- historic sites
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In my experience its really hard to find good information about Mallorca which isn't aimed at the bottom of the market. But this site has a real magazine feel to it and has got some fantastic boutique hotels and hideaways listed. Plus there are loads of descriptions of where to go and what to see.
I“Wonderful hotel, wonderful staff, wonderful location in a beautiful city.”
Hotel Il Perseo
I have been staying at this hotel since early 1998 and have returned in every year except one, since. The building has changed a great deal since those early days and is now modern and has every facility.
I am now 69 and would be perfectly happy to stay here alone. The staff are fantastically helpful and have a vast knowledge of their city. Louise (New zealander/Italian), and Laura (Italian) are exceptionally helpful and will book museums, restaurants etc willingly. They will tell you the italian for something you might want to buy in case the shop does not speak other languages. Wonderful!!
The rooms are comfortable, very clean and bright, with ensuites and TV. Some have outstanding views over the city. Breakfast is a good, varied buffet with loads of tea, coffee, juice etc.
It takes less than two minutes to walk to the duomo and five to Mercato Centrale (a must for food lovers). All major places of interest are within easy walking distance.
I have stayed in hotels of all star ratings from no star to five-star, huts in the african bush, YHA's etc but this is one place I return to again and again where the staff feel like old friends and the welcome is superb. GO THERE!!
The value for money is unquestionable.
Via Cerretani 1R, Florence. 055 212649
200m from SMN station and Bus Station, take Via Panzani which leads to Cerretani.
Surekha is a native of Delhi who does weekend group tours and private tours of Delhi, its history, architecture and more. She's highly informed and enthusiastic about her subject and provides the best, most informed and interesting introduction I can imagine to New Delhi (and Old Delhi). I can't imagine visiting Delhi without spending time with Surekha.
I went on Peter's walking tours last April having read information about them before leaving. This was the best tour I have ever taken. The guides are incredibly knowledgeable and informative.
The tours take you around St Petersburg using public transport and take groups to unusual sights (we visited an apartment block with art installations and a large bomb shelter) as well as lots of the expected destinations. They even tailor make the tour to suit the group and will happily throw in something extra at a walker's request.
It is rare to find a tour operator as friendly, informative and efficient as this one. All our tours involved very small groups (in one case just the two of us) and personalized service at no extra cost. No busloads, no being herded around like cattle. Highly recommended.
This is a local tour company who provide everything from walks around the Kremlin to weekends away at the 'Golden Ring' towns. The guides are knowledgable, English speaking locals and it's a very friendly and reasonably priced service.
Peters walking tours in St Petersburg are fantastic - tour guides are knowledgeable and friendly. They take you off the usual tourist trail, visiting places that aren't in your guide book, visit local cafes and use public transport to get about. These things all add to the experience and give you something that most Brisitsh tourists wouldn't be able to achieve for themselves. The tour guides tailor make the tour to suit customers and give lots of historical and political information as well as answering questions
However long or short your visit to Berlin, you must go on at least one of Brewers daily walking tours.
We had only seven days, and as it was the first time we had been, we wanted to see all the historically significant sites as well as the off-the-beaten-track places. We went on two tours because the first all-day Best of Berlin walking tour was so interesting we couldn't wait to go on another!
There is a choice of tours to all parts of Berlin to suit all interests. Both guides we had were so knowledgeable and amusing and had interesting stories about all the places which really opened your mind as well as your eyes to what makes Berlin such an amazing place.
There were frequent stops for photos and lunch both days was excellent;. The tours are incredible value for money and are not to be missed!
Details of Brewers Berlin Tours are:
www.brewersberlintours.com or email info@brewersberlintours.com
It's a festival I used to go to a lot when I was younger with a few Parisian friends.
It's a traditional instrument festival which on first hearing about sounds quite one dimensional but it's great!
It's set in a small village in the centre of France always over Bastille weekend in July.
It has free camping and there are always free gigs/stuff happening in the local bars in the village centre.
