I had thoroughly enjoyed my guided bicycle tour with Ça Roule and Bruno, a licensed city guide from Guidatour, really introduced Montreal up close to us. And my own independent explorations of the bicyle trail along the Lachine Canal introduced me to a side of Montreal I had never been exposed to. After returning my bike after a full day of exercise I wanted to find out a bit more about who is behind this operation, Ça Roule, or Montreal on Wheels, as it is known in English.

Montreal, by the way, is a fabulous city to explore by bicycle. The Old Port area, the bicycle path network along the Lachine Canal and alongside the St. Lawrence River, as well as the islands of Ile St. Hélène and Parc Jean Drapeau in the St. Lawrence are eminently bikeable. Of course the trail network on Mont Royal also adds some interesting terrain for cycling enthusiasts and many of Montreal's quaint neighbourhoods lend themselves perfectly to be discovered en vélo. Montreal was actually voted the number 1 city for bicyclists in 1999 by Bicycling magazine.

Ça Roule is a Bicycle Rental and Touring Shop located on the harbourfront boulevard at 27 De La Commune Est. André Giroux, the owner, created this company 12 years ago. He originally studied law and spent 7 years as a lawyer, specialized in litigation and legal consulting for large real estate developers. As an avid sports person, André plays hockey and tennis and he really enjoys cycling and in 1994 he decided to open a small rental store that initially focused on renting roller blades, a big craze in the mid 1990s. His original stable of equipment also included 12 bicycles. In the meantime his fleet has grown to more than 70 bicycles which include touring bikes, tandems, trail bikes, electric bikes and electric scooters. His store also rents kids trailers and child carriers.

I asked him what the name "Ça Roule" actually means and he explained that this French phrase literally means "it's rolling", but is generally understood as "it's going well", "it's running well". He explained that his store specializes in customer service, his staff is knowledgeable, and they are available to provide advice on all sorts of biking activities in and around Montreal. Everyone gets outfitted with a city-wide cycling map and a free bottle of water is included in every tour.

His customers come from all over the world including the USA, the rest of Canada and a wide variety of European countries. Even Australian, Korean and Japanese travelers rent muscle-powered equipment from him and many of his clients are referred by hotels and the Montreal Tourist Office. In addition he also offers bicycle repairs and some of his repair clients are part of the 3500 permanent residents that now live in Old Montreal, or employees that work in Old Montreal and commute there by bicycle.

Ça Rule has six staff members: two bicycle repair technicians and four tour leaders. Recently he has started to collaborate with Guidatour and both companies combined have developed an Official City Tour By Bike that is led by a licensed tour guide. This morning I participated in this official city tour and in my opinion exploring a city by bike has to be one of the best ways of discovering a new place.

In any northern country, the bicycling business is seasonal, and the high season at Ça Roule goes from May to October, sometimes stretching into November, depending on the weather. During the winter André works on updating the website and preparing the strategies for the next business years and last year he had a chance to go to Florida for 3 weeks. During the summer the shop is very busy and André and his staff members work very had, but he tries to go out bicycling himself in the evenings between 7 and 8 pm. He loves to cycle over to Montreal's islands: Ile St. Hélène and Jean Drapeau Park.

André also pointed out that Ça Roule is able to offer customized bicycle tours. One time a group of people asked to start a tour on top of Mont Royal. So he rented a cargo van and carted several bikes up to the top of the mountain so the tour group could start their ride at their intended starting point. All sorts of special assignments can be done, they might just require a bit of notice to organize.

With all this exercise I was ready for a very solid dinner, so I thanked André for his time and for putting on the Official Guide City Tour, one of the best ways of getting to know the city and continued my explorations of Montreal on this Canada Day.

Before beginning a job search in Spain, you should know that the wages are typically lower than those in other parts of Europe, such as the northern cities. Despite lower wages, the cost of living is also reduced, which helps to promote better overall living in Spain.

When looking to qualify for work in Spain, most qualifications obtained anywhere else in the European Union are acceptable. While foreigners are accepted into the workforce in Spain, those who come from outside of the European Union must obtain a Spanish work permit in order to gain employment. Sometimes, getting a work permit is rather difficult, as many Spanish employers refrain from hiring someone that does not have an existing work permit. This often causes confusion and frustration, as work permits are difficult to obtain without proving guaranteed employment awaits your arrival.

Once you have secured employment, many workers will receive a contract of at least six months from their employer. This is a guarantee that a foreign worker will be given the same rights as other Spanish employees. It is especially important to carefully review any contracts and when needed, taking documents to a translator if you do not speak Spanish. Usually, temporary contracts are offered for 3-, 6-, or 9 months. Once a contract expires, your employer must offer a new agreement with a longer term. In Spain, it is against policy to keep assigning short-term contracts.

