Posts Tagged ‘France’

Ten Things To Do in London


2010
05.20

If youre planning a vacation to London, be sure to take advantage of this wonderful city with so much to offer. London is brimming with an array of exciting things to do and things to see for all ages and tastes. As one of the culture capitals of the world, London holds sight seeing and tourist adventures that you cant experience anywhere else. Get the most out of your London vacation and let it loose by visiting these ten must see things to do in London!

1. The British Museum. Sir Hans Sloane had contributed his mass collection of over 71,000 interesting items when the British Museum was founded in 1753. In the nineteenth century, the museum began to flourish, increasing its inventory of interesting items to over seven million; many of these items are over 10,000 years old. The British Museums charter had insisted that the museum remain open free of charge to all those curious and studious persons who wish to enter. Spend and astounding afternoon wandering the eternal corridors and discover some of mankinds greatest cultural achievements and explore the great relics of the Greek and Egyptian empires.

2. British Airways London Eye. Welcoming nearly four millions guests each year, the London Eye has become one of the most popular attractions in London. This observation wheel stands 135 meters over the city of London and is currently the tallest observation wheel in the world. This exploitation of modern engineering allows visitors to view London with a new perspective, revealing sections of the city that are nor visible from the ground. Described as an inspiring and enchanting experience, the London Eye has become an essential to visitors to complete the London experience.

3. Saint Pauls Cathedral. A fascinating depot of British history and an inspirational centerpiece of reconstruction after the great London fire of 1666, Sir Christopher Wrens cathedral still remains a spiritual focus of Great Britain. Famous for hosting royal weddings, birthdays, celebrations and even funerals of Great Britain leaders under the great dome of Saint Pauls Cathedral and a beautiful piece of history.

4. The National Gallery. Located in the heart of Trafalgar Square it houses some of the worlds finest art dating back to the 13th century. Construction of the National Gallery began in 1832 and since then had collected the fine arts of da Vinci, Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh and many more. A visitor can spend days inside the National Gallery trying to view all its contents.

5. London Zoo. Regents Park contains one of the worlds most famous zoos that is home to over 12,000 animals. Animal shows are held daily to allow zoo visitors to learn more about a species through the animals handler. The London Zoo is considered a must see among visitors and residents and is suggested to be visited at least twice in order to complete the London Zoo experience.

6. Tate Modern. Viewed as Londons most innovative gallery, it includes an array of exhibitions and grand collections of modern art. Appealing to children and adults, amateurs and experts, with the collections of artists like Andy Warhol, Matisse and Bacon. Tate Modern is considered one of the top must see galleries of London.

7. Tower of London. Built with imported white stone from France, the Tower of London has been known to protect, imprison, and execute the people of London. The Tower of London was dubbed the bloody tower where Richard III had allegedly murdered his nephews.

8. The Natural History Museum. An attractive gothic building that houses one of the worlds largest collections of dinosaurs with exhibitions dominating the great halls and towering above awe stricken visitors.

9. The Madame Tussauds Experience. A museum of abhorrent waxworks and animatronics displays demonstrating the darkest parts of British history with beheading, torture, murder and plague completed with grisly sound effects. Staff would often dress up in costume and jump out at unsuspecting visitors to add excitement to the mix.

10. Westminster Abbey. A medieval masterpiece and the burial ground for kings, scientists, statesmen, poets and musicians since 1066. Visitors can enjoy the intriguing literary history, the artistic talent that went into the paintings, tombs and murals and be taken aback by the gothic architecture. The Westminster Abbey has become one of Londons most stunning churches.

Best drinks in Beijing


2010
04.14

These can range in price, and some tea houses are really tourist traps whose main goal is to milk you of your money, so be careful. You can get a free tea demonstration at most Tenrenfu tea houses which are located throughout the city and at some malls. In Beijing, that is now leading the countrys cultural revival, also remember that a tea can be sipped while watching martial arts and acrobatics. What the hell is this? Some teahouses have recently reappeared showing a variety of Beijing Opera and traditional shows and there you will be served delicious selections of tea and cakes too. Although Western influences have been embraced to transform traditional Chinese art forms into contemporary pieces, its still possible to get a taste of some traditional theatre, such as story-telling to musical accompaniment, magic shows and acrobatics daily at the Lao She Chaguan, Da Wancha Building and at the Tianqiao Happy Teahouse.

Good coffee is hard to find in most parts of China, although addicts have a place to retreat now that Starbucks has at least 50 spots in the capital, most situated around shopping malls and in commercial districts of the city.

The most popular Chinese beer, which is also quite good, is Qingdao. You can get it for 10-20 yuan or just 2-3 from a street vendor whilst the main beer brand of Beijing is Yanjing (10-15 yuan at restaurants, 2 yuan on the street).

Wine made in China are considered not drinkable by most foreigners, but it is also true that its not their traditional drink. Just give them 10 years and they will come up with it too! If you really want to have some good wine, you can try Great Wall that is the most popular local brand, or get foreign products, such as those from the US, France, Italy, Australia, and Chile, but you will find them in more upper scale restaurants.

Looking for hard liquors? Try Bai jiu (white liquor) that comes in a large variety everywhere for very cheap prices and should be avoided if you want to have a clear mind for your visit on the next day. Mao Tai is one of the more famous brands but it is quite expensive.

