Holiday Velvet Travel Blog

Summer Jazz Festivals

Holiday Velvet Team — Mon, 05 May 2008 17:27:00 +0000

As the summer approaches, it signifies also the start of the annual music festivals season and that includes some very good jazz festivals in Europe. Below are my 3 favourite Jazz Festivals in Europe.

Brussels Jazz Marathon is my favourite of all and one I always try and attend each year. This annual 3 day jazz marathon in Brussels attracts some of the jazz greats from old and traditional jazz. This year it takes place on the 23rd - 25th May 2008 and will include more than 150 free jazz concerts.

Cork Jazz Festival in Ireland is a close favourite to Brussels Jazz marathon for me. This Cork show is also an annual event and this year performers include the excellent Liane Carroll and the Yellowjackets. 24th to the 27th of October 2008 are the dates to add to your calendar.

Bordeaux Jazz Ffestival is another annual jazz event and one I have only been to once but which is excellent and also attracts some very god artists. This takes place a week before the Brussels event, with Bordeaux's event taking place between the 14th and 18th of May 2008. If you really love jazz and can attend all three, you are guarenteed a godo summer!

Amsterdam: Queen’s Day is coming up!

Holiday Velvet Team — Thu, 01 May 2008 20:35:00 +0000

What is Queen’s Day? I guess if you are not from Holland it must be one of the strangest festivals you have ever seen. People are going wild and there are parties everywhere throughout the whole country and in Amsterdam above all. Cities, villages, and even the people are all covered in orange. Why? Why is it such a big deal? It’s the Queen’s birthday! Well actually… it’s the birthday of the mother of the Queen. Originally the celebration started out as a free market, the only day in the year when the Dutch go out on the street, and basically gather all the junk they can find in their house, and try to sell it on the market.

Along with the market during the years, more and more parties were organised. Queen Juliana passed away, and along with that the original reason to celebrate as well. However, it had become a tradition for the Dutch, a national holiday.

Places like Amsterdam evolved the most. There you will really find the whole city orange during Queen’s Day. Amsterdam that on a regular base attracts many tourists already, really turns into a major party on this Day. Many street concerts are organised, all the bars and clubs are open, and many other activities are organised. It has the atmosphere of a good night in a club, but then out there in the open and it goes on day and night. What started as a tradition is nowadays just more of an excuse to go wild!!

Life's certainly a beach in Berlin's

Holiday Velvet Team — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 15:46:00 +0000

A beach isn’t the first thing that springs to mind when you think of Berlin but kicking off your shoes and walking over golden sand is one of the many things you can now do in Berlin. Now there are a number of beach bars flooding the city and it all started at the Thus Strandbar Mitte, (Monbijoustrasse 3, which sits along the banks of Berlin’s river Spree.

You can now relax within a tropical oasis complete with palm trees, deckchairs and tons of imported sand. It’s the perfect place to drink a mojito after an exhausting day visiting all the museums at nearby Museum Island.

There’s now a host of similar bars springing up in Berlin that incapsulate that cool, underground scene that Berlin is always famous for. The Strandbar’s sister bar, Ostsrand (MuhlenstraBe 24-26, is located behind the largest remaining section of the Berlin Wall. Now the politicians are getting in on the act and the Bundespressestrand (Kapelluefer) is located in the government quarter and offers fantastic views of the German parliament. They now have two swimming pools and a beach volley ball court to keep the most energetic punters happy.

If you’re looking for a quick dip in the city, you might try the Badeschiff 8EichenstraBe 4, which is a swimming pool that actually floats in the river Spree. During the winter the pool is covered by a tent and is turned into a huge sauna.

Berlins beach bar season starts at the beginning of April and lasts until late October.

Markets in Florence, Italy

Holiday Velvet Team — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 10:49:00 +0000

In order to experience the real Florence and Florentine life you have to visit one of the numerous street markets. From Piazza S. Lorenzo to Via dell'Ariento, all around the Basilica of San Lorenzo you can find probably the most important market of the city. Just walk around searching for clothing, articles in leather, souvenirs and much more. As part of this market, you'll find the fruit and vegetable market in the nearby piazza del mercato centrale. Walk in and discover. It opens every morning from 7.00 to 14.00, except for Sunday and public holidays.

