With the journey time slashed to 3 hours 36 minutes, it is no surprise that cross-border excursions are suddenly in vogue as folk on both sides of the border want to try the new Allegro service. To meet the new demand, train frequency on the Allegro link from Russia to Finland will double with effect from next Sunday.

Accommodation in Hamina, Finland

Throw in the new St Peter Line overnight shipping service to Helsinki, which started operation last year and this week moves to a new terminal in St. Petersburg, and one might well wonder why anyone still takes the bus from St. Petersburg to Finland.

Bus links

The bus takes longer than the train, but it’s cheaper, and we really think it can make sense. The Allegro train is great if speed is of the essence, and the ship is fine for those wishing to sleep on an overnight voyage to Finland.

But between St. Petersburg and Helsinki lies one of Europe’s most profoundly interesting areas, a region where Russian, Finnish and even Swedish interests have delicately intertwined to create very distinctive histories, politics and cultures.

A visit to Hamina, Finland

The scheduled bus takes about eight hours and stops along the way in the cities of Vyborg and Hamina. The latter is a superb introduction to Finland.

Hamina is an old fortress town, a place that in the past has been variously Swedish and Russian. Being little more than half-an-hour by bus west of the Finnish-Russian border, it is a popular spot with Russians making short forays into Finland for shopping. Yet Hamina’s picture-perfect octagonal square is a fine piece of early 18th-century design and a great spot to linger.

Where to stay

We stopped in Hamina last week and stayed at Pormestarintalon Pihakammari, a super little garden house in a peaceful setting behind the graceful wooden villa that for many years served as home to Hamina’s mayors. Our stay came towards the end of a long journey exploring remote Karelia, and after some wilderness days sedate Hamina was a happy re-engagement with civilization.

How to get there

For travelers coming from St. Petersburg, there is a convenient direct bus to Hamina at 3:40 p.m., which arrives in Hamina at 7:40 p.m. The one-way fare is €30. For those continuing the next day, after the overnight stop that Hamina deserves, to the Finnish capital there are frequent onward buses–generally hourly.

Fares and schedules for bus services in Finland (including many cross-border services to and from Russia) can be checked online.

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1. St. Peter Line to Russia

The news last week that over 60 ships were trapped in thick ice in the Baltic for some days is probably no great incentive to go and book some ferry trips. But Baltic spring ice does melt–eventually–and this year sees some interesting new options for Baltic travel by ship.

Cypriot-owned St. Peter Line last year launched a thrice-weekly service from Helsinki to St. Petersburg and back. And next month the company expands its offering with twice-weekly sailings from Stockholm to St. Petersburg (on Wednesdays and Saturdays) and a weekly departure from Tallinn to St. Petersburg (on Sundays).

2. Brittany Ferries to Bilbao

French operator Brittany Ferries has long been one of the most adventurous operators in the Western Channel with a raft of routes linking England and Ireland with northwest France. Later this month, the company opens a new service from Portsmouth to Bilbao in Spain, so reviving a long established ferry connection that abruptly disappeared when P&O pulled off the route last September.

Last Saturday, Brittany Ferries also reinstated its Poole to Cherbourg service. This is a very useful short link from England’s south coast to Normandy’s Cotentin peninsula. At the moment, Brittany advertise sailings just to October, so the long-term future of the route is still in doubt.

3. Maltese Connections

Virtu Ferries are one of several operators serving the Maltese market. The company had a welcome dose of free publicity in late February as Virtu’s smart white catamarans were featured on many news reports as the vessels evacuating foreign workers from Libyan ports. Virtu operates a year-round fast-ferry link between Pozzallo in Sicily and Malta. This year the company will also offer a Saturday catamaran service from Catania to Malta, starting on May 7, 2011.

Virtu’s latest Australian-built catamaran hit the headlines in September 2010 when it encountered Somali pirates on its delivery voyage to Malta. Virtu prides itself on speed, and reports say that the pirates were easily outpaced.

4. Scotland-Northern Ireland: Kintyre Express

Not for many years has there been any direct ferry link across the North Channel between the Mull of Kintyre (in western Scotland) and Northern Ireland. The last operator to offer a service was the splendidly named Argyll & Antrim Steam Packet Company which turned out to have rather flaky finances, and the service stopped in 2000.

