Swan Hellenic who operate the much admired discovery and adventure luxury cruise ship Minerva, has teamed up with leading German company river cruise operator A-Rosa to offer the river cruises on the Danube on board the A-Rosa Riva, which has 100 outside cabins and capacity for 200 passengers and on the Rhône & Saone on board the A-Rosa Stella accommodating 172 passengers in 86 cabins.

The decision to make these itineraries available for Swan Hellenic’s remarkably loyal guests is based on the company’s judgement that A-Rosa combines a service that equals Minerva’s own high standards with an excellent river programme developed by a highly experienced river operator.

As on Swan’s ocean-going voyages, river cruise fares will include excursions and all tips on board and ashore and in keeping with the company’s usual ocean cruise style, a cruise director will accompany each cruise. There will be guest lecturers on board as well as local speakers and musicians to add to the experience on each departure.

Meals will be prepared by specially-selected Chefs de Cuisine. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are open seating so passengers can dine with different people during their cruise.

Most of the two vessels’ cabins have Juliette balconies, French doors backed with a railing on the river side so passengers can get fresh air in the room without venturing outside.

Luxury River Cruise highlights

DANUBE

The Danube flows from southern Germany through Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia, along the border between Romania and Bulgaria and into the Black Sea. Swan’s cruises concentrate on the western end, taking in Vienna and Budapest, but there are longer itineraries sailing from Passau or Nuremburg (on the Main-Danube Canal) in Germany to Tulcea in Romania.

Highlights:

Top stops are Vienna and Budapest, with other gems en route, including Linz, in Austria’s wine-growing region, and Esztergom, where St Stephen was crowned king of Hungary in AD1000. The Iron Gate gorge, east of Belgrade and dividing the Carpathian and Balkan Mountains is a highlight for passengers on cruises to and from the Black Sea.

Don’t miss:

Top sights in Vienna include the Hofburg Palace, the Opera House, the Schönbrunn Palace and the Museum of Military History, which contains the car Archduke Franz Ferdinand was travelling in when he was assassinated in 1914.  Budapest attractions include the Chain Bridge, the Parliament Building, Heroes’ Square, with its 40-metre column, and the Castle District, in hilly Buda, filled with narrow streets, cafés and restaurants.

RHÔNE/SAÔNE

The Saône rises in eastern France and flows into the Rhône at Lyon. The Rhône continues south, emptying into the Mediterranean at Arles. Swan’s cruises start and end in Lyon, heading north for a couple of days before doubling back to Avignon and Arles; others cruise north to south or vice-versa.

Highlights:

This is a cruise through the Burgundy and Provence wine country. Top stops are the bustling city of Lyon and Avignon, famous for its bridge. Passengers can look forward to plenty of opportunities to taste the local wine and explore picturesque villages.

Look out for:

Must-see sights in Lyon include the Basilica of Notre-Dame and the cobbled old city. As the gastronomic capital of France, this is a good place to dine out one night. Top stops in Avignon are the bridge – not the famous Pont d’Avignon, but the Pont St-Bénezet – the Medieval walled city and Palais de Papes, home to seven popes from 1309 to 1377. Excursions in Vienne, south of Lyon, visit the Roman remains of a 14,000-seat amphitheatre and the temple built in 25BC in honour of the Emperor Augustus and his wife Livia.

The computing world was taken by storm ever since the advent of Tablet PCs. Tablet computers are one of the trendiest gadgets available today. People these days use tablets for access email by connecting to the internet, capturing images and video on the go, and even video chatting. These mobile computers are portable multimedia devices having lightweight designs and small dimensions. A stylus pen or the touch screen display makes it quite easy to control, navigate through and use the device a tablet computer. Listed below are the top of Tablets of 2012.

1. Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime

The release of the Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime was announced last year. This Tablet PC became available all over the world in January this year. The most remarkable thing about this tablet is that it is the first table in the world to have the quad core processor from NVIDIA. While this tablet has the Android 3.2 Honeycomb OS but it can be upgraded to the Ice Cream Sandwich. This 10.1-inch tablet can even be used with a special keypad dock.

