SPRING
THE
PULSE
l
77
Mainhattan
transfer
SPRING
TIME
IN
PA
RIS
means
jostling
for
space
in
pavement
cafes
and
tripping
over
canoodling
couples.
Heading
further
east,
however
,
into
Germany
means
taking
advan-
tage
of
two
new
routes
from
Edinbur
gh.
We
are
finally
being
wooed
by
Germany8217s
charms,
realising
there8217s
more
to
the
coun-
try
than
Christmas
mark
ets
and
very
lar
ge
beers.
Frankfurt
is
already
an
established
busi-
ness
destination
8211
the
skyscrapers
of
its
financial
district
plus
its
situation
on
the
banks
of
the
River
Main
have
given
the
city
the
monik
er
8220Mainhattan8221.
It
also
has
a
vibrant
cultural
scene.
Fr252hlings
Dippemess
spring
festival
tak
es
place
from
14
March
to
6
April,
with
food,
wine,
craf
ts,
and
all
the
fun
of
the
German
fair
.
The
second
new
desti-
Direct
flights
to
new
German
routes,
but
some
roads
lead
to
Ro
me...
and
Pe
ebles
TRA
VEL
Rome
away
from
home
FL
YING
TA
CKLES
Snow
far
,
so
good
SKIING
IN
SCO
TLAND
There8217s
always
a
flurry
of
excitement,
if
you8217ll
pardon
the
expression,
whenever
Scotland
is
blessed
with
a
decent
ski
season.
This
year
it
8217s
so
far
,
so
good,
with
some
impressive
dumps
of
snow
.
Most
of
the
resorts
will
stay
open
until
Easter
,
depending
on
the
weather
conditions,
so
there
is
still
plenty
of
time
to
get
your
skis
strapped
on
and
your
goggles
boxed.
Good
snow
tends
to
tak
e
us
by
surprise,
however
,
so
the
resorts
are
well
prepared,
selling
passes
online.
Safety
concerns
mean
that
only
a
certain
amount
of
passes
are
released
each
day
,
so
buying
online
saves
the
potential
hassle
of
getting
up
at
dawn
and
driving
north
only
to
find
the
slopes
are
at
full
capacit
y.
For
a
general
round-up
of
current
conditions
at
the
different
Scottish
skiing
centres,
be
sure
to
check
out
the
dedicated
winter
sports
website
at
ski.visitscot
land.com
We
all
lik
e
to
escape,
but
it
8217s
so
much
easier
if
that
escape
is
but
a
mere
hop
and
a
skip
from
home.
Castle
Ve
nlaw
,
which
is
just
an
hour
8217s
drive
from
Edinburgh,
certainly
ticks
that
box
along
with
many
others.
The
castle
sits
regally
on
a
hill
overlooking
Pe
ebles
and
is
the
perfect
spot
for
a
bit
of
post-
Va
lentine8217s
romance,
with
turreted
suites,
four
-poster
beds,
and
luxurious
bathrooms
with
fibre
-o
ptic
stars
set
into
the
ceiling
and
twinkling
away
above
your
head.
For
more
details
log
on
to
ww
.venlaw
.co.uk
RIVER
CITY
The
Main
flows
a
constant
course
against
the
ever
-
changing
skyline
of
Fr
ankfurt8217s
financial
centre,
while
Bremen
,
inset,
is
the
bonny
home
of
Becks
nation
is
the
northern
town
of
Bremen,
which
is
a
little-known,
but
very
pleasant,
surprise
with
its
picture
postcard
German
old
town.
Anyone
who
has
ever
sunk
a
bottle
of
Becks
may
recall
that
its
home
is
Bremen.
And
from
17
to
20
April,
jazzahead!
comes
to
the
town,
a
laidback
festival
of
concerts,
classes
and
shows.
Book
flights
at
www
.ryanair
.com
There
is
one
more
chance
to
don
the
kilt
and
rugby
shirt
and
support
our
rugby
team
overseas.
Scotland8217s
final
match
in
this
year
8217s
RBS
Six
Nations
tournament
is
against
Italy
on
15
March
at
the
Stadio
Flaminio
in
Ro
me.
Ryan
Air
has
flights
from
Pr
estwick
to
Ro
me
Ciampino.
Visit
www
.ryanai
r.
com
Suite
dreams
CASTLE
VENLA
W,
PEEBLES
P76-77_Pulse_Feb_
12/2/08
11:04
pm
Page
77
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