A visitors guide to Bordeaux, France

The greater Bordeaux, France has a population of 630,000, while the population of the city of Bordeaux is 213,000. The total population of France is around 59,329,691

The climate of Bordeaux tends to have generally cool winters and mild summers.

Bordeaux, is the largest City in southwest France, is famed throughout the world for its wine and countryside vineyards. The surrounding country is some of the most beautiful in France, Visitors from all over the world come to see the beautiful vineyards and sample the rich red wines.

Rent a car and drive to the vineyards north of the city to sample the wines and find out why the windes are the best in the world. At the end of June, Bordeaux France has a 4 day wine festival. You can even take an exotic red wine bath at the Caudalie Vinotherapie Spa, which is also a vineyard and hotel. You can even have an education in wine at the Ecole du Vin, they offer lessons about wine in English.

The city of Bordeaux has some 18th century grace among its downtown, where fine shops and museums await visitors. There is a lot of remodeling and it won’t be completed until 2009. Some of the buildings are hidden by scaffolding and roads have a lot of construction detours.

You have got to visit the Musee d’Art Contemporain, housed in a vonverted, 19th century warehouse.The Musee des Chartrons is nearby, in the home of a wine merchant, showcasing the history of the wine trade. The Cathedrale St-Andre is a gothic cathedral with an exterior wall dating bact to 1096. Climb the 164 foot belfry of Pey-Berland tower, for terrific views of Bordeaux.

Bordeaux airport is located 6 miles west of the city, offering regular flights to Bordeaux from around Europe.

There are some really beautiful places to stay in Bordeaux. Stay away from the area around train stations for they have a really bad reputation for theft.

The top end hotel there is the Hotel Burdigala. It is a modern 4-star hotel.

But, The Hotel Excelsior offers inexpensive, but very nice no frills rooms.

There are wonderful operas in French. There is a really nice selection of bars and night clubs.

Rome: Powerful Empire, Great Tourist aim

Rome was founded as distant back 753 BC by the twins, Romulus and Remus. It grew considerably until it became the Roman territory which was govern by an Emperor from the year 27 BC.

The Roman Empire became a political and monetary center for the Western World. Its influence stretched far and wide and it was said that “all roads lead to Rome.” This most powerful Empire, however, fell in 476 AD. It had a bumpy history next its fall. The city preserve its status as the capital of the Papal States and later on it became a center of tradiation and imaginative activity which it has somewhat retained to this day.

Over its restless history, the inhabitant in the area has risen and fallen depending on the trend of the time. In modern times, Rome seems to once again be on an upward scale in terms of its lasting population.

It is a very admired tourist destination seeing around ten million tourists through its city every year. The city is a city of contrasts. On the one hand, tourists will find busy thoroughfares and classy prices. On the other hand, it is full of small sheltered parks, fountains and piazzas. It is full of ancient ruins, famous monuments and fascinating museums. You can view the remains of ancient times, see the extraordinary architecture from the rebirth period, enjoy a gastronomical treat in a traditional Italian restaurant or relax in the gardens of European royalty.

Due to the huge number of tourists that visit Rome per annum there are a vast number of holiday accommodation options to choose from. From the traditional to the unique, visitors can choose the place that allure to them most. Hotels are a popular accommodation choice in Rome. They range greatly in price and quality. You can choose to stay in luxury hotel or you can easily find a funds hotel often in the area surrounding Termini Station.

Holiday apartments or villas can be found to rent. These are a good option for small groups or families as they provide more space and seclusion than a hotel. Bed and breakfasts are fast becoming popular in Rome. If you go for this option be prepared that they may simply be a room in some-one’s house.

Hotel reviews: Chateau Frontenac, Quebec City, Canada

Midway up an escarpment overlooking the St. Lawrence River on Cape Diamond, inside the walled city of Old Quebec, Quebec stands a fortress of a hotel, Quebec’s fabled chateau Le Chateau Frontenac.

This grand hotel is quintessentially European with its gothic architecture, stonework and copper roofs, having the appearance of a medieval fortress.

It’s a fitting testament to the celebration of Quebec City’s 400th anniversary in 2008, the oldest settlement in North America, and one of the most recognizable hotels in all of Canada.

