Photo by GuySie’s

One of the major knock-on effects of being seriously injured while on holiday is not being able to return to work. If the injury is expected to last over the course of a few months, there’s a chance that you might have to leave your role, which will result in a significant loss of income.

Fortunately, by visiting a website like personalinjurylawyers.com to look for help, you could claw back some of that lost income. Other websites such as first4lawyers.com are also useful, as they’ll show you how, by making a compensation claim, you’re able to fund any healthcare needed.

While the most important thing about going on holiday is to enjoy yourself, it’s also useful to know what to do in the event of an accident. Thankfully, if you know that it’s possible to get some form of reimbursement for your troubles, you have nothing to worry about, whether you’re going hiking in a national park, surfing, or doing something more sedate like going on a weekend break in a big city.

Lifecruiser Love Travel
 

1. Foreign Travel Medical Insurance
You may be fit and full of life when you board that plane for overseas, however anything can happen that could land you in the hospital. Seasoned travelers know the importance of buying foreign travel medical insurance to cover everything from a quick emergency room visit to serious bodily injury. Travel health insurance is cheap and provides a big bang for your travel buck.

2. Basic Travel Insurance
Your basic travel insurance plan costs pennies on the dollar and is put in place to cover lost luggage, expenses during airport delays, and so much more. Check with your travel provider to add a basic policy to your travel package to ensure peace of mind around the clock when you leave.

3. Take Your Medications with You
Although foreign countries have local pharmacies, your prescribed and over the counter medications may not be available in your foreign host city. Be sure to pack what you need and keep your meds on your person at all times during the flight. Medications should not be packed into your checked bags as theft and lost luggage could render you helpless abroad.

4. Back-Up Credit Cards
To ensure you have sufficient funds for an emergency, it is wise to take along an extra credit card. If your second credit card is new from the bank, be sure to activate that card in your home country before you depart. To activate a bank card, you will need to swipe the card at an ATM or have your teller put the card in motion. Many ATM machines abroad have an anti-theft mechanism that does not recognize a credit card that has not been used in its home country.

5. Pack Light
The biggest mistake infrequent tourists make is to over stuff their luggage. You need a bare minimal with just a few changes of clothes to have everything you need while overseas. Over-packing the suitcases is not only costly at the airlines, it will drain your energy carting them around and leave you little case space to pick up souvenirs.

Lifecruiser Love Travel Tips
 

LCHF stands for Low Carbohydrate High Fat. Our preferred diet – or call it life style – which we started in the beginning of 2010 and will keep for the rest of our lives.

It is that good, made such difference for our health and well being!

Lifecruiser ♥ Cookbooks
 

Here are three of the best places to experience the ultimate massage:

1.The Balmoral Hotel and Spa, Edinburgh

Image courtesy of The Balmoral Hotel

Based in Scotland, this isn’t a country typically associated with massage and natural remedies; but at this luxurious spa; methods from all around the world have been harnessed to offer some of the best therapeutic treatments in the UK. If you book one of their spa days on offer here, you’ll get a choice of some incredible massages. The “Intensive Muscle Warmer” helps you battle the cold and wet Scottish weather, using hot and stimulating essential oils to soothe aches and pains, and relax muscular tension. And there’s no better way to treat a common cold than their “Immune Booster” massage, which uses tea-tree and eucalyptus to open up your airways. This is the perfect destination for a weekend break, and one of the best spa hotels UK.

2.The Chiva-Som resort, Bangkok

Image courtesy of Chiva Som

No stranger to the rich and famous, the Chiva-Som resort offers the finest in traditional Thai massage. Using only 100% natural spa products sourced and produced in Thailand; the therapists here spend two hours stretching your body and massaging deep into your muscles, in a practice which has given Thailand the reputation for one of the best countries in the world for a massage. No oils are used, so the therapists rely on their talented hands to treat you – and sometimes their feet! It’s not uncommon for them to walk on your back as part of a traditional Thai massage, and it’s generally quite a vigorous massage method.

3.The Grand Hotel, Stockholm

Image courtesy of Grand Hotel

It’s still true that the best Swedish massage can only be experienced in Sweden itself. Here, the Swedish massage is simply known as “classic massage” and it’s designed to improve circulation and soothe tired muscles. This massage is also known to be a great treatment for joint stiffness or pain, and uses a combination of slow, flowing strokes and friction and vibration. A massage at this spa will involve their own organic range of body products, inspired by Nordic herbs and flowers. Whilst these luxury spas are fairly pricey, they often feature day or weekend offers at a fraction of their usual price. And let’s face it, if you’ve been backpacking across Thailand, or travelling around Europe; splashing out for a relaxing and indulging spa experience will be so worth it.

