Where are the Villa Borghese Gardens?

The Villa Borghese is made up of 148 acres of landscaped gardens and building housing some of Rome’s most famous artworks including the Galleria Borghese. It is the second largest public park in Rome and on weekends and public holidays it fills with both locals and visitors who come to enjoy its tranquil environment.

The history dates back to 1605 when work began to convert the vineyard by Cardinal Scipione Borghese, nephew of Pope Paul V and patron of Bernini, into the most extensive gardens built in Rome. Further development of the garden took place during the early nineteenth century.

Highlights of the park other than the galleria include a large lake which is home to both swans, ducks and geese and is dedicated to Aesculapius. Boat hire is available here and you can row by the Temple of Esculapius. You can also visit the Piazza di Siena, an international equestrian site which was also the home to the 1960 Rome Olympic Equestrian games.

Gardens of Italy [Hardcover] – by Ann Laras

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One Great Reason to Visit the Villa Borghese Gardens

One great reason to visit this travel destination is for the peaceful setting which contrasts so well against the chaos of central Rome.

Villa Borghese Gardens

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Where are the top 10 Ski Resorts in France?

Like there are horses for courses, the perfect ski resort does rather depend on the activities you’re planning, but here are some pointers:

Best for snowboarders

For minimum crowds and maximum white stuff La Grave is my choice. But this is a resort where no amount of bravado is a substitute for experience. It takes 30 minutes for the cable car to take you up over 3,000 metres. Once you’re there you have 20 kilometres of snowy free-boarding stretching out in front of you, but you can quickly find yourself alone on the glacier and the weather is unpredictable. If you want a serious challenge with a bit more support then consider Chamonix.

Best for beginners

For beginners, skiers or boarders, head somewhere where there’s plenty of short, graded runs closer to the resort. Le Arcs is a bit of a mega-resort but the ski tuition for beginners is great. The Ecole du Ski Français teaches parallel turns right from the start, so no more unwieldy snow-ploughs!

Best for off-piste skiing

Really, there are no challengers to La Grave and Chamonix, although they are both very different types of resort. If you are in a mixed group then choose Chamonix to give the others options. But otherwise, La Grave cannot be beaten for off-piste excitement.

Best to stay a season

Val d’Isere is my choice for après ski. Sure, there are smaller, resorts with more picturesque charm, but Val d’Isere, has all the infrastructure and diversity to please anyone from 5* poseurs to grungy kids.


Best of the rest

• Courchevel for families.
• Serre Chevalier for Gallic character.
• Tignes for all-round appeal and a long season.
• St Martin-de-Belleville for the quiet life, and
• Méribel if you insist on your English breakfasts and pubs.

All popular French ski resorts are cosmopolitan places where it is possible to find people who speak English as a lingua franca. But you will definitely get more out of your time in France if you can speak some of the language. If you learnt a bit of French at school, then consider taking a French language course to brush up before you leave. But if there’s no time for that then of all the countries offering international students high standards in language courses France is one of the best, so you can always take a short course once you’ve arrived, maybe scheduling your lessons for a rest day away from the slopes.

Where is Bojnice?

The historic town of Bojnice is located in the eastern European country of Slovakia. It is most well-known for its castle. Its history dates back to the 12th Century and is one of the most beautiful castles in Slovakia, standing on a travertine hill above the town. In 1970 the castle was declared a National cultural monument and it now houses a museum. The first written mention of the castle dates back to 1113 and comes from the Zobor abbey. Originally the wooden fortress was re-build with stone over the 13th century. Originally renaissance and gothic style, has been rebuilt in Romantism style in 19th century.

Other popular tourist attractions include the Bojnice Zoo and its therapeutic springs which feed the Spa were mentioned in 1549 for the first time and the spa is now used to treat patients with disorders, rheumatic diseases and other conditions.

Slovakia: The Bradt Travel Guide

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One Great Reason to Visit Bojnice

One great reason to visit this travel destination is to take the tour of the historial Bojnice Castle.

Bojnice – Slovakia

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Travel Photos of the Week: Hampton Court Palace Flower Show

The Hampton Court Palace Flower Show for 2011 has just wound up and a close English friend of mine was fortunate enought to attend with her husband.

The features include show gardens, floral marquees, pavilions, talks and demonstrations. It is the second major national show after the Chelsea Flower Show but has a different character, focusing more on environmental issues, growing your own and cookery, while also opportunities to buy a whole range of gardening accessories, plants and flowers.

Being a keen gardener, I had the photos shared with me and decided to brighten up my blog by adding these splendidly, colourful photos.

A splash of colour!

The cottage garden

Weird and wonderful designs

Photos courtesy of Lavinia from Dorset.