Eating way too well in paris third stop at le gourmet

Yet another interesting stop in our culinary adventures in Paris, the Le Gourmet restaurant offers great French cuisine for prices I hadn’t seen in Paris in 15 years. Lunch time, where to go? This is the third installment of the series of articles which I set about to write a couple of weeks ago on eating out well in Paris. I love food, I love good cuisine, and I want fellow travelers to enjoy Paris to the hilt. That’s enough reasons to guide them to those places I am certain they will enjoy. Lunch time in Paris is restaurant time. People who work in the city do not carry their lunch bags with them. They rarely enjoy the benefit of a corporate catering service, but even if they do, such catering is hardly a feat for anyone’s eyes and taste buds. Small restaurants perform a vital service: they feed the locals rather satisfactorily, inexpensively, and in record time. What applies to locals applies to travelers, and your next culinary stop happens in just such circumstances. After a long morning walk in the quaint streets on the slopes of the Montmartre hill, you feel nicely hungry. Your steps lead you to Place de Clichy, a busy crossroads between the 17th, the 9th and the 18th districts (metro station: ‘Place de Clichy’). Time for a gourmet experience! Le Gourmet You may be hungry, but you are no fool. You want to eat well, and spend your heard-earned cash on food worth this name. In my considerate opinion none of the eateries positioned around Place de Clichy are worth the money they ask for. I find their cuisine either overpriced, or downright vulgar. I never had a satisfactory lunch at any of these places. So where to go? Not far away. When you are on Place de Clichy, turn yourself so as to face the downward slope, with the metro station in your back. Aim at Rue de Clichy, left of Rue d’Amsterdam. Walk down the street for about 200 yards, and turn left in Rue de Bruxelles. Walk another 200 yards. There you are on the right sidewalk. Your next favorite food stop is located at No. 19 rue de Bruxelles. Name: Le Gourmet. Identifiable sign: its French bistro-style facade. And a crowd. Entering the bistro If you happen to walk in at around noon thirty, you may have to wait just a tad. The place is packed. I have been to this restaurant numerous times, and I still have to be there the day it is not packed at lunch time. My advice: come at around 12:00 am, and grab a spot before everybody else does. The place exudes old charm, with dark wood panels, old posters, menu slates marked with chalk on the walls, a traditional bar, a mosaic floor, bistro-style chairs and tables. It smells good, though cigarette smoke can become an issue at times when the facade door isn’t left open. The owner and chef bought the restaurant about 2 years ago from its first and long-time owners, an elderly couple who retired after having steered the ship for longer than any local can remember. The new owner liked the decor, and decided to preserve it as-is, except for the facade which was changed early in 2006. In this very Parisian setting, patrons feel immediately welcomed and are quickly seated either by the boss or a smiling waitress. This is lunch time, and they know patrons are in a hurry. No unnecessary delay. Seated, and menu in hands The menu is in fact chalked on the slates that hang on the front and back walls. A remarkable feat for such small a restaurant, the menu changes every day. Anyone who lived in Paris for some time knows that restaurant menus do not change beyond the ‘plat du jour’ – the main fare for the day. Even the ‘plat du jour’ does not change that much: from one week to another, the same courses tend to get back on the menu. Not so at ‘Le Gourmet’: the menu changes everyday and no two weeks are alike. True diversity. Even if you were to eat there every day for 20 days, you could try 20 different courses. Gourmet cuisine is a mission The boss comes from the province of Touraine, in Western France. He likes to work on French traditional dishes, and his cuisine draws its main inspiration from the famous Burgundy and Lyons regions. Among the ‘terroir’ dishes served at Le Gourmet, you can taste veal knuckle (souris de veau), prime cuts of veal (onglet de veau), roasted gilthead bream (daurade royale rфtie), stewed duck (pot-au-feu de canard), pike dumpling (quenelle de brochet). And the list goes on. To get fresh products from his favorite suppliers, he wakes up at 3:30 am every day to go to the wholesale market (the Rungis market, situated south of Paris). He buys only what he needs for the day, loads up his truck, and heads back to his restaurant where he’s spend the rest of the morning to cook for lunch. The chef’s motto is “fresh products, traditional preparation”. He uses butter, not margarine. He doesn’t buy frozen products, and no off-the-shelf sauces as he prepares his sauces himself. He is light-handed on spices which he thinks ‘are all too often used to hide something’. Appetizer, main course, dessert, wines Le Gourmet’s menu typically offers a choice of 4 appetizers (such as a warmed up goat cheese served on a loaf of country bread), 3 or 4 main courses (meat, fish, poultry), and 4 desserts. The choice of desserts is also ‘old-school’: depending on the day, your selection may include chocolate whipped cream, baba au rhum (a spongy cake saturated with dealcoholized rum), biscuits with ganache (a mix of chocolate, cream and butter), orange cake, fondant cake, floating island (beaten egg whites floating on a French custard), red fruit pies, and so forth. Light wines get the lion’s share of the wine list. The chef’s hometown is Valencay (in the heart of the Touraine region), and he purchases his bottles directly from local producers. The list comprises a variety of well-thought-of vines: Gamay, Cabernet, Valenзay, Bourgueil, and Saumur-Champigny. All this for how much? Beyond the quality of the food you are served at Le Gourmet, the check is another pleasant surprise. For a meager Ђ13 (about $16), you have a full meal served in record time in a most pleasant atmosphere. For just a few more bucks, you have the wine to complete your experience. To be honest, there are very few Parisian restaurants which will give you that much for such a low price. Le Gourmet wins my vote any time, any day. I recommend it to you wholeheartedly. Where? Le Gourmet 19 rue de Bruxelles 75009 Paris Tel: 33 (0)1 48 74 53 42 Subway station: Place de Clichy Lunch and dinner

