Amsterdam is one of the coolest cities in Europe. Beautiful, hip, and laid back, with lots to do, lots to see, many pubs, food from all over the world and friendly people. A visit to this very beautiful city is sometimes like taking a walk in the 17th century, as the center of Amsterdam has a lot of charming architecture dating from this period. This is an excellent city to tour on foot or bicycle. However, while Amsterdam may boast a lot of 17th century architecture, that’s about all that’s old fashioned about the place.

In summer one of the best places to go for a relaxing afternoon is the Vondelpark. It is a great park, right in the center of things and very lively. With a bit of luck you can catch a (free) outdoor concert near the water. There are also a few trendy places in the park where you can sit and have a beer, such as the Blauwe Theehuis.

If you like to watch people strolling by, a perfect place is Leidseplein.  Leidseplein(=square) is bustling with activity and terraces in summertime. Another nice square is  Rembrandtplein - nice cafe’s and again terraces If you like spare ribs - visit De Klos just off the Leidsestraat. Beer is everywhere and it is all good.

Amsterdam was originally built on the shores of the saltwater Zuiderzee, but as a result of centuries of land-reclamation projects Zuiderzee was renamed Ijsselmeer after it was separated from the  sea by a dike and became a freshwater lake.  Thus the city now borders the freshwater of IJsselmeer.

The center of Amsterdam is shaped like a horseshoe, surrounded by four famous canals called the Singel, Herengracht, Keizersgracht and Prinsengracht. These are best to walk along if you want to see the city’s beautiful gabled houses.  To get from one place to another quickly, get on a tram.  Lines 1, 2, and 5 go from Centraal Station through the Dam, up the Leidsestraat to the Leidseplein, and this path is a good place to start when learning how to get from here to there.

There are lots of interesting small shops for browsing and there are also bigger shopping centers. Clusters of shops can be found in the pedestrian passages and even in the old post office, which is right behind the central Dam Square (on which you can find the Dam Palace).

And then, of course, there is the world famous (or infamous, depending on how you look at it) Red Light District, which consists of several canals and the side streets between them, south of Central Station and east of Damrak. They are known as ‘De Wallen’ (the walls) in Dutch, because the canals were once part of the city defenses (walls and moats). Despite the area’s reputation, prostitution itself is limited to certain streets, mainly side streets and alleys, and while there are many adult shops and peep show bars, the whole area has a heavy police presence, and many security cameras.

In addition, it is still a residential district, with many bars and restaurants as well as historic buildings and museums; this is, after all the oldest part of the city. An example of the old blending in with the new is the gothic Oude Kerk church on the Oudezijds Voorburgwal, the oldest in Amsterdam, which is now surrounded by window prostitution. The Red Light District is certainly worth a visit for the brave and adventurous.

More infomation about Amsterdam: http://wikitravel.org/en/Amsterdam

Pompeii is a ruined and partially buried Roman city near modern Naples in the Italian region of Campania, in the territory of the comune of Pompei.

It, along with Herculaneum (its sister city), was destroyed, and completely buried, during a catastrophic eruption of the volcano Mount Vesuvius spanning two days on 24 August 79 AD.

The volcano collapsed higher roof-lines and buried Pompeii under many meters of ash and pumice, and it was lost for nearly 1700 years before its accidental rediscovery in 1748. Since then, its excavation has provided an extraordinarily detailed insight into the life of a city at the height of the Roman Empire. Today, it is one of the most popular tourist attractions of Italy and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Pompeii has become a popular tourist destination for centuries (it was on the Grand Tour); with approximately 2.5 million visitors a year, it is the most popular tourist attraction in Italy.[citation needed] It is now part of a larger Vesuvius National Park and was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997. To combat problems associated with tourism, the governing body for Pompeii, the Soprintendenza Archaeological di Pompei have begun issuing new tickets that allow for tourists to also visit cities such as Herculaneum and Stabiae as well as the Villa Poppaea, to encourage visitors to see these sites and reduce pressure on Pompeii.