Le Chateau Frontenac casts an imposing presence over Old Quebec.

It first opened its doors on December 18, 1893 and guests are still coming from around the world, not only to stay but also to tour this historic piece of Canadiana so much so that the hotel has full-time historic tour guides with hourly tours during the peak of the tourist season.

Built by the Canadian Pacific Railway, it remains a major landmark in Old Quebec and dominates the city landscape. It’s hard to escape its otherworldly omnipotence as it stands sentinel over Quebec City, the brooding St. Lawrence River and the rambling Quebec countryside.

It has over 600 elegant rooms on 18 floors. Its lobby and ballrooms are opulent. Its captivating Le Champlain Dining Room has a stately main dining area, while on an adjacent terrace there is a romantic balcony overlooking the St. Lawrence River – with waiters dressed in the period attire of Old France you’ll be taken back in time.

Its circular Bar Saint-Laurent lounge also overlooks the St. Lawrence River featuring an elegance and quietude usually reserved for upscale dining rooms.

The main restaurant, the Caf de la Terrace which features lavish buffets, has a cozy atmosphere with a discerning buzz in the air, and sits adjacent to a promenade above the Old Port.

Its lower floors host conference rooms, numerous shops, boutiques and art galleries.

The hotel has a fitness centre with an indoor swimming pool, exercise room, whirlpool bath, steam room and massage facilities.

Le Chateau Frontenac is an attraction in itself, not to mention the many other attractions Quebec City has to offer:

The City of Quebec was founded in 1608 by Samuel de Champlain and is the cradle of French civilization in North America.

Old Quebec has been declared a World Heritage Centre by UNESCO in 1985.

Quebec City is the capital of Quebec and attracts 9 million tourists annually.

It has numerous museums, art galleries, historic sites and over 900 restaurants.

Quebec City is ranked as the 4th best tourist destination in North America.

The population of Quebec City is 622,000 of which 95% are French-speaking, however English is widely spoken in all service industries and shopping areas.

The namesake of Le Chateau Frontenac comes from a flamboyant French governor, Louis de Baude, Count of Frontenac, who governed New France from 1672 to 1698.

Site of the historic Quebec Conferences of World War II in 1943 and 1944, the hotel has been also been graced by many visiting dignitaries and famous personalities over the years.

To stay in the hotel is a dream come true for many guests, as they relive the rich and colorful past of Old Quebec and Quebec City amid the grandeur of a world-class hotel.

The best authentic Creole restaurants in New Orleans

New Orleans is famous for Creole cuisine. This style of food originated in this region, and it is influenced by French, Spanish, American, and African cooking. In essence, Creole food is a blend of styles that has become its own entity and has its roots in European cooking. The early French and then Spanish setters in New Orleans brought some of their cooking techniques with them, which were then instrumental in the development of the Creole style.

If you have ever had Creole food, your mouth will probably start watering when just thinking about dishes such as gumbo, turtle soup, crawfish etouffee and jambalaya. This food is incredibly flavorful and comforting, and you cannot find restaurants that serve it any better than those in New Orleans.

In fact, several of these restaurants are world famous. Just their names – Commander’s Palace, Antoine’s, Brennan’s, Galatoire’s – invoke images of New Orleans. Below is a brief overview of these incredible restaurants.

* Commander’s Palace *

Commander’s Palace is one of the finest restaurants not only in New Orleans, but the world. Dining at this upscale place is definitely for special occasions. Located in the Garden District in a Victorian building, this restaurant has entertained guests since 1880.

The cuisine reflects both Creole and American influences, with one of its most famous items being its turtle soup au sherry. The restaurant offers many seafood items, exquisitely prepared in Creole style, at lunch or dinner. Brunch menus also are available, with dishes including New Orleans barbecued shrimp and Creole crawfish strudel.

Owned by the Brennan family, Commander’s Palace impeccably handles every detail, from service to food to ambiance, to provide the ultimate dining experience.

* Antoine’s *

Another world-famous New Orleans restaurant is Antoine’s, which was founded in 1840. Its walls contain memorabilia from some of its famous diners, including President Roosevelt, Judy Garland and Pope John II.

Located in the heart of the French Quarter, this white table-cloth restaurant contains multiple dining rooms, all serving up outstanding French-Creole dishes.

