Saturday, May 29, 2010

Trip to Poland - Useful Tips

Climate
average summer temperature varies between 16.5 degrees and 20 degrees in winter - between -6 degrees and 0 degrees. Average annual air temperature in Poland 7-9 ° C (except for mountain areas). The hottest regional capital cities in Poland in view of the average annual temperatures are: Tarnow, Wroclaw and Slubice.

The average rainfall is 600 mm. / Year (two thirds of the annual rainfall is in summer).
Maximum temperature observed: 40.2 degrees -Proszkow, in 1921
Minimal noticed temperature: -41.0 degrees - Siedlce, in 1940
The highest annual rainfall: 2 770 mm. - in Tatra Mountains, in 2001
The lowest annual rainfall: 275 mm. - in Poznan, 1982.

Embassies
Great majority of the countries have their embassies or consulates in Warsaw and other major cities: Gdansk, Poznan, Krakow, Szczecin and Lodz. Most of the offices are opened only busy days, check the opening hours before going there. The list of embassies can be found at the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Emergency phones
997 - Police
999 - Ambulance
981 - Road Assistance
998 - Fire Brigade

Polish Currency
The polish currency is zloty - (English translation "golden", shortcut PLN).

The paper money are 10, 20, 50, 100 and 200 PLN denominations, the coins are: 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 groszy and: 1, 2, 5 zlotys. In Poland there is wide selection of cash dispensers.

The main conversions in approximation:

1 GBP = 4,5 PLN
1 EUR = 4 PLN
1 USD = 2,8 PLN

Almost all of Polish hotels and businesses accept credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Maestro, American Express, Diners and others).

Language
Polish language belongs to West Slavic languages - a part of the family of Indoeuropean languages. It is estimated that the Polish language is the mother tongue of about 44 million people worldwide, the Poles and Polish citizens - emigrants. However most of people in Poland (particularly youth) speak English, it is advised to buy at least small dictionary to communicate with Polish citizens that do not communicate in English (in shops, railway stations, passer byes etc.)

Visa to Poland
For the citizens of the European Union visas to Poland are not needed.

Citizens of the following countries that can travel to Poland without Visas:

Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, El Salvador, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong (some administrative region), Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao (one region), Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United States of America, Uruguay, Vatican, and Venezuela.

Polish visas are only required for the citizens of Belarus, Ukraine and Russia.

since 2007 Poland belongs to The Shengen territory, in which there is no passport control.

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Are Natural and Organic Skin Care Products Too Expensive?

There is sometimes discussion between consumers on the retail prices of natural and organic products. Some people wonder if They pay a fair price for the products they buy, or are only "joke 'that could be the latest craze for' a natural and organic products. This article hopes to shed light on some of the key factors that retail prices of natural and organic products for spill control.

We are in our daily activities, called the costOur products: Some people want to know, because our products are made with organic ingredients and natural, why so cheap and others wonder why our products are so expensive. Two different questions from two different perspectives of the application.

The first question is prompted by the belief that organic and natural raw materials are often high in price and it is expected that the expensive products in this type of ingredients would be. The other perspective is requiredthe belief that the production of natural and organic ingredients (well, they grew on trees, right? "should be) less than the production of synthetic ingredients or products of mass and products on this basis should cost so cheap.

The first question is probably closer to the truth than the second in its assumptions about the cost of ingredients, natural and organic.

The production of natural and organic food products or raw materials they use to furtherThe production is labor intensive and demand is currently relatively low compared to the mainstream. In addition, organic producers will be achieved through a costly process for organic certification of their products. These three factors are among the primary basis of gross cost of natural and organic products.

In addition to the global economic crisis, the cost of essential oils affect the final price of the natural and organic skin and personal carecare products that contain these ingredients. Growing, harvesting, oil extraction, quality testing, market demand and availability all play roles in this.

Essential oils are extracted from the leaves, roots, flowers, fruits and nuts of plants that may be grown as commercial crops or may be wild-harvested (although the latter occurs less and less frequently today due to conservation concerns). Extraction processes vary according to the part of the plant from which the oil is to be extracted and the quality of the oil required at the end of the process. In keeping with increasing demand for pure and high quality essential oils, extraction methods have become more sophisticated and technology-based on the one hand whilst growing and harvesting techniques have returned to more traditional, sustainable and labour-intensive methods.

