Being a fan of impressionist art I had a wonderful time in Auvers-sur-Oise, where I was able to discover some of the settings for Van Gogh’s art masterpieces. My favourite was that of the Eglise d’Auvers-sur-Oise. The little town was so peaceful and we had a picnic on the grass before continuing our travels to his grave.
By crossing over a few fields I came to the site of Van Gogh’s resting place. In the far corner of the cemetry.
A great little visit which is not far from the center of Paris, less than 20 miles and I believe accessible by train from Paris.

Inaugurated in 1795 and enlarged until 1892 to achieve ten hectares, the Botanical Garden of Palermo is also the seat of the scientists of the department of botanical sciences. It contains specimens coming from all over the world, and its buildings are of a neoclassical style. To see: The Gymnasium, the Tepidarium and the Calidarium designed by French architect (more…)

Belèm has its own identity. It is a district located near the river Tagus which conceals many sightseeing places to discover absolutely. La Tour de The Belèm tower is, for example, (more…)

What better way to see a city than by touring around it by boat! Take New York’s Circle Line from Pier 83, Hudson River at West 42nd Street. An amazing 2 hour boat tour with animated commentary. Many of the city’s tourist attractions can be seen such as the Chrysler Building, the Brooklyn Bridge, The Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, World Trade Center Memorial, the United Nations Building….and the list goes on.
After the tour explore Fifth Avenue for some shopping, see the billboards in Times Square, attend a musical on Broadway and embrace the New York atmosphere

PROST!!!!!(cheers) Oktoberfest is an amazing 16 day beer festival held during the months of Septmber and October in Munich, Germany.
Held in an area called Thersienwiese, a huge field accessible by train from the city center. Many beer tents are set up by the various breweries, serving lager in steins (1 litre mugs) I was told that Hofbrau was the best tent to go to and they definitely wern’t wrong!!! I had a great time there. The atmosphere was amazing, with live Bavarian music and waitresses dressed in traditional dress dirndls (which can be purchased in the city, I myself bought one and wore it for the festival.) Guys can join in the fun too by wearing lederhosen.
Outside the tent is a fun fair and many food venders. Taste the local delicacies of sausage, sauerkraut, kasespatzle and hendl.
A truely amzing experience!!!!
The tents open around 9am, get there early as they fill up really fast!!!
Book your accomodation now as rooms book up seriously fast!!!!

Home of the famous Moet et Chandon Champagne, a trip to Epernay will not disappoint.
I suggest you take the hour long tour that Moet et Chandon propose to you. The guided tour is offered in many languages (check their site for details) and teaches you the history of this famous champagne maker. Watch the video and explore the cellars where the bottles are kept.
At the end of the tour, sample the produce and wander around the boutique. All bottle sizes are available. A really fun tour

We took the train from Paris Gare de l’Est, its about 160 km from Paris.
Very easy to get to

On my way to Strasbourg I decided I wanted to rest and took a pitstop in Metz, a town in the northeast of France in the Lorraine region. A small town with character is what I discovered.
Beautiful churches are found here, such as the St Etienne Gothic Cathedral with magnificent stained glass windows! It was built in the 13th century, and added to in the 14th and 15th centuries.
And the opera theatre of Metz was also quite impressive.

This museum, dedicated to the archaeologist Salinas, has been since 1866 in the former Phillippine convent. Its collection, sprawled in rooms over three floors, contain works from all over Sicily: fronts of temples, bronzes, ceramics, figurines, sarcophagi, coming mainly from (more…)

For impressionist artist enthusiasts I would definitely recommend a visit to Claude Monet’s Garden in Giverny. See where this artist found his inspiration. The beautiful Japanese Water Garden and Flower Garden are marvelously kept. Tour his house and see the replicas of his famous works. (I went to Musée d’Orsay to see the originals.)
The cost of entry was very cheap, 4 euro for students and I think 5.50 for adults.
You won’t be disappointed!!!!

