Steve's World Blog Information and articles on cities, towns and villages around the world.

March 3, 2010

Waddesdon Manor Buckinghamshire

Filed under: England,Travel,United Kingdom — Tags: , , — needahand @ 3:14 pm

One of Buckinghamshire’s most visited tourist attractions Waddesdon Manor is situated in the village of Waddesdon, to the west of the county town of Aylesbury. Constructed in the Renaissance style for the Rothschild family, Waddesdon Manor receives over 300,000 visitors each year, and the house hold numerous functions and events including weddings, shows ie The Antiques Roadshow, and it has been the location of a number of film shoots. Open all year round, perhaps the best time to visit is during the spring and summer when the wonderful gardens are at their best and the weather is most reliable. Waddesdon Manor was designed by Frenchman Destailleur and was completed in 1874, having the appearance of a French Renaissance chateux, it was the brainchild of Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild, part of the wealthy family who own much of the land surrounding the villages of Waddesdon and Eythrope.

Waddesdon Street Map.

Read a guide to Waddesdon here: http://www.waddesdon.my-towns.co.uk/

February 20, 2010

Newquay Cornwall

Filed under: England,Travel,United Kingdom — Tags: , , , , , — needahand @ 4:18 pm

The premier coastal resort of north Cornwall, Newquay is noted for its wonderful beaches, spectacular scenery and superb choice of facilities. While there are a number of fine surfing beaches and resorts along this stretch of Cornwall’s coast, Newquay remains the prime spot for this increasingly popular sport. Tourism began in Newquay with the arrival of the railway back in 1875, the town has grown in popularity ever since, its size and population increasing with it. Originally an Iron Age settlement, Newquay relied for many centuries on pilchard fishing for its economic survival, later of course tin mining became important, as for much of Cornwall, along with the export of china clay from the pits of St Austell. Modern day Newquay attracts both surfers and holidaymakers, who all enjoy the golden sandy beaches, the splendid Newquay weather and the excellent facilities of the town. Nearby places to visit include Perranporth, with its 3 mile long beach and attractive coastline (Perranporth also attracts its fair share of surfers), Padstow, with its ancient harbour, 12 miles to the north of Newquay, and St Agnes, and St Agnes, a charming little village to the south of Perranporth and Newquay (look out for Stippy-Stappy, a steep row of slate-roofed cottages at Town Hill). Newquay can be reached via the A3058 from St Austell.

Newquay Road Map.

February 18, 2010

St Agnes Cornwall

Filed under: England,Travel,United Kingdom — Tags: , , , , — needahand @ 5:52 pm

A small village on Cornwall’s northern coast, St Agnes has a population of around 2,000 and a history stretching back to Roman times and beyond. Traditionally relying on fishing and agriculture for its economic survival, it was also heavily reliant on the mining of tin up to the beginning of the twentieth century. Modern day St Agnes is a renowned Cornwall holiday destination, popular for cottage style holidays, and a great area for hiking and walking, with miles of beautiful coastline surrounding the village. Places of interest in and around St Agnes include St Agnes Beacon (623 foot high landmark owned by the National Trust), St Agnes Parish Museum, Bolster and Chapel Porth (earthen bulwark), and the Wheal Coates ancient mining buildings. Other places worth a visit are Porthtowan which has an excellent beach popular with surfers, Mounte Hawke with its fabulous skateboard park, Newquay, the biggest resort in the region and again renowned for its surfing beaches, and Redruth, a historic market town to the south of St Agnes. St Agnes can be reached via the B3277. St Agnes Map.

February 14, 2010

The Algarve Region of Portugal

Filed under: Algarve,Portugal,Travel — Tags: , , , , — needahand @ 12:26 pm

The beautiful region of Algarve in southern Portugal is one of Europe’s most popular holiday destinations and rightly so as it a stunning area of coastline with some fine resorts. The capital of the Algarve region is Faro, and it is here that you will find the main airport for the region, once a fishing port and trading centre called Ossonoba. If you are arriving for your visit to the area by air, you will no doubt be arriving at Faro Airport and this is the best place to pick up a car hire vehicle for your stay. To the west of Faro is the resort town of Albufeira, dating from Roman times it still has some remains from these ancient times, in recent years it has grown considerably and is now one of the regions most visited resorts. Another resort experiencing rapid growth is Quarteria, formerly a small fishing village, it is now a bustling resort with a fine beach and a very long promenade. While prices in the area have risen with its popularity it is still possible to pick up some bargains and suitable products are leather goods, pottery and decorated tiles. The Algarve experiences a splendid climate with some of the best weather in Portugal, summers are hot and winters mild, rainfall is mostly experienced during the winter months. Other places that you might choose to visit whilst in the region include Portimao, Lagos, Sagres, Praia da Rocha, Carvoeiro, Tavira and Luz. You can view a map of the country here, the Algarve region is in the far south. Portugal Map.

February 10, 2010

Marrakech Morocco

Filed under: History,Travel — Tags: , — needahand @ 4:35 pm

Magical, mysterious, marvellous Marrakech, Morocco’s third largest city is a travellers paradise, where pavement snake charmers perform alongside potion peddlers, dancers and acrobats. Often called the “Red City”, Marrakech gets its name from the Berber words mur n akush meaning “Land of God”, and it had been a constant cause of fighting between various Berber tribes for many centuries after being founded by the Berber Amoravids in the 11th century. Marrakech has the biggest traditional market (souk) in Morocco and its Old Town – the Medina is the historic centre of the city with a maze of winding alleys, artisans workshops and saints shrines, the Jemaa el Fna is its celebrated square, a hive of activity both day and night. Popular as a tourist destination Marrakech experiences some wonderful weather right through the year. Marrakech has a population of just over one million.

February 1, 2010

Vinaros Costa del Azahar

Filed under: Costa del Azahar,Spain,Travel — Tags: , , , , — needahand @ 7:42 pm

An ancient fishing port in the Castellon province of eastern Spain, Vinaros was originally just a small hamlet founded by the Moors near to the coast. Developed as a port after the Christian reconquest, Vinaros survived largely through fishing and later vine growing. Its municipality includes some 12 kilometres of Costa del Azahar coastline, beginning at the River Senia and ending at Aiguadoliva, it includes numerous small coves and some excellent beaches, which are of course attractive to modern day tourists, who now provide an alternative income for the town. Renowned for its seafood and in particular its king prawns, Vinaros is a great place to try out some traditional Valencian dishes, in an attractive setting. Vinaros enjoys some wondeful weather, especially during the months May to October. Along the main promenade visitors will find plenty of bars, restaurants and hotels, further afield there are lots of attractive walks to enjoy, a visit to the harbour, is of course a must and here you can watch the fishermen arrive with their daily catch. Vinaros Map.

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