The first thing you will see on the exit doors of the station w...]]> Most people would arrive in Amsterdam via the central train station, either from a train from Schipol airport, other European destinations or one of the many coaches that bring daily visitors from many of the North Sea Ferries.

The first thing you will see on the exit doors of the station will be the now famous Amsterdam trams, boat tours a bit further on and to the right, a cycle park that must contain a half a million bikes. Three things associated with Amsterdam.

Amsterdam is in the process of building an underground train system to make travelling around the city even easier. This does mean that that on main streets and in front of the central station, building is in process, which spoils some of the first impressions at this point, but in a few years time when it is finished I am sure it will be worth it.

Carrying on up the main street from the station you will arrive at the Dam. Many years ago, it used to hold ships that came directly up the canals to trade with the city. But now it is more like a city square with the town hall and Madame Tussaud’s on one side and a the main city statue on the other. In front of the town hall you will often see street entertainers and if you wish to see the city on a horse and cart, this is the starting place for the tours. The dam seems to be a magnet for people during the summer months especially in the early evening. During the winter months an ice rink is built just in front of the town hall.

The dam is also a turning point for tourists, if you turn left you can start exploring the canal system, turn right and you can walk to Anne Frank’s house or if you continue on you will eventually come to the flower market next to the clock tower.

Anne Franks

If I had to select one place to visit whilst in Amsterdam it would be Anne Franks house. Her story has been well documented in her books and the films that have recreated her life’s story during the Second World War. However being in the house, where she and her family hid from the Nazi’s is quite an experience. A lot of the house is the same as it was then, one room still has here writing on the walls and is a grim reminder of the horrors of that time apposed on the Jews. Because the attic room is pretty much as it was, there are steep steps; those in a wheelchair are unlikely to see the entire house.

Flower Market

During certain months of the year this is a colourful spectacle, with what appears every type of tulip and bulb available. The shops are actually boats or floating platforms on the canal, which you can clearly see on the other side of the canal but au you walk the market would just assume they were normal shops.

The Canal System

It doesn’t matter where you walk in Amsterdam you going to be near a canal, but in my opinion you don’t see how pretty the canals are until you have walked 15 minutes or so away from the central station. Here you will have countless opportunities to take photos of small bridges all with cycles chained to them over narrow pretty canals. As well as the canal boat tours at the central station you will come across some more tours boats along the system but beware of the canal bus. You will see bus stops for the canal bus, but you cannot buy a ticket on board you must prepay your ticket at their main depot for the day.

Museums

Most of the art museums are together in the museum quarter. Unless you like walking it is probably a bit far on foot from the station, so a tram may be the order of the day. The canal bus that I mentioned earlier also does a canal bus ticket to take you there via the canals. The Rijksmuseum and Van Gough Museums and others have some of the world’s most famous paintings in from artists such as Monet, Rembrandt and Van Gough who are all Ditch Masters. Try and pre-book your tickets online, as it is hit and miss whether you will get in just by arriving.

You can’t really talk about Amsterdam and not mention some of the other aspects it is famous for and that is its tolerance to sex and low class drugs.

Red Light District

This is the only red light district I have walked through so I can’t compare it to anywhere else except to say it isn’t as sleazy as I thought it would be. You see normal people just going to work, elderly people carrying their shopping, businessmen and women coming in and out of the offices nearby. I am sure this place comes alive at night but during the day, it is more peaceful than I thought it would be. There are tours that will take you and around 30 other visitors around the area and explain the history of the district. In the tours you will see people from all ages including children. The sex shops have everything they sell in the window and seem to be frequented by groups of girls on their hen night having a laugh rather than sleazy men in raincoats. I think only those with extreme views would find this area offensive and if so stay away as it confined to one area of the city and you would not know it was there should you choose not to.

Coffer Shops.

This is where it is legal to buy certain grown substances to be consumed in the area known as a coffee shop. If you want to know where they are, just follow the smell.

It is illegal to buy any drugs on the street though.

I have been to Amsterdam many times now, mainly because of the relaxed atmosphere of the city and its street caf

North Island
Cape Reinga and 90 Mile Beach
Swim with the dolphins in Paihia, Bay of Islands
Vertigo Climb, Auckland Skytower - beyond the o...]]> Throughout New Zealand
Buy the Lord of the Rings location guide, and do some hunting out of familiar scenes from the LOTR trilogy.

