Luckiest Contest

If you’re on a budget, tired of crowded beaches and packed hotels, love seafood, and have a 19th-century mindset, then Nova Scotia is for you.

Think New England, and vivid images come to mind: of lighthouses and fishing boats, charming coastal towns, lobster and crab, Victorian homes and rich history. It has always been an intriguing region, steeped in truth and in fiction by the novels of Stephen King. If you like New England, you’ll love Nova Scotia, Canada’s second smallest province.

Find Nova Scotia on a map in the North Atlantic, east of the state of Maine and “vacation hotspot” won’t be the first thing that comes to mind. But don’t let Nova Scotia’s northern location fool. Summertime is comfortable and winters are milder and less snowy than in many northern states. Situated just two hours from New York City or Boston, Nova Scotia feels a world away…as if you’ve stepped back in time. Largely underdeveloped and rich in natural beauty, history and culture, this hidden has a lot to offer: pristine beaches, resort, spas, B&Bs and country inns, rustic lodges, world-class golf and whale watching.

Just picture England, Ireland or Scotland 100 years ago, and you get a idea of what Nova Scotia is like. Almost an island, it is best known for its picturesque coastline, sleepy fishing villages and friendly people. The province’s gem is Cape Breton Island, an area deeply steeped in Scottish heritage. The island’s breathtaking Cape Breton Highlands National Parkand the Bras d’Or Lake (pronounced “bra door”) are popular with Canadian and foreign travelers alike.

Not only is Nova Scotia a prime tourist destination, but cheap real estate and a reasonable cost of living make it an attractive second home. 1-acre oceanfront lots sale for as little as $15,000, while a three-bedroom home on a few acres can be had for as little as $60,000. It’s no wonder that Hollywood heavyweights such as Jack Nicholson and Demi Moore have snapped up summer homes here.

Considering its close proximity, not many Americans make it to Nova Scotia. Of those who do, few are disappointed.

Why not go see for yourself?

RESOURCES If you go, stay at Stern’s Mansion Victorian Bed & Breakfast. It’s charming and conveniently located. See: www.sternsmansion.com

Nova Scotia’s Best Private Guide While a well-informed, open-minded guide can improve your trip by 100 percent, a bad one can completely ruin it. Mrs. Chiassaon is the kind of person you need at your side when traveling in Nova Scotia. She is one of the most competent tour guides in Nova Scotia. She is familiar with the entire province and offers guided tours tailored to your individual preferences and tastes. She may be contacted at: kjchiasson@eastlink.ca

Digital Versatile Disc recorders can be used with a digital TV to record your best sport programmes & movies in addition to look at pre-recorded news programmes. Good picture and audio quality, however the video recording facility makes them significantly dearer than players & besides they can also be harder to understand than Video Cassette Recorders (VCRs). The series of recordable formats available currently may well also add to the buyers’ confusion.

Having the accurate connections linking your DVD recorder and your TV & stereo can absolutely make a huge difference to the general quality of the audio & image.

A few connections to consider:

S-video connection: This is the next greatest thing to component video and is an alternative for all DVD Players that do not contain component output and also TVs that do not boast component input. You may need another separate cable despite this the picture difference ought to be beyond doubt worth it.

SCART leads: A main form of connection used in the United Kingdom manufactured goods is the SCART lead. This allows both sound and image signals. SCART connections are mainly found on Digital Versatile Disc players & also newer tellies. Gold protected SCART leads provides a considerably superior connection. A SCART connection will certainly give you a substantially superior image than S-Video will & is near to component standard. SCART cables aren’t as a rule included among players. Be expected to pay on the order of £25.

Audio connectors: DVD players, predominately the more top end makes, can have many sound outputs. Outputs could incorporate phono, digital coaxial & digital optical. If you are connecting to a separate hi fi system this could possibly be by far a very key attribute.

Progressive scan is the most modern phrase in the Digital Versatile Disc recorder business & whereas considerably more top of the range recorders do include it, it can not in fact be used except if you have a digital telly. With it your movie can be refreshed at sixty times each and every second as a result helping to make an astonishing more or less flicker less picture & is better to anything that is offered by the numerous interlaced scanning devices. Benefit from crazy low prices on Panasonic DVD Recorders at Sound & Vision!

