France: On The Road

Paris, the city of love and a thousand other clichés, still holds a certain mystic. But no matter how many written words this great city has commanded - however familiar this town may appear - Paris will always remain an enigma, a magnet for millions of visitors from around the world.

Paris carries an enchantment that you cannot always put your finger on. We perceive Parisians as chic and stylish, forever setting the trend.

But there is more to this country than just its capital. France is home to over 60 million people, including many of North African descent.

One of the things that keeps France great is its attention to detail: the back street shop that sells 30 varieties of croissant, the creaseless department store bags to carry home your latest in fashionable attire, the delightful little chocolates that accompany your coffee on one of the street corner cafes.

The French language itself conjures up magic and mystery, adding to the romance of being in an alien land.

The modern France bears aspects of foreign influence. Alongside the chic boutiques and stylish cafes sit far-western heavyweights such as McDonalds. But France will forever remain French. Chic and panache will always prevail.

Provided you can steer clear of the boy racers who treat the roads as racing tracks, France will satisfy even the most ardent explorers.

When visiting France, the first place on most people’s itineraries is Paris, and the fabulous Louvre. Whilst Napoleon endeavoured to conquer Europe, his armies busied themselves collecting the spoils from their defeated hosts.

When the Louvre was built in 1793, these trophies were exhibited in the new museum for the whole of France to witness.

Today the Louvre has been given a modern day makeover. A magnificent glass pyramid embraces the museum making it instantly recognisable around the world.

If you can endure the crowds, some of the world’s most celebrated art can be witnessed. These include ‘Winged Victory’ and the ‘Mona Lisa’ with her legendary smile.

For those wanting an escape from the hustle and bustle of France’s busy cities, the town of Chamonix offers the perfect contrast to city life. Located in one of the spectacular valleys of the French Alps, Chamonix offers picture postcard views, dominated by centuries old glaciers and the imposing summit of Mount Blanc.

Just one of the many reasons for France being the world’s number one tourist destination.

Paris The City of light

Paris is pleasant to visit all round the year. It is a popular tourist destination along with being a rich metropolitan city. It is the largest French city along with being the capital of France; Paris is home to about 10 million people.

The North Atlantic drift affects the climate of Paris. As a result Paris has a marine west coast climate. The city enjoys temperate climate throughout the year and does not have extremely high or low temperatures. Sometimes the coldest months may receive snowfall usually lasting only a day. There has been one unique instance of snowfall in April that may have been caused due to changes in the global weather patterns.

However, October is a perfect time to visit Paris. The locals are relaxed after the onslaught of summer tourists, the crisp daily temperature in the mid-sixties is ideal for exploring outdoor markets and cobble-stoned streets, and the range of colors on display in Paris' many parks and gardens is breathtaking.

Paris is rated very high amongst fashion houses and boasts of a fast and exciting nightlife. The city boasts of innumerable historical avenues, monuments, museums, iconic landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower and the "Louvre," which is prided to be amongst the most famous museums.
Estimates suggest that Paris caters to more than thirty million visitors annually. Though most would take one trip to the Eiffel tower, the city boasts of many other archaic and architectural wonders that can keep visitors mesmerized for life.

Visit Paris also to experience the world’s best food. Paris is known to be home of the finest foods and drinks in the whole world and Enjoy your Parisian coffees.

Finally we all believe that it is the combination of historical charm, modernism, and a heady underworld, which makes Paris a fantasy tourist destination. So don’t loose the chance and do your best to spend a vacation in the City OF Light.

Southampton Airport: a cheap gateway to the UK?

The rise of the internet seems to have brought many benefits, one of which has undoubtedly been the increasing flexibility that we now have at our disposal when booking holidays.

This is particularly true in the case of flights. Online flight price comparison websites ensure that we can shop around to seek out the best deal from a variety of agents and airlines.

People flying to and from the United Kingdom have possibly benefited more than most. There seem to be numerous budget airlines based in the UK, allowing easy access to Europe at cheap prices. The new budget airlines have also brought benefits for regional airports – the likes of Exeter, Bournemouth, Doncaster, Southampton and Norwich have been growing a great deal.

Let’s look at one of these specifically – Southampton Airport. This airport on the outskirts of the Southern coastal city was relatively small until recently, specialising in flights to the Channel Islands. The arrival of Flybe has meant that much has changed. There are now flights in and out of Southampton from beautiful cities like Geneva, Paris and Amsterdam. Not to mention the cheap flights available to popular holiday resorts.

Despite this growth, Southampton often seems to be overlooked as an arrival airport for travellers looking to get to the UK on a budget. This is particularly strange given the close proximity of Southampton Airport to London (it is, after all, barely an hour by train from the airport’s dedicated mainline railway station to London Waterloo, in the heart of the capital city).

This short journey time means that Southampton is barely further away from Central London than Stansted. You’ll also find that processing of your baggage at the airport tends to be much faster than that found at more major airports, since there are less incoming flights. Taking this into the equation, you may well find that your journey time could even be reduced.

So next time you’re looking to visit London (or maybe looking for a cheap flight out of the UK) don’t forget to look at the offers available at Southampton Airport. You may find that the prices will come as a pleasant surprise, while the journey into Central London is so straightforward that you’ll not lose any time on your holiday.

Athens Taxi Ride – Extreme Sports

Athens is a huge, congested city and the local taxis are your main means of getting around. The average Athens tax ride is inexpensive, just bring your helmet.

Living on the Edge

I had just arrived in Athens with a couple who’ll remain nameless. [He’s now a respectable doctor and married to someone else.] My buddy, “John”, had a Greek friend who lived in town named Stavos. We were going to stay with him and explore Athens before heading to the islands.

Stavos had gone to college with us in California and more or less been raised there. After experiencing the finer points of higher education [fraternity parties, etc.], he and his brother had started a snowboard company in Athens. Who could possibly be buying snowboards in Greece? It turned out Stavos and his brother were selling them throughout Europe, not in Greece.

Anyway, Stavos collected us in a friend’s car and took us to his small studio. We decided to catch some winks and then head out for a night on the town. Thus, we would experience an Athens taxi ride for the first time.

Taxi driving is a competitive sport. I am convinced there is a World Cup of taxi driving and drivers practice on the streets of their location. San Francisco and New York taxi drivers are an elite group, while taking a taxi in France is a good way to see the Eiffel Tower while going the wrong way down a one-way street. In Athens, it was all about speed.

Being an idiot, I yelled out “shotgun” as the taxi pulled to the curb. I should’ve guessed my triumph wasn’t a good thing when Stavos just smiled. In we went and Stavos gave the driver our destination. For the next fifteen minutes, I feared for life itself. Mine and others.

Our driver was apparently convinced he would get a bonus if he beat a certain time. We peeled out at the curb and the race was on. Through the tight, winding streets of Athens we went. As is the nature of chaotic Athens, the roads are packed with cars, buses, people and very brave cyclist. Considering this an obstacle course, a driver whipped through the throngs at over 80 miles per hour. Most of the time was spent in the SLOW lane, where less cars were. I still have nightmares about the faces of cyclist staring at me as we passed them with maybe 5 inches to spare. Frozen pictures of terror. Throw in cars starting to pull out in the road and you have the white knuckle event of the year.

When we finally pulled up to the club, I started breathing again. As I pulled my hand off the handle on the door, I left impressions. Standing outside of the cab, Stavos asked me if I wanted to sit in the front on the way home and started laughing.

It took two drinks to calm my nerves. Come hell or high water, I was walking home.