Europe
Europe is teeming with countries full of exciting history and a variety of cultures. When your days are consumed of new experiences visiting museums, sight seeing, shopping and trying gourmet meals from different cultures your vacation will never have a dull moment!
London, England
LONDON    
 
London is a place you will want to visit again and again, and each time you visit, London will have something new to offer. Few visitors to London will fail to be impressed by the grandeur and history of such monumental sights as Westminster Abbey or St. Paul's Cathedral, but that's only a small slice of today's London. Cosmopolitan London has every visitor attraction from Bengali markets to Belgian restaurants to hand-written Beatles lyrics at the British Library. London offers the best of British food, fashion and cultural pursuits, but its multicultural population gives it an international flair, as well. London has a vibrant mix of languages, dress, festivals and lively street life.
 
IMPORTANT SIGHTS
  • Westminster Abbey
  •  St. Paul's Cathedral
  • the Tower and Tower Bridge
  • Shakespeare's Globe Theatre
  • the London Eye.
  • The Victoria and Albert Museum
  • The British Museum
  • Walk through Hyde Park or St. James' Park
  • Jubilee Walkway from Lambeth Bridge to Tower Bridge
  • London Zoo

Memorable Meals—Eclectic and delicious vegetarian fare at The Gate; modern British fare at Rhodes Twenty Four; pub lunch at the Salisbury in the West End's theater district; Friday lunch with music in Cafe Consort at the Royal Albert Hall; afternoon tea at Brown's Hotel; dim sum at Hakkasan; all-day dining at The Wolseley; Indian cuisine at Tamarind.

Horseback Riding
There are a number of opportunities for horse riding in the capital, perhaps most famously in Hyde Park. Experienced riders can canter through the park at their own pace; guided lessons are offered for beginners.
 
DO's & DON'Ts
  • Don't be afraid to ask for directions. Despite their demeanor, most Londoners, including the police, will be only too happy to share their knowledge of the best way to get from one place to another.
  • Do stand on the right side going up or down escalators—the left is reserved for people walking.
  • Don't expect any consistency in metric/imperial measurements. Temperature is almost always centigrade, but distance is always in miles. Petrol (gasoline) is bought in liters, but fuel efficiency is discussed in miles per gallon. Beer is definitely in pints (which is bigger than an American pint), but wine and spirits are still weighed in stones and pounds.
     
Rome, Italy

ROME

 Rome is known as the "Eternal City" and seems to have its own gravitational pull, attracting not only millions of tourists each year, but also the most creative artists and thinkers of every era. All that surrounds a visitor in Rome—the stunning art and architecture, the terrible traffic, the grandeur of scale and the lively (almost hyperanimated) citizens—guarantees an unforgettable trip!
 
Must See or Do
 
Rome wasn't built in a day, so don't expect to see it in one!
 
Sights— Ancient Forums, Palatine Hill, Trajan's Markets, Campidoglio and the Colosseum; St. Peter's Basilica; the fountains of Piazza Navona; the Spanish Steps; the Pantheon; Trevi Fountain; Circus Maximus; the catacombs and monuments along the ancient Appian Way; Piazza del Popolo and the Pincio Gardens above it; Castel Sant'Angelo.
 
Museums—The Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel; Capitoline Museums; phenomenal art at the Galleria Borghese; Galleria Doria Pamphilj;  Palazzo Barberini; the modern works at the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Moderna; Villa Giulia; history's layers at the Museo Nazionale Crypta Balbi.
 
Memorable Meals—Linguine with lobster sauce followed by baked turbot at Ristorante da Vincenzo; Mediterranean sushi at F.I.S.H.; fried fillet of codfish with zucchini flowers and artichokes Guida at Piperno; sliced, aged beef with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese at Da Tullio; brusque service and celebrities in the Spartan Pizzeria Panattoni "Ai Marmi"; nouvelle cuisine at L'Antico Arco, atop the Gianicolo Hill; wandering the ancient streets with slices from any pizzeria al taglio (takeaway); a picnic from the gourmet deli Volpetti.
 
Late Night—Fine jazz at Alexanderplatz; kitsch at Jonathan's Angels; a quiet drink at the swanky Antico Caffe della Pace; dancing at Zoobar or other Testaccio hot spots; late-night vistas from atop the Gianicolo Hill, at the electric Piazza Navona or while walking from Piazza Venezia to the Colosseum.
 
Walks—A leisurely walk from the top of the Spanish Steps to the Pincio Gardens at dusk; a daytime walk through the outdoor market at Campo dei Fiori; an excursion from the Trevi Fountain to the Pantheon before or after dinner; a nighttime trek to view the Colosseum and the ruins of the Forums beautifully illuminated; a midnight adventure through the medieval streets of Trastevere; a stroll in the picturesque open spaces of Villa Borghese and Villa Pamphilj.
 
