Eurostar has launched connections from the UK to 18 Swiss stations in a partnership with high-speed train operator Lyria. Journey times from London’s St Pancras range from 6.5 hours to Geneva, to 7.5 hours to Zurich and Bern. Prices start from GBP100 one way, making this a potentially cheaper mode of travel than even discount airlines.

Can we tempt you to visit Geneva?

Home to a million clocks, a thousand non-government organizations and a hundred Benneton ads, Geneva is a true global city, very beautiful and proud of its rich heritage.

Geneva is not the capital of Switzerland, as most people believe, and is actually only the third largest Swiss city. But Geneva is slick, cosmopolitan and very international. Four out of 10 Genevans were born in another country.

Geneva is known as a seat of world diplomacy, having served as the birthplace of the Red Cross and as an important base of the United Nations. It hosts the headquarters of the World Health Organization and will be one of the host cities of the European Football Championships in 2008.

Most people in Geneva speak French or English but there are also many people who speak Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Arabic, Italian and Swiss German.

In 1541, Geneva was still an independent republic when it aligned with Protestant Rome. The Reformation played a central role in the city’s history, influencing its administration, economy and politics. In 1813, Geneva became the République et Canton de Genève, a Swiss Canton,

A key moment in Geneva’s history occurred in 1602 when the city turned back the invading army of the Dukes of Savoy to retain its liberty. This historic moment is celebrated during the Escalade, the city’s most important annual festival.

Geneva welcomes its tourists with open arms. It offers them countless museums and prominent landmarks as well as exquisite dining and an eclectic nightlife. Geneva has much to offer, from its beautiful and peaceful setting to its international flavor and sense of adventure.

Attractions

Tourists are usually eager to visit the Jet d’Eau, the most famous landmark in Geneva. But Vienna’s residents know that the real treasures lie in Old Town (vielle ville) where visitors can get an idea of life in Geneva during the 18th century. From there, it’s a short uphill climb to the Cathédrale St-Pierre and its archaeological excavation and a brief walk to a host of other attractions.

Here are some of the most popular tourist attractions in Geneva.

The Jet d’Eau

Located at Lake Geneva, the Jet d’Eau is a water fountain that spews water 140 meters up into the sky. It was originally conceived to release pressure from the Rhône River and, in 1891, the city decided to make the fountain a permanent display. The best time to admire the Jet d’Eau is at night when the lights are on. Make sure to watch it from a distance unless you want to have an impromptu shower. Admission is free.

Cathédrale St-Pierre

Located at Place St. Pierre atop the old town, Cathédrale St-Pierre is now visited mostly for the old archaeological site dating back to the 3rd century BC and until the old cathedral was built in the 12th century. An underground passage connects the International Museum of the Reformation to the old cathedral. Another building, the Auditoire, houses the Espace Saint-Pierre, a museum devoted to both tradition and modernity.

International Museum of the Reformation

This museum traces the history of the Reformation movement in Geneva through rare books, old manuscripts, paintings and other relics of the Reformation. It now boasts of a state-of-the-art audio-visual presentation that sheds light on the Reformation’s spiritual and cultural elements.

Palais des Nations

Located at 14 Avenue de la Paix, the former headquarters of the League of Nations boasts of beautifully manicured grounds, a spectacular Assembly Hall and a formidable collection of art. You’ll need your passport to gain entry.

International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum

This is one of the best museums in Europe and a tribute to the Red Cross, which was founded in Geneva. It is a testament to the organization’s service to people everywhere during times of war and natural disasters. The photos and display items found here are striking.

Musée ARIANA

Located at Avenue de la Paix 10, this museum contains over 16,000 ceramic items found in Asia and Europe. It’s located at the previous site of the United Nations building.

Conservatory and Botanical Gardens

Located on the waterfront, the conservatory has over 16,000 international plant species.

CERN

Funded by 20 countries, CERN is a science and technology think tank that studies particle physics and occasionally introduces new inventions such as the World Wide Web. It has a popular Microcosm display that features the Big Bang and other phenomena. Guided tours are available.

Musée d’Art et d’Histoire

Located in Old Town, this museum was conceptualized as an encyclopedic museum devoted to the history of western culture. It has a huge collection of painting, sculptures and displays.

Musée d’Histoire Naturelle

Also located in Old Town, this museum is famous for featuring the stuffed bodies of every tiger species ever recorded. Children love it here.

