Ready to explore and conquer? Well, as a modern tourist, you will find yourself in a unique situation. People want to know what you are doing and they want to know it now. You want some of the best gadgets for your trip, then be sure that you are connected.

Samsung 9 Series Laptop

A lightweight, compact and easy to carry laptop, this one saves you a pound or more compared to fatter laptops. Only 2.89 Lbs, it has a very unique design that is a sleek as a sports car. It uses the top notch Core i5 processor from Intel and the battery can handle 6.5 hours. You have to get this if you want to keep connected with your friends and family and share some amazing things with them. This is also great for those who prefer a proper computer than smaller gadgets.

Xoom by Motorola

Of course, tech lovers love their tablets and if you want to flash a tablet, be proud in showing off this one from Motorola. It uses Verizon Wireless and uses the latest Motorola processor which is quite zippy, it is a close call to the Apple OS to some extent. It runs on Android 3.0 and it has incredible cameras offering better video quality. This is great if you are bored, and you want to enjoy a book or a game while at the bar or maybe you just want to have a quick blog post or a scrap book piece on the spot.

Samsung 4G LTE Mobile Hotspot

Let’s face it, we do not get enough internet connection on the places where we want them and for those who need to stay connected, that is a massive booboo. If you are hardcore with your connectivity, then this is an incredible device to have. This device offers portable Wi Fi connectivity that can handle connections for computers. It is pocket sized so you can carry it anywhere without causing much clutter. The 4G connection is great since it is faster than 3G.

FujiFilm FinePix X3P0

If you like a camera that can go along with you everywhere you go: brave the dirt, the heat the cold and underwater, this waterproof, shockproof and compact camera will be your new best friend. Capture with this 14 MP camera and take immaculate, high quality photos worthy of the travel destinations you are currently visiting. The best thing? It is not that expensive!

When it comes to Catalan arts and surrealism, there is one visionary man who is worthy of being called a master: Salvador Dali. His creations are mind boggling, psychological, artistically unique and most importantly, modern. A fantastic draftsman, he was most popular for his surrealist paintings as well as collaborations with numerous artists and fashion designers particularly Elsa Schiaparelli in which Dali created the painting for the Lobster Dress, an iconic dress. He is not just an artist; he was a great commercial influence and was incredibly open to the media.

The most iconic work of Salvador Dali would have to be the Persistence of Memory which he completed in 1931. Right now, it is part of the permanent collection at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. It is an image of a landscape with striking images of watches, seemingly melting, a disturbing but highly influential image that still appeals to a massive crowd. The painting was inspired by the theory of Softness and Hardness by Dali himself. It was said that soft watch meant the space and time relativity and this painting is a representation of the collapse of the fixed cosmic order.

Salvador Dali was an eccentric man and he was a man who loved passions and indulgence. He liked luxurious things, gilded and elaborate things and so it is no wonder why he had an affinity for orientalist fashion. He was attention seeking and this is a way to irritate his critics more and more.

Salvador Dali used symbolism, a lot, actually into his paintings. There are phallic undertones, elephants, obelisks and eggs. His works are provocative and often times analyzed in a psychological manner, more than artistically. His works seem to really manifest more very deep ideas mixed with subconscious elements and cosmic, pseudo scientific or carnal elements. Nonetheless, Dali has his fans and his patrons support his work though they seem to also not like him being extremely publicized in the media.

Dali created more than 1500 paintings in his lifetime. He was also cited as an important source of inspiration for a lot of modern artists like Jeff Koons, Damien Hirst and modern day surrealists. His face was iconic, even his ever changing mustache that has its own personality. Indeed, Dali was a personality. He is an icon of art, and of popular culture. Nonetheless, the depth of his work and the incredible complexity of his paintings show that he is a force that is to be lauded and praised, deserving of praise in the industry.

What kind of restaurant would be voted for 5 consecutive years as the best restaurant in the world? That is exactly what El Bulli restaurant, a three star restaurant located near the town of Rosas in Spain has managed to do. When it comes to restaurants, there is El Bulli and then there is everyone else. It is managed by the now world famous chef Ferran Adria and overlooks the Cala Montjoi bay of Costa Brava.

The restaurant is reservation only and has a limited open season each year. It attracts a whopping 1 million reservation requests each year even though it can only take in a total of 8000 guests each year. This is despite a standard meal at the restaurant costing in excess of 200 Euros. The overwhelming demand has also not resulted in a net profit for the restaurant - it has been running at a loss since the year 2000 and is primarily funded by the sales of its books.

The name El Bulli was derived from the bulldogs of the couple that sold the site of the present day restaurant to its first owners. The restaurant itself opened in 1964 and won its first Michelin star in 1976 under the leadership of Chef Jean Loius Neichel. Chef Ferran Adria joined El Bulli in 1984 and was made head chef in 1987. The restaurant received its second and third Michelin star in 1990 and 1997 respectively.

