Florondo

A newcomer to the world of investments in the notion of “Virtual Real Estate Investing“. What is meant by “Virtual Real Estate Investing” ranges from online games like SecondLife (where real profit can be made) to the use of internet technologies to make normal real estate investors more profitable.

In order to figure out the truth of the matter, I sought out Bryan Ellis of BryanEllis.com, whose experience in the fledgling industry is truly impressive.

Ellis says he adopted the term “virtual real estate investing” sometime before Y2K after he realized that making money online is conceptually very similar to making money with physical real estate.

Bryan Ellis cites the similar strategies one can employe to make money from “virtual property” and “physical property” as a primary parallel of the two markets. “There’s a huge difference between a website and a piece of real estate, but the ways you can profit from them are similar: ‘flipping’, rental/leasing, advertising sales, etc…all of these apply to both markets” he states.

I must admit: Its easy to see the parallels. After all, if you own a valuable piece of real estate, it’s “valuable” because other people are interested in that specific piece of property. Similarly, ownership of a desirable domain name is valuable for the same reasons. In either case, you could sell or lease the asset and turn it into cash.

In our next installment of this series on virtual real estate investing, Bryan Ellis will share the internet analogies to the physical concept of real estate development.

London has a reputation for expensive hotel accommodation with very little cheap budget hotels. OK so what is cheap. For the purposes of this article lets define cheap as below 100$US per night, (60 pounds sterling in local currency) for a standard double/twin room with all taxes paid.

Most of the hotel accommodation in this bracket is termed ‘bed and breakfast’ hotels. This can be misleading to the unaware. No it’s not a cosy family owned guest house with personal attentive hosts, traditional English breakfasts and home-made offerings, commonly available outside London. The vast majority are small hotels with 20-50 rooms, staffed by immigrants on very low salaries with very simple rooms, seldom lifts and ‘continental breakfasts’. That is not to say that these establishments should be avoided, but there are an awful lot of poor quality ones.

The main cheap hotel districts in London are Bayswater, Victoria and Kings Cross. Here you will see lots of these bed and breakfast hotels together in clusters. An ensuite double or twin room with breakfast in these areas is around 70-100$US

Kings Cross has a poor reputation, it used to be notorious for drugs, crime and prostitution. That is all largely behind it now and it’s a district on the up, the whole area is being rejuvenated and Eurostar Trains will terminate at Kings Cross station in 2007. The bed and breakfast hotels are all around a garden square immediately opposite Kings Cross Station. Kings Cross is no more than a mile from the West End, the central entertainment area of London, and there’s lots of public transport on your doorstep.
Bayswater is on the northern border of Hyde Park, London’s biggest, and within a mile are Oxford Street, Kensington Palace and Paddington Station, (terminus for the Heathrow Express airport link. Bayswater is a traditional budget area and a great place to stay for the cost conscious traveller. Bayswater High Street (Queensway) is host to a great variety of economical restaurants and shops. Everyday supermarkets, launderettes etc are commonplace.

Victoria is very central, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Abbey and the London Eye are all within walking distance. The cheap hotels are south of the railway station, stretching from the coach stations to Pimlico Underground. The area is pleasant and safe.

Room rates are highly variable. In the depths of winter, rooms may be discounted as low as 50 US$, but be warned these tend to be of the hotels of the worst kind. Most of the hotels will also discount less at the weekend.

Some of the better bed and breakfasts include the Montana Excel and Howard Winchester Hotels in Kings Cross, the Central Hotel in Victoria and the Blakemore and Annur Hotels in Bayswater. Some of these may be advertised as three star hotels – beware in small print you may notice the words ’self rated’.

A good starting point for your research on cheap bed and breakfast hotels in London
are: Cheap
Bed and Breakfasts in London or Bed
and Breakfasts near London Victoria Station

Bob Handford is an expert about his city, London and is the owner of the website London Toolkit that aims to provide practical information for independent visitors to London. You can contact Bob direct at the web site.

