The Colosseum

One of the highlights for me personally on this visit to Rome was going to the Colosseum. It is definitely an item off my bucket list.  To me places like this are not just old buildings, they are much more than just old dusty real estate that is built for the convenience of tourists.

Just inside the main entrance 

On the day that we ventured out into the beauty of Rome, the sun was out and it was hot. The concierge at our hotel told us that the Colosseum was only a short walk from the hotel, wo my daughter and I took him at his word and set off for the grand old wonder. We walked for about a half an hour, this included a stop to purchase some cigars, and we arrived at our destination.

To say that it was busy would be an understatement. The area around the Colosseum was packed with tourists, tour sellers, trinket sellers and tour operators.  We stopped for a moment and surveyed the scene and noticed that the line up outside the Colosseum was about 3 hours long. this was confirmed when I asked some of the folks standing in line. So Jenna and I had a little conference. I asked her if she wanted to wait in the line, and not surprisingly she said that was not something that she was interested in doing. So we agreed to see if one of the tour operators could get us in faster.

Jenna waiting for the tour to start

I found and operator that looked honest enough as far as possible scammers go and entered into a bit of a discussion to arrange the price. I asked him how fast we would get in if I purchased a tour, he replied about  minutes. To Jenna this was way more acceptable than the 3 hours.

True to his word the tour operator had us inside the old building within 20 minutes. we also passed the hour long line inside the Colosseum that streamed from the ticket window. So altogether it would have been a four hour wait to enter this attraction. In my book it was  euros well spent.

In the foot steps of  Emperors

Upon getting past the lineup and the ticket booth we entered what would have been the main entrance that was used by the emperors of the Roman Empire. For me it was truly an awe inspiring moment to walk in the same places that echoed through time. If you have ever have the good fortune of traveling with me you will find that I need to come into physical contact with the things and place that I see. It makes them more real, and in my mind connects me to history itself, no matter how small a part I play. There are two gift shops on site and wide range of items to purchase from the very cheap to the very expensive.

My daughter and I stood where the ruling elite of the roman empire decided the life and death of literally hundreds of thousands of souls that were caught up this industrialized mechanism of death. When you see the floor of the Colosseum or rather the lack of a floor you can see the rows of pens and cells that housed man and beast. The Colosseum or the Flavian Amphitheater as it is also known was the largest amphitheater of the Roman Empire. Construction was begun in the year 70 AD under the direction of Emperor Vespasian and completed in 80 AD by Emperor Titus. It is estimated that it could hold between 50000 and 80000 spectators and was used for everything from plays to mach sea battles.

This old structur was in use all the way up to the early Middle Ages and later re-purposed as housing, work shops and a fortress just to name a few. In its current form the Colosseum still bares the scares from devastating earthquake, stone robbers and wreck-less tourists that like to carve their graffiti into the ancient stone.
I f you are a lover of history as I am I recommend a visit to this grand old wonder. It is worth the price of admission even on the free days. 

P.s. A small bit of travel intell. The tour operators make more money on the free days than they do on the regular admission days, simply because of the sheer volume of tourists that flock to the most popular attraction in Rome next to the Vatican.

Operation Hotel Part I - the search for the right Accommodation

A very short walk from the hotel  

When planing to travel especially when you are on a budget one of the biggest costs is going to be on accommodations. The types of considerations that are made also depend on the circumstances of the traveler. For example if you are a young person or you are the only one traveling, then surly a hostel or other similar accommodation would be perfectly suitable for your trip. However if you are a little older and, shall we say, have a few miles packed on then a more comfortable  accommodation would be the order of the day.
For my family and I we wanted to find a good balance for our money. Another factor for us with this trip was the fact that there were three of us traveling rather than just two. A fact of traveling is the more of you there are, the more expensive it is going to be. So what do you do? You make darn sure that the hotel you're  going to stay at is exactly what you are looking for.

