The autonomous community of Aragon is tucked away in the Northeastern corner of the stunning Mediterranean nation of Spain - and whilst Aragon is rich in culture, rich in history, rich in traditions and also rich in GDP and employment prospects, it is poor in terms of what is known about it outside of Spain. Whereas the national average figure for foreign homeownership in Spain is 12%, in Aragon it is just 9% with the greatest concentration of foreign owners being in the region’s main towns where there is considerable employment.
Aragon is in fact one of the lesser known, lesser explored regions of Spain both by travellers and by international expatriates - and yet it is a haven for nature lovers, for outdoor sports enthusiasts and for all those who wish to get away from the madding crowds and head off the beaten track.
Aragon is bordered to the north by France, by Catalonia to the east, Valencia to the south and Castile-La Mancha, Castile-Leon, La Rioja, and Navarre to the west. Being landlocked and bounded by better known regions, Aragon and its three provinces of Zaragoza, Huesca and Teruel are Spain's hidden gems – and now it's time to lift the lid off the delights that await all those who take the time to explore Aragon.
In travel and tourism publications the region of Aragon is little touched upon and usually described as being a featureless landscape – and yet how incredibly incorrect can the general consensus of opinion actually be! Not only is Aragon one of the most affluent communities with strong employment and population dense, exciting and vibrant cities such as Zaragoza, it is a land deeply rich in history as mentioned, where the people are fiercely proud of their culture, cuisine and heritage and where the geography is strikingly divergent - but because Aragon is lesser explored, opinion is often drawn from second or third hand sources.
Thanks to the fact that millions of euros have been ploughed into the development of a high-speed rail link from Madrid to Zaragoza and because the latter will play host to the 2008 World Expo, Aragon is soon to make its mark on the international travel and tourism scene – but outside the cities it is quite possibly the geography, landscapes, climate and natural environment of Aragon that makes this particular region of Spain so overwhelmingly appealing.
You have lush green valleys with rampant rivers, snow-capped Pyrenees peaks, arid plains and rolling hills. The flora and fauna in Aragon are also breathtaking in their diversity with vultures and eagles the most popular of the Pyrenean endemic species for those who explore this region. Those who enjoy the great outdoors are spoiled in Aragon – you can hike and trek, mountain climb, mountain bike, you can horse ride, paraglide, ski, raft and ice dive – and for those who enjoy shopping, culture or fine wining and dining perhaps, they can be equally spoiled in the regions main towns and cities.
New to Aragon as well will be a massive casino and theme park resort which has just been given governmental approval - and this of course will be a significant new draw to the region. The casino resort will take ten years to construct, consist of hotels, theme parks and a stadium as well as a conference centre – bringing much welcome development and likely greater prosperity to Aragon as well as huge numbers of national and international visitors!
As employment prospects in the region of Aragon are so impressive and the community's GDP is so strong, property prices in the provinces of Zaragoza, Huesca and Teruel have remained strong in the wake of a global property slow down and more specifically in the face of a property market decline in Spain. According to the latest figures and statistics from the Ministry of Housing in Spain the Zaragoza province enjoys the highest property prices out of the three Aragon provinces with median values being about 13% above the national average. Teruel province is actually under priced when you compare it with the national average with prices about 37% below making this region of immediate potential interest to those seeking affordable homes in Spain.
Martin Dell from Kyero.com, winner of the 2007 CNBC Best International Property Portal award comments that whilst there has been a drop off in terms of sales volumes, prices remain strong in Aragon because there is consistency of employment. What this means for investors is that there is strong demand and sustainability of affordability as well...and because Aragon is about to get its moment in the limelight when the spotlight falls initially on the World Expo 2008 and the city of Zaragoza specifically before focusing on the mega casino resort, demand among second home owners could certainly increase as could the desire for rental accommodation year round in the community's most stunning areas of natural appeal.
If you're seeking a land of hidden opportunity where the market is understood, tried and tested and yet lesser explored – take a closer look at the emerging potential in Spain's Aragon province, you won’t be disappointed.
Selasa, 11 Desember 2007
Traveling with Medical Disabilities
Traveling America-ful with a medical disability can be challenging, but it is worth the effort you make to finally have a successful, fun filled vacation.
My wife and I were looking forward to my retirement. My wife had retired from her Licensed Therapist practice already and she was just waiting for me to make my retirement official. Our kids were “grown and gone” and we were looking forward to just picking up for weeks at a time on one of our spontaneous acts and traveling across this country of ours. We had upgraded our timeshare to accommodate our dream of traveling America.
