Anyone know what would be the fastest mode of transport? We fly into Nice airport and are visiting on a Saturday(am) & Sunday(pm) in a few weeks. Is there a travelcard I can get for 48 hours? I’ve looked at travelsites, but as I don’t speak french, I have difficulty understanding them. Any help would be appreciated. Do you have any recommendations to have Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner in either of the above places, that has great views and not too expensive? What is the weather likely to be like? Thanks for your suggestions.

Can anyone tell me how the weather is in this area during mid-October?

You rarely read or hear about Canada in cricketing circles yet it has a popular cricket tradition which is growing all the time. Canada claims to have started playing cricket as far back as 1785 and recorded its first international cricketing event in 1844 when it played the USA in New York. It is now working hard to establish itself in international circles so that some of its 12,000 players can start competing with the bigger cricketing nations. Canada has almost 300 cricket clubs and includes a Ladies cricket association which started in 1994.

In the centre of Singapore you may be surprised to come across a very prominent cricket ground. In fact the famous cricket ground here sits in a very central place, nestled in amongst some extremely high skyscrapers. It has been able to retain that location due the cricket pitch now being a prominent part of the city’s identity.

Towering 280 metres over the cricket ground is the UOB Plaza Tower, which was once the tallest skyscraper in the world outside North America when it was built in 1986. Interestingly it shares the title of the highest building in Singapore with other buildings of the same height as that is the limit allowed by the airport authorities there.

France is another country where you might not expect to find cricketing traditions but you would be mistaken. A cricket club was set up in Cannes in 1887 but struggled to survive, primarily due to the outbreak of war in 1914. A further seventy years past by before the Monet Carlo Cricket Club started in 1989 and year later the Cabris cricket club formed. One of the youngest cricket clubs in France also has an amazing ground. The pitch of the Entrecasteaux Cricket Club in Provence sits in a green valley overlooked by the woods opposite and the 16th Century buildings of the ancient town. The club provided a training location for a French national junior team prior to European competitions in 2009.

The British armed forces are primarily responsible for bringing cricket to the Greek island of Corfu in the early nineteenth century

The British left the island in 1864 yet the seed of cricket had already started germinating and two cricket clubs remained with local players. In the early 1900′s cricket boomed on the island with an annual cricket festival attracting many visiting teams, particularly from naval ships in the British Fleet. After the Second World War Corfu’s reputation as a holiday island grew and many British teams included the island on their foreign tours, which took them to the island to enjoy its milder off-season weather. In return the local teams on Corfu also repaid visits by coming to England to play. Cricket is still very popular on Corfu with several teams contesting over 100 games every year. The original cricket ground in Corfu Town, which stills exists on the Esplanade opposite the Liston building, is rather small in size now due to new car parking requirements for the town. To make up for that a new, larger, ground has recently been opened at the Kontokali Marina further north along the coast. There are many foreigners who decided to settle on Corfu, but the cricket association will only allow non-nationals to play in its team once they have been resident on the island for more than four years.

Of all of these cricketing locations, the pitches on Corfu could come as an interesting discovery to many cricket-loving UK tourists who could even include an afternoon watching their favourite game during their next break in Corfu

The following is an exclusive interview with Michael Costache a Jet Set concierge living and working in Monaco.

1. Where did you grow up and who influenced you most in your formative years ?

I grew up in a lot of cities around Europe because of my father’s job. My father had a really big influence on me. He taught me how international business has to be managed and all the difficulties that comes with globalization and all the benefits that you can take from it. He also taught me that business is seen and developed differently considering where you live. I learned how important it is to keep that in mind when dealing with world wide clients because the trends that inspire them, their needs and their expectations radically differ from place to place.

2. When Americans think of Monaco we see a fairy tale land of royal families, castles, Grace Kelly and James Bond, how does our view differ from a locals’ perspective of Monaco?