Antoine’s prides itself in being the oldest family-run restaurant in the United States. If you come to dine here, you will see that family pride reflected in the wonderful food. The menu features delectable oyster, shrimp and crawfish dishes as well as many other items. Many now-famous dishes were created here, including Eggs Sardou and Oysters Rockefeller.

Balearic Island Ibiza Tourist Attractions

Spain’s Balearic Islands are one of the main attractions in the Mediterranean. One of Balearics most popular islands is Ibiza due to the amazing night life it provides for its visitors. There are many night clubs located throughout the island which could explain for the high amount of young adults that visit each year. The climate this Balearic island has is very comfortable with summer temperatures averaging around 80 Fahrenheit and for the winter right around 60 Fahrenheit. Mostly sunshine is in the forecast with more than 300 of the years days receiving sunshine and clear blue skies. Ibiza is a fairly populated island with right under 90,000 citizens and over two million visitors yearly.

The most visited part of the year is during the summer months of June till October. The night life provided is one of the best attractions due to the large amount of tourists that are arriving at the peak time. Some of the cafes, pubs, discos, restaurants, and bars are only open at certain times of the year. Many world class DJ’s perform at the one hundred plus clubs in the main town San Antonio which is why many tourists return each year, due to their amazing nightlife experiences on the island of Ibiza. So if one is planning on having the best time, it would be smart to pick a date between the main tourism months to visit and take advantage of all the nightlife attractions.

If you are planning a visit to Ibiza, it would be a smart choice not to go during the month of August if you want a quieter holiday. As this is when most visitors come to the island for clubbing, which tends to raise the prices on many items including food, hotels, and transportation. This could also turn a vacation into a nightmare as the main town San Antonio becomes crowded and the clubs and bars become extremely busy. So families are advised to visit Ibiza outside the main clubbing period if they require a slightly more peaceful stay. However the island does have nearly eight hundred restaurants so finding a vacant one should not be a problem even during peak periods.

When it comes to transportation in Ibiza, you have many methods to choose from. The main towns provide many buses and taxis to its visitors so you should have no trouble getting around to the many attractions and various night spots. If you wish to drive yourself you are able to rent a vehicle in the main towns or arrange for a rental car at the airport when you land. Just a note, if planning on renting it would be smart to book beforehand especially if visiting during August to make sure they will have a vehicle available.

There is a large nightlife scene and that is what Ibiza is well known for but there are also many activities for people of all ages. Another main attraction is Ibiza’s beautiful beaches which are great for relaxing, sun tanning, swimming, and even surfing. If your preference is something more active, golf courses, go-cart tracks, hiking trails, and biking courses are provided throughout the tourist season.

One of Ibiza’s more well known clubs is Amnesia, this club opens early during the season around June and continues until the end of the tourist season. Amnesia is located on the way to Ibiza old town if you are travelling from San Antonio. This popular club is one of the clubs that helped make Ibiza famous and plays host to major club events such as Cream. Another well known destination for the islands clubbers is Space on Sunday. This event doesn’t begin until early Sunday morning after most other clubs have closed, but continues all the way through Sunday. This Sunday event is world famous and extremely popular due to the top class DJ’s that play at Space on Sundays.

As a warm up session before hitting the clubs of Ibiza thousands of clubbers visit the sunset strip in San Antonio during the early evening. Just a short walk from the famous Bar Street in San Antonio’s west end the sunset strip provides the best view of the sun setting over the island of Ibiza. The sunset strip offers many cafes and bars serving food and drinks throughout the summer evenings, such as Cafe Mambo and Cafe Del Mar. Street entertainers also perform along the sunset strip, details at http://www.greatholidaydeals.biz/ibiza-sunset-strip.php will help to highlight the relaxed atmosphere of the sunset strip.

Overall, this is a great Balearic island to visit especially during the summer months. There is a variety of attractions available to fit everyone’s needs, as well as the famous clubbing nightlife of Ibiza.

Don’t Skimp On Food! Eat Well On Your Budget Travel!

There are numerous ways to enjoy delicious and healthy meals on your budget travel. Here are some budget tips to ensure that you do not go hungry during your vacation.

