The tenth arrondissement is located on the Right Bank in northeastern Paris. Its land area is slightly more than 1.1 square mile (a bit less than 3 square kilometers). Its population is slightly under ninety thousand and offers about seventy-two thousand jobs. Two of its major attractions are railway stations. If you haven’t seen a grandiose railway station such as in Europe or Manhattan’s Grand Central Station, you really should visit some of Paris’s offerings such as described below.

This arrondissement is not particularly well known to tourists. However, if you visit here you may get a feel for the real Paris, the Paris of Parisians. You might start by viewing the Canal Saint-Martin, which links the Seine River with northeastern Paris. This 2.8 mile (4.5 kilometer) long canal was built from 1806 to 1825 under the orders of Napoleon Bonaparte. Believe it or not, in some places it is only about three feet (one meter) deep. It came close to disappearing in the 1960s and might have become just another highway. While there is some canal traffic, mostly it’s a place to view the boats and the locks. Recently the neighborhood has become trendy. In 1938 the Canal Saint-Martin was featured in the famous movie Hotel du Nord. And in 2001 it was once again featured in the movie Amelie. The nearby streets are car-free for the later part of Saturday and all day Sunday giving the area a unique cachet.

The Gare de l’Est (East Station) is one of the largest and the oldest railway stations in Paris. Approximately 34 million passengers per year pass through the Gare de l’Est per year, making it the fifth-busiest station in Paris. I wonder how many of these passengers have seen the beautiful statue representing the city of Strasbourg at the west end of the station and how many have seen the statue representing the city of Verdun at the east end of the station. It’s a magnificent building with lovely artwork throughout. For example, the arcade includes representations of agricultural products and the coat of arms of over thirty cities in eastern France. The ticketing hall includes a large painting of soldiers leaving in 1914 for the Great War. Both these cities are served by this station, first opened in 1849. Perhaps its most famous train was the Orient Express to Istanbul, first opened in 1883. Times have changed and the Orient Express no longer goes to Paris or Istanbul. But some of the new lines are scheduled to run at almost two hundred miles (three hundred twenty kilometers) an hour and almost ten per cent faster in the future. The station is undergoing extensive renovation; for example, removing ugly plastic that covered beautiful marble for decades.

The Gare du Nord (North Station) handles about 180 million travelers a year, making it the busiest station in Europe, and the third busiest railway station in the world. It was first built in 1846 but already partially demolished in 1860 to permit extensive expansion. The old facade is now in the northern city of Lille. The new, mid-1860s, Neoclassical railway station includes 23 statues representing destinations; the international destinations are more imposing than the national ones. The station was expanded several times and is served by several subway lines. In 2007 the station was the site of a riot involving several hundred people that lasted for eight hours. The Gare du Nord has appeared in several French films, for instance in Les Poupees russes (The Russian Dolls) and American movies such as The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Ultimatum, and Ocean’s Twelve.

Some of the other sights to see in this district are the Porte Saint Denis and Porte Saint Martin erected by order to Louis XIV to celebrate military victories, the Musee de l’Eventail (Fan Museum), Musee de Cristal de Baccarat (Baccarat Crystal Museum), and, for a change of pace, the Place du Colonel Fabien, headquarters of the French Communist Party designed by a famous Brazilian (Communist) architect, Oscar Niemeyer, named in honor of a resistance hero of World War II. A more traditional Place (Square) is the Place de la Republique that is often the site of political or other demonstrations.

Of course you don’t want to be in Paris without sampling fine French wine and food. In my article I Love French Wine and Food - A Midi Merlot I reviewed such a wine and suggested a sample menu: Start with Roque Anchois (Anchovies with Tomato, Spices, Vinegar, and Olive Oil). For your second course savor Tagine de Lotte (Monkfish Stew). And as dessert indulge yourself with Crème Catalan (Crème brulee with Orange Flower and Aniseed). Your Parisian sommelier (wine steward) will be happy to suggest appropriate wines to accompany each course. 

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Levi Reiss has authored alone or with a co-author ten computer and Internet books, but to tell the truth, he would really rather just drink fine French, German, or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He knows what dieting is, and is glad that for the time being he can eat and drink what he wants, in moderation. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. Visit his Italian travel, wine, and food website http://www.travelitalytravel.com/ and his global wine website http://www.theworldwidewine.com/.

Luggage Online - The Source For People Who Travel!

