My View from 30,000 Feet

Wow, another blog (website) written by a Flight Attendant, one of our peeps! and it's a really cool site! Bravo chica! Please visit her site My View from 30,000 by clicking on the enclosed (blue) link below or go directly to her site www.myviewfrom30000feet.blogspot.com and support her efforts!

A sample post from her website is included in the link enclosed. It covers "items one must bring on a trip to be comfortable". A very informative post and it's spot-on with the suggestions!

My View from 30,000 Feet

Paris - Moet and Chandon Tour

Champagne lover? I'm not, but I know plenty of you who are, so for your next Paris visit, keep in mind you can book online (or call from the US) to reserve your place on a tour of the Moet & Chandon's Champagne Cellars right outside Paris. Now, wouldn't this be too cool? Even for me, a so, so Champagne drinker?

As per the info I have gathered about this little Paris side trip, there are three tours available daily.

- The Standard Tour is $20 dollars.
- The Visite -Imperiale is $35 dollars.
- The Visite Milesime, is $45.

Once you reach Moet&Chandon's property, you can stop by their boutique and stock up on some classy, champagne memorabilia.

To reach Moet&Chandon's cellars, you must first take the fast train to the nearby town of Epernay from The Gare d'Est. Round trip train tickets to Epernay cost around $92 dollars for First Class or $62 dollars for Second Class. Both, the ticket for the train and for the tour can be purchased together when you purchase your tour.

For more information on this - schedules, duration, prices, etc., please click on the (blue) link enclosed below and enjoy the bubbly! Salut!

Moet and Chandon Tour

Interesting Sight In Moscow

By any chance, have you seen this building in Moscow? It sits right across the Kremlin, on the other side of the Moscow River, not far from the Red October Russian Chocolate Factory along the water.

To identify it, just look for the large Mercedes Benz logo-sculpture on it's roof. It's pretty visible from the Kremlin - Photo enclosed above.

So what's so important about this particular building in Moscow? Well, amazingly, much sinister, movie-style (Russian) government spying took place here during the Stalin years during the 1940's. At the time (as per my Russian tour guide), the building housed top leaders of the Stalin's government. These folks, sadly, were unaware that their building had double walls to spy on them.

Tragically, as a result of the spying, literally, "through the walls", an obscene number of top government leaders who resided in this building, were exiled to Siberia as a punishment for speaking against Stalin or his government. Eeeek!

Do you know any curious stories about Moscow? If so, send them in, so we can share them with our readers!

Pass this on, so we can grow!

Dosvitania!

Identity Theft While Traveling - Protect your Credit Cards

I recently had my Credit Union savings and checking account completely emptied by someone who stole my ATM card information - I still had my ATM card in my possession, yet the thieves were able to withdraw all the cash from my account from an ATM in California. Since then, I've learned that this type of theft is very popular, specially in Europe. It can happen quickly and with out you even taking your credit or ATM card out of your wallet or purse. How?, Perpetrators walk by you with a small hand-held device that reads your personal information from the magnetic strips in your cards, while these are still inside your purse. Scary? you bet! These magnetic strips hold your account passwords and personal information. Nothing you want a thief getting his sticky fingers on.

So what can you do? well, I've learned that there's a way to protect your privacy from these rapacious thieves. Ogon Designs makes Credit Card Wallets made out of stainless steal which guarantee protection yo your credit cards. They are certified for this job. If interested, take a look at the link enclosed below. It may save you from being "cleaned up"like I was.

Wallets go for $40 or $50 dollars, depending on color and design. If this is too much, I wonder if wrapping ones credit cards with aluminum foil would work as well? Something to think about.

Be safe when traveling and take the necessary protections. Thieves get smarter and craftier every day.


�gon Designs Credit Card Wallet - Snake - $49.00 : The Style Cube

Celebrating The Phillips Collection's 90th Birthday

When I'm in Washington DC, I love visiting the Phillips Collection Museum. It's easy to reach (Metro to Dupont Circle Station) and not crowded during day time hours.

