On your Gran Canaria holiday during the period 11-21 March? Why not take time out and visit the resort of Maspalomas where the 2010 carnival is due to take place.
Carnival time gives tourists the change to experience Gran Canaria as you would not normally expect to see it - the drag queen competition and the funderal of the sardine which is held on the final day. Parades held during carnival time range from floats and flamboyant carnival costumes.
Monarch has recently announced that flights for winter 2010/11 from Birmingham, Gatwick, Luton and Manchester [its 4 UK bases] is now on sale. If you would like us to look at booking a Monarch flight for you, then please give us a call.
Included in the schedule are the following. A new weekly route from Luton to Gran Canaria for winter. Increased frequency of 8 flights per week from Luton to Tenerife. I
ncreased frequency of 5 flights per week from Birmingham to Alicante. I
ncreased frequency of 2 flights per week from Birmingham to Gran Canaria. Increased frequency of 4 flights per week from Birmingham to Lanzarote
"Amics de la Mar de Menorca" - Friends of the Sea of Menorca is an association dedictated to the maritime heritage of Menorca in the Balearic Islands and in particular the traditional wooden boats.
On the 24 January 2010 the 9th Sail and Classic Boats Meeting takes place at the port in Ciudadela and starts at 09:45. So if you are near Ciutadela on the 24th just head to the port.
It was recently reported that the Balearic Islands featured highly in the top 5 beaches in Europe and Spain. Coming out top in Europe and Spain was the Playa S'Amarador located in Cala Mondrago, Mallorca. Here the sand is very fine and white and the beach is very clean. The crystal clear water is also very clean. Not a long beach, but reasonably wide and flat.
Second in Europe and Spain is Cala Salada on the island of Ibiza, located in Santa Agnes de Corona. This natural beach comprises rocks and cliff faces, fine white sand, and crystal clear water. The beach itself is not very long and is quite narrow.
Cala de San Vicent in Ibiza was the 4th best beach in Spain, and is located close to the village with fine white sand and crystal clear water.
Playa sa Caleta in Cala Blanca, Menorca was the 5th best beach in Spain - again with fine white sand and crystal clear water although is again quite short and narrow.
Each of the beaches benefit from several places available to eat and drink and all easily accessible on foot apart from Playa sa Caleta which has to be reached by climbing a trail or walking downhill. However, all the beaches have parking facilities nearby.
The reviewers of onbeach.com judged 3,000 beaches on over 100 criteria including cleanliness, facilities and suitability for swimming.
Easyjet have announced details of new European routes for 2010 - introducing an additional 36 routes, together with an 5th aircraft to be based at Manchester.
New routes include:
BRISTOL to: Bodrum, Paphos, Hurghada, Tenerife, Dalaman
DONCASTER SHEFFIELD to: Amsterdam, Barcelona, Faro, Palma de Mallorca, Prague
EDINBURGH to: Lisbon
LIVERPOOL to: Rhodes, Bodrum
LONDON GATWICK to: Bordeaux
LONDON STANSTED to: Dubrovnki, Split, Bodrum, Dalaman
MANCHESTER to: Helsinki, Mahon, Sharm el Sheik, Zurich
Valencia will play host this year to the IGTM [International Golf Travel Market] to be held from the 15-18 November.
Belen Juste - the tourism minister for Valencia - was reported as saying that hosting the event it will raise awareness of the golf facilities available in Valencia, Alicante and Castellon. The regions have an excellent choice of accommodation, from 5 star hotels to self-catering complexes.
The Victoria Hotel in the resort of La Orovata, Tenerife, has been included in Michelin’s Guide 2010 edition for Spain and Portugal.
Located in the picturesque old town of La Orotava, just 4km from the resort centre, this 16th century stately home comprises 4 floors with a total of 14 rooms of which 1 is a suite. The Victoria Hotel has been well known for quite a while for its superb cuisine and Chef Richard Etherington heads up the kitchen with several gastronomic events arranged throughout the year; promoting the best of La Orotava’s vineyards.
The old town of La Orotava is well preserved and has fine churches and lovely mansions. One of the most photogenic features on your Tenerife holiday are the elaborate wooden balconies. Visit in late May or early June to see the Corpus Christi Festival when the square in front of the Palacio Municipal is decorated with carpets of flower petals and volcanic sands depicting religious scenes.
So if you would like to stay at the Victoria Hotel, just give us a call on 0800 5 677688 or send us an enquiry.
A typical Spanish tapa is garlic prawns - normally served in a terracota dish, sizzling straight from the pan.