Yes, I put my hands up. I admit it. I have an insatiable appetite for looking into other peoples homes.

No. I am not a “Peeping Tom”. When I looked up the definition of “Peeping Tom” in my Collins Concise Dictionary and Thesaurus I am told that Peeping Tom is a man who furtively observes women undressing. That is definitely not me. But, yes, I do confess to glancing furtively sideways when out walking to see how much I can see through any windows not shrouded with window nets. I prefer to think I am inquisitive, having a natural curiosity to find out what puts the soul into a home… what, inspires people and what treasures (or sometimes not) are hidden behind the front door.

Thankfully I can, legitimately, indulge my curiosity, because there are so many beautiful houses and gardens open to the public to visit both in this country and abroad.

On a recent summer trip to Gozo with my husband we decided to take the ferry back to Malta and drive into Valetta. There I found the Casa Rocca Piccola, at 74 Republic Street, the 16th century home of a Maltese nobleman. It is now the home of the 9th Marquis de Piro and his family. Frances, the Marchioness is English and it is her who greets you as you walk through the front door. The history of Casa Rocca Piccola goes back over 400 years to an era in which the Knights of St. John, having successfully fought off the invading Turks in 1565, decided to build themselves a prestigious city to rival European capitals. The house is named after the first owner, Don Pietro La Rocca, Admiral of the Order of St. John in the Langue of Italy. It was, in later years, let to a succession of Italian aristocratic knights and sold to a Maltese nobleman in the second half of the 18th century.

Casa Rocca Piccola is not a museum: it is, in a sense, more than that. It is a living relic of a past way of life burdened with the pretension and aspirations of Maltese lineage. There are numerous items of memorabilia to be seen, not only for their artistic merit, but also because they contribute reality to the overall scene.

Climbing the ornate marble staircase you will see, dominating the top landing a carved wood de Piro coat of arms. This was the last work of the Maltese artist Edward Pirotta. Hanging above is an enormously intricate chandelier from Bohemia. The first room to be visited on your tour is the Chapel in which the walls are painted to simulate damask. There are two crosses on the alter: an ivory crucifix that was granted two hundred days indulgence by Cardinal Godfrey in 1960. The second cross houses a particle of the True Cross behind a little red curtain. Its authenticity is confirmed by no less than seven Vatican seals on the reverse. As was the case with most European noble families it was the custom for the younger son to become a priest and for that reason in particular, many patrician families were given the privilege of keeping a chapel in the house. The Marquis’s grandfather represented George VI and his medals are kept here together with an exquisite pair of shoes known as Papal buskins and a pair of silver filigree earrings, a present from the Bishop of Gozo to Nicolina de Piro after her husband donated land to build the famous Ta’Pinu church in Gozo.
On next to the Green Room where the walls are indeed green! Here there is a magnificent marquetry bookcase that especially caught my eye. Made in about 1640 during the reign of the French Provencal Grand Master Lascaris it bears his arms on the door. The panels are inlayed inside and outside. A fascinating work of art. I was told that the veneer was a mix of olive and orange wood. There are many portraits hung on the walls and proudly placed is a photograph of the 8th Baron and Baroness who attended the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953. Moving on to the Four- Poster bedroom, the only room in the house not in use, the bed is a showpiece reputed to be great-grandmother Orsola’s matrimonial bed. Married in 1867 she produced 9 children: 7 boys and 2 girls. They all survived childhood and so the bed is considered lucky!

