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Known as the most romantic city in the world, Paris receives over 30 million visitors each year, drawn to see the great sights and experience the unique atmosphere of the city. Whether you travel by Eurostar or plane, for a quick weekend break or a longer stay, Paris is an immensely rewarding destination to visit.

Getting There

The Eurostar now departs from King’s Cross St Pancras and arrives at Paris Gare du Nord in the centre of the city. For most incoming international flights, Charles De Gaulle (located 25km to the north of the city) is the main airport in Paris. Shuttle transfers, taxis, train or bus are your main options for getting to the city centre once you’ve arrived, with all of them taking approximately 60 minutes. If you arrive at Orly or Beauvais, the other two Paris airports, shuttles and taxis will take about 30 and 90 minutes respectively.

If you are on a weekend break, you are likely to want as little hassle and as much leisure as possible during your trip to Paris; an airport shuttle is the most convenient way of getting from the airport to your hotel in Paris, and shuttle services, unlike the bus or train, will drop you off directly at your hotel.

Where to Stay

Paris has a great range of hotels. Luxury accommodation is provided by hotels such as the Plaza Athenee, which has hosted the rich and famous for almost a century, and the Four Seasons. The city also has numerous good mid range hotels (Hotel St Jaques and the Lindburgh Hotel are especially recommended) along with cheap and friendly youth hostels, such as St Christopher Inns and Calincourt Square. Whatever your budget, you should be able to find a hotel or hostel to suit your needs. All of them have one crucial thing in common – they are extremely busy, and booking far in advance is strongly advised. During weekends and holiday periods, booking is essential!

If you want to try something a little different, the independent English language bookshop Shakespeare and Company lets visitors (or “tumbleweeds” as they are affectionately known) stay for free in return for a few hours work a day.

What to Do

Once you’ve arrived at your hotel in Paris (by shuttle, taxi, bus or train), it’s time to see the sights. The “Big Three” sights to see are the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe and the Notre Dame Cathedral. The Eiffel Tower, built in 1889, remains the most famous sight in Paris, and a trip to the top (if you have the stomach for it!) provides unforgettable views out over the city. The Arc de Triomphe, built by Napolean, is a central landmark, and Notre Dame de Paris is a spectacular 12th century Gothic cathedral. Equally famous is the Louvre Art Gallery, home to the Mona Lisa and other masterworks by Leonardo da Vinci and numerous other artists.

Elsewhere, the handsome hilltop district of Montmatre has long been a Mecca for artists, with Picasso and Dali both living here at the start of the 20th century, and wandering the streets and cafes is a great way to pass an idle afternoon. The Left Bank around Montparnasse is another beautiful area with plenty of history; for late night drinking here, try Le Select, favoured drinking house of 1920s expats like Hemingway and F Scott Fitzgerald.

There’s plenty to see and do in Paris itself, and the surrounding area offers attractions such as the Palace at Versailles, Fontainebleu Forest and Disneyland Paris. Whatever you want from your visit to Paris, you’re sure to find something to keep yourself entertained!

Bruno Calzaverini is the Managing Director of Shuttle Direct. Providing pre-booked Paris airport shuttle services, as well as airport transfers to major destinations all over Europe. Wherever you travel, Shuttle Direct can make sure that you don

Are you interested in traveling to Jamaica? If this is your first time doing so, the process may seem overwhelming. The good news is that it is very easy to make your Jamaica travel plans. In fact, you can do so in 9 easy steps.

1 – Obtain a Valid Passport

If you do not have a valid passport this is the first step you will want to take. A passport is required for admittance into Jamaica from the United States. You should allow up to two months for your passport to arrive.

2 – Decide on a Destination

Although you have already selected Jamaica as your vacation destination, where on the island would you like to visit? Negril, Montego Bay, Runaway Bay, and Ocho Rios, are a few popular choices.

When deciding on a Jamaica vacation destination, look for nearby activities and attractions. Should you venture outside of your resort, have many options. Speaking of resorts, popular destinations, such as the four mentioned above, should have more resorts to choose from.

3 – Decide on a Date of Travel

Your date of travel is important, as it will impact your travel arrangements. Most recommend visiting Jamaica for at least five to seven days. When choosing your travel dates, keep in mind Jamaica’s rainy season, between the months of May and June and September and October.

