What is a blog, what is a post and what is a page?
When discussing websites, there are several frequently asked questions, including:
What is a page?
What is a blog?
What is a post?
Let's delve into each of these to gain a better understanding.
What is a page?
A page is a fundamental building block of a website, comprising various types of content like text, images, videos, and interactive elements. Websites generally have multiple pages, each with its own unique design, layout, and content. For instance, a business website might feature a homepage, an about page, a product or service page, a contact page, and a blog page. Pages can be either static or dynamic, with the latter generated on-the-fly based on user input or other factors. While dynamic pages may be more personalized and interactive, they can also be more resource-intensive and slower to load. Overall, pages provide the content and functionality that visitors interact with.
What is a blog?
A blog is a section of a website where individuals or groups regularly publish written content, typically in the form of articles or posts, on a variety of topics. Blogs serve as a platform for sharing ideas, opinions, experiences, or news with a wider audience.
What is a post?
A post, in contrast, is a single piece of content published on a blog. Posts can take various forms, including articles, stories, reviews, tutorials, or any other content published on a blog. They are usually categorized or tagged, and displayed in reverse chronological order, with the most recent post appearing at the top of the page.
In summary, a website comprises pages, while a blog is a collection of posts or articles, and a post is a single piece of content published within a blog.
Hopefully that makes sense !
So to sum-up : A page is an section of a website, a blog is a collection of posts or articles, while a post is a single piece of content that is published within a blog.
Back up your data NOW
Why Data Backup is Vital
Living in the digital age, technology is an integral part of our daily lives. From storing important work documents to preserving family photos, most of our valuable data is now stored digitally. However, with technology being prone to malfunctions, hacking, and human errors, it’s crucial to back up your data regularly.
The Importance of Backing up Data
Backing Up Should Be in Your Diary:
We create an enormous amount of data every day, including writing documents and taking photos. We usually assume that this data will be available forever. However, with the potential for lost or stolen devices or even cloud account hacking, it's essential to have a backup of your data. Backing up your data regularly should be a top priority for everyone, and you should put it in your diary to ensure that it's not forgotten.
Protection Against Data Loss:
One of the primary reasons why you should back up your data is to protect yourself against data loss. Losing your data can be catastrophic, especially if you rely on digital information to make a living. Having a backup of your data can be a lifesaver in case of hard drive failure, lost or stolen devices, or accidental file deletion. With a backup, you can quickly restore your lost data, minimizing the impact of the loss.
Cybersecurity Threats:
Cybersecurity threats like hacking, viruses, and malware can cause data loss, which is why backing up your data is a crucial component of protecting yourself against these attacks. These attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated, and it’s no longer a matter of if you’ll be attacked, but when. Regularly backing up your data is an essential step to ensure that if your data is compromised, you can restore it from a backup and resume your work with minimal disruption.
Business Continuity:
Data is the lifeblood of operations for businesses, making regular data backups essential for business continuity. Losing critical business data can be catastrophic, leading to downtime, lost productivity, and financial losses. Having a disaster recovery plan in place, including regularly backing up your data and storing it in a secure, off-site location, is critical to ensure that your operations can continue uninterrupted in case of any data loss event.
Peace of Mind:
Backing up your data can give you peace of mind, knowing that your valuable information is safe and secure. It’s easy to get caught up in the daily grind and forget about the importance of backing up your data. However, regularly backing up your data can give you the confidence that you’re prepared for any unexpected data loss event, allowing you to focus on your work without worrying about the safety of your information.
So, to conclude
Backing up your data is crucial in today’s digital age. Whether you’re an individual or a large corporation, having a regular backup routine in place is essential. The consequences of data loss can be catastrophic, but by regularly backing up your data, you’re protecting yourself against hardware failures, cybersecurity threats, and other unexpected events that could result in data loss. So, take the time to back up your data regularly and you'll benefit from the peace of mind that comes with knowing your valuable information is all nice and safe.
What happens if your cloud account was hacked ? What if you lost your phone? What if your laptop was stolen? What if you couldn't get access to your data stored on a third party server because the company went bust?
These are all scenarios that can easily happen and do happen to people on a regular basis.
