If your product or service can be given as a gift, a publicitywindfall awaits at the end of the year - but you need to startworking in June. Each December, media outlets cover the newest,the hottest and the most unusual Holiday gifts. The reportersassigned to develop these pieces typically depend on two sourcesof information:
1. Phone interviews with local store owners
- and -
2. Press materials that have been sent by publicity seekers.
Let's deal with Point 1. Here's a cool trick: In earlyNovember, write a letter to stores and major websites that carryyour product. Remind them that they may be hearing fromjournalists soon about hot gift ideas, and request that theyconsider mentioning your product when that happens. Point out afew reasons why your product is the newest, coolest, best orwhatever. Ask the vendor to drop you an e-mail or give you acall if a story results that mentions your product.
Now, on to old-fashioned publicity. When to contact the mediadepends on the publication or program's lead time (how far inadvance of publication or airing the material is developed).Magazines like Woman's Day have a lead time up to six months, soget materials to them now. Newspapers have a lead time as shortas a week for feature material, so send materials in November. Inbetween are wire services, medium-lead magazines, "in-flight"magazines and others. To learn the lead time of a particularmedia outlet, call the editorial department. If that doesn'twork, try the advertising department.
What you send should be kept simple -- a press release about yourproduct/service, a pitch letter explaining why it's such a greatgift idea, and, if applicable, a disk with color product photos.See our articles "How to Write a Great Pitch Letter" http://www.publicityinsider.com/pitch.asp and "How to Write aGreat Press Release" http://www.publicityinsider.com/release.aspfor more details.
As you craft the materials, think about where yourproduct/service fits. Based on its nature, cost, rarity orusefulness, it may work with a variety of typical Christmas Giftstories such as: Great Stocking Stuffer Ideas, Gifts forTeenagers, Gifts for the Person Who Has It All, Gifts forExecutives, Gifts that Relax, etc. By suggesting a category foryour product, rather than simply stating "Here's a product thatwould make a nice holiday gift", you're making yourself stand out-- and maybe even giving the journalist an idea for a story anglethat he or she wouldn't have thought about otherwise. Eitherway, your chances of getting coverage are greatly improved.Bill Stoller, the "Publicity Insider", has spent two decades asone of America's top publicists. Now, through his website, eZineand subscription newsletter, Free Publicity: The Newsletter forPR-Hungry Businesses http://www.PublicityInsider.com/freepub.asp , he's sharing -- for the very first time -- his secrets of scoringbig publicity. For free articles, killer publicity tips andmuch, much more, visit Bill's exclusive new site:http://www.publicityInsider.com

The holidays will be here before you know it. Clear the way for greater joy, love and meaning this year by "busting" these sources of holiday stress:1. TOO MUCH TO DO IN TOO LITTLE TIMEThis week, set holiday priorities with your family. Discuss what traditions to keep, which to discard, and which new traditions to try.Make a holiday to-do list NOW and create a realistic schedule for when to accomplish each item.Avoid overscheduling.Ask family members for help with holiday tasks.2. LONG LINES IN STORESShop via catalog or Internet, and avoid stores on weekends.If you're shopping with small children, take along snacks, books, toys or other items to make waiting in line more pleasant. Or, if you're sufficiently uninhibited, sing a holiday song with your child.If you're shopping alone, use waiting time to relax and and center yourself with meditation or prayer. Try directing your attention to your breathing at your belly. Or practice observing the people around you through the eyes of compassion, without judging. Give thanks or pray for healing, peace, or other concerns close to your heart.3. DIFFICULT RELATIVESTake some quiet time to develop a plan for taking care of yourself around relatives who "get your goat."Invest in yourself by using a therapist to help create a plan to protect your boundaries.4. CRANKY KIDSThink "low key" for a happy celebration with little ones. Remember that your small child thrives on your undivided attention and has a limited capacity to adjust to adults' "needs" to hurry.Protect your child's naptime and playtime.Spend "floor-time" with your child every day.5. COMMERCIALISMCreate family traditions that involve giving to those in need.Focus on low-cost or no-cost holiday traditions.Help keep children's expectations realistic. For example, you might say "You'll get about the same amount of presents as you did on your birthday."6. BILLSDecide on a holiday budget for entertaining and gifts.If credit cards make overspending too easy, stick to cash for holiday purchases.7. LOSSIf you have lost a loved one, the holidays may intensify your grief. Explore ways to cope at www.griefnet.org/library/articles/hfa-tips.html or www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?id=FL00055.If "holiday blues" persist or seem particularly intense, don't hesitate to reach out for professional help. Your physician or clergyperson can give you a referral.8. POST-HOLIDAY LET-DOWNSpread out the fun at least through the end of school vacation by planning an outing or a fun time at home for each day.
