Source : teletextholidays[dot]co[dot]uk
Wednesday, 29 April 2015
Tuesday, 28 April 2015
The Vue From Here – Gladiator
To celebrate our partnership with Vue Cinemas, we’re bringing you an iconic film location every month, as well as the chance to win an All Inclusive family ticket. This month it’s Morocco, where General Maximus Decimus Meridius – aka Russell Crowe – trained to be a Gladiator…
Morocco is a land of deserts, sun-baked mountains and mystical architecture, so it’s no wonder classic films such as Lawrence Of Arabia and Casablanca were filmed here. The ancient settlement of Aït Benhaddou starred in a key scene in Gladiator – the one where Maximus is taken to an African city to be sold into slavery and trained to fight. It’s located just three hours away from Marrakech, and you can visit the set for yourself. Don’t worry – you won’t need to pack any armour.
Over the next few months, we’ll be bringing you the lowdown on where 3 other iconic movies were filmed. As well as revealing where you should head to recreate those iconic movie scenes, we’ll be giving you the chance to win an All Inclusive family cinema ticket. Interested? Read on…
Win An All Inclusive Family Ticket
Here at First Choice we don’t want you to miss out on seeing the latest family blockbusters – especially when the likes of Cinderella and the new Spongebob movie are being released. So, we’ve teamed up with Vue Cinemas to offer 2 lucky winners the chance to win an All Inclusive family ticket. It gets you tickets for 2 adults and 2 kids, plus 4 drinks and 4 snacks. What more could you need?
To enter, send an email to blogcompetitions@firstchoice.co.uk with ‘First Choice Vue Cinema Competition’ in the subject line, and include your name, address and a contact telephone number in the body of the email.
Winners can take their pick from the following blockbusters which are due out this summer… Peppa Pig: The Golden Boots, Bill, Home, Spongebob Movie: Sponge Out Of Water 3D, The Max, Cinderella, Seventh Son, Fast & The Furious 7, Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2, Avengers: Age Of Ultron, Moomins On The Riviera, Tomorrowland, Monster Trucks, Jurassic World, Minions Movie, The
Pan, Inside Out.
The competition closes at 11.59pm on 21st May 2015 and is open to anyone resident in the UK, Northern Ireland or Channel Islands who is 18 years of age or older. Please read the Terms and Conditions below carefully before entering the competition. By entering you indicate that you accept these Terms and Conditions and you agree to be bound by them.
Good luck!
Show <<< TERMS AND CONDITIONS APPLY
Which family film do you want to see this summer?
Source : firstchoice[dot]co[dot]uk
Why We Love… Cuba
So, the cat’s out the bag – Cuba is the latest destination to make the First Choice cut. Here are a few reasons why we just had to get our hands on the Caribbean island…
Excitement levels are peaking here at First Choice HQ. Because today’s the day we get to announce our plans for the 2016 holiday calendar, including lifting the lid on our brand-new destination, Cuba. From May next year, we’ll be offering escapes to the island’s chief beach resort, Varadero, as well as twin-centre trips that let you couple your holiday with a few nights in the country’s iconic capital, Havana. Let’s run through some of the things we love about the place that was once dubbed the ‘pearl of the Antilles’…
‘Shore-fire’ beaches
Varadero has been Cuba’s number one spot for beach breaks since the 19th century. Reason being, the area – which pokes out into the Atlantic like a splinter off the island’s north coast – is hemmed by 20 kilometres of shoreline. Some of Varadero’s beaches have been tipped as the world’s best, thanks to their sugary-white sands and warm, see-through waters. What’s more, you’ve got watersports on tap, and thatched beach bars for those all-important rum cocktails.
Yank tanks
Images of old-school cars buzzing through Cuba’s time-worn streets have become as iconic as silhouettes of Che Guevara. Known as ‘yank tanks’, rusty American Chevys and Fords from the Fifties outnumber newer cars in places like Havana and Trinidad. After the Cuban Revolution, trade ties between the nation and neighbouring USA were cut. It forced hardy islanders to keep their imported automobiles alive by any means necessary, as shipping parts from the States was a no-go. Today, they’re polished up nice and bright and used mainly as taxis for tourists.
La Habana Vieja
UNESCO got their protective mitts on the capital city’s centre, La Habana Vieja – or Old Havana – in 1982. With their help, Habaneros have been able to restore their downtown district back to its colonial glory. Now, you can walk around its crumbly plazas and easily imagine life hundreds of years ago. Highlights in the old town include a Baroque-style cathedral, the Capitol Building, styled and named like the one in Washington D.C., and the lively Malécon boardwalk. Ernest Hemingway’s favourite watering hole, Floridita, is located here, too, where a bronze statue of the author props up the bar.
