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Aigues Mortes in the Camargue region of France is a perfectly preserved medieval walled city which has changed little since the Middle Ages and is surrounded by fields, canals and saltpans. It originated in the early thirteenth century when King Louis IX wanted his own royal port on the Mediterranean as all the ports on the south cost of France were owned by the Germanic King of Aragon and the Pope. He therefore brought a deserted piece of marshland about two kilometers from the sea and subsequently fortified the site and developed a port with the name Aigues Mortes derived from the Latin Aquae Mortuae meaning dead waters.

Early settlers here lived from fishing and salt farming. Often labouring in miserable conditions in the heart of a labyrinth of saltwater ponds, murky marshes, dunes and pine groves. They did find a different use for the salt during the fifteenth century when Aigues-Mortes was attacked and occupied by a force of Burgundians. When the town was retaken and the Burgundians killed the townspeople had to dispose of a mountain of bodies. To ward off disease the corpses were piled on top of one another to form a tower and covered with salt. The tower has since been called the Burgundians Tower.

Aigues-Mortes became a thriving sea port, but as rival ports came about and access to the sea was eventually blocked the trade decreased and people moved away. The town stagnated but was maintained as a fortified city for coastal defense. Since there was nothing to attract people there during that time it has remained as a virtually in tact thirteenth century fortified town which is a fascinating place to stay in or visit.

The Place St Louis is a sunny square in the centre of the town full of restaurants and with the Lady of the Sands Church which was one of the first buildings constructed in Aigues Mortes with its main altar originating from Psalmody Abbey. L’Hotel de Ville is also here and is a fine example of a typical seventeenth century town hall. There are also two seventeenth century churches which are worth visiting: the Chapel of the Grey Penitents has a striking altarpiece and the Chapel of the White Penitents has a number of very interesting large eighteenth century paintings.

Offering plenty to see and do, there are flea and antique markets held on Saturday mornings during the summer months and general markets selling fresh produce and local crafts on Wednesday and Sunday mornings all year round

A selection of the many festivals here include the “Pecheurs des Cris” which is a circus street theatre performing during the spring and summer. The “Nuits” and the festival of of Saint Louis take place in August , and finally the town holds its fete at the beginning of October.

Gary Ingram is co-owner of The Languedoc Holiday Guide which is an in depth tourist guide to the Languedoc area of South Western France.

Summer brings with it a lot of wonderful experiences; the sound of crickets at night, trips to the beach, the smell of freshly cut grass in the morning, and in the suburbs of America it brings block parties. It’s a time when children can ride their bicycles in the middle of the street without care, a game of catch football can go on uninterrupted and neighbors can evolve from the passing of polite hellos into the sharing of warm conversations.

The first step in throwing a block party is checking with your neighbors to see how many people would be interested in participating. Consult with your local town officials to investigate issues like permits and the use of barricades to block off the street. Each house is free to invite their own guests, set up their own tables and cook their own food. The real attractions, what makes each block party unique, comes from the mutual and diverse forms of entertainment that can be provided.

If a budget is established, the balance can be divided up between the participating houses. Pony rides or a mobile petting zoo are always great ideas for kids. Investigate different inflatable jumping structures for the children. Also, consider hiring a DJ for the evening- think about entertainment for the adults as well.

A fun idea is to organize a treasure hunt. Participants can organize themselves into teams of 4-6 people each. They will be given a list of hard to find items but must locate them without leaving the block. After a time limit of one hour, the team to get the most items wins. What about a water balloon fight? Children and adults like would love to participate in this kind of warfare. Supply plenty of water balloons and water guns. Look into renting water balloon slingshots. Each one can be placed at opposite sides of the street for an all out water war.

Mrs. Party… Gail Leino is the internet’s leading authority on selecting the best possible party supplies, using proper etiquette and manners while also teaching organizational skills and fun facts. Free Party Games to help complete your block party.

With the holidays quickly approaching, it is time to start trying to think of creative gift ideas. If you are looking for Christmas gifts for him, here’s the right approach.