Now Kintyre Express will fill the gap with a new fast passenger ferry from Campbeltown to Ballycastle. Services start on May 27, 2011. The route will be operated by fast RIBs with a heated cabin, so the 90-minute crossing is surely going to be a whole lot more fun than the average ferry journey. We reserve judgment on whether this is an inspired idea by Colin Craig, the man behind Kintyre Express, or whether perhaps it might be the balmiest idea in the history of European ferry transport.

We hope it is a great success, but Kintyre Express really needs to get its act together in terms of publicity and having a functioning online booking system on its website. This new ferry link creates a raft of new travel opportunities allowing visitors to Kintyre and Islay to make an easy hop over to the most beautiful part of the coast of Northern Ireland. The Antrim Glens and the Giant’s Causeway are both within easy reach of the Ballycastle ferry terminal.

The post European Ferries: 4 interesting new options for 2011 appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Located on the Amstel River, this museum is a grand venue. The Hermitage Amsterdam’s building, known as the Amstelhof, dates back to 1682, when it served as a retirement home for elderly women. Now it houses a museum showcasing the opulent lifestyles of Russian nobility and their collection of artwork from ages past. The museum’s opening ceremony was a grand affair attended by guests such as Dutch Queen Beatrix and Russian President Medvedev.

The Hermitage’s debut exhibit, “At the Russian Court,” offers a glimpse into the lives of the 19th century Russian royalty–from the exquisite attire to the delicate porcelains. This fantastic display of history and elegance will run through January 31, 2010.

A Hermitage in Amsterdam?

If countries were people, the Netherlands and Russia would be long-lasting pen pals. The bond between the two countries began when Tsar Peter the Great studied in the Netherlands. Peter was incredibly fond of Western culture, so much that he wanted his newly built Russian city to have a Dutch-sounding name—hence, St. Petersburg was born.

Soon enough, Peter the Great as well as his successors started collecting paintings, drawings, sculptures, and porcelain. A number of these pieces depicted Russian culture, though many works of art were done by western European artists commissioned by the Russian aristocracy.

A New-found Russian Home in the Dutch Capital

For a while, the Hermitage museum in St. Petersburg had been seeking a location in Europe to showcase the elegance and artistry of the Russian past. And what better place than Amsterdam, the very city that captured Peter the Great’s heart?

The dream came true when the Hermitage Amsterdam opened in 2004 with a grand inaugural ceremony. There were always plans to renovate the museum, and these plans were put in action in 2007. The opening ceremony in June, 2009, marked the opening of the whole recently expanded museum.

A painting on display at the Amsterdam Hermitage. Photo by niclas.

Admission and Practical Info

One of the most cost-effective ways to visit the Hermitage is purchasing the I Amsterdam card. The card covers admission to a large number of museums in the city and can be bought for one day (€38), two days (€48), or three days (€58). This option makes sense if you’re planning a museum spree in the city.

If the Hermitage Amsterdam is your main priority, however, you can purchase tickets for €15 (children up to age 16 get in free).

The Hermitage is open daily from 10 AM to 5 PM, and Wednesdays from 10 AM to 8 PM. Take Metro line 51, 53, or 54 to the Waterlooplein, Nieuwe Herrengracht exit.

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It was a wintry thrill to visit this northern city in the colder darker months.  It also, however, provided some stunning views of the city during the long, winter night.

Today I thought I’d post some of my favorite photos of St. Petersburg at night. Glowing lights, snow, beautiful bridges. Talk about drama!

The pictures

As you can see, walking along the canals–or anywhere, really–in St. Petersburg in January can be hazardous. The sidewalks might simply look wet, but they’re often covered in ice. Check out the frozen Moika  Canal.

But when you do venture a look up from the sidewalk, behold the city! I took this photo along the Moika Canal heading toward the Hermitage. The beautiful canal is one of three that winds its way through the heart of St. Petersburg.

Along the Moika’s banks are 18th and 19th-century government buildings, offices, museums, restaurants, apartments, and palaces. As you can see, during my visit there weren’t very many tourists walking along the canals. It was very, very cold outside.

St. Petersburg’s canals are crossed by 313 bridges, many of which are works of art. Many incorporate statues, most involve intricate metalwork, and almost all are photogenic. This bridge is crossing the Moika.

