Posted by admin on September 30, 2007 under One stop travel guide to Paris | 
Here is a short update on packing for a round-the-world trip starting and finishing in Paris. Although you may not be planning for Paris as part of a RTW trip, Paris can also be a good stopover point for destinations in Africa, particularly, French speaking countries in West Africa. If you fly first to Paris, you have a day or two to recover from jet lag before beginning a safari or jeep trip.
Combining destinations in different geographic locations can be particularly challenging for packing, especially when you’re traveling from hot to cold climates.
My suggestion for female travelers is to be sure to include at least one or two dressy, conservative skirts - preferably dark colors for Paris in autumn, or softer tones and lighter fabric for tropical climates.
Enroute, headed back to Paris, I’m finding ample opportunity for long skirts, especially at cocktail hour, but also just for walking around town during the day.
In fact, as we’ve just learned in Yap (Federation of Micronesian Territories), Micronesia, showing the thighs is definitely not cool. (Younger women here tend to wear extra long shorts which skim the knees) We’ve been swimming in lava-lavas, aka, sarongs. Interesting. Especially when you try to get out of the water with sarong and fins. Is this where mermaids were born?
So, remember these packing essentials:
Black trousers.
Dressy skirt (black or softer colors for tropics)
(conservative length)
Travelgear:
Flashlight (yes, even for Paris!) Always pack a flashlight, no matter where you go.
Ziplock bags - no matter where you go.
Bandages.
Posted by admin on under One stop travel guide to Paris |
What are some of the rumors you’ve heard about Paris that made you want to visit? That it’s romantic? That the pastries are the best in the world? That accordion players in berets hang out on every street corner? Whatever it was, you now have a chance to start a travel rumor that will lure someone to visit the place of your choice.
Lufthansa has created a travel contest called RumorTravels, where they’re asking people to come up with and submit travel rumors about a foreign country and why that rumor would make someone want to visit that country. You can create a video rumor or write it up in an essay, or both. And the winner actually gets something worthwhile - two roundtrip tickets to Europe on Lufthansa. Yeah, it’s that good.
The best part is that it doesn’t matter if your rumor is common knowledge or not - some of the videos that have already been submitted are for things like, “Sweden’s women are gorgeous!” and “Germans drink lots of beer!” No, really? If you give this contest about ten minutes of thought, you can come up with something better than that, I know you can.
The RumorTravels contest ends on October 31, 2007, so get your rumor mill working soon.
Posted by admin on under One stop travel guide to Paris |
Basilica of St. Therese in Lisieux, Normandy
Photo by Chris Card Fuller ©2007
After Lourdes, St. Theresa’s Basilica in Lisieux, Normandy is the second largest French pilgrimage destination for the devout and for those who just like to follow the pilgrimage routes throughout Europe. After Joan of Arc, St. Theresa, otherwise known as the Little Flower, is France’s second patron saint. She lived in the 19th century in Normandy and spent her adult life in a Carmelite convent. She died quite young in her early twenties. Her feast day is October 1st but pilgrimages to Lisieux usually begin on teh 28th of September. The relic which the basilica holds is a part of her forearm.
The basilica is considered one of the largest 20th century basilicas in the world. Its construction was finished in the 1950s. In recent years, its dome has been illuminated with blue lights creating a peaceful beacon overlooking the Lisieux valley.
If you light a candle and make a request, it is thought by the devout that St. Theresa will help make your request come true.
From Paris, you can easily get to Lisieux via train by taking the line bound for Caen at the Gare St. Lazare train station. Metro: Gare St. Lazare. It takes approximate 1 1/2 to hours to get to Lisieux from Paris. There are no changes.
Posted by admin on under Prague's Travel and Accommodation News |
- The Secrets of the World’s Largest Book
from 20th September, 2007 (Galerie Klementinum, Kovnick 190, Prague 1 - Old Town), daily except Mondays from 10 AM to 7 PM
Admission fee: CZK 100 (regular price),CZK 50 (reduced pricefor children, students, pensioners, groups), free (children under 10 years, handicapped persons)
Admission preferred on reservation tickets (Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday)
Visits without prior reservation are possible on Tuesday or Saturday.
