Relaxbattle

An Englishman’s home is his castle

admin — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 08:00:31 +0000

When we think about England we immediately think about royalty, and the Queen’s face is the first thing that comes to mind. France may have its Versailles Castle and its Marie Antoinette, but who has a living Monarchy? Yes, you know it, not France but us!

If you didn’t know, Winsor Castle is the largest and oldest occupied castle in the world. Is one of the 3 places the Queen calls “Home sweet home” and boy-oh-boy is it a big home. What you’ll be able to see in your visit: the changing of the guard, the great kitchen, the Moat garden, the Frogmore house and gardens. A real glimpse at the behind-the-scenes life of Her Majesty and family.

Photo credit © Ilee Wu´s Photostream Flickr

Windsor Castle
Berkshire SL4 1NJ
T.: +44 (0)20 77 6673 04
Opening hours: from 9:45 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. (March to October), from 9:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. (November to February).
Admission adults: 17£ / Senior-Studen : 15.50£ / Under 17: 10.20£ / Under 5: free /Family of 2 adults & 3 under 17: 9.30£ per ticket.
Transport: Green line bus from London Victoria, Paddintong overground metro.

Marie Antoinette for a day

admin — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 08:00:04 +0000

Yes, yes, the British may still have a living Queen, but we have the most fascinating dead (and decapitated) queen of all times, Marie Antoinette! Her character became even more famous with the eponym movie from Sofia Coppola that made people from all over the world want to visit the imposing castle where the extravagant Louis XVI and wife made disasters!

During your visit, you’ll see the lavish life these royals had with all the luxury in the world, amazing rooms particularly the Hall of Mirrors will leave you open-mouthed. Don’t miss the Petit Trianon, a “mini” castle that served as Marie Antoinette’s playground, the gardens where you’ll get lost in the labyrinths while eating an ice cream or sipping some freshly squeezed orange juice, the canal where you can ride a boat or the Apollo and Neptune fountains.

This is a mandatory stop when visiting Paris, see what it feels like to be a Queen for a day in a place that doesn’t know the word Moderate.

Visit the Official website for information about the events happening all year long:

Photo credit © Esme 11 Photostream Flickr

Photo credit © Ka 12 Li 206 Photostream Flickr

Photo credit © Jaime 1 Photostream Flickr

Chateau de Versailles
Place d´Armes
Versailles 78000
T.: +33(0)1 30 83 78 00
Opening hours: from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. (April to October), from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (November to March).
Full admission: 15€ / reduced admission: 13€
RER: Versailles Rive Gauche- Chateau de Versailles (Line C)

Top 3 Paris Exhibitions for the return of summer holidays

admin — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 08:00:56 +0000

Our summer holidays were wonderful, we traveled, went to the beach, to the mountain, to cities, just practice the so desired dolce farniente, and then suddenly BOOM! Reality check: back to the routine, off to work, kids to school. To make the adjustment as pleasant as possible, we suggest you 3 exhibitions in Paris starting in the transitional month of September:

1/ Autour du Chat Noir, arts et plaisir à Montmartre. Musée de Montmartre
From September 13^th to January 13^th the Museum of Montmartre will display an exhibition about one of the most iconic places in this area: the Chat Noir cabaret (opened in 1881). Here you’ll appreciate the artistic and musical atmosphere of that time through over 200 works from Toulouse Lautrec, Edouard Vuillard and others. A perfect exhibition for those with “the golden age syndrome”.

Photo credit © Connaissance des arts

Musée de Montmartre
12-14 rue Cortot
Paris 75018
T.: +33 (0)1 49 25 89 37
Opening hours: everyday of the year from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Admission: 8€ / reduced admission (students 18-25): 6€ / Young visitors from 10-17: 4€ / reduced admission (Ami du Louvre, handicapped adults): 6€.
Métro: Lamarck- Caulaincourt

2/ Paris, vu par Hollywood. Hotel de Ville
This wonderful city has been the background of hundreds of Hollywood films. From September 18^th to December 15^th you’ll see film extracts, pictures, posters, costumes showing 4 stages of cinema: the historic mute Paris, the sophisticated Paris of romantic comedies, Cancan at its peak, crazy films from the 60s to our days. Movie fans cannot miss this appointment.