Pompeii is also a driving force behind the economy of the nearby town of Pompei. Many residents are employed in the tourism and hospitality business, serving as taxi or bus drivers, waiters or hotel operators. The ruins can be reached by simply walking from the modern town to the various entrances, there are adequate car parks and the entrances are also accessible to tourists through the train line to the modern town, or else a private train line, the Circumvesuviana, that runs directly to the ancient site.

 
A paved streetExcavations in the site have generally ceased due to the moratorium imposed by the superintendent of the site, Professor Pietro Giovanni Guzzo. Additionally, the site is generally less accessible to tourists, with less than a third of all buildings open in the 1960s being available for public viewing today. Nevertheless, the sections of the ancient city open to the public are extensive, and tourists can spend many days exploring the whole site.

It was once said that all roads lead to Rome. Even in the 21st century, that is true. Attempting to write about the city is almost fruitless. It is so enormous and there is such a multitude of things to do in Rome, that is must be seen to be fully comprehended. And even then, it will take days to get even a small glimpse into the past of one of the benchmarks of Western Civilization. A symbol of corruption and epic brutality, of great beauty and unmatched opulence, few cities rival Rome in terms of grandeur or of historical import. Thus, Rome tourism is one the best stocked industries in the entire country.

The Vatican rests safely within city walls, a separate sovereignty, but a vital part of the city that is inseparable from Rome itself. In fact, the symbiotic relationship between Rome and The Vatican goes back for many years - many of the great treasures of the Renaissance were created out of the ruins of the Roman Empire, great chunks of marble looted from the Roman Forum and Circus Maximus to construct baroque masterpieces just a short distance away. This just adds another layer of the many sights and other things to do in Rome.

A staple of Rome tourism is getting around town on just your feet. Taxis and trains will preclude you from glimpsing many of the secrets and treasures of the city, so you’d better be wearing comfortable shoes. Since the city is more than a little overwhelming, many Rome walking tours cover just one section of the city at a time. The northern part of town features the gardens of Villa Borghese and landmarks such as the Spanish steps. Along the eastern side of the Tiber River is where you’ll find attractions such as the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, and Piazza Navona - easily the busiest square in the entire nation. Further south is ancient Rome, the remains of the Roman forum and Colosseum sitting silent beneath the aged palaces of Palatine Hill. The western side of the Tiber will include Rome walking tours into the confines of the Trastevere district, renowned as home to the finest in dining and nightlife. Further north is Vatican City, the center for the entire Catholic faith, awash in baroque architecture and artwork that helped define the Renaissance.

Rome tourism is one of the safest bets in the world. People will never tire of viewing crumbling emblems of ancient times, of seeing some of the majestic works of the renaissance, of eating at traditional Italian restaurants, of relaxing in the same gardens as European royalty once did. And these are just a few of the things to do in Rome. To get a good feel for the city, you have to be prepared and efficient - like most Romans, you have to be quick on your feet and full of vibrant energy. Otherwise, this is not the place for you. Even the most casual of the many Rome walking tours available will exhaust you. But its beauty is unrivaled, its scenery astounding and nothing should dissuade you from witnessing the charm and vibrancy of one of the birthplaces of civilization.

St Moritz is Switzerland’s most famous ‘exclusive’ winter resort: glitzy, pricey, fashionable and, above all, the place to be seen - it’s the place for an all-round winter holiday with an unrivaled array of different diversions, including such wacky pursuits as polo, golf and cricket on snow and gourmet and music festivals. The slopes on the two main mountains are almost uniformly easy intermediate - we don’t rate it highly for complete beginners, and experts must be prepared to venture off-slope. But for langlaufers, it is superb.

The town of St Moritz doesn’t have the chocolate-box image of the Swiss mountain resort, all wooden huts and cows with bells round their necks. Many of the building are uncompromisingly rectangular and plain.

