Fires Threaten Hollywood Sign and Catalina Island

If you plan to visit Southern California this summer or have friends or family living there you may be concerned about all the wild fires. Recent reports and video on TV showed the fires which continue to plague the drought-ridden area.  Last week fires raged in Griffith Park in Los Angeles. This area is home to the L.A. Zoo, Observatory and also the famous Hollywood sign.

Having spent many idyllic days on Santa Catalina Island (located approx. 20 miles off the coast) I was sad to see the fires had struck there too. If you’ve never been there make sure you visit next time you’re in S. California.  Ferries from Long Beach or San Pedro will take you there, or go by helicopter. There are high speed ferries and slower boats, depending on how much you want to spend and how much you like being on the water – you may spot whales and dolphins. We used to take a sailboat to Catalina Island for weekends, drop anchor in a cove and go ashore for barbecues. Once you’re there in bare feet, shorts and tee-shirt it’s hard to believe the metropolis of L.A. is so close.  It’s another world, and you could easily believe you’re in the Caribbean or other tropical island paradise.

Catalina has facilities and boat trips for scuba divers, plus kelp beds you can access off the waterfront close to the Casino. It’s a bit scary trying to lower yourself down over the slippery rocks into the water with a heavy tank on your back, but once you’re in and weightless it’s well worth it to explore the tangled and mysterious world of the kelp forest. To the other side of Avalon, where the ferries land, there’s a lovely beach for snorkelling. You’ll see the bright orange native Garibaldi fish and many others.  I was lucky enough to swim above a baby octopus as he played hide and seek with me, peering shyly from behind rocks as he tried to evade my masked admiration. 

The town of Avalon is a great place to stroll with its restaurants, shops and quaint inns, and then there’s the lovely old 1920’s casino on the waterfront. The former Wrigley mansion sits on a hill overlooking the pretty horse-shoe shaped bay of Avalon. You could rent a golf cart or bicycle or take a Jeep Eco-Tour of the island and see the American Bison (left over from filming a movie). Other activities include kayaking, fishing, swimming, horseback riding and parasailing.  Or you could take in a round of golf or just relax in the sun. 

The island was once owned by William Wrigley Jr. (chewing gum fame) who turned it into a glamorous resort and opened the Casino which attracted the likes of Clark Gable, Charlie Chaplin, and Jean Harlow and still attracts modern-day celebs.  Films such as Mutiny on the Bounty and The Ten Commandments were shot there.  Tours are available of the working ranch where the Wrigley family bred Arabian horses.  For such a small island there is so much to do and see.  Don’t forget the Museum located in the old Casino.  Website:  www.catalina.com.

Are You Planning a Retirement with Lots of Travel?

Pensions are right up there with other boring matters we have to deal with like taxes and insurance! We spend our working lives squeezing the most fun we can out of our annual paid holiday allocation and making the best of long holiday weekends. It’s no good just dreaming of a comfortable retirement when we will have the time and money to relax and take leisurely trips to places we’ve always dreamed of - it takes some planning. 

It’s a good idea to find out where you stand regarding your UK pension.  If you’ve spent time living and working abroad you should also find out how much pension you have coming from that country - their consulate is a good place to start your enquiry.  A UK pension forecast can tell you how much you’re likely to receive on top of any foreign pension you’ve earned. I did that myself recently and it was quite a surprise so thought I’d pass along some of the information. 

Take a look at your pension forecast now – even if it seems a very long way off. The amount you contribute today will be very important when that day eventually comes. It’s recommended that you review your pension contributions at least once a year to make sure they are sufficient to give you the income level you expect later on. If your life circumstances change in any way, such as getting married or divorced, changing jobs or becoming self-employed you should also reassess your situation. The pension rules changed in April last year, so it’s a good idea to take a look at where you stand now.

If you’re not sure about your company pension rights talk to your employer, their human resources department, or a financial advisor. If you’ve lost track of any pension plans you may have had in the past contact the Pension Tracing Service on 0845 6002 537 (textphone 0845 3000 169) or complete an online form. If abroad call +44 (0) 19 1218 2466.  For information and to apply online click on the following: www.direct.gov.uk/en/Over50s/RetirementAndPensions/AboutToRetire.

By the year 2010 the age to qualify for all pensions will be 55 years for personal or company pensions.  Individual pension schemes differ so it’s a good idea to find out now if you’re not sure. In certain circumstances you may be able to take your pension before age 55, such as being unable to work due to illness. The minimum age women will qualify for a State Pension will gradually rise from 60 to 65 between 2010 and 2020. The Human Resources department at your company should be able to provide you with details.

