track you should purchase a copy of the Daily Racing Form (DRF for short) and the track program. The DRF is basically the ‘bible’ of horse race handicapping, and offers morning line odds, horse, trainer, jockey statistics and information on each race at every major track across the country. The track program offers similar information for that individual venue, often in more ‘user friendly’ form.

The House Doesn’t Care Who Wins: One thing that is important for the sports bettor to remember when playing the horses is that its a parimutuel situation. In other words, you’re not playing against the house, you’re playing against the other bettors. The track just facilitates the betting and acts as a middleman, handling the money for a fee (15 to 25 percent of the parimutuel pool). Another difference is that the track odds are determined by how much money is bet on each horse. If everyone bets on one horse”whether it is the best horse, or just has the catchiest name”it will go off as the favorite. Long odds on a horse doesn’t necessarily indicate a bad horse, but just one that the wagering public isn’t investing in. Sometimes this can be one and the same, but not always.

The odds in the newspaper are known as the ‘morning odds’ and are essentially educated opinions. They’re not much different than ‘overnight lines’ in sports betting. They can serve a function for handicapping, but often will not reflect what will transpire when the actual betting begins.

Handicapping basics: There are so many different approaches to handicapping horse races that its difficult to even know where to start. Some handicappers emphasize past performance data. Others factor in the results of recent workouts, while others prefer a visual examination of the horses in the paddock.

Once a bettor reaches a conclusion about what he thinks will happen in a given race, it is still subject to the odds that are available when betting. This is similar to sports gambling, where an underdog may be more attractive due to an excessively high payback potential than he would ordinary, or, conversely, a clear favorite becomes an unattractive wagering proposition due to a prohibitively high price. Its all a matter of the math–if I could speak to the teenagers of America, I’d try to impress upon them the importance of doing well in math for no other reason than its importance in all forms of gambling.

Training and bloodlines: Handicappers often focus on a horse’s breeding lineage, considering the quality of the bloodlines and the racing pedigree of his parents and grandparents. Others put great focus on a horse’s trainers. An ‘A-list’ trainer can often get the most out of a horse much in the same way an elite level NFL coach can cause a team to ‘over perform’.

The Jockeys: In the simplest terms, jockeys are independent contractors and thus to make money they need to do well. In theory, a jockey wants to get on the best horse possible in each race to maximize his chances of winning. That also results in sort of a chicken and the egg conundrum–are the horses winning because the best jockeys are aboard, or are the best jockeys merely adept at getting on the best horses? Most serious horse players look to the jockey as a secondary consideration. Its sort of a situation where a good jockey cant win with a bad horse, but a bad jockey can cause a good horse not to win.

Dedication and Discipline: There’s not a set formula for successful horse handicapping, so try different things and find what works for you. And, as always, don’t go overboard with the money you wager and particularly until you get a feel for what you’re doing. If you’re interested in learning more, check out the Daily Racing Form website.

Ross Everett is a well known freelance writer who covers travel, casino gambling and sports handicapping. He is a consulting handicapper for Anatta Sports where he is responsible for providing daily free sports picks. In his spare time he enjoys fine dining, flower arranging and deep sea diving. He lives in Southern Nevada with four dogs and a pet coyote.

Just Using One Of The Secrets In The Travel Secrets Guide Could Save You Hundreds, Even Thousands, On Your Next Trip Or Vacation.
The Travel Secrets Guide.

Many people dream of going to Barcelona because of the many attractions that the city offers and the warm weather during summertime and the not-so-cold winter season. The city is an industrial zone and is known to follow the Catalan tradition.

When you stay in Barcelona, you will be pleased with the wide variety of arts and culture destinations which include Opera Theater, concert hall, museum, and music festival. The Gran Teatre del Liceu, Palau de la Musica, National Museum of Catalonia and Sonar Music Festival are the best places to visit.

In Barcelona, you will fully appreciate the beauty of architectural structures as shown in churches and monuments greatly influenced by Roman Art and Humanities. You will be amazed at the artistry of Antoni Gaudi for his Sagrada Familia Church masterpiece. The other heritage sites that you can visit include Park Guell, Casa Mila Casa Batlo among others.

