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

Eating & Drinking in Paris: Bistrot de L’Oulette

We'll be taking a look at some old (and new) favorites on the Paris dining scene.

Bistrot de L’Oulette (formerly Baracane)

4th/Métro Bastille

38 rue des Tournelles

Tel. 01/42.71.43.33

Closed Sat. (lunch) & Sun.

www.l-oulette.com

Small bistro in the Marais (near the place des Vosges) featuring the specialties of Southwest France (especially confit).

Moderate

The last time we were there, we had a delicious meal and wonderful service. Although the prices are a bit higher than when this bistro was called "Baracane," the food is excellent and won't disappoint. The location is perfect for an after dinner drink at one of the many lively cafes around the place de la Bastille or the place des Vosges.

(Not) Running With The Bulls in Pamplona.

Pamplona hosts of one of the world’s most famous events: the encierro, or running of the bulls. Some say it’s barbaric, others say it’s a great tradition. At 8:00 a.m. July 6-14, six bulls are released to run the narrow streets to the bullring (where, by the way, they are killed at the bullfight that evening). In 1927, Ernest Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises made this event famous. The festival is the Fiesta de San Fermín and the city is swamped with revelers, many drunk and without hotel rooms (as there aren’t nearly enough to accommodate the crowds). Theft is common. It’s simply one non-stop party.

If you choose to visit at any other time of year, you’ll be pleasantly surprised by this tidy, attractive city. You’ll find ruins of a 16^th-century Ciudadela (citadel), a Gothic cathedral, and the Museo de Navarra showcasing art of the region. Pamplona’s main sights are all within walking distance in the historic Old Town.

The heart of the Old Town is the Plaza del Castillo. Check out the attractive Café Iruña at number 44. This square was the site of the former bullring. The current bullring, the Plaza de Toros, is only a few blocks from Plaza del Castillo.

Among the narrow streets around this square is Calle Estafeta, the main street for the running of the bulls and home to many tapas bars. For a break, try the restaurant/bar at Casa Otano at number 5 at nearby Calle San Nicolás. Another attractive square in the old town is the Plaza Consistorial where you’ll find the 18^th-century Ayuntamiento (City Hall) with its ornate façade.

Parts of the Catedral date back to the 14^th century. Its Gothic interior contains the alabaster tomb of Carlos III. Not to be missed are the Gothic arches of its cloister. Also here is the Museo Diocesano (Diocesan Museum) with a collection of religious art and artifacts. Info: At Calle Curia and Calle Dormitalería. Tel. 948210827. Cathedral open daily. Museum open Mon-Fri 10am-2pm and 4pm-7pm, Sat 10am-2pm. Admision to Cathedral: Free. Admission to Museum: €5.

Pamplona was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Navarra. The Museo de Navarra, located in a 16^th-century former hospital, houses a collection of regional archaeological artifacts, local costumes and art (including a portrait by Goya). Info: 47 Cuesta de Santo Domingo at Calle Jaranta. Tel. 948426492. Open Tue-Sat 10am-2pm and 5pm-7pm, Sun 10am-2pm. Admission: €4. 

For more on visiting Spain, check out Andy Herbach's Open Road's Best of Spain.