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January 2006 issue

Paris find

On a trip to Paris in April ’05, we came upon a small restaurant with terrific food and ate dinner there every night. It was the Café des Musées (49 rue de Turenne, 75003 Paris, France; tel. 01-42-72-96-17), open every day.

My companion especially liked the fresh fig tart one night (warm from the oven), and I loved the mussels, an entrée, one night. The cost of a 3-course dinner was €19.50 (near $24).

MILDRED S. DUFFY Springfield, VA

July 2006 issue

Airport self-service check-in

On Feb. 10, ’06, I traveled from Texas to New York. At the Dallas/Fort Worth airport I had an opportunity to check in using a kiosk. It was wonderful. In 30 seconds I had my boarding pass and a receipt.

There were three self-service kiosks and so the line moved quickly. Because it was a new venture, there were two employees to help, if help were needed.

I had made my ticket reservation via the Internet and accepted the seat assigned to me. The check-in kiosk used all the information I gave when I made the reservation, but I wonder what would have happened if I wanted a...

December 2005 issue

London Canal Cruises

We spent a very enjoyable day cruising the canals around London in May ’05 aboard the narrowboat Helix through London Canal Cruises (63 Salisbury Rd., High Barnet, Hertfordshire EN5 4JL, U.K.; tel. +44 [0] 20 8440 8962 or visit www.londoncanalcruises.com).

We departed at 10 a.m. after being welcomed aboard by our hosts, Alex and Jenny, and served a glass of champagne.

From the departure point, we traveled through the Islington Tunnel and made a brief stop at the London Canal Museum, where Alex (a former chairman of the museum trust) gave us a guided tour.

Upon our...

May 2005 issue

Beauty in Burma

I was in Burma (Myanmar) in November ’04. In Pagan (now Bagan) there was a very pretty young girl selling postcards at the Ananda Temple. She was appealing and vivacious without being pushy, so I not only bought a strip of postcards but took her photograph.

In the USA, a girl of similar age would have much to look forward to, but the Burmese have so little that I really wanted to, at least, make sure that this girl had a memento from her childhood to which she could look back in later years. As luck would have it, a friend in St. Helena, California, named Dauna Currie was headed for...

February 2006 issue

Airport-pier options in Japan

In ITN’s October ’05 “Person to Person” section, on page 126 Mr. William Suter asked for information on reasonably priced ways to get to the cruise ship pier near Osaka, Japan, from Kansai International Airport (KIX). I would like to give some suggestions.

First, be aware that near Osaka, which is farther inland, there are two ferry terminals near each other on the coast. KIX itself is on a manmade island.

• KIX to Tempozan ferry terminal — The distance between KIX and Tempozan (for the ferry terminal) is 41 kilometers (25½ miles)....

February 2006 issue

Venice airport-city transfer

Clean, modern and well-equipped, Venice, Italy’s, Marco Polo Airport (www.veniceairport.it) provides a convenient gateway to the city, but the transfer between the airport and your hotel certainly won’t be the highlight of your visit.

Any good, recent guidebook should detail the choices and direct you to the websites of the various service providers. During an October ’05 visit to Venice, my wife and I learned a few lessons that will help you know what to expect and make the right choice.

Before you leave home, determine your hotel’s location. Is it near a vaporetto stop or,...

August 2006 issue

A slow drive down Germany’s Romantic Road

by Harvey Hagman, Fort Myers Beach, FL

On my first trip along Germany’s Romantic Road, I didn’t know I was on it. It was July 1968 and I was sleeping in a tent outside the old walled town of Dinkelsbühl when I awoke to trumpets blaring and horses galloping. Sleepily, I peered out on riders in brilliant medieval costumes.

I had blundered into the Kinderzeche, this thousand-year-old town’s annual celebration that dates back to the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648). In 1632, Swedish troops under Colonel Sperreuth laid siege to the town. After stiff resistance, it fell. As the...

October 2005 issue

Re airport wheelchairs

In reply to my complaint about not having a wheelchair waiting when I got off the plane, printed in the August ’05 issue, page 14, Continental Airlines sent me a 2-page letter that said essentially that the treatment I received was not according to procedure and next time I should ask to speak to a CRO (Complaint Resolution Official).

KIT STEWART Sequim, WA