The seaside town of Southport is set on the coast looking towards the Irish Sea and is just over 16 miles from the city of Liverpool. When it comes to things to do and see during a visit to Southport there is plenty to keep both young and old alike amused.

Along with Splash World where the kids can use up all that energy the Atkinson Art Gallery is gentler and you can take your time admiring the exhibits. But along with these attractions there are plenty of others that one can enjoy during a stay in the seaside resort of Southport and below we take a look at few of them.

1. Southport Botanic Gardens – These were first opened back in 1874 and are what a classic Victorian garden would look like. But along with enjoying the parks many walks allowing you to view the wildlife and floral displays you can also relax by taking a boat trip across the lake, which is a focal point of the gardens.

After spending time exploring the park head to towards the cafe for some refreshment and there are pottery and gift shops for any souvenirs you may need. It is open to the public seven days a week from 8 in the morning until a half hour before dusk.

2. Eco Visitor Centre – To reach this attraction it is just a short bus ride from the centre of Southport town with the buses leaving for it every 10 minutes. Here one can learn about environmentally friendly ways for buildings to be constructed and reminders about how our carbon footprint is affecting the planet. The centre practices what it preaches and you can discover how it uses renewabale energy to heat its buildings and supply their power.

3. Martin Mere Wildfowl Trust – This is the UK’s largest wetland conservation trust and you can investigate how wetland birds spend their days. Plus if you feel up to it and want to get a little closer to them you can feed the birds as well. However, if the kids are starting to get a little bored and hungry then there is a licensed cafe where you can stop for a while, plus there are the play areas which your children can enjoy.

4. Southport Model Railway Village – Open since 1996 this attraction has been attracting model train enthusiasts from around the world. The trains run continuously on a 500 meters of track around the various landscapes that have been devised. In fact it is not unusual for people to spend the whole day just following one certain train as it travels around.

There are plenty of places at this Southport attraction where one can sit and watch the children easily as they follow the trains around the tracks. And of course there is a tea shop to relax in as well. The village has been designed to accommodate both wheelchair users and children’s buggies and prams.

There is a wide variety of places to stay in Southport, you can choose your Southport hotel from this list.

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After all your hard work, you definitely want to retire in place where you can relax and live your life to the fullest. Some dream of retiring near the beach, up in the mountains, or in a secluded town far from busy city streets.

Norway is still the best country in the world to live in according to the annual Human Development Report produced by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Norway is a long, narrow country situated in the Northwestern edge of Europe. About a third of Norway is located above the Arctic Circle and has been named the land of the Midnight Sun. Due to its location, Norway has been called the "Land of the Midnight Sun" - yes the sun shines 24 hours a day in the summer. Oslo, Norway’s capital and largest city, is in the southern part of the country.

Norway, along with Denmark and Sweden, is one of the Scandinavian countries. It is the world’s third largest oil exporter and western Europe’s largest gas producer. It has been saving oil revenues in a fund worth around $190 billion for future generations.

Ever since Vikings left home waters in the ninth century, Norway has drawn strength from the sea. Its merchant and oil tanker fleets are currently considered as the world's largest, at the same time landing the biggest fishing catches in Western Europe.

Wealth from oil and gas in the North Sea, first tapped in the early 1970s, subsidizes public health and welfare programs

Norway is mostly a high, mountainous plateau covered by bare rock, and it has a relatively small amount of farmland. But the rivers that rush down from the mountains provide much cheap electricity. Norway generates more hydroelectric power per person than any other country. Norwegian manufacturing is based on this cheap power. Important products of Norway include chemicals, metals, petroleum, processed foods, and wood pulp and paper. Norway is one of Europes largest producer of petroleum due to its massive oil reserves. Which has made Norwegians one of the richest people in the world.

The climate of Norway is much milder than that of most other regions as far north, especially along the country’s west coast.

Outdoor sports are an important part of Norwegian life. You only need to walk a short distance to reach the many and varied recreation areas. Skiing, Norway´s national sport, may have started there thousands of years ago as a means of crossing the snowcovered land. You'll find a ski jump in almost every town. The second most popular winter activity is ice-skating. Norwegians also have long enjoyed bandy, a form of hockey played by 11-player teams on large rinks.

Soccer is the favourite summer sport. Norway’s forests and mountains provide many other recreational opportunities.

Norwegians have contributed much to the development of the arts. Henrik lbsen’s realistic plays of the late 1800’s brought him worldwide fame as the father of modern drama. Three Norwegian writers have won the Nobel Prize for literature. The painter Edvard Munch was a strong influence on the expressionist art style of the early 1900's. Statues by Gustav Vigeland, perhaps Norway’s greatest sculptor, stand in Oslo’s Frogner Park. Edvard Grieg, Norway’s bestknown composer, used melodies from folk songs and dances in his orchestral works.

Norway enjoys both a relatively low crime rate and has so far remained free of terrorist attacks.Norway provides retirement, disability and survivors benefits. If you have Social Security credits in both the United States and Norway, you may be eligible for benefits from one or both countries.

In addition, Norwegian Social Security taxes cover several other programs including unemployment and work accident insurance and certain benefits for single mothers.

Those are just a few reasons why Norway is not just one of the best places to retire but also one of the cheap places to retire in the world.

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