Working in Spain also differs than in other countries because the workday includes what is called a "siesta." In the afternoon, workers customarily take a break that lasts about 2 to 3 hours long. At this time, most businesses shut down and reopen during the evening (when the weather is cooler).

Have you ever heard about the country where people could save their traditions about any foreign interference? Have you ever heard about the city that includes the past, the present and the future at the same time? And what about people? Have you ever heard about the nation that hadn't allowed any foreign influence to change their thoughts, traditions, their way of life? I think that you've heard about such countries, and of course you have many examples to prove your answer. Certainly, there are many such countries. One of the examples are Asian countries. Well, but what about Europe? There is a country in the Central Europe that was under the occupation of different countries but it hasn't changed. It's Hungary. It's a small country.

Budapest is its capital. Budapest stands on the bank of the river Danube. There are many wonderful European cities that stand on the banks of this river but only Budapest is known as a pearl of Danube. I think many people would like to visit this city where nothing reminds you about bustling world we live in. The streets are very small and silent in Budapest. They are very similar to each other. So, without a map you can do nothing here, cause it's very easy to be lost. Budapest was formed from three towns and the contrast between these towns is very visible. On the right bank of the river stands Buda with its ancient monuments. On the opposite side stands Pest with its modern buildings, colorful shop windows that reflect different fashion styles. They say that these shop windows are similar with those in Paris. Examining the architecture of the city I was impressed by the architects' work that could combine modern technologies with ancient buildings. Although not only the architect of the city impressed me much. Besides, I think you'll find out this information in any guide-book without effort. What was interesting? It was absolutely another thing. Hungarians impressed me much. I admired the thing how they could carry through the centuries the part of their history, their traditions, their folk songs and dances without any influence.

Wandering about the city I was looking for a drugstore. I peered into buildings with a signboard with a name. I thought that the name had to be clear to everyone, something international, that everyone could understand it. But my searches haven't met with success. I haven't found any drugstore. Later I found that, certainly, drugstores in Budapest exist but their names are quite different from the names which we used to hear. So the name of the drugstore in Budapest is GYOGUSERTA'R.

If it happened so that you've lost don't ask citizens for a help. They won't help you. Moreover they can go away. It doesn't mean that Hungarians aren't hospitable or that don't study any foreign language at schools. Hungarians don't accept any foreign things. Well, they are friendly and cheerful people. They are able to allocate the time for job and for fun. Speaking about their attitude for job Hungarians are very similar to Germans. They are very responsible and concern to the orders with due scrupulousness.

Nevertheless Budapest is a city that you have to visit. If you arrive here in spring you'll find yourself on a festival. You'll have a lot of fun spending time with your friends drinking famous Hungarian wine and eating famous Hungarian goulash. By the way, if you decide to go into a restaurant and have dinner won't be in a hurry to reserve both the first and the second course at once. Why? Because portions in the Budapest's restaurants are huge and you can overeat. In addition, there is one thing that can make you happy. Budapest is a very cheap city.

So, if you are tired of the crowed, busy streets and expensive restaurants you have to visit Budapest. You can have a rest both for your soul and for your body. In conclusion, the main thing is that you'll receive a great pleasure from this rest without any notice of passing time.

Full of opportunities of cultural and outdoor activities, magnanimous natural wealth, and fabulous modern developments put Sweden in the category of one of the best tourist destinations in the world. You would not desire for anything when you are served with vast forests, 90000 lakes, marvelous countryside and a magnificent sea where you can spend a quality time. And for relishing all such amenities, you have a home away from home in form of fabulous accommodation in Sweden. Sweden accommodation is in wide range and serves the purpose of offering complete satisfaction, comfort and relaxation. After a hectic sightseeing schedule, you get a perfect environment for relaxing your mind, body and soul.

Sweden cities have cosmopolitan look and feel and each of them has superb amenities in terms of accommodation, entertainment centers and quality eateries. The glorious past and wonderful ancient heritages make it highly worth visiting cities. 90000 lakes, mountains, and vast forests have imparted utmost splendor to the country. Swedish people have developed their own assets of design, paintings and traditionalistic architectures. You will have some good experiences of seeing some wonderful architecture in the cities such as Stockholm, Linkoping and Gothenburg. Accommodation in Sweden also possesses interesting features in respect of architectural design.

