Centre Travel

From Publishers Weekly English novelist Cusk (Arlington Park) delivers a relatively humorless account of traveling with her husband and two children over three warm months in Italy, from Tuscany to Naples and Rome. She was in search of beauty, because she felt afflicted by England's bland obtuseness nurtured by a cold climate and unappetizing food, and felt Italy's pull through the characters in Tintoretto's painting The Last Supper. Driving through Italy, the family (her husband is mentioned only once; thereafter he is only part of the collective we) stayed longest in Arezzo, a pastoral spot in eastern Tuscany, where Cusk found herself on a trail named after the 15th-century painter Piero della Francesca; she felt herself on the edge of an ocean of knowledge that required complete immersion. Armed with Vasari's Lives of the Artists, she trekked to find these early Renaissance works of art, many reproduced here (as well as the family's own picturesque snapshots) an...

From Booklist Travel writer Fraser enchanted readers with her tale of her postdivorce romance with a sophisticated French professor in An Italian Affair (2001). She continues the story here, beginning with the end of the affair after the professor finds someone he wants to settle down with. Fraser wants the same thing, but she still finds herself most drawn to free-spirited men looking for flings, not relationships. An assault in Samoa leaves her shaken—and afraid to travel alone. Fraser turns her focus inward, trying to find peace through meditation and to temper her impulsiveness. Her forty-fifth birthday brings the end of a relationship and the beginning of something new when Fraser travels to the Mexican city of San Miguel de Allende and finds herself contemplating buying a house. The title is an apt description of both Fraser’s travels—which include jaunts to Italy, Provence, and Rwanda described in evocative, lush prose—and her frame of mind over the course of the eight years th...

From Booklist Travel writer Fraser enchanted readers with her tale of her postdivorce romance with a sophisticated French professor in An Italian Affair (2001). She continues the story here, beginning with the end of the affair after the professor finds someone he wants to settle down with. Fraser wants the same thing, but she still finds herself most drawn to free-spirited men looking for flings, not relationships. An assault in Samoa leaves her shaken—and afraid to travel alone. Fraser turns her focus inward, trying to find peace through meditation and to temper her impulsiveness. Her forty-fifth birthday brings the end of a relationship and the beginning of something new when Fraser travels to the Mexican city of San Miguel de Allende and finds herself contemplating buying a house. The title is an apt description of both Fraser’s travels—which include jaunts to Italy, Provence, and Rwanda described in evocative, lush prose—and her frame of mind over the course of the eight years th...

Review Authors, Andrew Doughy and Harriett Friedman, give straight forward advice in a no-holds-barred approach. -- Hawaii Magazine --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. Product Description The finest guidebook ever written for Maui and the only one written by Maui residents who anonymously review the island. They visit every beach, restaurant, activity and trail on the island. The result is this comprehensive, humorous and easy-to-read full color guide that will lead you to more adventures than any other book. A must for travelers. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review “A necessity second only to a valid credit card.” New York Times “The most trusted guides.” The Today Show “Fabulously reliable.” Vogue “The gastronomic bible.” Wall Street Journal “The hottest guide series in the U.S.” USA Today “The perfect gift.” W Magazine “The best food guide.” Reader’s Digest Product Description Take an insiders tour of one of the worlds greatest culinary centers or browse through the mouthwatering restaurant options in this handy guide. Based on the opinions of thousands of avid restaurant-goers, this guide includes ratings and reviews for 1,000 of the best restaurants in and around Paris. The trademark reviews and corresponding ratings for Food, Decor, Service and Cost are organized alphabetically in a user-friendly format. Use the indexes arranged by cuisine, neighborhood and special features like ""In"" Places, Winning Wine Lists or Romantic Places to find the perfect restaurant for any occasion.

Review "Bijkerk covers every nook and cranny of Amsterdam's maze-like streets. From more well-known destinations...to the tiny retail havens nestled between canals...Bijkerk leads readers through Amsterdam store by store...For astute tourists or locals looking for a fresh take on their hometown, both 'Amsterdam: Made By Hand' and its Paris counterpart make well-edited guides to some of each city's most distinct offerings." --Cool Hunting "Page through Bijkerk's new book for a host of great sources, photographed to draw you into another world where you'll find jewelers, ceramicists, hat-makers, and more." —Traditional Home "Amsterdam: Made By Hand is a compact guidebook.....it captures how Amsterdam looks and feels through her eyes along with some of her most cherished shop suggestions. This book is ideal for those looking for a bit of an 'off the beaten path' guide to where one can find shops catering more to the handmade, u...

