Festival Recommendations In The United Kingdom

There is no experience quite like spending three days at a music festival in the British countryside. The circuit of celebrations that run throughout the summer are an intrinsic part of the country’s culture. I spend most of my weekends during the warm season at one festival or another. Here are my top tips for which events you should ensure you get tickets to:

Get Away To Austria

If you are in the lucky position of being in the process of attempting to plan a get away from the bog-standard normality of your day-to-day reality, then a country that I would certainly suggest you consider visiting is the European nation of Austria. My best friend Bob works for a chain of hotels that have establishments throughout the country and so I am more than able to offer you advice about how best to invest your time while you are there as I visit frequently due to the fact that Bob can get me superb discounts on accommodation in every corner of this mountainous and exceptionally beautiful country.

A Magical Experience

A trip to Scotland is truly a magical experience. Having been to this wonderful country numerous times throughout my life, I have had the opportunity to explore many of the attractions of Scotland. Whether you are staying at one of the lovely hotels in Ballater, a small city that I have grown quite fond of throughout the years, or in one of the country's major cities, you would be quite hard pressed not to enjoy yourself.

Breaking from the Fast Lane: Art in Dusseldorf

In a world of ever advancing and quickly connecting media and technology, it is a wonder that the admiration and appreciation of physical and material art hasn’t waned as a result. With the ability to access almost constant stimulation, it would seem that the quiet contemplation of a painting or a sculpture might be too slow in today’s world. However, we know this is not the case. In spite of the fast-pace of life, or perhaps because of, the ability to silently contemplate a work of art, or discuss it with others, is an activity that keeps of us connected to each other and out of the haze of technology. If visiting Germany and are staying at one of the Dusseldorf trade fair hotels, then there couldn’t be a better place to partake in such activities.

Glasgow at Christmas

Every year, the city of Glasgow comes to life with one of the finest displays of Christmas lights that you’re ever likely to see. The best way to enjoy this annual spectacle would be to check in to one of the many luxury Glasgow hotels, and spend a weekend exploring the many shops, bars and traditional markets of the city.

“On Freedom of Faith”

Whilst being predominately an Islamic country, Azerbaijan consists of a whole range of religious faiths and beliefs due to the fact that there are so many different ethnic groups that live in the country. Whilst it may not seem like it as you sunbathe at your hotel Baku, Azerbaijan is actually a religious country and nothing more than its culture and architecture will exemplify this.

Wedding Plans

Planning a wedding, like so many others, is something that only happens once or twice in a mother's life. This was the first one that I had been put in charge of, and I must admit that it was as stressful as I had heard. Since I wanted everything to be just perfect for my little girl, I put a great deal of effort into my selections.

4X4 Excursion.

One may not expect to find a stay in a small Scotland town to be as exciting as the hustle and bustle of some the country's larger cities, but hopefully this will change your perception.

Elvis Lives on in Dusseldorf

German fans of Elvis Presley no longer have to travel to Graceland to feel the true spirit of ‘The King’. That’s because Dusseldorf is now home to the biggest museum solely dedicated to Elvis Presley outside of the United States.

The Thrill of Competition in Birmingham and Corby

Andrew Carnegie once said ‘while the law of competition may be sometimes hard for the individual, it is best for the race, because it ensures the survival of the fittest in every department’. Competition is without a doubt integral to the way humans have developed throughout history.

A New Domesday Assessment for Corby and Braintree

The Domesday Book completed in 1086 was a survey of all of the wealth in England. It was undertaken by order of William I in order to find out how much each property holder had in land and livestock. This would facilitate the taking of taxes.

Glasgow’s Top 5 Attractions

Scotland boasts a vast array of exciting attractions, and a large number of historic towns and castles. No matter whether you’re staying at a Balmoral Castle hotel, or even a bed and breakfast in Edinburgh; a visit to Scotland makes a great weekend break for anyone who has a passion for history and culture.

