Archive for April, 2006
Ferrán Adriá, owner of the restaurant called ‘El Bulli’ must be delighted with the decision made by a panel of 560 chefs and food boffins. El Bulli was voted as the top restaurant in the world. El Bulli is situated in Roses, in Spain. Reservations are essential. Contact details; Tel +34 972 150 457 - Address: en Cala Montjoi, Roses, Girona, 17480. You can also email them on: bulli@elbulli.com.
If you want to experience the best food in to world, I guess that El Bulli is a good bet. 560 food specialist cant be wrong. However, we recommend that you book way in advance because the restaurant was madly popular before yesterdays announcement and I am guessing it will be over run with bookings now.
This is a part of Spain I have not yet visited but would love to. Roses, a resort town on the Costa Brava, is situated 30 km south of the French boarder and 16 0 km from Barcelona. You should give it a go on your next visit. The beaches in Roses alone are a good reason to spend your annual holiday here.
If you want to visit Roses and know nothing about this part of the country (like me) take a look at our site Indigo Guide. We offer lots of information on things like Roses Beaches, Day Trips around Roses, Accommodation, Night life in Roses and Car Hire.
Like this blog? Think I am talking junk? Do I have my facts wrong?
Why not leave a comment for me?
by Doreen B
April 28th, 2006
I was wondering if or when this was coming. A news article caught my eye yesterday. It was a case of being fined for ‘Smoking behind the Wheel’. A driver was fined for smoking and driving in Spain. Although it is not against the law in Spain to smoke and drive, any action that interferes with driving is. This includes us ladies out there that insist on putting on lipstick while driving. Heck, some people I know even drive and drink hot cups of coffee from home while on their way to work!
If I were you, I would be more careful of what you do behind the wheel in Spain. I recon this is going to happen more frequently and maybe is should. Lets face it, doing anything in the car other than driving is a distraction that can cause an accident.
Here is a little story for you. I was sitting at a traffic light with my foot on the break. I took my attention away from the road and the car and started punching an address into the GPS. Without realising it, my foot had lifted slightly off the break pedal and I slowly cruised into the little sports car in front of me. The drive in the sports car was not impressed with me as my car is a huge 4×4 and sustained no damage while his little car had to have the bumper replaced. Now I know it is not serious but it is just an example of how little distractions can cause accidents.
It is also good to see that Spain is now catching up to the rest of the globe on issues like smoking in public buildings like the airport building and restaurants. That really bothered me when I first visited the country. The changes have only taken place about a year ago but it is progress that needs to be applauded.
Whats your opinion?
by Doreen B
April 28th, 2006
I have just gone through the painful process of trying to use my air miles or frequent flying points and what a mission. I accumulated my points with Virgin’s flying club but am not impressed with how they have structured their point system. I am also unimpressed as to how one can spend those miles earned. I tried to book a return flight from Sydney to London but did not have enough miles. Then I tried to book just one way and still did not have enough miles but I was only short of 1640 miles and offered to pay the balance in cash. NO way Jose I was told - you need the air miles - they don’t do air miles combined with cash.
I Then decided to use the air miles to upgrade from economy to premium economy but was told I can’t upgrade from the lowest economy class. I had to pay an extra $1000 for the economy flexi flight before I could use my air miles to upgrade to premium economy. And that’s not the end of it…. because Virgin only allocate X amount of seats per flight for the use of air miles, I had to change my flight dates to accommodate their limited seat availability for the use of air miles. What a pain!
I have checked out Air New Zealands Air-point system and it makes so much more sense. For every dollar you spend you are allocated Air-points so that a dollar = a point. For every 150 points you get 1 Air-dollar. When you look at your Air-points, all you see is your actual Air-dollars. If you have say 3000 Air-dollars and the air ticket costs say $1500 then you will have enough to pay for your trip and still have $1500 left to spend on any other product or air ticket. The Air-dollar literally means money. So, your Air-point Dollars can simply be used like cash to pay for seats. The biggest benefit though is that any seat can be bought on any flight and at any time. There is no such thing as blackout dates and capacity controls and if you are short of Air-dollars for a trip, you can simply pay the rest in cash. Now that’s more my style. Keep it simple Sam!
What do you think? Have you had a similar experience?
by Doreen B
April 27th, 2006
Tallinn has become a very popular destination for British boys about to get married. The latest thing to now is to have your stag party in Tallinn. I guess a big draw card is the cheap beer available in the city. Tallinn has seen an increase in tourism of about 30% in the last two years so that tells you something about this previously quiet little Baltic city. Getting to Tallinn is easy as Estonia Airlines fly direct from London Gatwick to Tallinn Airport. However, we suggest you shop around for cheaper options because other airlines are now cashing in on the cities increased popularity as a weekend break from the UK.