Monaco is a magical world for a lot of people around the globe. It symbolizes a luxurious lifestyle, the jet set, the royal family, the Formula One Grand Prix and of course a great history with Grace Kelly and Prince Albert. The principality attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists throughout the year. Actually, living here all year long these elements become quite normal and just a part of everyday life. The Monegasque experience is totally different if you are a tourist or a local. People living in Monaco have their favorite spots when dining or chilling time comes. We all know each other and visit each other without even paying attention to the glamorous environment that the tourist or foreigners see on TV. As I said, it is totally normal to see a Ferrari or a Bentley at every street corner, meeting Lewis Hamilton or Michael Schumacher or even contemplating the most sumptuous yachts on the port all year long.

[Note from Rob: Monegasque is a romance language and a dialect of the modern Ligurian language, which is spoken in Monaco.]

3. How is living in Monaco different from living elsewhere?

Well, Monaco is located on the edge of Europe and across the Mediterranean and is synonymous with luxury, perfect weather and a certain lifestyle that you couldn’t find anywhere else. It’s just a very special place that attracts a lot of new potential citizens every year, because unlike other tax havens Monaco is associated with a very specific image. Once you’ve lived in Monaco it will never be the same as living in Switzerland or Andorra for example.

[Note from Rob: Monaco attracts high net income people such as movie stars, athletes etc. to become residents of the Principality in order to benefit from personal income tax exemption. Also, you may never have heard of Andorra but it should be on your list of countries to visit. It's located in the North East portion of the Pyrenean mountain range which separates France and Spain. The key attraction is it's tax haven status.]

4. I understand that there are a lot of economic advantages (you mentioned a tax haven) to being a citizen in Monaco, could you explain further?

Sure, Monaco is famous around the world for its image of a tax haven. In effect, the residents of the principality can enjoy no income tax, no tax on large fortunes, no local tax, no housing tax and no tax on property gains.

Moreover, in addition to the strong fiscal advantages, Monaco offers an exceptional living environment thanks to its security (1 policeman for every 100 citizens- the highest rate worldwide) and personal safety features combined with a very well-managed health and educational systems, an outstanding infrastructure for travel and transport and many cultural and sporting events such as the Formula One Grand Prix, the Tennis Master Series and the World Music Awards.

5. How would you describe the Jet Set side of Monaco?

From the beginning, Monaco has known how to mix all the ingredients for an exceptional Jet Set lifestyle; perfect year round weather, safety, famous casinos, 5 stars palaces, world-known nightclubs and last but not least the name Monaco has become a brand in it self that exemplifies Jet Set.

Unlike other well known Jet Set places like Saint Tropez or Sardinia, celebrities can be seen all year long in the principality and that is due once again to the fiscal policy present here. Very wealthy people obviously prefer to live and save their money in a no tax country so it is very common to see the top celebrities and the millionaires from all around the world in the same shopping mall or at the supermarket as you. It is just part of everyday life.

6. Would you describe some Jet Set parties and events you have attended in Monaco?

Monaco [as well as the French Riviera] are hosts to numerous jet set parties and events year round. For example, I was invited to the 50 cent pre-party prior to the World Music Awards at Zebra Square (which is a very famous and prestigious lounge bar in Mon

7. Would you describe some Jet Set parties and events you have attended in Monaco?

Monaco [as well as the French Riviera] are hosts to numerous jet set parties and events year round. For example, I was invited to the 50 cent pre-party prior to the World Music Awards at Zebra Square (which is a very famous and prestigious lounge bar in Monaco). There were lots of other celebrities in attendance (like Akon and Ciara ) which really made that night very, very special. The after party was fantastic too because most of the performers from the show were invited to “Jimmy’s” (one of the most famous nightclubs in the principality) and I got an opportunity to party with G-Unit, Mika, David Guetta and Avril Lavigne.

I was also invited last summer to the Armand De Brignac Jay-Z official party organized by the famous Champagne brand and to the P. Diddy party in Cannes at VIP ROOM during the film festival. I can assure you that these parties are like nothing you’ve ever seen before. The atmosphere, the organization and the people present make them truly unique.

