A Look At What Kensington Has To Offer
This is a mundane name for a prestigious district, but the High Street is the spine of this walk. Kensington Palace is tucked away with astonishing modesty (compared with Buckingham Palace) and is all the more enjoyable as a result.
There are fine residential streets, two fascinating small museums of the 19C, a particularly leafy and underestimated park and some good shops. These ingredients add up to one of the richest (in two senses) walks in this guide. Note that Leighton House is closed on.
Travel on the Circle and District Lines can be frustrating but is necessary to reach High Street Kensington station, the start and finish of this walk. You emerge from the station through a modern shopping mall to blink in the High Street, with shops stretching away left and right. Opposite, the Bank Melli Iran occupies a compact, very domestic-looking 19C building, it was the Old Vestry Hall, a reminder that this was once the village centre, with the church towering behind.
Turn right. The first main block of shops you reach is the former Derry and Toms now divided into the usual chain stores but once second only to Barkers as one of the great department stores of High Street Kensington. It still has a roof garden, originally a popular feature and still worth visiting for its planting, views and protected birds. It is open occasionally via a separate entrance at 99 High Street Kensington.
Cross Derry Street and behold an even bigger emporium, John Barker and Co now divided up but still to be read as a single building in Parisian Art Deco style by Bernard George. The two thin towers with vertical glazing seem both confident and vulnerable, still conveying a past glamour.
Opposite is a nasty heavy Classical store, also built for Barkers but ten years earlier and certainly devoid of any glamour whatsoever: this is equally true of Richard Seiferts Royal Garden Hotel next door (1965), a slab and podium which manages to make Modernism seem vulgar. There are some interesting blocks on the south side.
Cross over into Kensington Gardens to visit Kensington Palace. There are two reasons to see the palace. First, it is important historically and architecturally with work by Sir Christopher Wren and William Kent, and the state apartments provide a fine tour. Second it is enjoying a growing reputation as a museum of royal dress, with both permanent and changing exhibitions.
Archy Ash writes for Property Helper ltd. a site aimed at where people should buy property and their Kensington property needs at http://property-helper.co.uk
Discover the Beauty of Bulgaria
Occupying the eastern area of the Balkan Peninsula in Southeastern Europe, Bulgaria is bordered by Romania to the north; the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Republic of Macedonia to the west, the Black Sea to the east and Greece to the south.
Geography
Bulgaria spans an area of 111,000 sq. km. The topography is extremely varied with large plains and lowlands to mountains, valleys and deep, fascinating gorges.
The Balkan ranges, also called the Stara Planina, Bulgarian for mountains, traverse the country from west to east. To the north of the Balkans and forming a major part of the northern border is a fertile plateau that runs right through and joins the Danube River. The Rhodope range in the southwest includes Musala Mountain, the highest point in Bulgaria. To the east of Rhodope and the south of the Balkans lies the Thracian plain. The principal rivers include the Danube, the Struma, the Marista and the Iskur.
Population
86.6% of the population of 8,428, 006 follow the Eastern Orthodox religion while 13% are Muslims. Bulgarian is the main language spoken here; other languages include English, French, Russian and German.
Climate
On the whole Bulgaria has a continental climate with four clearly marked seasons. However, the climate in the southern regions of the country exhibits a largely Mediterranean influence. The average annual temperature is around 10.5 C. In January the temperature could dip down to 0C, whereas summer temperatures hover around 30C; rarely going above.
Monetary unit: Lev
Economy
Under the Soviet-style economy of Bulgaria, almost all industrial and agricultural enterprises were controlled by the state until 1989. However, the 1990’s saw a market-oriented reform that was precipitated by a stagnant economy, massive foreign debt, an inefficient and obsolete industrial complex and shortages of energy and food as well as basic consumer goods.
Post World War II saw the industrialization of this traditionally agricultural country. Major industries include machine building, engineering, food processing, metalworking and production of electronics, chemicals and textile. Agriculture still accounts for over 20% of the gross national product with principal crops being wheat, barley, corn, vegetables, oil-seeds, fruit and tobacco.
People
The population of Bulgaria consists primarily of Bulgars, with a substantial minority of Turks. Though there are several smaller groups of Macedonians and Gypsies, in keeping with its historic claim to Macedonia, Bulgaria refuses to recognize the Macedonians as a distinct group from the Bulgars.
History
The first Bulgarian state, located along the north coast of the Black Sea was established in 635 AD. Bulgaria spent the first half of the 20th century marred by political and social unrest. Following the First and Second Balkan Wars in 1912 and 1913, Bulgaria entered World War II, during which 30,000 Bulgarian troops were killed.
In the mid 1900’s communism emerged as the dominant political force and Bulgaria became a satellite of the Soviet Union. Democratic changes came about sometime in 1989 and the very first multi-party elections were held. There was a period of economic and social turmoil during the time that Bulgaria was trying to emerge from the throes of communism, which ended in a severe financial and economic crisis towards the end of 1996.
On March 29th 2004, Bulgaria became a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and in 2005, its membership for the EU was approved, subject to the implementation of reforms. A coalition government was formed in June 2005, with Socialist Party leader Sergei Stanishev as the Prime Minister, after no party received a clear majority in the 2005 general elections. Bulgaria became a European Union member on 1st January 2007.
Sandra Lightowler is the owner of http://www.informationbulgaria.com the leading online information site for Bulgaria.