Continuing westward along the Moika, we cross another bridge and spot St. Isaac’s Cathedral. The day after I took this shot, I climbed to the top of St. Isaac’s and circled the giant rotunda in whipping winds.

Returning home along the Neva River, we pass the Peter and Paul Fortress, with its illuminated cathedral glowing through the falling snow. Under that shining spire rest nearly all the czars of Russia, including Peter the Great, himself.

Good night, St. Petersburg!

The post St. Petersburg: Photos album of the city at night appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Officially named the “Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ,” the church was built as a memorial to the slain Tsar Alexander II of Russia, who was mortally wounded on the site in 1881. It was closed by the Bolsheviks in the 1930s, but reopened in 1997 after 30 years of restoration work.

When I visited St. Petersburg last month, I stopped by the church on my second night. I had heard that there were some masterful mosaics to behold inside. But I didn’t realize that the entire interior was covered in mosaics, from floor to ceiling–including the walls, arches, ceiling, and altar!

Indeed, the church contains over 7,500 square meters of mosaics, more than any other church in the world. Here are some of my photos from the interior. Remember, these mosaics are pieced together from tiny, tiny tiles…

Read more about the church on its website, including its history, near demolition, and use during the 20th Century as a warehouse for opera sets.

The post St. Petersburg: Holy Mosaics! The “Church of Our Savior on Spilled Blood” appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

About ten days ago, during my last day in St. Petersburg, Russia, I experienced an afternoon snack attack. I had spent the day visiting churches, climbing to the top of St. Isaac’s Cathedral, and doing last-minute shopping. I wanted to stop for a coffee and treat, but I needed to get home to pack for Riga.

I took the metro to Chernyshevskaya Station, which was a ten-minute walk from my friend Carl’s apartment. Leaving the station, I walked along the lovely Furshtatskaya Boulevard (home to the US and German consulates), watching my every step as I maneuvered ice, slush, and salt.

A vision of…fried dough?

And then I saw it! There was a little green hut, steaming in the cold, and a powerful smell of fried dough. A squat woman inside the hut handed two policemen what appeared to be hot donuts, wrapped in wax paper. But they weren’t exactly donuts, as they were flatter, much larger, and didn’t have a hole. The officers took their dough, nodded and hurried off, stealing bites as they hustled into their parked car.

An afternoon donut sounded ideal. I approached the window, smiled, and pointed to the stack of donuts draining inside on a paper towel, fresh out of the grease. “One,” I said, holding up my finger and then pointing to the stack.

“Which one?” the woman gestured, pointing from one donut to another.

Was there a difference? They all looked like sugar-coated fried dough to me. But there were three stacks of them. There must be some variation I wasn’t noticing.

I pointed to the first stack. She picked it up with tongs, thrust it in a wrapper, grabbed a napkin and handed it over. She held up a calculator to show me the price… 30 rubles (a little less than US $1.00).

I walked five paces around the corner, pulled back the wrapper, and bit into the donut, bracing for a sweet and greasy sugar rush.

Surprise!

The “donut” was filled with savory minced pork! It took a few seconds for me to register the taste, and then, my expectations adjusted, I devoured the rest of the hot pocket.

Turns out, I was eating pirozhki, meat-filled doughy treats that are fried or baked. Fillings vary, but they’re commonly stuffed with minced beef or chicken, mushrooms and potatoes, or sweeter ingredients (cherries, apples). My version, minced meat, was spiced up with a variety of seasonings.

(Note: Don’t confuse pirozhki with pierogi, which are smaller, stuffed dumplings that are fried or boiled and popular in Eastern European countries.)

Thus, dear reader, when in Russia, I’d recommend indulging in a pirozhki. They’re cheap and tasty. Just don’t expect a sugar rush.

The post St. Petersburg Cheap Eat: Fried pirozhki! appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

St. Petersburg, like most big cities, strikes me as a place of small surprises. For every grandiose palace visit, there’s an insightful trip to the grocery store. For every grand view, there’s a real-world view right behind you.

Today I thought I’d post some photos of everyday life in St. Petersburg. Mind you, I don’t have any clue what “everyday life” would be like for a resident, as I’ve only spent four days here. But apologies aside, here are some everyday scenes that struck my fancy.

