Category Archives: Travelling

Germany, Paris, Travelling

Which Travel Money Card is best? – Getting to and from the Paris Airports – Road Trip Paris to Berlin

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On this week’s list are two very pratical posts for those who will be travelling to France shortly. Holidays to Europe looks at the question of the best travel money card to take with you while Abby from Paris Weekender explains the best way to get to and from the different airpots in Paris. And, on a very different subject, Andrea from Rear View Mirror (who is also the author of Destination Europe) and taken to living the life of a nomad, describes a road trip to Berlin.

Which Travel Money Card is best?

by Holidays to Europe, an Australian based business passionate about sharing their European travel expertise and helping travellers to experience the holiday in Europe they have always dreamed of.

I’ve written previously about the various ways of accessing your spending money whilst overseas but after my most recent trip to Europe and a report by CANSTAR, I thought it timely to provide some more information about travel money cards. Read more.

Getting to and from the Paris Airports

by Abby from Paris Weekender, an American living in Paris who offers suggestions for Paris weekends, either staying put or getting out of town

Unfortunately there is no perfect way of getting to and from the Paris airports, but below are my suggestions.  Note that for the Air France bus (Car Air France) to and from Charles de Gaulle and Orly you can now purchase tickets online, and doing so will save you 10%. Read more

Road Trip Paris to Berlin

by Andrea from Rear View Mirror (formerly Destination Europe), a fellow Australian who, after 6 years of living in France, has given up herParis apartment to live a nomadic life slowing travelling around Europe, experiencing each destination like a local.

Driving directly from Paris to Berlin would normally take around 10 hours but there are so many fantastic places worth visiting along the way that you can make a great one to two week road trip out of it or even more if you prefer to travel slowly. I took around 15 days for the trip and stopped in seven cities between Paris and Berlin. The road trip looked like this:

Paris – Trier – Bacharach – Heidelberg – Schwabisch Hall – Nuremberg – Leipzig – Dresden – Berlin. Read more

 

 

Cycling, France, Paris, Sightseeing, Travelling

12 Tips for 1st-Time Visitors to Paris – 42,000 Canal du Midi Trees Threatened by Fungus – Looking for lobster on Martha’s Vineyard and the Fresnel lens

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We’ve been experiencing a heat wave this week in Paris so everyone has gone into slow motion. But there are still some bloggers out there! Abby from Paris Weekender gives us 12 very useful tips for first time visitors to Paris, Experience France by Bike tells us about the sad demise of plane trees along the Canal de Midi due to a fungus, while Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris, currently in the US, tells us the origin of the Fresnel lens developed by a French physicist. I’m sure you know what that is …

12 Tips for 1st-Time Visitors to Paris

by Abby from Paris Weekender, an American living in Paris who offers suggestions for Paris weekends, either staying put or getting out of town

Your first visit to Paris is exciting but may also be intimidating, especially if you have limited time and you do not know the language. I decided to write out my most common recommendations when I am asked, “I’m visiting for the first time – what should I do?”

Pick the neighborhood where you are staying carefully. Do a bit of research on the various neighborhoods of Paris before you pick your lodgings. Picking the neighborhood carefully though does not necessarily mean picking the most central or touristy area. While it is hard to go wrong with a hotel or apartment in Saint Germain or in the Marais, you may find just as pleasant accommodations in the less touristy or less central neighborhoods. Read more

42,000 Canal du Midi Trees Threatened by Fungus

by Experience France by Bike, an American who loves biking anywhere in Europe, but especially France, which has the perfect combination of safe bike routes, great food, great weather and history.