At night the chateau and trees are lit by fairy lights and while the musicians play everyone dances on woodern planked stages. A magical summers night to be had.
It was good to read of someone who appreciates the unsung delights of the Cambridgeshire fens (Rowan Pelling, Guardian Travel 14-2-09), especially since my partner and I spent Valentine’s Day in the same area, around Denver. But we didn’t have the “iron-grey” sky that she describes! The sky was blue and the winter sunshine brought out the best of the vast landscape of the Fens, with its big sky.
She visited the famous Denver sluices, impressive indeed. But how can she have missed the other attraction nearby, the Denver windmill with its wonderful tearoom and home bakery (where you can buy fresh bread of various kinds), and accompanying bookshop and leather worker?
From Denver, via Downham Market, you can pick up the A1122 which winds its way to Wisbech through a landscape criss-crossed with waterways. And just to the north of Wisbech, at West Walton village, is a great rarity: a church with a tower, but the tower separated from the church, standing 50 metres away. The church was originally built by Normans in 1240 and, with later modifications, is a real mixture of styles. It is quiet and communicates a great sense of peace.
Cambridgeshire
Anay Camping is a real 'oasis' in the desert. Travelling through Libya can be a frustrating experience because this country is far from becoming a truly developed tourist destination, which explains why independent travel hasn't been possible there until recently. Why Ghat and Easter? Although there are some truly fantastic Roman and Greek sites on the Mediterranean, pushing inland and into the Sahara is an exciting and rewarding experience. Other desert locations are far more developed and commercial (Ghadames, Uwbari ) but Ghat has a totally different, uncontrived feel. The old town is still relatively original and the town is within striking distance of prehistoric cave paintings which document what this area was like when lush vegetation and classic African mammals and reptiles were still inhabitants. The campsite is unusual for three main reasons:
They make affordable, palatable meals.
You can rely on security and there are friendly locals in the area who will invite you into their homes.
There is hot water if you time your bathtime correctly. I used my own tent and cooked my own food, as well as dining in the basic but friendly restaurant. I made friends with the workers at the site, locals living in the area and other tourists on organised tours (I was travelling independently, without a guide, using local transport.)
You can fly to Tripoli with BA, catch a local bus to Sebha, then go with a pre-arranged, local tour guide to Ghat via Uwbari and the cave paintings.
Easter is a good time to visit because the day temperature hasn't become unbearable yet and the night temperature isn't so extreme.
Huts are available if you don't have tents. Both food and accommodation is inexpensive and of an acceptable standard. I was there at the beginning of 2007.
2 kms south of Ghat, just off the main road to the Algerian border
We joined a family gulet cruise with an onboard archaeologist. We were a little uncertain how much 'history' there would be and how the children were going to like the cultural site visits, but it turned out to be a great mix. The kids swam and swam, jumping off the gulet into the crystal waters, and were fascinated by all the Greek and Roman sites. They turned into historical detectives, young Indiana Jones's, exploring 2000 year old temples and putting on plays in ancient Greek theatres.
When we were thinking of booking, we found the fact that our guide would be taking his own family and gives his name to the company very reassuring, and it turned out to be well organised and truly inspirational. I only wish I were back on the boat being cooked for and enjoying the sunshine!
San Francisco has passed through several cultural lifetimes since 1967. It still has its unique clarity of light and the Victorian houses clinging to hillsides, but today it offers a deep acceptance of lifestyle choices, a rich mix of world cultures, more excellent restaurants per capita than perhaps anywhere else in the world, and arguably the best aesthetic taste of any American city. It is also the only US city west of New York where one reasonably can ditch the car for public transportation.
