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Htel St Merry is a 3 star hotel in Paris, located in 78, rue de la Verrerie

Welcome to 16th century! Hotel St. Merry is not only one of the chicest boutique hotels in le Marais, it is an historical experience on its own. Located in the old presbytery of St. Merry’s gothic church, it offers you a wonderful travel through time, tempered by modern comfort and medieval furnishings. You can experience castle life in today’s most lively area of Paris. Over 100 restaurants are at your feet, as is The Pompidou Center, Notre Dame, the Htel de Ville, and most of le Marais, major attractions. Our building is so old, some visitors thought we might have ghosts living there…We can guarantee there are none. The only old spirits we keep alive today are those of welcome and hospitality, friendship and the art of living. Nearby St. Merry’s Church also offers free classical concerts every Saturday night…Just one more reason to stay with us!

This hotel, a former presbytery incorporated in the historical Saint Merry church, offers you in addition to its comfort, a complete change of scenery in its finely restored 17th Century interior. 3 elements : stone, iron and wood produce a Gothic style of great nobility. The creator of this place devoted his life to make perfect this decor.

5 levels, 11 rooms, 1 suite all with bathrooms

FACILITIES: Direct Dial, Pets admited

Car park nearby: Parking Rivoli Saint-Martin

Chamonix is a beautiful holiday destination with the famous Monte Bianco as well as majestic glaciers. Most of us love to go paragliding or from time to time eating out. I usually travel from Columbus and stay at a Chamonix lodge during my break.

My family and I used to stayed in Sheraton Suites Fairplex but it never lived up to its its advert: The Sheraton Suites Fairplex offers two-room suites in Orange County, California. This moderately priced lodging option houses a fitness room and a heated, outdoor pool. For further recreation, Mountain Meadows Golf Course is one mile from the property. Enjoy convenient, onsite dining at the Brass Ring restaurant. Open three meals daily, this casual spot offers American cuisine. Banner’s, the hotel’s lounge, offers a full bar and a casual atmosphere perfect for cocktails after a long day. For added convenience, the hotel offers a 24-hour front desk, parking, wake-up calls, a concierge, laundry facilities, and 13 meeting rooms. The hotel accepts pets, but restrictions may apply. If you plan to bring your pet, please contact the hotel before your arrival to confirm the current pet policy. The hotel also provides a shuttle to and from the airport. Advance notice is requested for prompt service. Guests wishing to explore the surrounding area will find the Claremont Colleges, Pomona College, and Raging Water Amusement Park in two miles. Mount Baldy Ski Resort is 10 miles away and Disneyland is 25 miles from the hotel. There are 247 two-room suites on eight floors. Both non-smoking rooms and rooms equipped for the physically challenged are available. Standard amenities include microwave, dataport telephones, iron, ironing board, coffeemaker, and television.

In comparison in Chamonix France the self catered chalet is always outstanding. Also dining in my favorite cafe, Carrabba’s Italian Grill - South Tampa, scoffing ben & jerry’s sweet cream bases for ice cream is a real treat. Chamonix Mont Blanc France is a big enough place to make sure that there is plenty for the non-skier to do. Including a ice rink and a plethora of night-clubs, Chamonix provides a choice of skiing, alpine charm and sightseeing which not many French ski resorts can beat.

Dawn’s B&B is located in Monteverde area, refined and calm headquarter close to the Gianicolo, Trastevere e behind Vatican City.

The Centre is easily to reach in fifteen minutes by tram number 8 to Largo Argentina the stop is located 300 meters from the B&B and its even near the H bus stop that takes you to Termini station (main Station of Rome).
Just in front of the B&B you will find the 44 Bus stop that takes you to Piazza Venezia.

The apartment has been restored in November 2006 and at the moment dispose of one twin room, one triple room and one double room all finely furnished with Ensuite bath, Ethernet access, safe, air conditioning and Colour Television.

