Abacus Travel

As time has gone by, the idea of holiday has undergone deep changes depending on the fast development of our modern lifestyles.

Lignano Sabbiadoro bloomed in the Sixties and Seventies as a seaside resort and it was then considered to be among the most exclusive holiday destinations favoured by VIPs. Nowadays, however, it would be unthinkable to offer the same kind of holiday people used to look for thirty years ago: all holiday resorts and facilities had to adapt to the requirements of modern tourists, just like the Hotel Bella Venezia Mare did in order to be able to offer holidays which could actually turn out to be real “experiences” thanks to the many available activities and sports.

The a Hotel Bella Venezia Mare was founded in 1968 in the new location of Lignano Pineta. This district of the town Lignano Sabbiadoro was developed from an innovative urban planning according to which all the streets were built as being part of a whirl starting from the central “Rosa dei Venti square” and stretching until the outer arches reach the beach. As consequence of this peculiar urban plan, every house and every hotel in Lignano is located in the middle of a peaceful Mediterranean pinewood but, at the same time, not far from the town centre and the beach. The favourable location of the hotel Bella Venezia Mare has turned out to be the linchpin of all evolutions and updates this structure has undertaken.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, travel is increasing every year and it is predicted that even more people will be on the road this year. Traveling with the family can be a great way to spend quality time together but it can also be stressful. Increase your chances of a fun, stress-free and safe vacation by following these simple tips:

• Beat boredom with child’s play. “Are we there yet?” What is it about these words that go straight to a parent’s spine? Keep kids entertained with some great car games that make getting where you’re going half the fun. Magnetic board games, portable video games and classics such as the license plate game, “I Spy” and the alphabet game will keep energetic kids in good spirits and actively engaged no matter how long the journey.

• Stop smart. When stopping at rest stops, make sure it’s just your kids getting back in the car and not the bacteria and germs they pick up in the bathroom. Bring products that keep your family healthy, such as hand sanitizer and Lysol Disinfectant Spray, to kill rest stop germs that can be transferred from the rest room to the surfaces in your car. To prepare for those inevitable spills and “oops” moments, keep paper towels or wet wipes handy.

• Eat right. Sure, you can stop at the rest stop for food-along with the thousands of other people on the road. But roadside dining doesn’t always offer the healthiest choices. Instead, keep your family’s bellies full with snacks that you can eat right in the car, such as trail mix, string cheese, fruit roll-ups, bottles of water, and fruit. These easy, convenient snacks are yummy (for them) and healthy (for you).

There is no need to get 4 season tents for gentle summer camping. Even if there is a heavy downpour, the use of sleeping pads combined with adequate planning should keep everything fairly dry. The important thing is to not camp at the bottom of a hill, to make sure the rain fly is secure, and to take advantage of natural cover.

But, a four season tent can be a nice thing to have for extreme conditions, and if you have the money to spend on one, it is a luxury that can really improve your camping experience.

Basically, the difference between 4 season tents and regular tents is that a 4 season tent is tighter, with heavier outer walls. When it is all zipped up, there is no space anywhere for the elements to get in.

In addition, 4 season tents are often stabler so that they can resist extremely heavy storms if need be. This does not mean, however, that you cannot use 4 season tents in nicer weather. Many styles of 4 season tents come with the ability to unzip the outer fly so that you can keep cool on summer days, while still braving near-arctic temperatures in the winter.

You will find, however, that the more extreme the conditions for which it was designed, the more specialized a 4 season tent will be. For example, some true mountaineering 4 season tents are not things that you would like to take camping on a warm summer night.

We arrive to the land of 1000 languages and 1000 gods.  At the Intercontinental, the women in my group are welcomed with marigolds and branded with the typical red dot on our foreheads.  This hotel is an oasis of luxury in a polluted city of 14 million people.  Two days are spent touring Delhi.  The obligatory sites include Gandhi’s Tomb and many UNESCO World Heritage Sites.  No where else have ancient traditions blended with the modern on a scale so evident as in Delhi.  Fat sacred Brahma bulls block traffic creating delays.  In this Hindu land, cows rule.  Dogs, monkeys and children cross at their own risk.

I love spiced food and begin each day with a 3 alarm-curry breakfast.  We head by coach for Rajasthan, the beautiful desert state where cows are replaced by camels.  The air is sweeter and everything more colorful.  Here is a microcosm of all that India is.  The people are genteel with a humility if spirit and still light up at the sight of foreigners.  We continually wave through our windows to those who stare with curiosity and seem to say, “why have you come here?”  As a fan of the third world, this place has been on my dream list for years.  I now vividly enter that element of travel that provides me astonishment.