By Johnathan Bakers

You want your vacation to be relaxing, but it will not help if you get stressed out trying to find the right place to stay. You know the routine; you have to find a place that suits the needs of everyone in your family, is within your budget, is clean and comfortable and located near the attractions you want to visit. If you are looking for accommodations in the Costa Blanca, your problems may be solved by using one of the many online property managers who offer accommodations in the right town in the Costa Blanca for you.

First you will have to decide which in the Costa Blanca appeals to you the most. Most of the towns in the Costa Blanca are situated on the beautiful white sand beaches the area is known for. The town may be scenic, offer marinas and beach facilities, have a lovely historic section, or all of these. The towns of the Costa Blanca may be different from one another, but they all have the same thing in common: sheltering western mountains that keep the harsh weather away, and warm breezes off the Mediterranean to temper hot days.

Alicante is the most central town in the Costa Blanca. It has a hub airport from which you can travel to other cities. Head north toward the towns of Calpe, Altea, Javea and Benidorm or south to Torrevieja.

One of the best solutions for accommodations in this region for many people is a Costa Blanca Villa. You can search for a property in either of two ways: find a city you like and contact an agent who represents property in that city, or find a property that interests you and make that city the base for your vacation explorations. On line property managers are happy to show their clients abroad how to find a Costa Blanca villa.

If you are familiar with the Internet, you know that one of the great advantages is being able to see a property right on the company’s site. You can check rates and availability and then compare them to other villas you may be considering.

Most of the villas in the Costa Blanca have a number of bedrooms, baths and many have private pools. They are typically located in areas that are close to the main attractions of the region, or near the beach. A villa such as this will give you desirable comfort and privacy, yet you will be close to the features you came on vacation to enjoy.

About the Author: Focusing on informating about How to Find a Costa Blanca Villa, Johnathan Bakers writes most often for http://www.alicante-spain.com . You can find his contributions on Costa Blanca over at http://www.alicante-spain.com .

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By Ben Nielson

Your cheap holidays to Australia can be planned for nature sights, adventure, and unusual things to do and for beauty of the country. Your first stop might be at Adelaide, which is the capital of Australia. The museums and botanical gardens are beautiful at anytime of the year. The maritime museum is a delight to see as well as the markets hosted everywhere you turn. If you are up for an unusual adventure, plan a day trip to Kangaroo Island. Now that thought is not unusual but camel riding is rare for most visitors. Ride a camel around the island while watching for unusual and unique birds that are habitants of the island.

After a few days in Adelaide, your cheap holidays package can take you to Brisbane for some exciting wildlife viewing and a look around the subtropical forest. The time spent here will give you an idea about the culture as well as how the nights come alive and stay alive until the early morning hours. You might even need the next day to recuperate before venturing outdoors. The area does have some fantastic beaches as well. The waters are so clear and feel refreshing. You can even see some of the dolphin in the area if you are on the right beach at the right time.

If your cheap holidays to Australia require nightlife, snorkeling, sightseeing in the forest and plenty of shopping you will find Cairns a great place to vacation. They area is beautiful and it has a snow forest that is just beautiful. The hotels and the restaurants are wonderful with fine cuisine from many different ethnic groups. The hotels are luxurious and have many amenities that keep you comfortable and relaxed. The area is beautiful in Australia and brings about a feeling of warm from the overwhelming beauty of the land.

If you want isolation in the Outback, Alice Springs is where you should spend a few days. The glorious area with scenery that you have never seen before is very popular with adventurous visitors. They have a regatta during September that you cannot miss. It is a fun and exciting to watch as the residence of the area race bottomless boats. You will have plenty of fun when you plan cheap holidays to this area of Australia. You will have excitement, adventure and some great laughs to take home with you.

If you are looking for Outback pubs, Kalgoorlie has some great little pubs that give you a real sense of the Outback’s. When you are there, you can take a tour of the mines that were once mined for gold during the nineteenth century gold rush on Australia. You will find that this area is more suited for the history buff or someone who has never seen gold mines or understood the gold rush itself.

One thing for sure, your cheap holidays to Australia will be exciting and a little educational but in a fun way. Keep in mind, the weather is great and you need to pack your most comfortable clothes to have fun.

About the Author: Are you looking for cheap holidays to Australia? Then please visit our cheap holiday deals comparison site. If you are departing from scandinavia you should visit this travel site called charterrejser.

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