how you can take care of woolrich Arctic Parkas

Brand name clothing is very recognizable by consumers mainly because the brands invest millions of dollars marketing and advertising themselves. woolrich jackets, essentially clothing by smaller labels or imported from overseas, have no name recognition. But the flip side is that non branded clothing may be purchased and resold for allot much less than branded clothing.There is a new trend in fashion that’s so old it truly is new. Vintage clothing may be the old and new of fashion and individuals are becoming a growing number of conscious of the positive aspects as well as the rewards that it can give. It is possible to see Hollywood significant names extremely a lot in to it, you can see frequent folks trying to make the very best of it, you see massive names inside the fashion business searching back to it’s possibilities and you could read all more than the web concerning the its biggest comeback.

There’s a certain number of many pieces of woolrich parkas around the globe right now and due to the request of clothing inside the global market there is a particular number of people that had been successful inside the businesses of clothing and sale of the items that people today will acquire. Once you look at all of the fashion apparel shops, which take location around exactly where you live, it becomes rather quick to see that clothing is actually a incredibly huge industry on the international stage.

What does it take to dress well? Having numerous dollars? Nicely, that helps but most of all it takes organization, understanding yourself and your body and taking the time to get it proper. Getting nicely dressed is not about wearing the most recent fashions; it is about realizing yourself along with the styles that look best on you regardless of the most recent trends. Keeping up with the latest trends just isn’t only time consuming and pricey but hard perform.If you purchase clothing on online auctions you will obtain a wide assortment of types and sizes. You can’t specify the number of pants or skirts, or sizes for that matter. So although this might discourage some people from purchasing overstock clothing, just consider the positive aspects of acquiring brand names like Polo Ralph Lauren, Tommy, Liz Claiborne, Ecko, and Baby Phat, for a fraction of the common wholesale cost.

Top Online Promotion Ideas For Small Inns

As the new year approaches, travelers prepare their budgets for the coming months to determine what sights to see and places to visit. Lodging is a major consideration, whether coming to your destination for an overnight or staying for the week. In order to shine among the dozens, even hundreds of chain hotels in your area, it’s important to utilize every opportunity given to you via the Internet to make sure people know where you are and what you can offer in terms of a good night’s rest and a great day’s stay.

Becoming the Sources for News and Events

As innkeeper of a small boarding house, vacation rental, or bed and breakfast, you must stay abreast of local happenings and trends to entice visitors to your destination, and consequently to your lodging. By now you should have an informative website featuring pictures of your rooms and information on amenities, but a blog is another necessary tool to offer viewers. Maintain regular posts on your town – even if there is nothing special happening, a few choice pictures can work wonders – and assist your site’s SEO strength. The more information you impart, the greater your reputation as the go-to source for all things local will grow.

Social Networking – Multimedia Means Multiple Opportunities

With accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube and MySpace, you have the opportunity to expand your expertise and promotion of your inn. With overall web audience attention leaning toward multimedia files than static pages, and with search engines blending social sites in their results, you want to cover as many bases as possible. For travelers, while price and location are deciding factors in booking vacations, the best possible preview of your bed and breakfast or rental makes a lasting impression. Picture slideshow widgets, short video clips, and podcast reviews of your business create a well-rounded profile for people who haven’t yet stayed with you. Show people where they will stay – not through words, but with an impressive visual.

Editor’s Guide to Ocean City, Maryland

Having visited Ocean City as a child, than as a parent, and now living here with my grandchildren has given me a unique look at what Ocean City has to offer. From a day trip to a yearly vacation I will offer my advice on things I have enjoyed over the years.

Things have changed over the course of 50 years but not as much as you may think. Gone are the sand dunes and wilderness that existed north of 60th Street when I was a child. They have been replaced with high-rise condominiums, strip malls, hotels, restaurants, and residential buildings of every possible configuration.

