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Bordeaux<br />
France<br />
DIALLING CODE +33<br />
CURRENCY €<br />
FROM THE<br />
AIRPORT<br />
Visit the Europcar<br />
desk on arrival<br />
for special easyJet<br />
infl ight rates.<br />
Holiday Taxis<br />
(easyJet.holiday<br />
taxis.com) take you from<br />
home to the airport, then<br />
city or destination.<br />
TAXI<br />
The fare to the<br />
centre is about €35.<br />
A bus goes to Gare<br />
St Jean station<br />
every 45 minutes from<br />
7.45am–10.45pm.<br />
Tickets: €7.<br />
BON APPETIT<br />
UP TO €15 Karl<br />
(6 Place du Parlement,<br />
tel: 05 5681 0100)<br />
A café-restaurant with<br />
a buzzing atmosphere<br />
on a pedestrianised<br />
square. Enjoy a latemorning<br />
brunch, soup<br />
or warm salad.<br />
UP TO €30 L’Etoile<br />
Cailhau (24 Place du<br />
Palais, tel: 05 5679<br />
1590) This restaurantbar<br />
set in the attractive<br />
Old Town is full of fresh<br />
produce from the local<br />
markets and the bar is<br />
open till 2am.<br />
UP TO €50 La Tupina<br />
(6–8 Rue Porte de la<br />
Monnaie, tel: 05 5691<br />
5637) At this classic<br />
Bordelais bistro, chef<br />
Jean Pierre Xiradakis<br />
presides over an open<br />
fi re cooking up great<br />
hunks of meat. It’s<br />
the perfect venue for<br />
a cold wintry day.<br />
EXCLUSIVE<br />
Au Bonheur du Palais<br />
(74 Rue Paul Louis<br />
Lande, tel: 05 5694<br />
3863) Widely renowned<br />
Chinese restaurant,<br />
considered by many to<br />
be the best in town.<br />
It specialises in<br />
excellent-quality<br />
Szechuan cuisine and<br />
is always busy.<br />
AFTER DARK<br />
LOW KEY Le Wine<br />
Bar (19 Rue des<br />
Bahutiers, tel: 05<br />
5648 5699) A relaxed<br />
wine bar with various<br />
regular events, such as<br />
blind tastings and jazz<br />
concerts. The extensive<br />
wine list includes<br />
vintage bottles from<br />
1827–2008 harvests.<br />
LIVE MUSIC<br />
Comptoir du Jazz<br />
(58 Quai de Paludate,<br />
tel: 05 5649 1555)<br />
This fantastic, dimly lit<br />
jazz bar is particularly<br />
welcoming on a cold<br />
December night. There’s<br />
great music, a hubbub<br />
of people, and a good<br />
bistro restaurant.<br />
LATE & LIVELY<br />
Calle Ocho (24 Rue<br />
des Piliers de Tutelle,<br />
tel: 05 5648 0868)<br />
Latin and salsa<br />
music blast out at<br />
this popular threefl<br />
oored venue. The<br />
mojitos are second to<br />
none – and so is the<br />
standard of dancing<br />
of the clientèle.<br />
THIS MONTH<br />
SHOP Jean d’Alos<br />
is one of the star<br />
attractions of the<br />
Bordeaux shopping<br />
circuit. Taste the<br />
cheeses that end<br />
up on top tables at<br />
the region’s best<br />
restaurants, they’re<br />
perfect for after dinner<br />
Christmas nibbles<br />
(4 Rue Montesqieu, tel:<br />
05 5644 2966).<br />
SEE Bordeaux’s annual<br />
Christmas fair sees<br />
wooden huts and<br />
stalls set up around<br />
Allées de Tourny. You<br />
can buy presents and<br />
feast on roast chestnuts<br />
and crêpes.<br />
GO Pedestrianised<br />
square Place Pey Berlan<br />
has a magnifi cent<br />
cathedral right in the<br />
city centre. It’s popular<br />
throughout the year,<br />
but come Christmas<br />
time, it’s even more<br />
interesting, with an<br />
outdoor ice rink and a<br />
celebratory, festive feel.<br />
ESCAPE At just<br />
over 3.5 hectares,<br />
Castelmoron d’Albret is<br />
the smallest commune<br />
in France. It’s a<br />
wonderful place to visit<br />
when the streets<br />
come alive with festive<br />
charm. Just an hour<br />
from Bordeaux.<br />
NO WAY!<br />
The local football<br />
team, the Bordeaux<br />
Girondins are currently<br />
the League Champions<br />
in France, after winning<br />
the 2008–<strong>2009</strong><br />
season. They have won<br />
the league six times in<br />
their 130-year history.<br />
Jane Anson<br />
Bournemouth<br />
UK<br />
DIALLING CODE +44<br />
CURRENCY £<br />
FROM THE<br />
AIRPORT<br />
