|Year : 2021 | Volume
| Issue : 2 | Page : 130-134
Assessment of quality of life and its determinants among the elderly residing in a rural area of Faridabad: A cross-sectional survey
Ekta Gupta1, Shweta Goswami2, Vaishali Aggarwal2, Mitasha Singh2, Rashmi Agarwalla3
1 ICMR, National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research, Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India
2 Department of Community Medicine, ESIC Medical College and Hospital, Faridabad, Haryana, India
3 Department of Community Medicine, AIIMS, Guwahati, Assam, India
|Date of Submission||06-May-2021|
|Date of Acceptance||14-May-2021|
|Date of Web Publication||24-Dec-2021|
Dr. Mitasha Singh
ESIC Medical College and Hospital, Faridabad - 121 001, Haryana
Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None
Introduction: Population aging as a result of demographic transition has brought into focus issues pertaining to health status of elderly. We aimed to assess different domains of quality of life (QoL) and its determinants among the elderly population of a rural area of Faridabad.
Material & Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out among 300 elderly people aged 60 years and above from October 2018 to January 2019 in village Pali of Faridabad, Haryana. The World Health Organization QOL-BREF scale was used for the assessment of QoL.
Results: The study included 44% males with a mean age of 67.1 ± 7 years. The mean QOL score was highest in psychological domain (63.26 ± 18.48), followed by environmental domain (62.64 ± 16.23), physical domain (60.58 ± 19.24), and lowest in social domain (59.33 ± 17.81).
Conclusion: Physical domain of QoL was significantly better in nondiseased elderly, while social domain was not significantly affected by morbidities or health-seeking behavior. Overall, QoL was fair to good. Determinants of good QoL included social as well as economic characteristics such as higher education, sex, and the absence of chronic disorders.
Keywords: Geriatric, Haryana, quality of life, World Health Organization-BREF
|How to cite this article:|
Gupta E, Goswami S, Aggarwal V, Singh M, Agarwalla R. Assessment of quality of life and its determinants among the elderly residing in a rural area of Faridabad: A cross-sectional survey. Indian J Community Fam Med 2021;7:130-4
|How to cite this URL:|
Gupta E, Goswami S, Aggarwal V, Singh M, Agarwalla R. Assessment of quality of life and its determinants among the elderly residing in a rural area of Faridabad: A cross-sectional survey. Indian J Community Fam Med [serial online] 2021 [cited 2022 Jul 4];7:130-4. Available from: https://www.ijcfm.org/text.asp?2021/7/2/130/333664
| Introduction|| |
At a time of unpredictable challenges for health, one trend which is certain is population aging and this demographic transition will impact on almost all aspects of society. India currently comprises 8% of total population which is expected to increase to 12.7% by 2025.,
The World Health Organization (WHO) has defined quality of life (QOL) as “an individual's perception of life in the context of culture and value system, in which he or she lives and in relation to his or her goals, expectations, standards, and concerns.” It is a broad concept covering the individual's physical health, mental state, level of independence, social relationships, spiritual beliefs, and the environment.
The share of elderly population in Haryana is 8.7% as per census 2011; higher proportion is present in rural areas as compared to urban area. During the past decade, there are numerous studies describing the QoL in different geographical areas of India, but only one study has been conducted in Haryana in 2013. There is no recent literature on elderly of Haryana region. Hence, this study was conducted to assess different domains of QoL and its determinants among the elderly population of a rural area of Faridabad.
| Material & Methods|| |
The study was conducted among the rural elderly population residing in the field practice area of the rural health training center attached with the Department of Community Medicine of a Medical College of Faridabad, Haryana, over a period of 4 months from October 2018 to January 2019. The total rural population served by the center is about 9600 and geriatric population is about 800 (approximately 8%). A community-based cross-sectional design was adopted to study the QoL and its sociodemographic and health-related determinants among the elderly population. All elderly aged 60 years and above were included in the study, while elderly with severe illness not able to answer the questions and those who did not give consent to participate in the study were excluded from the study. Considering expected standard deviation of QoL score among elderly to be 10.97% and tolerable error of 1.5% at 95% confidence interval, sample size was calculated as 206. After accounting for nonresponse and rounding off, 300 elderly were included for study. A list of elderly was obtained from the records of health workers beforehand, and subjects were selected using simple random sampling.
The WHO-QOL (BREF) is one of the best-known instruments for assessing QOL of life which has been adopted in number of countries including India. It contains 26 items covering four domains of QOL., A predesigned and pretested structured questionnaire in local language related to the QOL of elderly people devised by the WHO (WHOQOL) was used for the study. It took into consideration four domains of QOL, i.e. physical, psychological, environmental, and social relationships.
Data collection was done by undergraduate medical students after being explained the purpose and objectives of the study. The study subjects were interviewed at their homes. For comparison of mean scores, t-test and ANOVA were applied. Level of significance was set at 5%. Multiple linear regression (MLR) model was run to identify predictors of QOL. There was no outlier and autocorrelation in our regression data, and the assumption for normality and homoscedasticity were met. Statistical analysis was done using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software version 21 (IBM Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).
The study was conducted following approval from the Institutional Ethical Committee (134/A/11/16/Academics/MC/2016/125), and informed consent was obtained from study participants after explaining the objectives of the study.
| Results and Discussion|| |
A total of 300 elderly were interviewed with a mean age of 67.1 ± 6.9 years. Females (56%) outnumbered males. Similar findings have been observed in the studies carried out in Tamil Nadu by Sowmiya and Nagarani, Jacob et al. and Shah et al. in Gujarat. It is because the life expectancy among women is more than males. Majority of geriatric population were either illiterate or just literate (can read and write) in current study. More than half of population was reported to be illiterate by studies conducted in rural Ambala (63.9%) and rural Dehradun (60.5%), rural Etawah (66.5%), rural Wardha (74.75%) and rural Dakshina Kannada (62.9%). Other studies also reported majority of their population to be illiterate but not among more than 50% of population.,,,, Major part of our study population was retired (78%) and 42% were homemaker. Shah et al., from Ahmedabad reported 20% retired and Karmakar et al., from Tripura had 18.4% retired geriatrics in their study which was much lower compared to our study. Contrastingly 90.8% of study population in a study by Joseph et al., were not working. More than two third were currently married in current analysis. Around two thirds (66%) were living with spouse and children similar to majority of studies from rural parts of country. Studies from urban Gujarat and Pondicherry reported a lower proportion of elderly living in joint families. One third of elderly was economically dependent in current study. This was reported to be 34% by Krtika et al., and 49% by Bansal et al., in their study from Dehradun and Etawah respectively., Majority of population belonged to lower middle class of socio economic status similar to those reported from studies of Tripura and Ambala.,
The mean total QOL score among the elderly in the current study was 61.45 ± 14.78. Mean QoL score was highest in psychological health domain and lowest in social relationships. Rural elderly probably tends to enjoy the power and have positive feeling about future due to traditional rituals hence scoring well on psychological domain in the current study. Similar findings were reported in a study from Puducherry. Low social domain scores in our study points toward changing scenario of social structure of country with increasing number of nuclear families and decreasing interpersonal interactions. However, Karmakar et al. in their study conducted in a rural area of Tripura found that mean QoL scores were maximum for social relationship domain and lowest mean score was seen in psychological domain. This difference may be due to difference in the sociodemographic profile of their study population having majority of males and 45% of their population were in 60–70-year age group.
The QoL scores were excellent in 11 (3.7%) subjects, good in 91 (30.3%) subjects, fair in 156 (52%) subjects, and poor in 42 (14%) subjects. Higher number of males had excellent/good QoL as compared to females, and this difference was found to be statistically significant (P = 0.002) [Figure 1]. However, community-based studies conducted in North Indian states by Qadri et al., and Kamra reported a higher number of elderlies enjoying a good QoL (68.2%) with <15% elderly having a fair and poor QoL. They also reported better QoL among males, those who were currently married and graduates which is similar to our study findings.
According to our study the distribution of four domain scores in different age groups shows that the mean physical, psychological, social and environmental score was highest in >80 years of age group whereas the lowest was observed in 71-80 years age group. Findings are non -concordant with the studies by Hameed et al., and Mudy et al., and Kumar et al., wherein they found an association between increasing age and reduction of QOL but similar findings to our study were reported by Ghosh et al., and Shah et al., where they found no significant association with age. A higher social relationship QOL score was reported among illiterate or just literate and no other trend was noticed. Which is non concordant with the studies by Qadri et al., Kritika et al., and Shah et al. But similar to our study again no relation was reported by Bansal et al., and Karmakar et al., in their studies in rural areas of Etawah and Tripura respectively. Contrary to the fact that literacy brings better understanding of life and better opportunities of livelihood of elderly the population of our study did not rely on education to improve their QOL. Our study states the mean psychological score was highest for people in business or self-employed (currently) and lowest among homemakers in all domains while the physical health score was highest among retired population and social relationship was best in agricultural workers. The present study reported the mean score in all domains was lower among divorced/separated/widowed population as compared to currently married population. Concordant to our study results Kritika et al., from rural Dehradun also reported higher score in all domains among married elderly. Studies by Ghosh et al., and Mudey et al., conducted in rural areas of India reported a higher psychological domain score among married elderly. The study in rural Gujarat by Shah et al., reported a significant association between currently married and environmental domain score. Elderly living with their spouse are more cared and take interest in social activities hence a better score in all domains. In our study results mean scores were highest among the geriatric population who were economically independent in all domains except social relationship domain. In social relationship domain the mean score was highest in partially dependent population and lowest among independent population. It is obvious that those who are economically independent are currently working and living on their own. In both these scenarios the elderly tends to spend less time in social circle. Various other studies had a similar finding where financial independence was significantly associated with high QOL score for instance those of Kritika et al., Ghosh et al., and Bansal et al., in rural areas of Dehradun, Etawah and Bihar respectively.
The demographic and morbidity variables were subjected to Multiple Linear Regression, and it was found that only education, musculoskeletal, and central nervous system (CNS) disorders are significant predictors with QoL as dependent variable. CNS disorders had a higher impact as compared to education and musculoskeletal disorders by comparing standardized coefficient (beta) (0.178 for CNS disorders, 0.148 for education, and 0.145 for musculoskeletal disorders) [Table 1].
|Table 1: Multiple linear regression model to identify predictors of overall quality of life|
Click here to view
The current study revealed that age and financial dependence were not found to be associated with QoL while better socio economic status (above poverty line) had better quality of life in all domains. Similar findings have been reported by Praveen and Rani in Tamil Nadu, wherein age, marital status, and occupation did not have a significant association on QoL. Thadathil et al. in their study in rural Kerala found that occupation, higher income, 60–69-year age group, staying with partner, and absence of comorbidity were found to be the determinants of better QOL score. Studies by Ghosh et al. and Mudey et al. conducted in rural areas of India reported a higher psychological domain score among married elderly similar to results of the current study. Elderly living with their spouse are more cared and take interest in social activities hence a better score in all domains.
Education was found to be the determinant of overall QoL among the elderly with literate elderly enjoying better QoL as compared to illiterate ones. This finding is concordant with findings of Hameed et al., Raj et al., Kritika et al., Qadri et al., and Kumar et al. Literacy brings better opportunities of livelihood and better understanding of life processes, thereby leading to better QoL among literate elderly.
The present study had certain limitations. The study involved dealing with elderly population and assessment of QoL using a qualitative scale; hence, there are chances of recall and response bias. The study was confined to a small rural area of Faridabad; hence, generalizability of results may be an issue. Furthermore, QoL is a multidimensional parameter, and hence, its results might have been affected by some unknown confounders.
| Conclusion|| |
The QoL scores among elderly of Faridabad were found to be suboptimal with scores in social relationship domain to be lowest. Periodic health checkups and strengthening of community care need to be done for early detection and control of the morbidities among the elderly. Various health promotion measures including recreational activities and environmental modification may help in improving QoL among the elderly. However, QoL is a multidimensional concept and more extensive research into the factors having a direct bearing on QoL needs to be undertaken.
Financial support and sponsorship
Conflicts of interest
There are no conflicts of interest.
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Last year, cryptocurrencies achieved a status that few analysts could predict. More and more people bought, sold and invested in the most popular cryptocurrencies, and searched even more intensively for information on whether such an investment decision would be profitable for them. If you’re wondering what the current situation is in the cryptocurrency market, an analysis of search history is a good place to start.
Saxo analyzed this data to find out what questions nationals of each country are asking about the cryptocurrency market in 2022 and which currencies are of greatest interest. This study was conducted prior to the cryptocurrency market crash, which marked the spring of 2022, and continued market turmoil is likely to affect the future behavior of global investors.
In which countries is the interest in cryptocurrencies the greatest?
First of all, it is worth checking the inhabitants of which countries – relative to population size – have most often entered cryptocurrency-related queries into their search engines. The US and the UK are the leaders here: out of these two countries, 8.21% and 8.1% of all cryptocurrency queries were made, respectively. Given that these countries are home to some of the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world and major institutional investors, this should come as no surprise to anyone.
Which currencies are the most popular?
Which currencies are the most popular? Based on the data from global search results, you can see considerable variation between countries and regions. For example, Aussies are definitely the query leaders on Cardano and XRP – the cryptocurrencies that have been among the most popular in 2021, although in 2022 both have so far seen significant declines and supported.
In turn, information about Ethereum – the mainstay of the cryptocurrency market – was most often searched for in Canada, the United States and Nigeria. The best countries for cryptocurrency in this respect are also a number of smaller countries that have had a lot of requests made, such as Kosovo, Singapore, and the Netherlands.
Cryptocurrency Keywords in 2022
If you look at it from a broader perspective, you can get some interesting insights into the most popular terms around the world. Those related to Dogecoin were by far the most searched – up to 18.65% of all searches were for the popular cryptocurrency meme.
Some of them are probably related to Dogecoin’s impressive but short-lived price spike in May 2021 after Elon Musk tweeted about it, making many people aware that such a meme currency exist. At the same time, the second most popular group of queries (15.74% of searches) was for NFT. Subsequently, research was done for the latest cryptocurrencies, including shiba, XRP, and solana.
Where to buy the most popular cryptocurrencies?
It’s one thing to research cryptocurrencies out of curiosity, but it’s another to research them with the intention of buying them. Therefore, we analyzed the data to find out which currencies were sought after by country investment information before the current stock market crash.
We again found significant regional differences. In Singapore, Canada and the United States, the most frequently searched search term was “where to buy cardano”, reflecting the growing popularity of the cryptocurrency. On the other hand, “where to buy ethereum” has been discussed in the US, Britain, the Philippines, and India, with the US and UK also topping the list of queries. information on purchasing brine, TRX and EXRP.
Global Cryptocurrency Price Predictions
In the world of cryptocurrencies, everything depends on the price. It makes sense that cryptocurrency holders seek out expertly crafted price predictions to get an idea of what the fate of a given investment may be. We have therefore analyzed the requests for different price predictions by country with relatively surprising results.
In Kosovo, the price predictions of the same shiba inu cryptocurrency sparked the most interest, while people in Cyprus excelled in investigating the future price of brine. Interestingly, the Irish were more often looking for cardano price predictions, while the British were more interested in the future price of tether.
Cryptocurrencies are an emerging asset class that is inherently volatile and difficult to monitor. It is therefore understandable that questions about the security and protection of cryptocurrencies are an important research topic.
We saw a lot of inquiries about whether bitcoin could be ‘hacked’ from the US and UK, while people in Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa were the most asked questions. frequently asked questions about whether bitcoin is legal.
Some were more interested in answering questions about recent events – residents of Britain, Nigeria and India were at the forefront in investigating the causes of bitcoin’s crash, most likely as a result of a significant drop in the price of this cryptocurrency in November. 2021. Of course, the recent drop in the bitcoin exchange rate could trigger a new wave of similar demands from around the world.
Which countries are most interested in NFT?
2021 was marked by the NFT. Around the world, the number of requests for non-tradable tokens increased sharply after reports of the most expensive transactions appeared in the media. The “bursting” of the NFT-related speculative bubble in early 2022 has also likely sparked increased interest in this little-known new asset.
While some were quick to recognize NFT as a passing trend, some countries have shown particularly strong interest in these assets. Singapore, the United States, Australia and New Zealand wanted to know more about them, asking questions such as “what does NFT mean” and “how does NFT work”.
Moreover, these countries were mostly interested in going further by asking how NFTs can be purchased. It is somewhat surprising that UK cryptocurrency enthusiasts showed much less interest in NFT.
The NFT carbon footprint
Today, a new generation of ethical investments is driven by environmental, social responsibility and corporate governance (ESG) issues. With the development of ESG and just after the COP26 summit, we saw considerable interest in the environmental impact of NFT.
In the United States, Great Britain and the Philippines, terms such as “the environmental impact of NFTs” and “harmful to the environment” were searched for more frequently than in other countries. This likely reflects growing awareness of the large carbon footprint of many cryptocurrencies and a desire to avoid contributing to it via NFT.
As keen market watchers already know, cryptocurrency mining is incredibly damaging to the environment – the carbon footprint of bitcoin mining alone is greater than the carbon footprint of all of Nova Scotia. Zeeland.
What about cryptocurrency funds?
Based on the data obtained from our clients, it can be seen that the interest in the cryptocurrency market goes beyond the buying and selling of cryptocurrencies. We’ve looked at some of the most popular products for cryptocurrency monitoring offered at Saxo Bank, including ETNs, ETFs and ETCs, allowing you to speculate on cryptocurrency prices without having to buy currencies. Of these, ETN is the most popular.
They are similar to ETFs except that they are unsecured debt securities issued by a bank and do not involve the taking of assets as such. The most popular cryptocurrency ETNs were Ethereum Tracker EUR XBT Provider, Bitcoin Tracker EUR XBT Provider, and VanEck Bitcoin ETN.
The most popular cryptocurrency pairs
At Saxo Bank, we offer market operations crypto forex in pairs combining three cryptocurrencies (bitcoin, litecoin and ethereum) with three fiat currencies (USD, EUR, JPY). Several currency pairs have proven particularly popular with our floating currency clients.
The largest of these is the bitcoin/USD pair, which accounted for 40.82% of the cryptocurrency trading volume on our platforms.
Ethereum/USD and Litecoin/USD followed, accounting for 35% and 10% of trading volume respectively. On the other hand, cryptocurrency pairs using other lesser fiat currencies constituted a minority of total transactions.
The Saxo Bank Analytics Team