The boardwalk now runs from the Inlet at the southern edge of Ocean City to 26th Street. Most of the “action” is from 4th Street-south If you want to stay where the action is I recommend staying on the boardwalk. This is a great area if you have teenagers or just like the hustle and bustle atmosphere. Even the boardwalk can be further broken down by just how much action you want. The further you get from the inlet the more relaxed the boardwalk becomes. See my article, Where to Stay, for a complete listing of what each area of Ocean City is like.

While not everyone likes the same entertainment, I’m going to assume that the major reason for coming to Ocean City is the ocean. Our beaches are fairly consistent throughout Ocean City with fairly wide expanses, very clean, and lifeguards stationed every block with communication systems connecting the entire beach. The one major exception to this is from the inlet to about 6th Street; this area has an extremely wide beach area with volleyball and play areas. This is good for daily visitors and children but difficult for the elderly and handicapped. Access to the beach from the end of the boardwalk-north is limited to paths made through the sand dunes at the end of each street. Rentals of chairs, umbrellas, and boogie boards are available on every block entrance to the beach (as of this writing). There are plenty of places to eat lunch all along the boardwalk but make other plans for lunch if you stay off the boardwalk.

To get away from the action and have a more relaxed day at the beach I recommend Assateague Island State and Assateague Island National Park. Although the actual park starts at the inlet you must drive about 15 minutes to get to the parks entrances. Take Route 50 west, than Route 611 south. Route 611 ends at Assateague Island. Here you will find the State Park and the National Park. The State Park is somewhat more expensive to enter but has a snack bar. I personally prefer the National Park because it has more to offer. While the State Park is limited to a snack bar, the National Park has canoe rentals; tours, a crabbing pier, and a 4 wheel drive only area (permit required). Fires are allowed on the beach at night from the low tide mark to the high tide mark. Both areas offer lifeguarded beaches, picnic tables, grills, rest rooms, and showers. Campsites are available at both parks but advanced reservations are almost always required.

Entertainment doesn’t stop at the beach.
The boardwalk offers rides, games, arcades, shops, and of course food for the kid in all of us. Here again, the action is centered from 1st Street to the inlet. To entertain the kids and the kids at heart I would suggest Splash Mountain at 30th Street and Coastal Hwy. There are several types of water slides, a lazy river, a wave pool, snack bars, and my favorite the Rain Forest. The Rain Forest is fun for everyone; it has super sized squirt guns to shoot people as they walk by (my favorite-I get in battles with people from 6 to 60), water slides, a giant pirate hat that slowly fills and dumps its contents on everyone below, and water squirting at you from everywhere. Trust me; this giant sized water version of a jungle gym is worth the admission price by itself. It is so fun that the lifeguards wear rain hats and coats.

There are numerous race tracks for every age and miniature golf courses featuring something for everyone. For a complete list of fun things to do visit our entertainment page.

For the adults there are nightclubs catering to every age group and bars with many different themes. Seacrets is so popular with young adults that it has its own radio station while Fager’s Island is popular with the more sophisticated crowd. In between is everything from karaoke to beach bars.

A rainy day can be spent; going to the movies, going shopping, visiting the indoor pools located at many hotels, sitting on your balcony watching the ocean, taking a day trip to historic Berlin, Md., or just enjoying a long lunch at one of the waterfront restaurants.

Dinner in Ocean City for most of us is kind of like Family Feud. There are so many choices and nobody ever feels like the same thing at the same time. My family starts discussing dinner plans early so reservations can be made if required. During the peak season keep in mind that lines at popular restaurants can be long (even if the food is just so-so). My personal recommendations are:
1-Marina Deck, excellent crab soup and seafood dishes, and it’s on the water
2-Waterman’s Seafood Restaurant, very good crab feast and seafood
3-Nick’s Original House of Ribs, very good ribs and beef
4-Harpoon Hanna’s, very good seafood and on the water (service somewhat slow)
5-The Crabcake Factory USA, the best crab cakes,
6-Higgins Crab House, very good crabs and good seafood,
7-Bull on the Beach, excellent pit beef and good beef entrees,
8-Adolofo’s Italian Restaurant, excellent Italian dishes (expensive),
9-Embers Restaurant, very good seafood and prime rib buffet,
10-Ponzetti’s Pizza, my favorite pizza,
11-Lombardi’s, another good pizza and Italian restaurant,
12-Sakura, excellent Japanese steak house,
13-Phillip’s Crab House, good seafood (worth a visit but no longer the best seafood in Ocean City),
14-Outback Steakhouse, the same food you get at home but it’s good when you get tired of trying new places.