North Island
Cape Reinga and 90 Mile Beach
Swim with the dolphins in Paihia, Bay of Islands
Vertigo Climb, Auckland Skytower – beyond the observation decks, and wear an orange suit to do it.
Take a ferry or kayak from Mission Bay, Auckland to Rangitoto Island & climb to the top.
Waiheke Island – only 35 mins by ferry from Auckland, for some great wineries, maybe spend the night.
Raglan- & catch some wild surf.
Waitomo Haggas Honking Holes and tubing the glow-worm caves
Kayak from Whitianga to Cathedral Cove – then go to Hot Water beach and dig your hole in the sand
Drive from Opotiki to Gisborne then around the East Cape and back to Opotiki
Hawkes Bay- wineries, East Coast, North Island
Whakatane- Take a scenic flight over White Island, an active volcano.
Rotorua – to see the geysers, thermal activity and smell, visit Te Whakawerwera for your Maori cultural experience.
Drive out to Lake Tarawera near Rotorua- check out the Blue and Green lakes on the way
Taupo- Tandem Skydive 12,000ft
Craters of the moon outside of Taupo
Tongariro Crossing- one of the best one-day walks in the world, stunning scenery with volcanoes
Walk up Mount Taranaki- West Coast, North Island
Watch the sun rise at Te Araroa – the eastern most place in NZ
Martinborough- wineries- bottom East Coast, North Island
Te Papa Museum in Wellington- you could spend all day here learning about NZ / Maori -culture

South Island
Abel Tasman- for relaxing walking and kayaking around the National Park
Walk the Queen Charlotte Track, Marlborough Sounds- Top, South Island
Marlborough- wineries, top East Coast, South Island
Kaikoura- for whale watching and swimming with dolphins
4 day hike, Banks Peninsula – East Coast, South Island
Moeraki Boulders – East Coast, South Island for unusual round boulders
Christchurch- Arts Centre
Akaroa- for a bit of French New Zealand history
Dunedin- for historic homes, albatross, yellow eyed penguins and seal colonies
Oamaru- for Old Oamaru Stone buildings and Penguin watching
Pancake Rocks and blowholes- Punakaiki, upper West Coast, South Island
Mount Cook – South Island
Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers- West Coast, South Island
While looking at the glaciers in the Fox/Franz Josef area take a cruise out to Lake Matheson first thing in the morning to take some amazing photos of the reflection of Mount Cook in the water
Wanaka- a relaxing place in Central Otago
Arrowtown- an old Central Otago Goldfields town with an old Chinese village, 20 minutes from Queenstown
Queenstown- for adventure activities and party atmosphere
Pipeline Bungy Jump in Queenstown
Drive from Queenstown to Glenorchy- have a beer at the Glenorchy pub, after stopping and taking plenty of photos whilst on the drive
Queenstown- wineries
5 day trek of Routeburn/Greenstone Track
Walk Milford Track- one of the Worlds best.
Milford Sound and Fiordland National Park- lower West Coast, South Island
Doubtful Sound in the Fiordland National Park- swim with dolphins
The Catlins- for nature East Coast, South Island
Stewart Island- for nature bottom South Island

Once you have done all these things you will have had a great look around beautiful New Zealand

http://www.newzealandatoz.com
New Zealand AtoZ provides useful New Zealand information to travelers, including a full list of all New Zealand car, motorhome and campervan rental companies along with their daily hire rates
Your complete guide to New Zealand.

The poor Mexican woman was accompanied by her husband and her doctor.The doctor had been taking care o...]]> When you are doing volunteer work in a third world country, you never know what you are going to see next, but what we did not expect was a woman in labor showing up in the back of a taxi.

The poor Mexican woman was accompanied by her husband and her doctor.The doctor had been taking care of her in her home and determined that she needed to be in the hospital to make sure everything went well with the delivery. So, here they came.

This poor couple not only showed up in an unusual way, but they looked like they had only been to town a few times before. They were obviously very poor. The Mexican people take pride in their clothing and would wear their best for a trip to town. But, these people had well worn clothing that were clean but threadbare.

During the one hour that they were in the hospital we found out more about them. This was to be the woman’s twenty fifth child. She had several sets of twins in the lot. Of those twenty five, sixteen were still alive. No wonder they looked so poor!

When the baby was born, the father pulled out the baby blanket. We felt pretty bad when we saw the four worn cloths that had been sewn together to make a ‘quilt’. Although the baby was obviously loved by her parents, we were distraught at the poverty.

They left as they had come. The family in the back and the doctor in the front with the driver.

My wife was impressed with their visit to the extent that she held a fund drive and raised enough money to get a real nursery. Before, the babies had stayed with the mother who was supposed to care for the baby as she recovered.

Not only did they get a new nursery, but each baby got a new flannel blanket to take home. The parents were thrilled. They were not used to such luxury!

