Located on the Riviera in southern France, the city of Cannes is famous all over the world, not only for its film festival but also for the Cannes Lions Festival, which is regarded as the world’s most prestigious festival of advertising. This glitzy, upmarket city has a population of approximately of 70,000 people and its principal source of income is tourism.

It is over 500 miles away from Paris standing on the Mediterranean coast that provided the natural features which attracted tourists initially. The sand, sea and sun of resorts in the Cannes area are legendry.

The famous Boulevard de la Croisette, is lined on one side with luxurious hotels, restaurants, nightclubs and shops selling goods at prices to suit the purses of the celebrity promenaders it attracts. Opposite the fine sand beaches are usually populated by those who like to see and more importantly, be seen. People-watching is probably the main activity that brings most tourists to Cannes! Another of the attractions is lunching but you might need to watch your eating habits, because you can easily find yourself in the background of a TV commercial or music video.

If there is such a thing as a quiet period in Cannes, it is in the winter, but once May arrives any semblance of calm is totally broken by the arrival of the Film Festival. The city just erupts and becomes submerged with wave after wave of paparazzi, following posing starlets. The whole place gets covered with film billboards, whilst luxury cars fill the roads and private beach parties take over the sands. Then there are the famous balcony parties and private film viewing parties as well as the evening parties thrown by just about everyone striving for more recognition. The restaurants and bars are even more packed than usual and the movie fans join with the paparazzi in their insatiable quest to catch glimpses of their idols at every opportunity.

But Cannes wasn’t always like this and to get some idea of what it must have been like before the rich and famous invaded, you need to take a look at the “old town”. This is known as Le Suquet and it overlooks the west end of the port. It is an area of narrow streets climbing steeply up a hill crowned by an 11th century tower. The views from the top are breathtaking and you can see right across the city and port and out of the bay to the Cap de la Croisette. Looking west, the views stretch over the Gulf of La Napoule towards the Massif de l`Esterel. It is from this viewpoint alone that one can appreciate what must have attracted tourists to Cannes in the first place.

Arranging a vacation in Cannes is probably something best done as part of a wider tour of southern France. You can easily book cheap flights and reliable accommodation on line using the articles and information at holiday destination websites like Best-Travel-Tip.com

Europe has always been a dream destination for tourists. With high skyscrapers, worldâ??s most beautiful beaches and rich cultural legacy, there is nothing more to desire form a perfect getaway destination. Majority European countries have worldâ??s popular cities that individually are a star attraction as hottest tourism spots. Among the numerous cities located in different countries of Europe each one is a favorite tourist destination. But some of those that deserve special mention are inevitably Paris, London, Rome, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Florence, Dublin, Venice, Edinburg, Istanbul, Nice, Lisbon, Berlin and Madrid. All these are the top cities in Europe and are very beautiful, charming and inviting to its visitors.

Paris, being the capital of France has an exceptional atmosphere, a unique spectacular range of monuments and endless historical sights. All these are absolutely worth visiting. Paris is undoubtedly one city that will seduce you to fall in love on first sight. Another city adored by tourists in France is Nice. The city is situated near the Mediterranean Sea and provides great range of visitor attractions and activities. Numerous beautiful sights and the Mediterranean beaches make the city a charming place.

The city- Cannes famous for its Film Festival is located here in France. But there is more to it than the just the film attraction. Cannes has an excellent climate, that is typical of the French Riviera and many other phenomena to keep the visitors occupied.

One most favorite European country that simply cannot be characterized in few words is London. You ought to visit the city to experience its charisma and explore the outstanding monuments and cultural events. Its unique atmosphere only adds to the beauty of the place. Manchester- another city in Britain is world famous for its football club.

While planning travel in European countries finalizing your itinerary with due diligence is a must. Since there are so many not to be missed places that it is important for you to take advice of some experienced travel agent. When deciding the travel plan you can refer to guides for the required city, which is available at the tourism office. Organizing things would allow you cover a greater area without a lot of pressure on your pocket.

