St James’ Park is a large, fully seated stadium in Newcastle. The stadium is home to Newcastle United Football Club and boasts a capacity of 52,387, making it the fourth largest football stadium in England.

The oldest football stadium in the North East, football has been played on the pitch at St James’ Park since 1880. Following the unification of Newcastle East End Football Club and Newcastle West End Football Club, the newly formed Newcastle United first played on the pitch in 1892.

In 1898, Newcastle United were promoted to the First Division and decided to make an effort to develop their stadium. The pitch was in a terrible state, so it was leveled and relayed and a stand was also built, which brought the capacity up to 30,000. Just five years later, the team were still going strong and they decided to expand their home further. A large new stand was erected, along with some terraces that doubled the stadium’s capacity. The stadium even gained a swimming pool for the players and when the improvements were unveiled in 1905, the stadium was classed as the best of the country.

The oldest football stadium in the North East, football has been played on the pitch at St James’ Park since 1880. Following the unification of Newcastle East End Football Club and Newcastle West End Football Club, the newly formed Newcastle United first played on the pitch in 1892.

St James’ Park is bounded by Leazes Park, which houses the Georgian Leazes Terrace. This beautiful and historic terrace once boasted some of the most exclusive homes in Tyneside. However, being situated within such close proximity to these historic residences would later cause St James’ Park some major planning difficulties. Since 1905, the team has struggled to action any major improvements to their stadium for this reason. Numerous plans have been drawn up over the years, although most have been abandoned due to pressure from protest groups and disapproval from the local council. Despite this, the club managed to expand their capacity in the 1990s and 2000s by simply adding extra tiers to existing stands. In 2005, the stadium also gained a new bar, Shearers, which was named in honor of the team’s legendary Alan Shearer , who spent a decade playing for the club.

The oldest football stadium in the North East, football has been played on the pitch at St James’ Park since 1880. Following the unification of Newcastle East End Football Club and Newcastle West End Football Club, the newly formed Newcastle United first played on the pitch in 1892.

Along with Old Trafford, City of Manchester Stadium, Villa Park, Emirates Stadium and the new Wembley Stadium, St James’ Park was named by FIFA as one of only six English football stadiums that are up to World Cup standard. As a result, the stadium hosted three matches in Euro 1996 and is also set to host some football matches during the 2012 London Olympics.

St James’ Park has also held a number of gigs and concerts from a variety of acts, including Rod Stewart, the Rolling Stones, Queen, Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen.

Slow down for your business travel?? Is there really such a thing as Slow Travel for business? Or are business people being targeted with make-believe “Slow Travel” business trip scenarios?

Now that is a serious question.

Is there a straight answer? Probably not. Simply because the answer is going to be a little of both. Yes and no.

Unfortunately we do live in a world where not all of the people possess hearts full of joy and compassion for their fellow man. We do live in the real world, and yes there are charlatans that walk amongst us.

But their business, is none of our business. Our business is to try and make our business trip one we can consider “Slow”.

A real, SLOW business adventure.

Because, hold on to your hats boys and girls…… Yes indeed, Virginia there is a Santa Claus. The mythical is not so mythical. By that I mean there is such a thing as “Slow Business” travel.

Depending upon your schedule (shockingly, slow business travelers will likely still have a schedule), your trip can be whatever you make of it even if you are on a fairly strict time constraint. Because Slow Travel is not always about the time itself. Often it’s about how the time is spent. In fact, in my opinion much of the slow methodology is not so much time oriented in so far as tossing your watch into a river. To me it’s focus targets the quality of a given period of time and my recognition thereof.

Whether it’s 10 minutes, 10 hours, 10 days, or 10 weeks. Maximizing the quality of that time in your life is of the utmost importance. When I first began learning about What “Slow” was all about from Geir Berthelsen (founder of The World Institute Of Slowness- www.theworldinstituteofslowness.com ), it quickly became apparent to me that it had almost nothing to do with the time itself.

It’s real value lies within my own personal happiness gained from the appropriate use of that same time.

In other words, an appreciation for what ever time frame you have allotted to you. Giving us the ability to truly utilize Slow Travel in the business world too. Because let’s face it, there’s not a business trip that any of us have been on where we couldn’t take one single minute to stop and smell the roses. Not one conference where we could have gone out in our lunch on the grass, listening to the birds in the trees, instead of working the crowd in a lunch room.

