While there’s a general belief that the best months to travel in Europe are July and August, in fact, summer starts early in the continent, and in many countries, the beaches are open and sunny from the beginning of May to the end of September.

Many beaches are open even in April and October, for those who don’t mind the chilly waters, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.

Planning a trip to Europe at this point might be a bit more problematic for travellers who need a Schengen visa, that enables one to enter over 30 European countries, including here the 27 Schengen Area countries, which are the only ones eligible to issue such a visa.

Yet, even those needing a Schengen visa, still have time to obtain one. A factor that makes many people to spend their vacations in one particular place, is having a bigger chance of getting a visa to visit that Schengen country.

This, however, does not mean that travellers should attempt to obtain a Schengen visa from one country, and instead plan to travel to another, as this is called “visa shopping” and it is greatly condemned by the Schengen countries.

Recent data on Schengen visas issued in 2022, show that the ten countries with the lowest rejection rate in the same year are as follows, for highest to lowest:

1. Italy – 12.7 per cent
2. Greece – 12.5 per cent
3. Switzerland – 12 per cent
4. Poland – 11.6 per cent
5. Luxembourg – 10.5 per cent
6. Finland – 9.7 per cent
7. Slovakia – 9.7 per cent
8. Latvia – 9.5 per cent
9. Lithuania – 7.8 per cent
10. Iceland – only 1.9 per cent

The post Top 10 Easiest Countries to Get a Schengen Visa for Summer 2023 first appeared on Nkyeremu News.

The striking birds that you associate with the label peacocks are, in fact, male. Their majestic feathers are used to attract peahens, the females of the species, which are smaller and mostly brown and white, though with emerald necks and the same fabulous head crest.

Together, they produce peacocks or baby peafowl. Peacocks are polygamous, mating with multiple partners (anywhere between two and five) throughout their lives.

It takes about three years for peafowl to develop their tail display, but once it’s fully fashioned, watch out—the peacock is officially on the prowl, and ready to dance, preen, and shake for female attention.

1. Peacocks Are the National Bird of India

In 1963, the Indian peacock was declared the national bird of its namesake country. The bird holds significance in Hinduism: It is believed that a peacock’s feathers were originally born of the mythological Garuda, and the bird is often associated with Laksmi, the goddess of wealth and good fortune. As such, peacock feathers have long been favored by royalty.

5. They Can Be Found in Africa

A lesser-known species known as the Congo peafowl can be found in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where it enjoys the status of the national bird. Congo peafowl isn’t quite as showy as the Indian variety, with shorter feathers and darker hues, but their fancy headwear and shiny finishes maintain their aesthetic standing within the pheasant family.

6. Their Sounds Can’t Be Fully Experienced by Humans

When male peacocks perform their train rattle, a rustling sound furthers the visual effect. But for the peahens, the movement also creates a vibration—a resonant frequency—in the air that cannot be felt by humans.

7. They Stay In Groups

Like us on any given Friday night, peafowl don’t like to be alone. (As mentioned previously, a group of peafowl is called a party.) But while they are all about each other, they don’t really jibe with other birds.

8. They Have an Impressive Lifespan

Peafowl lives a long time—between 10 and 25 years in the wild and up to 50 years in captivity. So if you happen to befriend a peacock, it could be your BFF for life

 

 

 

The post Peacock Facts To Rattle Off At Parties And To Inspire Further Appreciation Of The Beautiful Bird first appeared on Nkyeremu News.