Tag Archives: what to do

Digital Detoxes to Celebrity Chefs, Experience Next Year’s Biggest Travel Trends

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Digital detoxes, farm-to-fork cuisine and opulent spa treatments are just a few of the travel trends predicted to attract holidaymakers in 2014. With travellers demanding more than ever from their well-earned holidays, Orient-Express Hotels Ltd.’s luxury hotels, trains and cruises offer a range of on-trend experiences and packages to cater to the 21st-century traveller’s every whim.

travel trends

Holidays are no longer seen as an excuse to over-indulge, with an increasing number of travellers looking to maintain their exercise regime during a ‘Fitness Fusion’ break. Guests at Napasai on Koh Samui, Thailand can discover the ancient art of Muay Thai in the hotel’s authentic Thai boxing ring; La Residencé Phou Vao in Luang Prabang, Laos has introduced archery lessons in its UNESCO World Heritage garden; and golf enthusiasts can improve their swing during a golf tour on The Royal Scotsman, the UK’s only luxury sleeper train. Athletic types can discover local sites during a jogging tour with a personal trainer at Hotel Caruso in Ravello, Italy or take on even tougher fitness challenges such as the Angkor Wat Half Marathon at La Residencé d’Angkor in Siem Reap, Cambodia and the Madrid Marathon at Hotel Ritz Madrid in Spain.

Given that many people now sleep next to their mobile phones, it’s unsurprising they crave a ‘Digital Detox’ to escape the demands of modern technology while on holiday. Luxury river cruisers Orcaella and Road to Mandalay in remote Myanmar offer the ultimate switch-off experience, with no Wi-Fi or phone reception to distract guests from the spectacular backdrop of golden temples and remote villages. Limited internet access on board the barges of Afloat in France also encourages quality family time, as children abandon their iPads to help the crew navigate through scenic Burgundy.

The public’s passion for ‘Celebrity Chefs’ shows no signs of waning in 2014 and travellers can now engage with their favourite culinary masterminds on holiday. Next year, some of the UK’s most celebrated chefs including Marcus Wareing, James Martin, Tom Kerridge and Raymond Blanc are set to create pop-up dinners on board luxury UK day train the British Pullman, while Ken Hom will front a new Pan Asian restaurant at the iconic Copacabana Palace in Rio de Janerio, Brazil.

Travellers are increasingly eager to broaden their skillset on holiday with ‘Brain-Boosting Experiences’ led by experts. Next November, acclaimed author Alexander McCall Smith will lead an intimate six-day safari through the setting of his No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series at Eagle Island Camp, Savute Elephant Camp and Khwai River Lodge in Botswana, Southern Africa. Guests at Jimbaran Puri Bali in Jimbaran Bay, Bali can create their own scent during a perfume making workshop, while drink connoisseurs can meet winemakers during Afloat in France’s week-long Grands Crus Cruise and take a four-night whisky tour on board The Royal Scotsman, partnered with The Scotch Malt Whisky Society. Back in the UK, budding chefs can spend a day in the Michelin starred kitchen at Raymond Blanc’s Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in Oxfordshire.

People have never been more conscious of what they eat, with an increasing focus on locally produced, ‘Farm to Fork’ cuisine that extends to their holiday. Guests at Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town, South Africa can experience the trend first hand during an urban foraging experience, collecting culinary treats from the local landscape which are then prepared by the hotel chefs. In another nod to sustainable produce, El Encanto in Santa Barbara, California produces branded cheese using milk from the hotel’s own cow, Ellie, and prepares restaurant dishes using ingredients from an on-site organic garden.

Spas are getting even more creative with their treatments, with a focus on opulent and unusual ‘Treasure Treatments’ in 2014. Charleston Place in South Carolina, USA offers an exclusive 24-carat gold facial, guests at Reid’s Palace on Madeira, Portugal can indulge in a luxurious body treatment using caviar and the spa menu at La Residencia in Deia, Mallorca includes a purifying treatment containing diamond dust.