NOTE FOR CUSTOMERS:

CHECK IN IS UNTIL AND NOT OVER 10.00 PM (OFFICE TIMETABLE)

AFTER THIS TIME YOU WILL PAY AN EXTRA OF 30,00 EURO

HOW TO REACH US

From Leonardo Da Vinci airport:
Take the train to Termini station and get off at Trastevere station, Then take the tram number 8 (direction Casaletto) and get off after 4 stops at Piazza San Giovanni Di Dio.
From Termini station:
Get the bus number H from Piazza dei Cinquecento, (just in front of the main station exit), and get off Piazza San Giovanni Di Dio. You can even take the bus 64 or 40 until Largo Argentina, and the catch the tram number 8 (direction Casaletto) and get off after 4 stops at Piazza San Giovanni Di Dio.
From Piazza Venezia:
Take the bus number 44 and get off in V. Federico Ozanam at the crossroad with Circonvallazione Gianicolense (Farmacy).
We also dispose of taxi service; the tariff is 60,00 € (for 2 or 3 person- standard car), and 80,00 € for Minivan (from 4 to 7 person)

Quality at a cheap price in Rome? Book online and save your money: find an Hotel Via Veneto, or compare price for cheap Rome hotels, or make a reservation for a tour in Rome

Travel guide to Rome (Italy) presenting the best places to visit in this beautiful city, rich in masterpieces and architectural jewels.
Purpose of this article is to introduce hidden treasures and places in Rome unknown to the mass but enchanting for their beauty and historical value. (We reccommend to choose an hotel in the center of Rome in order to be walking distance from all these places)

Santa Maria Maggiore
An ancient and precious jewel. One of the four patriarchal basilicas of the city, maybe the most beloved of the Romans. Includes on eof the most admired ancient nativity scenes of the city
The story of Jesus and Holy Mary, told in the precious mosaics of the nave, datable to the 5th century. The gilded roof and the noble chappels, the marble paviment and the elegant canopy of the central Altar.

Fontana di Trevi
Water and marble, fiction and reality: a scene worthy of the richest theatrical show. One of the most representative symbol of Rome.

Palazzo Madama
A beautiful palazzo if the 16th century, today the sat of the Senate of the Republic, its history is that of the personalities who lived there. In the heart of Renaissance and Baroque Rome, it is a jewel of civil architecture.

Palatino
The ancient Palatinum, Residence of the Caesars, and its exquisite garden elevated over the city. From the Domus Imperiale to the orchards of the Farnese family, to the works if Mussolini to bring to light once more the remains of the Roman civilization.

Terme di Caracalla
A fantastic and masterful scenario, still used today for the representation of the Opera in Rome. These baths tell of a grade of civilization achieved in Rome in the Imperial Age.

Bocca della Verit
The oldest place of settlement in Rome, just two steps from the river at its best point of crossing. The Greek community and the cult of Hercules, the present church (Santa Maria in Cosmedin) and the legend of the mouth of truth: a surprising curiosity for children.

Ponte Sant’Angelo
A walkway of angels which look down as you walk across the bridge, the memory of a past time in which the castle was a place of imprisonment and suffering.

Citt del Vaticano
A State within a State, a city whithin a city. This is the small but precious Vatican Sate. The piazza is like a symbolic embrace to Christians, an enormous concave circle whih has welcomed the faithful for centuries with the same emphasis carried out by the Popes of the Baroque.

Piazza del Popolo - Via del Corso
The city of the 19th century and its breathing in the organization of Giuseppe Valadier for Napoleon Bonaparte. The monumental entry into the city from the North, its legends and the story of the churches which flank it.

The reservation in Rome is simple as 1-2-3: check the availability for hotels in Rome, find which hotel or Bed and Breakfast in Rome best fits your needs, and proceed to the reservation filling a form and proceeding to a secure payment.

Property Index are specialists for property in France, view the site to see the different properties.

Regardless the fact that the Property Index is really a young concern, (they were incorporated only in March 2007), they were very fast to prove their expertise. They’re a pretty unostentatious concern specialising in offering guidance to every customer who is looking to sell real estate in most areas of the world. Their guarantee is to offer you assistance to unearth squarely what you desire fast plus, of course, painlessly. Real estate is being offered in the most popular regions of the world at present, undoubtedly the high-class area being property available in France. It’s easy as one-two-three to determine the tremendous properties you can purchase in France, the motive for hunting for properties here is a combination of the houses and apartments available for sale and the wonderful chance of being able to live between such a effervescent, animated and vigorous populace.

It is one of the most sought after regions at present, and in view of the scenic splendor and the agreeable weather surrounding you, how can you say no? Real estate in France is steeped in history, art and culture, this country has always been home to many nations. Around 30 years back there was just a trickle of Englishmen in search of properties in France. Ask anyone who has removed to France and they’ll be sure to confirm this. There are those who would tend to see it as a temporary vogue and others tend to see it as a that’s more or less an infatuation… Buyers willing to move to this region will range from young yuppie couples who are looking for an exciting new challenge in life to seniors who want to have a break.