If you are in Stockholm, never miss out on having a trip on the steaming boat across the Gota Kanal that connects Stockholm with Gothenburg. You can choose to board on any of the two means, private boat or a cruise. Passing through the central plains and valley of Sweden gives you a fair idea about the glorious medieval history and modern history of aviation and electronics. When you move to the south, Gothenburg with its industrial assets welcomes you. The city is known for its large international airport. Diverse and unspoiled nature has imparted an indelible beauty to the country. The southern region features beautiful sandy beaches. The central part is dominated by thousands of small islands.

If you're looking for a holiday with lots of sun, sea and sand, Florida is the perfect destination. With more than 1,100 miles of beaches along its sultry coasts, Florida has something for everyone. But which are the best Florida beaches and what can you expect to find there?

Here are ten best beach picks:

1. Panama City Beach, also known as PCB, is consistently listed among the best Florida beaches, featuring shimmering white quartz sand, which is beautiful to look at and soft enough for children to play in. More than 25 miles in length, it borders on the Gulf of Mexico, ensuring warm, clear water for swimming.

2. Daytona Beach, as seen on MTV, has hard packed sand, which is great for sports and dancing. A former racing venue, much of it is still accessible to cars. Daytona Beach is a popular location for bodysurfing and is an excellent place to swim. Its gently sloping shoreline means you are less likely to unexpectedly find yourself out of your depth.

3. St Joseph Peninsula offers a beautiful, sugary white beach with all the benefits of a National Park. Its tall dunes offer beautiful views out across St Joseph Bay. This is a popular location for fans of canoeing and kayaking, and fishing is available just offshore. St Joseph is often rated among the top 10 Florida beaches for those who enjoy activity vacations.

4. Cocoa Beach is positioned just minutes away from the Kennedy Space Center, so if you time your trip right, you can lie back on the soft sand and watch a shuttle take off. Cocoa Beach is a great place for surfing and there is always a party atmosphere around the pier.

5. South Beach is popular with international celebrities and those looking forward to luxury holidays where they can be seen by the right people. South Beach bars and restaurants are priced accordingly, but his is a great place to hang out if you enjoy looking chic.

6. Clearwater Beach is always bustling with activity. With artistic and cultural activities to enjoy, it also features free concerts at night down by Pier 60. And children will enjoy visiting the nearby aquarium. Kids often declare this to be one of the best Florida beaches.

7. Fort Walton Beach is a great place to go to relax, especially for families, with plenty of space for kids to play and lifeguards to watch out for them. Dolphins play in the bay just offshore and you can take a boat ride if you want to go and meet them.

8. Captiva Beach, out on Captiva Island, is a popular destination for young couples as well as for older holidaymakers. Its miles of glittering sand are laced with exotic shells. Captiva Beach is situated near the Bahia Honda Channel, with its stunning reefs, which makes it a great place to go snorkeling.

9. Fort Lauderdale offers 23 miles of stunning beaches between its wayward waterways and the open sea. Here you can watch manatees at play or simply walk out into the water to explore the reef. Often listed among the top 10 Florida beaches, its enduring popularity is a testament to its ability to charm visitors from all different backgrounds.

10. Sanibel Island Beach is undoubtedly one of the best Florida beaches, and also one of the state's best-kept secrets. Though it's a popular location for marriages, it's still largely undiscovered, and its quiet atmosphere attracts wildlife such as sea turtles. It's a great place to find shells and is popular with windsurfers.

Like most people I sang in front of the mirror with a hairbrush as a microphone and always harboured that dream of being a popstar. And, like most people, I couldn't, and still can't sing a note. My singing is reserved for the shower nowadays and I believed there it would stay. That was, however, until I heard about singing holidays.

Singing vacations give holidaymakers the chance to tune up their voice while enjoying a break, usually at a luxurious country house (with no neighbours to hear your attempts at Whitney or Mariah).

The break features tuition from top singing teachers and you can choose exactly what type of singing you want to perfect.

Try a jazz singing holiday for instance. You can usually bring your own favourite songs and with the help of the experts turn them into a show-stopping performance.

Or go for a musical break where you will learn how to put on your very own stage show and perform the masterpiece at the end of your stay.

Most singing holiday providers also feature seasonal breaks. A Christmas music break gives guests the opportunity to carol sing like a professional and learn different vocal arrangements to some classic Christmas songs.

Singing holidays are also great social occasions. After learning to sing together and performing as a group you get the chance to relax with a meal and a few drinks and get to know your fellow budding singers.

A singing holiday is ideal for amateur singers who want to brush up on their skills and enjoy a spot of luxury while they're at it. Now I'm off to get my hairbrush out and book my trip…