Flagstaff, Arizona, has long been known as the “City of Seven Wonders,” referencing its proximity to an enviable number of natural treasures. The small city in Northern Arizona sits at 7,000 feet above sea level, surrounded by aspen and pine forest at the base of the San Francisco Peaks. It represents a totally different version of Arizona than the cactus-strewn, sunbaked desert the state usually brings to mind. A true four-season climate inspires diverse versions of outdoor fun, all surrounded by outstanding mountain scenery and profound cultural heritage.
Long a hub for visiting the Grand Canyon, Flagstaff is also within a day trip’s distance of seven other national parks and monuments, seven Arizona state parks and hundreds of volcanoes. Want some more astonishing facts about this beautiful city in Northern Arizona?
- Flagstaff sits within the world’s largest contiguous ponderosa pine forest.
- In 2001 it was declared the world’s first International Dark Sky City.
- Historic Route 66 cuts through the middle of Flagstaff.
- It’s one of the snowiest cities in the United States, while summers are sunny and mild.
- Flagstaff has been called one of the darkest, quietest and cleanest places on Earth.
There are way more than seven reasons to plan a trip to Flagstaff, but the following pursuits stand out as highlights of this fantastic vacation destination.
Explore Downtown Flagstaff
Downtown Flagstaff is picturesque, largely walkable and historic, with many of its buildings dating to the 1890s. Stop at the Flagstaff Visitor Center, housed in the old Santa Fe railroad depot on Route 66, to pick up maps and guides for self-guided tours. Flagstaff offers more than 50 miles of urban trails, plus 14 miles of the original Route 66. Wander through the Southside Historic District, hit up the brewery trail or public art trail, or join a guided historic walking tour or food tour. Stop in at some of Flagstaff’s lovely boutiques, galleries, craft breweries and restaurants as well.
Head to the High Country
Flagstaff sits at around 7,000 feet, but nearby mountains invite you to have fun at even higher altitudes. The easiest way to reach a tall mountain peak near Flagstaff is with a trip to the Arizona Snowbowl, just 7 miles north of downtown. In winter it’s a bustling ski resort, but from Memorial Day weekend through mid-October you can ride the Scenic Gondola from the 9,500-foot base of an extinct volcano, all the way up to its 11,500-foot summit. The ride is a thrill and the scenery is incredible, with expansive views across the San Francisco volcanic fields. You’ll gain a new appreciation of Northern Arizona’s dramatic, dynamic landscape. On the clearest days you might see as far as Sedona and the Grand Canyon. More summer fun is available with summer tubing and a bungee trampoline.
Other High Country destinations near the city include the Arboretum at Flagstaff, located within the Coconino National Forest. It showcases more than 700 species of native flora and fauna amid the ponderosa pines. Go fishing, canoeing or paddle-boarding at Upper Lake Mary, or head to Arizona Nordic Village for hiking, biking and horseback riding.
Check out the Museum of Northern Arizona
The Museum of Northern Arizona is an outstanding institution, just off San Francisco Peaks Scenic Road a few miles from downtown Flagstaff. The museum is a nonprofit dedicated to the natural and cultural heritage of Northern Arizona. Permanent exhibits cover geology and paleontology, with displays of full dinosaur skeletons, fossils and meteorites, and the Native Peoples of the Colorado Plateau, telling the stories of 10 local tribes. Native peoples have inhabited the Colorado Plateau for around 12,000 years. The exhibit showcases distinct cultures, languages and history through timelines, striking artifacts and contemporary jewelry, ceramics and other works of art.
Rotating art exhibitions feature exemplary works related to the history, cultures and landscapes of the region. There’s a Discovery Room with games, crafts and books for younger visitors, and you can pick up a kids’ activity kit at the front desk. After exploring the museum, be sure to take a walk on the Rio de Flag Nature Trail across the street. It’s mostly flat, with three looping sections covering forest, canyon and amphibian pond ecosystems. The shady aspen, oak and pine habitat is home to lots of animal life, so look out for acorn woodpeckers, Albert squirrels and the noisy, bright blue Steller’s jay.
Tour Three National Monuments Near Flagstaff
There are an impressive seven national parks and monuments within 80 miles of Flagstaff, and it’s possible to explore the closest three all in a single day. Sunset Crater and Wupatki national monuments share a loop road off Highway 89, so it makes sense to combine them into one trip. The southern end of the loop road is a 30-minute drive from downtown Flagstaff, and the northern exit is about 45 minutes away. Walnut Canyon National Monument is 20 miles east of Flagstaff.
All three of these destinations feature a visitor center with museum exhibits, plus several short trails. There’s no access to the backcountry due to sensitive ecology and archeological remains. This means extensive hikes are not an option, so the average visitor will spend at most a few hours at each monument.
Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument
The cinder cone garnished with hardened black lava flows that today is Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument was once a valley inhabited by thriving Native communities. Around 900 years ago, those inhabitants – the Sinagua people – hastily vacated the valley in response to recurring earthquakes and fleeing wildlife. This was a smart move, as those quakes preceded the most recent volcanic eruption in Arizona.
Lava flows for miles transformed this section of the Colorado Plateau, and their jet-black, glossy undulations appear remarkably recent even today. Almost a century after the eruption, only sparse, gnarly pines and smatterings of wildflowers have popped up from crevices among the lava. Visitors can admire this unusual landscape on the one-mile, self-guided Lava Flow Trail.
Wupatki National Monument
From around 500 to 1225 AD, thousands of Sinagua lived in complex rock-walled pueblos north of Flagstaff, the ruins of which are protected as Wupatki National Monument. They were farmers, hunters, gatherers and traders, with extensive networks reaching as far as the Pacific and Gulf coasts. The desert and mountain landscapes around the monument were cooler, wetter and more fertile than today, and could support large, dynamic communities.
After visiting Sunset Crater, it’s interesting to learn that many of those who fled before its eruption settled at Wupatki. Falling ash from the volcano enriched the soils and supported agriculture across the region.
Today, the remaining red sandstone walls in geometric forms hint at life in the pueblos, and are stunning examples of ancient architecture. Along with the desert and mountain backdrop, the ruins and their shifting shadows are captivating, and so very photogenic. The largest structure, Wupatki Ruin, would have been the largest and tallest multi-story building in the entire region, with over 100 rooms. There are numerous secondary structures nearby. Visitors can explore Wupatki and two other pueblo complexes via short, self-guided trails. Be sure to stop at a natural blowhole that vents cold air upward from an unknowable underground cave system. It’s as much a curiosity today as it would have been a century ago.
Walnut Canyon National Monument
Another intriguing monument making up the legacy of the ancient Sinagua is Walnut Canyon, 20 miles outside Flagstaff. The 600-foot-deep canyon carved by Walnut Creek yields varied and abundant vegetation across its many microclimates. Some 800 years ago, its unique biosphere supported a substantial Sinagua community. They carved more than 80 cliff dwellings into the natural recesses of the canyon’s limestone walls. They also built pithouses around the canyon rim, with each type of housing offering its own benefits for survival.
Visitors to Walnut Canyon National Monument can see 25 cliff dwellings by hiking the 1-mile Island Trail, a very steep loop trail that takes you 185 feet down into the canyon and back. Bear in mind that the monument’s 7,000-foot elevation makes the hike additionally strenuous. Easier to stroll is the shorter, entirely flat Rim Trail through pinon pine and juniper forest. It features two canyon overlooks and extensive, very informative signage covering local flora and fauna and its historical and cultural applications.
Don’t Miss Flagstaff’s Lunar Landmarks
As the site of several very significant achievements in astrology and space travel, Flagstaff is justly proud of its lunar landmarks. Did you know that Pluto was discovered from Flagstaff in 1930? And that every astronaut who ever walked on the Moon trained in Flagstaff? Sunset Crater, Cinder Lake Crater Field and Meteor Crater, all in the vicinity of Flagstaff, were Apollo Astronaut training sites, and key to instrument development and lunar mapping.
For anyone interested in space, Flagstaff’s lunar landmarks are must-see spots. Be sure to schedule a visit to the Lowell Observatory, famous for the discovery of Pluto. A historic facility dating to 1894, it features vintage telescopes still in working order along with modern equipment. General admission covers guided and self-guided tours, plus science talks and stargazing. Six state-of-the-art telescopes are available at the Giovale Open Deck Observatory, and you can also experience solar viewing through the Hydrogen-Alpha Lunt Telescope.
The Earth’s best-preserved meteor impact site is 35 minutes outside Flagstaff at the Meteor Crater and Barringer Space Museum. About 50,000 years ago, during the last ice age, a 150-foot-across iron-nickel meteorite crashed into the Earth at 26,000 miles per hour. In a few seconds, the once-flat plain grazed upon by mammoths and mastodons became an inverted dome over 2.4 miles in circumference and 700 feet deep. You can explore the crater and learn more about its creation on a guided rim tour. Or, observe it from the indoor viewing room, outdoor deck and self-guided trails. The Meteor Crater is also notable as a NASA training site, chosen for its close resemblance to the surface of the Moon.
Where to Stay in Flagstaff: Little America Hotel
Little America Hotel is the only AAA Four Diamond hotel in Flagstaff, testament to its upscale ambiance and impressive design. Accommodations are in four two-story lodge buildings laid out like a village community in a quiet, 500-acre woodland setting. The main building features a grand lobby where the design evokes the local land and culture through artistic installations of geodes around an enormous pine-clad fireplace. It also houses the gift shop and Silver Pine Restaurant, which specializes in elevated global comfort food and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus happy hour. In-room dining is available from the restaurant menu as well.
Little America Hotel offers 247 guest rooms, all beautifully appointed with goose-down bedding, 55-inch flat-screen HD televisions and large, marble-clad bathrooms. Choose from guest rooms with two queen beds, two queens plus a sofa sleeper, or a king room. More spacious options include two-bedroom apartment suites with full kitchens, fireplace suites, governor’s suites and presidential suites. All guest rooms feature custom furnishings, with rustic-chic raw-edge headboards and desks, several plush chairs, and a built-in convenience center with a microwave, refrigerator and Keurig coffee maker.
Guests enjoy access to a fitness center, outdoor pool and hot tub, horseshoe pit, volleyball court and children’s playground. There’s also a 2.5-mile hiking trail on the southern side of the property, winding among the ponderosa pines. These recreation options are all pleasingly shady and scenic, and a very attractive feature of the hotel. An adjacent 24-hour Travel Center with a convenience store, gas station and coin laundry is another asset to the property. Its Hot Grill and Deli offers casual fare, including signature soft serve, for dine-in and to-go orders. It’s really handy for inexpensive meals at all hours, and for picking up road-trip provisions for your Flagstaff area day trips.
Little America Hotel
2515 East Butler Avenue
Flagstaff, AZ 86004
California News Press and its contributors received goods, services and/or other professional courtesies to facilitate this review. All opinions are those of the author.
Planning a trip to the Southwest? Check out “A Family Guide to St. George, Utah.”