Do bear in mind, however, that there could well be hindrances when buying properties in a foreign market - you’ll have to cover a hundred varied, frequently conflicting, procedures when devising a plan, sightseeing or completing. If you only miss a single step that may provoke sizable hindrances not to forget, preeminently, monetary loss. As is to be anticipated with this favored area, properties may well be extremely dear in this destination and that’s simply owing to the growing buyer demand. Yet, the buyer indeed is spoilt in terms of choice in a part of the world blessed by fantastic view. It’s certainly got the whole shebang a client may conceivably hanker for, and more.

London these days is by a long way one of the favourite destinations to stop at in the modern world. What back packers need in a hotel is surely going to be considerably different from what a traditional London tenant would probably look for. Right now there are countless different types of hotels around. Thus you ought to think cautiously in regards to what you are looking for in your London hotel. This is a very personal opinion and with the choices accessible to you today it can without doubt be a tough one to make. Find the best guides to London Hotels with Time Out.

Modern, traditional, funky, are you wanting to be pandered to, have afternoon tea somewhere superb or just have a couple nights to rest in luxurious rooms.

A couple of the more regular hotels are the longest & grandest in the City & it has to be noted that they are more often than not occupied with a certain category of clientele, you’re not if truth be hold going to go here if you’re with your children or relations. The Ritz, Savoy and Claridges are simply a number of these all of which have been about as long as the Victorian era. They have all received reconstruction since then yet still have a lot of their unique merits and features. There are not many hotels on earth currently that offer this exact kind of comfort, people assemble from all over the earth to see these hotels & the employees make certain that the holidaymakers stay is utterly worth the while.

With the Capital these days being a trendy city to take a weekend break it makes sense that they have great hotels to go together. Niche hotels are becoming ever more popular & present a distinctive sort of hotel accommodation than you would obtain from your more conventional accommodation would supply. If you’re trying to find some of the finest then visit areas like that of Knightsbridge, Notting Hill and Soho & you’re bound to find specifically what you’re hoping for. Both the Soho Hotel & St Martin Lane Hotel are one of the two of the best hotels in the Capital.

Patagonia spans the southern third of Chile and Argentina. It is probably the most famous and romanticised region of either country, it is also the most sparsely populated. It is a land of immense beauty, filled with turquoise lakes, mountains, volcanoes, fjords, icebergs and native forests.

Northern Patagonia is lush and green, the views of lakes and forested hills against a backdrop of snow-capped volcanoes, is stunningly beautiful and easy on the eye. This changes the further south you go as the environment becomes harsher and assumes a more rugged beauty, culminating in the ice fields and glaciers of the Torres del Paine and El Calafate national parks. In Parque National Laguna San Rafael towering cliffs of ice break off the San Valentin glacier and crash into the lake forming icebergs. If you see a picture of these icebergs you might think that their bright blue colour were a trick of the lens, but it is not. It is the result of ten thousand years of glacial compression.

Patagonia is also teaming with wildlife, with many endemic species such as the Huemul, a small deer that is the national emblem of Chile. Round the coastline there are penguin and seal colonies and great opportunities for whale watching (May to November).

It is an outdoors paradise with all nature of activities: horseback treks, rafting, summer skiing, kayaking, walking, climbing, etc. The area is also peppered with hot-springs due to the vigorous geothermal activity, which provide the perfect way to relax and recover after the rigours of travelling.

Andrew Chaundler worked and travelled in South America for many years before setting up Optimundo, a travel company that specialises in holidays in Chile and Argentina that are designed with expert knowledge of the region. See our website to find out about Patagonia and our tailor-made travel services.

The Philippines has recently gained itself a bad reputation due to all the political on-goings in the country. Clashes between rebel forces and the government, rumors of coup, status of emergency declarations, and even suspected links to the al Quaeda - no wonder some Western governments cannot help but release travel advisories against visiting this country.

Before you decide against a trip to Manila, you should bear in mind that the newspapers do not always give an accurate picture of a situation. Sensationalism is their business, and sensationalized news is what you usually get.

Manila is located in the northern island of Luzon. The terrorist stronghold is located in the southernmost part of the Philippines - two big islands away - in Mindanao. The status of emergency was indeed declared but civilians basically continued to live their normal lives even as it was in place.

