A Few Days in Paris: Part 2

 Morning, and my girlfriend and I headed for the palace at Versailles. The weather was incredibly hot and we decided not to look around inside but instead go directly into the gardens. Even though it felt like we were going to melt we wandered around looking at the ornate water fountains.

Versailles really isn’t for everyone and in my opinion it does lack in terms of general prettiness. The gardens are huge but they are mainly made of huge hedge rows, long stretches of grass and white gravel.

In the afternoon we headed back into Paris to take a cruise down the river. You will be fighting to get on a boat with hundreds of other people, but it's well worth doing as you get to see the city from a different viewpoint. Our short cruise over we headed out of the city for a few hours to wait for the sun to drop. Later that night we would be coming back into Paris to experience its wonderful lights.

By far the best place to go as the sun begins to set is to the top floor of the Montparnasse tower. It’s the tallest building in the city and on a clear day you can see for miles around giving you the perfect view of the sun set. Watching the sun gradually set behind the Eiffel Tower is something that I will remember for the rest of my life. It’s moments like this that give Paris its reputation for being such a magical place.

The sun set, we hurried back to the roof of the theater for the best view of the Eiffel Tower. The tower comes alive at night with lights but if you head over when it’s completely dark it has a surprise in store. Every hour, after darkness falls, a light display makes the tower sparkle. It’s an amazingly pretty sight to behold and something many people don't know about.

Suitably impressed, it was time to head back to the hotel and then home in the morning. I left Paris finally feeling like I had really seen what it had to offer. Paris is my favourite city and really is a stunning and unique place.

A Few Days in Paris: Part 1.

I've been to Paris a few times over the years. However, I have never really been able to spend more than a couple of hours in the city. With a spare weekend around the corner I decided that now was the time to really see what it had to offer.

My journey to Paris was incredibly long and took in the delights of Wimbledon, Slough, Kingston and Maidstone. Coaches are certainly not for the impatient but they are cheap. After my five hour tour of the suburbs of London I arrived at Dover and headed across the ocean to my waiting hotel were the morning would bring about extensive touring, wandering and marvelling.

Sun risen and temperature suitably warm, I headed into a remarkably calm and empty Paris to gaze upon the Arc de Triomphe. The structure has some amazing carvings and it's an incredibly piece of architecture.

The tour continued and next up was the iconic Eiffel Tower. The best view of the tower and grounds leading up to it are from the roof of the theatre nearby. There isn’t much you can say about one of the most well known landmarks in the world. It looked nice in the sun with the fountains and set against a blue sky but I was looking forward to returning at night to see the tower lit up.

My brief stop finished it was time to take in the glory of Napoleon’s Mausoleum. Amazingly the roof is made completely out of solid gold. I stopped for second to work out just how big a helicopter would be needed to steel it. There are wonders hidden all around Paris in unexpected places. For instance, next to the opera house is an apartment store. Look inside it and you will find ornate balconies leading up to an amazing glass ceiling.

Speaking of glass I decided it was time to start the long walk down to the legendary Notre Dame. The place is incredibly imposing and it’s easily one of the most impressive and dramatic cathedrals in Europe. Inside are the fabled glass windows. Their beauty and depth of colour can’t be accurately captured by any camera. Make sure you leave some time to see it for yourself as Notre Dame can be tricky to reach.

The sun falling, it was time to enter the Monmartre district of the city, famous for its artists and street performers. It’s a lively place in the evening and you can get portraits done, eat at one of the lively restaurants or check out the impressive Church of the Sacred Heart that overlooks Paris from a high viewpoint. The acoustics of the church are truly amazing.

It had been a long day and tomorrow would see me heading to the palace at Versailles before returning to the main part of the city to see Paris by night. It promised to be very special.

A Guide to Shanghai

Shanghai is a city that really can assault the senses after a long flight and so it proved this time. Straight off the plane I was hit by the utter chaos of this fascinating place. I would advise anyone travelling here to get to your hotel and just take a minute to breathe. The other thing you must do is pick up a map which is written in both English and Chinese. That way if you get lost you need only hail one of the many taxis and show the driver the location you are trying to get to.

Shanghai is a real Russian doll of a city with wonders hidden inside wonders. It is also a very friendly place, even walking the streets late at night there was never any feeling that I was in any danger. I was staying at the Zhao An Hotel, which is near the financial centre. The hotel represents good value for money with prices ranging from around fifty pounds a night for a standard room, with breakfast added for as little as four pounds. The staff were very helpful and more than happy to assist me. A tunnel to the metro line is located right next door, but I found the easiest way to get around was by using the very reasonably-priced taxis, which the staff will order if you ask.

Recovered from the flight I felt far better equipped to take on the city. Visibility was poor so I headed down to the famous Nanjing Road, which is walking distance from the Bund River and acts as Shanghai’s equivalent of London’s Oxford Street. The next day I was craving something a little more cultural and headed for the wonderful Jade Buddha Temple, which is hidden deep within the skyscrapers of the city.

Fully in use, the temple was busy with worshippers and filled with unique smells of burning scent. This was the kind of place I was hoping still existed in China. Finding such delicate beauty within the Shanghai sprawl was a welcome sight. Its unique architecture and atmosphere should be explored by everyone and it remains a remarkably calm location in a such a busy city.