Photo credit © Le bonbon

Hotel de Ville
5 rue de Lobau
Paris 75004
T.: +33 (0)1 42 76 51 53
Opening hours: open everyday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., except Sundays and holidays.
Free admission.
Métro: Hotel de Ville

3/ La Bohème. Grand Palais

From September 26^th to January 14^th you’ll see a side of the Parisian bohème (or bohemianism) that has never been seen. This was the lifestyle of all the artists, writers, journalists, musician, actors, of the 19^th century, and you’ll be able to catch a glimpse of all this through over 200 works of Corot, Manet, Courbet, Van Gogh, Matisse and others.

Photo credit © Grand Palais

Grand Palais
21 rue Franklin Delano Roosevelt
Paris 75008
T.: +33 (0)1 44 13 17 30
Opening hours: everyday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. except Tuesdays, Wednesdays at night until 10 p.m.
Admission: 12€ /reduced admission (visitors from 13-25, numerous family, unemployed): 8 €
Métro: Champs Elysées Clemenceau

Top 3 London Exhibitions for the return from summer holidays

admin — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 08:00:41 +0000

Here in London weather is not our best friend, so when we come back from the summer holidays something inside us dies a little bit. But there is no reason to be sad, weather is still nice and in this city we always have something to do! Here you have 3 exhibitions to take your mind off this hard adjustment period.

1/ Diamonds, a jubilee celebration. Buckingham Palace
Nicole Kidman sang it in her Moulin Rouge movie: “Diamonds are a girl’s best friend”. These stones have fascinated women from generation to generation, so when there’s an exhibition dedicated to them, we head there immediately! Until October 7^th you’ll se diamonds used by the British monarchy over the last 200 years, an unseen display of the royals´ personal jewelry. Not to miss!

Photo credit © Royal Collection

Buckingham Palace
State rooms
London, SW1A 1AA
T.: +44 (0)20 79 30 48 32
Opening hours: everyday from 9:45 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Admission for adults: 18£ / admission for visitors over 60 and for students: 16.50£ / Visitors under 17: 10.25£ / Free for children under 5 / Family 47£ ( 2 adults and 3 under 17)
Underground: Victoria, St James Park

2/ Shakespeare staging the world. British Museum
Until November 25^th you’ll be able to see this exhibition made with the collaboration of the Royal Shakespeare Company, you’ll travel to a time when theaters where the center of the cultural life and you’ll see how the world’s most famous writer had an influence in his time. Several objects are exhibited: paintings, drawings, books, etc. A perfect exhibition for bookworms.

Photo credit © The British Museum

British Museum
Great Russell Street
London WC1B 3DG
T.: +44 (0)20 73 23 80 00
Opening hours: daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Fridays until 8:30 p.m.
Admission adult: 14£ / 16-18 years: 12£ / under 16: free / student: 12£ / groups: 11£ / senior: 14£.
Underground: Holborn, Tottenham Court Rd, Goodge Street

3/ Edvard Munch, the modern eye. Tate Modern
You have until October 14^th to see the works of Norwegian artist Edvard Munch: paintings, film and photography, inspired by everyday life outside his studio. His particularity: repeating the same subject for a long period of time and changing certain this about it. A modern art jewel that cannot be missed under any circumstance!

Photo credit © Tate

Tate Modern
Bankside
London SE1 9TG
T.: +44 (0)20 78 87 88 88
Opening hours: Saturday to Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Fridays until 10 p.m.
Admission: 14£
Underground: London bridge

Goodman burgers anyone?

admin — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 13:46:50 +0000

Some call it the best burger in London, and we’re not shocked to hear this because when you see the caramelized crust, the melted cheddar, the crispy bacon, the juicy thick beef, I think you’ll agree. Ideally located just near Hyde Park, this is the perfect place to grab lunch or dinner after a walk in the park. Steak is their specialty and they have the best meat in town to give an amazing taste to your gourmet burgers. Is your mouth watering already? Mine is!