For the most part, the amount of plant material required to produce a kilogram of essential oil can be huge. For example, it has been estimated that it takes about 500kg of rose petals to produce 1 litre of rose oil (and individual rose petals don't weigh very much!).

Climatic conditions have a major influence on essential oil prices. For example, a bad season in which there is insufficient rainfall or the occurrence of natural disasters such as storms, hail, floods and fires, can affect the amount of plant material available for harvesting and therefore, the amount of essential oil that can be extracted. In this scenario, a limited amount of essential oil available to the market can cause a dramatic increase in price. Man-made disasters such as wars also have a detrimental effect on the availability of many of our much-loved essential oils.

Australia has a relatively small essential oil producing industry, with most of the essential oils sold in Australia imported from elsewhere. Included in the list of 'elsewhere' is Hungary, China, India, Egypt, West Indies, Thailand, Italy, USA, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, France, Somalia, Madagascar, Spain, Brazil, United Kingdom, Paraguay, Bulgaria and Tunisia. On average, of the most commonly sold essential oils available in Australia, only 16% are produced here.

We won't even bother to factor in costs like import duties and other taxes on the imported essential oils.

Market forces also exert an influence on the cost of essential oils. One of the most useful and sought after essential oils in the perfumery and cosmetics industries is Rose Oil and this of course, increases its demand in the market place. The average cost of 1 kilogram of Certified Organic Rose Otto oil is AU$12,000!!! Amazingly, this is not the most expensive of the essential oils.

It is true that essential oils from plants that grow abundantly, easily and have a high essential oil content are less expensive. However, these are also often the essential oils that are less useful in skin care and body care formulations.

The average price of a 25ml bottle of pure certified organic essential oil is currently AU$72.00, so it can be seen that skin and body care products containing pure certified organic essential oils may have a good excuse to be more expensive than the average mass-produced, synthetic-based Brand X product.

Why then, you may well ask, do manufacturer's put certified organic essential oils into their products? Why not leave the nice aromas out altogether?

The answer is simply that essential oils are not in the products solely for their wonderful aromas. Essential oils have amazing and often profound direct beneficial effects on the skin and hair as well as producing beneficial psychological and psychosomatic effects via their influence on the nervous and hormonal systems.

Natural and organic skin and body care products that contain essential oils are not just exerting a superficial or cosmetic effect on your skin but also have the potential to positively influence your health and well-being, with effects that are definitely more than skin deep.

So, to return to the original question of whether the cost of natural skin care products is too expensive or too inexpensive, it all depends on what's in them and how much of the ingredients a product contains.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Russian Soccer - The Russian National Team

Russian soccer has been played as early as 1887 during the time of Tsars of Russia. The soccer team was formed at the Morozov mill near Moscow. Record shows that there are more local leagues which were organized and mostly coming from Moscow and St. Petersburg.

In 1912, the Football Union of

Russian soccer has been played as early as 1887 during the time of Tsars of Russia. The soccer team was formed at the Morozov mill near Moscow. Record shows that there are more local leagues which were organized and mostly coming from Moscow and St. Petersburg.

In 1912, the Football Union of Russia joined the Olympics however they were defeated by Finland with 2-1 score. But even with their defeat, the Russian players still continues to play soccer and even encourage more athletes to participate which led the growth of the population of soccer players in the country.

Although the Soviets didn't join FIFA in 1946, they were able to officially compete during the 1952 Olympic which they were able to defeat Bulgaria. It was a breakthrough for the Soviet's team and continues on through numerous championship games.

When the Soviet Union had gained its independence, the Russians competed being part of the Confederation of Independent States during the 1992 European Championship. In later years, they competed as the national team of Russia.

Even with the dark clouds of memories of the cold war which affected the success of its athletes, the Russian team managed to uphold its social morals and successfully gained international recognition with their continues wins.

With the national team's hardships and success, they have proved to the world that they are one of the best of professional soccer team. This team aims to continuously strive hard and make their national team stronger and will help build the respect of their nation.

Russia joined the Olympics however they were defeated by Finland with 2-1 score. But even with their defeat, the Russian players still continues to play soccer and even encourage more athletes to participate which led the growth of the population of soccer players in the country.

