Ananasfreak

Year after year, Disneyland provides the best entertainment for children and adults alike, and this year is no different. If you fancy a summer city break and have children to consider, then Paris is the ideal location. You can enjoy all the cultural advantages of being in a cosmopolitan city while also benefiting from the many attractions Paris has for children. From July onwards Disneyland Paris, only a short drive away from the centre, hosts a whole variety of events that are guaranteed to create a bang. But not to worry if your children are too young to go on the rides, or if you’re too scared, as there are events listed below that are suitable for all ages and abilities.

From the 5th of July to the 31st of August you can experience Disney’s Fantillusion Parade, shown from the 5th of July to the 31st of August. You can watch the parade in the dark of night, where the thousands of twinkling lights of the floats and characters light up the park and add a twinkle to all the youngsters’ eyes. In addition to that, something perhaps more suited to children over 6 (depending on how they take fireworks), is the Disney Wishes Firework display, shown every night from the 15th of July to the 26th of august. This display is one of Disney’s most ambitious yet and will include video projections, pyrotechnics and music.

There are two shows that I found of particular interest and I’m sure you will too. These are the phenomenal High School Musical2 Tour and Stitch Live. The High School Musical2 Tour sees the arrival of the live show, originating from the blockbuster film, to the Disneyland resort. Small and big kids can all sing along and join in the fun with this afternoon full of fun. It’s all based outside so if this isn’t your thing then you can sit back, enjoy a picnic and sunbathe while the others are enchanted. Stitch Live is an animated adventure that you can actually be included in. It’s the first of its kind and it allows you to talk, laugh and joke with the alien himself. Never mind the kids; you will be taken in so much by this real animation that the rest of Paris will just have to wait!

Of course there are also the rides! There’s everything from teacups to the new Tower of Terror or even the new Space Mountain Mission 2; so there’s no need for anyone to be left holding the bags. Paris accommodation is easy to find and you may wish to stay in one of the resort hotels; full of fun and especially adapt for children (they can even have breakfast with Mickey himself!). However, if all of that is slightly too commercial and you prefer to be in the hustle and bustle of the city then Hotel in paris are numerous. Or you could even spend the day at Disneyland and return to your Paris apartment in time to enjoy some fine wining and dining.

Women Trekkers

At the risk of sounding redundant, the best gifts for women struck with wanderlust are passport leather holders, Swiss Army knives, Zippo lighters and money belts. Like travelers’ cheques, these items come in handy in the most compromising situations, especially for women who love the romance of traveling alone to distant shores to foster their spirits, or to have some slices of life’s adventures.

Unlike men, lady globe trotters need to take extra precaution. Fortunately, there are ways to make their travel safer - researching about the country’s culture, habits, and laws, contacting friends who might have families and distant close friends living along their travel route, staying in better hotels, and seeking expert travel advice might save them a lot of future problems.

If you also suffer from wanderlust or hope to have the experience of a lifetime by traveling solo, be ready for some travel rips. As a lady traveler, you are prey to thieves, scalpers, and other maniacs on the loose. These tips will help you out of sticky times or draining circumstances:

* If you are harassed by a big bad wolf, ready your lighter. Light that cigarette without giving him a hint that your lighter’s flame can be very dangerous to his facial hair!. Fuss over him and beat a quick exit while he’s busy saving the last of his eyebrows.

* If your passport and traveling documents are stolen, run to the nearest tourist police office. Either you come on tough, or break in tears. The former works well after you’ve passed around that pack of cigarettes and offered them your lighter. But be sure the guys smoke, or you will find yourself in bigger trouble.

* Should the theft, be ready to hand out your personalized Zippo and cigarette lighter case as thank-you gifts. But many will not take these “gifts.” They will gladly bring you to the police station.

* At the bus station, practice your Zippo lighter tricks to stop that annoying seatmate from telling you about his exploits. He will get the message.

* If a stranger appears to be stalking you, scare him off with a sudden flare from your lighter, and before he can recover from the surprise attack, run for your life!

* If pangs of loneliness catches up with you, join a tourist trip near the area. Your Zippo lighter antics will start conversations and you will find it easier to connect with solo travelers.

Off the coast of Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard glisten in the sun and persist to reign as the perfect summerplace since the 1800s. It’s also here that flushed men’s wallets are drained and credit cards are swiped to the max to be able enjoy the islands charms. But no matter the expense, Martha’s Vineyard remains the perfect summerplace in the heartland.

Martha’s Vineyard Six Towns

Martha’s Vineyard is a big island of 6 municipalities - Oak Bluffs, Edgartown, Vineyard Haven, West Tisbury, Chilmark, and Aquinnah. The place is a tourist’s haven of picturesque towns, stretches of the Nantucket Sound, warm summer afternoons, fresh evening breezes, and lively nightlife and shopping. There is superb chow and endless drinks all worth the calories and the dollars in leather wallets.