Overview of egypt for travelers

From Pyramids to the Valley of the Kings, the Arab Republic of Egypt oozes history. If you are considering traveling to Egypt, you should know the following about the country. Overview of Egypt for Travelers Egypt has plenty of land, but much of it is sparsely inhabited. This leads to a situation where the vast majority lives within relatively compact urban places. As the most populous Arab nation, nearly all of people live along the Nile River, particularly in Cairo and Alexandria. Cairo in particular is one of the world’s most densely populated cities with a whopping 3,800 people per square mile and roughly 18 million in the extended city. Traffic jams are legendary to say the least. Travelers to Egypt are almost always going to see the pyramids and various archeological remains of the Pharaohs. Just so you can sound like you know what you are talking about, here is a very brief history on the rule of the Pharaohs. Around 3,100 BC, Mena united Egypt and became the first Pharaoh. 30 dynasties would follow and are categorized as the Old Kingdom, Middle Kingdom and New Empire. In 525 BC, the last Pharaoh was overthrown by the invading Persians. The pyramids of Giza were built during the fourth dynasty. The Great Pyramid is the tomb of Pharaoh Khufu. The Valley of Kings you will visit is only partially an accurate representation. More than a few of the sites were actually moved to higher elevations to save them from flooding caused when the Nasser Dam went into operation. As for modern times, Egypt covers an area of roughly 386,000 square miles. The capital is Cairo with a population between 16 and 18 million people. The climate is universally dry and hot. Life is sustained almost totally by the Nile. The people of Egypt are known as “Egyptians.” The total population is over 77 million and growing at a rate of 1.78 percent per year. 94 percent claim to be Muslim. Arabic is the official language although English and French are also spoken. 57 percent of the people are literate and life expectancy is 71 years of age. As this overview shows, the country is unique in that it is almost totally reliant upon the Nile River. Without the Nile, Egypt would be bereft of its heritage and modern state. Fortunately, it has learned to ride herd on the longest river in the world.