Review "Mr. Lansky's new book, The Titanic Awards: Celebrating the Worst of Travel (Perigee Trade) is dedicated 'to all the travelers who overcame annoyances and obstacles to make it to their destinations, and then willingly decided to set out traveling again.' Hey, that's us! And as business travel begins to rebound after a long slump, it's perhaps useful to be reminded that on the road, 'something invariably goes wrong,' as Mr. Lansky says. 'At times, very wrong.'." -The New York Times "...Doug Lansky has an innate knack for zeroing in on the strangely humorous... When you think your trip isn't going, just remember: You could be checking into the Resist Bacteria Hotel in Singapore." -TravelandLeisure.com "...Details some of the misadventures that make your recent misadventure (and you know you have one) seem like a walk inn the park." -LosAngelesTimes.com "So out of respect for all those who wouldn...

Amazon.com Review Product Description While sailing around the Caribbean, Ann Vanderhoof and her husband Steve track wild oregano-eating goats in the cactus-covered hills of the Dominican Republic, gather nutmegs on an old estate in Grenada, make searing-hot pepper sauce in a Trinidadian kitchen, cram for a chocolate-tasting test at the University of the West Indies, and sip moonshine straight out of hidden back-country stills. Along the way, they are befriended by a collection of unforgettable island characters: Dwight, the skin-diving fisherman who always brings them something from his catch and critiques her efforts to cook it; Greta, who harvests seamoss on St. Lucia and turns it into potent Island-Viagra; sweet-hand Pat, who dispenses hugs and impromptu dance lessons along with cooking tips in her Port of Spain kitchen. Back in her galley, Ann practices making curry like a Trini, dog sauce like a Martiniquais, and coo-coo like a Carriacouan. And for those who want to take th...

From Booklist The author of titles concerning preservation of Brazilian forests (The Greatest Gift: The Courageous Life and Martyrdom of Sister Dorothy Stang, 2008), Le Breton, prior to her writing career, lived as a global itinerant with a husband on call to his occupation as an international economist. In 1989 they chucked everything and moved to a dilapidated farm in Brazil, and this is Le Breton�s candid account of adapting to country living, tropical style. Ambivalent about the project, which was more her husband�s brainchild than her own, Le Breton indicates there was an emotional toll in dispensing with electricity, plumbing, telephones, and passable roads, and in trying to connect with her new neighbors. Establishing infrastructure and friendships becomes the narrative, concentrated on Le Breton�s initial years in Brazil. This is ultimately a triumphant story, as restoring the farm emboldens Le Breton and her reform-minded husband to shake the local Brazilians out of a perceiv...

From Publishers Weekly At its core, the idea of traveling 1,200 miles around the coast of Florida in a kayak sounds grueling--the organizers of the Ultimate Florida Challenge warn wouldbe entrants that "even if you are a wellprepared expert, you may die." But Richey, who writes for the Christian Science Monitor, shows in this fast-paced memoir that a persevering spirit can overcome all physical and mental exhaustion. Still feeling the effects of a divorce that threw his world into upheaval, Richey finds solace in his sea kayak and enters the competition, despite the objections of family and friends. Nearly every day and night, he encounters all possible obstacles: physical ailments (blisters, sore muscles, sleep deprivation), the threat of predators like alligators and pythons, and solitude while paddling through the night. On a diet consisting largely of bagels and Snickers bars, Richey travels on, battling himself and the biggest enemy of all: the clock, as the rules manda...

From Publishers Weekly A sweet, disarming story finds a young New York editor venturing to Italy to pursue romance with a sexy gardener and ending up falling for a neglected dog instead. In her straightforward, unembellished prose, Van der Leun recounts how she shucked her job editing the Letters page for an unidentified lifestyle magazine because she wasn't good at getting along with the other grasping workers, broke up with a perfect modern man who was also Mr. Boring, and spent a summer month at an acquaintance's house in Collelungo, a sheep-farming village of 200 souls in Umbria. There she met one of the town's sons, the handsome, earnest gardener Emanuele, whose entire hard-working, ample-eating, non-English-speaking family she grew to know and love over the year she returned to live in the town. But she was appalled by the younger brother's treatment of his animals, specifically the dogs he used for hunting, and nursed to health a sadly starving young English poi...

