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Showing posts from July, 2012

Marseille '10 -'11

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Marseille is a city in the South of France, I lived there for a year so I have a lot to tell you about where to stay, sights, clubs, restaurants, bars and travel.  Marseille and the South is home to the warmest weather in France. Temperatures are as high as 30 degrees in summer and as low was 15 degrees in winter, the heavy winds in winter make it seem colder. Marseille is a nice city, a bit dirty but there are nicer cities in the South including Cannes, Nice and Aix en Provence.  Some of Marseille's best sites are Prado Beach, Calanques, Vieux Port, Palais de Longchamp, Chateau d'If and Notre Dame de le Garde.  Sights Prado Beach is located approximately 20-30 minutes by bus from the Vieux Port, there are a few restaurants by the beach. Prado Beach isn't too sandy but more pebbly but there is another beach further down which is more sandy. Skateboarding, rollerskating and jogging is very popular among the beach. A replica statue of Michangelo's David is adjacent

Ireland:Dublin & Galway March 2012

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This will be a less definitive guide to Dublin and Galway as I am blogging this from memory but I will try and relay as much as I can in as much detail as I can. I must say I never had any desire to go to Ireland but some of my friends from across the world were coming together in Ireland so I had to make the trip. Any boy am I glad I did, first and foremost the Irish are some of the nicest most friendly people I have ever met. They are helpful, considerate and polite. I went to Dublin on St Patrick's Day and it was an unforgettable experience. There were hundreds of people lining the streets and a sea of green, white and orange from hats to scarfs and jackets and gloves. All the pubs are exactly like all the other 'Irish' pubs I have visited in foreign countries, old, mahogany and full of loud, rowdy and drunk Irishmen :) There is also copious amounts of Magners and Guiness, Dublin itself is quite expensive, especially today but it's to be expected and fine for one

Lake Tahoe Dec/Jan '11-'12

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For New Year's Eve my friend and I drove to Lake Tahoe in Northern California. It's roughly a 3 and a half hour drive from San Francisco. It usually snows in winter so skiing and snowboarding is very popular in the winter months. It failed to snow this year (global warming?) so skiing was off the agenda. Tahoe is the place hundreds of Northern Californians go for NYE and is very popular and busy during this time. We were in Tahoe for 3 days and stayed at the  Wyndham South Shore Resort  on the Nevada side. Our room slept 6, included a kitchen, living room, dining table, washing machine, and BBQ in the outdoor patio. There is also a swimming pool and hot tub.  Part of Tahoe is on the Nevada side which is where all the casinos are as gambling is only permitted in Nevada and Atlantic city in America. When buying alcohol it is best to buy it on the Nevada side as its cheaper also. Some of the biggest casinos in Tahoe are Harrahs , MontBleu , Harveys  and Horizon  casinos.Ther

San Francisco December 2011

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I absolutely loved and fell in love with San Francisco when I went, it reminds me a lot of New York with the tall buildings, fast paced and subway system. There are several things to see and do in San Francisco from visiting Alcatraz to Lombard Street to Fisherman's Wharf in addition to several places to go shopping, restaurants and bars.  The weather is slightly colder in winter than Southern California. In winter San Francisco is about 10-15 degrees but is equally as hot in the summer as Southern California.  One thing you have to know about San Francisco is that it is incredibly hilly, I mostly walked whilst there as I was with a local but even if you are travelling by bus or the local trams there will be some walking involved so sensible shoes are a must. When travelling by bus some bus stops are a bit conspicuous, so keep your eyes peeled.  Alcatraz  was a former prison on the island in the 90s and is now a popular tourist destination in San Francisco. Ti

Laguna Beach December 2011

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There are several beachfront and seaside areas in Southern California from Malibu, Huntingdon Beach to Santa Monica and Newport Beach. Laguna Beach is about an hour south of LA by car. It's quite a cute town area with boutique shops, an antiquated cinema, beautiful beaches where volleyball is the main sport. Laguna has a small town feel but is very popular among celebrities for holiday homes and beach houses due to its close proximity to the city and picturesque scenery.  It's best to go drive there before noon to beat the notorious LA traffic and if only going for the day drive back after 6pm. There are several restaurants, stores and bars in Laguna.  The Candy Baron  is a sweet shop in Laguna which has been around for over 2 decades selling sweets from all over the world, retro sweets that are very difficult to find in the average supermarket these days and the popular sweets and chocolate that is sold currently. The Candy Baron stocks sweets such as Flying Saucers