Tagged With "Paris Parks"
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Re: Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument
Thanks. this article brings back memories of my visit in 2005. The tour led by the Park Ranger was fascinating and very even handed. I had a great time.
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Re: March 3, 2020: St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands
Booked a wedding anniversary trip to St. Thomas and we had a fabulous romantic time. If you get the chance, take the Red Hook ferry to Cruz Bay at St. John's and explore the Virgin Island National Park. Lots of plantation ruins from back in the day when Denmark ruled the Virgin Islands. We had a wonderful lunch and view from the Caneel Bay Resort, which I understand has not reopened after being pummeled by two hurricanes.
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Re: Floating hotel set to anchor in Seine
I haven't booked my last night yet and looked but their website isn't up yet. I'm going to keep checking though. Wouldn't THAT be fun.
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Re: Sea World gives up its killer whale shows
I grow weary of political correctness. Orcas are highly intelligent animals, no doubt -- and have the "cruelty" we expect of intelligent animals (anyone who's seen them hunt a baby gray whale for hours, only to kill it, eat its tongue and let the rest go to waste knows what I mean). I never saw Blackfish, but I do recall at the old Marineland park in Southern California. The park was closed for a number of months, and the orcas got depressed. Listless, didn't eat, didn't look good. Someone...
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Re: Wonders of the Modern World
The Soviets have never been completely transparent about Chernobyl, but this is the story as best as I was able to synthesize it: It seems that the alarm system was malfunctioning (going off all the time) so it was turned off by the tech monitoring the system. He had the fuel rods pulled out of their cooling chambers for maintenance work, was distracted (remember, the alarms are off), then by the time he focused back on the task at hand the rods had begun to melt and couldn't be reinserted...
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Re: Autumn: A season for soup
Soup, my favorite! Here are 2 more, a preview from next week's Oaxaca blog (Wednesday, 10/28), 'Food'.
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Re: St Stephen's Green, Dublin. (Where Gumbo was #137)
I have to admit that the first clue reminded me, in succession, of a spot in Parc des Buttes-Chaumont in Paris, of Prospect Park in Brooklyn and of Frogness Park in Oslo...it was only when the clues got more specific that I could rule them out, and only when the Fusiliers Arch appeared and I could search its text that I could find the answer. That arch, by the way, provoked a lot of controversy when erected in 1907; it memorializes a regiment in England's colonial war against the Dutch Boers...
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Re: 50 Years Later, Paris
Thank you for sharing your memories, and wakening some of my own. It's a trite line, I know, but despite all that changes, "we'll always have Paris." In fact, maybe that's 'because' and not 'despite.'
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Re: 50 Years Later, Paris
Some great memories. My wife and I head there in 3 weeks for the first time in over 25 years. We are so looking forward to it. Thank you.
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Re: 50 Years Later, Paris
It's a great piece, PortMoresby! It made me feel nostalgic for a city I never knew back then. Beautifully illustrated.
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Re: 50 Years Later, Paris
Great Blog PortMoresby! You captured how Paris has stayed that magical place and brought back memories for me of great times.
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Re: New book celebrates Yellowstone, National Parks Centennial
That looks like a must read book about my favorite US National Park! Thanks for bringing it to our attention.
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Re: Visiting My Backyard—Riverside Park
Glad kids are still using the park. I also think I going to parks is an important part of growing up and in most cases very safe. A few years ago FBI statistics showed crime was at a 40 year low in a lot places in the US, but perception was crime was the highest its ever been. The rates might of gone higher a bit in the last few years but crime is still at historic lows.
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Mar. 26, 2014: A Window in Paris
Nothing like a room with a view!!
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Re: Macaroons in a Paris bakery
Aw, come on...the flavors are labeled on the signs...but enlarging it enough to read has made me twice as hungry for them...
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Re: Macaroons in a Paris bakery
I just wanted to make sure someone was looking, PHeymont! The strawberry was my favorite. Which one did you like best?
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Re: Macaroons in a Paris bakery
I'm not a big fan of macarons (sorry, world!) but among them my favorites are coffee and Fruits Rouges. I noticed recently that there is a caramel with sea salt one now available...will report on that in July.
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Re: Where We Went: London, Paris, Toronto
What's also interesting about the information is that it's from hotels.com which says in the first line it's helping us find "the best cities around the world". I'm not sure I buy the premise that popular is best. Another index I also find VERY interesting, in the quest to locate interesting places for longer stays on a budget, is the cost of living index for places around the world. While visitor costs and resident costs are not the same, still, it's an interesting tool and also gives us...
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Re: Where We Went: London, Paris, Toronto
That's a great point! I never like "best" lists, anyway...and like to stray into any place that looks good and take a chance on whether it's "Zagat-quality." The cost of living is interesting, too, especially for travelers on tight budgets; my experience in Portugal last summer (see BLOG here on TravelGumbo) has sent a couple of younger colleagues off to plan Portugal trips instead of more expensive parts of Europe.