Product Description The guide to the best restaurants in town. Each listing is recommended by Michelin's team of anonymous local inspectors. For more than a century Michelin's obsessively researched restaurant and hotel guides have been indispensable to travelers seeking great places to dine and stay in Europe at all budget levels. * NEW for 2010: Invaluable to weekend and late summer travelers--lists of Paris restaurants with Sunday hours and those open during August, helpful listing of Paris restaurants by type of cuisine, fresh new layout. Review of more than 60 hotels and 420 restaurants, time-tested Michelin symbols for easy reference, Michelin stars indicate culinary excellence, Bib Gourmand designations highlight good value, Red Pavilion icons highlight charming hotels, grouped by arrondissement for easy, spur-of-the-moment decision-making, Multiple, user-friendly listings: A to Z, starred and Bib Gourmand restaurants, type of cuisine, late-night, outdoor and business d...

Product Description Recognized the world over by frequent flyers and armchair travelers alike, Eyewitness Travel Guides are the most colorful and comprehensive guides on the market. With beautifully commissioned photographs and spectacular 3-D aerial views revealing the charm of each destination, these amazing travel guides show what others only tell. Includes beautiful new full-color photos, illustrations, and enhanced maps Extensive information on local customs, currency, medical services, and transportation New "Discovering" feature helps decide which regions are best suited to the trip. The Best Just Keeps Getting Better!

From Publishers Weekly Weaving a poignant personal love story within a larger cultural tapestry of Myanmar circa 1996, Canadian poet, memoirist, and novelist Connelly (The Lizard Cage) delivers a lyrical look at a country in the throes of a deeply pernicious military dictatorship. Although she is based in Greece, Connelly's various trips to Burma and Thailand are sponsored by PEN Canada in order to gather information on Burmese political prisoners such as short story author Ma Thida; consequently, Connelly, then in her late 20s, is easily accepted within Burmese artistic circles, gets caught up in violent street demonstrations, and even interviews the revered opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, now under strict house arrest. At a Christmas party, she meets and falls for Maung, a sexy Burmese revolutionary leader who shares his not uncommon story of becoming politicized after the unrest of 1988 and being forced underground. However, she comes to the wrenching realization that her l...

From Publishers Weekly Weaving a poignant personal love story within a larger cultural tapestry of Myanmar circa 1996, Canadian poet, memoirist, and novelist Connelly (The Lizard Cage) delivers a lyrical look at a country in the throes of a deeply pernicious military dictatorship. Although she is based in Greece, Connelly's various trips to Burma and Thailand are sponsored by PEN Canada in order to gather information on Burmese political prisoners such as short story author Ma Thida; consequently, Connelly, then in her late 20s, is easily accepted within Burmese artistic circles, gets caught up in violent street demonstrations, and even interviews the revered opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, now under strict house arrest. At a Christmas party, she meets and falls for Maung, a sexy Burmese revolutionary leader who shares his not uncommon story of becoming politicized after the unrest of 1988 and being forced underground. However, she comes to the wrenching realization that her l...

From Publishers Weekly Starred Review. Historian-travel writer Dalrymple (The Last Mughal) knows his Asian subcontinent, having moved to New Delhi in 1989. The engine of Indian economic development is bringing rapid change, and Dalrymple spotlights changes and constancies brought about in IndiaÖs dizzyingly diverse religious practices. The titular nine lives are those of a variety of religious adherents: a Jain nun, a sacred dancer, a Sufi mystic, a Tantric practitioner, among others. His subjects, for the most part, do their own show-and-tell in explaining their religious paths, which differ but share the passionate devotion (bhakti) that characterizes popular religion in India. Dalrymple has a good eye, a better ear, and the humility to get out of the way of his subjects. It helps to know a bit about the subject coming in, as it saves endless flipping to a very helpful appended glossary. The author also notes in his introduction he has made a special effort to avoid exoticizing £mys...

Amazon.com Review Amazon Best Books of the Month, June 2010: Set in impenetrable darkness, James M. Tabor's Blind Descent is as awe-inspiring as any adventure story above ground. Tabor's claustrophobic and pulse-pounding narrative follows two of the world's premier cavers--American Bill Stone and Ukrainian Alexander Klimchouk--as they race to explore Earth's deepest caves, swimming through steering wheel-sized tunnels and scaling rock walls slick with spring runoff. Caving is dirty and dangerous work, and Tabor pulls no punches in describing the many terrifying hazards that cavers face underground, including falling rocks, hypothermia, starvation, nitrogen narcosis, hallucinations, hypoxia, and deadly anxiety attacks. He captures the eerie mixture of excitement and horror that accompanies life in extreme environments, while shedding light on the ineffable and complex moral code that governs men and women in places where survival is hoped for, but never guaranteed. Blin...

