10 Good Reasons for a Holiday to France

France is a country of warm, friendly and welcoming people where village life goes on much as it has done for decades. The pace of its cities may be frenetic, but life is maintained with a certain style. France is also a landscape of beauty and contrasts, punctuated with chateaux, vineyards and all the other aspects which identify it as a truly unique holiday destination.

Here are 10 good reasons to visit the country, to help you with your plans for a great French holiday experience.

Cities: Paris epitomises France. It oozes Gallic spirit and charm from its iconic attractions such as the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe and Notre Dame to the street artists of Monmartre and the cafes and bars of Monparnasse. Also check out monument-filled Lyons, France's largest seaport, Marseilles, and Nice - grande dame of the Cote d'Azur.

Nightlife: The French are night owls. They eat late and the night life often doesn't get going until many other nations would be putting up the shutters. Even shopping malls stay open until well into the night, and there are many night markets.

Food: France's gastronomy is a national treasure. It is the standard by which all other country's cuisines are judged, culminating in the much-coveted Michelin stars for those who attain the highest levels. Even we Brits no longer joke about frog's legs as we try to beef up our own cooking. Try searching out local food markets, wherever you are.

Wine: What better to wash down the best dishes with some of the world's best wines? Its Champagne, Burgundy and Bordeaux wines are peerless, as are the products of many other wine regions - despite growing global competition. Take a leisurely tour of a vineyard, and savour the nectar.

Art: With the Louvre France's biggest cultural attraction, it is no surprise that the French take art to their hearts. After all, cave paintings date back to Palaeolithic times, while the Impressionism movement was initiated in France after Monet painted Le Havre in the mist.

Nature: France has the most diverse natural environment of any country in Europe. It has six national parks, four of which are in Provence plus the Pyrenees and one in Languedoc, and 43 regional parks including the Auvergne volcanoes.

Beaches: A coastline of 2,000 miles bordering the English Channel, Atlantic and Mediterranean means that France has beaches on three sides. While many of its most famous ones along the Cote d'Azur are actually more shingle than sand, there are long stretches of glorious, sandy beaches in Normandy and Brittany, in the Vendee, along the Aquitaine coast and in Languedoc.

History: France's chequered history has left it positively littered with vestiges of the past, going back to Roman times. The 30-plus UNESCO-listed world heritage sites include the historic centre of Avignon with the Palace of the Popes and the bridge from the song, with other treasures including Gothic cathedrals in the north and ornate chateaux the Loire and beyond.

Shopping: As the capital of haute couture, it goes without saying that Paris is also a shopper's heaven. Its most well-known department store is Galaries Lafayette. Head to Lille's Christmas market by Eurostar for some pre-Christmas gifts and local produce.

Touring: France is close enough to the UK to take your own car over by ferry or the Channel Tunnel and hit the roads. Popular touring areas include Brittany, the Loire, Normandy and Provence.

Cheap flights to France from the UK are always readily available, and the country is well served with flights from all over Europe (and of course, excellent rail links), and so a holiday in France remains affordable - and always possible whether as a planned longer stay, or an impulsive short break.

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The End of Avon County

The Order to extinguish Avon County in the UK was carried out on 1 April 1996 and Avon County is no more.

The four authorities replacing Avon are:
1. The City and County of Bristol
2. South Gloucestershire - formed from the Northavon districts and Kingswood.
3. North Somerset - created from the district Woodspring.
4. Bath and North East Somerset - formed from the Bath and Wansdyke districts.

For celebrations sake, the post of Avon's Lord Lieutenant was abolished, thus Bristol regaining its own High Sheriff and Lord Lieutenant, while the other administration was returned to its primitive counties. Advices to change Bristol's borders (either by drawing new sketches or by incorporating the mostly urban borough of Kingswood added to it) were discarded.

The end of the County of Avon was the prime focus of a BBC documentary known as 'The End of Avon', which was produced by Linda Orr and Michael Lund and broadcast on TV in 1996.

Adam Thomas (a BBC presenter) investigated in 2006 why Avon refused to die, for the episodes of BBC One regional program 'Inside Out West'. It continued to be included in the databases of large corporations and firms as part of their addresses in the area, and also in names such as the Avon and Somerset Constabulary, Avon Wildlife Trust and Avon Fire and Rescue Service.

