The New Edition of Best of Spain Adds Section on Ibiza

The new (second) edition of Open Road's Best of Spain is now available. The guide has been fully updated and we've added a section on the island of Ibiza. Here are three great places to dine in Ibiza.





El Olivo €€-€€€
Sit outdoors and watch the interesting parade of people while dining on local and international cuisine. Try the excellent lomo de conejo (fillet of rabbit) or dorada a la plancha (grilled dorada). Info: 7-9 Plaça de Vila. Tel. 971300680.

Il Tappo €€
This small restaurant in the Dalt Vila has friendly service, reliable Italian dishes (try the gnocchi with gorgonzola), and excellent deserts. Interesting wine list. Info: Carrer Santa Cruz. Tel. 971394248.

Trattoria del Mar €€
Dine at this restaurant on the Marina Botafoch while looking at the stunningly lit Old Town. The emphasis here is on Italian food, but you’ll also find great seafood and local specialties. Info: On the Marina Botafoch. Tel. 971193934.

Site of Hitler's Bunker in Berlin

The location of the Führerbunker (Hitler’s Bunker) is now marked. For years, the German government had specifically left it unmarked in fear that it would become a pilgrimage shrine for neo-Nazis. There’s a parking lot on the spot where it’s said that the bodies of Eva Braun and Adolph Hitler were burnt. Some of the bunker was destroyed by the Soviets at the end of the war, and other parts were recently discovered during a construction project. It’s located at the corner of In den Ministergarten and Gertrude Kolmar Strasse (near the Holocaust Memorial). The site of Hitler's Bunker is part of the Berlin Wall Walk found in "Berlin Made Easy."

Berlin celebrates the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall

German Chancellor Angela Merkel chose the archives of the dreaded East German police to begin nearly a year of commemorations marking the 20th anniversary of the opening of the Berlin Wall. (The photos are the Brandenburg Gate and a remnant of the Berlin Wall).

The anniversary itself will be marked with a three-day festival from November 7-9 at the Brandenburg Gate, the symbol of Germany's postwar division and then of its unification. The gate lay for years behind the East Berlin side of the wall.

East and West Germany were reunited Nov. 9, 1990 - a year to the day after the wall fell.

Source: AOL News

Running (or walking): A Great Way to See the Major Sights of Paris!

If you would like a pdf map of this run/walk, just email me at eatndrink@aol.com and I'll email you the map.

Approximate distance: five miles (two miles to place de l'Alma and three miles to Arc de Triomphe).

Take the metro (subway) to the Ecole Militaire stop.

You’ll see the huge Ecole Militaire (Royal Military Academy).

Now start running to the Eiffel Tower.

The Champ de Mars are the long gardens that stretch from the Ecole Militaire to the Eiffel Tower. Run under the fabulous Eiffel Tower. It’s without doubt the most recognizable structure in the world.

Run behind the Eiffel Tower and cross the bridge (the Pont d’Iéna).

Once you cross the bridge, you’ll see the huge Chaillot Palace surrounded by more than 60 fountains.

Turn right (as you face the palace) on the avenue de New York along the Seine River. Follow avenue de New York until you reach the Pont de l’Alma (the second bridge). At the place de l’Alma, you’ll see a replica of the torch of the Statue of Liberty.

The replica of the torch of the Statue of Liberty was erected here in 1987. It was meant to commemorate the French Resistance during World War II. It just happens to be over the tunnel where Princess Diana and her boyfriend Dodi Al-Fayedh were killed in an automobile crash in 1997. The Liberty Flame is now an unofficial shrine covered with notes, flowers and prayers to the dead princess.

If you’ve had enough running, here’s a good place to take the metro Alma Marceau back to your hotel. But if you want to continue, head down the avenue Marceau. It’s one of the streets off of place de l’Alma. It’s less than one mile on avenue Marceau to the Arc de Triomphe.

At the Arc de Triomphe, twelve avenues pour into the circle around the Arc. There’s an observation deck providing one of the greatest views of Paris down the Champs-Élysées.

Tired? If so, here’s a good place to take the métro Charles-de-Gaulle-Étoile back to your hotel. But if you want to continue, head down the Champs-Élysées.

The Champs-Élysées is one of the most famous in the world. At avenue Winston-Churchill you can gaze at the recently renovated Grande and Petit Palais.

Continue down the Champs-Élysées until you reach the huge place de la Concorde.

At the end of your run, admire the huge place de la Concorde. In the center of these 21 acres stands the Obelisk of Luxor, an Egyptian column from the 13th century covered with hieroglyphics. It was here that Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette were guillotined during the French Revolution.

Here, you’ll end your run/walk of the great sights of Paris!