St Moritz itself may be unattractive to look at, but its setting is spectacular - beside the lowest in a long chain of lakes at the foot of the 4000m Piz Bernina. This is one of those areas where our progress on the mountain is regularly interrupted by the need to stand and gaze. It may not have quite the drama of the Jungfrau massif, or the Matterhorn, or the Dolomites, but its wide and glorious mountain landscapes are equally special. And the langlauf, walking and other activities on the frozen lake give it a real ‘winter wonderland’ feel.

What’s Great
+ Beautiful panoramic scenery

+ Off-slope activities second to none - including the Cresta Run, horse- racing and lots of varied festivals

+ Extensive, largely intermediate slopes

+ Fairly snow sure, thanks to altitude and extensive snowmaking

+ Good après-ski, for all tastes

+ Good mountain restaurants, some with magnificent views

+ Painless rail access via Zurich

What’s Not-So-Great
– Some hideous block buildings

– A sizable town, with little traditional Alpine character

– No proper beginner slopes at resort level - except at Celerina

– Several unlinked mountains, with a bus, train or car needed to most

– Runs on two main mountains all fairly easy and much the same

– Expensive

The capital of Spain, located in the heart of the peninsula and right in the center of the Castillian plain 646 meters above sea level, has a population of over three million. A cosmopolitan city, a business center, headquarters for the Public Administration, Government, Spanish Parliament and the home of the Spanish Royal Family, Madrid also plays a major role in both the banking and industrial sectors. Most of its industry is located in the Southern fringe of the city, where important textile, food and metal working factories are clustered. Madrid is characterized by intense cultural and artistic activity and a very lively nightlife.

Architecture

Although the site of Madrid has been occupied since prehistoric times, the first historical data we have from the city is from the middle of the ninth Century, when Mohamed I ordered the construction of a small palace (site occupied now by the Palacio Real). Around this palace there was built a small citadel (al-Mudaina). The palace was built overlooking the River Manzanares, which the muslims called Mayrit meaning source of water (which in turn became Magerit, and then eventually Madrid). The citadel was conquered in 1085 by Alfonso VI in his advance towards Toledo. He reconsecrated the mosque as the church of the Virgin of Almudena (almudin, the garrison’s granary), now the Catedral de la Almudena. In 1329 the Cortes first assembled in Madrid to advise Fernando IV. Jews and Moors continued to live in the city in their quarter, still known today as the “Moreria”, until they were expelled. The Royal Palace of Madrid and the buildings and monuments of the Paseo del Prado (Salón del Prado and Alcalá Gate) deserve special mention. They were constructed in a sober Baroque international style, often mistaken for neoclassical, by the Bourbon kings Philip V and Charles III. The royal palaces of La Granja de San Ildefonso (in Segovia province) and Aranjuez (south of Madrid), are good examples of baroque integration of architecture and gardening. They have a noticeable French influence (La Granja is known as the “Spanish Versailles”), but with local spatial conceptions which in some ways display the heritage of the Moorish occupation.

Plans for the construction of a new cathedral for Madrid dedicated to the Virgin of Almudena began in the 16th century, but the slow construction did not begin until 1879. Francisco de Cubas, the Marquis of Cubas, was the architect who designed and directed the construction in a Gothic revival style. Construction ceased completely during the Spanish Civil War. The project was abandoned until 1950, when Fernando Chueca Goitia adapted the plans of de Cubas to a neoclassical style exterior to match the grey and white façade of the Palacio Real, which stands directly opposite. and was not completed until 1993, when the cathedral was consecrated by Pope John Paul II.

The financial district in downtown Madrid between the streets Raimundo Fernández Villaverde, Orense, General Perón and Paseo de la Castellana Its original conception (and its name) to the “Plan General de Ordenación Urbana de Madrid”, approved in 1946. The purpose of this plan was to create a huge block of modern office buildings with metro and railway connections in the expansion area of northern Madrid, just in front of Real Madrid stadium (currently named the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium) and beside the brand new government complex of Nuevos Ministerios. A botanical garden, a library and an opera house were also included in the plans, but these were never built. Cuatro Torres Business Area is a business park currently under construction. The area will contain the tallest skyscrapers in Madrid and Spain (Torre Espacio, Torre de Cristal, Torre Sacyr Vallehermoso and Torre Caja Madrid). The buildings are expected to be finished by 2008/2009.