The only thing that saddens me though is that the beer swirling Brits are now extending the bad name of the British people further across Europe. It is only a small portion of the British population that has carried this reputation to Europe and around the globe, but I fear our reputation as a decent nation is fast slipping away.
Why can’t these party people behave in a way that reflects the real Brit? Most Brits are interested in culture, art, music, architecture and history. But that’s just my opinion or perhaps not? One needs to start asking serious questions when restaurants and bars start refusing to let stag party Brits in and are happy to loose the much needed turnover in this part of the world.
Maybe some of us nice decent folk should start visiting Tallinn. There is a good range of Accommodation and tons to do besides get drunk and throw our name away. We can at least try to rescue our reputation. There is a lot more to do than drink and create havoc in this beautiful city. For example, you could take a trip to the Tallinn Zoo (Paldiski Maantee 145), or you could visit their Amusement park (Kopli Bay - Paldiski Maantee 100), the Botanical Gardens (Kloostrimetsa Tee 52), Kadriorg Palace and Art Museum (Weizenbergi Street 37), The Old Town and perhaps the Estonian Open Air Museum (Vabaõhumuuseumi tee 12).
See what I mean? To top it all the food is great and the beer is cheap. Enjoy the culture, the people and the city with style and poise and save our good name. There is no need to get legless, rowdy and cheapening our good name. How does that sound?
Give me your views on this blog please. I want to know what you think.
by Doreen B
April 26th, 2006
I find it really refreshing to see the types of holidays available and especially designed for the people with disabilities. Here is one I found on Cruises - called the Jubilee Sailing Trust. They have two ships especially designed and purpose built for people with disabilities. This is not just a cruise but you get the opportunity to sail the ship as well. Isn’t that so cool!
Indigo Guide has general information about Cruises, which Cruise lines to use and Cruise Destinations etc, if you are looking to take a Cruise.
Like this blog? Dislike this blog? Why not add your comments?
by Doreen B
April 24th, 2006
Now I have a bee in my bonnet about finding destinations for the less able traveler. Since we have a less able family member about to travel for the first time (the first time with his disability that is), it has heightened my awareness about people having to travel with a disability. I have looked a little further into holidays for the Disabled traveler or the less able traveler.
The Algarve is the first one of interest that I came across. This site is owned and run by a guy who is wheelchair bound. He lives in the Algarve and knows it intimately. Take a look at his site ‘Wheeling around the Algarve‘. It offers valuable information on transport, equipment hire, sports and leisure activities and properties for sale, all designed around the disabled traveller.
For more information on the Algarve including Faro, Albufeira, Vilamoura, Alvor, Carvoeiro, Lagos and Tavira, our website gives you tons of information to chew on before you decide where in the Algarve you would like to visit.
My mother-in-law visited the Algarve two years ago with her bowling club and she recons it was the most memorable holiday she has ever been on - and she has travelled extensively!
If you have other suggestions for our readers, please shout.
by Doreen B
April 24th, 2006
I have just booked a long plane flight for my father who is turning 80 in June. Although he can walk around and drive a car quite well, he has had two hip replacement operations and finds moving difficult and tiring. For normal day to day stuff he is mobile enough not to need any help. However the flight we have booked is from the UK to New Zealand and we figured that he will need help getting around the airports.
This long flight means he has to stop in Dubai and Melbourne before arriving in Auckland. Both stops are for two hours where he will need to get off and on the plane again and also needs to keep himself active at the airports, so I did some digging and found information on disabled services for disabled people. These websites are great for the less able travelers: dptac-door to door and flying with disability. I thought I would share this with you as these sites might be helpful to some of you out there who have a disability and are thinking of traveling or if you plan on traveling with a disabled person.
I also discovered that Heathrow Airport has special reserved check in facilities for the less mobile: Heathrow Airport Guide
If anyone has further information about other airport services for the less able traveler, please let us know.
Do you think we should add this information to our site - www.indigoguide.com?
Steve
April 24th, 2006
If you are going to Madrid during the summer months, 02 July-05 September 2006 is the Summer City Festival. The Festival lasts for 2 months and creates a vibrant atmosphere through music, dance, zarzuelas (Spanish musicals), theatre and bullfighting. If you want the taste of real Spain this is the place to be - skip the beach for a change. Naturally all the football fanatics will want to visit the Real Madrid club, which you can do even if there is no match on at the time.