The big +: They also have two other locations in London: in City and Canary Wharf.

Photo credit ©Young and foodish

Photo credit ©Bellaphon blog

Goodman Steak Restaurant
24-26 Maddox St
London W1S 1QH
T.: +44 (0)20 74 99 37 76
Opening hours: Monday to Saturday from noon to 10:30 p.m.
Undergroung: Oxford Circus

Blend Burgers: the perfect hamburger!

admin — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 13:29:55 +0000

Is in the heart of le Marais that you’re going to taste the best burger of Paris. At Blend Burgers, the beef is selected by star butcher Yves-Marie le Bourdonne, the buns and the fries are home-made. For 15€ only, we get a generous and gourmet burger, far away from the fast-food that we’re used to eat. Forget about McDo and sample de Signature, a bacon burger with apple and spinach, Roquefort, emmental de Savoie and stewed onion. You’ll tell us about other ones!

Open Monday to Saturday from noon to 2:30 p.m., and from 7:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Lunch Menu at 15€: Burger + Classic fries + 1 soft drink.

Blend Burgers
44, rue d’Argout
75002 Paris
France

When free meets great

admin — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 15:13:45 +0000

Big cities like London can be so expensive! So when you have a tight budget is so difficult to take advantage of what the city has to offer. But there are also lots of free activities you can do in order to enjoy the capital with emptying your pockets. Here are our top 5.

1/ Hang at the Southbank Centre
An important place in London’s cultural scene, it´s open 364 days a year and it’s always busy with free events like concerts, exhibitions, readings, performances, etc. We love this complex of artistic venues, it has everything for everyone, if you want to: relax, read, listen to music, eat, just about everything to spend your time.

Photo credit © Flickr

Southbank Centre
Belvedere Road
London SE1 8XX
T.: +44 (0)20 79 60 42 00
Opening hours: Monday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Underground: Waterloo, Enbankment

2/ Movies at the BFI Mediatheque
This complex of the British Film Institute has two bars, cinema screens, a film store and an exhibition area. Here you’ll find archives of TV shows, movies and documentaries. Perfect for movie addicts. It is recommended that you book in advance.

Photo credit © World Shakespeare Festival

BFI Mediatheque
Belvedere Road
London SE1 8XT
T.: +44 (0)20 79 28 35 35
Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday from noon to 8 p.m., Saturday and Sundays from 12:30 to 8 p.m.
Underground: Waterloo

3/ Shopping in street markets
London is full of street markets, although buying may require some money, watching does not! Candem, Portobello, Old Spitafields, Brick Lane, Borough, these are some of the most known. You can spend hours here just looking at people, at things and just getting lost in the atmosphere.

Photo credit © Youropi

4/ Visit the Whitechapel gallery
This East End gallery has a vibrant and FREE artistic life. It displays all year round the best of what’s happening in contemporary art. This area of London is now super trendy, there are plenty of things to do around this neighborhood that doesn’t know the word boring.

Photo credit © Official website

Whitechapel Gallery
77-82 Whitechapel high street
London E1 7QX
T.: +44 (0)20 75 22 78 88
Opening hours: closed on Mondays, Tuesday to Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., except Thurdays until 9 p.m.
Underground: Aldgate East, Whitechapel

5/ The Photographers Gallery
A contemporary photo collection in West End, is the largest public gallery in London dedicated to photography. An amazing universe for enthusiasts of this craft.

Photo credit © Official website

The Photographers Gallery
16-18 Ramillies St
London W1F 7LW
t.: +44 (0)84 52 68 16 18
Opening hours: Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Sundays from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Underground: Oxford Circus, Tottenham court

Free in Paris!?

admin — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 13:59:04 +0000

It’s no secret that Paris is one of the most expensive cities in the world, you would be surprised with the amount of money you can spend just in a few days in the capital. But you would also be surprised with all the free things you can do here.