Once-in-a-lifetime experiences are more popular than ever as travellers strive to make the most of their time away with ‘YOLO’ (‘you only live once’) and ‘FOMO’ (‘fear of missing out’) activities. Guests at La Residencé d’Angkor can capture the ultimate Kodak moment during an open-sided helicopter ride over Cambodia’s world-famous Angkor temple complex. Hotel das Cataratas in Iguassu, Brazil, offers a thrilling flight over the spectacular Iguassu Falls and luxury sleeper train, the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express, evokes the golden age of travel during an unforgettable journey from Venice to Istanbul, passing through Bulgaria, Bucharest, Budapest and Vienna.

Further details or to book, please call the UK Reservations team on 0845 077 2222 or visit www.orient-express.com.

Entertainment for Lazy Weekends

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It’s a cold, wet Friday night in winter. You’ve been fending off anxious clients and reassuring harassed colleagues all week. Like everyone else in the city, you’ve been getting up, and going home, in the dark.

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You listen to the beautiful “clunk” of the front door closing as you step inside the house. You decide that, if possible, it’ll be the last time you hear that sound this weekend.

 

Home alone. Fantastic! It’s going to be a properly lazy weekend – but how are you going to keep yourself entertained?

 

 

What’s On Telly?

 

Fifteen years ago you’d have been circling things you wanted to watch in the Radio Times with a red biro. With broadband and Freeview, your options are almost limitless. You won’t get through every episode of Breaking Bad this weekend, but you could make a start. If it gets a bit grim (which – spoiler alert – it does) try interspersing it with episodes of Modern Family. Or Bagpuss.

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No need to traipse down to the video store anymore either. How about a World War Z / This Is The End / Frances Ha marathon? World War Z was supposed to be terrible – it isn’t.

 

 

Games

 

When all that drama gets too much for you (Bagpuss can be quite draining), there’s a huge number of online games to consider. They’re not going to play themselves, you know! Everything’s available, from MMORPG’s like the free-to-play Pandora Saga to online versions of the nations favourite game, Bingo. The hardest part will be deciding what to play.

 

 

Read

 

At some point you may feel the need to step away from the screen. Maybe just swapping to a smaller one – like a Kindle – would do the trick? That Morrissey out of The Smiths has a book out, you know. We’ve also heard rumours of some kind of Bridget Jones follow-up. There may even be an actual book on the shelves to read!

 

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Listen

 

Now we’re going retro. Is there a forlorn-looking pile of vinyl LP’s in the cupboard? A decent record player in the attic? If you’ve spent the last decade listening to MP3’s, and you have a reasonably good system, you might just amaze yourself with the upgrade in quality. There’s a reason people are still releasing vinyl records!
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Eat, Play, Sleep

 

Once you’ve located the Billie Holiday LP, why not try cooking something you’ve never tried before out of that Rick Stein book that Auntie Beryl got you for Christmas? And when you’re done, you could hoist the dusty old guitar out of the basement and take a lesson on YouTube!

 

Or maybe it’s time for a nap. Whatever you decide to do on your Lazy Weekend, remember that catching up on sleep is never something to feel guilty about!

 

 

 

(Images courtesy of awsmblog.com, thesundaytimes.co.uk, wikipedia, wikipedia)

The Great Wings Challenge London

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FRANK’S RedHot present The Ultimate Eating Competition in London!

 

Fancy a tasty challenge? With the rise of food challenges, following the success of TV programs such as Man V Food, we would all like to think we can get our teeth stuck into an eating competition! Well, FRANK’S RedHot is hosting one and asking how many Buffalo wings you can eat in five minutes? Taking place at StickyWings on Brick Lane on Sunday 13th of October, FRANK’S RedHot will be opening its doors between 1pm and 10pm to host a five minute four-person battle on the hour every hour. People will be treated to an afternoon and evening of eating, great fun and a healthy level of competitive spirit!

 

Competitions have already taken place in Bristol and Manchester where regional winners have been selected. Following the event on the 13th, two London winners will complete the four person line-up for an epic wing eating competition final which will be held on the 14th of November at 7pm at StickyWings. One person will be crowned ‘The Official FRANK’S RedHot Wings Eating Champion 2013’ and will be awarded a prize of £1500.