A little forethought and planning can go a long way towards making you glad the holidays are coming - instead of just being glad when they're over. Your wisdom holds the key to holiday joy.

The holidays are officially here. And so the season for giving begins. Warm loving intentions, thoughtful giving and stocking stuffing take over.It's a wonderful time of year, but with all the activities, excitement and family obligations taking place at the same time, it's easy to feel overwhelmed, stressed and even a tad bit gloomy. Here are 9 simple steps to relax, let go and really enjoy a truly happy holiday!1. Reflect on what an inspiration you are to others. The time you spend, the love you give and the enthusiasm with which you do it all with is what matters most to people close to you. The beautifully wrapped presents and bows are far less important than your loving friendship. You are appreciated and cherished in the lives of so many people. Love yourself with the same appreciation.2. Be honest with yourself and don't stuff your feelings. As you start to feel range of emotions this holiday? whether it is joy or fear? frustration or liberation?Don't push them away like last season's Prada bag. Give them a special place. It will be far easier to enjoy the holiday if you are honest with yourself and experience all the good, bad and normal parts of life. Be as accepting and generous with yourself as you are with the people in your life you care about the most.3. Show empathy and compassion. Our internal perception is reality. Whenever you show kind hearted compassion, you'll get it back in return.4. Be grateful for all the wonderful differences, preferences and opinions that you will encounter this holiday. Try to view life from a different perspective. Talk about differences that may come up in a loving way and make a special effort to sit on the same side of the table (literally and figuratively). See if you can find it in your heart to love and appreciate Uncle Joe's crazy quirk that normally sends you through the roof. The joy and peacefulness of understanding another's perspective while still honoring your own is a feeling to be savored!5. Get plenty of sleep and squeeze in a few extra minutes to rest and relax. Sleep may seem like an indulgence this time of year, but it is absolutely essential to good health and a positive holiday outlook. Rest, slow-down and catch plenty of zzz's. Be decadent and treat yourself to 3 -5 minutes a day without any books, junk mail or return calls. Take time to breathe, relax, reflect and introspect. If you're feeling really sassy lie on your back and spread out in the middle of the living floor. Is 3 minutes of your day just for one month too much to ask?6. Try letting go and see what marvels happen! Let go of one small thing that's really been getting to you. Ask yourself what is the worst that can happen? Just for kicks, reflect back on a particularly stressful holiday situation last year. How bad was it really? Did worry consume you for nothing? I'm guessing that the turnout wasn't as bad as all the images swimming in your head. And, there may have even been a hidden blessing after all. In the scheme of things, our daily worries are trivial. Try to let them go? and go with the flow!7. Find opportunities throughout the day to bond and make a human connection. Make a conscious and loving effort to be attentive and live in the present moment. A sure fire quick way to work yourself up is to let your mind run a million miles an hour of things you could, should or would be doing. These random relentless thoughts will just make you anxious and nervous. Take the time to look into peoples' eyes; listen carefully to what they have to say and pass them a compliment about something you know is important to them. That goes for strangers too! You will enjoy your time together that much more? and so will they.8. Change up the scenery. Rather than going through your same daily routine, shake it up a bit! Close your eyes at night before you drift off and sleepily anticipate a self indulgent wild and crazy day. Roll out of bed on the opposite side. Light a scented candle in the bathroom and watch the flame flicker in the morning light. Crank up your favorite piece of inspiring music before you do anything else in the morning. Walk backward through the house. Try tea instead of coffee. Call an old friend you haven't talked to in ages. Talk to strangers! Take the scenic route home. Wave to the stressed out folks who cut you off on the freeway. What else can you think of that could change up your scenery and shake some smiles out of you?9. Treat yourself as you would treat others. Write yourself a love note. Buy yourself fresh stems of flowers. Soak your feet. Valet park the car. Have your groceries delivered. Send your undies to the cleaners. Snuggle with a blankie. Take a long walk. Sleep in. Watch the sunset. Sing yourself a love song. Do all the things for yourself you wish others would do for you!Enjoy the most fabulous holiday season of all times!julie@shesite.com
