Scotland

Germany is a massive country in more ways than one. Sure it’s not quite as big as Australia or the United States in terms of land mass but it’s still up there for things to do. You see Germany has a long history. Even though the land may not always have been called Germany, many of the towns, cities and regions have existed in their own right for a thousand years and longer. So if you plan to vacation in Germany, you won’t be spoiled for things to do.

One thing that is well worth a visit is the Munich beer festival. Let me say, that’s a fine idea as it is one of the truly unique events you might have the pleasure of partaking in. Sure, other countries have adopted the idea of having an October beer festival but nothing beats the one and only original in Munich.

You will meet many German people there in extremely good form. Hmm..let me pnder that one ? I’d suggest it’s the huge quantity of beer that is drunk in no time at all. With this said it’s more about the way it is consumed than anything else.

You have to pay to get into the festival grounds which consists of many large halls and tents. There seems to be three important parts of each hall or tent. The first is a never ending, conveyor belt of beers, the second is rustic music from a lederhosen clad band and the third is many large tables with benches. The table and benches where you drink beer make people sit together and help to break the ice with strangers. In my experience, you are only a few drinks away from making some buddies. And due to the world famous nature of the festival you will meet many people from all over the world but mainly Europe.

The event is so popular that you have to get to the hall or tent that takes your fancy early on. If you are not well ensconced by about 10 am you may find it hard to get a place. After that it’s some serious drinking with a bit a scran thrown into the mix. The best food with beer has to be sausages – ordinary or white sausages (cheese) are really good. Ok, it’s not a five star meal but it certainly complements the beer. You can also get staples of German cuisine like pretzels and sauerkraut.

The are some great sights and must do things in Germany, festivals are particularly popular in Germany and the number one festival is in Munich. It’s known as the Munich Oktoberfest but actually starts late in September and runs through to early October. If you are fortunate to be in Munich around that time you really need to mark a day of beer drinking and general celebration on your calender. Oh and there’s plenty else to do in Munich after you’ve had your fill.

Speaking a bit of German will make your stay in Germany ten times better. If you are searching for a good learn German course ? Visit Rocket German Reviewed for comprehensive reviews on some leading home study German courses that can help you to learn German quickly. You will find a review of Rocket German and Rocket German vs Rosetta Stone

Pros and Cons of Air Travel

The popularity of air travel has been increasing in the past few decades.  One can attribute a number of reasons for this increase in popularity and these are convenience and safety.  The following are some of the positive and negative factors involving air travel.

Disadvantage: Airplanes Cause Pollution.

Pollution is the biggest problem caused by air travel.  Airplanes are responsible for sending greenhouse gases into our atmosphere and these gases contribute for things like global warming.  For those people that try to limit their impact on the planet this could be a serious drawback.  ) Many airlines are trying to become more environmentally conscious these days.  One of the ways in which you could do this is by retrofitting winglet on the aircraft that makes the aircraft fuel efficient. Apart from this the airlines invest a large sum of money to replace their old aircraft by fuel efficient aircraft.

Disadvantage: High Cost

One major disadvantage in traveling by air is its cost. It is frequently much less expensive to fuel up the car and drive to where you need to go instead of flying.  By flying on discount
airline it is possible to overcome this disadvantage of high cost. You can decide to fly in case you get a very good deal on your airfare.

Disadvantage: Fear of Flying

Many people avoid flying for specific reasons. For anyone that has ever been on a flight that has experienced extreme turbulence or some type of other event it can be rather terrifying. 

Advantage: Speed of Travel

One of the major advantages in air travel is that it is able to take you to any of the places where airports are available at a much faster rate than any other forms of transportation.  The duration of travel by road between two different places in the United States may be a few days as compared to travel by flight which will take only a few hours. This helps us to enjoy longer vacations because we have to spend less time traveling.

Advantage: Easy to Travel Long Distances

Another major advantage in traveling by air is that you can travel to far off destinations which are difficult to traverse either by road or any other means.  We can fly to any destination around the world. Some of these flights might prove to be quite long but they are still much shorter than if you had to rely on alternative means of transportation.

Advantage:  Safety

One of safest mode of travels out of all the forms of travel available is air travel.  Car accidents wherein people die happen in thousands every year. Similarly, there is no dearth of train accidents. Air travel related disasters do happen but they occur much less frequently.  Many people decide to travel by air since they feel that it is safer to fly than going by other means of transport.

Choosing air travel is a personal decision, based on the factors discussed above along with a multitude factors not discussed here.  For most travelers safety, speed of travel and cost are the over riding factors.  As long as cost remains affordable air travel will continue to grow in popularity.

Cardiff is not only the Welsh capital city, but it is also the most popular tourist destination in Great Britain besides England’s capital, London. The city of Cardiff is also the largest Welsh city, but it remained only a small town until the start of the 19th century. It was during the early 1800’s when the small Welsh town of Cardiff saw itself grow into an immenely important port involved in the transportation locally mined coal, plus other local industry. Cardiff received city status, from King Edward VII of England, on the twenty eighth of October 1905, but, weirdly, it only became the capital city of Wales on 20th December 1955. After Cardiff was declared the capital it soon became the perfect place for a number of national institutions, including the University of Wales Registry Building, the National Museum of Wales and the Welsh National War Memorial. Over the last few decades the Cardiff Information and Technology sector of business has experienced dramatic rates of expansion as well as, although to a lesser degree various other areas of business, especially in service industries. Tourism has also witnessed dramatic increases and these days there are large numbers of establishments providing Cardiff bed & breakfast.

