New Orleans for the weekend

  So you watched the Super Bowl and you wondered what
it would be like to visit the Crescent City?
New Orleans or NOLA makes a great weekend getaway.
It's the birthplace of jazz......great food, history, shopping
and spontaneous street bands. I have to admit I had an
opinion about New Orleans and visiting it was not on my list.
BUT I am happy to say I was genuinely surprised to find that I enjoyed myself!

We all know about Bourbon Street but NOLA is so much more than that one 
street. How did I find this out? I took a walking tour! Two hours with an informative guide and I knew history, restaurants, shopping, jazz clubs and directions; in short it made the trip that much more interesting and informative. The tour started at Legend's Park on Bourbon St and continued on to Royal, Chartes, Decatur,etc. ending at the Mississippi and the
neighborhoods north of the French Quarter. 

Southern hospitality in the Crescent City begins at your hotel.
We stayed at the Windsor Court; located on Gravier Street on
the edge of the French Quarter. The hotel was recently renovated 
and a 4,500 sq ft spa was added. 

  
The lobby of the hotel is beautiful; afternoon tea is served here and in the evenings the cocktail bar had a jazz trio performing. 

My favorite was the Polo Club Lounge on the second floor; 
great atmosphere with big chairs and couches, cocktails
and an attentive waitstaff.  

Guest suite

Of course the food is a big part of a visit to New Orleans. We made sure we hit all the top spots.Dinner the first night was at Bon Ton Cafe, authentic Cajun cuisine that relies on food from Louisiana.   We enjoyed dishes such as crawfish etouffée, crawfish bisque, shrimp and oyster jambalaya.

For breakfast the next morning we went to Brennan's, located on the Royal St.

Brennan's for breakfast is a must; a culinary experience and wonderful service.

Lunch was at Cafe Napoleon, another historic restaurant located in

 an historic building from 1797 and a restaurant from 1914. The food is local; the muffaletta sandwich, the Po' Boy,and seafood gumbo were great!  

After lunch we walked Royal, Chartres, Conti, Decatur and Canal

looking for boutique shops. We found so many shops; it was a haven for that one of a kind item we are always looking for. From clothing to jewelry to antiques, the French Quarter has over 100 stores to satisfy even the fussiest shopper.   

Razzle Dazzle

Dinner that night was at Patois, a local restaurant in a quant uptown New Orleans neighborhood. You need to take a taxi as it is six miles from the French Quarter but it was the best meal of the weekend and I did my share of sampling. There were four of us at dinner and each one of us felt our choice was the best!

The next morning, our final culinary stop was breakfast at the Ruby Slipper.

I always like to try a local spot for breakfast and the Ruby Slipper had a line out the door. We went inside to give our name and found two seats at the breakfast bar were available, which was just fine with us. I was determined to have shrimp and grits for breakfast; it was delicious! The breakfast bar had an energetic waitstaff of two; they were the barista, bartender and servers, all at the same time. What I liked best was the chance to talk with the other customers at the bar; on our left was one of the committee members for the Mardi Gras parade floats and on our right was a local boutique owner. Great conversations with locals give you a feel for the area.

grade on arrival, subject to availability
Continental breakfast daily, for up to two in room guests
$100 USD Food & Beverage credit, to be utilized during stay

Continental breakfast daily, for up to two in room guests
$100 USD Food & Beverage credit, to be utilized during stay 

Nancy at the Ruby Slipper

But there was still shopping to be had and so I met up with my daughter Maureen and her friend Erica to check out a few more boutiques in the French Quarter. Erica needed to visit to a Voodoo shop; everyone needs a shrunken head! Maureen wanted to purchase some coffee from Cafe du Monde.

We stopped by both places and then headed back to the hotel to check out and get to the airport for our flights home. 

Even though our stay was short we enjoyed it all!

Virtuoso Voyager Club

Virtuoso Voyager Club - What is it?

