So, the first question from a â??touristoâ? is: Where to stay?

The answer isâ?¦ Try Odessa accommodations (hotels, apartments, hostels)

A few 4* hotels to name are: â??Palladiumâ? (Italians blvd., Kanatna str.), â??Odessaâ?, former â??Kempinskiâ? hotel (Sea Port, near Potyomkin stairs) and popular among tourists â??Arcadia Plazaâ? (one of the youngest hotels), that is close to the sea coast, night clubs and just beautiful and lively Fountain area in Odessa.

Rating: good quality, each room accommodate up to 3 guests, price â?? European standard. Odessa apartments (privately owned, compact and convenient, furnished, equipped). By now Odessa apartments has got the most accommodations rating from tourists due to inexpensive prices, yet high standards and privacy.

Rating: high quality, high rating, accommodate up to 5 guests, prices vary dependable upon the accommodation level. Apartments have chambermaid service (weekly or, upon request), laundry and extra linen.

Odessa, the multinational city

Odessa counts over 1 million inhabitants. In general, the city is multinational and counts Bulgarians, Moldovans, Russians, Ukrainians (the natives).

Odessa changes, Odessa grows and modernizes, Odessa blossoms and recreates as a â??new generationâ? resort. Large monumental history (as many monuments not a single one of the European cities would possess), yet it would sound quite amazing when you see quite a few casinos around, 4*- 5* restaurants that would compete in quality and price volume in the entire world. So, who said Odessa is a Soviet place?

Odessa â?? a good place to gamble and eat? Now, further moreâ?¦

Odessa restaurants (to name only a few) are Steak house (meat and wine) – #18 Deribaska str; Buffalo â??99 (European) â?? #7 Richelievska ( corner Deribaska); Estrelita (Italian) â?? #1 Yekaterinska str.; Sushi time (Japanese) â?? Lustdorfska road (Tavria); Hong Kong (Chinese) â?? Gavanna str. corner Deribaska; Mexico (Mexican) â?? Glushko str; Katran (Seafood) – #13 Mayachniy per; Koumanets â?? Lanzheronovskaya str. (corner Gavanna). Average level of receiving guests â?? homely manner, good food quality, friendly staff, credit cards accepted.

A few words to say about Odessa sights and night life not to forget what most of the backpackers come for: Shevchenko Park (cultural area); Sea coast; Potyomkin Staircase (mostly referred as the battle spot), Primorskiy Boulvd, Deribaska str; 411 Memorial Battery (dedicated to WW2, The Great War of 1941-1945); Dolphin park â?? Lanzheron beach; Arcadia beach & Night clubs; Preobrazhenskiy Monastery; Literature, Archaeological, Western & Eastern Arts Museums; Opera House, Russian Drama Theatre, Ukrainian Drama Theatre, Philarmony. And all of the places still remain the same as they were in Soviet age which every mature Odessan recalls with a warm smile on their face.

Letâ??s talk about night clubs. Yo; Fidel; Palladium; Hali Gali. Average age attended: 18-45, face control enabled. Establishments are mostly friendly and hospitable. A good place to dance, POP and electron music lovers.

Bowl/billiards places: Odin; Mexico; Profy â?? 24/7 service. Playing tables reservation, bars, saunas, exotic massage starting from Russian ending up Thai and Chinese techniques.

And, at last, beaches. We know a few now and letâ??s sum up our nice tour with the most sceneric areas of the coastal area. Arcadia; Delphin; Gold Coast; Karolino Bugaz â?? resort area, entertainment base, hotels, summer night clubs, pools. Shrewd Odessans will make you feel comfortable as long as you have the budget set up.

Destination guides also recommend the following sights Sofievka, Uman park; Ascania Nova, wild animal reserves; Vilkovo, Odessa Venice (excursion includes boat walks, meat and champagne lunch and some rest times to spend with the locals).

Bottom line for Odessa attractions. Odessa in Ukraine has been always noticed about in various, still fun and amazing in Memoirs by Isaak Babel, Vorontsov (whose stone monument remains standing high above the Odessa buildings), whoâ??s put a lot effort into architecture and building of the hero city of Odessa.

