Gateway to the Île de Ré

Advantages: Easy to get to, plenty to see, relatively unknown destination within France
Disadvantages: Gets very busy in summer

...10 and A83 motorways. The town itself has a few sights to offer, and I can recommend taking a stroll around the Vieux Port to see the three famous towers that guard the old harbour. It is possible to climb the steps inside the towers for some great views across the port district and the town centre, and there are plenty of restaurants along the waterfront offering local specialities such as crêpes or choucroute-de-mer (seafood sauerkraut, which tastes a hell of a lot better than it might sound), and not at tourist-trap prices either. However, for many people the main reason for visiting La Rochelle is to get to the Île de Ré. This narrow island is an extremely popular tourist destination for French holidaymakers and foreigners alike, and has long been a favoured getaway for the Paris 'set'. The opening of the bridge connecting...

JVL 30.12.2008 · Read review
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Review of La Rochelle (France)

Infidelity runs riot

Advantages: A strong plot with a fabulous ending
Disadvantages: None

...Introduction If the title of this book seems familiar to you, it is probably because it was dramatised on ITV last year, starring Ben Miller. I loved the TV adaptation and was delighted when the book was republished as a result of its popularity. The TV production was very close to the original story, which is one of the cleverest plots that I have read for a long time. It is a Columbo-style storyline, in that we know exactly who does the murder and how right from the beginning - the fun is working out how he will be found out. The author Francis Iles' real name was Anthony Berkeley Cox and he also wrote under the name of Anthony Berkeley. He wrote a series of books featuring an amateur detective, Roger Sheringham. He made quite a splash in literary circles with Malice Aforethought and another of his books, Before the Fact, because...

sunmeilan 06.02.2006 · Read review
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Review of Malice Aforethought - Francis Iles

(D)evilishly (V)ile (C)oncoction

Advantages: It's wet.
Disadvantages: Everything else.

......

Kirsty1 08.10.2003 · Read review
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Review of Vanilla Coke - Diet

L'Ile Au Soleil

Advantages: Great range of slopes, good night life
Disadvantages: No tree line ski-ing, expensive

......

wease 06.05.2002 · Read review
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Review of Alpe d´Huez

La Ronde... have a thrilling time...

Advantages: Fun, exciting, spectacular fireworks, thrilling rides.
Disadvantages: None.

...Open from 20th May to 4th September HOURS: Open (20th May to 16th June) from 10:00AM to 8:00PM Open (17th June to 4th September) from 10:00AM to 10:30PM Afterwards, till end October, opening hours are between 12:00PM to 7:00PM (always check hours before visiting) COST: Day pass for 2 people = approx. £38-00 Day pass for 4 people = approx. £69-00 Season passport for 1 person = approx. £41-00 Family Passport = approx. £110-00 La Ronde is situated on l'Ile Ste. Helene, and is easily accessible via public transport or by car. Because La Ronde closes at 10:30PM most nights, there is no fear of missing the last buses off the island. Originally created for Expo '67 with only a handful of rides, it was meant to house exhibits from every country around the world. When...

GoFigure 12.03.2007 (13.03.2007) · Read review
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Review of La Ronde Amusement Park, Montreal

Je t'adore Paris !!

Advantages: Classic French beauty, history and ambiance
Disadvantages: None

...is situated on the 'Ile de la Cité,' (the original birthplace of Paris), the area of Paris that divides the city's right and left banks. The Ile de la Cite is surrounded by the Seine River, the cathedral is arguably the most striking gothic cathedral in the world--and is undoubtedly the most famous. Started in the 12th century and completed in the 14th, Notre Dame Cathedral was the very heartbeat of medieval Paris. Notre-Dame dominates the Seine and the Ile-de-la-Cité. Cathedrale Notre de Paris means "Cathedral of Our Lady of Paris"--"our lady" in this case being the Virgin Mary. The cathedral is almost nine hundred years old and played a key role in Victor Hugo's 'Hunchback of Notre-Dame'. The bells are still rung several times daily, by human beings (but not by hunchbacks, as far as I know). A VERY BRIEF HISTORY To visit...

oldchem 28.08.2009 · Read review
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Review of Notre Dame, Paris

No need to take this with a pinch of salt!