It is very easy to get around in Manila. The jeepney is the Philippines’ most common form of transportation. It is actually based on the US Army jeep but is longer and fits about 16-20 people. You can also get on buses, the Metro Rail Transit, and hire cabs. Language is not a major problem as even the people on the streets can speak rudimentary English.

Manila is well-known for its nightlife. You can find bars open until 3 or 4 in the morning. The Makati and Malate areas are where you can find the hottest clubs and bars. Makati is a bit more expensive but safer as well.

Malls abound in the metro. You can find anything from designer brands to nondescript but very cheap brands. Food is not a problem. Filipino food, American fast food, Japanese food - you can find anything there.

Filipinos are very hospitable by nature. You will be surprised at how friendly and helpful most of them are. It’s actually a different form of racism - they seem to treat Caucasians in a much better way.

Cost of living and traveling is so much lower than in western countries. So if you have dollars or euros, chances are you will have no problems availing services that meet your standards. Hotels and other accommodations are abundant and easy to find.

If it is the beach you want, then you can opt to go out of the city. The nearest beach can be reached in about 4 hours from the city. You can take a plane to other parts of the country if you want to see more.

Whether you are traveling alone or with your family, Manila is a good place to visit. It will be a rich cultural experience for you.

For more information please visit www.444.net.

In this continuing series, we cover my move from San Diego to Chita, Siberia to be a professor at Chita State Technical University. We pick up the story going to the train station in Khabarovsk to catch the Trans-Siberian Railroad.

Day 4!

If you’ve been reading this series on NomadJournalTrips.com, you know my original travel estimate was 2 days from San Diego to Chita, Russia. Well, day 4 has arrived and I am just getting on the train. This horrible time estimate is evidence of a poor math education. I blame the American education system!

I never could figure out those math hypotheticals, “If a train is going south at “x” speed and a cyclist is going north at “x” speed, when will they meet?” When are they going to meet? More like, “What the heck is cyclist going to look like WHEN they meet?” What about his family, not to mention the nightmares suffered by the conductor. I mean, really, who can do math under such circumstances?

Stairs…Evil, Evil Stairs

At the Intourist hotel, we arranged for train tickets to Chita. By we, I mean my friend Grae did everything. For $27, “we” had arranged a private berth and all was good. With a good nights sleep, we headed down from the room and out into the…pouring rain. A local was kind enough to give us a ride to the train station and all seemed good. After a bit of pointing, extreme facial expressions and so on, we discovered our train was running about an hour slow. We hunkered down and did a bit of people watching.

As we sat, I pondered my luggage. I had a large hiking backpack and something I called “the lump.” The lump was an extremely large duffle bag with tiny wheels on one-end and plastic bars running down the flat side/bottom. In theory, you could roll it or drag it anywhere. Mine was black, wet and weighed about 70 pounds. Before you snicker, keep in mind I was going to Siberia for a year. What would you take? Still, I had an uneasy feeling, but couldn’t really figure out why.

Our hour was up and it was time to head to the track platform. Like many European train stations, one had to actually walk down stairs, through a tunnel and then back up stairs to get to your platform. This is not the way it works in San Diego. It also doesn’t rain in San Diego. Rain, 70 pound bag on wheels, plastic bars, stairs…I think you get the picture.

The stairs were packed as I shuffled forward pulling the lump behind me. You would be proud. I made the first flight without maiming anyone or being slapped. Just as I stepped down the second flight, “thou was nudgeth from behind.”

Time slowed.

The lump hit me in the back of the knees. I fell back onto the lump. In a transformation beyond my primitive understanding of quantum physics, the lump became a high performance bobsled. Down I went.

Still in slow motion, I couldn’t help but notice the agility of the Russians in the stairwell. Some jumped up an ornamental shelf running down the stairs. Overweight individuals sucked it up and suddenly became thin. Miraculously, not one soul was hit on my way to the bottom. My landing was uneventful, which is to say there wasn’t a loud smack on the wall at the bottom of the stairs.

I jumped up and turned to see if anyone was injured. There was total silence. Faces just stared back at me. Apparently, the only thing injured was my ego and skin, which was turning a dark shade of red. Well, I like to make an impression! I vehemently prayed that none of them were going to Chita.

