First Tracks - Easyjet To Add Two New Ski Routes

easyJet to Add Two New Ski Routes - First Tracks

easyJet to Add Two New Ski Routes First Tracks, UT - Jul 9, 2008 ... to Bulgarian ski resorts such a Bansko and Pamporovo in the Pirin Mountain range, where many Britons are investing in a burgeoning second home market. ...

easyJet to Add Two New Ski Routes - First Tracks
Flights will depart nine times weekly to Geneva, and three times per week to Sofia.Geneva is the gateway airport to the many nearby ski resorts in the French and Swiss Alps. Online Ski Magazine :: The ski and snowboard world at your keyboardHome |About |News | Resort Features |Forums |LinksFirst Tracks!!

- 'Mum, Why Is Everything So Ugly?'

'Mum, why is everything so ugly?' - guardian.co.uk

guardian.co.uk

'Mum, why is everything so ugly?' guardian.co.uk, UK - Jul 4, 2008 by Kapka Kassabova Britons don't face too much grief when travelling abroad. Everyone has heard of Britain; English is almost ubiquitous and in times of ...

'Mum, why is everything so ugly?' - guardian.co.uk
But it's always been free, the bewildered neighbours protested. But what I have often found particularly striking about the Balkans is that its nations tend to know less about their immediate neighbours than they do about France, Germany, Britain or Russia. Even for those wielding power, the system had become meaningless.Ordinary children generally knew that bureaucracy made life more awkward in eastern Europe than on the other side of the iron curtain. Everyone has heard of Britain; English is almost ubiquitous and in times of need, most of us can manage a bit of Spanglish or Franglais to see us through. Furthermore, the immigration into cities happened late in Bulgaria (mostly in the postwar period), so most Bulgarian children had one escape - to their relatives in the countryside. He didn't miss the opportunity to point out that I came from a country that wasn't a real country, but a character in a children's story called 'The Wombles'. He had wavy blond hair and a rugby-player's jaw, and presided over a court of lackeys who laughed at his jokes. He was charging people for parking their cars in our communal carpark. I watched my mother wash the pram from top to bottom every time we returned from an outing, because the mud managed to get even on to the pram's roof ... In Phys Ed, Jamie mocked my cheap canvas sports shoes from the height of his bouncy Puma trainers. Living conditions were less cramped, and her grandparents and other relatives were delightful, so she had a greater sense of normality in a place in which local gossip was much more important than learning Marx or Dimitrov by rote. More important, it meant that they had access to the vitamins and protein that were so miserably absent from an urban communist diet.Kassabova's relations also offered her a psychological escape. Pay up or piss off.' And he cracked the joints of his enormous fists ... People sold contraband cigarettes and suspect alcohol mixtures straight from their underground cellars. She finds it shattered: and even the shards of her previous life that she comes across here and there can cut and scratch unexpectedly. She has also demonstrated, without indulging in self-pity, how hard it is to be one of the tens of millions who have been compelled in the past two decades for one reason or another to up sticks and reinvent their lives elsewhere. She learned early on, after moving to England in her teens in 1990, that her Bulgarian heritage bred not interest among her classmates but contempt: "The chief heart-throb, Jamie, was also the chief bully. She senses that Bulgaria after the fall of communism is becoming a very different place, in some respects much more interesting, but in others even more dangerous than before. The Communist party didn't really give a damn what went on in the countryside, assuming, quite rightly, that the peasants were never likely to revolt. The grotty high-rise reflected Bulgarian society - neglect and hypocrisy were eating away at the foundations of lofty ideals rendered senseless through ritual repetition. They look like shit.' Jamie's lackeys sniggered. This afforded them the opportunity to run around a bit and experience a half-normal childhood. Tiny cafes and shops had mushroomed among the panels. We've parked our Moskvich here for years. While most people in Europe have heard of Bulgaria, very few can claim to know anything about it, its culture and its people. Yesterday's bully was today's entrepreneur."There are similarities between Kassabova's stories and those in Vesna Goldsworthy's Chernobyl Strawberries.

Sofia Echo - THE BLACK SEA ECHO: A Black Sea Bolt Hole

THE BLACK SEA ECHO: A Black Sea bolt hole - Sofia Echo

THE BLACK SEA ECHO: A Black Sea bolt hole Sofia Echo, Bulgaria - Jun 20, 2008 ... market has enabled many Britons to cash in on the thriving market and purchase a second home abroad. Bulgaria’s emergence as a property hotspot, ...