Everyone was having pizza and it just looked to good to pass up. So you ate not one like you told yourself you would do you ate 4, 5, or 6 pieces with all the toppings and extra cheese maybe?

And then there is the soda or beer to wash it down.

Don’t forget the breadsticks dipped in that yummy sauce and what about those buffalo wings?

Well not the best decision but not the end of the world. So let go of the guilt and feeling as if you will never lose that weight and or stick to your diet.

There is good news and planning for your social times can make all the difference so as to not set yourself up for failure.

So let’s go with the pizza scenario.

You plan on getting together with friends or family and you know there is going to be pizza and the whole enchilada.

Start your day with pineapple and in fact it is a good idea to just eat it all day up until 3 hours before you plan on having your pizza.

Best to have pineapple anytime you plan on having anything cheesy or greasy. Those enzymes are so important when you are eating all those foods your body has such a hard time digesting.

As we age we loose those enzymes so we need to help our bodies by eating enzymatic foods on a daily basis. It is best to limit these foods as much as possible and eat them in moderation.

If you don’t you will gain weight and your body will suffer as a consequence. You can only get away with poor food choices for so long. But once in a while on occasion we know we are going to have a party and go overboard.

The days after eating your greasy, cheesy pizza have pineapple again for most of the day. The decision will be based on your weight gain.

If under 5 lbs eat pineapple most of the day and for dinner have an all protein meal or an all carbohydrate meal. So you could have steak and eggs or corn on cob, baked potato and salad but not both.

If you gained over 5 lbs you can eat the following foods for 1 to 4 days and then resume your diet. No matter how bad you blow it you can correct it within a short amount of time.

This does not mean you can just do this over and over. This hopefully should not happen more than once per month. So just eat 1 bite at a time and remember food is not leaving the planet and you can always eat in moderation and not gain any weight.

Day 1 Have pineapple and 2 hours later papaya and then two hours after you are finished with papaya have pineapple again. Remember of course to drink lots of water.

Day 2 Take the whole day and eat watermelon this will help to flush out the excess sodium your body is retaining.

Day 3 Start your day with dried prunes soaked the night before and 2 hours after you have finished eat strawberries. End your day with baked potatoes. You will clean out all of the excess food you ate so it will not be stored as fat.

Day 4 Grapes all day and you will get rid of any hidden sugars in the food you ate.

And if you are like me you will easily drop 5 lbs in 3 days and more by the 4th day.

So there you go all is well now. The next time you go out for a good time just remember you can enjoy every bite slowly and the food will be there for another day so moderation is the key and no weight gain is the reward.

Cape Town has lots to offer in adventure, business travel, extreme adventure, restaurants, shopping, and routes. To miss one is to miss the true spirit of Cape Town. There are day trips and tours and air and water adventures. With all these plus the great food, there is no time to mope in your hotel. Here are the top 5 things to do here: 

Take the Cape Wine Route

There are six grape farms here, and all are picture-perfect with comfortable lodges offering the best in modern amenities to give you comfort and convenience. It is advisable to stay a night or two if you want to see each nook and cranny of the vast expanse Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, Paarl, Wellington, Constantia, and Robertson. 

Imagine walking along tree-lined trails, biking on warm sunny afternoons on these trails or picnicking under old oak trees, and sampling some of the world’s best wines. It is guaranteed you will love every moment of your stay in the area. 

Do the Safari Thrill

Forget about riding an elephant and tromp the mountains. A safari in Cape Town is riding an armored jeep through a game reserve and having an eyeful of lions, leopards, buffalos, rhinos, and elephants. You can spot a mean-looking croc, graceful gazelles, giraffes, eland, and hartebeests. Or if you want a bird’s eye view of the game reserve, get a ride for a helicopter tour.

