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There are some things that I think you should know about baby stuff. Most of the baby stuff that is out there is pure junk and I refuse to recommend it. You really need to be careful about all the new stuff that you are introducing your baby too, as amazingly awesome as a lot of this stuff seems, lots of the gear is just designed to make little baby zombies. Gear designed to let you put your baby in the corner and forget that she is there for a while. All of this is fine and dandy, but you need to not use these items as a form of entertainment. Babies need to move and get around, play and be happy rather than be ignored and entertained with an inanimate object.

Swings are really nice contraptions that will make your life as a new parent nice and easy for an hour at a time. While keeping a close eye on them, just strap them in the swing and let them rock to sleep. With the rocking motion they can go into a nice relaxed state. Sleeping for the baby is very important for growth and health. Pick the correct gear for your baby and only go for the stuff that will help them and not make them worse off.

If you’re looking to spot a whale, the first few things you’ll hear people say is:

“Hermanus has the best land-based whale watching in the world” and “You’re sure to see hundreds of whales breaching from the waters off the rocky cliffs to the West” or “You’ll definitely see them lob tailing from the vantage point of the golden beaches to the East”.

And this indeed is a fact.

Every year, like clockwork, the whales return to Hermanus for their yearly rendezvous in Walker Bay, carrying out their annual rhythms of mating and calving.

Considering what people actually understand about the Southern Right Whale – named because it was the “right” whale to hunt – the whales perspective will always be something mysterious and unknown.

What we do know is that they prefer the warmer waters of Walker Bay for a breeding ground rather than the cold waters of their usual haunt, the Arctic Circle.

According to the calendar they can be seen from July to November. What areas of Walker Bay or the time of day to expect them is hard to say. But there is one expert in Hermanus who is sure to know.

The Whale Crier of Hermanus

If you’ve never heard of the Whale Crier of Hermanus, it’s because Hermanus is the only place in the world to have one. If you’re interested in whales this is one whale expert you definitely need to meet.

Pieter Claasen was the first to lift a horn-shaped tube of kelp to his lips at age 11, sounding the first base notes announcing the arrival of the whales. Since then, his predecessor, Wilson Salukazana, has become Hermanus’s second whale crier.

He answers any questions posed to him about whales…

Wilson can tell you where they come from, what kinds there are in the bay and even the names of the aerial stunts they perform. He also knows the best coves along the shore and the places where you can get within 20m of these gentle submariners.

However, his most useful service is a system for notifying whale enthusiasts by coded calls issued from his kelp trumpet.

When he sees the whales on yonder horizon, he blows his trusty horn like he was at home watching a soccer match! And the crowds come running. Two long calls for the viewing spot at Roman Rock. One short call for the Old Harbour, where you can zoom in on the whales with the telescopes provided. One long, one short and another long call for the Volklip lookout position. These are just a few, but there are other spots the Whale Crier claims are even better standpoints for whale watching.

Wilson, the Whale Crier, has many whale tales to tell. If you catch him at the right time, you can hear the legends he has gathered from the past that only he knows how to tell.

The ancient whale migration patterns have remained unbroken for thousands of years…

The Moby Dick Hermanus Whale Festival

Another thing you can count on is the annual Moby Dick Hermanus Whale Festival, happening during the last week of September. Expect things to be in full swing, offering festive greetings to the whales on their return.

The festival is perfectly timed for the spring season and serves as a great way of welcoming back the spirit of springtime for both parties.

The festival centres on the towns market place. Food stalls sell freshly produced foods from the nearby farms, crafters display skilfully made earthenware pottery and assorted trinkets all uniquely crafted by hand. Restaurants bustle with activity and the pubs pour drinks well into the night.

Hermanus is for Everyone

Hermanus is a haven for crafters and musicians, quiet folks and artists. All see its mountains, beaches, wild flora, fauna and of course the whales from their own point of view.

Whether you’re gazing at the ocean from the rocky cliffs to the West or marvelling at the sunsets from golden beaches to the East, the friendly people of Hermanus invite you to draw your own experiences.