Loches is a very interesting town located within the region of Loire Valley, in France. This town is very attractive due to the several different antique buildings it has and the richness of its historical past. By walking around the central area of the town as well as by its surrounding country lands, those tourists who enjoy historical constructions would be able to have a nice time while meeting several of them.

One of the most attractive ancient buildings visitors could meet within the region of Loches is its Fortress. This fortress shows a very unique and impressing appearance, due to its magnificence and incredible size which reaches heights of as much as 40 meters. Different kings, such as Louis XI and Louis XII used this feudal fortress as a prison for their enemies. This way, this building can be seen as one which had strong incidence within the history of France.

Another very important construction located within the area of Loches is the Royal Home. Most of the Royal Home was built during the XV century, although another part of it was not built until one century later. This construction shows a unique combination of architectural elements from the Renaissance mixed with elements from the medieval époque, and within its interior some Gothic ornaments can be observed as well.

Saint Bear Church is another interesting Loches’ building. This church is located near the Fortress and both these buildings share one same rock foundations. The Saint Bear Church was originally built during the V century as an oratory. Later, the building was extended and became a monastery. This church’s architecture is very beautiful and shows an incredible mixture of different styles, mixing elements from many different époques between the V century and the XV century.

Besides the above mentioned important buildings, Loches and its surroundings have many other different historical constructions and beautiful buildings from several antique époques. Among these constructions there are many interesting monuments, such as, for example, the Cordeliers’ Door. The Cordelier’s Door is recognized as the city’s Main Door and is one of the main spots visitors should make sure of meeting while being in Loches.

Traveling can provide some of the greatest experiences of your life; however it can also be pretty scary if general travel safety is not followed. Before traveling everyone involved in the trip should review safety suggestions and mentally prepare themselves for different situations as well as prepare for emergencies that might crop up. The following tips will help you prepare yourself before you begin traveling and save time in case an emergency occurs.

Safety Tip #1 Photos Always pack recent photos of everyone on the trip in case of kidnapping or disappearance. This way you can easily provide local authorities with an immediate photo rather than waiting for some to arrive from home, which could waste precious time.

Safety Tip #2 Clothing Always make a mental note what everyone on the trip is wearing each day. This is needed information in the event of a disappearance or kidnapping. Also, bright clothes should be avoided as well as expensive jewelry because these simply draw attention to you and increase your risk for attack, kidnapping, or theft. Blending in with the crowd is more desirable when traveling than sticking out.

Safety Tip #3 Allergies Remember to make note of any allergies individuals on the vacation might have. When traveling people easily encounter many foods they are not accustomed to and might easily have an allergic reaction. Different supplies should also be on hand like Benadryl or Epipens if necessary. Also, insurance cards should be carried on vacation and kept in a secure place in case medical attention is needed.

Safety Tip #5 Travel Itinerary Regardless of whether you are traveling by plane, train or automobile you should provide a relative or friend with a travel itinerary including hotels and general plans for each day. This may seem like a hassle, however if you are lost or missing it is important for family members to have an idea of where to start looking for you.

Safety Tip #6 Credit Cards Make sure you have all the information in your wallet noted on another sheet of paper, perhaps saved as an email in your inbox that is easily accessible. This should include names of all credit and bank cards with their phone numbers as well as any other cards or personal information you might need to cancel in the event your wallet is lost or stolen.

Remember, there are plenty of other safety guidelines like buckling up, washing your hands, and looking both ways before crossing the street that should always be followed when traveling as well as the above mentioned safety tips. The best way to make your vacation successful is to be as prepared as possible in case something goes wrong. Safety should always be the number one priority when traveling.

The Do’s and Don’ts of City Breaks

Autumn and early winter is a great time of year to go away for a quick short break. The long months between the summer and Christmas period can be depressing at the best of times – getting away for a few days to an exciting new city can be a great way of lifting the spirits. However, condensing a holiday into a short city break can be a fine art as you only have two days to get things right! Here are some do’s and don’ts the will help ensure a great time is had by all.

Do’s

1. Get to the airport as soon as possible

If you are rushing to get to the airport or even worse miss your flight it is going to get your city break off to the worst possible start. Try to start as you mean to go on – in relaxed fashion. By getting to the airport early you can check in and enjoy a nice drink at the bar, it certainly beats falling into your seat pouring with sweat after a frantic sprint across the departure lounge.