Situated in the very beautiful Parco delle Cascine, Mercato “delle Cascine” opens each Tuesday (from 7 to 14) , which is probably the biggest and cheapest market in town! If you're searching for fruits and vegetables, clothing and houseware stands, antiquities, telephone cards, and shoes, you’re in the right place. On the second Sunday of each months, there is a antique market on Piazza Santo Spirito for people who are serious into antique shopping.

Many more markets in Florence streets offer all you need – You should visit at least one of them. Do not also forget our previous blog about Florence music festivals. For cheap flights to Florence I'd recommend trying SkyScanner as they combine searching through all of the budget airlines onto one interface.

Heathrow Terminal 5, London: But the future is bright

Holiday Velvet Team — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 12:58:00 +0000

It has been quite a dramatic opening for Terminal 5 at Heathrow airport for British Airways, with a week full of problems, problems which have seen over a hundred flights cancelled in the first week of terminal 5 opening. In the first few days, problems with the baggage handling and then in the last 2 days which snow falling (although it is not clear why snow would only affect British Airways) its been a tough opening.

So should we be optimistic or pessimistic if we have flights booked to fly in or out of Heathrow Terminal 5? Past airport openings suggestion optimistic to me.

The fact is that airports and terminals on this scale tend often to have a difficult start in the first few days or weeks and then things get sorted out and work out well. Denver International Airport, is a perfect example of an airport which now runs with great efficiency but started off similarly to Heathrow Terminal 5. Denver saw long queues and big baggage delays at the start and even before that, the airport opening was delayed by a year.

Many of us remember also the problems which Kuala Lumpur International Airport expeiences a few years ago, with similar problems to what Heathrow T5 is experiencing now. Kuala Lumpur International Airport is now one arguably one of the best airports in the world.

My belief is that Heathrow will soon sort out these problems and within a few weeks will get gradually up to 100% working efficiency.

Carnival Of Cultures in Berlin

Holiday Velvet Team — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 14:53:00 +0000

From 9th to 12th of May Berlin will held the most beautiful carnival in Germany – A present from the city to its inhabitants and visitors. The participants of the caravan come from about 80 different countries representing Berlin’s diversity, creativity and the lust for life.

Hip Hop meets Reggae, colourful masks from Latin American countries and giants from all over the wall will be part of the event. The parade will proof once more that it’s not only folklore but expresses the diverse cultures. During the 4 days everyone comes together to experience Berlin’s world music and dance scene.

The Carnival of Cultures is of special importance to Berlin's ethnic communities. They see it as a challenge and an incentive to reconsider their view on the culture in their respective country of origin and define their cultural self-image "between two cultures".

The 'Maggio Fiorentino' festival in

Holiday Velvet Team — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 12:43:00 +0000

The Maggio Musicale Fiorentino is an international festival entirely dedicated to music that is held in the Municipal Theater in Florence. It was organized for the first time in 1937 and is one of the oldest festivals in Europe. This year it is starting from the 26th April and lasts until the 1st of July.

This year it is the 71th edition and the genre is varying from opera to ballet. Also there are many concerts. Some names of artist that are coming are: Carmen, Radu Lupu, Riccardo Muti, Phaedra and many more.

Ticket prices start from € 20. For more information on the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino festival and the complete program see here: http://www.maggiofiorentino.com/.

The Spas of Tuscany in Italy

Holiday Velvet Team — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 12:01:00 +0000

Not only is Tuscany famous for it’s rolling hills, breathtaking landscape, fabulous food and delicious wine, you’ll also find many of the best spas in the country. Tuscany is abundant with hot springs (Termes) that shoot mineral rich water onto the land. Relaxing and enjoying the thermal baths of Tuscany goes back to Roman times.

Unlike spas in other countries, thermal spas in Italy are more focused on healing and energizing and not just about pampering. Of course, you’ll find the traditional services such as facials, body treatments and massages but the real focus is on the healing water pools that rejuvenate and relax you. Generally there are a number of pools each varying in temperature and each one has its own focus on the body. For instance, Acqua Santa and Acqua Fucoli come directly from the spring and are good for your liver. Acqua Santissima is utilized for inhalations, aerosol and insufflations while Acqua Sillene is used for mud baths, thermal baths and cosmetics.

All you need to do is bring a bathing costume, bathrobe and sandals and you’ll be set for the day.