Aside from the art and culture appreciation, you will love what Barcelona offers in its beaches and coasts. You can choose from the seven beautiful beaches where you can enjoy sports facilities. You can also experience a seafront golf game in one of the coastal areas.

In the area of dining and entertainment, you will enjoy Barcelona cuisine specifically the Catalan stew and bread with tomato and sausages topped with white beans. For the finale, you should try Barcelona’s sweet Crme Catalana for your dessert.

Shopping will never be out of your itinerary when you go out for vacation. This is one thing that many locals and tourists love to do in Barcelona. You can choose from the three shopping areas and buy beautiful souvenir items that include artwork, shirts, interior design items and trinkets.

You can choose from high-end stores or go to the street markets for crafts, antiques, ceramics and books. Go to the Espanyol de Montjuic and you will have a variety of choices. You can spend the whole day shopping and you will still want more.

The exclusive place for buying trendy items is the Barcelona Centro. It is the center for all shopping activities. You can get all the best items in Barcelona from this shopping area.

Read my latest articles on The Attraction of Barcelona Beaches and do check out my website for my other travel articles .

The locals are very appreciative and tolerant of kids in all sorts of public places – not at all worried about noise!

As there are far too many interesting things to do with the whole family in Barcelona, I will mention just a couple to get you started:

Gaud Architecture

Walking along the attractive, tree-lined, wide avenues of central Barcelona where many of Antoni Gaud’s buildings are situated will prove to be an interesting and fun experience. Starting with his masterpiece, the Sagrada Famlia, a tall, unique cathedral with colorful dotted spires that resemble modern candles will appeal to a child’s imagination. Apart from seeing the fascinating interiors of the building, it also boasts modernistic statues on the outside as well as modern stained glass windows.

To see another fascinating Gaud building go to No 92 Passeig de Grcia where you’ll find La Pedrera (quarry) which is both an office and apartment block. The outside is built with an uneven grey stone, like freshly quarried stone, which is framed with attractive and intricate wrought-iron balconies. Temporary exhibitions of all kinds are held on the lower floors of the building. A tour of the building includes one of the apartments on permanent display, which surprises with curves and unexpected corners everywhere. But it is the famous roof that will most delight parents and kids alike. The roof has giant chimneys that look like multi-colored medieval knights. From up top you can enjoy a rare view of the centre of the city.

Parents would probably want to see more of the amazing Gaud structures but kids would prefer going to a park and for that the Parc Gell is a must. It is located about 4 km north of Plaa Catalunya, the centre of the city. Take some snacks or a picnic to spend some leisurely time in this captivating park which was landscaped and designed by Gaud. From Carrer d’Olot you’ll enter through two fairytale gate-houses, and follow the steps up which is guarded by the famous mosaic lizard. This is the start of literally hours of exploration that can be done of all the interesting structures and corners of the Parc Gell where Gaud gave absolute free reign to his passion for natural architectural forms.

La Rambla

Back in the city centre, another day of sightseeing for the family could start at Plaa Catalunya and the beginning of the famous La Rambla pedestrian walkway which extends all the way down to the statue of Columbus near the port. It has busy streets and shops on either side and many vendors with stalls that sells all kinds of things on the sides of the walkway, including birds – the live ones. It is popular amongst tourists who rent chairs to watch performing street artists, the painted mime artists, as well as people watching – which is guaranteed to be interesting!

Barcelona Beaches, Old Port and Pleasure Cruises

Having reached the bottom of La Rambla you’ll be almost at the port and the nearest beach of Barceloneta. The possibilities for having fun at the city beachfront are endless. You can simply relax, tan and play on one of the well-kept beaches during the long summer months, or take a short or long day cruise on one of the pleasure boats, stroll along the beach promenade eating ice cream, listen to some street musicians, or have a drink or meal at any of the many excellent restaurants along the way – altogether many choices.

Barcelona Aquarium and 3-D Cinema

The kids will love L’Aqurium de Barcelona which isn’t far from there. The aquarium has a long underwater tunnel where you can see many kinds of amazing fish and plantlife. The shop at the aquarium has a special and unique variety of gifts on offer. Another attraction in the same Maremagnum building is the Imax Port Vell 3-D cinema, where adventure and wildlife films are screened daily from 12 noon till 10 at night.