There is not a better luxury  experience than Virtuoso Voyager Club. With  over 450 agent-hosted departures aboard Regent, Seabourn, Crystal, and Silversea Cruise Lines you have added value when you book with a Gateway Virtuoso travel advisor. We can offer guided full-day or evening shore events, which are available only to our guests. You will have the services of experienced and personable hosts and an elegant onboard cocktail reception - all included for you at no additional cost. Once you travel with Virtuoso hosts on a Voyager Club sailing you will understand why our clients ask, "is this a Virtuoso Voyager Club sailing?

You may already be familiar with the Virtuoso hotel and resort programs where we add value to your stay with breakfasts, upgrades and spa or food and beverage credits at the top hotels and resorts of the world. 

Cruising with Voyager Club on your next sailing will bring you the added value of the amenities we can provide; available only to GatewayTravel's Virtuoso clients.

How can you join? Voyager Club membership is your complimentary reward for working with a Gateway Travel Virtuoso specialist for your  

cruising arrangements. Please contact me for hosted departure dates;
I would love to see you onboard one of our sailings!

Nancy MacLeod

Gateway Travel

248-432-8600

Florence and Paris Part Deux!

Paris - we land in CDG (Charles de Gaulle) airport and taxi to our pied a terre; an apartment in the Marais district of Paris. The heart of the Marais is a lively neighborhood with lots of trendy bars and restaurants and it's also known as the center of gay nightlife. 

Marais district

The rue des Rosiers is a centerpiece of Jewish lifestyle in Paris and the Ile St. Louis and the Ile de la Cité are the oldest parts of Paris. The Marais is one neighborhood after another; the patisserie, boulangerie, chocolatier are all located outside your front door. The area is also home to several fabulous museums; the Musee Picasso, Musee Carnavalet(historical legacy of Paris), Maison de Victor Hugo, Centre Pompidou and Musee d'Art et d'Histoire du Judaisme(just to name a few)!

One of the prettiest parks in Paris is located in the Marais, the Place Des Vosges. Surrounding the park are restaurants and shops, all with a view of the park. This area of the Marais houses Maison de Victor Hugo, the museum. .

Above the stores and surrounding the park on opposite sides are apartments.This area of the Marais houses Maison de Victor Hugo, the 

museum. 

Place Des Vosges is a wonderful place to sit and watch the world go by.

On our first afternoon, we had a quick lunch at a small cafe on the Rue des Archives,visited some art galleries and then the shopping started! It was hard to decide where to stop first but we found some great boutiques with that one of a kind look we love.


Dinner was at a small neighborhood bistro, Cafe des Musees.
The menu changes daily and it is possible to eat well for 20 euros!
Service was very good and the atmosphere was just what you would expect in a small French bistro. 

We always make it a point to visit a museum we have not yet seen.

It is hard to believe that after 10 visits to Paris I have not seen all of them! Paris houses over 70 museums; some would argue there are more than that. This time we visited the Musee Carnavalet, the history of the city of Paris. As it is located in the Marais, it is the perfect choice for the morning and it is free.     

The clock as seen from the inside of the Musee d'Orsay in Paris; a picture that was too cool not to share!(taken by Maureen MacLeod)

After our visits to the museums, we headed for the Mandarin Oriental Hotel for a site visit and lunch with one of my favorite Parisians, Alex. 
The Mandarin Oriental is the newest kid on the block; that is if you call the Place Vendome and the rue Sainte-Honore a block!   
138 guest rooms and 39 suites, many with private balconies,  soundproofing and state of the art technology in all the rooms, dining overseen by award winning chef Thierry Marx AND a full service drop dead gorgeous spa! 
Of course, Gateway Travel offers the full Virtuoso amenities during your stay:

Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
American Breakfast for up to two in-room guests daily
$100 USD equivalent Spa Services credit to be utilized during stay

The Lobby

Deluxe room

Above:suite bath 
Left:Premium suite 

Bar 8 - you can just imagine the buzz when the locals drop in for an aperitif! 