These are my favorite restaurants. There are many great choices and many different ideas about what a good meal is. A good restaurant to me is a combination of very good to excellent food with reasonable prices, good service, and a varied menu for the entire family. Please leave reviews for restaurants you visit during your stay to help others choose a good restaurant.

I hope this article gives you a general idea of what are little resort town is about. We hope you enjoy your stay and come back year after year. Maybe you’ll join a growing number of people that have decided to invest in our community by purchasing a summer place or even moving to Ocean City for a great lifestyle.

Adventure-Thrill Vacations

Adventure/Thrill vacations have become more popular over the years. Believe it or not, folks actually fork out money to spend a week traveling with a storm chase team. To some, like me, these people are completely nuts. Well, that may be but they love getting that rush when seeing a tornado up close or lightning hitting within inches of their chase car. Others people love being face-to-face with wild animals like elephants and lions on a safari. With so many thrill-seeking enthusiasts out there, more companies are starting to offer some fantastic vacations. My family did go on a safari in South Africa a few years back, and I can honestly say it was one of the most thrilling and exciting tours we have ever done. My son, 10 at the time, was beside himself as we moved within feet of lions, elephants and leopards.

If your family loves adventures, then we have a few suggestions you might want to consider. Many of these are once-in-a-lifetime type opportunities and a bit pricey, but what the heck. You only live once and if you want a vacation to brag about, then check out these options. We have links and more information on our website.

Top Thrill/Adventure Travel

Tornado/Storm Chasing

You too can become a storm chaser, just like you see on TV. During the months of April, May and June, Tornado Alley lights up with some of the most exciting storms… if you like that sort of thing. With all of the coverage on TV the past years, several storm-chasing companies have sprouted up in the area that runs from northern Texas to central South Dakota. Many of these companies use the tours to fund their continued research of tornadoes. Most of the tours include your transportation, hotels and some meals, along with experienced chasers that know how to predict where the storms will erupt and get you close enough for photos, but not too close. Here are a few companies offering tours: Storm Chasing Adventure Tours; Storm Chaser: Extreme Chase Tours: and StormTours. These tours fill quickly so plan ahead and be safe.

Roller Coaster Tours

Are you a roller coaster fanatic? Well, there are now tours available where you travel with other coaster fans and ride some of the most thrilling coasters in the country. I never realized there were so many folks that loved, and I mean LOVE, the thrill of a roller coaster. They make me a bit sick, myself, but others spend there lives finding the next biggest, tallest and fastest coaster. Here are a few companies offering tours: Thrill Coaster Tours and Theme Park & Roller Coaster Tours.

African Safari

If you love animals, then you must do an African Safari before you die. This is one of the most exciting adventures my family has ever done. You spend hours traveling around in the bush with an experienced safari guide, seeking animals in their natural environment. Most safari game reserves advertise based on viewing the “Big 5 Game”. The Big 5 are Lion, Elephant, Buffalo, Leopard and Black Rhinoceros. They were called Big 5 by hunters, as they considered them the five most difficult to hunt. The most popular and well-known game reserves are in Kenya and Tanzania, but there are reserves all over most of southern Africa. My family chose a game reserve in

South Africa, Shamwari Game Reserve, as they were one of the only “malaria free” reserves. Most other reserves require guests to take malaria tablets before coming.

Polar Bear Adventure

Looking for a very unique adventure, why not try a polar bear adventure. During October and November, Frontiers North Adventures runs a Tundra Buggy Adventure in Canada. The adventure provides some exclusive access to the polar bears at Cape Churchill, inside Wapusk National Park. This company was covered by NBC during the Canadian Winter Olympics. Frontiers North Adventures also offers several other unique thrill adventures in the arctic.