Spas in Tuscany - San Lorenzo a Linari, Siena, Tuscany
San Lorenzo a Linari Spa is a wonderful small boutique spa just 20 minutes from Siena. You can also stay here and they offer traditional spa services and encourage the use of hydratherapy.
Terme di Saturnia is 2 hours from Siena, between Grosseto and Siena. Set within the rolling hills of Tuscany, Terme di Saturnia is probably the most well known terme is part of the Leading Hotel of the World. Here you can soak warm, sulphur pools and a Roman bath.
Terme di Chianciano - Located one hour south of Siena, this spa in Tuscany offers 20 different types of treatments organized by naturopathy experts.

Moorish Nights the Algarve

Holiday Velvet Team — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 13:58:00 +0000

During the Moorish Nights, the Algarve village of Cacela Velha recreates the ambience of the Arab presence in the region from the 10th-13th centuries.

As well as a traditional souk market with goods from Magreb and the Algarve demonstrating the Moorish heritage, there is folkloric music, dance, discussions and traditional gastronomy. For four nights there is a restaurant with an Arabic menu, serving delights such as harina (traditional soup) and pastilha de frango com amêndoas (chicken and almond pasty) followed by fruit and accompanied by the obligatory green tea.

The Moorish Nights in the Algarve re held in July 2008, and it’s is an annual event.

Food and drink in Seville, Spain

Holiday Velvet Team — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 13:19:00 +0000

Not known for their beer, if you ever go to Seville for a holiday, you must pay a visit to Cerveceria Internacional. Opened 20 years ago by Antonio and Antonia, this couple has 15 taps with the top european brands and more than 270 bottled beer from across the world.

Not only is the beer good, you should also try the tapas with specialities of Russian salad with prawns, house broad beans and chickpeas with cod. Don’t leave Seville without trying the german sausage, they’ll make your mouth water.

So when in Seville, if you fancy banana or chocolate, blonde, bitter or black, or even Trapist beers which are brewed by monks then don’t forget to drop in on Antonio and Antonia.

Subscribe to this newsfeed. Get all updates sent to your RSS reader.

The 58th Berlinale: Berlin International Film Festival

Holiday Velvet Team — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 15:52:00 +0000

Once a year Berlin transforms into Hollywood and all the starlets can be seen on the red carpet in Germany’s capital. Goldie Hawn, Keith Richards, Neil Young, Madonna, Scarlett Johannson, Natalie Portman and Mick Jagger are only a few of the stars who’ve been there last week.

The Berlin International Film Festival is one of the most important film festivals worldwide which was founded in 1951. Since 1978 the Berlinale is held annually with 200.000 tickets sold and 400.000 admissions and is therefore the biggest publicly-attended film festival in the world. About 400 films are shown and about 20 of them compete for the awards, the Golden and Silver Bears. This year 5.000 films were handed in, a record number.

However, the stars are not just there to present themselves and their films but also to donate together. The benefit gala “Cinema for Peace” was held and important messages were spread. The most famous cinema stars came, among them Sir Ben Kingsley, Hilary Swank, Catherine Deneuve, Joseph Fiennes and even Sir Bob Geldof came from London to cheer “Germany, continue." It was an important week for the people in Berlin and you should try to be part of this next year.

To book your Berlin Film Festival apartments, you can try a Berlin apartments search.

Best ways to travel from Madrid to Barcelona

Holiday Velvet Team — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 11:47:00 +0000

With the new high-speed train connection from Madrid to Barcelona there is an extra way to travel from Madrid to Barcelona or vice versa. All the possible forms of transportation between Spain’s two largest cities are detailed below:

By Bus - To take the bus is probably the cheapest way of traveling, for less than 50 euro you buy a return ticket. That means a single ticket only costs around 25 euro’s.
The bus ride takes about 7 hours.

By Plane - The flight hasn’t have to be very expensive; e.g. Air Europe starts from 34 euro’s, Vueling and Spanair start from around 40 euro’s. The flight takes about an hour, but that is not including check-in, boarding, picking up the luggage and the transport to and from the airport.