Although the Soviets didn't join FIFA in 1946, they were able to officially compete during the 1952 Olympic which they were able to defeat Bulgaria. It was a breakthrough for the Soviet's team and continues on through numerous championship games.

When the Soviet Union had gained its independence, the Russians competed being part of the Confederation of Independent States during the 1992 European Championship. In later years, they competed as the national team of Russia.

Even with the dark clouds of memories of the cold war which affected the success of its athletes, the Russian team managed to uphold its social morals and successfully gained international recognition with their continues wins.

With the national team's success, they have proved to the world that they are one of the best of professional soccer team. This team aims to continuously strive hard and make their national team stronger and will help build the respect of their nation.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Sunday, May 23, 2010

The Town of Stansted, Essex

When people think of the city of Stansted, Essex everything really think, is that the airport is. Of course, this is quite right because it is one of the busiest airports in the country, but the city has to offer much more if only scratch the surface a bit '. Like every city, some landmarks of the city that people know them, there's more to it than you think.

First, Stansted is the ideal place from which a trip-basedarea. In fact, it might just be that you have just arrived from some foreign country in order to take a holiday in London but it might well be a good idea to first take a day or two to explore the area to the north. Surrounding the town and some other lovely little towns to visit as well as some great countryside as well.

If you are looking for a bit of history and old architecture to feast your eyes on then Stansted Mountfitchet is a great place to start. This old Norman castle has been since about the eleventh century and then reconstructs a popular tourist destination.

In addition, there are also many museums, you can choose to cancel your thirst for a little 'history. The Aviation Museum is particularly exciting when the story of flight and there are a lot of old equipment from all worlds, appearance and taking some snapshots.

If it's summer and the weather is nice, you can alsosimply enjoy the surrounding countryside areas and take picnic or just relax and wander around the town and do some shopping.

Saturday, May 22, 2010

Overseas Property and the Truth About Renting Your Holiday Home

Overseas property

The excitement of owning an overseas property can turn usually cautious individuals into ones that are prepared to sacrifice their common sense. Risks that they would not entertain in their own country are being made every day by some overseas property buyers. The thought of losing the home of their dreams and confusion about the buying process has some buyers signing contracts in a language they do not even understand. Some are not taking advice from qualified solicitors or other independent professionals. Others throw their complete trust into real estate agents who have a vested interest in selling them a home. They also believe wildly exaggerated forecasts on rental returns to help them feel secure about the purchase of their holiday homes.

The truth about renting

The rental income you can achieve on letting your holiday home is all about location and the type of property. Long term rentals can be heaven sent, having a person willing to rent on a long term basis will reduce the likelyhood of having a bad tenant. It will also serve to reduce your stress in finding new people willing to rent your home. Best of all long term rentals are great for your financial planning. Short term rentals can be higher especially in holiday seasons. The perfect holiday home would be a property that was attractive to both types of tenants. Many city apartments are good examples of this and present a win win situation to the overseas property buyer. Areas in France, Spain and Portugal for example really lend themselves to both rental markets. Recently Bulgaria has attracted overseas property buyers who can let to both summer holidaymakers and to the winter skiing fraternity.

Do your own research act like a tenant

It is important to do your own research when assessing the rental value of a property abroad. Put yourself in the position of a tenant or holidaymaker. Conduct local research matching your requirements to the property you own or intend to buy. Rental markets like house prices have peaks and troughs and will have periods in the year when demand may outstrip supply. Know when these periods occur for your rental property. Holiday homes are particularly vulnerable to off and high peak pricing. You will need to compare like for like to get it just right for your property.

Furnishing your property abroad

Many buyers forget about the cost of buying furniture and do not even consider the local laws regarding furniture, electrical items, fire safety and gas appliance safety. In your own country these areas have strict regulation and it is probably the same in the region you intend to buy. Owners need to know what the exact situation is regarding local regulations to avoid disastrous mistakes.

Have a budget

Owners need to have budget for unexpected costs for repairs and general maintenance. An advertising budget should be set along with a marketing strategy to let your home fast. Good marketing could save you thousands in lost revenue from your overseas property.