Normanby Hall is set amongst 300 acres of parkland, woodland, duck ponds and deer park.
The three hundred acres of parkland and woodland at Normanby have something to offer every day of the year. Experience the changing seasons from carpets of snowdrops and daffodils in spring to spectacular rhododendrons in summer and glorious leaf colour in autumn.
The award-winning Victorian Walled Garden is a treat for any garden lover. Restored in 1997 to its late Victorian splendour, the garden is a nostalgic journey to the heyday of kitchen gardening. Visit recreations of working and living areas in the potting shed, bothy, and head gardener’s office.
Victorian vegetable, flower and trainer fruit varieties are grown using traditional organic techniques. In the glasshouses visitors can see exotic ornamentals and luxury fruits like grapes and peaches.
Glasshouses line the one acre garden on its warmest, south facing wall. The remainder is divided in to four large vegetable plots by broad gravel paths.
Double herbaceous borders line the central pathway. It is also spanned by wrought iron hoops supporting roses, clematis and honeysuckle. Trained apples and pears grow on the hoops over the main crossing path and also on the garden walls.
The Peach Case is home to fan-trained peaches and nectarines. It also houses our collection of Victorian and scented leaf pelargoniums. In the Vinery, Victorian varieties of grapes grow on a single rod system and on benches there is a good collection of Victorian and species fuchsias. Tender vegetables, like tomatoes and aubergines, grow in the beds and on the rear wall are passionflowers and the beautiful Clematis Florida ‘Alba’. Outside the Vinery in summer there is a superb sub-tropical bedding display with cannas, palms, dahlias and caster oil plants, among many other species.
In the Fern House there are displays of tender ferns and orchids. The Display House is home to exotic ornamentals from all over the world, many of them rare.
The Walled Garden is open daily from 10.30am. Last admission 4.30pm (Summer), 3.30pm (Winter)
The deer park has been home to herds of red deer (Cervus elaphus) and fallow deer (Dama dama) for around 250 years. You are welcome to walk through the public area of the deer park from January to the end of September, although we ask that you stay out of the deer sanctuary and the fishing lake area.
The red deer, the largest land animals to be found wild in Britain, are easily recognisable with their reddish-brown coats. The shyer fallow deer have pale beige coats, spotted with white.
In October you can hear the male deer roar and clash antlers when the dominant male tries to keep all others away from his females during the mating period. The males lose their antlers around March, so you can see the new ones developing through until August. The young are born in June and July when the mothers find a quiet spot to give birth. Throughout the summer you will see the youngsters running around the deer park.
Please note that there is no public access through the deer park during October, November and December. Dogs are not permitted in the deer park.
With a well stocked lake that is open from 1 January to 30 September, Normanby is the perfect venue for fishing enthusiasts. The lake is open from 9am until the park closes.
With level banks and a platform, the lake is especially suited to teaching children to fish.
The lake has 20 pegs and is teeming with a variety of fish species. Current fish stocks include:
Day fishing tickets cost £5 per adult and £4 per child. Children under the age of 16 years old must be accompanied by an adult. Day tickets can only be purchased by prior arrangement by contacting Mr Lawrence on 01724 732309 / 07580455501.
Fishing season tickets are also available for a cost of £45. They can also be bought directly from Mr Lawrence on 01724 732309 / 07580455501.
Rules for fishing
The woodland contains superb mature beeches, oaks and sweet chestnuts. There are also more unusual species like the Tulip Tree and the Handkerchief Tree. Close to the Hall is a magnificent Evergreen or Holm Oak, Quercus ilex. The tree is a rarity this far north and its lower branches are worn smooth by the generations of children playing on it. You’ll also find dozens of species of birds, butterflies and wild flowers in the woodland and in autumn, unusual types of fungi.
A path has been installed through the woodland to make the area accessible for wheelchairs and pushchairs.
Visiting Normanby today, it is easy to forget that this was once a private house, the centre of a large estate and the focus of a community. The Hall shows how the owner and his family lived, but little remains to show aspects of the life of servants on the estate.
The Normanby servant’s trail has been designed to enable you to discover some of the less obvious aspects of life at Normanby such as where the family’s bread and ice came from, the origins of the model railway, where the laundry was done, the servant’s routes around the park, where the estate fire engine was stored, and the importance of the horses and dogs to the estate.
You can download the servant’s trail map below to help you find your way around the park. This trail is also available from the Gift Shop.