Epitomizing these cultural strengths is The Parsonage Bed and Breakfast Inn, a 19th-Century Victorian freestanding city house that is easily the most elegant bed-and-breakfast inn in San Francisco. It is the home of Joan Hull and John Phillips, a worldly and welcoming couple committed to politics and the arts, patrons of the San Francisco Ballet, and connoisseurs of good food and wine; their portuguese water-dog, Pilar; and an ever-changing group of visitors and residents. They serve a restaurant-quality cooked breakfast to guests in their formal dining room, whose trompe l'oeil decoration was inspired by a one of their many trips to Italy. With their lovely antique furniture in the double parlor, sitting room, dining room, and two floors of guest rooms, the house itself is a sight worth seeing. They also have excellent beds.
Its location in the lower Haight puts it within easy walking distance of the symphony, ballet, and major music venues of Civic Center, as well as in a public transportation hub. The Market Street streetcars, BART, and many buses are within a few blocks. There are dozens of high-quality restaurants in the neighborhood. The Hayes Valley shops closeby are some of the most interesting in town. The owners are long-time local residents, generous with advice to visitors.
With its physical beauty, location, and the professionalism and charm of its hosts, The Parsonage is really a find. I only hope this review doesn't make it too hard to get in there.
The Parsonage
www.theparsonage.com
198 Haight Street, San Francisco 94102
888.763.7722
just west of the Market/Van Ness Muni Metro station
Panikovka is one of the oldest parks in Minsk. Its official name is Alexandrovsky Square, but none use it.
Tall trees, old fountain "Boy with a swan". Neighbours of Panikovka are Belarusian State Theater and President Lukashenko's residence. Minskers say Panikovka is the heart of Belarusian capital. Ar least in summer it's perfect place to drink beer. In Belarus it's still allowed to do so out in the open air.
Minsk, Nezavisimosti ave, in front of Palace of Republic.
Metro st. "Oktyabrskaya"
www.privet-minsk.com/Aleksandrovsky-square.html
The Valley is a private working estate which grants access to all walkers and limited access for cars. It provides easy access to the Cheviot and surrounding peaks. You can easily reach the border fence with Scotland. There is lots of wildlife, from the feral goats, red deer and fox, through to a large variety of birds. There are also ancient hill forts from the Bronze Age to explore. Peace and tranquility are there for free.
Access is really only possible by car.There is no public transport to this remote valley.Car parking is available at the bottom of the Valley.
College Valley Estate, Hethpool Mill,Wooler, NE71 6DW.
Tel: 01668 281 611
www.college-valley.co.uk
www.northumbria-byways.com/viewitem.aspx?id=131
www.northumbria-byways.com/viewitem.aspx?id=205
www.northumbria-byways.com/viewitem.aspx?id=118
Camaguey was relocated in the C16th and its maze-like street pattern designed to completely confuse (pirate) attackers. The best way to see the beautiful neo-classical squares, buildings, markets and churches is therefore to let one of the many bicytaxis pedal you round at a leisurely pace, letting you off to wander (not too far) before getting back on for the next place of interest. Theres lots to see, good museums and fine courtyard eating places to recharge accompanied by an unassuming local musician or three. Theres plenty of evidence of hurricane damage in the area and it will be a daunting task to repair so many fine old buildings many of which gently crumble. My favourite was the small square, Plazuela de la Bedoya, with simple houses and the fine Iglesia del Carmen, and some striking community art bronze sculptures of local people going about their daily lives. Pushing a cart, sitting reading the paper, or chatting on benches, if youre in luck the proud locals who modelled for the works will appear and talk about their very own sculptures with a huge smile. Not so much on the tourist map but a fine city worth a diversion.