Set sail to the azores islands

Being excellent navegators and having a deep desire to expland its territories, The Azores Islands were founded by the Portuguese in 1317. This is a clump of nine islands in the rough Atlantic Ocean about 1,400 kilometers west of Lisbon, Portugal. As a curious traveller, I always make it a habit of finding out how a city, town or in this case an island got its name. The name Azores comes from the name of a bird similar to a goshawk which is what the first settlers thought they saw, but it turned out that what they were seeing in abundance was just a type of eagle. The nine islands that make up the Azores are called Santa Maria, Sao Miguel, Terceira, Graciosa, Pico, Faial, Sao Jorge, Corvo and Flores. As far as we know, they are all from a volcanic eruptions and still seem to be active as far as registering seismic movements. Culture, tradition and religion have always been closely linked and therefore there is a tight tie between the festive celebrations held all over the islands in the small chapels from the 26th of August until the 31st. This celebration is to honour the Holy Spirit which the islanders feel will protect them from any natural disaster, especially the ones related to its volcanoes. Of all territories that Portugal once possessed, only Macao, the Azores Islands and Madeira still remain. Under the command of Henry the Navegator, these islands became a very important stop over for ships sailing in the Atlantic Ocean. Therefore, they received visitors from all over the world who not only brought riches and stories but also fruits, spices and plants. In 1420, Henry sent settlers to the island of Madeira with plants that he thought would grow well in the volcanic ground and in the mild year round climate typical there; the grapevine and sugar cane being the best product up until now, both heavily used in the Portuguese cuisine and well as other spices like the black pepper and cinnamon. But nowadays, the Azores have changed their tea, tabacco and fruit fields for livestock and tourism. Azores Islands and Its Third-Terceira As its name well announces, Terceira was the third island discovered by the Portuguese around 1450 having had as its original name that of Island of Jesus Christ. At the beginning Praia was the capital, being the first beach were the Flemish colonizer Jacome de Bruges first settled. But as we all know, improvements were made and they decided to use the town of Angra do Heroismo as the new capital, probably because it was well protected by the bay ( angro ) and the Brasil Mountain standing strong against the ocean. Here, there is a 17th century castle called Saint John the Baptist. All over the islands there are lagoons which look like big cauldrons which offer a breathtaking view of its natural surroundings. If I had to recommend one or two outstanding features, I would probably describe the beautiful Se or Cathedral with its bell tower decorated in blue, green and white tiles. Or even more so are the curious windows that the houses still have, made from stones in an arched formation with gaily painted frames such as green, blue and yellow. And the glass in these windows look like its cracked or iced. Easy Come and Easy Go to Azores Islands But as all practical traveller, the question of getting there and accomodations is always an important aspect to look into when planning a comfortable holiday. On all the islands, tourism is very well cared for and the hotels are tops. You can choose between sea front four star hotels to quaint rural house in the mountains or simple campings. And in the location of Lajes on the Terceira island and in Ponta Delgada in Sao Miguel island, there are airports which have daily flights between them and to Lisbon on mainland Portugal.