The same holds true in traveling to our business destinations. On any given business trip, with a little thought, we could certainly be a little more creative a lot more fun planning how we’re going to get there. There’s no reason why instead of the subway we couldn’t take a ferry or a boat if there happens to be water between us and our business destination. There’s no reason why we couldn’t take a train with a sleeping car the night before the big conference, instead of taking the 2 a.m. redye and showing up looking like we were mugged someone along the way.

Yes Slow Travel (www.slowtravel.org ) is about time. But it’s not about the quantity of time. Rather, it’s about your consciousness of its value and a specific effort to use it to the best of your ability, making it pleasant, calm, serene, and pleasurable. You can spend that exact same time racing, panting and stressing. Or, you can spend the moments making your life just a little better than it was before.

All on the company dime. SLOW is SWEET.

Learn more, visit www.slowtravel.com, www.slowtravel.org or www.theworldinstituteofslowness.com today. The true pioneers of the slow movement and the driving force behind the furtherance and education regarding a SLOW lifestyle overall.

The Royal Palm Hotel, Mauritius

The Flagship hotel of the Beachcomber group is the Royal Palm, the finest luxury hotel in Mauritius. Located in the north west of the island, the Royal Palm has been a member of the small leading hotels of the world since 1990. It’s surrounded by stunning tropical gardens and a beautiful sandy beach overlooking the Grande Baie lagoon. Staff out number guests by three to one, yet service is unobtrusive and subtly excellent.

The Royal Palm hotel offers some of the finest accommodation in Mauritius. This all suite hotel has just 84 suites, all exquisitely decorated. There are 57 Junior Suites located on the ground, first and second floors, and are 55 sq m in size. They are all close to the beach and have private balconies or terraces.

The 4 Tropical Suites are located on the first floor, with stairs leading from the balcony to the gardens. There is a very spacious bedroom with lounge area plus the ensuite totalling 70 sq m. The terrace is also large at 15 sq m.

The 7 Palm Suites are located on the ground floor and at 85 sq m are spacious with a sitting area, and large terrace of 21 sq m. For families, the Garden Suites are wonderful two bedroom suites, also located on the ground floor, with a large open plan bedroom with living room; the second bedroom has an ensuite shower room and is suitable for families with two young children.

The 8 Senior Suites, are 103sq m, with a large bedroom, separate lounge and dining room, second bedroom suitable for 1 child, with its own en suite shower room. The terrace or balcony has private access directly to the gardens and beach beyond.

The final three suites, are the ultimate in luxury, with more space, rooms and magnificent privacy and elegance. The Penthouse Suite has stunning views of the Indian Ocean, the Presidential Suites also have spectacular views, and two bedrooms, and finally the Royal Suite offers the ultimate in both space and luxury and is regularly used by members of state and royalty.

The elegance of the accommodation is carried out throughout the hotel to the dining area. The fantastic cuisine is offered on a half board, a la carte basis allowing you the freedom to enjoy some of the finest Mauritian cuisine. The kitchen is overseen by head chef Michel de Matteis who has worked at several Michelin starred restaurants across France. A bed and breakfast option is also available if you wish.

There are three restaurants to choose from at the Royal Palm. La Goelette is the main restaurant, with panoramic views across the bay, serving breakfast and gourmet creole and international cuisine. Le Bar Plage is a perfect beachfront setting for a less formal lunch date. The tables are located on the wooden decking under the shade of a huge badamier tree. Finally the Natureaty restaurant is an intimate restaurant, servicing lighter meals right at the oceans edge. You are also at leisure to enjoy less formal dining on your balcony or terrace.

If a little pampering is on your list for a perfect holiday, the Spa at the Royal Palm is a great choice. Set in the gardens, the tranquil indoor and outdoor spaces are centred around a pool with dedicated cabins for Reiki, Ayurvedic treatments and Thai massage.

If you wanted to stretch your limbs a little, there are three floodlit tennis courts, a squash court, table tennis, bocciball, and mountain bikes for hire, as well as a fully equipped gym. The water sports are, as you would expect from one of the worlds leading hotels, superb. There is water skiing, windsurfing, glass bottom boat trips, snorkelling, kayaks and pedal boats. There is also deep sea fishing and scuba diving close by if required.