Since Europe has the cream of tourists from all over the world its hotels are built to match the taste of the high-end gentry. Hotels in Europe offer the best of Amemities that include: Meeting Facilities, babysitting, broadband access, restaurant in hotel, fire place, whirlpool bath, multi-lingual staff and every thing else you would ask for. The interiors in the hotels are no wonder a masterpiece. All European hotels are designed keeping in view the high taste of its possible inmates. There are also great discounts and offers available while booking rooms at these 5 star hotels. Checking through the latest proposals could save you huge riches. Among the popular hotels here is the Channings hotel, Hillside Beach Club, Lykia World, Marco Polo Presnja Hotel, Bahia Principe Costa Adeje, Kempinski Hotel Airport, Barut Hotel Hemera, Olympic Lagoon Resort and Westin Excelsior Florence.

New American Airlines TV Commercials Created by TM Advertising Capture ‘Smart Traveler’ Perspective
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I had spent a wonderfully rejuvenating night wrapped up in the soft high-thread-count sheets and comforters of my temporary home at the MacKinnon-Cann Inn in Yarmouth. After an exciting drive down the Evangeline Trail yesterday that included a very informative tour of the Bear River First Nation Heritage and Cultural Centre, followed up by an early-evening walking tour to admire Yarmouth’s Victorian heritage areas, I had definitely needed a good rest. But a new day had broken and I was ready for more adventures.

First on the plan was of course breakfast, so I got myself ready and walked downstairs into the tastefully decorated dining area of the MacKinnon-Cann Inn. Neil Hisgen, one of the co-owners, was working in the kitchen to prepare breakfast and occasionally dropped by to see how the guests were doing. I caught him for about ten minutes to find out more about this property and his own personal background.

Neil is originally from Racine, Wisconsin, and hails from a family with six children. He spent six years in the navy following which he briefly returned home, only to move to Fort Lauderdale in Florida where he started his hospitality career. He started working at the front desk at the Marriott Hotel and for the next 18 years worked in various hotels and restaurants, gaining experience at the front desk and in the kitchen. He capped his employed career after 15 years with a general manager’s position of a major hotel.

Neil met his business and life partner Michael Tavares at the end of 1997. Neil had made a good return on the sale of his first house and decided to invest it in a bed and breakfast. At the time Michael owned a 200-acre property on a peninsula near Yarmouth which they used as a vacation home. Michael had invited him to spend about a month at his farm near Yarmouth and Neil loved it. Being from the mid-west, he had always enjoyed the change of the seasons.

Neil and Michael were thinking about what they wanted to do and decided they were ready for a change, so they went ahead and opened a bed and breakfast in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia where there was a beautiful Victorian residential district waiting for them with many restoration opportunities. At this point Neil unfortunately had to go back in the kitchen to continue working, but Michael, his co-owner, joined me at my table to give me a more in-depth overview of their projects and his own life story.

Michael is originally from Boston and grew up in the southern part of the city. During college he majored in education, but after school he went into real estate and started his own brokerage firm. He was always fascinated by old buildings and illustrates this with a story from his childhood: at 12 or 13 years of age there was an old farm house nearby, and Michael always wondered who had owned it and lived there. So he talked to his mother about it and she took him to the land registry office to do a title search, obtaining a record of all previous owners of the property.

With these documents in hand he approached the current owners and gave them the historic ownership records of the property. They absolutely loved it, and from that point forward Michael was hooked on the mystique of historic properties. In his words, he loves to “peel back the layers of time” and started to buy and restore his own historic buildings. Over several years he completed eight restoration projects in the south end of Boston.

After Boston he moved to Key West and became a tropical landscape architect. He spent five or six years living and working in Key West, completing many garden design projects for the local gay community. In the 1980s he finally bought a 200 acre farm as a vacation property in Nova Scotia together with several friends. This was when his love affair with Yarmouth began. Michael moved his permanent residence from Key West to Fort Lauderdale where he met Neil in 1997 at a fundraising event. They lived together for a year and Neil helped Michael in his landscaping business. In the summer of 1998 Michael invited Neil to his property in Nova Scotia because he wanted Neil to share this part of his life. So for the last eight years Neil and Michael have been residing in Nova Scotia. Their first Yarmouth property was a run-down Victorian brick mansion which they lovingly restored in 1999 and turned into the present Charles C. Richards House, a historic bed and breakfast with three guest bedrooms decorated in the 1930′s Art Deco Period. Each room at the Charles C. Richards House features a private bath, cable TV with DVD players and period furnishings.