Backing up should be in your diary
Backing up your data is vital and it's a crucial task that should be a top priority for everyone. If it's not something you do on a regular basis, put it in your diary now. Depending on how often your data changes should impact how often you back up.
Protection Against Data Loss
One of the primary reasons why you should back up your data is to protect yourself against data loss. Losing your data can be catastrophic, especially if you're a business owner or someone who relies on digital information to make a living. If your hard drive fails, your computer gets stolen, or you accidentally delete files, having a backup of your data can be a lifesaver. With a backup, you can quickly restore your lost data, minimizing the impact of the loss.
Cybersecurity Threats
In addition to hardware failures, cybersecurity threats such as hacking, viruses, and malware can also cause data loss. These attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated, and it's no longer a matter of if you'll be attacked, but when. Backing up your data is an essential component of protecting yourself against cyber threats. If your data is compromised, you can restore it from a backup and resume your work with minimal disruption.
Business Continuity
For businesses, data is the lifeblood of their operations. Losing critical business data can be catastrophic, leading to downtime, lost productivity, and financial losses. Regular data backups are essential for business continuity, ensuring that your operations can continue uninterrupted in case of any data loss event. It's important to have a disaster recovery plan in place, including regularly backing up your data and storing it in a secure, off-site location.
Peace of Mind
Backing up your data can give you peace of mind, knowing that your valuable information is safe and secure. It's easy to get caught up in the daily grind and forget about the importance of backing up your data, but it only takes one data loss event to realize the significance of this task. Regularly backing up your data can give you the confidence that you're prepared for any unexpected data loss event, allowing you to focus on your work without worrying about the safety of your information.
In conclusion, backing up your data is crucial in today's digital age. Whether you're an individual or a mega business, it's essential to have a regular backup routine in place. It's easy to overlook the importance of data backups, but the consequences of data loss can be catastrophic. By regularly backing up your data, you're protecting yourself against hardware failures, cybersecurity threats, and other unexpected events that could result in data loss. So, take the time to back up your data regularly and enjoy the peace of mind that comes with knowing your valuable information is safe and secure.
GPT-4 - ai is about to get even more powerful
Artificial intelligence has come a long way in the past decade, and with each passing year, we see new breakthroughs that push the boundaries of what computers can do.
One such breakthrough is GPT-4, which promises to be the most advanced language processing AI model yet. GPT-4 stands for "Generative Pre-trained Transformer 4," and it's expected to revolutionise natural language processing (NLP) as we know it. In this article, we'll explore what is GPT-4 and why it matters in today's world of ever-evolving technology. So let's get ready for an exciting journey into the future of AI.
So What is GPT-4
GPT-4 is the fourth generation of OpenAI's language model, which has been generating a lot of hype in the AI community.
It promises to be more powerful and versatile than its predecessor GPT-3, which was already impressive in its ability to generate coherent and contextually-relevant text. The main difference between GPT-4 and previous models is that it will incorporate multimodal learning, meaning it will have the ability to learn from different types of data such as images, sounds, and videos. This could potentially lead to significant advancements in natural language processing (NLP) and computer vision applications.
One example of how this technology could be utilised is in chatbots or virtual assistants where users can interact with them using voice commands or written messages. With GPT-4's advanced NLP capabilities combined with multimodal learning, these systems could become even more human-like in their responses by incorporating visual cues such as facial expressions or gesture recognition into their understanding of user intent.
However, there are also concerns about the potential negative consequences of such powerful AI models if they fall into the wrong hands or are used for malicious purposes. For instance, they could be used to create convincing fake news articles or impersonate individuals online without their consent.
Overall, while there are both exciting possibilities and potential risks associated with GPT-4's development, it will undoubtedly continue to push the boundaries of what we thought possible with artificial intelligence.
Will ai put everyone out of job?
The impact of ai on employment is a complex issue, and there is no straightforward answer. While AI has the potential to automate many jobs and replace human labour in certain industries, it can also create new job opportunities and enhance existing ones. It's essential to understand that AI is not a standalone technology but rather a tool that can be integrated into various industries and workflows.
In some industries, such as manufacturing and transportation, AI has already led to job losses due to automation. However, in other sectors, such as healthcare and education, AI is being used to improve patient care and student learning outcomes, respectively. AI can also free up human labor from repetitive, mundane tasks, allowing them to focus on more creative and strategic aspects of their work.