Your dates of travel can also save you money on your Jamaica vacation. Typically, it is cheaper to fly in the middle of the week, as opposed to on holidays or weekends.

4 – Make Your Airline Reservations

You should have a number of options when traveling to Jamaica. For that reason, be sure to compare them all. Look for airlines with the shortest layovers, especially if you are coming from the Northern United States. Most importantly, price compare to find the best deals.

5 – Examine and Compare Jamaica Resorts

On the island, you have multiple Jamaica resorts to choose from. Instead of opting for the first resort you come across, examine and compare your options. In terms of overnight accommodations, it shouldn’t be about getting the cheapest price, but getting the better value.

To get the most out of your vacation, examine all-inclusive Jamaica resorts. They are a great deal and convenient to book, as most of your vacation is included in their costs. This should include food, drinks, tips, and some entertainment.

It is also recommended that you examine the purpose of your vacation, as it can help you find the perfect Jamaica resort. In additional to traditional resorts, there are Jamaica family resorts, couples resorts, singles resorts, and adult only resorts.

6 – Make Jamaica Resorts Reservations

When making reservations for a Jamaica resort, use a trusted online website or go directly to the source. This is important with all-inclusive Jamaica resorts, as you don’t want any strings attached.

Make sure the dates for your resort and airline reservations match.

7 – Research Area Attractions

Having a good time is an important part of planning a trip to Jamaica. Before you leave, use the internet or request free travel guides to familiarize yourself with local attractions. Guided tours come highly rated and recommended. If concerned with safety, inquire at your resort as to which areas of Jamaica are the safest to visit.

In addition to researching area attractions, closely examine your Jamaica resort. Many have a number of amenities, services, and facilities available for you to use. Beachfront resorts should allow free access to the beach. Upscale resorts may have an onsite golf course or fitness center. Family resorts are likely to have scheduled events, a playground, and game room.

8 – Arrange Transportation

If you intend to spend most of your Jamaica vacation at your resort, transportation may not be an issue, but how will you get to the resort from the airport? Inquire about airport transfers and their costs, as it may be cheaper than taking public transportation.

9- Set Aside Spending Money

Even if you opt for a Jamaica all-inclusive travel package, where the cost of your food, drinks, tips, and entertainment is included, extra spending money is recommended. Whether you want to purchase souvenirs or visit attractions with admission fees, access to at least a hundred dollars is advised. Since many credit and bank cards are accepted, this does not all necessarily need to be in cash.

SuperClubs.com can help you plan your all-inclusive Jamaica vacation. Examine and compare their all-inclusive beach resorts to find the best value for your money.

Prologue

My latest adventure, or should I say mis-adventure, involved rib patrol boats and gunboats mixed in a heady concoction of deceit, death, corruption and desolation. It’s a story that’s still going around and around in my head, and hopefully by setting out my thoughts it will help me come to terms with what must be my experience of a lifetime.

It all started out, as I guess many of these things do, by a phone call with the offer of some offshore oil support work operating some 35-40 miles offshore in the Gulf of Guinea. A planned one month stint during our winter months, in the warmth of Africa away from the cold and damp of blighty, and some good remuneration to boot!

Little was I to know that I was to become witness to the reality of life in the third world, between the haves and the have nots in what was in truth a division between life and death. As my story unfolds you will hear about a culture of deceit and corruption at the highest levels in government and military, why each and every white European carries a bounty of $2m on his head and the reasons why a militant organisation claims justification for piracy and murder.

Black gold, the oil that the west has an insatiable desire for, is the catalyst for a dreadfully greedy and violent part of Africa, Nigeria.

DAY BY DAY

Day 1. Tuesday 11th March

An exciting and early start to catch my flight from Manchester to Heathrow, before catching the daily BA flight to Lagos. I was met at the airport by a representative from my new employer, a UK Security Consultancy employing some 80 personnel. The job was to be the captain of an ex MOD Spitfire Class 24m, RTTL (Rescue and Target Towing Launch). It was one of two vessels recently acquired by the company with another two on the way. These vessels had been previously used by the RAF & Royal Navy for target towing in support of military exercises.

