Around this time of year, with many people on a post-festive hangover, inspiration for new content is often hard to muster. Hence magazines fill their pages with Top 100 lists (FHM’s Sexiest Women of 2008), and TV channels present any number of ‘Reviews of the Year’ (Harry Hill’s TV Burp of the Year) highlighting the lowlights of the previous 12 months - including which celebrity did/said what to whom and letting you know what you missed while you weren’t paying attention.

A Random List of Paris Facts. Image Courtesy Amit (Sydney), Flickr

While scouring the web last month for Christmas present ideas, I came across the book Paris (Little-Known Facts about Well-Known Places). This gave me the idea of posting a short blog on random Paris facts. How accurate the facts below are is perhaps debatable. Though I am convinced there is no argument as to whether boiled hedgehog was a common dish in Paris in the 16th century…

The name Paris derives from that of its pre-Roman-era inhabitants, the Gaulish tribe, which were known as the Parisii

Two of Paris’ oldest and famous gardens are the Tuileries Garden, created from the 16th century for a palace on the banks of the Seine near the Louvre, and the Left bank Luxembourg Garden, another formerly private garden belonging to a château built for the Marie de’ Medici in 1612

* More blog filler later this month with a definitive list of the Top 10 of Paris…

Everyone at Short Breaks Ltd would like to say ‘Merry Christmas and a very happy New Year’ to all our customers and blog readers and guest contributors.

We hope you have a prosperous 2009.

Merry Christmas From All at Short Breaks Ltd

Shamelessly hijaking current interest in the non David Tennant Hamlet - there is growing debate inside the travel industry as to whether city breaks will be a luxury that people will forgo in light of the current financial situation. On the face of it it would seem to be the case, but the sales here have provided a slightly different picture as does the fact that some of the other OTA’s (Online Travel Agencies) seem to be having a concerted push to enter the market.

With the failure of XL there is definitely less flight availability in the more traditional summer and winter sun destinations thus pushing up prices to levels that make them prohibitive to the everyday client. It seems that the OTAs who relied on these types of holidays are now having to diversify to keep up the levels of growth they have seen in the last few years and see city breaks as a way to do this. That’s not to say they were not planning to do this anyway to increase their product portfolio, but it has been noticable in the last month or so. Their product however in general is all very similar to each others as many of them rely on availability from the same or similar suppliers and the differentiation is in presentation and minor differences in price.

Overall customers - as in both the High Street and online, are looking for good value and good knowledgeable service - if they are able to find this they will buy… there’s no doubt that these are difficult conditions and operators are also having to contend with the falling value of the pound against the euro which adds another level of cost to contend with. 

In short, it’s a bit early to write off the short/city break as viable holiday type just yet. But who knows what tomorrow will bring.

Given the noise about Blur playing again this year in Hyde Park and possibly Glastonbury, it does raise the question as to whether they will have a more traditional tour taking in dates in Paris and other European cities or do a summer of selective festivals. I did try and find a review of their last Paris concert and found this which fell into that category of reviews that leave me baffled and confused - I think they’re saying it was good…(?)

Either way, if Blur do play Paris again, it will probably be at a smaller venue given that their popularity is less widespread……Blur in Paris in spring has a certain ring to it.

As with the rest of the world’s hotel industry, the Guardian reported yesterday that the luxury 4 star end of the Paris hotel market is suffering more than the budget end. This is probably not that surprising given the current climate but what it can mean is that a stay in a really stylish individual hotel may not be out of the reach of mere mortals.

I have been lucky enough recently to stay at the stunning Trianon Palace and Spa in Versailles with it’s views of the Versailles Palace and the amazing gardens. The journey from door to door from South London via Eurostar and a 20 Minute RER journey from Gare Du Nord was about 3 hrs which even my two sons found manageable.

The hotel get the balance of luxury and relaxation just right. Right now there are one night breaks from just £169 per person including Eurostar - if you can stretch to it, ask about a room at the front of the hotel - floor to ceiling windows and batchrooms as big as my house. Of course there’s a cost, but given the current climate you may be surprised. Oh and did I mention the Gordon Ramsey restaurant……

Offers like this are around at the moment, and ones like the 3 for 2 offers at the higher end hotels in Ghent , Lille, Bruges as well as Paris are worth checking out.