One of the best-known and most popular bike routes in France is dealing with an environmental tragedy that will impact the route for many years to come.  A microscopic fungus called canker stain was first discovered on trees along the canal in 2006.  This fungus is easily transported so it quickly spread along the Canal. There is no cure for the fungus and once a tree has been infected, it dies within several years.  Through 2011, over 2500 trees had already been destroyed. Since there is no treatment for this fungus, a decision was made last year to ultimately destroy and replace all 42,000 plane trees that line the canal. Read more

Looking for lobster on Martha’s Vineyard and the Fresnel lens

by Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris, an American by birth, Swiss by marriage, resident of Paris with a Navigo Pass for the metro that she feels compelled to use

What is it that compels people to load a boat with supplies and set sail towards the horizon? Whether it’s the desire to start a new life, explore exotic lands or dine at a restaurant that serves freshly caught lobster, it helps if there’s a lighthouse to guide the way.
Thanks to an old photo of the Gay Head Lighthouse that Stephane noticed while we were traveling on the ferry from Woods Hole to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts yesterday evening, we learned that seafaring people have long been thankful for the Fresnel lens developed by French physicist Augustin-Jean Fresnel. Described as amazing, brilliant, super-efficient, magical light machines, the multi-prism glass lenses were used by all of the lighthouses in the United States by the time of the Civil War. Read more

France, Paris, Sightseeing, Travelling

St Jean de Luz – How to Manage and Maximise your Money when Traveling – Père Lachaise Cemetary

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This week, Sylvia from Finding Noon, who is holidaying in French Basque Country, takes us on a visit to one of my favourites, St Jean de Luz. Australian blog writer Annabel Candy, from Get in the Hot Spot, gives tips on how to manage and maximise your money when traveling. I also came across an old post by Andrea from Destination Europe about Père Lachaise Cemetary in Paris which is always a lovely place to visit.

St Jean de Luz

by Sylvia from Finding Noon, an American living in Paris who appreciates fine art, good music, succulent food, and breath taking scenery

After a few days at the beach, I am ready for a break. Hossegor is the perfect place for a curious traveler, because it offers a fantastic range of day trips. We can go hiking in the Pyrenées, visiting quaint Basque villages like Espelette, or Sares. Or we can head south for tapas at the very relaxed, food obsessed Saint Sébastien, Spain. Or even further south for a day of culture and fine art at the Guggenheim in Bilbao. There is the glitzy beach town of Biarritz along the way, the naturally wild Guéthary, and my personal favorite, the very historic and exceptionally picturesque St Jean de Luz. Read more

 

How to Manage and Maximise your Money when Traveling

by Annabel Candy, travel writer, blogger and delightful misfit and author of In the Hot Spot, a travel blog with inspiration, tips and ideas for people who love travel, writing and living their dream life

Life’s complicated, but not as complicated as working out the best way to manage your money while you’re traveling.

When we moved from New Zealand to Panama, then ended up living in Costa Rica and finally Australia, there was a lot of money changing going on. We’re talking four different currencies right there. But we also traveled round Nicaragua and Guatemala, so as well as dealing with New Zealand dollars, US dollars, Costa Rican colones and Australian dollars we also spent quetzals in Guatemala and córdobas in Nicaragua. Read more

Père Lachaise Cemetary

by Andrea from Destination Europe, also an Aussie Expat who’s been living in France for the last 5 years, food and travel blogger

If you want to get away from the hustle and bustle of central Paris, take a side trip to Paris’s most famous cemetery, Pere Lachaise. Not surprisingly, it’s one of the most peaceful places in Paris and a beautiful area to wander and admire the final resting places of the city’s former residents.

I always thought it was strange to visit a cemetery just to admire the surrounds but Pere Lachaise isn’t like any other cemetery. You can visit to check out the celebrity residents like Jim Morrison, Edith Piaf, or Oscar Wilde (amongst many others) or to commemorate those who lost their lives for their country. Or you can just admire the fascinating and unusual tomb art work on display. Read more

 

Thailand, Travelling

My Incredible Bangkok Adventure #2

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In a previous post, I told you about how we found ourselves with a chauffeur and an air-conditioned 4-wheel drive to take us round Bangkok after buying a pair of gold and sapphire earrings.  Our new vehicle is most welcome after the morning tuktuks! Relationnel sits in the back pacha style (he doesn’t speak English you may remember) while I chat in the front seat with our driver. “Why are you doing this ?”, I ask. “Because my boss told me to.” “Yes, but why did your boss tell you to ?” “Because she likes you.” Hmm …

Our “guide” in Bangkok

The first stop is Wat Phra Kaew and the Grand Palace. We park a little distance away and protecting ourselves from the sun with umbrellas provided by our driver, we weave our way through the food stalls, smelling strongly of dried seafood, and under the shady trees along the wall of the Grand Palace.  I discover that my three-quarter length pants are not suitable attire and stand in a queue to get a wraparound skirt.

