Benefits of travel insurance for international trip

February 3, 2023

Travel insurance for international trips is a type of insurance policy designed to provide financial protection and assistance to travelers while they are abroad. Travel insurance provides financial protection and peace of mind while traveling, and offers several benefits.

Travel insurance typically covers a wide range of potential risks and expenses, including:

Medical coverage: Travel insurance can provide coverage for medical expenses incurred due to injury or illness while traveling, including hospitalization, medical evacuation, and prescription drugs.

Trip cancellation coverage: Travel insurance can provide coverage for trip cancellations or interruptions due to unexpected events such as illness, weather-related incidents, or natural disasters.

Lost or delayed baggage coverage: Travel insurance can provide coverage for lost, stolen, or delayed baggage, as well as travel documents like passports.

24/7 emergency assistance: Travel insurance typically includes 24/7 emergency assistance services, such as medical and travel assistance, that can help travelers in the case of unexpected events.

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Financial protection: Travel insurance can provide financial protection for travelers by covering costs associated with unexpected events like trip cancellations, medical emergencies, and more.

Travel insurance is designed to provide peace of mind and financial protection for travelers. Travel insurance provides a safety net for travelers and can help protect against unexpected events, ensuring a stress-free and enjoyable trip.

Don’t forget carefully review the coverage and benefits provided by a travel insurance policy before purchasing.

How to choose the best travel insurance?

Choosing the best travel insurance policy for your needs can be a complex process.

There are some key factors to consider when making your decision:

Coverage: Make sure that the policy covers the risks you are most concerned about, such as medical expenses, trip cancellations, and lost or delayed baggage. Review the policy details carefully to understand what is and is not covered.

Cost: Consider the cost of the policy, as well as any deductibles or co-payments that may apply. Make sure to compare the cost of different policies to find the best value for your money.

Reputation and reliability: Choose a reputable and reliable insurance provider with a strong track record of providing quality coverage and assistance to travelers. Check online reviews and ratings to learn more about the provider’s reputation.

Emergency assistance: Look for a policy that provides 24/7 emergency assistance services, such as medical and travel assistance, that can help you in the case of unexpected events.

Customization: Consider whether the policy can be customized to meet your specific needs, such as providing coverage for pre-existing medical conditions or sports-related activities.

Claims process: Make sure that the policy’s claims process is straightforward and easy to understand, and that you have all the information you need to make a claim if necessary.

Exclusions and limitations: Understand the policy’s exclusions and limitations, such as any restrictions on coverage for certain types of activities or destinations.

By considering these factors, you can make an informed decision and choose the best travel insurance policy for your needs.

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Casu marzu: The world’s ‘most dangerous’ cheese