Here you have our top 5:

1/ Stay awake during Nuit Blanche
One of the most anticipated events of the year in Paris, this night dedicated to art has been unique since 2002 when it has first launched. For the first time, the event will take place this 2012 all through the Seine, the date: October 6^th. Galleries, museums, performances, cooking demonstrations, conferences, you name it! They will all be open all night long, to name a few: Palais de Tokyo, MAM, Grand and Petit Palais, Musée du Louvre, Centre Pompidou, Cinémathèque française, etc. Who said that New York was the only city that never sleeps?

For more information visit the official website here:

2/ Enjoy the European Heritage Day
On September 15^th and 16^th in Paris and the rest of France, hundreds of monuments, government buildings and privately owned sites they all open their doors to the public, with free admission bien sûr, so that you can catch a glimpse of these places that remain close throughout the year.

For more information about the sites that will be open and other useful tips click here:

3/ Visit the Père Lachaise and Montparnasse cemeteries
Isn’t this creepy? You might ask. Well, its sounds like it! But in reality, it’s a nice plan to do. The reason: graves of famous people and a lot of green vegetation. The Père Lachaise is a cemetery like no other, the minute you see foot in there you feel like you’re in a movie, the setting is just unique. Graves to see: Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, Balzac, Edith Piaf, Maria Callas, Marcel Proust; the list is just never-ending. At the Montparnasse? Jean Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, Charles Baudelaire, Julio Cortázar, etc. Does it still sound creepy or rather interesting now?

Père Lachaise Cemetery
16 rue de Repos
Paris 75020
T.: +33 (0)1 55 25 82 10
Opening hours: 6nov-5march Monday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Sundays and holidays from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. 16march-5nov: Monday to Saturday from a.m. to 6 p.m., Sundays and holidays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Métro: Père Lachaise

Montparnasse Cemetery
3 bd Edgard Quinet
Paris 75014
T.: +33 (0)1 40 33 85 85
Opening hours: 6nov-5march Monday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Sundays and holidays from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. 16march-5nov: Monday to Saturday from a.m. to 6 p.m., Sundays and holidays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Métro: Raspail

4/ Visit the home of Victor Hugo
Tour the apartment of the famous Les Misérables author, and examine his manuscripts and first editions. Here you’ll be able to retrace his life before, during and after the exile. Also free and spectacular: Place des Voges, just beside the house. Let’s just call this the perfect 2×1.

Maison de Victor Hugo
6 place des Vosges
Paris 75004
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Closed on Mondays and holidays.
Métro: Bastille, Saint Paul, Chemin Vert

5/ Roll your way through Paris
Every Friday of the week (except for rainy days) Parisians gather at Place Raoul Dautry at 10 p.m. to roller skate for three hours (30 km) through the city. The route changes every week and that keeps the activity really dynamic so you’ll never get bored.

More information here:

We all love our dogs

admin — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 08:02:45 +0000

Their motto: “ you wear designer clothes. Why shouldn’t your dog?”. And they’re right! Our puppies are the spoiled babies of the house and us owners always want to give them the best of the best!

This store is all about four-legged luxury: dog collars, blankets, leads, carriers, temperature-regulating fabrics, hand-knitted sweaters, tweed coats for winter and even raincoats for spring and autumn! So we think this place deserves its title of the world’s leading designer petwear.

Do you think your dog is the most handsome of them all? Then send his picture to Love My Dog to see if he wins the “Pooch of the month” title and gets in the run for an expensive price!

Love my dog
336 Ermine Mews
Laburnum Street
London E2 8BF
T.: +44 (0) 20 77 39 42 37

Puppy de Paris: doggies also love luxury!

admin — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 08:00:21 +0000

Is your pet like your son? If you love to spoil him and nothing seems enough for him, then you are going to love the brand Puppy de Paris. This luxury accessory boutique makes precious objects and accessories to give our four-legged friends all the comfort they need. A royal bowl with 24-karat gold, cushiony sofa embroidered with golden or silver thread, from now on, luxury is accessible to all the doggies of the world!

Puppy de Paris 226, rue du Faubourg St-Honoré
75008 Paris France
T.: +33 (0)6 14 46 00 37
contact@puppydeparis.fr