January 9th 2012 · Read More · No Comments
French cinema has a long and illustrious history. In fact, this is where movies as we know them began, way back with the Lumière brothers in the late 19th century.
Things have clearly moved on since their first public showing of 50 second films. I am sure that their movies of workers leaving a factory wouldn’t look that great these days but can you imagine the sensation it caused back then? Just imagine sitting down and seeing something as historic as the very first films.
Anyway, that was then and this is now, and if we want to find out why modern French cinema is so good we need to consider the popularity of this media in France. You may be a touch surprised to find out that it sells more cinema tickets every year than every other country except the USA and India. France also produces more films every year than any other European country, with nearly 250 seeing the light of day in 2010. In fact, it is also one of the few remaining countries in the world where non Hollywood films get the lion’s share of the market, thanks to its traditionally strong local film industry.
Another fact which I only just found out is that the highest density of film theatres in the world is in Paris. I went there a couple of years ago and don’t recall seeing any but then I was probably too busy taking pictures of that big tower thing, finding cinemas in Birmingham (my hometown) thankfully isn’t a problem for me.
Lots of Famous Actors
The French film industry has been strong for a long time now and all you need to do is think about the number of French actors and actresses you know. Think of names such as Gérard Depardieu, Juliette Binoche, Marcel Marceau and Noel Roquevert. Ok, so I don’t know who the last guy was either but apparently he made loads of movies.
The French Government has also acted to protect the country’s film making industry in a way which has undoubtedly helped it continue to thrive. However, I feel that one of the top reasons why it has continued to be a success is because it offers a genuine alternative to Hollywood blockbusters.
Because French directors work with far smaller budgets than their US counterparts they tend to eschew those special effects which bore me so much these days. You are unlikely to see cities get blown up, massive computer generated armies of zombies wage war or other special effects like these in a Gallic movie, and that is no bad thing.
When you get bored of apocalyptic science fiction films and never ending car chases then turning to French produced films will give you a different kind of experience. There is far more emphasis on characterisation, dialogue and plot than in most of the bland blockbusters of recent years. Add in the French style and sense of humour and you have a cocktail which makes a very refreshing change from most of the movies on offer right now. Is it certainly worth giving it a look next time you fancy something different.
December 16th 2011 · Read More · No Comments
Many people that have been hit with the global credit crunch crisis can find themselves in a deep hole to dig themselves out of. This has helped to teach many the importance of a credit score and how it affects parts of your everyday life. While it can be easy to ruin your credit, it is quite hard to repair and time consuming as well. They are protections in place to help you settle any outstanding debts you might have, but a person will definitely have to show for years they are worth of having good credit again.
An easy and respected way to work on getting your credit back is to start off with a prepaid credit card. This allows you to control your spending as well as start to rebuild your credit because you will be spending on a credit basis, but can only spend the limit on your prepaid credit card. What you do is pay a certain amount to your card, and you are only authorized to spend that much. This ensures no payments to be made with money that isn’t actually held, as well as not having to worry about late payments or missed ones. Go reading
December 13th 2011 · Read More · No Comments
We all love getting away together as a family, but sometime the hassle of it all almost makes us give up before we have even rounded up the kids, located the cat and then locked up the house.
These days the best type of family break seems to be the simplest one. If you think that family holidays in France might be a good idea then have a look at these advantages to this sort of trip.
An Adventure
Kids are more street wise than ever these days, aren’t they? When I was a lad I would have been amazed and awestruck at staying in a hotel abroad. In fact, even now I feel a thrill of delight at seeing those little sachets of shampoo and the overpriced room service menu. Sadly today’s young ones don’t seem to share my enthusiasm for such things. However, there are some things which never pale in the eyes of kids, and chewing gum, wearing ridiculous trousers and staying in a tent are some of the top ones. Few youngsters can resist the adventure of a camping trip, and few adults can either.
Good Value
Anyone who has taken a fairly big family away on a trip somewhere knows that it isn’t cheap. Even if the hotel is reasonably priced you need to stump up for food for everyone several times a day and then there is the cost of entertainment as well. With a camping trip you can choose to cook whenever you want to, and this is always better value than letting someone else serve you, even if it isn’t quite as much fun. Getting across to France is pretty cheap for UK tourists too, whether they decide to drive or not. Finally, the sheer thrill of staying in a campsite is usually enough to avoid much need for costly entertainment. A lot of the big ones offer kid’s clubs and shows for the whole family. Even if they don’t you will probably have a decent amount of free activities you can carry out in or around the site.