The Italian island of Sardinia sits in the middle of the Tyrrhenian Sea, gazing at Italy from a distance. Surrounded by a 1,849-kilometer coastline of white sandy beaches and emerald waters, the island’s inland landscape rapidly rises to form hills and impervious mountains. And it is within these edgy curves that shepherds produce casu marzu, a maggot-infested cheese that, in 2009, the Guinness World Record proclaimed the world’s most dangerous cheese. Cheese skipper flies, Piophila casei, lay their eggs in cracks that form in cheese, usually fiore sardo, the island’s salty pecorino. Maggots hatch, making their way through the paste, digesting proteins in the process, and transforming the product into a soft creamy cheese. Then the cheesemonger cracks open the top — which is almost untouched by maggots — to scoop out a spoonful of the creamy delicacy. It’s not a moment for the faint-hearted. At this point, the grubs inside begin to writhe frantically. Some locals spin the cheese through a centrifuge to merge the maggots with the cheese. Others like it au naturel. They open their mouths and eat everything. Casu marzu is made with sheeps’ milk If you are able to overcome the understandable disgust, marzu has a flavor that is intense with reminders of the Mediterranean pastures and spicy with an aftertaste that stays for hours. Some say it’s an aphrodisiac. Others say that it could be dangerous for human health as maggots could survive the bite and and create myiasis, micro-perforations in the intestine, but so far, no such case has been linked to casu marzu. The cheese is banned from commercial sale, but Sardinians have been eating it, jumping grubs included, for centuries. “The maggot infestation is the spell and delight of this cheese,” says Paolo Solinas, a 29-year-old Sardinian gastronome. He says some Sardinians cringe at the thought of casu marzu, but others raised on a lifetime of salty pecorino unabashedly love its strong flavors. “Some shepherds see the cheese as a unique personal pleasure, something that just a few elects can try,” Solinas adds. Archaic cuisine It’s illegal to sell or buy casu marzu When tourists visit Sardinia, they usually wind up in a restaurant that serves porceddu sardo, a slowly roasted suckling piglet, visit bakers who sell pane carasau, a traditional paper-thin flatbread, and meet shepherds who produce fiore sardo, the island pecorino cheese. Yet, if you are adventurous enough, it’s possible to find the casu marzu. It shouldn’t be seen as a weird attraction, but a product that keeps alive an ancient tradition and hints at what the future of food might look like. Giovanni Fancello, a 77-year-old Sardinian journalist and gastronome, spent his life researching local food history. He’s traced it back to a time when Sardinia was a province of the Roman empire. “Latin was our language, and it’s in our dialect that we find traces of our archaic cuisine,” Fancello says. The cheese can only be produced at certain times of year when the sheeps’ milk is right There is no written record of Sardinian recipes until 1909, according to Fancello. That’s when Vittorio Agnetti, a doctor from mainland Modena, traveled to Sardinia and compiled six recipes in a book called “La nuova cucina delle specialità regionali.” “But we have always eaten worms,” says Fancello. “Pliny the Elder and Aristotle talked about it.” Ten other Italian regions have their variant of maggot-infested cheese, but while the products elsewhere are regarded as one-offs, casu marzu is intrinsically part of Sardinian food culture. The cheese has several different names, such as casu becciu, casu fattittu, hasu muhidu, formaggio marcio. Each sub-region of the island has its own way of producing it using different kinds of milk. ‘Magic and supernatural events’ Foodies inspired by the exploits of chefs such as Gordon Ramsay often come in search of the cheese, says Fancello. “They ask us: ‘How do you make casu marzu?’ It’s part of our history. We are the sons of this food. It’s the result of chance, of magic and supernatural events.” Fancello grew up in the town of Thiesi with his father Sebastiano, who was a shepherd who made casu marzu. Facello shepherded his family’s sheep to grazing grounds around rural Monte Ruju, lost in the clouds, where magic was believed to happen. He recalls that, for his father, casu marzu was a divine gift. If his cheeses didn’t become infested with maggots, he would be desperate. Some of the cheese he produced stayed for the family, others went to friends or people who asked for it. Casu Marzu is typically produced at the end of June when local sheep milk begins to change as the animals enter their reproductive time and the grass dries from the summer heat. If a warm sirocco wind blows on the cheesemaking day, the cheese-transforming magic works even harder. Fancello says it’s because the cheese has a weaker structure, making the fly’s job easier. After three months, the delicacy is ready. Mario Murrocu, 66, keeps casu marzu traditions alive at his farm, Agriturismo Sa Mandra, near Alghero in the north of Sardinia. He also keeps 300 sheep and hosts guests in his trattoria, and keeps casu marzu traditions alive. “You know when a form will become casu marzu,” he says. “You see it from the unusual spongy texture of the paste,” Murrocu says. Nowadays, this isn’t so much down to luck as the ideal conditions that cheesemongers now use to ensure as many casu marzu as possible. They’ve also figured out a way to use glass jars to conserve the cheese, which traditionally never lasted beyond September, for years. High fines Sardinia’s unusual cheese dates back to Roman times Though revered, the cheese’s legal status is a gray area. Casu marzu is registered as a traditional product of Sardinia and therefore is locally protected. Still, it has been deemed illegal by the Italian government since 1962 due to laws that prohibit the consumption of food infected by parasites. Those who sell the >>Read more
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Ever Given Suez Canal blockage should not drive up petrol prices, but Easter might

