Tag Archives: February 2003

Visiting Costa Del Sol in February- Get Winter Relief by Fred Desrosiers

February is a slow month in the Costa Del Sol. This is why you can get some of the best deals during that month. The temperature goes from 16-10 degrees Celsius. So you can still be in shorts.

I recently just got back from Costa Del Sol. I took advantage of the airline price war that is going on right now. Arriving at the airport I noticed that the traffic was not as heavy as it was during the summer but still a fair number of the people getting off those planes were from the UK, Ireland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Germany. First things I noticed was that I needed sunglasses and needed to take off my heavy winter jacket. I just arrived from a Northern European country where that morning it was -6 Celsius. It was also icy and snowing conditions.

I was smiling as I thought of my colleagues back home at work. I was thinking that some of them do deserve their day in the sun. Some of my colleagues had become as cranky as the northern weather in the northern part of Europe and the sun would bring back their smiles. Productivity would greatly improve.

The second thing I noticed is the smile on the Spanish people's face. They seem that they were enjoying themselves. I thought what enjoyment have I had before coming to Spain? In my Northern country I was stuck everyday in traffic, I was driving 20 kilometres an hour on the highway due to snow and icy conditions, I had 3 layers of clothes on because of freezing temperatures. Coming to Spain I was no longer stuck in traffic, there were no icy conditions to peril my well being, and I was taking off my 3 layers of clothes in February!!! Therefore, I too had a smile on my face.

Once in Costa Del Sol, you will be tempted to stop on the highway to view the ocean. My suggestion is to drive west towards Marbella. Take the coastal highway N-340 so that you can get the ocean view throughout your journey. Stop somewhere where you can view the great ocean- like the top of the Sitio de Calahonda. Calahonda is 36 Kilometres west of Malaga and on the N-340. Once at the top there are bars and restaurants where you can sit outside and see the breathtaking views. You will soon forget your problems at work, your icy conditions, and your 3 layers of clothes that you left back home.

About the Author: Fred Desrosiers lives in the coldness of the Swiss Alps. He has been to the Costa Del Sol several times. He loves it so much that he returns time and time again. He can help you if you’d like to visit the Costa del Sol. View his website at Fred's Homepage


Deaths in Congo

If you were thinking of travelling to northern Congo to see the gorillas – don’t. At least 48 people are believed to have died in a suspected outbreak of Ebola in the north of Congo-Brazzaville, near the border with Gabon. Ebola is reported to have killed 43 people in Congo and 53 others in neighbouring Gabon between October 2001 and February 2002. The WHO says more than 1,000 people have died of Ebola since the virus was first identified in 1976 in western Sudan and in a nearby region of Congo. There is no cure for Ebola, which causes up to 95% of its victims to bleed to death.

The authorities were first alerted to a possible outbreak of Ebola when a clan of gorillas in the region began to die in December. Tests carried out on the bodies confirmed that the gorillas had died from the Ebola virus, which has now claimed more than 80% of that gorilla clan. According to on the scene World Health Experts, it seems likely that eating bush meat such as gorilla, gazelle and antelope caused the human deaths.


Airport Profile: Chicago O Hare

Time Zone: CDT (GMT -5)

Airport Code: ORD

Customer service number: 800 832-6352

Distance from city: 18 miles (29km)

Terminal 1 is for United and United Express flights plus Lufthansa departures.

Terminal 2 airlines include Air Canada, America West, Continental, Northwest, United and US Airways.

Terminal 3 airlines include Alaska, American and Delta.

Terminal 5 is the international terminal for most non-US airline departures and all international arrivals

Chicago O Hare is named after Lieutenant Edward O'Hare who was a military hero, and flew planes in the Navy during WW2. He was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1942.

The largest US troop and cargo carrying airplane, the Douglas C-54, was built at a factory on the site and the base, known then as Orchard Field, which was almost entirely then used by the military. When the war ended, Chicago’s city Municipal Airport, later to become Midway Chicago quickly established itself as the world's busiest civil aviation operation. A far-sighted City Council saw the potential for air travel and decided a second major facility would be needed so in 1946 they bought Orchard Field from the US government together with another 7,000 acres next door. Three years later $2.4 million was spent on acquiring more land and Orchard Field was re-named in honour of O'Hare.

The airport was already busy before it was officially opened to domestic commercial flights in 1955, but Midway was still the star attraction until 1962 when all scheduled operations were transferred from Midway to O'Hare. When the airport was officially dedicated the following year, President John F. Kennedy said, “it could be classed as one of the wonders of the modern world”. He was right in one sense because O'Hare preserved its title as 'World's Busiest' for over 30 years until it was overtaken by Atlanta in 1998.

Source: http://www.airwise.com/

What’s On When: March

The London Meetings co-ordinator sent notice of this wonderful exhibition to the Beetle: a major exhibition of internationally acclaimed Brazilian photographer, Sebastião Salgado, chronicles the human cost behind major political events. Featuring 350 haunting black and white photographs taken from Salgado’s renowned Migrations and Children series, it is a moving account of those displaced by conflict.

Venue: Barbican Gallery Location: Gallery floor, level 3 Open: 13 February – 1 June 2003 Mon, Tue, Thu-Sat 10am – 6pm; Wed 10am – 9pm; Sun & Bank holidays 12 noon – 6pm Tickets £7/ £5Please support Amnesty International’s work. Purchase a special ticket and £1 will be donated directly to Amnesty International. Tickets £8/£6 Full price tickets can be booked online, To purchase discounted tickets, please contact the Box Office on 020 7638 8891.

USA: New Orleans Mardi Gras 4 MarchThousands take to the streets of The Big Easy in a virtuoso display of fabulously colourful costumes and magical floats.

Winter Party March 1st to 10th March, Miami

1-10 March 2003 (every year) is the gay mecca that is South Beach, Miami; this famed party benefits the Dade Human Rights Foundation.

Source: What’s On When