2. Book your hotel in advance

There is a school of thought that suggests you should wait until you reach your destination before you pick a hotel. By getting there first you can get a feel for a city and then pick your hotel in an area you like. People who do this also probably still believe in Santa. While over planning your short break is definitely a faux pas – basic organisation such as booking your hotel in advance is just common sense. Who would want to spend half there holiday walking around a city with all your luggage trying to find a room? Clicking a mouse is a lot easier and sites such as http://www.superbreak.com have a wide choice of hotels around Europe.

3. Learn some language basics

If you are visiting a foreign country for a couple of days it is always worthwhile to learn some basic words in the local language. Locals won’t expect you to be fluent but making that little bit of effort goes a long way and in cities such as Paris you are not always guaranteed to find people who can speak English.

4. Check for local holidays

Its always worth looking into whether there is a local holiday on at your destination of choice. If there is visiting popular tourist attractions could quickly become difficult with long queues and crowded atmospheres the order of the day. When going to theme parks especially, it is worth looking into local school holidays etc…

Don’ts

1. Over plan

A certain amount of planning is crucial to the success of every trip, but leave yourself some room for pleasant surprises and the opportunity to be spontaneous. If you are visiting a city such as Paris or Rome you almost don’t need to plan ahead your daily activities, simply walking the streets and exploring whatever takes your fancy is an experience in itself. If you find something that you really want to do but didn’t include it in your original plans – just do it! The main goal of a city break is to have fun and enjoy yourself, don’t let rigid plans get in the way.

2. Over pack

Speaking from the point of view of a harassed boyfriend who usually has to carry everything – don’t over pack! You are only away for two days, you don’t need seven pairs of shoes! Having to carry around a heavy bag either around an airport or when you are sightseeing can put a real dampener on any trip. The idea behind short breaks is that they are quick, easy and stress free. Unless you have a trail of servants following you (like my girlfriend?!) leave the big bags at home.

3. Leave your baggage without a label

This is a simple one but it is amazing how often people forget. When you check in your baggage to the airport, always make sure it has been correctly labelled to maximise your chances of getting it back should something go wrong. Losing your bag for two days on a two week holiday is inconvenient – losing it for two days on a weekend break is a nightmare.

4. Go straight back to work

City breaks are great fun but they can leave you quite tired. Catching flights, 2 nights of wining and dining and walking around the various attractions can leave you quite physically drained. If you are catching a flight back late on the Sunday night, try and ensure you have booked the Monday off work too. Knowing that you have a day to relax when you get home will let you unwind a lot better on your actual holiday.

Ed had a wonderful sense of humor, which came through in a few places of his creation. For instance, around the dining table, there are four stone chairs. Three are very comfortable, but the third is deliberately unbalanced and uncomfortable. Ed said that the three comfortable chairs were reserved for Ed, “Sweet Sixteen” and their child. The uncomfortable chair was placed behind Ed’s chair and was reserved for his mother-in-law when she visited. Ed assumed that she would become very uncomfortable, hopefully take a hint, and not stay very long.

I can already see all of the married men who are reading this heading to their shops to make an uncomfortable chair before the holidays

Another interesting thing is that the stone rocking chairs at Coral Castle have angled bottoms, not rounded as you would normally see. And yet they still rock as easily as their rounded cousins. Ed said that he balanced them on their “center of gravity”.

Ed continued to work on his castle almost to completion, until 1936. Then for reasons known only to him, he began the tedious job of moving the entire castle 10 miles to a new location at Homestead, Florida where it stands to this day.

Some who knew Ed say that he had heard rumors of a subdivision that was to be developed too close to the castle and this is why he moved.

Others believe that the move was somehow the result of a brutal attack that almost resulted in Ed’s death. Some thugs caught Ed in his castle one night and beat him within an inch of his life. No one knows the motivation of the attack. There is speculation that perhaps they were trying to pry Ed’s secrets from him. Others speculate that it was government related. Whatever the reason, after this event, Ed moved his castle.

