SUMMER
PANTOMIME...
ON A CROSS-CHANNEL FERRY?
OH YES THERE IS!
Brittany Ferries celebrates the summer with special on-board performances
of family favourite "Dick Whittington"
Of all the things you might expect to find on a cross-Channel ferry,
panto legend Dick Whittington and his devoted cat are probably (and
understandably) not high on the list.
But that’s exactly what families travelling from St Malo to
Portsmouth can enjoy because Brittany Ferries are staging their very
own take on the popular tale, with free-of-charge performances playing
out every afternoon from now until September 2nd on board their cruiseferry
Bretagne.
http://www.brittanyferries.com/entertainment.
To book call 0871 244 1400 or visit
http://www.brittanyferries.com
COOKERY
CLASS FOR THE LITTLE PEOPLE
Unlimited brunch for the grownups and a “back to school”
inspired cookery class for the little people are on the agenda this
Summer in the Cookbook Cafe at London’s InterContinental Park
Lane Hotel.
Designed to ensure that London’s most popular weekend brunch
menu meets everyone’s needs, little cooks learn new culinary
skills, whilst the grownups eat, drink and read the weekend supplements.
SATURDAY
VISITS TO
THE MOTHER OF PARLIAMENTS
It is now possible to tour London’s Houses of Parliament on
Saturday. This means that for the first time guided tours of the Palace
of Westminster are available to visitors throughout the year.
The 75-minute tours describe the history and politics that lie within
one of the most recognisable buildings in the world. The tours, led
by Blue Badge guides, include the Lords and Commons Chambers plus
other highlights such as Westminster Hall, the Queen’s Robing
Room, the Royal Gallery, Peers’ Lobby, Central Lobby, Members’
Lobby and St Stephen’s Hall.
Victor
Launert, the head of visitor services, says: ‘First and foremost
the building is a working Parliament but to be able to offer these
tours when parliament is not sitting is very important. The tours
are not only entertaining but also offer people an insight to the
UK’s political process and to the building’s 1000 years
of history that have shaped the nation.’
Saturday
tours take place from 9.15am and 4.30pm. Weekday tours take place
during the summer recess, when Parliament does not sit and Members
work away from Westminster.
Foreign language tours in French, Spanish, Italian and German are
offered at set times. If a group of visitors books out an entire
tour time, an interpreter for that language may be brought along
by the group and escort the group free of charge.
The prices
for the guided tours are set to cover costs and not to make a profit.
Tickets cost £14 for adults and £9 for under-16s, and
are available through Ticketmaster.
The Blue
Badge for tour guides is awarded by the Institute of Tourist Guiding
and is the highest guiding qualification in Britain. To be awarded
a Blue Badge, guides undergo detailed and comprehensive training
and rigorous examinations.
Tel:
+44 844 847 1672 (tickets)
Websites: http:// www.parliament.uk
CRUISE
AND WALK HOLIDAYS
- ROAMING AROUND BRITAIN. 
The UK’s leading guided walking holidays’ operator,
Ramblers Worldwide Holidays has teamed up with Fred.Olsen Cruise
Lines to offer a 9 day ‘voyage’ departing Newcastle
on Boudicca on 26 September 2010 embracing Portland, where one can
walk along the chalk cliffs of the Jurassic coast; St Peter Port,
Guernsey; Milford Haven with its wonderful Whitsand Bay and St David’s
then, across the Irish Sea to Dublin and the Howth Peninsula and
thence to Tobermory on the Isle of Mull and Invergordon in Scotland
where one can climb the Cnocfyrish with views over the Firths and
Highlands.
Price
NEW PRICE NOW £100 cheaper at £899 per person includes
on-board accommodation, all meals including a midnight supper, morning
coffee and afternoon tea and picnic lunches on full walking days
ashore and the services of a dedicated tour leader. PLUS there is
an on board spend offer of £100 per cabin for all new bookings
.
http://www.RamblersHolidays.co.uk
01707 386 767
NEW
STAR CLIPPERS MINI-CRUISE FROM ATHENS
Tall
ship specialist Star Clippers (0845 200 6145, www.starclippers.co.uk)
is offering a new short spring break in the Aegean, combining a
night in a luxury Athens hotel with three nights’ cruising
the Greek islands on the graceful, four-masted square-rigger, Star
Clipper.
Departing
September 28, 2010, the holiday begins with a night in the five-star
boutique hotel, St George Lycabettus, close to Athens’ chic
Kolonaki district of shops and bars, within easy reach of the Acropolis.
Image library: www.fotoseeker.com
Star
Clipper sets sail from Piraeus, the port for Athens, on September
29, calling at the dramatic, volcanic island of Santorini, where
the whitewashed cube-houses and blue-domed churches of Fira, the
capital, are sprinkled across jet-black cliffs, towering over a
deep blue sea. The second port is beautiful Mykonos, famous for
its shopping, nightlife and long, sandy beaches. As well as plenty
of opportunity to explore each destination, there will be time to
relax on deck, enjoy a cocktail in the al fresco Tropical Bar and
appreciate the beauty of a tall ship powered by 3,365 square metres
of sail. The ship returns to Athens on October 2.
Fares
for this special voyage start at just £799 per person, including
full board and entertainment on the ship, one night in Athens, return
flights from the UK and transfers.
www.starclippers.co.uk
NEW
ON-LINE AUDIO MINI-GUIDES IN FRANCE
The Champagne-Ardenne tourist board has introduced English versions
of their popular audio mini-guide series, so that British visitors
can now explore the charms of Champagne-Ardenne in a new and original
way.
Versions are available to download easily from the website, or simply
to listen to on-line. Commentaries are mix of tourist and historic
information, interviews, music, literary references, flavoured with
quotes from a local ‘expert’ and useful pointers on highlights
of the particular area and suggestions for further exploration. It’s
an enjoyable, leisurely way to get to know the diverse attractions
of the region.
The 14 mini-guides are 3 - 4 minutes long and cover 8 different themes
and areas:-
The 7 Champagne Routes - Reims- Troyes-Charleville-Mézières
- Colombey-les-deux-églises (home of Charles de Gaulle)- Lac
du Der -The Regional Park of the Orient Forest - The Meuse Valley
Produced in association with local tourist boards, the guides are
free to download and are available on-line at
www.tourisme-champagne-ardenne.com.
BRITTANY
FERRIES DOUBLES SERVICES TO SPAIN.
Following the success of the Portsmouth-Santander route, launched
in March last year, Brittany Ferries has added yet another luxury
cruise-ferry to its fleet to provide its customers with an additional
2 round trips a week between these ports. This move will mean that
the UK and Spain will be linked by a total of 4 Brittany Ferries
passenger services every week: 3 from Portsmouth and 1 from Plymouth.
The new vessel has a high cruising speed enabling the crossing from
Portsmouth to be made in just 24 hours. With 244 cabins –
all with ensuite facilities - she can accommodate up to 1,500 passengers
and their cars. Whilst on their mini-cruise to Spain passengers
can enjoy the swimming pool, choice of restaurants, shopping, bars,
live entertainment and movie lounge.
On days when she does not operate the Spanish route, this ship will
provide additional crossings from Portsmouth to Cherbourg. Brittany
Ferries also has five routes from the UK to France. For further
information visit http://www.brittanyferries.co.uk/
or call 0871 244 1400