All in all a holiday to the luxurious Royal Palm hotel in Mauritius is one you will savour, and want to repeat. It is undoubtedly one of the most luxury hotels in Mauritius, if a little understated and is a real must for those seeking impeccable service and surroundings.

Traveling on vacation or business is usually a lot of fun; exploring new places and cultures while enjoying new cuisines adds to the experience and pleasure of visiting new destinations but, at the same time, you must take into consideration the possibility of any sort of accident that may happen at any given moment. Therefore, international travel medical insurance is essential every single time you take a trip abroad.

Where And How To Obtain International Travel Medical Insurance

Usually, when you book your vacation, your travel agent is responsible for letting you know about international travel medical insurance as well as its coverage and cost. All airlines expect you to have one as a requirement in order to be able to fly out of the country.

If you are booking your flight tickets online, then you will probably be prompted to purchase international travel medical insurance as well; the insurance itself is not very expensive depending on the regulation of the country you are about to visit as each country applies different laws and regulations.

What Does International Travel Medical Insurance Cover?

International travel medical insurances usually covers any accidents that may happen when you are traveling; emergency evacuation and sometimes even refunds of travel costs; this feature usually differs from one insurance company to the other. Take a moment and read the medical insurance you are about to buy for even if you may never expect to have any such emergencies you never know what may happen next and you will need to fall back on the medical insurance you just purchased.

Helpful Tip

International travel medical insurance is a precautionary matter that most travelers need to carry even if they have other medical insurances as well; they cover international laws and regulations and, therefore, apply only when you leave the country.

International travel medical insurances differ vastly depending on the country you are about to visit, therefore, ask all relative questions before you are in an emergency situation and realize that you don’t even know how to get in touch with your insurance company or what types of accidents they cover.

Accidents happen everyday and even if it is the last thing that will ever cross your mind when planning a vacation or trip abroad, being careful and prepared can only keep you safe in case you should ever need international travel medical insurance.

Cape Town is probably the most visited place in South Africa. Cape Town was originally a stop off port for Dutch ships sailing to East Africa, India and the Far East, and grew quickly as a result. With its spectacular location and so much to do, it is a must visit destination.

Victoria and Alfred Waterfront

The Victoria and Alfred Waterfront is located between Table Mountain and Robben Island. Originally built by Prince Alfred (son of Queen Victoria), it is in the heart of the historic harbor, and is now home to a diverse range of shops, and lots of entertainment.

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens

The Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens feature 36 hectares of cultivated gardens. The gardens have been cultivated since 1913 ? when the government was bequeathed the land. The gardens only feature indigenous South African plants, making it a unique botanical garden to visit. Concerts are held in the gardens every Sunday between December and March.

Robben Island

Robben Island is situated 12 km off the Cape Town coast, and has been designated a UN World Heritage Site. Originally it was inhabited by Stone Age people, at a time when it was still joined to the mainland. In more recent history it has been used as a prison ? made famous by Nelson Mandela’s incarceration. Organized tours are run on the island by former prisoners, and the prison itself is a working museum.

Camps Bay

Camps Bay is one of the most beautiful beaches in Cape Town with palm trees lining the avenue. One of the trendiest places in Cape Town, lots of posh Cafes and restaurants face out across the beach. With a laid back atmosphere this is a great place to unwind.

Table Mountain

Overlooking Cape Town is the prominent landmark of Table Mountain. Table Mountain is a level plateau with steep cliffs surrounding it which resembles a table. Frequently covered in clouds, these appear to hang over the edge of the mountain like a table cloth. An estimated 1500 different types of plant can be found on Table Mountain, making it a botanists dream! The easiest way to get onto Table Mountain is by cable cars, which carry up to 65 passengers at a time.

When you search a vacation destination for the next holiday; it must be very wonderful enjoying vacation to an area with many sun lights. It will be nice to have some days of sun bathing and getting tan color when going back home. So, choosing an area with the best beach is the best idea for it. We can do many fantastic beach activities; surfing, diving, sun bathing, snorkeling and many more.

Spending some times at San Diego will be a very great idea about beach vacation. It has few wonderful beaches and full sun shines everyday that can be very fantastic for all water sports and sun bathing. To stay there in some days; it will be better to rent one of the california vacation rentals. It will be much cheaper than staying at hotel so that you can enjoy longer vacations there. Just search as much as possible information about san diego property management and then get the best of them about quality and also price deals. Nice staying will make your vacation more enjoyable, won’t it?

