The Dbottino Weblog

Ok you are searching for a different method to enjoy snowboarding? Are you sick of the same old ride, the ski cable car then ski straight down the run to the ski chalet which everyone is doing? You need try heli skiing. You can experience pure skiing domains that barely any others have an opportunity to snowboard.

What is heli boarding? Heliskiing is snow boarding, but rather than getting a chair lift to climb up to the crest of the slope, you jump in a chopper. Heliskiing offers novel fresh fields for your skiing enjoyment.

Normally heli-skiing ventures require a little group of skiers steered by a knowledgeable ski guide who recognizes the area. Snowboarders are flown to the peak of the field to be tackled. {They get out of the helicopter then ski to the end of the run. When at the finish you’re greeted by the whirlybird to enjoy an additional descent. You may make various runs on a good day. It’s a pleasant and exciting trip where you’ll view scenes and experience excitements few others can merely aspire to.

Heliboarding is not without dangers. Because one is snowboarding away from normal skiing pistes there will occasionally be concealed risks. You’ll also have a bigger chance of avalanche. Luckily many of these dangers can be decreased when you go heli-skiing with an experienced guide who knows the mountain intimately.

Dilion Hotel is a 3 star hotel in Isle of Paros, Parikia, located in 24 Mitropoleos str

Situated in a quiet side road, the Dilion Hotel is just a one minute walk from the lovely long sandy main beach at Parikia, the capital of Paros.
Under new management, the hotel was fully renovated in 2003 and promises a welcome as warm as the Aegean sun as well as excellent service. It is conveniently located about 5 minutes from the port and the town centre. A courtesy bus is available to transport guests and their luggage from and to the port or airport on arrival and departure.
Wide choice of Greek and International buffet style breakfast.
The warm atmosphere and the exclusivity of the DILION Hotel are going to make your stay a wonderful experience. For relaxation, we have created a calm open air veranda where you can enjoy a coffee or a drink with your friends in combination of sweet smell and coloration of the flowers

All services, including mail and fax, are provided at the reception desk. Internet access is available. Transportation from/to harbor/airport is offered complimentary

Its 15 rooms and 1 suite are traditional cycladic style decorated and equipped with air conditioning, sound proof window, direct dial phone system, satellite TV, refrigerator, balcony and private bathroom. Whichever of our rooms you decide to choose, you can enjoy its comfort, its tranquility and the excellent service.

All rooms are

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A shopping paradise, vibrant nightlife, incredible clubs, good food and “Sex and the City”…what do these have in common? New York, of course! That wonderful city which has to be visited at least once in a life time is incredible all year round. So we figured you might need some tips about traveling to New York , especially if you are a first time visitor. Don’t you?Getting to New York is very easy, whether you arrive from another city in the US or you come from over seas. The city’s airports are served by many airlines, which makes it easy to find affordable flights into the Big Apple. But New York is not a cheap city, although shopping here during the sales period might make you believe otherwise. You can, however, save some money by booking a hotel bit further from the downtown area. You can relay on the public transport to get from one part of the city to the other. What is there to do in New York? If you are passionate about food, you need to try the famous New York pizza. Then, you need to visit the Statue of Liberty and take a photo to remind you of the trip. Don’t forget to check out Times Square for some people watching, good shopping and excellent restaurants. At night, go club hopping and drink Cosmopolitan or whatever the newest cocktail popular nowadays. Complete your stay here with a “Sex and the City” tour and maybe go by one of the famous bookstores as well. You may never know what jewel you can find.