Overall, the impact of AI on employment will depend on various factors, such as the specific industry, the level of automation, and the ability of workers to adapt to changing technological landscapes. While some jobs may become obsolete due to AI, new jobs will emerge that require different skills, such as data analysis, programming, and problem-solving.
It's crucial to prepare for the impact of AI on the labor market by investing in education and training programs that help workers develop the skills needed for the jobs of the future. Governments and organizations can also take steps to ensure that the benefits of AI are distributed fairly and that workers are not left behind as the technology continues to advance.
In conclusion, AI has the potential to automate certain jobs and replace human labour in some industries, but it can also create new job opportunities and enhance existing ones. The impact of AI on employment will depend on various factors, and it's essential to prepare for the future by investing in education and training programs and ensuring that the benefits of AI are distributed fairly.
Google Analytics 4
GA4, or Google Analytics 4, is the most up to date version of Google's web analytics tool. It was released in October 2020 and is the successor to the popular Google Analytics Universal Analytics (UA) version. GA4 is a significant upgrade over UA, with several new features and enhancements that make it a must-have tool for any website owner or digital marketer.
One of the most significant changes in GA4 is the way it tracks user behavior. UA relied heavily on cookies to track user behavior, but GA4 uses an event-based model that tracks interactions with a website or app, regardless of whether a user is signed in or has cookies enabled. This change is significant because it allows website owners to gather more comprehensive data about their users and their behavior, even if they don't have a full picture of who they are.
Another significant improvement with GA4 is the integration of machine learning (ML) capabilities. GA4's ML capabilities make it possible to automatically identify trends and insights from the data collected. This feature allows website owners to make data-driven decisions quickly and efficiently without having to spend hours manually analyzing data.
GA4 also offers a more streamlined user interface, making it easier for website owners to navigate and use the tool. The new interface includes a customizable dashboard that can be tailored to show the most important metrics for your website. Additionally, GA4 integrates with other Google tools such as Google Ads and Google BigQuery, making it easier to get a complete picture of your website's performance.
One of the most exciting features of GA4 is the ability to track cross-device and cross-platform user behavior. With the rise of mobile devices and the increasing importance of social media and other digital platforms, understanding how users interact with your website across different devices and platforms is critical. GA4 makes it possible to track user behavior across multiple devices and platforms, giving website owners a more complete picture of their users' behavior.
GA4 is a significant improvement over the previous version of Google Analytics. It offers website owners and digital marketers more comprehensive data, ML capabilities, a streamlined user interface, and the ability to track user behavior across multiple devices and platforms.
Google announced that in July 2023, Universal Analytics will no longer be available as it will be replaced by the Google Analytics 4.
GA4 has some many advantages over the previous versions:
Better User Behavior Tracking: GA4 uses an event-based model to track user behavior, allowing website owners to gather more comprehensive data about their users and their behavior, even if they don't have a full picture of who they are. This change is significant because it allows website owners to get a better understanding of how their users interact with their website or app.
Machine Learning Capabilities: GA4's machine learning (ML) capabilities make it possible to automatically identify trends and insights from the data collected. This feature allows website owners to make data-driven decisions quickly and efficiently without having to spend hours manually analyzing data.
Cross-Platform User Behavior Tracking: With the rise of mobile devices and the increasing importance of social media and other digital platforms, understanding how users interact with your website across different devices and platforms is critical. GA4 makes it possible to track user behavior across multiple devices and platforms, giving website owners a more complete picture of their users' behavior.
Easier Integration with Other Google Tools: GA4 integrates with other Google tools such as Google Ads and Google BigQuery, making it easier to get a complete picture of your website's performance. This integration allows website owners to optimize their online marketing efforts by making data-driven decisions based on the insights provided by GA4.
Future-Proofing: Google has made it clear that GA4 is the future of web analytics and is investing heavily in its development. By switching to GA4 now, website owners can future-proof their analytics efforts and ensure that they are keeping up with the latest trends and developments in the industry.
In conclusion, switching to Google Analytics 4 is essential for website owners and digital marketers who want to stay ahead of the curve and get the most out of their web analytics efforts. With its advanced tracking capabilities, machine learning capabilities, and easy integration with other Google tools, GA4 is a must-have tool for anyone looking to optimize their online marketing efforts and improve their website's overall performance.
