It may be Summer now but here in the UK we’re all well too aware how quickly Summer can turn into miserable Autumn weather. So what better time to plan your winter break and have something to look forward to when the rain clouds set in?

I’ve always been the type of person who likes seasons to be seasons. I like Summer to be hot and sunny and winter to be snowy and cold. Taking a break somewhere hot in the winter has never really appealed to me. I say, embrace the weather. So the ideal winter holiday for me? Germany, at Christmas.

If you’re as much of a fan of Christmas as me you’ll know there is nothing more exciting than the sight of fairy lights and the sound of festive music while you do your Christmas shopping. This is often hampered however by the sight of frenzied crowds and the sound of stressed-out shoppers. Not to mention the unhelpful shop assistants and the remarkably non-festive department stores. And that’s where Germany comes in.

Germany knows how to do Christmas – and it certainly knows how to do Christmas shopping. Why get your family and friends the same old gifts from the same old stores when you can visit Germany’s fantastic traditional markets. The most popular Christmas market in Germany is the Nuremberg Christkindlesmark. The market dates from 1639 and is held from the Friday before advent until Christmas Eve.

The stalls sell unique and traditional pieces so you’re sure to find something special for that special someone. And while you’re shopping, get into the festive spirit with a glass of mulled wine and some roasted chestnuts which are on offer at all the markets.

Plus, don’t miss the opening of the market. The Lord Mayor performs the opening ceremony in the Marienplatz in Nuremberg city centre when the Christmas lights are switched on.

Russ Pooley writes for Drake & Cavendish who provide a luxury hotel research directory featuring over 5,000 luxury hotels in over 700 resort locations around the world. As a content provider we are committed to developing entertaining and informative travel related information. You can read further articles and details at drakeandcavendish.com/resorts/luxury_holidays/ drakeandcavendish.com/resorts/luxury_holidays/

One of the biggest aspects of spending time in the outdoors is staying adequately hydrated. It makes little difference what sort of outdoor activity were involved in, hydration is key. The problem is that in many instances carrying the proper amount of water with you is a challenge. Carrying water while hiking, biking, running, hunting, or fishing can be a real problem.

I know for me, when I go on a day long fishing trip, I can only stuff so many bottles of water into my fishing vest, before it becomes amazingly uncomfortable. When hiking the same problem arises, seeing as how the only thing I usually carry with me that can hold water I a fanny pack. Then one day a cyclist friend of mine introduced me to a solution to my problem of carrying enough water to stay hydrated in the outdoors. That solution was called a hydration pack.

What’s a hydration pack? A hydration pack is like a small backpack that carries water. Many of them are small enough to fit very comfortably under a fishing vest or just on your back while hiking. They carry all the water you need and you hardly realize that they are even there. Ever since my friend introduced me to the concept of a hydration pack, my problem has been solved.

No more having to try to stuff water bottles into every pocket that I have in order to carry water while I enjoy outdoor activities. With the help of a hydration pack my problem has been solved forever. As a matter of fact, I can’t imagine not using a hydration pack to carry my water when I’m fishing, hiking, or mountain biking. My hydration pack has become as important as my shoes or waders. If you’ve never used a hydration pack to carry your water, it may be time to look into them?

Trevor Kugler is co-founder of JRWfishing.com JRWfishing.com and an avid angler. He has more than 20 years experience fishing for all types of fish, and 15 years of business and internet experience. He currently raises his three year old daughter in the heart of trout fishing country…..Montana!

Affordable Hydration Packs: jrwfishing.com/camelbaks.html jrwfishing.com/camelbaks.html

Malta’s holiday industry has received the latest target set by the island’s tourism authority with more than a little sceptism after an announcement that a target of a million and half visitors a year to the island could be achieved in three years time.

The Malta Tourist Authority has consistently set targets in the past that have failed to be met, and early signs for this year indicate a stagnation if not a dip in tourists visiting Malta.

Part of a new plan to increase tourism in Malta is to include promoting the neighbouring and quieter island of Gozo as a holiday destination and to increase accessibility to Malta.