Holidaying in brighton london by the sea

Known as "London by the Sea", Brighton is one of the UK's largest and most famous seaside resorts. Brighton's heyday came in the 18th Century when the town's favour with the party-loving Prince of Wales (later George VI) gave it an immediate cachet. The London elite flocked to Brighton in the royal wake and traces of this old gentility remains in the fashionable town houses, squares and crescents in the Victorian mode. The most marked royal touch is seen in the the fantastic Brighton Royal Pavilion with its eastern domes and spires. The English aristocracy later neglected Brighton in favour of resorts in continental Europe. However, the opening of the railway in 1841 brought in a regular flood of day trippers and weekend trysters that continues to this day. The addition of piers and amusements parks served to attract a more general visitor in search of fairground rides, candy floss and jaw breaking rock. Today's Brighton is moving with the times. It's just 52 miles from London and offers a wide range of hotels, restaurants and entertainment facilities. This make it a popular conference industry destination. Plus, it's recently become a popular location for high-tech media companies to set up shop. The seafront features a pebble beach, and the strip between its two piers is lined with bars, eateries, night clubs and amusement arcades. Brighton beach also has a designated official nudist area. Brighton is now home to one of Europe's largest marinas and an outdoor sports centre. And it's well-stocked with shopping outlets such as clothing stores, jewellers, and antique shops. Brighton also has a number of museums including the Brighton Museum and Art Gallery, the Booth Museum of Natural History, the Brighton Fishing Museum and the Brighton Toy and Model Museum. transport:getting there and getting around Fast trains whisk passengers from London to Brighton in under an hour. There are 41 departures a day from Victoria or London Bridge Station. Alternatively, buses from Victoria Coach Station reach Brighton in about two hours. Driving is easy along the M23 and connecting with the A23. Getting around Brighton is easy with its extensive bus service and abundance of taxis. There is also a limited night-bus service. Brighton seafront features the Volks Electric Railway, the worlds oldest electric railway. A recent innovation is the introduction of motorised trishaws from Asia known as tuc-tucs. climate: Brighton is located on the south coast of England and so is subject to that island nation's capricious weather. Summer in July and August is usually warm and sunny but as with everywhere in the UK, rain is always a possibility. Accommodation:from cheap stays to luxury resorts Check on the internet for the range, location and cost of hotels in Brighton Check on the internet for the range, location and cost of Brighton hotels Check on the internet for the range, location and cost of Brighton accommodation Events: • May sees the Brighton Festival. It's an arts festival that features processions and fireworks along with theatre, music and visual arts events throughout the city.