 

Come along and enjoy the original mouth-watering FRANK’S RedHot Buffalo wings, served exactly as they were in Anchor Bar back in ’64 in the UK’s very own Buffalo Wing Shack.

 

There is a small fee of £10 to enter so sign up at https://battleofbones.eventbrite.co.uk/ or in person at StickyWings Restaurant, 40 Brick Lane, to take part in one of the five minute London slots and be in with a chance of holding the ultimate title of FRANK’S RedHot Wings Eating Champion.

 

Exam Results Helpline tells students not to panic

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Exam Results Helpline advisers urge students to ‘stay calm’, as they prepare for thousands of calls from students (and parents) who are keen to talk over their options after receiving unexpected exam results this year.

The Exam Results Helpline telephone 0808 100 8000 is a free telephone helpline staffed by independent careers advisers. Students across the UK who receive unexpected exam results (A levels, GCSEs and equivalent qualifications) can call in for advice about their learning and career options.

The Helpline is open throughout the exam results period, this year running between Thursday 15 and Saturday 24 August for students receiving exam results in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Helpline opens for students in Scotland between Tuesday 6 and Wednesday 14 August*.

The busiest time is always A-level results day, which is Thursday 15 August this year.  Last year, the helpline received almost 3,000 calls on A level results day and almost 9,000 across the whole exam results period.

Supporting schools and colleges, helpline advisers offer information and advice on a range of topics including further and higher education options, vocational learning, re-sits, re-marks, careers, employment and gap years.

The only careers helpline with access to UCAS’ applicant information and higher education qualifications, its experienced careers professionals also offer up-to-date advice about Confirmation, Clearing and Adjustment. Advice is timely and accurate.

 

Exam Results Helpline adviser Nick Hynes, who has 25 years’ experience as a professional careers adviser, said: 

“After all the planning and revising students do, results day is the moment of truth.   If they haven’t achieved the grades they were hoping for, if they’ve done better than expected or if they just want to consider their options before making any major decisions about their futures, our experienced careers advisers are here to help.

“We offer professional and impartial advice on what the best choice might be taking into account individual circumstances and goals. We are happy to speak to family members and friends also.

 

Student, David Murdoch, called the Exam Results Helpline last year. He said:

“It was really nice to have someone properly explain my options – what I could do, the alternatives I hadn’t thought about, and the processes I needed to go through.

“It was good to get objective advice.”

If a student is reconsidering their options based on results they have or have not achieved, they should contact the Exam Results Helpline on 0808 100 8000.

If a student has a specific query about their university application, they should contact the UCAS customer service line on 0871 468 0468.

For further information, visit www.ucas.com/examresultshelpline

For students in Scotland receiving exam results
Tuesday 6 August Scottish exam results day    0800 : 2000
Wednesday 7 August                                        0800 : 2000
Thursday  8 – Friday 9 August                           0900 : 1900
Saturday 10 – Sunday 11 August                       1000 : 1800
Monday 12 – Wednesday 14 August                 0900 : 1700

For students in the rest of the UK receiving exam results
Thursday 15 August A-level exam results day 0800 : 2000
Friday 16 August                                               0800 : 1900
Saturday 17 August                                           0900 : 1700
Sunday 18 August                                             1000 : 1600
Monday 19 – Wednesday 21 August                0900 : 1700
Thursday 22 August GCSE exam results day    0800 : 1900
Friday 23 August                                               0900 : 1700
Saturday 24 August                                           0900 : 12noon

The Wedding Diary Part One: Engagement

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wedding diary, engagement, engagement ring, getting married, planning a wedding, marriage, engagement, Well I finally did it. I managed to find someone who will put up with me for the rest of my life. Most little girls dream came true when my boyfriend of three years whisked my off to Paris on the Eurostar for our anniversary and proposed. I ecstatically said yes and upon our return bought far too many wedding magazines, and realised just how hard planning a wedding was going to be. Don’t get me wrong. I am not exactly fazed by planning big things. I planned the launch party for Frost Magazine and had over 300 guests. It went off without a hitch even though the venue canceled on us a few days before. I have also made a full length feature film. I have the skills and the staying power but what I don’t have is £21,000 to spend on a party. Only one person has mentioned the outdated thing of the women’s parents paying, all of my friends paid for their own wedding and I am not asking my parents for money. I am the editor of this magazine, a freelance writer and actor.

