You just have to provide the necessary details such as: state, city, price range, number of bedrooms and bathrooms. All this information will narrow down your searches for an Arizona home and will help you make an informed decision.

I know a state where everybody is looking forward to reach this month, for the great events it hosts: Arizona. The people will go crazy finding a place to rent for the The Super Bowl. Of course they are! They cannot afford to miss the king of all sporting events!

First of all, be sure you make the reservations early. Planning ahead and booking early guarantees you maximum choice and access to optimal Phoenix rentals. Avoiding last minute bookings can also save you money. Last minute renters invariably have to settle for fewer Phoenix homes or a higher price.

Be sure to get everything down on paper before you send any payments. Get the lease or rental agreement. Missed payment deadlines can result in a forfeiture of monies and a cancellation of your reservation. So, you’d better not miss deadlines for deposits and payments.

Get a clear cancellation policy in writing. Be prepared to sacrifice at least a portion of your deposit should you have to cancel. Some owners have non-refundable cancellation policies during peak travel times, such as holidays, in which you could lose your entire deposit. Even if it’s about a website for rentals, know your cancellation policy!

Also, don’t forget to get complete instructions in advance. Pre arrival instructions should include details on how to gain entry to the Arizona lodging. Keys, the owner’s phone number, or that of a local representative should be made available. If keys are forwarded to you, you should also have the name of a local contact should unforeseen problems arise.

There are few rent property sites out there, make sure to choose the one that assures to individually verify and visit each of the listings, in order to protect their customers. Generally, depending on the city you want to rent a house in, it’s best that you find a locally operating company, one that also has a vast collection of vacation rental properties available, to find easier the kind of house that suits you best. You can also check for reviews on the Internet. Read about the sites in trusty annuals, like Forbes magazine.

Speaking about The Super Bowl, choose a website that is considered a worldwide source for Arizona rental listings. This way, you have a guarantee that they’ve served millions of Arizona vacationers looking for the very best in luxury holiday rental Arizona accommodations.

Renting houses on WWW, is a unique and highly effective way to find the very best of Arizona luxury property rentals for both vacationers and homeowners in Arizona. The homeowners are benefiting from an effective method of advertising their upscale Arizona rental property to affluent vacationers around the world and the most exposure possible for the listings. Also, the vacationers cut their time and money spending and get 100% quality services with one phone call or email.

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Enjoy a host of attractions in Munich, Germany

You will find many attractions and sights to explore when you visit the charming and beautiful city of Munich. This is a destination that boasts plenty of character as well as elegance and charm, and you will enjoy a fully itinerary when you visit here. Enjoy the unique atmosphere and joviality at the Hofbrauhaus tavern site, visit the Marienplatz situated at the heart of the city and home to many sites of historical significance, take a trip to the fabulous Olympia Park complex, take in the Allianz Football Stadium, or enjoy the arts at Alte Pinakothek. Also due to host the soccer world cup 2006, Munich is destined to be more popular than ever this year, so visitors will enjoy a truly vibrant energy that has to be experienced to be believed.

Look forward to a diverse vacation in this city

Munich is famous for many things, from its culture and architecture to its breweries andevents. When you visit this area you will find plenty ofevents and festivities that allow you to sample to local lifestyle and culture as well as enjoy some fun and excitement. Oktoberfest is a popular festivity here in Munich, and takes place the last two weeks of September. Held in a huge field, this is a beer festival like no other, and anyone that enjoys their beer will be delighted with this vibrant and thriving event. Otherevents held throughout the year include the Opera Festival, Ballet Week, the Fasching, and a variety of other localevents. A good choice of bars, restaurants, and theatres will ensure that you can continue to enjoy this city even when the sun goes down, so come day or night you can enjoy making the most of your time in Munich.

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We got going at around noon and hopped off the subway just before the Brooklyn Bridge and ended up exploring the historic Brooklyn Heights neighbourhood a bit, a place with many well-preserved brownstones and expensive apartment buildings with a perfect view of downtown Manhattan. Then we started our walk across the Brooklyn Bridge, and started to soak in the vistas of the famous skyscrapers.

The Manhattan Bridge is very close to the Brooklyn Bridge and the Empire State Building is visible on the horizon. Tons of walkers and bikers were making the trekk across the bridge and the weather was pretty decent, sunny with about 16 degrees Celsius.

After the bridge we arrived at NYC City Hall which was blocked off to pedestrian traffic and there was a big congregation of media people on the front steps. Tons of people were sitting around the beautiful fountain just outside of city hall and with the blue sky, the blooming trees and the surrounding architectural arrangements this was just the perfect place to snap away with the camera. I particularly fell in love with the ornate spires of the Woolworth Building.