Grand Palace Bangkok
Grand Palace

Our guide waits outside while we visit the temple, impressed by all the gold, pearls and coloured glass. We file past the 70 cm high emerald buddha that we can see from afar. After visiting several throne rooms we move onto the next temple, Wat Pho, with its 18th century reclining Buddha, 45 metres long and 15 metres high and covered in gold leaf, with its somewhat sardonic smile. We take in some of the 394 seated Buddhas.

Reclining Buddha, Wat Pho

We pay for the parking and invite our guide to lunch in a restaurant of her choice. We eat noodles and soup alongside the river. She asks if I can buy some “moon cakes” to take back to her children. We pay about 11 euro in all for the meal and tell our guide that we can continue on our own for the rest of the day. “No”, she says, “I can’t take you back until 5 pm.” She is very friendly and helpful and wants  advice on bringing up her teenage son with whom she’s having a few problems!

Riverside restaurant

The next stop is the Vimanmek Mansion, made entirely of teakwood, which is part of the Dusit Palace in a leafy area of Bangkok, built by King Rama V to escape the heat of the Grand Palace. We park the car and our guide suggests we leave our backpack (containing the earrings!) in the car. We look at each other in consternation. Maybe it’s a put-up job? We finally leave the backpack because it would seem rude to do otherwise. We have our money and passports on us, of course.

Vinamek Mansion, Dusit Palace

We take off our shoes (as usual) and follow the palace guide who explains the different features of the house in very approximate English. I am very taken by the draperies but unfortunately, no photos are allowed. We finally emerge from the mansion and can’t see any sign of our guide. Our hearts sink. How naive can you get? But we spy her at last and we all go back to the car. Relationnel checks that everything is still in the backpack and we breathe a sigh of relief!

It’s nearly 5 o’clock so she says she’ll take us to our hotel where we’ve left our luggage. Relationnel and I discuss how much we should give her as a tip and finally decide on 20 euro. We ask her to stop at an automated teller machine to get some cash. While Relationnel is gone, our guide asks us if we have “something to give” her. I reassure her and when she stops in front of the hotel, we give her the money and thank her for the visit. She waves happily goodbye.

Nightfall in Bangkok

We then go to the airport for our late flight, keeping careful watch out for anyone who might have followed us. It’s not until we are safely in the plane that we can really relax and appreciate our good luck! And I’ve taken the earrings to a jeweller in Paris since – they are not fakes …

Burgundy, Cycling, France, French customs, Germany, Paris, Sightseeing, Travelling

Paris Plage on a Saturday – Bacharach-on-the-Rhine – Biking in Burgundy: Upcoming Wine Events and Festivals

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This week, even Paris is on holiday.  Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris has captured the essence of Paris Plage which has got off to a wonderful start with exceptional weather. It’s supposed to be 30°C every day this week. Andrea from Destination Europe reports on the delightful little German village of Bacharach-on-the-Rhine whcih will make you want to include it in your next trip to Germany while Experience France by Bike has lots of suggestions for wine festivals and events this summer in Burgundy. You can enjoy them even if you’re not a cyclist!

Sunday’s picture and a song – Paris Plages on a Saturday

by Mary Kay from Out and About in Paris, an American by birth, Swiss by marriage, resident of Paris with a Navigo Pass for the metro that she feels compelled to use

Vamos a la Playa! After weeks of grey skies and rainy weather, Parisians put on their flip flops and swimsuits and headed to the beach this morning. They didn’t have to travel far because the city of Paris has been creating an artificial beach along the Seine for its residents and guests since 2002. With deck chairs, ice cream vendors, bands, street performers and the smell of suntan lotion in the air, Stéphane and I felt as if we had been magically transported to a seaside locale.

