1940's GRAIN BIN APARTMENT: The Silo in Texas

I always enjoy looking at interesting homes and hotels. Would you believe this 1940's grain bin is actually a 1 bedroom loft apartment inn?

People can actually stay in there as a hotel guest. I would never have thought this just by looking at it from the outside.
Guests can stay at this superb renovated apartment called the Silo is based in New Braunfels, Texas on a complex of historic farm houses known as Gruen Homestead Inn.

EMIGRATING TO ANOTHER COUNTRY

I have always thought when i am retired i might consider emigrating to another country.

But would i choose my favourite sunny holiday destinations like Spain or Greece, or would i go somewhere that is a natural beauty like Australia?

Then there are the Emigration factors to consider. Would i actually be allowed to reside in the country and what things could stop me?

I heard that sometimes some people are only allowed to have a visiting visa for about 6 months, whilst others only allow you into their country if you are married to someone living there, or practice a job that would prove beneficial to their country like a doctor, teacher etc.

You always see these airline programmes on TV, where people have got a criminal record or trying to get out of the country illegally.

This is entertaining, but it made me wonder would i come across this type of scrutiny in the future - well probably. I guess everyone is treated equally.

Have you had success in emigrating to another country yourself?, or maybe you have tried in the past and not been successful?

I know my retirement is years and years away, but it's always nice to know what my options could be.

THE ICELAND VOLCANO DISASTER

Disaster recently struck Europe when a Volcano erupted in Eyjafjallajokull in Iceland, leaving the skies with thick ash clouds.

Flights were cancelled leaving travellers stranded at the airports, or forced to catch buses and trains to be ferried back to their country by navy boats.

The problem was that not only would the ash cloud affect the pilots visual outlook, but the ash itself could damage the planes engine and stop them from working.

The last time the volcano erupted was in 1821, and having a total of four in a thousand years. At that time the ash that had toxic fluoride gas in it poisoned and killed alot of cattle and affected horses and humans too.

The volcano this time came from a 1,600 tall glacier covering it that became loose and caused over 3,000 small earthquakes, which then built up a high pressure causing the volcano to rise and send out a huge cloud of ash.

The surrounding area was also flooded due to the glacier melting and 800 people had to be evacuated from their homes.

Stranded passengers forced to sleep rough at airports

No one really knows how long the ash cloud will remain in the skies, but after a recent risk assessment done 6 days after the disaster showing 'increased tolerance levels in low ash density areas airspace has been re-opened.

And to the relief of over 6 million people affected some airlines will re-open. However airlines wont be completely back to normal for a while though.

There have been some amazing pictures took along the way. Some of the best scenic ones i have come across are in this post.

SPANISH WEATHER FORECAST

If your going on holiday to Spain it's always good to check out the Spanish Weather from an actual Spanish site.

Spanishweather.net will give you anything from a 3 to 14 day live translated forecast on the specific area your going to.

LARGEST CARVED STONE BUDDHA IN THE WORLD: Leshan Giant Budda in China

This stunning 233 foot sculpture surrounded by rivers was carved out of the face of the cliff between 713-803 during the Tang Dynasty.

Named the Leshan Giant Buddha, it is one of the many popular tourist attractions of China and the largest carved stone Buddha in the world. The Mount Emei mountain area is also listed as a world heritage site.

Amazingly when the Sichuan earthquake hit back in 2008 there was no damage to it. This proves just how strong the structure is, and why it has lasted all those years so far.

Creator Haithong's hope was that the Buddha would settle down the rough waters, that proved a nuisance for ships going down the river.

Constriction began in 713, but then money to build the statue was held back. The story goes to express his strong feelings for the building to continue Haithong dug out his eyes to show his religious devotion.

Sadly the attempt failed and the partly built statue was left unfinished for around 70 years. After this time a Jiedushi offered to fund the commencement of the project and the statue was finally completed in 803.

In the end the waters did become safe as Haithong intended, as the stone that was removed from the cliff to make the Buddha was put or fell into the river. This then made the currents alot calmer.
Over the years the Buddha has deteriorated. This is said to be from air pollution of development in the area, the weather in general and too many tourists trying to get their pictures.

