Bonjour Canada: Paris too pricey? Get sweet on Montreal

May 9, 2008 2:01pm

If you want to practice your Français without hopping across the pond to Paris, how about a trip to Montreal, Canada? The Canadian dollar (a.k.a. loonie) may not be the bargain that it once was at the exchange counter, but it sure beats the U.S. dollar-to-euro trade.

In Quebec’s largest city, you may not get the Tour Eiffel, but you will find a Notre-Dame (pictured) and plenty of unique attractions. And the “Sweet Deal” package offered by Montreal Marriott Chateau Champlain could certainly persuade me to give the city a go.

Deal: You have until May 31, 2008, to get 50% off of your second night’s stay with this promotion. In addition, you’ll receive a full buffet breakfast for two, free cookies and milk for the kids, discounts for various local attractions, two Passport Privileges for Casino Montreal (a $10 value), and a mystery gift from Montreal Tourism valued at $20 (maybe it’s something sweet?). The regular room rate at this Marriott starts at $199 per night (pre-tax).

Come summer, the deal is still on, but it’s just a tad less spectacular: From June 1 to Oct. 15, 2008, you get your third night’s stay for 50% off, rather than the second.Read the rest of this entry »

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What is Pangea Day? Google Map of events; Can the world have a global campfire?

May 9, 2008 11:41am

I have a friend who asked me to celebrate Pangea Day with him. I had never heard about it, and since the word Pangea connotes something intestinal for me, I thought I’d do a wee bit of research before I said yes. After checking out PangeaDay.org, my impression is that it looks like a cool global event where you can see the world and get a sense of other cultures and individual stories through film.

The aim of this massive cross-continental shindig is to help melt borders and differences through film, live music and speakers. According to definr, the word Pangea means “a hypothetical continent including all the landmass of the Earth prior to the Triassic period when it split into Laurasia and Gondwanaland” — which now makes total sense to me.

When: Pangea Day is Friday, May 10, 2008

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New art show at Rome’s Museo del Corso is a blast to the glorious Italian past

May 9, 2008 9:00am

Susan Spano’s Postcards From Rome

For lovers of art and the Eternal City, there is a new exhibition on the glories of Rome in the 15th century.

“Il 400 a Roma” at the Museo del Corso in Rome, which runs through Sept. 7, begins with a digitized map showing the city as it was in the 1400s, a time of municipal rebirth following the return of the papacy to Rome after its 100-year sojourn in Avignon, France.

The exhibition focuses on building projects such as the Palazzo Venezia, begun in 1455; silver; ceramics; sculpture; and painting.

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Eli Manning finally goes to Disneyland; Mike Ditka Florida resort deals; Angelenos turn to public transport

May 9, 2008 7:29am

Good morning travelers! It’s Aloha Friday time. I’m blogging from Charleston, South Carolina, today. The temperature is 73F with 81% humidity. I expected it to be hotter, or feel hotter, but it’s not bad at all. It’s my third visit to Charleston and I’m looking forward to trying more low country food. I asked my husband how he’d describe low country food and he joked, seafood and butter.

Hotel Deals | Mike Ditka has a resort? It’s true, there are two Mike Ditka Resorts in Orlando, Florida. An AirTran newsletter crossed my desk today and they’ve got specials starting at $89 per night for a one bedroom luxury villa at Mike Ditka Resorts Runaway Beach Club. Or, if you stay two nights, you can get a free upgrade to a two-bedroom villa. Or, if you want to go to Walt Disney World Resort, Mike Ditka Resorts Lighthouse Key Resort and Spa is only 3 miles away. AirTran “Member’s Package” starts at $179 a night for a two-bedroom luxury villa.

Local | Are gas prices turning you to public transportation? Read: Rising fuel prices are a driving force for change — away from autos. [LAT]

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U.S. subprime mortgage meltdown relief, in Italy: Foreclosure discounts at Harry’s Bar in Venice

May 8, 2008 4:07pm

Susan Spano’s Postcards From Rome

It made news recently when a small sign appeared on the Art Deco door of Harry’s Bar near the Grand Canal in Venice.

