Spring in Kyoto

For centuries cherry blossom time has been celebrated in Japan, so it was with excitement that I found myself bound for Kyoto, cultural centre of Japan. It is great gardens for which Kyoto is famous and the first anyone wants to see the Zen dry garden Ryoan-ji.

In the footsteps of Jean Cocteau

One of the appeals of Menton on the French Riviera is the largest museum dedicated to the works of Jean Cocteau (1889-1963), a famous French artist who died fifty years ago. Frederic exolores the museum and the three towns forever linked with his work.

Air Transport Users Council

see Civil Aviation Authority.
The AUC was wound up in March 2011.

The future of HMS Caroline

As you go up to the new Titanic experience in Belfast you pass a number of old buildings. Between them you might just spot a warship if the bus isn’t travelling too fast. This is HMS Caroline – the last survivor of WWI and a ship only recently decommissioned from the navy. But it looks to be in a rather sorry state.

Welsh sculpting in the snow

Irene follows the Welsh team at the annual Budweiser International Snow Sculpture Championships in Colorado

Luxury Travel Market Improves?

One part of the travel market that has been hit by the recession has been the market for luxury holidays. People have traded down from 5 star hotels to a lower star rating. Even places like the Maldives are looking at opening 3and 4 star hotels.

Last December at a luxury vacation exhibition in Las Vegas, visitors were lower and some of the exhibitors that I spoke to were concerned that the market for such holidays would be in a slump for some while. Now that a year has gone by it appears that people are returning to this type of holiday.

MarryAbroad.co.uk predicts panoramic trend for weddings in 2012

Destination wedding website, MarryAbroad.co.uk, has predicted that 2012 will be the year of the vista, in terms of wedding hotspots abroad.