Spanish Beaches
Almost 350 days of sunshine, three thousand catalogued beaches and nearly 8,000 kilometres of coastline make Spain a favourite destination for those in search of sun and sand any time of the year. Spain’s beaches are safe, clean, easily accessible and environmentally friendly. These features are backed by the quality certificates granted to the beaches after assessing these parameters. Year after year, Spain continues to be amongst the countries that receives the most Q for Quality awards in Europe.
There are plenty of beaches to choose from, each of them unique and different from the other; unspoiled country beaches and crowded city beaches, some broad with endless stretches of sand, others tiny and almost hidden from view. Whilst every beach has a distinct charm of its own, there are certain spots that should be included in your must-see list; the never-ending sandy beach at Zahara de los Atunes; Vejer de la Frontera, a charming Moorish town set on the top of a hill; the pristine coast of Chiclana, Sanlucar de Barrameda, Chipiona, Conil de la Frontera and Rota; the Bolonia cove with the Roman ruins of Baelo Claudia; Canos de Meca, where the Trafalgar lighthouse looks out over the horizon and the spectacular cliffs of Barbate.
The White Sandy Beaches of Majorca
Majorca, a privileged destination in the Balearic Islands offers you some of the most outstanding coves and beaches along 550 kilometres of coast. The crystal clear, clean waters are perfect for an assortment of water sports including scuba diving, windsurfing, water skiing, surfing, sailing and fishing. Go towards the north of the island and you will be greeted by small, charming coves set between pine groves and cliffs.
The Year-Round Sunny Beaches of Cadiz
Windsurfing in crystal clear waters; exciting water sports; pine groves that reach down to the shore, fascinating little coves, gigantic cliffs that rise more than 100 metres high; sand dunes, and endless beaches of shimmering white sand along 260 kilometres of coastline, the Cadiz coast invites you to bask in the sunshine in summer and in winter too. Located in Andalucia, the Cadiz coast has several protected nature areas including sand dunes, salt flats, cliffs, pine forests and pastureland for rearing fighting bulls.
Sun, Sand and Culture on the Costa Brava
Occupying a large portion of the Catalonian coata, the Costa Brava entices visitors with its crystalline seawater, rugged cliffs, small coves hidden between rocky outcrops, underwater paradise areas, charming whitewashed fishing villages and nature reserves with untouched, green landscapes. Extending over 200 kilometres over the north of Catalonia in the province of Girona and with a rich history behind it, a holiday on the Costa Brava is awash with tradition and culture; monasteries and churches; archaeological sites and monumental sites.
Leisure and Luxury on the Costa del Sol
An average annual temperature of 18C, warm inviting waters of the Mediterranean Sea, endless stretches of spectacular sandy beaches and an abundance of luxury hotels and facilities make the Costa del Sol a playground for the rich and famous at any time of the year.
One Of Its Kind – The Basque Coast
The Basque Coast in northern Spain offers 252 kilometres of coastline washed by the Cantabrian Sea and dotted with landscapes in intense shades of green and blue. Mountains, cliffs, nature reserves and estuaries surround broad beaches of shimmering gold sand. The setting is perfect for kayaking, sailing and surfing.
Sandra Lightowler is the owner of http://www.askolive.com the leading online information and Business Directory for Andalucia Spain.
North Cyprus – Land Of Spectacular Beauty
Fabulous sunshine almost all year round combined with spectacular scenic beauty, pristine beaches and exotic foods make North Cyprus a much sought after destination. More popularly described as ‘A corner of earth touched by heaven’, tourists come to visit but are smitten forever and end up wanting to call North Cyprus home. All this, combined with good infrastructure, superior quality of construction and affordable real estate prices make North Cyprus a good place to by a vacation home.
North Cyprus offers property buyers that very rare opportunity of owning beach vacation-houses at very realistic prices. This is made all the more irresistible by the superb coastal motor way that links all the main towns as well as the continued investment in local infrastructure.
Buying a vacation house on the beach is a great way to accommodate family and friends who are holidaying in North Cyprus and are looking for a place to stay. If you own a vacation home on a beach in North Cyprus you can also rent it out to tourists who come to stay long-term in winter in order the escape the biting cold of their own countries. Whether you buy it for personal holidays or as a real estate investment, a Cyprus beach vacation home in just about any coastal location is a tempting proposition. You can sit back and watch your investment grow and increase even as you bask in the sunshine in this sunny paradise.
If you intend purchasing a vacation home in Cyprus you will have to first sign an agreement with the company that owns the selected property. You will then have to get the contract signed at a cost of L1.50 per L1000 of the value of the contract. Within a month of getting it signed, the contract is deposited at the Land Registry for the purpose of securing the Purchaser’s rights.
Foreign investors are required to furnish proof that they have sufficient funds in foreign currency to cover the cost of securing the purchase. This money should necessarily have been transferred to the Cyprus Central Bank from an external account. If you intend cash and are carrying it with you in person, you will need to furnish proof that you had declared the same at the airport. After obtaining approval of import from the Cyprus Central Bank, the same has to be furnished to the Land Registry prior to getting the Title Deed of the chosen property transferred into your name. An application also has to be made to the Council of Ministers for obtaining permission to own property in Cyprus.
Find properties in northern cyprus at http://www.sweetwaterbay.co.uk/