For me the the bullfighting is tops. Madrid’s bullring can hold 25.000 people. Even though the sport has become so controversial, it remains an integral part of the Spanish people and their culture. Experience authentic Spain by watching a Sunday afternoon corrida (bullfight) at La Plaza de las Ventas in Calle Alcala. The season runs from March to October and daily fights are held during the festive season from May to September.
To gather your wits about you after watching a pulse racing, Adrenalin surging bullfight, you should treat yourself to something more relaxing but still upbeat like the Flamenco at Corral de la Moreria. They cater mostly for the tourist industry and it is a well recognised and respected Flamenco nightclub. You can enjoy another true Spanish tradition with first rate, passionate performances from the Spanish dancers.
If you are only spending a weekend in Madrid, you should have enough time to enjoy the above. If you plan on being there longer, Madrid will keep you well entertained. It is one of Europe’s liveliest capitals and boast some of the best museums Europe has to offer. You can also Hire a Car and visit some of the nearby towns named World Heritage Cities by UNESCO, like Alcala de Henares which is 30km from Madrid, Toledo is located 85km away and Aranjuez is 47km from Madrid. There is also ample Accommodation in Madrid ranging from 5 star hotels to budget and backpackers type Accommodation.
Just a word of caution though. Madrid is incredibly hot during the month of August. We have a place on the Spanish coast south of Madrid and our Spanish neighbors, who live in Madrid, are always there during August. They never spend the month of August at home because it is too hot. It may be advisable to avoid August in Madrid.
by Doreen B
April 21st, 2006
Russia is one place on this earth I really have to visit. It holds a romantic fascination for me and I always remember it because of the movie I saw in 1985 called White Nights. Although the movie was filmed in Finland, it still gave me that distinct oppressed feeling that existed in the Soviet Union at the time. If you have not seen the film, I would recommend it highly as the Russia you will visit today is very different. Thank goodness things have changed a lot in recent years and Russia is fast becoming a sort after travel destination.
Moscow is a great place for a weekend break and there are tons of walking tours with friendly helpful and funny tour guides. Moscow’s metro system is one of the best in the world and their stations are something the Russians are very proud of, nothing like the smelly unglamourous stations we put up with in the UK.
Moscow also has many museums and galleries but most of all it is the heart of Russian performing arts including the Ballet. There is also the more well known attractions to visit like Red Square and the Kremlin which are UNESCO World Heritage sites.
For something a little more interesting but more time consuming you could take a Romantic Railway holiday on The Trans-Siberian Express. The trains leave from Yaroslavsky train station in Moscow (you can start or end your journey here) and travel west to Vladivostok on the Pacific coast. They also leave from St Petersburg. You do have 3 different options (traveling across Siberia with the option of including Mongolia and ending in Beijing) for this epic rail ride but all 3 options are enjoyed in luxury, comfort and style.
This train journey takes you on the world’s longest continuous rail line. It runs almost 6.000 miles and crosses eight time zones between Moscow and Vladivostok. Each of the 3 trips will include in-depth exploration of regional capitals, villages and remote towns. It will take two weeks to complete the journey so cancel this idea if you are looking for just a weekend break. For a weekend break in Moscow, you will have plenty of Accommodation types to choose from. If you are taking the train journey, I do recommend that you stay a night or two in Moscow and do a little exploring before or after the train trip.
This is certainly a journey I would love to do. Anyone out there done it?
by Doreen B
April 20th, 2006
I just realised that it is worth mentioning to all the street ravers, that the 2006 Berlin ‘Love Parade’ is back on this year after being canceled due to lack of funding during 2004/5.
Flights to Berlin are a-plenty because of where the city is situated. You can connect to Berlin from so many countries on the continent. You also have the choice of three airports to land at namely; Tegel, Schönefeld and Berlin-Tempelhof.
Accommodation in Berlin is usually a walk in the park price wise because Germany’s prices are amongst the most favourable in Europe. They also have a great variety of Hotels to select from.
As far as accommodation is concerned, I think you should book in advance this year because there are two major events taking place within a week of each other - The Love Parade and the Football World Cup.
Berlin is a very popular destination in Germany year round so if you plan on being there during the July ‘Love Parade’ (the worlds largest techno gathering) then booking in advance is essential. The Love Parade has drawn an estimated 1.5 million people in the past and with it being cancelled for the last two years, I recon it will be well attended again this year because some people may still not be over their ‘Love Parade’ withdrawal symptoms. The parade is going to be held on July 15th, 2006 which is just one week after the Football World Cup, so accommodation is going to be a challenge in my opinion.
OK that’s me on Berlin for now. Let us know what information you want on Berlin? I think we need to do more - what do you think?
by Doreen B
April 20th, 2006
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