2. Apple iPad 3

The Apple iPad 3 was released on March 16 in countries like the Canada, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States and many other countries. Unlike its predecessor, the iPad 3 features lightweight and slimmer body. The Apple iPad 3 Tablet PC has a quad-core graphics processor and a 3D capable display. While the iPad and the iPad 2 already granted Apple a 70% share of the global tablet market, but this percentage might be increasing now that the iPad 3 has become available.

3. Sony Tablet S

While the Sony Tablet S was released on September 16, 2011, it is currently among the leading tablets in the market. What makes the Tablet S so special is that it is Sony’s first ever tablet computer. Ever since its release, the Sony Tablet S is proving to be a solid competition for Apple’s iPads. This Tablet has the latest Android 3.2 Honeycomb OS running on it, which allows it to offer a much more splendid computing experience than the typical Honeycomb tablets.

4. Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 continues to be a leading choice among many Tablet PC buyers, especially because of how light and thin it is. The most notable features of this the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 include the powerful dual speakers, the 3-megapixel rear camera and the 2-megapixel front camera. This Tablet has a 1 GHz NVidia Tegra 2 processor, which allows it to perform rather exceptionally.

5. Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet

The Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet is the most distinct and full-featured tablet from the previous year that continues to remain popular. This 7-inch touch screen Tablet comes from a brand that does not seem to specialize in tablet computers, but has still managed to product a marvellous tablet computer. This tablet has 16GB of built-in storage, build-in Wi-Fi and a microSD expansion slot. This tablet has a 1 GHz Dual-Core Texas Instruments processor and a 512 MB or 1 GB RAM.

Thus, these were the top 5 Tablet PCs that created a lot of hype in the tablet market and are the current bestsellers.

Usually, external hard drives differ from one another in terms of storage capacity, size, performance, design and help and support. These differences subsequently determine the top brands in the external hard drive market. It would be beneficial to consider these features when purchasing an external hard drive. The Western Digital My Passport Essential ranks as a leading brand with regards to external hard drives. It contains a next-generation speed and portable hard drive that gels with any environment. If you are always on the move, its minimalist, sleek lines would be advantageous in your situation.

With this device, you can bid farewell to problems related to transfer rates. Thanks to its USB 3.0 interface, you can transfer files at a speed ten times faster than other brands. With regards to transfer speeds, the LaCie Rikiki USB 3.0 is another top-notch external hard drive. It boasts of 5 GB/per second worth of transfer rates. Its design is a simple one consisting of sturdy, aluminum casing. This works well for you if you are not a fan of colorful designs. The fact that its setup software launches automatically should simplify the formatting process of your computer.

The Clickfree C2N is another top external hard drive model thanks to its ability to back up several computer networks. The other good news with this brand is that it allows you to back up wireless networks. It comes in various storage capacities such as, 250GB, 320GB and 500GB. This gives you an array of capacities to purchase. The Clickfree C2N also fits the description of portability due to its lightweight design. It weighs 6.08 ounces, which means you can carry it around comfortably. Its 36-month warranty assists you in getting technical help should the device encounter any defects. This is undoubtedly a time span for a warranty.

While Clickfree C2N fits the description of a portable device, the Transcend StoreJet 25M3 is the epitome of durability. It can withstand any drops and bumps you may subject it to in your daily endeavors. The features that enhance its durability include anti-shock protection, rugged design and triple-layer casing. Notwithstanding, its durability does not bear on its performance. You can transfer files using this device at a speed of 5 gigabytes every second. This ability emanates from the 3.0 interface, which is backwards compatible with a USB 2.0 interface. Hence, you can use the Transcend StoreJet 25M3 on any computer albeit you must have a USB connection.

Since the universe has become digital, it is advisable to seek digital solutions to some of our problems. A powerful external hard drive are the definite answer to the question of how to store large data. Nevertheless, purchasing the most renowned brands is pivotal in solving this problem. In this case, these brands must have amassed reputation for their effectiveness in storage and backup of data.