Patek Phillipe Museum

Fans of Swiss watches or watches in general will be impressed by the extensive collection of quality timepieces on display here. The oldest watch dates back to the 13th century and is still ticking. Most of the watches were made in Geneva and other places in Switzerland.

Promenade des Bastions

It’s a huge monument to Reformation featuring statues of the forefathers of the movement. There are smaller statues that depict important moments in Reformation history.

Tour de L’Île

Located in Old Town, the ruins of the Tour de L’Île fortress are impressive. It was once a key fortification of the medieval city.

Dining

Geneva is Switzerland’s capital of food. It has a wide variety of food that caters to every conceivable taste, which is a direct benefit of the city’s having a large international community. Geneva’s native food specialties such as fondue are an absolute delight to the taste buds. The bad news is that Geneva is probably the most expensive city in what is regarded as an expensive country.

The following are some of the best restaurants in Geneva.

Edelweiss

For tourists who are eager to soak themselves in Swiss culture, this is probably the best place to try out authentic Swiss food. High on its list of specialties is the cheese fondue as well as other lesser known Swiss delicacies. They also have a live band that sings nothing but folk music, complete with the yodeling singers. The only thing missing in this Swiss restaurant are the Swiss since it’s mostly patronized by tourists. Edelweiss is located at Manotel, Place de la Navigation 2.

Café des Négociants

Everything about this restaurant is hip, from its food and wine to its wonderful design. Diners can look around the restaurant’s wine cellar and choose their bottle. Naturally, the desserts are hip as well. If you plan to eat here, book your reservation about a week in advance as it tends to get very crowded. It’s located at 29 rue de la Filature.

Le Triporteur

Located at 33 rue de Carouge, Le Triporteur appears to be as expensive as any swanky restaurant in Geneva but, for such a high-end place, tourists are pleasantly surprised at how cheap dining here costs. It’s an excellent place for couples and an ideal venue to impress a date. The ambience is romantic and discrete.

Café des Bains

If you want to dine with the beautiful people, this is the place. Located at Rue des Bains 26 in the city center, Café des Bains is a favorite dining spot of artists and models. The house specialty is pan-fried king prawns. Naturally, they also have plenty of fine vegetarian dishes for their figure-conscious clientele.

Bars and Nightlife

A city with such a large international community as Geneva will surely have an eclectic mix of bars, pubs and nightclubs. The following are some of the best nightspots in the city.

Alhambar

Located at Rue de la Rôtisserie 10 in the Old Town, Alhambar sits right atop the Alhambra Theater. As such, it consistently draws the good-looking theater crowd who all love to dance to the beat of the house DJs. Feathers hang from its ceiling while lamp shades with zebra prints adorn every table in the place. Alhambar also serves brunch on weekends.

Pickwicks

Of the dozen or so British pubs in Geneva, this is probably the most popular. It’s filled to the rafters during football nights as the raucous expatriates sip Guinness while cheering on their favorite team. There’s dancing on Saturday nights but most people come here for the drinks. It’s a very friendly place and also serves some of the best burgers in town.

Plaine de Plainpalais

This area located south of Old Town hosts over a dozen excellent bars and clubs. It draws a lot of students and young professionals, especially since the Université de Genève is just around the corner. Among the best nightspots in this area are Remor, Moloko Bar, and l’Ethno.

La SIP

SIP stands for “Soul Influenced Product,” and it’s one of the biggest and most popular nightspots in the city. The ground floor is a bar while the second floor is a dance club. It regularly draws a huge crowd every night composed of both locals and foreigners. Located at rue des Vieux-Grenadiers 10, the music is mostly mainstream. It’s open until 5 a.m. every night.

Weetamix

Located at 37 Chemin Jacques Philbert, Weetamix isn’t easy to find but it certainly has a lot to offer. This club features the best electronic music in Geneva, courtesy of international DJs from the US, UK and France.

Shakers

This is the place for a fun wild night, helped along no doubt by the strong cocktails that they serve. Shakers has a magnificent dance floor and is a favorite haunt of English-speaking tourists. It’s located at rue Winkelried 4.

Getting to and Around Geneva

Nearly all European carriers and airlines from many major cities serve the Generva International Airport.