714-834-1137Julie Hunt is a female icon and founder of SHE, the foremost inspiration and personal development resource for women who want to live brilliant, happy, successful lives. Marketing consultant, sales expert, copywriting guru, improvisational actress, yoga instructor, author and just plain cool chick? she's an inspiration to hundreds of women.She is on a mission to scream, skip, advise and acquaint with women around the globe who want live a vivacious life busting at the seams!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas and the clock is ticking down as we grow closer to the holiday festivities. By now, many have either started thinking about what they are going to purchase for those on their gift list ? others are in full holiday shopping mode. The holiday season proves to be a stressful time for some, adding to their already tension-filled lives. Buying gifts is only half of the dilemma ? deciding what to buy makes up the other half.Gift buying can actually be fun and stress-free. I recommend a fool-proof method of ensuring you get the right thing for each recipient the first time around. The key to successful holiday gift giving starts with a plan. Begin by making a list of names you will be purchasing holiday gifts for. Leave two or three blank spaces between each name where you will jot down information about each recipient. Once your list of names is complete, your holiday gift giving plan will start to take shape one recipient at a time.Starting with the first person on your list, write down what types of things they like, hobbies they enjoy, collections they may have, and anything you can remember about them that will help you make your holiday gift selections. For example, Susie is the first person on my list. The things I know about her are that she is a scrapbook enthusiast and she enjoys gourmet teas. I jot those items on my list and move on to Tim. Tim is Susie's husband and a guy that is so hard to buy for. I am never sure what to get him. I do know that he likes to golf, and Susie recently mentioned that he has taken up cooking. That is an interesting combination, but I will think of something. My list also includes a corporate client that I like to send something to every holiday season as a token of my appreciation for the business they send to me throughout the year. There are many other recipients on my list, but I want to focus on these three individuals.My holiday gift giving plan is beginning to take shape. Since I am the type of person who cannot settle for just one item, I have discovered a very simple and smart approach to meeting my holiday gift giving needs ? gift baskets! Based on each recipient, every gift basket has its own theme. Let's start with Susie the scrapbook enthusiast. A gift basket filled with archival safe photo mounting paper and pens, interesting fibers, decorative brads, a corner punch, and a few other small related items make a great start to a winning gift. Topped off with a mug for the avid scrapbook-a-holic and a few gourmet tea bags, this gift is going to rock!Tim's gift will even come together nicely when implementing a little creativity. I decided on a huge mixing bowl filled with small kitchen tools, a cookbook, and some unique spices will be sure to please the aspiring cook. For a more personal touch, I added a personalized apron and gourmet chef's hat! The bowl of goodies is sitting on a wooden cutting board and the entire present is tied up in a square table cloth.The corporate gift is a cinch. Select either a basket filled with gourmet treats or a stack of gift boxes filled with diverse snacks. Either is sure to make a big hit.Holiday gift giving and planning do not have to be a chore. Solicit the help of others. If you come up short on items for your list, call a family member or friend to assist you. They may know or remember more about a specific individual than you. Once your list is complete, the fun part actually begins. Gift baskets take the stress out of the entire process of holiday gift giving. To make it successful for both the giver and recipient, be sure that you take into consideration items that relate to the individual. When you take time to personalize the gift basket, you ensure a successful holiday gift giving experience.About The AuthorWendy Wood is the owner of Seek Gift Baskets, an online gift basket directory listing professional gift basket designers from around the world. http://www.seekgiftbaskets.com

