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I have been to the Royal and Derngate Theatre in Northampton a number of times .The modern Derngate Theatre and the older, more traditional Royal Theatre blend together beautifully; you would have never thought they were two separate venues. The new café is a great place to go for a light lunch or to meet friends for a pre show supper. I have just booked tickets for the Talented Mr Ripley in September, which Michelle Ryan is starring in - can’t wait!
www.royalandderngate.co.uk, 01604 624 811, www.britainonshow.co.uk
Google map: tinyurl.com/35b9wzw
The Nats are a Bath institution, specialising in comic street theatre. You might catch them on the streets of Bath as they try out new and ever more bizarre scenarios before they take them on tour. What few people realise is that they also provide the rather more serious but still very engaging live historical characters at the Roman Baths. They are there every day of the week and really help to bring history to life.
Roman Baths Museum, Bath. Daily
www.naturaltheatre.co.uk
Google map: bit.ly/9Qne84
I hated Palermo. With the exception of the Capuchin Catacombs (just outside of town: a quick bus ride or walk, depending upon where you stay) and the Villa Palagonia.
The Capuchin Catacombs are not for the faint of heart. Fascinating, though.
The Villa Palagonia (aka the Villa of Monsters) is in Bagheria, an easy train ride from Palermo. If you appreciate the bizarre, you'll like PV.
Capuchin Catacombs: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capuchin_catacombs_of_Palermo
Villa Palagonia: www.villapalagonia.it/
My Sicily trip report: www.travelmusings.net/sicily-2009/
I hated Palermo. With the exception of the Capuchin Catacombs (just outside of town: a quick bus ride or walk, depending upon where you stay) and the Villa Palagonia.
The Capuchin Catacombs are not for the faint of heart. Fascinating, though.
The Villa Palagonia (aka the Villa of Monsters) is in Bagheria, an easy train ride from Palermo. If you appreciate the bizarre, you'll like PV
Capuchin Catacombs: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capuchin_catacombs_of_Palermo
Villa Palagonia: www.villapalagonia.it/
My Sicily trip report: www.travelmusings.net/sicily-2009/
I hated Palermo. With the exception of the Capuchin Catacombs (just outside of town: a quick bus ride or walk, depending upon where you stay) and the Villa Palagonia.
The Capuchin Catacombs are not for the faint of heart. Fascinating, though.
The Villa Palagonia (aka the Villa of Monsters) is in Bagheria, an easy train ride from Palermo. If you appreciate the bizarre, you'll like PV
Capuchin Catacombs: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capuchin_catacombs_of_Palermo
Villa Palagonia: www.villapalagonia.it/
My Sicily trip report: www.travelmusings.net/sicily-2009/
The Vienna State Opera is the former Imperial Opera. Performances are very lavish. Swan Lake was fantastic! There were international ballet soloists. The opera orchestra consists of members of the Vienna Philharmonic, which was many times voted the best orchestra in the world. We had good seats and enjoyed a great evening!
Tickets for certain performances are bit of a problem. We found tickets for Swan Lake from www.concertvienna.com
The Patravadi Theatre in Bangkok is renowned, but fewer people know about the free performances that can be seen on weekend nights at the Studio 9 restaurant within the theatre compound. With stunning views across the Chao Phraya River to the illuminated Grand Palace and a good value menu of modern Thai dishes the restaurant is appealing in its own right.
But what really makes it a location for a night to remember are the free displays of contemporary Thai performing arts which are shown on Friday and Saturday evenings. With dining tables set around the performance area this is a unique opportunity to see innovative young artists displaying their skills while tucking in to a delicious meal. On the night of our visit we were mesmerised by lithe acrobats contorting themselves within swinging hoops, and seemingly magically suspended from fluid streams of silk, all to a background of haunting Thai music.
Studio 9, 69/1 Soi Wat Rakang, Arun Amarin Road
www.patravaditheatre.com
A short walk from Wat Rakang Pier. Cross river ferries run every 5 minutes until 10 pm (3 Baht) after which you will need to return by taxi.
Budget (or indeed any) travellers to Greece should look out for evening 'summer cinemas' where locals sensibly sit outside to watch films, rather than sweat it out inside. They're also great value (although you might want to spray yourself with insect repellent first). The most spectacular has to be the rooftop Cine Paris right in the historic centre of Athens where the action on screen has to compete with the magnificent view of the Parthenon. Wonderful.
Plaka Square, Athens
Great selection of over 80 Gay and Lesbian Spanish and International films that are shown in cinemas across the city. The films celebrate diversity in all its many forms and the public can vote for their favourite - well worth a visit!
29th Oct - 8th Nov
www.lesgaicinemad.com/
This lovely festival returns to Burjassot, just a short metro ride north of the city, for its fifth year. Music, theatre, dance, clowns and jugglers make up more than 30 mostly free performances throughout the ten days. There is also an excellent medieval fair that winds through the plaza Ayuntamiento and up to the Patio. Absolutely not to be missed!
Burjassot is about a ten minute journey on Line One (Yellow) of the Metro from the city centre. You'll find much more information on this and other great events - including restaurant reviews and listings for bars, clubs and restaurants at www.thisisvalencia.com
Chapter is an arts centre in an old school which has films, exhibitions and a great bar/cafe with real ales, foreign ales and good food during the day and evening. Well worth the trip out from the city centre.