Fighter Jet Tours

If you have the need for speed, then you need to take a fighter jet tour. Incredible Adventures Starfighter has a tour that actually allows you to fly in a Lockheed F-104 Starfighter. Prices are bit expensive, but this is truly a unique opportunity to fly suborbital training flights from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. They also run a cheaper L-39 jet fighter tour that gives you the same thrill as Top Gun.

Zero Gravity

Are you fascinated with space flight and have always wanted to experience weightlessness? Well, you don’t have to be an astronaut anymore. Zero G operates what they call “the weightless experience.” They have specially modified Boeing 727′s that perform parabolic arcs that create a weightless environment. They provide all of your training, flight suit, photos, video and 12 to 15 parabolas giving you an adventure of a lifetime. They run out of Las Vegas, Cape Canaveral, Titusville and on occasion, from Seattle, Los Angeles, New York and Washington DC.

Warrior / SWAT Training

Have you always wanted to know what it feels like to be on a SWAT team or part of a special ops team? You can now train with experienced Special Operations personnel and try your hand at Counter Terrorism or SWAT operations. Tri-core International LLC runs several scenarios that puts you in situations like bank robberies, school shootings and counter terrorism. These are open to the public and involve two days of training/scenarios.

Great White Shark Adventures

“We’re going to need a bigger boat…”. Remember that from the movie Jaws? Sharks are one of most feared predators on the planet, with the White Shark being the most feared. Cape Town, South Africa is one of the best places in the world to experience White Sharks. There are a couple of tour companies that offer up-close viewing, and even diving, with the sharks. A couple of companies are Shark Cage Diving.net and also White Shark Ecoventures.

North and South Pole Adventures

If you like cold weather and the thrill of a polar adventure, then Icetrek Expeditions has a tour for you. They specialize in Arctic and Antarctica tours offering both short experiences and longer expeditions. If you are looking for a once-in-a-lifetime experience, then you should consider taking an adventure to one of the poles.

White Water Rafting

If you are looking for an exciting family trip, then you should look into White Water Rafting. Guides take you down some of the most scenic rivers where you can experience rapids that are graded from 1 to 6. Basically, Grade 1 requires basic skills with short rough areas and Grade 6 are considered the most dangerous and you may find yourself lucky to survive. Rafting America has pulled together 21 companies offering beginner to expert level rafting trips. Many of the trips are multi day and offer a wonderful family bonding experience.

The History of Package Holidays in the UK

Package holidays have been a long standing tradition for many residents of the UK when planning their vacations, or traveling to neighboring European countries. The idea of the bundled holidays in the UK came about as early as 1841, and was organized by Thomas Cook, of Melbourne, Derbyshire, who was the founder of the Thomas Cook Group travel agencies.

The concept of the package holidays was to offer Europeans an affordable means to travel between various countries in Europe for an all inclusive rate, which could include airfare, transfers, and accommodations. Thomas Cook’s idea of bundled travel packages offered residents of the United Kingdom their first chance at affordable travel abroad, and Euravia Airlines was the first to offer these first charter flights to neighboring European countries.

Trouble arose when the tourism industry began declining in the 1970′s. Although there was intense competition from other tour operators, a situation arose when one prominent travel company faced losing booking deposits, and left thousands of tourists stranded. This incident nearly collapsed the bundled travel packages industry in the United Kingdom, which led to the industry losing its appeal for many years. In recent years, thanks to the internet age, clients have become more pro active, and have begun booking their own travel arrangements, airfare, and accommodations separately, which led to the popularity of travel websites. Due to the affordability of bundling, many tour operators are now offering substantial deals on their travel sites for all inclusive airfare, hotel accommodations, and even vehicle rentals. Many of these bundle packages are targeted specifically toward the UK residents, offering spectacular deals in warmer climates such as Spain or Crete.

A Wellness Retreat Benefits both Mind and Body

You can choose a Wellness Retreat to rejuvenate yourself by spending a few days in a beautiful natural environment where you can partake in self-development activities like painting and creative writing.