The MacKinnon-Cann Inn where I was staying was built in 1887 and is an example of the Italianate Victorian style. The house was built as a duplex for two female cousins, and to this day the inn features two staircases side by side. Michael and Neil rescued the property in 2000 and took it from a condemned state to the stunning mansion that it is today. All seven guest rooms are uniquely decorated in a style reflecting a different 20th century decade, from the 1900s to the 1960s. The main floor features five lavish parlours and Michael pointed out the beautiful patterned wood floor that was installed at great expense throughout the dining area. Neil is a talented glass artist, and many stained glass windows throughout the MacKinnon-Cann Inn and the Charles C. Richards House feature Neil’s artwork.

Michael explained that he is very active in Nova Scotia’s heritage community and mentioned that he is a member of two historic organizations: he serves on the Board of Directors of the Heritage Trust of Nova Scotia whose mission it is to preserve and protect the heritage properties in the province. Both the MacKinnon-Cann Inn and the Charles C. Richards House are provincially registered heritage properties. Michael is also a member of the Provincial Heritage Owners Association of Nova Scotia which encompasses 265 provincial heritage properties. Both inns have won several awards, including the 2005 Restoration Award from the Yarmouth County Historical Society and the L.B. Jenson Award as a contribution to the development and economic health of the Yarmouth Heritage Community.

In addition to the two inns, Michael is also currently renovating the property right next door to the MacKinnon-Cann Inn, another Victorian heritage property which he is thinking of turning into a restaurant that will serve the tourists and local community of Yarmouth. The fourth recently renovated property owned by Michael and Neil is a blue-coloured Victorian heritage property located right between the MacKinnon-Cann Inn and the Charles C. Richards House. In essence, Michael and Neil have single-handedly transformed an entire street block, rescued four historic properties and turned them into stunning examples of architectural revival.

As an astute tourism marketer, Michael Tavares is also the President of the Nova Scotia Association of Unique Country Inns, a collective marketing and branding group that promotes upscale heritage tourism in unique historic properties. Michael is generally responsible for the inn’s marketing while Neil’s responsibilities focus more on hospitality and innkeeping.

Michael’s restoration mindset is based on a commitment to the preservation of buildings and a respect for the historical integrity of the property. He approaches his projects with a certain humility which he says many renovators today are missing since they are only looking for the highest return on investment. He is a strong believer that the cultural renaissance and economic revival of a town begins with heritage restoration and then trickles down to Main Street.

At the same time he also recognizes the need for protecting his investments, and as a member of the local Yarmouth Town Planning Council he has a chance to participate in shaping the future of this town. Michael and Neil have invested hundreds of thousands of dollars and countless thousands of hours in their heritage properties and business ventures. Their efforts make a significant contribution to the economic well-being of the town.

The beginning was not easy since Michael was an outsider with new ideas in a town with long-standing traditions and established power structures. He was the new kid on the block. In addition, it took some time to gain acceptance, particularly as a gay couple in a rather conservative community. Conflict arose originally since Michael was also very outspoken and questioned the old ways of doing things.

However, his commitment to the community became evident in his renovation projects. Michael would call together all the contractors for each project, such as electricians, plumbers, carpet layers, etc. and told them that he would deal exclusively with them as local merchants instead of choosing a big box home renovation store as his main supplier. This commitment to local merchants has earned him a lot of respect and goodwill in the surrounding community, and today many people call him for his opinion before a debate of important issues that will affect the town.

After I completed my delicious fruit salad and omelet breakfast, Michael took me on a tour of all four properties. We started off with the smaller Victorian house currently under renovation where the entire first floor has currently been stripped down to the bare walls. As with his other projects, Michael is going to do the vast majority of the project himself and will call in specialized contractors only where needed. He is one of those people who have that special gift of spotting a diamond in the rough and taking it from a derelict hovel in danger of collapsing to a stunningly updated and stylish historic jewel with all modern conveniences.