Decide when you are going to use your holiday home

Many buyers intend to let the home to holidaymakers and also spend time in the property themselves. This creates a conflict as the best time to visit your holiday home abroad may be the time you can make the most money from your overseas property investment. This will be for you to decide.

Renting a holiday home can be the best thing you ever did. Overseas property buyers are winning not only on owning a holiday home they can use, but also the fact that efficient renting can pay for their investment.

Copyright 2006 Nicholas Marr

Friday, May 21, 2010

Veal Soup - Unusual Yes, Yet Also Flavorful

Veal soup is not one of the most common soup varieties but it is quite popular in some European countries. Veal soup is well loved in Bulgaria, for example. Bulgarian cuisine is a mixture of Turkish, Greek and Slavic cuisines, because of its long history of trade with the countries and its geographical position.

Veal soup recipes date back to the early late nineteenth century. As long as cattle have been domesticated there has been beef and veal. Veal has a softer flavor than beef and there are plenty of veal recipes you can use it in.

A Closer Look at Veal

So, what is veal exactly? Veal is the meat from young cattle, usually male calves because female calves are used for milk production. Only a few male calves are required for breeding purposes so surplus calves are sold for veal meat.

There are various kinds of veal and the calves are classified according to what they have been fed and their age. Milk-fed calves produce a fine-textured, lean, light pink meat. Grain-fed calves are fed milk first and then hay and grain later. This meat is fattier and a darker color. You can get as many as four servings of veal from one pound of veal meat because it does not have much waste.

Recipe for Old Fashioned Veal Soup

This recipe makes enough veal soup to serve four people. The delicious blend of herbs and spices goes amazingly with the flavor of the veal and this is a delicious soup. You can serve this soup at a dinner party and everyone will be impressed with its rich, hearty and perfectly balanced taste.

Veal soup is perhaps something you have not made, or considered making, before. If you like beef you will also like veal and this meat makes an interesting change from the chicken soup recipes you perhaps usually make.

You will need:



2 1/2 lbs lean breast veal
1 leek
2 cups dry white wine
20 black peppercorns
4 tablespoons butter
4 slices orange peel
2 cinnamon sticks
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon mace
Small bunch fresh parsley
4 carrots
2 cups chicken broth
1/8 teaspoon ground rosemary
4 turnips

How to make it:

Cut the meat into 1 1/2 inch cubes, leaving the bones intact. Slice the white part of the leek into thin rings and discard the green part. Cut the carrots and cinnamon into 2 inch lengths. Peel the turnips and cut them into eighths. Add half the butter to a soup pot and brown the veal. Remove the veal with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Brown the turnips, carrots and leeks in the rest of the butter in the same pot.

Put the veal back in the pot with the broth and wine. Put the cinnamon, orange peel, peppercorns and all but a pinch of the parsley in a string-tied piece of cheesecloth and add this to the pot. Add the salt, sugar, mace and rosemary and bring the veal soup to a boil.

Turn down the heat, cover the pot and simmer it for an hour or until the veal is tender. Adjust the seasoning partway through the cooking time. Serve garnished with the remaining fresh parsley.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

The Miraculous Appearance of the Holy Fire in Jerusalem-2008

This is footage of the miraculous appearance of the Holy Fire, Saturday April 26, 2008, in Jerusalem at the Orthodox Church of the Holy Sepulchre. The miraculous appearance of the Holy Fire occurs every year on Holy Saturday in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City of Jerusalem. Holy Saturday is the day before Orthodox Pascha, the celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Holy Fire appears when the Patriarch of Jerusalem enters a small marble structure built over Christ's actual, historic tomb. He enters inside, closes the door, and two large candles are miraculously lit as he is uttering prayers. When he exits the tomb he uses his lit candles to light the candles of pilgrims, who in turn light other pilgrims' candles. The Holy Fire doesn't burn, as one can witness when the pious pilgrim in the video (27 second mark) moves his flame back and forth over his face and neck. The Holy Fire is later transported on chartered flights to Athens, Russia, Bulgaria and other Orthodox countries. Christ is Risen! Khrishti unjal! Khristus anahgrecum! Khris-tusaq ung-uixtuq! Kristos tenestwal! Crist aras! El Messieh kahm! Kristos haryav ee merelotz! Hristolu unghia! Xristosi banuytashtch'ey! Hristos voskrese! Khrystos uvaskros! Helisituosi fuhuole! Christos anesti! Kristus vstal a mrtvych! Kristus er opstanden! Christus is opgestaan! Christos tensiou! Kristo levigis! Kristus on oolestoosunt! Christos t'ensah em' muhtan! Kristus nousi kuolleista! Le Christ est ...