The next room is the Porphyr Room so called because the walls were at one time painted to imitate porphyry marble; then the Blue Room or petit salon with modern pictures collected by the family. Among them works by Annigoni, The Rathmells, Rowley-Smart and Durer. The style of the Dining Room that once had an open terrace overlooking the small garden contrasts with the rest of the house and is considered a “folly”. Built by the current family’s Grandfather in 1918 its white pillars and light aspect certainly make it very different to the rest of the house. It gives the impression of being a conservatory because of its lightness and airiness.A trompe l’oeil of a Spanish woman playing a harp on a black and white tiled floor produces an exaggerated perspective that gives the impression that the room is longer. The last room is the Carriage Room that was once a stable for a mule but, going back, perhaps my favourite room is the Library. Here I found what can only be described as the most outstanding piece of furniture imaginable. A portable chapel. When shut it looks for all the world like a large black lacquered bureau however, it opens up to become a fully functioning chapel with it own tabernacle, relics and the Way of the Cross. It is richly decorated with pictures of exotic birds and flora and panels depicting St. Francis Zavier in Japan and Goa. The idea was that you could have a Chapel in any room of your house and then it could be closed up to look like a secular piece of furniture. An absolutely breathtaking piece.

One of the treasures of the house I must not forget to mention though is a golden sedan chair made for the Knight of Malta, Fra Victor Nicolas de Vachon Belmont reputed to be a romantic figure who led his men personally, oh, and lastly “April” the family tortoise to be found in the small garden. Interestingly Casa Rocca Piccola was one of the few houses at the time of the knights to be allowed a garden. It was a great privilege for its owners as water was scarce and gardens were technically forbidden.

So, if you ever find yourself strolling down Republic Street in Valletta, Casa Rocca Piccola gives you a rare opportunity to see inside one of the last private unconverted Valletta palaces still lived in today. It comes highly recommended to anyone like myself, with a curiosity and inquisitive appetite to see inside other peoples homes.

Olivia Hughes,
Invaluable group of companies.

http://www.invaluable.com

Only Invaluable gives you unrivalled access to pre-sale and post-sale information for auction houses and salerooms across the globe.

Find art, antiques and collectables. Try our Keyword search, register at http://www.invaluable.com for a free 14 day trial.

Ah, yes! It sounds so exotic, Armor Manoir Sherbrooke in Montreal. You might wonder what the Armor Manoir Sherbrooke is. Well, it’s a bed and breakfast hotel in the vicinity of downtown Montreal. It is located on a very busy street in Montreal (Sherbrooke) so if you’d like some peace and quiet ask for a room not facing the main thoroughfare.

This hotel does not provide parking so when you arrive you have to either find street parking or park in a big parking garage. If you do decide to park on the street you have to move your car before 7am. The staff at this hotel was interesting. I asked for a copy of the map to the parking garage and they said NO! (?!?!) I could only look at the one they had under the glass on the main counter and redraw the map myself. Also, when I found out that you have to move your car before 7am on the street one of the staff smirked: “Well, then you’ll just have to deal with that!” … (?!?!) .. ok

You can tell that the hotel was not built for that function. We had to go through three doors (three feet apart) to get to our de luxe room. It was spacious and what one might say in shabby chic style. You could tell that the bathroom for the room was added later since it protruded from one corner of the room. The bed was ok, we were too tired to notice. Modest breakfast was included with the room. The Montreal Festival of Laughter was happening at that time and all rooms were completely booked.

Conclusion: The hotel was just ok. It served the purpose for an acceptable price and a decent location. We probably would not stay there again.

157 rue Sherbrooke Est,
Montréal, QC, H2X 1C7
Tél.: 514.845.0915

Michael Philip is one of the editors and contributors for the SeeTheGlobe.com web site. SeeTheGlobe.com is a travel information web site and community. Reviews of restaurants, hotels, airlines and other travel resources are provided from first hand accounts.

Perched over the Mediterranean Ocean, Monaco is a picturesque country. With very high prices, most travelers can only afford to spend one day in this conclave for the rich.

Monaco

The principality of Monaco is a bizarre little place. Situated to the east of the French Riviera, the country is very small and dominated by the city of Monte Carlo. Everything in the principality caters to the wealthy, so budget travelers beware.

Historically, the Grimaldi royal family has and continues to dominate Monaco. There influence is everywhere and, as you’ve probably noticed, one of them seems to be in tabloid news every day. Regardless, they have managed to stay in power for hundreds of years and turned Monaco into the expat haven of Europe through lax tax laws.