Helps Develop Hobbies

Such a Writing Retreat is necessary to recharge your mind and body which gets stagnated by carrying on mundane activities everyday. It is a good idea to apply for a Summer Yoga Retreat where you can focus on spending time with yourself and understand your personal goals in life. Such vacations are fruitful and give you the opportunity to involve yourself in activities for which there is no time in your daily routine. At a Wellness Retreat, you can try your hands at painting to express your innermost thoughts and talents. Such group outings have experts who guide the participants on how to paint portraits and pictures of your surroundings. With their guidance, you can develop a hobby which you can enjoy even after the Yoga and Writing camp is over. You can participate in group writing activities where you can learn the art of penning your thoughts through prose and poetry. This will teach you the essential aspects of creative writing which you can use to express your inner thoughts even in future. Often such group outings in a natural setting help an individual to focus on his personal project like a book, or a film script, which may have come to a standstill due to the chaos of city life. By participating in a Writers Retreat he can get new inspiration toward his work by being in the company of other talented writers. The overall experience is positive for the mind and body as the food entails local vegetarian cuisine and the members of the Wellness Retreat are also treated to local wine.

Must Read Reviews of Previous Members

There is scope for enjoyable physical exercise through excursions and hikes for members to nearby scenic spots. The members are also encouraged to participate in summer yoga sessions in which they are taught specific techniques for practicing such exercises. Once the basic method of yoga is learnt under the guidance of experts, the members can practice them in their city homes even after the yoga vacation is over. The whole day at such group outings is proportionately divided into various physical activities. For example, light exercises and mental activities like an enjoyable writing program helps members enjoy the benefits of both. It is a good idea to apply for a Wellness Retreat which is reputed and has received good reviews from previous participants. Before applying, you should check out the location of the Creative Writing Yoga vacation. You can search on the internet for information about the place and also contact the organizers for further details. Most organizers require interested members to apply with a piece of their own writing on any topic. The number of members allowed for such a vacation is limited, so it is good to apply for a suitable vacation like an Italy Retreat well in time before the last date.

Five Reasons Why You Should Go Tent Camping

There are many ways to enjoy the great outdoors, but few provide the advantages and benefits of Tent Camping. Tent Camping is one of the most popular outdoor activities for young people and families because of its ability to provide you with an out-of-the-ordinary vacation that takes people away from the hustle and bustle of the office and city living. Some of its main benefits include:

1. The opportunity to commune with nature. With the increasing growth of cities, suburbs and urban development, it is easy to forget people’s role within the larger context of nature. Tent Camping gives you a chance to see nature and wildlife up close and personal where you are a visitor in their world. This allows you to see life from a completely different context which most people find invigorating and refreshing.

2. Intimate quarters make for good memories. Family camping trips are renowned for getting families closer together by allowing people to put aside their busy schedules of business projects, football practices, video game playing, band practice, and other activities. This simple step of putting people together in the same car, tent and space lets people open up and enjoy each other’s company in ways most families no longer are accustomed to.

3. Tent Camping allows you to get closer to nature than other options. Although RV Camping can be occasionally fun for a road trip, it is no substitute to Tent Camping options when you are trying to see all that nature has to offer. You can very easily hike in your tent and other camping equipment to deep areas in the forest whereas with RV Camping you are limited to certain road ways and marked areas for RV Camping. Trips deeper into woods allow you to see more wildlife and find areas less touched by man giving you a more pristine camping experience.

4. Tent Camping is very inexpensive compared to other vacation options. Tent Camping is great because after the initial supplies are purchased, you have essentially covered all the major costs. Plus, the equipment can be used again and again resulting in a very high cost benefit analysis when compared to a vacation trip where you pay a high cost to fly down and stay in a hotel and are unable to go back again without paying the high costs all over again. Quite simply, tent camping allows family’s a low cost way to vacation.

5. Tent Camping lets you step back in time. With its ability to let you get away from everything and go to places less impacted by people, you get a chance to see and experience how your past ancestors and others experienced living. It allows you to test your skills to see how you would far doing the things your ancestors have done. A simple tent camping trip will give you an appreciation for not only what your ancestors have gone through but how far our society and technology have progressed.