Some things haven’t changed very much since Soviet times. Above, a man reads today’s newspaper, posted along the street for the public.

This is the control panel of the elevator at my friend Carl’s seven-floor apartment building, where I’m staying. Although there are numbers for floors eight and nine, they aren’t really buttons and you can’t push them. (I still haven’t figured out what the X-button is for. Care to find out?)

When you get off the elevator downstairs, a man sitting in a little room looks at you from behind an open window. The first couple of days I offered smiles, nods, and hellos. I’m a little wiser now and just get out of there.

This is the meal that I devoured inside the Peter and Paul fortress two days ago at their cafe. Shown here: Beet salad (turns out with pickled herring), a sort of double-wide meatball (beef and pork) topped with soft cheese and baked, rice, a slice of wheat bread, and a glass of strawberry water (a refreshing concoction made up of watered-down strawberry juice with two frozen strawberries dropped inside).

The cafe had a special buffet-style system set up, except you didn’t serve yourself. The lady working behind the bar explained the dishes in basic English, I pointed, and she put it all together and rang it up at the register. This meal cost about 300 rubles, or about $8.50. And yes, it was absolutely delicious. I could eat it again right now.

Speaking of lunch, at almost every restaurant or cafe I’ve visited so far, the napkins on the table are presented in this festive manner. They’re folded, fanned out, and displayed upright. It makes quite an impression.

Something about this bathroom, located in the visitor’s center at the Peter and Paul fortress, cracked me up. The stalls (not pictured) are not blessed with their own toilet paper dispensers. You must take your paper before you head in. Choose wisely!

I’ll bet that you can read that familiar restaurant sign, written above in Cyrillic. I’ve noticed a few American chains, including McDonalds, Pizza Hut, and yes, Subway. However, there are fewer than I expected to see (and certainly than I saw in Paris).  This Subway is located near the Hermitage on Nevskiy Prospekt.

Finally, because today’s post might paint a rather unglamorous portrait of St. Petersburg, let us focus on one decidedly “non everyday” aspect of the city. In this photo, which I took yesterday in the Hermitage, Matisse’s masterpiece, “La Danse” (1910) is displayed on the wall of a third-floor gallery that overlooks the palace square.

I spent about five hours in the Hermitage, exploring the palace rooms with my audioguide and getting close to priceless artwork. The best part–there’s hardly anyone around. When I took this photo, I had to wait for somebody to walk through the door.

The world comes to St. Petersburg in the summer when the white nights keep the city illuminated nearly around the clock. In January, however, most tourists stay away, intimidated by the bleak weather.

And to think it’s colder right now in New York…  More soon!

The post St. Petersburg Journal: Daily surprises appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Greetings from St. Petersburg! The city is snowy, slushy, and slippery, and every step outside requires attention.

I flew in from Paris on Saturday afternoon and my friend Carl, who lives in St. Petersburg, picked me up at the airport and whisked me off to the grocery store.

Check out the caviar selection:

Sunday we explored the city, holding onto each other to avoid landing on our backs.

Carl introduced me to the St. Petersburg Metro. Interestingly, you must enter through the “enter” doors at street-level (and avoid the exit doors, as I found out when I took the Metro by myself). They’re the doors everyone’s walking into, like so:

You then put your token into the turnstile and go down a very, very, very long escalator at a swift speed. The St. Petersburg platforms are some of the deepest in the world. (I timed one escalator ride yesterday–I was cruising up it for 3.5 minutes. This may not seem like a long ride, but it is.)

St. Petersburg during January doesn’t get much sun. During the days that I’ve been here so far, it gets kind of brighter around 10 AM and stays sort of bright through about 5 PM. But we’re not talking about radiant sun. We’re talking about cloudy, whitish skies, usually with some precipitation falling.

This doesn’t stop anyone from walking around, shopping, or selling their wares. Here’s a cluster of art merchants selling their canvasses along the Nevskiy Prospekt, the city’s main boulevard.

It all makes you want to drink a lot of coffee. The city has some American-ish style coffee chains (and St. Petersburg is about to get its first Starbucks). The coffee house I like is called, well, “Coffee House.” (That’s what the sign says in Cyrillic.)

And who says Russians aren’t friendly? When I enjoyed a coffee break at this coffee house yesterday, my waitress was full of smiles and charm. I don’t speak Russian, but everyone I’ve come into contact with has been helpful and we’ve managed to make ourselves understood.