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1I6wlobutc&hl=en

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Is Bulgaria the Best Property Investment in Europe?

A couple of decades ago, French property was the top choice for people investing their money; old farmhouses, rustic mountain chalets and slick inner-city pads could be picked up for a reasonable price and the market was growing. As the prices rose, the opportunities for buying low and selling high became fewer and further between, and investors began looking to Spain where the boom in package holidays to the Mediterranean coast meant apartments were being built everywhere and rental potential was high.

Now the Spanish property market has also matured and investors have had to look further afield to find places where money could be made. One of the biggest influencing factors to have occurred over the last decade is the expansion of the EU. This has meant that many countries that previously were a minefield of legal barriers and red tape are now much more open to foreign investors.

The fact that several of the new EU states have already, or soon will be adopting the Euro, has also facilitated property investment, as well as sending out a signal to investors saying that these countries are stable places to invest. The eastern expansion has mean that many exciting opportunities for investors have appeared, and there has been a lot of interest in Slovakia, Poland and the Czech Republic; but by far the most attractive country for property buyers has been Bulgaria.

Perhaps one of the greatest attractions for property investors in Bulgaria is the huge choice of real estate to invest in. Those looking for an inner city purchase will find Bulgaria's vibrant capital Sofia, an ideal place to invest, but it has been the ski resorts and beach destinations that have been the biggest draw.

Bansko is Bulgaria's leading ski resort, with the longest slopes in the country and the best snowfall records. The development of state-of-the-art lift systems, combined with a rustic old town with meandering cobbled streets have raised Bansko's profile and put it on the international ski map, making it a very popular choice with investors and meaning most new developments sell out long before completion. Beach-side developments along the Black Sea coast are in similar demand, due to the golden sands, clean and safe water and excellent value property.

However, nothing lasts forever and like France, Spain and countless other property hotspots, Bulgaria's time will come and go; but for now, this Balkan country is being touted as the best property investment in Europe, so get in there while you still can.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Fly to Bulgaria with PaylessBG.com

PaylessBg.com is a one stop shopping for you travel to Bulgaria. We offer online and over the phone service with dedicated travel professionals. Our travel agents are fluent in English and Bulgarian to better serve you. PaylessBg.com delivers consumers everything they need for researching, planning, and purchasing a whole trip to Bulgaria. PaylessBg.com features airline tickets to Bulgaria and worldwide, cheap airfare to Bulgaria,hotel reservations, car rental, travel insurance, calling plans and information to travelers. Payless BG is proud in providing the lowest fares on the market for flights to Bulgaria and worldwide. We offer publish and consolidator rates on all airlines that fly to Bulgaria and worldwide. We negotiate directly with the airlines the lowest possible fares for airline tickets to Bulgaria and worldwide. Look no further for cheap tickets to Bulgaria, we are PayLess. Payless BG is wants to help you make your trip to Bulgaria a great experience. Let us know how we can help. TOLL FREE 1-800-890-3731 LOCAL: 1 (727)-738-2832 EMAIL 24/7: info@paylessbg.com Skype ID: paylessbg



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03AwyGJLnlw&hl=en

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Property in Bulgaria - Huge Investment Potential

Bulgaria is a truly magnificent country, located in Eastern Europe with an amazing coastline that stretches over 340km along the Black Sea, with a backdrop of one of the world's most magnificent mountain ranges and the beautiful and historic capital city of Sofia.

Today Bulgaria not only offers one of Europe's most attractive and unspoilt holiday destinations it is also host to what will be one of the most dynamic and as of yet relatively untapped property and real estate markets.

Bulgaria has been invited into the EU and it is almost certain that full membership will start in 2007 creating yet another huge surge in the Bulgarian property market. If you're looking for an excellent investment or a home in the sun then Bulgaria may be a perfect choice for you.