From 1993, the El Bulli restaurant started publishing books on the different menus available. Books are sold in hard copy or in CD ROM format at major supermarkets and book stores in Spain and around the world. One of the most popular publications by the restaurant is one done in 2008 and that covered a typical 24 hour day at the restaurant. Done by Ferran Adria, Albert Adria and Juli Soler, it featured details of various recipes interspersed with commentaries and pictures.

Reservations can be made online or by fax. Guests must patiently wait until they receive confirmation on their successful reservation with details of the date and time. With over a million applicants, the odds of a successful reservation are just over 100 to 1. The menu is dynamic and guests usually have no way of knowing what will be served on the day they have been slotted in. The chefs go to great lengths to deliver food that the guests are unlikely to have eaten before.

To get to El Bullis, the most popular approach is taking a flight to Barcelona then covering the journey to Rosas via taxi. There are a number of hotels nearby that one can stay in when visiting El Bulli.

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About location

Located on the north eastern coast of Catalonua, Spain, the Costa Brava region stretches from the French border to Blanes (a resort town 60 kilometres north east of the city of Barcelona). The name Costa Brava is derived from the Catalan word ‘Costa’ which means coast and ‘Brava’ that stands for wild or rugged. The region has gained international repute for its popular tourist resorts. Costa Brava’s seaside towns signed a charter in 1998 to ensure that the phenomenal tourism growth goes hand in hand with the sustainable management of the environment.

Climate

Costa Brava’s position at the north east end of Spain makes it wetter and cooler than all other sea adjacent areas of Spain. Broadly speaking, the climate of Costa Brava is Mediterranean with hot summers and milder winters. However, the region’s climate is a confluence of weather systems originating from the Mediterranean, Africa, Europe, the Atlantic and the Pyrenees and this makes it difficult to predict at times. It is not unusual to experience substantially different weather on two consecutive years. There are also several distinct microclimates depending on where one is in the region.

The summer kicks off in June with average highs at about 25C peaking at 28C between July and August. The sirocco wind that originates from the Sahara can occasionally push up day temperatures past 35C. During the peak of summer, nights may be uncomfortably warm for some tourists with average lows sometimes at 21C. In, autumn temperatures start to fall and rainfall increases. Thunderstorms may occur especially over the month of October. By the winter, average lows are at 7C and highs at 13C. Spring sees increased in rainfall though not as much as the autumn and by May, day highs are at 21C as the summer season begins.

History

Costa Brava is filled with many signs that demonstrate the presence of Romans in the area at some point in its past. Archaeological findings have also shown the presence of Arabs, Visigoths, Greeks and Iberians at different times in the area’s history. By the 1950s, local entrepreneurs and the Spanish government had identified Costa Brava as an area suitable for development and promotion as a tourist destination. The target market was tourists from France, the United Kingdom and other countries in Northern Europe. It was shortly after that apartments and hotels started to come up leading to the formation of the Llorel de Mar, Tossa de Mar and Blanes seaside resort towns.

Attractions

Costa Brava’s key allure for holiday makers has been its coastline which is evidenced by the thriving coastal resorts. However, several parts of the interior have retained the traditional feel of the area and are a suitable holiday alternative for persons that want something different from the seaside attractions. Cadaques, a town at the base of the Pyrenees not far from the French border, has played host to such famous artists as Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro and Salvador Dali thanks to its calm and serene demeanour.

Along the shores of Banyoles Lake is the Santa Maria de Porqueres, a Romanesque church whose history dates back to the 12^th century. It is one of the most visited sites in Catalonia. Then there is Fageda Beech Forest, whose natural beauty is nothing less than enchanting. Other places to see include Parc Art (the open air art gallery), the 6^th century Greco-Roman Empuries park, the 18^th century Sant Ferran Castle (Europe’s largest fortress), the 10^th century Sant Pere de Rodes Monastery, Girona’s old town and Breda’s Sant Salvador Monastery.

Over the years, Skiing has become a popular recreation across many corners of the globe. The exponential growth in the travel and tourism industry has also led to the development of skiing as a major tourist attraction and form of recreation across different ages and walks of life.

Skiing is a package of different recreational activities and sports in particular; over snow. It has a special place of importance in various destination resorts around the world. There are various family ski resorts which exclusively cater to this form of recreation along with other amenities including lodging, accommodation, food, parking etc.

Each snow-flaked mountain has something exotic to offer you and make your ski holidays a memorable experience. The different corners of the globe have the splendid touch of Midas in the form of architectural beauty of the best ski resorts with all the basic and luxurious amenities to help you enjoy skiing like no other!

Following are the ten top ski resorts in the world which offer both luxury and the perfect adventurous escapade:

1. Whistler Blackcomb, British Columbia, Canada

Nothing betters this Canadian restaurant which is arguably the best ski resort in North America. It has an annual visit of over two million people, who enjoy the Alpines and Whistler-Blackcomb with skiing and mountain biking.

One can enjoy the delicacies at the 90 different restaurants; bars and lounges while enjoying the scenic beauty of this resort. And the resort played host to 2010 Winter Olympics too! No doubt it tops the list of top ski resorts in the world.

