Report Cards

From JERUSALEM, Israel, May 6, 2008. . .

• Private tours with Eric Tomer (phone 972 9 7493437, cell 972 546909553, fax 972 9 7492831, e-mail tomertours4u@gmail.com) — $220 a day (if using your rental car)

Eric was born in Israel and after a career in the Israel Defense Force (IDF) and the prime minister’s office decided to become a tour guide so that he could share the beauty of his country with others. He is extremely knowledgeable and speaks Arabic, English, French and Hebrew.

We arranged a private tour for our family of four people and were delighted with the three days we spent with Eric, May 4-6. He not only covered all the places on the suggested itinerary that I had provided, he included a number of worthwhile sights I had not considered.

He also was very flexible. Concerned that the IDF would close the West Bank border crossings for Israel’s memorial and independence days, Eric on the fly arranged for a Christian Arab friend of his to provide us with a private tour of Bethlehem.

You could not ask for a better person to show you the Holy Land.

— Al Kaltman, Vienna, VA

On SPAIN, April-May ’08. . .

• My husband and I are spending two months in Spain. We found that most museums give seniors 65 and older discounts on the admission fees, and at an archaeological site it was free for us.

— Emilia Jonsdottir Anderson, Albertville, MN

From PENZANCE, UK, April 9, 2008. . .

• Sophia’s (Folly House, Promenade, Penzance, UK TR18 4HH; phone +44 [0] 1736 333363).

Excellent food! The chef goes to the fish market every day to pick the freshest kind. Local produce. £57 ($117) for two dinners with drinks.

Delicious desserts. Ask for Eton mess — strawberries, meringue and cream. Yum!

— Anne Helms, Salinas, CA

On FRANCE, Feb. 11, 2008. . .

• Millennium Hotel (Allée du Verger, 95700 Roissy-en France, France; phone (33) 01 34 29 33 33, fax (33) 01 34 29 03 05).

On my way home from Mali, I decided to stay near CDG Airport overnight. With the value of the euro versus American dollar, most airport hotels were extremely expensive. I stayed at the Millennium Hotel in nearby Roissy-en-France, about a 5-minute hotel shuttle ride away.

A very adequate hotel with most amenities. Well-appointed room. Friendly and accommodating staff.

The charges were billed in U.S. dollars, not euros. Given the exchange rate at that time and now, I thought I found a great deal. For a single, $149 per night including tax and with breakfast.

Dinner at the hotel, with wine, cost €26 ($40.50) for one.

There’s a charming town to explore, with shops, bakeries, restaurants and parks all within a short walk. This hotel is a real find.

— Carole Wightman, Henderson, NV