I know, who wants to think about Christmas in August but I can’t help thinking about it
Strasbourg’s Christkindelsmärik is enchanting. A great place for Christmas lovers. Sip some hot mulled wine and chow down on a gingerbread man. Roam around the streets, look at the different stalls with their homemade produce. An,d buy a Christmas hat to get in the Spirit.
I would advise you to book your train ticket early as it is a popular Christmas time destination!!!

What a beautiful city. Barcelona has to be one of my favourite destinations in the world. The laid back attitude and life in the sunshine. Just amazing
Places I would recommend you to discover:

Las Ramblas, the main street, filled with street venders, street preformers, a great place to embrace the atmosphere of the city.
Half way down, on the right hand side of the street is La Boqueria Market, yummy fresh fruit and meat. Definitely go there for a snack.
If you continue down the street we went to see a Flamenco Show which was incredible.
Finally you come to the marina where the Aquarium which houses baby nemos and the IMAX theatre are. Both made very interesting visits!
I continued my journey to the Olympic Museum and Stadium , where you can spend hours recalling the history of the great sporting event
Then walked down the hill to watch the magic of the Montjuic Fountain, a light and water show where the water danced to music.
Of course my stay would not have been complete without visiting Casa Mila
http://www.cityzeum.com/en/casa-mila and Sagrada Familia http://www.cityzeum.com/en/templo-expiatorio-de-la-sagrada-familia Both amazing displays of Gaudi’s architectural genius blew me away.

A great place to call my home, Paris comprises of endless places to visit, monuments to see, arrondissements to discover.
Take the other day for example:
A trip to the Louvre’s Arts Decoratifs wing allowed the honour of viewing none other than Valentino’s artistic creations!!!! His gowns are phenomanal, a definite must see!!
Down the street (rue de Rivoli), one finds Hotel de Ville, the town hall, where an exhibition of Grace Kelly’s life was on display. It was a magical way to discover her life with all the souvenirs she kept, letters from famous people, a chewing gum that a boy from her youth gave her, her wedding dress.
Paris Plage (Paris Beach), along the Seine was also a fun hangout.
Then to dinner on one of the bateaux mouches, a dinner cruise on the seine.

Not a bad day

The Piazza Pretoria of Palermo is known for its fountain which was built in the 16th century, originally destined for a Florentine villa. it was nickname the Square of Shame because of the nude statues that scandalised the sisters of the neighboring convent. The sisters, (more…)

The cathedral carries the name of the 4th century Byzantine monk Issac of Dalmatia, who was cannonized by the Orthodox church. Peter the Great, founder of Saint Petersburg, was born on St. Issac’s feast day, May 30. The first catheral consacrated to the emperor’s patron saint was a modest wooden church. The current cathedral, 100 m high and covering over a hectare was built between 1818 and 1858 by the French architect Auguste Montferrand. it was the city’s main cathedral until the 1917 revolution. The many decorative aspects of the cathedral are due to the various Russian painters, sculpters and artisans of the (more…)

Former reseidence of the Czars of Russia, today, the Hermitage is one of the biggest museums in the world, and a necessity to fully appreciate the culture and heritage of Saint Petersburg. Grouped into five buildings which have each retaiend their ostentatious glory of the imperial era, the museum’s collectiosn tell the evolution of art from prehistory to today. (more…)

The opera and ballet theater with a world renowned reputation, also know by its former name, the Kirov, situated in the Theater Square was built in 1860. The theater, named for the empress Maria, who was married to Czar Alexander II. Marius Pepita, a choreaographer born in Marseille, directed the ballet troupe at the end of the 19th century and created works (more…)

The Palace Bridge, « Dvortsovy » in Russian, located between the Hermitage and the Admiralty, situated between one of the banks of the Neva and Vasilievsky Island, did not exist until the twentieth century. Bulit in 1916, it is 250 m long and owes its name to the (more…)

One of Saint Petersburg’s most beautiful bridges, with its five structures creating an arch, granite obelisks and modern-styled street lamps representing the city’s emblem: a sceptre and two crossed anchors. The brigde connects the Field of Mars with the Petrogradski district. It was constructed by the French company Batignolles and the inauguration (more…)