The Best Paris Markets

If nothing else, food markets are very interesting. Though you may feel intimidated by the wild goings-on (not to mention the sights and smells) it is absolutely worth a trip to see a real outdoor Parisian market. Filled with colorful vendors, stinky cheese, fresh produce, poultry and hanging rabbits, this is real Paris at its most diverse and beautiful. Parisians still shop (some every day) at food markets around the city. Unless noted otherwise, all are open Tuesday through noon on Sunday. Some of the best-known are:

Rue Montorgueil, 1st/Métro Les Halles
Rue Mouffetard, 5th/Métro Censier-Daubenton
Rue de Buci, 6th/Métro Mabillon
Marché Raspail, 6th/Métro Rennes (open Sunday) (organic)
Rue Cler, 7th/Métro École Militaire
Marché Bastille on the boulevard Richard Lenoir,
11th/Métro Bastille (open Thursday and Sunday)
Rue Daguerre, 14th/Métro Denfert-Rochereau
Rue Poncelet, 17th/Métro Ternes

Spain expands its high-speed train lines

Spain has expanded its high-speed (AVE) train lines. Here are the existing high-speed routes:

Madrid to Seville (including a stop in Córdoba)

Madrid to Segovia (ending in Valladolid)

Madrid to Barcelona (with stops including Zaragoza)

Barcelona to Seville (via Zaragoza, Córdoba and Madrid)

Barcelona to Málaga (via Zaragoza, Córdoba and Madrid)

Madrid to Huesca (via Guadalajara, Calatayud and Zaragoza)

Madrid to Málaga (via Ciudad Real, Puertollano, Córdoba and Antequera)

These routes significantly cut down on travel time between Spain's main tourist destinations. For more information, check out www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/13/spain-trains

Winter 2008 Paris restaurant update

Newcomer: Sometimes it's fun to travel to "remote" areas of Paris to have dinner. La Veraison is certainly worth the trip. My friend Trish recommended this new restaurant in an earlier blog entry. Here's what she said:

One of my new favorites is La Veraison, in the 15th. It's casual and small -- the one-man kitchen is up front, and you'll see the chef cooking as you walk in. Excellent selection of natural wines (the chef will obligingly zip out from behind the stove to help you make a selection). The food is a modern take on traditional French cooking: fresh, seasonal ingredients, simple but appealing presentation, beautifully cooked. Plus it's just fun to go somewhere that's a bit off the beaten tourist path...

We recently had Thanksgiving dinner here. The neighborhood is residential and we were the only non-locals dining. The staff is helpful and the chef will certainly come and talk to you while you're visiting. My veal was excellent and the chocolate and creme caramel dessert was fantastic. Highly recommended.

La Veraison
64 rue de la Croix Nivert
Tel. 01/45.32.49.49
15th/Metro Commerce
Closed Sun and Mon
http://www.laveraison.com/

Goodbye La Maison: An old favorite is no more. La Maison in the 5th has been purchased by new owners who are changing the name to Cafe Lunic. Claude, the fun and interesting former owner, and his French bulldog "Polo" have retired. We dined with friends at La Maison on the night before they changed its name to Cafe Lunic. The food was good (actually very good), but since they are changing not only the name, but the menu, we'll have to wait to see about the new restaurant.

Like going to a party (one with good food): Aux Trois Petits Cochons is a lively, friendly and gay (in every sense of the word) bistro in the Montorgueil quarter. If available, make sure you try the excellent blanquette de veau (veal stew). I started my meal with the delicious pumpkin soup. Always a good time and always a great meal.

Aux Trois Petits Cochons
2nd/Metro Etienne Marcel
31 rue Tiquetonne
Tel. 01/42.33.39.69
Open daily. No lunch
http://www.auxtroispetitscochons.fr/

Basque cuisine: Tiny Au Bascou continues to serve Basque specialties such as piperade (a spicy omelet). It doesn't look like much from the outside, but the food will not disappoint. There's a new owner and chef. Interesting regional wine list. Too bad they are closed on weekends.

Au Bascou
3rd/Metro Arts-et-Metiers
38 rue Reaumur (at rue Volta)
Tel. 01/42.72.69.25
Closed weekends and August

It is possible to find reasonable prices in the 7th: Oudino is located on a small street in the 7th. You can start your meal with a salade cesar (Caesar salad) and dine on excellent entrecote. A real find. The staff is very friendly and you'll be dining with locals.

Oudino
7th/Metro Vaneau
17 rue Oudino
Tel. 01/45.66.05.09
Closed Sat (lunch) and Sun.
http://www.oudino.com/



Did I mention how great it is to dine in smoke-free restaurants?!