This former Portugal colony, now the smallest Indian state, has becoming more and more popular resort destination. Colonized by the Portugal in 16th century, Goa still has a lot of traces of their stay, although they left in 1960s. Since that time Goa has gained a reputation of hippies’ paradise, which has attracted a lot of people from Europe and America.
Hippies still live in Goa, but mostly in the very north of it. All the rest of Goa has become a beach resort destination.
Goa is divided into 3 parts – the North, the Center and the South.
The North is the most crowded place, known not only for its beaches, but also for its clubs and other entertainments. The biggest resorts of Goa – Condolim, Calangute and Baga are located on the north. Condolim is considered to be a place for the rich Indians, and Baga is the most popular among the European tourists, especially from the Great Britain and Sweden. The beaches of Condolim, Calangute and Baga are filled with sun beds and are always overcrowded. The are an enormous number of the local traders with fruits, necklaces and other things which they try to sell to tourists.
If you prefer more isolated place you can go to Mojim beach, something about 15 kilometers to the north from Baga. There are just a few sun beds and no traders disturbing you. The most isolated and distant beach on the North is Arombol – about 40 kilometers from Baga. Palms, sand, sea and almost no one but you – that really looks like paradise, doesn’t it? If you are interested in cultural attractions there you can see Tirambol fort, the most Northern point of Goa.
Almost all the sightseeing in Goa is connected with the Portugal reign period. Usually tourists are shown Old Goa –the former capital and the present capital – Panjim city.
Old Goa stands on Mandovi river and was the capital city till the middle of the XIX century. Then cholera began and people left the place and founded the next capital – Panjim city, also on Mandovi river. The Portuguese left the rich cultural heritage and spread Catholicism in Goa. Now almost 30 % of the population practices Catholicism. In other parts of India this data is about 10 %. Both these cities lay in the central part of the state, the calmest district with rather good hotels and half-deserted beaches.
The Southern Goa is beginning to overtake the north in popularity. There is an opinion that the hotels there are more prestigious and the beaches are cleaner. However, the entertainment industry is not very developed there and those who like to go to the club, markets and so on are to visit the Northern Goa. The most popular nightclub is Cubana located on the hill not far from Baga. Goa is the motherland of trans music and trans parties are also very popular.
One of the interesting must-sees in Goa is Anjuna Saturday night market. Every Saturday from 15.00 till 02.00 you can buy different souvenirs and hand-made goods by hippies. Usually they play music, give different concerts.
The best time for visiting Goa is from November till April. From May till October there is a rain season.
You may think that there is nothing special about Goa, but still some people coming there, prefer never return back.

For booking a hotel in any part of the world, please, go to www.hotelsrates.net

Get the idea? All together now, TRAVEL LIGHT!

I’ve seen people going on a ONE WEEK bus tour to Holland and here’s what they carry into the check-in line at the airport: a large hardside suitcase on wheels, probably 40-50 pounds, a backpack stuffed to it’s fullest extent, say another 25 pounds, and then some kind of cosmetic case, hand bag or carry-all, let’s say another 10 pounds. All this for a bus tour of one week’s duration in Holland, one of the most modern of European countries!

I’ll have a backpack, 20-25 pounds max, and the clothes on my back and I’m set for THREE WEEKS. I’ll be first out of the airport, first ready to go in the morning. Porters look at me with disdain and look for fatter fish to cheat out of a large tip. Con artists figure I’m too cheap to bother with. In fact, most of the time I don’t look like a tourist at all and that makes for those serendipitous meetings with the locals that can make the whole trip! After you’ve tried travelling light once, you’ll never go back.

I like this line I read once (I think it was in one of Rick Steeve’s excellent tour guides): You can’t travel heavy, happy, and cheap. Pick two.

When you travel, make a decision before you start; lay out on your bed or on the floor what you think you’ll need, then leave at least half of it behind. And then go through the remainder and chuck most of it aside.

Your motto for happy travel should be: Pack light and pack smart.

Most of my travel has been to Europe, some guided tours, most not, so what I’m going to say applies to European destinations. But I can guarantee you that if I was leaving tomorrow for Australia, Thailand, or Hong Kong just to travel around, see the sights, meet people, I’d still have my 25lb backpack, and that’s all. We’re not talking business travel here, or deluxe tours. If you can afford a deluxe tour, or you’re traveling on the company’s dime, then I guess you can afford to pay for all the extra luggage, porters, etc.