STONES: Interactive Projection Mapping on Durham Cathedral / Durham Lumiere 2019 Festival, England
Tigrelab + Durham Lumiere Festival
Music composition and interactive live soundtrack mixing / morphing engine
November 2019, Durham, England
For the Lumiere 2019 festival in Durham, Tigralab crafted an interactive projection mapping on the Durham cathedral.
I had the opportunity to contribute to this project by:
composing multiple looping ambient soundscapes based on multiple interchangeable layers
implementing an interactive live soundtrack mixing / morphing engine, controlled the Stone Controller built by Tigrelab.
“ Light and music energise the architecture of Durham Cathedral.
Shape-shifting video-mapped projections animate the Cathedral, highlighting the significance of the building as both an iconic historical structure and a modern symbol for the city. A composed generative soundtrack constantly changes and evolves, raising through a crescendo that moves in symphony with the spirituality of the Cathedral. You’re invited to manipulate the installation by interacting with one of two stone controllers. ”
From Lumiere 2019 Festival Program
“ ‘Stones’ consists of a shape-shifting, video-mapped projection, and will highlight the cathedral as an iconic historical structure as well as a modern symbol for the city.
Set to a rousing soundtrack, some lucky festivalgoers will even be able to interact with the piece, manipulating the images shown by the use of a [4 stones] controller. ”
From Durham Cathedral News
Interactive show at Torre Glòries for SEAT / Primavera Sound 2018, Barcelona
Proto·Pixel + Tigrelab for SEAT + Primavera Sound
Music composition and interactive live music remixing engine
May 2018, Barcelona, Spain
For the presentation of the new SEAT Ibiza BeatsAudio, ProtoPixel made the Glòries Tower interactive using a combination of technologies: their software ProtoPixel Create, script-based generative animations, websocket-based comunications system, and control web application.
I had the pleasure of contributing to this project by:
composing a recombinable soundtrack
implementing an interactive live music remixing and analysis engine.
Live voice processing and effects designer / programmer
May 2018, Berlin, Germany
The piece, presented for the first time in the Funkhaus Sound Chamber in Berlin, allows people to freely act over the light and soundscape through a microphone placed in the middle of space.
Several live sound effects were developed with Pure Data to be applied to the visitors voices.
The sound coming from the microphone was also analyzed, sending various extracted parameters to the Cinema 4D plugin developed by Proto·Pixel, and used by TigreLab to control the lighting in real-time.
Two multiplayer games for horizontal multi-touch screens: Space Invaders and Football.
An adjustable projection blending software for 4 projectors that enables large-scale projection of interactive OpenGL content.
A software to interface OpenFrameworks with SensaCell touch-screens.
Pollywogs / SoundMachines 2.0
Roland Olbeter + FESTO Automation
April 2011 - November 2011, Barcelona, Spain
I implemented the real-time control system for the Pollywogs robotic musical instruments including custom Arduino firmware to control the electromechanical and pneumatic actuators (pick, piano hammer, e-Bow), and PLC control (precision robotic linear actuators).
In the context of the Gràcia Territori Sonor D.O.M.U.S. Project, I developed a software system that creates generative music and soundscapes on eight separate channels, distributed across various zones of the Illa Diagonal shopping mall. A pleasant and non boring listening experiences is offered both to the visitors, and to the owners of the shops located in the areas and venues in each zone. The developed system has also been the basis for extensions by subsequent artists.
Here a document detailing the functioning of the system.
Magic Fountain of Montjuïc 3D Simulator
Reactable Systems S.L. + UTE Fonts
Freelance 3D programmer
July 2010 - December 2010, Barcelona, Spain
I programmed a 3D simulator of the Magic Fountain of Montjuïc, one of the major attractions in the city of Barcelona. The simulator allows to visualize in real-time any choreography, making it easier for the user to efficiently accomplish the desired performance of the Fountain saving time, water, and economic resources
"Bowlie" a network driven Instrumental Improvisation
"Bowlie" is an Instrumental improvisation controlled by a conductor using a networked interactive physical simulation of a sphere moving inside of a slightly bowl-like surface (hyperboloid).
A conventional language is used to communicate with the various musicians by mean of scores represented on their own laptop's screen.
The conductor can throw and freeze the spheres and can control the speed of the simulation time.
The sphere will tend to reach its equilibrium in the center of the surface.
Download the Windows executables here (ZIP, 317 KB)
Poème Symphonique pour 100n metronomes
György Ligeti's work Poème Symphonique pour 100 metronomes (1962) was originally performed by 10 players under the leadership of a conductor.
Each player operated 10 metronomes which where charged and then let to play up to their halting.
Poeme Symphonique pour 100n metronomes is a reinterpretation and multiplication of this original piece.
The real metronomes are substituted by virtual ones and the players by some personal computers.
There are various groups of metronomes, each one consisting of 100 metronomes.
This work explores some geometric relations between sonic and visual patterns.
These patterns are obtained just by controlling the starting time and the speed of each one of the metronomes.
A real metronome is also used to influences these whole groups.