Ingredients [serves 4]
125ml [4 fl oz] olive oil
4 finely chopped garlic cloves
2 deseeded and finely chopped fresh red chillies
450g [1 lb] cooked king prawns
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper
lemon wedges for garnish
crusty bread to serve
1. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-based fying pan over a low heat and add the garlic and chillies and cook, stirring occasionally for 1-2 minutes or until softened.
2. Add the prawns and fry for 2-3 minutes or until heated through and coated in the oil and garlic mixture
3. Turn off the heat and add the chopped parsley, stirring well to mix. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Divide the prawns and garlic-flavoured oil between hot serving dishes and garnish with lemon wedges. Serve with crusty bread .... and a glass of wine of course.
We have some excellent packages for the Spanish Grand Prix to be held from 7 to 9 May 2010 at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona.
Choose from 12 different hotels [on half board or all inclusive] and stay for either 2, or 3 nights. Prices include entrance to the circuit. The schedule for the 3 days is:
Friday - 7 May 201010:00-11:30 : Practice Session 114:00-15:30 : Practice Session 2
Saturday - 8 May 201011:00-12:00 : Practice Session 314:00-15:00 : Qualifying
Sunday - 9 May 201014:00 : Race Day
Prices start from £141 per person for 2 nights on half board including entrance to the circuit. Transfers to the circuit from your hotel can be arranged as well as flights. You also have a choice of 4 different grandstands or take advantage of cheaper Pelouse tickets where you can stand on the grass verges.
Just give us a call on freephone 0800 5 677688 or send us an enquiry.
With the snow happening in the south over the past few days, here's a snap of the view from my desk. Lovely to look at, but that is just about it ! Oh, forgot, another good thing about it is people are booking their holidays. Canary Islands holidays are popular at the moment with people wanting to get away over the course of the next few weeks to escape the winter blues.
Enter our January competition for a chance to win a copy of John Humphrys' hardback book - "Blue Skies and Black Olives"... It was a moment of mad impulse when John Humphrys decided to buy a semi-derelict cottage and a building site on a plot of land overlooking the Aegean. What could possibly go wrong?
Just answer the following question. All correct entries will be placed into a draw to be held on the 1 February 2010.
Which of the following is not a Greek Island? Click on the answer to send an email.
[a] Rhodes [b] Madeira [c] Crete
Congratulations to Andy Scott from Colchester who has been drawn as the winner of our December competition by correctly identifying that out of Seville, Vienna and Havana, Havana is not a European city.
Andy has won a copy of Kevin McCloud's "Grand Tour of Europe".
Our January Newsletter and competition are being launched on the 5th January which will be full of offers to the Canary Islands. If you would like to receive a copy of our Newsletter direct to your inbox, just register on the home page of our website.
On your Gran Canaria holiday during the period 11-21 March? Why not take time out and visit the resort of Maspalomas where the 2010 carnival is due to take place. 
Monarch has recently announced that flights for winter 2010/11 from Birmingham, Gatwick, Luton and Manchester [its 4 UK bases] is now on sale. If you would like us to look at booking a Monarch flight for you, then please give us a call.
"Amics de la Mar de Menorca" - Friends of the Sea of Menorca is an association dedictated to the maritime heritage of Menorca in the Balearic Islands and in particular the traditional wooden boats.
It was recently reported that the Balearic Islands featured highly in the top 5 beaches in Europe and Spain. Coming out top in Europe and Spain was the Playa S'Amarador located in Cala Mondrago, Mallorca. Here the sand is very fine and white and the beach is very clean. The crystal clear water is also very clean. Not a long beach, but reasonably wide and flat. 
Easyjet have announced details of new European routes for 2010 - introducing an additional 36 routes, together with an 5th aircraft to be based at Manchester. 
Valencia will play host this year to the IGTM [International Golf Travel Market] to be held from the 15-18 November. 
The Victoria Hotel in the resort of La Orovata, Tenerife, has been included in Michelin’s Guide 2010 edition for Spain and Portugal.
A typical Spanish tapa is garlic prawns - normally served in a terracota dish, sizzling straight from the pan.
We have some excellent packages for the Spanish Grand Prix to be held from 7 to 9 May 2010 at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona. 
With the snow happening in the south over the past few days, here's a snap of the view from my desk. Lovely to look at, but that is just about it ! Oh, forgot, another good thing about it is people are booking their holidays. Canary Islands holidays are popular at the moment with people wanting to get away over the course of the next few weeks to escape the winter blues.
Enter our January competition for a chance to win a copy of John Humphrys' hardback book - "Blue Skies and Black Olives"... It was a moment of mad impulse when John Humphrys decided to buy a semi-derelict cottage and a building site on a plot of land overlooking the Aegean. What could possibly go wrong?
