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Enjoying Paris; 'Romance' in the City of Love

'Romance' in the City of Love
In the last few months I have rather enjoyed discovering how Parisian life differs from the postcards and sycophantic films. Cycling along the sunlight boulevards also involves dodging cavalier traffic with a moral aversion to lanes; outdoor cafes with heaters are balanced by glass boxes in clubs where smokers huddle together, eyes streaming; a flat in Paris tends to be the size of a closet in London; my favourite boulangerie is run by a family of squabbling Armenians.

Forth Bridge - Scotland's Eiffel Tower

Viewing platform could turn Forth Bridge into Scotland's Eiffel Tower
Rail chiefs are looking at the idea of building a viewing platform for visitors to be hoisted more than 300ft to the top of the Forth Bridge.
Network Rail, which manages the bridge, confirmed on Sunday that it is examining the feasibility of establishing visitor access, which would offer impressive views of all around the Firth of Forth.

Throwing a Large Dinner Party

You've mastered the art of hosting a dozen friends for dinner, and you're getting ambitious. How hard will it be to ramp up to throwing a large dinner party for 18 or more?
Not too hard, says chef Michael Mina—with careful planning. Mr. Mina, no stranger to feeding large parties at his 19 U.S. restaurants, stays organized to ensuring that dinner parties at his home unfold smoothly.

Grain of truth in wheat-free diet

I suppose you could say these are the last days of the feasting and indulging and this weekend many of us will be waking up saying: "I'm going to shift a few kilos."
Diets are a multi-million euro industry with new magic formulas coming on stream every month. I am no dietician or food nutritionist but over the years I have probably been on every diet known to man. Many have been successful for a period, most have been miserable, but I have finally come to the conclusion that all diet programmes preach about a change of eating habits.

2011 Quiz - how much do you remember?

2011 - how much do you remember?
It was the year of riots, financial crises, Slut Walks and a royal wedding, but how well do you remember it all? Nick Curtis tests your news knowledge
1. What indignity did Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow not endure this year?
a) Seeing his wife Sally naked apart from a bedsheet in ES magazine, and then in the Big Brother house.
b) Being told "you are not f***ing royalty, Mr Speaker" by Mark Pritchard MP, and then seeing the phrase blazoned on T-shirts in the Commons.

TOP FESTIVE SURVIVAL GUIDE

By Michele O'Conner

Eat Less, Remember More and other memory tricks

Eat Less, Remember More... And Other Memory-Boosting Tricks
According to an Italian study, skipping dessert or having a light lunch could benefit more than just your waistline. Eating less could help you remember more and boost your brain power, too.
Scientists from the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Rome investigated 'calorific restriction', a theory that near-starvation rations help boost health and memory.

Smart Consumer: How to help charities

Smart Consumer: How to help charities without spending extra this Christmas
Chances are you're minding your cash very carefully this Christmas, and right you are too.
But with less cash to spend it's not only retailers that are seeing profits fall. Charities are struggling like never before with some saying they are receiving 40pc less in donations than before.
While no one would expect you to give if you don't have, there are ways that you can support charity without spending anything extra.

The best way to slow down and see your surroundings

Why I love walking
Walking is the best way to slow down and see your surroundings says Alex James.

Alzheimer's: Deep brain stimulation 'reverses' disease

Scientists in Canada have raised a tantalising prospect - reversing Alzheimer's disease.
Brain shrinkage, declining function and memory loss had been thought to be irreversible.
They used a technique known as deep brain stimulation - applying electricity directly to regions of the brain. In two patients, the brain's memory hub reversed its expected decline and actually grew.
Deep brain stimulation has been used in tens of thousands of patients with Parkinson's as well as having an emerging role in Tourette's Syndrome and depression.