The sumptuous and hearty Perthshire Breakfast served up using local produce at Duchally Country Estate, Club La Costa World’s resort in Perthshire, Scotland, has made it to the big screen! A film has today been launched which showcases the work of award winning Duchally and 4 other prestigious tourism businesses – part of Perthshire’s Green Resorts initiative -and their passion for protecting the environment.

It has been made by Perth and Kinross Council and the Green Tourism Business Scheme, with EU support. The council says that Duchally and the other resorts offer a luxury experience to visitors in a sustainable way, and it’s hoped the film will inspire other tourism businesses in the UK and overseas to put sustainability at the heart of everything they do.

The fabulous Perthshire Breakfast illustrates the importance of using locally sourced ingredients – and with a newly arrived flock of hens busy laying eggs, the food on the plate cannot get any fresher! The film also shows the environmentally friendly initiatives taken to reduce energy use and waste.

The Day of Andalucia is celebrated annually on 28 February and commemorates the statute that made Andalucia an autonomous community of Spain in 1980.

Andalucia Day is a public holiday and many villages, towns and cities across the region will hang the Andalucian flag of green and white bars from balconies and flagpoles.

People from the region will spend the day quietly with family members or close friends and some will attend organised parties with traditional music, dancing and food.

Some municipalities hold communal meals with food, drink and live performances and one such place is El Burgo where the village also celebrates an iconic dish called seven stick soup – follow this link to read more about seven stick soup – where visitors and locals to the village will find bowls of this delicious dish served up in vast quantities in the main square for all to enjoy along with the entertainment.

Many businesses and organisations will be closed for the day although some bakeries and food stores may remain open and public transport generally runs a reduced service.

Andalucia Day also coincides with “Semana Blanca” or “White Week” (half term) and the children of the region will celebrate Andalucia Day the Friday before in school with a traditional breakfast of toast and olive oil, with a glass of orange juice, while learning about the history of the region.

Every village, town and city in Andalucia will be celebrating this day, so if you are out and about taking in a few of the white villages or larger towns while staying with us on the Costa del Sol, don’t be surprised if you turn a corner and find yourself in the middle of some form of celebration on 28 February.

Picture Credit: Revisto Wega

The Estadio Olimpico will play host to one of the biggest names in American rock music who is promoting his “experimental” new album Wrecking Ball released on 6 May.

Along with E Steet stalwarts, Springsteen has announced additional musicians for the tour including singers Cindy Mizelle and Curtis King, trombonist Clark Gayton and trumpeter Curt Ramm all of whom have appeared with the Boss in the past.

First time tour member Jake Clemons will share the saxophone role with E Street regular Eddie Manion.

Seville is the start point of the European leg of the Wrecking Ball tour and also takes in the Spanish venues of Barcelona, Madrid and Las Palmas in Gran Canaria.

Guests staying at Club La Costa World’s resorts on the Costa del Sol will find the city of Seville under three hours away by either road or train from Malaga and tickets are now on sale via Ticket Master.

Bruce Springsteen talking about his new album

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What could possibly link Trenython Manor resort in Cornwall with the magnificent ancient ruins at Ephesus in Turkey, which coincidentally lie close to Kusadasi Golf & Spa which is also in the Club La Costa World Resorts & Hotels portfolio?

Historic Trenython has many elaborate and foreign imported architectural details, having been designed by an Italian architect in the 19th century, but 2 columns are a source of intrigue.

The green marble pillars were given by the famous Italian general Garibaldi to his great friend Colonel John Peard, in looks his double which was put to good use in battle, for whom Trenython Manor, now offering luxury lodges and country house hotel rooms, was built.

When the Manor was put up for sale by a subsequent owner Major W.M. Gott, brother of John Gott who was the 3rd bishop of Truro, the auctioneers noted ‘two green jasper pillars (being the altar columns from the Temple of Diana of Ephesus) in the outer hall’.

These handsome hunks of marble still have pride of place, though resort manager Nick Waddington thinks it more likely that they originated from a temple in Sicily, the island on which Garibaldi landed in 1860 with 1,000 volunteers determined to liberate Rome.

Colonel Peard, known as ‘Garibaldi’s Englishman’, is a famous figure in Trenython Manor’s history. Born in Fowey, Cornwall, he came from a strong seafaring family. As a young man, he travelled around Italy and witnessed how the poor were oppressed.

