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I spent a very hot weekend in Geneva recently and found the perfect cure to the heat - Les bains des Paquis is a city beach on the shores of Lac Leman. Entry is two CHF for unlimited time. In addition to the pebble beach and the lake, there is a restaurant (which serves an excellent salade Greque), a hammam with massage services and a games area.
Sounds tacky? I thought it would be, but it wasn't! Swimming in the lake in the height of the summer with city views all around, the jet d'eau in the background and the snow-capped mountains in the distance is really something else.
It's on the same side of Lac Leman as the Cornavin station. Walk down to the Quai Mont Blanc and head left (towards the parc mon repos), the bains des Paquis are clear signposted and are accessed via a bridge.
As someone who has lived a long time in Valencia I think I can give a decent review on all bike rental places in Valencia to enjoy the wonderful Turia park.
At first, there was only one choice to rent bikes in Valencia and that was Orange bikes but nothing ever stays the same for long. Of the four main rental services Valencia Bikes is the most expensive but great for very large groups over 20 but be prepared to pay a lot.
Next, we move on to Do You Bike, who have decent bikes but do be choosy as some of them are lousy plus they are five euros more at the weekend. Orange's bikes have a wide range of bikes at a decent price but charge a whopping €250 deposit so make sure you check the bike over before you go or get bit where it hurts.
The newest is Soul Cycles run by a Dutch girl. Their bikes are different all together with an emphasis on fun and comfort such as City & Beach cruisers or the choppers for the easy riders out there - the same prices as pretty much everyone and cheaper at the weekends than some others. To say bikes are dangerous in the Turia is ludicrous as it is 11 kms of flat block-paved path suitable for all types of transport from roller bladers and skaters to MTBs and little folding bikes.
To sum it up, if you want a good MTB for long-distance jaunts into the interior go to Orange Bikes, if you want fun and comfort and some extra information or a chat go to Soul Cycle and then Do You Bike for availability as they have a large amount of bikes but they are pretty much a get them in and out kind of affair. All in all, there is something out there for all tastes.
On a friendliness scale: 1. Soul Cycles 2. Do You Bike 3. Orange Bikes 4. Valencia Bikes. Just my two cents' worth!
Trekking, biking, climbing, ice climbing, mountaineering etc. This outdoor company, founded by local Lion Xu and Scot Lee Mclaughlin will set up/guide trips for you in Sichuan, based on your detailed requirements.
Recent events in the north of the province mean those areas are out of bounds for leisure, but contact them for recommendations for other areas.
Stresa, like many of the other towns which reside on the lakes, is a typical tourist trap, but is good if you are short of time and fancy some mountain biking or walking (skiing in the winter). You can hire bikes from the cable car at Stresa for €10, put the bike in the cable car to Mottarone and bike down. The routes are clearly signposted and there are free route maps. If you take route L1, one third of the route is on road (not so fun!) but there are other routes you can take.
Stresa has it's own train station. You take the train from Milan Centrale towards Domodossola, the journey takes 1 hour 10 minutes.
An area on the northern coast of Spain which is like a step back in time. Fishing villages, walking through hills, beautiful valleys, prehistoric sites, romantic churches and Santiago walking routes. Rural and coastal. Activities, horseriding, canoeing trekking cycling etc. Many country houses and apartments to enjoy both countryside and coast.
These people teach recreational tree climbing - It's a great way to spend a morning - hanging in a harness off a rope, 30 ft above the ground. It made me feel like a kid again! Can't recommend it highly enough, it's so much more fun that you might imagine.
www.goodleaf.co.uk
01983 563573
The Cape of Good Hope is part of Table Mountain National Park and apart from the views from the lighthouse on the point overlooking the Indian Ocean at the place where it meets the Atlantic Ocean, there are lots of good, well-marked hiking trails (maps from the Park office at the foot of the lighthouse) in the park with plenty of wildlife to see (dassies, ostriches, springboks, birds etc).
Every time I go there I discover something new: open spaces, extensive rose gardens, cool playground, woods, streams, ponds, ruins, pitch'n'putt next door, nice coffee, small Saturday market.
North Dublin, next to Coast Road. Killester Dart station's probably the closest - about 5mins walk (but we usually drive or bus it - Coast Road has lots of buses)
Well, you've missed it for 2007, but it'll surely be back in early August 2008. It's a gay pride carnival and then some, the outrageous floats quite literally that - decorated boats floating along the Prinsengracht canal and Amstel river all afternoon in a riot of noise, colour and campness.
In fact, Canal Pride is a three-day festival to rival The Netherlands' other big weekends during Karnaval in February and Queensday in April - but with more chance of good weather.
Take a train or drive from Salzburg to Werfen, a pretty little town at the foot of the mountains. From here, a bus will take you up to the start of the walking track, and then it's a hike and a cable car up to the caves (don’t worry, there’s a café en route!).
The Eisriesenwelt is a labyrinth of ice caves, high in the mountains, which stretch over 40 km. The caves are only open during the summer months, and the guided tour takes you deep into the heart of mountain, where you can see some spectacular ice formations.
You really need to dress sensibly for this though. Even though it gets hot walking up to the caves, it’s often below freezing even in the summer, and there are many stairs to climb up and down. So make sure you don’t wear sandals and someone’s borrowed socks, like me!
The best day trip out from Alghero is a boat-ride to the Grotti di Nettuno (Neptune's Caves), hidden at the base of towering cliffs at the Capo Caccia peninsula.
It's a three-hour round trip taking in great views of Alghero, the local vineyards, the bay of Porto Conte and the distant hills.
