Posts for 'General' Category

The French take their vacations as seriously as their wine and cheese, but Americans are workaholics. A new survey has found that only two-thirds of workers around the world take all the time off they are allotted by their employers.

But there are also huge discrepancies between nations, with some employees using nearly all their annual leave, and others using only a third. The Reuters/Ipsos poll surveyed 12,691 people in 24 countries. The results found that French workers were most likely to kick back and relax, using 89% of their vacation on average.

Argentina came second (80%) with Hungary a close third (78%). The world's biggest workaholics are the Japanese. People in Japan only used one in three of their vacation days, while workers in the United States weren't much better. Americans ranked fifth lowest, taking just 57% of their leave.

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As you go about your daily routine, you will experience various states of awareness. Sometimes, of course, you are alert and focused on the task at hand; at other times during the day you are alert, but focused perhaps on television or a household chore. Sometimes you may find yourself daydreaming while at other moments you are engaged in an activity while on auto-pilot — for example, when you brush your teeth or do the dishes.

While you move in and out of various states of consciousness throughout your day, it is unhealthy to remain in any one state of awareness for excessively long periods. Your mind and body automatically want and need to take "mini-vacations" during the day. You will find that you will be motivated to change what you're doing if you've been involved for too long. If you sit at a desk for an hour, for example, you will probably want to get up, move around and stretch.

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Aruba attracts one million visitors and cruise passengers per year. Away fro the Americas, not too many have heard about it. But the sheer beauty of this place earns it a place as one of our top ten vacation spots. Wherever in the world you are, a vacation in Aruba is worth a trip.

Aruba is in the Caribbeans, and the first language of the place is English. You have beautiful beaches, clean water, and great cliffs and a desert. There are a great many sports you can participate in too. This is a top spot for windsurfing or snorkelling.

And the waters at the beaches are often just three feet, making it perfectly safe to wade into. Want the perfect tan, again, this is the spot. Though situation in the Caribbean, this vacation spot is officially a Dutch colony and that makes it part of the European Union.

Miami is a major city in southeastern Florida, in the United States. The city covers 55.27 square miles (143.15 km²) and is the county seat of Miami-Dade County. Miami is a gamma world city with an estimated population of 404,048. It is the largest city within the South Florida metropolitan area, which is the largest metropolitan area in the Southeastern United States with 5.4 million. Miami and its surrounding cities make up the fifth largest urban area in the United States.

Miami is one of the country’s most important financial centers. It is the major center of regional commerce, and boasts a strong international business community. According to the ranking of world cities undertaken by the Globalization and World Cities Study Group & Network (GaWC) and based on the level of presence of global corporate service organizations, Miami is considered a “Gamma World City.”

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Exotic Vacations 365 - The Travel Channel is something everyone should watch before booking a vacation. They have many specials on great places around the world. Usually their shows have a theme. Whether its Mediterranean countries, the Caribbean, or exotic islands, the Travel Channel is on top of finding great spots for you to vacation to.

They had a special on top exotic getaway islands. If you did not catch it, I am sure it will be on again. But if you would like to get an idea of where they were talking about, go to the Travel Channel's webpage. They have videos, articles, and pictures of exotic places they feel are great to go visit.

This Lake Superior town of 22,000, the largest city in the Upper Peninsula, is a haven for outdoor-oriented sports, especially those who enjoy mountain biking and trail riding.

Bike magazine has twice in this decade called Marquette one of the best places in the U.S. to live, work and bicycle, and for good reason.

There are 16 miles of paved bike paths in the city alone, with plans for several more miles of trail to be finished in the next few years.

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For those wishing to relax in luxury and be pampered while on vacation, Jamaica offers some of the Caribbean’s finest and most exclusive resorts and spas.

Many of these are located along the coast on Jamaica’s north shore, near Ocho Rios. One such resort, Sans Souci (which is French.

For "no worries"), offers guests complete spa treatments, such as a natural stone massage, algae wraps, and a natural mineral springs therapeutic soaking pool.

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A perfect vacation in Miami Beach can only be achieved if you find the most suitable accommodation to cater to your wants and needs. Staying in an expensive hotel suite doesn’t necessarily that you will enjoy your stay -- in most cases, you will tend to find more for your money to include a sizable floor area, great location for a vacation, and of course, in-house amenities that you can enjoy to the fullest. This is where Miami Beach luxury rentals come in.

Rent a Home Renting a home is the modern way of spending an exciting and fun-filled vacation in Miami Beach. You don’t have to stick to cramped hotel rooms with the rest of the family trying to fit in 2 small beds. Why not go for Miami Beach luxury rentals ranging from luxurious condos to townhouses to cater to your needs.

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As other parts of Mexico began to draw visitors, Mazatlan developed a reputation as a party destination, more suited to the spring-break crowd than families or those interested in art and culture.

That's begun to change. The rebirth of the historical center as a cultural district is drawing new galleries, restaurants and shops to its European-style neighborhoods. Resorts in the Golden Zone, less showy and built-up than in Puerto Vallarta or Acapulco, are picking up on the trend toward family-friendly vacations.

The days of vintage Mediterranean style are back in force. The website AskMen (www.askmen.com) has come up with a list of top towns bordering the sea that have become the playgrounds of the rich and famous.

Portofino, Italy Portofino is the golden child of the Italian Riviera, one of the most beautiful locations in the world and the playground for everyone from Brigitte Bardot in the '60s to Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi today.

Hotel Splendido, which focuses on authentic cuisine, has played host to the likes of Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Elizabeth Taylor, Clark Gable and Ava Gardner.

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