To enhance the illusion, here’s the song that used to blast from the speakers of our little Fiat Uno as we whizzed along the highway from Switzerland to the beaches of Italy, Monaco or France. Listening to it now, I realize that it’s not a great song. But in those days, it was synonymous with freedom. No work, no worries…just long luxurious hours spent relaxing on the beach. Read more

Bacharach-on-the-Rhine

by Andrea from Destination Europe, also an Aussie Expat who’s been living in France for the last 5 years, food and travel blogger

While looking for a place to stay in between visits to Trier and Heidelberg, we stumbled across one of the most perfect German villages I’ve ever seen. Bacharach on the Rhine is made up almost exclusively of medieval timber framed houses with the oldest dating from 1368.

Sometimes when visiting Germany I get a bit bored with seeing this kind of architecture everywhere but Bacharach is so quaint and adorable I loved every minute I spent there. Each house is so well preserved and maintained it really is like stepping back in time. Read more

Biking in Burgundy: Upcoming Wine Events and Festivals

by Experience France by Bike, an American who loves biking anywhere in Europe, but especially France, which has the perfect combination of safe bike routes, great food, great weather and history

Are you fortunate enough to be cycling in Burgundy in the next couple of months?  Perhaps bicycling on the Vineyard Trail in the Cote de Beaune, or along the Canal du Centre or Burgundy Canal voies vertes?

If so, why not plan to visit a local wine festival? If you’ve never stumbled upon a festival while touring the French countryside,  you are in for a treat.  They are an experience of a lifetime.  They remind me of old fashioned festivals that I remember going to when I was a kid: lots of food, games, pony rides and music.  And of course wine. Read more

Italy, Lifestyle, Paris, Travelling, Uncategorized

Cameras I Have Known

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Writing last week’s post about my genuine Italian fresco made me nostalgic for Italy. We won’t be going there this year as we often do because we’re going to Australia for 5 weeks in September and have run out of holidays. Such a pity because I love Italy. First, I love the language and get a kick out of trying to speak it even though I can’t really hold a conversation. Second, it’s much warmer than France – particularly this year ! – and third, I love the lifestyle. There’s also the wine and the food and the endless choice of beautiful places to visit …

Hills of Umbria taken from our bedroom one summer  – you can see Relationnel’s foot!

Back in another life, I went to Rome and Sardinia and spent a couple of weeks with friends in Umbria when the kids were little. The places I visited are a bit of a blur. It was before the days of digital cameras and before we started our travel diary. My printed photos haven’t been sorted for so  long now that I have to rifle through endless packets to find some dimly remembered scene! It’s wonderful now to be able to match the date on a photo on my computer with  a diary entry. I’m a little disappointed at the quality of my early photos though.

 

Taken from the edge of the same property, but with my finger on the left!

I’m not one of those people who knows all about settings and photographic techniques. I like to be able to whip out the camera immediately and catch what I see. So the important thing is to have a good camera! And one that’s not too fragile either. My first digital camera, a gift from my children on a big birthday in 2003, gave up the ghost  when a screw came loose from being jogged about in my bike bag and sand got in. Just when I’d got out of the habit of putting my finger over the lens when taking photos too …

The same photo without the finger after using Photoshop

Relationnel then bought himself a very good camera that I use all the time. It’s small and compact and has an excellent Leica lens. However, I’ve broken the spring on the zoom because if I put it back in the case each time I finish using it, it takes too long to get it out when I need it. So most of the time, it lives in my hand bag or the pocket of my jacket or coat. It seems the lens is scratched too …

I’ve also been using an iPhone 3G which does well when there’s plenty of light but isn’t so great the rest of the time. It has the great advantage however of being quick and discreet to use and hard to damage! And now I’ve swapped to a 4S iPhone which has a much better camera. Black Cat showed me what she can do with hers and I was very impressed.

From the rooftops of Paris taken with Leica lens

 

Another great advantage of digital photos of course is that you can use software to improve them. A few years ago, I learnt to use Photoshop which produces wonderful results even if you only know the basics as I do. You can get a Photoshop phone app as well. I love Instagram too. It’s a phone app that enables you to cut and play around with your photos a bit then post them on twitter and facebook at the same time. You can also use it to send them by email.

