Tag Archives: france

Best Art Museums Worldwide

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Are you or your family new to the art scene or are you returning veterans? Interested in learning the origins of various artists, or just love to see some of the weirder pieces of art the world has to offer? Wherever you decide to go on holiday, the chances are that you’ll be able to find an art museum somewhere nearby.

They are incredibly popular, and although the recent rise of the internet has hinted at a decline in the modern appreciation of classical art, they are still incredibly popular and provide a window into what it was like living and working in ancient times, as depicted by various painters and artists of the ages. Whether you are looking for the most visited museums of the world or are more interested in finding those hidden gems, take a look at some of Penguin’s best worldwide museums.

The Uffizi Gallery, Italy

[penguin] uffizi blogLocated in the centre of the beautiful city of Florence, Italy, the Uffizi Gallery is one of the oldest museums in the world, and is also one of the most famous museums of the western world. The museum holds many beautiful pieces from classical artists of the 16th century, including works by Da Vinci Himself.

The museum is incredibly popular and visitors hoping to see the beautiful works on show may have to face waiting queues of up to 5 hours to get into the museum. Pre-booked ticket holders experience a significantly reduced waiting time.

Prado Museum, Spain

[penguin] prado blogKnown as the main Spanish national art museum, the Prado houses a vast collection of European art from as early as the 12th century to the early 19th century. To this date the Prado has had over 2.7million visitors and is comprised of over 20,000 pieces of art, including drawings, prints, sculptures and paintings.

The Prado also houses a number of historic documents and is known as a site of significant historic importance. Hire a car in Madrid to visit the Prado now!

The Louvre, France

[penguin] louvre blogHoused in the Louvre Palace, this museum was originally built as a fortress in the 12th Century, and some of the remnants can still been seen in the basement of the museum. It officially opened on the 10th August 1793 and is one of the world’s best known museums, attracting over 10 million visitors since it was opened.

The Louvre holds a huge collection of ancient pieces and antiques from all around the world and is also noticeable for its iconic, pyramid design at the entrance.

Happy Mother’s Day From Penguin

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This Sunday, 30th March is Mother’s Day, a day dedicated to those hardworking mums who put up with smelly, messy children for most of their lives. Today is a day that you can use to thank mums all over the world for their hard work, or you can just thank your mum. It can be in any way you want, with a small personal gift, with a weekend away, or just by taking a moment out of your day to spend some quality time with her. Whatever you choose to do, make it special.

Spa Breaks

Very few people don’t enjoy being pampered, and especially if you have endured the stress that being a mother brings, a spa day or two, or even an hour or so, won’t go amiss. Give her the gift of relaxation, where a qualified masseuse works out all her aches and pains accompanied to soothing music and fragrant scents.

Do Something Interesting

[penguin] cafe france blogNot got a run of the mill mum? If she prefers spending her days out and about, why not hire a car in Paris and take her on a tour of the sights? Trips to France are ideal as it is easily reachable by boat, and you can enjoy some quality time with mum while at the same time getting some fresh air. Why not visit the Louvre, or have a look at the Eiffel Tower? You could even take a few moments to have a delicious bagel in one of the many French cafes and simply watch the world go by.

Presents!

Make sure to give your mum at least a card this mother’s day. Even a small token will show her that you have thought of her, and in the end, even a small thing can make a big statement. However be careful to make sure not to get her anything she really doesn’t like, as some mum’s don’t like flowers or trinkets. You should know; she’s your mum!

Enjoy It!

[penguin] gift blogSome people spend far too much time running around, worrying about their daily lives and the stress and fatigue it brings about. Take a step back to relax with your mother, remind her of what she means to you. If you take time out to enjoy the time you spend with her, you may even begin to appreciate her on another level. It is one day a year, so make it count!

Beautiful Lakes in the South of France

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The South of France is a beautiful holiday destination to visit in the summer, particularly for those who love stunning beaches, but aren’t that fond of taking long haul flights to the likes of Hawaii and beyond. Some of the best locations to swim in the South of France are, ironically, not by the sea, but are instead by the region’s various rivers and lakes. These beaches may not be sandy, but their isolated locations and lack of tourists along with gorgeous views more than make up for their outward rocky appearance at first. Here at Penguin Car Hire, with fantastic deals and opportunities on hire cars from Boulogne-Sur-Mer to Toulouse, we look at the more beautiful Lakes and rivers, perfect for holidaymakers, located in the south of France.