Are you bored with the routine of city life? Do you yearn for a getaway from the hustle and bustle and put some excitement into your life? Do you hope to visit the places that have been aired over National Geographic Explorer and experience it for yourself? If your answer is yes to these questions, then adventure travel is just the thing for you!Defining an Adventure HolidayOk, so you've decided that you want an adventure holiday. This leads you to the next question ? what type of adventure holiday do you want? There is just so much variety and different perceptions of the word "Adventure" that people have come up with all sorts of activities to define this word. For example, there's the nerve-wrenching bungee jumping sport with locations available to do this all over the world. If you are into water adventures, then white-water rafting may just be right for you. For mountain climbers, they can scale any mountain in the world, each providing the mountain climber distinctive challenges and excitement.On the other hand, some people may consider watching a cultural parade in an exotic country as an adventure. For example, the annual carnival at Tobago offers an opportunity for visitors to join into their celebrations of street parties and multi-colored parades. Perhaps a cruise to Alaska to watch seals and whales is an adventure to some, while others may prefer a hot air balloon ride amongst the clouds. Those with an archeological spirit within them, may desire to visit the ruins of Anchor Wat or the Pyramids of Kulkulcan and call that an adventure.Well, the possibilities are just endless. And the definitions are wider. In the end, as long as you had a good time, experienced a great getaway and have opened your eyes to new sights and sounds, your objectives would then have already been met.Preparing for your AdventureOnce you have made your decision on your destination and activity, the next step that you need to take is to gather as much information as you can on your destination. Things like health warnings, local hazards, visas and weather conditions are just some of the few things that you need to take note of. It would be advisable to join a forum to get to know others who have gone to the same location and have done the same thing, in order to get advice beforehand on things that you need to watch out for.If your trip requires physical exertion, for example activities like mountain climbing, trekking, whitewater rafting or even bungee jumping; you will need to get yourself physically ready. Cross-training and focused exercise is advisable so that you don't break down or sustain unnecessary injury during the course of your trip. Also, get a medical check-up before you go, to ensure a clean bill of health and fitness before you embark.Finally, adventure travel is no doubt a great deal of fun and also a necessary ingredient to add variety to your daily routine. Once you have had a taste of a great adventure, you will no doubt look forward to your next adventure holiday! For more information and bookings on adventure
travel america and overseas visit
www.adventuretraveltips.comLoreal Oliver is an advanturous traveller and preety crazy too. He travels extensively around the world since the age of 17 years and never gets tired. There is few places unexplored by him and he is always ready for another venture. He loves Photography and reading.http://www.adventuretraveltips.com

Going on a family vacation can be considerably more expensive than going with your partner only. Instead of buying two airline tickets and renting a double room in a hotel, you need maybe four or five tickets and at least two hotel rooms.Fortunately, there are a lot of family-friendly offers that help keeping things in budget. Still, there are some aspects where you can cut on costs.An expense that is often not recognized is the food. When on holiday, you often either lack the opportunity to cook or you're not in the mood to continue that annoying household routine. Dining out is fine and surely an essential part of the recreation - after all, you want to enjoy your stay. But that doesn't mean that every little snack has to be bought ready-made somewhere. If you can't bring food, maybe because you're going by plane and your luggage weight is limited, it might pay to look for a supermarket at your destination. And a sandwich, for example, does well as a replacement for a whole round of hot dogs as an afternoon snack.If you're staying in a hotel, you can try and ask at the reception if they can empty the minibar at your rooms. Anyway, you should definitely avoid touching something in there, as the price is normally astronomic. And this way, you can make use of it as a fridge to keep some supplies there.When you're booking the trip and you're not too fixed on a certain location that you want to go to, you can consider going to a travelling agent. Make a budget limit, and ask them what they can do with it. You might also want to check out several agents so you can choose the best offer. Instead of going to a hotel, renting a holiday house can be seriously cheaper. If you have a befriended family, maybe even with kids, too, then you can think about sharing a larger house. The atmosphere is more personal than in a hotel, and mostly you'll find a cooking site - if you don't mind gastronomical activities during your free time. If your family is insisting on a hotel, tell them what nice things you can do on your trip with all the money saved.Brigette Meier is an occassional author for http://www.e-nterests.com - visit the site for more interesting articles.