Once you arrive the shoreline of Vineyard Haven, bobbing wooden colorful boats and the two tall ships of the famed Black Dog Company will welcome you to America’s favorite summerplace. Where to go? Once you gun your car off the ferry, you will have several options. There are lots ofplaces that can nourish your passions - shopping, sun bathing, feasting on seafood, movies, nature tripping, touring historical places, and celebrity house viewing.

Seasoned summer folks prefer to pitch tent in selected areas rather than checking into tony hotels. They dine in off-the-beaten tracks where robust meals and drinks are served - all fit for royals with fat wallets and checkbooks.

Oaks Bluffs - Here, you will find the famous gingerbread houses, throbbing nightlife, and a bustling Circuit Avenue where the commercial strip is situated. Take home one of those canvas men’s wallets and passport wallet, quilted bedspreads, home decor, Indian printed cloths, and much more.

Edgartown - A charming New England Village with old houses and a white church with tall spires. The plush enclaves in Edgartown offer pricey dining. But there is a cheaper spot that boasts of irresistible colonial flavors - mugs of draft root beer, the wheat ale topped with blueberries, and addictive fries in the Kelly House Hotel’s pub.

Vineyard Haven offers tasty seafood and the Net Result offers friendlier prices. Gorge on lobster, crab cakes, and sushi and gratify your sweet tooth at Mad Martha’s ice cream parlor. For movies, catch the recent blockbusters in New Haven and Edgartown, if sun, sea, and sand start to weary you.

Want a laidback summer? Chilmark, West Tisbury, and Aquinnah are the places to stay. You will not see the usual row of houses, but a tapestry of lush green woodlands, dirt roads, and the famed colorful rock faces in Gay Head (Aquinnah).

Bike, hike, swim, dine on food, guzzle all the drink, and soak in all the fun and relaxation. At the end of summer, only your wallet may or may not be emptied, but what the heck? You had a long hot but entertaining summer.

All jazz lovers, big or small, are preparing for the new edition of the Paris Jazz Festival! The programme includes: great vibes, sunshine, good music and easy access from all areas in Paris; another wonderful attraction for Paris with an entrance fee of 5€, or 2,50€ for discounted rates. The idea of the Paris Jazz festival is to hold a concert every Saturday and Sunday from the 7th of June until the 27th of July, from 3p.m to 6p.m.
This event will take place at the ‘Parc Floral de Paris’, on the esplanade of ‘Château de Vincennes’. There you will be able to listen to the best jazz music around with a large representation of different styles, each theme lasting two weeks with 2 or 3 performances each of the days. There will be 8 performances per theme and therefore jazz lovers can make the most of every possible style from the genre.

The event starts with an electro/fusion style with the arrival of Ji Mob and Eric Triffaz Quartrt Ft. Nya, the highly acclaimed Zuco 103 and Caravan Palace. After performances from Northen and Eastern Europe decent you will be able to experience live performances from Oddarrang, Jimi Tenor and Kabu Kabu, Szakci-Lakatos and Tony Lakatos and the band of Tomasz Stanko. Sessions dedicated to the theme “accords et cordes” presents us with The Jef Lee Johnson trio, Henri Texier Sextet, Armenian Folk Quintet, Romane Trio, Stephane Kochoyan and ‘Les enfants su jazz’ and the ‘Niño Josele’ trio.

Blues and Grooves lovers can not miss the brilliant performances from Son of Dave, James Taylor Quarter, Trio Valore and certainly not Martha High and the Shaolin Temple Defenders. The next couple of weeks will be dedicated to the trumpet and saxophone with performances from Take the Coltrane Quartet, Al Foster Quintet and Steeve Grossman who will be making their grand appearance on the 5th of July, and then on Sunday the 6th you can see Donald Brown, Bill Mobley and Space Time All Stars and Wallace Roney. The festival then continues with jazz performances from the 4 corners of the world, with Ousman Danedjo, Zap Mama, Tumi and the Volume and Mayra Andrade. In the same style, the Voice and Colour section will offer you the opportunity to experience some very respectable names such as: Sing for Freedom, Angelique Kidjo, Raul Midon and Dianne Reeves. Finally, the last theme of the Paris Jazz Festival will be dedicated to Jazz giants like SFJAZZ, Steve Coleman, 5 Elements Opus Akoben David Murray and to finish in style, Stefano di Battista.

Must not forget the swinging and dancing fanfares that will be playing every day before the beginning of the concerts (from 1p.m to 3p.m) in order to warm the crowds and prepare you for the marvel that is, the jazz festival. If you have read this entire article, then I am sure that you will agree with me in saying that this year’s Paris jazz Festival, with all its new additions, is full of grand plans and discovery and that anyone missing this great event will be sorely missing out. Your mission, if you are to accept, is to spread the news of this magical musical event in order to attract as many people as possible to admire the amazing line up of artistes that will be performing. The ‘Parc Floral de Paris’ is situated in the 12th arrondissement and is easily accessible by metro stop ‘Château de Vincennes’. If you wish to find accommodation near by, Paris apartments and Hotel Paris are easy to come by. Accommodation in Paris really is amongst the best when it comes to European cities, so make the most of your visit!