Shipping & delivery
Ringtail Security products currently ship to most of the world.
Shipping rates are separated into three geographic zones.
All shipping is done through Swiss Post priority service with tracking.
A tracking number will be assigned to your order as soon as we ship it.
Standard orders usually ship within 3 business days after checkout. Please note that shipping times for clothing is usually a bit longer, between 5 and 10 days in most cases.
All domestic orders get free shipping!
Average delivery time: ~1 business day
Orders under 50.- CHF: 10.- CHF shipping
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Countries: Åland Islands, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bouvet Island, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Guadeloupe, Guernsey, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mayotte, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Réunion, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Svalbard & Jan Mayen, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Vatican City
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Average delivery time: ~5-20 days


Alentejo A DESTINATION OF CONTRASTS
This is the largest region of Portugal, but it's not the size that gives it its strength. It's the people, it's the History, the heritage, the gastronomy and wines, the smells and landscapes. Alentejo means Beyond the Tejo, beyond the river that marks the “frontier”, it's Portalegre, Beja, Évora, mainland and atlantic, hinterland and coast. Alentejo is Alqueva, the largest artificial lake of Europe, it's UNESCO World Heritage (Évora and Elvas), it's one of the best coastlines of the world. It's cork, wine, olive oil, Arraiolos carpets, the Temple of Diana, Serra D’Ossa. It's the warmth of its people, the heat of the sun that seems to glow more fiercely here.


Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles. The composition of sand can be very versatile, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal settings is silica (silicon dioxide, or SiO2), usually in the form of quartz.
The second most common kind of sand is calcium carbonate, an example can be aragonite, which has mostly been created, over the past half billion years, by various forms of life, like coral and shellfish. It is, for example, the primary form of sand apparent in areas where reefs have dominated the ecosystem for millions of years like the Caribbean.
The study of individual grains can reveal much historical information as to the origin and kind of transport of the grain. Quartz sand that is recently weathered from granite or gneiss quartz crystals will be angular. It is called grus in geology or sharp sand in the building trade where it is preferred for concrete, and in gardening where it is used as a soil amendment to loosen clay soils. Sand that is transported long distances by water or wind will be rounded, with characteristic abrasion patterns on the grain surface. Desert sand is typically rounded.
People who collect sand as a hobby are known as arenophiles. Organisms that thrive in sandy environments are psammophiles.


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Apartments Room Furnished Rentals in London, UK
We provide serviced apartments, furnished short-term rentals in London, vacation rentals in London, and holiday rentals. We provide London apartment rentals in one of the wealthiest cities in the world right now. Fashion, music, and entertainment are cultural pillars of London. London will charm everyone who visits with its kind residents, fascinating history, and stunning architecture. Discover the ideal London lodging option, then take advantage of everything the city offers.
Getting Around: London has 270 tube stations, so the public transportation system is the best way to move around the city. We have over 3,000 places to stay in London, so look around and see what we offer.
42 Neighborhood Districts
- BETHNAL GREEN
- CANARY WHARF
- CITY OF LONDON
- COVENT GARDEN
- EARLS COURT
- GREATER LONDON
- HOLLAND PARK
- LANCASTER GATE
- LONDON BRIDGE


In 1871, The Cricketers Arms opened to serve the hamlet of Littleworth, then a separate community from Wheatley, near Oxford in Oxfordshire. The original cottage that forms the core of the pub is much older, however, and the limestone from which it was built was quarried from Wheatley and was the same stone used in the building of Windsor Castle. In the early 1900's, it was owned by Wootten & Co. of Oxford and was renowned for a beverage known as "Entire": A type of porter. The Cricketers was subsequently owned by a number of breweries and run by many landlords and landladies before becoming a Free House in 1983.
Since 2007, it has been owned and operated by Stuart and Angie Bull with the help of a small but dedicated team of staff. The Cricketers Arms isn't part of a chain or managed estate, nor is it tied to any brewery, it's a genuine English free house. We think that you'll find that our pub offers you exceptional food at an incredible price in a traditional and friendly community pub atmosphere.
Our priorities are, and all have been, upholding traditional values, providing a quality experience for the best value, sourcing locally and maintaining a high standard of cleanliness. The pub has a vibrant community that supports two Aunt Sally Teams (one in the Oxford Aunt Sally League and one in the South East Oxfordshire Aunt Sally League) and a Cribbage team (in the Oxford & Bucks Winter Cribbage League). We also have players in the Oxford & District Crib League.
Littleworth is midway between the villages of Wheatley and Horspath, and less than five miles from the centre of the historic city of Oxford. Littleworth lies in an area known as "The Oxford Heights" - a favoured area for settlement since prehistoric times and the areas villages were some of the primary settlements in Oxfordshire during the Saxon period.
According to local legend, Littleworth was so named during the English Civil War by Oliver Cromwell as the land was of little worth. But, it was the very same landscape that gave Littleworth its famous brickworks that provided the clay for much of the brick that built the Cowley car manufacturing plants. Now, in addition to The Cricketers Arms, it supports small number of light industrial units and a wealth of microbusinesses operated from homes around the area, enabling the pub to maintain its focus as the hub of the community as well as a vital source of refreshment for weary travellers from far and wide.
It was said, that in the 17th and 18th century, Littleworth was the wealthiest place between Bristol and London. This was due to the Yellow Ochre that was mined from the sandy summit of Shotover, and then ground at Littleworth Mill (now the local attraction Wheatley Windmill). The substance was prized by artists as being the highest quality Yellow Ochre in all England, and used in the paintings and portraits of Royalty, as well as a dye for the fine fabric favoured by the aristocracy.
The main London to Oxford turnpike (toll road), taking mail between the capital of commerce and the capital of education, took stagecoaches over Shotover hill and through Shotover forest. The area was a magnet for highwaymen and thieves, but beyond Shotover hill lay the village of Wheatley with its numerous coaching inns to provide sustenance and shelter for coachman and horses alike. The old route over Shotover was abandoned in 1789, but Wheatley remains a large village that supports its own array of shops, businesses such as Wheatley Birds of Prey and places of worship, as well as its own university campus - part of Oxford Brookes University.
Shotover Hill Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) is 3 miles east of Oxford. At its highest point, Shotover hill is 557 feet (170 m) above sea level and affords fine views over Oxfordshire. It is a whole hillside of hidden valleys, sudden views and varied habitats which are freely accessible all the year round.
From around the period of the Domesday Book, Shotover was part of the Wychwood Royal Forest which covered a much larger area to the east of Oxford. During the Civil War so much timber was taken from the wood that in 1660 Shotover was "disafforested" and the slopes given over to rough grazing. The name may be derived from the Old English scoet ofer, meaning "steep slope", although legend has it that two brothers who lived on either side of the hill tied messages to arrows and shot them over the hill to each other.
Shotover is very popular with walkers and cyclists and forms a part of The Oxford Green Belt Way. Close to the eastern edge of Shotover, The Cricketers Arms is the nearest place for those who have enjoyed some fresh air to recoup with hearty, wholesome, food, good ale or a pot of tea and a warming fire.
Oxford is famous the world over for its University and place in history. For over 800 years, it has been a home to royalty and scholars, and since the 9th century an established town, although people are known to have lived in the area for thousands of years.
Nowadays, the city is a bustling cosmopolitan town. Still with its ancient University, but home also to a growing hi-tech community. Many businesses are located in and around the town, whether on one of the Science and Business Parks or within one of a number of residential areas.
This is a work in progress and includes links to various projects, friends and local businesses.
The Cricketers is proud to supply the outside bar for the Wheatley Summer Ball
Clayton Doyle, who you'll know from the Wheatley Summer Ball has started a little business up North in Sheffield, see: CD Locksmith, South Yorkshire
Landlord Stuart's personal site for promoting his on-going novels and artwork is here: Littlenob.com (if you're wondering about the name, it refers to graffiti on the road sign on the Wheatley side of the railway bridge that joins Wheatley to Littleworth).


If you have questions about the Puerto Rico Chapter, please contact the chapter below:
Fernando L. Soto-Torres, MD, FACEP
Chapter Executive Director
Toll Free: (833) 633-0236
E-Fax: (972) 767-0056
Visit the Puerto Rico Chapter on their Facebook page.
National ACEP Headquarters
If you have questions about membership with National ACEP, please contact ACEP below:
4950 West Royal Lane
Irving, Texas 75063-2524
P.O. Box 619911
Dallas, TX 75261-9911
For contact information for all national ACEP departments, please click here.