What is SEO ?
Everyone talks about SEO and how it can benefit our online lives but for many small businesses, Search Engine Optimisation is a very complex topic that looks at lots of separate entities and scores you accordingly. We are not going to go too deeply into SEO as it could easily fill a book in it's own right, so we'll just cover the basics.
Search Engine Optimisation, or SEO as it's more commonly known, is the practice of optimising a website to improve its ranking and visibility on search engine results pages (SERPs). With more than 6 billion searches conducted on Google every day, it's essential for businesses to invest in SEO to attract organic traffic to their websites. Organic traffic is normally people finding you via a search engine or by links in social media that you've not paid to advertise.
In this article, we'll discuss the basics of SEO, including the different types of SEO, the importance of keyword research, on-page Optimisation, and link building.
The Various Types of SEO
Yes, just to confuse the issue even more there are two types of SEO: On-Page Optimisation and Off-Page Optimisation.
On-Page Optimisation refers to all the elements that are present on a webpage that can be optimized to improve its ranking on SERPs. This includes optimizing the content on a webpage, using appropriate HTML tags, optimizing images and videos, and improving website speed and performance.
Off-Page Optimisation refers to all the activities that are done outside of a webpage to improve its ranking on SERPs. This includes building backlinks, social media marketing, and influencer marketing.
Keyword Research
Keyword research is an essential part of SEO. It involves identifying the words and phrases that people use when searching for products or services related to your business. The goal is to optimize your website's content for those keywords so that your website appears higher in search engine results when someone searches for those keywords.
There are several keyword research tools available, including Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, and SEMrush. These tools can help you identify relevant keywords, their search volume, and the competition for those keywords.
On-Page Optimisation
On-Page Optimisation involves optimizing the content on a webpage to make it more search engine friendly. This includes optimizing the title tag, meta description, header tags, and images. It's essential to ensure that the content on a webpage is high-quality, relevant, and provides value to the user.
Other on-page factors that can impact your website's ranking include website speed, mobile-friendliness, and the use of HTTPS.
Link Building
Link building is the process of acquiring backlinks to your website from other websites. Backlinks are an important ranking factor for search engines because they indicate that other websites consider your content to be high-quality and valuable.
There are several ways to acquire backlinks, including guest posting, broken link building, and resource page link building. It's essential to ensure that the backlinks you acquire are from high-quality websites and are relevant to your content.
Conclusion
SEO is a complex and ever-evolving field that requires continuous learning and adaptation. However, by following the basics outlined in this blog, you can improve your website's ranking on SERPs and attract more organic traffic to your website. Remember to focus on high-quality content, keyword research, on-page Optimisation, and link building, and you'll be on your way to success.
Why is SEO so important?
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is a vital part of your growing your website into a strong and stable backbone to your business. Many people spend a lot a money and time on creating the perfect website with flashy graphics and killer content and then sit and wait for the customers to pour in. Surprise, surprise the leads don't arrive and the calls to action are never followed.
So what is SEO?
It is the process of growing a website’s organic search traffic by utilising keywords, content creation, on-page SEO and off-page SEO.
Eh, What does that mean !?
Basically, on-page SEO means looking at elements on your website such as your headings, your content, internal links and URLs and making sure that they are all labelled appropriately and contain the correct words to represent what your website is all about. This allows search engines to understand what your website is all about and value how important it is to the World. The more valuable the search engines think that your website and content are worth the more credibility you will get and the higher up the rankings you will go.
Off-page SEO, is looking at things away from your own website, such as links from other websites, known as backlinks
Give me another clue
The best way to look at how SEO can help your website, is to imagine your website as a tree.
Your tree, is magnificent and full of interesting branches and leaves but it lives in a forest with lots of other trees that appear similar. The only was to be seen and stand out from the rest off the trees is to become a bigger and better tree than the others around.
The best way to grow, is to have a good healthy strong root structure, that feeds nutrients into the tree and thus creating a magnificent beautiful specimen that people can find easily and enjoy.
The various roots spread out far and wild and bring in water and goodness from all around making the tree solid and strong.