Holiday Stress? Some Tips For Having LessWe all dream of having wonderful holidays. We start each day full of the spirit of the season. We look at the lovely fresh fallen snow, and marvel at the beauty of the world. But lets face it - life can be stressful. By the time we get the kids up, dressed, and fed, referee a few morning scuffles, find lost homework, binkies, and keys, field a few phone calls, dig out the car, make our way through morning traffic, and try to get some Christmas shopping done at the local Target, the good feeling is... well, gone. The joy and magic of the season can easily be overshadowed by obligations, responsibilities, credit card spending gone mad, and, of course, relatives. If any of this is sounding familiar, you might be asking yourself - How could we end the madness? Well, here are some tips to make the season a little jollier - or at least less cranky.* Adjust your outlook: Your perspective is the looking glass through which you see the world. It is central to how you experience emotions, situations, and life in general. By shifting your perspective you can, in effect, change you experience. This is your life - put a positive spin on things - what have you got to loose but the blues!* Simplify your life: Get organized, try to cut down on clutter, and prioritize your tasks. Many dreaded obligations are self-imposed. Remember you really don't have to do everything.* Practice extreme self care: Make time to do what you love - take in a movie, go to a museum, curl up with a book or take a long hot bubble bath. Pamper yourself! This is your life - enjoy it! Don't worry - the dishes aren't going to pack up and leave town. Get plenty of sleep - exhaustion is a main factor in stress - and don't over indulge. Enjoy all the holiday goodies, but do so in moderation. Add some moderate exercise and you'll be healthier and have more energy.* Be thankful for the little things: Practice loving the simple things in life; playing games with your children, taking a walk on a snowy winter morning, or cuddling with your honey after everyone's in bed. When we open our hearts to happiness, we often find that it's all around us.* Make peace with flexibility: Celebrate you successes and let the rest slide. Learn to go with the flow. Take a breath, relax. Don't sweat the small stuff.* Embrace the spirit of the holidays: Greet each day with the holiday spirit and fill your life with kindness, compassion, gratefulness and love.Yes, there will still be hectic moments and stressful events, but you control the extent to which you respond to them. Open yourself to the possibility that the holidays can be joyous, and you might just find yourself whistling along with some of those Christmas carols.Deborah Martin is a mother, writer, life coach, and co-founder of The Woman Project. She lives in the Chicago suburbs with her partner & son.About The AuthorDeborah Martin is a mother, writer, life coach, and co-founder of The Woman Project. She lives in the Chicago suburbs with her partner & son.www.rightpathcoaching.com; dm@rightpathcoaching.com

As the holidays approach, I find myself wondering how I'm going to accomplish all I expect of myself. I expect to have perfect presents under the tree for an astounding number of people who will be visiting from out of town, besides the usual round of gifts for my children, immediate family, close friends and significant others, such as teachers, school staff, hair dressers, manicurist, etc. Added to the gift buying frenzy are countless trips to the grocery and food specialty stores for the feasts I expect to prepare, again for countless people I am expected to entertain during these holidays.What's one person to do when it becomes overwhelming and seems there's never going to be enough time, resources or energy to cope? Well, I'm not sure I have the answer. What I'm longing to do is escape to an undisclosed location (me and Dick Cheney) to save my sanity, health and well-being. Naturally, this isn't an option ? I hold the holidays too dear and my daughters have come to expect huge fanfare on these special days. I have set up their expectations of me, just as I have set up the expectations of myself that I might not be able to pull off this year due to an unstable health condition and subsequent lack of mobility I've taken for granted in years past. Mostly, I just want to be able to get it all done, as I have every other year, which is no longer an option. I am left to ponder my upcoming fate with the dread of not performing or of falling short.I suspect the "expectations" will somehow be met, only because I