Monte Carlo

Monte Carlo is the only city of significance in Monaco. The city is perched above the ocean and fairly dramatic. There is an old Europe charm, but modern hotels, resorts and so on are blended in nicely. Instead of Ford or Toyota dealerships, Monaco is peppered with Ferrari and Porsche stores. This upgrade in cost occurs consistently throughout the city and it is the only place I’ve ever paid $75 for dinner in a Mexican restaurant.

No mention of Monte Carlo would be complete without mentioning Formula One racing. Every year, the city hosts the Monaco Grand Prix on the tiny streets of the city. The race is a bit boring because it is nearly impossible to pass, but attending the race is definitely something you should do at least once.

The Monaco Grand Prix is the coming out party for the extremely wealth. The harbor is full of yachts that make an oil tanker look small. There is more jewelry and glitz than you can possibly imagine. The decadence factor is through the roof and the people watching aspect is incredibly entertaining. Although you may come away a bit disgusted by the over indulgence, you’ll definitely come away with some good stories.

Monaco and Monte Carlo are definitely worth a one-day trip if you are visiting the French Riviera. Just make sure you’ve warmed up your credit cards.

Rick Chapo is with NomadJournals.com – makers of travel journals. Visit NomadJournalTrips.com to read more articles about Monaco and Adventure Travel.

Who wouldnt want to earn money in a snap? Everybody wants those nippy techniques on how to make money easily. Especially with todays difficult times, everybody would love to make money even without exerting too much effort.

Of course, you could not make money appear in a snap like what a magician will do with his magic wand but you can definitely earn money easily online.

In most instances, people find it hard to believe. On the other hand, many people are so lured by the mere fact of it that they immediately jump to the Internet without even knowing what to do.

For some people, the Internet is just a bunch of dot coms and chats that they could never see the probability that they can really earn money easily online. But for people who have the willingness and the dogged determination to try whatever is likely to give them profit, they know why it is easy to make money online.

So, if you want to know the reasons why making money online is so easy, here are some facts that you need to know:

1. Because you can participate to online auctions

It is so easy to make money online because there are online auctions that you can use. With these online auctions, you can easily dispose any of your unwanted items and derive profit from it.

Best of all, buyers can also benefit from it because it is only through online auctions that people can buy cheap yet quality products.

2. Because there are paid online surveys

With these paid online surveys, you can easily earn money without a sweat. All you have to do is to fill up some online surveys and submit them. Just by answering these surveys, you have already gained additional dollars for your savings.

Online paid surveys are not definite sources of income but you can definitely make money that easy and fast. Usually, you can earn from $1 to as much as $250 for just a few minutes of your time to answer some questions.

3. Because you can work from the comfort of your home without having to commute from you house to the office

With the advent of the Internet, making money has never been this easy. Just think about it, you can easily make profit just by working 3 hours a day (or less), you can even cook at the same time, and do all the household chores, and still, you are earning money!

Who would ever think that with just a click of the mouse or a snap on the keyboard, you could easily earn yourself some hefty amount?

4. Because it is easier to advertise

With online businesses, people can easily advertise their product without having to undergo the long and tedious process of the typical advertising campaign.

With the Internets pay-per-click advertisements, you can easily gain profit without the fuss. Whats more, with pay-per-click ads, you are paid each time somebody clicks on your hyperlink on some major search engines.

5. Because there are freebies, ezines, eBooks, and other free items

Making money online can be really easy because there are so many ways how to profit from it. There are ezines or eBooks that you can choose to promote your site or write some articles that will entice your readers to buy your products.

See? You are making good sales without even going through the process of hard selling, like what most sales person do. Best of all, you get to help other people as well because you give them information that they need and not just sell them various stuffs.

6. Because it has a wider market

With online businesses, you can easily make money online because you have a wider market. You do not have customers that live within your vicinity but you also have other clients from almost all parts of the globe! Imagine that!

