Saturday

Renting Barcelona Apartments

When you are planning a visit to the city of Barcelona, finding the perfect accommodation needn't be chore. Whether you are going with your family, a group of friends, or your partner, vacation rentals can provide you with everything you need. Barcelona apartments can be as extravagant as a swanky hotel or just contain the basic essentials for your stay.
There is usually a correlation between price and standard of luxury when choosing accommodation, so once you have determined what your apartment needs are and how much you can afford, you will easily find a great apartment to rent in Barcelona. Do you want something close to the vibrancy of the city, perhaps along La Rambla, or a place a little quieter and further out of the city centre? Would you like to be near to the coast, perhaps with easy access to beach? If you are driving, or hiring a car at the airport, will the apartment have parking? All of these questions should help you decide what you need from a Barcelona apartment.
The advantages of an apartment include the amount of personal space you have. You don't need to cram people into a hotel room, but can select an apartment with as many bedrooms, and the layout of beds that you need. You have communal space that is just for you and your group so you can sit together in privacy without having to perch on someone's bed. All apartments have at least one full bathroom and one half bathroom, so there will be less fighting over who uses the bathroom next.
You can prepare your breakfast at whatever time you like, and with whatever ingredients appeal to you. The Boqueria, the food market on La Ramblas, is a great place to shop for fresh produce to make your own meals or prepare a picnic for a day out sightseeing. This will also save you money on eating out all the time, and it is great not to always have to think about making a dinner reservation of queuing for a table. All apartments are equipped with the basic kitchen appliances and utensils so you can prepare anything from a quick snack to a full meal.
Some ideas to try are a light breakfast of fritters and hot chocolate, or coffee and a tasty pastry, all taken out in the Spanish sunshine on your terrace or balcony. If you need something heavier a traditional Spanish omelet can be just the thing.
Renting a holiday apartment no longer requires endless paperwork, or difficult phone calls in another language. It is so easy to book an apartment online, that you could consider extending your itinerary to include other parts of Catalunya as well as Barcelona. Spend a couple of nights in Sitges on the Costa Brava, a particularly lively spot during carnival time. Then carry on to the beautiful rural areas of Girona or Figueres where you can pay a visit to the Dali museum before visiting the Pyrennes Mountains. Depending on the time of year, an apartment in that area would be an ideal base for skiing or hiking.
Johnathan Bakers is publishing largely for http://www.barcelona-information.com, a website on hotels and spanish holidays. From his detailed writings such as http://www.barcelona-information.com/barcelona-apartments.html, the writer confirmed his skill on themes relating to Barcelona Apartments.

Sunday

The Benefits of Life Insurances

Life insurance policies are not only for family people, as some believe. The numerous insurance schemes including whole life insurance, joint insurance and pension life insurance are beneficial to all groups of people. The various benefits of life insurances are explained below.
Death and illness are two things of life which strikes when we least anticipate them. When a policy holder dies his nominees or beneficiaries get the financial aid and strength to pull through the grief and confusion. Though nothing can replace the loss of a dear one, financial stability will provide immense moral support to the struggling family.
The insurance schemes permit the policy holder to split assets equally to all children. Thus children who do not participate in the family trade will get their due share while the family trade gets passed on. The policies help a great deal in safe guarding the prospects of children who seek advanced education. The sum of the plan can be made use of to pursue the degree or qualification.
The insurance money can be utilized for the payment of federal tax, taxes on estate and numerous other bills. The policy will be very useful during a transfer of business. It acts as a set cash finance alternative. The owner of the business can obtain this policy and move it in their name.
The helpful insurance policy will assist you to repay personal loans and loans of business. The timely help will help you to avert bankruptcy. Various insurance products available are capable to offer you enhanced returns when the policy matures. This will prove to be of greater value than the amount you spent in the first place.
Some policies can even be withdrawn before the maturity period. This option can be made use to meet different financial needs.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5511051