Kaleidoscopic cabarets
Cuba and cabarets go hand-in-hand. Rubber-hipped showgirls garbed in (not much more than) sequins and feathers have been sashaying across stages since the Thirties, accompanied by live salsa bands. The most famous cabaret in Cuba – and perhaps the world – is Havana’s Tropicana, an open-air venue that still stages performances by dancers in technicolour costumes. Tickets are pricey, but include a cocktail and a cigar. If you’re staying put in Varadero, however, don’t panic. The resort’s Cabaret Continental is generally thought of as second only to Tropicana.
Rum and rice & beans
Cuban cuisine is a Creole mix of Native American, Spanish and Caribbean food. A dinner-table staple is Morros y Cristianos, made simply of rice and black beans, which you’ll see on virtually every menu. Lots of fresh seafood, Cornish pasty-like empanadas, and chicken also take up space in Cuban kitchens. But it’s the country’s drinking culture that’s most well-known. The world’s biggest-selling rum, Bacardi, was founded in Cuba, naturally lending itself to some of the island’s classic cocktails like the mojito, the daiquiri, and the perfectly-simple Cuba Libre (a rum ‘n’ coke to us Brits).
Our holidays to Cuba are on sale now. Just head over to our website to find out more.
Source : firstchoice[dot]co[dot]uk
12 Fabulous Fish and Seafood Recipes!
Today we are celebrating National Catfish Day! It is a day set aside to observe the value of farm raised catfish! Here at Daily Holiday Blog, we thought that we would extend the celebration to all fish and seafood and bring you some great recipes! Because we are hungry today…
In the United States, catfish are definitely a favorite! They are the third most popular fish consumed in the US. A southern favorite, the most popular cooking method is to coat it with cornmeal and fry it.
I found some great catfish recipes for you and then since we were all into fish, I’m sharing with you some yummy seafood and fresh fish recipes too! Oh, and some fun catfish facts to go along with them! Ready?
from Taste of Home
The catfish is a ray finned fish that in the wild generally is a bottom feeder. Catfish are named for their prominent barbels, which look a whole lot like cat whiskers. Those whiskers are actually loaded with taste buds! Over 27,000 of them to be exact!
from The View from Great Island
Did you know? Catfish are nocturnal.
from Design + Life + Kids
Fun Fact: Catfish can get pretty darn big. The largest catfish caught in the U.S. was a blue catfish weighing 150 pounds in 1879. The largest known blue caught in Tennessee was a 130-pounder, fished from the Fort Loudon Reservoir in 1976.
from Grandparents.com
Did you know that some catfish can walk?
The walking catfish can travel across land from one body of water to another. It uses its pectoral fins like legs and has a modified gill chamber to get oxygen from the air.
Why did the catfish cross the road? To get away from Long John Silver!
I saw a peanut stand, heard a rubber band,
I saw a needle that winked its eye.
But I think I will have seen about everything
When I see a catfish walk by…
Author unknown
from Mooshu Jenne
There are also Electric Catfish!
A native to Africa, an Electric Catfish is capable of generating up to 350 volts!
from Parenting Chaos
But let’s get back to the fish in the US. Most of the farm raised catfish in the US (about 95%) are raised in the states of Mississippi, Arkansas, Alabama and Louisiana.
And they aren’t electric…
from Momma Lew
from Amanda’s Cookin’
#CATFISH
A new term that came with the new age of technology that has absolutely nothing to do with the actual fish. To “Catfish” means to pretend you are someone else on the internet. Ever been “Catfished”?
from Momma Lew
from The Thrifty Couple
from The View from Great Island
from Live Outdoors
Hungry for a little fish? Enjoy National Catfish Day with a yummy fish recipe! And watch out for those walking catfish…
Source : dailyholidayblog[dot]com
National Watermelon Day- 8 great recipes!
Today is National Watermelon Day! The heat of summer is a great time to celebrate this sweet fruit. I found some great recipes and fun facts to help the celebration along! Come see what I found!