By Car - By car it takes around 6 hours to get from Madrid to Barcelona and the costs of gas and toll are somewhere close to 80 euro’s

By Train - The new high-speed train (AVE) takes you in 2 hours and 38 minutes from the centre of Madrid to the centre of Barcelona. The tickets vary in prices. Online tickets are starting from 40 euro’s but the most expensive tickets will be 245 euro’s

Now you can even visit two cities during one holiday, with so many transportation opportunities.

Crazy Days in Germany - Altweiberfastnacht

Holiday Velvet Team — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 12:31:00 +0000

Once again, everybody could sin unpunished for a few days in Germany. Although Carnival already starts on November 11th at 11.11 a.m. the “Crazy Days” start on Thursday with the “Altweiberfastnacht”.

Pirates, clowns, witches, fairies, princesses and kings, Charlie Chaplin and many more historic people strolled through the cities. Whether you’ve been to the Rhineland or the East, the cities or the villages, everywhere the people, young and old, big and small, where dancing, laughing, eating tidbits and drinking.

The biggest and most famous one, though, is in Cologne where on Thursday at 11.11 a.m. the street Carnival is officially opened by the three principal Carnival figures: the Prince, the Peasant and the Virgin. Over the weekend you saw thousands of “Jecken” in the city and celebrations and parties were held in every pub, restaurant, in every house. The Highlight was on Rose Monday, when the six-hour long procession with 10,000 of the city's gaudily-dressed inhabitants took place.

But all good things must come to an end. On Tuesday, “Veilchendienstag”, the fifth season of the year ended with the “Nubbelverbrennung”, where you burn the spirit of carnival to atone for the sins committed during the last 6 days. Then, on Ash Wednesday, the “Jecken” go into restaurants and pubs where the traditional fish dinners are served. You should think about going to Berlin to enjoy the colourful spectacle next year which is part of Germany’s unique culture. You can learn more about Altweiberfastnacht and also book holiday rentals in Germany for the amazing Altweiberfastnacht festivals.

The Algarve Film Festival

Holiday Velvet Team — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 23:19:00 +0000

Are you a movie-buff who also likes to hang out on the beach and get some sun? Then maybe the Algarve International Film Festival on Portugal´s south cast is the place for you.

The popular seaside town, Portimao has their own film festival every year. The Algarve International Film Festival is Portugal´s oldest film event which dates back to the early 70´s.
Held during the month of May, the Algarve Film Festival attracts many top Directors and offers screening in numerous villages along the coast including in Lagos, Albufiera, Loulé, and Tavira.

The festival is broken down into 5 main catergories of films and these are:

Retrospective
FICA 30 (Previous winners short films)
Short movies
New Territories
Annecy section.

Subscribe to this newsfeed. Get all updates sent to your RSS reader.

Spanish Formula 1: Events in Barcelona

Holiday Velvet Team — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 17:04:00 +0000

Hamilton, Alonso, Räikkönen – if you know these names and want to see them at their best, than the Formula 1 race in Barcelona on April 27 is the place for you. Activities, parties and events begin around April 24 and continue throughout the week until race day.

The Gran Premio de Espana race itself is held in Montmelo - about a 40 minute trip north of the city. The track 4.655 km long and the race consist of 66 laps. The race draws enormous spectators which usually top out at over 115,000.

If you are interested in attending ticket information can be found at Barcelona Culture F1 and for great F1 accommodation in Barcelona try Holiday Velvet.
Contributor: Oakley Johnson

Subscribe to this newsfeed. Get all updates sent to your RSS reader.

Dubai on a Shoe-String? Yes!

Holiday Velvet Team — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 20:33:00 +0000

When the desert gem, Dubai comes to mind one often thinks of glitzy hotels, expensive shopping and the highlife. However, with a bit of research and knowledge even the frugal traveler can enjoy this rapidly transforming playground.

Dubai Accommodation – Avoid the larger hotels which can run cost up to hundreds of dollars per nights. Save big when renting a villa or an apartment. Another bonus is one can usually cook in-house cutting back on the high restaurant bills.

Transport – Dubai has no metro system and taxis can cost a fortune - so cut down on costs by renting a car thru car-hire agency who now provide small cars for 55 dollars a day.

Low season – Many recommend visiting the city during Ramadan when capacity is lower and often business owners lower their rates. Avoid going during peak period like the Dubai Shopping Festival, which typically runs from late December through January.

