Tenerife, Photo taken by Carlos SM

After spending a great time in the Gran Canaria, I moved towards Tenerife to continue my journey forward. Tenerife is the largest island in the Canary islands group in the Atlantic Ocean, off the coast of North West Africa. It is one of the last European paradise isles. It offers lush forests, exotic fauna and flora, deserts, mountains, volcanoes, incredibly beautiful coastlines and spectacular beaches.

Most popular among English and German tourists, the island receives tourists who come to celebrate their holidays to Tenerife from all around the world.

One of the major attraction of the island is the live volcano which lies in the centre of the island and is also the highest peak of Spain, El Teide at 3718 m (12,198 ft).

El Teide, from the neighbouring island, La Gomera, above the clouds, photo taken by GanMed64

Before you go up Mount Teide, check the weather forecast, as wandering around in low cloud with no views is no fun at all! Be informed that it can be quite cold at the top, so take a fleece or anorak with you. The air is quite thin as you go higher, and you might have problem breathing and may start feeling thirsty in short intervals.

The cable car costs €25 per person, but the views at the top are magnificent and worth every cent. The queues can be long because of its popularity, but before the ascent there are plenty of chairs to sit down on as you move along. Walking from the upper cable car station to the top of the mountain requires a permit which can be tough to get, so make sure you have the permit already. Officially pregnant women and children under one are not allowed, but I was able to see few pregnant women there. But to be on the safer side, if you are pregnant you shouldn't go up. The rock formations and their colors and the flora (pine forests) on the mountain are fascinating. Mount Teide is a location where car companies like to test how their newly designed engines perform at high altitude. I could see probably the Ford cars were being tested.

Going Kilometres high above the sea level in the sky, now it is time to go metres down below the sea level. I like to do different things, though I could have normally spent my time on the beaches with drinks and a little volleyball., but I made my mind to do some Scuba diving. I visited Scubayaci Dive Resort PADI Tenerife diving centre, they seemed professional and had heard good reviews of them.

I attended this dive centre as a total beginner, no diving experience previously and plenty of nerves. The dive centre team speak English, French and Spanish, the instructors are helping, supporting and carry a good sense of humour. 

Scuba Diving, Tenerife. Photo taken by Philippe Guillaume

The shop has a front courtyard where diving equipment is dried and has a seating area. The internal area of the shop has a toilet and shower area with lovely warm water. For everyone, belongings were all stored in separate baskets. There was a 10 minutes walk from the dive shop to the harbour – and equipment was taken on a trolley so none of the participants had to carry it. 

Another interesting thing that the island has to offer is Loro Parque, an animal park and it's a must for animal lovers or if you are with your kids. From killer whales to the arctic penguin to sea lions exhibit, Loro Parque is by far my most favourite animal park I have ever visited.

Dolphins at Loro Parque, photo taken by Joachim S. Müller

The shows are the highlight of the day and I would recommend planning your day around seeing them as otherwise you will do a lot of needless walking back and forward. The Killer wale show is amazing, you cannot appreciate how big they are until you see them in the flesh. The dolphin show has around 13-15 dolphins which is the maximum I have ever seen in one show. The seal show was also good and quit funny.

Around the shows you have some create enclosures, the penguin enclosure is brilliant and has many different varieties. The other headline animals at the park is the gorilla, alligator and leopards. There are a lot of birds at the park too.

The only minor down point was the food. There are only 3 or 4 food outlets in the park which are spread out over the park. There was one nice looking restaurant however this was pact and pricey. The others were relatively small and where I ate had lots of flies as you would expect on a hot day.

At the end of my trip I found Tenerife and Gran Canaria very complementing to each other, one has to see both to have a real big experience. I enjoyed my journey and would love to recommend to people. What I did may not be your choice. Still the Canary Islands have everything to offer.

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Picture taken by Andy Stoll
(about the picture:
Pro Democracy Protests  on July 2007 in HongKong)

Written by Sabina Strîmbovschi, Geopolitics.ro


For many of us, democracy embodies the political system that brings stability and prosperity to the nation-state and fulfillment to its citizens. It's the form of government which guarantees the separation of powers, national sovereignty, equality of all before the law, as well as the possibility to act as their own volition. Far from being considered an infallible political system, Winston Churchill argued that 'democracy is a bad political system, but the best mankind has yet invented'.

In most cases in history, democracy has been chosen and implemented in the countries in which totalitarian regime has dominated the political life of a state for a long time. This is also true for Moldova which, after a period of almost 100 years under the Soviet Union and after eight years under the 'patronage' of the Communist Party, has seen the democracy implemented successfully in the country.

A first change in this respect took place in April 2009 when the citizens, dissatisfied with the situation in their country, rebelled in the street. This moment was an end for the Moldovan society and was also a new beginning. It was the historical moment when the light at the end of the tunnel appeared in Moldova as well. Thus, after a long period of silence and obedience, the Moldovan people expressed themselves through protests their aversion to the former government, calling out their wish for a democratic government, where freedom, equality before the law, transparency, tolerance, equal rights and opportunities to prevail from now on. Although this was the choice of a majority guided by the conviction that democracy will bring prosperity and absolute freedom, some social and religious activists, as well some policy makers remain reluctant even now when there's any mention of bills to combat discrimination of Roma minorities, Muslims and more importantly, acceptance and integration of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender social groups (LGBT). And to regulate this important aspect of Moldovan civil society, the international community has intervened through various means, communicating to the political leaders the importance and necessity of adopting anti-discrimination laws, if democracy and EU integration is truly the government's long-term priority.

At the same time, the requirements of the international community are legitimized by the fact that Moldova is a member of the Council of Europe, the United Nations, and this status involves not only financial support and assistance from organizations, but also carrying out the obligations set in the treaties they are part of.

Although the bill against discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation was filed in the Parliament in February 2011, due to the opposition of members of social and religious movements and some policy makers, the law was not adopted.[1] Therefore, this minority continues to be deprived of the rights which are normally respected and stipulated by the Constitution in a free, democratic country. In addition, recently, in some cities of Moldova, several activists went on the streets to support stereotypes of LGBT groups, Roma and Muslim minorities, [2] to express their position against the adoption of anti-discrimination law. However, these actions have raised warning signs among international organizations, mainly among the United Nations representatives working in Chisinau.

