The beautiful Croatia coastline with fewer tourists
Mention Dalmatia, and Split and Dubrovnik usually spring to mind. But head to the northern stretch of this coastal Croatian region and you'll find a road a little less traveled.
2023-06-05 17:57
Man spends £86,000 lengthening his limbs
A father-of-two has had limb-lengthening surgery to increase his height from 6ft to almost 6ft 7in after deciding his legs were “too short” for his body, and hopes to feel “on top of the world” once the £86,000 (USD $106,000) procedure has fully healed. Brian Sanchez, 33, a mortgage broker who lives in Georgia in the United States with his wife, Nidia, 30, and their daughters, Kaisley, two, and Kairi, six, felt in January 2022 that his body was “out of proportion” and he looked like “like a huge thumb”. After some research, he discovered he could have limb-lengthening surgery in Turkey to become his ideal height and as soon as he saw it he thought: “OK, I guess this is what I’m doing.” Brian’s main reasons for wanting the surgery were not only for his physical appearance but also to improve his weightlifting goals in the gym and be around nine inches taller than his wife so they will no longer be at “almost eye level”. When he told his loved ones about his plans, they thought it was “typical of (him)” as just because “something is crazy it never means that (he) won’t do it”. Brian had his first operation in December 2022, which involved breaking his tibia and fibula, putting a rod inside the bones, and fastening it with screws. He underwent a second procedure in March 2023 to extend his femur. To recover, Brian had to be in a wheelchair and turn the screws with an Allen wrench four times a day, but when he is fully recovered he thinks the pain will have been “worth it” as he will be able to “enjoy being taller”. “My wife is pretty tall – we were only about three inches apart – but once I’m fully recovered it’ll be a nine-and-a-half-inch difference,” he said. “It’s going to be really nice just to be able to hug her and have her all the way down there on my chest instead of being almost eye level. “One of the things that I’ll enjoy the most is being able to work out again and put some weight on my legs and have my body look a little bit more how I want it to.” In January 2022, Brian suddenly realised his legs didn’t match his “torso proportions”. He said: “I realised that my legs were always looking weird, and I didn’t know what it was, until one day I was sitting next to my brother-in-law who is almost 6ft 6in, and I was actually a little taller than he was. “I thought that was weird, because I knew he was taller than I am by a lot, and we stood up, and all of a sudden, I started looking and realised my legs were too short for my body. “I’m broad, have long arms, and I’m wide, but my short legs make me look different – I almost look like a huge thumb, like those thumb men from Spy Kids.” After the realisation, Brian, who had never previously had cosmetic surgery, started to “not like (his) aesthetics” and decided to research ways to make himself taller. He said: “I thought I can either find a new hobby, and give up lifting weights, or I can fix the issue. “I started Googling and ran into the procedure from there – as soon as I saw it, I thought ‘OK, I guess this is what I’m doing’.” Brian set himself a goal of becoming at least 6ft 6in tall and said of his loved ones’ reaction when he told them about his idea: “It was a combination of disbelief, but they also said that it is typical of me. “I know this is a very crazy thing, it’s extremely expensive, time-consuming, difficult, painful and even risky in some respects.” In December 2022, he had his first operation in a clinic called Live Life Taller in Turkey, which cost him £30,000. The first procedure involved lengthening the tibia and fibula together. “In the first surgery, they broke my tibia and fibula and hollowed out the inside of the tibia, taking out the bone marrow,” he said. “They then put a rod inside the bone and fastened it with screws and attached the bone segments via pins to external fixators – so you have this piece of steel on the outside of your legs and have these constant open wounds that won’t close until you remove all the hardware.”