Especially for Kids—A visit to the Museum of Roman Civilization (Museo della Civilta Romana); the Bioparco zoo in Villa Borghese and its Children's Farm; the Explora Children's Museum; go-karts on the Pincio; climbing the dome of St. Peter's; sticking your hand in La Bocca della Verita (the Mouth of Truth
 
Dance & Nightclubs
 
Alibi
This is the best-known, most elegant gay gathering place in Rome. Women won't feel very welcome there. A DJ spins dance music.
 
Gilda
Still one of the liveliest places in Rome for the over-40 crowd, this place is so out of date that it is kind of in again. Famous local artists go to be seen, but there's also great dancing for commoners to enjoy. Elegant attire is mandatory to get past bouncers.
 
Goa
One of the trendiest clubs in Rome. Its interior sports candles, mirrors, incense, flowers and plasma screens that show the latest video art. Italy's best DJs make frequent appearances there!
 

 
Paris, France
PARIS
 
Paris, "The City of Lights,"  and love has been written about, filmed and photographed countless times. Although it seems as if we all know Paris even before we see it, nothing compares to actually being there. Going to the top of the Eiffel Tower, walking along the Seine at dusk or sipping coffee at an elegant sidewalk cafe are uniquely Parisian experiences—and the wonder of it is that real life takes on an aura of magical make-believe, so that it feels just like being in the movies.
 
  • Notre-Dame de Paris Cathedral, the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, Sacre Coeur, a cruise on the Seine on one of the bateaux mouches, and the Louvre museum are some of the must see attractions in beautiful Paris!

Especially for Kids—Palais de la Decouverte, a children's science museum; La Menagerie, Paris' oldest zoo; Jardin d'Acclimatation, a 25-acre/10-hectare park in the Bois de Boulogne; the Jardin des Plantes with its small zoo; Cite des Enfants at the Parc de la Villette; Disneyland Paris, just a short train ride from the center of the city.

Disneyland Paris
About 20 mi/32 km east of Paris in Marne-la-Vallee, and one-fifth the size of Paris itself, Disneyland Paris (formerly Euro Disney) encompasses two side-by-side theme parks. Disneyland Park has several hotels, numerous restaurants and five "theme worlds" with scores of rides and Disney's interpretations of the Wild West, small-town life in the U.S. and other motifs. The narrations are in French only. The other park, Walt Disney Studios, offers a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of movies, television shows and animated features.
 
Transportation
As a tourist, travelling by subway/train will be the quickest and most effective way of transportation. Each subway trip will drop you off with minimal walking distance to all of the most important attractions on your list!
 
Nightlife
Night owls are in their element in Paris—not only because the city is beautifully illuminated and generally safe, but also because it offers so much after-hours entertainment. Clubs generally start closing around 2 am, but some of the hottest after-hours spots keep the party going until dawn.
 
 
Shopping

From the sophisticated Saint Honore area to the funky and eclectic Marais, Paris has a shopping district to suit everyone's taste. In an era of malls, this city still offers thousands of intimate specialty shops, as well as large department stores.

For haute couture, head for the 8th arrondissement, particularly the Avenue Montaigne or the Rue du Faubourg Saint Honore. Many shops on the Rue Royale specialize in high-quality jewelry. The Place Vendome in the neighboring 1st arrondissement is home to more fine jewelers, including Cartier, Boucheron and Van Cleef & Arpels. In the Marais (the 3rd and 4th arrondissement), chic boutiques, kosher butchers and traditional bakeries thrive side by side along winding medieval streets. Start with the Rue des Francs Bourgeois and plan for a fascinating afternoon (Sunday, when many shops remain open, is a good day to visit). One of the oldest open-air food markets of Paris is held in the Place d'Aligre (12th arrondissement) on the Rue Mouffetard.
 
Something To Keep In Mind!

The formality of French life extends to shopping customs. Don't be surprised if you get a dirty look from a sales clerk if you enter a store and begin handling everything. To avoid this, try to do as the locals do. On entering a shop, greet a clerk or shop assistant and any customers with "Bonjour, Monsieur," "Bonjour, Madame" or "Bonjour, Messieurs Dames" (when greeting both men and women). Then ask for assistance—you're more likely to receive a smile and the clerk's undivided attention. And remember, the polite way to inquire if someone speaks English is to ask it in French: "Parlez-vous Anglais?" Upon leaving, be sure to offer an "Au revoir, Monsieur/Madame." The French consider it impolite to try and slip out of the store without announcing your departure and thanking them (even if they didn't directly help you).
Contact Me
If you want detailed information about any other countries or cities in Europe feel free to contact me at themayanconnection@rogers.com