The reason why the UN representatives didn't remain indifferent lies in the fact that the objectives of the organization are based on concepts that, as a priority, promote the fundamental human rights and, where appropriate, seek to resolve issues of discrimination, homophobia, xenophobia..., and this situation is currently present in the Moldovan society. Following the events, on February 10, 2012 a program called 'For unity in action: The UN-Moldova Partnership' has been signed for the period of 2013-2017. Through this program of cooperation worth $ 217 million, are to be supported and developed priority areas for the state's prosperity, where democratic governance, justice, equality and human rights occupy a prominent place. [3]

Important to remember, in this regard, is the remark of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, who said in a meeting of the senior UN Officials that 'no personal opinion or religious belief, no matter how deep or widespread, can justify depriving a person of its rights' [4] And here i'm referring to the aversion of the Metropolitan Church of Moldova, who is outraged by the requests made by the UN to adopt anti-discrimination law. Moreover, Bishop Vladimir believes that the acceptance and integration of these minorities would lead to the ruin and weaken of the Orthodox faith. [5] It is a tough battle but the recommendations of international institutions is pressing more and more on the Government to reaffirm its commitment to the human rights and take proactive measures to ensure diversity and equal dignity to all. This project will be completed and implemented as soon as possible, said the Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of Moldova, Iurie Leancă, [6] taking into account the fact that the anti-discrimination law is an essential criterion for Moldova to be accepted in the European Economic Area and to enjoy other significant benefits worldwide.

The main obstacles in adopting this low come from the dominant position of the Orthodox Church and the misinformed people, who built their defensive attitude towards LGBT groups based on prejudice and not on their own experience. Many argue that sexual orientation is a disease that lies from a mental or emotional disorder and this can be changed even by psychiatric treatment. Furthermore, they support the idea that access to accurate information about homosexuality and living together with such people could also affect our sexual orientation. They're unfounded stereotypes which need to be destroyed by a constructive information campaign of the society, where the misconceptions that lead both homophobic activists and the Orthodox Church of Moldova to gain new dimensions, worthy and true for a democratic state.

I conclude this article with the perfect words of Mahatma Gandhi, who believes that 'through democracy, new opportunities are given both to the weakest and to the strongest' and in a truly democratic state there is no room for discrimination.

____________________________________________________________________________
References:
1. Gonţa, Valeriu Gay în Moldova: Societatea noastră nu este gata să accepte diferite tipuri de dragoste, 16.03.2012,  found at http://social.moldova.org/news/gay-in-moldova-societatea-noastra-nu-este-gata-sa-accepte-diferite-tipuri-de-dragoste-229090-rom.html

2. ONU: Guvernul trebuie să-şi asume angajamentul pentru diversitate, 12.03.2012, found at http://discriminare.md/eveniment/onu-guvernul-trebuie-sa-si-asume-angajamentul-pentru-diversitate/

3. Naţiunile Unite şi Guvernul Republicii Moldova au semnat un nou program de cooperare,  found at http://www.un.md/news_room/pr/2012/undaf/index_ro.shtml

4. Organizaţia Naţiunilor Unite susţine drepturile persoanelor LGBT, 09.03.2012, found at http://www.darkq.net/stiri/organizatia-natiunilor-unite-sustine-drepturile-persoanelor-lgbt/

5. Biserica ortodoxă simte că pierde teren, 13.03.2012, found at http://discriminare.md/discriminarea-in-moldova/biserica-ortodoxa-simte-ca-pierde-teren/

6. Conferinţă susţinută de Iurie Leancă şi Kaarina Immonen, Coordonatorul Rezident al ONU la Chişinău, 13.03.2012, found at http://www.privesc.eu/Arhiva/9406/Conferinta-sustinuta-de-Iurie-Leanca-si-Kaarina-Immonen--Coordonatorul-Rezident-al-ONU-la-Chisinau

Translated in English from Romanian language, Original Article appeared on our Partner Website Geopolitics.ro

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Fyodor Lukyanov,
Editor-in-chief, Russia in Global Affairs

Written by Fyodor Lukyanov

The Arab spring, distant as it may seem from Russia’s core interests, could have an increasing impact on Moscow’s political planning. Inherited from the USSR, Russia’s traditional approach was to side with the Arabs in the Middle East conflict. 

Recently I discovered an article by US scholar Mark Katz with the title What Would a Democratic Russian Foreign Policy Look Like. The author concludes that Russian international behavior will not change much. He expects two differences: a rise in anti-Chinese sentiment as a reflection of Russian public opinion, and a possible re-orientation in the Middle East with the major focus on Israel. 

“Russia’s defense ministry has a special interest in improving Russian–Israeli relations since Israel has now become an important source of military technology for it,” Katz writes. “The Russian arms industry also has a strong incentive to maintain good Russian–Israeli ties”.“The fear of Islamic radicalism inside Russia might also result in large numbers of voters seeing Israel as an ally against a common Muslim foe. The extensive cultural, trade, and tourist links that built up between Russia and Israel might also contribute to the emergence of an influential Israeli lobby in Russia,” he implies.

The conclusion is controversial, and many Russians will strongly disagree with it. But if we look more in-depth, we can find at least some preconditions for this scenario.

The Arab spring, and especially events in Syria, put Russia in a new position, when it antagonized almost the whole Arab world by supporting the Assad regime. Russian diplomacy won a significant victory in preventing intervention so far, but the relationship with key Arab states doesn’t look promising. Soviet resources based on ties with secular dictatorial regimes as the Libyan or Syrian ones have been fully exhausted, and new Arab rulers will not lean towards Russia – they may not of course lean towards the West either. 

Meanwhile, there are no sources of serious tension with Israel except Iran. Russian military cooperation with Tehran makes Israel very nervous, but the future of Russian-Iranian ties is not predetermined. In the case of a war against Iran, which Russia of course will condemn, the situation could change, and Iran would no longer be a major obstacle between Russia and Israel. The rest is clear. Russia and Israel share views on terrorism and Islamism. They prefer pragmatic approaches and are disturbed by a prospect of democratization in the Middle East, which would lead to Islamic revival in the whole region. Since Israel is a high-tech-driven and developed country, it can serve as useful source for modernization, badly needed in Russia.

There is also another trend which could contribute to Russian-Israeli rapprochement – signs of change in the US approach. Changes in the Middle East have raised voices in Washington saying that the “Israel first” policy limits strategic maneuvering for America. One cannot expect the US to betray Israel completely, but a change in priorities towards greater diversification is possible. In this case, Israel will also seek respective diversification.

This is still pure speculation, as rumor has it that Putin may pay one of his first visits as president to Israel. But we live in a world of highly variable geometry, and no options can be put aside just because they seem unrealistic.

The author, Fyodor Lukyanov is the editor-in-chief of the journal Russia in Global Affairs. Republished following the legal disclaimer of Russia Today. Original Article appeared on Russia Today blog.

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Gran Canaria, Image by TPS58

Spending most of my time in West Europe, from Portugal to Madrid, to Ibiza and to Barcelona, I continued my journey a bit Southwards along the coast of Africa. I reached to a beautiful group of islands known as the Canary Islands, situated off the coast of north West Africa in the Atlantic Ocean.

The Canary islands are one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe. The Islands of Gran Canaria and Tenerife host the largest amount of tourism in this island group. I, as well, planned my journey as such to visit both these islands, celebrate my Gran Canaria holidays and then in Tenerife and understand their culture, cuisine and hospitality.

