More info...
By Corina Clemence
 Envisage a land of mile after mile of nearly flat bike routes that gently sluice across a fertile river valley irrigating some of the world's finest acclaimed vineyards. Imagine enchanting renaissance castles, quaint villages, and sun-flower-filled hillsides. Then, combine all this with cuisine that would make even the most seasoned chef salivate. The few drivers you encounter are pleasant and courteous showing an admiration for the cyclist. Do you know where you are? This is not fantasyland - it is the beautiful Loire Valley.
This magnificent majestic region is best experienced if you don't approach it as a Tour de France speed. Take your time. Remember you are on vacation and you are not trying to set any records. Leisurely drink in the scenery and the culture and sample some of the acclaimed local wine whilst enjoying a picnic beside the Loire always remembering you have to get back on that bike.
The town of Blois, gateway to the Loire Valley, makes for an ideal point to start a cycling adventure through the "Garden of France."
Spend one day cycling past
vineyards and fields of sunflowers around the magnificent chateaux of Chambord and Cheverny just east of Blois. These two famous castles have lured visitors for centuries. Chambord is the largest of the Loire Valley castles with a facade of over 18 stories high with 440 rooms and 365 chimneys it has been referred to as "the mathematisation of architecture". It was originally designed as an ostentatious hunting lodge for Francois I. In its five hundred year history it was only ever used as a royal residence for 20 years. Chambord sits proudly surrounded by the largest hunting estate in the Loire Valley.
Chateau Cheverny has a richly furnished interior that attracts art aficionados and antiques roadshow fans fans from all over the world. Allegedly, the exterior was the inspiration for Marlinspike, in the Tintin comics by Herge. Cheverny has a working pack of dogs and you can visit the kennel at feeding time to see the frenzy. Cheverny is also an AOC wine appellation region worthy of some wine tasting.
After you've had your fill of ogling architecture, spend another day, cycling around beautiful Amboise on the Loire River with its medieval chateau and quaint village. Leonardo's home, the Chateau du Clos-Luce where he spent the last four years of his life, is located just outside Amboise. Here you can visit his sitting rooms, chambers, and kitchen. There is a working museum with over 40 models of some of his amazing inventions. The park at this chateau is breathtakingly beautiful. Da Vinci's remains are interned at Chateau Amboise.
You can pedal southeast across the Cher River to the castle of Chenonceau, one of the loveliest sites in the Loire Valley. Straddling the River Cher and backing off into an expanse of forest, the chateau is hemmed in by two beautiful gardens. It is the most visited castle of the Loire with over one million visitors a year.
The history of the four ladies of Chateau Chenonceau is absolutely fascinating and probably much more interesting than your schoolteacher ever alluded to. Henri II was thirteen when he took Diane de Poitiers 20 years his senior as his mistress. Catherine de Medici was 18 years younger than Diane de Poitiers and three years into her marriage to Henri II, Diane was announced as his official mistress. He gifted Chateau Chenonceau to Diane de Poitiers even though it was inalienable royal property
Henri spent most of his days and nights with Diane. Diane became acutely concerned that Catherine might not produce a male heir resulting in her marriage possibly being annulled thereby exposing Diane to a potential combatant possibly not so understanding as Catherine. Diane the older wiser woman set about encouraging Henri to spend more time with Catherine. Henri would visit her chamber first then go and spend a few hours in Catherine's chamber before returning to Diane's bedchamber to finally retire for the night. Apparently Diane even advised Catherine on some finer points on marriage and eventually a male heir was born.
Unfortunately Henri II not being the type of monarch to sit on the sides at festivals succumbed to a nasty jousting accident and died at an early age leaving a succession of infant heirs to the throne of France. In 1559 when he died in 1559 Catherine forced Diane into exile to slum it in the smaller far less prestigious chateau of Chaumont on the banks of the Loire River closer to Blois.
After Catherine moved in to Chateau Chenonceau she had the beautiful gallery added, which is 180 feet long, 18 feet wide, with 18 windows and set on arches over the Cher River. It was originally used as a ballroom, and in war world II it became a hospital and the wounded soldiers used to fish out the windows.
Villandry lies west of Chenonceau and beckons cyclists. The Chateau de Villandry is most famous for its wonderful gardens, and is considered a must see for gardeners. There are 3 different gardens in all: a Louis the XIV style vegetable garden, an ornamental mosaic flower garden, and a water garden with pools and waterfalls. Many people skip the interior of the 16th century chateau and come for the gardens alone.
Luxury castles sprinkle the region, ready to soothe away any saddle sores with their great cuisine and crisp, cool acclaimed local wine. You can chose to hire a room or a whole chateau together with your friends or family members. You could not pick a more comfortable and leisurely, more picturesque, palate-friendly vacation destination anywhere in the world.
Corina Clemence runs a luxury french chateau in the Loire Valley near Blois, for up to fifteen people perfect for touring vineyards and chateaux and relaxing french holidays. It is also ideal for a french wedding, party or event. Rent the whole castle or rent a suite. Rent a castle in France. Hire castle - hire chateau Rent castle http://www.loirechateau.com Rent chateau Getting Around Nice on a Shoestring Budget
By Gaizka Pujana
 Travelers on a budget might despair that they could never afford to become part of this rich and glitzy atmosphere. However, we have good news Nice can be enjoyed on a shoestring budget as well!