The Chores problem

In every relationship in which you will live with your spouse, there will certainly be at least once the problem of who does what and how much of it will he or she do it for. Cleaning up a home requires a lot of effort and even though it’s widely accepted that the woman will take care of this, if she has a job, it’s a little unfair that all the weight to be added on her shoulders. I bet that you as a man, when seeing vacuum cleaners you will picture your lady cleaning up the house, but that’s not the way things work anymore, at least in modern couples.

Distributing the tasks and the problem of the vacuum cleaners

You need to understand that your lady also has a job and might probably not be the type who believes that the woman should do everything in a home. Being with her for so long I bet you know her very well and that you’re aware of this side of her. If this is the case on your relationship and you don’t want to help out in the house because of your male arrogance, I advise you not take things so lightly. There are great fights that result from this in so many couples with them ending up separated, as it makes my head spin!

It’s a fact that if you will agree to clean up the house this week and she the next, you will have a balance which will not allow you to fight because of this. Sometimes she might come very tired from work and you might be grumpy, because she needs to clean the house, but you feel she doesn’t have the mood to do so, obviously. Even if you’re grumpy because you may have also had a bad time at work, be understanding. You’re the man, the one who is supposed to be stronger than his lady and support her when she needs it. Women are emotional beings and if you are there for your lady when she needs you to be, you can be sure she will reward you ten folded.

Thinking your woman is the one to handle the vacuum cleaners in your home and being the only one responsible for general cleaning is not productive and not a realistic view. It could’ve worked in the last century, but things have changed dramatically nowadays. So my advice is to be understanding, as that’s how a man should be, patient, helpful and always encourage and recognize your lady’s efforts. Believe me, it will pay off a lot!

The Proline PFL510W-U

Don’t you just love the catchy names? I think that washing machines as a product should rebrand, maybe calling it the “Proline JetSpin Pro” or something else cool would mean we buy more, I don’t know.

Anyway, this is a great product for its price. At just £180 it has a 5k washload, 1000 rpm and A grade for efficiency, which is actually as good as more expensive machines form only a couple of years back.

Beko WMB6122W

Suggested name : The Beko Space Explorer 3000

This baby has A+ for energy efficiency for only 20 pounds more, so you are likely to make that £20 back if you go for this slight upgrade. Not only that is has 1200 rpm and a slightly bigger wash load at 6k.

Indesit IWC 6105

Suggested name: The Indesit ‘gaga’ spin ultra

Pretty much the same as the Proline, but it is a better recognised brand, which is why they are charging £199. In fairness it does have a bigger wash load than the Proline, at 6k, but all the other metrics, including the energy rating are the same. You do need to consider the reputation of each of these products. Specs are one thing but check reviews to see which is least likely to break down!

…and to be honest, I definitely prefer the white ones.

Well, I say definitely- it actually just depends on what I’m doing at the time. If I’m eating a heavy steak dinner, you just need to have red wine with it. Red wine and steak were pretty much meant for each other, so I’m not going to sabotage that instance.

Another example is when I’m with serious taste testers. I try to fit in as best as I can, and that generally isn’t going to happen if I bring some white wine to a serious wine tasting event!

Anyways- like I said, I generally prefer white wine. I’ve always had a really bad sweet tooth, and white wine seems to go perfect with that.

Plus, it doesn’t hurt that I have about 3 times the number of white wine glasses than I have red wine glasses. Even though it doesn’t really matter – I’ve drank wine out of a plastic cup before – I still feel more sophisticated when I use the right type of glass.

In fact, the reason why I have so many white wine glasses is that I told my family about my recent endeavor and they decided to help me out! For my birthday my parents got me a new set of stem-less Forever Crystal wine glasses, so that’s pretty cool.

So what’s been my favorite so far? Again I’m displaying the fact that I’m a novice- but I’m a big fan of pinot grigio. As I said I’ve always liked white wines better, and no matter what brand it is I always like this stuff.

