Paris on the Internet

Some travelers prefer to just hit the road without any set plans. I admire them, but I'm not one of them. As we (our dept. at a Midwest community college )plan for a Spring 2012 community tour to Paris and the Loire Valley, I am searching the Internet for information that our travelers might find helpful.

All I can say is, "Wow." I don't think that's a French word, but I am amazed at the amount of blogs written about Paris and all of France. Look at this one. Sure, you can find (and use) loads of websites such as Rick Steves, Lonely Planet, and such. The Paris Blog carves its niche by giving us Paris from the perspective of Americans actually living in the City of Lights.

Fun reading (and dreaming).

Oh, and it's a good idea to take a look at the recommended blogs, usually on the side of the blog you're reading. One good thing leads to another.

What to see in Paris

My college, Parkland, has a tour going to Paris in March. Thought I'd share this fun Paris City Update for the folks on our tour (so they can plan their shopping:). But let's face it, for those of us not going to Paris, it's impossible not to read what we'll be missing.

C'est la vie!

UK Travel Perspective

Don't know about you, but I love checking out travel websites. Lonely Planet is a good one; I periodically check the travel at WSJ; The New York Times, certainly, has valuable travel info.

Here's one from across the pond: The Guardian newspaper's online travel website. See what you think of it.

"...nigh impossible to resist."

Here's the New York Times' review of the Broadway musical, "FELA!"
The show went on to win the Tony Award for "Best Musical."

Off to see it in Chicago on March 31, thanks to Parkland College.

"When good Americans die, they go to Paris."

Who else but Oscar Wilde? The quote is from Wilde's 1893 play, A Woman of No Importance.

Except for the dying part, I'd love to go to Paris. An opportunity is coming up this March for a tour, but the timing is just not working out for me.

When I do finally get to Paris (trying to stay positive), one of the first places I'd like to visit is Shakespeare and Company. It's a bookstore, first opened in 1951, that has become a haven for authors, readers, and lovers of literature. The bookstore's original owner, George Whitman, died December 14, 2011. My gosh, just reading Mr. Whitman's brief bio on the the bookstore's website here makes you want to read an entire book about him (wonder if there is one).

Lots of "ghosts" at Shakespeare and Company. At least they knew how to write.

Wander up I-57

Sure, I want to travel to places thousands of miles away (and I have been fortunate to visit Australia, Italy, England, Scotland, and Spain). But I can't always afford an international trip.

Sometimes you just need to go down the road a bit. Day trips can be wonderful. For example, in March, our college is offering a day tour from Champaign, Illinois to Chicago, to see the Broadway musical, "FELA!" What I know about this musical is that it is the story of the Nigerian musician and activist, Fela Kuti, and the musical won Broadway's top award, the Tony.

So, by hopping on a luxury charter bus heading north on I-57, I'll be transported to a far away, unfamiliar land, Nigeria. I'll learn a bit about the culture, the politics, and best of all, the music.

Wanderlust doesn't have to be expensive or difficult. You can make it happen. For a day.