Somehow this is not even the issue. Neither my fiancee or I think it is reasonable to spend that amount of money on one day of your life. Other difficulties are that my family live in Scotland and my fiance’s family live in England. Getting all of these people together in a convenient, reasonably priced venue doesn’t feel like the easiest thing.

Also as a half catholic, half protestant agnostic I have found out that I cannot even get married in a church because I was not christened as my parents, quite rightly, wanted me to choose my own religion. If I want to get married I will have to attend church or do a course. Neither of these seem appealing and I don’t have a lot of free time.

So join my on my journey from engaged woman to bride. I will be writing lots of wedding articles and advice to go along with my personal experience. Please comment and tell me your thoughts and give any advice. We are planning to get married in June of next year so we don’t actually have much time to get everything done. It is all quite exciting and scary.

We have a brillaint article on buying the perfect engagement ring if you want to send it to your boyfriend to drop some hints.

Until next time, enjoy the sun.

 

Royal Mail to float – what interested investors should do

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The biggest privatisation for two decades

 

·         Royal Mail to float

·         What interested investors should do

·         IPO Q & A

Today the Government have announced plans to float the Royal Mail in what could be the largest privatisation for two decades. The state-owned postal service could be valued up to as much as £3 billion in an initial public offering (IPO) taking place this year.

 

Richard Hunter, Head of Equities, Hargreaves Lansdown;-

““The success of the Direct Line Group & esure share offers has reignited private investor interest in IPOs. The offer of shares to the public is reminiscent of the float of British Gas in the 1980’s which was accompanied by the “Tell Sid” Campaign. Shares will be marketed to the public and any investors aged over 18 will be able to apply for shares.

 

What interested investors should do

 

Richard Hunter

 

“We don’t have the details of the IPO yet. Investors can register their interest with a stockbroker now and when a prospectus and application pack becomes available they will contact you with all the information needed to invest.”

 

Tell Sid? – Investing in an Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) Q & A

 

From the first “Tell Sid” privatisation of British Gas in the 1980s, flotations and Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) have always been of interest to the investor. Richard Hunter, Head of Equities, explains how they work.

 

What is an IPO?

 

An Initial Public Offering (IPO) is where the owner(s) of a company sell all of part of their stake to the public in order to raise money. This cash can then be used to grow the company or simply be returned to the owners. An IPO is also commonly called a flotation.

 

An IPO may only be made available to institutional investors or to a mixture of private (retail) and institutional investors. An IPO happens in three stages.

 

1.            The Intention to Float – The company announces to the stock market, public stating they wish to float the company

2.            Preparation of Prospectus – The company will then prepare and release a prospectus. This aims to be the definitive document relating to the launch and will describe the offer in detail. Applications to buy shares in an IPO should always be made on the basis of the information contained in the prospectus

3.            Sale of shares – The company and their advisers invite applications for the shares. The IPO will be open for a fixed time known as the Offer Period

 

When will the share price be known?

 

In some cases fixed price offers are made and the investor will know the share price in advance. Alternatively the share price will not be known until the date the company floats. In some cases the company will provide an indicative range for the flotation price of the shares e.g. £2.00 to £2.20. The precise price won’t be fixed until near the listing date and may depend on demand for the shares. Once the share has floated on the open market, the price will the rise and fall as all other shares do.

 

Why would investor want to get buy shares at IPO?

 

An IPO allows investment in a company when it first enters a stock market.

 

When will shares go on sale?

 

The timetable for an IPO generally spans four weeks. An Intention to Float announcement is made and then around two weeks later the prospectus is issued and the offer period starts. It is during this period investors can apply for shares.

 

Where can investors get a prospectus for an IPO?

 

Interested investors should contact a stock broker who will be able to register your interest in receiving a prospectus. In some cases a stock broker will provide research and updates as information becomes available. For example, Hargreaves Lansdown has been involved in the majority of IPOs over the last 30 years.