Waiting for the fireworks on Bastille Day taken with my iPhone 4S

The latest addition to my electronic imaging equipment is an iPad which I won, would you believe! As an encouragement to purchase their PDF Converter software, which I consider is the best on the market, Nuance ran a competition with iPads as prizes. Fortunately, one of the winners didn’t claim theirs and I was the runner-up. How’s that for luck? I’ve compared the rooftop photos taken with the iPhone 4S and the iPad and they seem very similar. The big advantage of the iPad is that you have a better idea of the final result, but it’s not very portable!

So tell me what sort of camera you like to use and share your tips and apps

Accommodation, Art, Italy, Travelling

My Genuine Italian Fresco

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I told you recently about the beautiful impressionist painting by John Modesitt we have just bought. It is the first oil painting I’ve bought, but I have other original artworks that I am very fond of. One of my favourites (but they’re all my favourites!) is an Italian fresco.

Corte Bebbi

We were in Italy a couple of years ago , almost at the end of a four-week holiday and were staying in a marvellous B&B near Parma called Corte Bebbi. The bedrooms were large and comfortable and beautifully decorated, there was a swimming pool to cool off in, a little kitchen next to our room that we could use, an outside eating area for picnics and grills and a rose-covered terrace for a delicious breakfast. Our hostess, who speaks English, was friendly and extremely helpful. Our only regret was that we didn’t stay there longer!

Entrance to Sabbioneta

One of the places we visited was Sabbioneta, 30 k north of Parma, which reminded us of Vauban in France with its grid layout, a perfect example of practical application of Renaissance urban planning theories founded in the late 16th century and included in the World Heritage List in 2008. Its most interesting monument is the Teatro all’antica (“Theatre in the style of the ancients”) which was the first free-standing, purpose-built theatre in the modern world.

Teatro all’Antica

But the place I enjoyed most was an amazing antique/secondhand dealer on Palazzo Ducale several stories high with the most incredible mixture of real antiques and junk. The owner was more interested in showing people around than selling anything. There was an outside section as well with fountains and stone tables and chairs. He was even selling a clock with twin bells on top and the inscription “Non omnis moriar” – I will not die completely (as in part of me will live on through my poetry or whatever).

Antique Dealer

In the meantime, I had spied a (closed) shop selling frescoes and had asked for one of them as a belated birthday present. We tracked down the owner who came and opened up for us. It is her father who paints the frescoes in the traditional style. A fresco, from the Italian word for fresh, is a form of mural painting in which earth pigments are painted directly on fresh, wet, lime plaster. As the plaster dries, a chemical process bonds the pigment and plaster together. You usually find them on a wall, of course, but they are a bit difficult to transport! Even so, Relationnel was a bit worried about getting it back to France, but we were just able to fit it into the car.

My fresco in the shop

It has not found its rightful place yet although it is currently hanging in our entrance in Paris but one day I’ll find the perfect setting in Closerie Falaiseau, our Renaissance home in Blois!

Corte Bebbi, Azienda Agricola “Conti Morini Mazzoli” CORTE BEBBI – Via Lazzaro Spallanzani, 119 – Barco – 42021 Bibbiano – (RE), Tel. 0522 243056 – Fax 0522 246183 – Cell. 3485606321, http://www.cortebebbi.it/ENG/index.html, – info@cortebebbi.it – P.Iva 01688540358
Accommodation, Belgium, Cycling, France, Sightseeing, Travelling

Liege-Guillemins – Europe’s Most Impressive Railway Station – Fougères and the St. James American Cemetary, Brittany – Cycling the Atlantic Coast: Likes, Dislikes and What I Would Do Differently

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In my bloggers’ round-up this week, we start off in Liège in Belgium with a description of an iconic railway station by Kathy Standford from Femmes Francophiles who also shares her impressions of the Thalys train service. Abby from Paris Weekender then takes us on a trip to Fougères, which is also one of my favourites, discovered by accident on a return trip from Brittany. Experience France by Bike then sums up her recent trip along the Atlantic Coast.