couldn't bear to let my children down during the most important season for meeting expectations. And I have set myself up for all of this, gladly, willingly, never expecting "ill health" to interfere with our rituals and festivities. Never mind that this health condition was caused primarily by trying to cram five weeks worth of expectations into a ten day period when I over-booked myself with work, volunteering at my children's schools at the same time I was expected to take care of many other obligations and promises to family and friends. I think the lesson here is to relinquish the expectations of myself and scale down to a more manageable holiday routine, like it or not.Alas, there will come a time when we parents are no longer able to perform the myriad duties and routines we've created for our families, for any number of reasons, and we will need to give up control of making sure everyone's holiday expectations are met. This could come in the form of a health crisis, monetary crisis, time-crunch crisis ? take your pick. This is the time to delegate the responsibility of the be-all, do-all parent and shift our focus to relishing time with family and friends more so than relishing the accomplishments of others and our own expectations of us.We are in the midst of a joyous and sacred time of year when our hearts and minds should be filled with love and good will, not with a frenzy of get-it-done anxiety.I wish you all a joyful, relaxed holiday season, filled with love and happiness. Give yourselves a break and allow one or more of the details to slip by or delegate if need be. Being there for your family in sound mind, body and spirit is ultimately more important.I have found that doing my Christmas shopping online is a lifesaver and any other task I can accomplish online is equally gratifying. Find ways to make your life a little easier during the busy days ahead.Copyright ? 2004-2005 - Rexanne ManciniRexanne Mancini is the mother of two daughters, Justice and Liberty. She is a novelist, freelance writer and maintains an extensive yet informal parenting and family web site, Rexanne.com ? http://www.rexanne.com -Visit her site for good advice, award-winning Internet holiday pages and some humor to help you cope. Subscribe to her free newsletter, Rexanne's Web Review, for a monthly dose of Rexanne: http://www.rexanne.com/rwr-archives.html

"Black Friday" has just passed, marking the traditional start of the holiday shopping season. Web sales are already at a record high this year and the fourth quarter of 2004 is projected to bring in $22 billion in online sales alone ? a whole third of the sales for the entire year. (Source: eMarketer.com)And since Friday, your in-box has been overflowing with all those new orders... right?Or maybe not.If you're like many small retailers, you've waited until the last
minute to start thinking about your online holiday sales. You've been too busy, too short-staffed, too distracted, or perhaps even too confused to take the necessary steps to get your Web site ship-shape for the holidays.Don't despair! you can still take advantage of the holiday sales season ifyou take immediate action.Here are seven things you can do RIGHT NOW to boost your online holiday sales this year.1. "Hello, is anybody home?"
Update your Web site. If your home page still boasts "Summer
Specials," this means you! Put photos of your best sellers out front, and highlight any holiday specials.2. Use the power of suggestion.
Make it easy for shoppers to figure out what to buy. Try adding a
"Great Gift Ideas" list on your home page with links to each product. Better yet, organize the list into categories: "Gifts Under $20," "Stocking
Stuffers," "Gifts for Kids," "Gifts for Him/Her," etc.3. Bundle it.
Combine popular items into a "gift set" that shoppers can add to their carts with one click. Package them together in an attractive gift box or basket. Be sure to display a photo of the gift packaging.4. Sell the gift that always fits.
Offer gift certificates for the shopper that isn't sure what to buy, or who needs a last-minute gift. TIP: Make sure your shopping cart ships gift certificates free.5. Wrap it up.
Offer to wrap and ship a gift directly to the recipient for a small
fee. You'll earn loyalty from your customers if you can help them out during a busy, stressful time.6. "Will it get there on time?"
Concerns about delivery are at the top of Web shoppers' lists.