Gran Canaria is the third largest island in the Canary Islands and has the largest population. It's often described as a "continent in miniature" because it has so much variety to offer. The capital Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, in the northeast of the island, is one of Spain's largest cities. The south coast of the island is now dominated by the tourist resorts which generate most of the island's economy. The centre of the island is mountainous, with the remains of ancient pine forests on the peaks. Maspalomas in the south of Gran Canaria is the tourist zone, with the largest variety of options for enjoying the island. If you ever need Tourist Information or Specific help, the TI Center is in Yumbo Center.

Gran Canaria is more like a family destination where you can go with your family and kids. It is full package of parks, Sceneries, beaches, zoo, trekking and food. One of the major attraction of this island is Palmitos Park; if you have this in your travel plan, then be informed that the entry to this park is not free, but rather expensive (28.50 Euros), however if you book the tickets online you may get some discount (24 Euros). The tickets bought online are valid upto next 90 days and are eligible only if shown with an ID proof/passport. The park has lot to offer, Along the mountains, the sight is stunning, the way the park is organized is very beautiful and is really very well landscaped. There are good number of  birds and animals to see, but the highlight is definitely the dolphin show. It's a stunning aquarium that gives you a really good view of the show. The park could be expensive if you want to eat or if you want a picture of you with Parrots, Dolphins or Eagles.

Dolphin show at Palmitos Park, photo taken by Juan Ramon Rodriguez Sosa

If you are with your partner then you should consider watching a movie in the open movie theater "Moonlight Cinema". Though I am not sure they play a Romantic movie every time, but it is worth experiencing, in my opinion. Instead of seats the theater provides Sofas for two with blankets, an alcoholic drink is complementary with your entry ticket and you can order Pizzas separately. All in all a beautiful experience for me. Most of the times English movies are played and those who do not understand English can use translator headset.

Hiking, trekking and beaches will make your mood light, but what I would suggest you is to take full benefit of being in the Hawaii of the Atlantic. Gran Canaria is famous among the surfers. Surfing is more common in the north of the island. The island also has lots of surfing schools to offer you training to enjoy this water sport.

Surfing in Gran Canaria, photo taken by Juan Ramon Rodriguez Sosa

Those who like to stay away from water can enjoy playing Golf, Gran Canaria being home to Spain's oldest golf club and has eight new golf courses mainly situated in the South.

Even for those who like to be very much inside water, Gran Canaria is the place for you. The island has good Scuba diving opportunities with great diving locations and many diving centres.

Gran Canaria is a great summer experience for romance, for family or team holiday. If you keep yourself aware and alert you can avoid many problems that you can face otherwise. You mail fall victim of fraudulent if you don't stay alert. Some of the streets can be badly lit and the area around the harbour can be a bit threatening. African women vendors will approach you in extra friendly manner and will try to put a bracelet on your wrist or purse/bag and then will charge an exorbitant fee for it.

Follow this space or subscribe to The World Reporter Travel RSS as I continue my journey to the adjacent and equally beautiful island of Tenerife.

India and Pakistan at Wagah Border. '
Photo taken by Kamran Ali

India and Pakistan are the two countries which are involved in regular trade with the world. But when it comes to the neighbourhood, they are hardly maintaining any business relationship with each other. Many times the idea of starting free trade between the two neighbours was discussed. Pakistan had its own ups and downs in declaring India as its most favoured nation, but now the discussion is more about who among India and Pakistan will be benefited more if Pakistan gives Most Favoured Nation status to India.

Do you think Pakistan should give India MFN Status?

India and Pakistan, known in the world as major nuclear rival neighbours, always had tensed relations. Within this rivalry many steps towards peace were taken, some of which were successful and some eventually failed. The dialogues between two nations had almost stopped when Pakistan's terrorist organization's involvement in November 2008 Mumbai attacks came in the picture. India maintained a no dialogue policy until Pakistan would take action against the culprits of Mumbai attack.

It was in July 2009 amidst the tourist season when regular tourists from around the world were coming to Egypt  in full flow, diving in Sharm el Sheikh which is a beautiful tourist destination facing the Red Sea. There were some really interesting developments happening between India and Pakistan. Indian and Pakistani premiers met in Sharm el Sheikh for the first time after Mumbai Attacks. The outcomes of the meeting were lauded in Pakistan, whereas were chided by Indian analysts, but the most important aspect of the meeting was the resumption of the peace process.

While India has given a good reaction prior to the developments in Pakistan about granting MFN status, Pakistan is giving mixed response. There are analysts who think giving MFN to India is a right decision and there are analysts who have censured this step. The main reason of Pakistan for castigating this step is that India has been very strict to Pakistan in terms of providing its market for Pakistani goods.

India had given MFN status to Pakistan as soon as WTO (World Trade Organization) replaced GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) in 1995. The MFN rule requires that a WTO member must apply the same conditions on all trade with other WTO members, i.e. a WTO member has to grant the most favorable conditions under which it allows trade in a certain product type to all other WTO members. "Grant someone a special favour and you have to do the same for all other WTO members."

Even after India giving MFN status to Pakistan, India's non-tariff barriers, technical, security and custom standards were so strict that Pakistan couldn't make most out of it. Pakistan on the other hand, which has comparatively less stricter standards, fear that Indian products will burgeon in their markets challenging their local industries if such status is given to India. 

India has complex trade barriers not only for export to India, but also for import from India. Dr. Ashfaq Hassan, Dean of NUST Business School, Pakistan shared his experience when Pakistan imported live animals from India during the shortage of meat in the country. He mentioned that custom office had problem because the animals were not vaccinated, and they had to take the animals all the way back to Delhi to get them vaccinated.

However, Federal Secretary Commerce, Zafar Mehmood, who believes that trade should normalize between the two countries,  maintains that India and Pakistan were trading normally between 1947 to 1965, and Pakistan's export to India was quite high in number compared to India's export to Pakistan. Regarding non tariff barriers imposed by India, he said they have been working with Indian establishment and Indian commerce minister to sort out all the issues and doubts which can later be problematic for either Pakistan or India.

To make things easy for Pakistani exporters and to make them understand about Indian custom regulation, Pakistan invited Indian trade regulator officers to give presentation to Pakistani exporters in Lahore and Karachi. Pakistan is also interested in signing three agreements with India, which stress on the delay in customs in India, discrimination in evaluation of Pakistani goods in customs, resolving disputes of exporters/importers, recognition of Pakistan's internationally credited laboratory and standards institute in India.

One of the most important thing that Pakistan will gain from giving India the MFN status will be reduced importing costs of machinery and machine parts, for example parts of textile machines, rail wheel, sugar mill machinery, and electric power generation machinery, etc which India produces on par or even better than international level. These machinery when Pakistan imports from other countries, often "Made in India" equipment items end up arriving on Pakistani ports. These parts are then not allowed to pass the Pakistani customs. 