Great Memories
Going away on holiday together might seem like a pain at times but it is the number of great memories we can get from it that makes it worthwhile. Every family trip away tends to involve a lot of interesting moments and incidents which will become family in jokes for years to come. Camping trips usually have more of these than any other type of holiday. You will spend a lot of time together but the whole atmosphere will be relaxed. It helps that people can come and go as well. Instead of being cooped up in a hotel in a big city and needing to go out together you can all do your own things in the campsite and then meet up for dinner or whatever. It might not be the magic cure that makes your bunch the perfect family but it could be a lot of fun and the start of a new tradition too.
November 30th 2011 · Read More · No Comments
Lake Garda holidays are becoming a popular choice for families who are looking for a break in pleasant, natural surroundings with excellent and varied facilities. The Lago de Garda, as it is called in Italian, is located in Northern Italy, between Venice and Milan. It is the largest lake in Italy and amongst other things is famed for its quality fishing.
With more than thirty fish species found in Lake Garda, Lake Garda holidays seem to be an ideal choice for anyone who enjoys trying their hand at getting the catch of the day. We have just returned from our first Lake Garda holidays and found that our family fishing trips were one of the highlights of our vacation.
My husband and eldest son have both been keen fishermen for years, and were very excited before we set off on our Lake Garda holidays, purchasing new reels, researching the best baits to use and re-packing their kit boxes. I think my younger son and I were probably somewhat less enthusiastic about the fishing opportunities, instead looking forward to swimming and doing some mountain biking around the lake. However, when we arrived in Lake Garda, we decided that instead of all “doing our own thing”, we’d all try each other’s preferred activities.
After settling down in our accommodation for a couple of days, we went on what would turn out to be the first of many family fishing trips during our Lake Garda holidays. Along with packing a picnic and the digital camera, I also slipped a good book into my bag – after all fishing is boring…isn’t it?
After getting the fishing rods set up and baited, my hubby encouraged me to try casting the first line out – which was trickier than it looks and definitely a skill which requires practice. We all had a go at casting, with my eldest son very much enjoying being able to teach his mum how to do something! Then, we sat down and waited for our fish to start jumping onto our hooks.
It’s true that fishing is an act of skill and luck, but more than anything, a fisherman (or woman) needs to be patient – or so my husband says. We sat and watched our floats bobbing on the surface of the water, and a tranquil, almost meditative silence, descended upon us. Then…without warning, one of the floats began to jiggle around…was it a fish? Yes! The float jerked under water, and my son grabbed the fishing rod to reel it in. Our fish catch during our Lake Garda holidays was a large Perch, easily identifiable with its red fin and tail markings. At around two kilos, the fish was big enough to keep and cook for our dinner later that evening.
After this first catch, we all got a little bit addicted to the peaceful, yet exciting hobby of fishing. Although many of the fish which we caught during our Lake Garda holidays were small, participating in the activity as a family enriched our vacation significantly. And in the end, I never did get round to reading my book!
October 11th 2011 · Read More · No Comments
There is a debate ongoing with regards to search engine consultants and whether they truly help. The debate has two sides. You have those who believe it is essential to use search engine consulting and those that believe you do not need it. Those who feel you do not need it harp on the benefits of free search engine optimisation techniques and products that are meant to save you money. Those who believe in search engine consultants will debate on the money savings you actually find with consultants.
Let’s take a look at what we mean by money savings. An individual who lacks knowledge for marketing and SEO techniques can spend hours trying to create a site that will pick up clients. After hours, even months of working on the site they still see little results in terms of revenue. Finally giving up, they seek out a search engine professional. This professional charges money to fix the mistakes, which takes more time than creating a site from scratch. While this is just a scenario it happens all too often.
It is true that there are a lot of “professional consultants” that turn out to be nothing more than a person trying to work from home and selling what little talent they have. These individuals have provided a bad name for search engine consultants who have worked years in marketing and internet positions to become experts in consulting for small to corporate businesses. Rather than allowing yourself to earn fewer results and therefore fewer clients you should consider what consultants can provide you. Go reading
October 7th 2011 · Read More · No Comments
It’s your last chance to catch the bone shaking Dinosaurs at Large exhibition at Chester Zoo and you can join us from anywhere in the UK thanks to top notch local accommodation like the fantastic Grosvenor Pulford Hotel and Spa, one of the best hotels in the North West.
The Grosvenor Pulford Hotel and Spa, privately owned Chester hotels, perfect for some quality R&R after fun days out exploring all that Chester, Cheshire and North Wales has to offer. The 4 star hotel is set in its own beautiful grounds and is just five minutes from Chester City Centre. It is the perfect home base, for coming face to face with the prehistoric giants on the loose at Chester Zoo.
