Archive for December 26th, 2009
10 Lanzarote Beaches – General
Lanzarote offers a wide variety of beaches including white and black sand, placid and ruffled waters and these are, as you would expect distributed along the entire coast of the island.
Further articles posted by me discuss in more detail the best beaches in each of the seven municipalities (articles 11 to 17) and these form part of a much wider portfolio of information I’m providing to help holiday makers.
So, where is the best beach then ?
As my ‘home-from-home’ is in the south of the island in Playa Blanca in the municipality of Yaiza, I am somewhat biased as to where the best beach is and for me it is without doubt, Papagayo. Judging by the research I’ve done on the Internet, I am not alone in this opinion, so no matter where you are staying, I would suggest that you should not miss this one out.
Punta de Papagayo (to give it its full name), is located at the southernmost tip of Lanzarote. With a surrounding landscape of volcanic ash, crystal clear water and fine white sand, this stretch of the coast , with several small bays and coves is quite simply stunning. Access is gained by first driving across a dirt track road (quite bumpy), then paying a toll (it’s that good, they charge you a small entrance fee), and then walking down the sand banks to the beach as there is no man-made path.
BEFORE you walk down the banks, remember to get anything you need from the one and only cafeteria in this area, as you won’t want to keep trudging up and down, trust me, I’ve done it. The difficulty in getting to the beach is worth it. If you decide to walk along the beach to look at other bays, please bear in mind the fact that some visitors bathe nude at this location as it is permitted. You should not encounter this in the bay by the cafeteria.
If you research this beach on the Internet more widely, you will read statements like ‘wild at times’ and ‘waves can be a little strong at times’, so your instinct will, quite rightly tell you to keep an eye on the children.
I want to devote the rest of this introductory article to a day on Papagayo in the Spring of 2005.
On this particular trip, my wife decided to stay at the top of the cliff by the cafeteria, as we were not planning to stay long. I took my two sons down to the immediate bay as the children were pestering me to let them play in the sand and have a dip in the water (as children do). I did what most parents do on holiday – I gave in to their demands for a peaceful life.
My eldest son (who was 11 at the time) decided he’d like to be a little braver than the younger one, who was 6 years old and who stayed in the ‘ankles only’ region of the sea with me. He wandered out to a point that each wave broke about the chest to neck area and if he jumped up as the wave broke to avoid getting a mouthful of salt water.
All children do this and I’m sure by now, you know what’s coming…. well he didn’t !
I could see a rather large wave behind him out at sea and began to shout towards him to come back in a bit. He never understood my gesticulations towards him, so I moved towards him (instructing the younger one to go back up the beach immediately and ‘stay put’). For once, the younger one did as he was told and as I got closer he heard me and moved towards me. I got to within 5 metres of him before the wave crashed 15 feet above his head !
For what seemed an eternity at the time, I completely lost sight of him. He resurfaced, spluttering, and a good 30 metres away from me, which should give you an appreciation of the waves power. My son waited to see my reaction before bursting out laughing (I think he thought I would be angry with him, as if !). He was covered from head to foot in sand, had drank a pint or more of salt water and despite his brave face, he was clearly shook up and to this day we still recall that wave at Papagayo, but he had learnt his lesson and he lives to swallow salt water another day.
It is worth pointing out that both of my children are very good swimmers, having attended swimming lessons from an early age. Their ‘reward’ for this, is to be given more freedom when on holiday, particularly in the swimming pools, providing we can still see them. I did not for one moment (you know I really mean that I did) think that he would not come back up, but please take my experience into account if you go to Papagayo as the warning ‘strong waves at times’ is often dismissed by the occasional visitor.
But don’t let this put you off, as this is truly a fantastic location and we still go back on most visits to the island.
I will to bring this article to a close with an important Safety Message – Swimming & playing in the sea is great fun, but be aware of the dangers and act responsibly and look out for Flag warnings.
To this end, you should :
1. Swim parallel to the shore ;
2. Swim within your depth (it can often be difficult to swim back to the Beach as currents can be strong) ;
3. Never swim immediately after eating ;
4. Never swim alone or at night ;
5. Be aware of local conditions (currents etc), seek advice if in doubt and beware of boats and jet skis if they are in the vicinity and please do not swim in areas allocated for their use ;
6. Remember that a Red Flag means “Dangerous Conditions, do not enter the water” ;
7. Remember that a Yellow Flag means “Dangerous Conditions, exercise caution” ; and
8. Remember that a Green Flag means its “Safe for swimming”.
Oh… and in case you’re wondering, it was a Green Flag at the time of the incident with my son and it was altered to Yellow by the time we got back to the top of the cliff.
Were we unlucky ? No we were lucky !
6 Ways to Enjoy a New England Christmas
What image does a New England Christmas conjure up in your mind?
A Currier and Ives scenes of a snow-bound village with festive decorations… skating on a frozen pond… or taking in an exciting holiday show in Boston? And if you have kids… no Christmas is complete without a ride on the Polar Express – New England style.