However, strange things happen on the way to “life”. About 6 months before my official retirement my wife was diagnosed with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). On August 4, 2006 she began a schedule of 3-day a week dialysis treatment at the Mayo Clinic. Each dialysis treatment is at least 4 hours long.
We had a tough time trying to make sense of what was happening. Why was this happening to us in the prime of our lives? How could we possibly take trips with a regimen of these 3-day a week 4 hour dialysis treatments (Monday, Wednesday and Friday)? There was at least 1 day between treatments and no more than 2 days (Saturday and Sunday). Needless to say we spent some time with our therapists and getting in touch with our spiritual side.
I think I was more stressed than my wife. She insisted that I get out, do something. I normally fish or try to play golf, but I thought I would try to do something creative. So I wrote a few lyrics (got them copyrighted) and thought about creating a website that would allow visitors to tell other visitors about their travel experiences.
Travel America-ful advisory and tips
If we wanted to do traveling of any kind while she is undergoing dialysis we would have some “road blocks” to overcome. For instance:
Because she had been placed on the kidney transplant list, in the event of an available kidney match (I am not a match to donate my kidney to my wife) we had to be able to get back to the kidney transplant unit within 2-3 hours after we are contacted.
Not all dialysis units were the same – some were cleaner than others (the fear of infection is always a consideration). Mayo has one of the best (if not the best) dialysis units in America.
Not considering the 2-3 hours window we could only be away for no more than 2 days because of the dialysis schedule. We could probably stretch it for another day, but that would be putting additional risk into the equation. We were not willing to do that.
But, we were determined to travel. We started out by taking little excursions of one day – leave Saturday morning and returning Sunday morning. Then we extended our travel time from Saturday morning and returning Monday morning to get her to her Monday dialysis treatment. Next, we began leaving on Friday evening after her dialysis treatment – she was normally very tired right after her treatment and absolutely famished. So, I would prepare her a meal (she had some food restrictions) and she would eat it in the car as we drove to wherever we were going and then take a nap.
Next the big one! My wife said “Why not plan a trip for one month?” I was not as sure of this as she was. My wife spoke with her physician and then worked with the Mayo Clinic Social Workers for several months to line up dialysis units in various states up the Northeast coast (Washington Area, New York City Area, Atlanta Area and New London, Connecticut Area).
Through careful planning and coordination with the Mayo Clinic Social Worker we were able to schedule 12 dialysis treatments over the 1 month period in 4 different states. My wife is a master at establishing relationships with new people and she was able to do that in each of the different dialysis locations without major incidents.
Getting out was absolutely wonderful. We are from New York and it was great getting back into the hustle-bustle for a few days. Although, my wife could not get as much activity as she would have normally, she thoroughly enjoyed herself. As did I.
Our experience has led us to offer a few suggestions to those who might be holding back on traveling because of your own medical disability.
1. Discuss your plans with your physician
2. Work with the resources available to you – Social Workers, Travel Agents, etc.
3. Have alternate plans – if you run out of medication; if your condition worsens, etc.
4. Plan, plan, plan
5. Enjoy
Travel America-ful and share your experiences with friends, strangers and family.
Have an America-ful day.
My wife and I were looking forward to my retirement. My wife had retired from her Licensed Therapist practice already and she was just waiting for me to make my retirement official. Our kids were “grown and gone” and we were looking forward to just picking up for weeks at a time on one of our spontaneous acts and traveling across this country of ours. We had upgraded our timeshare to accommodate our dream of traveling America.
However, strange things happen on the way to “life”. About 6 months before my official retirement my wife was diagnosed with End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). On August 4, 2006 she began a schedule of 3-day a week dialysis treatment at the Mayo Clinic. Each dialysis treatment is at least 4 hours long.
We had a tough time trying to make sense of what was happening. Why was this happening to us in the prime of our lives? How could we possibly take trips with a regimen of these 3-day a week 4 hour dialysis treatments (Monday, Wednesday and Friday)? There was at least 1 day between treatments and no more than 2 days (Saturday and Sunday). Needless to say we spent some time with our therapists and getting in touch with our spiritual side.
I think I was more stressed than my wife. She insisted that I get out, do something. I normally fish or try to play golf, but I thought I would try to do something creative. So I wrote a few lyrics (got them copyrighted) and thought about creating a website that would allow visitors to tell other visitors about their travel experiences.
Travel America-ful advisory and tips
If we wanted to do traveling of any kind while she is undergoing dialysis we would have some “road blocks” to overcome. For instance:
Because she had been placed on the kidney transplant list, in the event of an available kidney match (I am not a match to donate my kidney to my wife) we had to be able to get back to the kidney transplant unit within 2-3 hours after we are contacted.
