The new TGV Océane Paris to Bordeaux services begin on 2nd July 2017. Trains will cover the 581km (361 miles) in an astonishing 2 hours and 4 minutes. (For comparison London to Newcastle is 283 miles, and the fastest train takes 2h 47m.) Journey times will be cut by up to 1 hour and 15 minutes. This is an update of… Continue reading
Browsing Category Things to do – various destinations
Daniel Day-Lewis seen filming in Whitby, jet-black town of Dracula
Daniel Day-Lewis has been seen (early 2017) in Whitby, where he is believed to be making his first film since Lincoln in 2012.It seem, too, that he has been reunited with There Will Be Blood director Paul Thomas Anderson. Some insiders think the film will be set in the London (or New York) fashion world of the 1950s…. Continue reading →
The Garden Route – the majestic drive at the foot of Africa
At the foot of South Africa is a spectacular 150 mile journey through the narrow band of land between the Indian Ocean and the mountains. Travellers are seduced by a floral paradise, sands that are wide and white, the double majesty of elephants on land and whales close to the shore, a world record bungee… Continue reading →
Costa Rica’s conservation ethos driving it up green tourism league
Costa Rica is emerging as a leading destination for green tourism. The extensive rainforest will play a vital part in counteracting global warming, serving as a vast bio-sink to soak up carbon dioxide. Tourists create CO2 by flying. But they are an important part of the solution. They provide the cash, and the incentive, to… Continue reading →
Much more to Bayeux than a famous date
It’s one of the most familiar dates in history, when the Normans invaded England and won the Battle of Hastings 950 years ago, on October 14 1066. I visit William the Conqueror’s handsome, historic hometown in Normandy, where the British have favourite visitor status, and track down the links to 1066, the D Day landings, Camembert,… Continue reading →
Football success gives Iceland tourism boost money can not buy
Close to economic melt-down in 2009, Iceland is staging a remarkable come-back. And on June 22nd, this nation of 300k reached the knock out stages of Euro 2016 in France. Forget all the financial computations on the level of improvement in the economy, this single event has done more to promote Iceland positively to the… Continue reading →