Watermelon is not only a healthy food, but it is pretty cool to look at too! So along with these great watermelon inspired recipes, let me show you a cool way to serve one up!
by She Knows
Did you know? Watermelons are more than 90% water. That’s the secret behind the name! In ancient times travelers used watermelons as a replacement for water and explorers used them as canteens.
by That’s What Che Said
Did you know? You can find out if a watermelon is ripe (of course, without splitting it open), by knocking on it. If it sounds hollow, then it is ripe. Folks always look at me funny when I’m knocking on the watermelons, but it definitely pays off!
by Our Footprints
Did you know? An interesting thing about a watermelon is that it can be a male or female watermelon. A female watermelon is larger and sweeter while having fewer seeds. A male watermelon is smaller.
by Glorious Treats
Did you know? Square watermelons are a new development by the Japanese. These square watermelons were created to save space. The farmers put the watermelons in a square tempered glass box when the watermelon is still growing on the vine. The watermelon then grows into a neat square. The square watermelons are generally priced at a very high premium.
by Eat Yourself Skinny
Did you know? According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest watermelon, weighing 262 pounds, was grown by Bill Carson of Arrington, Tennessee in 1990. That’s a heck of a lot of watermelon!
by Bird on a Cake
Did you know? Watermelon is the most-consumed melon in the U.S., followed by cantaloupe and honeydew. The first cookbook published in the U.S. in 1776 contained a recipe for watermelon rind pickles. Umm… okay.
by Taste of Home
Did you know? The United States currently ranks fourth in worldwide production of watermelon. China is number one. Forty-four states grow watermelons with Florida, Texas, California, Georgia and Arizona consistently leading the country in production.
by One Perfect Bite
So enjoy some sweet watermelon today in celebration of Watermelon Day! I know I will!
Source : dailyholidayblog[dot]com
Face Your Fears Day- are you scared yet?
Today is Face Your Fears Day. It is a day to try and better yourself by facing any fears that you might have that are holding you back. Of course, here on Daily Holiday Blog, it is a great chance to show you some things that might be a little scary, and hilarious at the same time! BWAAAHAAA!
You know, everyone is a afraid of something. Some fears are justified. Some are not so much. But all are very real to the person who is fearful. Me? I’m afraid of crowds, closed in spaces, spiders, snakes, bugs with more than a dozen legs, bugs with bulgy eyeballs, bugs with stingers, things that might get caught in my hair, and noises in the night.
Oh, and styrofoam cups…but that’s a whole other story!
by Rachaek
What are the top ten fears of folks in general?
Number 10 Top Fear – Mysophobia- Fear of Germs or Dirt. This could be a form of obsessive compulsive disorder. Or you could just be tired of getting sick every time you travel. Me and my hand sanitizer can attest to that.
Number 9 Top Fear – Pteromerhanophobia- Fear of Flying. Another reason to hate traveling. Ha!
by Stuff of the Dead
Number 8 Top Fear – Social Phobias. Fear of social situations like handling crowds, speaking to an audience, even going to a party. Gee, I’m starting to think I’m afraid of everything!
Number 7 Top Fear- Trypanophobia- Fear of Injections.
from The Pineapple Catz
Number 6 Top Fear- Astraphobia- Fear of Thunder and Lightening. Personally, I think this is a healthy fear. My dogs, on the other hand, take this one to a whole new level.
Number 5 Top Fear- Cynophobia- Fear of Dogs. Well…speaking of dogs. Fortunately this is not one of my fears. Otherwise, I’d be afraid of my own website!
from Little Missy Bell
Number 4 Top Fear- Agoraphobia- Fear of crowded areas, open spaces or things that might trigger a panic attack.
Number 3 Top Fear- Acrophobia- Fear of Heights.
from Monsterpaks
Number 2 Top Fear- Ophidiophobia- Fear of Snakes- A totally reasonable fear in my opinion.
And the Number 1 Fear of most folks?
Arachnaphobia- Fear of Spiders!
You bet ya! I have my own personal spider nightmare story on my other blog, if you want a laugh. You can find it here.
by Moji Moji Design
And here are a few not so common fears. Are you afraid of any of these? If so, there is a name for that fear, believe it or not…
- Ablutophobia – the obsessional fear of bathing
- Adipophobia – the fear of appearing too fat
- Agyrophobia – the fear of crossing roads
- Arachibutyrophobia – the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of one’s mouth
- Ephebiphobia - the fear of teenagers
by AKA Applique
What about these?
- Genuphobia – the fear of knees
- Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia – the fear of long words
- Levophobia – the fear of objects to the left
- Nomophobia - the fear of being out of cellular/mobile phone contact
- Peladophobia – the fear of bald people
- Scuirophobia – the fear of squirrels
- Triskaidekaphobia - the fear of the number 13
by StaRose Creations
I guess there are lots of things to be scared of!
Nightmares Fear Factory in Niagara Falls, Canada set up a camera inside their haunted house to capture the reactions of visitors at a particularly terrifying moment. The results? Priceless! The background music is one of the best parts!
So take a bit of time today, figure out which fear you would like to work on, and confront it!
Happy Face Your Fears Day!
Source : dailyholidayblog[dot]com
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)