Travel & Visitors Guide - Aug. 12, 2009
Pinching pennies in Paris and London
I'm about to get hitched and, subsequently, go on a honeymoon that takes us to Paris for a week and then London for a week.
Tags: recession buster getaway, paris, london, frugal traveler

Movies & TV - March 10, 2009
Lessons of "The Class" extend beyond Paris
Don't mistake actor and writer François Bégaudeau's "The Class" (or "Entre les murs" in French) for "Head of the Class" or Mr. Kotter's cast of lovable TV misfits. No, in this film of François Bégaudeau's book -- directed by Laurence Cantet -- in which the author stars as a version of himself, Mr. Marin -- is a hard-edged look at daily life in a French classroom that reflects the changing face of the country.
Tags: François Bégaudeau, The Class, Entre les murs, Paris, Cannes, Laurence Cantet, Palm d'or, Downer

Travel & Visitors Guide - March 10, 2008
Home is where the heart is
I had a great time on my 11-day light-speed tour of Germany, France and Spain. Maybe it was the 20-hour travel day from Munich to Amsterdam to Newark and finally to Milwaukee, but today has felt especially dramatic.
Tags: europe, paris, madrid, munich

Travel & Visitors Guide - March 5, 2008
Gradually making our way to Madrid
Blogging from a slowly boarding plane, which is at least 45 minutes late. Today has been frustrating.
Tags: Paris, Spain, France, CDG, DeGaulle, BMW, Madrid, Easyjet

Travel & Visitors Guide - March 4, 2008
A jam-packed final full day in Paris
Please pardon me if this blog is a little rambling. It’s 10:45 p.m., and we just got back to the hotel after 12 and a half jam-packed hours through the streets of old Paris, the Orsay Museum and Montmartre.
Tags: paris, europe, orsay, montmartre, bmw, european delivery program, madrid

Travel & Visitors Guide - April 7, 2009
France Rejoins NATO
France, after following a course separate from NATO for more than four decades, is returning to the fold. This significant shift is due to the insight and initiative of French President Nicolas Sarkozy, along with the long-term tolerance and patience by alliance partners, including the United Sta...
Tags: Tourism, French, Wine, France, Paris, Bistros, Objets dArt, Vive, Victoire, de Gaulle, Louis XIV

Milwaukee Buzz - Feb. 24, 2009
Encouraged by Stimulation
I’ve heard many economists speculate on whether or not we’ve hit rock bottom. Their simple answer is that it’s going to be tough to spot the lowest valley even when we’re in it. My contention, however, is that we HAVE hit rock bottom and there’s no way to go but up. ...
Tags: Paris, K-Y, and our tax dollars at work

Travel & Visitors Guide - May 12, 2008
Tales in Translation
Although this blog isn’t about travel, per se, I had to post it as throughout my travels I’ve encountered some interesting misunderstandings in language. As a rule, I always try to learn at least a handful of words in the local language, however sometimes situations warrant mor...
Tags: language, tokyo, brussels, krakow, paris, tripoli