Ed hired a local guy who owned an old truck and a heavy-duty trailer that would handle the huge stones. Ed always instructed the gentleman to leave the trailer and come back later. By the time the gentleman returned, Ed would have the trailer loaded with the heavy stones he wanted to transport.

Ed never allowed anyone to watch him work and he had an eerie sixth-sense when anyone tried. He would immediately stop working until they left. However, Ed seemed not to care if children were sometimes present. It is surmised that Ed felt no one would believe them anyway. It has been reported that one night some children witnessed Ed “floating stones like hydrogen balloons”. Sounds pretty silly, especially when it’s coming from a bunch of kids, right? Perhaps that makes Ed’s point.

There are a couple of credible accounts of adults witnessing strange occurrences as Ed worked. The man whom Ed hired to move the stones with his truck stated that he had forgotten his lunch box one morning and went back to the castle to get it. He had only been gone for a half-hour and when he arrived Ed already had several of the monolithic stones stacked on the rails of the trailer like cordwood. He never saw how Ed loaded them, just that Ed had absolutely no heavy machinery that should have been necessary to manipulate such heavy stones; especially that fast.

Another story stated that Ed was seen singing to the stone with his hands placed on it. Oddly enough, legend has it that the “magician” Merlin moved the Stonehenge stones by singing to them. Take what you will from this.

Coral stone weighs approximately 125 pounds per cubic foot. The largest hoist Ed had at Coral Castle was a 10-ton hoist, which was mounted on a set of three stationary telephone poles mounted together in a teepee fashion. As stated before, several of the stones at Coral Castle are much heavier than 10 tons. Even if Ed somehow hoisted the stones from the quarry with this hoist, two big questions still remain. How did he actually (and single-handedly) move the stones laterally to the building site and position them? And, how did he cut the stones from the quarry… especially, underneath?

Some people suggest that Ed quarried around the stones to the depth he wanted, and then exerted so much upward pressure with his hoist that the individual stones “popped” away from the parent quarry rock. However, this cannot be confirmed. Plus, the pressure needed to “pop” the stone out would most likely have been more than the hoist could have provided. Also, note that there are no chisel marks on the stones at Coral Castle. They are completely smooth.

When anyone asked Ed how he cut and moved the huge stones, Ed would state that he knew the secrets of the master stone cutters of Egypt, Peru, the Yucatan, etc. He also said that he understood the laws of weight and leverage. Ed actually wrote and published a small booklet on magnetism, which is believed to have something to do with Ed’s ability, but it is too difficult for most to comprehend.

Another interesting tidbit of information is the timeframe in which Ed completed this engineering marvel. The Taj Mahal was constructed over a twenty year period with the labor of several thousand slaves. Ed single-handedly built Coral Castle over a period of twenty eight years (and this includes three years moving it from Florida City to Homestead). There is no other event known in the history of the world where one person single-handedly built this large of a stone structure.

Edward Leedskalnin was indeed a unique individual.

More fascinating things about Ed will be revealed next time…

Sunday, March 13, 2005

So I am cheating a little, I am already back in Toronto, writing this little summary of the second half of our trip to Quebec. While we didn’t ski on Wednesday because it was too friggen cold, we did have a beautiful day of sunshine on Thursday, albeit a little on the cool side (about minus 15 Celsius…).

Well, it was certainly a perfect day to go skiing on Thursday and we chose to go to Jay Peak in Vermont, just south of the Quebec border. It took us about an hour to drive to Jay Peak from Magog and getting through the US border was very quick. And the US border officials were very friendly and even cracked some jokes with us.

Jay Peak is the largest ski resort in the area. We had skied Mount Orford (1770 feet vertical drop), Owl’s Head (1770 feet vertical drop as well) earlier in the week, but Jay Peak clocks in at 2153 feet in vertical drop. It feels like a real mountain, with the rocky outcrop on the highest peak and an aerial tram (or gondola) that ferries skiers up to the highest point.

But we did notice Jay Peak was a fair bit pricier than the ski resorts in Quebec. We had paid Can$34 for a half day at Orford, Can$15 (!) at Owl’s Head (the Tuesday and Wednesday full-day special, regular half-day rates are Can$26). Jay Peak came in at US$42 for a half day or US$56 for a full day. Good thing was they were willing to accept Canadian dollars at par as long as we paid in cash, but even so the price differential was substantial.