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Re: See Them While You Can: 10 Wins for Historic Preservation
Note that the National Trust for Historic Preservation is a private organization. I think that's key in this era of government cutbacks and a congress unable to accomplish anything to speak of. If the National Park Service is unable to maintain it's infrastructure then one can only imagine how little care might go into preserving bits of our cultural heritage lacking big names, such as those on the list above. Commercial interests also have a place in accomplishing what government and...
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Re: World's scariest hiking trail?
To be precise, the Hua Shan trial has two sections. The longer scarier section with local advise to be done during night is now equipped with Gondola. Only the hard core climber will try that section now. There are park ranger standing by the entrance to screen if some one is really fit for the climb (after seeing the trial in person, i realized that the screen is not just for increasing the Gondola revenue! ). Not be too relaxed yet, even after the Gondola ride, to reach the tea house, one...
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Re: Everglades raccoon
The snake is doing the job that he was designed to do. Unfortunately, he is doing so far from his native habitat and finds the native south Florida species easy prey. This python is in the park as the result of accidental or intentional release. Yes, people take their hungry, unwanted pets to the park. The National Park Service is working hard to try to manage the situation. h ttp://www.nps.gov/ever/naturescience/burmesepythonsintro.htm
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Re: Everglades raccoon
The park rangers have told me that (unofficially) they have given up all hope of eradicating the Burmese python from the ecosystem. They're here to stay.
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Re: Everglades raccoon
Invasive species cause havoc not just with cute native species, but also agriculture, people's health and livelihoods. The Park Service has a number of interesting management programs, including a parntership with Florida Fish and Wildlife. Fish and Wildlife has a Pet Amnesty Program so that people can rehome unwanted exotic pets, rather than thoughtlessly placing them in the wild. The exotic animals are offered to adopters, who are given instructions on proper care. Fish and Wildlife offers...
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Re: Where in the World is Gumbo? 7.5
Originally Posted by PortMoresby: It seems to be "Leopold", a symbolic 1890's photographer, by David Clemons, Higgins Point, Lake Coeur d'Alene in northern Idaho. Well done Port Moresby. However there is a minor point about the location. Higgens Point (yes, this is the correct spelling) is about 0.2 mile southeast of the location of the statue. The statue is actually located on the 34 acre Coeur d'Alene Parkway, a thin strip of park land running along the Centennial Trail for about 1/2 mile...
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Oct. 30: Monet's Gardens at Giverny
You wonder how many times Monet actually used these gardens as inspiration for his art -- likely hundreds. Perhaps his most spectacular pieces are the huge canvases he painted on display in Paris' Orangeria museum. These were the works of an old man loosing his eyesight to cataracts, but are truly spectacular!
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Oct. 30: Monet's Gardens at Giverny
Definitely hundreds! In fact, for the last 40 years of his life, he painted almost nowhere else. He even created a floating studio on a small boat so he could paint within his waters, and nearby on the Seine.
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Oct. 30: Monet's Gardens at Giverny
This is on my list now!I love gardens and this sounds like a perfect day trip.
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Re: Canal St-Martin in Paris/Where Locals and Travelers Mix
The Canal St.-Martin area is also good for food. One of the best-regarded new bakeries, Des Idees et du Pain is on its edge, and there's a great twice-a-week open-air market between the point where it goes underground and Bastille.
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Re: Canal St-Martin in Paris/Where Locals and Travelers Mix
One thing that's very interesting about the open air markets there is after the markets close. The Roma gather up all that's left behind and divide it up amongst the community. Quite a sight, and I was really amazed at just how much is left
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Oct. 27: Paris's Stravinsky Fountain
Absolutely wonderful. You can almost hear the music and the splashing water. Thanks for the lovely photos.
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Re: La Dolce Vita (Part 5) Venezia (Venice)
Thanks for your comments, PHeymont. The cruise ships are BIG business in Venice, and certainly allow a lot of people to enjoy the destination if only for a day. But there are easily places the ships could park that wouldn't hurt the delicate lagoon, then shuttle people into the city.
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Re: Frommer's New EasyGuides: A Future for Print
I'm really excited part of the focus of these guides is back to budget travel.And budget travel is more than about saving money. I think during the Wiley ownership days of Frommers, they tried to be all things to all people,and had too many destination guides. More focused, quality ,and passion, is just what the Guidebooks need.
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Re: Frommer's New EasyGuides: A Future for Print
That's a great review Paul, and I'm delighted to see Frommers guides back in the hands of the Frommers. I like their simple "Day By Day" series and this reboot of their guidebooks sounds very helpful and useful. I still like to travel with a guidebook in hand (though I research the trip beforehand). Thanks for the thoughtful review.