He volunteered for Garibaldi’s army of the ‘English thousand’, where his similarity to the general, being broad shouldered and fair with a long flowing beard, was used to advantage to confuse the enemy.

Garibaldi raised him to the rank of Colonel and the two became firm friends. Colonel Peard received the Cross of Valour from Italian king Victor Emmanuel, shown in a portrait which used to hang above the beautiful galleried staircase at Trenython.

His name lives on too wherever the legendary general is honoured; where Garibaldi’s statue stands in Rome is an accompanying bust of Colonel Peard. Buried in Fowey cemetery, Peard’s grave is marked by a beautiful granite stone bearing his name and the inscription ‘Garibaldi’s Englishman’.

Guests eager to discover more about Colonel Peard and Cornwall’s links to Garibaldi, may like to do so while staying at Trenython where Mr Waddington is keen to share what he knows and to discover more about the Manor’s fascinating past.

For more information on Trenython Manor visit the website below:

www.trenython.co.uk

Picture Credit: su-lin

Such a culinary delight demands fresh ingredients and a talented and motivated cook.

Ingredients: 4 servings:

7 egg whites
2 egg yolks
1 tbsp vanilla sugar
1,5 tablespoon flour
0,5 cup caster sugar
zest of half a lemon
Jam or custard sauce (as base or to serve with)

Procedure

pre-heat oven to 200°C/~400°F
beat the egg whites, gradually adding the sugar, until they are very stiff
quickly beat in the two yolks, zest, and vanilla sugar without beating too hard
fold in the flour carefully
butter two oven-proof dishes (you may now line the bottom of the dish with jam or custard)
heap three large dollops of the egg mass into the dish, sitting alongside each other, slightly offset
“mount” them to resemble three little mountains
bake in the oven for 10 minutes until your “Nockerl” have become slightly brown on top

Tip:
For a fruity taste, bake on a bed of cranberries.

Do as eagles do – glide elegantly over the peaks, pirouette in the skies and land gently on snow-covered meadows.

A tandem-paragliding flight from the Schmittenhöhe/Zell am See is an exceptional experience!

On a beautiful winter’s day, Alpine Centre’s Front of House Manager Carol Messner with pilot ‘Alois’ reached new heights in her career and got to marvel at the views during their tandem flight from the Schmittenhöhe (2,000 m).

There’s no more impressive way to experience the area of the Pinzgau – the perfect Alpine destination!

She says: “After a few steps, the ground drops out from under your feet and you float over the wall of the Schmittenhöhe, which mountaineers scale with great effort in the summer months. Tandem-Paragliding is the most exhilarating way to see the breathtaking mountains and frozen lakes of the “Pinzgau” from a bird’s eye perspective.”

With Club La Costa World Alpine Centre you can literally fly!

Information about Tandem-Paragliding at the Club La Costa World Alpine Centre:

Paragliding for everyone!
Tandem flying is recognized by many of our customers as the ultimate life experience. With our nationally certified instructor it is a unique and exclusive experience. It is carried out with all due concerns to safety and is a most exciting way to experience the thrill of flying and the breathtaking views over the top of the alps.

How does it work?
After the ascent to one of the various starting spots, a short briefing is held about safety issues, starting and landing procedures. The flight usually lasts between 20 minutes and 1 hour, depending on weather conditions and the flight that you are interested in. As a tandem passenger you are in front of your pilot and can enjoy the best view.

All it takes is a short sprint against the wind, sit back and you are off on your way into the sky. It is that easy!

What happens at the landing?
Just lift your legs up and you and your pilot will gently glide into the landing area. Don’t be worried about landing on your bottom – our tandem harnesses are equipped with soft safety- cushions! Tandem flying is considered by many who have done it as the ultimate life experience.

If you need further information you can contact us by telephone or email.

What do you need to bring?
Long trousers and a jacket (depending on season), hiking boots.
Loads of motivation and a little bit of courage.

Lift tickets are not included in the price.
No experience necessary.