Barcelona Tourist Bus

Finally, although this could also be a first option after arriving in the city as well, the whole family could take the popular Barcelona Bus Turstic to crisscross and see most of the city’s vast variety of buildings and attractions from the top deck of a bus.

Read my latest articles on Barcelona Beaches and do check out my website for my other travel tips .

5 Vegas Hotels Make Travel Magazines Top 50
Five of the Las Vegas Strips most luxurious hotels have been ranked on Travel and Leisure magazines list of Top 50 Large City Hotels in the continental U.S. and Canada.

Read more on FOX 5 Las Vegas

Where can I find a salon in or around the Nashville area that does eyebrow threading and artificial eyelashes? I will travel if need be. Any place will do except Lashville’s they are the only place I know of. Please help. Thanks in advance.

How Did We Get Here?

Consumer air travel was once considered an adventure and a luxury. Commercial airlines were able to package the experience from booking to departure on through flight and arrival. Beginning in the 1970’s this started to change in a dramatic way. The no frill airlines with cut rate fares entered the market. The absence of security gave way to more intense check-in procedures. Increased traffic volume resulted in delays in the terminals, on the tarmac and in the air. Terrorism has created the need for rigid security measures. Economic realities and Wall Street driven performance pressures have combined to make this once exciting experience to one often accompanied by a sense of fear, dread and concern. With this backdrop, how does on learn or relearn to enjoy airline travel?

Have Fun

Not everything that has happened in this industry and with the experience itself is bad. The online travel sites have opened up new choices for many. The competitiveness of tour companies and travel agencies has created opportunities for all types of travels and throughout the world. One can readily pull together so many options at various levels of luxury and affordability. It does take research. This research in itself can be fun, especially when it pays off in a trip that begins with airline travel that may be in business or first class at a reasonable cost.

When one arrives at the airport, be prepared for the security. Once through the processes of security, modern airports throughout the world today offer a great mix of opportunity for fun. There are indoor play areas for the children. There are beautiful lounges for adults with high definition entertainment. Shopping of all types of goods and services is available. A terrific restaurant of local cuisine, a quick bite or even a retrospective 1950’s diner can make for a nice experience. Also, one can get a massage of various kinds. One can play video games or play slot machines. One can simply find a quiet place to unwind, read, or watch the jets take-off and land.

On the plane itself, the entertainment options can be very fanciful even in the most mundane coach sections. Video games, movies, interactive phones are just some of the choices available. On international flights the food is most often of a very high quality especially in the business and first class sections, where one would actually gain weight from those appetizers, main courses and desserts not to mention wine and beer choices. In domestic coach, bring along some healthy snacks to help you enjoy the time.

Relax on the Flight

Make a conscious effort to enjoy this down time. Do some yoga like breathing exercises and if the situation permits, simply take a stroll down the aisle every ninety minutes, or so. Say hello to the person sitting next to you. Do the crossword you never seem to be able to find the time to do. Read that book you have had on your list or reread that novel that you so much enjoyed years ago. Reconnect with your children and grandchildren who may be traveling with you. Play one of those old fashioned travel games that you can buy for a few dollars (at one of those stores at the airport). Whether and how you enjoy your time in the air is up to you. While you should be alert and prepared for the unlikely bad events that could occur, you should take the time that accompanies the airline ticket to enjoy life while up in those clouds.

