A day in La Rochelle

Advantages: Plenty to do
Disadvantages: Expensive shopping

...La Rochelle is a town on the West Coast of France. It is a large harbour town, and at one point in its history it was the largest harbour in France. We visited La Rochelle twice during our stay in France, one day was spent in the Aquarium which I have reviewed separately, and one day was spent around the market and the harbour. Driving into the town is relatively simple, the car parks are well signposted, and we decided to park right on the harbour front. The charges for the car park were very reasonable, at least compared to car parks where I live; it was just a couple of Euros for a full day. From the harbour car park we walked approximately 10 minutes into the shopping precinct. There was a small outdoor market in the centre, mainly selling fruit and vegetables. There was also an indoor market which also has fruits...

Fiver29 16.06.2009 (18.06.2009) · Read review
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Review of La Rochelle (France)

Aquarium La Rochelle

Advantages: A wonderful experience and day out
Disadvantages: Expensive shop

...Aquarium La Rochelle, unsurprisingly is in La Rochelle on the West Coast of France. It's located in the centre of the town, a few minutes from the station, and within 5 minutes walk of the main shopping area. It boasts 12,000 marine animals, 20 species of shark, 70 aquariums and 3 million litres of water. Opening Times and Prices ********************* Adults are 13 Euro, children aged 3 to 17 years (and students with student card) are 10 Euro and children under 3 years are free If you want a narrated visit (with audio guide), you need to add 3,50Euro to the individual prices. We decided against the narrated visit and it didn't spoil the enjoyment at all, because all the notices and information about the different species is written in English as well as French. The aquarium is open every day of the year, from October to March it's open...

Fiver29 09.06.2009 · Read review
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Review of Aquarium de La Rochelle, La Rochelle

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

...For years, La Rochelle was a place only known to me from hours spent poring over the 'Tricolore' workbook in French class at school. For some reason, most of the people featured in that book were residents of this port on the Atlantic coast, and it has stuck in my mind ever since. However, La Rochelle was added to Ryanair's ever-growing list of French destinations a few years ago, which (coupled with the steady stream of British tourists and emigrants to the central regions of Poitou-Charentes and Charente-Maritime) has seen a rise in tourism to this underrated destination. The construction of a high-speed TGV link direct from Paris in 1993 also now means that it is possible to reach the beach in three hours (and in comfort) from the capital city, and La Rochelle is also easily reached by car, with good road connections leading to the A...

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

Confessions of a planning freak

Advantages: Lovely town, Lots to do, great weather and many more.
Disadvantages: Some attractions not open until April

...and so far, my freakiness has allowed us to have a wonderful time in Paris, Stockholm? and last week, La Rochelle. Well, I guess this is not a destination everyone has heard of. The reason I chose it is? well, let's be honnest, is because the flight was cheap. 1 penny on Ryanair, and once taxes are added, the flight costs only £15. So that's right: £30 return; that was quite tempting. The other reason was I wanted to fly back from another destination, close to La Rochelle -Poitiers- which I will mention very soon in another review. Finally, having already taken my boyfriend to Paris, I wanted to show him another aspect of France, and I needed some kind of "exotic" destination that, even for a day, would make us feel as if we were on holidays. But let's get back to our business. What's La Rochelle...

Pomcamgirl 22.03.2006 (26.10.2006) · Read review
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Review of La Rochelle (France)

slightly disappointing

Advantages: pretty french town
Disadvantages: not the place its made to be

...La Rochelle is a relatively big town in France on the East coast. I was told lots about La Rochelle, how it was really great and a must visit, but when i arrived i was slightly disappointed. As with any place you visit, there is always places to see and things to do and explore, but the hype of La Rochelle gave me great expectations which it did not meet. I stayed in La Rochelle for a week, as with everywhere i have visited, i camped. The site was pretty easy to find, but was located slightly out of the centre, but within walking distance, if you fancy putting your hiking boots on! When I arrived it was explained that there was a 10 o'clock curfew for vehicles, something that I had not experienced before. Also I was given a leaflet explaining that the site was built near some sort of toxic factory, and if an alarm went off...