Getting to Bulgaria

If you live in the UK travel to Bulgaria over the past few years has become ever easier. Currently there are a range of direct flights from UK airports flying directly to Sofia in 2.5 hrs. The flights are run by the low cost operators and are priced extremely competitively.

Foreign Ownership of Bulgarian Property

The current property laws may at first seem a little confusing with a ban on foreign ownership of land but an OK to own buildings! Before you start to worry about needing helium filled balloons to hang you property from avoiding the need for any land, there is a solution.

The solution to current property laws in Bulgaria

It is possible to by land via Bulgarian company incorporation. Currently incorporation costs approximately 650.00 GBP. Also other points to note are as Bulgaria prepares to become a full EU member in 2007 it will begin to harmonise its property laws with the EU and also if you decide to by a new property off plan then you will not require company incorporation.

Property prices in Bulgaria

Older properties and especially those in need of restoration seem to have quite a varied pricing structure and if this is what you want then the best bet is to fly over, get your haggling skills up to scratch and you should get a bargain. New off plan costs currently start at around 20,000.00 GBP for a small studio apartment to 120,000.00 for a large luxury 3 bed apartment with best views, facilities and build standards. Chances are that prices will rise significantly between now and 2007, therefore if you're serious about Bulgaria there's no time to loose if you want the best from your investment.

Be quick but don't rush

Acting quickly to get the best property investments is one thing, not taking the time to get full legal advice and understanding of every aspect of the contracts you sign is another. I would always advise you to be careful when purchasing abroad, make sure that you fully understand contract details, payment details and land ownership. If contracts are produced in a language that you don't understand then insist on getting them translated before signing. Buying overseas can be an exciting and profitable experience by taking your time to understand the buying process you will ensure that your property purchase in Bulgaria is a happy and enjoyable experience.

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Holidays in Bulgaria

Is it your first time going to Bulgaria on holiday? Check out our guide to Bulgaria, which will give you an idea of the country, its inhabitants, geography and sights not to miss.

West of the nation of Bulgaria is the capital city of Sofia, possessing 1.2 million residents, making it the most heavily populated region in this nation. A short drive of less than ninety minutes takes you to the southern mountain ranges where the beauty of the land becomes evident. Towering over the area are the just under 3,000m snowcapped peaks of Rila and Pirin. (Just under 10,000 feet)The mountains that comprise the country's most popular skiing and hiking are also home to Europe's most blistering 216°F mineral spring. (215.6° F) (however, it is sad but true that none of these are used well).

The Rhodope range lies east of Rila and Pirin with river gorges and valleys covered in virgin forest, dotted throughout with mountain villages. Bulgaria is a region that is best travelled by car so you take in and enjoy its' breathtaking beauty.

With Sofia to the West, the softly undulating Sredna Gora and Balkan mountains go through central Bulgaria and are the source of the of the northern region's Danubian plains. (which has no genuine attractions), the Valley of the Kings beckoning beyond the southern slopes. (aka the Valley of Roses, because of the famous roses that produce some of the best-quality attar in the world). Kananluk is not the official capital of Plovdiv Valley, but it is the unofficial capital. (population: 340 thousand)A superior base can be found in Bulgaria's number two largest city, one with a striking historical center.

Friday, May 14, 2010

Bulgarian Black Sea Coast Cities and Resorts

The beautiful old city in Bulgaria currently enjoys a large number of tourists and travelers from around the world, but most of them usually come because of the single ski, spa and resort on the Black Sea Bulgaria offers some of the exciting destinations for tourists looking for a real vacation for less in Europe, offering unique and unspoiled nature. More land is still pretty cheap compared to other European countries morecountries.

But this country of almost 8000000 people has much to offer for a tourist wanting to explore. Bulgaria is full of rich flora and fauna and fresh water springs and curative mineral mud coasts. Bulgaria is well connected to by Eurail, European budget flyers and the Eurolines bus service and the of course, if you have rented a car in Europe mainland, you very well drive in to the country with a valid passport and visa for any of the EU member countries.

Apart from the springs and the mineral mud coasts, Bulgaria has on offer its beautiful Black Sea Coast and the amazing seaside resorts surrounding it. Every year thousands of tourists from all over the world flock to the various cities of Bulgaria located on the side of Black Sea. The largest and most important cities located on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast are Bourgas and Varna.