.Beautiful city of Barcelona, capital of Catalonia (a Spain’s province), is situated on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea and bordered at either end by 2 river deltas. Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after its capital city Madrid. Barcelona has a population of 1.5 million, over 4 million including suburbs. The varied, eventful history of the city dates back 4,000 years to the first settlements by ancient farmers. Later it became a Roman colony, the Visigoth’s capital city, and then it came under Moorish rule. It went through sieges, destructions and occupations, finally to become an autonomous democracy 1975. The city has always played an important role in political and cultural life of Spain and it is well reflected in the variety and quality of historical buildings, museums, many other tourist attractions. Today Barcelona is one of the most diverse European cities with unique culture and rich traditions. You can find here a formidable balance of the traditional things and the avant-garde. A cosmopolitan metropolis, Barcelona affords visitors a warm and sincere welcome, being acknowledged worldwide as one of the best tourist-friendly cities in Europe. Barcelona’s organization of the 1992 Olympics provided regeneration of this dynamic city, gave a fresh start to its infrastructure development. WHAT TO SEE AND WHERE: POINTS OF INTEREST – La Ramble is a tree-lined pedestrian boulevard packed with buckers, living statues, mimes and itinerant salespeople selling everything from lottery tickets to jeweler. Pavement cafes and stands selling craftwork, street performers surrounded by curious onlookers, a noisy bird market, Palau de la Virreina, a grand 18th-century rococo mansion, the Gran Teeter del Liceu, the famous 19th-century opera house- these are all colorful parts of La Rambla’s mosaic. La Rambla ends at the lofty Monument a Colom (Monument to Columbus) and the harbour. Barri Gotic – also known as Gothic Quarter, it is the old part of the city. Picasso lived and worked in Barri Gotic from 1895 to 1904 and Joan Miro was born and lived here during his youth. Gothic Quarter is situated on the right hand side of the La Rambla, it contains a concentration of medieval tall Gothic buildings (14-15th century) on narrow cobbled streets and now is home to much of the city’s nightlife. La Sagrada Familia – La Sagrada Familia is one of the most famous and magnificent among Barcelona’s landmarks. The life’s work of Barcelona’s famous architect, Antoni Gaudi, the magnificent spires of the unfinished cathedral imprint themselves boldly against the sky with swelling outlines inspired by the holy mountain Montserrat. Above each facade there are four towers, 12 in total, which are dedicated to the Apostles. The tower in the center, the tallest of all at 170 m., is dedicated to Jesus Christ. Around these there are the towers of the four Evangelists, and the tower over the apse is dedicated to the Virgin. They are encrusted with a tangle of sculptures that seem to breathe life into the stone. Gaudi died in 1926 before his masterwork was completed, and since then, controversy has continually dogged the building program. Nevertheless, the southwestern (Passion) facade, is almost done, and the nave, begun in 1978, is progressing. La Pedrera – Casa Mila (Mila House) is an apartment building, the last example of Gaudi’s civil architecture.It is one of his finest and most ambitious creations, extraordinarily innovative in its functional, constructive, and ornamental aspects. Visitors can tour the building and go up to the roof, where they can see spectacular views of Barcelona. One floor below the roof is a modest museum dedicated to Gaudi’s work. Montjuic – the largest open space in the city, its main attractions are the Olympic installations, the Spanish Village and the hilltop fortress. Montjuic, the hill overlooking the city centre from the southwest, is home to some fine art galleries, leisure attractions, soothing parks and the main group of 1992 Olympic sites. Montjuic is covered in ornamental gardens with water features and is the most popular destination in Barcelona on Sundays. Tibidabo – is the highest hill in the wooded range that forms the backdrop to Barcelona. It has amazing views of the whole of Barcelona, a stunning cathedral, and a family fun park Parc d’Atraccions with old-style rides offering breathtaking views. A glass lift at the park goes 115m (383 ft) up to a visitors’ observation area at Torre de Collserola telecommunications tower. Modernisme – spectacular modernista architectural creations dotted around the city by famous Antoni Gaudi and his contemporaries. Camp Nou – home of F.C. Barcelona, one of Europe’s leading soccer teams, with capacity of almost 100,000 spectators. The Seu Cathedral – Built in medieval times on the site of a Roman temple, La Seu is one of the great Gothic buildings in Spain. Parc de la Ciutadella – Barcelona’s favorite park and a Sunday afternoon rendezvous for families, friends and ducks The Sardana – traditional Catalan dance, performed outside the cathedral and at national festivals, with everyone encouraged to join in.