Experience the Cape Garden Route This is not your average landscaped garden but stunning stretches of lush greenery, each place with their unique enchanting spell. From Cape Town, drive your rented car to one of the world’s natural gardens where you can catch rare bird species in flight, dip your feet into cold streams, or shower under the waterfalls. There are numerous garden routes so decide where to go. Plan your itinerary ahead and call one of the Cape Town hotels there for reservations. 

Conquer Table Mountain

Take a 7-minute cable ride around the mountain or rappel down the slopes or take a dip in the beach. For a relaxation, watch the sunset from Table Mountain with your friends. The experience is worth all the trouble of getting to the site albeit on a comfortable yacht. 

Quench Your Nightlife Thirst

In Cape Town, the night is always young. With friends, go and sample the offerings of the bars. Drink the famous Cape Town wine and feast on seafood and steak. Do not forget your dancing shoes too because you will not be able to resist the live jive. Hot clubs are Bossa Nova Club, Opium, Pulse, and Tin Roof. 

Get ready to enjoy the experience of lifetime, and do it in Cape Town where the action never stops.

Our bodies have evolved to behave in ways that benefited our survival ten thousand years ago, not necessarily in ways that seem sensible to modern expectations. One of the key disconnects is the way the metabolism works. When we don’t eat much, the body assumes that this condition is being forced upon us by external factors, like a famine or food shortage of some sort. (In other words, the hunting party didn’t come back with any buffalo steaks to fry up.) In case this food shortage continues, the body quickly ramps down your metabolism, burning calories more slowly and attempting to retain as much body fat as possible, just in case you need those energy stores.

Nothing triggers this process as aggressively as fasting. Switching to a near-zero calorie diet sends the metabolism into panic mode. When you fast, your body’s going to try very hard to conserve the fat stores you already have. While it’s true that you can’t really gain weight on a fast, don’t expect to lose much, either.

A more sensible approach to dieting is to employ calorie shifting. By varying the types of food and quantity of food that you eat at each meal, you can stimulate the metabolism into burning more fat faster. The only drawback to calorie shifting diets is that they’re hard to set up. The FatLoss4Idiots Web site, however, can walk you through the process, taking your favorite foods and turning them into a calorie shifting menu. Incredible weight loss is possible if you follow a calorie shifting plan-as much as 9 pounds in 11 days.

Alvin Hopkinson is a leading health researcher in the area of natural remedies and acid reflux cure. Discover how you can get rid of your acid reflux for good using proven home remedies, all without using harmful medications or drugs. Visit his site now at http://www.refluxremoval.com

This is exactly why a recent article in Nation’s Restaurant News caught my attention. The article, by 35-year industry veteran and training expert Jim Sullivan, offered an interesting take on the future of casual-dining. Mr. Sullivan draws a striking parallel between the economic events of the 1970’s, that helped give birth to the casual-dining segment and today’s dramatic economic changes affecting the segment. He rightfully, points out that this is in no way a run of the mill “downturn”, where things go back to normal in 18 months or so. Instead, the segment is likely to see a shakeout unique from anything seen since the birth of casual-dining. This begs the question, what is that will it take to survive in this “New Order”?

Two points have to be made to keep such a discussion in perspective. First, the long-term outlook for casual-dining is quite positive. There are now two generations of American adults who have grown up in dual income families, where casual dining is a treasured activity. Secondly, major operators like Darden Restaurants, Buffalo Wild Wings, and Brinker International, have weathered the initial stages of the current “downturn” well. Their results support the opinion that we are not talking about a dramatically shrinking segment; rather one that may not enjoy the exceptional growth of the recent past.

With this said, there are legitimate challenges to casual-dining’s long dominance. The Fast-casual, Family-dining, and Quick-service segments are making obvious efforts to woo potential casual-diners with updated menus, decor, advertising, and discounts. For example, there is very little daylight between Panera Bread’s current decor package and many casual-dining operators, IHOP continues to push dinner, and Pizza Hut has started delivering pasta entrees.