The blockage of the Suez Canal by a grounded container ship may disrupt world trade, but is unlikely to push fuel prices higher in the short term, experts say. Key points: The Suez Canal blockage is affecting around 12 percent of global goods trade But analysts say Australian petrol prices should remain unaffected as oil prices have not risen Analysts warn that petrol prices in Sydney and Melbourne may rise in the lead up to Easter due to the end of the discounting cycle Giant container ship, the Ever Given, which got stuck diagonally across the canal on Tuesday (Egypt time), has blocked traffic in both directions on one of the world’s busiest shipping routes. Around 12 percent of global trade in goods passes through the canal, which has some analysts concerned it could see supply disruptions and possible price rises. “If it takes longer than a few days to move, it could exert further upward pressure on shipping costs and exacerbate goods shortages,” said Gabriella Dickens from Capital Economics. “The grounding of the Ever Given could hardly have come at a worse time – freight rates for routes from Asia to the Mediterranean have already trebled since mid-November, with shipping capacity struggling to keep up with demand for traded goods.” While it is hoped the vessel can be moved within days, the CEO of the Dutch company tasked with freeing the ship said it was possible it may take weeks. With the canal currently shut to new traffic, some shipping firms may opt to take the detour around southern Africa, but that comes at a cost in time and money. “With bunker [ship fuel] prices plunging as low as $US250 per tonne in April, a third of their level at the start of the year, many operators opted to give a wide berth to Suez’s transit fees, which work out at roughly $320,000 for the average container ship,” noted Reuters columnist Ed Cropley. “Ever Given has left shipping operators with a headache. With bunker prices back above $500 a tonne, the extra week round the Cape of Good Hope will cost $350,000 in fuel alone, assuming rough consumption of 100 tonnes per day.” The rise in freight costs, both sea, and air, as well as shortages in some crucial components, such as computer chips, have raised fears that both producer and consumer prices will rise more rapidly than they have for many years. Aside from increasing the cost of some goods you might buy in the shops, these inflation fears have been a key factor in recent financial market volatility. Fuel prices may rise, but not because of Suez While the price of some goods shipped via container might be affected by the current Suez crisis, a leading local analyst believes Australian fuel prices are unlikely to be pushed higher. CommSec senior economist Ryan Felsman told ABC News that worries about weaker demand are currently more important than any risk of supply disruptions. “Concerns around demand because of European and Indian COVID outbreaks and lockdowns are outweighing supply worries around the Suez blockage,” he said. This has been reflected in benchmark Brent crude oil prices. While oil prices bounced a couple of times this week in response to the Suez blockage, it had been from one-month lows, and both times they quickly fell back down again. Brent crude oil was trading at $US61.95 a barrel. However, Mr. Felsman warned some consumers may still see prices rise at local service stations. He told ABC News that Sydney and Melbourne were currently near the low point of their retail fuel-discounting cycles, with average prices around $1.35 and $1.34 a liter respectively for basic unleaded petrol. With Easter approaching at the end of next week, Mr. Felsman warned that Sydney and Melbourne motorists could soon see average prices jump as high as $1.70 a liter, a level experienced by some Brisbane motorists over recent days at the peak of its retail price cycle. Mr. Felsman tipped petrol prices in Brisbane to actually fall slightly heading into Easter as the discounting cycle resumes. “The retail cycle is more of an influence in prices in the near term than Suez,” he explained. Most of Australia’s refined fuel comes from Singapore, which sources most of its crude oil from the Middle East, which does not have to ship through the Suez Canal. Mr. Felsman said, if anything, Australians should expect cheaper fuel prices over the next few weeks as the cost of refined products from Singapore had recently eased from 13-month highs. Source: abc.net.au
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Art auction fetches $922 million for high-profile divorce settlement

More than three years after the high-profile divorce proceedings of New York real estate developer Harry Macklowe and his wife, Linda, their art collection has become the most expensive to ever sell at auction, raking in $922.2 million over the course of two different sales. An initial batch of 35 artworks went under the hammer last November, including pieces by Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, and Cy Twombly. A work by abstract painter Mark Rothko fetched $82.5 million while Jackson Pollock’s “Number 17, 1951” sold for over $61 million to set a new record for the artist’s work. On Monday evening, the final 30 works sold for a combined $246.1 million, with works by Jeff Koons, Gerhard Richter, Willem de Kooning, and Agnes Martin. Highlights included another untitled painting by Rothko, which sold for $48 million, and a self-portrait by Warhol that fetched $18.7 million. By the end of the night, it was a “white glove sale,” meaning every work had been sold. Cy Twombly’s untitled work from 2007 sold for almost $59 million in the first auction. Credit: Courtesy of Sotheby’s “It’s a collection that has never been moved (or) touched,” said Grégoire Billault, chairman of contemporary art for Sotheby’s, at a press event announcing the two-part auction last September. “Quite often, when we have collections for sale, a lot of it has been sold already, or some (works) are given to museums; others are given to members of the family.” The Macklowe collection soared past the previous record for the highest value of a single art collection — the Peggy and David Rockefeller Collection, which reached a total of $835.1 million at Christie’s in 2018. The Macklowes married in their early 20s in 1959 and had since accrued all of their significant assets together, including a $72 million apartment, a yacht, and multiple commercial properties, according to court documents. They started their art collection shortly after they married. In 2018, during their divorce proceedings, a New York State Supreme Court judge ordered the Macklowes to sell 65 artworks from their collection and split the profits, after the couple’s hired experts provided vastly different appraisals of what some of the artworks were worth. Valuations for Alberto Giacometti’s existential sculpture “La Nez,” for instance, varied by $30 million. The court decision set off a battle between auction houses Sotheby’s, Christie’s, and Phillips to bring the collection to market; the appointed art dealer, Michael Findlay, delayed the decision in 2020 due to the pandemic, according to Artnet. The Giacometti sculpture eventually sold for over $78 million, the second-highest price achieved in the first part of the auction. Elsewhere, Warhol’s “Nine Marilyns” — one of the Pop artist’s famed serial screen prints of Marilyn Monroe — had fetched over $47 million and a Picasso sculpture honoring French poet Apollinaire made over $26 million. At a virtual press event announcing the sale in September, Sotheby’s CEO Charles Stewart had called the Macklowe Collection “one of the most significant and museum-quality collections of modern and contemporary art ever to come to market.” And what he predicted came true. He added: “This sale will… make history as one of the defining moments in the art market.” Read more at cnn.com
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How to protect your home from water damage