Market Road, Canton Cardiff CF5 1QE
www.chapter.org
Chapter is situated in Canton, behind Cowbridge Road East, between Llandaff Road and Market Road. It is easily accessible from the city centre with a car park at the rear of the building and by buses numbers 17, 18 + 31 every 5 minutes from Cardiff Central. Ring 029 20 304400 for more details.
The three clubs Zwiaz Mnie, Hydrozagadka and Saturator are great semi-alternative places to have fun on a weekend. All three are located in the very same courtyard so you can literally choose what you want to do in an instant (11 Listopada Street, Praga District, the place is kind of remote, taking a cab would be good, although you can take a tram or go by bus as well). You'll find all kinds of music there, though recently mostly 80s and 90s - I sincerely recommend these places if you feel like dancing. Beer is 7-10zl.
22, 11 Listopada, Praga, Warsaw
tram: 3,7,25 ;
bus: 101,144,169,170, 174
night bus: N13, N14, N63, N64
www.hydrozagadka.waw.pl
www.myspace.com/zwiazmnie
www.saturator.art.pl/
The Laurelthirst Pub is just that - a favorite of the locals for food, drink and great music - though just enough off the beaten track to be missed by the tourist crowd - and that is a shame.
The food, while hardly high-end cuisine, is still quite good and reasonably priced; local brews and wines are featured as well as cocktails - but what sets the Laurelthirst apart and makes it so popular is the music.
Blues, jango, rockabilly, jazz - the Laurelthirst has been serving up diversity and eccentricity for the past 20 years with local favorites like the Kung Pao Chickens, Jackstraw and the Tree Frogs, among many others.
The Laurelthirst is small and generally quite cramped on a nightly basis - but do not let this deter you. If you want an 'authentic' Portland experience - from the locals point of view - this is where to begin.
The best part? No cover charges - the music is free.
mysite.verizon.net/res8u18i/laurelthirstpublichouse/index.html
2958 NE Glisan, Portland, OR (corner of 30th and Glisan)
Everyone seems to know that Portland, Oregon is one of the hottest US cities at the moment. Driven out of California by high costs, Portland is full of arty communities, progressive politics, and one of the best public transport systems in the US. However, the McMenamin's hotels and B&Bs are really a huge attraction. Edgefield is a former poorhouse from the 1920s, completely renovated and full of art, murals and photographs celebrating its history. Each room is unique, there is live music (free) each night, and they have a winery, brewery, distillery, movie theater, and now a full spa with soaking pool outdoors. Edgefield is right out of town in Troutdale, surrounded by orchards and 15 minutes from the Columbia River Gorge with access to miles of hikes, waterfalls and woods to explore. Not to mention Hood River as a lovely little town, still feeling like the "old west". This place is simply magical. Oh, and there are several little bars, including a tiny one called "The Little Red Shed" with a fire and about three tables. Go!
www.mcmenamins.com/index.php?loc=3&category=Location%20Homepage
This club is over 20 years old but if ever you needed proof of something getting better with age Jumpin' Hot is it. Blues, roots, ska, it seems to effortlessly combine quality music to move to, with a Newcastle flair. Punters are friendly, the atmosphere is sweaty and the dancing hectic, if not always great.
A superb night out - don't even bother seeing who's on, just go and you'll enjoy it.
The chain of Karaoke-Kan’s in Shibuya means that getting to belt out an 80’s classic is always going to be a possibility on a Friday night. With around several establishments dotted around the city, private karaoke rooms are available should you fear embarrassment from singing in front of others, are available from around £15 an hour, and most have an assortment of extra features, such as concert-style lighting, to add to the rock star experience.
30-8 Udagawa-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Logos is completely surreal, a metal pyramid that houses an entire orchestra of robots. The founders of the centre, Godfried-Willem Raes and Moniek Darge, host weekly concerts of new/experimental music and the robot orchestra usually plays once a month. (You can find their schedule on the website, usually a couple of months in advance.)
Logos is in the centre of Ghent, about 10 minutes' walk from the Graslei but light years away from the clichéd weekend break / beer and chocolates thing.
www.logosfoundation.org/
Bomastraat 26-28
9000 GENT
phone: +32 92 23 80 89
Google map: tinyurl.com/nt9ghh
If you're thinking of going to Vegas with children, I'd check out Excalibur casino, which is child-friendly and right on the Strip (where all the major casinos are located).
It's as close to a "family" casino as you can get (with the possible exception of Circus Circus which is also on the Strip, but much farther down where the older - and grottier - casinos are located). You can walk up and down the Strip from that location, it's minutes from the airport, and you're right in the heart of the action. Right now they're virtually giving the rooms away.
This is one of the better old style pubs in inner Melbourne. Many types of beer and good grub.
Its specialities are the chicken parma and a good serve of fish and chips. Some decent pizzas as well as a kids menu. The rooftop bar and beer garden is the place to be on a warm night.
The Corner Hotel is also well known for its entertainment and is open until late...
57 Swan St
Richmond
Phone: 9427 7300
www.cornerhotel.com/
Google map: tinyurl.com/lt42wn
If you love Broadway shows like I do, Las Vegas is the place to visit. Most hotels on the Vegas strip have shows and concerts - everything from Le Reve or Cirque Du Soleil 'O' to famous magicians like Penn and Teller - the list goes on.
Show tickets, on the other hand, can cost you between $40-$200 per ticket, but don't despair, there are ways to get discount or half price tickets. Here are some tips:
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