Brac is the largest islands in the central Dalmatian region of Croatia and Postira is specifically located on its northern coast. Postira is an excellent representation of a quaint Dalmatian town bathed with narrow streets, small houses, green meadows and old vineyards. Dominating its skyline is the Baroque Church of St. John the Baptist. These days, the town is also populated by various hotels; bed and breakfasts; and private apartments to accommodate the growing number of tourists who are lured to the village’s charm and tranquil beauty.

Postira is blessed with a long history, which goes all the way back to the 14th century. Even today, you can find structures and remnants that serve as reminders of the real age of the village. When you go to the village port, you cannot miss the row of stone houses that used to be properties of wealthy families in Brac. The Palace Lazanic is among these striking buildings. The house was also the home of Vladimir Nazor, a celebrated Croatian poet.

The village’s serene valleys and lovely bays make a lasting impression on anyone who sets foot on Postira. The people here are known for their friendliness and hospitality; traits that definitely help create a memorable vacation. At the heart of town, establishments like a fish market, butcher shops, post office, restaurants, shops and cafes welcome new and returning visitors. “Pink Panther’, “Barcode” and “Laman” are just some of the bars and restaurants that have made a name for themselves in the town.

Prominent hotels in the area are also equipped with their own bars. If you find a restaurant with your preferred ambiance and price range, don’t hesitate to order some traditional Dalmatian food! After having that much needed relaxation time; engage yourself in outdoor activities available at Postira such as boating, biking, hiking and other popular water sports.

One of the village’s many assets is its proximity to gorgeous beaches and lovely bays perfect for swimming and relaxation. One of the main beaches to explore near town is the pebble beach called Hele. Other beaches you should consider visiting include Zalo, Molo Lozna, Rat, Vrilo, Prja and Zastivanje. If you want to spend time on a sandy beach, just head out a few kilometers from the town proper to discover Lovrecina, one of the most popular beaches on the island. This beach has also become a favorite among returning visitors because of its facilities, which include a beach bar, restaurant and volleyball courts.

La Tomatina Festival is the distinct food fight event held on the last Wednesday of August of every year. It attracts thousands of Spanish tourists and also other nationalities from all over. The town of Bunol is located near the Spanish region of Valencia. Its streets within the old town vicinity are the main venues for the fun tomato-throwing event. About 40,000 to 50,000 people participate in this amazing fight, making Bunol’s regular small population swell up during the one-week lone festival. If you are concerned about wasting tomatoes at the event, don’t worry. The world’s biggest food fight make use of only slightly over 100 metric tons of over- ripe tomatoes.

To protect the different shops surrounding the food fight venue, owners place plastic covers on their store facade before the tomato fight. Then several trucks carrying loads of tomatoes drive into the center of the town named Plaza del Pueblo. The first event of La Tomatina begins at about 11 am, and the firing of the water canon marks the start of the tomato battle, where every person is responsible for himself. After an hour, the water cannons are fired again to signal the end of the fight.

Participating in the La Tomatina Festival may be the most enjoyable and messiest experience you will ever have in your life. But because the event has the potential to get to rowdy, participants are asked to observe some rules. It is highly recommended that you wear protective goggles and gloves during the food fight. There is a possibility that some revelers will try to rip off your clothing, even though it is prohibited to do so. Glass bottles and hard objects are not allowed during the fight, and you must always squash the tomatoes before throwing them. It is best to wear closed shoes that can be thrown away as wearing flip flops can easily get your feet hurt. If you plan to take photos of the festivities, don’t forget to bring a waterproof or covered camera.

The tomato fight is not the only activity during La Tomatina. Expect a lot of dancing, firework displays, parades and even a cooking competition on the famous Spanish dish called paella. To control the number of people who can participate in the food fight, the local government has implemented a ticketing policy. Make sure to book the ticket well in advance.

Tour Departures

There are two locations for taking a helicopter tour, and one of them is in Vegas, while the other is in Arizona. Helicopters that depart from Vegas fly to the West Rim and the choppers that depart from Tusayan fly to the South Rim of the Canyon. Just so you know, there are no flights between the two rims. So if you want to take a helicopter tour of the South Rim, but you’re staying in Vegas, then you need to take a plane to the South Rim where you can then begin your tour.

Another thing to know is that the temperatures are colder at the South Rim. That’s because the South Rim sits at an elevation of 6700 feet. The West Rim, on the other hand, has an elevation of only 4700 feet. At the South Rim, daytime temps from December to March hover around 40 to 50 degrees in the day and they drop to 18 to 25 at night. The West Rim has warmer daytime temperatures that reach into the 60s and 70s, but the nights are a little chilly with 40 degree temps.

It’s even possible you’ll see snow on your winter Canyon tour. The snow usually doesn’t last too long in the area, so it isn’t too common for tours to get grounded due to the weather. Snow events usually happen on the South Rim, it’s unusual for it to snow on the West Rim, but it does happen occasionally.

Refunds For Canceled Tours

If a bad storm does cause your helicopter tour to be canceled, your tour operator should refund all of your money. The only time you may run into trouble is if you book your tour through a tour consolidator that is in the business of buying and filling empty seats because they can remove the refund policy from the deal. For that reason, you want to buy your Canyon tour directly from a tour company and avoid middlemen like Expedia, Hotwire, and Priceline.

Also, consider what you will wear on your winter tour. Dressing in layers is the best way to go. Decide on your base layer. A t-shirt or a warm polyester shirt is a good choice. You probably have tops like that already and won’t need to buy anything new. Wear a sweater on top of your shirt and a warm jacket or parka on top of that. Also, be sure to wear sturdy shoes with wool socks, warm pants, gloves, and a scarf.