From the airport can take the bus, train or a taxi to the city center. From 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., a bus (Number 10) leaves the airport to the 22 Cantons stop every 15 minutes. Trains leave the airport every 20 minutes and stop at the main train station in the city. Tickets for both bus and train cost 3CHF, good for one hour of travel. The airport also offers free bus and train tickets at the Geneva Transport kiosk near the arrival terminal, and they are enough to get you into the city center. Meanwhile, a taxi into town usually costs around 30 CHF. There are plenty of taxis outside the airport terminal.

Once inside Geneva, it’s easy to get around as there’s a wide array of transport at your disposal, including buses, trams, trolly buses and taxis. Tickets can be purchased at any stop. If you’re staying for several days, you will save more with a week-long pass.

Driving around the city can be difficult as parking is hard to find. Most tourists prefer to take a taxi around Geneva, and rates are cheaper if you’re in the city limits. Phone to order a taxi instead of waiting for one on the streets.

Many people get around Geneva by walking, and tourists should try that as well, especially near Lake Geneva or around Rhone River. If you want to cover more ground, rent a bicycle for a day or half-day. It’s also possible to borrow a free bike from May to October around Genève Roule.

Naturally, the best way to get around Rhone River is by boat and there are hourly daytime excursions available, unless it’s raining. These trips are either full-day or half-day. Couples prefer to take the evening cruise. Tickets are available at Quai du Mont-Blanc, which is also where the boat trip begins. There are also daytime excursions available on Lake Geneva.

Festivals and Events 

Geneva has a host of lively festivals throughout the year. Here are some of the most notable among them.

L’escalade

The biggest event in Geneva’s festival calendar is L’escalade on December 11 which celebrates a remarkable event in the city’s history: turning back the Duke of Savoy’s army in 1602. One story that locals love to recreate: as the army invaded Geneva, one of the local housewives poured a steaming cauldron of vegetable soup on a soldier’s head and repeatedly bopped him over the head until the soldier made a hasty retreat. Today, Genevans celebrate by eating large amounts of chocolate, not soup. The locals don period costumes and participate in processions around town which culminate in a large bonfire in front of the cathedral.

Fêtes de Genève

Held every August, this national day is celebrated over two weekends with fireworks, parades and free musical concerts. Some say this occasion features the best fireworks display in Europe every year. People have picnics all over the city and there is dancing in the streets.

Bol d’Or

This is the biggest yacht race in Europe. Every June, Lake Geneva is filled with over 600 yachts that participate in a joyous race to the end of the lake and back. The crowds cheer lustily as Lake Geneva becomes a sea of bobbing white sails.

Fête de la Musique

During three days in June, about 40 stages are set up all over Europe for a series of free musical concerts. Performers cover the gamut of musical styles, including jazz bands, chamber orchestras, punk rock, electronic music, drum and bugle bands, children’s choirs and others. The main venues for this musical extravaganza are Parc des and l’Usin

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Bucharest, Romania The majority of Bucharest’s architecture that you see today is made up of buildings that were constructed during the communist regime. Can you imagine that one-fifth of the city was actually demolished so that the Casa Poporului could be built in its place? Step back in time and visit the Village Museum. It is an interesting outdoor museum with a collection of more than 300 buildings that make up the history of Romania’s rural architecture. Here you can see peasant homes, barns, wooden churches and Transylvanian houses that all recreate a village setting.

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Bern, Switzerland According to legend, Bern was named when its founder, Berchtold, was advised to go on a hunt and to name the town after the first beast caught. The bear has remained the symbol of the capital city ever since. One of the oldest and most charming cities in Europe, its old centre was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site for the preservation of its cobbled medieval street plan, with many ornate fountains, towers, a massive astronomical clock, and buildings much the same as they have been for the last 500 years. With its relaxed atmosphere, farmers markets and friendly people, it is easy to forget that this is the Swiss capital, an important city of politicians and international meetings. And with its interesting museums, theatres, long-standing monuments and landmarks Bern is a popular base from which to explore the mountains and lakes of the nearby Bernese Oberland.

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Cannes, France. Cannes, one of the best-known cities on the French Riviera. The famous and jet set flock to Cannes especially during the annual Cannes Film Festival. For beach lovers then there is Cannes sandy beach but remember that most of the beach areas are private and you will need to pay for access. The Le Suquet area is an original fishing village that has appealing narrow streets which climb up to the top where you can get a wonderful view of the city.

