Category: Things to do

Paris (1): Retromobile

retromobile-poster

I spent a couple of days in Paris for the first time in 36 years. Last time I visited it was in February 1973, on our honeymoon. I visited it also in 1969 a year after the 1968 student revolts. For various reasons we decided to skip it ever since. In the meantime I had visited it on various business occasion, but when on business you actually don’t look at a city as you do when you spent some holidays. My conclusion now is that back in the late 60ies ans early seventies we didn’t have enough money to spent and stayed in the wrong districts. Especially the Montmartre district looks a bit seedy to stay in as it was seedy already in those days. But now we have decided that we will be back.

This time we stayed in the vicinity of the Eiffel Tower (XVI), but more about that in later posts.

Paris is an excellent city for cultural travel. I believe Historic cars do belong to our cultural heritage, so traveling to see them is part of cultural travel.

Therefor I would like to tell a bit about my visit of the 34th Retromobile. According to the Historic car aficionados (several of my friends) it is a must see. One of the biggest shows in its sort in Europe.

The 2009 theme is very much on topic: New forms of Energy that are already more than one hundred years old:

Depending on the different periods, generations of inventors have imagined steam, petroleum gas, compressed air, alcohol, electricity or hybrid powered vehicles…

The twenty or so vehicles on exhibition, some which will be able to be driven all have one thing in common: they are the forerunners of clean energy vehicles of today!

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Among the photos I made is the Jaimais Contente (never content):

The “Jamais Contente” (1899) is the star of Rétromobile’s 2009 poster

The ”Jamais Contente” was created by the engineer Camille Jenatzy and was an electric car which was in the shape of a torpedo on wheels. The bodywork was carried out by the coachbuilder Rothschild and was made of partinium, an alloy of laminated aluminum, tungsten and magnesium.

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Mind you this car drove over 100 km / hr in 1899 on electricity!

It was the first French car to break the barrier of 100km/h, on 1 May 1899 in Achères (the Yvelines region, near Paris). Its characteristics were impressive: it had two electric engines which were placed at the back of the car behind its wheels, (Postel-Vinay ones), its maximum horsepower was 50kW (that is to say 67 hp), its power was provided by Fulmen batteries (80 pieces constitutingy nearly half of the vehicle’s total weight!). The “Jamais Contente” which is exhibited at Rétromobile is a replica which was made in 1992 and belongs to the Lions Club.

See for more photos of the show my Flickr set Retromoblie à Paris

10 Questions For (21): Nancy D. Brown of What a Trip

Happy to present to you another pro travel Writer: Nancy D. Brown of the “What a Trip” blog.
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1. Who are you?
I’m a wife and a mom to two teenagers (Kendall 17, Evan 13) living in Northern California. I write the “What a Trip” column for the Contra Costa Times Lamorinda Sun newspaper and the “What a Trip” blog.  I’m the Lodging Editor at Uptake’s Lodging Blog (see Nancy’s posts here ed.). I’m also a public relations consultant for food and wine clients.

Before kids (bk) I owned Brown Miller Communications, a public relations agency.

Currently, I live in the East Bay, 20 minutes outside of San Francisco with my husband, our teens and a yellow Labrador retriever. I love that we are surrounded by hills with cows mooing in the distance, yet the City is only a BART ride away.

2. What do you like about what you do?
As a journalism graduate, I love that I’m paid to write about travel. I enjoy traveling, blogging, going to new places and meeting the people that make things happen in the industry. My kids have entered the independent stage, so they don’t mind when I’m gone for a few days. I have a dream job.

3. What don’t you like about what you do?
I’m sure this is a familiar battle cry, but travel writers and journalists, in general, don’t make a lot of money. I’m sad to witness the demise of quality magazines and newspapers.

4. Please tell us about your blog and your aims for it?
My What a Trip blog began as a place for me to showcase my freelance writing. The blog morphed into a resource for my newspaper readers and then reached a global audience when it was selected for Travel @ Alltop.

I enjoy attending events such as the Luxury Travel Expo, the Book Passage Travel Writers conference, as well as conferences like Blogher so that I can share what I’ve learned with my readers. It’s also wonderful to meet my online friends in person.

My goal for What a Trip is to contribute fresh, informative content while increasing traffic and RSS readers. It’s also time for me to accepting advertising on the blog.