Lake Bugarach

[penguin]lake bugarach blogA tiny lake just south of the village of Bugarach, located in the shadow of nearby mount Bugarach, this lake is beautifully quaint. Surrounded by rolling hills and with various nature walks through the forests nearby, Lake Bugarach is perfect for holidaymakers who are looking to get more in tune with nature.

Montpeyroux

Located on a hilltop, Montpeyroux is a small village which accurately reflects the quaint and relaxing atmosphere of the countryside. Situated in the picturesque Lidoire Valley, Montpeyroux is located right next to L’Allier River, where you can see the water cascade its way through the rocks of the valley, down tiny waterfalls and running alongside itself in beautiful rivets made over hundreds of years.

Take a homemade picnic and sit on one of the large rocks stranded in the centre of the river, where you can enjoy the quiet sounds of L’Allier flowing by while basking in the beautiful weather of sunny South France.

Frigoulet

[penguin]french lakes guinguette blgoThe river near Frigoulet village has a popular family beach framed by dense forest on one side. The other side often receives visitors on family days out, attracting both local residents and tourists. The beautiful archway bridge across the river is often used as a diving board for local children, but it is not recommended for tourists!

If you fancy a bite to eat, you can always visit a nearby ‘guinguette’. The traditional word for a classical French pub, a guingette can serve small snacks and sandwiches for a very reasonable price.

Whatever your holidaying preferences, take your trip out in style with Penguin Car Hire. With a first class directory offering hire cars from thousands of destinations worldwide, you can be sure with our comprehensive search and booking engine, you will find the very best rate for a holiday hire car.

 

Things To Do In Toulouse

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Toulouse is one of the many beautiful classical French Cities of the modern world. Its’ cultural and heritage sites are located mainly in the Old Town, and there are countless things to do for any tourist looking for a culturally rich experience while holidaying in the south of France.

Toulouse is known as the Pink City or La Ville Rose, and this is because of the huge number of red brick buildings located in Toulouse. Although Toulouse is a beautiful city in itself, it is important to make sure that you check out all the best cultural and popular spots for tourists, when visiting Toulouse. We have compiled a list of some of the best things to do while in Toulouse, so that you are sure to find something for everyone in the family!

Toulouse_by_night_with_Basilique_Saint-Sernin

Toulouse By Night

Museum of Toulouse/Botanical Gardens

The Museum of Toulouse is Toulouse’s National History Museum and contains much of Toulouse’s cultural history and the history of France itself. With Study Days specially made for students, and exhibitions on the native animals of France and their habitats, the Toulouse Natural History Museum is a great stop for any animal lover wanting to know more about the wildlife of southern France.

Toulouse_Grand_Rond_05195Plus with the Botanical gardens right next to the Natural History Museum, you can come along and walk amongst a variety of beautiful flowers and several species of birds native to France. It is a public area, with free entry, and tourists can picnic among the flowers and the birds, for a truly magical experience.

 

Jolimont Observatory

A great place to visit at any time of day, and surrounded by the beautiful gardens of Toulouse, the Jolimont Observatory is best visited in the evening at winter time, as stargazing is available, and you can get a fantastic view of the night lit city of Toulouse from the observatory as well. There are several sessions of covering stargazing taught throughout the week with lessons tailored towards children, conducted by the Popular Astronomy Society.

Space City

Toulouse holds the role as a capital city of the European Space Program, so the Space City includes exciting sights to see including model displays of ships as well as life-size replicas that include the Mir Space Station and the Ariane 5 Space Rocket.

Plus with hands on interactive displays, there is plenty to see for both children and adults, and there is even a virtual reality space experience available, if you think you are brave enough. The Space City entrance fee is around twenty Euros, depending on the age of your children, and the City is open daily from 9:30 until 5pm. It can be accessed by bus.

farmers-market-toulouse

Farmers Market in Toulouse

If you want a more casual, light-hearted day, you could always go for a brief walk or wander around one of the many small markets of Toulouse, as it is a beautiful city. Toulouse also has a number of professional restaurants to offer, many of which are popular with both tourists visiting the city and the natives living there. A sign of a good French restaurant is to see lots of native eating there!

About the Author

This post was written by Amy Jenkins who writes for a number of online publications about European travel and has provided the article on behalf of SFHV, the number one site for holiday villa rentals in the south of France.