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Good Afternoon,
To borrow a much-loved phrase from the ACME handbook of travel editorial, Northumberland this week remains 'a land of contrasts'. Brilliant sunshine over wide rolling landscapes viewed through wind-watery eyes and whilst sucking in lung-fulls air of air cool enough to make your chest crack, alternating with thick, dark, dim and soggy snow showers.
Into this 'land of contrasts' last weekend, came my sister, more normally resident in Cyprus since evacuation by UN -chartered ferry from the 80's Lebanese Civil War, my niece, a citizen of the young-adult world and my mother, who at 83 remains cool enough to have just had 'hip' surgery.
A fine weekend was enjoyed, re-telling old stories, revealing old secrets and, from the frozen frame of our wedding photograph, crossing off the faces of those either dead or divorced...
As a result of this visit and perhaps compounded by the incidents surrounding Uncle Stanley's Boxing Day stay, my wife says I have to stop drinking for three months to allow my liver to regenerate. Are women naturally the policemen (women) of mens' lives or does it just seem that way?
Anyhow...
This week's website of the week is ... http://www.drinkaware.co.uk/howmany_male.php
Have a good week,
best,
Nick
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| Dragoman Overland |
DRAGOMAN OVERLAND - ‘HIGHLY COMMENDED’
AITO RESPONSIBLE TOURISM AWARD
Cost £675
Dragoman Overland was ‘Highly Commended’ in the AITO Responsible Tourism Awards 2006. The award was given in respect of Dragoman Overland’s continued commitment to RT, especially the hands-on community projects they have been funding.
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| Equine Adventures |
MALAWI ON HORSE BACK - NYIKA SAFARI
Cost £2,355
Canter along the edge of 500 metre-high escarpments, gallop across the rolling hills of the Nyika Plateau (over 2,000m) and experience riding on top of the world in the company of Elephant, Eland and Zebra during an exhilarating 10-day horseback safari with Equine Adventures, next departures from London 11th and 24th May 2007.
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| Families Worldwide |
KIDS MAKING YOU CLIMB THE WALLS?
INTRODUCE THEM TO A HIMALAYAN SHERPA
Cost £1,149 adt - £949 chd under 12 years
As part of their fundamental ethos for getting kids involved in the countries they travel to, Families Worldwide has introduced a special child-friendly 'learn to climb' day on their new 12-day Himalayan Adventure where families meet a Sherpa who first summited Everest in 2002. The tour also includes time for haggling for souvenirs in the bazaars of old Kathmandu, jungle safaris by jeep and elephant-back in Chitwan National Park, plus a host of other exciting adventures. Departures are available on selected dates coinciding with school holidays in February, March, October and December 07. |
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| Let's Trek Australia & NZ |
DISCOUNT THONG THROWING - CELEBRATE THE AUSTRALIAN WAY
20 DAYS CAIRNS – DARWIN – AYERS ROCK
Cost £1,079
Australia Day, 26 January, is a national public holiday for Aussie’s to celebrate what's great about Australia and being Australian. Get in on the celebrations of a nation through various local events ranging from damper making to thong throwing competitions all centred on numerous community barbecues. Let’s Trek Australia’s 20-day tour delves into Australia’s real diversity. Next departure from Cairns 26th January include a 10% discount (saving £108 p/p) but if that’s too short notice (or you can’t find a thong!) there’s 16th February 2007 (other later departures too).
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| Made to Measure Holidays |
BARGAIN ROMANCE - VALENTINE’S ON THE SLOPES
SKI HOLIDAY IN AUSTRIA
Cost £1,175
Bespoke ski specialist Made to Measure Holidays has negotiated special airfares with British Airways for travel to Austria this February, offering massive savings on BA’s current fares. This 7-night ski holiday to Lech departs Gatwick 10th Feb 2007. |
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| Magic of the Orient |
TRIM OFF POUNDS IN KOH SAMUI
HALF PRICE HOTEL STAYS
Cost £975
With gales, lashing rain, even snow forecast in parts of the UK, tailor-made Far Eastern specialist Magic of the Orient’s fabulous hotel offer couldn’t be more timely! Stays at the Samui Amanda Resort on the Thai island of Koh Samui, departing Heathrow from now until April 30th 2007, have been reduced by almost half, resulting in a trimmer, slimmer 7-night holiday deal! |
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| Naturetrek |
ORNITHOLOGY & BOTANY
CYPRUS IN SPRING
Cost £995
Away from the tourist centres discover a Cyprus of tranquil villages, traditional vineyards and legendary hospitality, alive with birds, fish and lizards, and hillsides ablaze with spring flowers. Natural history specialist Naturetrek offer a 9-day holiday in search of migrating birds, orchids and other flowering plants on the Island of Aphrodite, departing London 7th April 2007.
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| Quest Travel |
‘IT AIN’T OVER ‘TIL IT’S OVER’ - ROCKY VI
PHILADELPHIA CITY-BREAK PACKS A PUNCH!
Cost £499
He’s back… Catch Rocky VI in cinemas this month as Sylvester Stallone reprises his famous role. Keen Rocky fans may even like to re-enact the iconic moment when the Italian Stallion sprints up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Not a problem, book a 3-night city-break to Philadelphia with long-haul specialist Quest Travel and take a tour of some great movie locations for yourself!
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| Peregrine Adventures |
AFRICA ON FOOT - KENYA AND TANZANIA WALKING SAFARIS
***NEW FOR 2007***
Cost £1,640
For a truly unique African adventure with spectacular wildlife viewing opportunities, don comfy boots and step out into exhilarating wilderness, walk through remote Masai heartland’s and get off the tourist-beaten track in regions that see little outside influence. Peregrine Adventures has expanded its popular African programme to include two new 12-day East African Walking safaris, departing from Nairobi throughout 2007.
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| TrekAmerica |
BLAZING TRAILS AROUND THE US
64-DAY ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME ADVENTURE
Cost £2,415
Travel through 35 states and provinces, from the Canadian Rockies across the northern prairies to the colonial east and through the deep south to the wild west, during adventure specialist TrekAmerica’s extraordinary once-in-a-lifetime, 64-day Trailblazer adventure across the US and Canada. Next departures 7th April 2007 from New York or v/v 31st March 2007 from Los Angeles (15 other departures too).
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| Walks Worldwide |
IN SEARCH OF SNOW - ICE FISHING, HUSKY SAFARI, SNOWMOBILING IN THE TRUE LAPLAND
Cost £1,475
European low-level resorts are currently experiencing a ‘snow’ as records reflect the mildest winter conditions for over a century. However, worry ye not… Walks Worldwide offer copious quantities of the genuine white article in combination with some serious winter activities. Their 8-day Lapland Snow Adventure set amongst Finland’s beautiful Enontekio region, departs London 24th February 2007.
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| Wildlife Worldwide |
WILDLIFE WORLDWIDE - ‘HIGHLY COMMENDED’
AITO RESPONSIBLE TOURISM AWARD
Cost £4,895
Natural history tour operator Wildlife Worldwide was 'Highly Commended' in the AITO Responsible Tourism Awards 2006. The award was in part due to Wildlife Worldwide's remarkable £50,000 fund-raising success for conservation through their annual international Festival of Wildlife.
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