Acknowledging economic hard times and the increasing expense of European vacations, it offered “American victims of subprime loans” a 20% discount on food at the famous Venetian watering hole founded by bartender Giuseppe Cipriani in 1931.

On the menu posted above the sign, in much smaller print, is the price for a hamburger: 41 euros, which is about $63, or $51.50 with the discount.

For something more substantial, say the John Dory and asparagus entree, the discounted price is around $85.

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How hot are BedandBreakfast.com’s Mexico deals?

May 8, 2008 2:00pm

In the wee early hours of this morning, I received a BedandBreakfast.com Hot Deals newsletter. The deals I’m seeing to Mexico are hot — not smoking hot, but good off-season prices nonetheless.

I picked a couple of the deals to tell you about. To book either of the following (which have limited availability, warns the promo page), call the hotel directly and mention the “BedandBreakfast.com Hot Deal.” If you miss the boat, however, chances are that the hotel you’re interested in has some specials of its own going (Villa Bella, below, does).

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico: Book a room at Villa Bella Bed & Breakfast Inn this month to receive a substantial discount for four-night-minimum stays now through Oct. 31, 2008.

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Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning: OK, I went to Disneyland! Happy now?

May 8, 2008 12:18pm

Three months after winning Super Bowl XLII, New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning finally made good on his postgame proclamation: “I’m going to Disneyland!”

For a second there, I thought Manning’s new wife, Abby McGrew, was sporting a Twinkie-sized wedding ring — until I realized the rock was on her right hand.

Here the newlyweds enjoy a post-parade spin on the Astro Orbitor at Disneyland.

— Brady MacDonald, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

[Photo: Disneyland]

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Legoland Dubailand & a mini Burj Dubai to debut in 2011 in the United Arab Emirates

May 8, 2008 9:30am

“In a place where a gallon of gasoline is almost as cheap as a liter of bottled water in the U.S., anything seems possible,” L.A. Times staff writer Susan Spano wrote in a story in January about Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

The folks at Legoland must have taken those words to heart because they’ve come up with a 3-million-square-foot amusement park they plan to open in 2011 in this Hong Kong of the Middle East.

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Italy: Friendly Romans and the best minibus to ride in Rome

May 8, 2008 8:00am

Susan Spano’s Postcards From Rome

I’m not far from the Coliseum (above). Follow the link to see a photo gallery from my new neighborhood.

Exactly how friendly can Romans be? This continues to surprise me. The owner of the hardware store down the block — with one of everything — hugs me when I pass.

I’m already on a first-name, cheek-kissing basis with the wedding photographer who works out of a storefront next door. If you’re planning to get married in Rome, let me know.

Last weekend my sister and brother-in-law and I attended a concert at the little church next door, a Baroque-ified early Christian place of worship where a Scottish couple I met outside got married 25 years ago. Maybe it’s something in the water.

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Priceline’s chop-a-thon sale ending; JetBlue offers $50 off 2nd flight; Susan Spano in Rome

May 8, 2008 12:09am

Good morning travelers! Happy Thursday, we’re over the hump. I’m starting to get e-mails from friends asking for help with summer (and winter!) vacation tips. Please let us know where you’re going and if you’ve found any great deals. Come on, it’s totally fine to share after you’ve made your reservations.

Hotel deals | Keep in mind that you’ve got 10 more days before Priceline’s chop-a-thon sale ends. Book by May 18 to get surprise lower prices. They have 23,000 hotels around the world marked down, but it’s hard to tell just how much until you compare it with other searches. I looked up the Sheraton Carlsbad Resort & Spa on Priceline and got average rates of $250 per night, pre-tax (July 16-23). When I checked the Starwood website for the same dates, the lowest priced king bedroom was $319, pre-tax.

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