Saturday

Sightseeing Mallorca

1. Ses Païsses, Artà
Combine a visit to Artà's excellent Tuesday market with a visit to this impressive Bronze Age Talayotic settlement on the outskirts of the town - one of the best preserved in the Balearics. It's worth a visit to imagine what life must have been like within its walls for the island's early settlers. This attraction closes over the lunch period.
Camino de Ses Orbaies, Artà
2. Capdepera Castle
Visit the remains of this early 14th century hilltop castle, dominating the small town of Capdepera, with commanding views over the north-east coastline (on a clear day you can see Menorca). The enclosing walls once contained some 150 dwellings. A great place for youngsters to let their imaginations run wild!
C/Castell, Capdepera
Tel +34 971 81 87 46
3. Betlem Heritage, near Artà
It's a gorgeous drive from the north side of Artà (with a possible sighting of Menorca on the way) winding up to the tranquil rural setting of the 'Ermita de Betlem' at Sa Deves de Ferrutx. If you're lucky, the only other sounds up at the hermitage will be birds, insects and sheep bells, making it a fantastic spot for a picnic lunch, after a visit to Artà. The hermitage was founded in the early 19th century by the hermits of St Honorat in Randa and the Trinity in Valldemossa, and the small chapel is the perfect place to escape the heat and glare of the sun. Don't all go at once!
Follow signs in Artà to Ermita de Betlem
4. Mallorca Balloons, Manacor
A great way to see lots of sights! An early morning flight in a hot air balloon from Mallorca Balloons' base on the outskirts of Manacor will see you soaring over the island, drifting peacefully with the wind, at a height of 1,000-1,500 feet. On a clear day you might see Cabrera and Menorca. Balloon baptism and flight certificates included.
Tel +34 971 59 69 69
5. Caves of Drac (Cuevas del Drach or Coves del Drac) in Porto Cristo
World-famous ancient limestone caves, mapped by French geologist Edouard Martel in the late 19th century. There are four enormous main chambers, numerous romantically-named formations of stalactites and stalagmites, and one of the world's largest underground lakes - the scene of several daily classical music concerts. Guided tours take you through the caves.
C/de la Coves, Porto Cristo
Tel + 34 971 82 07 53
6. Caves of Hams (Cuevas del Hams or Coves d'es Hams), Porto Cristo
Less famous than Drac, but worth a visit for their own spectacular and colourfully illuminated stalactites and stalagmites, and the underground lake. The caves were discovered by the Mallorcan, Pedro Caldentey, in 1905.
Ctra Manacor-Porto Cristo - 1 km from Porto Cristo
Tel +34 971 82 09 88
7. Els Calderers, Sant Joan
The estate was owned by the Calderers family as long ago as the 13th century, and construction of the present manor house is thought to have begun in 1750. Visit the house and farm for a flavour of aristocratic life in Mallorca in the 18th and 19th centuries. The interior of the house is particularly interesting, with its traditional furnishings and equipment.
Follow signposts from Ma-15 Palma-Manacor, km 37.
Tel +34 971 52 60 69
8. Gordiola Glassworks
The Gordiola family has been making glass in Mallorca since the early 18th century and at their works near Algaida you can watch glassblowers in action in front of raging furnaces. The building itself is ugly 1960s faux-castle and the shop area very commercialised, but go upstairs to the museum and you'll find a fascinating collection of old glass, including early Gordiola examples and glassware collected from all over the world by seven successive generations of the family. You wouldn't want to have dust the exhibits!
Ca'n Gordiola Ma 15
Palma-Manacor, km 19
Tel +34 971 66 50 46
9. Mallorca Planetarium
Many visitors aren't aware that the island has an important astronomical observatory, of which the Mallorca Planetarium is a part. The Observatorio Astronómico de Mallorca premises have a definite space-age look to them, in complete contrast to the sleepy neighbouring village of Costitx, but this rural location benefits from clear night skies. Every Friday and Saturday at 19.00 hrs, the Planetarium projects the spectacular multi-lingual audio visual programme, Evolution, onto the domed ceiling. Afterwards you can enjoy guided sessions in the observation pods.
Camí de l'Observatori
Telephone to reserve your place:
+34 650 386 881
10. Calvary Oratory, Pollensa
Pollensa's a charming town with a distinctive Roman bridge, but the best-known place here must be the Calvary Oratory, on top of a hill that was once owned by the Order of the Knights Templar. There are 365 steps to climb to reach the top, which is the location for the atmospheric Good Friday re-enactment of Christ's final suffering on the Cross.
11. S'Albufera Nature Parc
These peaceful protected wetlands, just off the coast road north of Can Picafort, are the habitat of a wealth of birdlife, bringing serious birdwatchers from all over Europe to spot the rare migrants and breeding species. There are paths for walking and cycling, hides and a visitor centre. Mosquito repellent recommended!
Ctra Artà - Port d'Alcúdia. km 27,2