This complexity in trade between India and Pakistan has helped trade mafias whose job is to order parts from India in Dubai or Singapore and then remove "Made in India" markings to sell it to Pakistan on higher rates, causing loss to Pakistan's industries. If trade is normalized between the countries, Pakistan will not only save the transportation cost but will also get rid of these trade mafias who sell the same thing for higher rates.

Moreover, Pakistan's textile and textile finishing has high appreciation in India and India is considered as great market for textile industry of Pakistan because of the high quality and similar traditions. Another industry which will gain from giving MFN status to India is Pakistan's Cement industry. Pakistan produces high quality cement in surplus, that is more than what Pakistan needs. Also, while approximate cost of one bag of cement in Lahore is 100 Rupees, the same bag twenty Kilometres across the border in India costs 500 Rupees, this price difference can be utilized by the Pakistani industries for their benefit.

Various analysts in Pakistan believe that Pakistan's bank sector also has a good opportunity in India. India is believed to be a major market for banks. Many analysts stressed on the fact that international banks are earning more profit from India than from Pakistan.

Pakistan's restricted trade with India is an international obligation which has to be resolved, there is also a huge number of population (nearly 50%) in Pakistan's north eastern and eastern areas which borders with India, this population will gain a lot if trade is normalized. These are some of the main reasons why Pakistan government should consider granting India MFN status.

The two countries share almost similar culture, similar dressing style, similar food and similar language, thus there is a huge opportunity for trade among the two. While India is a powerful economy which can threaten Pakistan's local industry, Pakistan should not forget that India is also a huge market of one billion people from which Pakistani industries can make huge profit.

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Walmart, Image by Matteson Norman

Students from University School of Management Studies, Delhi have taken up a new research project to study the burgeoning organized retail stores in the country and its effect on the consumer as well as on the growing economy of India. Indian Retail Market had changed a lot over years. Presence of Organised Stores in India is increasing. Retailers are not restricting themselves to physical stores only, they have moved to online retailing or e-tailing as well.

Retail stores are the powerhouse of the business for manufacturers and producers. It doesn't only target customers aggressively, but also provides various option at competitive rates and quality for a specific product. Retail stores have changed the culture of buying and selling in India. Indian consumers are now open to try new or alternative products.

Even after this market change, there are customers who prefer conventional shops where they form some kind of relationship with the shopkeepers over time, because of trust and quality of the products and prefer to buy only from that store.

This questionnaire is required to know more about the consumers’ intensions towards a store, as this research is required to study the effect of such stores on Indian consumers and Indian markets and to come up with a solution to increase the quality of the stores around the country, we would request you to take this small (less than 7 minutes) survey.

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French Dassault Rafale, Photo taken by AereiMilitari.org

Dassualt Rafale and Eurofighter Typhoon, two state of the art combat aricrafts were competing against each other not in a battle sky, but on papers. India had declared the requirement of 126 MRCA as a replacement for its ageing combat fleet for which Eurofighter Typhoon and Rafale along with other aircrafts ( Swedish Saab Gripen, Eurofighter Typhoon, French Dassault Rafale, Russian Mikoyan MiG-35, and the American F-16IN and F/A-18IN) Super Hornet were competing.

Which Aircraft Do you Prefer?

Along with Indian Air Force's technical requirement, another major criteria was also the cost, including the acquirement cost, production cost, operation and maintenance cost. India is already struggling maintaining its fleet due to high operation and maintenance costs. The cost issue is not only in the military, but also in the civilian side. Although Defence aviation industry functions quite differently than Civil aviation industry, today flights to Sydney from India costs nearly the same as the cost of standard Air India flight from New Delhi to Bangalore on a busy day.

Eurofighter Typhoon, photo taken by Contando Estrelas

Out of six competitors, Rafale and Eurofighter Typhoon had made up to the final round, Dassualt Rafale being the lowest bidder winning the deal [Read: Dassualt Rafale Wins 126 MMRCA Jet Fighters Deal With India].

It would be the first sale of Rafale outside France once the deal is finalized. Officials here said that the representatives of Dassualt Aviation have been informed of the results and development and soon  talks could be held for further negotiation on the price of the aircraft.

According to the agreement, the company who wins the contract will have to provide 18 aircrafts from their manufacturing facilities within 3 years or 36 months. Rest of the aircrafts will be manufactured at home facilities within India by HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Limited) under license.

Now that a new Aircraft will join the Indian fleet very soon, there is a big curiosity all over the world about how much India gained or missed choosing Rafale over Eurofighter.

Little Bit of History

The Eurofighter Typhoon, designed by a consortium (Eurofighter GmbH, formed in 1986) of three companies: EADS, Alenia Aeronautica and BAE Systems, is a twin-engine, canard-delta wing, multirole fighter.

In 1971, the UK had issued a requirement for a new fighter jet. According to the specifications issued by the Air Force, a new conventional 'tailed' design was formed known as P.96. Although the design was on par with the requirements, UK's air industry felt that it did not appear disparate to McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet. By that time F/A-18 was already in the advanced stages of the designing, and the UK industry believed by the time their aircraft will be ready, F/A-18 would have already captured major markets. Meanwhile, West Germany was also in the race to design a fighter jet.

It was in 1979 when Messerschmitt-Bölkow-Blohm (MBB - Germany) and British Aerospace (BAe - UK) jointly presented a formal proposal to their respective governments for the ECF (the European Collaborative Fighter) or European Combat Fighter [Source: Buttler 1990, p. 134]. In the very same year, French major manufacturer Dassault joined the ECF team in October 1979, bringing the concept of Eurofighter. The initial idea was that each country would individually present their design of the aircraft and the best one will be selected to go with. France produced the ACX. The UK produced two designs; the P.106 was a single-engined "lightweight" fighter, superficially resembling the JAS 39 Gripen, the P.110 was a twin-engined fighter. The P.106 concept was rejected by the RAF, on the grounds that it had "half the effectiveness of the two-engined aircraft at two thirds of the cost" [Source: Boot 1990, pp. 229–233]. West Germany continued to refine the TFK-90 concept.

However, the project collapsed just after two years in 1981 because of various technical and political reasons. Each country had different requirements. Also, French insistence on leadership in the design phase and UK's stipulation for their RB199 engine to power the aircraft instead of French Snecma M88 kept the project from running [Source: Butler 2000, p. 135].

As the project collapsed, the requirement for a new aircraft was still on high priority; as a result, in April 1982, the Panavia partners (MBB -Germany, BAe - the UK and Aeritalia - Italy) launched the Agile Combat Aircraft (ACA) programme [Source: Buttler 2000, p. 137.]. Although, it was a joint project, the British dominance could be easily seen in the ACA project, as the design was very similar to the BAe P.110, having a cranked delta wing, canards and a twin tail. One major external difference was the replacement of the side mounted engine intakes with a chin intake. The ACA was also to be powered by a modified version of the British RB199. Such a dominance by the UK resulted into the recantation of The German and Italian governments funding.

