Though I'm sure some might be able to work it out from the time difference provided - but where are you off to? I've had to do a fair bit of travel with work in recent months and it has wetted my appetite to move abroad. Interesting to hear from you and others that have done so.
Tokyo, or Seoul. In the mood to move to another big city. Both need English people in my line of work, and pay pretty decent wages too. Upwards of £70k, and less taxes.
Nothing better for the soul than travel. We now spend our summers at a Normandy cottage and use it as a base for travelling on to Bretagne, Limousin and other beautiful regions of France. The next Bank Holiday weekend is earmarked for a trip to Naples, and the May half-term will be taken up by Oslo and Bergen. Tokyo is mind-blowing. Be prepared!
My friends been out in Qatar working on the WC bid and he's had mixed opinions of it - though the gulf has never appealed to me. Amazing tax breaks as you mention. Ponders - not sure if you're familiar with Narbonne in the South East of France? Fanily friends own a property out there and I spent a few weeks out there last summer. Beautiful little spot. The house is going up on the market and am in two minds whether to go in for it. My knowledge of the French housing markets is zero so will have to pull my finger out very quickly.
Anyone else apart from Dickp and me with minority musical tastes? I'm listening to Nic Jones right now and can't understand anyone not liking his music. Remember the wise words of Louis Armstrong: "All songs are folk songs. Leastways I ain't never heard no horse sing"
I was in Dubai on business last week, and that was breathtaking. Coming out of the desert heat into a shopping Mall and finding a ski resort takes some beatin. Plus that weird island they made in the shape of a Palm!!! It's huge!!!! I was told if you buy a flat on there, as part of the welcome, you are given the keys to a mini cooper, and if you buy a beach front villa, the welcome gift is a Lambourghini. (mind you, if you work on a building site there, I imagine low wages and heat stroke are a problem)
I have a minority musical taste for someone of my age but probably not in terms of the mainstream. Although I heard a Charles Mingus track for the first time the other day (Passions of a Man) and was hooked so I may yet descend further.
I'm not sure I could comfortably holiday in Bretagne in case I bumped into Yann and broke down. It'd be like seeing an Ex you don't want to. It's the very reason I don't like to go to Barnehurst if I can help it.
I've been to Narbonne. Very nice; travelled a bit around that part of France. There's a nice village that I stayed in, beautiful place called "Collioure" I like chilled, acoustic rock, people like Gregory Alan Isakov, Alexi Murdock and Josh Ritter.
Reasons to avoid Belvedere. Although I have a few more derogatory terms for it... Smellverdere! Apologies for anyone whom lives there, but there's this factory and waste plant that stinks the area out... And the flies, always getting bitten.
We were told to go to collioure as the parents of my female companion met there. It sounded too romantic so ended up at the Irish bar watching arsenal beat palace
Had a great holiday there 3 years ago, co-incided with the jazz festival, the only downside being a yacht dumped its load of sewage there on the last morning. Nearer home, we had a super walking holiday recently on the Yorkshire Dales. It's the sort of thing you can do once the kids go off on their own. There's always the dilemma between seeing more of the world or seeing more of Britain.
Sadly, I have discovered that. Seen most of the world, hardly been outside of London. Guess it's my snobbish nature, I'm not overly fond of caravans and tents.
Hf holidays put you up in top hotels, provide 2 cooked meals + packed lunch every day, plus 4 levels of guided walks + evening entertainment, all for £300 for 4 days and nights, and all you pay for is the evening drinks. Walkers tend to be a nice friendly bunch as well.
That sounds good. What is the average age though? As a slightly immature 30 year old, I don't want to end up being the youngest..
Some of Europe's greatest cities are to be found in the British Isles: York, Winchester, Salisbury, Durham, Lincoln, Edinburgh. Check out the little nuggets such as Wayland's Smithy, Bayham Abbey and Grimes Graves. There is a historical goldmine on your doorstep.
[QUOTE="SuperChrissyisfantasticPardswasatrocious, post: 7928050, member: 1008225" Ponders - not sure if you're familiar with Narbonne in the South East of France? Fanily friends own a property out there and I spent a few weeks out there last summer. Beautiful little spot. The house is going up on the market and am in two minds whether to go in for it. My knowledge of the French housing markets is zero so will have to pull my finger out very quickly.[/QUOTE] If you have the clout to buy a property in Narbonne, you do it. An absolute jewel of France. The history is mind-blowing. A few years back I decided to follow the Black Prince's campaign trail. Narbonne was supposed to be a pass-through, but I stayed on for an extra 48 hours, such were the levels of enthrallment. Bread and cheese on the banks of the Aude.
As per usual, Ponders whetted my appetite about history, so I drifted lazily onto Wikipedia. The bit about Narbonne is not overlong, and from the 10th century on is unsupported by references (job for you Ponders mate?) and I can only assume the Black Prince merely passed through. His stay outside Limoges is much more commented upon. What did cheer me up was a reference to Charles the Short, as it was the second time today I've run into a reference to him. I was wine tasting over the border in Spain this morning, and I noticed Charles the Short was transleted from 'Carlos the brief' in Spanish. Possibly died young? Possibly as a reult of drinking the same sort of wine I tried today? Anyway, Charles reclaimed Narbonne from the Muslims, in order to make the road safe for the Black Prince to go to Spain and put Pedro the Cruel on the throne. Given what princes and kings got up to in those days, I shudder to think what Pedro must have been doing to be fingered as 'cruel'.
