English-speaking world

19 November 2023

HENLEY-ON-THAMES

Henley-on-Thames, set on a mile-long stretch of the Thames, is famous for its regatta, founded in 1839 and held every year in early July. At regatta times the banks are lined with hospitality tents and well-dressed spectators parade up and down. The river is also the focus for another annual event swan-upping, in late July. For 800 years the cygnets born to swans on the Thames have been caught and marked to distinguish their ownership.


Henley-on-Thames

 

Henley itself, which grew itself around a 12th-century river crossing, has a very attractive and compact town center with lots of half-timbered or soft-toned brick buildings of the 15th to 18th centuries. Look too for the flint and stone-checked 16th-century tower of St. Mary's Church, and the adjoining 15th-century Chantry House, timber-framed with jettied upper floors.

11 November 2023

HARTBEESPOORT DAM

 A popular recreational spot 35 km to the west of Pretoria in the Magaliesberg mountain range. This dam, covering 12 km², formed by the Crocodile and Magalies Rivers, hosts a variety of water sports and is popular amongst anglers. There are beautiful views from the road which skirts the dam and crosses the dam wall via a small tunnel. Facilities in the area include caravan and camping sites, a hotel, lodges, tea gardens. Numerous recreational resorts offer walking trails, picnic sites and sports facilities. The Cableway offers panoramic views of the whole area from the highest point in Magaliesberg. Hot air balloon flights are available; transport is provided from Johannesburg.


Hartbeespoort Dam

 Hartbeespoort Dam * Western Transvaal /1973/
The damming of the Crocodile River amidst delightful scenery in the Magaliesberg Range has created a popular inland resort some 21 miles from Pretoria.


HARTBEESPOORT ZOO AND SNAKE PARK
On shores of dam. A small zoo with variety of animals, reptiles and birds. Snake, seal and chimpanzee shows held Sundays and public holidays at 12h00 and 15h00. Visitors may take 20 minute ferry trip around dam from small jetty in the zoo.

29 October 2023

NASHVILLE

 Music and musicians are everywhere in Tennessee's Heartland, and nowhere more plentiful than in Nashville, "Music City USA". In the heart of Nashville's recording district, "Music Row", you can tour the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The exciting Opryland USA complex on the edge of the city, is home to Opryland music-filled theme park. If you visit Nashville and miss the Opry, you may as well have stayed home.

Nashville

 Tennessee State Capitol. Charlotte Ave., Tennessee's first permanent structure to serve as capitol continues today in that function. Architect William Strickland is burried within its walls. On the grounds is the tomb of James K. Polk, 11th President of the United States. The building, is one of 12 state capitols that does not have a dome.

 

Travel Tennessee

21 October 2023

SAGUENAY

 From morning until night, Saguenay is alive with all its festivities and colours. Whether it's cultural outing or foodie extravaganza, you'll enjoy yourself to your heart's content. It's impossible to get bored here. As the downtown streets come alive, chefs like to showcase local products in both small bistros and big restaurants. All year long, it's one festival after the other! Cultural and trendy, Saguenay vibrates to the rhythm of all the pleasures in a concentrated formula. While festival-goers invade the city, shopping enthusiasts and nature epicureans take the best addresses by storm.

Saguenay

L’Anse-Saint-Jean * Sainte-Rose-du‑Nord * Rivière du Moulin* Saint-Fulgence

 

The Saguenay Fjord is one of the longest in the world, sprawling over 105 km. On either side  of the Fjord Route, the most beautiful villages in Quebec look like postcards, and the living is easy between land and sea. There's so much to do! Between hiking on dizzyingly high capes, biki riding along clearwater gulfs, bird's-eye-views from the treetops, and whale watching, if there's such a thing as paradise, it's here.


Tourisme Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean

14 October 2023

TYNE AND WEAR

 The landscape of Tyne and Wear is dominated by the River Tyne and River Wear characterized by the river bridges, including the icon Tyne Bridge, and the modern Millennium Bridge and complemented by green belts around the main conurbations. The main populations are centred in the cities of Newcastle upon Tyne, Sunderland, Gateshead, South Shields and Tynemouth.

TYNE AND WEAR

 Sunderland * Tyne and Wear * South Shields
Cullercoats * Whitley Bay * North Shields

  

For a long time a great coal-producing center and worldleader in shipbuilding and engineering, Newcastle-upon-Tyne has suffered in the post-industrial age. First impressions are not promising, yet the city has a distinctive, austere beauty, while its heavily-accented citizens, called "Geordies", seem to have a permanent twinkle in their eye. Six great bridges span the Tyne. The city took its name from the "new castle" built in 1080; a later Norman keep can still be seen.

