Paris Jazz by Pascal Subtil

Paris was of course at the heart of the 1920s’ cultural imagination. Creative types flocked to the City of Light, where a liberal, bohemian lifestyle was the norm. For those enamoured of what many see as a Golden Age, there are still numerous places you can visit in Paris that capture something of the era’s romance. For a unique view of the French capital, plan a bus trip to Paris and embark on your own bohemian adventure in this atmospheric city.

Start with a leisurely stroll through the winding streets of Montparnasse and the Latin Quarter. These Left Bank neighbourhoods were the centre of the city’s cultural scene and home to many of the greatest names in art, music and literature. These included painters such as Pablo Picasso and Marc Chagall, as well as the “Lost Generation” of American writers – most notably F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound and T.S. Eliot.

You can visit (or at least view) the former homes of many of these renowned characters, ranging from the humble abodes of Ezra Pound (at 70 Rue Notre-Dame des Champs) and Hemingway (at 74 Rue du Cardinal Lemoine) to the extravagant mansion once occupied by Cole Porter at 13 Rue Monsieur. It is also possible to view the exterior of the flat at 27 Rue de Fleurus where Gertrude Stein hosted her legendary salons and began her impressive collection of art.

Hemingway home in Paris, France by Evan Bench

The bars and cafés of the Left Bank were another frequent meeting place for the decade’s most cutting edge minds. Many of these establishments were clustered in the Carrefour Vavin (now the Place Pablo-Picasso), and a number are still in business today, including La Closerie des Lilas (where Hemingway and James Joyce dined together) and La Rotonde (which Hemingway once denounced as a meeting place for posers rather than serious artists).

A short walk will also take you to the venerable Les Deux Magots Café in Place Saint Germain des Prés. This establishment positively drips with literary history – you can occupy the seats once favoured by the likes of Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, and Albert Camus, among others. To further immerse yourself in the city’s literary past, head toward the Seine along the 5^th arrondissement to visit Shakespeare and Company. This independent bookshop is as iconic today as it was in the 1920s, when it attracted the likes of Hemingway, Joyce, Ford Madox Ford and William S. Burroughs.

Shakespeare And Company, Paris, France by Jim Linwood

For a taste of showbiz glamour, 1920s-style, check out a review at the famed Folies-Bergère or Le Moulin Rouge. Both were hugely successful in the Roaring 20s and catered to the popular taste for exotic, risqué music and dance. While the shows may seem a bit over-the-top today, the opulent setting of the cabaret clubs successfully evokes the carefree spirit of Les Années Folles.

This article was written by Rob Hawkins, a freelance copy writer who is currently writing on behalf of Megabus.

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Catherine Zeta Jones by David Shankbone

Majorca has long been known as a playground for the rich and famous in Spain.  The secret has gotten out though, and even though it is an incredibly popular holiday destination for the rest of Europe, many celebrities still choose to buy or build homes there.  Here are five of the most affluent celebrities that make Spain their home.

Catherine Zeta Jones and Michael Douglas

Welsh beauty Catherine Zeta Jones and her wealthy older husband Michael Douglas own a property on the north end of the island of Majorca.  They have a lovely luxury villa on the island where they spend part of the year.  They have also been spotted holidaying in various other places around the country.

Rafael Nadal

Grand Slam tennis champion Rafael Nadal not only has a home on Majorca, but he is also a native of the island.  He was born in the district of Manacor on Majorca, and he still has a beautiful mansion there.

Zinedine Zidane

Former French footballer and head-butting enthusiast Zinedine Zidane has a home in Madrid, Spain where he settled during his time spent playing for legendary football club Real Madrid.  Many people wonder why he has stayed in Spain, but can you think of a better place for a retired footballer who David Beckham has described as being “the greatest of all time?” He lives there with his wife and their four sons, three of whom are members of the Real Madrid Academy; one as a midfielder, one as a goalkeeper and one as a striker.

Antonio Banderas

Famous actor Antonio Banderas not only has a beautiful beachfront mansion in Andalucía, Spain, but he was also born there in Malaga.  He began acting in Spain at the age of 19, but in 1991 he managed to break through to Hollywood in Madonna’s documentary Truth or Dare.  Even though he spoke minimal English, he was still able to perform in major roles, and his big break came in 1993 when he appeared on screen as the gay lover of an AIDS infected Tom Hanks in Philadelphia.  He retains close ties to Malaga, thanks in part to his home there and despite currently being married to actress Melanie Griffith, an American.  Banderas is a huge supporter of Malaga CF and even owns a vineyard in Andalucía that he spends a lot of time promoting in both America and Spain.

Alan Sugar

Alan Sugar, also known as Baron Sugar or Lord Sugar, former owner of football club Tottenham Hotspur and the UK version of the TV show The Apprentice also has a house in Marbella, Andalucía.  The savvy businessman started from humble beginnings in London’s East End and now is ranked as the 89th richest man in the world.  Alan Sugar also has estates in the USA and his primary estate in Essex, but I am sure he manages to make quite a lot of visits to his relatively modest beachfront home in Spain using his private aircraft, or possibly one of the many classic Rolls Royce or Bentley cars that he is well known for collecting.

If you want to do some celebrity spotting on your next holiday abroad, look into La Manga Club holidays – dozens of celebrities are spotted here year after year and you never know who you may bump into.

The post The Spanish Rich List – Five Well Known Stars Who Live in Spain appeared first on Europe Explored.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Silvia

As one of the few Italian regions, Piemonte is not washed by the sea, but it is mostly mountainous area. Due to this fact was created also the name of the region, which comes from the phrase “ai piedi dei monti” – at the foot of the mountains. The territory was inhabited already in the Neolithic, but we can see the relics of the Romans and later of the Longobardi and not least the French and the Habsburgs, who were fighting a long for the region.

Mountains and lakes

Piemonte is suitable especially for those loving hiking, because the region boasts the two most famous Italian mountains – the Alps and Apennines. There are many valleys, which are accessible not only in summer but also in winter, so enjoying hiking here is possible all year-round. When you walk down from the mountains, you can stop at the region’s largest lake, Lago Maggiore, which extends also to the region of Lombardy, and even to the Italian canton of Ticino in Switzerland. Like many others in this area it is one of the glacial lakes and is known to influence many artists such as Ernest Hemingway.

Photo licensed under the Creative Commons, created by Falk Lademann

Cities

Mountains and lakes are not the only place that tourists usually visit in Piemonte. The region is also famous for its modern, industrial cities such as Torino, where are the headquarters of the largest Italian automaker Fiat or Ivrea, and where is based famous office equipment manufacturer Olivetti. But those places are also imbued with history and beautiful architecture. Very visited, especially in the summer, is for example Aglio castle.

Specialties of Piemonte, chocolate and Barolo

Lovers of chocolate also come into their own here, as the region’s production of sweet snacks is famous not only throughout Italy, but also in Europe. The secret of making chocolate brought to Piemonte Emanuele Filiberto from Savoy in the 16th century. In cities, you find plenty of shops where you can buy a variety of chocolate candies, nougat, chocolate chestnut, etc. You will find that the Piedmont chocolate may well equal to the Swiss or Belgian.

However, if you prefer salty foods, you should taste il brasato al Barolo – beef with celery, onion and carrots cooked in one of the best wines of Piemonte region – Barolo.

View Piemonte – mountains, glacial lakes, history, wine and sweets Italy in a larger map

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