5. Your top three destination experiences you’ve ever stayed to date and why?
Switzerland was a magical trip for me. During a summer tour of Europe while I was in college, we arrived in the mountain village of Wengen at night. The next morning I opened the hotel shutters and there stood the magnificent snowcapped Jungfrau. With cows grazing in the distance, their bells clanging to the rhythm of their hoofs, I vowed to return to this paradise with my future mate. It should be noted that I didn’t have a boyfriend at the time. However, I did return to Wengen, Switzerland to celebrate our one year wedding anniversary.
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I read in a glossy travel magazine of an Alaskan fishing lodge that served the guests warm chocolate chip cookies upon arrival via float plane. Pointing to the dreamy picture in the magazine, I said to my husband, “We should try that!” Several years later, when we could financially afford the trip, I was disappointed to hear that owners Carl and Kirsten Dixon had sold Riversong Lodge. We met new owners Randy and Robin Dewar and had a fantastic fishing weekend. I am hooked on Alaskan fishing lodges.

Give me a warm Pasteis de Belem tart from Lisbon, and I’ll return to Portugal in a flash. As a San Francisco area native, I marveled at the similarities with this coastal, cosmopolitan city. Late fall is an ideal time to visit. Save time for a Eurail day trip to the charming town of Sintra where a UNESCO world heritage site awaits your fantasies of what a European castle should look like. In a word: charming.

6. Your top three accommodations you’ve ever stayed today and why?
The Tu Tu Tun Lodge in Gold Beach, Oregon is a family run resort on the Rogue River. It’s got it all; gorgeous grounds, great fishing and jet boating, amazing food and friendly staff. I need to get back there.

St. Helena, California’s Wine Country Inn oozes romance. Perhaps it was my in-room massage overlooking the vineyard that set the stage. Then again, it could have been the bubble bath in the bathroom with the surround sound speakers and stained glass window streaming rainbow colors over the tub. But it was probably the breakfast in bed room service that put this family-owned inn at the top of the romantic list. Any day in wine country is a good day in my book.

In doing this interview, I’m noticing a theme of family run properties. Mendocino, California’s Alegria Inn is no exception to the rule. Owners Elaine and Eric Hillesland make every trip to the Inn and Cottages special. The property is located within easy walking distance to the historic village of Mendocino with some rooms offering ocean views. Perhaps the most memorable part of my stay at the Alegria was the fact that I came home with a bed from the Inn. Not just any bed, a Flobed made in nearby Fort Bragg.
As a travel writer, I sleep around a lot. This eco-friendly natural latex mattress had me at hello or should I say, good night? My husband and I love our Flobed mattress. Both of our teens covet the mattress but custom beds don’t come cheap. Until I win the lotto, the prince and princess will have to sleep with the pea in the mattress. By the way, the Princess and the Pea is a Hans Christian Andersen fable for anyone wondering about the reference.

7. Your top three most memorable food experiences to date and why?
The Sardine Factory in Monterey, California is a special occasion restaurant located off Cannery Row. We were seated in the arboretum, surrounded by glass windows. The sommelier came over and helped us select a bottle of pinot noir. We had the signature abalone bisque and I had the best piece of swordfish I’ve ever tasted. They brought a sorbet palate cleanser between courses that was served in a swan ice sculpture. After sharing a chocolate lava cake we had a flaming coffee drink for dessert. It was served tableside and everyone was looking at the waiter as he lit our drinks on fire. The waiter and sommelier called us by name all evening. It was very decadent, but as you can see, I remembered every detail. It was fantastic.

Some 20+ years ago and my boyfriend, now husband, and I were backpacking through Europe. A Parisian magazine editor and his wife befriended us and took us to this neighborhood bistro in Paris for a typical French meal. We had steak tartar, pommes frites, haricots verts and a wonderful Beaujolais Nouveau. I still have the label from that bottle. The meal and the company were magnifique.

Café Beaujolais, situated in the tiny coastal village of Mendocino, California is like a cat with nine lives. Opened in 1969, the Pitzenbarger family lived in the upstairs of the house & served dinners. In 1977 Margaret Fox turned the cozy bistro into a culinary destination and eventually added a bakery. The restaurant landed in the hands of loyal customers Steve and Ashley Jenks in 2000. Current Chef David LaMonica and co-owner Kristy Bishop purchased Café Beaujolais in 2006 and continue the tradition of organic produce and locally sourced food.
I love Café Beaujolais for its homemade soups and breads. If I lived in this town, I’d be waiting at the back door of the brickery like a galavanting hound dog returning for his daily meal.

