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Tagged With "Pont du Gard"

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Re: Lower Fort Garry National Historic Site, Manitoba (Where Gumbo Was #184)

GarryRF ·
Boat builders recruited from the Scottish Orkney Isles built the first boat about 1749, for use on the Albany R. In competition inland with the NWC on the Saskatchewan R in the 1790s the York boat offered the HBC a distinct advantage, since it carried twice the cargo of a "Canot du nord"
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Re: Canal St-Martin in Paris/Where Locals and Travelers Mix

Paul Heymont ·
The Canal St.-Martin area is also good for food. One of the best-regarded new bakeries, Des Idees et du Pain is on its edge, and there's a great twice-a-week open-air market between the point where it goes underground and Bastille.
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Re: Love-lorn lock-hangers keep Paris busy

Travel Rob ·
As Kingtikitaki showed, South Korea has the right idea. Make certain areas where people can put the love locks, so they don't put them everywhere. Trying to stop them, is just not working.
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Re: Where in the World is TravelGumbo (#67)

Paul Heymont ·
Sunday evening, and time to post the e-mail responses. This week, there has been one, from PortMoresby, and her guess was correct. Gumbo was in the Parc des Buttes Chaumont in Paris, looking at the Ile du Belvedere. For more about the park, see tomorrow's "reveal" blog. A new puzzle will appear on Tuesday. And again, congrats to PortMoresby!
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Sept 2, 2014: Luxembourg Gardens, Paris

Travel Rob ·
Thanks ,great to see the Jardin du Luxembourg in different seasons.It is one of my favorite places in the summer for people watching.
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, July 30, 2014: Vegetables in Formal Garden, Musee Carnavalet

PortMoresby ·
If you like beautiful food gardens, I think you'd love this one in Versailles: http://www.potager-du-roi.fr/site/potager/index.htm I spent a good part of a day there, not long after the restored garden opened to the public, taking pictures in a drizzly rain. Not what you'd think of for a garden in Versailles, but wonderful.
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, May 17, 2015: Love Locks, Pont des Arts, Paris

Travel Rob ·
When I first started seeing the locks, I thought it was a vow to return- which still makes more sense to me then locking up love on a bridge
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, May 17, 2015: Love Locks, Pont des Arts, Paris

DrFumblefinger ·
Sadly I think this is just an act of symbolism. Most of those locked loves are unlocked by the two participants in short order. I've always worried about the weight of all that metal on a bridge, and hearing that it damaged the bridge is no surprise. I think the idea of placing them elsewhere is a good one.
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Re: Nov. 8, 2018: Milano Centrale railway station

Paul Heymont ·
Actually, in passenger traffic, it's listed here as #8 in passenger traffic. Perhaps it's #1 in mainline traffic? Certainly #1 Gare du Nord and Gare de Chatelet, both in Paris, have heavy concentrations of commuter and regional passengers.
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Re: Verona: More than Romeo & Juliet

Former Member ·
There are places in Verona in which you can still see the Roman cart wheel ruts cut into the paving stones. We found that evocative and fascinating. Seeing physical evidence while on vacation from ages past gives the expression "time trip" new meaning.
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Re: Verona: More than Romeo & Juliet

Paul Heymont ·
True...Verona is one of those cities where you can feel past and present in the same moment. It's a bit like the Allen Ginsberg quote that reflects my fascination with Paris: "You can't escape the past in Paris, and yet what's so wonderful about it is that the past and present intermingle so intangibly that it doesn't seem to burden."
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Re: Verona: More than Romeo & Juliet

PortMoresby ·
For garden lovers, one of the best-preserved renaissance gardens in Italy, the Giardini Giusti: http://www.zainoo.com/en/italy...rona/giardini-giusti
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Re: Verona: More than Romeo & Juliet

rbciao ·
Verona was definitely a highlight of our 2012 pilgrimage to the "old country." The city was modern and old at the same time. People watching in the Piazza Bra was like having a peak into the living room of the Veronese. It seems like a place on a secondary travel network: like a place to go after you've seen the "big 3." This trip was a return after not stopping here since 1982 and we were very pleased. The sites were interesting, the people were friendly, and the gelato was first-rate.
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Re: Where Gumbo Was #3 and #3.5: Vernon and Paris

GarryRF ·
Very interesting piece of history Paul. Puts some logic into how this anomaly came to be. I don't think I could sleep with all that water beneath me. Knowing that one day it will fall into the river below !
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Re: Where Gumbo Was #3 and #3.5: Vernon and Paris

Paul Heymont ·
Odd thing...these were originally written separately and I only just noticed that both of them involved bridges financed by house-building on them. Might be interesting to see how many we can find where the shops or houses have survived. I can think of the Ponte Vecchio in Florence and the Rialto bridge in Venice, but that's as far as I go...
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Re: Where Gumbo Was #3 and #3.5: Vernon and Paris

GarryRF ·
Gets to be an interesting subject when explored Medieval London Bridge - from an engraving in Eton College
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Re: Where Gumbo Was #3 and #3.5: Vernon and Paris