Offers incl. pictures – available in summer and winter:
Super Panoramic Flight
Height: 1200 m
Flight duration between 15- 30 Minutes.
Price: €110 – per person

Thermal Flight – Let´s get higher!
For all who would like to fly higher and longer there is the Thermal Flight.
Height difference: 1300m
Flight duration: 45- 60 minutes
Price: €160.- per person

For more information:
Tel: 0043 (0) 6582 75201

Email: carolyn.messner@clublacosta.com
alpine@clublacosta.com

Or fill in in the enquiry form on www.clublacostaalpinecentre.com

Some fancy lady guests have moved into the latest lodge at Duchally Country Estate in Auchterarder, Scotland: a batch of broody hens and they are on a mission to lay eggs for the finest Perthshire breakfast – as served daily at the resort.

The gals have been busy ‘feathering’ the nest, a newly built and very smart hen house in the resort’s grounds, Lodge 801, with spectacular views over mountains and countryside and which has already earned their clucks of approval.

But could feathers get ruffled when they come face to face – or should that be beak to beak – with Duchally’s other resident birds, the ducks! Resort manager Graeme MacDonald says: “The hens appear to have settled in well and they all have girls names, at least we don’t think there are any fellas. But our ducks are definitely jealous of all the attention the hens are receiving from our younger guests who want to see them and feed them.”

Maxine, Nicola, Penny, Lesley, Jackie, Sandra, Moira, Theresa, Francis and Fiona are entertaining staff and families staying at the resort with their funny antics, but these are serious working girls with a full time task ahead to earn their keep. “Our breakfasts are famous, we use local produce and Scottish flavours. Ingredients are always as fresh as we can get, and you can’t get much fresher than having eggs collected daily from our own hens,” says Graeme.

Duchally has further lodges planned for the resort, which also has hotel rooms and excellent facilities including spa treatments and indoor heated swimming pool. The numbering will follow on from 801, though the facilities and spacious accommodation will be of the distinctly human kind. Not that the well provided for hens have any compaints about the pecking order!

Head north to Perthshire, the very heart of Scotland, and discover some of the finest scenery anywhere in the Scottish Highlands. It’s home to some of the most remarkable trees and woodlands anywhere – here is the world’s highest hedge, Europe’s oldest trees, the widest conifer in Britain – not for nothing is it known as Big Tree Country.

They take conservation and protection of the environment very seriously in Perthshire – and are showcasing in a short film the work of five prestigious tourism businesses, including Club La Costa World Resorts & Hotels Duchally Country Estate, who share that passion.

The film is being produced for Perth & Kinross Council and The Green Tourism Business Scheme, with support from the European Regional Development Fund. The environmentally friendly initiatives at Duchally – which have earned the resort a silver green business award – will form one of the case histories aimed at helping other businesses take up the “green” baton and spreading good practice.

The film will be unveiled at an event at Gleneagles on February 21st and will form a centrepiece to Perthshire’s Green Resorts meetings and events. “Enhancing the environment has been the cornerstone of our development at Duchally, and we are very proud to have our work showcased in this way and to play a leading part in Perthshire’s Green Resorts,” said Resort Manager Graeme MacDonald.

“We have been careful to preserve the natural features of our beautiful estate so we can protect the wildlife habitat. We use local produce and suppliers where we can to contribute to our reputation for fine dining, and we very much appreciate the support of our guests in our initiatives to reduce energy use and waste and to develop our green credentials,” Graeme added.

Visitors to Duchally Country Estate, at Auchterarder, will be very familiar with the environmentally friendly work carried out in its 27 acres of unspoilt natural parkland. Duchally is home to bat boxes for tiny pipistrelles, and is part of the Perth & Kinross Red Squirrel Group. Specially designed feeding boxes have helped encourage the growth of the red squirrel population over the last three years. The estate contains several rare species of trees, including the Monkey Puzzle, Purple Beech, Weeping Birch, Noble Fir and Atlas Cedar, and several have protected status.

Duchally is also part of the Perthshire Big Tree Country ICONic Project. The project supplies the resort with saplings of trees endangered in their native country which are planted and nurtured by the resort’s gardeners, and later harvested to create a bank of seeds for future repopulation for generations to come.

“Protecting our environment and cutting our carbon footprint is a journey without an end – our plan is to develop our activities whenever and wherever we can, and our target is to take the next step now to a Gold Award from the Green Tourism Business Scheme,” said Graeme.