Check your pension online by using a calculator to estimate how much you’re likely to draw upon retirement based on the amount you’re saving now.  Try www.pensioncalculator.org.uk or one of the others listed on the search engines.  A State Pension forecast can only tell you how much you are likely to get based on current rates because it is increased annually by the rate of inflation. To obtain a personal forecast contact the Pension Forecasting Team on 0845 3000 0168 (textphone 0845 3000 169) or online www.thepensionservice.gov.uk or www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/PensionsAndRetirement.

Slip Slop Slap and Other Tanning Matters

Travel insurance won’t cover damage to your skin if you decide to lie out in the sun and fry yourself on holiday. We missed the boat a bit because the official Sun Awareness Week was last week, but thought we should mention it anyway as it is so important. This is the time of year when we are all thinking about our sunny summer hols and getting a nice suntan. The British Association of Dermatologists’ and British Skin Foundation hold an annual campaign to promote sun safety. This year it was from May 7-13. 

There we were thinking we were doing enough… smugly covering our bodies with sunscreen, wearing loose clothing and hats. Then a new Lancet report comes along to cast doubts about all that.  It seems that fabrics like linen and cotton may not be enough to keep out the rays. Apparently we’d be better off wearing thick and tightly-woven garments made of fabrics like denim, polyester and wool, which would offer better protection.  Who wants to go out in the sun wearing wool or polyester? To go along with your high SPF sunscreen you’d need some HPF (high pong-factor) deodorant.

In Australia and New Zealand the successful Slip-Slop-Slap campaign has been about for years to educate the public and prevent skin cancer. The popular slogan literally means to slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen and slap on a hat - to protect from harmful UV rays.  The Down Under campaign to raise awareness later included Slip-Slop-Slap-Wrap – a reminder to wear sunglasses. Visit: www.cancer.org.au/content.cfm?randid=906824.

Having lived abroad for many years I was guilty of exposing my fair British skin to a lot of sun – sometimes with sunscreen, sometimes not.  I had a few bad burns during sailing and skiing trips where the reflected light is very intense. A tiny red patch developed on my cheek which wouldn’t go away and would repeatedly bleed and scab over if I scratched at it.  I knew enough to know that moles weren’t the only signs to watch for, so took myself off to a doctor.  A biopsy revealed skin cancer - a basal cell carcinoma - not the really bad kind, but it had to be removed. I was in my early thirties - not old!

Back here in the U.K. friends comment and ask why I wear sunglasses any time the sun is out and sometimes when it’s overcast. This is not an attempt to look hip or mysterious!  I tell them they should wear sunglasses too, but many don’t take it seriously.  Brits have not had much cause to worry about sun damage before but with global warming, climate change, and a scorching summer forecast we all need to start being a bit more savvy and take care of ourselves.  Eyes also need protection from the sun’s harmful rays.  Make sure you invest in a good pair though – don’t buy the darkest ones you can find at Woolies or the petrol station.  Wearing cheap sunglasses – especially very dark ones - could cause more damage than if you wore none at all.  Dark lenses cause your pupils to dilate wider – which lets in more harmful rays!  If you don’t believe it, have a look at: www.health.uab.edu/default.aspx?pid=68489

Ask family or a close friend to check your nether regions for suspicious moles or spots.  If you don’t have any friends who want to get that close then use mirrors or ask your GP!  If moles appear suddenly, start behaving differently, or are in a location where they are constantly rubbed by clothing, have them looked at by a health professional. For more in- depth information do some research for yourself on sites such as The British Skin Foundation: www.britishskinfoundation.org.uk and The Institute of Cancer Research:  www.safe-campaign.org.

Travelsafe for Safer Holiday Accommodation

We all take out travel insurance to cover unexpected events which might affect our plans or to cover our personal property. However, we cannot always be sure of the safety of the accommodation we are booked into abroad.  Who can forget the tragic news reports about the deaths of the two children from carbon monoxide poisoning in Corfu last summer.  That awful event highlighted the need for safety checks of accommodations to protect holidaymakers abroad.