01 October 2023

MONAGHAN

 The spruce and thriving town of Monaghan is the urban highlight of the northern Midlands. Planted by James I in 1613, it developed into a prosperous industrial centre, thanks mainly to the local manufacture of linen. Monaghan centres on three almost contiguous squares. The main attraction in Market Square is the 18th-century Market House, a squat but charming building with the original oak beams still visible. To the east lies Church Square, very much the heart of modern Monaghan and lined with dignified 19th-century buildings, such as the Classical-style courthouse. The third square, which is known as the Diamond, was the original marketplace.

Monaghan

 SWAN LAKE, MONAGHAN

The variety of holiday activities offered by Monaghan, the most northern county town in Lake Land leaves nothing to be desired. Shooting, swimming, water-skiing, golf and angling facilities all abound within easy reach of the town. Outside Monaghan is one of the countys most beautiful lakes, Swan Lake. Here the visitor can find the quiet peaceful atmosphere so typical of Ireland.

24 September 2023

PORT GLAUD

 The Seychelles - the name alone conjures up images of hidden pirate treasures and a tropical island paradise. Yet even the most vivid imagination can barely touch the living beauty of these islands, discovered just two centuries ago. Spread over 400,000 square kilometres of the Indian Ocean the islands are quite literally a thousand miles from anywhere. The Seychelles manage to remain just as they were. Unhurried. Uncrowded. Unspoilt and Unique - by a thousand miles.


PORT GLAUD

 The beaches rank among the very best in the world. Silver white sands stretch as far as the eye can see - and beyond - encircling the islands like a giant shimmering necklace. There are miles of white coral sands that dip invitingly into clear, warm turquoise waters. Holidaying in the Seychelles is like having a dream come true!

17 September 2023

NEW BERN

 Craven County,midway along North Carolina's lacework coastal fringe, is the ideal vacation spot for sunseeker and history buffs alike. Settled in 1710 by Swiss and German immigrants at the confluence of the Trent and Neuse rivers, New Bern is the second oldest town in the state. History abounds around every corner, with over 150 landmarks - some dating to the 18th century - representing variety of architectural periods. The centerpiece of restored historic district is Trylon Palace.

New Bern

 Christ Episcopal Church * Jones House * Commission House * John Wright Stanly Home

 

 Year'round, visit the historical museums - such as the Civil War Museum, the Fireman's Museum, and the Academy Museum. Peruse the specialty shops in the downtown area. For change of pace, sail lazily on endless rivers or golf on one of the excellent championship courses in the area.

New Bern-Craven County

10 September 2023

SAINT-HYACINTHE

The Montérégie, derived from the Latin form of the name Mount Royal (mons regius) owes its name to the five hills that form a line between the island of Montréal and the Appalachians. This 11,000 km2 territory is full of historic events that have shaped today's Québec. A real mosaic of urban and rural, the Montérégie-East area is a dynamic, attractive, open and welcoming region. It knows how to showcase its natural beauty and its agricultural land to provide exceptional agro-touristic products.

 

Saint-Hyacinthe

Hôtel de ville de Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec

Located in the heart of a vast agricultural region, Saint-Hyacinthe is recognized as an agri-food technopole and a land of innovation. It is also a welcoming place thanks to the openness of its citizen to other cultures. Take a stroll through the downtown core and enjoy an outing of shopping in the various unique, specialized boutiques. Spend the evening in one of the many gourmet destinations.

 

Tourisme Montérégie

 

02 September 2023

WELLS

 England’s smallest cathedral city, with a population of 10,000, lies at the foot of the Mendip Hills. Many believe the 800-year-old tiny cathedral of this Somerset city to be the most beautiful in England. Its outstanding feature is its west front, a huge screen adorned with some 300 angels, saints and kings. This unparalleled concentration of medieval sculpture would have looked even more spectacular at the time, when it was vividly painted.

Wells

Market Place and Cathedral

 

 In the surrounding moat, by the drawbridge, swans traditionally rang a bell with their beaks at feeding time. Among Wells' handsome streets of  old limestone houses, Vicar's Close is the pick of the bunch, cobbled and lined with 14-century cottages in which the clergy used to live. Wells Market Place has been a focal point of the City over the ages and still is today with a twice weekly market on Wednesday and Saturday selling local produce and goods.