Representatives of these organizations said they had no plans in changing their names. Still, the Royal Mail suggested that it was not a necessity to include Avon in any address as it had been abandoned. So it was not necessary to use it in postal counties since 1996.

Some organizations still covered the area of this primitive county of Avon: e.g. the Avon Coroner's District, Avon Fire and Rescue, Intelligence West and the West of England Strategic Partnership till 2006, when the Avon Ambulance Service (now it is merged with the Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ambulance services to form the Great Western Ambulance Service). This primitive county and its south side neighbor form the area covered by Somerset Constabulary and Avon.

However there is not even a single council and the 4 unitary authorities still pull together on many aspects of its policy, like the Joint Local Transport Plan.[1]. The term currently, "West of England" is used by some companies and organizations still refer to the earlier area.

The "County (or Councils) that Used to Be Avon had a term CUBA, ", was created to address the Avon area post. The term used instead of "Avon", Severnside is sometimes also used] although this term can not be used to mention the stretch of shoreline from Newport to Chepstow or from Aust to Avonmouth north. "Greater Bristol" can also be used, although this use of this term is quite often criticized by natives of Bath, Weston-Super-Mare, and other parts of historical Somerset and Gloucestershire. The Forest of Avon is covering part of the area of the four local authorities and is a community forest. Other souvenirs of Avon's presence include the Avon's Cycleway (first created and promoted by Cyclebag), a 137 kms (85-miles) circular passage on quiet highways, cycle paths and roads, which was a pioneer of the National Cycle Network.

Also, Avon County Council did what could possibly be done to fund an introductory cycleway and also the Bath and Bristol Railway Path.

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Adventure Traveling

Rann of Kutch (Gujarat, India)
The desert is not always a waste. Head for the 18,000 sq km area in the north of Gujarat to find out how much of a waste it isn’t. The Great Rann was originally an extension of the Arabian Sea, closed off by centuries of silting. In Alexander the Great’s time it was a navigable lake, but it is now an extensive mudflat, inundated during the monsoon. No visitor to the Great Rann has yet been disappointed; it’s a stark and strange terrain you won’t ever forget.
There’s a lot to see in the nearest town, Bhuj, as well: the 18th-century Aina Mahal in the old part of the city, the cenotaphs complex at Chattaradi, and the ancient seaport of Mandvi among other. Kutch is, of course the center of a rich craft tradition, which you can view in the bungalow of James McMurdo.
The ghost town of Lakhpat is 151 km from Bhuj.
You can fly to Bhuj from Mumbai twice a week ($125) as well as from Ahmedabad. There are direct trains from both places to New Bhuj Railway Station. You can also drive, or take state transport buses or luxury coaches. These and auto rickshaws and taxies, are available to all centers in Gujarat. There are no five-star deluxe hotels in Kutch, but there are a number of comfortable hotels. Try Hotel Prince (new Station Road; 02832-20370). Plenty of tour operators offer well-trodden tourist circuits, but you can also choose to chalk out your own route. Since this is a border area, you need a (easily obtained) permit from the Collector’s office in Bhuj, off College road.
THIS PART OF THE ARABIAN SEA WAS CLOSED OFF BY CENTURIES OF SILTING. IT’S A STARK AND STRANGE TERRAIN YOU WON’T FORGET
The Great Rann is the winter home of migratory flamingoes when they arrive near Khavda. It’s the largest flamingo colony in the world. If you can, time your visit with the Kutch Mahotsav in February; it’s a spectacle worth the trip. You’ll need light woolens.

Nubra Valley (Himachal Pradesh, India)

Beyond the world’s highest motor able stretch across the Khardung la (5,578m) lies the beautiful Nubra Valley bordering the Karakoram Range, opened to visitors only in 1994 (you need a permit, easily available in Leh). Hot springs, gompas, and walks await you. Fly from Delhi to Leh ($100), and then take a bus to either Diskit or Panamik, the two main villages in Nubra (IO-hr ride, $25). You can rent jeeps from the Leh Taxi Operators’ Union ($110 to Nubra + $10 nights’ charge; 01982-53309). There is accommodation at the guesthouses in both villages. Be warned Nubra in winter is not for everyone. This is not the tourist season and facilities will be shut. But if you like extremes pack your bags.

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