The search for the right hotel was exhausting, but really worth the effort in the end. If your like me you don't like to spend money on junk. What we did was we took a hard look at what our travel abilities actually were, especially when we were traveling with a 16 year old girl.
We wanted a hotels that were  close to the sites, but yet not overly touristy sections of the cities we were going to visit. We were looking for places that would accommodate three people in a room, as well as include breakfasts in the cost of the room. We looked at accessibility from transportation hubs in and out of the city, and different forms of transportation that would be most cost effective.

   We literally read hundreds of reviews on expedia.ca and tripadvisor.ca. and narrowed our search from there.
We did have some criteria in mind when we started looking. We wanted  to be close to what we wanted to see, so a central location was key for us. Included breakfasts were a must and descent restaurants within walking distance. We wanted WiFi and our own restroom, It is not uncommon to have shared restrooms in some of the hotels in Paris.

In Paris we settled on Hotel Astrid, It was a beautiful little boutique hotel situated right down the street from The Arc de Triomphe in historic part of Paris...then again what part of Paris isn't historic. The room was small, but well kept, It was really a double room with three single beds. However it suited our purposes, the beds were comfortable and there was a very adequate restroom.
On one of the evenings the street below was a little loud due to the fact that there was Football game being watched in the cafe that was below. However, being a soccer fan, this was not an issue for me. We just got up and closed the window and everything was fine.
The breakfast was well appointed with juice, coffee and  tea. There was all manner of breads croissants, spreads, fruit, cold cuts and cereal...we did not start the day hungry to say the least.

View from Hotel Astrid

Two steps out the door, to the left there was little cafe,  L' Arc Cafe Paris, This little place had a well rounded menu from pasta to fine french fair, My wife Suzanne found a new  favorite in the Beef Bourguignon, she had it two nights in a row! The hotel was well located by two cafes, a pastry shop and corner store that had a great selection of beer, wine and spirits.

One major thing that can make or break a hotel stay is the staff that works at the hotel. On this occasion for this hotel the staff were absolutely wonderful. From arranging our stay to assisting with taxis, they all went above the call of duty. When were leaving the hotel we had to check out early to catch a flight to Rome. The night clerk prepared some coffee juice and Croissants prior to the normal times that breakfast was served, and he verified our taxi to ensure that it would arrive on time to take us to Orly airport. To top it off they all spoke english very well so it made the stay that much more comfortable.

This is just part one of Operation Hotel, I will be posting the next portion in a little while so please stay tuned.

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Paris the City of Light - A Tour by Night

By Jack Profijt

Arc du Triomphe

One of the high lights of this trip was the Paris tour by night. Most people see Paris in the day light hours and spend the evening in the cafes and restaurants having a grand old time. Many do not take the time to see this wonderful place in all of its brilliance.

My wife, through her tireless research discovered there are only two tour operators that offer night tours for the city of Paris. The first is Le Open Tours and the second is Big Bus Tours. Both companies offer Hop on Hop off tours in the day time and offer bundled discounts for those that wish to combine the tours. However the night tours are an additional fee to the day time price. It should also be noted that the night tour for either operator is not a Hop on Hop off excursion.

In the end we decided to go with the Big Bus Tours because their pick up point was closer to our hotel. The only deciding factor between the two operators was the distance of the pick up point from our hotel.  With Le Open tours we would have had to meet at their office which was farther away and we would have had to make arrangements to get there while the Big Bus stop was two minutes walking distance from the hotel. We booked these tickets before we left on our trip and had the voucher in hand when we arrived at the tour. It made things easy and quick and there was no need to for the exchange of cash with the driver. We rode on the top level of the Double Decker bus and started our tour. The late September evening air was little cool but with a light jacket it was quite comfortable. The tour started with a spin around the Arc du

Eiffel Tower 

Triomphe which is an amazing monument. Most people don't realize this place is war memorial that commemorates many of the glorious and tragic events in Frances past. It also houses the eternal flame for the unknown soldier and is especially poignant at night time.

Next we were off to the Eiffel tower and the Trocadero, to see the tower with thousands of twinkling lights was breath taking to say the least. There are a number of different angles that this monument can be photographed, so you will want to have your camera ready for those awesome shots.  Seeing this old structure in all of its illuminated glory, one can truly see why it is the ever lasting image of Paris.