There is no disputing that food is a part of any travel experience. Sampling the local food is a must wherever you go on your travels. If you miss out on tasting the local delicacies, you miss out on a huge part of traveling.

It is important begin your day right. So make sure that you eat a healthy and hearty breakfast. Many hotels include a daily breakfast in the package. If it is available, then make sure that you eat well and enjoy it. After all, beginning on a good note every day will set the mood and tone for the day. Starting each morning with a healthy breakfast will give you the energy you need. Plus, it will help to deter you from eating expensive and unhealthy snacks in between meals.

Moving on to lunch! It is the best time to get the most value from some of the finest restaurants in your destination city. If there is an expensive restaurant you’ve been wanting to visit during your budget travel, go there during lunch instead. Often, you will get the same great food at a lower price.

Another budget tip on food is to eat at places that are popular with the locals. Ask your hotel’s staff where they usually hang out or eat. They would probably tell you about places or recommendations that are frequented by locals. Hence, it is not touristy and will probably cost lower than a restaurant near a tourist attraction.

Having your meals at ethnic neighborhoods is another budget tip. Sampling the food in the local Chinatown, Korea town, Little Italy, Little Saigon or similar neighborhood is a fantastic for meeting the locals and enjoy the culture and food at one go!

And when you are traveling, be sure to pack a few healthy snacks such as granola bars, a bag of trail mix or a few pieces of fruit in your backpack. You can pack them from home or even get them inexpensively at your travel destination’s local stores.

A trip to the local grocery store can save you money while traveling. Many travelers will spend some time to stock up on bottled water, cereal and other low cost food. Just leave them in the hotel room and take what you need each time you head out to continue your budget travel.

Unique Stag Do Ideas In Vilnius

Churches and nightclubs, cobbled streets and thoroughfares, the quaintness of Old Town and the vibrant nightlife of a sparkling metropolitan city – welcome to Vilnius, Lithuania, lauded as the most hospitable city in the world. If you’re looking for a spot that has all the pulsating nightlife of the European capitals with a quaint, Old World charm all its own, then a Vilnius stag do might be just the thing to send the condemne– er, lucky gent on his way to a life of matrimonial bliss.

Vilnius, the capital city of Lithuania, is said to retain more of its medieval character than any other city in Europe. About half the size of Riga, Vilnius offers visitors an intimate view of her daily life. Nearly all the major attractions – nightclubs, bars, pubs and sport venues, along with the museums and cultural halls – are within a few minutes walking distance from the city center, making it an ideal spot for a pub crawl or nightclub jaunt.

If you’re looking for a spot of exciting during the days at your Vilnius stag do, the city hosts a wide offering of varied extreme and not-so-extreme fun days to choose from. Try quad biking, a farmer’s utility turned entertainment. Driving 4-wheel buggies over the rugged terrain surrounding Vilnius is sure to get your party good and dirty, and their blood up for a heated night on the tiles. Water gets in on the act as well – kayaking is a brilliant way to explore the nooks and crannies of the hills surrounding the unique Eastern European city.

As for nightlife, Vilnius offers one of the most unique ways to see the city AND down a few pints – a bar on wheels. The cycle bar can hold up to 16 gents as it cruises around the city at a leisurely speed that makes it easy for your partygoers to hail passing chicklets and invite them aboard for a brew or two. Besides the cycle bar, you can work with a licensed tour organizer to put together a full pub crawl, complete with queue jump priveleges and your choice of local beers at each stop along the way. More interested in the beer than the pubs? Arrange a brewery tour for a special day of fun and brews.

The Vilnius cycle bar is just one example of a fun stag do activity that a professional tour operator can help you arrange. If you’re looking for more unique ideas for stag dos in Vilnius or any other city, contact Chillisauce.co.uk, a tour operator that specialises in unique and unusual stag nights, bachelor parties and stag weekends.

Rome Museums & Galleries

The Eternal City— Rome is the capital and the largest city of Italy. Situated in the west-central part of the country on the Tiber River, the “City of the Seven Hills” was founded by Romulus in 753 B.C.

The City of Love— Rome is the see of the pope as the holy kingdom Vatican City is within the city of Rome. Rome is also the capital of Latium and of Rome province as well.