Visit the Europcar<br />
desk on arrival<br />
for special easyJet<br />
infl ight rates.<br />
Holiday Taxis<br />
(easyJet.holiday<br />
taxis.com) take you from<br />
home to the airport, then<br />
city or destination.<br />
TAXI<br />
The fare to the<br />
centre is about £16.<br />
The A1 shuttle<br />
bus runs to the<br />
main square, hourly<br />
from 7.30am–6.30pm.<br />
Tickets: £4.<br />
BON APPETIT<br />
UP TO €15 The Real<br />
Eating Company<br />
(Gervis Hall, Gervis<br />
Place, tel: 01202 556<br />
920) Located in the upmarket<br />
Steamer Trading<br />
Cookshop, this lovely<br />
café serves delicious<br />
homemade sandwiches.<br />
UP TO €30 Vesuvio<br />
(Seafront, Alum Chine,<br />
tel: 01202 759 100)<br />
A lively Italian restaurant<br />
at a wonderful location,<br />
serving a range of<br />
pizzas and pasta dishes.<br />
UP TO €50 The<br />
Print Room (The Echo<br />
Building, tel: 01202 789<br />
669) This beautifully<br />
transformed building is<br />
a sumptuous restaurant<br />
DESTINATION GUIDES | 123<br />
with deep booths. The<br />
menu features brasserie<br />
classics such as oysters.<br />
EXCLUSIVE Chewton<br />
Glen Hotel (New Milton,<br />
Hampshire, tel: 01425<br />
275 341) Boasting three<br />
AA rosettes, the<br />
renowned Chewton<br />
Glen offers a superb<br />
fi ne-dining experience.<br />
Its ever-changing menu<br />
features gorgeous game<br />
from the New Forest.<br />
AFTER DARK<br />
LOW KEY Sixty<br />
Million Postcards<br />
(19–21 Exeter Road, tel:<br />
01202 292 697) Live<br />
music, DJs and quizzes<br />
are held at this eclectic<br />
bar with comfy sofas<br />
and tasty bar food.<br />
LIVE MUSIC Mr Kyps<br />
(8A Parr Street, Ashley<br />
Cross, Poole, tel: 01202<br />
748 945) Expect<br />
blues, jazz and punk<br />
with the odd musical<br />
gem thrown in – 12<br />
December sees the<br />
WOOD LODGE<br />
HOTEL<br />
★ ★ ★ ★ ★<br />
The Wood Lodge<br />
Hotel is a charming,<br />
English country<br />
retreat, set within<br />
beautifully landscaped<br />
gardens, a 10-minute<br />
stroll from central<br />
Bournemouth.<br />
Breakfast included.<br />
From €81, book at<br />
hotels.easyJet.com.<br />
American 1960s soul<br />
star Geno Washington.<br />
LATE & LIVELY<br />
Bar:[me] (134–136<br />
Old Christchurch Road,<br />
tel: 01202 780 260)<br />
Resident DJs and fancy<br />
dress nights: this is the<br />
place to party till late,<br />
seven days a week.<br />
THIS MONTH<br />
SHOP Wooden chalets<br />
and an Alpine-style<br />
bar make up this year’s<br />
Christmas market,<br />
transforming the town<br />
square into a winter<br />
wonderland, where<br />
you’ll fi nd all sorts of<br />
yuletide goodies.<br />
SEE Check out the<br />
Spartan swimming<br />
club’s Christmas Day<br />
dip in the freezing<br />
English Channel at 11am<br />
by Boscombe Pier. In<br />
fancy dress or wet suit,<br />
anyone can join in.<br />
GO The Moors Valley<br />
has some great forest<br />
trails, treetop walks,<br />
bike hire, a mini-steam<br />
railway and the fabulous<br />
Go-Ape high-ropes<br />
course (Ashley Heath).<br />
ESCAPE Take a ferry<br />
over to the Studland<br />
peninsula for a brisk<br />
walk along the beach or<br />
up the Old Harry rocks<br />
to Swanage, with plenty<br />
of seaside bars and<br />
cafés to warm up in.<br />
NO WAY!<br />
Bournemouth’s Court<br />
Royal, previously the<br />
Madeira Hotel, received<br />
the world’s fi rst paid<br />
wireless telegram. It<br />
was sent from The Royal<br />
Needles Hotel on the<br />
Isle of Wight, in 1898.<br />
Matthew Hancock<br />
Christmas C<br />
has come early this year!<br />
T<br />
The best English learning magazine in the world is 100% FREE for the month of December only.<br />
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“FREE magazine” as the e-mail subject to collect your gift.<br />
Wishing you a very merry Christmas from all of us at Hot English magazine. www.hotenglishmagazine.com
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