Overcome their uncertainty by posting information about shipping times, order cut-off dates for holiday delivery, and express delivery options in a conspicuous place.7. SHOUT!
NOW is the time to toot your own horn and help people remember that
your products and services make great gifts. Email the folks on your mailing list at least once a week until the end of the holiday season. Pick a different gift product to feature with each email, and be sure to include a direct link to the product page. Also, work the phones. Don't be afraid to be low-tech! Pick up the phone and call your 10 best customers to let them know about your great holiday deals.Although there are lots of things you can do to jumpstart your online holiday sales, there's one thing you *shouldn't* do right now.DON'T try to give your web site or e-commerce system a major overhaul during the peak season. The last thing you and your customers need is to deal with echnical glitches or lost orders during the holiday crunch. If you're panning a major upgrade, wait until January when things are a little slower and there will be minimal disruption to your customers.

The Costa del Sol has long been one of the most popular holiday destinations in southern Europe, and quite rightly so as it has much to offer in the form of reliable sunshine, beautiful safe beaches, good restaurants and nightlife, good quality and affordable accommodation along with plentiful and cheap flights from a vast choice of airports. However The Costa del Sol is only a very small part of the wonderful Autonomous Region of Andalucia.Rural tourism has opened up this superb area of southern europe and it is
now possible to rent a villa in many outstanding and remote areas hither
too unexplored by the vast majority of tourists. To a large extent the
countryside has been unspoilt by the recent developments along the Costas
and there are still many out of the way and remote areas to explore. In
recognition of this several new air routes have now been opened up
with very reasonable flights into both Jerez and Granada airports.The white villages, or "Pueblos Blancos" are a good starting point as in the main
life goes on in them much as it has done for centuries. Casares, Gaucin, Benaojen,
Estacion de Cortes, Cortes de la Frontera, to name but a few, are all
delightful places to spend a few hours ambling around, marvelling at
the architecture, the slow unchanging pace of life and sampling the
various tapas bars. During the summer months every village holds a tradtional
feria with music and dancing in the streets all night long.Andlaucia is of course the home of Flamenco dancing and bull fighting. The oldest
bullring in Spain is to be found at Ronda, and whatever your feelings are
on this rather emotive sport it is an interesting building to visit as is the
adjacent museum. The old part of the town is also a lovely place to visit
with its amazing Tajo ( gorge) and wealth of old buildings. A train ride
from one of the white villages further down country such as Jimena or Gaucin,
is a lovely way to arrive at Ronda as the train passes through some beautiful
countryside not visable from the road.It also continues on upto
Granada which is a must for any visitor to Andalucia with its stunning
Alhambra Palace, old gypsey quarter and many other places of interest.The wildlife in Andalucia is amongst the best now left in Europe with an
astonishing array of birds, both resident and migrant, it is particuarly
well blessed with birds of prey such as Griffon and Eygptian Vultures,
Bonnelli's and Booted Eagles,Peregrine falcons, Red and Black Kites, to name
but a few. These magnificent birds are a common site soaring majestically above the
mountain ranges of Andalucia. It is also home to wild boar, mongeese and genets
most of which are not particuarly well appreciated by the local population
as they do alot of damage to gardens and live stock, however they are all
now protected by law. In the spring the countryside puts on a stunning
display of wild flowers, some of which are now quite rare in other parts of
Europe.There is much unspoilt countryside where one is quite at liberty to walk
and camp, just being careful with fires in the dry summer months. Whilst
official footpaths and signposting are rather limited there are few real
restrictions as to where you can wander as long as you just use common sense
with regard to rubbish, fires etc. However always take water with you
as you can easily find yourself in the middle of nowhere with no natural
source of water nearby.So take a holiday away from all the hustle and bustle, rent a private villa,
hire a car and just enjoy exploring this delightful region of Spain.Article submitted by Ruth Polak the owner of http://www.costadelsol-vacationrentals.com. A web site specializing in holiday villas and
apartments on the Costa del Sol and in Rural Andalucia. You will also
find lots of information about Spain and Andalucia, in particular.