. His recovery involved being in a wheelchair and using an Allen wrench to turn a bolt on the fixators four times a day at 90 degrees to separate the bone segments a little at a time. Brian continued to do this every day for two months, saying of his painful recovery: “The hardest part of the whole thing was the lack of sleep, but I think the pain will be worth it – once it’s all finished I’ll just be able to enjoy being taller, and hopefully feel on top of the world.” In February 2023, the external fixators on his tibia were removed and he was around three inches taller. In March 2023, he had the second operation, which cost him an additional £56,000, to carry out the same procedure on his femur. He said: “I actually felt great after my femur procedure, and there was almost no pain throughout the entire process, only from lengthening from actually stretching my legs.” Now, Brian is just over an additional three-and-a-half inches taller – making him just under 6ft 7in – but is still in a wheelchair and is waiting for it to be completely healed. He joked: “When it’s fully healed, I’m trying to not have expectations because I don’t want to be disappointed but it’s hard to imagine that I’m not going to enjoy it. “From the few times that I’ve already stood up, it is bizarre to see people that used to be my height come up to under my nose – it’s really weird, and it’s a lot of fun just seeing the world in a slightly different perspective. “I can see above the fridge more easily – not that it’s that important, but it’s cool. I’ll be able to see other people’s bald spots, everything will be just different.” Looking back on his decision to undergo the surgery, Brian said: “I didn’t need to do this procedure, but I really wanted to, and I didn’t know how hard it would be. “So, when I made the decision to do it, I kind of over-estimated how easy it would be and under-estimated how much pain and how much difficulty would be involved. “I don’t regret my decision, and I hope that I’m going to be really happy with the results.” Read More The worst day of the week for heart attacks revealed Husband of non-smoker, 24, who died two weeks after lung cancer diagnosis reveals single telltale sign A Place In The Sun’s Jonnie Irwin admitted to hospital amid terminal diagnosis Triathlete shares race photo where she bled through swimsuit while on her period The telltale sign of lung cancer everyone should know A Place In The Sun’s Jonnie Irwin admitted to hospital amid terminal diagnosis
2023-06-05 17:27
This chef visited 48 African countries to create a new 'Afro-fusion' cuisine
Restaurant Meza Malonga combines ingredients and food cultures from different countries, embodying the heritage and traditions of a vast and varied continent.
2023-06-05 16:59
World’s Longest Direct Flights to Cost 20% More Than Stopover Fares
Qantas is likely to extract a 20% premium from passengers on the world’s longest direct flights when it
2023-06-05 15:52
10 of the best affordable gifts for dads of all ages
Because he’s worth it – make your dad feel like the champ he is with a little something to go with the Father’s Day card…. 1. Hotel Chocolat Father’s Day H-Box, £14.95, Hotel Chocolat From Champagne Truffles to Going Nuts and Mousse au Chocolat, these decadent chocs are bound to delight. 2. Gentlemen’s Hardware Beard Survival Kit, £20, John Lewis Best beard grooming begins with the essentials: a nourishing beard wash, scented beard oil infused with an earthy Oak Moss fragrance (worth a kiss), and an angled wooden beard comb to keep everything just so. 3. M&S Collection Personalised Cotton Poplin Baseball Cap, £19.50, Marks & Spencer With the option of three initials, this personalised baseball cap will definitely get his seal of approval. Cuts out glare as well as giving protection from the sun’s rays. 4. Rainbow Toast Wonderful Dad ½ Pint Mug, £16.10 (was £23), Emma Bridgewater Job done… when it’s finally his turn to kick back and relax, a rewarding cuppa will taste that much nicer when he’s reminded by ‘loving’ wording: Bad Jokes, Terrible Dancing, Wonderful Dad – on the front; Flustered Chef, Sports Addict, Kind Taxi Driver – on the back; and most importantly, Love You Dad – inside. 5. LEGO Speed Champions 007 Aston Martin DB5 (76911), £20, Moonpig Car fanatics and Bond fans will be onto a winner with this No Time To Die model kit. Special features include James Bond mini-figure, swanky silver-coloured wire alloy wheel inserts and four sets of interchangeable number plates from different Bond movies. 6. Arber Eau de Toilette, £20, (100ml), The Body Shop Give him the gift of a gorgeous fragrance with top woody notes, core of coriander and mint, and a touch of citrus to stir the senses. 7. Three Pack BBQ Socks Set, £15, FatFace One for the BBQ King, those marinades and burgers will taste that much more delicious when he dons these sizzling socks. 