www.hanwag.de

For the second time the ISPO On Snow Demo offers the best opportunity to do just that. After the ISPO MUNICH closes visiting industry professionals will have a chance to test the products for the 2012/13 season first-hand on the snowy slopes of the Hintertux Glacier. It is a unique opportunity to gain a comprehensive overview of the latest products and to determine the best selection of products for one’s business.

For more information, please refer to www.ispo.com.

Constructed with best-in-class technology, athlete-driven designs and environmental leadership, the new shells accomplish their express goal: to protect you as you move through the mountains in changeable weather.

Partnering with technical fabric suppliers Gore® and Polartec® has allowed the new Patagonia Shells line to combine best-in-class technology with athlete-driven design.

www.patagonia.com

Brunton equips all lamps with an energy management system. With decreasing battery the shining power reduces automatically so you won’t be standing in the dark all of a sudden.

No battery at all is used inside the top version Glacier 320. Instead the headlamp comes with the Inspire Power Pack, which works like an external battery compartment. Advantage: one can “wear” the power pack – in a backpack, trousers or jacket – depending on the intended use.

Beneath the Glacier 320 Brunton has settled the Glacier 200. This lamp has an integrated rechargable battery but with the combined usage of an Inspire or a ReSync power pack the running time can be considerably extended.

The Glacier 115 is a true multi-talent. It works with regular as well as with rechargeable batteries. For recharging the latter it’s not even necessary to take them out – thanks to SyncTechTM you can charge it with the USB-port directly “inside“ the lamp.

The smallest headlamps of the new series – the Glacier 69 and the Glacier 49 have no USB-port but thanks to the Nichia LEDs they also shine as bright as their bigger brothers.

The suggested retail price for the USB rechargeable headlamps: Glacier 320 115.- Euro, Glacier 200 65.- Euro and Glacier 115 55.- Euro. The smaller versions cost 28.- Euro (Glacier 69) and 18.- Euro (Glacier 49). The numbers next to the names indicate maximum beam in feet.

For further information see www.Bruntonoutdoor.com

Depart from Alcácer do Sal, after climbing to the top of the castle with your children, in order to marvel at the small houses clustered by the river’s edge. Then travel through the Sado Estuary Nature Reserve, pass through Comporta and on to the coast, visiting beaches such as Carvalhal and Melides. These huge golden sand dunes that mingle with the Lakes of Santo André and Sancha Nature Reserve invite us to partake in great moments of escape and tranquility and whet our appetite for some fresh fish. As you calmly look out over the infinite sea, allow your children to run and play on the beach.

In Santiago do Cacém, you’ll encounter a history lesson in the Roman ruins of Miróbriga. Take the kids on a safari in the heart of the Alentejo. Show them animals of all species in Badoca Park and don’t miss the opportunity to take them to the Pedagogical Farm in order to get a glimpse of everyday life in the countryside.

Returning once again to the coast, learn about the itineraries in the South-East Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Natural Park, that starts to the south of Sines. Choose the most enjoyable means to explore this fabulous coastal area with the family – on foot, horseback or by jeep – and see unique species of animal and plant life, such as the marine otter.

This is the best conserved coastal stretch in Europe and the small, secluded beaches include São Torpes and Porto Covo. Why not take a short, enjoyable boat trip to the Island of Pessegueiro and then visit Vila Nova de Milfontes and Almograve, and many other spots.

If you’re in the area in July and enjoy varied styles of music, watch the “Festival Músicas do Mundo” (World Music Festival) in Sines. In the first week of August the compass needle of fun points to the pop-rock sounds of the Sudoeste Festival, in another beach that’s not to be missed – Zambujeira do Mar.

Points of interest along the itinerary:

Praia da Comporta

Badoca Park

Praia de Melides

Praia Grande de Porto Covo

Praia da Ilha do Pessegueiro

Zambujeira do Mar

Klaus Förtsch, President of the German Caravanning Industry Association, was also extremely satisfied with the outcome of the trade fair: “We have been pleasantly surprised by the high popularity of the event amongst visitors and their propensity to buy. Traditionally, some 15% of annual sales are effected at the Caravan Salon and in the premium segment this figure is actually significantly higher. This is why this trade fair sends out an important signal.” Already in the first six months of 2011 sales in the German caravanning sector were up by 27% to Euro 3.08 billion. “We consider the results of the trade fair clear proof of the continued avid interest taken in caravanning as a holiday format. Both caravans and motor homes in particular benefit from this. With the good results obtained at the trade fair, the 2010/2011 season draws to a very promising close,” said Förtsch.