If this were not enough, food retailers are also aggressively getting into the game. Whole Food’s now have seating areas, Kroger’s supermarkets sell heat-and-server molten lave cakes, and Bertolli television ads claim their pasta entrees are “Restaurant Quality”. I think the fancy economic term for all of this is “Increasing availability of substitutions”. What ever you call it, it can’t be good for casual-dining operators, who don’t differentiate themselves in the future.

Looking back just two years ago to the good-old-days of casual-dining, none of this meant much. Anyone with an “A” site, “Me Too” menu, and cute ads, could expect solid guest traffic. With housing subdivisions and adjacent commercial space sprouting up like wild mushrooms across the country, along with, historically low unemployment and easy credit; respectable growth was almost certain. Now in a re-setting economy, characterized by an imploded housing market, high unemployment, and tight credit; operator will have to adapt to survive and thrive.

Given the radically changed environment, I believe the casual-dining leaders of the future will be those with the courage to drive innovation, the discipline to drive execution, and the resolve to manage change.

Jim Collins author of Good to Great, recounts the story of James Stockdale in his best selling book. Vice Admiral Stockdale was a prisoner of war in Vietnam. He attributes his survival under harsh conditions to his solemn belief that he would make it home eventually. When asked which captives did not survive, he said surprisingly “The Optimists”. “The optimists kept expecting to be rescued by some predicted date… when these dates came and went they lost hope and died of broken hearts”. Like Vice Admiral Stockdale, the casual-dining winners of tomorrow will be those who except the brutal reality of this new day and plow through regardless of the length of the challenge.

Get Free: Italian Food Advice

First, Friuli-Venezia Giulia this region shares many traditions with it’s bordering country of Yugoslavia. This reion specializes in hams, bacon and cheeses. This region also takes on the influence of the countries of;Austria, Hungry, Slovenia and Croatia. Polenta is a staple and finds it way into many dishes.

How to: Find World Foods

Second, Veneto, is really known for risotto. This dishes ingredients vary by the areas proximity to the sea. Veneto’s dishes tend to be heavier and use many exotic spices and sauces. Less fish is eaten in Veneto and more meat and sausage is preferred. Th area also holds a high regard for quality vegetables.

Third, Lombardy, rice is a very popular ingredient in the foods of Lombardy. It can be found in soups as well as risotto. The area is known for a great deal of cattle raising. Therefore a great deal of butter and cream is used in the food. One dish meals are a favorite all type of stews are popular with the working people of this region.

Fourth, Liguria, vegetables, herbs and seafood are popular in this local cuisine. Onions and oil are used in the cooking. Pies and cakes are also renowned from this area. This region also eats many pastas along with boiled beans and potatoes.

Fifth, Tuscany, known worldwide for it’s simple but tasty food. Legumes, bread, cheese and fresh vegetable are essential foods. The region is also known for their famed steaks and Prosciutto.

Sixth, Umbria, most of the dishes are prepared with simple cooking techniques that include boiling and roasting. They use olive oil and local herbs for flavor. In spring and summer vegetables are popular and in the fall and winter meat becomes more popular. Freshwater fish is also provided by the many lakes.

Seventh, Abruzzo and Molise, chilies are very popular in the food of this area.Pasta, meat and vegetables are central to the food of this region. Saffron is a favorite spice in foods of this area.

Campania, this is the area where most Italian -American food has its origins. The area includes produce such as tomatoes, peppers onions, potatoes, artichokes, lemons and oranges that all take on the taste of the volcanic soil of the area. The Gulf of Naples offers fresh fish and seafood. The mozzarella cheese is highly prized in this area as it comes from local water buffaloes. It is the cheese and vegetables that has made this area famous for its prized pizza.

Ninth, Sicily, to your surprise Sicily is famous for other things beside mobsters. The food has the influence of the Ancient Greeks.That is the origins of wine to this area. The Romans came later with lavish dishes based on goose. In the eleventh century the Arabs brought sugar, sweet melons, rice, saffron, cloves nutmeg,pepper all of which can be tasted in today’s food. The Spanish introduced many foods from the New World. Many fish can also be seen in the diet of Sicily.