http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/ Welcome to Been there. Your tips on the places you know - that you love, live in or have just visited - are what make this guide. http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34692 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34692 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34219 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34219 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34074 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34074 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34060 But what makes the area special is the night market. It starts to set up along the Netaji Rd in the afternoon, and gathers momentum until at about 7.30 when the little stalls are all full to bursting with clothes, bags, baubles, textiles and knick knacks from the far flung areas of Gujarat. Gorgeously embroidered Ribari mirrored-wear, some of it quite old, and most of it genuine, reflects and sparkles from the street lights and camera flashes. We bargained with the best of them, and I giggled with visiting Indian women as we haggled over colourful kurtas and backless cholas.
This is also one of the best places in Ahmedabad for street food, just what you'll need after all that spending. We had fresh pulav, kadai and lassis in "Ajay Intercontinental", all for just over a quid each.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34060 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33981 Walk between the high cliffs along the flat valley bed, or take a quick scramble up the right-hand side of the Wadi just after the gate. From the top of the cliffs you get views over the southern and eastern parts of the city, stretching over to the pyramids. At the weekend you’ll share Egypt’s ‘Grand Canyon’ with walkers, joggers and picnicking families.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33981 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33843 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33843 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33527 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33527 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/32384
The Green Point Urban Park in Cape Town is oh-so-accessible, sandwiched between Signal Hill, the oldest lighthouse in South Africa, and the iconic football stadium of World Cup 2010 fame.
Set within this, the Biodiversity Garden celebrates all that is unique about the Cape and its flora, where wanderers are shown the interconnectedness of life and encouraged to 'Make a Difference'.

What’s not to love about this appeal? Perfect for a sunset amble or a morning wake up wander. Big enough to seriously stride around the large circular lawn area, pound the running paths, work out at the trim park or just meander along the wetland walk, among the more 300 local fynbos plant species.

Why the Biodiversity Garden works for me?
The garden is truly laid out ‘for all’ – ages, activities, levels of botanical interest as much as physical mobility …
The signs are crafted to casually inform, the storyboards are easy reads, the plants labels let everyone ‘get the picture’- effortlessly …
So much thought has gone into how the biodiversity message gets across – they ‘show’ things, and ‘tell’ stories, rather than facts …
Botanic biomes and endemic rarities are seamlessly woven into ‘demonstration gardens’, alongside responsible gardening practices …
Threats, like agriculture and alien invasive plants, are dealt with in bite size pieces, and drill down consequences …
Interconnectedness indeed!]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/32384 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/32358 The remarkable and exciting architectural structure that is Millennium Park offers free concerts, exhibitions and tours for all of Chicago and boasts an amazing location for any event to be seen. Experiences that will not be forgotten as you sit and watch the concerts and plays in awe of the buildings and backdrop around you.
It is a lively place, flaunting stunning scenery and is a fantastic spectacle that represents Chicago at its best, promoting the varied culture found within the city as well as the clean, friendly and unique atmosphere. Millennium Park offers in my opinion the best setting for any theatrical play or concert to be held.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/32358 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/32195 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/32195 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/32045 The park is well served by drinking establishments. Mlíkárna is my favourite beer garden. It’s open from early April until late October and, while it can be crowded on a sunny weekend day, offers a takeaway (“sebo” in Czech) option so you can enjoy your beer in a quieter spot.
At the weekends Mlíkárna also has an outdoor barbeque offering sausages (klobasa) and other snacks.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/32045 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/31947 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/31947 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/31903 A fascinating, illustrated board, complete with map, explains when the different varieties of apple, pear and nut trees were introduced to the UK and by whom. Alongside the regular Cox's, Bramleys and Blenheim Oranges, there are more unusual varieties, such as the Vranja. A short message reads that residents can take one or two pieces of fruit home for their own use, but as the trees are only a few years old, they may have to wait a while.
In in the meantime, if starving for fruity vitamins, visitors to the park can also find blackberry bushes by the railway line and a large cob nut tree towards the main road.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/31903 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/31896 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/31896 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/31649 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/31649 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/31388 Located south of the city and nestled behind the RAI Conference Center, it’s an easy 15-minute ride from the city center along the Amstel River (or even quicker if you head down the center of the map along Ferdinand Bolstraat), Beatrixpark is an absolute gem. It is in direct contrast to the blanket-to-blanket crowd shoehorned into Vondelpark.
At Beatrixpark – named after the Dutch Queen Beatrix - you can park yourself on the grass along the canal, watching boaters on their sloops putter along, or head to the center of the park with more quiet corners, tree-lined trails and open space than you can imagine in this busy city. The park itself has quite a history, starting off in the 1930s and undergoing a brief identity change with the Nazi occupation before resuming its Beatrixness. It really feels like a neighbourhood playground, complete with the coolest swingset you or your kids have ever seen. It even has a group to ensure its heritage and beauty stay intact, the Friends of Beatrixpark: www.vriendenbeatrixpark.nl/html/nieuws/home.html.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/31388 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/31369 Peckham was mentioned in 1087 in the Doomsday Book, when it was called Pecheha, an Anglo Saxon word meaning 'village among the hills'.
During the reign of Henry 1, Peckham was a farming village and the land was used for growing crops and fruit. By the 18th century it was famous for its melons, figs and grapes.
In 1767, William Blake visited Peckham Rye and had a vision of angels in an oak tree. The ''Angel Oak', as it was later called, has since disappeared
The park's original layout opened to the public in 1894. There is a large lake and several smaller ponds alive with noisy ducks and geese, a Japanese garden, arboretum, bowling green and woodland walks. My favourite spot is in the Sexby Gardens where plots of lavender give off a wonderfully soporific, mid-summer ambience.

During the Second World War, temporary huts were erected to detain Italian prisoners of war. One still remains, located next to the café.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/31369 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/31368 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/31368 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/31348 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/31348 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/31346 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/31346