The tourist office in Alghero has lists of all the boat trips, or just wander along the waterfront
This is a fantastic London institution. In the centre of Regent's Park it is a little piece of magic. You enter through a small gate and the softly draped fairy lights around the bar, the smell of barbecued meat and the excited buzz of over 1,000 fellow attendees makes for a really exciting night. Many start with a picnic on the lawns outside in the park which is a fab way to feel really summery. Tickets start from ten pounds. Every year performances include Midsummer Night's Dream, a children's play and something contemporary (this year it is the Boyfriend). It also stages comedy nights and concerts on Sundays. Comedy Store Players is fantastic but sells out quickly every year. It is a completely unpretentious night out, you can take wine and crisps etc. into the auditorium. Advise that you also take warm clothes and possibly waterproofs, depending on the weather!
openairtheatre.org/
Regents Park, 10 minutes walk from Baker Street tube.
There are lots of choices on the Isle of Skye; hotels, B&B, hostels and camping sites.
Our family stayed in a camping site called Torvaig near Pontree for two nights. It was cheaper than the one we had stayed at near Ben Nevis. The services were the same; showers, bathrooms, clean drinking water for free, although at Ben Nevis there was a shop. The ground was hard, but there was a beautiful view at sunset.
We liked cooking so we didn’t eat out much. But when we did there were big portions. The food was similar to Irish food; haggis is just like a mix of black puddings and mince meat. If you asked for an apple pie you would expect to get a slice but there you get a whole pie. The Pike Hotel had particularly big portions.
When we cooked it was easy to find the supplies to cook on our own in any supermarket. There are also shops on the Isle of Skye so don’t fret.
We didn’t stay long, so we only got one trip done; a boat trip.
We saw a brochure in the campsite and my dad thought it would be a good thing to do. The boat left Armadale and got to Mallaig in 45 minutes. When you get there you can stay or you can walk back to the pier. It takes a couple of hours to get back on foot. It was a great boat ride. I even got to drive the boat. The view was spectacular. It was so spectacular - that I had a dream about it. When we pulled into the bay, it was lovely and calm. To the left of me there was a mountain sheltered under a beautiful white cloud. The bay had lovely turquoise water, warmer than the sea because of the surrounding rocks and big boulders. Just right for swimming. If you don’t like salt water there is a river up beside it.
The overall view from the high rock over looking the bay was really pretty, and one you don’t see everyday.
I would recommend the holiday to outgoing people and families with teenage kids.
I had a wicked time.
Mountaingirl is a great company that offers women's climbing courses and holidays. It's run by inspiring and fun female mountain guides who teach and encourage you instead of just drag ging you up a hill.
They have courses for absolute beginners to high level climbers and are happy to make a "bespoke course" for you and your friends if you ask. They offer a very high-quality experience where you can learn a new sport, laugh a lot, and also get out somewhere incredible!
London office
128 Shoreditch High St,
London E1 6JE
www.mountaingirl.eu
Techno music outside with a great view of Montreal. Vivre le Quebec Libre...
Park Jean-Drapeau, 1 Rue de L’ile Notre-Dame, Montreal
Nuremberg provides easy access to the very well-maintained cycle paths that go to Prague and Vienna.
Cycling is also the quickest and cheapest way to get around the city, and the cycle path goes along the river Pegnitz.
Down at "Woerther Wiese" there is a nice beer garden and a sensory garden for kids. Community sports like football and juggling take place there too - just ask, and most of the time you are very welcome to join in.
At "Woerther See", the little lake near the inner city meadows you can rent a boat, and it's also a good place for jogging and keeping fit - running round the lake usually takes about 30-45 min if you are fit.
Of course, cycling is also good during the World Cup. Especially if you want to avoid traffic jams around the stadium.
For a detailed map of Bavarian cycle paths (German language) see:
www.bayerninfo.de/radler/h_radler_e.html
If you're in Vang Vieng you're probably a backpacker and you'll probably love tubing on the river. For a couple of dollars you can hire a giant inflated inner tube and get a ride in a pickup to a shallow point of the river a few miles upstream. Get in your tube, float down the river. On the way various people will sell you large Beerlaos for a dollar each and there's various rickety swings and bridges to jump from. The river's not deep or fast and the scenery is absolutely stunning: jagged limestone karst cliffs, jungle and blue skies.
The ride should take about three hours, but took our group around five with the low river and larking about. Take sun cream. Great fun.
Ask the wet people carrying the inner tubes in Vang Vieng.
The famous laughing face of Luna Park has long been a symbol of St Kilda. Recently there have been concerns regarding the future of the park, but these have now gone. This amusement park has some great attractions, including the roller-coaster and a of course the carousel. There are also dodgem cars, a ferris wheel, a ghost train and a pirate ship. The Scenic Railway, the oldest continually operating roller-coaster in the world, has been rattling around Luna Park's tracks since 1912 and still gives the best views across Port Phillip Bay... all in all, still one of the best family days out around.
Lower Esplanade
St Kilda VIC 3182
phone 9525-5033
Melbourne's zoo is one of the oldest in the world, and today sets standards with its range of specific animal enclosures and education programs. Nearly all of the animals live in habitats that mirror their natural environment: rainforests for the gorillas, wetlands for the wading birds, native grasslands for the wallabies. A great place to visit, only a short tram trip from the middle of Melbourne
Elliott Ave
Parkville, VIC 3052
Phone 9285-9300
A tree full of shoes. No, this hasn't been sanctioned by the powers that be - in fact, they've removed the shoes in the past. But still they keep appearing - and make for quite a surreal sight.
Armstrong Park, in Heaton. I'm not going to tell you exactly where as part of the fun of the shoe tree experience is finding it!
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