2010 › May

Cannes spa special in two nights

by Tom Johansmeyer on

You deserve to be treated like royalty. So, skip the local spa and head off to Cannes for a couple of nights. The 1835 White Palm Hotel has a great new package that provides just the quick fix you need to recharge.

The two-night “Summer Spa Extravaganza,” which is available through August 31, 2010, includes six treatments per person in the hotel’s 32,000 square foot Thermes Marines de Cannes spa, not to mention breakfast and dinner every day. The package includes four hydrotherapy treatments, a massage and an esthetic treatment. At approximately $1,100 a person, you can save close to 25 percent. And, you can add nights for around $550 each (and gain three additional spa treatments per night).

The 1835 White Palm Hotel is a new property, having been open only since May 2009. It connects to the Thermes Marines de Cannes via an underground tunnel, so you can get back to your room without encountering the stress of the outside world.

Good Beach Guide names best British beaches

by Sean McLachlan on

The United Kingdom generally isn’t the first place people think of when they decide to go to the beach. Indeed, the beaches of Spain, France, and Cyprus are filled with lobster-red Brits, so it appears the locals agree, but the Good Beach Guide, published by the Marine Conservation Society, says the UK’s beaches are improving, at least in terms of water quality.

The latest report reveals that 421 of the UK’s 769 beaches have “excellent” water quality, up 33 from last year. In addition, fewer beaches are getting a failing grade. This is a positive trend after heavy rainfall in the past three years made sewage systems overflow and sloughed off fertilizers and agrochemicals from farmland.

The UK can’t sit on their laurels, though, because starting in 2015 the EU is going to enact tougher standards for water purity, and many beaches that are now borderline cases will get failing marks. The BBC has published an interactive map showing what regions do best. Of the two most famous beaches, Blackpool didn’t get the highest “MCS recommended” rating, but Brighton Pier did, which is interesting because the area recently elected the UK’s first Green Party Minister of Parliament.

Now if they could just do something about the weather. . .

Image of Blackpool beach courtesy zergo512 via Wikimedia Commons.

All U.S. national parks free next weekend

by Kraig Becker on

While the U.S. celebrates a long, three-day weekend this week, the National Park Service is giving us all something to look forward to next weekend as well. The NPS has announced that it is continuing its very popular free admissions program, and on June 5 and 6, more than 100 parks will throw open their gates and waive the entrance fee to all guests.

The complete list of parks that will be free next weekend can be found by clicking here, and there are certainly some great places to visit on the list, no matter what part of the country you are in. For example, if you’re in California, Yosemite is always a great place to explore, although the crowds might be a bit smaller in Death Valley. Similarly, Yellowstone is an amazing place to visit as well, but it is one of the most popular parks in the system. If you’re in that area, you might find Big Horn Canyon offers more seclusion.

So, while we’re enjoying the Memorial Day holiday this weekend, which generally marks the unofficial start of the summer, it is never too early to start making plans for next weekend as well. With the entry fees waived, there are no excuses to not go outside and play in one of these great parks.

[Photo Credit: The National Park Service]

Photo of the Day (5.29.10)

by Catherine Bodry on


I can feel the air in this photo — it’s going to be a hot day, but at the moment the heat and humidity are tolerable in the morning light. It looks a bit smoky out, and I can smell the wood- and incense smoke, maybe with a hint of chili. The streets aren’t crowded yet and the city is just coming to life. AlphaTangoBravo / Adam captured this shot of Bangkok’s Chinatown in what appears to be an early morning.

Have a photo of a scene you enjoyed waking up to? Post it to Gadling’s Flickr pool and we just might choose it for our Photo of the Day.

The top 50 cities for quality of life

by Sean McLachlan on

If you don’t live in Vienna, you might consider moving there.

A new survey lists the top 50 cities for quality of life and Vienna comes out as number one. The survey, conducted by Mercer, a human resources consultancy firm, looked at criteria such as infrastructure, economy, housing, recreation, personal and press freedom, and education. Vienna certainly scores high in all that, plus it has historic neighborhoods and cool clocks. It’s just a shame the Toilet Bar had to change its decor.

The top ten cities are:

Vienna
Zurich
Geneva
Vancouver
Auckland
Dusseldorf
Frankfurt
Munich
Bern
Sydney

European cities dominate the top fifty. No U.S. city shows up until number 31 (Honolulu) followed by San Francisco (32), Boston (37), Chicago and Washington (tied at 45), New York City (49) and Seattle coming in surprisingly low at 50. Canada did much better with Vancouver at number 4, Ottawa at 14, Toronto at 16, Montreal at 21, and Calgary at 28.

Mercer actually surveyed 221 cities, with Baghdad scoring dead last. Go figure. They also listed the most eco-friendly cities, with Calgary taking the top spot.

Image of Cafe Central, Vienna courtesy Andreas Praefcke via Wikimedia Commons.