Christmas Gifts – What to Get

As the holidays approach, we are all subjected to a frustrating phenomenon. What the heck should I get for my brother, dad, husband, etc.? We each arrive at the answer differently, but it usually comes in one of the following forms.

1. You see something while browsing a web site or moving with the herds at the mall,

2. You identify a person’s passion and then try to find something related to it, or

3. You buy them a sweater.

I have lots of sweaters. I live in San Diego. A cold day in San Diego is 70 degrees. I do not need more sweaters! Undoubtedly, many men have the same views on this subject. Don’t even mention ties, underwear or socks!

A Better Way

The best method for coming up with gift ideas is to think about what the person likes to do and then find something in that niche. If they like to go fishing, buy them something fishing-related. Yes, another sweater would keep them warm, but I’m willing to bet they already have a pile in the closet threatening to fall like an avalanche from the top shelf.

If you’re looking for Christmas gifts for him, consider his passion. By “him”, I mean husbands, brothers, dads, friends, postman and anyone of the male gender. What is his passion? Try to keep in mind it is not your passion or what you think his passion SHOULD be.

Let’s assume he likes to go fishing on the weekends. His eyes will light up if he opens a present and finds a fishing-related gift. No, a “fishing” sweater doesn’t count. Instead, you should consider things like fishing poles, apparel, hooks or even a chartered tour if you really want to go crazy. At NomadJournals.com, we offer outdoor activity journals for fishing, hiking, camping, traveling and so on to let him keep track of his trips and catches. Regardless, the point is you should give him something related to his passion.

Nearly every man has an outdoor passion whether it is fishing, camping, bird watching, rock climbing or whatever. Get them a gift related to their outdoor passion and you’ll be a successful gift giver. Do so and you’ll even be forgiven for getting them a sweater.

Well, maybe.

Rick Chapo is with www.nomadjournals.com – makers of writing journals. Outdoor activity journals make great Christmas gifts for him or her. Visit www.nomadjournals.com/journals.cfm to see journals for fly fishing, hiking, camping, bird watching, travel and more.

The shortest month of February perhaps brings the greatest moments of joy and celebration for every couple across the globe. This is because of the fted occasion of Valentines Day that falls on the 14th of this month. Valentines Day or the day of saint valentines is the day of love and affection. Love is in the air on this day when lovers verbalize the language of their heart and make each other feel thou preciousness.

Just like there is a story or a reason behind every celebration, there are tales associated with the Valentines Day too. Every year 14th February is cheered with exchange of loads of gifts and feelings. But according to a story actually it is the day when a devotee of love sacrificed his life for this most beautiful feeling which is yet the cause of humanity on earth.

Thousands of years ago in 3rd century B.C there was a saint, Valentine, in Rome. He was a priest in the kingdom of Saint Claudius II. One fine day the king realized that married men do not turn out to be proficient soldiers for family bonds and relationships weaken them. So in order to have good quality soldiers and a strong military force he outlawed marriage for young men.

But saint Valentine who had throughout his life materialized the feeling of love by tying nuptial bonds opposed the king’s instructions. He went against his orders and continued coordinating marriages clandestinely. But soon emperor Claudius II got information about it. Consequently he decided to punish saint Valentine by putting him to death on 14th February.

From that day onwards 14th February is memorized as the day that marks eternality of the bond of love and the spirits of all the true lovers.

But this is not the only fable hanging behind Valentines Day. According to another famous one, Valentine was a captive who did fall in love with his jailor’s daughter. On the day when Valentine was taken to persecution he wrote and left a letter for his girlfriend. That day was 14th February and the love letter had the sign underneath as “Your Valentine”.

Thus this day came to be recognized and celebrated as the Valentines Day. It commenced the tradition of exchange of love letters and other instruments to express one’s feelings of affection.

Though it is very difficult to know the true identity of the man Valentine, it is for sure that he was an idol of love who died but proved that the flame of love can never be extinguished. Love always stands unbeaten and victorious despite of countless attempts made by people to trounce it and this is the primary cause to rejoice the Valentines Day.