Advantages: Well-researched and well-written - a fascinating read
Disadvantages: None that I can think of

...one of the contributory factors to an increase in extremely unbalanced diets for large parts of the population in some countries. Meanwhile, locally-produced types of salt from regions such as the Guérande estuary or Île de Noirmoutier in France are now returning to the status of luxury goods; traditional methods of production make fleur du sel ('flower of salt') that is sought-after and commands a high price. The role of salt in starting, fuelling and ending conflicts and uprisings should also not be underestimated. It is famously said that armies march on their stomachs and salt has long been a vital commodity of war - Kurlansky explores this point by paying particular attention to the American War of Independence and the American Civil War, two conflicts that saw battles being fought for possession of salt-producing areas. I had also...

JVL 14.11.2008 · Read review
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Review of Salt: A World History - Mark Kurlansky

Jason Bourne Needs Some Identity

Advantages: Good character development, draws you into the story, superbly written, great start to the series
Disadvantages: A little overkill in location desciptions but I feel they become necessary

...After finishing The Bourne Supremacy last week I decided that it was probably best to go back and start at the beginning of the series. So I bought myself a copy of The Bourne Identity and sat down on Tuesday night and started reading. Almost a week later and I?ve just out the book onto my shelf having finished it. I?m a big fan of the films and that in part was the reason I was drawn to the books. I noticed during Supremacy that the story of the books to the films was quite different and Identity is similar to the film, but still massively different. When a fishing trawler pull a man from the Mediterranean sea to find it riddled with bullets the crew need to drop him off to a doctor ASAP. He spent six months living on the Ile de Port Noir after Dr Washburn had saved his life and together they try to solve his amnesia. The only clue...

Andy.mack 23.11.2009 · Read review
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Review of The Bourne Identity - Robert Ludlum

Much more than Madame Sarkozy

Advantages: Pleasant pop music
Disadvantages: Some dodgy vocals, a few lacklustre numbers

...'s breathy vocals. She's not the world's greatest singer by any stretch of the imagination - she even strays from the tune here and there - but she certainly beats Cherie Blair hands down in the "Musical Wives of International Statesmen Factor" stakes. (She also trounces Imelda Marcos - do scour the internet to hear Imelda murder some of her husband's favourite love songs, it's a scream!) The opener "Ma Jeunesse" ("My youth" - that is the state of being youthful, not a youngster) is exactly what I expected of this album; a collection of gentle pop numbers in a Francoise Hardy style. Next up "La possibilite d'un ile" slows down to almost stop and is very disappointing. It's a track that should really appear later in the listing after a few more upbeat numbers. "L'amoureuse" livens things up a bit. It has a beautiful string arrangement. "Tu...

fizzytom 28.09.2008 · Read review
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Review of Comme Si De Rien N'Etait [Digipak] - Carla Bruni

This was our best friend in Paris

Advantages: Its good
Disadvantages: Its good

...started perusing through the guide I was enthralled this guide looked like the bees knees. The books layout is this: Introducing Paris Putting Paris on the Map The History of Paris Paris at a Glance Paris through the Year A River View of Paris Ile de la Cité and Ile St-Louis Paris Area by Area The Marais Beaubourg and Les Halles Tuileries Quarter St-Germain-Des-Ores Latin Quarter Jardin des Plantes Quarter Luxembourg Quarter Montparnasse Invalides and Eiffel Tower Quarter Chaillot Quarter Champs-Elysées Opéra Quarter Montmartre Further Afield Five Guided Walks Travellers' Needs Where to Stay Restaurants, Cafés and Bars Shops and Markets Entertainment in Paris Children's Paris Survival Guide Practical Information Getting to Paris Getting around Paris Paris Street Finder General Index Phrase Book So as...

mortimus 13.08.2002 · Read review
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Review of Paris