Then we headed further west, explored the yard of St. Paul’s Cathedral which is right across from the World Trade Center location. As a first place of refuge after the tragedy, the churchyard has many plaques commemorating theevents of 911 and it took more than 2 years to clear all the debris from the yard that had fallen down with the collapse of the buildings.

We then proceeded to Ground Zero. The area is fenced off with various posters showing the history of the buildings, the events of 911, and the names of the more than 2700 victims. The tragedy of 911 is very hard to grasp and when you are right there where it happened, you remember all the horrible pictures and the even more horrible events of that fateful day, now more than 31/2 years ago. It is so hard to imagine these 2 enormous buildings collapsing, surrounded on all sides by other highrise towers, and what it must have been like that day, with people running through the streets, debris raining down, rescue workers risking their lives to help the victims. The police presence, by the way, was very strong and we weren’t sure if there was a special reason for that or if that was the case every day.

After reflecting for a while and absorbing the incomprehensible nature of that tragedy we walked south on Liberty Street into Battery Park. Lots of African entrepreneurs were around with suitcases and bags full of merchandise and it seems they were very careful not to be seen by the police. We had a beautiful view across the bay towards the statue of liberty and proceeded to our next destination – the Staten Island Ferry terminal, where our next adventure began.

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Religious themes for Easter

On Palm Sunday, a street procession follows the line of the old Corfu town walls, from where Saint Spiridon drove off the plague in 1630. But this is just a precursor to Easter week which is one huge religious festival. The week is a coming together of religious faiths, both Orthodox and Catholic, secular traditions, choral church music, and street processions in delightful spring weather. On Good Friday, churches bring out their funeral biers and parade them around the districts accompanied by orchestras. A biblical earthquake is celebrated the next day, including the dramatic custom where the local people throw pots out of their windows. More music follows and the fervent air of devotion combines with celebration, culminating in an impressive fireworks display. After Easter Sunday services, church icons are paraded around the towns’ streets followed by traditional Easter feasting.

Concerts and a Mid Summer Cultural Festival

At the Ionian Concerts, in late June and July, musicians from Greece and the United States come together for high-quality musical performances held in culturally significant settings. Then, August brings a variety of traditional cultural events to the streets of Corfu’s towns and villages. On 10 August, The Varkarola comes to the Garitsa Bay in Corfu Town, when choirs perform traditional Corfiot cantades in moored boats. The next day is The Feast of Agios Spyridon, when colourful processions commemorate Saint Spyridon, patron saint of the island.

In the villages of Kato Garouna and Ano Gerakiana, on the first weekend after 15 August, The Festival of Garouna and Ano Gerakiana takes place. The festival is organised by associations of people who have left these villages for Athens and other destinations. The obvious emotions of those who return to the land of their birth makes for high revelry and thoughtful reflection, both worth experiencing, even by an outsider.

The Cricket Festival – A Reminder of Corfu’s English Past

Believe it or not, the inhabitants of Corfu have been playing cricket since 1835 and there are currently four cricket teams on the island. During September, Corfu Town’s Esplianada Square hosts a cricket festival where the Corfiot cricketers compete with teams from Malta and Great Britain.

These and other festivals are seasonal, but be aware that their dates change due to many factors, so if you are planning a trip to coincide with a particular festival, confirm the dates at the time you make your travel and accommodation bookings.

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And the offerings are amazing: I already wrote detailed articles from my explorations at Toronto’s Doors Open architectural festival, my exciting day at the Dragonboat Festival on Toronto’s Islands, the Taste of Little Italy, Summerlicious – Toronto’s restaurant festival, the Celebrate Toronto Street Festival and Afrofest. There are simply not enough hours in the week to cover all my explorations since I have decided to head out and discover as many places and activities as possible right here in Toronto. Here is a little summary of some of the other activities I have participated in that I haven’t had a chance yet to talk about in detail.

On June 25, 2006 I headed out to Toronto’s Pride Parade, one of the biggest parades in Toronto, and one of the largest of its kind in the world. This year’s parade theme was “Fearless!” to indicate how far Toronto’s queer community has come and how far they still have to go. From its original roots as a protest event, Toronto’s Pride Parade today has become a real family affair with special events for families and children. The city has embraced this event and it has great support from the mayor, the police, various corporate sponsors and politicians from all political parties. The big events of Pride Week included the Flag Raising Ceremony at City Hall, Pride Awards and a Gala Dinner, the Dyke March as well as the dazzling Pride Parade. Seven entertainment stages provided entertainment with about 650 artists, the Community Fair included participants from a large variety of community groups, and the Marketplace enticed the crowd with merchandise, clothing, and various accessories and treats.