My waitress helped me pick out a chocolate éclair, and when she brought it to the table had decorated it with a little surprise:

That was a first! And so I smiled, this time in front of the Church on Spilled Blood, modeled after St. Basil’s in Moscow:

And that’s my report. Now I’m going to walk to the Hermitage, where I hope to spend most of the day.

The Hermitage in the snow, taken yesterday while trying to keep dry.
More photos soon! Until then, well… smile!

The post St. Petersburg Journal: Impressions, photos, and a smile appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Yes, we did!

On Tuesday, January 20th, 2009, Barack Obama will be sworn is as the 44th U.S. President and the world will be watching!

We’ve put together a list of places hosting inaugural day events in Europe.

As we said on Friday, the inauguration should be available in high-def at many locations, so if a bar or cafe has a television and gets satellite cable, you should be able to check in on the Washington, D.C. action.

As usual, let us know if you still need to find a place to watch the event.

Signed, sealed, delivered – again!

In Paris: The American Church in Paris hosts a prayer service at 7:30 PM followed by a viewing of the inauguration (one hour behind the live events) and a wine and cheese reception. Stop by and you might just see our Ed-in-Chief Tom Meyers! More info is here. You can also email Arlene Gross, the coordinator of the event, at arlbru2004@yahoo.com

For more ideas on where to hang your hat on inauguration day, check out this great forum on the Fodor’s Paris site. Other ideas include the Havane Cafe, at 70 Bis, Boulevard Auguste Blanqui (near Place d’Italie).

UPDATED: There’s an event at Carr’s Irish Restaurant and Bar (1 Rue du Mont Thabor). It begins at 4:30. The venue promises live coverage from CNN, via two large screen television sets. For further information, visit their web site.

In addition, a group of Democrats Abroad folks will gather to watch the inauguration at The Highlander pub (8 rue Nevers, across from the Pont Neuf).

Finally, if you really want to get your Obama-yes-we-can-can groove on, start out with the group of revelers organizing an event at Le Queenie (5, rue de Berri) for drinks, conversation, and to watch the inauguration. Then, head over to Queen nightclub (102, Avenue Champs Elysees). For info and to RSVP, email obama.obamaparisinauguration.p@gmail.com

Note: According to the Paris Expat Meetup group, the American Library also has inauguration events planned. More info here.

In Berlin: Our friends over at BootsnAll first broke the news that Berlin would be partying down on inauguration eve. As they so aptly reminded us, it was Mr. Obama himself who said, “People of Berlin, people of the world, this is our moment. This is our time.” Rock on! Head to Goya Nightclub for an evening of celebration or head to the Amerika Haus, where they’ve been celebrating Black History month for weeks already. Check out what they have planned here.

In Salzburg: An event is planned at the Hotel Stein (Giselakai 3-5). All are welcome, including children, but RSVPs are a must. Go here for more info. You can also contact Contact Mary Ann Balko-Koch at 0664 59 23 408.

In Vienna: There’s a big event planned at the Badeschiff (Donau canal between Schwedenplatz and the Urania in Vienna’s first district). The official invite can be downloaded here.  Live jazz music wil be provided. There’s a €5 optional donation. The reservation process officially closed on January 16th, but we recommend still trying to get in. Email: events@democratsabroad.at for more info.

In Brussels: There’s an event at the Hilton Brussels (38, Boulevard De Waterloo). Reservations are required. Email chair-be@democratsabroad.orgby today for info and to reserve your spot.

In London: A host of events are planned in Her Majesty’s great city. For a list of a bunch of them, visit Time Out London’s web site. Might we recommend the “Bye George” comedy celebration at the Southbank Centre on the evening before Obama takes office? By George, now that’s a pleasant thought!

For a real down-home feel, check out what the Chicago Rib Shack has planned. Just for the record, this is exactly where the other resident Cheapos would be if on the other side of the pond next week! They’re in Knightsbridge, near Harrods. For more info, email info@thechicagoribshack.co.uk

In Amsterdam: One of our favorite places to catch great entertainment and share laughs, Boom Chicago, has lots of fun stuff on the docket Tuesday night. Get in the mood earlier with a comedy show called, “Bye Bye Bush!”. For more information on the inaugural fest, go here.