Ticket reservation can be made at
www.nkp.cz or in person in the Klementinum Gallery
The exhibition has been organised under the auspices of Mr. Mirek Topolnek (Prime Minister of the Czech Republic), Mr. Karel Schwarzenberg (Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic), Mr. Carl Bildt (Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden), Mr. Vclav Jehlika (Minister of Culture of the Czech Republic), H.E. Ms. Catherine von Heidenstam (Ambassador of Sweden to the Czech Republic), Mr. Pavel Bm (Mayor of Prague), H.E. Mrs. Marie Chatardov (Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Sweden)
Posted by admin on September 28, 2007 under One stop travel guide to Paris |
Photo by Chris Card Fuller ©2007
For years we’ve been visiting the Sacre Choeur perched on top of the Buttes de Montmartre. It’s one of my favorite Paris landmarks, its gracefully rounded white stone dome rises above the city like a calming beacon. Going to Montmartre is always an expedition because to do so we need to either hop on the bus No 95 at Montparnasse, or take a fairly long Metro ride from the Left Bank, to the northern reaches of the Right Bank, stopping off at either Anvers, Barbes, or Blanche. Although we almost always take a walk through the interior of this church which is relatively ‘new’ compared to most Paris cathedrals ( it was inaugurated in 1898. Construction wasn’t finished until the 1920s), we always finish up a visit to Montmartre by walking around Place du Tertre.
People come to Montmartre to see the artists painting in the Place du Tertre, to admire the view of Paris from the hilltop and to capture what so many visitors consider to be the Parisian ambiance of bohemian life.
What I didn’t know was that Sacre Choeur was constructed for two reasons. The ‘official’ reason was as a prayer for world peace. Even before the end of the 19th century, the Franco-Prusssian War had brought occupying forces to the city of Paris, and it was hoped that the new 20th-century might bring an era of peace - as we know, two world wars followed in spite of good intentions.
The second reason for building Sacre Choeur was the hope that the hovering dome might discourage the libertine nature of the neighborhood which had become so associated with debauchery and loose values - that even the middle-classes were being lured toward the hill top.
Whether or not the Sacre Choeur has had a moderating influence on the bohemian lives of its residents is a question I can’t answer - being a Montparno. One thing is certain, many of the artists of that era were more often than not forced to relocate due to the increased cost of rents. Montmartre became an early example of ‘gentrification’.
Montparnasse has followed in this direction.
Posted by admin on September 27, 2007 under Prague's Travel and Accommodation News |
over 100 exhibitors • 40000 visitors • 2 halls of PVA Letany trade fair area
(together with )
Prague Exhibition Centre Letany • 27th - 30th September, 2007
Together in the exhibition area takes place:
(19th Prague Exhibition of Toys, Games & Children’s Supplies) in & Halls
(16th International Trade Fair of Modeller’s and Hobby Production) in & Halls
opening hours for visitors: - (Thu-Sat), - (Sun)
ticket prices: (basic), (children), (children under 6 years)
car parking:
the ticket is valid for both (Model Hobby
models of airplanes, helicopters, cars, ships | model kits | collectors’ models | model railway | flying with RC models of airplanes | feeding sources | contests for prizes | modellers’ workshops | basin for boats’ models | giant models of airplanes | RC trucks, lorry, building machines, weapons of war | literature for model constructors | SRC & RC cars tracks
read more: , , , ,
Posted by admin on September 26, 2007 under One stop travel guide to Paris |
Photo by Chris Card Fuller ©2007
Mark September 28th, 2007 on your calendar for accordeon music on Rue Daguerre. Here’s the scoop:
Bonjour Г toutes et Г tous !
Patrick revient ! Avec son accordГ©on !
Patrick is back! With his accordeon.
Ne manquez pas cette soirГ©e oГ№ les chansons de toujours seront Г l’honneur.
Don’t miss this evening of songs of yesteryear.