This was a great opportunity for me to gain valuable experience in a vessel somewhat larger than the 11m Humber Rib, which I worked on the wind farm at Burbo Bank, and the survey vessels in the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.

I arrived early evening in Lagos, to be met by the company’s shore based project manager and driven to the Lagos Motorboat Club. Lagos, a city built for 3 million inhabitants but which supports 8 million, was vastly overcrowded with poverty around every corner. The city is the economic and financial capital of Nigeria and the second most populous in Africa after Cairo. It’s a huge metropolis which originated on islands separated by creeks that fringe the southwest mouth of Lagos Lagoon, protected from the Atlantic Ocean by long sand spits.

From the Motorboat Club I was ferried out to Apapa Island to rendezvous with the boat, meet up with the crew, have a few beers and a BBQ in the + 30c heat, at what was now 9:30pm.

Day 2. Wednesday 12th March

Day break and familiarisation with the boat was conducted by the chief engineer, an ex South African Navy engineering officer. Then a briefing from the two company liaison officers on board, again South African, both from a security background. My first mate was Nigerian as was our assistant engineer, also our chief cook and bottle washer was a Nigerian. A total company complement of 7 persons, comprising three Nigerians, three South Africans and me, the only Brit!

Background

Offshore and onshore oil installations are heavily guarded by security organisations, due to the aggressive militant operations carried out by MEND (Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta). These militants have been engaging the military in regular battles in the creeks of the Bonny River since the Nigerian government decided to heighten operations in the region to halt rising cases of kidnapping of foreign oil workers, who carry a $2m bounty on their heads, and the murder of fellow Nigerians seen to be co-operating with the oil companies, as they have no value.

Nigeria relies on oil and gas exports for more than 90 per cent of its annual foreign earnings, but has been collecting dwindling revenue because of the destruction of oil production facilities and its infrastructure by the activities of the militants in the region which is currently at an all time high.

The Plan

Our task was to patrol an offshore oil installation in the Gulf of Guinea. Prior to this we were to rendezvous with the Nigerian Navy. Our sail plan involved leaving Lagos taking an offshore passage through the Bights of Benin and Biafra across the Gulf of Guinea, some one and a half days motoring (350nm) to arrive at Port Harcourt.

Our rendezvous point was the onshore LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) Plant terminal on Bonny Island. At this location our vessel was to be fitted out with four 12.7mm heavy calibre machine guns, two on the fly bridge with the second two astern, some light machine guns and a detachment of eight Nigerian marines with personal weapons, before proceeding to take up station offshore.

The Day’s Events

We had a Lagos pilot booked for 5pm so we took the opportunity to do final provisions and a fuel top up during the day. Our 24m patrol vessel was powered by twin 1,000hp engines. At 4pm, eight Nigerian Navy marines arrived and boarded as our guards during the passage. For security reasons the vessel was flying the Nigerian flag.

At 5pm with no sign of the pilot we cast off to wait in the middle channel for the pilot, which was not uncommon. The harbour entrance was quite formidable with watercraft dashing here, there and everywhere. A hundred ships were also at anchor just outside the harbour entrance.

I was very pleased to see the pilot cutter arrive and I welcomed aboard the pilot. After the formalities and documentation stamping etc. I asked to set the throttles forward to commence our passage. The pilot was immediately alarmed and requested our vessel to stop so that he could get off!

It became apparent that his job was only the paperwork and that we had to take ourselves out of the harbour and through the buoyage system to the fairway. On disembarking the pilot turned to me and pointedly asked did I have anything for him! He got short shrift from me, on this, my first introduction to the pre-requisite ‘backhander’.

At 6pm we successfully cleared the fairway buoy.

Day 3. Thursday 13th March

Steady motoring at 8 knots in a pleasantly rolling (no big waves) F2 all the way. We experienced some small delay due to the prevailing Guinea current across the Bight of Biafra on our way to Port Harcourt, the capital city of Rivers State (the oil capital of Nigeria).

Day 4. Friday 14 March

Arrived at the entrance to the Bonny River channel just after noon, 12:15pm. The Nigerian marine’s lieutenant was quickly on his mobile phone to the local naval base to confirm our arrival and to take instructions on our meeting point. The Lagos marines were due to disembark and fly back to their home base in Lagos, their job done.