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Savvy shoppers make a bee line for Queen Victoria market.

To get your bearings of this great city head for the 55th floor of the Rialto building where you will find the Melbourne observation deck.

A must see while you are in the city is Cooks cottage, complete with a pretty cottage garden and relics of Captain James Cook.

The cottage was actually built in England in 1755 but transported to Melbourne in the 1930’s.

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About 50 designers show their collections at this major event. Some shows are open to the general public, but on the final day of the week everyone can join in the fashion extravaganza when Aotea Square becomes a hive of fashion, music, markets, and interactive and educational activity for all.

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The next morning we got up bright and ate a good breakfast before setting out to catch the metro into the city centre. Milan’s metro is clean and efficient but it was difficult to navigate unless you speak Italian. There are hardly any signs in the stations and tickets are only available from shops and newsagents and there were no self service ticket machines like you see in other cities. After finally buying a ticket we had a quick journey into the centre. We stopped and exited the metro and we came out on the central square which is home to the Duomo, Milan’s impressive cathedral one of the largest churches in the world. The cathedral has 135 spires and 3,400 statues. It was commissioned in 1836, but it didn’t get finished until the early 1800s. The Duomo has spent several years under restoration and covered completely in scaffolding which was luckily removed during our visit. After a great stroll around this massive and impressive building we ventured to the nearby Galleria Vittorio which is Milan’s famous shopping area and home to many top notch designer boutiques and restaurants. The Galleria Vittorio leads directly into another square which is home to the famous La Scala opera house.

That evening we decided to get tickets for the Milan Philharmonic at the La Scala theatre which was a great performance. However we made one small mistake we bought our tickets which cost about 12 Euros rather than buy the tickets for 20 and although we could hear everything we couldn’t see the orchestra, because we were right up in the top tier. So it would have been better to have spent the extra money to see the orchestra.

The following morning we decided to take a tram tour. It was on the tram that was built in 1820 and has been renovated solely for tour rides. It starts near the palace and goes around the city for about 90 minutes. You get given headsets with a choice of different languages and the narrator explains the sights along the way. Once we had fished we had a walk through the Castello (Castle) Sforzesco and the park situated behind it. The castle was built by Francesco Sforza as his residence and fortress in 1450.

Since most of the museums are closed on Monday in Milan we decided to go as visit Bergamo which is an ancient town situated in the Italian Alps. So we headed for Central Station of Milan which is huge and looks like it is made of white marble and you also get a great view of the famous Pirelli Skyscraper, which was one of the first in modern Europe. So we jumped on the train and after about an hour we arrived in Bergamo which was is a really nice town. From Bergamo station you get great views of After a pleasant stroll through the streets and a sit down in a small cafe with a slice of real Italian Pizza and Ice Cream we hopped on the Funicalar railway which takes you to the more interesting place of Citti Alta. Here you can just wader around the narrow alleyways and charming little streets of this medieval town which has hardly changed over the years. The views from the top are awesome and overlook the whole of Bergamo and the Po Plain heading towards Milan. We then wandered to the centre of the old town and to Piazza Vecchia which is home to the cities cathedral and other historic buildings. After a another stop for some great Italian coffee we headed back to Milan.

The following morning we went out on another walking tour again. We walked over to the Cenacolo Venciano which is where Leonardo Da Vinci’s famous masterpiece, which he completed in 1498, is kept. Unfortunately there were slots available for visits because the museum only allows a certain amount of visitors in at a time and then only 15 minutes per group. The museum was booked solid right until the end of May 2009 so we were unable to get in.

From the museum we went and saw the Basilica San Lorenzo Maggiore, which was built between the 4th & 5th centuries. There are 16 columns made of marble, which stand in front of this church and are the most important remains of Mediolanum, capital of the Roman Empire of the West, they belonged to a Roman building of the Imperial period 2nd or 3rd century B.C.they were either baths, a temple or a palace. They were then bought here in the IVth century and lined up to form the front of the Basilica of San Lorenzo.

Our hotel was actually located close to the fashion district and Milan is definitely the fashion capital of Italy. We managed to do a couple of hours of window shopping and If there’s a brand name you want in fashion, shoes, or bags then Milan is definitely the place to go.

