TheHigh Living
Big Ben stands majestic at the north-eastern end of the Palace of Westminster in London. PHOTO: MATTHEW DIXON/ISTOCKPHOTO.COM
TRAVELWORLD MAGAZINE / 09.1 JAN.FEB
Life London and The Cote d’Azur on the Cheap BY CHRISTINA BRIDGE
London and The Cote d’Azur are not normally places associated with budget vacations, unless you are travelling with the penny aware allowance associated with students and backpackers. However there is a delightful middle ground where you can stay in superb accommodations, enjoy gourmet food, visit main attractions and local festivals. The best time to visit London, (it’s when I go, and I’m originally a Londoner), is September; the airfares have dropped considerably, the kids are back at school, and as has been the case in recent years London has enjoyed a wonderful Indian summer, warm T-shirt weather during the days, with only a light cover up for the slightly fresher evenings.
The most reasonably priced direct flights are with Virgin Airways from most major US hubs. Taking a nod from the corporate world you can stay in three-star serviced apartments in the heart of Kensington or Canary Wharf, London’s newest financial center for an average £120 (US $180) per night. Fraser Suites, one of the leading providers of serviced apartments across the globe has recently added these three-star properties to their four and five star portfolios. You can enjoy beautifully appointed apartments with equipped kitchens, maid service, cable TV, L’Occitane toiletries, and friendly and knowledgeable staff. The major savings over a hotel are immense, you can order food in, you have your own fridge to stock with your
own purchases and no more $5 miniature bottles of water. There are no horrendous charges on phone bills, and the suites are on average two to three times larger than most hotel rooms. There is a plethora of free things to do in London. You could easily spend a whole day visiting the Science Museum, the Natural History Museum and the Victoria and Albert which are all next to each other on Cromwell Road. The main museums are free with only a small charge for special exhibitions. The second week in September enjoys the Mayors Thames Festival, which celebrates life along the river from Westminster to Tower Bridge, with open air performances, music, dancing, sailing along the Thames, and a fireworks display. Here you get to ex-
09.1 JAN.FEB / TRAVELWORLD MAGAZINE
TheHigh Living
Life
perience life as a Londoner. A must-buy is the London Pass which gives you access to over 50 attractions at an incredible savings over paying for each one individually. In two days, we managed to visit the Tower of London, Tower Bridge Museum Experience, the London Aquarium, London Zoo, Hampton Court Palace, take a riverboat cruise down the Thames to Greenwich, visit the HMS Belfast and St Paul’s Cathedral.
View of London at night as seen from the London Eye. PHOTO: CHRISTINA BRIDGE
TRAVELWORLD MAGAZINE / 09.1 JAN.FEB
Plump for the pass with travel, as this lets you jump on and off all London Transport at will. The London Pass also offers great discounts on restaurants, theatre tickets and shopping. For those with a hankering for the theatre, the half-price ticket booth in Leicester Square offers on-the-day tickets from 10 a.m. There are 700 standing tickets at the Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre for every performance from only £5 (US $7.50). If you book in advance tickets for dance and opera at the Royal Opera House can be had for that price as well and unsold tickets are offered at half price four hours before a performance.
There are numerous markets to visit in London, one of the most diverse is Portobello Road which on Saturday has an antique market that leads into a produce market, interspersed with one-ofkind boutique shops selling everything from funky home items to a whole store devoted to cookbooks. Other good ones to visit are Borough Market, Spitalfields, and of course, Covent Garden Market. For further information: www.thelondonpass.com www.virginatlantic.com www.frasersuites.com www.squaremeal.co.uk ( a very good
SIDETRIP FROM LONDON site for honest restaurant reviews) www.interieurs-cour.com Born in London, Christina Bridge has lived, worked and traveled extensively in Europe. Currently residing in South Florida, she continues her travels, and has published articles in the yachting and travel press, imparting her unique style to subjects such as cruising itineraries, food, career tips for yachting crew, investigative pieces, and other adventures. She has been published in Dockwalk Magazine, Crew Life Magazine, AAA magazine, and Yacht Essentials. She can be reached at www. myspace.com/christinangel69.
Afternoon view from the sun terrace at villa azzure looking down towards the Bay of Cannes and the Cap de l'Esterel. PHOTO: CHRISTINA BRIDGE
T
he most affordable way to the South of France from London is with Easy Jet from three London Airports where if you can book in advance for prices from as low as £28 (US $42) to Nice, the gateway to the Cote d’Azur. This is the perfect city to base oneself to take advantage of all that this dazzling region has to offer. Once again, for luxury at a small price, a serviced apartment is the frugal traveler’s friend. Mid-season prices are about 450 Euro (US $600) per week. Just a stone’s throw from Place Massena and the Promenade Des Anglais we found the most uniquely designed and welcoming one- and two-bedroom apartments called Interieur cour. The interiors of the themed Nature, Kenya, Tribal and Siam apartments were welcoming and lived up to their names; some have hot tubs and even a beautiful sun terrace, which in the heart of Nice is a rare find indeed. Rue Massena is ideally situated about 10 minutes walk to the train station which is the ideal way to travel up and down the coast, with frequent trains to Monaco in one direction and to Cannes in the other. Take a boat trip to the Illes de Lerin just off Cannes, Wander the quaint streets and the Picasso Museum of Antibes. Then stop for lunch wit h the locals at Le Brulot where all the fare is cooked in the wood-fire oven, and served with much ‘joie de vivre.’ Nice has a very cosmopolitan feel, with a superb offering of museums, the Chagall, the Matisse and the Picasso are the main ones. The sweeping Baie des Anges offers miles of sandy beaches and the incredible blue sea that reflects the clarity of light that Provence is so famous for. A hike around the parc at Mont Boron offers stunning views and a pleasant way to pass the afternoon. In the evening the many superb and reasonably priced restaurants along Rue Massena offer a wide variety of Mediterranean cuisine. La Maison de Marie is possibly one of the most romantic, while dining under candlelit bougainvillea food prepared by Chef Alain is served by genuinely friendly and charming staff. On the way to Monaco, take a visit to the Sunday antique market at Villefranche-sur-mer. Equally, Beaulieu sur mer, which is a quaint seaside town is worth a stop, the walk around to St Jean de Cap Ferrat takes you past villas of the rich and famous as well as a visit to the Villa Kerylos. The well-preserved medieval village of Eze, perched high above sea level, offers unparalleled views from St. Tropez to Italy and Corsica. A charming place to spend the afternoon, wandering around the cobbled streets, transportation here is by foot or donkey. Whilst Eze is known as being relatively expensive, you can enjoy inexpensive home cooked food at Le Nid d’Aigle and, of course, the views are free. A South of France vacation wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the tiny but world re-known Principality of Monaco. The sheer romance and class associated with this tax haven is built upon an era of nostalgia and decadence. Take a coffee in La Condamine Market and watch the Monegasques go about their daily routines. If you are here in late September the Monaco Yacht Show is a sight to behold, with some of the most sophisticated floating gin palaces on show in the gleaming harbor. There are numerous walks that take in each quarter of Monaco, and a visit to watch the changing of the Guard at 11:55 am daily at the Place de Palais is a wonderful reminder of Monaco’s history. • 09.1 JAN.FEB / TRAVELWORLD MAGAZINE