We then went over to the recently restored blue Victorian mansion that was renovated by the previous owners according to Michael’s recommendations since Michael and Neil were going to purchase the property. We capped the visit off with the Charles C. Richards House, a stunning Victorian brick mansion with gorgeous architectural details, built for a wealthy local businessman. It was started in 1893 and took two years to finish and was the first brick house of this class to be built in Yarmouth. Most of the special building materials, i.e. the brownstone, granite and brick, were imported from the United States and make this house unique. Michael told me that it took him a whole season to strip the many layers of paint on the ornately carved porch and 32 weeks to repaint it, using eleven different colours.

I admired the wonderful details and stylish décor of the various rooms, including the flower-filled conservatory. Michael and Neil posed for me in front of the intricately carved wooden staircase that leads to the upstairs bedroom and this was the fitting ending for my introduction to architectural preservation and heritage tourism in Yarmouth. I thanked them both for their welcoming hospitality and got ready for my next item on the itinerary: an exploration of Yarmouth history at the Yarmouth County Historical Museum, located right across the street from the Charles C. Richards House.

For the entire article including photos please visit
http://www.travelandtransitions.com/stories_photos/mackinnon_cann_inn.htm

Another long and exciting day was coming to an end: from my early morning interview with Patrick Redgrave, the owner of the Garrison House B&B in Annapolis Royal to my learning experiences at the Bear River First National Cultural and Heritage Center to my drive along the Evangeline Trail with a quick stopover in Digby, a drive through the Acadian communities in Clare County and a quick peak at the unusual Yarmouth Lighthouse, I had finally made it to my destination for the evening: Yarmouth, a town of about 8,000 souls on the southwestern tip of Nova Scotia.

The weather had taken a turn for the worse, fog had rolled in off the Atlantic Coast and rain was surely going to fall tonight. From the Yarmouth Lighthouse I drove along coastal roads and causeways into town and was able to locate the tourist information office on Main Street. Although it was closed the map on the outside gave me an opportunity to locate my abode for the night: the MacKinnon-Cann Inn, a historic bed and breakfast.

I located Willow Street and parked my vehicle in the gravel-covered courtyard behind the large mansion where I was going to stay tonight. Two friendly gentlemen welcomed me right away and helped me carry my luggage inside:Neil Hisgen and Michael Tavares, both co-owners of the MacKinnon-Cann Inn.

Neil graciously helped me carry my suitcase upstairs to my room. All seven guestrooms at the McKinnon-Cann Inn are named after a 20th century decade and decorated accordingly: there is the 1900s Room, the 1910s Room, the 1920s Room, and the decades of the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s and 1960s are represented as well. I parked my luggage in a superbly appointed and beautifully decorated guestroom and headed downstairs to chat a bit more with the owners.

Michael, wearing simple jeans, a sweatshirt and a backward-facing baseball cap, looked like he had just finished painting something as evidenced by the paint splatters all over his clothing. He was just taking a break from working on a renovation project next door: a Victorian house he had just recently bought which he was in the process of restoring. I found out that both Michael and Neil are originally from the United States, and they also own another large Victorian brick mansion, the Charles C. Richards House literally up the street. Michael and Neil just purchased another recently restored blue-coloured Victorian mansion that is still empty and will be turned into a private home in the near future.

Now, not only am I a travel writer, but I also have a strong interest in real estate, heritage buildings and architectural preservation. I was excited when Michael told me he would have some time tomorrow to sit down with me to tell me more about the four properties that he and Neil had purchased and restored right here in Yarmouth. He went on to say that he does most of the work himself and loves getting right in there and getting his hands dirty.

I wanted to get a lay of the land of the Town of Yarmouth and Michael was so kind to draw me a map for a wonderful local walking tour which would allow me to capture some of the beautiful well-preserved and recently restored Victorian architecture of Yarmouth. So off I went with my hand-drawn map and indeed the Collins Heritage District features an extensive concentration of beautifully restored Victorian properties.

Along streets with names such as Collins, Clements, Park, Forest, Willow and William Streets I was admiring beautiful properties featuring unique Victorian architecture. Some of the distinguishing elements include widow’s walks: lookout rooms at the highest point of the house which would allow wives of sailors to look out for the husbands’ ships in the age of sail. Ornately carved and painted verandas are another typical decorating feature of the late 19th century. Windows with intricate wood work and ornamentation are also a characteristic feature of this era.

