Archive for the ‘Cities’ Category
With all the travel woes at the moment is staying in a holiday cottage in England or elsewhere in the in the UK a safe bet for your summer holidays? We keep hearing about travel firms going bust, talks of strikes both here and abroad and the poor exchange rate so there should be no reason to go abroad for a holiday this summer. Although we tend to be blighted by poor weather here in the UK we can get lucky and see some days of sunshine, however if you’re staying here in the UK your probably not interested in sunbathing all day on a beach or by a pool.
There are so many outdoor and indoor activities the whole family can enjoy. We have 15 National Parks to enjoy in the UK which cover beautiful areas of mountains, meadows, moorlands, woods and wetlands as well as an extensive coast line which covers little harbour villages to bright and bold promenades along the sea fronts.
If you like big city lights or quiet country retreats there is something for everyone, you can stay in luxury 5* hotels to simple hostels or enjoy the peace and quiet of a quaint cottage or canal boat for something a bit different.
Posted in 
For those who are looking to take a ‘staycation’ here in the UK this year for their summer holiday, you are probably looking for somewhere to visit that has plenty to do come rain or shine, due to the unpredictability of the UK weather. London makes a great holiday destination, there are plenty of things to do indoors and outdoors plus it’s easy to get to from anywhere in the country with flights to London from many smaller UK airports as well as great train links. We all know a holiday in London is a fun break for adults with plenty of shopping do, fine dining to indulge in and shows to see but what is there to enjoy if you’re going with children?
Surprisingly lots, there is something for everyone no matter what their age, for young toddlers and children right up to fussy teenagers!
For younger children days out include:
For animal lovers you can visit London Zoo which in 2010 launched its new Rainforest Experience and offers daily animal displays including feeds and keeper talks. You can also visit the exhibit “Into Africa” where you will come eye to eye with Africa’s most unusual animals.
You can also visit one of Europe’s largest collections of global marine life at the Sea Life London Aquarium, which is situated in the heart of London here you can enjoy an immersive and interactive journey along the Great Oceanic Conveyor.
If you feel that by holidaying in the city you are missing the charms of the countryside such as open farms then fear not you can enjoy that Hackney City Farm boasts a wide variety of animals on the farm with traditional farm livestock where you can usually expect to see pigs, cattle, sheep, chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, rabbits, guinea pigs and other small animals.
If animals aren’t your thing and you kids like learning about science, history or art then 3 London stops should interest you.
For a day of discovery, understanding, enjoyment and responsible use of the natural world a visit to The Natural History Museum will be ideal you can explore world-class collections, fantastic exhibitions and cutting-edge research.
For science mad children and adults you will defiantly be entertained for the day the Science Museum with exhibitions, events and films, such as a 3D movie, a jump on a simulator, or visit an exhibition, and encounter the past, present and future of technology.
You can also enjoy some family fun at The Cartoon Museum here you can see family favourites such as Dennis the Menace and Rupert to Andy Capp, Giles and Steve Bell. It shows over 200 original British cartoons, cartoon strips and comics as well as tips on how to draw cartoons where anyone can have a go.
There are also some great days out for those with older children and teenagers who want to see something a bit more in their age range such as:
You can get a great view from The London Eye which is the world’s tallest observation wheel with 40 kilometre panoramic views on a clear day.
Or for those who like it gory you can visit The London Dungeon which brings the darkest chapters of local and national history back to life, combining authentic set design, stunning special effects and live performance to recreate history’s horrible bits.
For those who like celeb spotting no trip to London will be complete without a visit to the world famous Madame Tussauds, which is filled with over 300 wax figures, including the Queen, the Beckhams and many, many more as well as 14 exciting, interactive zones and a brand new Marvel Super Heroes 4D movie experience.
The best part of a holiday in London is that all these attractions are easily accessible from anywhere in the city with great tube links and bus routes, as well as that London itself is easily accessible from all the major London airports, so you don’t have to worry about getting lost!
There are some countries which are known for their taste in fashion and one of those is Italy, many Italians take great pride in their appearance which is not surprising, after all Milan is considered by some in the fashion industry, as the fashion capital of the world. Italy also makes a fabulous holiday destination as well, even better if you have a keen interest in fashion, you can visit other Italian cities too such as Rome and Florence which celebrated sartorial guru’s have designated them fashionable cities. You can look to stay in or around these cities in either 5* fashionable boutique hotels or if your budget wont stretch to that you can stay in an self catering holiday rentals.