According to statistics supplied by Great Rail Journeys (GRJ) – one of the UK’s premier holiday companies that specialise in rail – an amazing 40,000 Britons are taking package rail holidays every year. These figures would have been hard to believe some five to ten years ago when the phrase “British Rail” was synonymous with poor service and unreliable transport. However, as we will learn taking a holiday via train has become increasing popular amongst persons who prefer a more comfortable and yet adventurous way of travelling.

Traditional railway holidays were very much the norm in 50’s Britain. Be it short breaks to cities such as London, York or Edinburgh or exciting trips across continental Europe many Briton’s grew up with the rail package holiday. It is perhaps as a result of this that the back bone of the rail holiday industry in the UK is couples in their sixties and seventies reliving the vacations of their youth. Be it rushing to make tight connecting flights, crowed airports or a simple fear of flying – many travellers today simply don’t want to get from a to b on an airplane. The very fact you have allocated more time out of your schedule to travel by rail ensures the whole experience can be a great deal calmer – which is one of the key reasons why it is popular with the elderly market

However, this trend is certainly changing slowly – with more younger travellers choosing rail over flying. One popular type of rail holiday is EuRail trips across Europe. Often associated with backpackers, the Eurailpass is one of the most convenient ways to see Europe as the ticket offers unlimited train travel throughout 18 countries on their network – including the whole of Scandinavia. With frequent departures on busy routes, it is often the case that the train is a faster option than flying when you consider the commuting time it takes to reach most European airports on the edge of busy cities. This is especially the case when using fast train services such as the German ICE, French TGV or indeed the Eurostar which connects France with London.

Perhaps one of the biggest drawbacks to rail travel (at least outside the UK) is that it can be remarkably difficult to find information and actually book tickets. The large majority of travel agents no longer sell rail package deals and companies such as EuroStar have little information available once they get you as far as Paris or Brussels. In fact until very recently there were very few websites where anyone could gleam information about train journeys, times and bookings. Luckily there are a number of sites available now with a plethora of information such as Seat 61 which – despite being run as a hobby rather than a business – is a tremendous resource for anyone wanting to plan a foreign railway journey.

Domestically in the UK short weekend breaks on the train are becoming extremely popular. Be it a shopping trip to Glasgow or taking in a west end show in London, package deals which include two nights accommodation and rail tickets are becoming more available. Recently travel and rail companies Superbreak and GNER have teamed up to provide short break package deals to five UK cities – London, Leeds, York, Glasgow and Edinburgh. Prices are competitive and they provide a real alternative to driving to these destinations on crowded motorways.

Certainly this renaissance of rail travel is surprising to an extent. With the advent of budget airlines making air travel more accessible and price competitive many felt that this would be one competitor too many for the rail industry to remain an active part of the holiday market. However, it would appear that rail holidays have certainly found their niche and are likely to remain an active part of the UK travel market for years to come.

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Many cruise ships today have standard cabins of similar size and accoutrements, with the price differential being the location. The least expensive, inside standard cabins on a mainstream cruise ship run from about 120 square feet to 180 square feet. Since most cruise ships are relatively new or have been refurbished, the cabins usually are tastefully decorated with twin beds that can be pushed together to make a queen-sized bed for couples. The cruise staterooms have wall-to-wall carpeting, individually controlled air conditioning/heating, dresser or storage space, closet, telephone, and satellite television. The television usually has news, sports, local on-ship channels for broadcasting information on shore excursions or from guest lecturers, and movies.

Some cruise cabins have VCRs or DVD players, and some televisions also have radio/music channels. The cabins also usually have a night table, reading lamps, and a chair. Most modern cruise ships come with a hairdryer, so you won’t have to bring one from home. Some standard staterooms feature personal safes, table, desk with chair, convertible loveseat, mini-refrigerator, and even Internet access, although it is often much more costly than in the common Internet lounge. The cruise line brochure or Web site usually specifies what amenities are in each cabin.