We’re counting down on the calendar to the fast approaching opening date for our 2nd resort in Turkey, Kusadasi Golf & Spa, which welcomes holidaying families in style from May 1st.

Needless to say, now is a time of hectic activity and mounting excitement as the flagship resort, with almost 500 accommodations and a simply amazing range of facilities and amenities spread over a 40-acre site, prepares for that day.

Roy Peires, Chairman of Club La Costa World Resorts Hotels, says: “Kusadasi Golf & Spa is an exceptional resort, there is nothing at all to compare with it in this popular region and it has one of the world’s most magnificent historical sites – Ephesus, just a short ride away.”

Kusadasi Golf & Spa is an all-suite resort in a serene hillside setting, 17km from the thrum of vibrant Kusadasi with its busy cruise ship hub, smart marina, nightlife, shops and bustling bazaars. With spectacular views across national parkland to the sparkling Aegean, it is the only resort with an adjacent 18-hole golf course – the only course of its type in the entire region.

Golfers may find the views a little distracting…jaw dropping sea and country vistas, while even non-golfers can enjoy a grandstand view from the spectacular clubhouse with its bar and restaurant. An opulent spa on the resort will tempt those with tired limbs or in search of relaxation and/or beauty and massage treatments, with dedicated rooms, saunas, steam room, Jacuzzi and even a traditional Turkish bath experience.

Across the resort there are 11 swimming pools, and 8 for children, along with a gym, tennis courts, volleyball, basketball, giant chess and minigolf. At the heart is The Atrium, a 3-level centre with reception, shops, restaurant, lounge, pub, internet salon and ice-cream parlour – while outside is the main swimming pool and sunbathing zone with its mini aqua park. Throughout the day and into the evening, families can take advantage of a fun-packed itinerary of organised activities and entertainments.

Leading UK travel writers have placed Turkey with its largely unspoilt Aegean coastline of tranquil turquoise sea and shimmering white-gold sands, among their top10 hotly tipped destinations for 2012 – maybe you will be among those who opt to come and stay at either our chic Apollonium Spa & Beach Resort on Bozbuk Bay, or splendidly impressive Kusadasi Golf & Spa. Both resorts promise a sublime experience.

More photos can be viewed on our Flickr account here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/clublacosta/sets/72157629141264679/

Club La Costa World members who stayed in our Apollonium Spa & Beach resort last year were offered the chance of a VIP tour of our brand new Kusadasi Golf & Spa resort.

Carlos Monserrat, centre, drawing the winner

Club La Costa World can now announce that the prize draw has taken place and would like to congratulate Jeremy & Jane Ackers from Devon in being the first drawn out of the hat.

The draw was organised by Carole Detheridge at the CLC Estates office in Kusadasi Golf & Spa Resort and the prize draw was made by Carlos Monserrat, Resort Director (pictured).

Club La Costa World Resorts & Hotels would like to wish Dr & Mrs Ackers a truly wonderful time at Kusadasi Golf & Spa Resort and congratulations for winning such an amazing prize.

Picture Credit: danorbit

Playing at Murrayfield on 21 July 2012, it is being promoted by Live Nation as – Madonna is having a huge party and everyone is invited – and last week saw the release of her new track ‘Give me all your luvin’ from the highly anticipated new album MDNA scheduled for release on 26 March.

Ticket sales for the Edinburgh concert start on 10 February and Europe’s leading secondary ticketing company www.viagogo.co.uk has been officially named as the premium and secondary ticketing partner for the European leg of one of the most anticipated concert tours of the year.

For Madonna fans wishing to go the concert, our Duchally Country Estate is just over an hour away from Murrayfield stadium by road and provides the perfect base to attend the concert and experience some of our legendary Perthshire hospitality at the same time.

More information on our Duchally Country Estate can be found on the website below:

www.duchally.co.uk

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Youngsters who play for the Las Lagunas football team in Fuengirola are now sporting smart new track suits in their club colours, thanks to Club La Costa World Resorts and Hotels.

CLC World Chairman and founder Roy Peires firmly believes in supporting local community charities and projects and the company has backed a number of sporting activities – including soccer and basketball.

The boys are pictured in their new tracksuits, which arrived just in time to cope with the cold snap in the weather here on the Costa del Sol!

I just wanted to thank you and your staff for the fantastic service we received at Hustyns this weekend.