Another wine that I like is moscato, even though it’s a different tasting white wine. The significant note is a hint of a peach-like taste, which is pleasing though odd to detect. It is also very sweet, so a lot of people don’t like it. I think that it’s not very common- the only reason I tried it was I was wandering around the back of the liquor store for a new type of wine and it was hidden in the corner. I’m glad I found it though!

Even though the wine has been great, I will say that my favorite thing has been getting to spend time with friends. Having a wine tasting at my house is always a good time, especially if I start it around dinner time. This lets us all enjoy some wine with our dinner, and then move on to the tasting portion afterwards.

If I could offer one piece of advice, I’d recommend that you know the personalities of everyone who comes. I’ve had a few people come with the intention of getting plastered, and that doesn’t always make the party fun. Even though some people are fun to have around while intoxicated, for the most part you’re just asking for trouble when that happens!

While many of my friends pre-ordered the state of the art tablet a week before its release, most of my friends decided to just wait until the tablet was available in the shops. There are many reasons why someone would want to own the new ipad. Firstly, it has an amazing retina screen. I mean, you don’t know you are born until you have watched a high definition movie on the screen on the new ipad. Even if you are not a big movie fan, however, there are still many reasons why you may wish to upgrade to the new ipad . If you are on a budget, however, you may want to consider purchasing an ipad 2, as they are now available for a reduced price. I am hoping to buy the new ipad in a few months time, as I need to save up some money first.

Having the full power of a computer in the form of a tablet would give me the flexibility that I need to get work done in a more comfortable setting. Even though I could go down to the local technology store to buy one of these devices, I am not sure that they would have what I want in stock. Plus, I want to be able to purchase some nice accessories for this device that will match. I could buy this online for a good deal and save some cash in the process. In fact, a lot of retailers are offering free shipping if you purchase online. I haven’t decided if I want to buy a warranty or not because I do want to keep my device protected.

Here are the major types of television sets that people should consider

• Digital Light Processing (DLP) – It was invented in 1987. It works by processing the light in a digital way with the help of optical semiconductor known as a Digital Micromirror Device (DMD). These days, more than 50 manufacturers have a DLP type of TV as part of their offerings
• Plasma Displays Panel (PDP) – It can be associated with topnotch electronics. In the market, people know that plasma TVs have the best picture that is suitable for everyone. Every TV that has PDP comes alongside a flat panel assortment. In comparison to LCD, they are somewhat more reasonable to purchase. The best part of it is that people can get the chance to receive the most stunning picture that will let them enjoy their viewing pleasure even more.
• Direct View – also known as a tube TV, it is among the oldest types of TV that have ever emerged. It has a cathode ray tube (CRT) that specialized in vacuum tube. From every angle, tube televisions can feature great picture quality. Nonetheless, they are bulky and somewhat heavy, but they can last for many years. Another great thing about it is that even how many years have passed; it can retain its picture quality. Some tube Sony TVs can last up to decades and still produce great color quality.
• Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) – There are many choices that people can have in the market when it comes on LCD TVs. The most popular type of LCD TV these days is the flat panel. It has a lightweight construction and also it has a thin appearance. With that said, people can get the convenience that they need to use it as either a TV or a computer screen.

In general, it is really a must to know the best TV set that can bring great entertainment for those who will have it. All they need to do is to take advantage of those major categories and choose the one they think will be the best.

