It was recently announced that Argentina has won their bid to host the 9^th edition of the FIP Polo World Championships in October 2011. Whilst all of the in-depth details are not yet known, here are the key details that have been announced so far…

The preliminary games will be played at the Estanda Grande Polo Club in San Luis, before the actual competition moves to Palermo, Buenos Aires. There will be four polo grounds and stabling for around 280 horses. There has also been a pooling system put in place for horses so as to limit the transportation costs for moving horses around the world. The draw of the horses’ pool will be completed on the 12^th October 2010.

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The quest to find the perfect bicycle that can both fold away and doesn’t make the cyclist look like he is riding a scooter with slightly larger wheels may have come to an end.  The iF Mode folding bicycle has a sleek, never been seen before design.

The wheels on the iF are a full 28-inches, yet they are able to squeeze up against each other to form a smart sleek package.  The designer, Mark Sanders, describes this as, ‘single-action automatic fold’, which basically means everything collapses in one swift movement, the frame, handlebars and the wheels.  No surprise then that he won the ‘2008 Eurobite Award’ and the ‘2009 Product Design Gold Award’ (along with the Apple iPhone and Macbook Air).

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Golf is the perfect sport for a crisp autumn day and the French Riviera is spoilt for choice when it comes to picturesque courses. Here are some of most luxurious golf clubs to grace the South of France…

Le Prince de Provence

Located 10 miles away from the golden beaches of St Tropez in Vidauban is the most exclusive golf club in the Cote D’Azur. Known as ‘Le Prince de Provence’, this private club actually has no name and apparently doesn’t even exist to anyone outside of the elite circle of members and their privileged guests. The best kept secret in Provence boasts an 18 hole course within the depths of the woodland forests and vineyards and was designed by golf course architect, Robert Trent Jones Sr and his son, Robert Trent Jones Jr.

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Using the French Riviera as the setting, creator Jean Goldberg established the Faҫonnable brand in a small tailor’s shop along the ‘rue de Paradis’ in Nice in 1950. He quickly acquired a reputation on the Cote D’Azur as his exquisite craftsmanship and stylish take on sportswear earned him the admiration of guests and locals alike. Soon enough, the Hollywood stars descended upon the Riviera for the Cannes Film Festival in search of evening wear and they too were drawn to the sleek elegance of what was to become a global brand.

To grasp the inspiration behind the brand and to see how the French Riviera looked and felt in the 1950s, watch this video from the Travel Film Archive:

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Wine has always been a huge part of French culture, the breathtaking scenery of the Cote D’Azur and a large glass go hand in hand. It can be enjoyed as part of a relaxing evening, a social event with friends or an accompaniment to a meal; but have you ever wondered what it would be like to create your own wine for one of these occasions?

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