 

How do investors buy IPO shares?

 

Investors can buy IPO shares through a stockbroker. A share dealing account should be opened and money deposited to buy the shares. This can be done online or over the telephone using a debit card, or alternatively a paper application accompanied by a cheque can be used.

 

How many shares can investors buy from an IPO?

 

There is normally a minimum number – If the offer is oversubscribed investors may not be able to buy all the shares they want to buy. If this is the case the balance of money can be used to buy other shares or can be refunded.

 

Can investors buy IPO shares through an ISA, SIPP or Junior ISA?

 

In some cases money in an ISA, SIPP or Junior ISA can be used to buy IPO shares. This depends upon which market the company is listing upon and the type of IPO.

 

What dealing costs are paid?

 

Buying IPO shares is often free for investors.

 

Hargreaves Lansdown’s charges are as follows:

 

IPO share purchase                         Free

Share account charge                     Nil (Other charges to hold shares may apply e.g. in ISA and SIPP (ISA – 0.5% capped at £45 a year, SIPP – 0.5% capped at £200 a year).

 

Selling IPO shares will be subject to a dealing charge from £5.95 and no more than £11.95 (online).

 

Buying IPO shares after the offer period, when the shares are available in the market, will be subject to a dealing fee of no more than £11.95 (online) plus stamp duty of 0.5%.

 

Is there a minimum holding period? How quick can an investor sell?

 

There is no minimum period, but generally it takes 3 working days from the date of the float to issue the shares and selling cannot practically happen before then.

 

How will investors be able to sell IPO shares?

 

This is easy. Simply choose when and how many to sell, and execute the deal online or alternatively instruct a sale over the telephone. Dealing online is almost always cheaper than dealing over the telephone.

 

Will there be a dividend from IPO shares and if so, how will they be paid and when?

 

This depends upon the company. The prospectus will normally detail any proposed dividend policy.

 

How will investors find out if there are any special discounts or shareholder perks?

 

If there are any, they will be detailed in the prospectus

 

What are the risks?

 

The value of shares will fall as well as rise, so investors may get back less than they invested. Dividends are not guaranteed and, if paid, are variable. During the period between the Intention to Float being announced and the start of the offer period, the intention may be withdrawn. This rarely happens.

A company which is the subject of an IPO may not have a long track record and could be difficult to value or calculate a fair price. In many IPOs investors do not know the share price before committing to buy and therefore may end up buying at a higher price than they wished.

Investors should read the prospectus and any supplementary documentation as this will include the main risks of investing.

 

The Collapse of Private Pensions

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According to data published by the Office for National Statistics today, membership of private pensions (as opposed to the National Insurance funded state pension) has hit a new low; just 35% of men and 32% of women aged between 16 and 64 were active members of a private pension in 2011/12.

Membership of Defined Benefit pensions has declined from 46% of employees in 1997 to just 28% in 2012, almost exclusively now in the public sector.

Participation rates of employees varies dramatically between public and private sectors, with 85% of men and 81% of women in the public sector, compared to 36% and 26% respectively in the private sector.

Hargreaves Lansdown comment, Tom McPhail, Head of Pensions Research ‘These figures illustrate dramatically how important it is that auto-enrolment succeeds over the next 5 years. It is vital that nothing is done to jeopardise this project and that everything possible is done to encourage people to stay enrolled in their workplace pensions. Recent calls for reform of pension taxation or for small businesses to be exempt from auto-enrolment should be postponed or ignored until the foundations of a savings culture have been properly laid.’

Separately, the ONS has reported average contribution rates as 19.2% of payroll for Defined Benefits schemes and just 9.4% for Defined Contribution arrangements.

Tom McPhail: ‘The inevitable consequence of this level of pension funding is that millions of people will have to work on into their 70s because they won’t be able to afford to retire earlier. All defined contribution members should be shown what their contributions are likely to buy for them in the way of a retirement income, this pension projection should be updated regularly and members should be encouraged to engage with their retirement planning. 9.4% as an average is simply not enough. Investors should aim to be contributing at least 12% of their income towards their retirement. For a more personal estimate, they should use an online pension calculator.’