Dressing for the weather is more important than ever if you book a landing tour. The only place you can take a landing tour is from Vegas to the West Rim, since the helicopters at the South Rim can’t land at the Canyon. When you take a landing tour, you can add on tickets to the Skywalk, enjoy a Champagne picnic, or take a boat ride on the Colorado River. The landing tours fill up fast because they are very popular with Vegas travelers, so be sure to book your tour as early as you can.

Toll roads are virtually empty and most of the motorways, with the exception of large town interchanges like Bilbao or Madrid they are very light with traffic and on the whole drivers here do not seem to be in such a rush.

Something we learnt yesterday from a fellow driver you can easily be caught speeding on toll roads as your entrance and exit times are recorded and if you show excessive speed you can be fined on the spot at the exit barrier.

Talking to a cyclist, helmets are to be worn according to the police although locals never seem to bother; or with lights. However this chap told us he had been fined 250 euros for being drunk in charge of a bike and not wearing a helmet on a major road.

There seems to be zero tolerance for any drink driving situations.

The quality or most Spanish roads we have travelled on is excellent, I cannot vouch for mountain trails, which look frightening as you pass the mountains on the motorways, as they wind precariously up the side of the mountains, but the main roads are fine. Most motorways seem little more than dual carriageways that link most towns in a complete network of easy travel. The exits to neighbouring towns are clearly marked in plenty of time and traffic peels off to the right to be re-directed from roundabouts to smaller destinations, whilst the motorway traffic continues on.

Certainly in the wintertime traffic moves with ease through most towns, drivers are halted every few yards by lights at intersections and pedestrian crossings so although traffic moves fairly slowly it feels quite laid back and lazy, but it keeps moving. There don’t seem to be traffic queues in the towns we visited, certainly not in the wintertime. We also had a pretty easy journey from Bilbao to Costa Calida, with our car piled high with possessions!

It seems some laws change in different regions however here is a link that may be helpful to you: Reg. No CV 01 047305 A CIF No G54504931 Email davidclubtorre@ gmail.com, (provided by an expat to help drivers understand various traffic rules in Spain), there may be variances in different regions, but be sure to carry your passport in the car or an official copy and spare lights, spare glasses if worn, first aid kit and accident triangles.

We are still discovering Spain as we have now moved here for the winter; we are enjoying the warm climate and peaceful venues, and will leave the summer heat and crush for others to enjoy!

This may sound blindingly obvious, but you might be surprised to know just how many people leave their own equipment at home on the assumption they will be able to rent some upon arrival, only to then find that it is not quite as readily available as they had hoped. A variation on this is making sure that you understand how much your hire charges are likely to be.

Do you understand what your catered ski chalets are offering by way of food included in the price?

There can be some surprising variations here, but it doesn’t need to be a problem, providing you haven’t been caught unawares by them upon arrival.

Is all of the equipment you are taking with you fully serviced and ready to go?

We are all busy and many of us are inclined to put off little jobs. Discovering that there are problems with your ski equipment after you’ve arrived on holiday is likely to lead to frustration and delay.

Don’t forget that your free European health cover isn’t full holiday insurance. It won’t, for example, pay for your medical repatriation if you are injured. Don’t overlook this area or decide to make false economies by not taking out cover. If you have a problem and don’t have appropriate insurance, the costs could prove to be literally ruinous.

Arriving at, say, 3.00 am without having previously notified anybody might cause you some embarrassment! Not to mention inconvenience.

If this sounds like further obvious advice, keep in mind that some research indicates approximately 10% of British travellers leaves home on international travel journeys having forgotten their passport! The chaos, frustration and intense disappointment that can result, to say nothing of the loss of money, can be substantial. Top tip – pack your passport in advance in your bag or a coat you are certain you will be wearing on the day. Don’t leave it until the morning of your departure.

Some catered ski chalets may operate one form or another of damage deposit system for newly arriving guests. This should never be sprung upon you unexpectedly and it will normally be made very clear at the time of booking. If it is a cash deposit, make sure that you have the money available and you don’t need to lose time the following day going to ATMs.

The 1970s saw the birth of the Fossil Rim Wildlife Ranch as a business man’s personal retreat where he could enjoy being with his animals. It would later transform into an animal refuge and attraction with over 1,000 animals housed there. Similar to many other parks, Fossil Rim has several guided tours like the family tour or the adventure tour that you can reserve. However, if you prefer drive through the park with the family on your own it can be done as well. This allows you to take your time and explore the scenic drive path at your own pace. If you choose to tour Fossil Rim this way you can buy the CD or guide book at the Admissions Center. Please make sure to follow all the rules for the safety of your family and that of the animals. Whichever you choose, just seeing the animals is an unforgettable experience that everyone in the family will truly cherish.

The park offers so much more than just driving tours, whether guided or not. For example, if you would prefer the family can learn and dig for fossils in the fossil pit with the added benefit of a guided tour through one of the park’s preserve area. After so much excitement, the family will surely be hungry. The Overlook Café is the place to eat when exploring this park! You and the family not only get some good food, you also get a great view of the surrounding areas.

At the end of the day, you will have a great trip to Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose, Texas. Build it up on the drive or plane ride there for your little ones by learning more about the animals you’ll see and animal conservation in general. Once there, just relax and have a memorable and fun time as a family. Couple this experience with camping and hiking and you will certainly create and nurture a love for animals and the environment as a whole in your children.