We saw a report that some of the top accommodation booking companies, including OnHoliday Group/Jet2holidays and Lowcostbeds are signing up to a new scheme aimed to monitor the safety of holiday accommodation. The Travelsafe health and safety accreditation system will blacklist any hotels, villas or apartments if they don’t pass the new safety standard tests.  Under the new system, it will mean the properties they list as safe have been checked via a self-audit or full audit in various health and safety areas such as fire, swimming pool, food hygiene and child safety.  Hotels will be rated accordingly and the information made available to travel agents and tour operators.  Hoteliers can do a self-assessment, or a full audit may be carried out with resulting ratings of Gold, Silver, Bronze or Non-Compliant.

Any hotels that are found to be unsafe for any reason will be given the chance to make changes and if they still fail to do so they will be blacklisted from Travelsafe member sites. The system cannot guarantee there will never be any problems at all, but the standard it sets should help to avoid any more tragedies like Corfu.

It could also mean changes for those who own and rent out their overseas properties. If the rental is managed through a major UK tour operator or advertised on a holiday letting website and they are members of Travelsafe then the property will have to undergo the health and safety checks prior to being offered for letting.  This seems like a good start.  Website:  www.travelsafe.biz.

Airline and Other Travel News

If you intend to see a lot of the U.S. during your trip you might be wondering which airline to use to hop between States. A new airline called Skybus is now operating with budget domestic flights. These flights will only interest you if you don’t mind flying into airports outside the major ones, such as Burbank instead of LAX (Los Angeles) and Bellingham instead of Seattle’s Seattle-Tacoma International (aka Sea-Tac). Skybus has budget fares but charges for just about everything else. www.skybus.com.

• Virgin Atlantic has started flying from Heathrow to Chicago (www.virgin-atlantic.com)
• Easyjet is now flying from Bristol to Milan’s Milpensa (www.easyjet.com)
• Flybe has started flights from Southampton to Frankfurt (www.flybe.com)
• Flyglobespan is now offering budget flights from several UK airports to destinations in Canada (www.flyglobespan.com)
• MAXjet, the business-class airline will fly from Stansted to Los Angeles from August 30th (www.maxjet.com)

Claustrophobic travellers won’t be taking up the offer of Indian airline Jet Airways for a private cabin on flights from Heathrow to Mumbai. First class passengers can book a private ‘suite’ with its own flat bed, flatscreen TV, wardrobe and sliding door. At 3’ x 8’ (26 sq. ft) this sounds more like a flying coffin than a suite.  It’s okay if you’re sure you can sleep or watch TV for the entire trip, but I think I’d prefer some human company and gratefully sit in the screaming baby section. It’s also not for the budget traveller as fares are over £4,400 round trip! (www.jetairways.com)

We thought this tip was worth passing along…  In many Caribbean Islands, including Barbados, Grenada, Antigua and St. Lucia it is an offence to wear camouflage clothing.  We saw a report of a traveller having an item of camouflage clothing confiscated in Antigua.  As this type of clothing is currently very fashionable we’d advise you to do a double check of the items your children are planning to wear and unpack any of these items pronto or face losing them!

Star Wars Exhibitions in London and Los Angeles

Sci-Fi fans out there are no doubt very excited about the Star Wars Exhibition being held in London this month and continuing through September. The event is a European celebration for the 30th anniversary of the Star Wars phenomenon. The touring exhibit will give fans a chance to see some of the costumes and vehicles used in the films as well as original film props, costumes and art. The displays include a life-size Naboo N-1 Starfighter and Luke Skywalker’s landspeeder hovercraft.  If you always fancied yourself as a Jedi a taste of the training will be available with a Jedi knight, using a green screen and light sabres to put you into the action. There are rumours that bad guy Darth Vader might put in an appearance. The exhibition is on now at County Hall, Westminster (close to the London Eye).  For more information visit: www.Starwarstheexhibition.com.

To top off the Star Wars celebrations in London, a ‘Star Wars Celebration Europe’ party will be held at the ExCel London exhibition centre from 13-15 July. It will include celebrities from all six films, exhibits, merchandise, and much more. For information visit:  www.celebrationeurope.com.

Star Wars events have been held throughout the U.S. on a regular basis over the years.  However, as four of the six films were actually shot in the UK it makes London the perfect place for this first major European Star Wars event.  If you’ll be in Los Angeles during May a Star Wars Celebration IV event is planned at the Los Angeles Convention Centre from May 24 through May 28.  For information visit: www.gencon.com/2007/swciv.