For some unapparent reason the guns could not be transported to the LNG jetty. We should continue to the jetty and wait for two patrol boats (gunboats) from the Nigerian Marines NNS Pathfinder group who would escort us to the Naval Base where the armaments would be fitted and the replacement detachment of Marines would board. As a civilian crew we were reliant on the Marines to handle all weaponry onboard.

One of the patrol boats, an 8-9m RIB, with five crew met us in mid channel to lead us to the jetty where the other patrol boat was refuelling. It was then decided that we would continue up the Bonny River led by the first patrol boat with the second boat following up once fully refuelled.

It wasn’t long before we were joined by the second patrol boat as we continued up the Bonny River, part of the Niger Delta. We were now well off our charts but with one patrol boat back and one front we pressed forward up river passing creeks at every twist and turn of this inhospitable river. Ship wrecks strewn the river bank which added to our sense of foreboding, but were in the hands of the Nigerian Navy so we should be alright!

Expecting to come upon a navy base at anytime it transpired that we had to go some 35 miles inland, through jungle waterways as well as open waters. At one stage I had to pass the helm over to my Nigerian number two while the white faced crew had to sit below the parapet because of the presence of militant hot spots. Some 6hrs later as nightfall befell us at 7pm we were rafted inside the navy base.

The base commander and an intelligence officer came aboard for 2hrs of questioning. The Lagos marines remained onboard and we all eventually bedded down for the night.

Day 5. Saturday 15th March

It was still expected that the armaments would be fitted at the navy base and the Lagos marines dismissed in order to catch their flight back to their home base. However a second intelligence officer returned and asked the same set of questions that were asked of us from the evening before. As our previous answers were still attached to this latest question list it was just a matter of copying out our yesterday answers. What was that all about? Information was very lacking and in the end nothing happened.

Day 6. Sunday 16th March

Standoff. Still nothing happened.

Day 7. Monday 17th March

St Patrick’s day and not a Guinness in sight! Not that this was of any consequence, being teetotal. The Lagos marines were becoming quite agitated and angry as they should have been flown home the previous Saturday. Their guard duties became non existent, sleeping most of the time. From this time on we set-up our own 4hr bridge night watches.

Day 8. Tuesday 18th March

Two company representatives arrived from Lagos, although not employed by our company they had some association with our operation. One an ex Nigerian Army Officer and the other an ex Nigerian Police Chief. They met with the base commander, returned to Lagos, and still nothing happened.

Day 9. Wednesday 19th March

By this time we were under the distinct impression we were being detained. Even if we could take our vessel out of the navy base how would we navigate the river, miss the militants and go where? At best we would probably become one of the many ‘hulks’ rotting away on the bottom of the Bonny River.

Our days had passed waiting for something to happen, some news or some direction. We watched interestedly as each evening we saw the patrol boats refuel in a most basic way. Fifty gallon drums of gasoline were casually rolled down and pushed around the quay, a plastic pipe inserted and ’sucked’ by a marine to draw up the fuel, and then passed over the deck to the fuel tank fillers. The air was rank with vapour and the bilges probably sloshed around with gasoline. Today one of the more friendly patrol boat skippers told us, “whatever you do don’t sail this boat out!” as a means of being helpful, I guess.

My Armageddon - Part II

On its way!

The author is the editor and publisher of an online power boat magazine for sports and professional users of rigid hull inflatable boats, RIBs. www.hotribs.com

I hope you managed to catch part I. But don’t worry if you missed it, the rest of the story is the most stirring!

Day 10. Thursday 20th March

At 4:45am, a strange time, the Lagos marines were finally discharged from their ‘guard’ duties and allowed to fly back to their home base. They were replaced by two Pathfinder marines who stood at arms all the time.

The day started as they all normally do in this navy base. The patrol boats, all re-fuelled the evening before were made ready for patrol and loaded up with their 12.7 mm machine guns fore and aft, their AK47’s and the ammunition for the day’s patrols. The navy’s Pathfinder group is responsible for the security of the Bonny River and its creeks in their fight against piracy, abduction and sabotage.