For beach vacation; you can find Pacific Beach Vacation Rentals and rent one of the real estates to become your staying as long as enjoying vacations at the Pacific Beach. This beach is the most wonderful one and very fantastic for all beach sports.

The award-winning, five-star Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands Resort is one of the most renowned vacation destinations in the South Pacific. Located on the island of Vanua Levu on 17 acres of a coconut plantation, the accommodations overlook the peaceful waters of Savusavu Bay. The acclaimed resort is an international favorite for romance, honeymoons and weddings; scuba diving; and families, who want to combine heavenly surroundings and exceptional dining with an unsurpassed range of eco-friendly activities.

Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands resort is the only resort that employs a full-time marine biologist to help visitors appreciate the underwater world of Fiji.

The award-winning, five-star Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands Resort is one of the most renowned vacation destinations in the South Pacific. Located on the island of Vanua Levu on 17 acres of a coconut plantation, the accommodations overlook the peaceful waters of Savusavu Bay. The acclaimed resort is an international favorite for romance, honeymoons and weddings; scuba diving; and families, who want to combine heavenly surroundings and exceptional dining with an unsurpassed range of eco-friendly activities.

Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands resort is the only resort that employs a full-time marine biologist to help visitors appreciate the underwater world of Fiji.

The Jean-Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands Resort is an island resort, which means there are no televisions, phones, wireless internet access, etc.

If you need these things to have a great vacation then choose another resort.

On the other hand if you are happy in the company of friends and the wonderful people of Fiji, then this is the place for you.

The layout and the accommodation at the resort were both upscale and luxurious, much better than the photographs led us to believe.

We stayed in a garden bure, which was 30ft behind the Beach-front bure. The bure was large and breezy with an overhead fan. If you need air conditioning then you are in the wrong resort!! You will find a number of bug repellents in the bure, and you will need them for there is a mosquito problem.

The bathroom was quite spacious and well supplied with thick towels. There was a mini-bar and all sorts of drinks that were replenished daily. There were also a coffee and tea makers with different varieties of tea.

I’d opt for a Garden Bure, if only because there isn’t much of a beach at the beachfront, and it is a lot windier.

If you’re into beaches then go somewhere else.

The beach is poor, in fact all you will find are rock pools and mangroves, and significantly the small beach there is did not have any sunbathers on it. It is more of a sandy strip full of shells that leads into a coral tide area. This tide pools are great for studying local wild life. The best entry into the water is from the pier.

The staff were some of the best I’ve encountered and everyone was very friendly and accommodating.

The food was exquisite and gourmet with lots of fresh fish, probably best described as light island fare.

One could order a second helping of anything.

Everyday brought a new menu both at lunch and dinner.

There is a good wine list, but the wines by the glass were not so good.

There was a wide choice at breakfast.

There are two major shortfalls here, apart from the lack of beach in a Pacific Ocean Island paradise!!

The facilities for small children are superb, with the all encompassing Bula Club, however if your children are slightly older but not old enough to scuba dive, there are all sorts of rules and regulations for them to keep them out of adult vision and hearing.

The Children’s food was somewhat of the fast food variety, and I found it intolerable that children could not use the adult salt water pool at certain times.

In addition the scuba diving was not all it might have been.

Finally ? beware falling coconuts, you will be asked to sign a waiver clause in case you get hit!!

Spain is one of the most popular countries in Europe. It has so many beautiful place that you can enjoy there. You can get so many kinds of experiences there to fulfill your thirst of new things. As we know, Spain has several seasons. What kind of season that you want to feel of Spain when you are there? To know the authentic forecast weather, you can check it online. This is also for you who are in Spain.

So, to get the most trustable forecast weather in Spain, Spanishweather.net is the right place to visit. It is an online site which can give you information about the weather in all over Spain area. You can get the weather information about the place that you want to visit such as Barcelona, Seville, Murcia and many beautiful places that you can enjoy. This Spanish Weather online site is very authentic so you can put your trust on it. You do not have to visit another forecast in another country because this is the Spain weather site that must be more authentic.

So, what are you waiting for? Simply visit this website and check the weather of the places that you want to visit. Have a nice holiday.

