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Longboat Key's Sandpiper Inn

I love a good Inn. When I'm off taking a break, I really don't want to see staff coming and going, I just want a place to relax and get a good night's sleep. And not a kid in sight.

 

At the Sandpiper Inn, I did just that.  The Gulf was a stroll away--I could hear it from my bedroom window--and it was a quiet and peaceful place to relax and write.  There was a tiny pool, but the temps while I visited didn't merit a cool-off swim; The landscaping was beautiful and several places beckoned me to sit

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Christmas Traditions Around the World

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Christmas in the UK, where I grew up, thrives on tradition. Although conventionally considered a Christian celebration, a British Christmas has roots in ancient pagan festivals, subsequently layered with influences from around the world. In today's cosmopolitan (and largely secular) Britain, December 25th concerns itself as much with the Eastenders Omnibus as it does the birth of Christ.

I wanted to know more about Christmas traditions in the rest of the world, so I asked a very well-travelle

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