Newborough Warren is a nature reserve near the village of Newborough, on Anglesey, and includes two beaches: Maltraeth Bay and Llanddwyn Bay, separated by Llanddwyn Island. The beaches are a walk away from the car park, but are absolutely beautiful clear stretches of sand, backed by dunes, and with views to Snowdonia. A walk to the lighthouse and cross on Llanddwyn Island is rewarding, and there are smaller beaches here: a wonderful find.
Photo at: www.anglesey-history.co.uk/places/llanddwyn/AerialLlanddwyn.html
Coastal walk at: www.bbc.co.uk/wales/northwest/sites/walks/pages/newborough.shtml

Signposted from the A4080 in Newborough

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A blue flag beach of nearly two miles of sand and dunes. You can ape Chariots of Fire and go for a run (the opening scene was filmed here) or just have a leisurely walk. Kite flyers are in abundance on windy days, at the point where the beach curves, near the estuary of the River Eden.

Bring your own bucket and spade, however; there's a merciful shortage of tacky beach shops.

St Andrews
www.fife.gov.uk/atoz/index.cfm?fuseaction=facility.display&facid=F34F9DCE-399D-4C02-97A10D6AC5118C4C

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The Trout is so well known around Oxford that it hardly needs any recommendation. This cavernous pub can be found in Wolvercote, north of Oxford.

The Trout serves great food (minted lamb shanks are my recommendation), though it gets very full at the beginning and end of Oxford terms. Most of all it's the atmosphere that people come for - cosy inside in Autumn and Winter, and a large outdoor terrace in Spring and Summer.

It has a history which encompasses Henry II, Alice in Wonderland and Colin Dexter of Inspector Morse fame! It can be reached by car (a large free car park indicates how popular it can get), but far better to walk all the way up Port Meadow to the very top, by which point you will deserve your lunch thoroughly.

members.lycos.co.uk/troutinn/info.htm
195 Godstow Road, Lower Wolvercote, Oxford

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A cocktail bar and Slovakian restaurant located in the St Clements area of Oxford. Moya is smooth and sophisticated, yet the food is homely, warming and seems authentically Slovakian. Enjoy the venison in a red wine sauce, the sausages, and the goulash, and also the bellinis, manhattans and mojitos.
St Clements is at the far end of the High Street, but Moya is worth the expedition.

www.moya-oxford.co.uk
97 St. Clement's Street, Oxford, OX4 1AR
Tel: 01865 200111

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In the UK we turn our old churches into bars and clubs, in Bordeaux the church St Simeon has become Utopia, an arty cinema.

I wouldn't normally go to the cinema when I'm abroad, but Utopia would have to be an exception. It has a good cafe and five screens showing good films from all over - France, the UK, the US, Bosnia, Algeria, Hungary, Italy, Egypt, Iran, Tunisia, Japan, Finland, Mongolia, Spain, Romania, and China were all represented by films within a couple of months when I last checked. The architecture of many of the salles just adds to the atmosphere and convinces you that you are somewhere special. Films are normally subtitled.

www.cinemas-utopia.org/bordeaux/bordeaux.php
5 place Camille Jullian

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The Grand Theatre hosts the National Opera of Bordeaux, with a season of opera, ballet and classical music running largely from September to June. The building itself is beautiful and ornate.

Concerts en balade are held on the first Sunday of every month and have a uniform seat price of 5 euros. They usually take place in the morning or early afternoon and cover music from Mozart to Messaien and Holst to Haydn. You can reserve online.

www.opera-bordeaux.com
Place de la Comédie

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Jam is a great cafe in the centre of Kenmare, serving sandwiches, soup, salads, some hot meals, and a multitude of gorgeous cakes. It also has a small bakery.

The service is really friendly and there's a great atmosphere.