Useful Info for Dubai: To book flights you can try Qatar Airways and for accommodation and apartments Holiday Velvet.

- Contributor: Oakley Johnson

Subscribe to this newsfeed. Get all updates sent to your RSS reader.

3 Useful Travel Tips

Holiday Velvet Team — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 15:15:00 +0000

Without meaning to sound in any way negative, and to take away from the great pleasue our holidays and vacations can bring us, many things can go wrong when you are travelling abroad. There are though soem things we can do to make our travels more trouble free. Below 3 quick ideas. Please also feel free to send us your ideas, via blog comments!

1. Make sure that you scanned copy of your passort and other important travel documents and ensure that you email these to your web based email address (i.e. a Yahoo or hotmail account). You will then be able to access a copy of your documents from anywhere in the world if you need.

2. Do learn even just 10 words of the local language. Even if you cannot say any more thank please and thank you and a few more words. Just saying those 2 or 3 words can get the locals on your side. Even a few words in the local language, shows some effort has been made on your part and you will find locals often act more friendly and helpfully, towards you.

3. Do buy a small pocket travel guide i.e. Lonely Planet guide. There is little point in trying to save a few dollars, Euros or pounds on not buying such a book because the book itself will pay for itself with even the most simple information, such as how and where to get travel card on local transportation. The books have paid for themselves ten-fold for me wherever I have travelled. My favourites are the Lonely Planet Series.

One final tip, make sure you check Holiday Velvet apartment and villa rentals website before travelling. The prices can mean you save on the cost of a hotel stay!

3 Useful Sites for airline flights

Holiday Velvet Team — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 15:51:00 +0000

With the Christmas Holidays over and with those of us in the Northern hemisphere now in the heart of winter time, many of us our starting to think about and plan our next big vacation, whether it be during Easter or in the Spring or summer. To help you out, I have detailed below five of my favourite travel sites, and ones I use regularly when looking for travel ideas. If you have any sites you yourself like, feel free to send blog comments with your favourites!

SkyScanner - This site crawls the majority of the budget airlines and allows you to view prices across a number of days so that you can clearly and easily see a comparision of different prices. This is a very handy site.

Cheapflights.co.uk - This site is similar to SkyScanner in that it details a selection of airline flights. This is different though in that it includes the major airlines such as British Airways and Air France, rather than focusing on budget flights. This site is regularly updated and a very handy site.

OpenJet - This is another handy price flight comparision site which you may want to check after checking SkyScanner and Cheapflights.co.uk, just to ensure you have found the best price.

For holiday apartments and accommodation worldwide try Holiday Velvet.
- Contributor: Paul Symonds

Subscribe to this newsfeed. Get all updates sent to your RSS reader.

Berlin: Christmas is in the air

Holiday Velvet Team — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 01:31:00 +0000

During December there is a smell of Christmas in the air of Berlin. Almonds, fried sausages, fresh fir-tree green, resin, cinnamon, oranges and a cool breeze allow the citizens to forget the hectic rush and their worries. You can see people laughing in the streets holding a cup of mulled wine or a pack of sweets. There are smiling children with a sparkle in their eyes everywhere, happy because they can stay up late, running over the Christmas markets and eat red candis apple, bananas dipped in chocolate sauce or candy floss in different colours.

Although nearly every street offers special Christmas lighting, wooden cabins and places to buy punch and mulled wine, to really experience Christmas you have to visit at least one of the famous Christmas markets in the German capital, like the one at the Gendarmenmarkt, Alexanderplatz, at the Schlossplatz to have an amazing view over Berlin from the Ferris Wheel or at the Opernpalais Unter den Linden to enjoy art crafts from the Erz Mountains, Czech Republic or South Tyrol.

But wherever you choose to go, you have to try “Kale and pinkle” which is a specialty during the Christmas season as well as the Christstollen. Berlin, of course, offers many more opportunities to enjoy the pre-Christmas period and surely, there is something to fit any taste and I can assure you, you will be a child once more as the Christmas miracle reaches everyone.

If you are still yet to book your Berlin Xmas accommodation, you can try www.holiday-velvet.com/berlin.

Subscribe to this newsfeed. Get all updates sent to your RSS reader.