8. Your 3 worst destination/ accommodation/food experiences to date and why?
Home to Christopher Columbus, Genoa, Italy is not a friendly town. My husband and I had slept through our train stop and when we awoke, we were in Genoa. Assuming this was a Mediterranean beach-front town; we hopped off with our backpacks and started looking for cheap lodging. During our visit in 1986, I remember the place as dark and not at all friendly to tourists. I couldn’t interpret anything on the menu at the café and our waiter was not happy with my questions. Finally, I ordered what I thought was seafood pasta; instead I received a small plate of tiny fried smelt. We also learned that the beach access in the town is by private club entrance. Somehow we managed to get to the beach and were reprimanded at every place we tried to place our towels. After one night in Genoa, we were happy to return to the train.

Last spring break we decided to visit the Grand Canyon via Las Vegas with our teens. I decided to use a travel agent for this trip as I was not familiar with Las Vegas. She recommended Circus Circus. What a mistake. Our room was in the older tower with paper thin walls, aging furniture and a screenless window looking down to the RV parking lot. My daughter jokingly called it the suicide room because of the easy access out the window. We attempted to visit the swimming pool and were temporarily trapped in the elevator.
Unfortunately, we were booked here for two nights and when I tried to cancel the room, which was priced at rack rates, I was told this wasn’t possible because we had booked a discount package from our travel agent. Our location on the strip was horrible and the closest dining was a very crowded Denny’s restaurant with a long wait. Lady luck was not shining on us in Vegas.

I landed in the hospital one time when I contracted Campylobactor from a dim sum restaurant. Looking back, our positive travel experiences have greatly outnumbered the bad times. Afterall; travel is an adventure and one never knows what waits around the bend.

9. Can you offer the readers 3 travel/ food / accommodation / things to do tips about the city you are currently living in?
Born and raised in the Bay Area, I consider San Francisco my city. My friend Wendy Perrin of Conde Nast Traveler magazine asked for layover recommendations while in San Francisco. For foodies, I recommend a Woz-Wiz Chinatown tour with Shirley Fong-Torres. For those preferring Italian, GraceAnn Walden offers Mangia North Beach walking tours. Take a cable car to Fisherman’s Wharf and stay at the Westin St. Francis on Union Square. See my post Say Yes to Airport Layover in SFO.

10. Any Question(s) you’d expected me to ask that you would like to answer?
As the mother of two teenagers I thought you might ask why it is important to keep young adults traveling. While many youth in our community have passports, I feel these documents come with a responsibility to represent our country; open our eyes to how others live and to give back to communities we visit. Mission trips are an affordable way for teens to experience different cultures without iPods and cell phones.
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Thank you Nancy! As a two finger typist the editing of these interviews always take me more time than I would like.
You mentioning Wengen brought back a memory of years ago, especially as I am editing this in Bettmeralp which is located approximately 20 miles south of Wengen on the other side of the trio Jungfrau Eiger and Monch where the Aletch Gletcher (Europes largest Glacier) originates from and also because they are having the Lauberhorn Rennen there this very week: 35 years ago I was skiing from the Lauberhorn and broke my ski (luckily nothing else) and had to walk down the hill in very deep snow for hours to arrive home long after dark…..By the way, the Swiss are very happy to see some of their countrymen taking the podium:-)

Villa Cassel an Amazing History

Villa Cassel Riederalp Switserland P1020956

Oops, I did it again, punching the publish button in stead of the save button.

For the last 8 glouriously sunny days I have been skiing around in the Bettmeralp region. Villa Cassel is standing there in the midst of a ski slope at the edge of the UNESCO World Heritage site Jungfrau-Aletsch-Bietschhorn.

Currently Villa Cassel is the home of Pro Natura.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Villa Cassel was built to be the chic summer residence of the rich Englishman, Sir Ernest Cassel.

After Cassel’s death the house was run as a hotel from 1924 to 1969.

You can follow its history at the Pro Natura site.

The 25 room mansion was built there at a hight of approximately 1700 m with all the building material and interior being transported merely by man craft and mules, Imagine the piano being transported that way.

Among the guests there used to stay many well known people. The young Winston Churchill stayed there at least four times. He used the time spent there writing, including the biography of his father.

A daughter of Cassel was the later lady Edwina Mountbatten.

After the exploitation as a hotel ceased in 1969, Villa Cassel hardly escaped demolition. The historic building was bought and rebuilt for more than three million Swiss Francs by Pro Natura, formerly called “Schweizer Bund für Naturschutz”, Switzerland’s nature conservation organization.

On July 10, 1976, it was re-opened and inaugurated as the conservation center for the Aletsch forest.

In the summer it has extensive opening times, but during the winter only one afternoon in the week. I’ll have to see whether I am able to visit it.

Last year I promised already to disclose this mystery home.