DrFumblefinger ·
This is turning into a rather scholarly discussion. I like that old etching, GarryRF! To the list of old bridges I'd like to add Pulteney Bridge in Bath, England, which I visited some time ago. Don't believe I have a photo of it. There are a number of modern bridges I've seen that have restaurants built into them, usually elevated (you have to take an elevator to get to them) and more for novelty and view than practicality of the entire thing (in the old days, at the Ponte Vecchio in...
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Re: The Petite Ceinture, Paris: Where Gumbo Was (#71)

Paul Heymont ·
In an e-mail, Jonathan L provides an update—a happy one—on the Gare Ornano. It appears that about a year after I took my pictures, the station was sold, the KFC is gone, and a new cafe+recycling center has renovated the station; a picture below shows a view of the rear very different from the one below the KFC picture above. The site now also hosts food trucks! Thanks to Jonathan L for finding the followup, which can be found at http://www.larecyclerie.com/ It's in French, but if that's a...
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, October 18, 2014: Ponte Vecchio, Florence

DrFumblefinger ·
Rumor has it that even the deranged Adolph Hitler saw the significance and beauty of the bridge and refused to bomb it as he retreated from Italy. Perhaps the only decent thing that man ever did.
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, October 18, 2014: Ponte Vecchio, Florence

rbciao ·
We've been to Florence many, many times and never tire of its amenities. The city will always have a special place in my heart because my oldest son was a souvenir of our last night there in 1980...Pensione Desiree on Via Fiume. When we returned to Florence in 1988 with two children we stayed at Pensione Desiree again. When I explained the circumstances to the owners, Ugo and his wife, she grabbed Tommy and gave him a big kiss. They fussed over us the entire time we were there. We went back...
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Re: Help with Provence Itinerary

artsnletters ·
Nearest St-Remy: - Don't miss Les Baux . The village is touristy but the castle complex on top is fantastic and the views are to die for - you don't need to be a fan of scenery to appreciate them. - Roman ruins of Glanum , walking distance from St-Remy - Arles for more Roman ruins (but I think you've been already?) Farther away: - Day-trip to the Luberon for unmatched scenery and charming little villages full of vernacular architecture - what people build themselves, without an architect.
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Re: Charlottesville, Virginia: Land of Presidents

GarryRF ·
I've spent many days exploring the early times of the Du Pont family around Delaware and Pennsylvania. Explore the old homes and gardens of the American chemical giants. Really fascinating. Chateau Country Route 52 passes thru Delaware’s Chateau Country. Many DuPont homes and estates are tucked away in the areas surrounding Greenville, Delaware and Centerville Delaware. Local residents have managed to preserve the rural character of Route 52 by controlling development. Twin Lakes Brewing...
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Apr. 2, 2014: Looking Across Time

PortMoresby ·
Seeing this picture, I somehow assumed that the Gare d'Orsay was the location of Martin Scorcese's movie 'Hugo'. But now I read that the station in the movie was actually a composite of "Gare Montparnasse, the train station where a major part of the film’s action takes place...the Gare du Nord for its façade and the Gare de Lyon for its geographic location and clock tower, an important plot element in Hugo ." Momentarily disappointed, I read on, "... the Gare d’Orsay, provides another...
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Apr. 2, 2014: Looking Across Time

PortMoresby ·
I've been wracking my brain for the 6th, did not cheat, promise. Besides the ones above, Gare du Nord, Gare de Lyon & Montparnasse, there's Est & St Lazare. So if Bercy counts, then that's 6. I've left & returned from Bercy but have never been sure about it. Now tell us, please.
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Re: Agritourism Bed and Breakfast in Normandy

DrFumblefinger ·
Definitely visit the Mont St. Michel (island) after the tour buses leave. So a great time to head out to the island is mid afternoon (ie. get there by mid afternoon, don't leave Bayeux at that time). By the time you get to the old island itself the crowds will be thinning. It's a bit of a climb up to the monastery, but the views are incredible as the great history and beauty of the place. Just be sure you don't delay visiting the monastery too long (believe it closes at 6 pm but double check...
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Re: Gumbo's Pic of the Day, June 8, 2014: Two Gentlemen of Verona

DrFumblefinger ·
An amazing church, PHeymont!
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The Loire River Valley

DrFumblefinger ·
    Many find a visit to the  Loire Valley  to be the highlight of their visit to France, as did we.   When we were planning our journey I discussed our itinerary with my friend, Wayne.  Wayne and his wife had...
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The Medieval Fortress and Town of Chinon

DrFumblefinger ·
  There are few places in France of greater historic importance than Chinon.  You wouldn’t know that by what you see when you drive thru it today as it seems a small sleepy rural town.  You’ll see little evidence of...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Dec 18th, 2014: Longwood Gardens, Penn.