Mansi aggarwal writes about send valentine’s day flowers. Learn more http://www.sendflowersto.com/valentines.php

What do you get for the man who has always been there for you? You want it to be something special, something he hasn’t gotten before, something that he will cherish. It cannot be the tired old gift of after shave lotion or soap on a rope. Not this year!

To start your idea list, think about the things you used to do or still do together. Think about the “firsts” he added to your life; the first baseball game, the first boat ride, how he helped you get your balance on your first bike, how he showed you it was fun to play the piano, your first hunting or fishing trip. Make a list of the things he does now or things you’ve heard him talk about doing but has never done. Somewhere in this list is the perfect gift for the man who has been your Father all these years.

1. For the sailing dad, get him a hand carved scaled model of the winning sailing boat of the America’s cup to proudly display in his office or den.

2. If he still has his grandfather’s pocket watch, get him a leather covered case to display it.

3. If your retired Dad spends a lot of his time traveling in his RV, get him a pair of moccasins made from moose hide. They are comfortable and have extra grip soles for his safety.

4. If he collects small model cars or trains, get a display cabinet that will hold and show off his treasures.

5. If he rides the subway, get him cufflinks with the subway token in display.

6. For the man who showed you how to wish on the moon, give him an acre of Lunar Real Estate. He will get a certificate in the mail.

7. If he showed you the constellations, get him a telescope so he can easily gaze at the stars.

8. If his hands are always busy working on the computer keyboard, give him a squeezable ball to help relieve tension and work different muscles. They come in all sizes now from the baseball to huge ones that will work his shoulder muscles.

9. Did your Dad use to take you quail hunting? Give him a gourmet meal of roasted quail. They come vacuum sealed with all the juices.

10. You can also find a silver plated mouse for his computer and have his initials engraved on it.

Adriana Copaceanu provides people with creative gift ideas that don’t blow the bank. If you are looking for

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Okay you’ve a pair of skis and desire to find an adventure. Do you want to find an exciting area that no one is flocking for their ski holidays? Do you wish to be able to babble not just about the extraordinary runs but likewise the trip your group had traveling to the resort? Below are 2 adventure, novel, new, different, exciting} locations for skiing.

Superbagneres is one of those mountains. It’s one of the tallest ski resorts in in the alps, and owing to the elevation one can telemark there year-around. The upper heights stay snow capped year-around and afford year round telemarking adventure. The runs are amongst the hottest in France and it is no surprise that the mountain is a skiing escapade.

Val Cenis is the last adrenaline skiing area. In the most southern inhabited location in the world wintertimes are freezing and snows are big. The consequence are snow covered mountain tops which reach all the way to the sea. What nicer place to enjoy snowboarding. With many great skiing mountains, you are rarely faraway from the slopes. When you look south while skiing you are seeing the whole way to the ocean. It really is the best snowboarding place.

Alcatraz Island was declared a military reservation in 1850 and troops were permanently stationed by 1859. For almost eighty years Alcatraz Island was the site of the first fortress and military prison on the west coast. The United States Disciplinary Barracks on Alcatraz were acquired by the United States Department of Justice on October 12, 1933. Soon, it became a federal penitentiary on January 1, 1934.

Alcatraz was also the first long-term Army prison. The first prisoners to be brought in to Alcatraz were Civil War and Spanish American War Prisoners during the 1800s. With the number of inmates increasing everyday, the prison structure was also extended and renovated. By the 1920s, the three-story building was almost at full capacity.

Due to its isolated location and the freezing San Francisco Bay waters, the authorities considered Alcatraz as an ideal place for holding dangerous prisoners. Criminals like George “Machine Gun” Kelly, Robert Franklin Stroud, Alvin Karpis, Henry Young and Al Capone are some of the most famous inmates to claim residence on Alcatraz.

Alcatraz operated for a full 29 years and during that time, there had been no known case of any successful escape attempts. Most escapees were shot dead or presumed drowned in the San Francisco Bay waters. In 1962, three prisoners – Clarens Anglin, his brother John and Frank Morris – disappeared from the premises and were never found. But nobody knows if they ever reached the shore.