Cardiff Castle Keep

Although Cardiff has only been a city for one hundred years, interestingly there has been a castle there for an estimated 2,000 years. The currently standing Cardiff Castle is, most probably, the most popular attraction in the city which can be located in the very heart of the city centre. Visitors can partake in a guided tour around the castle interior, and/or, enjoy a pleasant wander around and about the amazingly picturesque castle gardens. You will also find a newly opened Interpretation Centre at the castle which shows the various stages of development, of the castle, throughout time from Roman times through to the present day.

There are many more modern attractions in Cardiff, including Techniquest, one of Great Britain’s best centres for Science Discovery. At the Science Discovery centre you will find more than one hundred hands on exhibits, designed to both fascinate and entertain all ages. The centre is home to a Discovery Room, a hi-tech Science Theatre, a planetarium and a lab.

There are a great many more attractions to see in Cardiff, so, if you are currently thinking about spending a few days there it is vital that you reserve your rooms at your first opportunity as, sadly Cardiff hotel and guest house accommodation tend to be alarmingly busy and are often fully booked months in advance. If you are travelling in a group you may find that Cardiff serviced apartments turns out to be a less expensive alternative to bed and breakfast accommodation.

The following sites have comprehensive listings of hotel and guest house accommodation:

http://www.bedandbreakfastdir.co.uk/uk/cardiff.php

http://cardiff.hotelreservationhelper.com/

When people visit England they usually want to see and experience something typically “English”. This may be a visit to Buckingham Palace or the Tower of London but besides the city of London there are few cities which ooze English character more than Cambridge. Visions of wigged judges and barristers walking in strange parades and students riding bicycles along cobbled streets is what springs to many a mind when thinking of English towns and when we look at Cambridge it isn’t too far from the truth.

The most striking thing about Cambridge is the abundance of spectacular architecture, tall spires and churches. In fact between the college buildings (31 of them) of the University of Cambridge and the thirteen superb churches there are such numbers of superb architecture that many ancient buildings which would stand out in other towns across England, simply face into the background. I could go on mentioning superlatives about the quality of the buildings such is the scale of the numbers.

Most well known of all the buildings in Cambridge it is those of the various colleges, such as King’s College, that stand out the most. It is important to note that each college does not consist of merely one fine building as many have several. King’s College has the magnificent King’s College Chapel to be proud of with it’s beautiful Gothic architecture appealing to most visitors. This neo-Gothic masterpiece was designed by William Wilkins in the 1820s having been commissioned by King Henry VI of England. If you are visiting Cambridge you will be pleased to learn that it is possible to visit King’s College and a few others but they now charge a small admission fee.

Besides the wonderful colleges there are a few other places well worth visiting in Cambridge. There are a number of fine museums and galleries. Out of them all I would suggest that The Fitzwilliam Museum should be top of any visitor’s list of places to visit in Cambridge.  Home to the vast collection of Viscount Fitzwilliam which was bequeathed in 1816. The museum has benefited greatly by numerous donations over the years and it now incorporates a surprising number of private collections. My most favorite bit of the museum is in the Lower Galleries which is home to spectacular Egyptian sarcophagi and mummies as well and various items from the fifth century onwards. The Upper Galleries are mainly concerned with artistic works such as paintings and sculptures.

If you are visiting Cambridge it is important that you book your accommodation early and with this in mind here are a couple of Cambridge accommodation sites which have comprehensive listings:

Bed & Breakfast in Cambridge - http://www.bedandbreakfastdir.co.uk/uk/cambridge.php

Hotels in Cambridge – http://cambridge.hotelreservationhelper.com/

During my formative years I travelled around the United Kingdom, mainly during the summer months and mainly in the country of England. One of the places, besides the city of Liverpool, in which I spent most time, was the seaside town of  Southport, also in Merseyside (although locals would prefer it was still part of Lancashire and even choose to address letters as such!). Winter wasn’t much fun in the town but come summer it came alive with the most wonderful atmosphere.

Southport is a pretty Victorian seaside town found on the English North West coast. Visitor attractions include, Southport Pier, Hesketh Park, Lord Street, Churchtown village, the Botanic Gardens at Churchtown, Botanic Gardens Museum, Wayfarers’ Arcade plus a great many more besides. Lord Street is Southport’s famous main shopping street and all down one side of the street the wide pavements are covered by ornate Victorian iron work and, closer to the road, grow a row of lush green mature trees. Over on the other side of the street are small areas of gardens, garden beds, fountains and even a Victorian styled bandstand. At the very centre of Lord Street is one of the most luxuriant war memorials in Britain, it has a centrally placed obelisk  around which the busy traffic flows endlessly but on either side are two further monuments which feature large columns. It is along Lord Street that you will find some of the finest architecture in the town most beautiful are the enchanting shops  in the covered Wayfarers’ Arcade. Again this little shopping area is Victorian in style and makes a great place to grab something to eat no matter what the weather!