The standard cruise cabin bathrooms are usually tiny and most only have a shower (no tub). The shower usually has good water pressure, with the only complaint being the small size. Don’t be surprised if the shower curtain keeps trying to attack you! The bathroom also has a sink, toiletry shelves, and a noisy vacuum toilet like on an airplane. Often there is a small step up between the bedroom and bathroom, perfect for stubbing your toe. The bathrooms also usually have a retractable clothesline for drying your swimsuit or hand laundry.

The next step above an outside cabin is one with a balcony (verandah). These cruise cabins have sliding glass doors, giving you access to the outside. The sliding doors also mean you can see outside from anywhere in the cabin, i.e. lie on the bed and still see the ocean outside. Usually the cruise balcony cabins are also larger than the standard cabins, and some qualify as mini-suites. Which means they have a small sitting area with a loveseat or convertible sofa. The cruise mini-suites also usually have a curtain that can be drawn to separate the sleeping and sitting areas. This feature is ideal for couples (or friends) that have different sleeping habits.

London is Europe’s largest city, spanning more than six hundred and twenty square miles from its heart on the River Thames. London is Europe’s most diverse metropolises: there are around two hundred languages spoken within its confines, and more than thirty percent of the population is made up of first, second and third generation immigrants.

Despite Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish transference, London is still where the country’s news and money are made. London is where the central government resides and where unsophisticated life begins. Londoners’ sense of superiority causes enormous resentment in the regions, but it is undeniable that the capital has a great measure of success in most walks of British life.

Most of the major attractions in Europe is located in London. London boasts four World Heritage Sites, 238 attractions that are free to enter (so there’s nowhere else in the world where you can see so much for so little). Visit the many museums and castles that the city has to offer.

About thirty percent of London is open space; the other areas are filled with one of the 143 registered parks and gardens. Many of the parks have short walking paths and nature trails can be found in places like Hampstead Heath and Mile End Park, so let us put on our walking shoes and go for a stroll, take a picnic lunch for the end of your walk.

The National Gallery houses paintings ranging from 1250 to 1900, including the works of Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Botticelli, Gainsborough, Turner, Cezanne along with other great works.

The British Museum exhibits the works of man from primitive to modern times with a collection from all around the world. The Rosetta stone, sculptures from the Parthenon and the Portland Vase are included in this museum.

For more information, visit http://www.londoninfocenter.com

The crystal clear waters of Lake Garda are perfect for swimming and many popular sports such as windsurfing and sailing. The local climate is softened by the presence of this large body of water, which makes it comfortable for exploring the towns and villages on and close to the lake towns such as Garda, Lazise, Sirmione, Torri del Benaco Bardolino, Limone and Peschiera which are wonderful places to visit with a great choice of hotels, villas and Holiday homes or just for wandering around the cobbled streets filled with shops, hotels and restaurants and are home to bustling lakeside markets. Do visit the old port of Torbole, the charming old streets of Limone and the castle and Roman Villa in Sirmione.From Malcesine you can take a cable car onto Monte Baldo for some mountain walking and superb views. Walks on the lake shore from Lazie or Bardolino also help to work up an appetite.On the southern shore, jutting into lake garda, lays Sirmione with its quiet cobblestone streets, thermal baths, fairytale castle, olive groves and quaint hotels. Gazing across Lake Garda from the town of Desenzano on its southwest bank, the view is quite spectacular. Lake Garda’s has more in common with southern Italy. The Veronese east bank of the Lake produces olive oil and famous wines, such as Valpolicella and Bardolino.

Looming above the area is Mount Baldo with its three peaks. Projecting through the last glacial sheet, its unique flora is a throwback to pre-glacial times.The rich soil and mild climate of the lake area encourages an abundance of wildlife and flora. Cedars, olives, lemon and palm trees flourish and the Gorgeous shoreline offers pristine beaches. Numerous ancient castles dot the hillsides. The cablecar ride to Monte Baldo provides magnificent views of Lake Garda and the mountains beyond.

www.lakegarda.biz hopes you will enjoy your visit and will find our web site useful, please feel free to contact us if you have any more questions regarding the lake.

