GADLING’S TAKE FIVE: Week of October 22

by Adrienne Wilson on

Can everyone say TGIF? Boy, am I glad the first hint of the weekend has arrived. It’s been a long one and if your week happened to have been as hectic as mine then you may have missed some of these Gadling pieces, but never fear – they are here.

5. Paris Too Hardcore for the Japanese?:
Culture reads are always fun in my book and seeing how different tourists react in certain countries is also good info to know, but something about this piece on Paris being too tough on Japanese strikes me as odd. I’ve never heard of a city that caused one to seek psychological counseling after your return. Is there anyone out there who can back this up?

4. World’s Most Expensive Restaurants:
Follow poor Erik as he accidentally gets in on a dinner bill at one of NY’s most priciest restaurants and regrets ever showing up. After sharing his own personal story he points those that like having restaurant tabs starting at about $370 a person to this Forbes List of most expensive restaurants. Chow down for me, because you won’t find me there.

3. New York Times Looks at Los Angeles:
Erik lives in New York. Neil lives in Los Angeles. I live in Limbo. What better set of travel bloggers could one possibly find? While I stay out in the land of Limbo I can thank Neil for holding his ground in LA to help provide honest criticism on the City of Angels when folks like the NY Times try to sum it all in one go. If you’re considering travel to LA, read Neil’s blurb and this pretty good read from the NY Times as well. Then let us know what you think.

2. Dirty, Filthy, Nasty, & Unclean Airplanes:
Some find horror in film, but I find horror in real life. I call it soiled seats, filthy carpet and greasy windows 35,000 feet in air. I’m sure you’ve been on a dirty airplane a time or two. Well, reading this piece will probably have you reaching for that barf bag next time you fly.

1. Smoke-Free Hotel Rooms:
With this news I’m sure some non-smokers lungs are singing praise and screaming hallelujah! Yes, it looks as though Westin Hotel & Resorts along with the Marriott are banning smoking altogether in their chain of hotels. Good news for us, but I’m sure those not ready to kick the habit are either pouting or puffing it up in some shady smoked-filled motel room.

Lonely Planet’s Passport To… On PSP

by Adrienne Wilson on

Thanks to my LP Comet email subscription I just found one more reason to invest in a Playstation Portable (PSP). Yes, the same device used for gamers can now be used by travelers ready to discover weekend getaways in Amsterdam, Barcelona, Rome, Paris, Prague and London. The fully interactive, portable and up-to-the-minute ‘Passport To’ city guides will feature details on 250 of the hottest bars, clubs, hotels, shops, services, and attractions. In addition to the same material you’d find in the old paper LP guidebooks interested takers will visually receive three off-the-beaten track audio tours and essential language phrases with audio. Sounds like a good investment so far. Not to mention the PSP unit is easy to carry and multi-functional. I’ve handled one here and there on various occasions and was quite impressed. This however, ices the cake. Check out the website dedicated to the ‘Passport To’ series and learn more about PSP.

Paris Too Hardcore for the Japanese?

by Adrienne Wilson on

Oui… This news seems almost too hard to believe, but I’m not Japanese nor have I traveled to Paris, so I’ll need the help of some Gadling readers on this one. I’ve noticed several sites reporting news that the romantic French city of Paris leaves many Japanese tourists feeling beat up and have gone as far to say that they need psychological counseling upon their return. Huh? The New York Post states that Japan’s Embassy has sent four people back home this year, including two women who thought their hotel room was bugged. That sounds quite over the top if you ask me. Reuters reports that the Japanese flock to Paris with high expectations of this dream world, a dream city and later find that the French character is extremely opposite of their own. In Japanese shops customer is king and in the French shops they barely pay you a glance. All of these mixed city feelings are classified as Paris Syndrome. The source of these reports comes from the French newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche.

So tell me is there anyone out there aside from the Japanese who have had Paris Syndrome or any Japanese out there that can provide their two cents?

via WorldHum

Spa-Addicts Frolic in France Sweepstakes

by Adrienne Wilson on

Here I was minding my own business, looking for cheap hotel rates on sidestep.com when I was distracted by an advertisement. Loud, hot pink, bright yellow text all grabbed my attention and next thing I knew I was being directed away from the travel search engine. Oh joy! But wait, it gets better… So I’m taken to this Spa-Addicts website, which I’ve never been to and here they are having a sweepstakes inspired by the newly released Sofia Coppola film, Marie Antoinette starring Kirsten Dunst. Now let me just say three things: One, I’m not a big fan of Kirsten Dunst; two, I do like Sofia Coppola; and three, I’m a complete addict when it comes to sweepstakes. Who cares about the taxes you might have to pay if you win, it’s still a whole heck of a lot cheaper than paying for their package deal in full. And now, surely, you must be curious to know what these Spa-Addicts are offering in their sweepstakes?

The so-called world’s premiere spa guide is giving you the chance to win roundtrip economy class airfare to Paris, France for two, four nights accommodation for two in a furnished luxury apartment, two Le Grand Classique Treatments at the Yon-Ka Spa in Paris and Two Soin Velours Treatments at the Yon-Ka Spa. Sound dazzling enough to enter? Head over to Spa-Addicts now. Who knows you may very well win a trip to Paris, but if my voluntarily spreading the word and good karma works in my favor, then I could be landing in France soon. (Be sure you read the official rules as always.)

Good luck!

Photo of the Day (07/29/06)

by Adrienne Wilson on


During all my years of school I never really had the chance to go abroad in an exchange program to learn another lang, which is a real bummer considering how much I adore lingo immersion. Anyhow, this photo comes from my younger cousin Camille’s photo files from her Junior year jaunt through Paris. As much as I’m in love with the bright red lights, wind mill and hearing her experiences I’m also a wee-bit green. Green with envy that is, but I suppose I’ll make to Paris one day. Until then, I have the photo and the stars to gaze into.