Although Bourgas is more of an industrial town located on the Black Sea coast, it is fast becoming a favored tourist destination because of the free trade zone and its great night life. Apart from that, the fact that Bourgas is one of the two airports on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast where your flights would land, it has also ensured that it develops faster as compared to other smaller towns. Bourgas is also surrounded by various beautiful sea coast resorts like the Sunny Beach resort for example. This resort boasts one of the longest and widest beaches privately owned. Just 35 km away from the city of Bourgas, it ensures that you can peacefully lie in the sun and still are never too far from the city. The resort has fabulous restaurants, discos and pubs to suit everyone's needs.

Another amazing hotel cum resort on the outskirts of Bulgaria is Barcelo Royal Beach Resort. On only 25 km away from the town of Bourgas, it has on offer all the modern facilities that you can ever ask for and at prices that will make you want to stay longer. Varna is the other the major city on the Black Sea coast which attracts a number of tourists each year. Actually most of the tourists coming to Bulgarian Black Sea are landing in Varna's international airport. It is also one the most beautiful and modern towns in Bulgaria. Varna is a town where the renaissance, medieval and the modern world meet. The city is full of amazing pieces of architecture and is surrounded by many beautiful beach resorts, such as Albena, St. Konstantin & Elena, Golden Sands and many more.

The most famous beachside hotel cum resort in Varna is the Dallas Residence. It is located at walking distance from the beach front and offers all the modern amenities with a peaceful surrounding. Being within the city, it ensures that you can always go around the city any moment to see its beautifully landscaped gardens and many other attractions that the city has on offer for every tourist.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Bulgaria vs Europe

How things are done in Europe and how they are done in the Bulgarian way



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZ_u4QuiZxA&hl=en

A Typical Paraglider Pilot? No Such Thing!

Just what is a typical paraglider pilot? The short answer is 'there are none'. The slightly longer answer might be 'well, a lot of them seem to be guys in their 30s or 40s'. Surprised? Isn't paragliding one of those scary, risky, over-the-top activities in vogue with the young and daring? No, it isn't really, although there is some potential for danger as in any form of flying.

So don't expect to go to a paragliding location and find pilots fitting some sort of Extreme Sports stereotype. Being more of an aviation sport, and relatively cheap and easy to get into, paragliding does attract a wide variety of participants. You too could learn to paraglide and amaze your friends!

Europe is where it all started, and it is there that you are more likely to spot some interesting, umm, extremes in the sport. In that corner of the world, children's camps sometimes include paragliding as an activity! At the other end of the spectrum, there are many older pilots. That is, those well past retirement age! What better way to keep life interesting.

Heck, I've even seen a video clip of a dog going for a ride, clipped into a special doggy harness alongside the pilot. Wonder how much flying time a German Shepherd needs to log before going solo. Hey, don't laugh, paragliding is almost that easy!

Pilots From Many Angles

Just for fun, let's do a quick check of some possible categories for paraglider pilots.

Age is one, definitely. I've already mentioned how the very young to the very old can fly. Weight is another. Little men or slightly-built ladies flying their bottom-of-the-size-range XXS wings. Sounds like a shirt size doesn't it.. Right through to people of substance who are too much for anything but a tandem paraglider. Yes, a wing actually built for two. What else? Nationality of course, since this is a global sport. Although birthed in Europe, and most popular over there, every continent on the planet has its paragliding fanatics.

What about disability? Surely not! Oh yes, some companies are actively helping wheel-chair-bound people into the air. All it takes is a couple of working arms after all, to use the paraglider's brake toggles. Maybe just one more category, gender is an obvious one. As usual in flying sports, there are far more men than women in paragliding despite gender giving no special benefit for flying. If anything, women are quicker to pick up the required careful and precise style of using the controls.

That just about covers the main angles on the variety to be found in paragliding pilots. Now for some real examples, some specifics.

Age

Particularly in Europe, you can observe people in a wide range of age groups flying their paragliders. Even all the way back in 1994 there were some young pilots. In that year a 14 year old in Bulgaria became their youngest paraglider pilot. He had 29 flights to his credit at that tender age.