Lifecruiser ♥ Spa massages

• Scandinavian Boat Show 12-14 November 2010
• Everything for Health Fair 12-14 November 2010
• The Good Kitchen Fair 12-14 November 2010
• Photo Fair 26-28 November 2010
• Stockholm International Dog Show 18-19 Dec

Where? At Stockholmsmässan (Stockholm International Fairs & Congress Center) which is situated in the southwest area of Stockholm.

From Stockholm central station you can reach the fair with a commuter train in 9 minutes, getting off at Älvsjö station.

Lifecruiser ♥ Stockholm Fairs
 

The best was when Chef Pierre, who is a very caring person, surprised hubby with a delicious octopus dish he had made just because he had heard that hubby love it!

…and what did hubby think about it? Honestly: he did love it! It was the best octopus he had ate in his whole life!!! Talk about being spoiled….

Not only that, but he had made me a special fish dish since I don’t like octopus – wasn’t that the sweetest thing of him to do? Equally delicious I can tell you!

Another evening we had another fish dish, but I really can’t tell what kind of fishes they were since we’re not that good in French.

I think they tried to explain and showed us in the internet, but do you think I remember that now? *giggles*

Something else very special and I think was very Provencale (?) was this soup – perfect in the hot evening – with the small breads in it with some kind of Aioli in them.

Claudie, what was the name of this soup?

We also had a delicious Daube de Boeuf de Provencal one evening, where the coking time is many many hours, as in fact it’s a bit similar as our traditional Swedish Kalops and we simply love that.

There were several occasions we simply forgot to take photos and just enjoyed – I’m sure you understand…

The beef he served us another evening was super as you can see for yourself… Getting hungry yet?

I was thrilled when I saw that they had a pressure cooker, but not surprised because where else if not in France should you spot one?

The principle for how it works were invented already in 1679 by the French inventor Denis Papin.

I haven’t seen any one here in Sweden in ages. I think they started to disappear around here at the same time as the microwave become so popular.

It’s a pity, because the pressure cookers are a bit like steamcooking – it cooks so much faster and keeps more of the nutrients.

Besides that: it’s a greener alternative since it uses much less electricity/gas – something to think about in this global warming times.

….and no, it won’t “explode” as those vintage pressure cookers could, the modern ones have several safety features…. *giggles*

Did you know that pressure cookers often are used by mountain climbers? They need to compensate for the low air pressure if they’re at very high elevations, because up there the water boils at temperatures way below 100 °C and if not using the pressure cooker, their dinner may be undercooked!

Our dinner however, were not undercooked or overcooked: it was delicious every day of our stay – thanks to Chef Pierre – we still miss his cooking and Claudie’s who did an excellent job showing us their Provence.

The last week now here at home we’ve been busy preparing to start our new health diet though: the LCHF Diet – LowCarbHighFat.

To cut it short: max 5% Carbohydrates in the food products, no pasta, rice, potatoes or flour (no bread), only vegetables from over ground, no sugar and lots of fat from cocosnut oil, pure butter, cream. No light products what so ever, there are unhealthy stuff in them.

Now we’re on Day 3 and a half on the LCHF Diet and feel just fine! We’ll go on for 3 weeks and evaluate the results then.

We might write some more about it later, let me just tell you that we’ve never eaten so much delicious food as we do now on this diet – it’s almost like Pierres cooking!

Lifecruiser ♥ Pierre’s Cooking
 

Earlier posts in this serie:

French Art Gallery Exhibition
France Bandol Beach Sunset
To Tour Toulon Too
Le Castellet Medieval Village
Vintage Marseille Soap Posters
French beach leach
Bloggers toast in France
Bloggers finally meet in France after three years of blogging
French blogger host lost
Start Fart of France Trip
Marseille Air Lair Stare
Pastis in Provence Southern France
Photographer beholder but not older
Connect Hotel Skavsta Airport
 

Actually what’s triggering this blog post is that Gattina was so sweet, she wondered if everything was OK with me. I love my blog friends. Really. You’re all so caring!

I have been very, very tired (read unconscious) the last year. In fact I even went to my doctor to take tests to check up my struma hormones, so there wasn’t because of them. It was not, I’ve got to know yesterday, but I got no other answer either, so I guess it’s my Fibromyalgia that is haunting me together with my back.

