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Brighton - What Are The Top Attractions?

Categories: Uncategorized | August 30th, 2010 | by traveller | no comments

Brighton, England, is just bursting with things to do! Attractions range from walking on the beautiful beaches of Brighton or joining in some beachfront sports to visiting the Royal Pavilion, the summer home of British royalty for many years.

What is Brighton most known for? Why, it’s beaches of course! Brighton Beach is one of the Top 10 city beach attraction destinations in the world. And when you’re done with the fun in the sun, head to Brighton Pier, right in back of the beach for a cool drink at a beachside club. Enjoy Brighton’s world famous blue flag beach, take a leisurely stroll along the water, or stop into one of Brighton’s cafes or restaurants for a cool drink or something to eat. You won’t be able to wait for evening when Brighton’s evening venues open for a whirlwind night of clubbing.

Now, the Royal Pavilion. It is the fabulous “Palace by the Sea” of the Prince Regent, George IV. Built by John Nash, between 1815 and 1822, it remains one of the most spectacular and exotic of all buildings in the UK. You will see furniture and art, including pieces lent by Her Majesty the Queen. There is a tearoom overlooking the gardens and a shop. Audio Guides in many languages are available.

Right beside of Brighton beach you will find acres and acres of cool, green, inviting spaces within the towns of Brighton and Hove. A must visit is the historic Kipling Gardens in Rottingdean. Rudyard Kipling lived at The Elms from 1897-1902 – the site of these famous gardens. Visit the herb garden and the croquet lawn and bring a picnic to eat in the “wild garden”.

All told, there are 14,000 acres in the Brighton and Hove area that have been awarded National Park status in recognition of the beauty of the South Downs. Go for a bike ride or a walk and enjoy the local plants and wildlife. It is a place of peace and quiet right near the activity of the beaches and night life.

Those are just some of the places to visit and attractions to see in Brighton. Without doubt it is worth visiting, so be sure to find some time to experience it for yourself.

Now Try - Brighton Hotels

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Desperate for a trip during that glorious summer, and short of money , I turned to the Dalton’s magazine for inspiration and found us a caravan on a farm in Bala, North Wales. For twelve quid! On a Saturday in August we set off in the MGBGT, with our three yr old son and five yr old daughter in the back. What we lacked in space we made up for in enthusiasm. Nothing could dampen our spirits. We were going on holiday - we were young, hopeful and excited!

The caravan was just about large enough to accommodate us - luckily we did not have a cat to swing around! But what a wonderful holiday we had. Mr & Mrs Jones were in the farmhouse just yards away, along with their brood. When we weren’t exploring the surrounding countryside and beaches, our kids played with the other children. My one abiding memory is of them pushing an old pram around with a very sleepy cat in it.

During those lazy hazy days we would pack a picnic and put the wine in a stream or a nice cool rock pool.

In the evenings the lovely and homely Mrs Jones used to send us over her delicious rice pudding made with milk from their own cows.

After dinner we would make our way to the nearest pub , with my husband deliberately weaving from side to side in the narrow lanes, causing the children to whoop with joy. There was absolutely no other cars around, or so it seemed; maybe it’s one of those myths, like the way we remember it always being sunny when we were children.
We have had many many holidays since that one in 1976. Much more expensive and luxurious.
But that one sticks in my memory for the sheer simplicity and joy of it. On the journey home it started to rain and we all cheered. It hadn’t rained for many weeks and that heralded the end of the drought. We felt so lucky that we’d squeezed in the last week of the dry spell.

That sort of holiday could not be repeated. Sadly, you can never go back. But my husband and I have been very lucky and travelled to far and distant parts of the globe . What is wonderful for us, as parents, is that now our daughter - yes the 5 yr old in the back - and her husband have teamed up with another gentleman to run a airport parking company company that takes away all the stresses and strains of flying abroad.

The company is Star Parking Meet and Greet Heathrow. You drive to the terminal and a very nicely turned out member of staff will be there ready and waiting. All you have to do is decamp with your luggage. The driver takes your car away and that’s it! Off you trot into the airport terminal and your holiday starts. And when you return, a short phone call from Departures ensures you will be met with your car.

So Bon Voyage to all you out there. From one very happy and contented traveller.

In case you are want to get information about the niche of luxury vacation home, please make sure to visit the site which is quoted in this passage.

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The Joys Of Prague Old Town Square Will Enrich You.

Categories: Uncategorized | August 14th, 2010 | by traveller | no comments

The delights of the old town square Prague make this city a very popular place indeed.

How popular can be seen around mid-day when you are fighting the swarms of people listening to the trumpet player on top of the clock tower on the hour.

The reputation Prague has for being a popular venue for stag and hen parties is true. And you do see groups of young men and women around town. But very seldom is any trouble caused. They are mostly just having a good time. There is also a good police presence.

Prague can be broken down into three main areas - the castle, the old town and the new town. Each deserves an article of its own. The city is easy to walk around so getting to each is not a problem. If you are staying outside the main tourist are then the tram system will be brilliant for you.

The city is really a wonderful open-air museum, which is best explored on foot with a good Prague travel guide.

Here I am going to share some thoughts on Prague Old Town and its square.

The Old Town is dominated by the square, which has a history going back to the late 12th century. It has always been the central market place for the city and is dominated by The Church of Our Lady of Týn and the Town Hall.

The square is bordered with pastel-coloured buildings of Romanesque or Gothic origin that are adorned with quaint signs.

In the square you will find the popular tourist attraction of the Astronomical Clock that dates from fourteen hundred and ten. Here you can see figures of the twelve apostles who appear every hour on the hour from 9am to 9pm in two side doors on the wall of the clock tower. A skeleton rings a bell, the clock chimes, a live trumpet sounds a call and thousands of people witness this every single day. It all ends every hour with the tourist clapping the whole proceedure. You must see it and join in the clapping.

You can also go up the clock tower to get super views over the square and medieval Prague over the river and up to the castle and Saint Vitus Cathedral. The climb up the steps helps work off any over eating or drinking you might have done and there are lifts for any who find the steps a bit too much. If you go up the clock tower on the hour you will get a close-up of the trumpeter. You will also be able to look down on the huge crowds all clapping the clock.

The centrepiece of the square is the Jan Hus statue, which was erected on 6 July 1915 to mark the 500th anniversary of the reformer’s death. Born in 1371 A.D and burned at the stake on 6 July 1415 he was the founder of what is now the Moravian Church.

I like the fact that all the squares and small streets around the square are still cobbled and in spite of the crowds Prague has maintained its character. You can just meander around and see everything within a short distance from the old town square. It is a great city for cheap city breaks and direct holidays.

Small cobbled alleyways lead you up to the famous Wenceslas Square and the National Museum. It is also in this area that the daily market now is.

In most of the churches around the old town square concerts are performed almost every night and they last just about an hour. After your concert you could eat in one of the many restaurants around the square or in the smaller squares of the main one.

If you want to save a bit of cash whenever possible eat or have coffees away from main old town square. This goes for buying your drinking water too. Water from a small shop in the alleyways can be a third cheaper than on the square.

Prague is very busy and quite expensive but most capital cities are.

I would recommend a visit.

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