THE BLACK SEA ECHO: A Black Sea bolt hole - Sofia Echo
Any unauthorised reproduction or use of it is strictly forbidden. Back in 2004, the villa cost him 62 000 euro. Basically, it had everything we were looking for.”Mark and his wife do not envisage a permanent move to Bulgaria – it will be too difficult to leave their family behind, although they do visit their villa for six weeks at a time. Chris chose to invest in Bulgaria because property was so inexpensive. Despite the recent fall in UK house prices, the previously buoyant property market has enabled many Britons to cash in on the thriving market and purchase a second home abroad. For the time being, Chris is happy enjoying his seasonal life here and has no plans to sell.Interestingly, those who have invested in holiday homes here have done so because they enjoy the country’s summer climate, its cheap cost of living and welcoming people. He brought a luxury four-bedroom villa and a communal swimming pool. He finds that owning his own holiday home works out cheaper than paying for hotels and meals. He has also seen his property bring in extra income as a holiday home let out to European tourists. He loves the weather here especially the summer, finds the cost of living exceptionally low, and the people extremely welcoming. However, her house doesn’t stand vacant for too long as her friends and relatives also holiday here. In the future Sue says she may sell the property and put the money towards her retirement, but she has no fixed plans. Interestingly, Chris shares Sue Calder’s view on the winter climate and this stops him from making a permanent move here, “I cann’t move here full time because I only like the sun and the winter gets far too cold,” he says. It got to the point where it never felt like we were on holiday, so we decided to sell up and come here,” he says. Many experts were also tipping it as bringing a good return on investment. Most have seen their property increase in value and most intend to sell in the future rather than make a permanent move out here with one of the deciding factors being – it’s simply too cold in winter! Neither is his Bulgarian bolt hole a long-term proposition; he’s likely to sell up within the next five years and put the money towards his retirement in England.Paul Russell lives in Hull and like Mark he purchased a luxury villa in Obrochishte. Originally, he thought he can earn an additional income from renting out the property, but as his disillusion with the UK grew, he decided to live in his villa for six months and enjoy the beautiful summer weather. Paul visits at least twice a year and lets his villa out to friends and family. Paul’s villa cost 100 000 euro and he views it as his retreat from his hectic UK lifestyle. Reproduction of this website's content is permitted only with prior written permission from the Editor-in-Chief, should be propertly acredited and provide an active link back to our site. She bought a luxury two-bedroom apartment with a communal pool in September 2006, for 60 000 euro in a small coastal village. She emphasises, however, that retirement to Bulgaria is not an option: “I can never live here full time because I cann’t deal with the winters.”Chris Jenkins from Oxbridge near London bought his holiday home in Bulgaria in 2004. Spurred on by a friend who had already bought in the same complex, Sue and her family decided to take a look and fell in love with the place. Sue’s property is limited to personal use and she visits twice a year. The property is Mark’s sanctuary away from everyday life, but it’s not his first foray into holiday home ownership, “We had a similar property in Spain, but the country became too built-up, and the crime got unbearable. While she doesn’t know what its value is today, she assumes that it has increased in price.

Sofia Echo - A SALUTE TO FRANCE: A King’S Palace In The Meadow

A SALUTE TO FRANCE: A king’s palace in the meadow - Sofia Echo

A SALUTE TO FRANCE: A king’s palace in the meadow Sofia Echo, Bulgaria - Jul 11, 2008 And like Bulgaria, many Britons have come and settled there. And where do the French like to go? “They like moving to… France. I’m an exception. ...