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Re: Frommer's New EasyGuides: A Future for Print
What great news to hear that a publisher recognizes the need for practical budget travel information. I can spend ages on the Internet trying to work out a basic trip scheme. When a location is new to me, I need that overview in hand. It does me no good to read that the Paris' Luxembourg gardens are wonderful when I am trying to work out how long I can afford to be in Paris. It does me no good to know that there are marvelous chambre d'hotes in the Ile de Cite when what I need is a couple of...
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Re: Frommer's New EasyGuides: A Future for Print
A much needed breath of fresh air. Thank you, Frommer's !
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Re: Frommer's New EasyGuides: A Future for Print
I told Pauline Frommer that I was disappointed with the Frommers' England Guide. She said I'd be Happy with the new Frommers' London (not England) so I wait with baited breath for a read of the new issue.
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Re: Frommer's New EasyGuides: A Future for Print
I think the series will improve, GarryRF. Unlike Wiley's and Google, who really are just business guys who weren't passionate about travel, Pauline and Arthur do care about the experience. The quality of a guidebook depends largely on the author/researcher, but good editorial direction is very important. Passion about something matters. Clearly you have it about your home and your travels. We hope our readers find this website has it, too. We love travel related stuff!
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Re: Frommer's New EasyGuides: A Future for Print
I did enquire if a proof read was possible - not just for me - but some of the contributors whose expertise was better than most "proffesionals writers". But no reply.
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Re: Frommer's New EasyGuides: A Future for Print
Garry...I don't have an order in for London (not going there soon, alas) but will you review it for Gumbo when it appears?
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Re: Frommer's New EasyGuides: A Future for Print
A review for London ? Haven't been there for 40 years Paul. Really don't like big Cities and the "too busy to care attitude of people who live there" It's just my personal opinion. On the Tube Train into London people don't make eye-contact or talk to strangers. Here in Liverpool you'll be in conversation with 3 or 4 strangers and share a few laughs on the journey ! Someone falls on the street here ( and most of Northern England ) and folks rush to help. London they step over you. Rant over...
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Re: Frommer's New EasyGuides: A Future for Print
Garry...I hope you'll give London a chance again sometime. Some of the things you're saying about London are a lot like the very popular (but totally untrue) things people say about us New Yorkers...
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Re: Frommer's New EasyGuides: A Future for Print
I know Paul - I'm just being a bad traveller ! It's like folks go to France and complain that Parisians don't smile! But they do when they know you! I just find big cities much the same. Like Havana is the same as any other overgrown City in the Caribbean! Crumbling Spanish Architecture. Dominican Republic is another good example. I must be getting Claustrophobic Paul ! Give me the wide open spaces of Delaware State Park and I'm in heaven. Some days I have the whole Park to myself. Solitude...
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Re: The Valley Island of Maui: 2) Haleakala National Park
US Immigration is a bit of a hassle, although most Canadians receive about a smooth a ride as possible. In most Canadian airports, you can actually clear immigration within Canada, rather than the USA (infinitely preferable because the lines are so much shorter). Not sure if that's true of Montreal, though. Thank you for your kind words about the Hawaii blogs. Hawaii is a special place. I've always gone and explored it by myself, so in this setting I tend to drift to isolated places that are...
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Re: Frommer's New EasyGuides: A Future for Print
Over the years I've posted many Budget Travel ideas to the Fommers Site. But they were all ripped apart by people who've never tried them or would even consider them. So I'm pleased to see the focus has been brought back to Europe on $5 a day - and up !
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Re: Frommer's New EasyGuides: A Future for Print
Like GarryRF, I'd rather be in wide open places. But that said, I do love snippets of big cities. A week at a time is about enough to satisfy my need for hustle and bustle for awhile. I know others can't live without the constant adrenaline rush of a city. The beauty of a free world is that everyone can pick what they want.
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Re: Frommer's New EasyGuides: A Future for Print
Beautiful Rideau Lakes In Ontario Canada - and me living in borrowed clothes to enjoy it ! ...and that's me on the balcony looking out ! I said I liked Cold but that Canadian Cold is so cruel !!
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Re: Sri Lanka: A Land Like No Other. (Part 5) The Elephants of Pinnawala
Thanks, PortMoresby! And we've not even been to the sacred tooth relic in Kandy, the medieval ruins of Polonnaruwa, the beautiful hill country filled with tea plantations and "The World's End", a wildlife safari at Yala National Park, nor any of the nice beaches (but keep reading -- reports on these are coming). Sri Lanka is a great destination, especially now that the civil war is over. I was doubly lucky to not only be able to visit a dear friend there but to have time to leisurely explore...