SEO creates organic routes from other sites and search engines that helps your website grow and become stronger and more get more attention.
So how can I implement SEO on my website?
The best way is to seek professional assistance, unless you have full control over you website and can alter the key components in the structures of the pages as well as the content upon those pages. You will also need to understand what keywords are relevant and important for your business.
Is SEO worth the effort?
Yes, it is a vital part of your marketing strategy. Your website is, at the end of the day, your most valuable weapon in your arsenal. You have full control over your website and therefore control of your destiny.
Social Media on the other hand is an unknown. What if your account gets hacked and your loose your followers over night ? What if policies or algorithms suddenly change and you loose some or all of your audience ? What if your Social Media channel is suddenly not the 'in thing' and you have start all over again on a new platform?
We can help you get your SEO sorted....
FORMER pub gets new lease of life as a Boutique Hotel and Bistro
A FORMER Monmouthshire pub has been given a new lease of life as a boutique hotel and bistro, following a £600,000 investment.
The new owner of the former Llangeview Lodge on Chepstow Road, near Usk, which closed more than two years ago, re-opened the venue under a new name as a boutique hotel earlier this year.
The Lodge by Cefn Tilla, featuring 13 contemporary bedrooms and a new bistro dining experience, has been extensively refurbished by local businessman, Robert Evans.
Mr Evans, 51, who owns the Grade-II* Listed country estate Cefn Tilla Court- the exclusive wedding venue in nearby Llandenny and the former home of the late-Lord Raglan, said the venture has created nine jobs for local people and will give the local economy a boost.
The Lodge Bistro by Pickled Pumpkin Catering, officially opened last week (AUG 12) and is a joint venture between Mr Evans and Josh Currall, owner and Managing Director of Pickled Pumpkin Catering Ltd.
Mr Currall, 29, of Caldicot, who runs his catering business with partner, Beckie Petchey, from their base at the David Broome Event Centre in Portskewett, said that opening a bistro within the hotel is an exciting collaboration.
“We have built a strong relationship with Cefn Tilla, since launching the wedding side of our business last year, so this is an exciting partnership,” he said.
Designed with his Executive Chef, Gareth Hope, their signature menu is inspired by exciting flavours and Pickled Pumpkin’s brand.
“We’re creating seasonal dishes from duck breast with duck fat hash brown and spiced plum ketchup to Tandoori chicken spatchcock with saag aloo and yoghurt flatbread and small plates such as Korean fried chicken boa buns with red cabbage slaw, as well as fun and exciting desserts in a relaxed dining setting,” explained Mr Currall.
The menu features small plates, main courses, steaks, vegan dishes, and sustainable market fish of the day on the specials board.
"Guests are welcome to call in for a drink, sample the small plates, order a sharing platter or enjoy dinner at their leisure,” added Mr Hope.
“We also offer a dining area that can be hired for private functions.”
Mr Evans said: “I’m delighted to team up with Josh on this exciting venture and to be able to provide a focal point for the community.”
“We made a significant investment of £600,000 using local tradesmen to carry out renovation work over several months.”
“As well as creating nine jobs it will provide a much-needed boost for the local economy”, he added.
Monmouth MP David Davies said the bistro and hotel will help to boost tourism in the area.
“It’s fantastic that Rob and Josh have teamed up to bring the former Llangeview Lodge back to life in its new guise following a significant investment,” said Mr Davies.
“The business has created jobs for local people and will help to attract more visitors to the area,” he added.
South-East Wales MS, Laura Anne Jones said: “It was fantastic to celebrate the opening of The Lodge Bistro.”
“The rooms and restaurant look fabulous and, coupled with the delicious food and stunning views, I am sure it will be successful,” she added.
The bistro opens at 8.30am, serving food from 9am Wednesday to Saturday, with Sunday lunches served between midday and 4pm.
Find The Lodge Bistro by Pickled Pumpkin Catering on Facebook at ‘The Lodge Bistro’ or call 01291 440123. For accommodation visit Cefntilla.com
ENDS
Contact name: Katharine Skellon - Sudol Media (01873 588986)
Email: media@sudol.co.uk –Please contact to arrange interviews with Rob or Josh.