It was very frightening each day when machine gun fire broke the jungle silence as test rounds zipped overhead and into the forests around the base, but I learned to watch for the powder dust cloud of the fired ammunition and knew the sound would follow. The patrol (gunboats) then disappeared up river and creeks and arrived back at base late afternoon. Some six ribs formed the squadron, five serviceable with one under repair.

Fortunately they left us with our mobile phones which meant we could communicate with contacts back home.

Day 11. Friday 21st March

Good Friday, although I’ve never known what was supposed to be good about it! Today was to be my apocalypse, my Armageddon however you would like to describe it.

Roused a little early by the morning watch, at 06:20, I brewed a cup of coffee and went on deck to look at the comings and goings of this morning’s Pathfinders patrol. Just 20 yards from me I watched the lead RIB skipper (our friendly marine who only a couple of days ago let us know it would be best to remain in the navy base) who was finalising his preparations and crew for his next patrol. It was 6:45am now and I can still recall in slow motion how he checked over his shoulder to look at the outboards as he switched on the engine ignition.

In an instant I was looking at hell on earth! A wall of flame some 30ft high engulfed all the personnel on board the RIB. I could only make out shadows moving horrifically in the flames and no opportunity to help. One marine on fire, head to foot, appeared out of the holocaust, wearing heavy body armour and jumped into the river never to surface again.

I watched in fright and awe as the first RIB and its personnel disintegrated before my very eyes. Then the realisation that ordinance was exploding all around us and our vessel. Our crew, except the chief engineer who had bolted to the engine room to make ready to go, buried themselves behind the sand bags stacked at the stern of our vessel. For 30 mins my head was full of the noise of exploding ordinance. I was concentrating on keeping the Nigerian crew calm, as they were clearly terrified.

A break in the bangs, booms and zipping of bullets and a peer over the topsides. Almighty, not just one gunboat had gone up in flames, but one after another, after another. Five burning hulks came floating slowly past our vessel on the flood tide.

Now was the time to run ashore and run we did. We weaved our way passed spent heavy calibre shell casings praying that no more were on their deadly way. No time to look back now as we sought the shelter of the boats on the hardstanding. Another quarter of an hour was to pass before an all clear was declared.

I’ve never seen such devastation, but during the whole event it felt as though it was a film.

Removal of the bodies was a gruesome task. Rather than being ‘charred’ as I expected, I found it very bizarre that the bodies were white, arms and legs rigid in the final death throes of the fire.

That night myself and the three South Africans were accommodated ‘for our own safety’ in what was described as the officers hostel. The bars on the windows and doors, and us all sleeping together in the one room with a seven man guard really gave it away. We were never permitted to stray more than 100 yards from the ‘hostel’.

Day 12. Saturday 22nd March

This was now the time (I felt) to make contact with the British High Commissioner. He was unavailable to make a visit as he had no driver, but would endeavour to make representations the following day.

Day 13. Sunday 23rd March

The British High Commissioner turned up today. He was of very little help as his authority was not recognised by the naval base commander. Indeed he had other pressing matters later in the day, he had to get back in time to watch the football match.

Up to now the Marines had always kept their personal weapons with them. At one point after the Commissioner had left, a marine stood his rifle against the wall next to where I was sitting. He took some empty coke bottles into the kitchen. He was a friendly chap who I had known for a week or so and we got on well.

At this point where despair was almost total, all that went through my mind was ‘pick up the rifle, kill him and run’. It then dawned on me that yes, one would be dead and we could move to the door, but the guards who remained outside would mow us down before we got past the threshold. This thought stayed with me until the marine returned and reclaimed his weapon.

This was the only time in my life when I have ever thought about and could possibly have killed a man for real.

Day 14. Monday 24th March

Easter Monday, our deliverance day! I’m not religious but the significance of the hell of Good Friday and our release on Easter Monday was not lost on me.

We had been instructed by the company, through mobile phone calls, to show the marines how to operate our vessel the ‘Spitfire’ and all her idiosyncrasies. It was after this familiarisation with our vessel that I felt the most vulnerable. In effect they no longer needed us for anything to do with the vessel.