The first good thing about Nice, especially for travelers with limited funds, is that it is along the coast. Nothing quite beats value for money than lying for hours on a sandy white beach, watching the tourists and locals, frolicking in the water and soaking up the atmosphere of this wonderful city. True, the coastline along Nice is arranged in a way that each public beach is alternated with a stretch of private beach, but that shouldn't stop you enjoying yourself. In the height of the season, Nice is the Mecca of jet setting sun seekers, but the beaches are never too crowded to become unbearable.
Eating out in Nice need not cost you an arm and a leg. The city is, of course, home to some of the most expensive restaurants in the world, but if the very name of these establishments causes your heart to miss a beat, head out instead to the more popular locations such as the area around the Palais de Justice. Here you will find a vibrant sidewalk culture of cafes, live bands, eclectic groups of people and a truly Cote d'Azur atmosphere. Order a drink or a light dinner, enjoy the vibe and the music and while away the hours by simply watching the crowds go by.
Stick to eating establishments that specialize in hearty, wholesome Provencal food, which is both filling and cheap. You will still be experiencing local cuisine but for a fraction of the price compared to top name restaurants in the city. The hospitality at Provencal restaurants also tends to be better and you can learn firsthand from cooks and caf owners about the real gems that are to be found in Nice.
If you're tired of eating and sun worshipping, and want to bring a cultural element into your trip, try visiting some of Nice's free attractions. A popular excursion could be to the outside gardens of the city's Asian Arts Museum, situated at the end of the Promenade des Anglaises. Here visitors can enjoy the beauty of the Phoenix Gardens, including its famous greenhouse and black swans. If you are around Nice on the first or third Sunday of the month, you can enter the city's Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art at no cost and enjoy some of the works of nouveau realist painters such as Lichtenstein and Warhol.
Accommodation in Nice can be really, really expensive but it doesn't have to be! There are many options for visitors to find budget accommodation in Nice, ranging from the many campgrounds dotted on the outskirts of the city, to apartment rental and cheap hostels and hotels. Look out for accommodation with character: Many private individuals have converted old, historic buildings into cheap accommodation and this is a great way to get a feel for the wonderful architecture of the region. Nothing quite beats waking up to high ceilings, the smell of French coffee and baguette wafting up from the boulangerie in the streets below and knowing that you didn't have to pay a whole year's salary to enjoy such a great experience!
Gaizka Pujana is the co-owner of Barcelona Homes, S.L. which is a company
specialized in providing short term tenancy solutions in Seville and Barcelona through its
web pages Barcelona appartementen
Nice apartments
Appartement nice La Plagne And Les Arcs Ski Resorts
By Chris Chew
 As winter is approaching in the Northern Hemisphere, many people from all over the world will be planning winter vacations. What better way to enjoy a winter vacation and yet having a healthy full body workout instead of gaining winter weight by going on a skiing vacation?
In this article, we will be taking a look at two of the more popular ski resorts in France and if you are heading to Europe for your winter holidays then the information here may come in useful.
The ski resorts of La Plagne and Les Arcs in France are surrounded by breathtaking white capped mountain ranges. Both resorts attract skiing enthusiasts mainly from France and Europe. However in the past few years, the resorts are also attracting more and more Asians and American skiers and holiday makers.
La Plagne is one of the largest single ski areas in the world, with 212kms (about 132 miles) of pistes served by 144 ski lifts and is linked to Les Arcs by a four minute cable car ride. This ski resort is made up of 10 villages and is probably the most visited ski resort in the world.
In additional to skiing activities, visitors can also indulge in other activities such as bowling, working out in a fully equipped gym and sports centre, get away from the winter chill by taking sauna baths, go hang-gliding or ice-skating.
For a family outing, there are more than 200 shops to go shopping in or dine in La Plagne myriads of restaurants. Bars and dance clubs light up La Plagne by night.
La Plagne is sometimes billed as the 'third generation' French ski resort with its futuristic architectural designs has probably also influenced other ski resorts in France such as Flaine, Avoriaz and Les Arcs to go for the new world space age architecture and abandoning the charming rustic designs of traditional ski resort architecture.
Skiers in La Plagne will encounter various permutation of piste and off piste, from exhilarating steep descents on the huge glacier at Bellecote(3,000m or almost 10,000ft), then cruising delightfully down quiet meandering larch lined avenues to the charming villages of Montchavin-Les Coches, Champagny-en-Vanoise and Montalbert.
Now let's take a look at Les Arcs. This resort has a Eurostar train terminal connection at Bourg Saint Maurice and thus making it the most accessible high-altitude ski resort in France.
Les Arcs is also known to have pioneered the so called 'ski evolutif', which is a technique used for fast learning by progressing quickly from short skis to longer skis.
Les Arcs is also the homeground of the "Kilometre Lancee" in which daredevils on huge 237cm or 8 ft skis, clad in thin aerodynamic plastic suits and donning 'Darth Vader of Star Wars' style visors, speed down the specially designed track at exhilarating breakneck speed of up to 240kph (150mph) or more.