Winter Magic in Berlin

Holiday Velvet Team — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 12:28:00 +0000

Germany is always known for its big Christmas markets. Also this year in Berlin there are over 50 Christmas markets and they are starting from 26 nov. and last until 26 dec . But that is not all, there are several activities in Berlin during Christmas like Berlin on Ice, A 700 sq m ice skating place in the historical centre of the city.

There are also a number of great Christmas shows in local theaters like Roncalli Christmas circus, Stars in Concert, Soap etc. Of course there are a lot of shops where you can do your Christmas shopping. And if you’re staying over new year there is a big new year’s eve party between the Brandenburg Gate and the Victory Column with loads of fireworks and music stages.
For more information: You can view the Berlin Tourist Information site and for Berlin holiday apartments you can search Berlin apartments.

Subscribe to this newsfeed. Get all updates sent to your RSS reader.

Big Powder in Colorado

Holiday Velvet Team — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 13:50:00 +0000

If you are looking to ski or snowboard in the US, the choices can be overwhelming. East coast vs. West coast; the Rockies, Sierras, New Mexico – where does one begin? For guaranteed fun – you cannot go wrong at two of America´s most famous resorts - Aspen and Vail.

Both located in the state of Colorado, these resorts offer more snow sports than you can shake a stick at. Vail is about an hours’ drive west from Denver (major international airport), making it accessible even for the day. The resort is simply huge. At over 3600 meters - it offers over 200 trails, 35 lifts and dozens of restaurants on and off the mountain. What makes Vail truly unique is it has 3 faces. Most ski resorts in the Northern Hemisphere face north to limit sun-exposure on the trails which preserves the snow. Vail not only has a northern facing side but a completely ungroomed south side.

The area is vast and since it faces the sun, the skiing is warm and comfortable for most of the season.The village of Vail is modeled off a Bavarian village with traditional structures and small streets. Accommodations range from hotels to apartments and villas. Vail is great for families looking for numerous options on and off the mountain.

Metaphorically speaking, if Vail = steak than Aspen = soufflé. Looking for more of a niche, ritzy experience than Aspen is the place to be. Home to many of Hollywood´s rich and famous, Aspen’s reputation for great parties and nightlife if almost as notorious as its excellent skiing. Located over 3 hours from Denver, Aspen attracts more long term guests. The resort has its own airport and guests tend to stay for at least a week. With this, the atmosphere is unique and more communal than Vail. The mountain is about half the size of Vail but still offers a wide spectrum of levels.

Vail accommodations vary from B&B´s, Inns to private homes for all tastes. Filled with 5 star restaurants and shops, the village is certain to satisfy any craving that may come up! Aspen Dolamite villa in Aspen is one place worth considering.

Subscribe to this newsfeed. Get all updates sent to your RSS reader.

Enjoying Rotterdam in Holland

Holiday Velvet Team — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 14:03:00 +0000

When you say Holland, you probably think of Amsterdam. But Holland has other places which are just as interesting, places such as Rotterdam for example . Rotterdam is the second city of Holland, population wise, and it has the largest port of Europe and the third largest port of the World behind Sjanghai and Singapore.

There is also a big lookout tower called the Euromast from where you can see a big part of the city. Rotterdam is also becoming a big event city, with a yearly event called Bavaria City racing. Where the city centre is closed for traffic and Formula 1 cars and other vehicles give demonstrations.

Another big event planned for next year is the Red Bull Air Race. The Red Bull Air Race is an airplane race that takes place over the entire world in only 10 chosen areas, where only the best pilots in the world compete against each other. The Red Bull Air Race is planned for 19 and 20 July 2008.

To get to Rotterdam, the best way is to take a train from Amsterdam. It will take about a hour to get there. Rotterdam also has 2 metro lines and several tram lines that take you through the entire city. If you are travelling to Rotterdam but want to stay in Amsterdam, check out Amsterdam apartments, or search by apartments type in Amsterdam.

Skiing in Andorra

Holiday Velvet Team — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 13:58:00 +0000

When you think of Spain or the south of France - the first thing that usually comes to mind is not skiing. However, the Pyrenees mountain range that straddles the border between the two countries offers dozens of ski resorts ranging in size and terrain.One of the more popular areas is Andorra – which is actually a Principality, nestled on the mountain range. About a 3 hour drive from Barcelona and Toulouse, this mountainous region has several top-notch resorts that offer excellent skiing from beginners to experts.