[Rob: Armand de Brignac is the name of an ultra luxury high end Champagne brand that's sold in opaque metallic bottles and is identifiable by a distinctive gold bottle with a pewter Ace of Spades label. You can see it in the climactic scene of Jay Z's video for "Show Me What You Got".]

8. There seems to be a certain circle of hot spots that Jet Setters are traveling to around the world- what do you consider to be the 5 hottest destinations now and why?

In my opinion, a hot spot for jet setters has to combine awesome parties where you can see and be seen, a big number of celebrities present, but also a bit of privacy, along with a luxurious environment and outstanding service.

So this would be my ranking :

1) Saint-Tropez (the choice was very difficult but Saint-Tropez is definitely still number 1: no summer without hearing about Diddy’s or Jay-Z’s famous parties)

2) Barbados

3) Santorini

4) Dubai

5) Marbella

9. What would you consider to be the next most up and coming jet set destinations that’s all the buzz in your world?

From having heard a lot about it in the past year and having received very positive feedback from my friends who already went there, I would say that Hvar in Croatia is definitely becoming the New Saint Tropez. Celebrities really like this island because it actually manages to keep an authentic landscape with well managed infrastructure and building construction that preserves the fabulous nature present there. In addition, Hvar allows the Jet setter to organize really big and awesome parties in a very private way (in contrast to the French Riveria as an example). My feeling is that celebrities just feel much better in Croatia because of the high privacy the island can procure for them.

10. What is your company Quintessentialife?

Quintessentialife is an ultimate luxury goods finder. We are here to save your precious time by fulfilling your most extravagant luxury goods needs. We know that you are busy men and women, so why not let us take charge of your luxurious lifestyle wishes? The company has built a large web of partners and suppliers all over the world in order to assure that you are receiving your dream goods in the shortest of time possible. We believe you deserve uniqueness, so if your wish is a unique mobile phone, a diamond encrusted car, an exclusive platinum watch or whatever other uncommon luxury good, send us an inquiry on http://www.quintessentialife.com and we’ll find the one unique piece that best corresponds to you because for us, real luxury is exclusivity.

11. How did you get started as a Jet Set Concierge?

I would call myself more of a luxury goods finder. Being in Monaco and traveling around the world in hot spots like Dubai, meeting wealthy people, talking with them about their needs and wishes and analyzing the worldwide trend showing that the number of millionaires and billionaires keeps increasing year after year. I’ve decided to launch this company because I really saw a market for the services provided. Moreover, in analyzing the competitors already on the market I figured out that most of them were basic concierge services. Quintessentialife is more than that. We are specialized in finding uniqueness, exclusivity, because you surely don’t want to see your neighbor having the same watch or car you just bought for hundreds of thousands dollars.

12. Would you describe how a transaction works with your company?

People who are interested in having unique and exclusive luxury goods send me their inquiries through our website. As an example, they may want a watch encrusted with a special sort of diamond or maybe luxurious designer furniture for their villa or something along those lines. I then consult with my contacts around the world and begin searching for the items that best correspond to my clients needs. The next step is for me to send my propositions to the client (after fully analyzing them) and he just has to tell me if one corresponds to his needs to conclude the deal.

13. Describe your ideal client?

The most important thing for me is to find the goods that will make my client completely happy and satisfied. So, my “ideal client” would be someone who has a clear idea of what he wants. Of course, we can advise him on the current luxury trends around the world but in my experience to have a fully satisfied client you must have a precise and clear inquiry.

14. What is the most difficult request you’ve had from a client (and were you able to fulfill it)?

The most difficult request was definitely a Bentley Continental GTS with a gold roof. The technology was just launched and the suppliers were very difficult to find. Today, in the streets of Moscow or Dubai, you can see a few cars with gold roofs or doors but a couple of months ago these cars were non-existent. We did succeed in finding a supplier in Germany who made it for us and the client was really happy because he was one of the 3 people worldwide to possess this kind of good.