In 1983 Germany, France, UK, Italy and Spain launched the Future European Fighter Aircraft (FEFA) programme. The aircraft was to have short take off and landing (STOL) and beyond visual range (BVR) capabilities. In 1984, France reiterated its requirement for a carrier-capable version and again demanded a leading role. The West Germany, UK and Italy opted out and established a new EFA program. In Turin, on 2 August 1985, West Germany, UK and Italy agreed to go ahead with the Eurofighter; and confirmed that France, along with Spain, had chosen not to proceed as a member of the project [Source: Lewis, Paul. "3 European Countries Plan Jet Fighter Project." The New York Times, 3 August 1985, p. 31]. Despite pressure from France, Spain rejoined the Eurofighter project in early September 1985 [Source: Eurofighter: Spain joins the club." The Economist, 17 September 1985, p. 68.] France officially withdrew from the project to pursue its own ACX project, which was to become the Dassault Rafale.

By September 1985, foundation of Eurofighter and Rafale had been laid and France and other European countries went on their ways to prove their technical leadership and making their version as successful. Today, both the aircrafts are reality out of the paper. While Eurofighter has already made its way into Austrian, German, Italian, Saudi Arabian, Spanish and United Kingdom's Airforce, Rafale has shown its capability in Libyan war last year.

But the most high profile battle which they fought was in the files of Indian selectors and at Aero India 2007 Airshow in Bangalore. Shortlisting of both the aircrafts to the final round had toughened the rivalry between France and European nations even more.

The European nations got their biggest blow when the got the news of Dassualt Rafale grabbing the deal with India. France, blamed for being over confident, dominating and demanding, was pushed out of the joint development of Eurofighter. And the same France had defeated the European group with its version of the design, which it was proposing then.

While it was the moment of rejoice for France, leaders of the UK, Germany and Italy were deeply hurt and indicated that they would talk to Indian government to convince them to have a re-look at Eurofighter. So far the Indian government's decision has remained unchanged.

This would be the first sale of Dassualt Rafale outside India, which is considered to be one of the biggest defence deal in the world.

Little bit of Numbers

Figures and Comparison according to official data from Austrian Air force, Eurofighter.com and French Navy.

What India will Gain and Lose

India has had good strategic relations with French Dassault Aviation. Dassault has provided the aircrafts as well as the technology to manufacture at home, in India. India has already tested the capability of Dassault Mirage 2000 in Kargil war. Indian pilots and manufacturing companies are familiar with Dassault products and hence not many efforts will be required for pilot training and setting up of the assembly and manufacturing line when compared to a totally different platform of aircraft.

The place where Typhoon clearly beats the Rafale is the thrust. Dassault has not given any reason why such a less powerful engine is used for a 4+ generation fighter, though the company has maintained that it is working to replace the current engine with the more powerful one. However, Thrust to weight ratio of both the planes are similar and Rafael has more capacity of take off load.

The Rafale is much more fuel efficient, but the EJ200 retains its power in high mach numbers, giving the Typhoon superior acceleration post Mach 1.5. Even though the M88s can function in limited airflow at high altitudes, they loose some of their punch, which limits the Rafale to speeds of Mach 1.8-1.9, while the Typhoon can go well past Mach 2. 

If an Air Force is buying MMRCA in this decade, after so much spending and thinking, then it must be AESA ready. In this case Rafale is already AESA ready and will be equipped with the AESA radar this summer [Source: First Rafale To Be Equipped With AESA This Summer], whereas Eurofighter Typhoon might not see AESA radar before 2015 [Source: Eurofighter Typhoon to fly with AESA radar by 2015].

Also India may expect Rafale delivery sooner than Eurofighter Typhoon, since Rafale is not gone for export yet. Typhoon already has lots of pending orders from export and consortium customers. Some unconfirmed sources are also indicating that Rafale has offered India fourty fighters in fast track mode for early delivery.

The former Red Arrows team leader - Peter Collins – stated Rafale as a “war-fighter par excellence”. He added that he deemed the Rafale to be the best and most complete combat aircraft that he had ever flown. He concluded in saying that if he had to go into combat, on any mission, against anyone, he would, without question, choose the Rafale.

In another aircraft exercise in the UAE, even the F-22 Raptor, a fifth generation fighter, could hardly do anything to “tame” Rafale. According to Jean-Marc Tanguy’s information, defence journalist, the balance sheet lies in the figures hereafter:

Dogfighting (with Rafale weapons system’s performance lowered on purpose):
FAF Rafales vs RAF Typhoons : 4 – 0

Dogfighting with further Rafale weapons system reduction:
FAF Rafales vs RAF Typhoons : 3 – 1

Final balance sheet (in both scenarii the Rafales did not have full weapons systems…):
FAF Rafales vs RAF Typhoons : 7 – 1

However, the final ratings reporter were:

1. F-35 = 6.97, 
2. RAFALE = 6.95
3. Eurofighter = 5.83
4. F-16 Block 60 = 5.80

[Source: RAFALE vs Typhoon/Eurofighter]

Some analyst also believe that these aircrafts may not be compared as they belong to different categories, Typhoon is air superiority fighter with limited multi-role capabilities, whereas Rafale is a true multi-role aircraft.

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Barcelona, Image taken by Jim Davies

Barcelona, also famous as Barcino during Roman time, has a rich history dating back at least 2,000 years when it gained prominence as a Roman town. It is the second largest city in Spain and 48th most densely populated city in the world. Situated on the plains, which rise gradually from the sea to a range of wooded hills, Barcelona is Spain's most cosmopolitan city. You will always find restaurants and bars packed and beach crowded.

After completing my trip to Lisbon to celebrate my Portuguese holidays, a visit to Barcelona seemed like its continuity. The core center of town, focused around the Ciutat Vella provides days of enjoyment for those looking to experience the life of Barcelona, while the beaches the city was built upon provide sun and relaxation during the long periods of agreeably warm weather.

From Portugal to Madrid, to Ibiza and now to Barcelona, my journey has been really long but there is something in the air which makes me want to see more around. I took a ferry from Ibiza to Barcelona, I wanted to see the port of the city, as it is known as one of the busiest ports in the Mediterranean.

Reaching here you will realize the town speaks a totally different language, Catalan. It is very much dissimilar to Spanish, but close to Italian, Portuguese and French in some ways. That's why a proud Barcelona guy will say it is not a dialect but a different language. Most signs are indicated only in Catalan, announcements in the Metro train are also made in Catalan.

I don't think I have ever been to so many beaches in such a short time. Though I am not bored yet, but still I wished to see something towards the inland and so I decided to visit Parc de Guell.

It was a bit out of the way from other sites in the city, but the trek is worth it. Park Guell is another venture of Antonio Gaudi and, in fact, he lived in one of the two homes that got completed. The intent of Eusebi Guell, the owner of the land, was to have 60 homes developed. Gaudi developed the serene park between 1910-14, as part of the motif to entice people to live here. Eventually, the park that was intended to replicate an English garden became a visiting place for the locals to get away from the grime and crowded city center.