Madrid Barajas International Airport Terminal 4, designed by Antonio Lamela and Richard Rogers (winning them the 2006 Stirling Prize), and TPS Engineers, (winning them the 2006 IStructE Award for Commercial Structures) was inaugurated on February 5, 2006. Terminal 4 is one of the world’s largest terminal area, with an area of 760,000 square meters (8,180,572 square feet) in two separate terminals. Consisting of a main building, T4 (470,000 square meter), and satellite building, T4S (290,000 square meter), which are separated by approximately 2.5 km. Hong Kong International Airport still holds the title for the world’s largest single terminal building (Terminal 1) at 570,000 square meter. The new Terminal 4 is meant to give passengers a stress-free start to their journey. This is managed through careful use of illumination, available by glass panes instead of walls and numerous domes in the roof which allow natural light to pass through. With the new addition, Barajas is designed to handle 70 million passengers annually.
Bullfighting

Madrid hosts the largest Plaza de Toros (bullring) in Spain, Las Ventas, established in 1929. Las Ventas is considered by many to be the world center of bullfighting and has a seating capacity of almost 25,000. Madrid’s bullfighting season begins in March and ends in October. Bullfights are held every day during the festivities of San Isidro (Madrid’s patron saint) from the middle of March to the middle of June, and every Sunday, and public holiday, the rest of the season. The style of the plaza is Neomudéjar. Las Ventas also hosts music concerts and other events outside of the bullfighting season.

Istanbul (Turkish: İstanbul) is Turkey’s most populous city, and its cultural and financial center. Located on both sides of the Bosphorus, the narrow strait between the Black Sea and the Marmara Sea, Istanbul bridges Asia and Europe both literally and figuratively. Istanbul’s population is variously estimated between 12 and 19 million people, making it also one of the largest cities in Europe.

Founded by Constantine the Great in 324 AD on the site of ancient Byzantium (going back to 650 BC), Istanbul was the capital, successively, of the Eastern Roman Empire (324-476), the Byzantine Empire (476-1453) and the Ottoman Empire (1453-1922) - this almost unrivalled heritage, as well as its dynamic modern existence, makes Istanbul a fantastic destination for many travellers.

The European Side
There are many historical places in Istanbul.

 
Hagia Sofia
Inside Hagia SofiaHagia Sophia (Aya Sofya), Sultanahmet Square (by tram: Sultanahmet), 0212 5221750. Tu-Su 9:00AM-7:30PM. Dating from the sixth century, originally a basilica constructed for the Byzantine Emperor Justinian. A masterwork of Byzantine engineering, the huge 30 m diameter dome covers what was for over 1000 years the largest enclosed space in the world. The basilica was looted in 1204 during the fourth Crusade, and became a mosque in the 15th century when the minarets were added. It was turned into a museum in 1930’s. Don’t miss the excellent mosaics, including those in the gallery, reached by a stone ramp to the left of the entrance. 10 YTL (no concessions, no cards accepted). NOTE: the inside is undergoing a major refurbishment and there is a huge amount of scaffolding in a gigantic tower going up to the top of the dome.
Topkapı Palace (Topkapı Sarayı), Bab-i Hümayün Caddesi (by tram: Gülhane/Sultanahmet), 0212 5120480. M,W-Su 9:00AM-5:00PM. The imperial enclave of the Ottoman emperors for three centuries. Lavishly decorated, with four courts of increasing grandeur. In the second court in the entrance to the Harem (admission extra, only by joining a guided tour) and the State Treasury, housing a weaponry display. The third court has the Imperial Treasury. Both Islamic and Christian relics, rugs, china. The views from the Fourth Court over the Bosphorus are spectacular. 10 YTL (no concessions, cards accepted, Harem 10 YTL extra).
Sultanahmet Mosque (Sultanahmet Camii, aka Blue Mosque), At Meydam Sokak 17, Sultanahmet (by tram: Sultanahmet), 0212 5181319. May-Oct 9:00AM-9:00PM, Nov-Apr:9:00AM-7:00PM. With its six minarets and sweeping architecture the Sultanahmet or ‘Blue’ Mosque impresses from the outside. Unlike Haghia Sophia, this is still a working mosque, entry is through the courtyard on the SW side. No shorts or bare shoulders (shawls are provided) and you will need to remove your footwear. Free.
Basilica Cistern (Yerebatan Sarnici). Yerebatan Cad., Sultanahmet, [7]. It doesn’t sound like much, but this giant underground cistern built by Justinian in 532 to provide water to the city in cases of siege, and later consecrated as a basilica, is one of the most fascinating places to visit in Istanbul. A wooden walkway winds between the pillars, and lights and piped music add to the eerie atmosphere. Bring some type of fish food as you’ll see enormous fish swimming below your feet. 10 YTL (no concessions).
Hippodrome, adjacent to the Basilica Cistern, Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. This was the center of Roman and Byzantine Constantinople, and is a great place to begin one’s tour and to people watch. The building no longer stands, but the obelisks and sculptures that have been collected here since Theodosius’ time in the fourth century remain.
 