In Israel, paragliding has some history, starting with the Zoom Club pioneering efforts of Yair Shachar. He in turn taught a certain Baruch Gurwitz to fly, at the age of 70! In fact, in 1998 Baruch earned an entry in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's oldest paraglider pilot. He was 77. That record has not lasted though! Since then, a short film has been made about the exploits of a 79 year old Polish pilot. Miroslaw Dembinski produced the film, winning a prize in the Banff Mountain Film Festival.

Being a pilot is one thing, but of course age is even less of a barrier when you are only a passenger! I came across one paragliding school that recorded the names of two exceptional passengers. 95 year old Hannes Taugwalder for one, and also a certain Zoe Schmid, a little lady of 2 ½!

Weight

Just to give you some idea of the weight range available to paraglider pilots, here's a couple of real paraglider designs to illustrate. Firstly, the Nova Rookie wing is available in 5 different sizes. The smallest is the XXS. Extra extra small. Just right for a featherweight pilot, most likely female, who weighs in at 55 kilograms (about 120 pounds) ready to fly. That's right, that weight includes harness, helmet and any other gear she may be wearing.

At the other end of the scale, really large pilots can in fact use a tandem paraglider which is normally used for taking passengers. So, in theory, Big Bertha or Gigantic Joe who weighs 200 kilograms (about 440 pounds), could put on 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of flying gear and go for a gentle float in the Bio-Air Bi-Bio 42. This is a typical tandem paraglider.

Now for a bit of trivia. The biggest sports paraglider of all time was a one-off design with a 20 meter (66 feet) wingspan, used for filming a car commercial! This very special reinforced wing had to carry a whopping 600 kilograms (over 1300 pounds), after being dropped from a Lama heavy-lift helicopter. A real Audi A6 Allroad vehicle was filmed floating through the sky under this paraglider, against spectacular mountain scenery.

Nationality

These days, it's hard to think of a continent that has no paragliding activity. There are excellent schools and flying locations to be found all over the world. Also, I know that my paragliding website attracts visitors from more than 60 countries!

Paragliding is particularly well known and visible as a sport in England, France, Germany and South Korea. Of course there are others, but these 4 have stood out to me so far.

Disability

Organized paragliding for the disabled exists in the U.K., Australia, South Africa, the U.S. and probably quite a few other countries as well. Not surprisingly, tandem paragliders are used a lot in this area.

The English seem to have done a very good job of promoting paragliding for the disabled. Just look at the activities of Airways Airports, they are not hard to find! This company sometimes uses specially modified paragliding 'chariots' to give access to flying to a very wide range of disabled people.

Another notable company is Handiconcept, who provide a range of activities to the disabled, including paragliding. They operate from a Swiss Alpine resort and cater for both the physically and mentally handicapped.

Moving across to the U.S., an innovative company called Team Thor have set themselves up as a public charity. They cater for the physically handicapped in particular, and focus on coastal flying in tandem paragliders. Not just any old coastal flying, but the very impressive and well-known ridge-flying experience of Torrey Pines, on the Pacific coast.

Gender

Paragliding offers no barriers at all to female participants. The minor issue of very light weight, in some cases, is easily fixed by carrying ballast. Some of the bigger paragliding schools even offer paragliding courses specifically for women. An example is Peak to Peak Paragliding which operate out of Boulder, Colorado in the U.S.

Particularly in Europe, a select few women have reached the highest standards in the sport by becoming active competition pilots. Such is the participation rate over there, there are even women-only events on the CIVL sporting calendar. CIVL is an international body that governs aspects of paragliding and hang-gliding, like the FAI in general aviation.

Now for a quick mention of 2 notable women in paragliding. Firstly, Azar Mazru'ii Farahani from Iran is the director of the Women's Air Sports Federation of Tehran. A professional paragliding instructor, she glides through the air with the greatest of ease wearing traditional Islamic clothing. That's different.

Secondly, one of the U.K.'s top female pilots is Nicky Moss. She was good enough to win the women's event of the British Open Paragliding Championship when it was held in Àger, Spain. Not only that, Nicky also holds a British record in paragliding.

In Conclusion

Maybe you might never have the opportunity to become a professional pilot. But paragliding, even if only as a passenger, is surely within your reach!