It appeared now that we had become a liability. With the tragic loss of the navy’s vessels and men on the Friday and a heightened risk of us ‘whites’ being kidnapped by the militants we became a genuine risk to their operations. Therefore at 4:30pm out of the blue, our associate the ex Nigerian Police Chief turned up at the naval base. After some discussion and paperwork we were dispatched in two military vehicles, two armed guards in each, to Port Harcourt for a hotel room. The next morning we caught the first available flight out to Lagos.

What a relief!

The following two weeks were spent in a Lagos hotel waiting to see if release orders would have any effect on us returning for the ship.

This period allowed us to reflect, report and talk through the events of the previous fortnight. I think this helped me hugely as I found it a relief to be able to talk about what I’d seen instead of coming straight back home and maybe keeping the death and destruction all bottled up.

The Nigerian Authorities did not release our patrol boat, so one month after arriving I was back on another British Airways flight back to blighty and the security of home.

Epilogue

We came to the conclusion that it was always the intention of the Nigerians to acquire our patrol vessel. Several representations had been made to our company for the purchase of our vessel during pre-planning discussions, which were all refused.

We felt the incident was simply the accident waiting to happen. Militants claimed it was of their doing when the extent of death and destruction finally became known. The militants and the authorities made denials, claims and counter claims which resulted in widely inaccurate reporting of this incident across Africa and in the European press. Google: ‘nigerian navy pathfinders’ to view several media reports of this incident.

This account, albeit with some detail and names omitted for obvious reasons, is to record the times, dates and casualty reports as accurately as possible from personnel who were there!

The Authorities

It is not unknown for deceit and corruption at the highest level to occur in this part of the world. Google: ‘vanishing oil tankers’ to get some of the background stories.

The Militants (MEND)

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta believe they are fighting corruption as the oil taxation revenues were originally imposed to ensure that education and health policies and programs were established for the good of the nation. They are having a major impact on the reduction of revenues through piracy, sabotage of pipelines and oil production facilities, kidnapping and murder.

The author is the editor and publisher of an online power boat magazine for sports and professional users of rigid hull inflatable boats, RIBs. www.hotribs.com

Giving unique or unusual gifts enables your receiver to standout from the rest. Unusual gifts for men for instance, are quite interesting to discover yet there are still those who seem to have trouble finding it. These gifts are basically made with creative touch or personal touch of design. This idea is very true, what makes a gift unique is its content and feature that you can’t usually find anywhere else. So to give unique or unusual gifts for men, consider the following ideas below:

Travel Poker Set

For men who were smart enough to play a card game, a travel poker set is very ideal for them. Your beloved man can take his favorite poker game anywhere and be able to keep track of his winning with casino quality poker chips.

Personalized Key Chain Bottle Opener

Men love to hang out with a couple bottles of beer. So you may consider a personalized key chain bottle opener, a deceptively simple form of gift for men with a classic and innovative style. Make it more special by including the engraved initials of your beloved men on the surface.

Rawling Baseball Bat

For a sports-minded man, particularly a baseball fan, a baseball bat can make a perfect gift for him. Add a thoughtful sentiment like scripting his initials or your personal message on the item. Present it on any occasion like holidays, birthdays, father’s day and the like.

Gentlemen Leisure Pack

This option can make an ideal gift for groomsmen or best man during weddings. Hand it anyway to your beloved man packed with compact flask, cigar holder and cigar cutter in a handy case. Metal cigar cutters were once an elegant accessory of a bygone era and are now seen as collectibles – another great classic gift option as well.

Metro Cork Screw

A must have for men, loaded with new and cool features perfect for unique and interesting personality of your beloved man. Any men would appreciate this cool and entertaining cork screw while having a good time during parties and celebration. This is made of silvertone metal and designed to be classically engraved with his initials.

Personalized Pub Signs

A personalized pub sign can make a great accessory on your beloved man’s bedroom and office. A wonderful accent with personal touch and reflection of his personality. Pub signs come in different designs and styles such as hilarious themes like a beach bum’s bar, racing pit-stop, a tiki lounge, a Texas gambling joint, a sportsman’s lodge, a pool parlor, sport’s pub, a saloon and an auto mechanic’s garage.

These unique and unusual gifts for men are available at your local specialty stores and online stores. You can find other choices such as embroidered cooler chairs, insulated cooler bag, personalized barware, shaving brush set, ceramics dice ash tray and lighter gift set and more. Make it special by having his initials or perhaps your personal sweet message on your desired item. Not a bad choice, any man would love having these unique gift ideas that are barely seen from others!