The tour made its way around all of the usual sights, the Paris Opera House, The Louvre, Notre Dame de Paris, and of coarse the Moulin Rouge just to name a few. The tour itself took about two hours and we were finished and heading back to our hotel around 11:30.

We saw many of the same sites that were seen during the day time tours and to be honest I was a little concerned that this excursion might be a waste of time. However I must say that I was pleasantly surprised. Anyone can travel to Paris and see the sights and get lost in all of the touristy things that are there, however  this excursion was definitely something I would do again if the the opportunity ever came  up.
for me this tour added something to my love of Paris. The illumination of all of the wonderful buildings and cafes and the places filled with lovers was something that will be remembered. It gives almost a magical quality to the place that you just don't get during the day time hours.

Hotel du Louvre

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Paris The City of Light – trip to The Louvre

My bucket list keeps getting shorter. There is one more tick in the box. I can now honestly say that any trip to Paris is not complete until you have been to The Louvre.
The Louvre was originally a fortress built in the 12th century. Over its long and illustrious life it has been a royal residence, an Institute for the Humanities, a Royal Institute for the Painting and Sculpting, and in its current incarnation a museum.
Prior to our departure for Europe, we decided to pre order our tickets for the museum through an organisation called FNAC . FNAC is an international entertainment retail chain offering cultural and retail electronic  products. we ordered the tickets and arranged to pick them up when we arrived in Paris. There was a pick up location right around the corner from our hotel so it was quite convenient. We collected the tickets from an automated ticket booth and it took all of about 2 minutes and we were done.

A word of advice, if you are planning to go to the Louvre I strongly recommend that you purchase your tickets ahead of time. When we arrived at the museum there was a very long line of people that were waiting there to purchase tickets. When we arrived with our pre purchased tickets we entered in less than 5 minutes, through the line reserved for those that had pre purchased them.
To say the museum was busy is an understatement, however that was expected. Things became a little easier once we picked up our  map and a guide to the museum that was printed in English. When we entered the main portions of the museum, I can honestly say that I was struck dumb. I was in awe of the utter beauty of the place. I’m sure I must have looked like a child with just taking it all in. Room after room of priceless art and statues, my visual senses were just over whelmed and literally around every corner there was something else to see.
The main attraction at the Louvre is the Mona Lisa painted by Leonardo de Vinci. It was painted some time between 1503 and 1506, and it has been on display since 1797.  The room where this painting is displayed is very busy and patience is the order of the day if you plan on getting a solid photograph of this work of art.

The museum us broken down into different areas, and to see everything in one visit is quite impossible unless you have an unlimited amount of time. There are around eight different collections or departments with some 35000 items on display. They range from Egyptian Antiquities, Near eastern Antiquities, Islamic Art and Paintings just to name a few.
There are also furnishing and items on display that belonged to King Louis the XVI and Maria Antoinette, Queen of France before they  were both executed in 1792 and 1793 respectively. These items have been preserved and are in incredible condition. 
Photography is allowed in the museum as long as you do not use a flash. There are parts of the museum that are very warm, due to the number of people. There were also times that the patron traffic was very congested so if you are a person that gets Closter phobic, take your time and wait for the crowed to pass.
There is a great gift shop in the main lobby  where all manner of items can be purchased including reproductions of some of the statues  and paintings that are on display at the museum. There are also reproductions of ancient jewellery and wide variety of books, however the books appeared to be mostly in French.
This museum is truly a wondrous place, and I could go on for days trying to explain what I have seen, however I do not believe that anything that I write here will do it justice. This cultural treasure  deserves the recognition that it receives. This place is not just a treasure to France but a treasure to the World, and it is somewhere that should not be missed, when visiting Paris.

Paris The City Of Light - The Catacombs of Paris

One of the most Macabre places that you will ever see in your lifetime is the Empire of the Dead that exists under the streets of Paris.

One of the places that was on the top of my daughters things to do list was to visit De Catacombes of Paris. 