From the moment of contacting you by email, you and your colleague Beckie were most helpful and very accommodating, considering the short notice I gave you with my request.

On arrival, we were greeted with friendly faces, professional and genuinely pleased to see us. They were expecting us and knew us by name. This was a great welcome, as a customer, you sometimes worry that when you arrive at a place, no one was expecting you! So to be welcomed in and treated so well was fantastic.

The level of service was exceptional throughout your resort. Salim (I think that is his name, and I hope I spelt it correctly!) in the bar was very helpful, friendly and attentive. Nothing was an effort and he went out of his way to make us feel welcome and relaxed. The cake on arrival was delicious too!

The ladies in the Spa treatment rooms were very professional, well presented, friendly and very accommodating. And the treatments were the best we have had…. By a mile! So relaxing and tailored to our personal requirements.

The use of the Chill Out room was lovely, a great space to relax and chat after our treatment. All in all, our day was very special indeed, made so by your staff and the standard of service.

Hustyns will come HIGHLY recommended to all my friends.

Many thanks again, and I hope to visit soon.

Katie Fookes

www.hustyns.co.uk

Hampden Park, Glasgow - Picture Credit: Martin Burns

Summer bookings are up 32 per cent in Scotland as people wanting to watch the games are seeking alternative routes into London and finding it is very expensive to stay in the capital.

Hampden Park in Glasgow will be the venue for five days worth of football matches, although two will be played before the opening ceremony and using Scotland as a base, the Olympic football venues of St James’ Park in Newcastle and Old Trafford in Manchester are within reach by road or rail.

Duchally Country Estate in Perthshire is owned and operated by Club La Costa World Resorts & Hotels and provides the perfect base, just being an hour away from Glasgow, to join in and be part of the spectacle of the Olympics Games.

For more information on our Duchally Country Estate please visit the website below:

www.duchally.co.uk

Online research was carried out by Expedia

Two very cute giant pandas that recently made Edinburgh Zoo their home have had such a positive effect on the Scottish attraction that visitor numbers have gone through the roof.

Nearly 70,000 people have been to see Tian Tian and Yang Guang since they arrived in December, more than three times the amount in the same period of 2010.

Edinburgh Zoo is located just over an hour away from Club La Costa World’s Duchally Country Estate near Gleneagles and provides easy access into Edinburgh should you wish to visit the zoo and see the pandas.

Edinburgh Zoo chief executive Hugh Roberts said: “We’ve been fully booked almost every day so far and expect the popularity of Tian Tian and Yang Guang to continue. Visitors’ faces have been amazing, both young and old. For the vast majority of people this is the first chance they’ve had in their lifetime to cast their eyes on a giant panda.”

There are some 200 spaces available in ever half-hourly interval and the scheme has been extended to March so as many people as possible can see the bears.

Mr Roberts added: “People are often amazed to see for themselves that pandas are quite happy to make eye contact and our visitors can learn lots of interesting facts from our panda patrols, like pandas eat a third of their bodyweight in food every day and the male pandas do their own version of a handstand to scent mark their territory.”

During your stay at our Duchally Country Estate, why not take time out to go and see the giant pandas at Edinburgh Zoo, just an hour’s drive to this fantastic city is well worth it.

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Club La Costa World Chairman Roy Peires has contributed considerably to local charities and good causes over many years through two registered charities.

Roy Peires takes a personal interest in The Smile Foundation and The Peires Family Foundation, both of which are dedicated to providing donations to worthwhile causes, projects and individuals in need.

The Smile Foundation

The Smile foundation was founded on the Costa del Sol in Spain during 1999 by Roy Peires and his company Club La Costa World, which serves those in need throughout the local communities in southern Spain, and since 2007, Tenerife also.

The charity has made significant contributions to two major projects here on the Costa del Sol; the €3 million Cruz Dias/ADIMI Hospital currently under construction in Mijas which will give much needed help and assistance to families with disabled children, and a new reception centre was provided at the long running Costa del Sol charity Cudeca, which runs a cancer care hospice.

In addition to the above, Roy Peires and his company Club La Costa World have provided generous donations to many organisations in both mainland Spain and Tenerife.