First off, if you don’t already have one, get a 9″ x 22″ x 14″ carry-on-size bag. I favor the new backpacks this size with the two wheels fitted into the bottom with an extension type handle so it can be pulled along. Even though I’m a reasonably fit 76 years, there’s times when I don’t feel like carrying 25 pounds around on my back for extended periods. Even on bus tours, you would be surprised at how much walking you may be doing towing and/or toting your luggage along with you. Some cities there may be no parking available at the hotel where the tour has you booked into. Your bus will pull into a parking lot four-five blocks away and then the tour guide will gaily chat you up along the way, hoping to distract you from the distance you have to schlep to the hotel.

Here’s a good hint. Pack your luggage, then go for a half-hour walk. Pretend you’re walking along the Champs Elysees in Paris on a hot summer afternoon and practice being a tourist. How does it feel? Fully loaded with everything you intend to take, would you enjoy window shopping, shepherding your luggage while you stop for “un ‘tit blanc” at that quaint café, battling your way across an intersection between dueling Deux Chevaux? If not then rethink your packing and get rid of the excess.

Since 9/11, travel of any kind has become something of a hassle, if you don’t or aren’t willing to adapt to the new conditions. One of the many benefits of my backpack is I usually get waved through at the customs, while other seniors with suitcases, etc., will get the examination. Another benefit of travelling light is the avoidance of the baggage carousels, porters (again with the porters - I distrust them instinctively), and guess which prospective passenger the taxi driver is going to pick up first, me with my single little pack, or that guy that looks like he’s packed for a month’s safari.

I hope I’ve convinced you to at least try travelling light. Next time I’ll talk about what to pack and how I can travel about Europe for three weeks with just a 25lb pack and that without the B.O. of an Albanian dockworker.

Meanwhile remember our motto. Pack light and Pack smart!

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Travel

Whilst researching a skiing holiday the choice of ski field can be sometimes difficult. Particularly when looking for a French ski field good for self catering ski holidays. Fortunately for you we’ve made a top 10 of the top French ski areas most suited for self catered chalets:

Les Menuires, Samoens, Risoul, Meribel, La Mongie, Les Menuires, Les Contamines-Montjoie, Luz Ardiden, Les Houches, Chamonix.

George Griffin from Poland is a Bowling-Ball Grader And Marker, I interviewed him about his best loved French skiing destination. Unsurprisingly he voted for Serre Chevalier a skiing area well regarded for its number of chalets.

Why do you pick self catered ski holidays in place of the normal option of a lodge?

Well I enjoy the choice that self catered skiing holidays gives you. The ski chalet is nearly always good and instead of the mundane meals in hostel I can cook an outstanding dish.

What if you’re not a adequate food maestro?

No problem you just head out to a excellent pub.

So do you have any favorite insider tips for us?

For me it’s Decisions Restaurant & Bar managed by BARBEL and it’s la placita cafe fish tacos is unmissable.

Therefore if you are considering self catering chalets then why not consider one of snowboarding resort on skiing the list.

BAD is the first designer Bed & Breakfast in the heart of Catania. Much more than a simple b&b, it is a unique mix of hospitality and creativity, ideal for both those travelling for pleasure and for business. It unites the fascinating Catanese baroque architecture with contemporary art and design.

At BAD one breathes the creativity of Giulia and Alessandro, the two owners and curators. Professionals in the World of advertising and graphic design, they have expertly created within the ample and comfortable rooms different ambiences, exhibiting psychedelic wallpapers, amazing 19th Century Sicilian artifacts, vintage furniture and works of young aspiring artists.

Every room of the b&b in fact has a different mood, colour and feeling, with two or three beds, private bathroom and naturally all the comforts you would expect.
Because BAD is more than a sleeping experience.

Catania, situated on the edge of the glittering Meditteranean is also home to Mount Etna, the highest volcano in Europe. There is a very rich baroque historical center (world heritage) but also companies at the vanguard of innovative technology. There is the “seltz” ritual, to be experienced at the small kiosks and a blossoming of new clubs, discotheques and wine bars. In contrast with the wonderful feast of patron Sant’Agata there is a night “movida”, with many young people pouring into the streets and squares every night. Catania has a unique soul, always moving and bubbling, where contrasts blend together naturally. BAD is in the beating heart of Catania: in a XIX century building, next to the historical fish market “la Pescheria” and within a stone’s throw of the Cathedral and main monuments of the city. Furthermore BAD is only a few minutes away from the airport, the train station and the port, and just 100 meters from a bus station which connects to other main Sicilian resorts.