The Catacombs are a collection of quarried Limestone tunnels that run under the streets of Paris. These tunnels were created when mining for Lime Stone was big business, however instead of destroying the farm land above, early Parisians decided to tunnel underneath. The earliest of these tunnels and quarries dates back all the way to when the land was ruled by Rome. It wasn't until later years that the mines were used as Ossuaries to hold the deceased of Paris. It is estimated that there are almost 6 million souls interred underneath Paris, this is more than actually live there today. Most of the bodies were moved there Under cover of darkness in the last 400 years or so from the overcrowded cemeteries that covered Paris. This was done for a number of different reasons, the least of which was to prevent the spread of disease.  

My daughter and I took the Le Open tour bus line that stopped close to our hotel and had to make a connection to one of the other lines to arrive at our destination. On paper it looked and sounded like a good idea, however in actual fact it took about 2 hours to get to the entrance of the Catacombs. On the bright side it was a nice day, and the sun was out …and so were the tourists.

When we arrived at the Catacombs we discovered that there was a 2 ½ hour wait to get in.  So a word of advice, if you don’t want to stand in a line prepare to move before 9 am. She made the decision to stay and wait in the line because of the time we had already invested in getting there. We waited in line and avoided the water sellers (that is another post ) and made our way into the Catacombs.

The catacombs are not suitable place for anyone that has any type of mobility problems. Any one that needs a cane, walker, or any other physical aid should not even bother attempting this. I give the same advice for small children in strollers, or not, this should not be attempted.

On the Surface, Paris is a city of many sites and sounds, statues and bridges covered in gold. There are museums filled with artwork that are second to none. The streets are lined with restaurants, cafes and shops. However down below you literally see that Paris is built on the bones of the dead. Paris is not only built on the bones of its former citizens but also on the bones of the old city. Row upon row of neatly stacked bones and skulls. Side by side they lay, Aristocrats, writers, knights, laborers trades men and women all neatly packed. Layers of society that would have never met in life, lay mingled together in death for eternity.

The tour itself was about 2 hours long with an English speaking guide. The cost of the tour was 10.00 euro for adults and 8.00 euros for teens under 18. They allow only 200 people into the catacombs at a time. It is quite cool down there, so if you plan on going, bring a light jacket or sweater.

There are a few different points of interest along the way. The tour covers topics dating as far back as Roman times, the Middle ages, the French Revolution, WWII and right up until today. When the tour is over there is a crazy set of winding stairs that deposits you across the street from, none other than the Catacombs gift shop. Also a word to the wise, the exit is difficult to find so if you are having someone meet you at the end of the tour it would be wise to have a pre-planned meeting point, because the tour doesn’t end in the same place it starts.

I’m not sure If I would ever venture into the catacombs again. I mean those that have passed on should be left in peace. However, to get a true sense of Paris and the contrasts and Catastrophes that go in to creating such a place, it was worth the time and effort that was put in to the undertaking.

Paris the City of Light–hop on hop off tours

On of the biggest benefits to going to Paris is the various ways of getting around this great city. There are bicycle tours, car tours, walking tours, Segway tours, and last but not least hop on hop off tours. This post will focus on the Hop on Hop off tours.

There are two main operators of hop on hop off tours in Paris. The biggest one that covers the most ground is Le Open tours,and then there is Big Bus tours ( formerly Le Car Rouge) that covers only the major sites. Both tour companies have audio commentary recorded in a multiple of languages, that is accessible for via the set of disposable head phones that are provided on the tours. Passes for both companies can be purchased for 24, 48 or 36 hours. They can both be booked in advance via the internet, which we found very convenient. and then we printed off the ticket at home and brought it with us.

In a previous trip to Paris, my wife and I only had a limited amount of time to see the city so we paid for a 48 hour pass with Big Bus, it took us to all the major sites with the ability to hop on and off as many times as we liked for the duration of the pass. It served the purpose and the bus completed the circuit in about 2 hours.

On this trip to Paris we opted for the Le Open tours, because one of their stops was close to an attraction that my daughter wanted to see. Le Open tours has 4 different routs, and as I said covers a great deal more territory. Each rout  has a connection point with every other rout so it can be a useful way of getting around the city if you have the time. Each rout takes about 2 hours to complete if you stayed on the bus to complete the rout.