The Peires Family Foundation

Registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales since 2006, The Peires Family Foundation has seen Roy extend his interests to supporting many organisations in the areas of medical research and healthcare provision worldwide, education and relief of poverty.

Many hundreds of causes benefit from the foundation annually including hospitals, schools, orphanages and religious organisations.

Club La Costa World Chairman Roy Peires takes a lead role and strong personal interest in charitable causes and firmly believes in the principle of “investing in the local community in which we live and do business.”

Falmouth’s first-ever Spring festival last year was such a big success that organisers had no hesitation in signing up to create a busy programme for March 2012.

Picture Credit: EvaK

One of the highlights is the new exhibition “Search and Rescue”, at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall. The exhibition is an interactive, stimulating and emotional journey into the role of those who help save lives of those in peril on the sea.

It celebrates the work of the maritime rescue services – the RNLI, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force and HM Coastguard – and has pulled off a coup. The Ministry of Defence has lent the museum a 70 foot Sea King Helicopter – the type flown by Prince William.

Falmouth starts celebrating on Friday March 16th, when schoolchildren and interior design students from University College Falmouth turn the town into a vibrant shade of yellow, by brightening up shop windows and other buildings with displays of daffodils and other sunshine coloured decorations.

Over the two weekends, March 17th/18th and 25th/26th, the town’s Event Square will host the Spring Fair, with show gardens, food markets, craft stalls, children’s activities and music – free to attend and open all day.

On Monday March 19th visitors can check out Ron Scamp’s famous Penrose Farm where daffodils amongst the best in the UK are grown. The farm, on the Maenporth Road, will be open to the public at 10am and the ₤3 entry fee will go to local charity The Phoenix Trust. Wear sensible shoes.

Other highlights include taking the kids to Castle Beach to join in the free rock pooling sessions, where they will be armed with a scavenger hunt checklist; the Falmouth Fun Run; the art exhibition; flower shows and morning and evening guided walks.

Mums have free entry to the National Maritime Museum and the Trebah Garden on Mothering Sunday, and fans of Strictly Come Dancing can put their best foot forward on Tuesday March 20th at the Princess Pavilion. Step onto the floor to the music sounds of Old Time, modern ballroom, sequence and Latin. All are welcome and the ₤2.50 entry includes a cup of tea!

Visitors to Club La Costa World Resorts and Hotels’ Cornish resorts, Trenython Manor and Hustyns, will find Falmouth an easy drive and the festival full of fun for all the family.

To find out more visit www.falmouth.co.uk

Keen motor racing fans staying at our Costa del Sol resorts could have the chance to see some of the biggest name drivers in F1 as the winter testing season kicks off in Jerez on 7 February.

Picture Credit: f1photos.org

McLaren have unveiled their new MP4-27 model today (Feb 1st) and Lewis Hamilton said: “It is a fantastic car, I am looking forward to driving next week in Jerez.”

Costing just a few euros to gain admission to the circuit, spectators can watch all day as the teams and drivers test every aspect of the cars performance and anyone who has attended an F1 race before will know the thrill of the cars roaring down the pit straight.

Ferrari have confirmed that Felipe Massa will be driving the 2012 model at Jerez and Kimi Raikkonen will also be in attendance after returning to the sport with Lotus F1, .

Pre-season testing starts at the Circuito Permanente de Jerez from 7 – 10 February 2012.

Jerez is just over 2 hours away from our resorts on the Costa del Sol and for any keen F1 fans staying with us, a day out to pre-season testing is well worth while, get there early to beat the queues.

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Great news for golfers and fans of the sport on the Costa del Sol, the European Tour has announced that it will be returning to Marbella in March this year with the 2012 Open de Andalucia tournament.

Picture Credit: isogood

The par-72 tree lined golf course previously hosted the event in 2007 and 2008 and this year carries a prize purse of €1 million.

Previous winners of the Open de Andalucia include Englishman Lee Westwood, Frenchman Thomas Levet, in 2010 it was the maiden victory for Louis Oosthuizen and Paul Lawrie triumphed in 2011.

The event is being organised and promoted by legendary Spanish golfer and 18-time European Tour Champion Miguel Angel Jiménez’s company Fade and Draw Target, who were responsible for the tournament taking place at Parador de Málaga Golf.