The largest resort, Pas de la Casa is comprised of several ski resorts into one. With peaks close to 3000 meters, the skiing/snowboarding is not only challenging but offers breath-talking views of the area. Andorra is also known for the shopping because of their low sales tax. There are numerous shops selling electronics, jewelry and cosmetics.If you are looking for a unique get away and you are in the neighborhood.

I highly recommend planning on Andorra for a skiing break with a difference. In terms of skiing accommodation, then an example is a 6 person Andorra apartment such as Apartment Soldeu.

Subscribe to this newsfeed. Get all updates sent to your RSS reader.

Prague Jazz Festival (23rd - 30 Nov 2007 (annual)

Holiday Velvet Team — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 15:47:00 +0000

When it comes to music, the Czech's take their jazz very seriously and what better time to visit Prague than the last week of November when the Annual Prague Jazz Festival is held. During the dark years of communism, it was jazz that symbolised the artistic and personal freedom in a society that wanted to suppress such bourgeois tendences. Started in 1964, the event has featured a galaxy of jazz giants including Don Cherry, Keith Jarrett and Ornette Coleman.

This year the festival is being held at some wonderful venues including Lucerna Music Bar, the Prague Congress Centre, Reduta (Narodni 20) and the Rock Cafe (Narodni 20). Highlights of the line-up for 2007 include Pee Wee Ellis and Dee Dee Bridgewater and you should expect to hear an excellent mix of classic sounds and more modern cuts and experimental forms. This year, don't expect Bill Clinton to repeat his rendition of "Funny Valentine" but you should hear some exciting sounds that will certainly make you come back for more.

For accommodation in Prague, why not try the Vlasska apartment in Prague.

Subscribe to this newsfeed. Get all updates sent to your RSS reader.

How to become a real Sevillian (at least for a few hours)

Holiday Velvet Team — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 13:28:00 +0000

When Sevillians decide to go out for a "tapa" (light snack) and a drink, they often think of it as an opportunity to visit a number of distinct bars and to have a little something in each one. This idea, colloquially, is called "ir de tapas" (going for Tapas) and loosely resembles the idea of "bar hopping". The streets, squares and bars of Seville are brought to life by locals (and tourists) taking part in this special tradition. Included you will find a map which indicates some of the areas where you can enjoy "tapas" in Seville.

The name "TAPA" comes from an old tradition of having a slice of any cured meat whilst drinking a glass of wine. This was done, in essence, to conserve the aroma of the wine. Later on the types and quantities increased and "tapas" began to be served on small, round plates. Today "tapas" vary greatly from one bar to another with the quantity always being mouthful large enough to appreciate whatever one is trying. The concept of "comer de tapas" (making a meal of "tapas") arose from this idea of eating a variety of small dishes instead of a main dish. In Seville, eating out at a restaurant can prove to be quite expensive while dining on "tapas" offers one a wide range of dishes at a reasonable price. "Tapas" include dishes such as "cocina casera" (home-made dishes),"chacina" (cured meats), "marisco" (seafood), "caracoles" (snails), "pescadito frito" (fried fish), "revueltos" (scrambled eggs) and "ensaladas" (salads) which can be found in almost any bar.

The action of "ir the tapas" is normally done standing and on foot from bar to bar or "bodega" to "bodega". It is useful to know that if eating while standing at the bar most establishments will charge separately for the drink and the "tapa", so one is free to order another "tapa" without having to order another drink. Bartenders and waiters tend to verbally list these dishes all in one go. The typical rite is to ask "Qué hay de tapas?"(What "tapas" are there?) followed by the list which, if one finds impossible to catch due to the speed at which it is recited, is usually written on a small, easily visible blackboard.

Bottled wine can be found in any bar. Typical wines from the Seville area include white wines and "fino" (pale,dry sherries which make good aperitifs), "manzanilla" (pale,dry,white fortified wine) from Sanlúcar de la Barrameda, "moscatel" (sweet wine) from Chipiona and "fino" from Jerez, Puerto de Santa María, Chiclana (Cádiz) and from the Condado County (Huelva).
These wines are usually less expensive than other bottled wines and are equally delicious.
Need Seville Centro apartments? Visit the Seville Tourism Board site.

Subscribe to this newsfeed. Get all updates sent to your RSS reader.