Many pets find a change in routine stressful at the best of times, and might, for instance, find that accompanying you on a vacation abroad is quite traumatic. If your pet seems to react like this when its routine is interfered with, then the best bet might be to leave it behind in responsible care.

Check with the vet that the animal is okay to travel in terms of its general physique. If it is fit and well enough for travelling but requires medication, make sure you stock up sufficiently for the duration.  Also ensure that you pay particular attention to getting the right vaccinations and worming and flea treatments for your pet before leaving for your holiday break.

It is a very good idea to fit your pet with a collar that carries an identity tag and your contact information. If it wanders off you are far more likely to be reunited.

If you’re going abroad with your pet make sure that any required documentation is sorted out well in advance. For example, if you are planning on going to Europe you will need to get a pet passport. This will circumvent the need for quarantine restrictions when you return home. Also, when travelling abroad check out the diseases that are prevalent in that country and which may afflict your pet as well as your family, and get the right jabs arranged before setting off. Compare pet insurance policies online as well to get the proper level of pet cover.

If travelling by car remember never to leave your cat or dog in the car on a warm day whilst you go for shopping or a meal. This can prove fatal to an animal and could lead to a criminal prosecution for you. Make sure that the pet travels in comfort, is restrained in some way, and will not cause a disturbance whilst you’re driving. Cats and other small pets should be housed in a secure carrier for their own safety, so for instance they can’t suddenly run off when you leave the car. The vehicle also needs to be well ventilated.

On the food side, ensure that you take enough water with you, and don’t feed your pet just before you set off; it will travel more comfortably on a stomach that is not full. Take regular breaks as well, allowing time for toilet activities, and always keep a dog on a lead.

If travelling by train, check what the company’s arrangements are for the transport of pets, and try to keep train journeys short to reduce stress.

Amongst the top destinations for pet lovers is New York, which has many amenities including fenced-in dog-friendly parks and is particularly good on the pet-friendly restaurant scene.

Mysore in India has a dedicated pet theme park with dedicated walks and even a swimming pool for dogs, whilst London’s Harrods, believe it or not, has a luxury dog-spa with shampoo and whole body massage available.

One such place that still maintains that special quality, is the hill country of Sri Lanaka, specifically the area known as the Central Highlands. Backpackers have been regulars to this UNESCO World Heritage Site. They have come to see the tea plantations, and rainforests, along with the people who populate the mountainous land. Both the terrain, and the locals shine bright. Hurry up though, it is only a matter of time before what currently remains authentic is drenched with the usual stuff big businesses drop in to make it a travelling epicentre.

This is one of those destinations where you can either go full force with your explorations of the area and outdoor activities, or you can just claim the slowest of slow speeds of daily life. Whether you are dipping your toe in one of the many gorgeous lakes, canoing along the shoreline while bird watching, or just lying on a blanket under the tremendous stars nature is their to be experienced.

If you are one who is primarily motivated by the words National Park, then you are in luck. Go east to immerse yourself in the Algonquin provincial Park, or west for the islands of the Georgian Bay Islands National Park. Oh, and if you are wondering how complex it is to get to this wonderland, it is just a two hour drive from the major city of Toronto.

Why are they the panacea? First off, they are marked for all to see in a distinctive animal print. Therefore, in no time at all the general public will be familiar with them. Even from the first sighting of one, it will be pretty hard for both smokers and non-smoker not to do a double take. Then while they are staring and computing what they are taking in, they will observe that there is just a green light where the smoke in more traditional cigarettes would normally be expelled.

During this initiation process, onlookers will begin to recognise that there is no scent being emanated either. All of these features will become tell-tale signs that the smoker is doing nothing wrong if they are in a designated no smoking venue, or locale. With all of this , there is little chance that confusion will last for long, and once a person encounters a single Zebra cigarette, they should never question what they are all about again.

Still, for those having their first meeting with the electronic cigarette, it will prove to be invaluable to see the card that comes with them that clarifies that they are legal and safe. A nice touch I might add, because it provides real relief for those unfamiliar with the e-cig and shows that they do not contain tobacco, or any of the harmful chemicals they want to avoid. For those of us who have been confronted by hostile non-smokers, and made to feel bad for smoking anywhere near them this makes life a whole lot easier. Just pull out the card, and feel confident that those who have questioned you will be appeased.

I can’t begin to describe what a relief I anticipate having the Electric Zebra electronic cigarettes with me while circumventing the globe will be. It should be expected to make a tremendous change in the way smoking travellers are perceived, and ultimately eliminate the need to go without that hit of nicotine when one is wanting one. See, just the panacea for both smokers and non alike.

In addition to the marathon itself, there is a free annual running expo which is scheduled for Thursday the 12th, Friday the 13^th, and Saturday the 14^th of April.  It is, and has been held for the last fourteen years, at The Porte de Versailles Exhibition Centre. It is heralded as a platform of exchange for a wide target, that being runners of all kinds. It is meant to be a key occasion organised for those with the common passion of running. So, in a festive atmosphere, joggers, trail runners and triathletes come together to celebrate the sport.

What can be expected of the marathon is clearly mapped out on the event website. It is very detailed and shows the increase in elevation, and difficulty along with the points of interest that are covered on the course. After thirty some odd years they have things down to a science. And as for the running exposition, it spans just about anything a runner could think of associated to the sport. So, representatives for state of the art running shoes, samples of revolutionary running clothing, expert advice from professional atheletes, training aids, health foods and a plethora of products will be on hand.