If you choose to stay in Milan you can expect a wide range of exquisitely designed clothing available, some by designers you may no have heard of yet and some by names you will no doubt be familiar with, and many of these chic fashion shops will be found along the stylish streets of Via Montenapoleone, Via delta Spiga and Via Sant’ Andrea. In the centre of Milan you will also find the swanky fashion district of Quandritatero della Moda which is home to some fabulous designer shops such as Armani, Versace, Fendi, Gucci and Dolce and Gabbana.
Via Montenapoleone
Picture courtesy of darkensiva
The Renaissance city of Florence known as the home of Raphael, Michelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci is also known As the home of fashion too, the Italian school of modern fashion which opened in 1950 has grown the likes of Giovanni Battista Giorgini, Salvatore Ferragamo and Bulgari who now match the fashion heavyweights like Chanel, Christian Dior and Yves Saint Laurent. Florence has a mixture of high end designer outlets such as Valentino, Armani and Gucci which you will find on the chic shopping street of Via de Tomabuoni, but it also offers a wide range of affordable fashion too which are located in Vio de’ Cerretani, Via Roma and Via Calimala.
Florence
Picture courtesy of Chi King
With the famous saying ‘when in Rome……’ you have no excuse to not be fashionable here, the picturesque streets that offer designer goodies will be heaven for any fashion aficionado, the Via Condotti, which is considered to be the world’s most elegant shopping streets is where you will find high end brands such as Armani, Gucci, Prada, Hermes and Valentino. However if you budget wont stretch to these designers, you can still enjoy the fashion in Italy, Rome has many smaller independent designers which are less price but equally as fabulous, many of these boutiques can be found on the Via del Governo Vecchio, and for younger fashionista’s Via del Corso offers trendy youth orientated fashion boutiques which are great value for money.
Via Condotti
Picture courtesy of AchimH
Italy is not just known for its fashion either, it’s also known for its food, whilst enjoying the fabulous fashion you can also sample traditional Italian fare, if you’re staying in self catering holiday apartments or villas, there is not excuse not to go out, dressed fashionable and enjoy local delicacies.
Pantone, the popular colour scheme which is used by many art directors and designers has opened a hotel in the Belgium capital, just off Avenue Louise, adding to Pantones range of consumer spin offs which include their popular coloured mugs. The hotel which covers 7 floors was designed by Belgian interior designer Michel Penneman and Belgian architect Olivier Hannaert it has 59 rooms and suites which use one of seven Pantone colour palettes.
The colours of each of the room range from tranquil and aquatic to daring and fiery, which means you can choose a room which as the hotel says that compliment your mood, the rooms feature a flat screen LCD TV, Luxurious beds and linens, designer furniture, Pantone Universe shower gels and lotions, hair dryer, electric safe, A/C with climate control and free Wi-Fi.
The hotel has a rooftop terrace which has its own bar, here you can choose from Pantone cocktails which include Pink Champagne Pantone 12-1107, Lemon Drop Pantone 12-0736 and Daiquiri Green Pantone 12-0435. Whilst staying at the hotel guests can also speak to Pantone consultants for informal colour consultations.
Pantone Hotel, Brussels
Picture courtesy of Gastev
We have only had a look at a couple of sights, sounds and experiences Vienna has to offer but there is still so much more left to discover, so if you have booked your flight to Vienna, let’s see what else this magnificent Austrian city has to offer.
We’ve mentioned some of Vienna’s palaces such as the Schönbrunn Palace and the Imperial Palace but that’s not all the palace’s they have, in fact there are two palaces on the Belvedere grounds. They lie in the middle of a grand park and were constructed for Prince Eugene of Savoy by J.L. von Hildebrandt, a famous Baroque architect. Today the Belvedere Palaces house museums featuring Austrian painting and art, the large gardens also feature what was Europe’s first Alpine garden in 1803 and are now home to more than 4000 plants that represent the diverse flora of the alpine ecosystem.
Vienna also offers a wide variety of exhibitions, displays and productions throughout the year that showcase a diverse range of cultural expression including Still life painting exhibitions, Television as art, photography festivals, musical events and much more.
