november-2010

148 | DESTINATION GUIDES
Luxor
Egypt
DIALLING CODE +20
CURRENCY EGP
FLY FROM
London (LGW)
FROM THE
AIRPORT
TAXI
NEW FROM
2010
Pre-book your taxi
at easyJet.com. A
local taxi costs between
50–100LE.
BON APPETIT
UP TO €30
Ramasseum Café
(Ramasseum, West
Bank) A hidden gem
with views to die for.
Expect simple but tasty
lunches, made using
local food, served with
ice-cold beer.
EXCLUSIVE
Al Moudira (West
Bank, tel: 012 325
1307) Al Moudira is
a hotel restaurant
with Moorish-inspired
décor and a fantastic
ambience. The menu is
a mix of well-executed
Egyptian, Lebanese and
international dishes,
served with local wines.
AFTER DARK
LOW KEY Tutti Frutti
(St Joseph Street, East
Bank, tel: 010 266 6680)
Light snacks, desserts
to die for and a calm and
relaxing atmosphere
make this little café
a tranquil oasis.
LATE & LIVELY Royal
Oak Pub (Khalid Ibn El
Walid street, East Bank,
tel: 09 5236 6264) A
centrally located bar.
Try the excellent local
beer, Stella, which has
been brewed in Egypt
since 1897.
THIS MONTH
SHOP Caravanserai
is an Aladdin’s cave of
crafts, pictures, pottery,
and jewellery. Khalid
Mohammed Ibrahim,
the owner, has sourced
everything locally and
also supports the local
women’s sewing group
(Medinet Habu, West
Bank, tel: 012 327 8771).
GO The tomb of
Irynefer has recently
been opened in the
village at Deir el Medina.
This is a great historical
site with two tombs, a
temple and the village.
NO WAY!
It took Howard Carter
nine years to clear the
tomb of Tutankhamun.
Jane Akshar
SOFITEL
KARNAK
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Situated in a tranquil
setting close to Karnak
Temple, with three
restaurants, bars,
and swimming pools.
Breakfast included.
From €23, book at
holidays.easyJet.com.
Lyon
France
DIALLING CODE +33
CURRENCY €
FLY FROM
Agadir, Barcelona,
Berlin, Biarritz, Bordeaux,
Brest, Bristol, Brussels,
Casablanca, Corsica
(Bastia), Edinburgh,
Ibiza, Lisbon, Liverpool,
London (LGW, STN),
Madrid, Marrakech, Milan
(MXP), Nantes, Nice,
Olbia, Porto, Prague, Rome
(CIA), Toulouse, Venice
FROM THE
AIRPORT
TAXI
SINCE
1999
Pre-book your taxi
at easyJet.com.
A local taxi costs €55.
Trains run every 15
minutes till 9pm
and every 30 minutes
till midnight. Tickets:
€13, single.
BON APPETIT
UP TO €15 Le Petit
Bouffon (73 Rue de
Sèze, 6th, tel: 04 7824
0016) Flavours from
the Basque and local
Lyonnaise regions
are innovatively
served in bright and
jolly surroundings.
UP TO €30
Brocéliande (3 Rue
du Jardin des Plantes,
1st, tel: 04 7226
0539) Come here to
sample fresh produce
transformed into tasty
dishes, such as velouté
of pumpkin laced with
scallops. A great
stop-off for lunch
or dinner.
UP TO €50 Chez
Moss (2 Rue
Ferrandière, 2nd, tel: 04
7842 0409) Superbly
situated among the
bustle of the city’s busy
shopping streets and
nightlife, Chez Moss
is known for its
generous platters of
fresh shellfi sh and
hefty helpings of
moules et frites, as
well as an impressive
daily special menu
including marketchoice
grilled fi sh.
EXCLUSIVE La
Tassée (20 Rue de la
Charité, 2nd, tel: 04
7277 7900) Here you’ll
fi nd the whole range of
rustic to regal dishes,
all made using classic
recipes, served in this
immaculately preserved
1950s bouchon – a
restaurant specifi c to
the Lyonnais area.
AFTER DARK
LOW KEY Bar Cours
des Loges (6 Rue
du Bœuf, 5th, tel:
04 7277 4444) Spoil
yourself in the grand
surroundings of this
hotel’s vaulted bar.
Ambient music mixed
with contemporary art
washes down well with
a glass of Champagne.
LIVE MUSIC Black
and White (18 Quai
Romain Rolland, 5th,
tel: 04 7842 3634)
Buzzing vibes of jazz,
R’n’B and salsa are
on offer at this exotic
club that’s popular
with all ages.
LATE & LIVELY
First (13–14 Place
Jules Ferry, 6th, tel: 04
3724 1946) If you want
to groove with Lyon’s
young and up-for-it
crowd, then this is the
place to be seen. Dress
well if you want to get
in: the bouncer likes
to enforce a strict
dress code.
THIS MONTH
SHOP The Marché
de Noël, in the
Place Carnot (next
to Perrache Train
Station), boasts some
of the very best foodie
gifts and arts and
crafts from the Rhône-
Alpes region. Painted
wooden chalets host
over 120 exhibitors
selling handmade
santons (nativity
fi gurines) and other
great gift ideas.
SEE The long-awaited
release of each year’s
Beaujolais Nouveau
comes at the stroke of
midnight on the third
Thursday in November
every year. Beaujeau,
the historic capital of
the Beaujolais region,
kicks off its annual
Sarmentelles festival
on 17 November. It
features a tasting of
the region’s wines,
followed by a torchlit
procession and
the release of the
Beaujolais Nouveau.
The festivities continue
through the weekend
(sarmentelles.com).
GO Head up to
the Montée de la
Grand Côte and take
in Lyon’s famous
traboules. These
narrow passageways
play a large part in
Lyon’s history: they
were constructed
in Roman times as
pedestrian short cuts,
and were later used
as the now-famous
secret passageways
to transport silk from
one street to another.
As you descend, stop
off and marvel at Place
Sathonay. A UNESCO
World Heritage Site, this
square is composed
of buildings featuring
beautiful 1920s façades.
ESCAPE Saint-
Etienne, 45 minutes to
the west of Lyon, has
distinguished itself
with its passion for
nature, art and design,
and football. The city,
rich in history and
steeped in tradition,
also offers 700
hectares of nearby
parkland called le Pilat,
which is perfect for
those with a penchant
for outdoor activities.
Step back in time and
visit the Coal Mining
Museum, then wander
up to Guizay Hill, which
offers fantastic views
of the city below. Finish
off your day in your
choice of the cafés and
restaurants around the
Place du Peuple, which
also hosts fabulous
open-air markets.
NO WAY!
Dr Edmond Locard
opened the world’s fi rst
police crime laboratory
in 1910 in Lyon. Locard
was a student of
Bertillon, also a pioneer
of forensic science.
John Brown