Henry St
www.jam.ie

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Killarney Riding Stables runs horseriding trips into Killarney National Park for 1-3 hours daily. They cater for all levels, from complete beginner to advanced riders. This is a wonderful way to see the beautiful countryside around Killarney and the stables have an excellent reputation.
They also run trail rides of two days or five days.

Killarney Riding Stables, Ballydowney, Killarney, Co. Kerry.
One mile west of Killarney on the Ring of Kerry road to Killorgin.
www.killarneyridingstables.com

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Maison Blanc is part of Raymond Blanc's culinary empire but this Oxford cafe is the original. A small patisserie, boulangerie and cafe at the top of St Giles, it is perfect for Saturday morning breakfasts or cake and coffee. Everything is beautiful and scrumptious, from the almond croissant to the tarte au citron and the pain rustique. It is also surprisingly family friendly and we always see toddlers in here.

3 Woodstock Road, at the corner of Little Clarendon Street.
Tel: 01865 510 974
www.maisonblanc.co.uk/oxford.html

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Inside a rather dour, grey building is The Grill House, a bright and vibrant Mexican-influenced restaurant.
The Grill House is always full - they do a fantastic £4.95 lunchtime menu which changes regularly and their evening menu is crammed full of delights such as pizza, chilli, fajitas, steak and Mexican stew ranging from £6.50 to £14.00.
The atmosphere is friendly and informal and the decor is warm amd inviting so it can't fail to cheer you up on a dark and dismal winter day.

The Grill House, Inchcape House, St Mary's Place.
Tel : 01334 470500
www.grillhouserestaurant.co.uk

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Bonkers is a great gift shop that is wonderful for browsing. It sells jewellery, soft toys, quirky gifts, cards and lots more.

Bonkers, 80 Market Street.
Tel: +44 (0) 1334 473919
www.bonkers-standrews.co.uk

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A St Andrews institution. Jannetta's is an ice cream shop dating from 1908. They make fifty-two flavours of ice cream and they are all wonderful, so much so that people queue along the pavement at the first sign of warm weather in early Spring.

31 South Street, near the corner with Abbey Street.
www.jannettas.co.uk

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George and Davis' is situated on Little Clarendon Street in Jericho. It is something of an Oxford institution with quirky cow-themed pictures on the walls and a studenty appeal. It serves great ice cream in an array of wonderful (and sometimes weird) flavours and customers can start a petition for a flavour of their own design
to be made. If 30 signatures are collected the management will consider making it.
The cafe also serves great pizza bagels for those who need a savoury snack. It is open until midnight and, although there are plenty of students in term-time, it's worth making a visit.

G&Ds Ice Cream Cafe, Little Clarendon Street.
01865 516652

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The Musée d'art Contemporain can be found near the Jardin Public just to the north of the city centre. The building it is situated in is an old 19th century spice warehouse and is very atmospheric, often with imposing and grand exhibitions being shown in the largest hall.
It also has a fantastic cafe -though rather soulless inside the building, it extends onto a sunny terrace. It is often quiet, feels very private and they serve coffee on a fancy plate, often with a slice of cake.
Open daily but Monday from 11am until 6pm.

7 rue Ferrère
Tel : +33 5 5600 8150.
www.bordeaux.fr

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This restaurant is situated near the Grand Théatre, off the place de la Comédie. It is popular, often with queues of customers waiting outside the door at busy times. They will eventually be shown to a table on one of four floors of the restaurant. There is only one main course available - steak with fries, salad and the famous l'entrecote sauce at sixteen euros. And diners only choice of wine is between red and rosé - something of a relief if you're a little tired of being pretentious about wine.
This isn't French dining for the purists - there are plenty of wonderful restaurants in Bordeaux to try, and if you're only going out for one meal in Bordeaux please go to La Tupina. It is, admittedly, part of a very small chain of restaurants throughout France. However, it is affordable, fun, very popular and the steak is yummy.

L'Entrecote, 4 Cours du 30 juillet.
Tel : +33 5 56 81 76 10.
www.entrecote.fr

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