Chester is one if the North West’s most popular visitor attractions and one of the biggest and best zoos in the UK; now, it is also home to thirteen life size, life like animatronic dinosaurs. The Dinosaurs at Large exhibition at Chester Zoo offers a unique glimpse of these incredible creatures, in a way that you might never have thought possible.
But visitors only have until 8 October 2011 to encounter these extraordinary beasts, before they’re gone forever. Don’t delay, come along and meet the Allosaurus, Apatosaurus, Baryonyx, Dilophosaurus and the awe-inspiring Tyrannosaurus Rex. They will move, they will roar, some might even spit water. Experience the thrill as these giants from another age, burst to life for a very limited time.
And when your prehistoric adventure is over, retreat to the peace, quiet and luxurious comfort of the Grosvenor Pulford Hotel and Spa; our 73 rooms include standard, executive, deluxe, and features rooms, all of which come with en-suite facilities, direct dial telephone, flat screen digital television with 87 channels and radio, free wireless internet access, modem point, trouser press, hairdryer, hospitality tray, night porter service and 24 hour room service.
September 27th 2011 · Read More · No Comments
It’s National Cruise Week and the world’s top cruise holiday providers are out in force to highlight the variety of exceptional cruise holiday packages available at incredibly affordable prices. To commemorate the fact, we’ve put together a handy list of reasons you might choose to cruise on your next holiday break.
- Visit several places without re-packing and unpacking – Cruises are diverse, with a holiday to suit every taste, anywhere in the world and they allow you to take in a variety of sights and destinations whilst unpacking for just one journey.
- Being stuck on the water is better than in the air – With a cruise, the journey is part of the holiday, and there is so much to see and do, whether taking in the sights, soaking up the sun or getting involved in a variety of activities.
- Meet like-minded travellers from all over the world – Cruises attract people with similar interests from every corner of the globe, and the cruise itself can involve a variety of activities and cultural diversions. Each new destination can open your eyes to new cultures and several can be discovered in one trip.
- Customer get an all-in, value for money experience – Cruise holidays represent great value for money as everything from food, accommodation, travel to various destinations, activities and entertainments are included. National cruise week is also the perfect time to book your cruise with the unbeatable offers available for a limited time only.
- You don’t have to worry about visas – Whilst on a cruise you are often covered by the ship’s visa, cutting a host of red tape when visiting destinations such as St Petersburg in Russia. A ship’s visa saves money and hassle, by removing the need to arrange a variety of different paperwork to travel.
July 6th 2011 · Read More · No Comments
Now that summer is here and the weather is great your dream France vacation can finally become a reality. You can enjoy your France vacation by touring the most beautiful cities and by enjoying some of the best food, culture and of coarse the nightlife.
For many a France vacation seems like a distant possibility. Though you may dream of enjoying Paris, the most romantic city in the world with your significant other and touring the French countryside, a France vacation is not out of the question. With a little bit of research you and your lover can be tasting the delicious French foods and wines, France has to offer.
France Cuisine and Wineries
With many of the top chefs in the world working at the many different restaurants and cafes in Paris and all of France, French food is some of the most famous anywhere. While visiting the variety of wineries in France it can be educational as well, you can learn quite a few things about the production of all your favorite wines.
Shopping in France
If you enjoy shopping a France vacation is second to none with some of the most exquisite shopping in Europe. For someone who loves to shop, a walk down the most popular boulevard in the world, the Champs d’Elysee can be a dream come true. An entire day still might be enough to visit all the shops on this famous boulevard. You can shop for jewelry, perfume, watches, leather, flowers, cars and all the apparel you can dream of.
Nightlife in France
Your France vacation may include some incredible nightlife if you enjoy going out and experiencing what France has to offer after hours. There are many terrific theaters, live entertainment, and nightclubs throughout Paris and France. See the world famous can-can, swanky nightclubs, cafes and theaters that have made Paris unforgettable for many years.
This was a guest post by ChicagoMortgageRates.com. Find the best Chicago mortgage rates at ChicagoBankingRates.com.
April 22nd 2011 · Read More · No Comments
The English Channel has been crossed more than 1100 times until now. About 900 crossings have been made from England to France and around 250 crossings from France to England. Most of the swimmers that completed the crossing are man but women have made it too.
The record of the Channel crossings is held by Alison Streeter, who managed to make 43 successful swims across the channel.
British star David Walliams, well known actor and writer had the initiative of crossing the English Channel for charity. The purpose of this attempt is to raise money for Sport Relief. The comedian is aware of the difficulty of his attempt and that is why he trained himself for almost 12 months with former Olympic pentathlete Greg Whyte.