Cardiff city guide including cardiff hotels

Introduction: The Welsh capital, Cardiff, is really a city on the move. Home to over 350, 000 people, this city underwent a tremendous and progressive development over a period of time. It is home to an impressive coal empire and has evolved into one of Europe’s most beautiful maritime cities, embraced by lovely countryside. Of all the major reconstruction that the city has witnessed, a prominent mention should be given to the impressive appearance of the Millenium Stadium, which greets you as you come out from the railway station. The Millenium Stadium dominates the skyline on the western edge of the city center and is home to many major sporting and entertainment events. If you visit Cardiff, you are sure to be impressed by the peaceful and carefree life that greets you. The city is famous for its quality of life. Though most of its residents live in the suburbs, they have to travel only for 10 or 15 minutes by public or private transport to get to the city center. The suburbs have a unique charm akin to villages and hamlets that dreams are made of. Places of interest: Cardiff Castle: Also known as Castell Caerdydd, Cardiff Castle was founded in Roman times and became the foothold of the Norman Empire. Even now you can see the ruins of the Norman Empire here. The Victorian look of the castle was the brainchild of the third Marquis of Bute (1848-900). He employed an architect called William Burges who decorated the ornate interiors of the castle with murals and added neo-Gothic towers with murals, stained glass windows and decorative carvings. The castle also has two military museums and massive grounds. The famous Bute Park came into existence from the grounds of the Cardiff Castle. Millennium stadium: This 72,500-seater stadium is one of the most modern and luxuriant sports stadiums in Europe. You can take advantage of the guided tours to visit the pitch, the royal box, the dressing rooms of the players and other areas. Cardiff Bay: This beautiful place introduces you to some of the finest architectural work in Cardiff. The Cardiff Bay barrage was open to the public after June 2001. This led to a creation of a fresh water lake and a 12 km long waterfront with parks, shopping complexes, entertainment centres, bars and restaurants. Techniquest, a science museum, and Norwegian Arts church arts centres are the other prominent landmarks here. Museum of Welsh Life (Amgueddfa Werin Cymru): This beautiful museum is set in 104 acres of Parkland, in St. Fagans, west of the city centre. You would be impressed with the extensive collection of precious Welsh literature, works and craftsmanship. There is a collection of historic Welsh townships, farms, tannery, pottery, Victorian schoolrooms etc, which have been purchased from different places in Wales and rebuilt in the huge grounds of the museums. Another notable image would be of the Iron-age Celtic village. Things to do: Travel - The public transport in the city is provided by the bus. The main provider is the Cardiff Bus. The buses have an operation time of 0530-2330 hours. The buses have reduced hours during the public holidays and the weekends. Alternatively, you can hire the services of a taxi. They are either black hackney cabs or cars with company logos that indicate that they are used for public transport. There are companies like Black Cabs, DragonTaxies and Central Taxis, which can help you hire the services of their taxis. Visitors are expected to pay about Ј4.00 for a trip across town. The traffic is quite heavy during the peak hours, which would be Monday through Friday 0800-0900 and 1700-1800. If you want to rent a car, then you would have to own a valid driving license. It could usually be a national driving license. If you are a tourist, then you may also do with an International Driving Permit. You need to check the kind and the grade of insurance given to you along with the car hire. Eating: Follow the gradation of the restaurants as per the prices, if you plan to eat out at any of the restaurants in Cardiff: Assuming you eat a three course meal accompanied by a half litre of wine, then you should expect to pay the following prices for different grade restaurants: **** (over Ј40) *** (Ј25 to Ј40) ** (Ј10 to Ј25) * (under Ј10) The prices usually include taxes and tips. Shopping: You can shop till you drop in the specialist shops and boutiques within the seven Victorian and Edwardian arcades situated in the city centres. Important departmental stores such as Howells are open from 9am to 6pm, although this is not a rule. There are some shops that are open on Sundays too. Special activities: Wales is home to a lot of Eisteddfod festivals around the country. You can feel the ancient Celtic heritage in their music and movies. You can purchase the tickets to the cultural events in Cardiff through phone, box offices or online. The city is famous for the male choir voice, which is the hallmark of the Welsh pride. Food & Drink: Tiles: This is an internationally acclaimed part of the St. David’s hotel. The restaurant has the best seafood in Cardiff and you could also have a breathtaking view of the Millennium Waterfront as you savour the seafood with a tasty glass of wine. Underdeb: This is one restaurant that is so popular that you would have to reserve seats for the place days in advance. Home to some creative and tasty dishes; this place would keep you craving for more. LeGallois: This hotel is famous for some interesting and distinctive French food with a Welsh twist. You also get the best customer service and a pleasant ambience. Izakaya: This trendy Japanese restaurant at the Millenium Quay has the best Japanese Sushi food (more than 70 varieties) in Cardiff. Dorothy’s: You get the taste of local food to make you feel like a red-blooded Welsh with the best fish and chips you could find. The chicken curry is one more dish you cannot miss. Benedicto: You have the best of Italian dishes here. The wine tastes amazingly fine and you can have a gala time here. However, you would have to keep away from smoking if you want to enjoy the food and the ambience. Hotels & Accommodation: Cardiff has an abundence of beautiful hotels with excellent accommodation facilities. The hotels could be classified into 4 different pricing categories: **** (over Ј150) *** (Ј100 to Ј150) ** (Ј50 to Ј100) * (under Ј50) The prices listed above are for a double room per night, including tax and breakfast. Here are selection of hotels in cardiff: Cardiff Park Plaza Angel Hotel Thistle Cardiff Millennium Lodge Cardiff Sandringham Hotel The Royal Hotel Macdonald Holland House Hotel The Big Sleep Hotel The Lodge by Macdonald Novotel Cardiff Centre Village Hotel Cardiff Cardiff Moat House Hotel Quality Hotel Cardiff Future Inn Cardiff Bay Campanile Hotel Cardiff The Copthorne Hotel Cardiff Manor House Hotel Tadross Hotel VALE HOTEL, GOLF & SPA RESORT Best Western Mount Sorrel Hotel Entertainment: The New Theatre Park Place, founded in 1909 and refurbished in the 1980s, is a premier venue in Wales for hosting popular plays, theatres and dances. The New Wales Millennium Dance Center is another famous place for international choreographers and native dancers to exhibit their talents. Mary Ann Street, Capital Odeon and the Millennium Plaza are important venues to screen mainstream movies. Cardiff is a city that is still growing. With the Welsh getting its due as a nation in its own right and the city completing its 50 years as the state capital last year, Cardiff is the perfect resort for any tourist who wants to witness a city on the road to progress and prosperity, albeit retaining its strong Celtic roots. This Article may be freely copied as long as it is not modified and this resource box accompanies the article, together with working hyperlinks.