On the other hand, Jay Peak offers by far the highest elevation as well as the largest number of runs with 75 trails. We had a great day at Jay, we truly enjoyed all the blue and single black diamond runs although we are not daring to touch the double black diamond runs yet. It was a fabulous day and we had a gorgeous view over the Appalachian mountains set against a brilliant blue sky.

Friday morning was the second time we saw sun and I decided to drive to Sherbrooke and do a little photo safari. Sherbrooke is a rather picturesque city of about 100,000 people or so and it has a beautiful cathedral, city hall and various other rather amazing architectural jewels. Driving back on Highway 10 I came over a hill and at one point I was able to see all 3 major ski mountains (Mt. Orford, Owl’s Nest and Jay Peak) at the same time, even though the latter two were about 30 or even 50 kilometers away. That panorama was amazing.

Of course the snow drifted back in in the afternoon and rather than to go skiing we decided to play a late afternoon game of tennis at the Centre Sportif de Memphremagog. In the evening we had a beautiful dinner at a great little Italian spot on the main street of Magog: “La Piazetta” where we both had one of the best meals in a long time.

Despite my self-professed bent of adventure, I am admittedly a culinary wuss and on Friday I decided to be daring and order escargot (okay, snails) with garlic, camembert and basil. It was truly one of the must succulently delicious meals I ever had, despite ingesting a slightly chewy rendition of mollusks.

Saturday we got our stuff ready and started the drive home, naturally surrounded by snowfall, as we had experienced most of the week. Funny enough, just after the Quebec/Ontario border the clouds started to clear up and we had a clear blue sky all the way home. It took us 7 hours door to door and 657 kilometers. And it was worth every minute. This was a really nice, relaxing vacation.

When Ben was at work he just was not happy with himself. All Ben did was travel around the country and assess the damages of car wrecks. He would go to the really bad wrecks to see what had happened and to see if the car and its components caused the problem, or if it was caused by operator error. The big part of the job was to calculate all the problems with a car. They would take the amount of accidents and amount of people that got hurt in the accident, and compare it to the amount of thing that went wrong with the car or the car parts. It reached a certain number then they would decide to have a recall. Now, a recall for a car company can cost millions and millions of dollars. So they didn’t like that. Ben traveled all around the country, and met lots of people. Occasionally, someone would ask him what he did. So Ben would tell them, and the look on their faces was priceless. The people were terrified knowing that the car that they are driving might have a major problem with it, but the company did not put a recall on it because not enough people have died for the defect. Then lots of them would ask what the name of the car company was. They really felt that they needed to know if the car they were driving might be one of the broken ones. All Ben would reply with is “a major one.”

If you’ve been shopping for cheap flights online, you have encountered hundreds if not thousands of sites selling airfares. These sites are made of Mega Online agencies, Airlines, Online Airfares Specialists, Traditional Brick and Mortar (B&M) Travel agencies. Not only does this present a huge pool of resource to wad through it is compounded by the fact that there are international versions of each of these sources to find cheap international flights.

What is the best way to find a cheap international flight? First it is helpful to understand how the market for international fares works. Official “published” international airfares are largely governed by IATA (www.iata.org), a body of all major international air carriers belong to. IATA regulations forbid the direct discounting of tickets directly to passengers. IATA prices are set at high levels and results in all airlines selling at this exact same high price for international flights.

IATA prices are the most common and readily available airfare prices to all online and B&M Travel Agencies. This is the reason why you sometimes see many online travel agencies that have not only the same price for an airline, but also different airlines all having the same price for the selected flight itinerary.

If every company has the same price for flights because of IATA, how do I find a cheap international flight? International airlines have a way to get around the IATA rule against discounting airfares. IATA allows its members to offer companies known as Consolidators, airfares at a significant discount and then it looks the other way when the resellers pass some of the savings on to passengers. By selling excess capacity at reduced prices to consolidators, an airline can sell tickets that otherwise might not be sold. Consolidators then resell these tickets to some online and B&M Travel Agencies. This results in savings that can be passed on to you for cheap international flights.