www.camaguey.cu/
In Central Cuba, between Bayamo and Santiago. Bicytaxis congregate in Plaza de los Trabajadores
The Victoria Quarter is, quite simply, probably the most beautiful shopping area in the whole of the United Kingdom. It is only small, but it crams almost one hundred stores into its stunning arcades and elegant King Edward Street frontage. The North's premier luxury shopping destination, the Victoria Quarter is home to designer boutiques from Vivienne Westwood, Paul Smith and Louis Vuitton alongside exclusive branches of stores like Arrogant Cat not found elsewhere outside of London, as well as jewellers, chocolatiers, popular high-end chains such as Reiss and All Saints, and famously, the first Harvey Nichols outside London. If the fantastic range of shops isn't enough to tempt you, the gorgeous architecture makes the Victoria Quarter unique. County Arcade is a sumptuous Victorian feast for the eyes in gilt and marble, while the airy atrium of Queen Victoria Arcade is home to the largest stained-glass ceiling in Europe. Immaculate shop fronts and striking window displays lend further elegance to the Quarter. Sheltered from the northern weather, you can indulge yourself year-round in indoor retail therapy without the soulless clone atmosphere of modern shopping malls. And there are a clutch of fantastic cafés located in the centre for when it all gets too much. It really is luxury retail heaven and makes a trip to Leeds a must for any shopper all by itself.
Victoria Quarter, between Briggate and Vicar Lane in Leeds City Centre. A ten minute walk from train and bus stations.
St Barthélemy is in the middle of the turquoise ocean, situated near the northern end of the Lesser Antilles group in the West Indies. At a distance of 200 kms from the island of Guadeloupe and 25 kms from Saint-Martin.
It is a mountainous island of 25 sq kms, whose only flat area is occupied by the airport’s runway.
As the climate is rather dry, agriculture has never been developed.
For the most part, the St. Barths are descendants of Breton and Norman fisherfolk. Many are of French and Swedish ancestry, the latter evident in their fair skin, blond hair, and blue eyes.
For most visitors to Cape Town, the Wembley – a legendary roadhouse which serves the tastiest Indian and Cape Malay food for miles – is a little out of the way. It's in the heart of Athlone, one of the city's largest suburbs, officially on the other side of the railroad tracks during apartheid (it was designated “Coloureds only”). But for those who live in Athlone and its own suburbs – Belgravia, Rylands, Gatesville, Surrey Estate and beyond – the Wembley is the center of the culinary universe of take outs.
The beauty of a roadhouse, of course, is that you don't really take the food out. You take it to your car, parked a few feet away, and gobble the delicious, piping hot food, which steams up your windshield as you watch the ebb and flow of the crowd around the take-out counter.
The Wembley is a beacon at night, a brightly lit temple. Cars of all types come and go, carrying happy families. It's their Friday night out. You can wait in your car for a waiter to appear at the window – he will take your order, dash off, and return with your food on a tray, and a smile of apology for being a little late.
Or you can step up underneath the take-out awning – don't be shy to push to the front – and order your meal from one of several harried-looking women who front the engine of the operation. The kitchen: a noisy, organised chaos. Note the colour of the post-it note which she writes your order on. The pink or yellow or green scrap will disappear into the kitchen, then resurface in 10 – 15 minutes next to foil-wrapped lumps, which is your food.
The place recalls 1950s America as seen in movies like Back to the Future. The difference, of course, is that you're in South Africa, in a township, and all the eats are halaal. Groovy. Over the years I've honed the perfect take-out order, which I recommend to all first-timers:
1 Masala Steak Sandwich (the supreme Wembley creation, with french fries on it)
2 mince samoosas (spicy ground beef triangular pastries)
1 koeksister (aniseed-infused doughnut)
1 small faloodah (indescribable – a sweet drink which requires both straw and spoon)
For vegetarians, the food is no less delightful: eat a vegetable curry with rice and 2 veg samoosas, then proceed to the koeksister. Vegans are not catered for – probably not even heard of.
To see what the Roadhouse looks like, check out the 2002 video, “Starbucks”, which the British band “A” shot in Cape Town. The Wembley was sacrilegiously transformed into a generic fast food joint for the shoot, and features throughout. See the video at Rock-Sound.net, among other sites.
The Wembley Roadhouse, 23 Belgravia Road, Athlone (at the corner of Denchworth), is open from 11am to midnight each day. Closed Friday 1-2pm for mosque; call for hours during Ramadaan. (021) 697-1435.
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