Avoid soggy disasters with these tips Water damage is one of the most common and costliest disasters your home can experience, costing billions of dollars annually. Safeguard your most important asset against water damage with the right insurance coverage and the following practical advice. Water damage and insurance Different types of water damage are insured by different types of policies. Homeowners and renters insurance provides coverage for burst pipes, wind driven rain and damage resulting from ice dams on your roof. Generally speaking, water that comes from the top down—such as rainfall and burst sprinklers—is covered by a standard homeowners policy. Some policies cover sewer and drain backups, but many do not; however, you can purchase a sewer backup rider to your homeowners or renters coverage. Typically, water that comes from the bottom up—such as an overflowing river—is covered by a separate flood insurance policy, which can be purchased from the federal government’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), and from some private insurers. If you live in a flood prone area, learn more about appropriate coverage. Properly maintaining a home is one of the best ways to prevent water damage from water disasters. Prevent basement water seepage Reseal your basement. Water in the basement is often caused by cracks in building foundations or floor slabs. If you notice water seepage after heavy rain when you’ve never had a problem, it may mean that your once-waterproof cement floors and basement walls have deteriorated. Painting vulnerable areas with water sealant can prevent seepage. Make sure water drains away from the building. Seepage is exacerbated by soil that has settled in a way to make water flow toward the building. After a storm, and especially if the ground is already saturated, rainwater that flows towards the building goes down the outside of the foundation wall potentially through any cracks. Install a backwater valve. Though less common than other causes of basement water, sewer backups are messy. Learn more about your sewer responsibilities and install and maintain a backwater valve, which allows sewage to go out, but not come back in. Maintain and understand your indoor plumbing systems Inspect appliance hoses and faucets. Make it a practice every year to check hoses leading to water heaters, dishwashers, washing machines and refrigerator icemakers. You may also want to invest in a water leak monitoring and shut-off system that can alert you to any leakage issues. Immediately replace any hoses that have cracks or leaks, and replace them all every five to seven years. Inspect showers and tubs. Check the seal and caulking around showers and tubs to make sure they are watertight and reseal if necessary. When away on vacation, shut off the water supply to the washing machine and never leave the house while the washer or dishwasher is running. Know the location of the main water shut-off valve in your home. A damaged hose or a burst pipe can send water racing into your home. Being able to locate and shut off the main water supply quickly will save stress, money and time. Install an emergency pressure release valve in your plumbing system. This will protect against the increased pressure caused by freezing pipes and can help prevent your pipes from bursting. Check plumbing and heating pipes. Look closely for cracks and leaks and have any necessary repairs made immediately. Repair and protect your home’s exterior Caulk and seal windows to guard against water seepage. Inspect your roof for missing, damaged and aging shingles and make necessary repairs. Check your downspouts. Remove debris that may have accumulated in downspouts and rain gutters. Position downspouts so that they direct water away from the house. Check sprinklers and irrigation systems to be sure they are not creating water damage to the walls and foundations of the house. Turn off and drain outside faucets to protect against frozen pipes. Install gutter guards to prevent gutter clogs and keep water flowing away from the house instead of accumulating on the roof. Protect your possessions Store off-season and other bulk belongings in waterproof bins, especially in areas where there are plumbing pipes or that are prone to dampness, such as basements and attics. Never store valuables or memorabilia where there is risk of destruction from water. Water and damp also brings with it the threat of mold damage. Keep belongings stored on shelving off the floor in basements. In case of water seepage or sewer backup, they’re less likely to get damaged. Keep an up-to-date home inventory. Having a comprehensive list of your possessions will save time, trouble and stress in case of loss from water damage.
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Which dry-herb vaporizer should you buy?