As my farewell to Paris, I always try to dine at my favorite restaurant,
 Le Voltaire.

This trip was no exception. We taxied from the Marais to the Left Bank for a dinner we knew would be magnifique! We dined on Entrecote and frites, a bottle of Sancerre and for dessert we splurged on the chocolate mousse(denser and richer than anywhere else).
The service is perfect and the atmosphere is how I always want to picture Paris.


Unfortunately, the next morning I must bid my daughter and Paris adieu!
It is sad but not final; I will always return!

A Long Weekend in Florence and Paris, Part I



The view from the Ponte Vechio in Florence

Florence and Paris, November 2012

Part 1 - Florence

The mother daughter reunion with great food, history, shopping and visiting some of our favorite places.

Saturday, November 17, we set off on a walking tour with our guide, Chiara. Concentrating on the architecture and history we were able to see Florence from a medieval perspective.  

The Basilica di Santa Maria del
Fiore or the Duomo as it is commonly called, took two centuries to be completed!   Inside we gazed at the frescoes and learned the history of it's construction. Brunelleschi built this masterpiece without scaffolding! It is one of three of the largest in the world; the others being St Peter's in Rome and St Paul's Cathedral in London. 

Right across from the Duomo are the famed bronze doors of the adjacent Baptistery
 

We moved on to the Galleria dell'Accademia to gaze upon Michelangelo's David. The museum was originally founded as an art school.
Insider tip:
Having your tickets in hand will save time, especially during peak tourist season (late spring and summer). Book tickets at least a day in advance.

.

Saturday morning we had our tickets for the Uffizi for the 10:30am spot.
Along with the  Louvre in Paris and El Prado in Madrid(been to both!), the Uffizi is considered to be one of the most important museums in the world.Housing 13th- to 18th-century Italian and European masterworks—paintings by Botticelli, Hugo van der Goes, Titian, Rubens, Caravaggio, Raphael and Rembrandt, among others. 
Another tip:The line at the Uffizi can get very long, so we strongly encourage advance reservations.



In the Garden at the Ufizzi Gallery, you can sip an expresso.





Gelato - è necessario!

We sampled several local restaurants within walking distance of the Plaza, all recommended by our friends Alexandra and Antonio from Siena.

There was also shopping and all the Medici history!

Hotel Savoy was our home in Florence. Located on the Piazza Repubblica, close to Florence's renowned landmark the Duomo, the hotel is just a short walk from the Uffizi Gallery and the Ponte Vecchio. Rocco Forte's Hotel Savoy; wonderfully comfortable beds and classic marble and mosaic bathrooms with a great location and a  great staff. For families traveling, they have a great selection of connecting rooms.

Deluxe bedroom at the Hotel Savoy

Virtuoso Exclusive Benefits 

Virtuoso Exclusive Benefits:
Upgrade upon arrival; subject to availability
Daily buffet breakfast. for up to two in room guests
85 euro food & beverage credit, once during stay
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We also visited the Four Seasons Firenze, located in an 11 acre park with an on site spa.Your room will either be in a 16th century Conventino or a 15th century palace with original frescos. Gorgeous rooms! 

Premier room

• Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability

• Daily Full breakfast, for up to two in room guests

• Welcome amenity in room on arrival

• $100 USD Spa Services credit, to be utilized during stay
(not combinable, no cash value if not redeemed in full)

• Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability

• Daily Full breakfast, for up to two in room guests

• Welcome amenity in room on arrival

• $100 USD Spa Services credit, to be utilized during stay
(not combinable, no cash value if not redeemed in full)

• Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability

• Daily Buffet breakfast, for up to two in room guests

• 85 EUR Food & Beverage credit, once during stay
(not combinable, not valid towards room rate, no cash value if not redeemed)

Lobby

Royal Suite Living Room

Virtuoso Exclusive Benefits:

Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability

Daily Full breakfast, for up to two in room guests
Welcome amenity in room on arrival
$100 USD Spa Services credit, to be utilized during stay