Continuing my search for the ancient I headed to the Old Street area. Much of Shanghai looks European having been owned by various nations over the years but Old Street is irrepressibly Chinese. Amid the trees filled with red wishes and lanterns, street musicians provided a suitable movie soundtrack. It was still raining but there’s something about water and Chinese style roofs that go together. I stood and watched as the rain drops fall from the ornate rooftops in the way they can only do in the East.

Hidden inside the Old Street area is the lovely Yu Garden. Reached by crossing a zig-zagging bridge that passes by an ancient tea house, the garden is made of many different sections. The theory behind it is that evil spirits can only travel in straight lines and dividing up the garden safeguards against them. It also allows for observers to take in and appreciate each small area. The Yu Garden really is a master work and the use of stone, water, buildings and plants create something incredibly delicate, peaceful and subtle, yet painstakingly detailed and enthused with an essence that could only be Chinese.

Chinese gardens are unlike any others in the world and the Yu Garden is one of the best examples. As the sun set the rain stopped and for the first time I was able to take in Shanghai without my hood up. The rain had also cleared the smog and it seemed a perfect opportunity to take in the city by night.

The best place to see the city lit up is from the Jin Mao Observation Tower. The tower is one of the tallest buildings in the world and offers perfect views. To get into the tower you need only turn up and buy a ticket on the ground floor. Make sure you check before heading for the tower that the lights are on. Due to the electrical drain the skyscrapers have on the power grid, the lights are only turned on at weekends and specific days. They are also turned off at around 10pm. At the top of the tower the neon stretched far into the distance and left me awestruck at the scale of it. With the air now much clearer I decided to head down to The Bund for an alternative view of Shanghai’s lit up financial district.

The next day is was time to leave. Instead of getting a taxi to the airport I took the Maglev Train. This is no ordinary train and reaches 433 Kilometres an hour at top speed. Understandably, it didn’t take long to reach the airport.

If you feel you need a little help exploring China I would recommend going on one of Travelsphere’s excellent guided tours of the country. They are a class apart when it comes to these tours and excellent value for money. The first time I went to China I went with them.

The Bluebells of Christmas Common

Christmas Common is an area of outstanding natural beauty located near Stokenchurch. It comprises of woodland and multiple walks over a large area. There are also a number of outstanding viewpoints which let you see for miles over the fields and settlements below. The highlight of Christmas Common is the mass of bluebell flowers that grow there for a few weeks every spring. They are incredibly beautiful and create one of the thickest carpets of flowers I have found in the UK.

The way the trees overhang the delicate bells often creates a stunning layer effect of light as sun beams dance between the leaves and branches, often casting shadows on the ground. Heading up to the common on a sunny day really is a wonderful thing to behold and it can’t help but conjure images of pixies and other magical creatures hiding among the foliage.

It’s remarkable just how dense the bluebells are and they often seem to stretch off into the distance as far as the eye can see. In some areas you can barely see the ground because the flowers are so densely packed together. Away from the wooded area containing the glorious bluebells is a magnificent view over the countryside. On a clear day you can see for miles around. The surrounding fields also contain a number of rare wild flowers.

Christmas Common is one of the most beautiful places in the country during the late spring period. On a warm day there is nowhere better than to come and enjoy a stroll through magical woodland with a floor painted with swaying blue flowers. The best time to go is late afternoon as when the sun begins to fall it creates a kaleidoscope of rich colours and shadows.

 Christmas Common is often busy with artists and painters joining dog walkers and people out for a picnic. However, because it is such a massive place you can always find a quiet spot to relax in the sun. Anyone who lives near the area should explore it for themselves at their next opportunity.

Food in Brugge

This right here is a beautiful thing. A warm chocolate waffle with chocolate sauce,cream and cherries.

Historic Warwick in the Rain

It was raining but I was determined to do something interesting while my girlfriend and I both had a day to spare. Warwick isn’t far away and I had never been there so we set off and hoped the weather wouldn’t turn too bad.

Dominating Warwick is the impressive castle. It was a busy day with lots of tourists. It made things a little difficult in getting around but the atmosphere helped to keep my mind off the rain. Today, there were lots of events running and the castle grounds were filled with tents and people dressed in medieval armour. I caught one group of soldiers taking about Chelsea, which broke the spell somewhat.

The first event we went to see was a man flying some eagles. Despite the rain there was a large crowd and we all watched as Archie the eagle flew around high in the sky. He truly was a remarkable creature. After a protracted game bout of hunting for hotdogs we headed off to the river to watch a re-enactment of the storming of the castle. What this equates to is a bunch of ageing men hitting each other with sticks.

Bored of watching people fight we headed down the side of the river towards the castle’s waterwheel. Even in the poor weather the waterway is very pretty and provided a calm moment away from the mass crowds. The crowds were becoming a bit much to cope with so we headed out into the town. Among the ugly new buildings are quite a few older structures that still hold the character and feel of old world Britain.

Warwick is also home to a rather imposing church which can be seen from just about everywhere in the town. Today it was closed for services so we decided to walk down the road to the old shop area. Away from the new high street are quite a few antique and art shops taking residence in the old buildings. It’s worth a look but we soon decided to return to the castle to attempt to climb the ramparts.

The rain was still coming down but we marched up the very steep and windy stone staircase to the top of the Warwick castle tower. The view from the top is impressive and the dark skies made it even more dramatic.

After a day spent walking in rain we were beginning to get a little tired. It began to get late and we snuck out to return home before the mass of crowds decided to exit. It was an interesting trip to one of Britain’s most historic towns and worth a visit. I would wait for better weather before I go back again though.