A new Blackpool?

Traditionally one of Britain's seaside towns, there is now a new Blackpool emerging. If you've been there recently, tell us about it!

Blackpool’s reputation has suffered because of low cost b&bs, and town-centre binge drinking. But the Victorians, who built the town’s landmarks, had far loftier ambitions. The tower is considered Blackpool's icon and was built between 1891 and 1894 as a cheeky pastiche of the Eiffel Tower, and to encourage people to consider the town as being as chic and as glamorous as Paris. If it was the biggest or the best, you would have found it in Blackpool in the 19th century. The first-ever electrical tram system and the first ever electrically-lit streets were built there. Blackpool was the epitome of modern holidaying in the 19th and early 20th centuries. To accommodate the massive influx of tourists, thousands of beds had to be found. Blackpool today: Today, some guest houses, such as the Number 1Guest House, are challenging the stereotypical image of the seaside b&b, and a new Blackpool is emerging. A Blackpool that is modern, design conscious, and out to impress.

The sea front is an ideal place to show modern sculpture pieces and Laurence checked out a piece of artwork called 'They shoot horses, don't they' by Michael Trainor. And this is just the beginning - over the next five years £81 million will be spent regenerating seven miles of seafront, with inland beaches, light shows and more sculptures. Tradition still sells: But Blackpool is still doing lots of things right. It is, after all, still Britain’s most visited resort and it’s not going to get rid of the things we love it for. The beaches are still winning awards for their cleanliness, the trams are still running, and the tower and the donkeys are still going strong. Blackpool is also still a fairyland of bright lights, glitter and sequins. It’s a playground for young and old. And its always been practical about finding new ways to attract visitors. Even the famous Illuminations were an accidental hit. They were designed as a one-off show for a Royal Visit in 1912 but they attracted so many extra visitors that the council decided to put them on every year. Hotel chic: Laurence found that the Big Blue Hotel oozes metro boutique hotel chic with an attention to detail that sets it apart. The hotel is part of the Pleasure Beach complex, and is one of the innovations brought in to update Britain’s favourite visitor attraction. Four generations of Amanda Thompson’s family have been running this amusement park and she wants to make coming to Blackpool a more sophisticated experience. The Pleasure Beach also has another of Blackpool’s record breaking features – Europe’s highest rollercoaster. Laurence's verdict on Blackpool is that it will always be a party town, but that there's definitely a new feeling in the town, a desire to recreate the Blackpool that was sophisticated, glamorous and chic. -By L. Bouwen

Mexico City

Mexico City has the unenviable reputation of being one of the largest and arguably the most dangerous city in the world. Where do you begin? Mexico City is the second largest city in the world, nearly 7,000 feet (2134 metres) above sea level. People have lived in Mexico City since prehistoric times, the Spaniards conquered it for its gold, and today, it's edgy, noisy and very busy. So, is Mexico City the ultimate city break? In 1519, the first European to gaze across what was already a vast metropolis, was the conquistador, Jernen Cortes, who was so moved by the Aztec capital that he said, 'This city is so great and so beautiful that I can hardly say half of what I could say about it. And this bit alone is practically unbelievable. It is even more beautiful than Granada.’ Five hundred years later, Mexico City is smoggy and packed, and amongst the five kidnap capitals of the world. But you're most likely to be intimidated by the size - over 20 million people live here. This area of Mexico was first settled more than 20,000 years ago, making it the longest inhabited city in the Western Hemisphere. In 1325, the Aztecs founded a settlement in the middle of the lake. By the time Cortes arrived it had become the centre of Aztec civilization and of an empire that stretched from Texas to Honduras. On the site of the old city Cortes vowed to build his 'new Spain'.

The ancient, historic and the modern all meet at the Plaça de la Constitution, so this was a good place for Jeremy to start. Sinking city: As the city grew and more and more land was reclaimed from the ever shrinking lake upon which it had been built, the ground became unstable. While Venice is sinking into its lagoon at a leisurely centimetre or so a year, Mexico City has plunged some ten metres in the past century. Many of its most historic buildings are at risk. The Catedral Metropolitan, on the south side of the square, has dropped by three metres and today is supported by an underpinning of concrete, metal wires and scaffolding. City of contrasts: Jeremy had never been anywhere where the contrast between rich and poor has been so great. Just as the city’s slums have grown at an astonishing rate, so has the number of wealthy Mexicans. And nowhere is that more apparent than Polanco, a rich neighbourhood with designer shops and chichi eateries. He tried out one restaurant, Aguila y Sol, run by Martha Elena Ortiz Chapa. Mexico City is still regarded as potentially dangerous, but Jeremy felt that there was no need to be overwhelmed by it. Here are his tips for surviving a large city. Only carry large amounts of money in a money belt. Wear nothing more valuable than a cheap, plastic watch. Try not to hail a street cab - stick to a radio cab, one of Mexico's official taxis. His hotel was the four star Fiesta Americana on one of Mexico City’s main boulevards, the Avenida Reforma. He found it perfectly comfortable if a little bland, but also only a short taxi ride from the Condesa for a night time visit to one of the city’s most exciting neighborhoods. In typical Mexican style, lunch is the main meal of the day, so in the evening you come here for the bars. Ancient pyramids: And finally, Jeremy went to the ancient pyramids of Teotihuacan, 50 kilometres (31 miles) outside the city. Building there began around the time of Christ. The name means the place of gods. The Aztecs believed that this is where the universe began. The pyramids would have been topped with golden temples where it was thought the gods sacrificed themselves to create the sun. The human sacrifice continued until Spanish rule. The third largest pyramid in the world has 248 steps but to get a sense of the ancient civilization, Jeremy confirmed that it was worth the climb. By Jeremy Sheffeld.

Costa Brava

Costa Brava Check out this report for a taste of Costa Brava beyond the beach.Sightseeing: The Costa Brava has taken a hammering in the press over the past few years famous for tackiness rather than tranquillity. But the region is fighting back. The artist Salvador Dali really put the region onto the map. He lived in Cadaques for about 50 years, making it a cool place to hang out. In hindsight though, maybe a bit too cool, as Brits flocked to the region, high-rises soared and when it all got too much the bubble burst. Cadaques, however, escaped it all and retained its charm largely due to its inaccessibility. Sumit hired a car to get him from Cadaques to Gerona for the weekend, giving him the freedom to explore the area. The city is split in two, the old part and the new.

Like most Spanish cities, Gerona is dominated by the Rambla, a bustling shopping area rich with restaurants, boutiques and life. Rising from there the barri vell or the old quarter remains relatively untouched particularly the medieval Jewish quarter. There's a wall that takes you all the way around the old part of the city. In the heart of Gerona is its centrepiece, the cathedral, where a place of worship has existed since the third century. Sumit spoke to Francesco Francisco, a councillor for the region, who explained that within an hour or so from the town, you can mountain ski or water ski, and in the summer, head for one of the many beaches. Of course the high-rise version of the Costa Brava hasn’t disappeared if that’s what you’re looking for but if you venture out and explore a bit there are many little bays like Sa Tuna that retain a charm and beauty that you might not have expected to find. To add a bit of zest to his trip, Sumit headed north up the coast on the promise of an extreme experience that he would never forget: skydiving! By Su Boze.



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