We told the people

Lincoln City is located at the 45th parallel. What this means is you get steady winds pretty much year round. This makes Lincoln City the self-proclaimed "Kite Capital of the World" There are two kite festivals each year in Lincoln City, one in June and one in October. T...]]> 1. Go Fly a Kite!

Lincoln City is located at the 45th parallel. What this means is you get steady winds pretty much year round. This makes Lincoln City the self-proclaimed “Kite Capital of the World” There are two kite festivals each year in Lincoln City, one in June and one in October. The beaches, all 7 miles of them, are beautiful and provide plenty of room for kite flying! So go and feel like a kid again!

2. Take in a Show!

The Chinook Winds Casino is a beautiful casino, right on the ocean. It’s a great place to stay, and they always have big name musical acts. Of course there is the gambling that is available. The Casino also offers a restaurant, pool and a sauna to relax in. They also offer child care, with arcades, Nintendo and a playground.

3. Watch the Glass Blow!

The Alderhouse Glassblowing Studio is well worth your time. You can watch masters at the ancient art of glassblowing. You can also purchase some of their beautiful pieces, including something called a Witch Ball. You will be amazed at what they can do with glass.

4. View the Mighty D River?

The D River is not all that mighty. It is the shortest river in the world, traveling 120 feet from Devils Lake to the Pacific Ocean. There is a Oregon State Park wayside there, with plenty of parking and access to several miles of sandy beach. Right next to the wayside is my favorite restaurant, Kylios. Great views of the ocean and wonderful seafood.

5. Catch Your Dinner!

There is a lot of fishing fun available in Lincoln City. Whether it’s on Devils Lake (fish for trout, perch, catfish, crappie, large mouth bass), the Siletz River and the Salmon River (fish for chinook, steelhead, trout), Siletz Bay (fish for perch, crab, flounder) or deep sea fishing in the Pacific Ocean. Charters are available.

6. Shop Till You Drop!

If you need to get away from nature a bit, head to the Tanger Outlet Center.
Tanger outlet center has over 60 stores, including Reebok, Eddie Bauer, Old Navy and Pendelton Woolen Mills, an Oregon favorite.

Lincoln City is easy to get to from Portland and by driving the famous Pacific Coast Highway (US Route 101). Come visit Lincoln City, I know you’ll love it.

Barbara Pfieffer lives in beautiful Oregon State. http://www.vacation-in-oregon.com tells you all the fun things to do on vacation in Oregon, whether on the coast or visiting a casino. If you’d like discounts in Lincoln City, click

The North Carolina coast - it's adventure, romance, history, and a whole lot more! This is the perfect location for retirement or vacationing, and the good news is, properties are ready and waiting right now for the retiree, a second vacation home,...]]> Coastal North Carolina – Area Information

The North Carolina coast – it’s adventure, romance, history, and a whole lot more! This is the perfect location for retirement or vacationing, and the good news is, properties are ready and waiting right now for the retiree, a second vacation home, or an investment in your future. Come for a few days and you’ll be certain to fall in love with this recreational paradise.

People love to come home to the Carolina Coast because it’s easily accessible from many East Coast locations, there are activities galore, and the area is simply stunning, there’s no other way to describe it. Fishing, boating, golf, beaches, museums, the area is rich in all these things and more. When you discover the Carolina Coast, you discover a wealth of outdoor and indoor delights for the entire family. You’ll also find upscale dining, marinas just waiting for that boat you’ve always wanted, hiking and biking trails, and just about any kind of recreational activity you can think of.

Brunswick County has been rated one of the top 10 beach vacation spots for families. Why? Because there’s something for everyone here! The Intercoastal Waterway abounds in family activities, Holden Beach is a great family beach waiting for discovery, and the area is chock full of parks, museums, shopping, and outdoor activities for every member of the family. Visit just once and you’ll be drawn back again and again. There are still great opportunities to buy vacation property in the area, so the entire family can retreat, regroup, and relax any time you choose.

Nearby Wilmington and the Cape Fear coast offer even more recreational opportunities. Enjoy a round of golf? You’re in luck. With nearly 50 public courses in the area, Wilmington’s courses are rated the eighth best metro golfing area in the nation because these area courses offer value, accessibility, and quality all rolled into one. Even if you’re not a golfer, you’ll find an overabundance of outdoor and indoor activities in the area. Tour historic districts, museums, and a Civil War battlefield if you’re a history buff. Shop ’til you drop at the many stores, boutiques, galleries, and craft shops in the area. Take in a show, cruise the river, rent a kayak, bike, hike, or just kick back and relax. You can do it all on the North Carolina Coast!