If you want a change from sightseeing during your stay in Vienna, there is also a lot of shopping to be done, with many shopping streets and pedestrian zones that of plenty of luxury goods, jewellers, fashion and designer stores, antique stores and art stores. In Vienna’s hip shopping district you will also find many designer flagship stores, independent designer fashion stores and plenty of vintage shopping.
Vienna also has a huge range of restaurants that offer many different cultural dining experiences from traditional Viennese Cuisine to international cuisine as well as many trendy restaurants and bars and luxury restaurants and bars you will be spoilt for choice. During the day whilst exploring this great city you must pop into one of Vienna’s coffee houses, known as the Coffee capital of Austria here you can enjoy many hundreds of different types of coffee and what better way to enjoy your coffee is to sample some of the cities renowned cakes and pastries.
With so much to see, do, taste and experience you may well need to make more than one visit to Vienna.
Most people can name the major UK airports but many are unaware of smaller UK Airports unless they happen to live nearby. If you are looking to take a short hall flight to the continent or taking an internal flight these smaller UK airports are a godsend, you will find as they are smaller they are not as busy so you don’t get caught up with too much queuing especially with all the added security we have now. They are great if you are wanting to take a trip around the UK but it’s just too far top drive and too inconvenient to go by train a flight to London or Glasgow is made some much easier and convenient. Below is a list of some of the smaller UK airports:
Dundee
Barrow In Furness
Carlisle
Hawarden
Gamston
Alderney
Blackbushe
Bournemouth
Cambridge City
Farnborough
Kent International
Lydd
Oxford
Shoreham
Gloucestershire
Lands End
Penzance
Plymouth
Swansea
All these small airports offer cheap flights to various UK destinations as well as to some other European destinations it worth looking before you book your holiday if you can fly to your chosen destination from a smaller airport closer to you.
In the heart of Glasgow you will find an area of one square mile that has a concentration of inspirational shopping, cafe’s restaurants and bars. If you love shopping then Glasgow is defiantly the place to go for a break away for some retail therapy, there is something for everyone no matter what your style, taste or budget is. All you have to do is hop on a flight to Glasgow from any UK airport and you will be there within anything from 30 minutes to an hour ready to enjoy all it has to offer.
The streets you need to know in the Style Mile are:
Sauchiehall Street where you will find big famous high street retailers such as M&S TK Maxx Primark and Bhs as well small unique shops like Henderson the Jewellers and Deichmann Shoes as well as the restored Room de Luxe of Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s iconic Willow Tearoom.
Buchanan Galleries has many shops all under one roof, with a mix of highstreet fashion stores such as Next, H&M, River Island, Gap, Mango, and Republic, plus many more all over four floors.
Buchanan Street is a pedestrian boulevard lined with some of the finest shopping a great place to go for those who love shoes, you have Russell & Bromley, Also, Jones The Bootmaker, Dune and Office. At the end of Buchanan Street you will also find House of Fraser which is home to designer brands such as Gucci, Dolce & Gabbana, Prada and Salvatore Ferragamo.
Princess Square also know for is outstanding architecture has some stylish shops for those who wish to pamper themselves like Space NK, Jo Malone, Crabtree and Evelyn as well as Scotland’s own Aaron Aromatics.
Argyll Arcade is the place to go for something sparkling her you will find a whole array of world class jewellers such as James Porter & Sons, Bernstones, Harold Barclay, Diamond Studio and Rox, plus many more.
Argyll Street is the place to go for highstreet designers like Topshop, Warehouse, River Island, Wallis, G-Star and Fat Face.
Royal Exchange Square noted for its neo-classical buildings that now house some of the most stylish stores, here you will find some of the hottest bars and restaurants such as The Social, 29 and Rogano as well as chic shops like Reiss, LK Bennett, MA Mode, Bags & Baggage and Radley.
Ingram Street which runs off Royal Exchange Square has some very luxurious store like designer haven Cruise as well as higher end highstreet stores like All Saints, Replay, Gant, Agent Provocateur and Boudich as well as designer favourites Mulberry, Jaeger, Ralph Lauren and Emporio Armani.
Glasgow is a city with so much to offer which is easy to get to with cheap flights to Glasgow Airport and great accommodation right in the centre of this bustling city there is no reason not to go.
Royal Exchange Square Glasgow
Picture courtesy of neilh205