Tokyo’s Metropolitan Government has banned tourists from the city’s most popular attraction – Tsukiji fish market, the world’s largest – in response to traders’ complaints that their presence hinders the early morning operations.
This popular book and recently-released film, starring Rachel Weisz as the mother of murdered Susie Salmon, is an unexpectedly uplifting film. The Lovely Bones describes Susie’s experiences in the after-life as she looks down from heaven on her family and friends whilst they heal and as she herself comes to terms with her own death. It is a gentle film that celebrates life.
My friend Katy Regan and I went on our second mini-break recently. Mini-break number one was to Barcelona in the summer of last year, this time we decided to take in Tallinn. In both cities we did hours of walking but Tallinn by comparison is much, much smaller and more compact than Barcelona and easier to navigate around, although I wish I hadn’t insisted on wearing heels all the time – not the best choice of footwear for cobbled streets, stylish but silly.
Much of Japanese culture revolves around the distinct seasons, and it is heavily influenced by Shinto beliefs, which emphasise harmony with, and an appreciation of nature. I love the peacefulness of Shinto shrines, which are made of wood and are usually near a sacred tree and flowing water.
The host for the 2016 Olympics will be announced this evening at 1800 BST. The four contenders are Chicago, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo. I’m torn between the passionate bid of Rio de Janeiro and the green, logical approach of Tokyo. If Rio’s bid wins it will be the first time for the Games [...]
Living in Godalming in Surrey means that I can hop on a train and be at Waterloo in 40 minutes and on the Southbank in 45. I love the countryside V urban scenic contrast – green fields are replaced by grey concrete, wattle and daub pubs by cool glass and steel terrace bars, and instead of horse drawn canal boat trips for the tourists there are massive city cruisers on the respective Wey and Thames rivers.
Caps off to Felipe Massa. After the freak accident in Hungary, several days in a coma and on a respirator, he has made a remarkable recovery. He will be missed this weekend in Valencia but here’s hoping for a comeback for the last race of the season in his birthplace of Sao Paolo, October, where [...]
Hot off the press from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) – golf is set to join the Olympics from 2016 onwards after a 112 year absence. The big question is if the big guns in the sport will be bothered to show up, is an Olympic gold medal enough of an enticement and has it become a world game?
The latest WTTC research indicates that Mexico’s Travel & Tourism Economy GDP growth will average 5% per annum over the next decade, generating 2 million direct industry jobs over the course of the ten years.
Les Borjs de la Kasbah, a Hotel de Charme in Marrakech, and one of our clients, has been rightly recognised for its high levels of customer satisfaction and selected as the No. 1 Hotel in Africa and No. 22 in the world in the latest Expedia Insiders’ Select Survey (http://www.lesborjsdelakasbah.com/news.php).