This positive summary was also unanimously confirmed by the exhibitors at the Caravan Salon Düsseldorf 2011, who – without exception – reported strong interest and increased sales. Hermann Pfaff, Board Member at Hymer AG, found that this year’s Caravan Salon motivated dealers for the autumn season due to the high demand while giving the manufacturers tailwind for the coming season.

The talks at the fair met with a unanimously positive response. Dr. Holger Siebert, General Manager at Eura Mobil GmbH, explained: “Visitors are well informed and know exactly what they want. Our impression is that a certain reticence to buy felt last year has now vanished because we have sold significantly more vehicles in all segments while registering lower financing needs.” Giovanni Marcon, Chairman of the Board at Knaus Tabbert GmbH, also confirmed less discount negotiating and higher sales figures: “Sales volume overall has risen considerably with a clear improvement in favour of motor homes, without caravans suffering.”

Achim Sach, Senior Vice President at Alois Kober GmbH, noted strong interest taken by both visitors and the media in the hybrid concepts debuted at Caravan Salon. He felt that visitors were interested in green technologies and were gathering information on what would be feasible over the next few years and at what price. Sach went on to say that they had had very good talks also with international customers from throughout Europe.

In the field of tourism increased visitor numbers also translated into a higher movement at the stands. Heidrun Müller, operator of the Campingpark Gitzenweiler Hof in Lindau, delighted at the noticeably increased demand over the previous year: “This year we had a striking number of new visitors primarily interested in planning their vacation for the next year. Some even took a last-minute decision to attend our beer festival in autumn,” she said.

The next Caravan Salon Düsseldorf will be held in Düsseldorf from 24 August (trade visitor and media day) to 2 September 2012. The “caravanning design award: innovations for new mobility” will then be presented for the sixth time.

Not to be missed at the fair are all the colours and sounds of the concerts and shows that can be seen on the specially built stage, show jumping at the Horse-Riding Centre, bicycle tours, fishing competitions, parachuting and aerobatics displays at the Aeródromo Gonçalves Lobato, athletics events and lots of entertainment!

All this can be found in August/September at Campo da Feira de São Mateus, right in the heart of Viseu.

www.visitcentro.com

At present, the city of Valencia has a total of 796,549 inhabitants and lies at the centre of an extensive metropolitan area populated by one and a half million people. It represents 18% of the Region of Valencia’s population and, by demographic size, is Spain’s third-largest city after Madrid (3,155,359 inhabitants) and Barcelona (1,593,075 inhabitants).
Over the 20th century, the city has more than trebled its initial population, with the periods of greatest demographic growth from the years 1930-1940 and during the decade of the sixties. In the early years of the 21st century, the city has continued to grow, boosted by an influx of immigration and a turnaround in birth-rate.

The city’s population is relatively young, with 20% of the population between 15 and 29 years old and 32% between 30 and 49 years old.

Valencia has one of the most benign climates in Europe. It is characterized by a mild, typically Mediterranean climate, with an average annual temperature above 17ºC. Summers are warm and winters are very moderate. During winter months, the temperature does not usually drop below 10º C. Rainfall is low and shows the typical Mediterranean summer minimum, with two peaks, one in autumn and another at the end of winter and beginning of spring.

It takes place in March and is intended as a tribute to St. Joseph, patron saint of the carpenters’ guild, where – it is said – the tradition arose from.

The basis of the fiesta, as is well-known, is the “Fallas” monuments. In a display of art, though also of irony and humour, they are exhibited in the streets during Fallas week, between the 15th and 19th of March. On the last day, at midnight, they are set on fire and burn in immense, spectacularly beautiful pyres.

The Fallas are not just that, though. During the fiesta days – and even weeks beforehand – the streets are alive with fireworks displays, music bands, artistic lighting, street performances, parades…

It is also a fiesta with a complex, well-tuned business and administrative structure: the Junta Central Fallera (or Fallas Central Board) is its governing body and organizes all official events. Every monument is set up by an association called a “comisión fallera” (Fallas Committee), managed by its members, the “Falleros”. During each Fallas Year (which officially begins on March 20th and ends the following March 19th), they meet periodically to decide on the fiesta’s main lines of action.

All kinds of activities take place throughout the whole year: from sporting (Valencian pelota and football championships,…) to cultural events (theatre, poetry or dancing contests…) plus displays of Valencia’s own folklore, traditions and customs. Many of these activities are organised by the Fallas Committees themselves, complementing the work of the Junta Central Fallera.

The total number of Falleros and Falleras now easily surpasses a hundred thousand people. In fact, though, the whole of Valencia takes part in the Fallas Festival, which has reached a high status in the city’s social and cultural life.