Not all dialysis units were the same – some were cleaner than others (the fear of infection is always a consideration). Mayo has one of the best (if not the best) dialysis units in America.
Not considering the 2-3 hours window we could only be away for no more than 2 days because of the dialysis schedule. We could probably stretch it for another day, but that would be putting additional risk into the equation. We were not willing to do that.
But, we were determined to travel. We started out by taking little excursions of one day – leave Saturday morning and returning Sunday morning. Then we extended our travel time from Saturday morning and returning Monday morning to get her to her Monday dialysis treatment. Next, we began leaving on Friday evening after her dialysis treatment – she was normally very tired right after her treatment and absolutely famished. So, I would prepare her a meal (she had some food restrictions) and she would eat it in the car as we drove to wherever we were going and then take a nap.
Next the big one! My wife said “Why not plan a trip for one month?” I was not as sure of this as she was. My wife spoke with her physician and then worked with the Mayo Clinic Social Workers for several months to line up dialysis units in various states up the Northeast coast (Washington Area, New York City Area, Atlanta Area and New London, Connecticut Area).
Through careful planning and coordination with the Mayo Clinic Social Worker we were able to schedule 12 dialysis treatments over the 1 month period in 4 different states. My wife is a master at establishing relationships with new people and she was able to do that in each of the different dialysis locations without major incidents.
Getting out was absolutely wonderful. We are from New York and it was great getting back into the hustle-bustle for a few days. Although, my wife could not get as much activity as she would have normally, she thoroughly enjoyed herself. As did I.
Our experience has led us to offer a few suggestions to those who might be holding back on traveling because of your own medical disability.
1. Discuss your plans with your physician
2. Work with the resources available to you – Social Workers, Travel Agents, etc.
3. Have alternate plans – if you run out of medication; if your condition worsens, etc.
4. Plan, plan, plan
5. Enjoy
Travel America-ful and share your experiences with friends, strangers and family.
Have an America-ful day.
Travel Deals to India
So you want to visit India? Well, good choice: you'll need to access cheap flight India opportunities. Wild tigers, Buddhist Monasteries, the Lotus Temple and the Taj Mahal ' India is a country rich in beauty, culture, color, and sound. The problem, of course, is getting there ' and finding travel tips to India can be done with just a little thought and preparation.
As always when looking for cheap flight India offers, there are a few things to keep in mind. The biggest key to getting discounted airfare is flexibility: off-season, weekday, or after-hours flights will always be cheaper than a Friday afternoon 4:00 flight to Paris. Enter multiple dates when searching for tickets; Monday and Wednesday may be the same to you, but have a hundred-dollar difference to the airline carrier. Flying right around holidays can be difficult, but flying on a holiday ' such as Thanksgiving ' can be a major steal, since the day itself is a slow one for airlines. Being flexible with your route ' for example, stopovers in Bangkok or Taipei ' may also save you money; instead of looking at it as an extra long flight, see it as an opportunity to experience even more places!
Another tactic for saving money and finding a cheap flight India offer is flying in to a major city in India even if it's not where you're ultimately trying to go. Big airports in Bengal or Calcutta will cost a lot less than a private charter plane to Mynokaleesh, and public transport ' such as train, taxi, or jeep ' is relatively cheap. With this method, of course, you have the added benefit of seeing even more of the country ' something no smart traveler would say no to.
India is a fascinating and vibrant country, with a huge span of culture and diversity. Start in the south, perhaps in Calcutta, and make sure you take a guided tour into the heart of the lush jungles. One of the last places where wild tigers, wolves, and elephants still exist, these vine-entangled forests set the scene for Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book, an author well worth reading if you are going to his beloved country.
From the south you will want to work up ' and the north is as different from the south as the east is from the west, so much different. Where on one end you find tropical flowers and exotic spices, on the other you are immersed in towering mountains, Himalayan peaks and steaming cups of fresh-picked Darjeeling Tea. The tea, of course, is a facet in itself of Indian culture; everywhere you go vendors selling hot pots of creamy chai will meet you.
India is chosen as a destination by thousands every year, coming for reasons as varied and complex as the country itself. Student backpackers flock to the country for the rich, delicious and inexpensive food, as well as cheap lodging and amazing sights. Older tourists may come for the history, beauty, and architecture, admiring the stunning expanse of the Taj Mahal and Indian Palaces, while others may come for spiritual reasons, giving honour to the ancient traditions of Buddhism and Hinduism that have made India a Mecca for many spiritual seekers. Hikers and Bikers also come, eager to tackle those royal peaks, scaling the Himalayas and looking across to neighbouring Mount Everest.
