US State Department Warning for Travel to Germany

American travelers warned about al-Qaida attacks in Germany

U.S. State Department issues travel alert urging American travelers in Germany to be cautious after al-Qaida threatens attacks around Sept. 27 German elections

By Kristin Jackson

Seattle Times Travel staff

The terrorist group al-Qaida has threatened to conduct attacks in Germany immediately before and following the federal elections on Sunday, and the U.S. State Department is urging Americans traveling in Germany to be cautious.

Al-Qaida recently released a video specifically warning Germany of attacks. German authorities are taking the threat seriously and are enhancing security throughout the country, said the State Department.

A travel alert was issued today for Germany by the State Department. It urges U.S. citizens to maintain a low profile, monitor news reports and consider the level of security present when visiting public places or choosing hotels and restaurants.

Travelers can get up-to-date information on security conditions in Germany and other countries atwww.travel.state.gov. Or phone 888-407-4747 in the United States or 202-501-4444 from outside the United States and Canada.

Paris in the fall?

Looking to visit Paris on a budget?  Last year, the average air and hotel package booked on Expedia for November was half the average cost for April. Although it can be a little rainy in the fall, I love Paris. We visit every Thanksgiving and find the lines short, prices cheaper, and the pace slower. Try it!

Renting an apartment in Paris

One great way to truly experience life in a European city is to rent an apartment. They’re usually less expensive and larger than a hotel room. If I didn’t have to check out hotels, I would always stay in an apartment. Many come with a washer/dryer combination that allows you to pack less. There are many apartments for rent on the Internet. Here are a few that receive good reviews.

http://www.vrbo.com/139753

www.rentalo.com

www.parisleftbankrental .com

www.ahparis.com

www.parisperfect.com

www.parisbandb.com (apartments and bed and breakfast)

Berlin's Holocaust Memorials: Remembering Jewish and Gay Victims of Nazi Rule

The Denkmal für die Ermordeten Juden Europas (Memorial to the Murdered European Jews) is a powerful and massive, five-and-a-half-acres memorial. 2,711 gravestone-like columns honor those Jews killed by the Nazis. It opened in May, 2005, after years of planning and controversy. When you are walking along the cobblestone walkways between the pillars, it is intended to invoke a feeling of being lost, alone and disoriented. The paths between the pillars slope down as you move deeper into the memorial. There’s an underground center that includes the known names of those killed in the Holocaust along with letters from those on their way to concentration camps. It’s truly a remarkable memorial that recalls the unimaginable. Info: Ebertstrasse and Behrenstrasse. Tel: 030/26394336. Open at all times. Information center open daily 10am-8pm. Admission: Free. S-Bahn: Unter den Linden. http://www.holocaustdenkmal.de/

On the other side of the street (Ebertstrasse) is a concrete slab with a small widow where you view a same-sex couple kissing. This is the Monument to the Homosexuals Persecuted During National Socialism. Homosexuals were rounded up by the Nazis during World War II, forced to wear pink triangles, and sent to concentration camps.

iPhone top language translation apps (but not with menu translators)

Budget Traveler Magazine looks at iPhone Top Language Translation Apps. You still need to purchase Andy's Eating & Drinking guides to help you translate a menu!

Our favorite apps work with or without Internet access. Because, chances are, Wi-Fi hotspots aren't the only places you'll need help with the local lingo.

By Reid Bramblett, Tuesday, August 11, 2009

BEST FREEBIE
World Nomads
Free

Languages: Twenty-three, including Arabic, Cambodian, Cantonese, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Lao, Malay, Mandarin, Nepali, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Vietnamese, and Australian—the last app is handy for translating otherwise incomprehensible Aussie slang.

Usability: The World Nomads apps present lists, divided into categories, of a few dozen basic travel phrases. After tapping through the categories, such as "places to stay" and "directions & transport," you can select an appropriate phrase and hear an audio clip of a native speaker pronouncing it—a high-end feature we're surprised to find in a free app.

Frustrations: Dining phrases are missing—a big drawback.

Eating & Drinking in Paris: Les Papilles

Here's another favorite place to eat (and drink) in Paris:

Les Papilles

5th/Métro Cluny-La Sorbonne (or RER Luxembourg)

30 rue Gay-Lussac

Tel. 01/43.25.20.79

Closed Sun. & part of Aug.

Near the Panthéon, Les Papilles (Tastebuds) sells gourmet foods and wine, and offers creative takes on French cuisine. Try the tender hanger steak. Worth the trip!

Moderate

For more information about Paris, check out Andy Herbach's Eating & Drinking in Paris: French Menu Translator and Restaurant Guide and Open Road's Best of Paris.

Eating & Drinking in Paris: Le Fumoir (near the Louvre)

If you're visiting the Louvre and looking for a place to relax and have a drink or a snack, here's the place:

Le Fumoir

1st/Métro Louvre-Rivoli

6 rue de l’Amiral-de Coligny

Tel. 01/42.92.00.24

Open daily 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Closed part of Aug.

www.lefumoir.com

This bar and restaurant is located near the Louvre. It’s known for its Sunday brunch, salads, happy hour and gâteau chocolat (chocolate cake). There’s a library in the back where you can have a drink and read (and exchange your own books for the ones in their library). Inexpensive - Moderate

Photo from flickr by Jpeisman