Review No other guide whets your appetite quite like this one The Independent --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. Product Description An inspiring guide to the best of Norway: from the stunning fjords and solitary mountains, to wooden stave churches and small fishing villages. Contains features on Vikings, wildlife and Sami culture, as well as practical information on local transport, outdoor activities and entertainment. Recognized the world over by frequent flyers and armchair travelers alike, Eyewitness Travel Guides are the most colorful and comprehensive guides on the market. With beautifully commissioned photographs and spectacular 3-D aerial views revealing the charm of each destination, these amazing travel guides show what others only tell. Includes beautiful new full-color photos, illustrations, and enhanced maps Extensive information on local customs, currency, medical services, and transportation New "Discovering" fea...

Amazon.com Review Amazon Best Books of the Month, June 2010: Set in impenetrable darkness, James M. Tabor's Blind Descent is as awe-inspiring as any adventure story above ground. Tabor's claustrophobic and pulse-pounding narrative follows two of the world's premier cavers--American Bill Stone and Ukrainian Alexander Klimchouk--as they race to explore Earth's deepest caves, swimming through steering wheel-sized tunnels and scaling rock walls slick with spring runoff. Caving is dirty and dangerous work, and Tabor pulls no punches in describing the many terrifying hazards that cavers face underground, including falling rocks, hypothermia, starvation, nitrogen narcosis, hallucinations, hypoxia, and deadly anxiety attacks. He captures the eerie mixture of excitement and horror that accompanies life in extreme environments, while shedding light on the ineffable and complex moral code that governs men and women in places where survival is hoped for, but never guaranteed. Blin...

Product Description Immerse yourself in the French language and culture Read & Think French is your ticket to building key French language skills. This book features 100-plus engaging, easy-to-read articles written by native French-speakers. Each article features a bilingual glossary on the same page that allows you to learn without stopping to look up new or unfamiliar words in a dictionary. As the you move through the book, you will gain confidence with the French language and build a vocabulary of key French words and phrases. Each chapter features several written exercises that reinforce new vocabulary and comprehension. The 70-minute companion audio CD features several of the articles read aloud by native-French speakers from various backgrounds giving you valuable practice in French listening skills. Read & Think French brings the culture of French-speaking countries to life! You will enjoy a travel narrative from Provence and a documentary on West Indies folk musi...

Recrealle (Leisure  Centre) Alle-Sur Semois Tel:   +32 (0) 61 50 13 43 Email:   recrealle'recrealle.be Web:   www.recrealle.be

Dinant Citadel Place reine Astrid, 3 - 5 5500 Dinant Tel: +32 (0) 82 22 36 70 email:   info@citadellededinant.be Web:    www.citadellededinant.be

Office du Tourisme de  Beaumont Grand'Palace, 10 6500 Beaumont Tel:   +32(0) 71 58 81 91 email:   officetourismebeaumont@skynet.be web:    www.botteduhainaut.com

The church of St. Thomas Becket at Fairfield is one of thirteen centuries-old churches, landmarks of history and legend, which stand serenely among the water meadows. tel:   01303 258594       www.discoverfolkestone.co.uk

Mile-long stretch of cliff-top lawns; One of Europe's finest marine promenades.   Fanastic views over the Channel to France   Hotels, Restaurants, concert halls. art gallery, exhibition halls. The Leas, Folkestone Tel:   01303 258594       www.discoverfolkstone.co.uk

www.placeauxhuiles.com Olive oils - Mediterranean specialities - Scents of Provence - Soaps of Marseille - gifts, souvenirs....... 2, place daviel - 13002 Marseille - Tel:   04 91 90 05 55 59, rue d'italie - 13100 Aix-en-Provence - Tel:   04 42 38 71 77 14, rue Gaston de Saporta - 13100  Aix-en  Provence - Tel:   04 42 96 21 28 Open every day from June to September from 10am to 1.30pm and from 2.30pm to 7.pm From monday to Saturday till end of the year             -                                                           

Bouillabaisse - Poissons Frais -  Fruits De Mer 14, Quai Du Port 13002 Marseille Tel;   04 91 90 88 38

The convention and Visitors' Bureau organises diving baptisms and hikes in the calanques For information and booking www.resmarseille.com