Commenting on the new targets, one independent Malta’s travel guide say that there is nothing new or innovative in the tourist authority’s plans that would make an increase in tourism likely to happen in itself.

‘Unfortunately the Malta Tourist Authority to us sometimes resembles a planning office in the old Soviet bureauracy. Good at producing statistics, excellent at identify problems and what the future needs, but failing miserably to deliver anything like the targets they set.

We feel that it is the private rather than the public sector that is more likely to increase tourist numbers to Malta, as they have a direct interest in seeing their plans work, while the tourist authority bureaucrats will still be drawing their salaries and annual leave whether or not the targets they set are met.’

Malta Holidays

One example the travel guide gives for poor Malta tourist figures is the delay in the introduction of low cost airlines to Malta and the possibility from that of an increase in tourist numbers.

With official figures showing worrying signs that the number of tourists for 2006 visiting Malta could be similar, or perhaps even down from 2005, the opportunity for the island to have low cost flights operating from the UK appears to have slipped by for the all important summer season.

The island’s official airline, Air Malta, reported a drop of over two per cent in the number of passengers it carried in the year from March 2005 to March 2006.

The hope among hoteliers and others involved in Malta’s tourist trade is that at least one of the low cost airlines will start operating from the UK and perhaps other parts of Europe in the near future to boost visitor numbers.

‘With the holiday market vital to the Malta economy,’ comment the guide, ‘potentially millions in lost revenue will be lost this year because of delays in agreeing to allow the low cost airlines to fly into Malta. In today’s world Malta has to compete with new destinations in Europe as well as Spain and her islands. Cheap Malta flights aren’t in themselves enough to sustain tourism at reasonable levels anymore, although this will be welcome, but the trick of sustained tourism is to have repeat business, and unless Malta attracts new first time visitors then repeat business is an impossibility’.

Holidays in Malta and the related tourist sector are a major source of employment in Malta, and with unemployment running at over 8 per cent any fall in tourists could spell long term damage to the island’s economy.

YourMalta is a travel guide for yourmalta.com Malta.

Included are yourmalta.com/travel all inclusive holiday Malta details and information for yourmalta.com/airport Malta International Airport.

All of us have seen the many contests and sweepstakes being offered on any given day. While I enter many of them, I always wonder “do I really have a chance to win?”

I myself ran a contest recently and discovered there are things you can do to increase your chances of winning.

Fill out your full name. The folks running the contest want to use your name when they announce the winner. If you have put your name as only “Lisa”, you may be disqualified. Also if you use your email address instead of your name, again you may be disqualified.

Invest the few minutes to read the rules. Many times, the contest rules say “only one entry per person”. If this is the rule, follow it. I know I disqualified many entries because they entered more than once.

Rules will also list any conditions. For example, often you must be over the age of 18, or you must live in the U.S. Some contests are not open to all 50 states for various reasons, so again, if you want to win, read the rules.

Does the form you’re filling out ask questions? If it does, take the time and answer the questions. The folks running the contest are willing to give away free merchandise to get the answers from a wide group of people. If you don’t take the time to answer their questions, chances are you’ll be disqualified. These questions are often for product development or for marketing campaigns.

Sometimes, contests require you receive additional mailings. This is very common. Again, read the rules. If you are required to receive 3 additional emails and you unsubscribe after the first one, you are not going to be chosen as the winner.

Keep a spreadsheet of what you enter and if you need to do anything additional. Some winners are notified on the site, the day the contest ends. If you don’t visit the site that day or the next day, you’ll never know if you won. Keep a spreadsheet of any sites you need to visit and the date you need to visit them.

Some contests announce their winners in their newsletter. If you don’t subscribe, you won’t know if you’ve won. Again, this is almost always outlined in the rules of the contests. Mark your spreadsheet to let you know which newsletter to read on which day to know if you are a winner.

By following the rules and giving the vendors what they want, you increase your odds of being the winner at the end of the contest.

Audrey Okaneko has been entering and running contests for over 20 years. You can reach her at mailto:audreyoka@cox.net audreyoka@cox.net or visited at scrapping-made-simple.com scrapping-made-simple.com