According to reports from Star City, Russia, cosmonauts would rather stay in space than return to Earth if they had the choice. The problem is that being mere humans they suffer from muscle wasting after any length of time at zero-gravity. Despite daily workouts on the space station they have to re-learn how to walk upon return to Earth. Space tourism is readily available to those who have a few spare million to spend. You’d think with all that money they could afford a crash course at Jedi School to iron out these annoying mortal problems. 

For those who don’t have the spare cash Buzz Aldrin, the second astronaut to walk on the moon, announced plans to hold a lottery for a ticket into outer-space www.sharespace.org.

This Sunday is Mother’s Day in the U.S.

In case you have relatives living in the U.S. and might have forgotten… this Sunday, May 13th, is Mother’s Day over there.  It tends to get overlooked by Brits - with the UK’s Mothering Sunday being celebrated during March.  For information visit:  www.mothers-day.123holiday.net.

Europe’s 2007 Summer Music Festivals

Planning a backpacking trip this summer? Why not take in some of Europe’s music festivals. Here’s a selection we found, with dates and links. Don’t forget to take out Backpacker Insurance: http://www.travel-insurance.net/backpacking/backpacker-travel-insurance.php.

June 29-July 1 – Roskilde, Denmark (near Copenhagen)
Line-up includes Radiohead, Arctic Monkeys, Franz Ferdinand, Goldfrapp, Guns ‘n Roses, Morrissey.   www.roskilde-festival.dk

July 6-9 - Exit, Novi Sad, Serbia.
Line-up includes: Franz Ferdinand, Jeff Mills, Pet Shop Boys, Billy Idol. www.exitfest.org.

July 6-8 – Open’er Festival, Poland
Line-up includes: Franz Ferdinand, The Streets, Groove Armada, Placebo.www.opener.pl

July 14-15 – Summercase, Barcelona and Madrid (two venues)
Line-up includes:  Massive Attack, Daft Punk, Primal Scream, Catch New Order, Keane.  www.summercase.com

July 15 – Berlin Love Parade
Huge street party and parade.  www.berlin-life.com/berlin/love-parade

July 11-16 – Traffic, Turin, Italy
Line-up includes:  The Strokes, Franz Ferdinand.  www.trafficfestival.com

July 20-24 – FIB, Benicassim, Spain (Valencia)
Line-up includes:   Arctic Monkeys, The B-52’s, Dinosaur Jr., Iggy and the Stooges, Muse, Wilco, Amy Winehouse.  www.fiberfib.com

July 28-30 – Fuji Rocks, Japan (close to Mt. Fuji!)
Line-up includes:  Scissor Sister, Franz Ferdinand, Red Hot Chili Peppers. www.fujirockfestival.com.

August 5-6 – Hi:Fi, Ireland (close to Dublin)
Line-up includes:  The Streets, Ian Brown, Razorlight, The Prodigy. www.hififestival.ie

August 9-16 – Sziget, Budapest (Obuda Island)
Line-up includes: Radiohead, Franz Ferdinand, The Prodigy, Iggy and the Stooges.  www.sziget.hu

August 17-19 – Pukkelpop, Belgium
Line-up includes:  Massive Attack, Radiohead, Daft Punk, and Keane. www.pukkelpop.be

August 25-26 – Rock en Seine, Paris
Line-up includes:  Morrisey, Beck and Radiohead.  www.rockenseine.com

September 2 – Electric Picnic, Ireland
Line-up includes:  Massive Attack, Jaxx, Groove Armada, Anthony and the Johnsons, PJ Harvey, Super Furry Animals, New Order and Yeah Yearh Yeahs. www.electricpicnic.ie.

September 8 – Bestival, Isle of Wight
Line-up includes:  Scissor Sisters, Pet Shop Boys.  www.bestival.net.

Find Exchange Rate Deals Outside the USA

With the pound at two dollars savvy travellers are flocking to America. However, if you’ve already ‘Done the States and got the tee-shirts’ you might consider other locations to take advantage of the weak dollar for your bargain trip. 

Travel agents have reported a 30% increase in bookings to the most popular destinations in the USA like California, Florida and New York. Don’t forget the rules while you’re out on your shopping spree…You can only bring back clothes, electronics and other goodies duty-free up to the value of £145.  Any purchase above a total of £145 will mean the addition of 17.5% VAT and other duties. Financial gurus are predicting that the dollar will continue to fall and will almost certainly remain at about the current level for this year - so no need to panic or worry that you will miss out. 