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One of our first stops in Cape Town was the V&A waterfront this is a rejuvenated docklands area with beautiful chic bars, restaurants and plenty of designer shops. This is where people come to be seen and is a cool place to come where you can munch on good food and listen to jazz players that play in the courtyards. Once we were refreshed we made our way back into central Cape Town via Government avenue where we some how managed to we get chased by massive , courageous and extremely over fed park squirrels!!

The next place visited was Robben Island. This is an island which is home to a maximum security prison which has housed thousands of political prisoners over the last 400 years. The most famous inmate was none other than Nelson Mandela. We started by having a bus tour of the island where we were shown the main sites. This was followed by a guided tour of the prison grounds by a former prisoner which also included a look at Mandela’s former cell. The prison was an interesting place we were given plenty of information and a good insight into the political persecution of many people not only during the apartheid years but also during the periods of colonial rule.

The next day we did a township tour. For those who don’t know a township in South Africa is where a large proportion of the black community live. Even though the apartheid era has finished, in Cape Town, and other major towns and cities you will still find townships on the outskirts of town. Townships are extremely populated and more often than not the accommodation are shacks made out of anything that the owner can get their hands on. We decided to do this tour so that we could get a better understanding of how the black communities live now in South Africa and to gain a view of the things that happened during the Apartheid era. Firstly we drove through a vacant area that everyone knows as ”District 6″. This is basically a whole suburb that was flattened during the apartheid period and people were forced to abandon their houses and businesses and simply get out of the area. All the buildings were then knocked down. It felt like we were going through an old war zone.  We then went to a museum   which showed a more personal account of the tragedies that happened here. Part of the township tour included visits to different local businesses and up and young entrepreneurs just trying get somewhere is life.  There was the man who was making flowers out of cans and tins.  Vicky’s B&B where a lady is providing the first accommodation in a township area, Rosie’s soup kitchen this wonderful lady supplies several hundred local children with food 7 days a week, funded by the church and other donations and then finally we went to a local beer hall. Once the township tour had finished we made our way back to the hotel and we came away with a better understanding of modern day life in Cape Town but at the same time you can not imagine the extreme poverty, dense constructed and dangerous housing until you actually see it for yourselves.

The following day in the afternoon we caught the cable car to the famous Table Top Mountain. Once we reached the top we were able to see some unbelievable views of Cape Town. You can see the whole of the central town area, across the posh suburbs of the Clifton district and down along the vast western coast line. We decided to walk down the mountain which took us about 1.5 hours to complete but as tiring on the legs it was well worth it.

Because of huge size of South Africa we decided to hire a car for the period that we were there. We got an amazing deal with Hertz which was a bit of a shock !!. Our first adventure was a drive around the city of Cape Town so that we could easily visit the sea side district of Clifton. Clifton has 4 beaches and really has to be seen to be believed. The area had a very LA feel and you kind of forgot that you were in South Africa. There were college boys playing beach volleyball, and locals bathed on their lawn filled gardens of their beach front properties. When I say beach front these buildings are in the sand right on the foreshore. We then headed along the Atlantic coastline taking the scenic route so that we could see the likes of Chapman’s peak before making our way into Table Mountain national park and the Cape of Good Hope nature reserve.  Whilst on the road we passed through a baboon population feeding on the side of the road thank god we didn’t hit anything. Once inside the reserve we headed to Cape Point look out and also the Cape of Good hope. We then went towards Hermanus which is a small town famous for whale watching  unfortunately we were out of whale season!

After spending the night at Hermanus the next stop for us was Mossel Bay. Mossel Bay is a fishing town it has a lovely harbour with plenty of fishing boats and seafood restaurants. In Mossel Bay we visited the Bartholomeu Dias Maritime museum which houses a replica of the Dias the Portugese vessel which was used in 1488 on the voyage of discovery. 

Our next stop was Stellenbosch which was a beautiful town and just a 40 minute drive from Cape Town. There are hundreds of wineries in the surrounding areas and one of the ones we visited was the Le Pommier winery. This was a boutique winery that sells only from the cellar door and has won many world awards. We did a tasting tour and got to taste some great wines. After that we made our way back to Cape Town where we enjoyed our last few days at the beaches before heading home.