With so many benefits, it is easy to see why more and more families flock to our State and National Parks to go Tent Camping. Its combination of fun experiences, solitude of nature, and simpler living make for great experiences for all who go. Now, the only question remaining is when will you be going on your next Tent Camping trip?

RV Camping Rodeo Destinations

It’s time to round up an RV camping adventure that’s fun for the whole family! Today’s professional rodeo events feature world class athletes, fierce competition and a ten gallon hat full of American cowboy culture, so why not plan to attend at least one this year? Comfortable RV camping means anyone can easily hit the trail in pursuit of rodeo action. Use these tips for creating your own RV journey to find the best in American rodeo.

Where to Find Pro Rodeo Action
The Professional Rodeo Cowboys’ Association (PRCA) hosts Pro Rodeo events almost year-round, at arenas from Texas to North Dakota. These events are sometimes linked with state fairs or charity fundraisers, and they all feature the best in authentic rodeo action. One big plus for RV campers is that other rodeo fans love RVs, too. According to ProRodeo.com, twenty-two percent of rodeo fans are likely to own an RV and often follow the circuit in them, which means campgrounds are likely to be located close to the arenas.

Decide whether you’d like to attend a local rodeo, a regional qualifying event, or a world-class finals competition and be sure to book your tickets early. Some events are just one day of intense competition, while others stretch out over a long weekend.

One way to choose your RV camping rodeo destinations this year is by following your favorite circuits or rodeo athletes. The PRCA Xtreme Bulls tour, for instance, has one wild and rowdy schedule that pits the toughest bulls against the top bullriders in the country.

You might also enjoy such electrifying events as the Wrangler Timed Events Championship, where top cowboys like Trevor Brazile compete for the gold every March in Guthrie, Oklahoma. Whether your favorite rodeo sport is bullriding, team roping or bareback bronc riding, there are regional and national events to design an exciting RV road trip around.

Where to Find Great RV Camping Near the Arena
Once you decide which rodeo events you don’t want to miss this year, start booking RV campsites close by. Did we mention that RV camping makes so much more sense than getting roped into expensive hotel rooms, restaurant meals and rental cars?

To find the best campgrounds near the arena, check the event’s website first. These sites often list local accommodations to help fans planning to attend. Another quick way to find RV campgrounds near PRCA events is by Googling “PRCA RV campgrounds.” Many campgrounds list annual rodeos in their area attractions and can help with information about their local rodeo.

Consider joining the PRCA FanZone, where hardcore rodeo fans discuss the latest standings and share tips for enjoying the rodeo circuit. One more way to locate comfortable campsites close to rodeo action is by searching websites like Go Camping America and Best Parks in America.

And, by the way, if you don’t happen to own a motorhome, there are affordable RV rentals easily available. Check online for RV rental locations near your destination, if you plan to fly in, or pick one up locally if you’re driving to the arena. Modern RVs come equipped with all the comforts of home, from well-designed kitchens to state of the art sound systems.

Isn’t it time your family let loose and enjoyed the thrills and chills of live rodeo? With just a little planning, your RV camping rodeo adventure can take the trophy in your family’s RV vacation memories.

How to Get Your Holiday Home Guests Raving About You!

it’s bad enough if someone thinks they have had a negative experience in your holiday home. But in today’s world it can be a disaster – they only need to shout about it out to the world, and much of the the world will hear.

Just one video on You Tube, or a picture on Facebook, or a Tweet on Twitter could severely damage your reputation.
But there’s an upside to this social networking world – just one rave review or spectacular comment about an experience with you can get heaps of potential guests beating a path to your door, wanting to grab that same experience – one that can make, or break, the attraction of a holiday home.