If you wish to have a hint on what to eat and drink together, dont forget Beijing is famous for its Roast Duck. It is well served at many restaurants with thin pancakes, plum sauce and slivers of scallions and cucumbers. You dip the duck in the sauce and roll it up in the pancake with a few slivers of scallions and/or cucumbers. The end result is a mouth-watering combination of the cool crunchiness of the cucumber, the sharpness of the scallions, and the rich flavours of the duck. Well served with a cool Qingdao Beer! Beijing is also known for its lamb hotpot (shun yng ru), which is a funny cook-it-yourself affair in a steaming pot in the centre of the table featuring a savoury, non-spicy broth. To play it safe and satisfy everyone, you can request yunyng for a pot divided down the middle, with spicy broth on one side and regular broth on the other.

On a last but useful note, keep in mind that during Olympic games everything is going to be much expensive from food to accommodation and comparable to western rates. Do not fear to haggle: is essential especially in touristy markets, shopping areas, etc. Example youth hostels that used to sell a bed night for 3 euros, now they sell it for 20-30 euros. So, what about International hotel chains?? Worse than worse.

But if you are looking for a typical still clean and affordable accommodation while in Chinas capital you can try to look for the following budget hotels, guest houses ( B&B or Bed and breakfast) and international youth hostels that kept decent prices.

European Vacation-Tips to Have the Most Fun


2010
03.30

I lived in Germany for five years, many moons ago, and as a result had the opportunity to travel around Europe quite a bit, visit lots of places, learn a little of three languages and have lots of fond memories. But since those golden days of yore I have been back twice with my fiance for a three week trip and one 18 dayer.

The first was completely planned with reservations for each night and was high intensity, high stress covering six countries and nearly 1800 miles. How else can you cover all the bases? Actually you cant and do it any justice at all.

And my friends that is lesson number one. For any trip to Europe lasting less than 3-4 months decide ahead of time and agree that you cannot see it all. There is so much not just the big cities but the countryside and small towns. That is where the heart of the country lies. You have to set priorities on what you want to see and stick to it. This requires quite a bit of advance planning on your part-or if you trust someone else a Travel Agent.

And that is lesson number two.Find a travel agent who you can trust-one whos been there many times. Unless you have been to the country before you cannot possibly know all the nuances of foreign travel. Depending on your personality consider doing a tour first. Self guided trips to a foreign country can be very stressful and will perhaps ruin the trip

Lesson number three-Make an attempt to speak the local language. Even in France (with one exception) the locals appreciate you trying to speak the language. Depending on where you go for example most Beneulux countries, Austria, Switzerland, Germany and even northern Italy you can get by with German-and truth be told English if all else fails. But the locals really appreciate the effort and you will be rewarded for your efforts.

Lesson number four-Contrary to an international myth there are speed limits in Europe so watch the signs.

Lesson number five-Room sizes like bathrooms and bedrooms are without exception considerably smaller than what you are used to. So if you tend to be claustrophobic-beware. Also mealtimes are generally different from ours especially in Italy and France. The normal safety precautions should be taken for your room with a alarm door stop or a keep i for added security. Thieves live in Europe too.

Lesson number six-For the really adventurous forget all of the above and just wing it. There is no better thrill in traveling, to my way of thinking, than being able to turn left off the autostrada to go to Venice just because you feel like it.

Traveling to Europe requires much planning and careful preparation. Having a good travel agent that has been to Europe many times is almost an absolute necessity for a self guided tour. If you are with a group you neednt worry so much. But the most fun of all is doing it on your own without an itinerary.

Wine travel


2010
03.10

Wine has been an integral part of many civilizations since a long time. Wine formed an important part of the culture in many countries ever since the origin of mankind. Many of our wine making skills dates back to our ancestors who originally invented the process of producing the finest wines in the world. Although the methods for fermenting grapes to produce wine may have grown more refined today but their basics originate from the procedures laid down by our ancestors. Many of the craziest people in world hang about at different places to experience the finest wine quality produced throughout the globe. These trips for tasting wines are growing more and more popular each day. Exclusive visits to specific wine producing areas are planned for an exotic experience of tasting wine at a place where it originates.

Many of the countries like Italy, Spain, Portugal, Australia, Germany, California and those in the Mediterranean region are all known for producing wine. Yet the finest wines in the present day scenario are believed to come from France. France has lately emerged as most popular wine producing country offering too many varieties of wines available throughout the world.

Recreational trips are developing many new themes for travel each day and the tour operators are coming up with new ideas to attract prospective customers. Due to the ever-growing popularity of wine in our community many wine tasting trips are organized either individually or by groups. Also many tour operators organize trips to wine producing regions where wine lovers can have great pleasurable moments. Trips can be to any local wine rearing area or somewhere far off where one can reach comfortably only through air. Some places are very famous for making finest wines and people are usually attracted to the popular spots that produce wines so that they can taste the best wines at their original place. Also many high profile companies that produce wine send invitations to their valued customers as a business promotion plan, so that the customers can have a taste of the recently launched flavors of wine. Whatever be the reason a wine tasting trip is always an exhilarating experience for a wine explorer.

Wine tasting trips can last for a day, a week or more than that depending on the available time and the choice of destination. Many tour organizers also combine wine trips with an exotic location for lodging and a lavish food style coupled along the trip so that the travelers have an experience of lifetime. Among all possible destinations France has emerged as the mast preferred spot for wine enthusiasts. It gives a feeling like experiencing heaven on earth when one is on any personalized wine exploration tour.

Wine exploration can be great for wine novices and wine experts as it makes them familiar with the most popular wines and also the best selected ones. Anyone serving wine for tasting needs to take care of every small details of the surrounding to create a perfect ambience for the occasion . The glasses used should be tapering towards the sides and the color of class should always be transparent. One must remember that visitors are here to taste wine and not to drink it hence the quantity poured must be very small around one-third the size of glass. Enthusiasts of wine always immensely cherish wine exploration trips.