A SALUTE TO FRANCE: A king’s palace in the meadow - Sofia Echo
And like Bulgaria, many Britons have come and settled there. Any unauthorised reproduction or use of it is strictly forbidden. As a members of Atelier 13, a local art club, he and others share insights with each other.Regis now has hundreds of pictures to his credit, some of which have been displayed in art galleries in Dobrich and Varna, as well as on his website. But for all intents and purposes, Regis now sees himself as a Bulgarian, having had 17 years to ponder this over. During this time, he has made about 50 friends in Dobrich, and whenever he goes for a walk, he inevitably runs into some of them. Examples include “metallic flowers”, “crowded together in boat”, and “family trees”.But his biggest inspiration has come from the world around him. Following defeat, he, along with many of his compatriots, fled the country. Fortunately the only fighting he engaged in was with Autobahn traffic as he chauffeured military officers about back in Germany.Ever keen on broadening his horizons, he then joined a cruise line firm, doing circuits around the Mediterranean, Caribbean and Pacific. He also spent a summer baking bread and picking oranges and grapefruit on a kibbutz in Israel.Then, in keeping with family tradition, Regis got drafted. He has also made a few appearances on local television.He says his inspiration comes from a variety of sources. He struck out on his own, this time to Balchik. He will continue the struggle against fascism as part of the French resistance when Germany occupied most of the country. His favourite stopover was St Lucia, which he described as lush and green with sparkling blue waters and white-sand beaches.He also had his share of culture shocks. However, as she can not go to France with him, he stayed in Dobrich with her, and found work at the local language high school.The teachers’ salary was more than adequate, as everything was ridiculously cheap back then. I can never survive there.”When not cooking, teaching or wandering about, Regis delves into poetry and painting. I’m an exception.”It comes as a big surprise when he reveals which country he will definitely not want to live. In 1996, a year after his son had been born, he stayed with a friend, Daniel, a former teacher at his parents’ home in Tulsa, Oklahoma.While there he “helped out” at an Italian restaurant. It had been organised by Bernal LaTude, a former resident of Dobrich. It was also at this time, in 1981, that Regis first set foot on Bulgarian soil, albeit for five hours along the quayside of Varna. No one greeted him there.With seasickness finally catching up with him, Regis traded the ship kitchen for a train station of the French Railway Company, training and serving as an assistant chief. Once again he experienced culture shock – but not so much from his hosts. Over the years, numerous other foreigners came and taught at the school: a Scottish man, an Irish woman, a German, a Texan. Paul had invited him to come and teach at a competitive school in Shanghai, where the pay was par excellence. Regis, you didn’t put the toilet seat back down. Reproduction of this website's content is permitted only with prior written permission from the Editor-in-Chief, should be propertly acredited and provide an active link back to our site. Right before his scheduled discharge in 1954, however, he was shipped off to Algeria. The lives of thousands of passengers were now in his hands. Then at the suggestion of a friend, he went on home-stay exchange programme involving groups of 60 Palois and Dobrouzhanets. Then with uncertainty hanging in the air following the collapse of the old system, the programme stopped.But not Regis. They shake hands, exchange news, maybe go for a coffee.Originally from Pau (pronounced poh) in south-western France, Regis Palacios Prat inherited his middle name from his paternal grandfather who had fought in the Spanish Civil War (on the Republican side). Towards the expiration of his tourist visa, the manager offered Regis a permanent position and sponsorship. Ultimately, my wife thought it best for the family to remain in Bulgaria, so I returned.”In 2006, at 47, Regis once again tried his hand abroad. When we visit my friends, you must remember to...’ After two weeks, I had had enough.

Overseas Property And Investment News - Bulgaria's Investment Potential Highlighted

Bulgaria's investment potential highlighted - Overseas Property and Investment News

Overseas Property and Investment News

Bulgaria's investment potential highlighted Overseas Property and Investment News, UK - Jul 14, 2008 Homes Overseas magazine said that even though interest in the country among Britons is falling, it remains one of the strongest-performing markets in Europe ...

Bulgaria's investment potential highlighted - Overseas Property and Investment News
The Global Property Guide revealed that last year, property values increased at a higher rate than in any other country. View News ArchivesMedia/Press Section Are you a Press or Media professional? We have access to a wide and varied collection of data and statistics which may be of interest to you.Journalists click hereSee Your News Here Submit your news feed for spidering by our news robot.

- Holidaymakers Turn To Eastern Europe As Euro Prices Surge

Holidaymakers turn to eastern Europe as euro prices surge - Telegraph.co.uk

Holidaymakers turn to eastern Europe as euro prices surge Telegraph.co.uk, United Kingdom - 14 hours ago Greece welcomes 2.2 million Britons – a million more than Turkey. Tunisia, despite its new found popularity, attracted just 270000 British holidaymakers in ...