After my brief architectural tour I walked down on Main Street which features many business offices, retail stores and a few dining establishments. Most of the restaurants and bars are located along Water Street. Yarmouth was a major ship building centre in the past during the Golden Age of Sail. Today it is still a local hub of the fishing industry, but tourism is playing an increasingly important role.

Yarmouth serves a community of about 70,000 people located in the three counties of Yarmouth, Digby and Shelburne. One of Yarmouth’s major attractions is the ferry service to Bar Harbor and Portland, Maine. “The Cat” is North America’s largest catamaran and a high speed connection between Yarmouth and Bar Harbor, Maine – a three hour journey, while the route between Yarmouth and Portland, Maine, takes six hours.

Outdoor adventurers will also find lots to do in the Yarmouth area: from hiking to fishing to various seafaring adventures there are abundant recreational activities in the area. Culture lovers will find a variety of music, theatre and crafts events, interspersed with a few museums including the Yarmouth County Historical Museum and the Yarmouth Firefighters Museum, enhanced by a smattering of galleries and historic architecture.

After a long, exciting and action-packed day I was rather exhausted and just picked up a little snack before I headed back to my welcoming home at the MacKinnon-Cann Inn for the night where I relaxed in my beautifully appointed guestroom, watched some TV and took advantage of the in-room high-speed Internet connection. I would need a good rest for tomorrow for the biggest day of five-day Nova Scotia whirlwind tour: a trip along the Lighthouse Trail to the historic town and UNESO World Heritage Site of Lunenburg.

For the entire article including photos please visit
http://www.travelandtransitions.com/stories_photos/yarmouth.htm

Situated at the Eastern end of the French Riviera, Nice acts as a travel hub for many locations and attractions along the Cote d’Azur and also for some across the nearby border with Italy. Nice airport has long been a major arrival point for visitors to this part of France and provides a stopping point for many low coast airlines that bring passengers to the area.

Nice airport is quite large by any standards and has a wealth of facilities to satisfy the large tourist volumes that pass through. Check-in and baggage processes are very efficient and there are plenty of car-hire options to choose from. Nice airport is linked directly to a modern road network which provides fast motorways both westward towards Cannes and eastward towards Italy.

Drive along the A8 motorway to the east and you will quickly come across signs to the principality of Monaco, home to the famous Grand Prix and also to many wealthy individuals attracted to the country because of its advantageous taxation rules and glamorous image. Monaco can claim many records, including being the most densely populated sovereign country and the second smallest country in the world. The principality claims tourism as its main economy and strangely, although the casinos in Monaco are famous, citizens of the country are forbidden from using them. Although Monaco is not part of the European Union it does use the Euro as its currency.

If you pass Monaco and continue eastwards from Nice you will approach the Italian border within 30 kilometres. Just across the border are two locations worthy of a visit. Despite is vast history and wonderful architecture, the town of Ventimiglia has become famous for its Friday street market which causes the place to become gridlocked with visitors, including many who travel across from France for the day. The market has gained a reputation of being one of the biggest black markets in Europe and many of the products there are fake replicas of designer goods. Sunglasses, watches and clothing of all the top brands can be found, but there are also more traditional market goods such as food and flowers. It’s certainly a fun place to visit on market day.

Further east into Italy and the start of the Italian Riviera is marked by San Remo, a beautiful tourist destination which its own abundance of history. Local shops and markets, as well as two marinas and many hotels and restaurants make the pace an interesting one to stay in and of course the weather in this part of the world is usually warm and sunny.

A journey to the west of Nice along the coast road takes you first to the old town of Antibes. The walled town of Antibes has a long history dating back to 43BC when the town fell under Roman control for the next 500 years. Now Antibes is a town attracting a young population but also a nautical one. The marina at Port Vauban is the largest single yacht harbour in Europe with space for over 2000 yachts. Many of the yachts that are too large for the other marinas along the coast seek moorings here.

Cannes is an attractive coastal resort only 15 miles West from Nice that also benefits from an upmarket image. There is plenty to see and do here but for many a stroll along the famous Boulevard de la Croisette, which is flanked at both ends by impressive marinas, is enough to pass the time. The international film festival that takes place in Cannes every May sees the place transformed, as celebrities and film professionals take over the town. Almost 25,000 film industry and press are attracted to the festival and for anyone not associated with the event it is probably wise to avoid seeking accommodation in the town unless you are prepared for the high prices that come into play during the period.