Galata Tower from across the Golden HornGalata Whirling Dervish Hall (Galata Mevlevihanesi). Galipdede Caddesi (near Tünel’s Galata station). A dancing hall of the mystical Mevlevi order, shut down in 1925 along with all other ‘reactionary’ movements in Turkey. Today the building houses the Museum of Divan Literature, but the best time to come is Sundays between 3 to 5 pm when sema dervish ceremonies are staged. (Buy tickets in advance, as space is limited.) Also check out the small graveyard next door, where the carved fez perched upon the gravestone indicates the occupant’s rank in the dervish hierarchy.
Ortaköy. A shore line of the Bosphorus beside the Ortaköy mosque. This artsy neighborhood is filled with nice cafes and a perfect view crowded and fun.
The Museum of Archeology, Close to Sultanahmet, [8]. A must see! One of the best, including a great collection of Sumerian tablets, pieces of the wall of Babylon and Roman marble statues! Tickets stop being sold at 4PM. 5 YTL.  edit

Museum of Modern Art, At Karaköy, [9]. 10AM-6PM, Thursday until 8PM, Closed Monday. A nice, organized museum with contemporary installations. Including a cafe with a top notch menu and view. 5 YTL (free on Thursday).  edit

Dolmabahçe Palace. See the Ottoman Palace centered close to Taksim at the Dolmabahçe shore. Build on 110,000 meter square ground with 285 rooms and 43 halls where the Ottoman empire was administered in the last 150 years. Visits only in guided tours (45 min) in major spoken languages. Extra fee for Harem, the part of the palace the residents lived. Ask student reduction.
Galata Tower. Ride an elevator to the top, then walk the parapet for a 360 degree view of Istanbul, including the entire Sultanahmet peninsula: crowned by Topkapı Palace, the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. A beautiful spot for using up a lot of film!
Chora Church, at Edirnekapı (open every day except Wednesday). A 1000 year old Byzantine church, with precious mosaic frescoes and a captivating mood inside. The early church frescoes had been covered with plaster for nearly 500 years, as the building had been converted to a mosque, but were uncovered in the mid-twentieth century and have been partially restored.
[edit] The Asian (Anatolian) Side
 
Beylerbeyi Palace
View of Istanbul from Camlica Hill, at nightBeylerbeyi Palace Lying under the legs of the Bosphorus Bridge, the palace was built between 1861-1865 by Sultan Abdulaziz. Guided tours in major spoken languages available.