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From Oxford Street you can easily walk to Regents Street another fashionable street where you can find the likes of Burberry and other designers. For something a little different then visit Liberty a very different and unique shop where you can find plenty of great gifts which are unusual and different. Located on Oxford Street close to Bond Street tube station is the massive Selfridges Store. A fantastic departement store with a fantastic fod hall and six other floors of shopping delights Zoo with hundreds of stuffed toys in a great display. The kids can certainly spend hours and hours here. For some exclusive shopping in some of the top fashion boutiques then a trip to Londond would not be complete without visiting Bond Street which is probably London’s most prestigious street. Bond Street is not for the faint hearted here you will find the likes of Chanel, Tiffany, Versace and Gucci and plenty of others.  Most people around the world have heard of the famous Harrods department store located in Knightsbridge. Harrods is Londons most famous department store and is probably the worlds. A trip to London is not complete without a visit to Harrods. Enjoy a glass of wine in the stores restaurant although one glass will probably set you back around 20 GBP. And if by now you haven’t had enough of shopping then Harvey Nichols is located just a short distance from Harrods.

So once you all shopped out and want to relax and unwind what options do you have in a busy city… I would recommend that you head to Covent Garden. Covent Garden has a rich history dating back to the Roman Times however it is now famous for its shops, street performers, bars, restaurants, and is home to the Royal Opera House. Take a wander around the famous Apple Market located in the heart of Covent Garden. Everyday many street performance take place and if you lucky you maybe able to catch the likes of Keane and The Feeling busking in the square. Covent Garden is definitely the place to be seen and the restaurants are not the cheapest but where else can you enjoy a live street performance surrounded by the rich and famous..

So at the end of the first day you maybe asking yourself where to go for a good night out and the answer is Leicester Square. This is one of the busiest spots in London and is home to plenty of Buskers which entertain the crowds with their performances. For those looking to dance the night away then head to the Hippodrome, Equinox or Maximus. Leicester Square is also surrounded by cinemas and is where many premiers are held, so you maybe lucky enough to catch the stars on the red carpet.
So after a fun night its an early start the following morning.. The first stop is Piccadilly Circus for me this is the heart of London with its famous flashing neon lights and home to the statue of Eros the god of love, here you will find the London Pavilion a large shopping arcade with lots and lots of different style restaurants as well as the famous Rock Circus.

Next stop is Madame Tussauds one of the worlds most famous museums. The entrance price is expensive but the museum is fantastic and here you can rub shoulders with the likes of Amy Winehouse, Madonna and George Clooney.. Madame Tussauds is located in Marylebone and the closest tube is Baker Street.
Ok by now most people will be generally knackered so the best way to see the famous Buckingham Palace is to jump on a tour bus which will gently take you around the city. This is a great way to see the historical sites of London such as the National Gallery, Downing Street, Big Ben and many others.
Finish the day with a trip on the London eye which can either be done in the day or in the evening. During the day you get a fantastic view of London City and you can see for miles and miles. Take the trip for a more romantic feel of the City.

Here are just a few of the famous and must see places in London of course there are hundreds more but that’s for another day.. Do remember to buy a weekend pass or daily pass for the tube and buses which will save you a few pennies and every penny counts in this fantastic city.

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So we headed from London to Dublin in a very short time and arrived a few days before the celebrations so that I could soak up some of the city before embarking on the celebrations on the 17th ..

My first stop was the Guinness Factory which was a lot of fun.  The tour was pretty good and the storehouse which was originally built in 1904 was very impressive. The inside of the building is modeled on a pint glass which was extremely cool.. What was great is that once the tour had finished we were given a token which actually contains a real drop of Guinness inside and also entitles you to a pint of Guinness at the Gravity Sky Bar. The first pint of the ‘Black Stuff” from the original Guinness factory was amazing. We sat around just drinking our pints in the sky bar above the factory which was great.

The second day we headed out of Dublin and visited what is known as Ireland’s Eye. The Island is located just off the coast and we got there by one of the many tourists boats Ireland’s Eye is a small uninhabited Island and the only signs any previous occupation are the ruins of Martello Tower and an 8th Century Church. There are loads of birds on this Island including Puffins which was one of the many that we got to see..

After that we headed back to the city where we just wandered around and due to the parade the following day there were many free events taking place. We headed down to the docklands where there was a free concert taking place which was pretty cool…

The next day was St Patrick’s Day itself… We were awake pretty early as we wanted to get a good spot for the famous parade. After getting all ‘’ greened ‘’ up with our hats, costumes, tattoos etc we were ready to go.  The parade was great it was really colorful and the music was entertaining, everyone dresses up so there are little green people everywhere.  There were lots of street performances taking place which were great to watch.