For more information about The Lodge by Cefn Tilla visit Cefntilla.com
The 19th Century French poet Gustave Nadaud famously said, “don’t die without seeing Carcassonne.”
Each year 4 million tourists take his advice and flock to historic town perched atop a hill and surrounded by mountains and vineyards in the Languedoc Roussillon region of South-West France. We went to find out more…
Carcassonne is the country’s most visited tourist spot after the Eiffel Tower and is one of the most spectacular medieval fortresses in Europe. The Medieval citadel, with its 53 watchtowers and two concentric walls, is a unique architectural complex, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. The view of the glowing fairy-tale castle from a distance at night is unforgettable and without a doubt Disney World perfect.
With its fairytale collection of drawbridges, towers and atmospheric cobbled streets, Carcassonne was reportedly the inspiration for Walt Disney’s Sleeping Beauty after he visited the picture perfect fortress. The breath-taking location has featured in several Hollywood blockbusters, including ‘Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and Labyrinth. The 25 square mile city has plenty to offer visitors from restaurants to quaint shops and a wealth of history and myths to discover.
The oldest fortified town in Europe, Carcassonne takes its name from the Legend of Dame Carcas. At the beginning of the 9th century, the city, besieged by Charlemagne, held out thanks to Dame Carcas the lady of the city, who fed the last remaining pig with the last remaining sack of grain and threw the fattened animal over The city’s ramparts. On seeing the pig, Charlemagne concluded that the city still had plenty of food in stock and decided to lift the siege. Dame Carcas had the trumpets sound to celebrate the victory, whence the name of the city, Carcassonne (from the French for Dame “Carcas rings”) There is plenty to see and do within the city walls over a long weekend from visiting its quaint shops, cafe, restaurants and historical monuments.
A tour with an audio guide or guide from the tourist office is highly recommended to learn about the Gauls, Romans, Visogths, Saracens and Franks, who have all left their mark on its 2500 year-old history. The Town Central Square is a nice place to drop after you’ve shopped and enjoyed a cup of coffee or an al-fresco lunch. The square sits at the very centre of Carcassonne and is dominated by a huge fountain. The acclaimed author, Kate Mosse fell in love with the city as soon as she laid eyes on it and it later became the setting of her novels ‘Labyrinth’ and ‘Citadel’.
HÔtel De La CITÉ Carcassonne The finest hotel within the city walls is the five star HÔtel de La CitÉ lies in the heart of this unique historical site and offers views over the city, its gardens and ancient walls. Built on the site of a former Episcopal palace in 1906, the 61 bedroom hotel is right next to the Saint-Nazaire Basilica and overlooks the lower town from the ramparts. Famous guests include Sir Winston Churchill, Princess Grace of Monaco, Rudyard Kipling and Sting. A glance at the visitors’ book offers a genuine journey through time. The black and white portraits in the ‘Chez Saskia’ restaurant also bear witness to the hotel’s roll call of famous guests. On arrival guests are welcomed at the foot of the city by the hotel porter in a tiny vehicle and accompanied to the hotel as the city is virtually car-free. In order to preserve the site, traffic is restricted from 10am to 6pm.
HÔtel de La CitÉ
Once over the drawbridge, you enter the city gates and discover the fortress, arriving in the Place Auguste-Pierre Pont, bordered by the Romanesque facade of the Saint-Nazaire Basilica and the rue Saint Louis with its charming little shops. At the hotel, each guest is handed a welcome booklet and a plan of the hotel, becoming a temporary “citizen of the City”. The hotel’s timeless charm and Neo-Gothic architecture takes hold from the lobby of the hotel. The great wooden staircase on the ground floor, classified as an historic monument, adds to the overall sense of grandeur.
The “sale des correspondence” invites guests to relax and quench their thirst in comfortable leather armchairs while perusing the books and registers in the hotel’s library. Every night, you can enjoy the sounds of jazz piano in the cozy elegant area around the fireplace. The rooms feature an ipod dock, luxury toiletries, free wi-fi access Guests can enjoy the uniquely beautiful heated swimming pool nestles amid the greenery at the foot of the imposing Saint Nazaire Basilica as well as a range of beauty treatments.