The Phillip's is small enough to feel intimate, yet it holds amazing works of art by Impressionist heavies like Cezanne, Van Gogh and Renoirs.


Expect to pay about eleven dollar to enter (students and seniors pay less) and prepare to get inspired.

For more information on the history and location of this wonderful private collection, please read the recently published article by National Public Radio found on the link enclosed below.

Celebrating The Phillips Collection's 90th Birthday : NPR

Phillips Collection Museum
www.phillipscollection.org
1600 21st St., NW, Washington, DC 20009
Near 21st and Q Streets, NW
Metro
DuPont Circle Metro 3 minutes by foot from Q Street exit
White House 5 minutes by Metro from Farragut North
National Mall 15 minutes by Metro from Archives

Enjoy your visit!

Photos - courtesy of the Phillips Collection

The Pashmina Store - Pashmina Shawl | Wrap | Stole | Scarf

I'm simply cutting and pasting the exact wording from the Pashmina Store's website - www.thepashminastore.com - that sells 100% Pashminas from Nepal. Read on and decide if it's something for you. They are great travel accessories (I own several) - They're handy during breaks while on the plane; for "clean" and warm coverage when you travel as a passenger; and as an extra layer when heading out to dinner in a foreign place.

"For the ultimate in luxury and warmth, wrap yourself in one of our exclusive pure pashmina shawls, wraps or scarves. We offer high-quality pashminas made exclusively for us by expert craftspeople in Nepal. They're 100% pure cashmere bliss!

Our famous items have been featured in Good Housekeeping Magazine , Woman's World, Inc., Travel Girl, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and many other respected publications.

A "ply" represents the thickness of the thread used to weave the pashmina, so a 3 Ply would be thicker and have greater cashmere content than a 2 Ply. Both use the same premium pashmina wool and are hand-made in Nepal"

For more information of these lovely authentic Pashminas from Nepal, please click on the enclosed link below.

The Pashmina Store - Pashmina Shawl | Wrap | Stole | Scarf

Photos: courtesy of the Pashmina Store's website.

Geneva - The Patek Philippe Museum

This, my friends, is a visual luxury we can not afford to miss. A visit to the eye-popping, hand crafted, bejeweled, exquisite, historic Patek Philippe watch collection in the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva, Switzerland.


I was fortunate enough to receive stellar recommendations for this museum from the hotel concierge in Geneva, so I decided to make the trip and check out the place once and for all.


Well, it's all he said and more. Let me tell you. A tiny museum with several floors, housed in what looks like a refurbished historic town house in downtown Geneva, the museum houses a collection of blindingly beautiful, historical time pieces.


I'm not big on watches, but anyone with any knowledge of fine watches, is probably already familiar with the exclusive Patek Philippe Swiss watch brand.


Since the late 1800's, they have outfitted royal families and world leaders with fine time pieces as they journeyed into new territories in the design of fine time pieces and jewelery. During their reign, they broke all molds in terms of shapes, quality, beauty and creativity of these fine time pieces. This, you will be able to appreciate clearly when you view the collection.


Do yourself a favor and visit the museum next time you're in Geneva. You will not be sorry. I promise. It's a relatively easy (free) ride on the tram from the hotel to the Grand Plaze - if you use your complimentary tram pass - and a two block walk from the tram stop at the Grand Plaze to the museum. On a nice day, it's also very walkable. Please get clear directions from the hotel Concierge before you leave the hotel, just to be sure. I believe the museum closes around 5pm.



Here are just a tiny sample of the amazing pieces I saw and photographed in the collection before I was told photographing was not permitted. Ooops! Enjoy the photos and the video I've enclosed.


For more information on the Patek Philippe Museum - I'ts history, hours of operation, price of admission, etc. please click on the enclosed (blue) link below and enjoy the show!


The Patek Philippe Museum