The St Patrick’s Day parade was great but the festivities started once the parade finishes.. After the parade we headed over to the Temple Bar, which is in a great area with the old cobble stoned pavements and although right in the centre of Dublin it is an area with lots of traditional and quaint pubs.

The Temple bar was packed and the place was electric not just the young but the old were all in the same place drinking pint after pint of Guinness, telling stories of the old days and as the day turned into night they started singing the old folk songs and then the Irish jigs started..

We stayed in the Temple Bar for the remainder of the night which was great fun.. It was fab being in the country where the legend of St Patrick comes from and the Irish certainly know how to enjoy themselves I have never seen so much Guiness…

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Here are 3 recommended restaurants that you can eat your way through if you just have time to visit Berlin for a long weekend

First off you have to taste some German food.  Head for Joe’s Wirtshaus which is one of the largest and most popular restaurants in Berlin.  Here you can choose Berlin specialities such as

Grilled pork sausages with sauerkraut and mashed potato or Pickled Pork knuckle with sauerkraut and parsley potatoes. Vegetarians are not forgotten and have a mouthwatering choice of items such as Noodles Rigatoni with mixed vegetables, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, rucola and balsamic sauce or Small flour dumplings with white wine sauce and 2 different cheese au gratin

The restaurant has their own website so you can check directions and their menu online

Weihenstephaner is the the oldest brewery in the world and have their own Bavarian restaurant complete with seating in the cellar and outside in the summer. The restaurant is located right by Hackescher Markt (Berlin-Mitte). The menu offers such Bavarian specialities as Pork Roast with crackling  in an Original Weihenstephaner dark beer sauce served with potato dumplings and coleslaw with bacon or how about the equally mouth watering Bavarian Style roast beef marinated in vinegar and herbs (Sauerbraten) with pretzel dumplings and red cabbage

Weihenstephaner also has their own informative website

Close to the  Brecht Theatre in the city centre in the government district and not far from Unter den Linden is the cosy Kartoffelkeller restautant. Not fancy or upmarket, it offers good plain potato cooking that will have you comming back for more.  The menu has more than 100 potato dishes and they even have potato desserts such as pancakes with cinnamon and sugar or rhubarb.

Kartoffelkeller  have their own potato website

French is the official language but don’t worry too much about learning French before visiting Quebec. However its nice to brush up on your school days French or take a phrase book, but you will find that most people in the tourist areas of Quebec city can also speak English. 

If it is your first visit to Quebec city, head to the Old Town.  The Old Town can be divided into two parts: Haute – Ville ( Upper Town) and Basse – Ville ( Lower Town) .

If you are  like me and enjoy walking, then you will enjoy Quebec city – Stroll through the narrow streets of the Old Town. See the ramparts that surround Old Quebec.  Much of Quebec citys best architecture can be found east of the fortification walls in Old Quebec and  Place Royale.  Place Royale is one of the oldest settlements in North American. The architecture and narrow streets bring together over four centuries of history.

Quartier Petit Champlain is an attractive area with narrow cobbled streets lined with souvenir shops,gift shops, and restaurants, it’s a great place to spend a few hours and  soakup the  atmosphere with the Chateau Frontenac towering overhead.

Its worth taking a trip outv of the city to explore  Montmorency Falls.  You can take a cable car  to the top for some magnificent views of the falls.

In Quebec city you will see plenty of bicycles, and its a great way to get around!

The world-famous hotel, the Chateau Frontenac is a favourite attraction in the city and it is also seen as the icon of Quebec city. This grand hotel offers a fantastic view of Quebec city and the St Lawrance River. Alternatively head for the  Observatoire de la Capitale. This is one of the tallest buildings in the city and offers some great panoramic views…Plains of Abraham is a huge landscaped park and  offers the best views of  St. Lawrence River

Other places to visit are theNational Museum of Fine Arts, Royal Palace, and the Museum of Civilization. Edifice Price (Price Building) This is Old Quebec’s first high rise building

Book your Quebec hotel online and get the best rates for your Quebec accommodation

http://www.gtahotels.com/cities/quebec_city_qc.htm