Tijuana?the mere mention of the word conjures up images of a sultry afternoon spent relaxing under the shade with a cold drink in hand or strolling leisurely along the brightly colored avenidas in search of a memento of your trip to take home with you. While you will certainly find many opportunities to do those things in Tijuana, there is so much more that the city has to offer.

Located on the U.S.-Mexican border right next to San Diego County in California, Tijuana is visited by countless thousands of tourists every year, not just from the U.S. but from other countries as well. This has given the city the reputation of being the “Most visited city in the world”, a distinction that is the source of no small amount of pride.

In many ways, Tijuana serves as the gateway into Mexico from the United States. This is reflected in the city’s motto, “Aquí empieza la patria”, which when translated means “The homeland starts here”.

While there is certainly no shortage of fun and leisure activities that you can partake of in the city, some people may be surprised to find that Tijuana is actually gifted with a rich and varied cultural heritage that often takes a back seat to its more tourist-oriented features. The city is in fact home to a flourishing arts and entertainment scene, with many world-renowned galleries, museums and cultural centers that feature works from both local and international artists and performers. Among these are the Tijuana Cultural Center, the Museum of the Californias, Municipal Institute of Art and Culture, the Tijuana Wax Museum and the Trompo Museum. The Tijuana Cultural Center is a particularly highly regarded cultural center in the city, having hosted the Orchestra of Baja California since 1992, and serving as the headquarters of both the Center of Scenic Arts of the Northwest and the Hispanic-American Center for Guitar.

Of course many people come to the Tijuana for fun, and naturally the city has plenty to offer in that area as well. The Avenida Revolución or Revolution Avenue is the place to be in that respect, and it is where you will find virtually everything that you came to Tijuana for. Food establishments abound and anything that you could possible want?from international cuisine to a host of flavors from many different countries?can be had. Of course, you would be missing out if you didn’t at least try some of the local cuisine and this is the best place to get it.

The Avenida Revolución is also the place to go for that all-important shopping spree. Leather goods, jewelry, perfumes, cigars and tobacco products, and of course, genuine handmade Mexican handicrafts?they’re all here and at amazingly low prices.

Now if you can have this much fun visiting Tijuana for a few days, imagine living here for an extended period of time?or even retiring here. With the ever-rising prices of real estate in the U.S. and everything that Tijuana has to offer, it’s a prospect that just may be worth a closer look.

Bonnie Springs, Nevada is absolutely beautiful and it takes you back in time to the Wild West and a mining town. You can place yourself in this time period and just imagine how it might have been to live in the 1880′s. The Bonnie Springs Ranch is a replica of a mining town that existed more than a hundred years ago and visiting it today is simply outstanding.

The amazing thing is that this old mining town is located just 30 minutes away from the big flashy city of Las Vegas. This city embodies today and the future with the glittering and shining lights and there is little about this party city that would indicate that just a few miles down the road is a perfect remnant of the past, of the Wild West, and that is Bonnie Springs Ranch. Here the sidewalks are made of boards that make that squeaking sound as you walk over them. You will notice saloons, which aren’t the same as a common day bar, stagecoaches that were replaced by cars decades ago, and even tumbleweeds that seem the epitome of the Wild West but are never encountered.

Families will especially find Bonnie Springs Ranch enjoyable because there is so much to do. One of the family favorites is the petting zoo where kids can pet the different animals and learn a little about them. Other favorites include the miniature train, the cowboys and cowgirls, as well as the posse show that allows kids to find the bad guy! This is a whole lot of fun and families with both young and old children will love all there is to do.

Adults and older children will also love the gunfights that occur spontaneously in the streets. They are simulated, of course, but they look so real it’s hard to believe they aren’t! The melodrama that is recreated here comes straight from the 1830′s and ends with the hanging of the town’s villain. Of course, nobody is really hung and it’s just a stunt man doing the work, but it seems very real.

Families, singles, newly married couples, and everyone in between will find something to enjoy at Bonnie Springs Old Nevada. And, a visit fits in everyone’s schedule because it is open all year long, every single day!

There is a website that has great information on USA Vacations and Unique Travel Spots Listed State By State and Season, the website is called: Seasonal Vacation Spots, and can be found at this url:

http://www.seasonalvacationspots.com

By Robert W. Benjamin

Copyright © 2007

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