Often dubbed as the “Capital of the World,” the city of Rome is one of the world’s richest cities in history and art and one of its great cultural, religious, and intellectual centers.

Home to numerous beautiful sites, museums and art galleries, Rome is one of the most coveted tourist destinations of the world. Rome attracts bulks of tourists from all over the globe. Museums and galleries are the major attraction of the city. Roman museums and galleries are sumptuous storehouses of art and culture. They give great glimpses of rich roman history, culture, and religion. Some of the popular museums and galleries of Rome are discussed below.

Museum Galleria Borghese: The museum offers the great collection assembled by Cardinal Scipione Borghese in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. The museum features major works by Raphael, Rubens, Titian, Caravaggio, Bernini, Antonello da Messina and Canova.

Galleria Colonna: The magnificent Galleria Colonna is base in huge complex of imperial Palazzo Colonna. The gallery displays a number of masterpieces by artists including Lorenzo Monaco, Bronzino, Ghirlandaio, Salviati, Veronese, Palma il Vecchio, Jacopo and Domenico Tintoretto, Pietro da Cortona, Annibale Carracci, Francesco Albani, Guercino, Guido Reni, Carlo Maratta, Gaspard Dughet, Crescenzio Onofri, Girolamo Muziano, and Pompeo Batoni.

Barberini Palace and National Gallery of Antique Art (The Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica): The Palazzo Corsini and the Palazzo Barberini are the two sites of the gallery. The Palazzo Barberini is one of the grandest palaces in Rome. The Gallery sites with elegant interiors feature works by Fra Angelico, Filippo Lippi, Lorenzo Lotto, Andrea del Sarto, Perugino, Pietro da Cortona, Caravaggio, Canaletto and Raphael.

Doria Pamphili Gallery: The Gallery houses one of Rome’s most distinguished private art collections, including works by Caravaggio, Titian, Raphael, Velázquez, Lippi, Lotto, Rubens, Guercino, Reni, Parmigianino, Bellini and Brueghel.

Modern National Gallery: The Gallery offers the valuable Italian collection of paintings and sculptures of the 19th and 20th centuries. The gallery features works of the contemporary art movements, neo-classicism, romanticism and Tuscan Macchiaoli impressionism. The gallery exhibits the works by Goya, Géricault, Delacroix, Blake, Renoir, Rossetti, Courbet, Van Gogh, Degas, Monet, Cezanne, Modigliani, Mondrian, Duchamp, de Chirico, Cara, Miró, Kandinsky and Klimt.

Gallery of the National Academy of St. Luca: One of the most prestigious galleries of Rome, the Galleria dell’Accademia di San Luca contains a wonderful collection of classical works by artists such as Raphael, Canova, van Dyck, Titian, Guercino, il Sassoferrato, Reni and Pietro da Cortona.

Corsini Gallery: The gallery is small, but beautiful. It contains the great collection of seventeenth and eighteenth century regional Italian painting and the works of Rubens, Murrillo, Poussin, Brueghel and Caravaggio.

Spada Gallery: The gallery offers the fine collection of works mainly from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and Roman sculptures of second and third century. The gallery also features the works of Rubens, Durer, Caravaggio, Guercino, Domenichino, Guido Reni, Carracci, Salvator Rosa, Passarotti, Parmigianino, Solimena and del Sarto.

The city of Rome has a great treasure of museums and galleries. Museums and galleries are in fact jewels of Rome. Other museums and galleries of Rome include Musei Capitolini, Etruscan National Museum of Villa Giulia, The Palatine Museum, and National Museum of Castel Sant’Angelo.

Eating healthy when traveling

Technically speaking, ‘eating healthy when traveling’ is not an oxymoron. Still, there is antithesis, since part of the adventure of travel is doing it with abandon – and that includes a generous portion of local cuisines. Anyone who travels has felt the compulsion to lick to excess the gelato of Italy, quaff quantities of the liquid gold of Munich’s Hofbrauhaus, or pay culinary homage to “the best of” restaurants off the pages of Gourmet, Travel + Leisure or Bon Appetit magazines.

Still, the body requires respite from too much of such good things. I’ve eaten my way across the U.S., Europe, parts of Asia with a few other alien ports sprinkled in, and offer some advice to keep you moving, in so many ways.

