This is part 14 of ‘Recent Reads’ in which I highlight recommended posts in the blogosphere.

Burj al Ara © Jeff Vergara

Travel Team Travel Secrets suggests seven great ways to spend a layover.

In a series of three hidden European gems, Mark H of Travel Wonders of the World writes about the mournful piece of stone in Lucerne.

Angela Corrias of Travel Calling takes a quick stroll around Dubai and discovers the biggest shopping center in the Middle East as well as the Jumeirah complex, where you can find the world famous Burj Al Arab.

On Voyagner, Dan Haneveer shares 11 beautiful images of Pakistan. Ever visited the Hunza Valley, Karachi or the Derawar Fort?

Paul Dow of TravMonkey World Travel recommends footwear for backpacking the world.

And Angela K. Nickerson of The Gypsy’s Guide had Tokyo flashbacks in Sacramento when she met a group of Goth Loli girls.

Riding in chair lifts.

Snowboarding.

Skiing — preferably off-piste and without a rucksack.

Les Deux Alpes, France

Beautiful alp views when skiing.

The day rises in Servoz, a village in the Chamonix valley © Claudia Meyer

Misty mornings in villages surrounded by mountains.

The top of the Wendelstein mountain in Bavaria, Germany

Mountains in Austria and Germany remind me of Sound of Music.

Matterhorn, Zermatt, Switzerland

You feel humbled by their magnificence.

Engelberg, Switzerland

When you’re high enough, you can look down on the clouds.

Paragliders

The prospect of paragliding.

Snow covered mountains © Claudia Meyer

The combination of mist and snow-covered trees and mountains.

The thrill of skiing past ”Danger’ signs.

The coast of Nice © Lauren Salvitti

Written  by: Iain Miller

The Cote d’Azur, more commonly known in English as the French Riviera makes up the south eastern corner of France’s coastline. While this beautiful stretch of coast became one of the original resort regions in the world, it has always been a destination for travellers from other countries. The ancient Greeks came here to sell their wares to the local people and in the 1700s aristocrats from Britain used the Cote d’Azur as their favourite holiday area. In the 19th century the Russians made it into their summer retreat from St. Petersburg. The 20th century saw famous artists and writers frequently visit, as well as wealthy families from America and elsewhere in Europe. Some now refer to the Cote d’Azur as the “playground of the rich and famous”.

The Cote d’Azur sits on the Mediterranean Sea with the Alps in the background. The name comes from the beautiful azure color of the sea. The entire coastline can be travelled in 3 hours from St. Tropez to the Italian border. Some of the most glamorous beaches in the world are along this stretch of coastline. They tend to be narrow stretches of beach made up more of rock and pebbles than sand bordered by busy streets or highways.

• St. Tropez – The best beaches of St Tropez villas cover a 3 mile stretch that can be accessed easily by foot from town. Many people prefer the sandy expanses of beach farther from town called Les Salin and Plage de Pampelonne.

• St. Maxime – The beaches here are on a waterfront that is crammed with tall buildings, apartments, luxury villas and hotels. But it is considered to be a very affordable beach resort ideal for families.

• Cannes – Most of the beaches of Cannes belong to hotels and restaurants where visitors can rent lounges and umbrellas. There are also public beaches and facilities that rent sailboats. Find bargain hotels in Cannes and throughout France with Twenga.

• Antibes – This area boasts 48 beaches that include small inlets and rocky steeply sloped beaches located at the base of cliffs.

• Nice – These are probably the most well known and popular beaches of the Cote d’Azur. Some run along a public promenade and others are luxurious private beaches that offer restaurants and bars as well as equipment rental for a variety of water sports.

There are a number of wonderful reasons to visit the Cote d’Azur besides the beaches themselves.

Eastern Riviera sites:

Monte Carlo at night

• Monte Carlo in Monaco may be most famous for its casinos, but it also offers lush tropical gardens, the well known Formula One Monte Carlo Grand Prix, and the Monte Carlo Opera.

• The entire stretch of the Cote d’Azur is full of excellent art museums like the Musee Picasso in Antibes, the Fondation Maeght in St. Paul, and Musee Matisse in Nice.

Le Vieux Port

• Nice is known as the “Queen of the Riviera” and is well worth the visit to see its palaces, museums, mansions and extravagant hotels. A path along the sea called Sentier Tirepoil offers spectacular views.

Western Riviera sites:

• Moustiers St. Marie is an old village that sits at the base of a rocky cliff. A stream runs directly through the middle of the village, dividing it into two halves with a rocky canyon dotted with small waterfalls.

• The Verdon Gorge is a canyon that may the most beautiful one in all of Europe. Formed by River Verdon, it is 700 meters deep. The area is popular to those who like to hike and rock climb as well as kayak.

No matter your destinations in the Cote d’Azur or the time of year that you travel, you can count on the Mediterranean climate to be perfect for your visit. The summer days are hot and dry and the winters are quite mild.

Iain Miller is a finance and travel blogger with an unhealthy interest in poker and dreams of making it big in Vegas. He works in marketing promoting luxury holidays for Elegant Resorts.

When writing “La Memoria”, Jairo Zavala, the Spanish rocker behind DePedro, was inspired by a trip to Mexico and the injustice and poverty he saw there.

DePedro – La Memoria

Miami Skyline � Juan Vasquez

The photographer shot this on a drive back from Miami Beach.

Gothenburg hasn’t had this much snow in 25 years or so.

Not too long ago I finished reading Chelsea Duke’s High Heels and a Head Torch: A Survival Guide for Girls Who Backpack. I didn’t know what to expect of the book and was pleasantly surprised by the large range of practical tips and advice for female travelers.

During trips through South America, Australia, Asia and Africa, Chelsea Duke (who had never stayed in a hostel before) learnt plenty of survival techniques she happily shares in a light-hearted way. Many of her hilarious stories had me chuckling and laughing out loud. These are tips you will not find in usual guidebooks: how to avoid electric shocks in South American showers; why a pair of sparkly flip-flops is an indispensable item to pack; how to best use a squat toilet; and why you need a head torch with LEDs.

The book covers many aspects of the travel experience, in total eleven chapters.

• First things first
• Sleeping with strangers
• Food, glorious food
• Keeping spick and span
• Health
• The scary stuff
• Planes, trains and automobiles
• International relations
• Shop tactics
• Backpacker phone home – and other methods of communication
• That’s entertainment

In Sleeping with strangers, Chelsea gives great advice on choosing your hostel and bed (hint: few backpackers want the top bunk), in the food section you’ll learn how to prepare a delicious meal in badly equipped hostel kitchens, and Keeping spick and span includes tips on how to have your washing done in India. I especially enjoyed the parts about health and keeping safe (you don’t want any of that scary stuff) as well as the lists of do’s and don’ts at the end of every chapter.

Besides brilliant advice and entertaining anecdotes, Chelsea shares fascinating insights and excellently shows how not to sacrifice your femininity (pay extra attention to her suggested beauty treatments before traveling) just because you’re on the road.

I wouldn’t recommend any female traveler to backpack around the world without having read High Heels and a Head Torch. And even though the book is aimed for girls, I bet guys can find it entertaining and useful as well. If you consider backpacking anywhere in the world, regardless of your previous travel experience, do read Chelsea Dukes’ first book.