Practical travel information for practical travelers
Standing in the center of the Place Charles de Gaulle (also called the Place de l’Étoile) at the western end of the Champs-Élyseés, the Arc de Triomphe is the largest triumphal arch in the world. It honors those who bravely fought for France, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars, and beneath the arch is the tomb [...]
Fans of sports, snow, and the outdoors love Chamonix for the famous resort at the base of Mont Blanc in the French Alps, home to the First Winter Olympic games in 1924. From snow sports, to natural beauty, to year-round mountaineering, to the nightlife in Chamonix, this is a place that gets under your skin [...]
One of my favorite places in Paris is the Pantheon, a neo-Classical church in the Latin Quarter. It was modeled after the Pantheon in Rome and topped with a dome similar to the one on Saint Paul’s Cathedral in London. Although it was originally an abbey, it now primarily serves as a burial place for [...]
The Louvre is one of the most famous museums in the world, and most trips to Paris (at least first trips) include a visit to this famous spot located on the Right Bank of the Seine in the 1st arrondissement (map). The building, originally a palace, is now home to some of the world’s most [...]
I’ve spent some time in the south over the last several months, and it’s a whole lot different that the Pacific Northwest. A friend who lives there raved about where she lives, asking me if I didn’t think that living there would be wonderful. So I thought about it. Could I live in the South? [...]
If the thought of a beautiful bag, a decadent pair of heels, or the luxurious feel of the fabric of a finely crafted suit make you swoon, then an afternoon on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées in Paris may be your definition of heaven. The Champs-Élysées is not only one of the most recognized street names [...]
Bordeaux is city in the southwest part of France and boasts a million residents and probably just as many great bottles of wine. Bordeaux is one of the world’s major wine producers, dating back to the 8th century, and although the historic part of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, I think of [...]
During the holiday season it seems like I watch lots of movies. Whether it’s catching up on television, renting videos, or indulging in pay-per-view, it’s an enjoyable way to spend some lazy winter days. Assuming you like the movie, of course. I like a variety of movies, but the ones at the top of my [...]
Since I’m a big museum buff, I knew that I’d be spending a lot of time visiting museums while I was in Paris. As part of my pre-departure research, I prepared a pretty long list of museums that I’d like to visit, and while I knew that I would only be able to see a [...]
In addition to traveling, Mary Jo likes lingering over a cup of coffee, wandering in a museum, sipping wine at a cafe, enjoying a relaxing massage, and sharing it all with friends and readers.
Her most recent travels were to Portugal and Italy.
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