Everyone started moving again and not a word was said. Alas, the lump was not so accommodating when it came to climbing up the stairs on the other end of the tunnel.

Next - The Trans-Siberian Railway…How Many Days To Chita?!
About the Author

Rick Chapo is with Nomad Journals - makers of travel journals. Read Visit NomadJournalTrips.com to read travel articles and travelogues.

The Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour, founded in 1938 and located just 15 minutes north of downtown Orlando, is one of these lovely side trips that combine beautiful scenery, a bit of local history, some close-up exposure to local wildlife and vegetation with a relaxing outing in a slow-moving 18-passenger pontoon boat, all complete with expert (and sometimes humorous) narration provided by the boat’s captain.

The tour takes you through 3 lakes: Lake Osceola, Lage Virginia and Lake Maitland. On this gorgeous day, with brilliantly blue skies, the boat whisked us past hundreds of beautiful water-front estates, many of which were originally built in the 1920s and originally sold for $20,000, while fetching between $500,000 and several million in today’s booming Central Florida real estate market. Even boathouses are worth between $30,000 and $40,000.

In Lake Virginia we came up close to the grounds of Rollins College, one of the top rated private liberal arts colleges in the South Eastern United States, founded in 1885 by New England Congregationalists. Rollins College is the oldest recognized college in the state of Florida with a small student body of 1,700 students, housed on a beautiful 70 acre Mediterraean Revival Campus. Our expert captain / tour guide mentioned that tuition at the college is $38,000 and the ratio of students to professors is 12:1.

Condos are located right next to the college, selling today for between $450,000 to $1 million. As we approached the narrow Venetian Canal that would take us from Lake Virginia to Lake Maitland, our captain made us aware of all the interesting vegetation growing alongside the canal: Egyptian papyrus, Spanish moss (an airplant and not a parasite), the Princess flower, colourful bougainvilleas and resurrection fern. We saw a variety of birds, including an Osprey eagle, a snake bird, a great blue heron and a white egret, which used to be the good luck bird of the Seminole Indians.

On Lake Maitland we learned that there was an alligator cave from which 150 alligators were removed into the Florida Everglades to prevent a rather dangerous collision between local wildlife and civilization.

Along the Venetian Canal we also saw variegated ginger and banana trees, as we slowly passed under the arched Palmer Avenue Bridge. Philodendrons, palmgrass, bamboo, a plant called firespikes and an interesting arrangement of “air potatoes”, round tubers hanging down from a tree branch, adorned our journey through the canal.

At 450 acres and 30 feet deep, Lake Maitland is the largest of the 3 lakes covered by the boat tour. A dam controls the water level and interestingly, the lakes all drain northwards into the St. John’s River which flows into the Atlantic near Jacksonville. The Kraft Azalea Gardens, located on Lake Maitland on Alabama Drive off Palmer Avenue, feature thousands of azaleas, tropical shrubs and trees. Azaleas are in full bloom January through March.

Our expert captain also pointed out various mansions that have been used as backdrops in various movies and commercials. Lake Maitland also features several small islands with rather naked looking trees that house colonies of cormorants, fishing birds that consume up to a pound of fish a day.

We slowly made our way back from Lake Maitland to Lake Osceola where our relaxing and scenic boat tour came to an end. On this gorgeous day it was a fabulous outing that provided an appropriate historical context for a further exploration of the beautiful city of Winter Park.

The Scenic Boat Tour, a Winter Park institution for almost 70 years now, is located at the end of Morse Avenue on the shores of Lake Osceola. It is a very affordable outing at $8 for adults and $4 for children (children under 2 ride free). Boat tours run every day from 10 am to 4 pm (except Christmas). For further information contact the Winter Park Scenic Boat Tour.

Susanne Pacher is the publisher of a website called Travel and Transitions (http://www.travelandtransitions.com). Travel and Transitions deals with unconventional travel and is chock full of advice, tips, real life travel experiences, interviews with travellers and travel experts, insights and reflections, cross-cultural issues, contests and many other features. You will also find stories about life and the transitions that we face as we go through our own personal life-long journeys.

Submit your own travel stories in our first travel story contest (http://www.travelandtransitions.com/contests.htm) and have a chance to win an amazing adventure cruise on the Amazon River.

“Life is a Journey Explore New Horizons”.
The story with photos is published at Stories and Photos (http://www.travelandtransitions.com/stories_photos/orlando_winter_park_boat_tour.htm).