Asia boom us bust buffeting australian economy

SYDNEY (AFP) — Boom in Asia and bust in the United States are buffeting Australia's economy, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd warned Monday as he outlined plans to rein in inflation. In his first major speech on the economy since his Labor party swept John Howard's conservatives out of office in November, Rudd pledged to slash government spending to produce a huge budget surplus. The target would be a surplus of 1.5 percent of gross domestic product in the financial year to June 2009, he said -- about 18 billion dollars (15.8 billion US dollars). At the same time, the government has vowed to honour election pledges for 31 billion dollars in tax cuts. Rudd told business leaders at a breakfast meeting in Perth that Australia faced "conflicting economic currents." These were: "A global economy (led by the United States) which appears to be slowing. An ongoing terms of trade boom driven by Asia Pacific economies. And significant domestic inflationary pressures at home." Accusing the outgoing government of having allowed these pressures to build, Rudd said his five-point plan included incentives to encourage private savings while tackling skills shortages and infrastructure bottlenecks. Rudd, who described himself as a fiscal conservative during the election campaign, said producing the budget surplus -- up from the 1.0 percent target of the previous government -- would require discipline. "That will require a determined, disciplined approach to spending and a hardline-approach to savings," adding that his "razor gang" would cut wasteful spending. Inflation is expected to exceed the Reserve Bank of Australia's target range of 2-3 percent this year, raising the prospect of further interest rate rises by the central bank. Rates are at an 11-year high of 6.75 percent after two 25 basis point increases last year, and the effect on mortgage-belt voters is believed to have played a part in the ouster of the previous government. Rudd noted that the downturn in the economic outlook in the US, Europe and Japan comes as strong growth in the Asia-Pacific region is continuing to drive demand for Australia's rich mineral and energy resources. "Over coming years, developments in China will increasingly shape both global and Australian economic conditions," he said. "The Indian economy has become one of our fastest growing export markets and is expected to continue to post impressive rates of economic growth. "Combined, China and India accounted for around 40 percent of Australia's export value growth in 2006-07." This economic expansion in the region had heightened the need for careful management of the domestic economy, he said. "And the most pressing economic challenge domestically is inflation."

Rome airport rome needs a new airport

In these days Rome airport authorities are debating about the possibilities to build or not a new airport in Rome. At the moment Rome has three airports: Fiumicino, for the international flights, Ciampino, for the low cost companies, and the City airport ( aeroporto dell' Urbe ), normally used as miltary airport as well as training center for the italian pilots and the helicopters of Rome. In these months the passengers traffic at Ciampino airport increased and the city needs also to move part of the low cost air traffic from Ciampino to Fiumicino. Three are the projects for the future of the Rome airports: 1- Ciampino airport is overloaded; 2-Fiumicino airport can be extended with a new terminal C, with the possibility to host more low cost european aircrafts. 3-The City airport ( aeroporto dell' Urbe ) located in the north of Rome will be transformed into a business traveler airport. Originally the city airport was inhaugurated in 1928 and until World War II it was the major airport of the civil aviation in Italy. Until it was bombed in 1943 it had several buildings used for the airport management and a pilots training school. The city airport has a great potential but it needs infrastructures and investments of around 10 milion USD. This airport will be better connected to the city of Rome with a new road that will reach in 15 minutes the vatican city. The italian goverment is also thinking to move the traffic of the state aircrafts to the city airport. On the discussion table organized by the local government of Rome there is the deal of how low cost company can pay less if they land at Fiumicino airport and also the study of the pollution impact based on the european environment paramethers.