Holidaymakers turn to eastern Europe as euro prices surge - Telegraph.co.uk

A year ago holidaymakers' money went 20 per cent further, with the exchange rate at €1.49. ABTA estimates that 1.32 million people will fly out of Britain this weekend from just the main airports. Article continuesadvertisementThose countries outside of the eurozone – but only slightly further in terms of flying time – such as in eastern Europe and north Africa have witnessed a surge in bookings, according to travel companies. Bob Atkinson at TravelSupermarket, the price comparison website, said: "There is a clear trend towards visiting more exotic locations, and doing something a bit more interesting or active on holiday. By its calculations, bookings for Egypt are up 28 per cent and Turkey are up 20 per cent. Greece welcomes 2.2 million Britons – a million more than Turkey. Holiday companies, anticipating the economic slowdown, have cut back capacity . However, the popularity of non-eurozone countries is no short-term blip, experts said. Meanwhile, bookings to Italy are down eight per cent, Spain is down four per cent, Greece is down eight per cent and France has dipped by two per cent. Most eurozone countries have never represented such poor value for British travel makers, with £1 buying just €1.26. Phil Davies, the editor of TravelMole, the travel industry website, said: "Given people are counting the pennies, the strong euro is having a significant impact on where people are going. Prices in Greece are 22 per cent more expensive than its neighbour Turkey when it comes to a basket of popular goods such as beer, sun cream and insect repellent, due to the strong euro and relatively weak Turkish Lira. Print this storyEmail this storyShare this storydel.icio.usDiggFacebookFarkGoogleNewsvineNowPublicRedditStumbleUponRSS FeedsRelated ContentHelicopter swarms spark St Tropez protestsCar boss Simon Saunders in Dorset beach hut rowMore on: Travel >COMMENTS - 11. The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) pointed out that while Spain was "having a poor year" official figures show that it remains clearly the number one destination with more than 12 million Britons visiting the country every year. The cheapest deal for a week long trip to Croatia will set you back £414 per person, according to the travel website. The Co-Operative Travel Company describes the new trend as a "seismic shift". These figures are backed up by CheapFlights, which specialises in finding air plane tickets for independent travellers. This factor, combined with the fact that very few people have actually cut back on their holidays means that prices for last minute deals are high. Tunisia, despite its new found popularity, attracted just 270,000 British holidaymakers in 2006, the most recent year for which figures are available from the Office of National Statistics. While bookings to Barcelona have fallen by 16 per cent, tickets being bought to Dalaman, on the southwest coast of Turkey, have increased by 9 per cent. Why not visit Tunisia, Egypt or Croatia – once you are there the holiday will be significantly cheaper." Families that have not booked a holiday in the hope of catching a last minute deal to these cheaper destinations are set to be frustrated, however. With state schools breaking up, many families will spend this weekend packing their bags to go to Turkey, Croatia, Bulgaria, Tunisia and Egypt rather than Greece, Spain or France.

Car Rentals - Easyjet Becomes Fastest Growing Discount Airline

EasyJet becomes fastest growing discount airline - Car Rentals

EasyJet becomes fastest growing discount airline Car Rentals, UK - 22 hours ago After the UK, Spain remains the largest market for both easyJet and Ryanair, thanks to the large number Britons that still travel to this Mediterranean ...

EasyJet becomes fastest growing discount airline - Car Rentals
EasyJet becomes fastest growing discount airline@import url( http://news.carrentals.co.uk/wp-content/themes/cr/style.css ); Car Hire Search - Travel News Saturday 19th of July 2008 EasyJet becomes fastest growing discount airline (No Ratings Yet)Loading ... EasyJet’s load factor exceeded 85 percent, while Ryanair was able to sell an average of 84 percent of places on its flights. EasyJet, however, gets to enjoy small monopolies in continental Europe, when it comes to low-cost travel. For example, in the absence of Ryanair flights, easyJet is the undisputed largest discount airline in Bulgaria, Greece, Estonia and Slovenia. Posted on: July 17th, 2008 by Dave Anderson EasyJet can now boast that it has become Europe’s fastest growing low-cost carrier, and also the one with the highest load factor, according to the most recent statistics. Registered office address: 1 The Square, Lightwater, Surrey, GU18 5SS. This advantage, however, is largely balanced by Ryanair’s own dominant position in Slovakia and Finland, where easyJet does not operate flights.  Yet Anna.aero, an internet-based news site, which focuses on the commercial airline industry, noted that these carriers still do best when they compete within the UK market, which continues to provide these carriers with the largest number of departures. Yet easyJet’s stiffest competitor is still Ryanair and the two have launched more flights over the course of a one year period than any other carrier in Europe.