India is a country of sharp and striking colours; destitute poverty alongside riches and wealth, dirt and grime against silk and beauty, delicious spices mingling their scents with the smell of elephant manure. Not for the weak stomach, India will explode on your palate, your vision, your ears, and your soul. As always when traveling, there are a few things to be careful of: always keep copies of your passport and important documents somewhere other than your wallet, and keep money or valuables strapped close to your body, not on a loose-strung purse or hanging from a backpack. With a few precautions, however, India is both a warm and friendly place, and one of the safest places on the continent to visit.
The food is an experience in itself ' thick breaded naan, spicy mushroom masala, lentil dal, and rich potato somalas will leave you with cravings you may never get rid of. India is unique in its cuisine, specialising of course in heavily spiced dishes fairly exploding with flavor. The exotic quality of the food mingles well with the sights and sounds ' a scitar player sings loudly as he walks down the street, the monkeys screech from the temple, pots and pans jangle noisily on the back of a water buffalo. No matter what your reasons for coming, your experience in India is bound to be more than you expected. Finding a cheap flight to India is more than a quick trip ' it is a discount ticket to a once in a lifetime adventure.
As always when looking for cheap flight India offers, there are a few things to keep in mind. The biggest key to getting discounted airfare is flexibility: off-season, weekday, or after-hours flights will always be cheaper than a Friday afternoon 4:00 flight to Paris. Enter multiple dates when searching for tickets; Monday and Wednesday may be the same to you, but have a hundred-dollar difference to the airline carrier. Flying right around holidays can be difficult, but flying on a holiday ' such as Thanksgiving ' can be a major steal, since the day itself is a slow one for airlines. Being flexible with your route ' for example, stopovers in Bangkok or Taipei ' may also save you money; instead of looking at it as an extra long flight, see it as an opportunity to experience even more places!
Another tactic for saving money and finding a cheap flight India offer is flying in to a major city in India even if it's not where you're ultimately trying to go. Big airports in Bengal or Calcutta will cost a lot less than a private charter plane to Mynokaleesh, and public transport ' such as train, taxi, or jeep ' is relatively cheap. With this method, of course, you have the added benefit of seeing even more of the country ' something no smart traveler would say no to.
India is a fascinating and vibrant country, with a huge span of culture and diversity. Start in the south, perhaps in Calcutta, and make sure you take a guided tour into the heart of the lush jungles. One of the last places where wild tigers, wolves, and elephants still exist, these vine-entangled forests set the scene for Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book, an author well worth reading if you are going to his beloved country.
From the south you will want to work up ' and the north is as different from the south as the east is from the west, so much different. Where on one end you find tropical flowers and exotic spices, on the other you are immersed in towering mountains, Himalayan peaks and steaming cups of fresh-picked Darjeeling Tea. The tea, of course, is a facet in itself of Indian culture; everywhere you go vendors selling hot pots of creamy chai will meet you.
India is chosen as a destination by thousands every year, coming for reasons as varied and complex as the country itself. Student backpackers flock to the country for the rich, delicious and inexpensive food, as well as cheap lodging and amazing sights. Older tourists may come for the history, beauty, and architecture, admiring the stunning expanse of the Taj Mahal and Indian Palaces, while others may come for spiritual reasons, giving honour to the ancient traditions of Buddhism and Hinduism that have made India a Mecca for many spiritual seekers. Hikers and Bikers also come, eager to tackle those royal peaks, scaling the Himalayas and looking across to neighbouring Mount Everest.
India is a country of sharp and striking colours; destitute poverty alongside riches and wealth, dirt and grime against silk and beauty, delicious spices mingling their scents with the smell of elephant manure. Not for the weak stomach, India will explode on your palate, your vision, your ears, and your soul. As always when traveling, there are a few things to be careful of: always keep copies of your passport and important documents somewhere other than your wallet, and keep money or valuables strapped close to your body, not on a loose-strung purse or hanging from a backpack. With a few precautions, however, India is both a warm and friendly place, and one of the safest places on the continent to visit.
The food is an experience in itself ' thick breaded naan, spicy mushroom masala, lentil dal, and rich potato somalas will leave you with cravings you may never get rid of. India is unique in its cuisine, specialising of course in heavily spiced dishes fairly exploding with flavor. The exotic quality of the food mingles well with the sights and sounds ' a scitar player sings loudly as he walks down the street, the monkeys screech from the temple, pots and pans jangle noisily on the back of a water buffalo. No matter what your reasons for coming, your experience in India is bound to be more than you expected. Finding a cheap flight to India is more than a quick trip ' it is a discount ticket to a once in a lifetime adventure.
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