All about Niihau and Kahoolawe
Image Source: Wikipedia Author: Christopher P. Becker (Polihale)
Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island get all the attention when people think of Hawaii. Heck, even Lanai and Molokai get more press. What about the forgotten islands of Niihau and Kahoolawe? Let’s give them some much-deserved attention in today’s blog.
Niihau has the distinction of being the smallest of the inhabited islands, spanning just 70 square miles with a population of 250. Most of these people are natives, but a few are imports from elsewhere who wanted to escape the hustle and bustle of daily life. It’s considered an arid island, which means it’s basically a desert thanks to the rainshadow of Kauai; however, you’ll find a few lakes on Niihau that foster a thriving wetland habitat for many endangered plants and animals. Home to seabird sanctuaries, Niihau is flanked by craggy cliffs offset by vibrant flora and fauna. On those cliffs is a Navy base, which also happens to provide the island with its main source of economy.
As a relatively undeveloped and untouched island, Niihau has no tourism to speak of. It’s been dubbed the “Forbidden Island,” nestled 17 miles off the coast of Kauai. Occasionally, visitors will helicopter onto the island for a quick tour but that’s about it in terms of outside influence. You won’t see any roads here, or any hotels or restaurants for that matter. In fact, the people who live here do so sans electricity.
This is the smallest of all the main islands, stretching just 44 square miles situated seven miles from Maui and Lanai. This island is uninhabited — population: 0. Pu’u Moaulanui, at 1,483 feet, marks the island’s highest point. Just like its sister, Nikkau, Kahoolawe is mostly desert, due to being in the rainshadow of Haleakala on Maui. This arid environment is the main reason why not many human settlements have lasted very long. Many years ago, it was utilized by the U.S. military as a training ground and bombing range. Ever since 1993, however, Kahoolawe Island Reserve provides protection of all natural species and inhabitants. That means no commercial development is allowed and only Native Hawaiian cultural activities can take place here. You can’t set foot on the island without a permit.
It is said that undetonated explosives still remain hidden here even after an extensive cleanup by the military in the early 1990s. Today, it’s not as colorful and lush as it once was. Not because of the military occupation, per se, but because many years ago goats were brought to the island and subsequently consumed and damaged the vegetation. In addition, strong ocean winds have eroded the island, resulting in dry and rocky terrain. Hawaii officials have removed the animals and started to restore the island through the planting of new flowers, trees and plants. Understandably, this will take many years.
So there you have it: an overview of the forgotten Hawaiian islands of Niihau and Kahoolawe. If you’re looking for an inhabited island with plenty of things to do, come to Oahu. Let Hoku Hawaii Tours show you around!


My family’s many summer sojourns down “The Main Street of America” during
the Sixties etched an indelible
succession of stunning roadside visuals into eager eyes. Route 66 fueled a backseat fantasy of the majestic and
mysterious west, a wonderland of mountains and mesas, Cowboys and Indians, neon signs and gaudy billboards.
These rapid-fire visuals, framed through the family Ford’s bug streaked windshield, became the strong
recollections of a boy’s wistful yearnings as the roadside marvels blurred by, just out of reach.
Even then progress was intruding upon fantasy, through the cause of
progress and the rubber stamp of expediency.
Each summer found another town bypassed by the interstate, another stretch of two-lane abandoned, another
roadside attraction shuttered. After a lengthy decline, the last section of old 66 became obsolete in 1984, the
shields came down, and Route 66, famed in song and story, was eulogized in numerous publications, seemingly
destined to be just another cast-off travel corridor, the “Oregon Trail” of its time.
The death notices were premature. Route 66 had struck such a chord
with “roadies” that we refused to give it up so
easily. Associations began springing up in the late Eighties to promote and preserve the memories of our favorite
highway, while authors like Michael Wallis helped popularize ol’ Mother Road.
Those nostalgic visions of roadside wonders kept simmering in my subconscious
through my high school and
college years, sometimes emerging as sketches of Stuckey’s signs and old cafes. My Dad and I made a special
Route 66 trip back out to California in 1981; this time I made him stop at everything. Tantalizing glimpses of
older pavement led me to research old highway maps for the early routes. 1983 brought several excursions,
including a journey of exploration from Oklahoma City to Santa Monica and back that consumed 14 days and
about 36 rolls of film. 1986 found me tracing the old routes during an eight-day trip to Chicago. Frequent Route
66 pilgrimages followed, each bringing some forgotten aspect of the road to light, each increasing my desire to see
Today, things are brighter along old 66. “Historic 66” signs are
now up in many places to guide the traveler, old
businesses are being rehabilitated, and tourists are hitting the off-ramps to find and drive the old route, infusing it
with new life.
My desire to discover as much of the old alignments of Hwy 66 as possible
has led to collaboration with fellow
road historian Jim Ross on a set of Route 66 cruising maps, a video exploring mysterious “lost” sections of the
early incarnation, and a three-part series of articles detailing the surprising quantity of Route 66 remnants along
the pre-1937 route through Santa Fe. I have also enjoyed exposing the almost mythological stretches of The
Jericho Gap, and other little known sections in New Mexico and Arizona. To me, Route 66 is a fascinating puzzle,
an archeological dig of over 2448 miles through 7 decades of roadside Americana.
Preserving and restoring Route 66 scenes through my artwork is one way
I can contribute to this commemoration
and celebration of our highway heritage. The special visual “fix” I acquired as a child still haunts me, but Route
66 is now much more than just the “vacation road” to me, as I have learned of the other roles this highway has
played in our county’s development. My works may reflect the lean times of the Dustbowl days, as well as the
triumphs of tourism. I frequently feature old cars in my scenes. The ‘66 culture was primarily a car culture, its
resources (indeed its very pavement) dedicated to expediting the progress of the auto and its occupants, while
providing a livelihood for those trying to make a living along its flanks.
I feel a kinship with those roadside entrepreneurs who staked their
lives on two lanes of pavement and a steady
stream of traffic. Behind the brightly lit facades are the people and their stories. They make their presence known
in my artwork, sometimes in a subliminal shape glimpsed through a window, other times posing proudly along the
road. I have visited with many of these business people through the years; we share a dependency on the old
highway and a love for simpler times not too far past.


Congratulations to our SALRA member firms on your recent Diversity Recruiting programs! We welcome the following students to the Seattle area this summer:
Michael Zhao, Univ. of Virginia, 2014 – Foster Pepper
Lola Zakharova, Seattle University, 2012 – Riddell Williams, P.S.
Girmay Zahilay, Univ. of Pennsylvania, 2014 – Davis Wright Tremaine
Francois Jean-Baptiste, Univ. of Michigan, 2014 – K&L Gates LLP
Robert Saka, UC Hastings, 2014 – Perkins Coie
Elizabeth Mendoza, Univ. of Washington, 2014 - Perkins Coie
Bernice Johnson Blessing, Seattle University, 2013 – Cairncross & Hemplemann
Susan Luo, Cornell University, 2014 – Stoel Rives
Michael McClain, University of Texas, 2014 – DLA Piper LLP
Kendall Fisher, Stanford, 2014 – Dorsey & Whitney LLP
Jenn Hu, Columbia, 2013 – Dorsey & Whitney LLP
We also welcome Georgina Santos, a student at University of Oregon, 2014, who will be joining the summer program in the Portland office of Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt.
Several local firms are still participating in the interview process for the Puget Sound Area Minority Clerkship Program, and we look forward to welcoming additional summer associates to our summer programs soon!


Libya has been grappling with a devastating flood crisis that has resulted in widespread displacement and tragic loss of life. The eastern Libyan city of Derna, in particular, has borne the brunt of this natural disaster, as two dams succumbed to the relentless rains, unleashing torrents that engulfed entire communities.
The precise scale of the tragedy remains shrouded in uncertainty due to the limited access to Derna, home to 100,000 residents. Rescue operations have been hampered by severed roads, landslides, and flooding, leaving the population to employ rudimentary means to recover bodies, many of which have been laid to rest in mass graves, as documented on social media.
The isolation of Derna and other affected towns from the outside world has compounded the challenges. Despite the authorities’ efforts to restore communication networks, these areas remain virtually cut off.
Estimates of the human toll vary, with both Eastern and Western authorities acknowledging “thousands” of casualties. Osama Ali, spokesperson for Libya’s “Emergency and Rescue Service” under the internationally recognised government in Tripoli, reported over 2,300 deaths and approximately 7,000 injuries in Derna. Shockingly, more than 5,000 individuals remain unaccounted for.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has also raised alarm over the substantial loss of life, potentially numbering in the thousands, with a staggering 10,000 individuals still missing.
This calamity marks the most devastating natural disaster to afflict Libya’s eastern province of Cyrenaica since the powerful earthquake that rattled the town of al-Marj in 1963.
The catastrophe unfolded as storm Daniel made landfall on Libya’s eastern coast, impacting Benghazi and subsequently sweeping eastward through the towns of the Jabal al-Akhdar region. Derna, already grappling with its share of devastation, suffered the most severe consequences.
The breaking of the two dams on Wadi Derna on Sunday night triggered an immense deluge. Witnesses reported a deafening explosion preceding the unstoppable torrents that inundated the city, submerging bridges, neighbourhoods, and their inhabitants into the Mediterranean.
In the days that followed, the sea cast ashore the grim evidence of the disaster, with bodies washing up on the shores. Military efforts were mobilised, as depicted in images circulated by Libyan media, showing helicopters engaged in the solemn task of recovering remains from beaches strewn with debris.
In the face of this tragedy, both within Libya and abroad, people have united to extend aid to the victims, even as the assistance has been arriving gradually. Convoy missions from Tripolitania in western Libya are en route to Derna. The Tripoli government, led by Abdelhamid Dbeibah, has committed substantial resources, including air ambulances, medical teams, and technicians to restore power.
Turkey and the United Arab Emirates have also dispatched rescue teams to eastern Libya, demonstrating solidarity in the face of this devastating natural disaster. As the international community rallies to support Libya during this trying time, the focus remains on providing much-needed relief and assistance to those affected by the floods.