There are both little – and big – things that make experiences different, and you’ll never know what works until you try. Here’s a few of my favourite ideas – many gleaned from chatter amongst the various owners I talk to, both off and on line. You will probably have others, and if you do, please let me know. Mine are presented in random order:

Get the best Mattresses you can afford

Don’t skimp on sleeping experiences. It’s half the holiday time spent with you, and a particularly bad or particularly delightful experience is something guests will remember long after other memories fade and the photos put onto the PC and forgotten about.

Get big fluffy towels

If you supply linens and towels, make sure they are very good ones. Make sure your bath towels are good sized and fit for purpose. There’s nothing worse than too-small, too-skimpy, and worn – thin towels where you stay. You’ll need to think about pool or beach towels, too, as you don’t want your best linen on the sand dunes every day…

Send guests an inventory of your kitchen stuff – and, make sure it’s complete.

Guests often don’t know what to bring for cooking. No guest wants to travel with a blender, kettle, toaster or coffee-maker in their suitcase. Make sure you have everything reasonably needed, and then send them the inventory list well before they come. Not only will it save on a whole load of emails asking what you have got, it’ll impress them.

Supply welcome packs for kids

If the kids are bored the adults won’t enjoy themselves either. Provide kids with colouring books and crayons, puzzles, games and kid’s films. Make it cool for the kids, and you’ll make it cool for the adults.

Don’t skimp the basics

Supply sufficient paper products (toilet paper, kitchen towels & coffee filters), enough liquid hand soap, cleaning materials, kitchen foil, dishwasher tabs, garbage bags, light bulbs, plastic containers for leftovers etc.

Provide stuff that can be done on a rainy day

You can’t guarantee the weather, but you can almost certainly guarantee a less than satisified guest if the weather prevents them enjoying the holiday, even though it’s not your fault. Provide boardgames (with all the pieces still in the box), packs of cards (new ones); bundles of paperback books and films. Think of things the adults might like to do, too – attempting cooking guides, reading about the area, and so on.

Guidebooks and maps

Go overboard on the information you provide. Not just tourist information but your own recommendations for restaurants, places to go and things to do that tourists normally won’t find or see. Suggest half-day and full day drives, tours, or sports. Remember that your guests probably don’t know the area, and would be delighted with your ideas.

Emergency power outage kits

Don’t leave guests scrabbling without light in a power outage. Make sure they know what to do – and where to find your fuses and meters, which should contain candles/gas lamp, a lighter, information on who to contact to inform that the power is out, any spare fuses needed, and a reminder about safety.

At least some really sharp kitchen knives

One of the top complaints about rentals is the lack of quality cooking and cutting knives. Buy at least one really good knife or spend a little more on a good quality set.

Lots of chairs and loungers

It may sound obvious but you’ll be amazed by the number of properties that have pools and pool areas without any furniture! And make sure there is enough – it’s not fair to expect a handful of guests to have to share 1 lounger between them.

Provide a variety of herbs and spices

No-one wants to pack a suitcase and travel with a whole bunch of seasonings, and neither will they want to go out and shop for them either, so get a good herb and spice collection. And, keep them topped up.

Fresh soap in the bathrooms

Either new soaps (or topped up soap dispensers will do), but never – ever – leave used bars of soap in the washrooms. The same goes for toilet paper – don’t leave 6 pieces left on a roll!

Leave an ‘Damn, I forgot It’ pack

Get some travel sized bathroom items -mini toothpaste/mini shampoo/mini shower gel/throw away razors etc – and put them in a basket or box in a cupboard and let your guests know where it is in case they have forgotten something.

Get them in the mood

First impressions are very important. Don’t let guests arrive in the dark – Leave lights on for guests arriving at night; have some music playing on the radio for atmosphere, and the place warm (or fire lit) in cooler times. A bottle of local wine or some fresh juices in the kitchen or bar areas goes down very well every time! Make sure everywhere smells good, too – and fresh flowers are a great touch.

Write a welcome letter to your pet guests

I like this one particularly, even though in my property’s I don’t allow pets. There’s nothing pet owners like more than to have their little friends acknowledged and pampered. Writing a letter directly to the pet and adding it to the welcome pack works really well if you want to get across your pet rules in a friendly way. Throw in a pack of dog chewies, too……If you want to go further, how about some bowls, a bucket, several old towels, a dog hairbrush, gloves, a dog tag with your address and phone number, and a couple of old balls.

