We were going to continue with our suggestions for next Christmas in London today but we will leave it for the next post instead because we have an interesting tip to share with you to check out another feature available in HomeForHome that can help you find house swap partners or interesting destinations:

In our home page, we have an area in the right-hand side panel to show “Opinions on Home Exchanges” where there are usually two or three of our users’ comments about their last home swaps. But, if you want to see all the opinions, you can use the “See more opinions” link below these comments.

Every user that has accepted a home exchange proposal will be asked to share their opinion about the experience. Opinions and ratings are very important because they become part of the presentation letter of your exchange partner.

Since we do not want to leave you festival-free today, we have a reminder:

Oktoberfest 2011
What: A lot of fun!
Where: Munich, Germany.
When: Now, until October 3rd.

If you are near Munich, it could be worth a visit

What does London has to offer for Christmas 2011? A lot! Here are some ideas if you are planning to swap houses with someone in London during the holiday season:

Christmas at Westminster Abbey
What: A series of live performances, with classic choral pieces, carols and concerts.
Where: 20 Deans Yard, London, SW1P 3PA.
When: Starts November 29th and ends on Christmas Day with the Sung Eucharist.

Raymond Gubbay Barbican Christmas Festival
What: Varied performances, like Mozart by Candlelight, ballet with artists from the Russian State Ballet of Siberia, the traditional New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day Galas, seasonal favourites, Lee Mead and apparently a special appearance of Santa Claus.
Where: Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London, EC2Y 8DS.
When: Activities during one month from December 2nd, 2011 till January 2nd, 2012.

Royal Albert Hall Christmas Festival
What: Christmas carols, sing-alongs and festive songs with performances from the London Philharmonic Choir, the London Philharmonic Orchestra and the King’s College Choir.
Where: Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, London, SW7 2AP.
When: December 2011, from the 12th till the 24th.

We have more events to help you plan your swap’s fun activities and we’ll keep sharing them. If you have ideas, let us know!

Image: Lokal_Profil photo taken from Wikimedia Commons.

We are going back to music related posts during September. A couple of weeks ago, we said we had more to share in our ideas for a house swap involving music, and we were not lying, we do have some interesting ideas to share. We just don’t want to insist too much to prevent you from saying “that’s enough! I can’t take it any more!” So, we are doing it bit by bit, step by step, note by note

For example, what are your plans for the next Christmas season? You may have thought of a nice family dinner, or to go to a special place, maybe a vacation or travelling, perhaps you’ll continue with the family tradition like every year, but have you thought about the music?

Christmas is a season of celebration and music goes perfect with it! So, next week we are going to share some ideas to fill the season with music, with festivals all over the world. Different styles, competitions, beautiful scenery, we’ll have something to suit every taste.

Image: Public domain image taken from Wikimedia Commons.

What’s a getaway anyway? Well, a getaway can be any thing you want it to be and the flexibility of house swapping can take you away for almost any reason, anytime and without having to spend a fortune. Just pick a reason and exchange your home to:

• Get away from the noise
• Get away to a place nobody knows who you are
• Get away to visit the cousins
• Get away from to somewhere breezy
• Get away from tourists
• Get away to the countryside
• Get away to visit the cousins
• Get away to the beach
• Get away to visit a friend
• Get away to show your children something new
• Get away to enjoy a music festival, and art exhibit, a play ( )
• Get away from stress
• Get away from the routine

I could really use a swap away from/to _____ . Fill in the blank, swap away and remember that some HomeForHome users will allow you to take your pet away with you. Let them get away too!

Image: Public domain image taken from Wikimedia Commons.