Although the surrounding factories and power plants have been shut down, the Buddha still has dirt marks on his face and a black nose. The Government hopes to start restoration here in the future.

ABROAD TRAVEL CREDIT CARDS

If you travel abroad alot you may have used your credit card in the past, and been faced with huge fees for doing so?

Or maybe you have been on your holiday only to find you are running low on your monies?

You might want to use abroad credit cards instead. They work in a similar way to normal credit cards for whatever you spend per month, you pay the minimum amount etc.

But with cards such as the Post Office credit card you don't get charged a foreign transaction fee and others offer a cheaper currency conversion, cheaper transaction fees, free legal assistance abroad and other advantages.

You can visit the Credit Card Comparison Online UK site to find out more, and easily calculate and compare companies and the costs involved with the search tool.

WAR STRUCK ABANDONED CITY: Agdam, Azerbaijan

War Struck abandoned city of Agdam in Azerbaijan was once a beautiful place that housed more than 150,000 people. Today are the deteriorating remains of what was destroyed and left behind.

The 1993 war was caused by a dispute over the land around the city between the Armenian forces and Azerbaijani military.The Armenians forced everyone out of their homes before destroying parts of the city so that it couldn't be captured.

Interestingly the mosque was not destroyed and still remains intact today. In fact it is now used as a cattle stable by farmers.

The residents never returned, and due to the state the city was left in couldn't really. Farmers and people looking for free construction supplies use the land mostly now. There are a few cow fields around the city.

However war and violence still continues in this area and it is used as a buffer zone for Azeri attacks.

This will see that the city remains empty and no one will be able to reside there ever again. Because of this sightseeing is not really recommended, but some tourists venture through anyway at their own risk.

CHEAP TEL AVIV ISRAEL ACCOMODATION SEARCH

If you have decided to stay in the beautiful historic city of Tel Aviv in Israel, then you no doubt want an accommodation to match your experience.

There are different styles of accommodation you can chose from. Whether it be apartments, boutique living or Cheap Tel Aviv Hotels .

At the Stay In Tel Aviv website you can do a quick and easy accommodation search just by typing in the dates you want to go.

You will then be presented with search results of several accommodations, that you can narrow down by price, the most popular, star rating or review score.

I really like how you can read reviews from people who have stayed at places and view interior pictures.

Many of the hotels, boutiques and apartments are located within walking distance to the main attraction points, such as the beach, shopping districts and popular tourist attractions.

The Stay In Tel Aviv site is full of useful information on the area about it's history and things you can see and do.

It makes a great base to find out all about your Israel holiday destination and gives you the opportunity to search and compare accommodation to suit your needs and budget, instead of relentlessly scouring the Internet to find what you want.

STRANGE ITEMS SENT TO UNCLAIMED BAGGAGE CENTER

Can you imagine how much baggage goes unclaimed each year? With no one collecting the items where do you think it all goes?

Instead of throwing it all away, there is a special Unclaimed Baggage Center at Scottsboro, Alabama in the USA.

It is like a giant store full of reasonably priced goods for the public to buy. There are also a few museum pieces not for sale too.

Some of the most strangest unclaimed items have been:

* A live rattle snake.
* Mummified Egyptian falcon, shrunken head and other weird pieces from around 1500 BC.
* Hoggle model from the film Labyrinth (in the museum)
* A 19th century suit of armour
* 1770's violin (in the museum)
* 5.8 carat diamond that was found in a sock
* Natural 40.95 carat emerald
* A $250,000 Naval guidance system (This was later returned back to the Navy in good faith)
* Barbie doll filled with $500
* NASA Space Shuttle camera (Just like the Naval Guidance system, the camera was returned to N.A.S.A.

What is the strangest piece of baggage you have ever heard of being unclaimed or saw in the center if you have been?

WORLDWIDE CAR HIRE COMPARISON SITE

I'm really into the idea of car hire instead of taking my own car on my travels with me.

Sometimes it turns out alot better if you are travelling with more than 5 people, as you can get larger family cars or 12 passenger car hire vehicles.

When i have looked for car hire in the past i have gone through about 10 companies until i found the one that was right for me.

Then i came across Visioncarhire.com car rental company that can search for the companies for you in one place.

They deal with major and smaller companies, and with just a few simple questions you can be searching and comparing several companies within the minute.