GarryRF ·
Longwood Gardens created by Pierre S. du Pont,(1870-1954) is one of the premier arboretums in the USA, if not in the world.   It consists of over 1,077 acres of gardens, woodlands, and meadows in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania , in the...
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Gallery: Longwood Gardens, PA

GarryRF ·
  Longwood Gardens  created by Pierre S. du Pont,(1870-1954) is one of the premier arboretums in the USA, if not in the world.   It consists of over 1,077 acres of gardens, woodlands, and meadows in  Kennett Square,...
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Saguenay Fjord — Deep and Long but not very Tall

DrFumblefinger ·
I’d heard as a schoolboy that the Saguenay Fjord was one of the longest in the world.  Years later someone told me the area around Tadoussac was pretty, sparsely developed and inviting.  Given a spare day or...
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Montreal: Je Me Souviens

DrFumblefinger ·
There are many great cities to visit in Canada, two of my favorites (for different reasons) being Vancouver and Montreal.  Vancouver has one of the most breath-takingly beautiful settings of any city in the world, and I’ll be discussing it...
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Quebec — A Walled European Fortress In America

DrFumblefinger ·
Quebec, like New York, is both a city and a state (or rather, a province).  It’s an island of French heritage and culture within our Anglo-North American continent.   We combined this visit with stops in Montreal and...
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Verona: More than Romeo & Juliet

Paul Heymont ·
  Verona from the hills, looking toward St. Anastasia and the Ponte Pietra   My visit to Verona last summer was almost an accident—but a lucky one. It wasn’t on the original plan for our three weeks in Northern Italy, but online...
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Musée d'Orsay, Paris. Where Gumbo was #108

DrFumblefinger ·
    Gumbo was visiting one of Paris' greatest museums, the Musee d'Orsay.  Congratulations to TravelGirlJenn who recognized it, with minimal clues!  If any one else figured it out, they did not let us know.   (One of the...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, May 17, 2015: Love Locks, Pont des Arts, Paris

Paul Heymont ·
No one really knows where it started, but it's spread all over the world in the past few years—"Love Locks" snapped onto railings, especially on bridges.   Some hate them and feel they disfigure spaces with other purposes (in Basel, we...
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Walking the Burgundy Canal

PortMoresby ·
  Several years ago, after the completing 100+ miles of England’s Cotswold Way, over hill and dale and, at times, experiencing painful difficulties, I resolved to give up hills in favor of walking along waterways, of which there are many,...
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Britian's Famous Attractions Get Literal Chinese Names

Travel Rob ·
VisitBritian announced the winners in their 'Great names for Great  Britain ' campaign The campaign used the existing trend of the Chinese to give literal names to favorite celebrities, places and foods. Over 2 million Chinese visited the...
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A Brief Visit to Avignon

PortMoresby ·
The center of Avignon with the Rhône and l'Île Piot in the distance.     The purpose of my stop in Avignon was a pause in a pleasant small city, between arriving in France and the week I planned to spend in Uzes.  I recalled...
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France to open new 36,000-year-old "museum"

Paul Heymont ·
Puzzling headline? Fascinating story. In the Ardeche region of southern France, 20 years ago, the Pont d'Arc cave was discovered and found to contain over a thousand examples of the best-preserved pre-historic art. The work is twice as old as at the...
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Las Vegas -- last stop of the Elvis tour

DrFumblefinger ·
  This post marks the end of our journey to see sites related to Elvis Presley's life.  So far we've visited Elvis' birth home in  Tupelo , his mansion,  Graceland , its  car museum , and we've toured  Memphis  ...
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Paris by Night: Fleeting Glimpses

Paul Heymont ·
I've never set out to document Paris at night, never had a conscious plan to record a particular area or its life. These are just selections from several visits, held together only by the late hour or by something that pleased me. Night doesn't have...
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Gumbo's Pic of the Day, Apr. 20, 2015: Les Canards en Seine

Paul Heymont ·
  You often hear how important it is to "get all your ducks in a row." Well, here they are, lined up on a chilly December morning in Paris. These three were taking their chances (or their leisure...I'm not a duckologist) in turbulent water just...
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Where Was Gumbo? Paris. Where's the Statue? Everywhere!

Paul Heymont ·
Where in the World was TravelGumbo? If we simply said "At the Statue of Liberty," it wouldn't have been a very precise identification, because, as I found and you shall see, the iconic statue is everywhere and in so many forms! In today's blog, I'm...
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Strasbourg: Self-service tour of Alsatian food

Paul Heymont ·
PHeymont tries something new: A self-service gourmet food tour, organized by the Strasbourg Office de Tourisme.
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Heritage Days: Open House in Paris

Paul Heymont ·
Heritage Days, when normally-closed doors are opened to the public, are a popular institution in France. PHeymont and his wife joined in.
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Paris: 2017 Best Baguette winner is chosen

Paul Heymont ·
The winner of the annual Best Baguette in Paris has been announced. The award gets cash and a special responsibility.
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French History theme park has Spain, China plans

Paul Heymont ·
As French as it gets, Puy du Fou historical theme park gets ready to export its concept, but not its history, to two new lands.
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Science knows why your wheels wobble

Paul Heymont ·
Like most people, you've probably wondered why your suitcases don't want to follow in your footsteps...
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Eastern Europe Rail Odyssey #5: Istanbul to Tbilisi

Wilbur's Travels ·
Wilbur takes us on another memorable train journey, this one starting in Istanbul, then on to Ankara, Erzurum, Batumi (bu bus), Yerevan and ending in Tbilisi
 
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