Dani347 04.10.2002 · Read review
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Review of La Rochelle (France)

La Chope

Advantages: Great food, reasonable fixed price menu
Disadvantages: None

...On our recent trip to the Loire Valley Mr Tart and myself arrived in Tours quite late on our first night. We drove down to Tours from Paris. We were going to stop for something to eat on the way but in the end decided to make our way straight to Tours and get settled in the hotel and then find something close by. A couple of minutes from our hotel we came across this place and were really glad that we did. LOCATION: La Chope is located at 25 Avenue Grammont. Our hotel was on the same road so we just came across it. It is about a ten minute walk from Tours? old town. The restaurant doesn?t stand out and the sign is not particularly bright so make sure you look out for it. THE EXPERIENCE: La Chope (which apparently translates as the tankard) is actually a fish restaurant. I?m not really a fish person (ok, that...

tartlette83 18.09.2009 · Read review
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Review of La Chope, Tours

  La Senza: A Case of 'Bra-vo'?

Advantages: Reasonably priced bras and lingerie, excellent staff and services
Disadvantages: You may struggle to find your size

...(Warning: throughout this review, the words ?boobs?, ?boobies?, ?bazookas? and occasionally ?breasts? will pop up at an alarming rate. If you?re not in favour of any of the above, please use the ?back? button and exit left. Thank you.) It?s always been quite nice to have a womanly figure ? so what if men notice your boobs before your face? At least they?re looking...at least, that?s the confidence boosting way to look at things! Anyway, whilst we?re on the subject of ?boosting?, it?s pretty incredible how when I visited one of my local La Senza stores the other week, I was informed that my bazookas had boomed up a couple of bra sizes without the aid of knives and other messy instruments. It?s most women?s fantasy to be able to say that but I met the news with utter dread, only to be consoled by the lovely shop worker who kindly told...

MizzMolko 28.07.2009 · Read review
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Review of La Senza (Shop)

La Boqueria - Barcelona's Technicolour Market

Advantages: A colouful and compelling sight, pick up some tasty food
Disadvantages: You may not be able to take some of it home

...Situated just off Las Ramblas, Barcelona?s Boqueria (or more correctly Mercat de San Josep) market is one of the city?s most popular tourist attractions. I think it says a lot about the enduring attraction of food markets that the Boqueria is still so popular in spite of the fact that our supermarkets now stock excellent produce from all over the world and that air travel and border restrictions have made it more difficult to take fresh produce home from trips abroad. When I first visited the Boqueria I was filled with excitement at the array of colourful fresh produce ? fruit and vegetables, herbs, fish and shellfish, meats ? fresh and cured, bread, nuts and dried fruit ? on sale at the market but over time, as I have traveled more widely, "La Boqueria" has lost a little of its gloss. You?ll find the Boqueria quite easily just off...

fizzytom 01.09.2009 · Read review
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Review of La Boqueria

la senza

Advantages: great selection
Disadvantages: n/a

...If i need to buy lingerie there is only one place that I go to and that is La Senza. La Senza is great and stocks everything from underwear, bras, slippers, nightwear and dressing gowns. They have great bra's im many different styles and colours that have matching underwear you will always find what your are looking for. They have the multiways bra's and the bra solutions too, which is great especially if you are planning on wearing say a backless dress for example. I have learnt over the years that you can get great offers in La Senza on there buy one get one free, or the buy so many items for a set price. Which is fantastic as you otherwse find that a few sets cost you over £50. I would also recommend that you try the bra's on as i find that i am a different size bra in each different style. The biggest problem i have is...

jo_field26 19.10.2008 · Read review
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Review of La Senza (Shop)

La Haine - hatred breeds hatred

Advantages: Superb acting, engaging storyline
Disadvantages: Kassovitz is miscast as a skinhead

...WHAT IS IT: La Haine is a French film - shot in black and white and released in 1995 - directed and written by Mathieu Kassovitz. It is in French with English subtitles and is around 90 minutes long. The film centres around 3 young men living on an impoverished housing estate in France. Vinz (Vincent Cassel), a French Jew, is full of rage at the injustices he is subjected to and the constant state of tension between the police and local youths in the aftermath of riots. Said is a talkative Maghrebin (French but of Moroccan/Algerian/Tunisian/Libyan/Mauritanian descent) who shares Vinz's dislike of the police but tries to keep the peace between everyone. Hubert is an Afro-French boxer and drug dealer who is philosophical about the situation he sees around him even when his gym gets burnt down during the riots. He suspects Vinz may have...

jesperado77 29.07.2009 · Read review
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Review of La Haine (DVD)