If you think that Bad Catania is not exactly what you are looking for, click here to visit our catalogue for Hotels in Italy, and make a search for another hotel in Catania: we are pretty sure that you can easy find the Catania accommodation that can best fit your need for a perfect stay in Italy.

Valentine’s Day approaches — that time of year when lovers (and wannabe’s) are frantic, wondering whether to splurge on the heart-shaped box of chocolates, over-priced flowers, or the predictable greeting cards. Ever wonder how the madness all got started?

The history of Valentine’s Day began with the ancient Festival of Lupercalia which honored the founding of Rome. To insure the fertility of the land, the festival also celebrated the erotic love that was the special domain of Juno, the Roman goddess of love and marriage. The month February was even named in her honor — the word comes from the Latin word “febres”, meaning feverish or febrile.

Held on the hillside near the Lupercallus (”Wolf-Cave”), where Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome, were raised as infants by a pack of wolves, the festivities were held on February 15 each year. Led by a pagan priest, the activities included “whipping” all the women to ensure their fertility.

Another part of the celebration involved a lottery in which the names of the unmarried females were drawn by the eligible bachelors and the couples were paired for the following year to honor the goddess Juno — obviously a prototype of matchmaker.com.

Turn the clock forward to the third century and you find Claudius II serving as the Emperor of Rome, which by that time had seen its glory days and was now being threatened on its borders by the Goths.

Claudius had a problem on his hands. He definitely needed his army to be at full strength. He felt that married men weren’t very good soldiers, given their tendency to go A.W.O.L. when it was time to harvest the crops or whenever they felt the urge for a conjugal visit.

So concerned was the Emperor that he used his authority to ban the practice of marriage. And he banned the Festival of Lupercalia as well, since it was obviously contributing to the high incidence of marriage that seemed to be destroying his militia.

For the first time, the pagan Emperor and the growing Christian church found themselves on the same side of an argument. The Church was also opposed to the pagan festival of Lupercalia, objecting to its lustfulness, and especially the practice of the lottery.

Yet it was a dangerous time to be a Christian priest. A parish priest named Valentine was part of the Christian underground and, in defiance of the Emperor’s edict, continued to marry couples in secret. He was soon found out and carried off to prison.

There must have been something very “special” about Valentine. The Emperor himself supposedly took the time to visit him in prison and tried to convert him to the worship of the ancient pagan deities. He failed miserably, and Valentine was executed on the February 14, in the year 270.

Church policy in dealing with the ancient religions often included a strategy of incorporating, rather than just banning, the pagan traditions. And it proved to be an effective strategy. Many of our contemporary holiday rituals and traditions are actually based on ancient pagan celebrations.

Anxious to end the lusty Lupercalia that they saw as a “festival of the flesh”, the Church was a bit more subtle than the Emperor in their approach to getting rid of it. Having a “Saint’s Day” celebration for the martyred Valentine, and holding it a day earlier than the pagan festival, was a clever idea indeed.

But like so many other holidays, Valentine’s Day was co-opted once more, this time by secular, commercial interests. And so today we find ourselves sending valentines to all sorts of people, even those for whom we haven’t the slightest marital, romantic, or lustful feelings . . . and wonder where all the passion in our lives has gone.

Sharon Turnbull, Ph.D., is the editor of The Goddess Path, a
free monthly ezine that combines mythology, archetypal psychology, personal growth and just plain fun. She is also the creator of the popular online personality assessments, The Goddess Quiz and The Greek Gods Quiz. You can visit her websites at:
http://www.goddessgift.com and http://www.god-goddess.com

Do you want to take your family vacation to Southern California but are frightened off by expensive hotel reservations or the costs of resort accommodations? The perfect answer might lie in renting a small family owned beach hotel anywhere along the Southern California Coast.