In recent years, vaping has become a fad that many people are following. It is being used by people of various ages for both therapeutic and recreational purposes. With rising demand, the vaping sector has been developing continuously. While there are many different types of vaporizers on the market right now, cannabis consumers increasingly choose dry herb vaporizers. It might be challenging to pick the best dry-herb vaporizer among the many options available, especially if you’re a beginner. Are you considering purchasing a dry-herb vaporizer but are unsure of where to start? Then enter now to discover the entire manual for picking your first cannabis vaporizer. A dry herb vaporizer is what? You may heat dried cannabis flowers in a portable device called a dry-herb vaporizer to extract vapor from the plant material. It is also known as a herbal vaporizer, and it often uses conduction to directly heat the cannabis plant. Some vaporizers have a convection heating system as well. They feature sophisticated temperature settings that boil the cannabinoids and terpenes into vapor rather than burning the herb. Dry-herb vaporizers come in two varieties: desktop and portable. A desktop vaporizer is perfect for a leisurely vaping session, while a portable vaporizer is unobtrusive and allows you to vape while on the go. How to choose a dry herb vaporizer? When purchasing a dry herb vaporizer for the first time, it is rather simple to become confused by the many functions and settings. Even while it may appear to be quite difficult, it isn’t if you know what to look for. The following are all the factors you need to take into account before making your first dry-herb vaporizer purchase: Portability You should first think about where and how you want to utilize the vaporizer. Choose a desktop vaporizer or a bigger vaporizer if you simply want to smoke at home. But a portable dry herb vaporizer might be the best option for someone who is constantly on the go and enjoys smoking sessions at any time and location. They may simply fit inside a pocket because they are tiny and compact. They also are easy to transport and won’t add extra weight to you. Additionally, utilizing a portable device might provide the discretion, particularly in a public setting. Regulating temperature While some dry cannabis vaporizers offer heat settings, some employ completely programmable temps that give you total control. Both options are OK as long as you know how to utilize them. The temperature control allows you to savor the fragrances of various terpenes while preventing combustion. Terpenes are the substances found in cannabis that are responsible for the plant’s distinctive scent. You may enjoy different terpenes by adjusting the temperature settings because each terpene has a unique heating point. Make sure the temperature when heating the cannabis flower doesn’t exceed 420 degrees Fahrenheit as a general guideline. Powered Nothing is worse than getting your pals together for a much-needed vape session and realizing your vaporizer is battery-less. Choose a dry-herb vaporizer with lengthy battery life if you don’t want to find yourself in this predicament. The Li-ion battery may be recharged using the USB connector that is included with the portable devices. Choose a vaporizer with longer battery life if you use it frequently. The most recent vaporizers also include an LED panel that shows the battery level so the owner may determine how long they can use it. You should not be concerned about the battery with a desktop vaporizer because they normally plug into a wall adapter. Superior An investment is a vaporizer. Finding a high-quality item with an extended shelf life is crucial. Start by looking for a well-known brand that has good customer feedback. Use only approved, safety-checked, and compliant items. False vaporizers and vaporizing liquids should never be used since they can seriously harm your health. Even if you’re looking for a portable gadget, be sure it’s strong and resilient enough to endure years of usage or even little damage from a mishap. Style Although it may not be crucial, the aesthetics of your device may undoubtedly improve the vaping experience. You may vape in elegance with the aid of a sleek little gadget. Other features on some devices include buttons for setting adjustments, an LED screen for battery life, several modes, and other accessories for vaping cannabis. Some high-end versions, like those provided by Gofire, even provide dose advice and record your usage history using vape pods with AI capabilities. Price Finally, take into account your spending plan. Today, there are all different kinds of vaporizers accessible, including a budget, midrange, and luxury models. A higher-quality item will often cost more, but it will typically last longer and provide a better vaping experience. Get a cheap device to enjoy the experience without spending too much if you’re just experimenting with vaping cannabis herb. Final reflections Cannabis is being vaporized by an increasing number of people who are interested in its therapeutic and medical properties. Don’t be intimidated if you wish to join the dry-herb vaping fad. Simply look for a legitimate distributor that can assist you in your hunt.
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