Camlica Hill. One of the highest hills of Istanbul (268 metres high) and almost all major broadcasting antennas are located on this hill, since the hill dominates a great part of the city. On the top of the hill, a public park with cafes remind the visitors of an Ottoman atmosphere.
The Princes’ Islands. Located just to the southeast of Istanbul, and consists of 8 islands, Büyükada being the largest of them all. All motor vehicles used to be forbidden on the islands. Great place to get away from crowds and noise of the city. Enjoy swimming (water is not that clean though), old wooden villas that have mostly disappeared from other parts of Istanbul, and have a picnic in a scenic spot. Rent a bike or take a horse carriage route around Büyükada or Heybeliada. Büyükada is also the highest island among the others; its peak reaches to 202 metres (Yucetepe) where the ruins of a monastery remains. The rest of the islands are; Heybeliada, Burgazada, Kinaliada, Yassiada, Sivriada, Tavsan Adası and Yassiada. Büyükada and Heybeliada both have a limited range of hotels, some of which serve in a boutique style, preferred by many tourists but not spectacularly clean. Islands and ferries are crowded especially on weekends during summer months.
The Maiden’s Tower (Kız Kulesi), [10]. A Tower in the Üsküdar coast where you can drink tea during day or dine (mid-expensive) inside the tower itself. There is also a tour that tells the legend of the maiden where the tower’s name comes from. edit

Schloss Neuschwanstein (”New Swan Stone Castle”) is one of the most beautiful and famous castles in Germany. Originally ordered to be built by King Ludwig II, this fairy tale castle is the epitome of neo-romantic style. The famous German castle overlooks the picturesque Hohenschwangau valley and is located only a short distance from the popular tourist town, Fussen.

Construction on the castle began in 1869, but given the exact tastes of King Ludwig II, progress was very slow going. As an example, it took 14 carpenters four and a half years just to complete the woodwork in Ludwig’s bedroom. The King was an immense devotee of Richard Wagner, even going as far as naming the castle after a character in one of Wagner’s operas–the Swan Knight. In none of the other castles in Germany will you find more instances of Ludwig’s fondness for Wagner’s work. Tapestries depicting scenes from Wagner’s opera can be found inside.

Construction was halted on the castle and King Ludwig II was removed by power due to intrigue within his own cabinet. The King himself was rarely concerned with matters of state and was sometimes thought to suffer from hallucinations. However, what frightened the cabinet were the rumors of their possible removal. Under Bavarian law, a King could be removed from power if he were found unfit to rule. The cabinet produced this report and deposed of the King. However, Ludwig’s mysterious death–ruled a suicide at the time–suggests that the cabinet was not content to merely remove him from power. This bit of mystery makes the atmosphere of Neuschwanstein one of the most intriguing of the castles in Germany.

Unfortunately, many of the rooms in the enchanting castle remained bare. Only 14 rooms were finished before Ludwig’s death. Yet the beauty of this famous German castle cannot be denied. The sun reflects magnificently off the pearly walls of Neuschwanstein. Inside, the throne room is the picture of opulence. Intricate frescos of angels and other Christian depictions can be found. There is no throne, only a raised dais at the end of the room, as the King was removed from power before a throne could be built.

Guided tours are available for this classic and famous German castle and is a must see for any that visit Bavaria.

From New York Times

Where to Stay in Paris

Pack your compass and sextant. As if to spurn the burgeoning crop of luxury palaces and slick boutique hotels crowding the Champs-Élysées area, a new wave of hip, independent-minded high-concept hotels is homesteading Paris’s more remote, less visited neighborhoods. Simply trying to find them is half the fun.

Owned partly by the proprietors of the nightclub Le Baron, the Hotel Amour hides in an untouristed, undistinguished lane near Pigalle, Paris’s red-light district. Like Le Baron, the place has become a darling of the international fashion and rock ‘n’ roll set.

Farther afield is the 41-room Kube, a high-tech boutique hotel in an area known mainly for cheap immigrant restaurants. But other than the boxy retro-futurist furnishings, there’s nothing square about the Kube, which draws stylish media and design types to its sub-zero Ice Bar (the cover charge is good for a half hour and includes a winter parka and gloves and unlimited vodka).

You’ll swear you’re in early 20th-century Vienna when you wake up at the Little Palace. After a complete renovation, the hotel has become a shrine to the painter Gustav Klimt; copies of his glittering, mystical works adorn the bar, restaurant and 53 rooms.