Admit it! Going on a family vacation is expensive. If you are planning on staying in hotels, you usually have to plan on the price of an expensive room accommodation, the lack of individuality in a busy hotel, and the additional costs of eating out at restaurants, which increases both the cost and stress of your vacation. Your family of five might even have to purchase multiple hotel rooms for your night’s stay.

Staying in a tent or RV can also be quite stressful for a family vacation. Tents and RVs lack privacy, and in are terribly uncomfortable in the morning sun. It is no wonder that hotel reservations at the smaller beach hotels are becoming the number one choice for families going out on their vacations!

Owners of beachside hotels in Southern California have begun to realize that the perfect way to keep their hotel rooms occupied all season long is to provide hotel reservations at lower costs than the large luxury hotels. And hotel reservation costs at these small hotels are negotiable and reservations can be made at a moments notice.

Families can make reserve rooms for a small seaside hotel for less than they would spend in a luxury hotel, that often have all the comforts of home that cannot be found in the resort hotels. Small family owned hotels that have been made available for rental often include multiple rooms with soft beds, a small kitchenette, and often cable or satellite television. In other words, a small family owned hotel offer all the comforts of home at your favorite vacation destination, for much less and with less hassle than is usually offered either by reserving a hotel room in a larger fancier hotel.

Meals also can be budgeted and implemented with ease, and if you forgot to pack enough food there is always a grocery store a short distance away. Often, there will be stores that specialize in a specific food you might want to eat outside your vacation rental, for example, you might find a store selling Greek food or a vegetable market nearby. A family who chooses hotel reservations in a smaller family owned seaside hotel will save money over a hotel that may be jazzier but is expensive beyond your means!

Smaller beachside hotels are become much more popular for the family vacation that booking hotel rooms in the larger resorts are slowly falling to the wayside as the family owned hotels begin to take precedence and increase in popularity. The cost effective family vacation and the insurance that hotel reservations in family owned hotel offer are a mutual benefit to all parties concerned.

Douglas Anchell has written and published numerous articles on the Joys of Discount Travel. For more information on discount hotel reservations and family vacations visit us at: http://www.all-reservations.com or http://www.california-accommodations.com

Those who stay at the Hotel Playa Mazatlan are likely to find a Mazatlan restaurant that suits their dining needs without even leaving the resort. Mazatlan offers a wide variety of dining options including authentic Mexican cuisine as well as a variety of other ethnic specialties and an assortment of steak and seafood restaurants. While Mazatlan does offer a wide variety of dining options at the Hotel Playa Mazatlan like at many Mazatlan hotels, you can find an onsite restaurant that will fulfill your culinary desires.

Visitors to the Hotel Playa Mazatlan can enjoy a different Mazatlan restaurant every few days without every leaving the hotel grounds. From gourmet cuisine to casual snacks and appetizers you can find a Mazatlan restaurant that will appeal to your tastes. The Terraza Playa is the most elegant dining option at the Hotel Playa Mazatlan. This outdoor dining option allows you to enjoy the breathtaking views of the Pacific as well as Las Tres Islas while you enjoy the extensive menu that this Mazatlan restaurant has to offer. Those who don’t want to leave the beach can enjoy casual dining at the La Playita snack bar where the menu offers light fare such as hamburgers, pizza, nachos and an assortment of drinks and also allows the guest to enjoy their meal on the beach. Those who don’t want to leave the pool for a meal can indulge in the breakfast, appetizer and lunch menu that is offered at Los Tejabanes Café. With so many dining options it is easy to see why guests at the Hotel Playa Mazatlan never have to leave their resort to enjoy a fine meal.

In addition to the previously mentioned restaurants available onsite at the Hotel Playa Mazatlan another Mazatlan restaurant the guests can enjoy is the endless buffet at the Fiesta Mexicana. This dinner show is available three nights a week and offers a buffet that features countless authentic Mexican dishes. Although this may not be a true Mazatlan restaurant, it is a dining experience that is sure to be enjoyed by all who attend.

Shawn Bishop is the marketing manager for Hotel Playa Mazatln, where legendary hospitality meets full-service facilities in an atmosphere of old Mexican tradition.