Where else can you find such a place where you can place your business and get hold of the whole world as your potential buyers? Indeed, theres no place like the Internet.

So, for people, who are still casting doubts whether it is really possible or not to easily earn money online, you just do not know what or how much you are missing.

It has been established that vacation homes are much better than hotels and resorts. They are cheaper, more peaceful and more spacious. Orlando vacation homes provide perfect enjoyment for holidays. Tourists can enjoy Walt Disney World and golf courses, and retreat from active life. An Orlando vacation should be planned in advance because there are several things to see and take pleasure in.

Before planning an Orlando vacation, it is better to do some research regarding the place and important locations. Details about hotels, resorts and vacation homes and their comparative analysis should also be done. `Walt Disney World 2004′ by Bob Schlinger is a very good book to read before starting for Walt Disney World. Besides that, there is`Passport Walt Disney World Resort 2004′. This is a unique travel guide, planner, organizer, and keepsake by Jennifer Watson. `Everything Travel Guide to the Walt Disney World Resort, Universal Studios, and Greater Orlando: A Complete Guide to the Best Hotels, Restaurants… and Must-See Attractions (Everything Series)’ by Jason Rich is one-in-all guide. `Travel Guide’ discusses all this information and gives reviews. This could also be very helpful to Orlando holiday home visitors.

There are several travel guides for Orlando vacations and these could be helpful in planning a trip to Orlando and Walt Disney World. But how useful these books will be is a little doubtful. These books can help in getting a comprehensive list of vacation homes, but detailed information like facilities provided, current availability, and discounts is not available through books. This information can be found online. However, Orlando vacation home books can be kept for reference.

Orlando Vacation Homes provides detailed information on Orlando Vacation Homes, Orlando Vacation Rental Homes, Orlando Vacation Home Books, Orlando Vacation Home Information and more. Orlando Vacation Homes is affiliated with Orlando Family Vacations.

Why is it that 2 people can use the same airport, the same airline and even be on the exact same flight, and have 2 totally different stories about their trip?

Is it all about attitude? Well…sort of.

It’s about our expectations and is influenced by visualization. We have a vision of what we will be experiencing, whether we are conscious of it or not.

Trainers and Coaches talk about a process of visualizing the end result, as you would desire it to happen. They suggest you use this process when preparing for meetings, sales presentations and other activities, whereby one outcome is preferred over another.

That vision absolutely does affect the outcome. Ask any athlete and they will tell you.

Athletes have used visualizing techniques for years. That is what you observe them doing when you see them standing and focusing on their target, in an almost trance-like state, at the starting line or on the field, just before they hit or throw the ball. These professionals are all envisioning, in advance, what they want the outcome to be.

Can this process of visualization, work for you also in your every day professional and personal life? Let’s say you are traveling and would like to experience incredible food, clean rooms ready for your arrival, flights and luggage arriving on time, friendly and efficient service.

Can that really happen? The answer is…It sure can. Wayne Dyer, best-selling author of “The Power of Intention: Learning to Co-Create Your World Your Way” says that it is definitely possible to affect all the experiences in our lives. Try these suggested steps when planning your next trip, for example.

1. Think how you want to feel before, during and after your trip. (Since the energy you put out reflects on the outcome, this is the best place to start).

Do you want to feel rested? Relaxed? Unhurried? Full of energy? Joyful? Even visualize a sense of accomplishment that the meeting went well and the deal was approved and signed by all parties.

Really imagine the way you want to feel, as if it has already happened.

2. As you are going about making the reservations, packing your luggage and all the other activities leading up to the first day of your departure, continue to keep the vision of all the fun and successful interactions with others you are going to experience.

You can even imagine being a magnet to some of the most amazing people on your trip and see who you attract.

Investing the time to learn and use this process, is key to having great travel experiences.

Will it really work for you? Only if you try it. All I can say is… Check it out. You might like it.

P.S. This may be a new muscle and if at first, you don’t succeed…practice, practice, practice. Better yet, just like an athlete, you might even want to get yourself a Coach!