MUSEUMS – The Barbier-Mueller Museum of Pre-Columbian Art -the only museum in Europe devoted exclusively to Pre-Columbian cultures. Housed in a gothic palace, its collection is one of the finest of its kind and gives visitors an insight into the rich world of the earliest cultures on the American continent. This tiny museum contains one hundred pieces, including wood and stone sculptures, ceramics, tapestries, jade, often found in international exhibitions and prestige publications. The exhibits represented the Olmec, Maya, Aztec, Chavin, Mochica and Inca civilisations. Palau de la Musica Catalana – one of the world’s most extraordinary music halls, it is a Barcelona landmark. From its polychrome ceramic ticket windows on the Carrer de Sant Pere Mes Alt side to its overhead busts of Palestrina, Bach, Beethoven, and Wagner, the Palau is the flagship of Barcelona’s Moderniste architecture. Museu Picasso – is Barcelona’s most visited museum. 3,500 exhibits make up the permanent collection. Picasso spent several years (1901-06) in Barcelona, and this collection, is particularly strong on his early work. Displays include childhood sketches, pictures from the beautiful Rose and Blue periods, and the famous 1950s Cubist variations on Velazquez’s Las Meninas (Ladies-in-Waiting). Gaudi Casa-Museu – Gaudi lived in this pink, Alice-in-Wonderland house from 1906 to 1926, which now houses a museum of Gaudi-designed furniture, decorations, drawings, and portraits and busts of the architect. Fundacio Miro – it was a gift from the famous artist Joan Miro to his native city. The museum opened in 1975, and now it is one of Barcelona’s most exciting showcases of contemporary art.

BEACHES – One of Barcelona’s greatest draws is undeniably its beautiful beaches. Beside world-famous Costa Brava and Costa Dorada which are within 1-hr drive time from Barcelona, there are also several nice beaches over 4 km long within the city boundaries, we will list just several of them here: Nova Icaria- Closest to the Olympic marina, always crowded, this wide swathe of rough golden sand is great for food goers. There are three perfect beach bars and two very popular restaurants on the promenade (Mango and Chiringuito de Moncho) and countless bars and restaurants are just a short stroll away. Bogatell- This beach is twice the length of adjoining Nova Icaria and fringed by a stretch of stone walkway perfect for jogging, roller blading and cycling. Three large informal restaurants on the promenade. Mar Bella (Metro Ciutadella Vila Olimpica, plus 20-minute walk)- Barcelona’s only naturist beach close to a peaceful park – good for a picnic or siesta under the trees. Barceloneta- wide and long, a traditional and popular stretch with locals, crowded, noisy and very jolly.

WHEN TO GO, WEATHER: The best times to visit Barcelona are late spring and early autumn, when the weather is still comfortably warm, around 21-25°C. Summers are usually hot and humid, with temperatures averaging +30 (+ 86 Fahrenheit). Especially avoid the “dead” month of August, when many shops, bars and restaurants close for the month as many local inhabitants head out of the city. Winters are cool with average daytime temperatures around +12 C (+59 Fahrenheit), occasionally rainy.

GETTING THERE AND AROUND: By a direct flight to Barcelona, or through Madrid or via another large European city from almost any major airports in the world. The highest fares are from May to September, the lowest in March-April, October-November and December to February (excluding Christmas and New Year when prices are hiked up). Note also that flying on weekends may increase your ticket cost. If traveling to Barcelona from within Europe you can also chose train, bus or car, though these take much longer than a plane and often work out no cheaper. Many Mediterranean cruises include Barcelona as a port of call.

ACCOMODATIONS: We can offer you a range of choices. You can choose vacation rentals in Barcelona starting from $ 125 USD for a double room in a 4-star apartment hotel. Or you can opt for hotels from $ 65 USD for a double room in a 3-star hotel. Accomodation prices do not change much throughout the year due to the steady all-season flow of visitors to this extremely popular tourist city and surrounding resorts.