In case you don’t know, this marathon is one of the five biggest in the world, along with Chicago, New York, London, and Berlin. More than a hundered different nations will be participating in this trek from the Champs-Elysees past some of the finest of sights that pepper the twenty six miles. With these kinds of credentials, and such a following, it might make sense to sign up for the race and the accommodation for 2013 now too.

To give you an idea of what to expect, this will be the twelfth year of this show, and over the last two years major headliners have included Pet Shop Boys, Neal Young, Smashing Pumpkins and The Flaming Lips. From this you can gather just how wide the musical range is, as it includes alternative, pop, hip hop, jazz, metal and experimental music.

This year the Festival will be stationed within the Parc del Forum leisure site. This is about six km north east of Barcelona’s center, in what is called the Sant Marti district. This will allow for a good variety of places for you to stay, either nearby, or within a reasonable distance with the proper transportation lined up.

You should also know that the price of the tickets is about to increase, so if you plan to attend, save some of your euros by purchasing now. Once you have secured tickets and accommodation you can start to think about how great it will be to see the likes of Bjork, Harvey Milk, White Denim, Yo La Tengo, and Death Cab for Cutie.

As of when I last checked there were approximately fifty different performers, bands and groups scheduled to appear. By just glancing at the line up list you can see how truly eclectic the music will be, and how varied the places these entertainers hail from are. As my dad would say….good stuff!

Also, you will by no means have to forgo the nativity scene. In Spain they are called nacimientos, and these depictions of Christ’s birth are well revered, and a long held tradition.  In fact, you can go to the Real Monasterio de la Encarnacion to see a one that includes figures that date back to more than two hundred years ago. If you do make it to see these, you will be fortunate indeed, as they are only taken out once a year, and are real treasures.

As for the sweets, you may not recognise all of them, but you will have no trouble finding many that you like. Some will be only available at Christmas time, so snap them up and don’t worry about the calories, as you may never have the chance to enjoy them again.

This is exactly the case with King Pacific Lodge, a Rosewood Resort, in British Columbia, Canada. On the green side, well this is the winner of the green luxury award. It boasts seventeen rooms in its floating wilderness lodge on the north coast of B.C. Since its doors opened in 2006 it has been revered for its role in bringing protection to the 21 million acre Great Bear Rainforest, but they have additional greening aspirations.

They have a filtration system that uses the glacial river water, along with a hydro plant and solar panels to limit energy use. Still, they strive to achieve more, and are shooting to eliminate half of their carbon footprint by 2013. The commitment is real, and it shows.

Yet, what we love most is that this is an exceptional award winning facility that is situated in a forest where the white Kermode bear lives. So, when you are ready to take a break from luxuriating in all that greenness, you can also bundle up and head out on a wildlife tour to try your luck at spotting one of those bears.

In fact, you could actually visit the central Pompidou Center in Paris, which is dedicated to both modern and contemporary art, and then to the satellite branch, Pompidou Center-Metz within one day. Perhaps though, considering the amount of material on display, subsequent days would be preferable. This will be a great delight for the true art lovers, but it should be recognised that it might prove a tad too much for those not as invested. Therefore, either space these apart, for the consideration of the other members of your party, or only invite other art lovers.

When talking with different people I know (of a certain age it has to be acknowledged) who are enthralled with taking cruises I tried to pull out the key attractions as they see them.

The first was often that they represent good value if you take into account the standard of accommodation and full board provided together with the excellent entertainment – depending on the quality of the cruise line selected of course.

The second was usually that you get to see a variety of different destinations with ease of travel in between times with no packing up of luggage and checking out. Linked with this was the pleasure in seeing destinations and wildlife from the water looking in towards the coastline and the distinct attractions of entering and departing a harbour from the water and gaining that perspective on the location.

The third was sometimes the cruise only option with the no flight travel meaning that baggage restrictions didn’t apply and therefore there was chance to take lots of different outfits for the range of entertainment provided. It will be of little surprise that this response was seen as a greater advantage by the women I spoke to. It will probably be of little surprise also that in the listing of the top 99 coastal destinations rated by National Geographic’s traveller magazine as being geographically and culturally representative of the world’s best waterside locations, that many of those in the top ten feature destinations for cruise travel. Those I spoke to have become almost addicted to cruise travel, some taking three or four cruises a year and there was mention that cruise travel insurance had been a consideration in their original planning. Having recently read of some of the disruption caused to some cruise passengers during the hurricane season I can see why this would be so.

So which destinations were top rated as being in excellent condition and relatively unspoiled and looking as though they should remain that way for the time to come?

First was the stunning Avalon Peninsula in Newfoundland, closely followed by Wales’s own Pembrokeshire coast, Tutukaka coast, Northland, New Zealand and the Chilean Fjords.

Next to be listed was the Na Pali coast of Hawaii. The size of the cruise ship may vary according to the location and cruises around Pembrokeshire are likely to be more localised but cruise travel seems to offer some distinct advantages for the travellers it appeals to and checking online travel insurance should ensure that if you choose to visit some of the top coastal destinations identified by National Geographic and are new to the world of cruise travel that your needs will be accounted for.