Park Guell, Image taken by Johannes Breunig

There are a variety of shapes and designs throughout the park, beginning with the sitting arena with thousands of mosaics imbedded into the concrete, the irregular and rough terrace walls and bird nests appearance, columns holding up an upper portion, and winding road 7 trails to the top. The mountain used to be flat on top, and it is now simply a place for bench rest. It is about half a mile from the main entry to the top. Entry to the park is free, but the fees for the small museum is 2 Euro.

Another wonderful attraction was the Las Ramblas, the street that certainly is the heart of Barcelona. It is a lovely tree lined pedestrian walkway that extends 1.2kms from the Placa de Catalunya down to the Christopher Columbus statue at the port.

Las Ramblas, photo taken by Juan Salmoral

Barcelona's most famous avenue, la Rambla, is also its liveliest. The centre part of this tree-lined avenue is pedestrianised, allowing for cafés, kiosks, mimes, florists, tourists and pickpockets alike to take advantage and to keep this circus-like thoroughfare busy around the clock. The avenue officially runs from the Mediterranean shore all the way up through Eixample to Avinguda Diagonal. However, the most celebrated section of la Rambla is the lower part, starting from Plaça de Catalunya to the port. Numerous historic buildings line la Rambla, which trace the shape an old filled river bed. In fact, the avenue's name is derived from the Arabic world ramla which refers to the sand in a dry seasonal river bed. Over time, the river bed was filled to become what we see today. Along this part of la Rambla is also some creative architecture as well as a few famous old-world shops with Art Nouveau details.

If you are in Barcelona, and even if you have seen all the beaches, shopped from all the shops, ate in all the restaurants, you haven't seen Barcelona if you haven't visited Nou Camp Stadium.

Even if you’re just a little bit interested in soccer, then you should take the trip to the Nou Camp stadium and visit the museum of the FC Barcelona. It was good to see their cups, medals and photos. There was a section on the history of the club with all the sports they play, not only soccer but also FC Barcelona basket ball and rugby.

Nou Camp Stadium, photo taken by  Sam Hancock

Another section showcased the famous players of the team, their shoes and jersey. I could see the jersey of  the legendary Bernd Schuster and Diego Maradona. What I really liked in FC Barcelona museum was the old soccer memorabilia - an old ticket booth, the dressing room, a sports pub, old soccer magazines, board games, balls and other equipments. The best of all is of course the view from the president’s seat in the stadium. When you look at the stadium from his seat, the only word that came into my mind was 'magnificent'! You could see how huge the stadium was. The stadium has an exciting atmosphere even with nobody but a few visitors around. It gives you the shivers thinking about 100,000 FC Barcelona supporters singing and cheering and just 22 guys playing on the pitch. 

Nou Camp Stadium Dressing Room, photo taken by Will Palmer

If you have seen this stadium and if you are also a fan of Barcelona, then I am sure your trip to Barcelona will start from Nou Camp and end at Nou Camp. Same was the feeling for me. It felt as if I have seen everything. But as I told you, Barcelona is not just about Soccer. Watch this space or subscribe to my feed to follow me to different places I go.

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Photo taken by Sanofi Pasteur

Written by Margaret

Due to the outbreak of some serious diseases, vaccination is becoming highly mandatory to school students. Deadly diseases, such as, measles, HP V could be prevented if taken proper vaccination, so because of that, immunization was made mandatory in United States for school students from kindergarten till the age of 18. However, the only problem is United States has let it known that students won’t be ‘educated’ unless and until they are vaccinated which has created unease stir among the parents. This is serious blackmailing and parents must submit an ‘exempt’ and must show their disapproval of ‘mandatory’ shots.

Vaccination- A So-Called Protective Measure

Although vaccinating school kids against deadly disease was a good idea, the point where it became mandatory to all of them is kind of senseless. Parents are worried about this morbid precaution, they were informed that kids who aren't vaccinated are a threat to the secured environment, in simple words; the UN-vaccinated students are a threat to the vaccinated students. Parents were informed that all kids, no matter what the condition, should be vaccinated or the so-called ‘protective shelter’ will fail drastically. This information hasn’t erased worries of the parents since vaccination is a huge waste of technology and it is not entirely mandatory for children enrollment in school.

Not Legally Important

Most of the schools in US state it is highly important to get kids vaccinated before they get enrolled in school... well, that is not entirely true. If you look at it legally, which is most important, vaccines are not mandatory for kids to get enrolled in school. Some schools are overdoing a wee bit with the importance of vaccinations in school. To be on the safer side, check your state laws, the laws differ with each state on vaccines. In some states, there are some exempts to ‘obligatory’ vaccinations, which most of the health officers conveniently forgets to inform the parents about. So find out what are your state’s vaccine laws and put forward your exemption.

Vaccinated More Prone to Get Sick

This is very ironic, because the whole point to get a student vaccinated is to ward clear off a certain disease, like mumps, HP V and so, but unbelievably, students who were vaccinated were the ones who were diagnosed with the diseases. Over 92 per cent of vaccinated students were diagnosed with the killer sickness whereas the students who were not vaccinated were astonishingly fine.
If a student is vaccinated, it is their family’s choice and if there are some who aren't vaccinated, then it is their choice. If the vaccinated students who received vaccination fell ill, it means the shots they received were ineffective, then they should show their outrage on those who developed those ‘medically ineffective’ shots but here it is the UN-vaccinated who are getting blamed.

Unnecessary Vaccine Shots

Even if vaccine shots are necessary to school students, what is the point of vaccinating students with shots that are of no use to them? For instance, disease such as, hepatitis B, seldom occurs in United States; moreover, this disease, even if it does occurs, it attacks less than 1 per cent of the mass who are 15 years under of age.

When the shot of hepatitis B was introduced, the majority of the medical representatives felt it was not needed but now a totally unnecessary shot is forced upon kids or failure to get enrolled in school. A shot for Chicken pox was also considered unnecessary since it has low level of risk but since it was cost-effective, it was licensed and now being forced on kids.

Blackmailing Parents into Mandatory Shots Should be Stopped

Some vaccinations are not necessary for the children but the school is forcing them, which indicates they are being the ‘henchmen’ for the vaccine manufacturers and are in some way profiting from it. But whatever it maybe, mandatory vaccination on kids should be stopped since it poses serious health hazards to kids.

Not all vaccine shots are effective and millions of people who have had adverse reaction to vaccination were reported to CDC but none of them reached the public. Besides, it is revealed in recent research that kids who were not vaccinated have better chance of overcoming diseases that attack them when they get older; however children who are constantly vaccinated are prone to more illness since their immunity system drops considerably.