Great British Cuisine

Britain has something of a reputation amongst its continental cousins, for producing a particularly bland selection of native cuisine; famous for its fish and chips and flavourless, starchy dumplings, it is no wonder that the British Isles are so often the butt of Europeans’ culinary criticisms.

The 5 Bs – Britain’s Best Cities Beginning with B

Birmingham – second to London in everything from sheer size to political and cultural influence. “The First Manufacturing Town in the World” and thought of by many as one of the big Northern and Midlands industrial cities in heavy decline, all that is about to change. The ‘Big City Plan’ is already in action, aiming to reshape Birmingham’s city centre into one of the 20 most liveable in the world.

What to See in Edinburgh

Edinburgh Castle would be my first recommendation. This wonderful castle is perched on a mighty rock which is an extinct volcano and is very evidently the perfect location for a fortress in the area as far as your eyes will be able to see around it. It is a powerful national symbol and the history of the country is almost completely inextricably linked with it in every era since it was built.

Fed Up with Canadian Cell Phone Coverage

Have you ever noticed the difference in cell phone coverage when you travel abroad? Perhaps it is only me, as I live in the worst country for it, Canada. There is something about this country that has me actually dumbfounded when it comes to our approach to mobile coverage. We pay more, but get less. If anyone can make sense of this please feel free to add to the discussion, or perhaps join me on parliament hill. Yet, I do feel as though I speak from experience.

Edinburgh - a winter wonderland

Booking a trip to Edinburgh? There are so many things to plan ahead, whether it’s getting your tickets for the Edinburgh Festival in the summer and booking into the shows you want to see, or getting ready to visit the Winter Wonderland, an amazing attraction and home to the biggest outdoor ice rink in Europe. If you’re visiting over the new year period, you can be part of Hogmanay, the world’s biggest new year’s street party, where partygoers and new year’s revellers roam the streets drinking, dancing and wholly ignoring the cold to watch the fireworks at midnight. If you’re there for the entire holiday period, you can also visit the German Christmas market great for kids, where you’ll find delicious sweet treats, more sausages than you can shake a stick at and some cute German stocking fillers for Christmas Day. If you’re a history buff, you’ll be spoilt for choice with so many old buildings steeped in history, from the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the royal residence and notorious one-time home of Mary, Queen of Scots, to Grassmarket, the site of a cattle market from the 15th century until the start of the 20th, a focal point of the Old Town. Once the city’s main place of execution, over 100 martyred Covenanters are commemorated by a monument at the eastern end, where the gallows used to stand.

Tour de Scotland

Although you would not think that Scotland is a favourable place to ride a bike, you would be surprised at how enjoyable it can actually be. I am not stating that I am the next tour de France winner, but I do ride frequently, and I have a difficult time leaving my bike at home when our family goes on lengthy trips. I contemplated for weeks whether or not I would take it along with me to Scotland, as the country is well known for hills and dangerous roads. Yet, in the end, I thought it would be more beneficial to have it than to regret it. I am sure glad I came to that conclusion.

Upcoming Events this November In Edinburgh

On the 12 of November 2011 Eddi Reader will be playing at the Queens Hall In Edinburgh on Clerk Street. For those of you who have never heard of her, Eddi Reader, the daughter Welder and the eldest of seven children, was born in Glasgow and spent her early life living in one of the slums of the city. She began to play the guitar at the age of ten and started her busking career in Glasgow and later Edinburgh.

She is a national treasure and it is hard to imagine that she was once a busker on Glasgow’s Sauchiehall street. For those of you who are old enough to remember, she was once the lead singer and songwriter of Fairground Attraction.

Visiting The United Kingdom

The United Kingdom is an ideal destination if you are looking for a country in which you will have an incredibly wide range of possibilities available to you when it comes to deciding how you would like to spend your time. First thing that I would do if I were you is to head for London. Whatever your budget, there will be accommodation available for a price in your range: you could stay in a four star hotel or a cheap bed and breakfast and when it comes to transport you can get black cabs everywhere or you can get an oyster card for the tube and bus.