As with any type of mass transit operation there are drawbacks, some of the stops are crowded and require more than one bus to take all of the passengers. In some cases there is standing room only, which I am sure is a traffic violation. Be cautious of the stupid tourists that like to disregard the safety signs and stand on the top deck of a moving double decker bus to get the perfect photo op. One of the big differences that we noticed between the operator is that Le Open tours did not actually stop at the attritions. They had stops down side streets or other locations that were close to the attractions, where as Big Bus had stops directly in front of the attractions. Another difference was that Le Open tours seemed to more crowded than Big Bus. I have to guess the reason for this is that it goes to more places.  The stops for Le Open tours were difficult to find, where as Big Bus were not.

Both tour operators offer a night tour of the city, which I do recommend, however the Big Bus pick up location is more centrally located at there Arc De Triomphe stop.

So my advice when considering a a hop on hop off tour, bigger is not always better. If you have a lot of time in Paris then Le Open  Tours may be the one for you. But if I had to make a choice between the 2, I would take the Big Bus tour. The stops are better situated, not as crowded, and they have a night tour  pick up point that is more convenient. 

Paris the CIty of Light - The Arrival

Paris is known as a city that doesn't sleep, there is an ebb and flow to Paris that can be a little daunting to the novice traveler. Hopefully my post will help some of you ( if there are any readers, that is) in some of your travels down the road, should you ever find yourself travelling in Paris.  

We booked our air passage with Air Transat, and arrived in Paris at around 10am on Sept 30th. The flight was approximately 7 hours long and landed at Terminal 3, Charles De Gaulle airport just outside of Paris. We had already booked a stay Hotel Astrid in Paris, however we had not booked transport from the airport to the hotel. 

We had done some research prior to our trip to determine what mode of transport would best suit our needs. My wife and I discovered that there were 3 main methods of transport that would get us into the heart of Paris. 

Taxi - this method was the almost the most expensive, however it appeared to be fairly quick. approx 45.00 euros 

Subway - subway was the cheapest and the fastest, however with security concerns and and commuter crowds and us trying to weave our way in and out of subway cars with suitcases,  this didn't seem to be a method that we wanted to take.  

Airfrance - Les Cars - this mode of transport is a dedicated bus route between both of the Paris airports. It runs continuously between the Orly and Charles de Gaulle airports on 4 lines and starts at 0530 with a run every half hour or so. Each line has about 2 stops that are in the heart of paris at various locations. 16.20 euro per person one way. Total cost for us was about 48.00 

We opted for Les Cars, at 16.20 euro, one way, this method  seemed most economical for our purposes and one of the stops was on the same street as our hotel. It seemed easy enough ...

When we reached CDG airport in France it wasn't as straight forward as it seemed online. We arrived at terminal 3 of CDG.. The posted signs, and from what indications were on the CDG website Les Cars had a pick up point at terminal 3,  however the posted signs at terminal 3 were not very helpfully as to what the pick up location was. Turns out the Les Cars pick up point was located at terminal 1 so we had to make our way over to Terminal 1. The trek to terminal one was a bit of a walk. We asked for directions at an information desk and they pointed us into the direction of the Les Cars ticket booth. 

Once we figured out where the stop was, we had to purchase tickets. This is where a costly mistake was made by yours truly. I ended up purchasing the wrong tickets for the wrong bus line. It was a 37.00 euro mistake. The tickets were purchased from an automated machine so they could not be readily returned. Once I determined that tickets could be purchased directly from the driver things went a little better. 

Once we got on the bus the trip form the Airport to the hotel to took about an hour, mostly because the traffic was not bad at all, we arrived after rush hour traffic. There were not many travellers on the bus so it was not crowded, and a relatively pleasant ride. We arrived at our stop that was on the same street as our hotel, so that was helpful, it was a short walk from the stop to the hotel.     

In hind sight, when we left our hotel at the end of our stay, we had the hotel staff arrange a taxi to Orly airport. If I had to chose between the Les Cars  and the taxi, at possibly a higher price, I would chose the taxi because of convenience especially when traveling with more than 2 people.  The taxi brought us directly to departures terminal.