15. Do you have clients worldwide (or just in Monaco)?

Most of my clients are from the BRIC group of emergent countries: Brazil, Russia, India and China and also from the Middle East and Dubai. These countries are the ones that have shown the biggest increase in their number of millionaires in the last decade.

16. What aspects of your business are outsourced and which parts do you handle personally?

Of course, as you understood, since I cannot be in America, Asia, Middle East and Europe at the same time to search by myself- most of the research is handled by my partners all over the world in order to find the piece that best corresponds to the client’s needs. Also,The IT portion of my business will be very soon outsourced to India.”

Can anyone help me please? I am kinda desperate.

Me and my hubby and 13 y.o. daughter want to go to Diano Marina, near Genova, Italy (near to the South of France/Monaco/Cannes etc,) from 30th August to 8th September.

It’s a good package with a popular Midlands Coach company, and it stops overnight in Dijon, which is fab coz it means no overnight coach travel – (been there done that yuk.)

But this is the only date left with them though that isn’t in mid summer. They have limited trips during the year (only about twelve…) And the two September ones (20th and 27th) are gone, as have the May and June ones… So we are left with the July and August ones only. I don’t want it to be TOO hot. Would anyone have any clues as to what temperature we can/should expect around that date??? What would the weather at the *end* of August, when this date is, be like?

Here’s where it is. Hope this works…

Going to Cannes in a week. Hoping its really warm?

Cannes is well known for its International Cannes Film Festival, gorgeous beaches, splendid weather as well as ritzy hotels and resorts.  The city is accredited with all the hilarity and amusement that attracts millions of visitors across the globe every season.
Besides this, another reason for its popularity as a hot tourist destination, are its various <a rel=”nofollow” onclick=”javascript:pageTracker._trackPageview(‘/outgoing/article_exit_link’);” href=”http://www.cannes-properties-rentals.com/”>Cannes apartments</a> villas, condos and other accommodation, which facilitates visitors seeking an apt place to accommodate.

Accommodation in Cannes
The cannes-properties-rentals.com offers a variety of rental accommodation for the visitors in the form of rental apartments, rentals studio, rental villas and other luxury accommodations.

The city is well known for offering rental accommodation to people from all walks of life, as per their financial viability. Whether you are a celebrity, seeking a luxury accommodation or you are a common man looking for an affordable option, there is one for all.
You can avail all the basic services along with vital cost saving opportunity here. In short, you can feel the extravaganza of all the basic facilities along with the finest comfort zone ever imagined.

Every tourist spot and convenience spots are at walk able distance from these Apartment Cannes, be it the gorgeous beaches, shopping malls or the market places. This not only ensures comfort, but also saves your transport expenses! What else can one ask for on a vacation?

Most of these rental places specialize in offering furnished rooms, which makes these places ideal for both corporate events as well as for holiday makers. You can also avail amenities like SKY T.V, Wi-Fi Internet access etc.

Having a sleeping capacity of 2 to 16 guests, these places are suitable for large groups of friends or families too. It helps in saving hotel budget and one can accommodate without any restrictions.

Availing additional services
Just in case, you want to hire other service assistance like driven cars, Maid services or others, you can always ask for it. Most apartment owners can provide you with all the additional facilities you look to avail at the best possible prices.

You do not have to hire and drive a car, as the apartment owners can organize a chauffeur driven vehicle for you. Besides this, you can also avail the services of a maid who can assist you in cleaning your place or preparing food for you, so that you can relax and enjoy your time.

Pleasant weather condition makes the city more impressive

As far as the climate of the city is concerned, it is moderate in all the seasons. For instance- The city enjoys good 12 hours of sunshine everyday during the summer season (i.e. from May to September), whereas the weather is mild during winters (i.e. from December to February).
Both the season witnesses a relatively slow rainfall, most of it during the months of October and November.