The first Ford Thunderbird was unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show in 1954 with production and sales starting in the same year. Marketed as an alternative to Chevrolet’s Corvette, the Thunderbird sat comfortably in the ‘personal luxury’ car niche as opposed to a sports niche. The Thunderbird surpassed sales predictions for the first year and went on to remain in production until 1997, an impressive 42 years. The car was reprised from 2002 until 2005. The First Generation two-seater has become an iconic car in American car manufacturing history

Ford Mustang Boss 429

As one of the most iconic cars in motor history, and immortalized in film since the 60s, the Ford Mustang is one of the most sought-after classic cars on the market. The Boss 429 represented the most sophisticated example produced by Ford in the late 60s and had the highest performance outside of the Shelby Mustangs. Ford only made 859 of these cars and is was a direct result of NASCAR regulations which stipulated that at least 500 cars be sold to the general public with the racing engine for it to qualify. Ford also had to modify the engine bay of the Mustang in order to fit the massive Boss 429 engine. With so few being produced and sold  to the public, an altered front end and a massive power output, the Ford Mustang Boss 429 is one of the rarest and most collectable of all muscle cars.

Ford Escort 1

The Ford Escort was predominantly produced for the European market between 1968 and 2002, however did make appearances in America from time to time. Mainly produced as a family car the Escort was fairly unassuming, but is was in the shape of the RS2000 that the Escort really came into its own. As a rally car the Escort went on to become one of the most successful cars of the 60s and 70s under the control of The Ford Works team. The RS1600 was known to be a little temperamental from time to time and was in need of specific Ford car servicing, but it was the 16-valve Cosworth engine of the RS2000 that really made the car desirable.

Ford GT40

The Le Mans 24 Hour Race was dominated by Ferrari in the early 60s. Henry Ford had long since harbored ambitions to enter a Ford into the race that would challenge for the win. In 1963 Ford began to realize his ambition and initial prototypes for the GT40 were produces in England. With little success in endurance races throughout 1963, the project was hand to Carroll Shelby in 1964 when the cars were sent straight to the Shelby factory. Under the guidance of Shelby, the GT40 went on to dominate endurance racing from 1966 through to 1969, winning 4 consecutive editions of 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Ford Model T

The Ford Model T had to star on this short list. Generally regarded as the fist affordable automobile, the Model T enabled the American middle-classes to buy a car for the first time and subsequently single-handedly started America love affair with the car. Produced from 1908 until 1928 over 15 million Model Ts were produced ranging from 2 door touring and roadster models to pickups and wagons and were simple enough for people to work on and conduct car repair themselves. There is no question that the Model T went on to lay the foundation for all subsequent car manufacturing and as such was voted the most influential car of the 20^th century.

Saddle Up!

Chances are that if you have watched any number of old western movies, then you have seen cowboys work their way into some sort of perilous situation within the Wild West of New Mexico. You can relive those childhood dreams of becoming a cowboy by taking one of the many tours across the desolate landscapes with nothing but a guide and a tent. Camping out in the wilderness will give you some of the best experiences you can imagine.

Sample the Foods

Mexican cuisine is an interesting delicacy, if you have a sensitive stomach, you may find you will not be able to stomach the very heavy and spicy foods, but if you find yourself enjoying curries and chilli con carne’s on a normal day, then you shouldn’t have any trouble handling these foods.

The cuisine in Santa Fe has had many influences from different cultures, Native American, Spanish, Mexican and the Anglo-American settlers who built the majority of Santa Fe have all had a resounding influence on the cuisine. These dishes are not found anywhere else in the world and are cooked by some of the world’s most underrated chefs.

Look out for the Sopaipillas!

Santa Fe sweet delicasy Sopaipillas

Stunning architecture

There are some stunning buildings located around Santa Fe, many of great architectural, political and historical interest.

For historic architecture there is the Barrio De Analco Historic District, which includes what are claimed to be the oldest house and the oldest church in the United States. The whole district was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1968.

The San Miguel Mission (pictured) is claimed to be the oldest church in the United States and still holds the weekly Sunday mass.

Relaxation

One of the premier locations for relaxation is the Japanese inspired “Ten Thousand Waves” which makes the most of the natural landscape, by turning the Geysers, hot spa’s, cold mountain water into features of this spa.

These are just some of the finer points of Santa Fe, the choice of hotels and upmarket campervan parks is near unending and will make a stark contrast to the amazing Caribbean Spa Holidays. You will never be short of things to do and to experience the “Wild West” where it all began is an opportunity that can’t be missed.

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