I guess the 2 very bad colds I have had this latest half of year didn’t help so much either… *giggles*

Besides that I have tried to get in shape, been out moving my body a lot instead of being indoors or in front of the computer, but it gave me a totally cracked back again about a week ago. I have had severe problems to move at all the whole week. It was time for the bed, hot pads & strong double pills again.

Lifecruiser Travel Plans

Our plans were to take a longer roadtrip within Sweden now in June, but somehow it doesn’t seem like it was the meaning it should happened. The Swedish cold summer weather (coldest start of summer in over 50 years!) do not benefit, neither do my cracked back.

The winters are breaking me down, so we’re now more seriously thinking of renting something or at least go away for several months during the winters, not only saying it. This would help me to keep the shape I’ve gain in the summer during the winter also.

That would make it much easier for me, escaping the cold and damp winters over here giving me so much ache, plus keeping the shape and be able to build it up further instead of restarting every spring to build it up. Having any tips?

Only thing that’s really stopping us is that I have a health investigation that culminates in the end of November, making us unable to book anything before that and by then it can be difficult to find anything. I hope this will be solved anyway.

Though I’m fighting real hard to come back now and you know I’m a positive person (plus having a wonderfully caring hubby helps too) so don’t be too worried.

Actually even our Midsummer celebration plans changed too. We were choosing between going up to Hälsingland with my brother & family or booking somewhere else where there is Midsummer celebrations in the land, but we’ll probably won’t be doing that either.

I simply has to get well in my back before our annual trip to Fårö, our summer paradise island outside Sweden’s east coast. We’ll be there for 4 weeks in July as usual, then being home for a few days washing up and packing again.

Yes, remember we’re going to visit Claudie in France the 4th of August together with our dear Norwegian blog friends, make some excursions together, having fun, tasting some great food – Pierre has started to practice some delicious meals for us. We’ll stay in France up to the 18th, the last week we’re going to drive around a bit by ourselves.

If you have some tips of what to see in the south of France, please tell us. We have some plans already of course.

Our next post will be our first interview with another very interesting travel blogger, so stay tuned….

Lifecruiser ♥ Travel
 

An old fishing village from the beginning, now growing tourist spot – as so many other places in Spain.

As a matter of fact, it was because of a Swede who came there in 1956 suffering from multiple sclerosis, hoping the climate would help, that tourism in Los Cristianos developed. The word spread and it became a rehab resort for many Swedes and still is.

That’s also why the main street in Los Cristianos is known as Avenida de Suecia (Avenue of Sweden) and there is the Casa Sueca, a Swedish Lutheran Church, down by the seafront.

However, we didn’t know that fact when we came there and I only took photos of the other church in Los Cristianos, which actually were the first thing we saw there since we were able to find a parking spot right at the side of the church.

As you can see in the bottom of the photo, there is a Christmas scene there, a nice sight at the square in front of the church.

Of course there are opportunities for a lot of shopping there too, though as usual, I were hunting for some where to eat and therefor only bought a pair of shorts (which you will see in another of my upcoming posts).

Now, you might wonder what’s special with the photo above? It’s the name of the shop: DASS, which actually is a Swedish slang word for: toilet!!! *giggles*

Los Cristianos also got a lovely pedestrian walkway – wheelchair friendly – with nice cafes, which runs along the shore and port. There are lot of people strolling around enjoying the sunshine.

There are several beaches, including a more new and man made beach: Playa de las Vistas, that one as well as Play de las Teresitas as I mentioned earlier is covered in sand imported from Sahara.

In their rather small port, the ferries to the nearby islands of La Gomera, La Palma and El Hierro is embarking. Oh, and even boat trips for dolphin and whale watching.

We didn’t go over to La Gomera, despite that we had thought of it earlier, because it were very cloudy over La Gomera every time we were close, so we skipped it.

Instead we sat down at one of the restaurants at the seafront, enjoying a wonderful and relaxed dinner together.

We can’t always run around seeing as many things as possible, we have to stop and really take in the wonderful scenes we’re offered at the moment also, right?

Lifecruiser ♥ Los Cristianos
 

Even though I’m not in a wheelchair myself, I am however somewhat disabled because of chronic illness (several) and can truly understand how difficult it is for the really challenged traveler.

