It is hard to think of Australia without images of the world-famous Sydney Opera House coming to mind. Jorn Utzon designed this structure, although the Danish-born architect never viewed the finished structure. Surrounding the shell-shapes of the opera house is the city of Sydney, a city with many other unique buildings inspired by craftsman house plans to beach bungalow-style house plans that represent the multi-cultural heart of the city.

Thinking about southern house plans in the United States brings to mind the old south and spacious home with wide front porches lined with rocking chairs. Houses in the south of Sydney are quite a contrast. The area of the city is home to suburbs like Glebe, Redfern and Newtown, which border the University of Sydney, Australia’s oldest university. The arches and sandstone of the school’s main quadrangles will leave you feeling as if you’ve just stepped into another era. The building was designed in the Medieval Gothic period and borrows from the architecture of Cambridge and Oxford in the United Kingdom.

With real estate at a premium, especially within the city’s central business district, many Sydneysiders chose location and apartment living instead of the larger planned communities outside the city where for a fraction of the cost homebuyers can chose among cabin floor plans, large duplex plans or whatever else is in the home plans of their dreams.

Customs House was built in 1845 in a Greek Revival style. The function of the building back then was to collect monies from wharfage and import duties. Later the building was rebuilt to meet the needs of the growing city and rebuilt in an Italian palazzo-style. Today there is a large library on the lower floors of Customs House where on any given day you can read a hundred different newspapers from all over the world. On the top floor of the Customs House is Cafe Sydney, which boasts breathtaking views of both the Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House on a clear night.

Experiencing the architecture of Sydney wouldn’t be complete without a final stop at the Royal Botanic Gardens, which is also the former site of the Garden Palace, which was built on the grounds for an international exhibit. Unfortunately, the Garden Palace was destroyed in a fire, but still many years later you can find tourist and locals alike enjoying an afternoon stool or lunchtime job around the lush grounds.

When making the decision to build a home, you don’t have to travel to Australia to find inspiration. Through House Plans and More you can find southern house plans, cabin floor plans and craftsman house plans that are sure to give you ideas for you own dream home.

Portrush, located on the famous Causeway coast, is recognised as Northern Ireland’s most popular seaside resort. Every year thousands of visitors travel to and stay in Portrush.

Accommodation

Portrush has an excellent selection of accommodation making it an ideal base for exploring the beautiful coastline of Northern Ireland. There are around forty hotels, guest houses and bed and breakfasts to choose from. Many of these have rooms with great coastline views. The central Ramada Hotel is one of the newest, largest and most popular hotels. Some self-catering cottages and apartments are also available.

Portrush has extensive caravan parks, located near the coastline and beaches. Family sized static caravans are available to rent and these provide a good opportunity to meet Northern Irish residents on holiday. Accommodation bookings can be made online, though some smaller businesses only accept bookings by telephone.

Services

Important services are catered for in Portrush. Ulster Bank (RBS) and Northern Bank have branches in the town. There are also hairdressers, pharmacies, two beauty salons, a spa at the excellent Adelphi guest house and a dentist! Emergency doctor services are available on call and the local Council is based in nearby Coleraine.

Travel

Traveling to Portrush can be an enjoyable experience! Translink operate trains and buses from Belfast and Derry/Londonderry on a regular timetable. Driving along the Causeway Coastal Route from Belfast, awards a wonderful experience of the beautiful coastline. A more direct, but still pleasant route, is possible via the M2, A26 and A29 roads to Portrush. Excellent roads are also available from Derry/Londonderry A515/2, Sligo N15/13 and Dublin M1/A1.

Numerous budget and business class flights arrive, everyday in Northern Ireland, from across the world. Tourist information and hire cars are available from each airport.

Belfast International Airport, the largest airport in Northern Ireland, is 46 miles from Portrush, approximately 70 minutes by car. Belfast City Airport is 62 miles from Portrush, approximately 90 minutes by car. City of Derry Airport, a smaller airport, is 28 miles from Portrush, approximately 50 minutes by car. Dublin Airport, the largest and busiest airport in Ireland, is 156 miles from Portrush, taking approximately 3 hours 30 minutes by car.

Finally

More accommodation and travel information is available from the Northern Ireland Tourist Board and from travel websites online. Guide books and road maps of Northern Ireland are available from good bookshops. The beautiful coastline of Portrush has been a favourite destination for countless generations. When you come to Northern Ireland, make sure you make time to visit Portrush!

Written by: Matthew Blain (Matt Blain Design), B.Arch (Hons), Postgraduate Diploma

Visit Portrush: http://www.visitportrush.co.uk/about/portrush/ — The Guide to Portrush accommodation, booking, and useful information.

oYoohoo: http://www.oYoohoo.co.uk/ — Your UK City Portal for news, weather, accommodation, flights, web search, shopping and other useful information, for many other UK cities and towns.

When you visit Paris, you will find a diverse culinary menu to choose from. Let your taste buds and your palette explore the French food and cuisine. There are many eating places from which to choose.

Bistros are small, moderately priced restaurants. Some bistros serve regional and traditional dishes while others provide more modern fare.

If you want to eat in a large restaurant with lots of people, look for a Brasserie. They have large menus and most are open all day and late into the night.

Wine bars and cafes usually open early in the morning and serve drinks and food that consist of salads and sandwiches. They usually offer a special hot meal at lunch. The prices at cafes can vary in the different areas of Paris. Wine bars have simple lunch menus and serve sandwiches.

In almost any area of Paris you will find a good to excellent restaurant. The greatest concentration of restaurants seems to be on the Left Bank where many tourist visit. Prices will vary as will the quality of the food. Each area of Paris such as the Latin Quarter will have restaurants that specialize in foods from other countries such as Chinese and Vietnamese.

There are not a lot of vegetarian restaurants in Paris. If you see a salad on the menu and it has meat, you can always request that the meat not be included. Some restaurants will accommodate you if you call ahead and request a special meal.

The price of a meal in Paris can vary from cheap to expensive. The law requires that all French restaurants display their menu and prices outside. The price includes a service charge but not a tip.

You should make a reservation if you intend to dine in a restaurant. Some brasseries and bistros may also require reservations or you will find yourself waiting for a table. Not all restaurants are accessible by wheelchair. If you need assistance, you should indicate this at the time the reservation is made. In the U.S we are used to requesting a high-chair for a small child. Such accommodations are not the norm in Paris.

We had dinner at a brasserie near the Moulin Rouge and had tickets for a show. We were seated almost immediately. The restaurant was busy and we spent over two hours from the time we were seated until we finished our meal and left the brasserie.

When you find the restaurant, bistro, or brasserie of your choice, do not expect to sit down and eat in an hour. Meals are ordered in a specific way and are cooked to order. If you have tickets for a show or an event and want to have dinner before going, make sure you allow enough time.

Sandra writes articles for a number of Internet websites dealing with the challenges of daily life. Read more about Paris and other personal lifestyle topics.