- The Holiday Home Is Going Places…

The holiday home is going places… - Telegraph.co.uk

Telegraph.co.uk

The holiday home is going places… Telegraph.co.uk, United Kingdom - 12 hours ago The survey of 1500 buyers shows that there has been a surge in purchases of resort properties priced from £70000 to £200000 in countries such as Bulgaria, ...

The holiday home is going places… - Telegraph.co.uk
A typical investment home, which was more likely to be an apartment, is worth £135,000. As with so much in the property world of 2008, it's a case of wait and see.Lifestyle case studyAndrew Hutchison is a typical lifestyle buyer. But this sector is worth a vast £58 billion, according to the Office for National Statistics - a rise of £5 billion in the past year - with the recent growth supported by heavy borrowing. Demographics show there are many more of these to come. Despite oil prices, air travel is predicted to grow, according to almost all government and industry experts, and airports in most emerging "city break" locations are enlarging, he says."Renting does not suffer during a downturn," he points out. Families, in particular, may desert hotels and save money by renting a home." The survey, conducted in the first quarter of 2008, shows that a typical "lifestyle" holiday home used solely or largely by its owners is valued at £220,000. He bought a three-bedroom apartment in the so-called Golf Valley of Andalusía, southern Spain, in 2003 with two simple objectives - "to enjoy the sun and to enjoy playing golf". He bought the property near Wenceslas Square in 2005 with his wife Daniela and son Chris. He wanted to be close to courses (there are three nearby) and in the centre of an established community. In Spain, the Costa del Sol remains the leading choice despite dramatic price falls over the past two years.How do we pay for homes overseas?In 2000 almost 80 per cent of Britons owned their overseas homes outright. It's got an occupancy rate of 55-60 per cent so we're very pleased with how it has gone." The current rental more than covers their mortgage and the Norths plan to sell the flat in four years' time. Most have buy-to-let mortgages - some more than 90 per cent of a property's purchase price - and are heavily reliant on rental income to cover monthly costs.Years of low-cost airline flights and easy mortgage availability have fuelled this trend. My family and friends now use it as and when they like, as do I. So is the foreign holiday-home market the next victim of the double whammy - rising oil prices and severe restrictions on borrowing?The survey's authors believe the market will change, but not collapse. The picture of who buys overseas, and why, has changed dramatically in the past few years: whereas we used to buy a holiday home, now many of us look for an investment. The typical home in this category is valued at £220,000."The second and faster-growing sector is for investors," Daly goes on. Then, they say, they may buy another property in another emerging location.Where do Britons buy?Some 71 per cent of buyers still choose Europe, with Spain and France out in front by a country mile. There are 425,000 British-owned homes overseas, including 35,000 that have been bought in the past year."Buyers fall into two distinct camps," says Savills researcher Jacqui Daly. There are vast numbers of over-50s and over-60s wanting homes overseas, often in traditional areas such as Spain. They are typical of a new breed of British buyer for whom income and potential capital appreciation are more important than sunshine. They have a lot of equity in UK homes, so most won't need to borrow at all." The survey also suggests that few existing owners will sell up in the light of dearer fuel prices. They want a lifestyle property in the sun. They'll see that a month's rental can, if timed well, pay for much of a year's running costs on a home." He believes that those investors with overseas city homes will not lose out. We've used the property a little ourselves but it's primarily an investment. You are here:Telegraph>Property>OverseasContact us | Forgotten your password?

The Press Association - Britons Blame Hotel For Sickness

Britons blame hotel for sickness - The Press Association

Britons blame hotel for sickness The Press Association - Jul 16, 2008 More than 70 British holidaymakers have complained of an outbreak of gastric illness at a hotel in Bulgaria. Irwin Mitchell Solicitors has reported the ...

Britons blame hotel for sickness - The Press Association
Hosted by Copyright © 2008 The Press Association. The entire hotel complex smelt of sewage, the food on the buffet by the bar was left out uncovered and chicken was pink in the middle and glasses in the bar never appeared to be clean."So many families were complaining to staff and we felt like nothing was being done. The Press Association: Britons blame hotel for sickness var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ?