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Six Days Cycling though Tuscany
There are numerous potential cycling though Tuscany, from day trips round flat valley regions, to more strenuous rides amongst the hills of Chianti, to long distance trips stopping, and dealing with the traffic, in major city centres from Todi to Rome. This itinerary is a quick six day spin between Pienza and San Gimignano via Siena.
Best Fireworks and Guy Fawkes
The British culture as it is today has many charming quirks, and while most of the British population treat the people who take part in traditional cheese rolling races as charming throw backs from the last century, there's one festival that translates well into modern times: Guy Fawkes Night. These are the best places to go off with a bang!
World's Most Haunted Places
There are some places that will make even the hardest skin creep and crawl, where too many respectable people have experienced something amiss, drafts that have no logical beginning, the temperature changes for no conceivable reason and the floorboards creak even though no one's walking on them...
Tour de Potter: The Ultimate Harry Potter pilgrimage
For Potter fans young and old here is the ultimate Tour de Potter: The Pilgrims trail for Hogwarts Hopefuls and fans of the 'Dark Arts' alike - ideal if you're UK based and looking for something to keep the kids happy over the holidays.
Holiday Idea #49: Cycling in the Loire
The Loire river is France's longest. Around 1010kms winding over flat, scenic plains, from the mountains of the Central Massif to the Atlantic. And while the river itself is rather lovely, and enticing for a lazy float, it is more likely it's the wine, pretty villages and the chateaux that entice people to choose this region for a cycling route.
Cycling the Loire: Angers to Blois
Medieval streets might be a bit bumpy but they're pretty! This eight day cycling itinerary takes in the highlights of the Loire with a good balance between time on your bike and off.
A Week Cycling though the Loire's Château Central
It would be nice to be able to say that you'd cycled the Tour de France, but it would actually be a lot nicer to spend a week cycling the Loire Valley, stopping off at the vineyards you pass for a tipple, sleeping in comfortable rooms in pretty medieval towns, appreciating the objet d'art on display in the fairytale châteaux and eating well in the restaurants along the way – the ones with the amazing terraces opening out onto views of the river valley.
Five day Loire Cycling Itinerary (Tours - Blois)
This itinerary travels west to east along the most popular region of the Loire: chateaux central, between Tours and Blois via Chenonceaux and Chambord. It's about 145kms worth of riding to cover, which most people will find quite comfortable on the paved, flat back roads, and should leave plenty of time to make the most of the sights you're passing.
Ghostly Goings on: World's Best Halloween Celebrations
A good scaring can be a lot of fun and Halloween is the right time to have the wind put up you by the dead or undead. But where are the best places to find that Halloween thrill – or is it a tingle – that will make your heart race and your hands clammy?
Halloween Special: World's Most Haunted Cities
If you've ever been trick or treating at you might recall that while some houses dole out the full sized chocolate bars, some doors you knock on are hiding a trick of their own: an adult wanting to quiz you about the meaning of Halloween. In just the same way some cities 'do' Halloween and some don't. But there's another category: those where the resident dead are unsettled and haunt the streets and buildings all year round, oblivious to the date... Just like that old house on the hill where the crazy lady with all the cats lived...no one went trick or treating there...