Club La Costa World’s Costa del Sol resorts are just 30 minutes drive away from the Aloha Golf Club providing easy access for golf fans to watch one or all four days of play.

The 2012 Open de Andalucia takes places on March 15 – 18.

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When your visit to Duchally Country Estate comes to an end we are sorry to see you leave, but the feedback you provide to us is invaluable for our continuing improvement to make your next stay even better.

Every guest at Duchally is asked if they would consider completing a questionnaire about what they like, don’t like and where they think improvements could be made to make future visits even more enjoyable than they already are.

From invaluable feedback that you provide, two of the most popular requests from all the questionnaires are now in full swing to be implemented at Duchally Country Estate.

Spa Treatments

Due to an overwhelming response we now have on-site facilities for a wide range of beauty and spa treatments including manicure, facials and body treatments.

So for the ultimate in relaxation while you are staying at Duchally Country Estate, book a massage or treat yourself to a manicure or pedicure. Appointments can be made at the hotel Reception.

Games Room

Duchally Country Estate is the perfect Scottish retreat for all the family and another popular request from guests was the need for more children’s facilities in the hotel.

A brand new pool table and games machines have now been installed into a purpose built games room that will keep the kids entertained throughout their stay.

Duchally Country Estate takes customer feedback extremely seriously and always considers your views from the questionnaires; we listen, take on-board and try to implement as many suggestions as possible to make Duchally Country Estate a hotel you can return to time after time for another fabulous stay.

For more information about our Duchallly Country Estate please visit their website below:
www.duchally.co.uk

As the UK gears up to celebrate Her Majesty the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Club La Costa World celebrity ambassador Jennie Bond is preparing to play her part. Broadcaster and writer Jennie – famous for her former role as the BBC’s Royal correspondent – will host a series of concerts around Britain featuring music and songs to unite the nation.

The Happy and Glorious Tour will feature singers Rosemary Squires and James Graeme, Piper Finlay MacDonald, conductor Gavin Sutherland, and the Concert Orchestras from London and Manchester. A repertoire of music celebrating 60 glorious years will include stirring favourites such as Land of Hope and Glory, There’ll Always Be An England, White Cliffs of Dover, Men of Harlech, Danny Boy and Scotland The Brave, as well as much loved TV and radio favourites Last Of The Summer Wine, Dad’s Army, Coronation Street, .Morecambe and Wise and The Archers.

The evening will round off with The Floral Dance, Summer Holiday, Any Dream Will Do and Hey Jude in a nod at those in the music industry who have featured in honours lists over the years.

If you fancy a rousing evening of celebration here are the dates:

Saturday February 4th, Pavilion Theatre, Bournemouth;
Sunday February 5th, South Bank, London;
Friday February 10th, Bridgewater Hall, Manchester;
Saturday February 11th, Symphony Hall, Birmingham;
Friday February 17th, De Montfort Hall, Leicester;
Saturday February 18th, Philharmonic, Liverpool;
Sunday February 19th, The Anvil, Basingstoke;
Friday February 24th, Colston Hall, Bristol;
Saturday February 25th, Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham;
Sunday February 26th, Cliffs Pavilion, Southend-on-Sea;
Sunday March 11th, St David’s Hall, Cardiff.

The witchetty grub look-a-like found in a tree stump at Club La Costa World’s Trenython Manor has been revealed as an extremely rare find after experts at the Natural History Museum were called on to help identify it.

The larva was found in a tree stump by gardeners (see blog story January 11th). It bears an amazing resemblance to the famous bushtucker trial “delicacy” from TV’s “I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!”

Resort Manager Nick Waddington took photographs of the grub before it was safely replaced in its tree stump and sent them to Cornwall Wildlife Trust to see if wildlife experts could shed light on its identity.

The pictures sparked debate and Dr Keith Alexander, Cornwall’s Coleoptera (beetle) recorder reckoned it was the larva of one of the longhorn beetles – Cerambycidae. But even he was unsure and forwarded the photographs for a second opinion.

Now Max Barclay, Curator, Coleoptera, Department of Entomology, at the Natural History Museum in London, and Martin Rejzek from the John Innes Centre, the international centre of excellence in plant science and microbiology, have concluded that the larva is most likely to be the Prionus Coriarius, or Sawyer Beetle, a localised species in Cornwall, and only the eighth recorded for the county.

