Tag Archives: RAND

Spooky Places in Portugal

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Portugal isn’t a country that most of us would link with creepy characters and spine-chilling stories, but it has its own fair share of haunted places. If you have friends and family living in Portugal, it might be a good idea to send them a package filled with survival gear to fight off all the ghosts and ghouls lurking in the shadows…

Firstly, a bit of a royal haunting. The Beau-Séjour Palace, whose gardens are open to the public, is supposedly haunted by the Baron of Glória who was around in the 1800s. It has been said that the sound of bells ringing can sometimes be heard by visitors to the site, while employees based in the palace have experienced windows opening and being slammed shut and objects moving around and vanishing.

The next time you go to Portugal, be sure not to stay in room 108 of the Bela Vista Hotel in Portimao. The previous owner was said to have died in this room, and her ghost is thought to be the cause of the unexplained banging and wailing heard by guests in neighbouring rooms at night, suggesting her spirit may live on in her beloved hotel.

Spooky Places in Norway

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Norway is the perfect setting for all sorts of scary stories, and it has been the setting for some of the best horror films ever created. The rugged, rocky landscape, plunging temperatures and long, dark winters make the imagination wander, so we’re kicking off Wednesday with some of the haunted locations in Norway. If you dare to send a parcel to Norway, make sure you do it with RAND!

In Drammen stands Lier Sykehus, an old mental asylum for those with severe mental illnesses who were deemed unsafe to be part of normal society. Old mental asylums are often used as the setting for many a scary film, but Lier Sykehus has long been shrouded in sightings of ghostly apparitions roaming the corridors, said to be the spirits of the dead patients.

If you have friends and family in Oslo, they will know all about Akershus Fortress. This stands in the heart of Oslo and is a popular tourist attraction, though it is said to be the most haunted place in Norway. The castle has long been used for protection against city sieges and as a prison for rebels and criminals from Norway’s long history. It has been said that lots of creepy characters and unexplained noises have been experienced in the fortress.

Spooky Places in Mexico

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It’s a chilly Tuesday and we’re going to be looking at some of the scariest places in Mexico today. There are haunted places all around the world, so if you want to make sure your parcels won’t be tampered with by ghosts or anyone else, be sure to send parcels internationally with RAND for the most reliable, ghoul-proof service.

Perhaps one of the spookiest spots in Mexico is the Pilaer Hacienda in San Juan Teotihuacan. Spanish hidalgo Miguel Aritztia was thought to have fallen from a balcony on the top floor of the building and died, and the ghost of his wife, who tried to save him, has allegedly been spotted crying on the balcony. Miguel himself has apparently been seen hanging from the balcony hundreds of years after his death.

Another supposedly haunted spot in this Central American country is the Island of Dolls, situated in a swamp close to Mexico City. After a girl drowned off the island, the hermit living on it, Don Julian Santana, was pushed further into madness, and he began to fish dolls out of the river believing they were real children. These dolls are said to contain the energy of the little girl, and the ghost of Don Julian Santana himself has been spotted since his death.

Spooky Places in Germany

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Now that the clocks have gone back and it’s well and truly cold and dark when we leave and arrive home from work, and with Halloween not far behind us, we’re dedicating this week to some of the spookiest locations around the world. With all these ghosts and ghouls around, you’d better prepare a ghost-hunting kit to send to Germany to keep your friends and relatives safe!

Firstly, Wolfsegg Castle in Bavaria has supposedly been haunted since the 1500s when husband and wife Ulrich von Laaber and Klara von Helfenstein, along with Ulrich’s sons, died suddenly. In more recent times, strange noises have been heard coming from a cave on the site, leading people to believe it is haunted by the ghosts of Ulrich, Klara and the sons.

In Praemonstratenser Abbey in Wurzburg, the ghost of a dead nun allegedly roams the halls while picking the petals off a bouquet of roses. The nun was beheaded after ‘bewitching’ the other nuns with herbs in their food before being burnt. The ghost of Maria Renata Von Mossau is said to wander the hallways even today, and there have been several sightings of this ghostly female figure in recent years.

If you’re sending a petrifying package to Germany, use RAND’s parcel checker for the best rates.

Famous Birthdays on 15th November

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We have now reached the end of our week of famous birthdays, and today we will be looking at those big names in history who would have or will be celebrating their big days today on 15th November.

If you’re looking for historical figures, you’ll be spoilt for choice. On 15th November 1708, William Pitt thr Elder, the Whig British Prime Minister, was born, along with the Norwegian Prime Minister Christopher Hornsrud some years later in 1859. WWII Field Marshal Erwin Rommel was born in 1891 on the same day as W Averall Harriman, the American ambassador to the USSR.

Or, if you’re more interested in the arts, there have been some talented, creative critters celebrating their birthdays on this day over the years. Model, fashion designer and make up artist Jeffree Star will be celebrating today, along with French actresses Laura Smet, who will be turning 30, and Virginie Ledoyen, and French film director Francois Ozon.

Hopefully this week has reminded you to buy birthday presents for your friends and family overseas so that you have plenty of time to get them sent with RAND!