On March 21, 1963, when the prison was closed, Alcatraz had already accommodated 1033 prisoners. From November 1969 until June 1971, the American Indians inhabited the island. Since October 1972, Alcatraz has become a historic site and part of the “Golden Gate National Recreation Area” – supervised by the National Park Service, which is now open to tours.

Alcatraz provides detailed information about Alcatraz, Alcatraz Ferries, Alcatraz History, and more. Alcatraz is affiliated with Timeshare.

Tanzania is the focus of this short report on the new wave in cultural tourism. Tanzania has something to offer everyone; many attractions have become a magnet for tourists. Kenya seems to running a poor second to Tanzania over the past two years. Tanzania is a peaceful paradise for the tourist, boasting no tribalism and a nation where hospitality is a tradition. Truly the Tanzanian culture is gentle and peace loving; welcoming visitors into their country and homes.

Many claims are made over destinations around the world being safe and friendly; however, I believe Tanzania is unique in Africa in being precisely what is claimed; a peace loving welcoming culture; a jewel in the crown of Africa.

The new wave in cultural tours has begin in Arusha – the north of the country. Here, many tourists want to see more than the animals. The culture and the people are the destination; they are what make Tanzania so special. Not the plastic, dull, staged cultural experience offered in a lukewarm attempt to get more business; but a true experience of life in Tanzania.

The ideal way to experience this is to spend a few days in a Town or village; away from the hotels. To stay in a Tanzania or an Ex-pat home and spend some time getting to know how life works in Tanzania. Many people are starting to do this and then from this home-stay base organizing a safari. To coordinate a safari from Arusha yourself is cheaper, safer and offers more flexibility. More time can be spent in Tanzania and at a relatively low cost.

If you have some time to take a long break then this is a great way to learn and understand another culture. There are a few organizations that are beginning to offer this help. Community focused organizations and even a few tour operators will offer these services.

Responsible tourism should be a two way learning experience. You the tourist will learn about the culture [and much about yourself] and the culture you visit will benefit from your interaction. Friendships and bonds can reach far into the future. An American friend of mine visited the Usambara Mountains before her safari in 2001. This visit affected her so much she has returned to us after four years to come and live and work in Tanzania. She is busy organizing the building and staffing of a primary school.

This is an extreme case and certainly not the norm, however, to experience a genuine cultural safari then the home stay is the way to go. Other benefits of the home-stay will be to give you chance to organize a safari from within Tanzania at a cheaper rate than you would get from organizing it from outside the country. I would urge you to consider this as a way of getting to know Tanzania, being able to afford an extended time here and also helping in the communities of Northern Tanzania.

For more information on Tanzania Culture look at http://www.tanzania-info.co.uk and for safaris look at http://www.betheladventure.co.uk – Support responsible tourism and change lives.

There are so many things to do and places to go in Door County that it is hard to pick what to do. There never seems to be enough time to do everything. There’s boating, golfing, a nature center, several parks, biking, hiking, shopping, eating (one of my favorite things to do!), and a host of other things to do and see in Door County. Because I enjoy Door County so much I wanted to share some of my activities and experiences there. One of those was a visit to Lautenbach’s Orchard Country Winery and Market.

If you like wine, a really fun thing to do is to visit several of the wineries in Door County (Door Peninsula Winery is another popular Door County Winery). Orchard Winery, located on Hwy 42, just south of Fish Creek, Wisconsin was one of our stops during a fall trip to Door County.

In addition to a winery and fresh Door County cherries (when in season), the main market building on the grounds offers many different specialty food items as well as fresh baked pies. Also offered are scenic trolley tours of the area and tours of the winery. Other seasonal activities at the orchard include horse drawn sleigh rides, haunted hayrides, and a winter wine fest.

When my husband, my oldest grown son, and I stopped at the winery it was later in the afternoon in the middle of the week. The last winery tour for the day had already ended. We were disappointed to have missed out on the tour, but instead we headed to the wine tasting bar in the main building. At the tasting bar we were given a list of all the wines offered by the winery. There are over 30. Complimentary tasting of up to 8 wines is offered to all patrons over 21 years of age.