Many pension calculators are available on the internet, this is one example http://www.hl.co.uk/pensions/interactive-calculators/pension-calculator

What do you think? Do you have a pension?

Toulouse City Guide | Travel

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Sometimes it is hard being a writer and editor, especially one with their own magazine. Going to the South of France to review Toulouse was not one of those times. In fact, it is now one of my favourite places in the entire world and I will definitely be returning. The Pink City of Haut-Garonne is called the pink city because of the brickwork of the buildings. It is the 4th largest city in France with 437,000 inhabitants and it is beautiful, dynamic and friendly.

toulouse

We flew with BMI Regional via Birmingham. We also had a great time in the No.1 Traveller lounge at Birmingham Airport before flying to Toulouse Business Class. The flight was incredibly enjoyable and included free food and drink. The service on-board was also great. Our air steward, Michael Love, seemed to know what we wanted before we did and kept us happy with Gin & Tonics and brilliant, yes it is possible, plane food.

BMI Regional plane

Toulouse is the birthplace of Concorde, the Ariane Rocket and the home of Airbus.Toulouse has also had a 100-year love affair with rugby. Stade Toulousain are one of the Northern Hemispheres best teams. 7 million passengers are transported via Toulouse Blagnac Airport every year.

Toulouse has more than 2000 hours of sun a year and more than 1000 restaurants. Sold yet? Whether the answer is yes or no, read on….

We arrived in Toulouse via Toulouse Blagnac Airport, a beautiful and stylish airport and made our way to our hotel, the Citiz Hotel, a modern four star hotel in the heart of Toulouse. It opened in 2010. The hotel has air-conditioning, free wifi and a car park near the hotel entrance. The hotel faces Wilson square and is only a 15 minute drive from Blagnac airport. My hotel room was incredibly stylish, the bed was large and comfy, the bathroom was elegant and the shower powerful. There was a minibar, safe and a flatscreen TV. I also had a balcony and a wardrobe. The hotel also does a great breakfast spread and the staff are very helpful.

Rio Loco, the world music festival that happens every year on the 21st of June to get all of France partying, happened while we were there. We had lots of fun listening to all of the different music and went to bed in the early hours.It was like one huge street party. Definitely recommended.

National Music Day in Toulouse

We went on a walking tour offered by the Toulouse Tourist Board.This was informative and very enjoyable, a great way to see the city. Great things to see include The Capitole (the City Hall), Saint-Sernin Basilica, The Jacobins Convent, The Hotel d’Assezat (built by Nicholas Bachelier for Pierre d’Assezat who made his fortune from Woad, a plant used in dyeing. More of which later), the river Garonne and The Augustins Museum, an amazing fine arts museum with beautiful pieces. It has a lot of 19th century sculptures.

J'GO Toulouse

J’Go, 16 Place Victor Hugo, 31000 Toulouse. Tel: 05 61 23 02 03. They accommodate people regardless of importance and budget and have authentic cuisine from the love of Gascon culture. The fruit and vegetables are grown by farmers in the South West and is in season. They also buy the whole carcass of animals from farmers in their region. The food we had was amazing and a brass band started playing outside while we were eating. The waiter also really knew his stuff.  Check the pictures out here.

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Cite de L’Espace. Avenue Jean Gonord – BP 25855 – 31506 Toulouse cedex 5. This wonderful space adventure theme park is dedicated to space. We went to Mars (Almost), walked on the moon thanks to the Moonrunner (I was six times less than my usual weight, which was great!), and saw a documentary on the Hubble Telescope in their glorious IMAX Big Screen 3D cinema. The theme park covers 5 hectares and receives 270,000 visitor a year, but it should be more, Globally, 50 million Euro has been invested into the Cite de L’Espace and it shows in the quality. They do tours in English in the summer and have had over 4 million visitors.

There is also a 53 meter high Ariane rocket, I am now one of the privileged few to go into Soyuz Vessel, the indestructible Russian spacecraft. There was authentic Moon Rock on loan from NASA which was brought back by astronauts during the Apollo 15 landing, rock from Mars, great photos which show how the earth looks from up close, to outer space, there is also exhibitions, a children’s area, a planetarium, restaurant and lots of experiments to test yourself on. Do not go to Toulouse and not go to the Cite de L’Espace. It is a must visit.