The favourable exchange rate also works for many other countries where the Dollar is used for tourism, like Dubai, Hong Kong, the Caribbean and Cambodia.  Do your homework and you’ll find that for any locations that use the US Dollar (USD) you will be saving money. You could try the U.S. or British Virgin Islands (the BVI’s also uses USD), Panama, Ecuador, Turks and Caicos, Singapore, Malaysia and United Arab Emirates for starters.  

If you don’t mind patching your own trip together many hotel rates are advertised in dollars, so you can hunt for the best deals and find a budget airfare.  You may not do as well if you choose to go through a tour operator unless you’re sure they have discounted their prices accordingly.  Many cruises are priced using the USD so you could find a great deal there, especially if you can find yourself an airline deal to match.  So this may be the year to jet off to your dream island paradise or go on that long-dreamed-of cruise, safari or nature expedition!

Guard Your Possessions - Wherever You Travel!

As you venture off for the long Bank Holiday weekend remember to pack your brains. We went off to Mallorca/Majorca and forgot ours. For travellers who purchase travel insurance thinking it automatically covers everything – we have a sobering lesson to pass on. There are warnings everywhere and everyone knows to watch out for thieves and pickpockets when travelling. It only takes one time to let your guard down for the worst to happen.  We cannot emphasize enough that you should read your insurance policy (wherever you buy it) so that you understand the coverage.  Read the following story and learn from our experience:

Several members of the TIA team have visited Mallorca at different times over the past year.  It is a very beautiful island – particularly the breathtaking scenery of the north-western coast.  We rented a car and toured most of the island, finding each area had its different charms. We chose to take advantage of a great hotel deal in a quiet, secluded location just west of Palma during an off peak time.  The island was not too crowded and we were blessed with warm, sunny weather. We had a lovely, relaxing break, except for one thing…

Being amateur bird-watchers we stopped off at the famous Natural Park at S’Albufera, on the north coast, hoping for a glimpse of a Hoopoe. We parked just off the main road, in an exposed parking area across from a large hotel complex. I put my bag containing many treasured possessions (cash, credit cards, prescription glasses, mobile phone, UK driver’s license, etc.) in the boot and locked it. It was the first time I had let the bag out of my sight, having kept it glued to my side up until that point.  Thank goodness I took my nice digital camera with me on the walk and we had left our passports locked safely away at the hotel.

We were only gone about half an hour because it was getting late.  We returned to find the car door lock broken… Thieves had broken into the car, pulled down the back seats, got into the boot – and stolen my bag. Anyone who has had a similar experience will know the feeling of shock, disbelief – and violation! They also got my treasured and irreplaceable travel journal.  My companion had his mobile phone and wallet with him so we called the TIA office and cancelled my bank cards first.  The bank staff (Lloyds TSB) were extremely helpful and efficient. We learned that within ten minutes of us leaving the car the thieves had gone to a cash machine and tried to use the cards – unsuccessfully. 

To cut a long story short, our holiday was spoilt. We had to deal with Spanish police, not one of whom spoke a word of English and our Spanish was phrase book level (they pointed to a sign saying we’d have to pay for a translator). We wanted to file a police report of the crime as we strongly suspected we knew the spot where we had been targeted and followed and hoped the police would follow up to stop it happening to others, but to no avail.  We then had to find an office of the car rental company to report the damage.  It occurred to us we should also alert our hotel because the thieves had written details of our hotel - and the key card to the room.  It was a nightmare and it left a bad taste, but could have happened anywhere.  We were assured by a nice British lady at the car rental place that it was not the Spanish people robbing us, but very professional gangs of foreigners. They see it all the time…  Not much consolation though.

Needless to say, we had travel insurance!  Here’s the part that may surprise you… The policy does not cover cash or valuables left in an unattended motor vehicle (see policy for definition of Valuables).  Even if locked in the boot!  This is a general rule for all travel insurance policies.  We knew that of course… but we were on holiday. The moral of the tale is never, ever let your guard down for a minute or leave your treasured possessions unattended!  In the general exclusions of our travel insurance policy you are advised against: ‘Your wilful exposure to peril. You must exercise reasonable care to prevent illness, injury or loss or damage to your personal property as if uninsured.’   The rules apply to us too!  We never did see the Hoopoe, but we learned an expensive lesson we’ll never forget. We hope it never happens to you.  Enjoy the weekend – and hang on to your possessions.  Website: www.majorca-mallorca.co.uk.