Walliams is saying that he will “just be in a pair of Speedos and goggles – it’s what the public wants,” but he took his training very seriously. The crossing of the Channel is known as “the Everest of open-water swimming” and only a few of the ones that try it succeed.
But jokes aside, what the 34-year-old comedian is attempting is quite a feat. Few people succeed – just 10% according to some figures – and the swim is known Walliams, who is raising money for Sport Relief, has spent the last 11 months training and Alison Streeter,the record holder for the Channel crossings explains what are the most difficult things is this attempt:
“It’s not about the distance, lots of people can swim the equivalent in a pool,” she says. “It comes down to the cold. Fit swimmers are often all muscle and don’t have much fat on them, this means they get cold quicker and once the cold gets into your muscles it is very hard to continue.”
Considering that Walliams plans to make his attempt some time between 28 June and 15 July which is early in the season, it means that the cold will be an even greater issue.
Other important factors that make the attempt difficult are the tides, the wind and the weather. The tides are hard to predict as they are strong and change direction approximately every six hours and they change in height and flow speed every day.
The local weather conditions can change very quickly and sometimes do not match the forecasts.
A problem not to be ignored is the large number of ships using these waters, as to go from England to France you have to swim across the shipping lanes. There are more than 600 commercial ship movements and almost 100 ferry crossings between Dover and Calais every day. The difficult job of keeping the swimmer out of the path of these vessels, its the job of the accompanying pilot boat.
Ms Streeter says that she has done 43 swims – seven in one year once – and every one of them has been different” but she believes that “David Walliams seems to be preparing in the right way, so he will have a fair chance.”
On 4th July 2006, David Walliams started from a beach near Dover and successfully swam the 21 miles across the English Channel in 10 hours 30 minutes. Before the swim he said he hopes to complete the 21-mile charity swim in less than 16 hours and declared: “I reckon I have a 50/50 chance of getting across. I hope people see it as a symbolic thing.
April 15th 2011 · Read More · No Comments
For a holiday you will always treasure, be sure to visit France. With so much to offer within one country, France hosts the most tourists than any other country in the world. From romantic, cultural Paris to the heights of the snowcapped French Alps to the southern sizzling beaches. France hotels can add to the splendor of your trip with an amazing selection that can be found with ease on the internet.
Paris: fashion capital of Europe
Surrounded by style and romance you just cant help fall in love with Paris. Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, street cafs and fashion boulevards, a boat trip on the River Seine there is so much to see and experience.
Transport: how to get there and around:
The main airport which greets most visitors to Paris is Charles de Gaulle. Paris can also be reached with ease by train from surrounding countries and many destinations within France. If traveling from the UK the ferry is also an option.
Getting around Paris is best on foot, its a great place for walking and sightseeing. If your not feeling so energetic there is a metro system.
Accommodation: Luxury to budget stays
The internet can offer some of the best information on the cost, range and location of hotels in Paris.
Weather
Paris is fortunate to be situated in a basin so has little rain compared with the rest of the country. Generally the weather in the capital is temperate.
Attractions & Events
Parisians love to celebrate, here are just a few events you should look out for.
* The glamorous Paris Fashion Week showcases the latest designer spring collections in March.
*Bastille Day is a special day for the whole country. The French National Day is celebrated in Paris with style on the 14th July with parades, parties and fireworks.
*The International Photo Fair is also worth a visit and takes place in November.
Nice: treasure of the Cte dAzur
Nice has a special ambiance and charm that attracts a great number of visitors to walk through its old cobblestone streets. Nice offers history, culture as well as the modern delights of shopping and night life. Add to this the long stretch of beach and you have a great holiday combination.
The temperature in Nice makes the pebble beach a great spot to relax. The waters are warm, clear and inviting and are just a pebbles throw away from neighboring St Tropez and Cannes.
Transport: how to get there and around:
Traveling around France is easy using the impressive, fast rail system. You can get to Nice by train and bus or if traveling from further a field, the International Airport is just 6 kms from town. Ferries are also an option, they run to Corsica.
Getting around Nice is easy on foot, it is pleasant to walk around and explore the sights.
Accommodation: Luxury to budget stays
The internet can offer some of the best information on the cost, range and location of Nice hotels
Weather
Summertime in Nice can be scorching up to 40 C. Typical climate however can be described as Mild, averaging 15 C. Winter is also mild with lowest temperatures being around 5 C.
Attractions & Events
*Nice holds an annual carnival during the latter half of February. The lavish street parades end with a fabulous fireworks show.
*During June, the city hold religious processions and prayers for patron saints St John and St Peter.
*July is for music lovers as the worlds finest Jazz players meet in the city for the Nice Jazz Festival.