Where to eat? The city’s only starred-restaurant ‘La Barbacane’ offers exquisite fine dining with a huge selection of dishes, all created with the imagination and know-how in the most charming and elegant ambiance. ‘Chez Saskia’ with its relaxed ambiance, is the ideal place to start the day with a breakfast buffet featuring fresh seasonal fruits, preserves and compotes, home-baked breads and pastries, cheese and delicatessen meats.
L’Ostal Des Troubadours With a traditional medieval feel, the restaurant lies within the city walls and uses an open wood fire to cook your meal. L’Escargot is a bistro/wine bar close to the hotel that serves Mediterranean cuisine using local produce. Le Jardin de la Tour is a delightful summer outdoor restaurant, only a minute from the hotel, offering traditional cuisine. Chef Bernard nuances his dishes with the most beautiful Mediterranean accents and the menu varies with the seasons.
www.mgallery.com or www.accorhotels.com RATES double room from 169 Euro
Things to see Carcassonne Tourist Information offer a guided tour of the city. Visit the Tourist Information Centre and gift shop at the city gate. www.tourism-carcassonne.co.uk/
The Basilica of Saint-Nazaire –‘The jewel of the Medieval City’, an example of harmonious co-existence of Ro manesque and Gothic architecture with the finest stained glass in the south of France. The Tourist Train- Complete tour of the rampart walls looking at the architecture and defences. The Theatre de la cite This theatre, located inside the Medieval City, was founded in 1908 on the site of the former Saint-Nazaire cloisters. Middle Ages on stage In a reconstructed medieval village, you will witness medieval performances featuring dancing, music and fighting, interactive workshops and a children’s playground. Medieval barbecue with entertainment on the weekends and in July and August.
TOP TIPS: Don’t visit in the middle of the day due to the heat and crowds, instead visit early in the morning (it opens at 10am) or arrive late in the afternoon. The best spot to take photos of the castle is from the west or from the old bridge over the River Aude in the evening light.
Nearby In Carcassonne Lower City Le Defi - This boat offers cruises on the Canal du Midi with lunch or dinner included. Visitors step aboard at the Port of Carcassonne and discover the preserved landscapes of the Canal du Midi.
Museum of Fine Art Ornate Neo-Classical facade- The museum boasts a rich collection of paintings and ceramics from the XVII to XXI Centuries and also hosts excellent temporary exhibitions.
The Church of Saint Vincent and its Bell Tower - Illustrating the gothic art of the Languedoc region with its nave, it’s the largest in Southern France.
Tourist Information www.tourisme-carcassonne.fr Facebook: Tourisme Carcassonne
HÔtel de la CitÉ, Place Auguste-Pierre Pont, 11000 Carcassonne, France. Visit www.hoteldelacite.com
How to get there: Fly to Carcassonne from London (Stansted) East Midlands, Edinburgh and Manchester on Ryanair. The airport is ten minutes by car from Carcassonne. (Flights July 2021 cost on average £25 return from www.ryanair.com) Other main local airports: Toulouse-Blagnac (TLS) (60 minutes by car) Train from Toulouse to Carcassonne: Around one hour (several trains a day).
Hairy Biker drops into Monmouth Charity Shop
VOLUNTEERS at a Monmouth charity shop had a surprise visit from a much-loved celebrity today (THURSDAY)
Celebrity chef Si King, who makes up one half of The Hairy Bikers, delighted volunteers and staff at the British Heart Foundation Cymru's Monmouth branch where he bought an Elvis LP, cuddly toy and a hat.
Store manager, Gareth Noble said: "Si was an absolute gent, he took the time to talk to our volunteers and really made their week."
Volunteer Matt Tudor, assistant manager, Lesley Cutting-Cooke and volunteer Laura Gould are pictured with Mr King
The Monnow Street shop is a great place to pick up good quality, clothing, handbags, shoes, books and toys, and every purchase helps fund lifesaving research into heart and circulatory diseases.
Mary Douglas, Area Manager at the British Heart Foundation, said: “It was a real treat for our team to meet Si at our Monmouth shop. We’re thrilled he picked up a few bargains, and it just goes to show you never know what you’ll find – or who you’ll bump into - at the BHF! We’re are always in need of quality donations so please do keep us in mind in future if you’re having a clear out! You can pop into your local shop or call and we can collect.”