If Nice and Cannes are a little too busy for you, then a trip further west along the Cote d’Azur will take you along a spectacular coast road to many quieter places. Frejus is an example of many of the small towns along the coast here. Typically a marina provides the focal point here, playing host to yachts owned by the rich and famous who have chosen to own one of the many luxury villas in the hills around the town. As well as the coast, the hills and mountains to the rear of the town are also part of the attraction. There are many wonderful walks to be made here and there is also a famous Mountain Bike event, the “Roc Azur” which takes place in October every year.

Fuoritinerario – Discover Your Italy is a professional Tour Operator specialized in offering original and innovative travel packages to Italy. Its mission is to offer luxury tours to Italy that are anything but ordinary by showing to travellers the real Italy not only through the sites, art and history but more importantly through the people and their traditions: the Italy of the Italian people. Consistently with its mission, Fuoritinerario – Discover Your Italy has decided to take part The International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM) 2009 (www.iltm.net), the leading annual business to business event for the global luxury travel community. Discover Your Italy will be exhibiting in partnership with the Italian State Tourist Board – ENIT. The trade show will be the opportunity for presenting the unique luxury Italy Tours: Cultural small groups tours to Italy, Italy Wine and Food Tours, Luxury Italy Honeymoons. Daniela Mencarelli, co-founder of Fuoritinerario – Discover Your Italy (www.discoveryouritaly.com), will also make a press conference at ILTM together with Kevin Fox, President of Re:Source Media (www.resourcemedia.com) and founder of East Tours (www.east-tours.com) on the topic: “A PERFECT MARRIAGE FOR MEDIA & TRAVEL Effective Travel Marketing & Branding via Television & Web”. During the press conference Mencarelli and Fox will outline the case study of the international cooperation between Fuoritinerario – Discover Your Italy and EAST Tours which has brought to the production of amazing TV shows “Wine Portfolio, Veneto Episode- Discover Your Italy & more”, (recently aired on CNBC World) and outstanding luxury Italy wine tours. Wine Portfolio is a television series at CNBC World that integrates food, wine and tourism. The show’s slogan is Eat, Drink, Travel. www.wineportfolio.com The Press Conference will be held at 3pm on December 8th at the Media Center inside the Palace of Festivals and Congress in Cannes, France.

Fuoritinerario – Discover Your Italy is a professional Tour Operator specialized in offering original and innovative travel packages to Italy. Its mission is to offer luxury tours to Italy that are anything but ordinary by showing to travellers the real Italy not only through the sites, art and history but more importantly through the people and their traditions: the Italy of the Italian people.

Consistently with its mission, Fuoritinerario – Discover Your Italy has decided to take part The International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM) 2009 (www.iltm.net), the leading annual business to business event for the global luxury travel community. Discover Your Italy will be exhibiting in partnership with the Italian State Tourist Board – ENIT.

The trade show will be the opportunity for presenting the unique luxury Italy Tours: Cultural small groups tours to Italy, Italy Wine and Food Tours, Luxury Italy Honeymoons.

Daniela Mencarelli, co-founder of Fuoritinerario – Discover Your Italy (www.discoveryouritaly.com), will also make a press conference at ILTM together with Kevin Fox, President of Re:Source Media (www.resourcemedia.com) and founder of East Tours (www.east-tours.com) on the topic:

“A PERFECT MARRIAGE FOR MEDIA & TRAVEL Effective Travel Marketing & Branding via Television & Web”.

During the press conference Mencarelli and Fox will outline the case study of the international cooperation between Fuoritinerario – Discover Your Italy and EAST Tours which has brought to the production of amazing TV shows “Wine Portfolio, Veneto Episode- Discover Your Italy & more”, (recently aired on CNBC World) and outstanding luxury Italy wine tours. Wine Portfolio is a television series at CNBC World that integrates food, wine and tourism. The show’s slogan is Eat, Drink, Travel. www.wineportfolio.com

The Press Conference will be held at 3pm on December 8th at the Media Center inside the Palace of Festivals and Congress in Cannes, France.