On the southwestern tip of continental Europe, Portugal is an old school country. In this article, we take a look at Lisbon, Lagos and the Algarve.

Lisbon

Lisbon is the biggest city in Portugal and is located on the Atlantic coast in middle of the country. I’ve been to Lisbon three times, but only for a few days each time. Every time I come away with the impression of elegance.

Arriving by train, your first taste of Lisbon is when you walk out of the train station directly onto the shore of the harbor. As you look to the ocean, the name “San Francisco” immediately comes to mind. Mountains rise up on both sides of the mouth of the harbor and then there is the bridge. Running across the mouth of bay is a bridge that looks for all intensive purposes like the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. I’ve never had a chance to research it, but there has to be a connection.

As you walk into Lisbon, everything is clean and relaxed. There are walking only streets with cafes and garden areas. Bringing to mind San Francisco again, there are cable cars running though the center of the city. I can’t tell you why, but Lisbon is a very low stress city on both the mind and the wallet. Yep, it is cheap and a good destination for budget travelers.

Algarve

The Algarve is the southwestern tip of Portugal and borders on both the Atlantic and Mediterranean oceans. This is an interpretation on my part as some feel the area only covers the beaches on the Mediterranean Ocean. Regardless, the Algarve is a collection of beach towns that remind me of Southern California in the 1940’s. No I am not that old. I am just relying on family stories and pictures. Jeez, give me some credit! One of the highlights of the Algarve is Lagos.

Lagos

I grew up in San Diego, California. It’s a great place to be a kid and an adult. The only complaint I have is a lot of people seem to feel the same way. The population has exploded beyond belief, freeways are crowded on weekends and housing prices average roughly $500,000 for a deluxe closet without driveway. Its still nice, but I’ve begun to think about relocating. If I do, Lagos may be my destination.

Lagos is a sleepy beach community with just about anything you could want in paradise. White beaches, private beaches, grottos, wine growing, a lively nightlife, modern conveniences and just about the nicest people you have ever met in your life.

You can stay in a hotel while in Lagos, but this is a mistake in my opinion. Instead, go to the train station and reserve a room with a family. Families in cities all over the world do this, but Lagos is different. The family you stay with more or less adopts you as one of their own. They will haul you all over town, introduce you to other locals and generally give you a true taste of Portugal. For veteran travelers, nothing could be better.

Rating

For an overall rating, I give Portugal and Lagos the highest rating of “bar.” I loved it so much, I wanted to stay and almost purchased a bar by blackmailing, bribing and begging a friend in California over the phone. Alas, his wife didn’t think it was such a good idea.

Hey, how about you? We could probably still get a good deal! No, seriously.

November 2, 2004, Internet Cafe Sit’n Surf, Graz, Austria, 2:05 pm

I finally found Internet access here in Graz. Not the easiest thing I have to admit. Had to ask 3 people and finally went to the tourist info who competently directed me to an Internet Cafe.

The last few days have been interesting. The first day my sister-in-law and I took a little tour through my home town of Weiz, and in the 8 years that I haven’t been here there has been a lot of change. New buildings, renovations, traffic reorganization. It almost felt like being in a different place.

On Saturday my brother, sister-in-law and I started our little weekend tour to Slovenia and Italy. We drove on the highway to Austria’s border with Slovenia (only about 45 minutes from my home town). Then we continued on for about another hour and 15 minutes to the capital of Slovenia, Ljubljana. We parked the car by the river and took a little walk to the central market. The place was just packed and you can buy anything from fresh bread to meat, sausages, fish, vegetables, fruit, flowers. People were out in full force, even shopping for candles for the annual trip to the cemetery. After all it was the weekend of All Saints Day and people take their cemetery duties very seriously in Central Europe.

We walked through the old town with its cobble-stoned streets and then started the steady climb up to the castle hill. At the top is an old castle with a renovated tower that can be accessed. You get to the top through a really interesting winding staircase and once outside, there is a beautiful 360 degree view of the surrounding area, including the limestone outcrops of the Julian Alps.