Now, picture yourself retiring to this glorious area. The golf, the sun, the beaches, and the cities beckon. You’ll never run out of activities here, and it’s becoming a favorite spot for baby boomers looking for the perfect retirement location. You’ll be close to all the services you desire, but still have room to breathe in the salt air. What could be better? In addition, Brunswick County has the highest price appreciation in the Carolinas, so your investment today will reap even more rewards in the years to come.

Why invest in real estate in this area? First, it’s an investment that will last a lifetime. Whether you choose to retire to the Carolina Coast or use your home as a second vacation destination, your investment will grow with time. Real estate prices have increased all over the country, but they are still reasonable in this area. In addition, the second home marketplace is actually even healthier than the primary home marketplace. People are investing in second homes; it’s as simple as that. In addition, the Carolina Coast is a baby boomers paradise, which is why more people are choosing this area to celebrate their golden years. If you buy now, your second home could turn into your retirement paradise in a few years. Top that off with one of the top five second home markets in the nation and you’ve found the perfect location to enjoy for years to come, and you can be assured your investment will only grow with time.

So, what are you waiting for? Check out the Carolina Coast! You may find your dream vacation home just waiting for you, and you’re certain to enjoy the activities, surroundings, and adventures that await every time you return.

For additional Information:
http://www.buyvacationcondos.com/CoastalCarolinaInfo

Doug Lasley
Real Estate Broker-Associate

http://www.LANDDepo.com

407-876-5771

Most New Zealanders would not like tipping to become the normal procedure. This could factor into yo...]]> Minimum wages in New Zealand are $10.25 an hour for a worker over 18 and $8.20 for under 18, so they are not dependent on tips to subsidize their income, as is the case in the United States.

Most New Zealanders would not like tipping to become the normal procedure. This could factor into your wages when negotiating for a job.
With a non-tipping society it also gives a better feeling when you have finished your transaction. You do not feel guilty about leaving the right tip, and do not feel like being held captive at a restaurant or cafe until the tip is paid.

One of the more common New Zealand tipping practices in New Zealand is to round up taxi fares to the nearest couple of dollars.
Restaurants, hotels or bars do charge an extra service charge on public holidays around 10%-20%. This is now a common public holiday levy.
If you get great service feel free to leave a tip, $5 would be a good tip and a nice way of saying thanks for going out of your way. It will be much appreciated, it is not expected.
Do not feel “cheap” if you don’t leave a tip, think “when in Rome”.

http://www.newzealandatoz.com
New Zealand AtoZ provides useful New Zealand information to travelers, including a full list of all New Zealand car, motorhome and campervan rental companies along with their daily hire rates
Your complete guide to New Zealand.

Swan Hill is one of the most prominent and fast-growing citi...]]> Located in the North West of the Australian state of Victoria, Swan Hill got its name from the famous explorer Thomas Mitchell. He named it so after experiencing a sleepless night when camping very close to a flock of noisy swans.

Swan Hill is one of the most prominent and fast-growing cities of Australia. With a population of around 16,000 people, the city is primarily focused on production and supply to the needs of people and businesses around the city.

Swan Hill gives you a unique experience with the combination of the relaxed lifestyle of the rural side and the modern, thriving facilities of the urban side.

Visitors throng to this city to enjoy its beautiful Mediterranean climate and take a scenic trip on the mighty Murray River aboard the historic Paddle Steamer (PS) Pyap. Its atmosphere is one that blends history with modernity. Major tourist attractions are the historic Pioneer Settlement, regional art gallery, and historic homesteads.

Swan Hill city has been an important tourist destination because of its proximity to the Murray River. The number of visitors to the city has been steadily increasing as this region plays host to a number of large-scale events.

Major tourist attractions in Swan Hill are the Hilltop Fauna Park, Tyntyndyer Homestead, Murray Downs Homestead, Raymer’s Lakeside Nursery and Gardens, and the Swan Hill Pioneer Settlement. The city offers entertainment though its theatres and cinemas, and has state-of-the-art recreational clubs and sports centres. You will find its restaurants offering a range of delicious cuisines from local food to exotic Chinese and Italian style dishes at a price that suits any budget.

Enjoy the magnificent wide open spaces and the tranquillity of inland Australia while you visit an award-winning winery, or a fine restaurant featuring fresh Murray Cod, yabbies, avocado, citrus, stone fruits or vine fruits. Take in the beautiful surroundings at a golf course or explore nature’s remarkable features in one of many reserves and parks. Enjoy a river cruise or a houseboat holiday, or discover the fantastic festivals and events, arts and many unique family attractions.

If you’re looking for luxury accommodation in Victoria, then visit Simply Lush (http://www.simplylush.com) to check out our free reviews of only the very best accommodation in Victoria.