The Costa Blanca, From Past to Present

Costa Blanca, which means “white coast” in English is a coastline which spreads over an area of two hundred kilometers. It comes under Alicante, which is a province of Spain. Its name took birth from a promotional campaign in which a flight program was introduced between Valencia and London in 1957; by the BEA. From that time, Costa Blanca is visited by numerous tourists from different parts of the world. Costa del Tarongers, Costa Calida, Torrevieja and Denia forms this area. Benidorm or Costa Blanca is counted among the most popular cities among the tourists.

The Moors, who entered Spain through Gibraltar in 711AD, captured the whole of Alicante by 718AD. The Moors kept on ruling for almost 4 centuries; giving a new shape to the culture and history of this land. They introduced peaches, oranges, almonds and means of apposite irrigation. The influence of Moors can still be observed by watching a large number of terraces at hill sides. Finally, in the year of 1492, the Moors were expelled from Spain. That was the time when Isabella and Ferdinand (Catholic Monarchs) acquired power in Granada. Before this time, the Moors and Christians kept on fighting over their rule on different parts of Spain. Jaime I from Aragon finally succeeded in bringing Alicante back to Spain in the year of 1248. The Moors did not quit and they kept on trying to get back in to Spain even after suffering defeat.

Till mid 17th century, Spanish coast faced frequent attacks from the Arabian pirates. After a long time, in the year of 1812, Spanish constitution was laid down and formal creation of the provincial borders of Spain came in to existence. It was then that Murcia and Alicante got established, as we all can see them at present. The Spanish civil war broke out in 1936, in which Murcia and Alicante backed the Republicans. The control of Spain was taken by the General Francisco Franco from the Nationalist Movement; in the year of 1939. In the decade of 1960, the flow of tourists increased considerably in Spain.

Costa Blanca is one of the most famous Mediterranean holiday spots in Spain; mainly because of its classic golf courses and lovely beaches. You would find pleasant weather in Costa Blanca almost all round the year. Here, one can visit numerous old villages, towns, restaurants and bars which serve locally produced wines and delicacies.

For people who do not want to indulge in too much adventure, walking tours are a great option. Week long, weekend and day tours are offered to the tourists. You would get to know about Costa Blanca and its inhabitants from close. Historical ruins, rock formations and old romantic homes (you would miss all these if you choose traveling by car) present in Costa Blanca would make your holiday experience more pleasurable.

Zhu Zhu Pets Online – Adorable Hamster Toys For Christmas Presents

Just what are Zhu Zhu Pets? They are cute interactive battery operated hamsters toy pets, each with their own set of over 40 sounds. They first became popular in 2009, in fact in most places they were the surprise toy of last year. It looks as though they are set to be just as big this year. Kids everywhere are wanting these adorable animals. They make different sounds depending on how they’re set up. They are very easy to use and can be customized to each individual child. Are they a good present for Christmas?

Christmas is the time of year where choosing presents for the children are first and foremost in most parents minds, and this is where choosing a Zhu Zhu pet makes it easier for the parents because they are so popular, cute, and fun to have. How much fun?

Kids seem to love them and have a great deal of fun with them. But it’s not just kids that are crazy for Zhu Zhu Hamsters. In a review on Amazon one customer said “I got one of these toys for a 83 year old lady that lives in an assisted living unit. She absolutely loves her toy pet.” It appears that these toys are not just for kids?

Last year there were only four electronic pets: Num Nums, Mr. Squiggles, PipSqueak and Chunk on sale, however later on Patches became available. Mr Squiggles was the first Zhu Zhu Pet that was available and quickly proved to be the most popular. In the tradition of trends kids go for the favorites and Mr Squiggles could be the choice for this year as well. However, there is the choice of boy or girl toys – Mr. Squiggles and Chunk are boy hamsters, Num Nums, PipSqueak and Patches are the girl hamsters. Which one is best for your child?

This year there are over nine pets to choose from – Patches, Chunk, PipSqueak, Mr. Squiggles, Num Nums, Jilly, Winkie, Scoodles and Nugget which could making the choice more difficult for parents. There are also a lot of accessories that can be bought for them as well, including a Hamster Funhouse and a Blanket and Bed, all of which are sold separately.

What is fantastic with Zhu Zhu Pets is that there is no feeding, mess or hassle with these adorable, furry toys. Unlike the real thing, Will you get organized before the demand sends prices sky high?

Zhu Zhu Pets are available from major retails stores and online at Amazon and eBay.

Change of Presentation at Burberry

In 1856 Thomas Burberry founded his company. By 1870 his business was well established and focused on the development of outdoor attire. In 1880 he invented the water-resistant, yet breathable, gabardine fabric (patented in 1888). Burberry developed the trenchcoat for the British troops in the First World War (1914-1918).

The lining of these trenchcoats was the now famous red, white and camel check. After the war, trenchcoats became popular with civilians and were worn by many filmstars (Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca, Peter Sellers in Pink Panther and Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany etc). Burberry became a famous brand. However after time the company was labelled as the manufacturer of an old fashioned raincoat and a period of slow decline set in. In 1955 Burberry was bought by Great Universal Stores.

Great Universal Stores looked for a new CEO to revitalize the 101 year old company and in 2000 named RoseMary Bravo, an ex Saks Fifth Avenue executive, as Chief Executive. Bravo brought in an up and coming designer, Christopher Bailey, and under Bravo’s inspiring leadership Burberry embarked on a programme that turned around the fortunes of the company. Central to this turnaround were the new designs by Bailey who based his concepts on the heritage of the company. The brand became so strong that Burberry expanded to include (franchised) items as such watches, perfume, sunglasses and golf items. The strength of the brand was such that Burberry expanded to include (franchised) items as watches, fragrance, sunglasses and golf items.

Burberry is an example of how the change in presentation and (capable) leadership brought about success to a declining brand.

A3 Ring Binders Are Made For More Than Just Presentation

In any line of business it is important to be able to present information in an organised manner. A binder gives you the opportunity to guide business partners, clients and customers through your business’s portfolio of products or services in a simple to follow way. But, binders serve much more of a purpose than just being a presentation aid and can be the difference between you keeping work secure and losing crucial pieces of documentation.

We all tend to become unorganised at some point in our lives and it is not unusual for someone to leave pieces of paper laying about in the most obscure or unexpected places. Leaving papers loose in drawers, cupboards or even under the bed, can lead to important things being lost and you can almost guarantee that when you really need something lying around like this, you will not be to find it. Therefore wouldn’t it make much more sense to make use of A3 ring binders and folders to avoid embarrassing and annoying situations like this?

Binders come fitted with a ring mechanism that allows you to keep punched paper, or paper stored in punched pockets secure. So, important information you may have collected over the years but which has become disorganised can all be collated in the same place. They are also handy for those studying in education as they could act as a place where you keep all your projects and coursework in the one place. Add a set of dividers to the binder and you can separate work and find it with even further ease.

If you are transporting your binder or folder with you on public transport such as on the London underground, it also makes sense to keep your travel card in an Oyster card holder for added security.