2. Kitzbuhel, Austria

Kitzbuhel enjoys the reputation of heritage and tradition which has earned it the title of “Pearl of the Alps”. Situated in Tyrol, Austria, it played host for the Winter Olympics in 1964 and 1976. Its old world charm with exquisite delicacies and eatables in local restaurants and cafes are its highlight. Some of the popular bars and eat outs include Club Take Five and Python Club, Eggerwirt, Hechenmoos and Alte Wacht.

3. Zermatt, Switzerland

Located in Pennine Alps close to Italy, Zermatt offers breath-taking site seeing options with an appropriate weather round the year. One can enjoy the traditional lifestyle with attractions like horse-drawn sleigh or the modern electric carts. The amazing altitude and on- and off-piste terrain offers skiers and riders with a lifetime experience.

4. Vail, Colorado

Vali located in Eagle County of Colorado has been a popular hub for outdoor activities in North America. It has the second largest single ski mountain which makes skiing and winter sports an enjoyable experience. The resort offers an array of popular winter activities like tubing, laser tag and ski biking.

5. Banff Lake Louise, Alberta

The North American beauty is rated among the best ski resorts for its eye-catching mountain scenery, divergent wildlife, and its location at the centre of Canada’s Banff National Park. Hence, an exotic combination of adventure, wildlife and recreation for your ski holidays!

6. Chamonix Mont Blanc, France

The North-western Alps resort is located near the convergence of French, Swiss and Italian borders and is the crown among the French winter resorts. It played the host to the 1924 Winter Olympics and is also popular for its skiing and snowboarding facilities. The Mont Blanc Mountain offers a wide range of outdoor activities like extreme skiing, paragliding, ice climbing, rock climbing, rafting etc.

The state of the art resort also offers attractions in the form of salons and spa, ice rink, husky sledding, cinema, casino, and local markets and amazing dine outs and night clubs.

7. Stowe, Vermont

Stowe is one of the oldest and best ski resorts in Vermont and referred to as the

“Ski Capital of the East”. It offers four-seasoned climate with traditional markets, world-class eating joints with a little bit of both worlds to the tourists. Its ski school gets a special mention for its intermediate and advanced levels of training.

8. Mont-Tremblant, Quebec

Quebce, Canada has its very own world-renowned ski resort at the foot of Mont Tremblant Mountain. It also offers welcoming weather round-the-year and offers a wide variety of outdoor activities like hiking, cycling, canyoing, golfing etc. For the night lovers, there are popular hubs like Bar Cafe d’Epoque, Disco Bar le Moulin Rouge and Le P’tit Caribou.

9. Cortina, Italy

It is one of the best ski resorts located right at the heart of Dolomites and Veneto mountains. This is among the up-market family ski resorts with trendier restaurants, bars and architecture to suit the elite.

One can enjoy ice skating, ice fall climbing and various extreme sports at Cortina’s Olympic Bobsled. It is also a favorite shopper’s stop for designer clothes, antiques, sportswear, jewelry, cosmetics along with the lip-smacking delicacies.

10. Aspen, Colorado, USA

Again a trendy resort, Aspen draws the effluent for its rich taste and breath-taking view of the Aspen Mountain. It offers not just the best skiing experience in USA but also offers luxurious accommodation equivalent or bettering the 5 star hotel facilities. The right choice for your luxury ski holidays in USA.

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Ticqiz.com is a new online sports quiz site, providing free entertainment for sports fans with the aim that they can win tickets to sporting events, or sporting items relevant to a particular event.

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Test quizzes have been successfully run in the UK, the initial target market, for a major European rugby match, a leading UK horse racing occasion and a major international motor racing event, with the winners of each competition enjoying a good outing.

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shopping with your credit card can quickly become a path to buyer’s remorse if you go at it without preparation. Your good cheer, your generosity, the store bargains, the ubiquitous advertisements, plus the convenience of using your credit card could all add up to the experience of having your good deeds punished.A credit card is a financial tool that, like any tool, should be used with care. Shopping on credit need not be a choice between being a Scrooge or being a spendthrift. Here’s the least you need to remember:

Define your limits

Whatever mode of shopping you end up with, whether it’s going to the shops, browsing catalogs or going on-line, the first step you ought to take before going shopping would be to determine the amount of money you can afford to spend. Be realistic about this figure; it should be expressed as an integer and not as a range.

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pain’s second largest city and the capital of Catalonia is picturesque city rich in historic architectural wonders that leave any tourist amazed by its beauty. The city of Barcelona is a tourist haven where you can experience life in the city and relax at the beach after. There is so much to see and things to do whilst in this magnificent Mediterranean city.

Travelling to Barcelona

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To get to Barcelona is to pass through El Prat or the Barcelona International Airport which is ten kilometres away from the city. From the airport you can take a taxi or take the RENFE train which stops at different areas of the city. You can also take the Aerobus that depart every six to nine minutes or the Nit Bus if you’re travelling by night.

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