The James Bond Books by Ian Fleming: From Russia, With Love

From Russia With Love is probably Ian Fleming’s most ambitious book, concerning a plot to discredit the British Secret Service. The book is certainly Fleming’s longest and James Bond doesn’t even make an appearance until about a third of the way in. The beginning of the book is dedicated to setting up a conspiracy hatched by SMERSH and being overseen by Rosa Klebb, who picks SMERSH’s chief executioner for the mission: Donald “Red” Grant.

The structure of the book means that by the time 007 is finally introduced we are definitely ready for him as the set-up is often rather ponderous. When they came to making the film, the second James Bond movie by EON Productions, they did away with this long exposition as well as change some smaller details – such as handing the plot over to SPECTRE rather than SMERSH – and Bond is thrown into the plot without the entire plot being revealed.

Sent to Istanbul, where Fleming had visited to research the book, Fleming’s writing easily evokes what the city was like in the 1950s, taking Bond on a taxi ride from his hotel across the city to the local secret service man’s headquarters.

He is also taken to the spice bazaar, where we get a taste of the local cuisine; and a gypsy camp where another meal is sampled along with plenty of raki, a Turkish liquor similar to ouzo, and where he witnesses and fight between two gypsy girls who are fighting for the same lover.

The fight is interrupted when the camp is attacked, apparently by the Bulgarians. Kerim, Bond’s contact in Istanbul, goes in revenge and shoots the leader of his rivals.

All this is a sideline to the real show, which is to meet a pretty KGB cipher clerk who claims to have fallen in love with Bond’s photo from the files they have on him and wants to defect. Of course it sounds far fetched and a trap is suspected. However, the bait on offer is the SPEKTOR decoder, which would allow the British to intercept Russian coded traffic.

The SPEKTOR coding device was based on the Enigma machine, which Fleming was familiar with due to his wartime intelligence role and his links with Bletchley park during the war. During that time he had hatched a plot to capture the Enigma – operation Ruthless – to get the Naval machine. Although given the go ahead the plot never took place.

Bond spends a few days in Istanbul waiting for the girl to make her move. When she finally does, he is surprised to find her in his hotel bed dressed in nothing but a black velvet choker; they make love without knowing that behind the mirror of the honeymoon suit are two Russian cameramen capturing all on film as part of their plot.

The girl – Tatiana – has already planned on how to leave Istanbul – aboard the Orient Express. While Bond isn’t so keen to do so, she insists and is fairly unsurprised to find that there are a number of Russian agents on the same train when they leave. On board the train the atmosphere is sometimes claustrophobic as it chugs relentlessly through eastern Europe on its way to Paris.

When Captain Nash joins the train Bond is irritated that he has been sent an assistant, but puts up with him. It is only when it is too late that he finds out that Captain Nash is working for SMERSH and turns out to be their chief assassin, Red Grant.

Sat in their carriage while the girl has been drugged, James Bond faces one of the most difficult foes he has had to face. While he has a few tricks up his sleeve, so does “Captain Nash” in the shape book with a built in pistol; when they enter the Simplon tunnel he plans on squeezing the trigger, with the noise from the tunnel disguising the gun’s retort.

Of course James Bond comes out on top, but when making his rendezvous in Paris he is poisoned; the last we see of James Bond is his vision fading as he loses consciousness and many readers thought that Fleming had put an end to James Bond.

When JFK published a list of his top favourite books, From Russia With Love was on their, instantly boosting its sales in the USA. Of course, the list had been put together by his publicist, but Fleming had met Kennedy at a dinner while visiting the US and had discussed with him some ideas for disposing of Castro.

While many people claim that the book is the best James Bond book, the truth is that it takes too long to get going and the first third of the book just isn’t gripping enough. However, as well as being Fleming’s most ambitious book, it is probably also his most traditional novel as the majority of his books throw the reader straight into the action and then take a look at what had happened to get to that point in time.