UPDATED: If you’re in the Groningen area, head over to Wijkcentrum Het Floreshuis for pizza and revelry. Events start at 5 p.m. and the food and drinks are cheaply priced. More info: demsfungroningen@gmail.com

Also, check out the Democrats Abroad Netherlands site for up-to-date celebration info.

In St. Petersburg: Fellow Cheapo “Liz” suggests trying the folks at the Grand Hotel Europe, where events are planned. Contact: desk.concierge@grandhoteleurope.com

In Barcelona: This comes courtesy of ‘toshmon’ who commented via our earlier inauguration blog post.

“For Barcelona, information from http://www.amersoc.com/

“When: January 20th from 5 pm to 11 pm (entry at 4:30 pm)
Where: Le Meridien Hotel, C/ La Rambla, 111
Price: 15 euros
What’s included: Live coverage of the swearing-in ceremony on a big screen tv, live music, tapas, beer, wine, soft drinks.

“Make sure to RSVP to admin@amersoc.com and stop by Hotel Le Meridien to pick up your tickets in advance to avoid standing in line at the registration desk on day of the event.”

Thanks for posting ‘toshmon’!

In Granada: Democrats Abroad group will be convening at Paddy’s Irish Pub (on calle Santa Escolastica). Further directions to the venue, info, and more are available here.   The event begins at 4 p.m. and doors open at 3 p.m.

In Athens: The Democrats Abroad hosts an event at the Hardrock Cafe (18, Filellinon). Contact is Alexis Vasilakopoulou (ph: 210 325 2758). For more information, visit the event’s site.

In Madrid: The Hotel Intercontinental offers an event hosted by Democrats Abroad Madrid. The event is private, meaning you must RSVP, but all are welcome and entrance is free of charge. The hotel is at Paseo de la Castellana 49. More details here.

If you’re interested in a more fancy affair, check out this gala event that’s planned in Madrid.

In Rome: We were only able to track down information for the Democrats Abroad event at the Radisson SAS hotel. As of press time on Friday, the event was full. Please comment here if you’re in Rome and know of other events. Thanks!

In Milan: There’s an event at the Fiori Oscuri Bistrot (Via Fiori Oscuri 3, in Brera). All are welcome and there’s no entrance fee. Free copies of the International Herald Tribune will be distributed. For more information, contact Maria Lassila (maria.lassila@gmail.com).

Other suggestions: Check out sites like Democratic Underground, your city’s local Expat Meetup site, or Democrats Abroad for ideas.

Where will you be?

Tell us where you plan to watch the inauguration. Please include city, venue, and relevant contact info. Thanks!

And, go Obama!

The post UPDATED: Where to Watch Barack Obama’s Inauguration in Europe appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

In Paris, I’ll be visiting as many hotels as I can fit into five days, and I’m hoping that I won’t experience any conflicts with Fashion Week, which kicks off at the end of the week. (When there’s a big event in town, it’s harder to inspect hotel rooms. However, I don’t know how much crossover there is in the two camps

I’m also looking forward to watching/celebrating Obama’s inauguration in Paris. Thanks to Meredith for putting together today’s excellent post on where to watch the inauguration in Europe!

St. Petersburg will not be work, although I’m sure I won’t be able to avoid jotting down budget travel notes. (It’s a hard habit to break!) I plan to spend the week visiting the Hermitage, a few palaces, attending a ballet, and basically strolling about town.

Regarding Moscow: Thanks to all the Cheapos who suggested ways to visit Moscow a la cheapo. In the end, spending two nights in the city was too expensive for my inexperienced self, so I’ve dropped it from the itinerary. I’m still toying with the possibility of taking the train down for a day, and then returning to St. Petersburg, however. Stay tuned.

Moscow was dropped, but Riga was gained. I mentioned Tallinn in an earlier post as a possibility, but it didn’t work for my friend Carl who will be traveling with me. We found a €100 one-way flight on airBaltic from St. Petersburg to Riga on Friday, January 30th. We’ll spend the weekend exploring the town, and then I’ll stay on for a few days of hotel hunting.

Again, thanks for all the advice and well-wishes. I hope you’ll join me on this trip by checking in with the blog. I look forward to comments, questions, and tips from you.

And now–onto Paris!

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