After a brief lunch in a local pizzeria we continued our drive towards the Slovenian coast. I couldn’t keep my eyes open since I was so tired, so I missed a good part of interesting landscape. The Postojna mountain pass is always interesting and after that we got close to the Adriatic coast. We drove by the Slovenian towns of Koper, Strunjan and Izola and finally ended up in Piran.

Piran (formerly Pirano – in Italian) was a town that has changed hands many times among many people. Most of its core was built by the Venetians and on the hill above town there is a clock tower whose style is very reminiscent of the Campanile in Venice. Beside the harbour is a beautiful square with houses dating back several centuries. We checked into the Hostel-Hotel Garni Val, very similar to a youth hostel, where we could stay for Euro 20/night. My sister-in-law and I stayed in a room with 4 beds (2 of them bunkbeds), and washrooms/showers were in the hallway.

We went on a beautiful stroll through town, again nice cobble-stoned streets, the weather was gorgeous, we had blue sky with about 20 degrees. Of course we climbed the belltower which gave us a beautiful 360 degree view of town and the Adriatic coast to the north, all the way past Trieste. I almost got a heart attack when the bells of the clock tower started ringing right next to my ears. They were unbelievably loud.

We had a nice dinner in the evening in a restaurant called “Delfin”. My brother of course had fish, one of the local specialities. I ended up picking up a stomach virus and on Sunday and Monday I was dealing with some very unpleasant symptoms. Sunday morning we checked out and continued our journey towards Italy.

After about 30 minutes of driving and basically no border check at the Slovenian-Italian border we ended up in Trieste, a city of 270,000 people, and a major industrial and port city at the north end of the Adriatic. Trieste used to be part of the Austro-Hungarian empire and the architecture is very reminiscent of many Austrian cities. We visited the main square with the City Hall, checked out the “Canale Grande”, an outlet of the sea that stretches into the city.

On the harbourfront there was some sort of exhibition by the Italian Navy, the Military and various police organizations. 3 war ships were parked in the harbour and apparently people were able to go on tour inside the war ships. All sorts of military and police vehicles were parked in the harbour area and sailors, soldiers and policemen and women were available to answer questions, pose for photos etc.

After our short stop in Trieste we continued our Northern Italian tour and stopped in the town of Cividale, a medieval town that was originally built by the Germanic tribe of the Langobards. It also has an old town core with ancient churches, narrow cobble-stoned roads and the most famous sight is the “Tempietto”, the little temple that was built many hundreds of years ago by the Langobards.

After lunch (where I couldn’t eat any of the Italian delicacies due to my stomach problems) we continued our way home through the Italian Val Canale, past Udine, Tolmezzo towards the Austrian border. It had been raining for several days and it was still pouring and all the mountain streams were very close to overflowing. Waterfalls overflowing with water were shooting down from all the mountains and the major river, the Tagliamento, looked like it was going to flood the area in the very near future.

About 3.5 hours later we finally arrived back home in Weiz, after driving through the pouring rain. Sunday night and yesterday I had to take it easy since my stomach was still bothering me a great deal. Today I finally took off, picked up my rental car at the airport in Graz and I have spent the last 2 or 3 hours rediscovering my university town. I checked out the castle hill (Schlossberg) in the middle of town, walked up to the Uhrturm (clock tower), the symbol of Graz, and looked at all the medieval remains of the old fortress castle on top of the hill. I also walked through the town’s centre, across the Hauptplatz (the main square with its market, which also houses City Hall) and finally, after some extended searching, ended up in this Internet cafe.

So the last few days have been quite exciting, Austria, Slovenia, Italy. The beauty of Europe are the small distances between all the various places. A perfect place for a sightseeing aficionado.