About The Author

Pat Graham-Block and her husband, Elon Block are avid travelers and share their Alaska resources at http://www.alaskarules.com.

Israel. What do you think when your first hear this word? Right, like most people you imagine what you probably saw on CNN or NBC. Blown up buses, Suicide Bombers, Military Operations, Outright Violence – all over the place.

The only thing that probably cannot be imagined unless experienced first hand is – Day to day living. Hmmm….what does that mean? People like us just living their lives? Do people go out? Absolutely. Yes, in spite of all security issues, most people just seem to carry on with their lives, with their families, with their jobs.

Some figures: The average salary is in Israel about $US1800 per month, and the average monthly rent is $US600 for a 2-bedroom flat in a decent Tel Aviv Suburb. Yes, quite a few people don’t make that kind of money and cannot afford a $600 flat, but others, somehow, seem to make much more, and spend more too. Cars are taxed heavily – over half of their price is “sales tax” but, you see many brand new $50K European luxury models and new SUVs, some people seem to be able to pay for these.

People love to go out here. Hit a local popular bar. Imported beers don’t come cheap at $5 a bottle, and cocktails are more like $8-$9. There are scores of state-of-the-art well designed, well-stocked bars. This summer, many of them were packed even on weekdays.

Mostly a young well-dressed local crowd. Numerous restaurants and coffee shops – ditto.

Tourists, absent for the good part of the last 3 years, could also be spotted on the Beach Promenade.

Tel Aviv, Israel 2005. The place has many faces.

About The Author

Rainbowmaster: Exclusive Immigration Information Resources – USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom and much more. http://www.rainbowmaster.com

Copyright 2006 John Navata

As most of us are no doubt familiar, there is a huge fluctuation in the prices of airline tickets. Depending on anything from season, how well traveled the route is, and other reasons that seem more mysterious, flight prices change constantly and radically. One of the most important things to consider if you’re interested in discount travel is the difference in cost between domestic and international flights, and to use this to your advantage when you want to travel internationally.

In the USA, a typical return flight from New York City to Montreal, Canada, for example costs about $300 for a trip that is just over 1 hour. For roughly the same price, one can fly domestically across the country from New York to Los Angeles – a much longer trip. With very few exceptions, flights are cheaper domestically – they are subject to less taxes and regulations for the airlines, and they are often on more traveled routes so the airlines can afford a discount.

So to take advantage of this – to truly get some discount travel – you should look into splitting your long international flight into 2 flights. Although it’s more indirect, and a slight inconvenience, you can save a lot of money this way. For example, if you happen to live in the northern United States and want to go to Latin or South America, you will probably find that it’s a lot cheaper to first get a domestic flight to a southern hub like Miami or Dallas and then taking a second flight further south. Even if you live in a big northern city, chances are the direct flight is going to be more. Taking two flights doesn’t have to be as inconvenient as you may think. Oftentimes, no overnight stay is required, and if your destination is a common one you may only have short delay.

When looking for discount travel solutions online, you’re going to have to use a bit of creative thinking. Most discount flight searching sights are not set-up to search multiple flight routes to your destination. Rather, they are designed to show you the cheapest direct flight between the two points you want to go. So whenever you’re comparing prices of a direct flight, it’s always a good idea to take a look at an indirect path as well – oftentimes you will be surprised at the savings involved.

It is harder to easily compare different 2-flight routes, and the combinations involved can quickly make things complicated. The two general rules to keep in mind when looking for savings are that you more or less want to fly as close to your destination as possible domestically, and that you want to fly between major hubs. The cheapest of all domestic flights will always be between major hubs (as our New York to LA example shows) so if you plan your trip with that in mind it’s likely you will experience significant savings.

Discount travel is as much a science as an art, and those that are good at it are able to come up with creative solutions – a great starting point for becoming an experienced discount traveler is to learn about airline hubs and patterns, and to explore taking to separate flights as opposed to one long one when traveling internationally.