Where to Eat in Paris

Sure, Paris abounds with sublime dining experiences from superchefs like Alain Ducasse and Joël Robuchon. Yes, you can also gorge yourself on popular (and populist) bistro classics like duck confit and steak au poivre. But more and more, ethnic cuisines and foreign flavors are edging a place at the table. From Middle East to Far East, ambitious upstarts are crowding in with the French gastronomic establishment.

Tucked near the former stock exchange, the high-end Lebanese restaurant Liza, opened in April 2005, is a worthy place to unload some euros. Within the cool white and turquoise space, servers deliver beautifully presented mezze dishes (the lamb tartare and the pomegranate-seed-topped purée of aubergine are standouts) and robust main courses like lamb confit and salty-sweet grilled meatballs.

Jacques Cousteau goes to Asia at Ozu, a tony Japanese restaurant inside the new CinéAqua aquarium. Flanked by a huge fish tank, the blond wood dining room fills with Marc Jacobs-clad couples and Japanese globe-trotters who dine on thick-cut blocks of sashimi, beignet of monkfish with ginger, and cheesecake flavored with shiso (Japanese balsamic).

After years as a restaurateur at L’Orangerie in Los Angeles — where numerous celebrities engaged his services for private events — the chef Gilles Epié returned to France and opened Citrus Étoile. Moving from light and fresh novelties (salmon marinated “herring style”) to decadent confections (foie gras-stuffed beignets topped in a syrupy-sweet port-wine reduction) to classic French staples (rabbit with mustard sauce), Mr. Epié is a true culinary contortionist.

What to Do in Paris

“Ça fait longtemps!” is what French friends say to each other when they meet up for the first time in years. With the recent reopening of two major Parisian museums after long renovations — and the debut of a third after years of expectations — the phrase could practically be Paris’s motto these days. But the wait has been well worth it.

After a five-year expansion project, the Beaux Arts-style Petit Palais reopened its doors in 2005. Like a miniature Louvre (without the Louvre’s crowds), the museum houses a diverse collection, spanning ancient Grecian urns, medieval panel paintings, Rembrandt’s “Self-Portrait in Oriental Attire,” Louis XV-era furniture, French Impressionism, the symbolist works of Odilon Redon and Art Nouveau ceramics.

The world’s most famous water lilies — the ones painted by Monet — have a refurbished home at the Musée de l’Orangerie. Reopened in May 2006 after six years of renovations, the space also holds an eye-popping collection of paintings from Picasso, Matisse, Modigliani, Cézanne, Renoir, André Derain and others.

Chia Pet or a museum? With its exterior wall that sprouts green plants, the new Musée du Quai Branly is easily the city’s wildest architectural concoction since the Centre Pompidou. Inside the strange jumble of angular and colorful buildings — designed by the boldface architect Jean Nouvel — are airy galleries of tribal masks, totemic carvings and other ethnographic works from Africa, Asia, the Americas and Oceania.

When to Go to Paris

By

Hotels, especially first class and deluxe, are easy to come by in July and August. Budget hotels, on the other hand, are likely to be full during these months of student invasion. You should also try to avoid late September and the first 2 weeks in October, when the annual auto show attracts thousands of enthusiasts.

Balmy weather in Paris has prompted more popular songs and love ballads than weather conditions in any other city. But the weather here is actually quite fickle. Rain is more common than snow throughout the winter, prompting longtime residents to complain about the occasional bone-chilling dampness.

In recent years, Paris has had about 15 snow days a year, and there are only a few oppressively hot days (over 86°F, or 30°C) in summer. What will most likely chill a Parisian heart, however, are the winds that sweep along the city’s boulevards, channeled by bordering buildings. Other than these occasional winds and rain (which add an undeniable drama to many of the city’s panoramas), Paris has some of the most pleasant weather of any capital in Europe, with an average temperature of 53°F (12°C).

Holidays in France are known as jours fériés. Shops and banks are closed, as well as many (but not all) restaurants and museums. For a list of major holidays, see “Fast Facts”.