Jnet is an author for a variety of lifestyle issues and topics. For more information on unusual gifts, visit the website Mygroomsmengifts.com and choose from their products. Shop for personalized mens gifts online!

The holidays are fast approaching, and this time of year more than any other is just downright tough for most Raw Foodists. Even long time Raw Food enthusiasts get a bit chilly around this time of year.

For those of you who have no problems with fruit and greens 4 seasons of the year, then more power to you!

For the rest of you, however, we thought it might be helpful to let you know where we stand on the subject of cooked food compromises.

After 3 years of working personally with clients, I am convinced that ultimatums are a dead end road. As soon as we put a big “Forbidden Foods” list in front of our faces, we end up with bingeing, guilt trips and food obsessions!

It is more harmful to continually put your body through a raw food roller coaster than to find a happy medium and stick to it. I’ve said in the past, I would prefer that 80% of the population be 60% raw than 4% of the population be 100%.

The goal, remember, is not putting a “Raw Foodist” stamp on your forehead at the end of the day. We’re engaged in the pursuit of health, high energy living and ideally we’re doing this in a way that takes environmental impact of our choices into consideration as well.

So, if you’re not willing to have a hard-core Christmas, then here’s what I recommend you take into consideration. When restrictions are removed, the urgency to indulge in, or overeat, “forbidden foods” vanishes.

One of the ways I like to approach nutrition and eating is sensibly. I don’t believe that it requires an ability to decipher enzymatic, anti-oxidant and amino acid vocabulary to be able to thrive. If that was the case, we’d all be in trouble.

Whatever you’re considering eating, just look at your body, look at the food on your plate and ask yourself:

“Does this make sense?”

Is the food something you could find easily in nature?

You may be able to find wheat, for example, in nature, but in its natural state it is very indigestible to humans.

Would it taste good if you just added heat?

If you are going to eat cooked foods, then I highly recommend sticking to the foods that make sense. A slice of grilled fish, a baked potato and steamed broccoli makes a lot of sense to me. More sense than a “raw pie” loaded with dates, avocado and almonds.

I’ve felt much, much worse eaing complicated raw food recipes than I have eating healthy, simple cooked food like steamed greens or a sweet potato.

If you need to add a bunch of spices and sauces for your food to be attractive and digestible, then I would say leave it aside. Also, the extra sauces and spices are in large part responsible for the desire to overeat. These are the mechanisms of stimulation-addiction and the kinds of things that send the floodgates open. There’s only so much baked sweet potato and steamed broccoli a person can eat. But start smothering them in butter and cheese sauce and you have yourself a whole other story.

Keep your cooked foods simple and sauce-free. This will help you hold in line your own limits and leave you feeling relatively well, even if it is a meal of cooked food.

Avoiding the sauces and spices will also help you to choose better foods. Beans, legumes, pasta and most grains taste rather boring without salt and sauces, so best avoid them.

Chances are you’ll aslo find that it’s much easier to control your cooked food consumption when you’ve removed your restrictions about it. When the food is no longer “forbidden” obsession moves aside. You don’t have that lingering ultimatum telling you that “THIS, will be the LAST time you EVER eat cooked food!”

So, summing up, then stick to these:

Vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, green beans and peas taste perfectly scrumptious without doctoring them up with spices and sauces. In fact, I find most vegetables tast quite nice steamed lightly. Sweet potatoes, pumpkins and squashes of all kinds are super tasty, too! Also, a simple piece of grilled fish or meat usually doesn’t require anything for it to be appetizing to most people. Just think of the foods you could find in nature. Then, if you can add fire and keep the flavor without having to add a bunch of sauces, I think you’ve hit a winner.

So, there it is.

If ultimatums are not on your plate, then these are my top recommendations for what to put there instead. Remember that the joys of being with good people, celebrating life and all her sparkly pleasures is REALLY good for your health. Make that your priority and the rest will fall into place, I’m sure of it.

Tera Warner is a writer and online entrepreneur, and co-creator of “The Raw Divas,” the only online raw food resource especially for women. Visit the website today at