BACK LIST
cars. In the daytime there is a free Renault museum upstairs.
Eating out is a problem only if you aim for anywhere in particular. Like London. Paris offers many a sought after restaurant that has been discovered many times over by Parisiens sensible enough to book in advance. Ifyou can get yourself into Le Procope in la Rue de L‘Ancienne
Comedic. near Odeon on the Metro.
you can feel triumphant to be sitting in what is reputedly the oldest cafe in the world. formerly peopled by the likes of Voltaire and Robespierre. and offering traditional French cuisine served on simple wooden tables. Alternatively. that whole area offthe Boulevard St Germain is packed with different restaurants. including the various Moroccan ‘couscous’ establishments beloved by the French. We found one in the Latin Quarter. where the ever hungry student population of Paris
seemed to have di
l- I
3}," 2"" .‘ ctated the frenetic pace of the restaurant. V'ast and opulently bedecked with gilded mirrors and half-illuminated paintings of hunting scenes. the best thing about it was the hand-painted wine glasses. Couscous. if you have never had it. is a kind of dry semolina. served with a tomatoey slop ofover-cooked vegetables. hunks ofsheep. and chick-peas served in the same dismal looking tomato-water. It was all served up in record time by waiters. whose efficiency was such that the end of your order was lost in the sound of scurrying feet. Where we were eating. we watched the slow slow quick quick slow ofcustomers gingerly making their way down the spiral staircase in the centre of the restaurant. while hot on their heels came the dancing Moroccan waiters. balancing six or seven dishes on each arm and positively flying down the
last few steps. Ifwe had had a week rather than le statutary weekend. we might have revisited some of my favourite places: the (‘luny Museum near St Michel. with all its beautiful mediaeval tapestries of damscls and vain-looking unicorns: the (irevin
purposefully past a huge queue to what was undoubtedly an unmissable exhibition in the Musée d‘()rsay. We did everything wrong and we had a wonderful time. which must say something for the romance ofthe city as a setting in which to do
nothing. I'm only sorry that the stray
Museum. I’aris' equivalent of
Madame 'l‘ussaud. with a
mirror-lined room which turns into a tropical rain forest while you‘re sitting there; or the ()rangerie. housing a superb collection of
Impressionist and
Post-Impressionist paintings. but closed for rennovations while we
were there.
As it was. we sat out on pavements sipping over-priced wine in delicate glasses in the Rue Royale. we ate camembert bagettes in working men’s cafes. we looked at where the flower market would have been if it hadn‘t been shut. and we walked
dog didn't stray with us for longer. Forstiulents. ( ‘ampus Travel offer return flights to Paris from (ilasgow and Edinburghfrom [1.3.3. The main airlines operating from ( Ilasgow to Paris are A ir France (0345 58/ .1")! ). Air UK (0345 one 777) and British Airways (04/ 332 9666); while Air France and A ir U K also flvfrom Edinburgh. Expect to pay around [12 7 for a return flight with 14 da_vs' I notice. Fora weekend break. a
three-day package with return flight and basic hotel accornmodalion should cost you around f202from
' companies including ()sprey Holiday's(0312262467).
CITY TO CITY
culture vultures. there's a swinging night-lite and then
lew days. do with Osprey or Thomsons on a 3-day break
In days otyore. taking a there’s the Red Light lrom Glasgow. Aberdeen or weekend break abroad { Oistricttor the kinky or Edinburgh tor meanttakingaweek. curious. Flylrom Edinburgh approximately £250. because you travelled tor or Aberdeen with Osprey. I Further alield. you can go three days on either side at Thomsons or Travelscene trom Prestwick to NEW
the weekend. Nowadays lorirom £150. YORK. LOSANGELES. SAN
(lights go directlrom Scotland to a multitude ol cities. Prices per person are given where possible Ior two nights at a two-star
I Not so larlrom home is DUBLIN. home olGuinness and welcoming pubs. Sing
' lolk songsinto the small hours. grow melancholy.