That’s why now you really need to check into and forecast if you can have a loan at a fine percent interest rate. Be lustrous today to investigate if you have a great deal or if you don’t with the moneylender that offers you a bank loan. At this present you can suss out rates quickly online and control if there are other sneaky conditions you should know about. A merchant bank in Milford Connecticut or so can have a total totally different actual rate for a 30000 dollar money loan then a bank in Linden New Jersey and that makes a immense clear gap in your monthly pay backs. 13.5 percent rate of interest may come out so honest but will it stay changeless after you’re going to reinforce your bank loan. It doesn’t matter if you live in Lompoc California or in Albany New York a respectable online examination will save you often a lot of problems. Many of the banks wil show you a interest rate that looks mediocre but feels poorly or so after some time.

Translated in Dutch it means: Woon je in Oude IJsselstreek of Weesp en hebt u BKR verleden. Lenen met zonder BKR registratie is nog nooit zo gemakkelijk geweest. Koop een andere caravan met minikrediet, 301729 euro is geen obstakel om te financieren. Van Nederlek tot Heerhugowaard, geld lenen met zonder BKR registratie gaat hier altijd.

Inspect to see if the merchant bank who is willing to give you a money loan is estimable.

With today’s technology, it is not so hard to stay connected any more. There are a host of hi-tech gadgets that can help you communicate with your loved ones. There are emails, snail mails and the good old telephone to help you say what you want to say across a thousand miles or more.

Though emails are the primary method of communication in this age of computers, sending an email may not always be convenient for most people. Though it is cheap, free in fact, you still need a computer and Internet access to send one. Old-fashioned writing of letters may not as hard to do but it will take much more time.

For many, calling their loved one on the phone is the better option. Not only is it convenient — as phone lines are everywhere — and fast, it is also more personal ,as you will be able to actualy hear the voice of your loved one.

Phone calls, however, can be very expensive, especially international calls. What is more, unlike sending an email or a snailmail, a phone call is timed and the cost will depend upon the length of the conversation. For some who have not talked for quite a while, an hour is not enough to tell every story and say everything that they want to say.

In fact, some people do not even realize the passage of time while on the phone. They would stay for hours on the phone not realizing that their telephone bill is already skyrocketing. Perhaps, one of the hardest things to do when making an international call is monitoring the amount of talk time.

Realizing this need and discovering the niche market of overseas workers and foreign students, telephone companies have started to come up with international phone cards with a pre-loaded amount of time. International prepaid phone cards are also especially useful to people who frequently travel to other countries.

ADVANTAGES

Monitoring of talk time As mentioned before, with international prepaid phone cards, user can actually monitor the talk time and control the length of time that they will talk on the phone. They don’t even have to constantly look at a timer, as phone cards will often signal when time is about to run out. When this happens, a caller can actually decide whether to say goodbye or use another phone card.

Cheaper Prepaid international phone cards are also cheaper than the standard international rates being charged on a regular telephone bill. This is perhaps because standard telephone rates contain additional charges such as tax charges, monthly fee, international surcharges and other fees that make the phone call very expensive.

If you are gong to compare the prices, you’ll realize that you can save up to 70% with a prepaid phone card. You can even save more by buying in bulk, which you can also give as gifts.

Fixed rate for all countries Another advantage of many prepaid international phone cards is that they maintain the same rate for all countries. Unlike telephone companies that charge higher rates when you call to some countries, many prepaid international phone cards afford you the luxury of a fixed rate across the globe.

Mobility and flexibility You can also use a pre-paid phone card anywhere. This is especially important for people who go from one place to another and cannot keep a permanent phone with them. With a prepaid phone card, you can actually use someone else’s phone when calling and still charge the call to yourself.

Phone card rates are also way cheaper than what you will shell out when calling from a hotel room. By keeping a phone card with you, you don’t have to contend with the outrageously high prices charged by hotels for long distance calls. What is more, international phone cards are easy to carry around.

You can put them anywhere. This is especially important for frequent travelers who do not always bring much when going to another country.

Convenience during emergencies Whether you use one regularly or not, keep a phone card with you when you travel. This will be useful in circumstances when you have to use a phone, but are caught without change or the country’s currency.