Royal Ascot, UK by Brittany

Prepare to Queue

Expect plenty of people. As soon as you get off the train, you get herded all day. You can get a ticket to the Silver Ring quite cheaply and this is what I had. Tickets to the Grandstand are more expensive and require a certain etiquette. The Silver Ring gets very busy with big groups of people. You will queue to get into the race course, queue to bet, queue at the bar, queue at the toilets and queue to leave again at the end of the day. Royal Ascot is essentially a social event so it attracts birthday parties and stag and hen do’s. Arrive to the Silver Ring early to get a good spot because grass space is limited and table and chairs even more so. You will end up sitting in close proximity to other groups so be prepared to make new friends!

Dress Up

I was attracted to Ascot for the idea of dressing up. I have no weddings to attend this summer, so when else would I wear a hat? A strict dress code applies in the Royal Enclosure and this year standards were even tighter. Women were no longer allowed to wear fascinators (presumably because the definition of a fascinator has got increasingly varied), had to wear a skirt of modest length and have their midriff covered. Men had to wear a suit and tie in the Grandstand and morning suit in the Royal Enclosure. The Silver Ring has no enforced dress code, but people still dress up in the main making for an excellent fashion show. I wore a cream dress, red wedges, red printed tux style jacket and cream hat. The wedges were essential this year, as the heavy rain made the ground soft. A sprinkling of rain in the morning led to muddy paths developing criss-crossing through the picnic blankets. Which brings me to another thing to expect, British weather.

Bet

Royal Ascot isn’t all dressing up and eating though, there is a primary reason involved in thousands of people gathering at the site, horse racing! Be prepared to bet. I didn’t know much about betting before I went, but it’s easy enough to pick up. I went for a high risk, high gain strategy, which didn’t pay off, but in putting just small token bets on it didn’t matter. Don’t drink too much and get carried away, especially if you haven’t been before. Must importantly, have a fun day out!

Emma writes for fashion and style site www.clothes.org.uk. Click here to read the blog.

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Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Jean & Nathalie

Those who visit Madeira and hike through the island, soon discover that everything on the island is either downhill or uphill. Plane landscape can not be find here. However, Paul da Serra will surprise you. It is a huge plane. Another World.

If the weather is nice, you can see both a northern and southern coast of the island. But it is very occasionally and rather do not expect to be so lucky.

Do not underestimate the clothes, as here on the plateau may be a lot colder than at the sea. Also fogs can be formed very quickly and remain long enough. Therefore, be prepared for those natural changes. It is also recommended to go on guided tours.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Jörg Schmalenberger at wikipedia.com

Paul da Serra attracts tourists by its unusual landscape and beautiful scenery. At the road to Porto Moniz you can get into a nice valley of Rabacal. Here you can choose from two popular hiking trails leading along the irrigation canals Levadas. The first route is easy, it’s more comfortable for walking. After fifteen minutes you get to the Risco waterfall. The second route is more challenging. The steep climb takes you to 25 Fontes (which means to 25 springs). The whole tour takes about three hours. Both routes are very attractive and should be included in all the maps of Madeira.

View Paul da Serra – unexpected plateau in the middle of the mountains of Madeira Portugal in a larger map

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