CONTAINERSHIPS was established in 1966 by Sea Containers of UK and Finnish entrepreneur Veli Nordström. In 1967, the company’s first container vessel sailed from Finland to the UK. Between 1985 and 1990 CONTAINERSHIPS company developed into a leading shortsea carrier emphasising the use of pallet-wide containers. By 1994, we were already established in Russia with offices in St. Petersburg and Moscow.
In 2007 CONTAINERSHIPS acquired the Lithuania-based company Kursiu Linija and Lithuania, Latvia and Poland were added to our service network. In 2008 the network was enlarged to the port of Ghent in order to offer a better access to the Belgium and French markets. At the same time we established our own office in Minsk to develop the Belarus market through the port of Klaipeda. In 2008 we were awarded Transport Company of the year in Ireland.
After developments in the lower Baltic Sea, CONTAINERSHIPS extended further its network through the acquisition of Contaz Lines of Turkey in 2009. With the aim to replicate the successful North European transport network to the growing Mediterranean economies we extended our Mediterranean service coverage to Mersin (Turkey) and Alexandria (Egypt) within the course of 2010.
Further development of our core transportation within Europe took place in June 2010 when we added Sodertalje (Stockholm) as a port of call with direct service to St. Petersburg and established presence in Ruhr area, Germany.


Glenmoore, PA – A Landscape Lover’s Haven
Nestled in picturesque Chester County, Pennsylvania, Glenmoore boasts a rich tapestry of natural beauty. From rolling hills and lush forests to tranquil streams and expansive farmland, this idyllic town exudes charm at every turn. But amidst this serene area lies a hidden gem that truly enhances Glenmoore’s allure – its landscaping.
Landscaping plays a vital role in preserving Glenmoore’s natural beauty and enhancing its suburban spaces. From manicured lawns and vibrant gardens to thoughtfully designed outdoor living areas, landscaping adds depth and character to this quaint town. At Landscaping By Gaffney, we understand the importance of maintaining Glenmoore’s aesthetic appeal, and we take pride in our role as stewards of its landscape heritage.
Landscaping By Gaffney – Crafting Outdoor Masterpieces
At Landscaping By Gaffney, we specialize in transforming outdoor spaces into breathtaking masterpieces that captivate the senses and elevate the beauty of Glenmoore and its surroundings. With a commitment to excellence and a passion for creativity, we offer a comprehensive range of landscaping services tailored to meet the unique needs and preferences of our clients.
Our services include:
- Landscaping: From lush gardens and vibrant flower beds to verdant lawns and tranquil water features, we design and install landscapes that reflect the natural beauty of Glenmoore.
- Hardscaping: Our skilled craftsmen create durable and visually striking hardscape elements, including patios, walkways, retaining walls, and fire pits, that add functionality and elegance to any outdoor space.
- Masonry: We specialize in expert masonry work, crafting custom stone and brick features that enhance the aesthetic appeal and structural integrity of your landscape.
- Poolscaping: Elevate your poolside experience with our poolscaping services, which include designing and installing beautiful landscaping and hardscaping elements tailored to complement your pool area.
- Outdoor Lighting: Illuminate your outdoor space with our custom lighting designs, creating ambiance, enhancing safety, and extending the enjoyment of your landscape into the evening hours.
- Outdoor Kitchens: Take your outdoor entertaining to the next level with a custom-designed outdoor kitchen, complete with cooking appliances, countertops, and seating areas.
- Fire Features: Create a cozy ambiance and extend your outdoor enjoyment into the cooler months with a stunning fire feature, such as a fire pit or outdoor fireplace.
- Water Features: Add serenity and elegance to your landscape with a custom water feature, such as a fountain, pond, or waterfall, that enhances the natural beauty of your outdoor space.
- Outdoor Drainage Solutions: Ensure proper water management and prevent water damage to your property with our expertly designed outdoor drainage solutions.
- Stormwater Management: Protect your property and the environment with our stormwater management services, which include erosion control, runoff mitigation, and sustainable drainage solutions.
- Yearly Maintenance: Keep your landscape looking its best year-round with our comprehensive yearly maintenance packages, pruning, mulching, and more.
Why Choose Us
When it comes to landscaping in Glenmoore, Landscaping By Gaffney stands out from the competition for several reasons:
- Long History of Service: With years of experience serving the Glenmoore community and surrounding areas, we have established ourselves as trusted leaders in the landscaping industry.
- Great Customer Relations and Reviews: Our dedication to customer satisfaction is evident in the positive reviews and testimonials we receive from our clients, who appreciate our professionalism, attention to detail, and friendly service.
- Excellent End Products: We take pride in delivering exceptional results that exceed our clients’ expectations, thanks to our team of skilled professionals and commitment to quality craftsmanship.
- Timely Completion: We understand the importance of timely project completion, and we work diligently to ensure that your landscaping project is completed on schedule and within budget.
Transform Your Outdoor Space with Landscaping By Gaffney
From enhancing Glenmoore’s natural beauty to creating stunning outdoor retreats, Landscaping By Gaffney is your trusted partner for all your landscaping needs. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and discover how we can turn your outdoor vision into a reality. Experience the difference with Landscaping By Gaffney and elevate your outdoor living experience to new heights.


Pitamber Sharma is a native of Falebas Nagar Palika, Gandaki Province. He taught in the Department of Geography, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur for over two decades, and was a Regional Planner with the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) for 12 years. He served the Government of Nepal as the Chief Advisor to the National Commission on Population in the early eighties and, briefly, as Vice-Chair of the National Planning Commission in 2008. His publications include Urbanization in Nepal (1989), Tourism as Development (2000), Market Towns in the Hindu Kush Himalayas (2002), Unravelling the Mosaic: Spatial Aspects of Ethnicity in Nepal (2008), Towards a Federal Nepal, An Assessment of Proposed Models (2009), and Some Aspects of Nepal’s Social Demography (2014). He holds a PhD in City and Regional Planning from Cornell University, USA. He has an MA from Tribhuvan University, Nepal and MSc from University of Edinburgh, Scotland.


Either taking a short or long trip, motorbikes are probably one of the best and fun ways of traveling but there’s always some risk involved. Taking a motorbike on an offroad trip is one of the most dangerous and thrilling experiences for anyone and in the case of Nepal, it is no less.
Nepal is famous for the remote places due to the geographical difficulties and the offroad trails leading to them, districts like Manang and Mustang being the most popular of all. Yearly, a large number of tourists visit such destinations and people who seek thrilling experience choose motorbikes over other means of transportation to reach there.
I’ll be sharing some of the things you should consider before just packing your bags and hopping on your bikes for someplace you haven’t been before.
Research and Plan the route
Yes, the first thing you should do is to research the place you’re visiting. Most of the roads leading to famous destinations of Nepal are often far away from the black-topped roads, let alone the highways which means the chances of them being in a good condition are few to none. The Internet has made it easy for you as there are a lot of videos and blogs are available so that you know what you’re up against.
If you feel confident about the roads, you should then plan the route ahead of time. In these destinations, there are rarely many hotels you can stay at. Therefore, you should make a plan as to where your destination after each ride will be and probably ask someone who’s already been there but references from the vlogs and written articles should do too.
Make the trip in a group
The roads to remote destinations of Nepal are often hard to ride through and often unpredictable. On top of that, there’s always a risk of your motorbike breaking down midway. Within cities, it’s not a big deal, but on those roads, it might cost you a lot of time and you might even have to cancel your trip because of this reason. Therefore it’s always a good idea to go in groups so that you don’t get stranded somewhere remote with a broken machine.
For instance, the road to Sandakphu, Ilam is one of the most difficult roads I’ve ever seen. We went there on a four-wheeler but some people were crazy enough to reach the place on motorbikes and while we were staying at a hotel, two motorbikes arrived at 3 in the morning. Turns out, one of the motorbikes broke down on the way (damaged clutch plate) but lucky for them they were from a riders club in Chitwan and they happened to have a spare with them and skills enough to change the part by themselves. The point is, not everyone is a mechanic and it’s just easier to go in groups to such places to face those situations or avoid them altogether.
Make reservations ahead of time if possible
Most of the places that you make trips to are probably famous tourist destinations and it’s probable that people are flocking the place before you even reach there. One of the most important things for such trips is enough rest after a long day on road and you should make sure to get it. As most people who reach such places go on holiday packages or through an agency, their accommodation is already booked and it’s a good idea for you too to inform the lodges or hotels beforehand to avoid the hassles of searching for a place to sleep after a tiresome day.
Know your machine
The least you should be aware of before going on a long motorbike trip is how the parts of your motorbike work and if the bike is suitable for the roads ahead. Sometimes, even a minor problem might become a huge one on such trips. It’s a good idea to at least have someone who knows enough about motorbikes in the group as workshops are far away and might cost you a significant amount of money even to fix a small problem as you might have to call them to come to you.
Always visit the workshop before making a trip
It’s one of the things you should never skip, no matter how perfect your motorbike is. Even when it’s running perfectly fine, it’s likely that it has at least one problem which can cost you a lot on the trip. It’s better to get your oil changed, tires checked and parts like brakes and clutch examined before you get on the road.
A workshop mechanic had warned me a few months back that my gear lever might stop working and to change it and I completely ignored it and even forgot about the issue. When we went to Sirubari, we had a small issue about the same part and had to call a mechanic, who unfortunately didn’t have the part and he just fixed it. The problem showed up again even before we reached Sirubari. We got it replaced only after returning to Pokhara and it altogether cost us double the price of the replacement at the end. After a few weeks of returning from Sirubari, I had to change the rear tire after it was punctured and became unfixable as it had degraded so much.
When I think about it now, it was one of the biggest mistakes I made on the trip. Just imagine how big of a problem would it have been to have a punctured and unfixable tire in the middle of nowhere. Therefore, it’s just better to check every single thing and consulting a technician on getting it repaired or replaced.