Nick Waddington said:” We pride ourselves on providing a haven for wildlife, most of which we can identify! It was very interesting to be at the centre of a wildlife mystery and we look forward to seeing the beetle in all its splendour when it emerges.”

For more information about Trenyhon Manor visit the website below:
www.trenython.co.uk

The latest band to sign up as a headline act for the Eden Sessions is Blink-182, one of the biggest pop punk bands of all time. The Californian three-piece band has sold more than 27 million albums in total and won multiple awards, including Best New Act at the 2000 MTV Europe Music Awards and Best Rock Act the following year.

The band split in 2005 but reformed in 2009 and released an acclaimed album, Neighbourhoods, last September. Blink-182 is the second announcement for the 2012 Eden Sessions, at Cornwall’s Eden Project and will appear on Sunday July 8th.

Hip-hop star Plan B will headline the show on Friday July 6th and more acts will be announced soon. The Eden Sessions are now in their 11th year and are one of the top rock and pop UK summer festivals.

Guests at Club La Costa World’s Trenython Manor and Hustyns resorts are both within easy driving reach of the world-famous Eden Project.

To find out more visit www.edensessions.com

For more information about Trenython Manor visit: www.trenython.co.uk

For more information about Hustyns visit: www.hustyns.com

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A museum dedicated to the fantastical and absurd genius of Spanish artist Salvador Dali has just celebrated its first birthday in St Petersburg, Florida, and this permanent home to the most comprehensive collection of Dali’s work in the world offers a tourist visit with a twist for holidaymakers in the Sunshine State.

The Dali Museum in St Petersburgh - Picture Credit: liangjinjian

The heart of the collection was acquired by Ohio philanthropists Albert Reynolds and Eleanor Morse – the couple were long standing friends of the artist’s, bought their first painting in 1942 and collected Dali’s works throughout their lives. They originally used their mansion to exhibit the works but later sought a permanent home, and St Petersburg citizens stepped in.

The original museum was opened in the 1980s but the new building, opened in January 2011, permits the showing of many more works of art, as well as offering the security of a construction designed to withstand level 5 hurricanes. The museum, at No 1 Dali Boulevard, St Petersburg, overlooks the marina and the Dali collection has proved a huge draw – six out of ten visitors are from outside the United States.

St Petersburg is now twinned with the artist’s hometown, Figueres in Catalunya, northern Spain, which boasts the world famous Dali Theatre museum, designed by the artist himself and where his body was buried in the basement crypt when he died in 1989, aged 85.

Many people are familiar with Dali’s “melting clocks” work – but there is so much more to the artist. He may have been as mad as a box of frogs, but his captivating creativity and imagination, here on display in St Petersburg, offer a fascinating alternative day out to Orlando’s famous theme parks. No way is this the typical art gallery visit – it’s designed to overwhelm the senses.

Parts of the museum, including the gardens, are free, and the entrance fee includes free audio tour head sets with information for adults and youngsters, as well as informative guided tours. St Petersburg is just 79 miles from Kissimmee, and guests at CLC Worldwide’s Encantada resort will find it an easy drive.

Visit www.thedali.org for more information.

The plot thickens! It seems that the witchetty grub look-a-like found by gardeners at Club La Costa World’s Cornish resort Trenython Manor is puzzling the experts.

The large grub, which definitely looks like the bushtucker trial favourite from “I’m a Celebrity…” is safely back in its tree stump home near Trenython Manor’s main car park. Resort Manager Nick Waddington sent a selection of photographs to the Cornwall Wildlife Trust to see if experts could identify the larva, and it is now the subject of some debate!

Dr Keith Alexander, Cornwall’s Coleoptera (beetle) recorder, reckons it’s the larva of one of the longhorn beetles – Cerambycidae. But even he is unsure and has forwarded the pictures to colleagues, seeking their opinion. Colleagues in the Wildlife Information Service reckon that if Dr Alexander isn’t sure, then it’s pretty much guaranteed to be something unusual!

“We pride ourselves on providing a haven for wildlife, most of which we can identify! It’s interesting to be at the centre of a wildlife mystery,” says Nick Waddington.

For more information about our Trenython Manor resort, pease visit the website www.trenython.co.uk or connect with us on facebook www.facebook.com/trenython