FRANCISCO. ONTARIO. and more. You'd have to move likethe wind to take inthe Statue of Liberty andthe Golden Gate in a weekend.
hotel.inc|udingbreaktast. philosophicaland i Hangloose and staylreeon. Wivale Showefandmilel- insensible. Flights trom ; the West Coastortakeabite In"! Pleasmes (“PARIS ; Edinburgh and Glasgow ; outolthe Big Appleinthe are manifold. StfollbeSide 3 plus accommodation are East.ThistleAirdotlights
the Seine. 888 how small altered by a variety oi ' irom £239 return.
the Mona Lisa is. sit tor . companies including City I On the other side olthe hours in street cales i Connections. political coin. MOSCOW supping du vin. Go and 3 I venue: is notlhe place and LENINGRAD can be had
snoop at one oi the Louis's beds at Versailles and visit Marie Antoinette'stoy
loraquaphobes.Eor romance, the sinking city is awash with wet dreams—
trom Glasgow. Contraryto popularbeliel. you can i wanderatwillityoupreier
Village Where SM PM“ ? bus boats. shop boats. ; not to go on guided tours. shephefdess- Osprey ; restaurant boats and boat i Handy hints include taking HolidaYS. Pawns Travel. ; boats. Those without I sterling (bars otten only Paris Travel. Travelscene E sea-legs can hoot itto take loreign currency as do and Thomson’s Citybreaks .‘ galleries. to St Mark's l tourist giit shops) and otter packages withtlights 1 Square (lorwhich you'll ; learning the Russian direct trom Glasgow. 3 need your wellies it it's . alphabet as you'll notlind Aberdeen or Edinburgh irom i flooded) and through many who speak English. £164. : iniinite alley-ways. : lntourist Moscow Ltd
I Go wander midstthe ? Gondoliers are generally ' operate three-night trips tulips in the spring in ; overpriced. over-aged and lrom approximately £310
AMSTERDAM. Europe's city oisleaze still pullsthe crowds. There's plenty tor
Iuneless. so it's best to give them a miss. The city can easily be ‘done' in onlya
(this includes 3 meals a day). Thomsons tly Irom Heathrow lor 3 nights' stay
tor £209 (plus £80-odd tor the cost of a return llight from Scotland to Heathrow.) I Then there's always LONDON. Buckingham Palace. the Tower. night-clubs. theatre. Camden Market. 11 million people. you name itand London's probably got it. Flights lrom Edinburgh or Glasgowto Gatwick plus accommodation will setyou back anything lrom £130. Children under 12travel|ing and sharing with 2 adults can get up to 50% otitoo. Go and see how the Sassenachs live.
I Cheaper but more time-consuming are rail/terry trips to Europe. A live-day return ticket to one olthe European cities mentioned above using British Rail‘s EUROPEAN SAVERS will cost lrom £40 plus yourticketlrom Scofland.
City Connections provide all-intripsto Amsterdam or to Paris tor 2 nights‘ stay lrom £69.
USEFUL PUBLICATIONS
I The ROUGH GUIDE series
includes lull (and honest) inlormationlorthe independenttraveller. Cities available are Paris. New York and Amsterdam. Really uselul. covering how to get there. what to do when you've gotthere. where to stay (lrom squats upwards). eat etc— andthey burrow into oil-beatareas. pointing the direction to places normally reserved torthose in-the-know. (Routledge and Kegan Paul £4.95).
I WEEKEND CITIES by James Bentley is obviously the book 01 the break. The sights ol eightcities (including Amsterdam. Paris. London and Venice) are hurriedly seen. leatures and events at interest are highlighted. and snapshot histories are given. A one-day tour is plotted lor each place. and tips on what to expect in the way at iood. drink. bank opening times are included. Specilic eating places or hotels are not mentioned. (George Philip £7.95).
I John Kent’s GUIDE TO VENICE operates on an unusual pictorial basis. Waterways are painted in
Edinburgh to Glasgow
KSCOTTISH
GETTY/[LINK
COACHES
thinka
through the centre at each page. and buildings are drawn in on each bank with historical and architectural notes. Consequently. hall the book is upside-down. Short sections on hotels. restaurants and events are
| to be lound at the back. It‘s an artist’s sketch book.
which as such complements Venice appropriately.
I BERLlTZ phrase books and travel guides will give you the basics cheaply and compactly. Various prices.
USEFUL CONTACTS
I EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY EXTRA MURAL STUDIES DEPARTMENT runs crash courses in several languages over the next lew months. Phone 031667 1011 ext 6246 to sharpen yourtongue.
I CONTACT yourlocal travel agency tor details at tour operators mentioned above.
J
The List 15 — 28 April 1988 61