Cite de L’Espace is accessible to disabled people.

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Le Chai Saint-Sauveur, 30 rue Bernard-Mule- 31400 Toulouse. Tel: 05 61 54 27 20

This was a brilliant restaurant with a rustic, country feel. The food was amazing and so were the staff. Highly recommended. See the food here.

Terre de pastel

Terre de Pastel is a museum, boutique, spa and restaurant opened in June 2013 in Toulouse-Labege. The spa is amazing, with lots of different treatments, an idyllic swimming pool, sauna, Turkish bath, jacuzzi, herbal tea shop and a gym. The museum is informative, telling the story of the woad plant which is responsible for the pastel, the wonderful blue colour. You will learn about the history of blue, the symbol of blue, traditional applications and all about the woad plant, which grows in a field and looks like a rapeseed field; pretty and yellow. Sandrine Banessy, the owner and also author of books on woad, showed us how the woad dyes fabric. It was incredibly interesting and the woad will continue to dye the fabric blue until the fabric is dry.

The shop at Terre de Pastel made me want to spend all of my euros and go over my luggage allowance. There is a great selection of homeware, cosmetics, food, haberdashery and books. It is almost all blue. There is also a restaurant with great food and wine.

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Le Py-R. 19 descente de la Halle aux Poissons – 31000 Toulouse. Tel: 05 61 25 51 52. Chef Pierre Lambinon has won many awards and it was easy to see why, the food in his small gastronomic restaurant was amazing and unique. Pictures here.

victor hugo marketplace

The Victor Hugo Marketplace. This is the most prestigious marketplace in all of France. It has 5 small restaurants on its upper floor. I bought some great cheese here.

All of the above places are where you should go if you visit Toulouse. It is a wonderful city and everyone I know loves it. Frost loves….

For more pictures check out Toulouse in Instagram Pictures Part 1, 2 and 3.

Get the Toulouse en Liberte City Card at the Tourism Office to get more than 250 discounts on hotels, restaurants, museums, shops and tours.You can also explore by boat.

www.toulouse-tourisme.com

www.toulouse-visit.com

www.tourisme-midi-pyrenees.com

www.uk.toulouse-tourisme.com

Have you ever been to Toulouse? Make recommendations below.

About No.1 Traveller – fast facts

· No.1 Traveller specialises in premium hospitality and provides a complete ‘driveway to runway’ service – smart Chauffeur-driven airport transfers, express train tickets, airport parking, airport meet-and-greet and airport lounges (No.1 Traveller’s own collection, plus associate lounges abroad)

· It works with airlines, businesses and individuals to offer a convenient and comfortable service to take the stress out of going to and through airports – the smart traveller’s choice

· No.1 Traveller can be booked by anyone at www.No1Traveller.com or passengers can make their way to the reception of the airport lounge on the day

Airport lounge: Birmingham

· Opened October 2012; the first of No.1 Traveller’s lounges outside London

· Accessible to all passengers travelling through the airport

· Open daily from 0430hrs – 2030hrs; facilities include a range of seating areas across two levels, fully-tended bar, bistro area serving complimentary hot and cold dishes, complimentary newspapers, magazines and internet access

· Entry £27.50 per adult at reception, for up to three hours access (children £17.50 each), £22.50 if booked in advance (children £15)

BMI regional operates over 450 flights a week throughout the UK and Europe with one way prices starting from £59. bmi regional flies from Aberdeen, Antwerp, Bristol, Bremen, Billund, Birmingham, Bristol, Brussels, Copenhagen, Glasgow, Gothenburg, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Esbjerg, Frankfurt, Hannover, Hamburg, Lyon, Milan, Munich, Norwich, Manchester, Toulouse and Zurich. All flights include complimentary food & drink on-board, free 20kg hold baggage allowance and 30 minute check-in. bmi regional is the world’s most punctual airline having recently been crowned the title for the 8th consecutive year.  For more information, visit www.bmiregional.com.