Tel +34 971 89 22 50
12. Alcúdia Old Town
A rich history means there's plenty to see in and around this walled old town, on the site of the Roman settlement of Pollentia. The walls were built after the Spanish conquest and were restored to include the 26 original towers and imposing gateways; it's possible to walk along the top of part of the walls, giving good views of the area. Of particular interest are the narrow streets of the Arab quarter, the Pollentia ruins, and Mallorca's only intact Roman theatre.
13. Alfàbia Gardens
These peaceful gardens, with watercourses and pools, are thought to have been designed by Benhabet, a Muslim governor of Inca in the 13th century, and are a great example of the Moorish talent for landscaping and irrigation. Even if you're not a particularly keen gardener, you'll appreciate the beautiful shady spots on a hot day, and the garden snack bar offering fresh fruit juices, farm products and other refreshments.
The pergola walkway, with its shooting water jets, is great fun for all the family, while green-fingered types will enjoy the English-style gardens and impressive collection of trees. The 'hacienda' has traditional 'cloth of flames' fabrics, old prints and furniture.
Ctra Palma-Sóller km 17 (south side of Coll de Sóller)
Tel +34 971 613 123
14. Finca Son Real
This public estate is between Can Picafort and Son Serra de Marina and offers a series of marked trails through the estate for walkers and cyclists, with access to an unspoilt beach. There are useful information boards along the trails about the local flora and fauna, as well as a visitor centre. The farm still functions, and you'll see local breeds of sheep and pigs. Once on the beach, it's an easy walk to the remains of a necropolis, featuring many graves of various sizes.
Finca Son Real
Ctra Can Picafort - Artà
Tel +34 971 18 53 63
15. Junipero Serra's Birthplace and Museum, Petra
It's no surprise that many American visitors make their way to the oldest part of this rural village, for here is the birthplace of Fray Junipero Serra, the 18th century Franciscan missionary who left Petra for California. There he founded nine missions, from which cities like San Francisco and San Diego grew. The privately owned museum, founded in 1955, has a fascinating collection of exhibits, including a painting of the San Carlos mission, presented to the museum in 1984 by then President Ronald Reagan. Nearby visit the house where Serra was born, in 1713 - a truly humble home.
C/Des Barracar Alt, Petra
Tel +34 971 561 149
16. Sineu market
This rural town in the heart of Mallorca dates back to ancient times and was important during the Middle Ages, when it was home to a royal palace (now a convent). The town is the venue for a huge and very popular market every Wednesday morning, attracting island visitors and the local farming community. The numerous stalls - selling everything from leather goods to local foods, artisan crafts to animals - are spread throughout the narrow streets of the town.
17. Puig de Randa - Hermitage of Our Lady of Cura
This walled hermitage sits atop the distinctive flat-top mountain of Randa - visible from a large part of the island. The chapel is the oldest surviving building, part of which dates from the mid-17th century. The original hermitage was founded by scholar and missionary Ramon Llull in the 13th century (he prepared his missionaries here for their work in Africa and Asia) - making this an important place of pilgrimage on the island. Views from the top are fantastic on a clear day and you can enjoy them with something to eat or drink from the café.
Other sanctuaries worth a visit - for the exciting drive to the top and their awesome views on a clear day - are Sant Salvador (the last to lose its monks, in the 1990s), near Felanitx; Monte-Sion, near Porreres, and the Ermita de Nostra Senyora del Puig, near Pollensa.
18. Lluc Monastery
The island's most sacred site, the monastery of 'Nuestra Señora de Lluc' has a spectacular location in the Tramuntana, surrounded by holm oak and pine forests, and has been a place of pilgrimage since the 13th century. Visit the Basilica and see the wooden statue of the Virgin, La Moreneta, in its own chapel. Also worth seeing is the gallery of the old pilgrims' hospice (Es Porxets), the pilgrims' route 'El Cami dels Misteris del Rosari' and, slightly hidden away, an enchanting small garden. There are places to eat and drink and you can even stay overnight. 'Els Blavets' (The Blues) is Lluc's choir, which gives a short performance each morning.
19. Museu de la Jugeta - Toy Museum, Sa Pobla
A renovated mansion, known as Can Planes, is home to a fascinating toy museum, packed with old toys - more than 3,000 of them - to bring out the child in every visitor.
C/Antoni Maura, 6, Sa Pobla
Tel + 34 971 54 23 89
20. Naturaparc, Santa Eugènia
Llamas, deer, ostriches, ducks, peacocks and black vultures all call this countryside family attraction home. There's also a butterfly garden, with around 500 butterflies, and an animal petting park.
Ctra Palma - Sineu, km 15,4
Tel + 34 971 14 40 78

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6298346