Liège-Guillemins – Europe’s Most Impressive Railway Station

by Kathy Stanford from Femmes Francophiles a fellow Australian and Francophile who is spending 3 months in Europe, based in France

In just over 2 hours after boarding the Thalys train at Gard de Nord in Paris, I arrived in Liège, Belgium at the spectacular Liège-Guillemins station. It has been described as one of the most impressive railway stations in Europe – and I would have to agree. Designed by the Spanish architect, Santiago Calatrava Valls, it was inaugurated in 2009. Nestled against a tree-covered hill, the station is described to be in the shape of a woman lying on her back. It is easy to see why with its steel, glass and white concrete, wavelike structure rises 32 metres and extends 160 metres. Read more.

Fougères and the St. James American Cemetery, Brittany

by Abby from Paris Weekender, a collection of ideas for Paris weekends: staying put and getting out of town

Near the border of Brittany and Normandy in the department of Ile-et-Vilaine (Brittany), equidistant between Rennes and the northern coast, lies the medieval city of Fougères. I had often driven right past Fougères. It’s hard to drive all the way to Brittany and not head straight for the coast. Yet Fougères makes a perfect stop for a few hours on the way to Le Mont-Saint-Michel, Saint-Malo, Dinan or further west. Read more.

Cycling the Atlantic Coast: Likes, Dislikes and What I Would Do Differently

by Experience France by Bike, an American who loves biking anywhere in Europe, but especially France, which has the perfect combination of safe bike routes, great food, great weather and history.

Looking back at my recent bicycling trip along the Atlantic Coast of France, the first word that comes to mind is adventure.  This is funny because that really wasn’t what I had in mind as I embarked on this trip!  This was my first trip to explore “La Velodyssee”, the French portion of EuroVelo 1, stretching from Roscoff to the Spanish border and I really had no idea what to expect as far as the route was concerned.  I researched the route thoroughly, knew which deviations I wanted to take, and, like all cyclists, hoped that the weather would cooperate. Read more.

France, Lifestyle, Paris, Sightseeing, Travelling

Saint Denis Cathedral – The Mediaeval Cave that Helped Win a War – Prix de Diane 2012 – Hats & Horses

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This week, young Australian blogger René de Valois from Cognac & Cigars (alias Brainy Pianist for those of you who regularly read this blog) takes us to one of my favourite places, the Basilica of Saint Denis, where most of the French kings and queens are buried. Another Australian, Francophoney, takes us to a cave near Arras where New Zealanders and British miners helped to win World War I and, on a more frivolous note, Out and About in Paris takes us to one of the big horse races in Paris, Prix de Diane.

La basilique cathédrale de Saint Denis

by René de Valois from Cognac & Cigars

After spending the last couple of weeks travelling around Portugal & Croatia (more to come on that later), I figured I really should start exploring a few more of the sights in and around Paris that I’ve neglected a bit towards the end of semester.

Today I decided to visit the Basilica Cathedral at Saint Denis, just outside of Paris, which is significant for a number of reasons. Not only is the monument an important example of early Gothic art, but it is also closely linked to the history of the French monarchy, having been the final resting place for the vast majority of kings and queens beginning in the 6th century. Read more.

The Mediaeval Cave that Helped Win a War

by Francophoney, all things French as seen by an outsider

Fifteen metres underground in the French city of Arras, you’ll find lots of caves. They date back to medieval times, and were used as chalk quarries before they were commandeered during the First World War in 1916. New Zealand and British miners were enlisted to extend the cave network to the front line in an effort to surprise German soldiers. By the time they were done, the cave network extended to more than 20km.

Carriere Wellington (Wellington Quary) gets its name from the city in New Zealand, while neighbouring caves were also given New Zealand city names. This aided the 500 New Zealand miners navigate the cave system, while the British soldiers used names from British cities. The cave pictured is one of many built by the kiwis.  Read more.

Prix de Diane 2012 – Hats and Horses! (Part 1)

by Out and About in Paris, an American by birth, Swiss by marriage, resident of Paris with a Navigo Pass for the metro that she feels compelled to use

Whew! This is another one of those Mondays when I’m thankful that I don’t have a real job. I’m exhausted and suffering from sensory overload after marveling at all of the elaborate hats at thePrix de Diane yesterday. But I wouldn’t have missed a second of it because I’ve been looking forward to the famous horse race ever since Stéphane and I first went to Chantilly last year. Read more.

 

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