Here’s where you can experience six holiday magic events this season…
BRIGHT NIGHTS AT FOREST PARK
Billed as New England’s single most popular holiday destination, “Bright Nights at Forest Park” is entering its ninth season. Located in the Forest Park area of downtown Springfield, Western Massachusetts, it’s a wonderland of marvelous displays such as this year’ lost in time display where eight mammoth dinosaurs come to light along side an exploding volcano with flowing lava.
Entrance fee is $12 per car and the show begins on November 23, 2005 at 6:00pm and operates through January 1, 2006.
CHRISTMAS AT THE NEWPORT MANSIONS
Each holiday season the Newport Mansions of The Elms, The Breakers, and Marble House put on a stunning show of spectacular evergreens, trees, thousands of poinsettia plants, fresh flowers and wreaths. The great entrances and hallways display magnificently decorated trees. The dining tables are set with period silver and china, and mannequins are dressed in authentic costumes.
You can see this stunning display of seasonal decorations at these Newport Mansions yourself November 12 through to January 1, 2006.
NEW ENGLAND CHRISTMAS AT OLD STURBRIDGE VILLAGE
Between December 1, 2005 and January 1, 2005 Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts will be transformed so you can experience a 19th century New England Christmas.
Old Sturbridge Village has always been one of my favorite places to visit and discover about life in 19th century New England. Now with the holiday season upon us, the village once again displays its ability to provide a discovery experience in a fun and entertaining way, and with a New England Christmas flavor.
THE BOSTON CHRISTMAS SEASON
Whether you delight in taking in the seasonal favorite of Boston Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” or soaking up “glad tidings of joy” at Symphony Hall with the Boston Pops Holiday Series, Boston knows how to celebrate the season with special shows and concerts. And of course there’s always the Candlelight Carol Concerts at Trinity Church in the Back Bay area, and the famous “First Night” celebration.
The Boston Pops kicks off on Friday, December 9th at 8:00pm and continues through to their annual New Year’s Eve celebration on December 31st at 10:15pm. The Boston Ballet performs “The Nutcracker” at The Opera House, and the season starts on November 25th with performances through December 30th.
POLAR EXPRESS – CONNECTICUT STYLE
The North Pole Express is a popular nighttime steam train ride with live readings of Christmas stories, hot chocolate and cookies, sing-along, and holiday surprises. Special guest Santa Claus has a treat for all children, and you’re guaranteed lots of fun and lots of extras.
Essex Steam Train’s North Pole Express operates Fridays through Sundays December 2 through December 23, with special early trips on November 25-27. Tickets are sold at the Essex Train Station in Essex, Connecticut – call (860) 767-0103 or toll free 800 377-3987.
NEW ENGLAND CHRISTMAS TIME AT SANTA’S VILLAGE
Way up north is the village of Santa. You can visit him in the summer, and you can visit him in the fall, but the best to time visit him is… Christmastime! Santa’s Village is located in Jefferson, New Hampshire – a spot deep in the White Mountains. Santa is preparing for his world tour on Christmas Eve, but you can take a peek for a brief time if you hurry.
The village opens for the Christmas season on Friday November 25th from 11:00am to 7:00pm. Then every Saturday from November 26th through December 17th from 11:00am to 7:00pm, and every Sunday from November 27th through December 18th from 11:00am to 6:00pm.
Make your New England Christmas magical this year by experiencing one or more of these attractions. It is after all the season to create unforgettable memories.
A Look Inside Frequent Flyer Programs
Airlines know the price of getting a new customer. And they know that it’s a whole lot easier and less expensive to keep the customers that they already have. For this reason, airlines started frequent flyer programs. These programs reward you the more you fly.
Frequent flyer programs let you to receive certain travel benefits based on the number of miles (or sporadically the number of trips) you fly on a specific airline. Standard awards include a free ticket or a free upgrade from coach to first class.
Some airlines also offer “elite” programs that provide check-in and boarding priorities, and “affinity” credit cards which earn mileage credits when you use them for purchases.
In order to earn these benefits you must become a member of that airline’s program; this can often be done through a travel agency.
There isn’t a how many programs you can join. But before you decide which program to join, you should compare different programs carefully.
Every airline program carries conditions and limitations. So you should be careful to read the promotional material and the all the fine print. Here are a few things you should take a look at:
- The rate at which credits are earned, minimum credits earned per flight
- If you are more interested in free tickets for yourself, or companion tickets, or upgrades
- How much credit you need for the awards you’re interested in
- What are the deadlines for accumulated credits?
- Does the airline serve the cities you’re traveling to, and if it has tie-ins or other airlines and to car rental companies and hotels you would use.
- If awards can be transferred to someone else or just members only
Also, airlines reserve the right to make changes at any time. More often than not, without notice. This can include changes to the conditions and limits on the awards earned.
You should also be keeping track of the mileage you’ve earned and check it against the statement the airline mails to you.
It’s not uncommon that airlines add new routes after you join the program.You might be able credits on that route but not use awards there.
Another important not that you should be aware of is that airlines usually restrict the transfer of mileage earnings. Most often being the sail or attempted sale of credits or awards you’ve earned and want to sell. You should never try this as the airlines have caught on to these schemes and actively persue it.