Then on July 14 and 15 not only did I attend a street festival, together with my team we actually participated in the Salsa on St. Clair Festival. This festival was held for the first time last year and attracted more than 200,000 participants in its first year. Telelatino, Canada’s Latin broadcasting network, developed the idea for this festival and organized a huge street party. This year the crowd was even bigger than in the first year.

We had a table together with Skills for Change, a local immigrant settlement agency with whom we collaborate frequently. To jointly promote our two organizations we were holding a draw to give away a one-week adventure trip along the Inca Trail in Peru. The trip itself will be provided by G.A.P Adventures, the flagship sponsor of our Travel Story Contest, and a leader in environmentally sustainable and socially conscious travel. Over two days we spent almost 20 hours in the sweltering sun, interacting with the crowd, and many hundreds of people wanted to get to get a chance to explore the mysteries of Peru.

In between these special events I have also had a chance to explore the city by bike and on inline skates. A couple of weeks ago I cycled out to the Scarborough Bluffs and spent some time in one of my favourite Toronto spots: the Rosetta McClain Gardens. This is a beautiful public garden with gorgeous flower beds and serene sitting areas, perched high above Lake Ontario with great vistas of this peaceful expanse of water.

From there I cycled east through a variety of parks abutting the Scarborough Bluffs which are essentially cliffs formed from eroded packed clay soil. They stretch for about 14 km along Lake Ontario in the east end of Toronto, and at their highest point they rise 65 meters above the water. The most interesting formations can be found around Bluffer’s Park, a large waterfront park featuring a sandy beach, picnic areas, walks, lookouts, and berths for over 500 boats.

Toronto, with its location right on Lake Ontario, is a haven for cyclists and water sports enthusiasts, and the waterfront has numerous extensive parks right on the shoreline that are ideal for picnics, sunbathing and relaxing by the water. The Martin Goodman Trail is a multi-purpose recreational trail with a length of about 22 km along Toronto’s Waterfront and gives inline skaters and bicyclists a chance to exercise and soak up the sun right next to the water. Last weekend I strapped on my rollerblades and explored the Waterfront Trail along Toronto’s West end in Etobicoke, and the nicely paved trail continues into Toronto’s neighbouring cities Mississauga, Oakville and Burlington.

But serene nature experiences not only await at the waterfront, the City has several other spots that allow you to get away from the hustle and bustle of urban life. Last week I spent a couple of hours exploring Riverdale Farm, Toronto’s Necropolis and the surrounding Cabbagetown Neighbourhood. Riverdale Farm is actually an early 20th century farm that has been turned into a learning opportunity for urban dwellers that exposes them to farm animals and a rural environment. The peaceful park outside Riverdale Farm is a favourite destination for school groups and adults who relax under the shady trees and cool off in the public fountains.

Right next to Riverdale Farm is the Toronto Necropolis, one of Toronto’s oldest and most historic cemeteries. Dating back to the 1850s, it houses a collection of Victorian buildings and sculptures and is one of the most picturesque locations in the city. The recently restored cemetery entrance, chapel and office are fine examples of High Victorian Gothic architecture and the Necropolis is a favourite destination for photographers year-round.

Both Riverdale Farm and the Toronto Necropolis are surrounded by Cabbagetown, a historic neighbourhood with a very interesting history. The name “Cabbagetown” dates back to the mid 19th century, when Irish immigrants decided to plant unusually large cabbage patches on their front lawn. Cabbagetown has one of the largest and most impressive concentrations of Victorian architecture in all of North America. Local residents take great pride in their properties and embellish their homes with well-tended front and back gardens and the area is a magnificent location for a relaxing stroll.

So many other neighbourhoods beckon to be explored: I have spent some time at Harbourfront and recently took a walk through Toronto’s main Chinatown and the adjoining Kensington Market where exotic fruits and unusual foods can be purchased at reasonable prices. The sheer variety of Toronto’s neighbourhoods is mind-boggling and it feels like you are doing a virtual trip around the world by just walking a few blocks or hopping on the subway. I have made several forays into the Victorian serenity of Riverdale and the adjoining hustle and bustle of the Danforth, one of my favourite neighbourhood hangouts.