Famous Birthdays on 14th November

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We have reached the penultimate day of our week of posts celebrating famous birthdays around the world in dedication to the thousands of birthday gifts sent internationally every day. Remember to get a quote from RAND the next time you want to send a birthday present to friends and relatives overseas for the best rates and top quality service.

If you enjoy American music, 14th November is a bumper day for US rockers and rappers. Rapper Obie Trice and punk rockers Travis Barker (of Blink-182 fame) and Tobin Esperance (of Papa Roach) will be celebrating birthdays, though if you prefer your music from the 90s in the UK, you may be pleased to hear that Steps singer Faye Tozer is turning 38 today.

Culture vultures will appreciate sharing a birthday with French impressionist painter Claude Monet, who was born in 1840, along with the spookily similarly named Julie Manet, another French painter. Or, if you prefer your famous faces a little more politically orientated, Condoleezza Rice, Secretary of State for the US, will be celebrating her 61st birthday today.

Remember to get all of your November birthday gifts bought, wrapped and sent soon, especially if they will be travelling overseas!

Famous Birthdays on 13th November

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We’ve now reached the halfway point of our week of famous birthdays, and we hope that this is inspiring you to think about sending gifts to your friends and family who live overseas in the near future. We all love receiving birthday gifts, and with RAND you can expect fantastic rates on global parcel delivery and an extremely high level of service which will be much appreciated by the grateful recipient on their big day.

Firstly, Israeli rapper and producer Subliminal celebrates his 44th birthday today, and seemingly this is a very musical day for birthdays as we also send our best wishes to American jazz drummer Ari Hoenig, who hits the big 4-0 today, along with rockers Shom-Rock and T-Haxx, both of whom will be turning 41.

The acting world also sees some big names celebrating birthdays today, including Whoopi Goldberg who was born on 13th November 1955 and Indian actress Juhi Chawla. Or, if you prefer to think of yourself as sharing a birthday with a royal, King Edward III of England was born on 1312, or for an important name in Chinese history, this was also the birthday of Emperor Jiaqing.

Rememeber to use RAND’s parcel checker for the best rates for international parcel delivery!

Famous Birthdays on 12th November

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Welcome to the second day of RAND’s birthday blog, dedicated to celebrating famous birthdays on this day as a tribute to all the birthday gifts sent around the world every day. Every day this week we will be posting about the biggest names in the fame world to be born on this day in history, whether that was 1,000 years ago or just last year.

Today we’re starting off with American R&B musician Omarion, who was born in 1984, meaning he’ll be 29 today. Some of the other big North American names to be celebrating birthdays today include film heartthrob Ryan Gosling, who hails from Canada, and actress Anne Hathaway from America. For competitive rates on parcels to Canada and parcels to the US, be sure to use RAND’s quote finder.

If you prefer science to the glittering world of Hollywood, perhaps you’ll be more impress by the UK’s very own John W Rayleigh who discovered argon and was born all the way back in 1841. Another British name you might recognise is Mariella Frostrup, who will be 51 today. Mariella was born in Norway, so if you have relatives overseas, remember to note down their birthdays so you can send them a gift.

Famous Birthdays on 11th November

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Many of the parcels being couriered around the world every single day will be birthday gifts, which is why this week we our dedicating our blog to famous birthdays of people all around the world. If you have a friend or relative overseas who is celebrating a birthday soon, why not think about sending them a parcel with RAND?

Film fans with 11th November birthdays will be delighted to know that they share their birthday with the wonderful American actor Leonardo di Caprio. If you’re thinking of sending him a gift, you’d better get in quick before he gets inundated with presents! Another American star of the screen celebrating her birthday on this day is Calista Flockhart, so be sure to use our parcel quote finder to get a quote on all your birthday gifts to the US!

If we go way back in history, we find an emperor and an empress of the Roman empire born on 11th November in 995 and 1050: Gisela of Swabia and Henry IV of Kaiserpfalz. Or, if you prefer your historical figures a little more royal, how about King Sancho I of Portugal in 1154? If you’re sending a gift to Portugal, make sure it’s with RAND for the best rates!

Christmas Gift Inspiration: DAY #5

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We are rounding off our week of gift ideas with what to get the person who has everything. We all have that one friend or relative who has been fortunate enough to find themselves in a position where they can buy everything they want. However, many of us still feel obliged to buy them something for Christmas. So, what do you do?

Theatre

Our tip is to go for an experience rather than a tangible object. While they could buy their own crockery set or scarf, they may not have thought to book tickets to an event you know they would love. Look for events in their city and buy them a couple of tickets to a concert or play they would enjoy, or check out an experience day website to select a rally driving experience, horse riding or a spa or anything else that looks fun.

If you can’t afford the entire experience, how about a gift voucher towards a meal at their favourite restaurant, a hotel gift voucher or a gift certificate towards travel, whether this goes towards plane tickets or train tickets if they enjoy weekends away.

A personalised gift may also go down well if you know their taste well, but opt for something classic such as a nice pen or something in leather.

If you are sending your gifts abroad, be sure to check the price of delivery with RAND’s parcel checker in advance.