About the author: Margaret is a blogger by profession. She loves writing on style and technology. Beside this, she is fond of books. She recently did an article on Samsung Galaxy Y Duos S6102. These days she is busy in writing an article on scarlett johansson wedding.

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Vladimir Putin

Written by Nicolae Ţîbrigan, Geopolitics.ro


'Russia is neither East nor West, it is somewhere in between, independent and diverse' (Aleksander Dughin, 'Geopolitics basics. Geopolitical future of Russia, Volume I')


Vladimir Putin's third term in Kremlin brings a new geopolitical project of Russia, stated in his article 'Россия и меняющийся мир' ('Russia and the world that changes'). Moscow's foreign policy depends stoutly on geopolitics and Russian leaders have to take this into account. Has his article made the citizens vote in the presidential election of March 4, 2012? We don't know that yet, but it's certain that from now on the Russian electorate is not only a political one, but also a geopolitical one. The worldwide geopolitical flexibility gave it a special place in the geopolitical analysis for the specialists - with a continental territory, compact, extremely broad and very diverse in terms of geographical and human structure, Russia has no other option, but to adopt a defensive position.

Russia occupies the same central strategic position in the world like Germany in Europe. It may launch foray in all directions and resist attack from all directions, except North", said Halford Mackinder. Kremlin's geopolitical adventure might cost too much and then internal centrifugal forces can be reactivated. What is the answer from the re-elected president to the geopolitical challenges in the world? What will be Russia's next steps in the execution of the "Euroasia" project?

U.S. and NATO concerns us....

Due to its strategic position, the Russian Federation stands out as the main economic, political and military actor in the region. Thus, adopting an 'isolationist position' in the international policy is unacceptable, at least that's Russian diplomacy's present opinion. The most important stake, tells the author, is 'respecting the national sovereignty of states'. Criticism of U.S. and NATO is designed specially through this view angle. Russian officials will abandon their expectant attitude and will use all available leverage in the international community to undermine the U.S. military presence in the 'near vicinity' and in the areas of risk of NATO missions: 'It's important that the UN Security Council oppose effectively the dictation of some countries and to the arbitration in the international arena'. In other words, Russia is strongly committed to the 'Empire coagulation' process, says Russian geopolitician Alexksander Dughin, not only by recovering lost territories in close proximity and resumption of its alliance with Eastern European countries, but also by including in a Euroasian block of the continental Western states (primary using UN mechanisms to 'crack from the inside' the Franco-German bloc of NATO, which tends to escape from under the U.S.) [1].

Middle East à la russe


The 'Arab Spring' scenario left Russian leaders with a bitter taste, especially since such a scenario can be repeated any time in Moscow: 'Primitive revenge against Gaddafi was a horrible scene.'

Russian Foreign Ministry has received clear instruction to prevent western allies from repeating those events in Syria and slipping off of this country to the Western block by their 'foreign intervention'. The UN Security Council Members, Russia and China have blocked two resolutions by the 'Western allies', which condemned the repression led by Bashar al-Assad regime, which allowed loss of human lives to reach to 8,500, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Serghei Lavrov's single plea was: 'We protect international law' [2] and this right must be defended at all costs to avoid creating a precedent for the West in the Middle East.

Another 'headache' for Kremlin appeared immediately after the 'Arab Spring', when Russian companies started loosing their markets in the region, which was considered to be their stronghold for decades. Restoring old economic positions that Russia had in the Arab world is the new diplomatic mission undertaken by the Putin administration. Since the Autumn of 2008, when the Russian Federation saw the first signs of financial and economic crisis, and until today, the country's economy declined significantly. However, because of the measures of economic intervention of the state, it seems like the Russian economy has stabilized. Thus, old plans can be renewed: creation of the international center for fixing the price of oil; world gas cartel; make the ruble an Internationale reserve currency, ensure Russian grand capital etc.

"The Arab Spring" has proved Russia that the Internet and other mass media (TV, social networks, mobile telephony etc) have become effective tools in shaping public opinion. However, the 'concern' towards these soft-power tools occurs when they are used to promote 'nationalist', 'separatist' or 'extremist' movements, obviously when they don't contradict the Russian Realpolitik logic. Recently, the Reporters Without Frontiers Organization released the annual list of Internet enemies, where Russia seems unwilling to change their status of country that keeps 'under observation' the cyberspace. [3]

Frictions between the Russian Federation and the West will manifest in the future as well over Iranian topic. Unlike the U.S., Vladimir Putin doesn't consider Iran an international threat or a possible nuclear danger. This movement fits perfectly in the Pan-Eurasian project and Russian Policy towards South in the creation of the Moscow-Tehran axis, which would solve many problems: creating an anti-American alliance, exiting to the warm seas, removing contradictions between Russophile and Islam (Iranian type), stopping the Iranian-Iraki conflict. [4] The vector will be constant, especially since in the UN Security Council the Russian Federation and China's veto will oppose the American sanction proposals towards Tehran.

Due to Russian exports of modern weapons and Iran's high potential to become a natural gas exporter in the regions 'occupied' by Gazprom and Kaz Munai Gaz, Russia has engaged to support the recognition of Tehran's right to develop its own nuclear program supervised by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Iran as well has its own interests in the Caucasus. Muslims from Azerbaijan are Shiite and over 15 million Azers live in Iran, where the Shiite Azerbaijani clergy occupy key positions in this country. Thus Iran, Armenia and the Russian Federation are coordinating their actions, in competition with Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan (the Atlantic block). [5] Moreover, Washington, by its economic pressures, does nothing but accelerate Iran's leadership in the Islamic states block, opposing to Atlantism.

In the Afghanistan matter, Russia is interested in giving military assistance in the international mission in the region. Although U.S. announced the retreat of their troops by 2014, the U.S. military bases located in the Central Asian countries give Kremlin reason to be anxious. 'Drugs' and 'Russian intervention in the international missions for support' are the main vectors of pressure to South Eurasia. The geopolitical trend shows that Russia will return to Afghanistan, this time as 'an ally of the Afghan people', n the same time assuring itself with a bridgehead to the warm seas. [6]


________________________________________________________________________________
References:

1. Aleksandr Dughin, Bazele geopoliticii. Viitorul geopolitic al Rusiei, vol. 1. (trad. Valentina Roşca), Editura Eurasiatica, Bucureşti, 2011, p. 115.

2. R.M. Revoltele din Siria: Rusia şi ţările arabe cer stoparea violenţelor, indiferent de unde provin. Found at:  http://www.hotnews.ro/stiri-international-11713877-revoltele-din-siria-rusia-tarile-arabe-cer-stoparea-violentelor-indiferent-unde-provin.htm

3. Andreea Pandelea, Reporteri fără Frontiere: Ce state sunt inamici ai internetului. Found at http://www.capital.ro/detalii-articole/stiri/reporteri-fara-frontiere-ce-state-sunt-inamici-ai-internetului-162872.html 

4. Aleksandr Dughin, op. cit., pp. 160-165.

5. Ioana Ionescu și Imanuela Ionescu, Federația Rusă și Uniunea Europeană la începutul secolului XXI, Top Form, București, 2010, p. 47.