De l’apГ©ro Г 22 heures, venez nous rejoindre au cafГ© LE PLAN B - 89 rue Daguerre - Paris 14ГЁme
After the aperatif at 10 pm, come back to the cafe: Le Plan B - 89 Rue Daguerre - Paris 14
Posted by admin on under One stop travel guide to Paris |
Photo by Chris Card Fuller ©2007
Today’s Le Parisien devotes several stories to the venerable bicycle and its new status - thanks to the City of Paris’s experimental ‘Velib’ short-term bike rental system. The group of stories headlined as “Who Has it in for Bicycles?” underlines the fact that not everyone in Paris is thrilled to be sharing the avenues and boulevards with ‘les velos’ or bikes. According to one Parisien report, a new sort of conflict between suburban automobile commuters and resident cyclists has developed.
One of the issues - regarding the risk of bicycling accidents in Paris traffic is being carefully studied by the city’s fire department.
Since the Velib system was installed, the Fire Department is keeping tally of bicycle related accidents. To date, the number of accidents in proportion to the increased number of bikes on the road does not appear to have changed drastically.
Some are even optimistic that an increased number of cyclists may eventually encourage automobile drivers to be more aware of their two-wheeled co-users of Paris streets.
As a tourist, you may be hesitant to go bike riding in a city where the traffic looks intimidating. I would have never considered biking on my own, but if you go with an organized bike tour (just to get a feel for how the traffic flows) this is a nice way to get started. The bike tour guides will often know the less congested parts of the city where you might even have some streets all to yourself - hard to believe, but it’s true).
Our guide at Paris a Velo, C’est Sympa warned us, “Don’t worry about the cars. Watch out for the pedestrians!” This was good advice, especially on market streets like Rue Mouffetarde.
(Paris a Velo, C’est Sympa:
22, Rue Alphonse Baudin
75011 Paris, France
Tel. +33 1 48 87 60 01)
Le Parisien also mentioned today that the police are being particularly zealous in handing out tickets for running red lights - to bicyclists. How much would you expect to pay for a ticket -called an amende? Would you believe 90 Euros for running a red light while riding a bicycle?
From a pedestrian’s point of view, reminding cyclists not to run red lights is a good thing, but 90 Euros sounds like an awfully high price to pay for someone who might not be able to afford very much. In this case, it would have been cheaper for the light crasher to catch a taxi.
Posted by admin on September 25, 2007 under One stop travel guide to Paris |
Is it ever too early to start thinking about chocolate? Never. That’s why I’m giving you plenty of advance warning for the 13th Annual Salon du Chocolat in Paris.
Mark these days on your calendar: October 19-22, 2007.
Porte de Versailles. That’s where you’ll be able to sample chocolates from an international array of chocolate makers ranging from French to Swiss to Belgian, Mexican and Japanese, just to name a few. For the complete list of participants, you can check out the Salon’s program.
The annual event celebrates chocolate in all its varied forms. Last year, the 2006 Salon du chocolat was kicked off with a chocolate fashion show - edible fashion? Sounds tasty.
PARIS EXPO PORTE DE VERSAILLES
1, place de la Porte de Versailles
75015
PARIS
MГ©tro :
Porte de Versailles
fax :
01 53 68 71 71
www.parisexpo.com
www.salonduchocolat.fr
Accessible to people with reduced mobility.
Posted by admin on September 24, 2007 under One stop travel guide to Paris |
Finding Air New Zealand in Paris is no easy thing. The last time we bought RTW for the Star Alliance - we wanted to book most of the trip through Air New Zealand to ensure getting a maximum of Air New Zealand flights.
At that time, the Air New Zealand offices were located at 9 Rue Daru I’ve been trying to confirm whether they are in fact still at this location.
Here are the phone numbers I have listed:
01 40 53 82 23
01 40 53 82 22 (Fax)
The Air New Zealand website only lists an 800 number for France. Their 800 number in the US is 800 262 1124.
Airline ticketing offices for a number of the major airlines within Paris city limits have moved around in recent years (United Airlines were in the process of vacating their offices when we bought our RTW through United).
Air France still has its offices on Avenue General LeClerc in the 14th arrondissement - but be prepared to spend half the afternoon there if you want to book RTW.
Of course the other simple option is to book your RTW tickets online. Maybe I would have even saved some money if I had tried this option!
I’m not sure why the Air New Zealand offices are so hard to locate in Paris - but number of ticketing agencies prefer keep branches located in Paris because of the high overhead.
