The travel packlist, don’t leave for a holiday without it!
Some years ago, I remember laughing at a friends parents who were finicky when it came to travelling. Taking everything under the sun, they required Mary Poppins luggage case, just to transport it all, so as to avoid the weight restrictions.
You know the type. They arrive 4 hours early to the airport, in case of traffic. They have luggage straps boldly emblazoned with the family crest or surname and an itinerary neatly printed on Basildon bond paper. If that still doesn’t ring any bells, you can spot them a mile away at the airport, checking and rechecking, repeating the same old travelling mantra, passport, tickets, money, passport, tickets, money…….
One invention that was created just for this type of person is the travel packlist and even if I do say so myself, it’s a marvellous innovation, especially for those of us who experience a little less organisation in their lives.
These packlists are tear off sheets with little tick boxes next to specific items, all neatly arranged in order of menus i.e.: clothing, toiletries, footwear etc. The great part is that they feature absolutely every single thing you could ever possible want from any “villa holiday”, ensuring that you won’t set foot in another country without some good ole British back up. Tea bags, toilet rolls, mosquito spray and diarrhoea tablets. Laugh now, but don’t blame me if you get palmed off with dodgy Lipton tea leaves and a slice of lemon in replace of milk!
All joking aside, this is one of the great reasons to hire a “holiday villa” especially one of the luxury variety. Take a quick look at “Select holiday villas” and you cannot help but be bowled over by the choice of “holiday villa rentals” available. Some come with maids, butlers, the works, yes…. Even toilet roll!
Anyway, whichever kind of holiday suits you best, long or short haul, beach or activity, “holiday villa” or hotel, these packlists certainly make an excellent little gift for those people in your life a little more muddled and unsystematic. Praise be to the makers of the holiday checklist and bringing it into my higgledy-piggledy world!
Written by Joanna Saywell-Lee
Friday, 20 February 2009
Thursday, 21 June 2007
Javea - A Coastal Paradise
Xàbia, also known as Jávea, is a coastal town overlooking the Mediterranean Sea in Marina Alta, a comarca in Alicante, Spain. The town itself is divided into three parts; the Old Quarter, the port and the village that is almost 3 km inland. Declared one of the healthiest climates in the world by the World Health Organization, Jávea is protected by the cool harsh winds of the winter from the north by the mountain of Montgó. The temperatures stay pleasant enough even during the summer, averaging 32°c in the warmest month of August which is also one of the most active months in Jávea in terms of tourist activity.
Fast becoming a popular tourist resort, the town of Jávea has developed into a hot property market for retirement villas and land in general. The population of around 28,500 swells to over 100,000 when the tourists pour in. For the most part through, the inland groves of Jávea are undisturbed by the tourist activities, they still produce tons of citrus oranges every year and the sight remains awesome when the branches are laden in season.
From a tourist point of view, the town is accessible through roads while the nearest train station at Gata de Gorgos is 10km inland. Connected to Alicante and Valencia through bus service as well, Jávea is at an hours drive from the two airports. In addition, the coach service caters daily to travelers headed to and from Madrid.
Once a town fortified to ward off pirates and marauders, the ‘old quarter’ of Jávea boasts the 14th Century Church of Sant Bartolomé that is dated a further 300 years back through some evidence. The church was declared a National Historic and Arts Monument for its historical value and is a popular tourist attraction now. While the ruins of the 15th Century Fontana Castle in the Arenal region have been replaced by apartment buildings, the cannons of the British destroyed fortification are still displayed in front of the Church of Sant Bartolomé. The Museo Historico y Etnografico Municipal J.B. Soler Blasco Javea, an etnographical museum, and the Agustinas Descalzas are also located in the old quarter, along with a modern market that, even with the span of time, retains the beauty of the olden days.
The port is an obvious tourist favorite with a gravel beach, marina and a wide variety of restaurants to keep holiday makers adequately entertained. As with most areas in Jávea, there is a historical significance to everything. The port, dating back to the 15th century, played its extraordinary role in raisins export till the trade collapsed by the end of the 19th century. An attraction in the port area is the church of Nuestra Señora del Loreto which shows off the town’s fishing culture to the hilt in its build. This area compliments the sandy beach of Arenal which is the party centre for the town. The various sand artists work away as while the tourists pour in, making it into a bustling place with bars, beach parties and long nights of fun and activity.
If all this isn’t enough to set Jávea out as a town to visit, the 2,150 hectares of Montgó National Park add another mix of history and modern lifestyle to the area. The archeological remains dating several thousand years back, and the various pagan and Christian and cultural fiestas held in June, July and September make sure the time spent in this beautiful resort town worth your while.
Find a charming Javea Villa and other beach villas at www.selectholidayvillas.com
Fast becoming a popular tourist resort, the town of Jávea has developed into a hot property market for retirement villas and land in general. The population of around 28,500 swells to over 100,000 when the tourists pour in. For the most part through, the inland groves of Jávea are undisturbed by the tourist activities, they still produce tons of citrus oranges every year and the sight remains awesome when the branches are laden in season.
From a tourist point of view, the town is accessible through roads while the nearest train station at Gata de Gorgos is 10km inland. Connected to Alicante and Valencia through bus service as well, Jávea is at an hours drive from the two airports. In addition, the coach service caters daily to travelers headed to and from Madrid.
Once a town fortified to ward off pirates and marauders, the ‘old quarter’ of Jávea boasts the 14th Century Church of Sant Bartolomé that is dated a further 300 years back through some evidence. The church was declared a National Historic and Arts Monument for its historical value and is a popular tourist attraction now. While the ruins of the 15th Century Fontana Castle in the Arenal region have been replaced by apartment buildings, the cannons of the British destroyed fortification are still displayed in front of the Church of Sant Bartolomé. The Museo Historico y Etnografico Municipal J.B. Soler Blasco Javea, an etnographical museum, and the Agustinas Descalzas are also located in the old quarter, along with a modern market that, even with the span of time, retains the beauty of the olden days.
The port is an obvious tourist favorite with a gravel beach, marina and a wide variety of restaurants to keep holiday makers adequately entertained. As with most areas in Jávea, there is a historical significance to everything. The port, dating back to the 15th century, played its extraordinary role in raisins export till the trade collapsed by the end of the 19th century. An attraction in the port area is the church of Nuestra Señora del Loreto which shows off the town’s fishing culture to the hilt in its build. This area compliments the sandy beach of Arenal which is the party centre for the town. The various sand artists work away as while the tourists pour in, making it into a bustling place with bars, beach parties and long nights of fun and activity.
If all this isn’t enough to set Jávea out as a town to visit, the 2,150 hectares of Montgó National Park add another mix of history and modern lifestyle to the area. The archeological remains dating several thousand years back, and the various pagan and Christian and cultural fiestas held in June, July and September make sure the time spent in this beautiful resort town worth your while.
Find a charming Javea Villa and other beach villas at www.selectholidayvillas.com
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