6. Aleksandr Dughin, op. cit., p. 118.

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Translated in English from Romanian language, Original Article appeared on our Partner Website Geopolitics.ro

Ibiza, photo taken by lone snapper

And here I am in Spain, continuing another adventure in Europe. What attracts me to this place is its adoration as a summer holiday destination. Spain receives most of its tourists from British Isles, France, the Scandinavian region, and Central Europe. In 2007, Spain experienced the biggest boom in their tourism industry, as more and more people from around the world came here to make their Spanish holidays, making Spain the second most visited country in the world, after France.

My Journey is focused on two major attractions of Spain, Barcelona and Ibiza. I will be starting my journey from the capital, Madrid, heading towards Ibiza via the port town of Denia and then ferrying to Barcelona. Denia is a port town situated nearly 446 KM east of Madrid. Being a port town and due its proximity to the Balearic Islands, it is a major journey break point for those who are travelling to Ibiza. 

Journey Plan, courtesy Google Maps

Starting at 10 AM, I planned to cover this six hours and twenty minutes adventurous journey by car with my university friends from Spain. The journey time could have been smaller but I preferred to halt at three different places on the way.

Ucles, Photo taken by Alberto P. Veiga

Our first stop was a small historical town of Uclés, in the province of Cuenca. It had a powerful and famous castle, located on top of a hill, whose watchtower can still be seen. It is a stretch of wall and two towers, including a gateway to the fortified enclosure, the Arco de la Fuente.

The urban set is still organized around the Plaza Mayorand despite the negative developments in the last two centuries. It still consists of several fine examples of architecture, including the City Hall with porticoed facade. But the ultimate landmark of Uclés is the parish house of the Order of Santiago, the monastery.

Heading a little further there is the town of Saelices (Cuenca). It is one of the most significant archaeological sites in the Iberian Peninsula . Its origins date back to the Iron Age, although its time of greatest glory belongs to the Roman period, highlighting the theater and amphitheater of Flavian period.

Saelices, photo taken by mmarftrejo

Throughout the first and second centuries AD, in the city continued apace new construction, with the building of the theater, amphitheater, basilica, porticos, baths, etc. All this made this place a great city centre. Much of this work was financed by private contribution. The same is true for the great public baths in the city, built in the late first century or early AD.

My third stop was the town of Alarcón, in the province of Cuenca, sandwiched between the steep gorges of the river Júcar. The villa is maintained almost entirely in a walled enclosure, which surrounds much of the town. It also has a castle which was the centre of important historical events in the time of the reconquest, and is now a Parador.

On reaching Denia, we parked our car at one of our friend's place who lives in the city. A small relaxing and freshening up session we had at her place and then we headed towards the port to book a ferry to Ibiza.

Denia, photo taken by palazio

It takes roughly two hours on a fast ferry to reach the island, slow ferry can take four hours but is cheaper than the faster ones.

Birthplace of the rave, Ibiza is home to some of Spain’s most (in) famous clubs. The outrageous summer scene is complemented by a diverse collection of bars. Not only bars and clubs, it also has an absolutely beautiful coastline with dozens of tiny coves to discover, not to mention some of the most stylish hotels in the Mediterranean.

Arriving in Ibiza by boat, the first thing I noticed was the castle above the town. It seems every Mediterranean port has a castle. Below the castle there are the residences and, of course, the bars which make this place famous. And all around the island are pristine beaches. Whether you are here for the nightlife or relaxation, you will find something to do.

Ibiza, photo taken by Miguel Tavares Cardoso

One of the most memorable things I did in Ibiza was the trip to Forementera Island. It was one of the most amazing boat trip I have ever experienced on a holiday and I would recommened it to anyone. Not sure how much I paid but I remember it was well worth it. The boat was called the 'capitan Nemo' and was a glass bottomed catamaran. The trip to Formentera lasted approx 3 hours there and 3 back, we had about 2 hours on the amazing beach which was long enough as literally it is just a bit of sand in the middle of the sea.

The music on the boat was amazing and a couple of glasses of wine was provided. The journey there went really quickly looking at celeb boats and houses and feeding mini cheddars to the seagulls. On the way back, the captain stopped the boat to allow the perfect photographic opportunities near the 'horses mouth' and it was timed perfectly that we were at sunset strip in time to watch the sun settling down and were provided with champers.

If you are interested in spending your time partying on the beaches then read on. Playa d'en Bossa is the longest stretch of beach on Ibiza. The sea floor is soft and sandy, so you don't have to worry about any hard surfaces while you're wading around.

Playa d'en Bossa is probably the loudest and most crowded beach on Ibiza. So if you are looking for a lower key retreat then this beach may not be for you. The beach is dotted with cafes, restaurants and bars and most of them are playing their music loud so people laying on the beach will have something to listen to. It's more of a party atmosphere, but you should be expecting that; you are, after all, in Ibiza.

There are beach chairs that can lounge or lay flat. They are set up under the large umbrella tents on the beach. Laying on one of these chairs will cost you a small cover, (i think a few euros) but it is definitely worth it if you feel like laying around on the beach. Another benefit of using the chairs is that the waitresses that service the restaurant that provided the chairs will also come serve you. It's nice to have Sangria brought out to you while you lounge around on the beach.

A great alternative is, Talamanca bay. It is one of the closest beaches to Ibiza town. If you're staying in Talamanca, Jesus or Ibiza town, this is an option specially for those of you who want a beach life. The beach is fairly quiet compared to other beaches in Ibiza resorts, and if you do not like loud music and excessive partying crowd, this is the place for you. Talamanca is still fairly undeveloped being so close to the action of Ibiza town. There are a few hotels concentrated at the southern and northern end of Talamanca bay. One of the largest hotels in Talamanca closed down in 2008, leaving the beach nearly deserted.

There are sunbeds and umbrellas for rent at the southern end of the beach, which is where the beach is at its widest. There are a few popular restaurants/bars in the bay as well. The informal Bar Flotante, which is popular with the locals, Talamanca Club - a restaurant serving great pizzas where you dine directly at the beach, in the sand (Very popular place) and the Amnesia restaurant 'La Barraca'. There is a shop at the beach which is unfortunatly closed from 1 pm - 4 pm, but there's a supermarket (SPAR) right behind the hotels at the southern end of the beach.

The water is very warm in Talamanca! It must have been 28 degrees. My only complain is that the sand is muddy and the area is kind of a swamp which is creating a rotten smell. There is also quite a lot of seaweed at times. To get here from Ibiza town you can either walk (30-40 min), take a taxi or the ferry (Ibiza town-Marina at Talamanca, 2 euros).

And here I conclude my journey to the island of Ibiza, keep watching for this space, or subscribe to TWR Travels as I continue my journey to Barcelona.