Fun things to do in London: A Mini Cooper Tour

Introducing a fun tour zooming around London with smallcarBIGCITY and their fleet of Mini Coopers.

Hop on in and enjoy!

Mini Cooper & Big Ben: Fun in London

Inside the Arc de Triomphe

The Arc de Tiomphe in Paris

is the largest triumphal arch in the world and it sits in one of the most devilish traffic junctions in the world. The Arc may look ancient and distinguished but in European terms it’s actually quite young. Emperor Napoleon commissioned the work so that his troops could “return home beneath triumphal arches,” but the work wasn’t finished until 1836.

Visiting the Arc de Triomphe

As it turns out, there’s more to see at the Arc than just the traffic or the engravings. The Arc de Triomphe has become a memorial to those lost in battle, from officers of France’s Imperial Army, to more recent conflicts in Korea.

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

An eternal flame burns over the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from World War One, a symbol of remembrance for all those who cannot be identified.

View From the Arc de Triomphe – The Best in Paris

It’s a hefty climb to the 50 metre high summit of the Arc de Triomphe (although those with young children or wheelchairs can take the lift.) From the top, however, the vision in the layout of Paris becomes clear.

You can see straight down the Champs-Elysées to Place de la Concorde in one direction and straight to the modern arch La Defense in the other.

View Along the Champs Elysees

View to La Defense

You can see the creamy curves of the Sacré-Coeur on the hills of Montmartre.

View Across Paris to the Sacre Coeur

And you can also see this other monument:

The Eiffel Tower - from the Arc de Triomphe

Arc de Triomphe – Practicalities

Sadly, a visit to the arch is not cheap and you’ll often have to queue to buy tickets. Entry includes a museum, housed in the upper portion of the Arc, that illustrates its history: triumphant Imperial processions, the invasion of the Nazis and the subsequent visits from US presidents.  

To see the Arc de Triomphe, head to Charles de Gaulle Étoile on the Paris Metro.

Blend together religious conflict plus riches from Columbus’s big American trip and the result is the largest cathedral in Christendom (or potentially the third largest. Sources vary. It seems to depend on who counts what part.)

Anyway, the cathedral in Seville is huge and, on the outside, incredibly tastefully done. Its honeyed tower, the Giralda, still forms Seville’s central landmark and the lines of orange trees and horse-drawn carriages around its give it plenty of atmosphere.

Inside, it’s evident that Seville had no unified plan when it conceived the project. White domes reminiscent of art galleries follow off side rooms with jewel-encrusted crowns and the structure of the central nave is broken up by wildly elaborate gold choir stalls and altars.

Costing 8 euros to enter, it seems that it’s expensive to keep up with the Joneses.

For me, the view from the top of the Giralda’s 105 metres  makes the visit worthwhile. From this former minaret, you can appreciate the full extent of the Real Alcazar’s gardens, the Alamillo Bridge, the prominence of the Maestranza Bullring and the spread of those ubiquitous orange trees. The view also gives an idea of the size and scale of Seville, one that’s easily missed by strolling around the tight, angulated streets of Santa Cruz.

If you’re short of time, however, I’d recommend giving it a miss and heading across the Plaza to the Real Alcazar instead.

Seville Cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with variable opening times. To avoid disappointment if you’re only there for one weekend check in with this site for up to date details.

Floor to Ceiling Gold - for 42 metres

View from the Giralda

Except that with a moment’s pause, I can think of bridges that have become global icons. Sydney Harbour, the Golden Gate, Brooklyn and London. What’s the missing word in that ensemble? No, I’m not going to state the obvious. Oh, alright, I am – it’s bridge. It seems that when engineers and architects combine robust service with art, they create a legacy that touches our souls.

The Pont du Gard in southwest France scores highly on both counts. Not only does this Roman aqueduct still stand after 2000 years, built from stone without mortar, carrying water for over 30 miles while only dropping 17cm in height and capable of delivering 5 million gallons of water per day, but…it is beautiful.

A riverside walk at sunset reveals the artist’s palette of flaming oranges and reds glowing against the creamy arches. UNESCO listed this bridge as a World Heritage Site in 1985 and my only criticism against this decision would be to ask – what took them so long?

PRACTICALITIES
Official Site – in English

The Clifton Suspension Bridge stretches across the Avon Gorge to form one of Bristol’s most well-known symbols. I’ve stood here before, gazing through 76 metres of air to the churning river below. I’ve also driven across its narrow, delicate frame, as one of the 11 000 or so vehicles that shudder from one hulk of dry land to the other each day.

Incredibly, this bridge was designed over 150 years ago for horses and carts, not impatient commuters. A wealthy wine merchant funded a competition through his will, inviting engineers to submit their plans for crossing the gorge. Years of political squabbling followed until a 24 year old man convinced the judges that a suspension bridge would be possible. His name was Isambard Kingdom Brunel, a genius who would go on to design much of the Great Western Railway and the first steamship to cross the Atlantic.

This was Brunel’s first major commission and the foundation stone was laid later that year. However, bureaucracy and administrative headaches frustrated progress and the city abandoned the scheme. Brunel moved onto bigger and better things, creating a legacy of his own. After his death, Bristol regrouped and construction began again. Clifton Suspension Bridge opened in 1864 and has been functional ever since.

An ‘Interpretation Centre’ is open most days at the Leigh Wood end, although parking can be difficult. A stroll along the riverbank gives the best views of the bridge, flanked by rows of coloured houses and showing those 76 metres of air.

Inside the dark brick walls, seven columns rise to the ceiling like palm trees, creating an unexpectedly light and refreshing interior. Geometric stained glass windows glitter on all sides, but the highlight is the mirror encircling the eastern column. Looking into this reflection creates a rushing sensation of falling to a Da Vinci Code-style death.

The Dominicans erected this French Gothic church in 1230, which went on to house the remains of St Thomas Aquinas before becoming military barracks under Napoleon. Today it functions as a church once more. One with enough compassion and imagination to spare its visitors from neck ache.

Les Jacobins, 69 rue Pargamenières, Toulouse, 31000

Les Jacobins Website Tel: 05 61 22 21 92