My illness doesn’t stop me from travel, but it limits my choice of travel destinations and especially when it comes to physical activities during the trips.

I feel lucky though, when thinking of all the travelers that’s in worse condition than me and the ones that really can’t travel at all.

I have collected a lot of links for disabled travelers below, that I hope can help in some way.

If there’s a will and the right travelitude (my own invented word), it’s possible to go to places others wouldn’t even dream about.

Sure, not without difficulties, but never the less possible.

Accessible Travel for disabled travelers

1. Flying with disability
2. Railpass Travelers with Disabilities
3. Disabled travelers guide
4. Access-able Travel source
5. Disabled Tavelers
6. Global access news
7. Access travel center
8. Disability world
9. Go Nomad about accessible travel
10. Emerging horizons (online magazine)
11. Independent living links
12. Greyhound tickets info disabled travelers
13. Fommers trip ideas for disabled
14. Mobility advisor disabled travelers
15. Slowtrav’s Europe for disabled travel
16. Airconsumer ACAA complaint
17. Airconsumer’s hotline
18. Frommers.com Forum: Trip Ideas
19. Disabled world travel
20. Accessible tourism (Europe)
21. Equality travel
22. wikitravel: Disabled travellers
23. Go RV’ing for the disabled

Specific destinations accessible info

1. In Italy: travel handicap
2. Accessible Barcelona
3. Visit Sweden: Disabled travelers
4. Visit Norway: Disabled travelers
5. about.com Scandinavia accessible travel
6. NYC Visitore disabled and mature travelers
7. Overlanding Africa: Disability tours
8. Greece travel: handicapped
9. Andalucia: travel disabled
10. Come to Germany: disabled travel
11. Britain on track: traveling by rail
12. Visit Britain: facilities for disabled travelers
13. China travel: disabled travelers
14. To do Tenerife: Accessibility Guide
15. To do Tenerife: Accessible beaches

Lifecruiser ♥ Travel
 

1. The edible hotel room in New York. How about booking into a yummy chocolate designed suite? Run to the Byrant Park Hotel! The room has a chocolate inspired dining table and a chocolate wall made with more than 10,000 confections!

   I might need to ask for more towels though, because of all the drooling… *giggles*

   Read more at: BBC News

2. Bikinis Rules at Mexican Airline. The discount Mexican airline VivaAerobus have been influenced by Ryanairs earlier Calendar, but with cheesecake shots of attractive female flight attendants. Now airlines has started to use sex to sell.

   I suspect we might see more of this now during the crisis, the competition about the travelers are going to get tough!

   Read more at: MaxaBlog

3. Craziest party hostels around the world. Top list of the 20 craziest (or more fun?), whether or not you want to go there – or to avoid going there.

   I do wonder about Wombats in Berlin though. If it’s like Wombats in Vienna, the partying does not disturb you IF the partying is mostly going on in the Wombar. We slept very well – when we wanted to sleep…

   Read more at: Matador Nights

4. How to avoid getting the flu. Adventure Doc gives tips how to protect yourself during flu season, especially for us travelers. One repeated advice: Wash your hands! There are also some other great advices, including book tips.

   Read more at: Matador Life

5. How To Backpack. A complete, very impressive and useful backpacking – hiking and trekking – guide. The best one I’ve ever seen so far! Great advices mixed up with illustrations.

   Read more at: Google Knol

6. Ten Innovative camping products. My favorite products are: The Cocoon, top-of-the-range cross between a tent and sleeping bag, a solar powered tent and the Respite: A cross between a hammock and a tent.

   I wanna see more inventions like these ones, might even get me camping. Really useful and comfortable!

   Read more at: Camping Tourist

7. Five star hotel airplane. The A380 is the ultimate in luxury. It has three decks: the top two for passengers and the lower one available for a medical centre, shopping or a fast-food franchise. The aircraft has features like spas, casinos, gyms, bedrooms, and duty-free shops.

   I’m not sure I like the mention of Titanic though…. *giggles*

   Read more at: Wheels Mania

8. The worlds best job. Everyone is talking about it and many is applying for it:

   Caretaker of the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef. One of the main duties are to report back to Tourism Queensland as well as the rest of the world what’s going on at the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef.

   Who wouldn’t love that job…?

   Read more at: Island Reef Job

This is also submitted to my social bookmarking sites, so if you feel like adding me, you find my profiles here: Lifecruiser at StumbleUpon or Lifecruiser at Digg.

Lifecruiser ♥ Travel