At the very end of Lord Street is the incredibly beautiful, and heavily wooded, Hesketh Park. The park gets its name from the local, and very influencial, Hesketh family who are responsible for much of the town’s character. There are beautiful hidden areas to be discovered within the park with such things as a small garden for the blind, a play park, glass house, bandstand and most prominent is the lovely lake which is home to a healthy gathering of Swans, ducks and other birds eagre to grab food from visitors.

My favourite park in Southport is the Victorian Botanic Gardens found in Churchtown which has a a river come lake which features boats for hire, an ornate bridge, ducks, swans and other wildlife and if you like animals and birds the Botanic Gardens also has a very small zoo, just opposite the museum and cafe.  If you manage to spot a small building set off the main pathway which has a small closed door do not be afraid to enter because it is a lovely hot house that, luckily, tends not to get too busy.

Outside of the Botanic Gardens is the village of Churchtown, a lovely collection of ancient white and thatched cottages, fishermen’s cottages and a superb public house or two serving food. While there it is vital that you take the time to walk around investigating, do not be afraid to look down alleys because there are one or two hidden gems well worth the effort to find.

Finding Southport bed and breakfast is not too difficult as there is a wide selection of guest houses and hotels in the town centre and in the outskirts, most of which are able to take online bookings. There are Southport hotels suitable for all budgets and tastes from from the truly luxurious to some which are far more cheap and cheerful but wholly acceptable.

We hope that you find the following sites useful in finding accommodation in Southport:

http://www.bedandbreakfastdir.co.uk/uk/southport.php

http://southport.hotelreservationhelper.com/

It has been a while since I posted a blog here as I have been busy working on a new travel related site which covers the whole of the United Kingdom and focuses on providing the most comprehensive bed and breakfast accommodation listings on the Internet (well that is the aim). Today I took a look at the town of Bristol which I have not visited since my mid teens. I remember it clearly as a gorilla escaped from the amazing Bristol Zoo while I was staying with family. These days I have no family there so I will have to stay in Bristol bed & breakfast so finding the cheapest available has been my main aim. In the blog below I introduce the  reader to the wonderful city of Bristol, a great place for a family vacation but also highly suitable for a wild weekend break:

Clifton Suspension Bridge, Bristol

The city of Bristol has a rich and varied history, making it an ideal city to visit. At one time Bristol was amongst the top three medieval towns after London. The city was also one of the most important trading ports in England, and during the 1300’s handled most of England’s trade with Ireland. In 1373 Bristol became a county in it’s own right, and it was during this time that the city became a hub of shipbuilding and manufacturing. It is Bristol’s rich cultural history that makes it one of the most exciting cities in England today.

Bristol has a very diverse arts scene, and has bred some very talented and famous artists throughout the years. Did you know that Wallace & Grommit started their life in Bristol, and that Cary Grant also hailed from Bristol. Banksy also created his most famous works of art in Bristol. The City Museum & Art Gallery is a free attraction worth visiting, and contains precious works of art, natural history, ancient artefacts, archaeology and a continually changing range of exhibitions and events. For a truly unique arts centre experience then visit Spike Island. This centre concentrates on the production and exhibition of the contemporary visual arts, which incorporates many aspects from painting and printmaking to multimedia and moving images. If you prefer a more traditional art gallery, then The Royal West of England Academy would be ideal. It was Bristol’s first art gallery and has over 1200 works of art dating from the 19th century to the present day.

There are plenty of tourist attractions for youngsters in Bristol too. Why not visit Bristol Zoo Gardens which houses over 450 different species of animals. The zoo is also helping in the conservation of mammals, amphibians, and insects from all over the world. If horses are your favorite animal then a trip to Horseworld would be ideal. At horseworld you can meet rescued ponies, donkeys and horses, and also take part in hands-on feeding. Another two attractions of interest in this genre are Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm and Avon Valley Adventure & Wildlife Park. Both of which provide everything you will need for a great family day out.

Bristol can boast about the fact that it is the UK’s first Cycling City. There are fantastic facilities and cycling routes all over the city, which are for the use of locals and visitors. Bristol is also one of the few cities that can claim a Fair Trade Status in the UK, and is also a tribute to green living and sustainability, due to its support of local food producers and growers over a long period of time.

Travelling to and from Bristol should not pose any problems as it has wonderful rail, road and air links. Bristol is located 105 miles west of London, and 44 miles east of Cardiff. Within a short travelling distance of this vibrant city one can find the peaceful towns, villages, and rolling green hills of Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and North Somerset countryside.

If you are looking for accommodation in Bristol then we hope you will find the following sites useful:

Bed & Breakfast in Bristol – http://www.bedandbreakfastdir.co.uk/uk/bristol.php 

Hotels in Bristol – http://bristol.hotelreservationhelper.com/

Apartments in Bristol – http://www.bedandbreakfastdir.co.uk/uk/bristol_apartments.php