After mulling over the choices for a few minutes we started sipping wines. The winery specializes in fruit wines, particularly cherry, because of the great cherry growing climate in Door County. They also offer one homegrown grape wine made with red grapes grown on the winery grounds, a wine named Audrey Grace. It is a dry wine, a new offering from the winery. The grapevines were planted just a few years ago to see how they would perform in the cool, short growing season of Door County.

Although the winery specializes in fruit wines, they have other offerings made with various grapes, but those wines are not made on the premises because those fruits are not native to the area. Some of the other wines are made on the premises but with juice bought just for that purpose. For instance, our hostess at the wine bar told us the juice for their semi dry wine called Swedish Lingonberry is imported from Sweden.

Other wines that we tasted and really enjoyed were the Autumn Harvest wine, a cranberry apple wine; Sweet Cherry wine, a nicely sweet wine made with Door County cherries; Strawberry Lyte, not a diet wine but a delicious lighter-tasting wine; Blackberry Blend, a very good wine that tasted like sweet blackberries; and Red Raspberry Lyte, another lighter-tasting wine that’s a combination of white grapes and raspberries.

We were told the top selling wine at the winery is the Blackberry Blend. The number two seller is the Red Raspberry Lyte. The winery’s best-selling cherry wine is their Cherry Blossom wine.

After tasting several wines we headed over to the bottled wine section of the store and stocked up on our favorites. Back home, we’ll be able to enjoy the wine and reminisce about our trip to Door County.

Dorrie Ruplinger is a featured writer for http://www.doorcountycountry.com Visit the site for more information on Door County Wisconsin including places to eat and places to stay.

What is a simple small act of giving during Christmas that does not cost much can leave behind memories that can last a lifetime to a loved one.

I remembered many years back, when I was a small kid of 10 years, one of my aunt who was a devout christian and who celebrated Christmas gave me a christmas present. It was a big sized book that I could read, on the story of a pirate on the high seas. It gave tremendous joy to me, a small kid at that time. It wouldn’t have cost her more than $10 for it, but her act that day gave me tremendous joy that lasted until this day – a simple act of giving that touched my heart, and which remains cherished. Though this aunt is now living in another foreign land, thousands of miles apart, and there has not been any communication between us for over twenty over years, yet there is this unwavering bond of love that somewhere in this world, there is someone who cared many, many years back, and whom I would desire to want to look her up and visit if there is an opportunity. Indeed, time and distance has not diminished the very memories of her beautiful act of giving that day.

I used to wonder why it is said that it is more blessed to give than to receive. I always felt that receiving something from someone else and keeping it in my pockets was more blessed than to give away.

But then when I think of this little piece of history and personal experience, and recalled the tremendous amount of joy in my heart when I received that story book as a gift, I could remember how my aunt’s face also lit up, and glowed, and she seemed to be to be almost like the wonderful fairy who takes care of everyone on earth, and I am sure she felt blessed, and happy.

Indeed, it is when we give away from ourselves and give to others, such as our loved ones and those in need that we can be blessed in return. A gift is a gift..because we give without expectation of anything in return, but the laws of nature and of this universe dictate that when we give out of love, this love is translated into an energy that cannot be explained, and which will touch lives, and change perceptions, and make the world a better place to live in.

So this Christmas season, pause and think of how we can sow love and give gifts and presents of love to others. Our gifts may not be expensive, but yet they can touch a life when we give off our hearts, and away from ourselves and when we give out of goodwill and love.

Indeed, it is more blessed to give than to receive.

Peter Lim is a Certified Financial Planner and Marketing Strategist. If you are wondering what you can consider as gifts this season, consider some exciting ideas found on the web site ” Christmas Gift Ideas for Your Loved Ones” at www.1best-deals.info/christmas-gift-ideas and the Travel Reward Vouchers at the blog www.insider-niche-marketing.blogspot.com