Wow! Man Fly like an Eagle!

Found this amazing footage of Man flying like an Eagle via a Twit (vernacular for a communication via Twitter) from Elliot of Elliott Dot Org:

Something to do when you’re really adventurous:

BASE jumping was around for quite some time. But now the BASE jumpers have taken their folly one step further: Wingsuit Base jumping. Using a suit with wings and soar along as close as you can dare to the mountain.

Ahmaaazing!

Photo Plugin Galore: First Try – Two 12 ft Dinghies in Love

The new WordPress 2.7 version makes it much easier to find Plugins. I had a project on my back burner for which I need a decent Photo or Gallery Plugin.

I have shown already some interest here for Yachts and Yachting. I have not divulged yet that I used to be an avid dinghy sailor and used to race dinghies as well. Alas ever since I ventured into our Hotel business, my own clinker built 12 foot Dinghy dating back from 1944, is stored safely without much attention lately. I’m even not sure my old stiff legs will be able to endure a regatta anymore.

On the original date of this post I used a plugin, Tylr Slidr enabling me to show you a couple of photos that I uploaded recently, but took in 2005 in Venice during the Biennial of 2005. There I found two Italian 12 ft Dinghies in the Arsenal. They were berthed opposite each other and were giving each other signs with lamps. It was an Art installation. A sort of act of love. Very poetic and I would never have thought of such use of two old dinghies in a basin that was used for maintenance of submarines.

The Artist, Laura Belem, born in 1974 in Bele Horizonte and working there, was able to make this installation with the help of a stipend from the Ministry of Culture of Brazil.

The 12ft Dinghy is a typical One Design Class. It was designed in 1913 by George Cockshott, an amateur boat designer from Southport, Lancashire, who won a competition organized by the Boat Racing Association (BRA). The BRA wanted a new sailing dinghy that would also serve as a yacht tender, and Cockshott’s design with its single, high-peaked lugsail fitted the bill.

It became an IYRU Dutch Class in 1914 and an International Class in 1920. It was even used for sailing competitions in the Olympic Games of Antwerp of 1920 and of Amsterdam of 1928. In 1920 they sailed on the North Sea with a lot of wind. The gold medal was won by the Dutch brothers Jan Hin and Frans Hin. In the 60ies I had the honor to sail against Jan Frans Hin – well, competing …. actually it was more of looking to his backside:-) The Silver medals were also won by two Dutchman (Van der Biesen and Beukers). In Amsterdam in 1928, on an inland lake near Amsterdam with not much wind, the medal winners were all of Scandinavian origin: 1)The Swede Sven Thorel, 2) Norwegian Henrik Robert and 3) The Fin B. Broman.

Recently we saw the International 12 ft Dingy class association being incorporated.
There are still several fleets:

  • In The Netherlands there is a fleet of over 200 active enthusiasts,
  • North Germany has fleets mainly around Lubeck and Hamburg,
  • Italy has several fleets and is very active,
  • To my knowledge there are also fleets in the UK, Japan, Switzerland and Turkey.

Dutch compete in Italy and in Germany. Japanese and Italians come to The Netherlands for a race sometimes. The class becomes more and more international nowadays, 95 years after it’s creation. Amazing huh?

I found a PDF file with 2007 draft Class rules in English at the site of an Italian Fleet.

This exercise in nostalgia was just to test this plugin and it seems to be what I needed for this post, although the loading of the whole seems a bit slow. What would you think? [Added: And sadly it didn’t work out as anticipated]

Added January 5, 2008: The next Slideshow of the same photos is as per the advice of Heather from Heather on her Travels and used by her at a slideshow of the Turtle Fountain in Rome. It loaded a lot easier, and was also very easy to copy and paste into your blog, but has not the full screen view mode as the other plugin….Thanks Heather! [Update: Unfortunately Slideshow has closed down]

Added July 14, 2009
Oops When I reviewed this article there appeared some hiccups and parts of the post including the two slide shows simply disappeared completely. Grrr recovering it from previous revisions must be done piece by piece as apparently a later update of WordPress (or the theme) seems to garble text into executable code…. done…it was the link to the Swiss fleet that did it!. Those Swiss:-)

Added November 9, 2009
Since this post I’ve had to delete the plugin. We now are waiting for the 2.9 version of WordPress, wich has been promised will handle media much better than it does prsently.

Added March 11, 2012
It appears Slideshow has closed its doors permanently as of March 6, 2012. Revisiting the site of Heather learned me she has now incorporated a Google + thingy…I’ll put this on the back burner for a while to look into it further.