DINING: Besides restaurants you can eat at bars where you would have a succession of tapas (small snacks- three or four chunks of fish, meat or vegetables, or salad, which traditionally used to be served up free with a drink) or raciones (larger ones). The bar option can be a lot more interesting, allowing you to do the rounds and sample local specialities. Generally, the average cost for a meal consisting of two dishes and dessert would come to about 25 Euros. Travellers on an extremely limited budget can do well for themselves by using the excellent markets, bakeries and delis and filling up on sandwiches and snacks. Decent restaurants and cafes are easily found all over the city, though you’ll probably do most of your eating where you do most of your sightseeing, in the old town, particularly around La Rambla and in the Barri Gotic. Look for the best and most authentic seafood restaurants in Barceloneta, a seaside neighbourhood. Gothic Quarter neighbourhood is home to some of the oldest and most traditional restaurants in the city. Gracia is a very popular area among young people during the weekend, it leads the way in terms of exotic restaurants (Lebanese, Egyptian, Thai etc.).

TRANSPORT: Barcelona has excellent transport system comprising the metro (subway), buses, trains and a network of funiculars and cable cars. You can find a link to transport maps at the end of our guide. On all the city’s public transport you can buy a single ticket every time you ride, but even over only a couple of days it’s cheaper to buy a targeta – a discount ticket strip. The T-10 targeta is valid for ten separate journeys on the metro, buses and trains. These tickets can be used by more than one person at a time. The metro is the quickest way of getting around Barcelona. For black-and-yellow taxis there is a minimum charge of $ 2 euro. You’ll obviously have a great deal more freedom if you rent a car . Major roads throughout the city are generally good, and traffic is generally well behaved, though Spain does have one of the highest incidences of traffic accidents in Europe. It also has some of the lowest fuel prices on the continent.

SHOPPING: Barcelona, one of the most stylish cities in Europe offers great shopping, from designer clothes and accessories to household items. You will find the city to be quite cheap for a lot of items, especially if you coincide with the annual sales ( rebaixes in Spanish) lasting from mid-January until the end of February, and throughout July and August. The best shopping areas in Barcelona are the old streets off the upper part of the Ramblas. Souvenirs include ceramics, which are widely sold in the streets around the cathedral; leather goods; city’s delicatessens, particularly cooked Catalan meats and sausages; a porron (the long-spouted glass drinking jar); CDs and tapes of Catalan rock and pop, sardana music, Spanish rock or flamenco. If you’re looking for original gift ideas, some of the best hunting can be found in the shops of any of the city’s museums, where you’ll find reasonably priced and unique examples of Catalan disseny (graphic), and other original items ranging from postcards to replica works of art. We wish you a nice and safe trip!

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Somewhere between two and three million folks visit Cyprus each year and it is not really a surprise. Holidays in Cyprus have been providing very popular vacations for many thousands of years. Famous people like Prince Albert, Jack Nicklaus and Leonardo da Vinci are just some of the famous tourists to visit there. Having so many intriguing things to do, there is something to interest most everyone.

This exquisite Mediterranean island sustains a superb climate which makes it appropriate for visiting throughout the year. The sun gleams 300 days each year on average and the ocean waters are normally always warm. It has a diversity of landscapes including beaches, rolling hills and mountains. It is convenient to get to, since it is close to Europe, Africa, and Asia.

This charming, sunshiny island is full of numerous, accommodations, activities and attractions for all. There are plenty of lively nightclubs, local shops and luxuriant resorts. The lovely sand beaches offer multitudes of water sports including diving, boating and skiing. It is also a terrific place for jet skiing, sailing enthusiasts and fishing.

For entertainment inland, ample amounts of mountain tracks are accessible for hiking and to view the sensational nature scenes. There also are a number of championship rated Golf courses for golfing and captivating villages to explore with galleries, museums and shops. Festivals that feature folklore, culture and local history take place frequently throughout the year.

This is a place that is also well known for its wineries, vineyards and local cuisine. Many people visit here exclusively to enjoy the unique food and drink. Many special tours cater specifically to those who come to eat, drink and enjoy local culture.

Of course, there is a plentiful historical heritage which is represented through the magnificent architectural highlights, ancient landmarks and monuments. Whatever your specific interests, Cyprus in all probability delivers what you are searching for.

Thomson Holidays 2010 vacation options for travel this year provide outstanding value and choice for all kinds of summer holidays as do the many options with Monarch Holidays. Find out more with Simon Jones of www.myholidayco.co.uk