Why Don’t Airlines Provide These Cheap Fares to All Travel Agencies Instead of Only to Consolidators? Consolidators are companies that buy large quantities of tickets from the major airlines at bulk prices and resell them at attractive discounts. The airlines deal with a very few number of consolidators compared to the number of online and B&M Travel Agencies. Particularly on international flights, consolidator fares are generally the best discounted airfares available.

Now that I understand how the market for consolidator fares for cheap international flights work how do I find them? Many online sites for cheap flights do not offer consolidator airfares. The main reason it is extremely complex technology to include consolidator airfares in their online booking engines. Also, many B&M Travel Agencies do not even search for consolidator fares when you contact them about looking for international airfare. In 2004 only 4% of online booking engines contained consolidator airfares. Therefore you must find these sites by searching for key words which describe consolidator airfares such as “consolidator, bulk, net and negotiated” fares.

I have found an online site that sells consolidator airfares for cheap flights, I done my search now? The simple answer is No. Firstly, like any business online or B&M Travel agencies need to make a profit. They first purchase the ticket from the wholesale consolidator and then mark up the price to you for their profit. Different agencies charge different mark ups which can vary by hundreds of dollars. Therefore, you should shop around for the best fares because once you find consolidator fares, different companies will have different mark ups for the exact same flight.

Consolidator fares will save you between 10 to 70% on international flights and therefore it is one of the best ways to save money when you travel.

When you are moving and have to hire movers, it’s cheaper to fill the entire truck, right? Wrong. The cost per 100 lbs. decreases, yes, but you have more of these 100 lbs. to multiply. Even if you get a uhaul and move it yourself, filling up the truck with useless items will cost more gas money. Storage for non-essential items for moving later can end up costing more than the items are worth.

Moving can end up being very costly. Here are some tips and practical considerations for your move.

Organization: Set aside an area in the garage where every family member can put things they no longer want. Have another pile for items that are “maybe keepers”. It’s hard to cull our possessions. Have the family as a whole help decide on what to keep in the “maybe” pile. Sell the rest at a garage sale and call the Salvation Army or local charity and donate the rest. Either they’ll send in a truck, or worst case, you’ll have to take it to them, but you might qualify for a tax right off.

Alcohol: Can’t transport it across state lines. Get rid of it.

Appliances: Sometimes taking your fridge, washer and dryer with you can cost you more than they are worth. These items are large and heavy and could add $100 to $200 to your move per appliance. If you are selling your house, you might be able to work the new owners a sweet deal, otherwise place an ad in the paper and get rid of them. Get new or used ones at your new location and you’ll be money ahead.

Books: Use the post office. Seriously. The book rate is around $20 per 100 pounds. Compare that with your mover’s rate.

Tools: Cull your tool collection and if you are driving or renting a uhaul, take them in the car or truck with you. Tools are heavy. Besides, they’ll come in handy at the new location and you won’t have to wait for the movers to unpack everything to find them. And if you are taking a uhaul, be sure to load them last so the tools will be the first to unload.

Furniture: Take what you need and want; just make sure it will all fit. No point in moving it to find out it won’t fit in the new place and you’ll just have to rent a storage unit or sell it. Try to do a layout of your new house and place in the furniture. Do the math to see if it will all fit. You’ll be glad you did.

Piano: Be prepared to pay for special handling when moving a piano or organ. You do not want to put a piano in storage. Sell it or take it.

Pool Table: Do you still use it? You know the slate will have to be removed and the table will have to be leveled at your new location. Be sure you crate (with wood) the slate for travel. Prepare for additional moving expense.

Valuables: Do not ship your valuables. If you must, you could ship them to yourself, but use adequate insurance and don’t ship anything that can’t be replaced.

Storage Shed: If you have one, you’ll probably decide to leave most of these storage items or get rid of them. There’s no point in moving them from storage at one house to storage at the other. It’ll just take up more room in the uhaul.

Items not to move:

Alcohol – See above Flammables – including any kind of aerosol can. Items like deodorant, hairspray, spray paint, etc. Firewood or lumber Food (eat it all, don’t ship it) Clothing – update your wardrobe and cull out for the garage sale Magazines – If you must, cut out recipes or tear out articles you haven’t had time to read, but don’t take the whole magazine.

Storage is an option but eventually you’ll still have to move everything. I hope this article helps you get realistic with the items you need for moving.