With 17,000 locations worldwide it's worth checking out.

TREEPEE CAMPING TENT

A Tent?

I always like the idea of being able to step away from 'The Norm' from time to time.

And that's what i love about unusual tents like this Treepee one. I like how they cleverly used the name there!

You are suspended slightly from the ground to give you the feeling of you being in a tree house.

The tent can also sway slightly to help you get off to sleep. Plus the bottom base material is like a trampoline/bouncy castle.

A Trampoline?

It's especially great for the kids to play in in the daytime, or for those of you that just want to hide yourself away and have some quite time on your travels.

The main good points are it's UV protected, water repellent, fire retardant and the window mesh will keep out those nasty bugs. Plus you are less likely to have any crawling in your tent!

A Swing?

If you want one of these yourself they cost around $600 in a mustard yellow, pink or green.

THE LITTLE BIG CAR: Fiat 500

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of goviral. All opinions are 100% mine.

There are certain advantages to having a small or a large car. But don't you ever want a little bit of both?

The Fiat 500 is your small car with all the things you usually find in bigger cars - if not better.

This green friendly award winning car met Euro 5 Emission Standards last year, and has cool features such as Sports and Semi Auto buttons.

The Sports button will stiffen up your steering and make your throttle alot sharper. The Semi Auto button allows you not use the clutch and controls it for you.

You can get it in 12 body colours, add graphics to personalize it as your own and set yourself out from the rest

To celebrate the Fiat 500 a fun 'Talking 500' competition is being held, where you can win free music for a year.

Talking 500 is like charades. You can see the video below for an idea.
All you have to do is guess the daily gestures 500 style!

You can even test yourself on your skills first on the practice mime until the real game begins.

Most if not all of us who drive always make some kind of hand gestures at some point or another - good or bad! So i think Fiat has injected a bit of humor into things by using the charades theme for their promotion.

ESSENTIALS FLIGHT BAG: From A Touch Of Ginger

Sitting on long haul flights can get you down. Sometimes simply having a drink and a bite to eat is not enough to perk yourself up.

That's what i love about the idea of these His and Hers Flight Bags from A Touch Of Ginger.

The award winning Flight Bags contain everything you would need to refresh yourself, and to be able to relax comfortably during your journey.

A men's bag includes a razor, shaving cream, deodorant wipe, refreshing wipe, ear plugs, eye shades, mints, toothpaste, toothbrush and a mini pen.

For the women there is moisturiser, lip balm, make-up remover, refreshing wipe, ear plugs, eye shades, mints, toothpaste, toothbrush and a mini pen.

I love this idea and the fact i can keep it in my own compact essentials box with my hand luggage.

CULTURED HOLIDAY SPOT & HOTEL SEARCH: Tel Aviv In Israel

You could consider Tel Aviv in Israel a hidden gem really, compared to your usual overly tourist places.

But that is what i love about this fascinating holiday spot that's full of history and culture.

If the pretty buildings, open air markets, boutiques, studios, theaters and international flavour restaurants weren't enough to draw you in, the bustling nightlife will with over a 100 bars throughout the city.

You will also come across alot of tourist attraction pieces from around the world, which only adds to the whole beauty of the architectural designs and buildings.

To find out some really good informative information about the city and search for accommodation you should try http://www.stayin-tel-aviv.com/

WORLD'S FIRST FULL SIZE LEGO HOUSE

We all loved to play with Lego as kids. Maybe even still now. Imagine if you could live in a house of Lego.

UK TV presenter James May and 1,000 volunteers put together this 3.3 million Lego brick house.

It actually has a working toilet, shower and a bed - all made of Lego of course!

Bathroom

Bedroom, complete with Lego Slippers

The home was built on Denbies Wine Estate in Surrey, United Kingdom, and was suppose to be snapped up by Lego Land Theme Park in Windsor. But due to the cost to have it re-appointed Lego Land pulled out of the deal.

The Kitchen with Lego equipment including a bread bin, iron, kettle, toaster & more

Sadly it has now been dismantled and the pieces sold off to charity. It's a shame really - i thought it would have made a great tourist attraction.

The house being dismantled dispite a huge Facebook campaign against it - boo!