These past few days have been busy too. On Friday, my entire crew at the office and I went to a local Pakistani restaurant in Toronto’s Thorncliffe Park Neighbourhood. The entire neighbourhood is perched on a hill overlooking the Don Valley and was developed with numerous high-rise buildings in the 1950s and 1960s. Today Thorncliffe Park is one of the most densely populated and most multicultural neighbourhoods of Toronto with a large proportion of recent immigrants from Muslim countries. We had an absolutely delicious dinner with a selection of Pakistani dishes at Iqbal Restaurant. Several of my co-workers are from Pakistan and we have had a great introduction to Muslim foods and traditions. Toronto offers so many great opportunities for cross-cultural connections. We shared six different delicacies including chicken, lamb, beef and chick pea dishes and had a wonderful time sampling this varied cuisine.

After our truly delicious dinner all of us headed down to Queen Street East where the Beaches International Jazz Festival was being held. This festival is now in its 18th year, and has become a crowd favourite since its 1989 inception. We started at Woodbine and right away ran into our favourite: Dr. Draw, a highly energetic Moscow-born electric violinist surrounded by a team of dedicated musicians. This band produced a highly eclectic, unusual type of music with a diverse mixture of beats with modern and classical elements thrown in. In addition, Dr. Draw has a highly physical performance style and it makes you wonder how he plays the violin so well while jumping up and down. We saw several other rock and reggae bands, and a 3-person group named Johannes Linstead entertained us with virtuoso flamenco rhythms. Incidentally, this group won the Best World Album in 2004 and has top ten charting albums. In total the Beaches Jazz Festival featured over 30 performers in its StreetFest and ten headliners on the Main Stage.

I dropped by at the Beaches Jazz Festival again with two friends yesterday, and at the north end of Kew Gardens we saw Toronto’s Mayor David Miller being photographed with members of the crowd. Mayor Miller makes appearances at many community events and is very approachable. So we decided that we too would get our picture taken with Toronto’s mayor.

We then strolled over to the Main Stage and checked out some of the ecclectic clothing, jewellery and art on sale in the various booths that were located throughout Kew Gardens. People were getting henna tattoos, others were getting readings by psychics, and the majority of people were relaxing on the grass, enjoying the music. Some folks were also getting their surprisingly accurate portraits done…

On the Boardwalk we enjoyed the hot Spanish rhythms of Puente del Diablo before we checked out the action at the beach volleyball courts. One of my friends is a visitor from Austria, so this was her first introduction to Toronto while my other friend is a fairly recent immigrant who doesn’t yet know the city very well either. I quite enjoy taking new arrivals around the city, introducing them to all my favourite spots. As a city on a lake that looks like an ocean, the waterfront is a great attraction, and it’s a really cool place to hang out.

To explore more we then hopped into the car and decided to pay a visit to the Distillery District, a former distillery dating back to 1832. This complex encompasses more than 40 historic buildings that make up the largest and best preserved collection of Victorian Industrial Architecture in all of North America. The Distillery District has been restored recently and has become one of Toronto’s hottest entertainment areas with its restaurants, cafes, galleries and artists’ studios, a brewery, theatres and retail outlets. Every Sunday the Distillery features a farmers market and numerous festivals draw huge crowds throughout the year.

Our “Introduction to Toronto” driving tour continued and I took my friends downtown on Front Street and showed them the Gooderham Building – Toronto’s own triangular Flatiron Building. Then we admired Old and New City Hall, the classical splendour of Osgoode Hall, the imposing Richardson Romanesque structure of Queens Park – seat of Ontario’s provincial government, and the Neo-Gothic splendour of the University of Toronto campus. After a brief tour through Chinatown we had a sneak peak at Little Italy and ended up for dinner in the picturesque Annex neighbourhood on Bloor Street West, just west of Spadina. Along the way we drove through Portuguese, Ethiopian and Korean neighbourhoods.

Finally we had a lovely dinner at the Country Style Hungarian Restaurant, a neighbourhood institution for decades, which impresses with its tasty authentic European meals, reasonable prices and huge portion sizes. All three of us enjoyed a Wiener Schnitzel and to top off a delicious meal we enjoyed “Palatschinken”, a mouth-watering dessert featuring a crepe filled with apricot jam.

Each one of these experiences deserves its own article, but there are just so many things to see and do in Toronto, I just can’t keep up with the stories. But I am hoping this little medley of stories will give you an idea of Toronto’s diverse neighbourhoods, culinary offerings, exciting festivals and things to do during a great long hot summer.

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