Breakfast is an absolute must. Traveling on an empty stomach requires too much thought about when you will next eat, a focus that should be dedicated to what you came to see. Skip breakfast meats on the buffet, and opt instead for simpler foods.

Rediscover the goodness in cereal: filling, yet uncomplex enough to leave you wanting just a little more. Choose whole fruits over cut vegetables (a staple in many European and Asian diets). Indeed, whole over cut (once washed in bottled water) curbs one other unwelcome guest: diarrhea.

Yogurt beats cheese in overall digestibility, a better choice especially if you’re boarding a bus for a day of sightseeing.

And finally, tea beats coffee, though I admit to “toughing” that one out. (Tea in the morning makes me bilious.) You must decide what tips that scale for you.

Lunch is better than dinner. No, really, when it comes to healthy dining, your body will thank you for a filing, thoughtful lunch over a slow, decadent dinner every time.

Savor a healthy portion of fowl, fish or meat with a simple salad or soup. And enjoy the local bread, a fuel to help you through the balance of waking day. Make this your main meal, and include dessert now, as opposed to after dinner.

Dinner can be challenging, especially in foreign lands. I have found that small (appetizer) portions are smarter for the later hour, not only because lighter fare aids sleep. My own experience is that a large portion of something you guessed at (and find you hate) is harder to get rid of than something more modest.

Enjoy several small, uncomplicated courses rather than one huge platter, or share an entree (or mistake) with another. Simpler foods – those less seasoned or sauced – are the healthier overall choice when traveling.

For the occasional dyspepsia that accompanies travelers from time to time, I recommend carrying a few gingersnap cookies. Small, hard, easily transported and low in calorie, the ginger in these counteracts the acid that can surprise you after a meal of unknown origin. And over-the-counter antacids do work, if taken faithfully (think: Prilosec, for example).

Eating healthy while traveling isn’t work. Rather it’s more an exercise in occasional moderation, a trading off of occasional indulgence with occasional asceticism. Never say never to something you really must try. But reward that indulgence with a little quiet food, in kind.

Bon Appetit!

Best Chinese restaurants in Los Angeles

Everyone knows you can find great Chinese food in Chinatown, but what about the rest of L.A.? Sometimes I get hungry for some crispy Peking duck and I need a restaurant -quick! Here are my top picks for great Chinese food you can have in all different parts of the city.

Yujean Kang’s

67 N. Raymond Ave.

626-585-0855

($8-$18)

Chef Kang is known for his dishes that have deep Chinese roots with unusual modern twists. Doesn’t Chinese polenta sound exotically delicious? This is also your chance to eat in a five-star restaurant for a pretty low price. The calamari is some of the best in town, and did I mention the dumplings? It’s hard to believe people actually eat at the Cheesecake Factory chain next door when they could be having a gourmet Asian feast.

Mission 261

261 Mission Dr.

626-588-1666

($2-$6 dim sum)

Many people I know name this as their favorite Chinese in town, and it’s a contender for sure. Much more traditional than Yujean Kang’s, the variety of dim sum are handcrafted little works of art. The tea dumplings are a treasure, wrapped carefully in bamboo leaves like little packages waiting to be opened. The space itself is a treasure too: a 100-year old adobe near the San Gabriel Mission.

Chinois on Main

2709 Main St.

310-392-9025

($20-$36)

This one gets my personal vote as best (when I’ve got a little extra cash), with a menu created by Wolfgang Puck that has a bit of a French Twist. Asian cooking is at the heart of each dish, though, and the European touches just give it an extra oomph. For lunch, try the Chinese chicken salad. At dinnertime, it’s a tough choice between the barbecue baby pork ribs and the absolutely perfect crispy Cantonese duck. Order both with a friend and share.

Grand Central Market

317 S. Broadway

213-624-2378

This indoor market is a great place to find every kind of food under the sun. When Chinese is what you’re looking for, though, head to the upper level. Here you’ll find straightforward simple favorites that fit the bill. Hot, steaming won ton soup will calm your day, or a plate of spicy noodles will inflame your passions. This is a quick, easy, on-the-run option with dependable food.

With such great choices outside of Chinatown, you can satisfy your cravings wherever you might be. Isn’t L.A. great?

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