Just like La Plagne, Les Arcs ski resort has acres and acres seemingly never ending good cruising ski terrain and its off piste opportunities are simply fantastic.
Take for example, the Aiguille Rouge, which dominates the resort has many challenging runs down its front face slopes. The Aiguille Rouge is also the starting point for one of the longest skiing descents in the French Alps. The largely black run down to the charming village of Villaroger is over 16km or about 10 miles long. Whew!
With such fabulous skiing opportunities, it is therefore not surprising that La Plagne along with Les Arcs ski resorts in France is able to attract so many skiing enthusiasts from all the world, isn't it?
Chris Chew is an avid traveler. For more travel articles, visit his site at Tourist Attractions In Beijing and
Casinos In Macau Tips For Relocating Your Company To France
By Abhishek Agarwal
 When you decide to move your company to France, the biggest task ahead of you is relocation. You must have decided about and selected a location to set up your company. Deciding might be easy but actually moving to the place is not that simple. You really need to understand the process of relocating the company to France.
There are many laws and regulations for setting up a new company at a new place i.e. France. These laws also depend on the place from were you are moving the country. You also have to move your assets and your employees to the new location. This can be a big drain on your resources. If you are planning to move then the best thing to do is hire a relocation company, which specializes in such jobs.
You need to find a relocation company that is capable of managing the relocation affair efficiently. It should be able to wisely plan the relocation and moving of your assets. The company should also provide the shifting facilities to your employees, who are moving with your company.
The relocation companies are masters of the trade and provide different services like:
1. Move goods of the company and household items.
2. Vehicle shipping.
3. Assist people in searching houses and interpreter support.
4. Help in comprehending the laws and rules about moving into France
You can make your process of moving into the new country simplified by deciding to choose a relocating company and letting them handle your shifting affairs. If you do not hire the services of a relocating company, you will have to handle all the affairs of relocation yourself. You will have to coordinate for different services like freight forwarding etc. This will be of help.
There are all the chances that you would be so preoccupied in other prerequisites that you might forget about the affairs. So it is highly advisable that you hire the services of a relocation company. If you try to handle the affairs your self, there are all the likely chances that it would cost you much more than what you would have paid to a relocation company. It will also save you a lot of precious time.
You must look for a company which specializes in international relocation. You must find a company which has the resources to take care of your assets, in case you have a big company.
Abhishek has relocated several times in the last 30 years! Visit his website www.Relocation-Guru.com and download his FREE Relocation Report and learn some amazing Relocation tips and tricks. His report will help you save thousands in moving expenses. But hurry, only limited Free copies available! www.Relocation-Guru.com A Beautiful French Chandelier - A Centrepiece For Any Room
By Corina Clemence
 Never in the long history of the chandelier has there been such choice as there is today. You can buy over the internet or in person. You can scour the brocante stalls in French markets or the junk shops in England or America.
When you hang a chandelier in your home you acquire something practical and beautiful and an object that will become a focus for the room. All other decorations will revolve around it. It will become a talking point, the centrepiece. A fireplace draws attention to a lower level in a room; whereas a chandelier is the highest point of a room's decoration.
Chandeliers come in all sizes and shapes - some more unusual than others. Amongst some of the most charming eccentric chandeliers are those designed to represent hot-air balloons. The early nineteenth century saw a wave of enthusiasm for hot-air balloons, prompted by the first balloon flight by the Montgolfier brothers, Joseph and Michel travelling through the air for some six miles in 1783. Some Montgolfier chandeliers are French others Italian.
Perhaps the longest established and best known chandelier maker in France is the firm of Baccarat, which continues to thrive today.
The type of chandelier which is associated with French work is more open with its main structural support supplied not by a stem or chains but rather by a cage or frame with prettily curved members, often gilded and with drops or candles in the centre space. Like English chandeliers, they have pendants and chains of drops.
The difference is that instead of being massed together, they are however spaced further apart so that they can be seen individually. The effect is extremely ornate and delicate without being elaborate.
The ironwork on French chandeliers by the 1900s was superbly attractive and refined. The stem might have leaves and stalks curling off it supporting crystal drops, flowers and beads. For all the bags and festoons of drops, glass arms, full panoply of other elements, the French chandelier is distinctively never crowded or heavy and always alluring.
One of the things you need to be absolutely sure of is that your chandelier is safe; that when it is installed it will stay up, it will not electrocute anyone or it won't shed pieces on your head or burn the house down.
If you bought you chandelier from a market or a brocante you should use common sense about its wiring. Any chandelier is only as safe as good electrically speaking as the circuit of which it is part. Have it tested by an electrician and rewired if in doubt.
Corina Clemence runs a luxury french chateau in the Loire Valley near Blois, for up to fifteen people perfect for touring vineyards and chateaux and relaxing french holidays. It is also ideal for a french wedding, party or event. Rent the whole castle or rent a suite. Rent a castle in France. Hire castle - hire chateau Rent castle http://www.loirechateau.com Rent chateau |