Access MBA: Washington, DC
Meet with Boston College MBA admissions representatives at the Access MBA: Washington, DC event. Learn more about the BC MBA admissions process, curriculum, career outcomes, and more!
To thank you for joining us, all attendees will receive a $100 application fee waiver. We look forward to connecting with you soon.
Saturday, September 24, 2022 at 10:00am to 2:00pm
Capital Hilton 1001 16th St NW, Washington DC 20036


There is a tsunami marine and beach threat from Wellington to Banks Peninsula.
The threat for all other regions has been lifted.
All previous threat regions will experience unusually strong currents for some time.
North Canterbury & Wellington schools will remain closed until checks have been made to ensure they are safe to re-enter.
NCEA exams have been disrupted, all NZ Scholarship exams have been postponed, and universities are closed.
An Urban Search and Rescue Team from Christcurch is on its way to Kaikoura by helicopter. A St John spokesperson said it was sending extra resources into North Canterbury including rescue helicopters and additional paramedics.
State Highway 1 is closed in several places in the South Island because of earthquake damage. It is closed between Picton and Blenheim, and between Blenheim and Kaikoura.
State Highway 7 from Waipara to Springs Junction in Canterbury is also closed. The Hurunui District Council says Rotherham and Waiau are isolated by slips and damage to the bridge.
People in the region are being urged to keep off the road unless it's for emergencies.


International Legal Recruitment consultants. Founded in 1988, Laurence Simons is a specialist international legal and compliance recruitment consultancy. Operating in 14 locations across four continents Laurence Simons is an international recruiter. Their network of offices is unique in the field of legal and compliance recruitment and they have been pioneering in serving new markets in particular across Europe and Latin America, the Middle East and Russia.
They have recruited in 55 countries. The company covers the whole spectrum of permanent and temporary legal and compliance positions in both the private practice and in-house markets from Newly Qualified through to Partner and General Counsel level role.


Land for Sale
The Hospice & Palliative Care Foundation was donated four pieces of land and two burial plots several years ago. We are looking to sell the land and burial lots to further fund our programs, camp events, and educational materials. The land is located in Chester County, South Carolina in the Rolling Hills Subdivision. The burial plots are located within Greenwood Memorial Gardens in Greenwood, South Carolina.
If you or someone you know may be interested in purchasing one or more pieces of these properties, or would like more information, please contact Julie Bright at 864-278-4100 or by email at firstname.lastname@example.org.


It’s long been one of our favourite mobile apps, and a new update of Google Maps for Android is rocking our world that little bit more.
Now up to version 4.3, this latest slice of Android goodness adds in a nifty transit info feature, plus restaurant/services reviews and tight integration with Latitude, making it easy to track down your roamin’ Google contacts.
Train timetables on the go
The addition to public transit searches could prove very useful indeed: select any transit station icon from your search, open its page by tapping the window and you’ll be presented with a list of the next departure times for any subways, trains, or buses that are leaving from that station.
Transit info is currently only limited to a handful of cities in the UK, but this should expand shortly. Worldwide, there’s currently over 445 cities available.
Google’s new Latitude update shows you which of your Google Contacts are using the service, so you can optionally share your location with them (if so inclined), while the reviews tab will show you the buzz about a place, revealing frequently-mentioned opinions, with the warmth (or coldness) of the reviews represented by a colour code.
Here’s the official chinwag from Google’s Mobile blog
Hot off the presses, Google Maps for Android version 4.3 has added a couple new features to help you quickly choose the right place to grab dinner, catch the next train, and find friends to add in Latitude.
Have you ever had to make a split decision for dinner plans while on the go?
You’ll also find a new addition to public transit station pages: upcoming schedules. Select any transit station icon directly from the map and open its page by tapping the window. You’ll find a handy list of the next departure times for any subways, trains, or buses that are leaving from that station where transit info is available.
In Google Latitude, we wanted to make it even easier for you to find friends and family with whom you’d like to share your location. Right at the bottom of your Latitude friend list, you’ll be able to quickly start sharing your location with long lost friends, loved ones, and others from your Google Contacts. Add any suggested friends by tapping the + icon and sending them a sharing request. Tap the x and they’ll be dropped from your suggested friends list. Don’t worry — you can always add them later by choosing “Add friends” from the Latitude menu.
Get the latest version of Maps by searching for Google Maps in Android Market from Android 1.6+ phones. If you’re reading this on your phone, just tap here. Version 4.3 is available in all the countries and languages where Maps is currently available.


McDonald’s – is the leading global foodservice retailer with more than 34,000 local restaurants serving nearly 69 million people in 119 countries
Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald. The present corporation dates its founding to the opening of a franchised restaurant by Ray Kroc, in Des Plaines, Illinois, on April 15, 1955.
The first McDonald’s restaurant in Azerbaijan was opened on November 6, 1999 in Fountains Square in downtown Baku. At present, there are 8 McDonald’s restaurants and more than 700 employees in Azerbaijan.
(012) 499 87 22


The Theater in the Woods is located approximately 2 miles west of Indian Head Highway (Route 210) at 2001 Bryan Point Road, Accokeek, Maryland.
Turn west from Route 210 onto Livingston Road. (NOTE: Livingston Road crosses Route 210 several times. The intersection you want is at B&J Carryout.) Take the first right turn onto Biddle Road and travel one block. Turn left onto Bryan Point Road.
About 2 miles down on the right, you’ll see a small sign for the Alice Ferguson Foundation and Hard Bargain Farm. This is the entrance to the outdoor Theater in the Woods. Park at the first available space. The amphitheater is a short walk using the lighted path to the left and down the hill.
Accessible parking is available and spaces are limited. Parking can be reserved on our Ticket Information and Reservations page.


Train travel offers a unique blend of comfort, convenience, and the romance of slowly watching the world go by from your window. It’s a way to experience the journey as much as the destination, connecting cities, countries, and landscapes with a network of tracks that often traverse some of the most stunning scenery on the planet. Here’s a look at why train journeys are an unforgettable way to explore new destinations and some of the most iconic routes to consider for your next adventure.
The Appeal of Train Travel
- Scenic Views: Trains often pass through areas inaccessible by other means of transport, offering panoramic views of breathtaking landscapes.
- Eco-Friendly: Rail travel is one of the most environmentally friendly ways to explore, emitting far less carbon per passenger than cars or planes.
- Comfort and Relaxation: With more legroom than planes or buses and the freedom to move around, trains offer a more comfortable and relaxed travel experience.
- Cultural Experience: Train travel can provide a deeper cultural immersion, allowing you to see the daily life of the places you pass through and interact with locals.
Iconic Train Journeys Around the World
- The Trans-Siberian Railway, Russia: Spanning over 9,000 kilometers from Moscow to Vladivostok, this epic journey crosses eight time zones, offering a unique view of Russia’s vast landscapes, from the Ural Mountains to the Siberian plains.
- The Glacier Express, Switzerland: Connecting Zermatt and St. Moritz, the Glacier Express winds through the Swiss Alps, showcasing majestic mountains, deep gorges, and picturesque villages.
- The Ghan, Australia: Traversing the Australian continent from north to south, the Ghan offers an unforgettable journey through the heart of the Australian Outback, from Darwin to Adelaide.
- The Rocky Mountaineer, Canada: This luxury train explores the Canadian Rockies, offering routes that include breathtaking vistas of mountains, lakes, and waterfalls, with stops in iconic destinations like Banff and Lake Louise.
- The Orient Express, Europe: Synonymous with luxury and mystery, the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express runs from London to Venice, passing through some of Europe’s most enchanting landscapes and cities.
Tips for Train Travel
- Plan Ahead: While spontaneous train trips can be exciting, booking in advance can often save you money and secure the best seats.
- Pack Light: Space can be limited on trains, so pack efficiently. Consider a small overnight bag for longer journeys where you might not have access to your main luggage.
- Stay Safe: Keep your belongings secure and be mindful of your environment, especially on overnight or longer journeys.
- Embrace the Experience: Train travel is as much about the journey as the destination. Bring a good book, listen to music, or simply enjoy the scenery and the rhythm of the rails.
Train journeys offer a timeless appeal, combining the nostalgia of bygone travel with the modern desire for sustainable and immersive experiences. Whether it’s the slow, meditative pace, the stunning landscapes, or the chance to meet fellow travelers, train travel has something for everyone. From the snow-capped peaks of the Swiss Alps to the vast expanses of the Australian Outback, the world’s iconic train routes invite you to sit back, relax, and watch the world unfold in a way that only train travel can provide.