8. Just Spices Gin-Making Kit, £49.99, Just Spices With gin palaces in season, surely the best way to spice up his G&T is with a bunch of botanicals he’s tailored himself. Includes equipment, spices and creative recipes. 9. Molton Brown Re-Charge Black Pepper Infinite Bottle, £40, (400ml), Molton Brown Enriched with brilliant refreshing benefits, this woody-citrus body wash marries heated black pepper, woody coriander and earthy vetiver for a power shower. As an added bonus, the bottle can be topped up with a waste-reducing refill pouch when he’s reached the last drop. 10. Black Flag Selection in Father’s Day Gift Box, £43.99, Virgin Wines Featuring three bonzer wines from top regions Down Under, you can’t go wrong with these labels to love. Think a rich, round Barossa Valley shiraz cabernet, a smooth Adelaide Hills shiraz, and refreshing sémillon with delightful lemony notes to perk up his palate. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Top tips to avoid garden injuries Planning an LGBTQ+ wedding? Why inclusivity can be a driving factor for couples Amanda Holden’s most extravagant fashion from the BGT live shows
2023-06-05 15:48
IATA Latest: Profit May Hit $10 Billion, Twin Aisle Jet Crunch
The airline industry’s main lobby body is doubling its estimate for global net profit in 2023 as a
2023-06-05 15:19
Al Roker shares health update after second knee replacement surgery
Al Roker has undergone his second knee replacement surgery, which had to be delayed after he was admitted to hospital for blood clots in his legs and lungs last December. The Today show weatherman, 68. has been reporting on the weather for the NBC morning show since 1996. Following his surgery, he returned to the programme on Tuesday (30 May). Roker has now said he is feeling “good” after the surgery on 9 May, which comes more than a year after his first knee replacement. He attended the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic event in New Jersey with his wife Deborah Roberts over the weekend, which he said was his first public outing since the surgery apart from work. Speaking to People, Roker said: “[It’s] nice to be wearing nice clothes. Here we are. You can’t help but feel better.” Roker was rushed to hospital the day after Thanksgiving and remained there for nearly two weeks due to the blood clots. He told his followers on Instagram that he was admitted “with a blood clot in my leg which sent some clots into my lungs”. “After some medical whack-a-mole, I am so fortunate to be getting terrific medical care and on the way to recovery,” he said, thanking fans for their well wishes. In March, Roker said he “wouldn’t be alive” if not for Roberts, 62. He told PageSix: “I guess I know it now. I didn’t know it at the time. Deborah was great at keeping all that away from me so I thought I was doing OK but that was great because I was able to focus on getting better.” Roberts is the presenter’s second wife, who he married in 1995 after splitting from ex-wife Alice Bell the year before. He shares daughter Courtney, 35, with Bell, and two children Leia, 24, and Nick, 20, with Roberts. Read More Jessie J confirms identity of her baby’s father after ‘struggling to keep things private’ Husband of non-smoker, 24, who died two weeks after lung cancer diagnosis reveals single telltale sign How noise complaints became a very British obsession Pharmacist warns against one common hay fever habit 7 tips and tricks for hay fever relief A Place In The Sun’s Jonnie Irwin admitted to hospital amid terminal diagnosis
2023-06-05 14:58
Australia to triple size of protected marine park to area larger than Germany
Australia plans to triple the size of an ecologically important marine park and close off an area larger than Germany to fishing and mining, the government announced Monday, protecting millions of vulnerable seabirds and animals.
2023-06-05 11:57
Don’t Ask Us to Come to the Office More — Or We Will Quit, Investors Say
Financial professionals have a warning for their employers: Don't ask me to come in to the office more
2023-06-05 09:29
'Across the Spider-Verse' spins box office with $120.5 million debut
By Danielle Broadway LOS ANGELES Audiences swung into theaters for “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse," giving the animated film
2023-06-05 07:26
Directors Union Reaches Tentative Deal With Hollywood Studios
The Directors Guild of America reached a tentative agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers,
2023-06-05 02:26
Air-France KLM Shops for Widebody Jets as Long-Haul Travel Grows
Air France-KLM is looking to replace a set of aging widebody aircraft, seeking to pick up more fuel-efficient
2023-06-05 01:56