Blogs from Île-de-France, France, Europe - page 4

Today we arrived in Paris for the 11th time since our first visit twenty-two years ago. Yet for us, Paris has become a never-ending story, with each visit adding a fresh chapter to that narrative. Still, even after all these years and the number of visits, you could rightly say that our sentiments are aptly expressed in the immortal words of Humphrey Bogart to Ingrid Bergman, in the film Casablanca, that "We'll always have Paris"; or those of Audrey Hepburn, in the movie Sabrina, that “Paris is always a good idea.” People have frequently asked us what is so special about Paris that makes us want to return, time and time again? Is it the centuries of history, art, culture or the French joie de vivre? Or perhaps it's the baguettes, crème brûlée--and the rest of ... read more

From the article: Jet lag happens because the body’s internal clock is thrown out of sync and produces symptoms, including lack of sleep, drowsiness, and impaired mental and url=https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiRjLbSs4H8AhXdS_EDHSaQCdwQFnoECC8QAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sleepfoundation.org%2Ftravel-and-sleep%2Fjet-lag&usg=AOvVaw18PW95_8ljpB2B9jAIMGU9physical performance. “Most of the time, our sleep habits are changed when our bio rhythm is disrupted,” explains König. “There’s a greater likelihood of this happening when we travel due to a new environment, a change of time zone, or sleep disturbances. To combat this, it is very important to schedule enough sleep time and ensure the typical sleep duration remains the same. When changing time zones especially, one should adjust themselves immediately to sleeping in the new tim... read more

Without another set of eyes and ear, traveling solo can be somewhat daunting if you are not organized, and thinking clearly. A little feedback goes a long way, as does some advanced planning. I try to use the evening before to plan the next day's activities. And despite the best plans, things can go wrong, like the weather. Travel and Leisure had this to say about traveling alone and making mistakes. Packing and overpacking-I am usually guilty, but I often give or donate clothes at my destination. Layering is the key, particularly when visiting both warm and cold destinations. I am getting better about packing with each trip. And I still give away clothes along the way. Overscheduling-Fortunately, I rarely do this. I try to reserve time for one activity in the morning and one in ... read more

Due to Technical Difficulties, There are no Pictures (Camera is on Strike) The day started at 6 am, our normal get up during vacation time. If a certain someone did not take 90 minutes to get ready, we wouldn’t have to get up so early (no I am not that certain someone), in any event, down to breakfast at 8. Had several good conversations with other quest, the majority seemed to all be from Washington State. The woman couple at the table were off to Versailles for the day (Sunday is the better day as that is when the fountains are working), we gave them a few hints on their visit and some dinner tips for later in their trip. We woke up to pouring rain and I mean hard Portland Oregon Winter rain. Fortunately, we ... read more

So shut up, live, travel, adventure, bless, and don’t be sorry.-Jack Kerouac I was on the fence about writing another travel blog for this trip, but here I am. Apparently there is a few people that still read it and were asking about it prior to our departure. Sometimes I feel the more ordinary trips in accessible countries don't deserve the same amount of chronicling, but then again these are the trips people are most interested in because it is recognizable and within easy reach for their own travels. As with all our trips I utilized my credit card miles to purchase the airfare, this time through a KLM credit card signup bonus. This time we needed to unfortunately fly out of LAX to score the deal, our most hated airport. However it was a direct ... read more