AMSTERDAM - Joselito Tapas Cafe

Joselito Tapas Cafe in Amsterdam, is a casual and inviting Spanish restaurant located a couple of blocks away from our downtown layover hotel in Amsterdam. It's a wonderful refuge from the cold and a great place to share a Spanish style meal made up of tapas - small sampler size dishes - plus some delicious Sangria with your crew or with your friends.

When we visited Joselito, we found the colorful interior cheerful and inviting, the service friendly and the food delicious. On the recommendation of the waitress, we ordered (and shared) about two Tapas dishes per person. Tapas are hot and cold appetizer size dishes of main Spanish specialties like fried calamari, yellow rice, Spanish sausage in red wine, grilled asparagus, salad, etc. These are meant to be shared. When our tapas arrived, we had more than enough food for all of us and we had a great feast.

Joselito's restaurant is located just a short walk away from the hotel. As you leave the front door of the hotel, make a right. Then, take your first left on the first intersection (the corner of the "soup restaurant" across the street) and walk that pedestrian path for one block. Joselito's will be at the end of the block on the left corner before you cross the next canal. Tapas dishes at Joselitos's cost an average of $7 Euros per dish and they only take cash.

For more information about Joselito Tapas Cafe, please visit the enclosed Internet link and enjoy the Spanish experience - Jos�lito - Tapas|Caf�

Salud!

If you have any Amsterdam recommendations, please share them with us so we can post them. Mail you information to postcards@me.com.

PARIS - Great Book About the History of Paris

Paris, The Secret History by Andrew Hussey is a fascinating book about Paris and a great read. It's specially enjoyable if you love Paris like I do or if you're planning to visit The City of Light anytime soon.

The UK Times describes the book as "...delightful and entertaining...endlessly informative and entertaining...". The New York Times says it's "...urban history..about artisans, criminals, conspirators, prostitutes, priests, immigrants, and intellectuals...emperors, kings and presidents...". The Philadelphia Inquirer claims it's "...a tremendously entertaining read.." and the Wall Street Journal writes that "...after reading Paris you will never see Europe's most beautiful city the same way...".

So if you love everything about Paris like I do, give this book a try. You'll probably find it deliciously captivating like I did.

Let's Cook French : French cooking made easy

Interested in preparing some French dishes at home? Here's a wonderful website in English with easy to replicate French recipes generously shared with us by our very own ex Paris FA, French speaker Beatrice Cristofari (FRASW).

If interested in exploring this website, please click on the following link -Let's Cook French : French cooking made easy ! French recipes and more...

Thanks Beatrice!

Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

Bon Appetite!

ROME - Hotel De Russie's Courtyard Cafe

If you're walking near the Piazza del Popolo in Rome during a sunny day, visit the inside garden in the rear of the Hotel De Russie.

The hotel is located just a half of block away from the Piazza on Via del Babuino. Walk in past the lobby, towards the rear. There you will find this pretty garden area with a cafe that backs into the hills. It's a very quaint lush, green and sunny area. The perfect place to kick your heels up while you enjoy a cool drink or a snack and a brief rest for your sore feet.

Salute! and if you have any suggestions we can post about Rome, please send them to us to postcards@me.com for publishing.

Moscow - Get your Russian Fur Hat

(DCA crew in Moscow photographed)

Many of you have written to ask me questions about buying a Russian fur hat. Where do I get one, what kind of furs are these hats made from and how much do they cost?

Well, here's the skinny on the Russian hats. You can find fur hats for sale in several locations around Moscow. One of the most accessible spots is right in front of the entry gate to Red Square. As you approach the ancient metal entry gates, you will see several the free standing, souvenir stalls. Some of these sell Russian fur hats.

A second good option is Old Arbat Street. This is a pedestrian mall with in walking distance from our downtown layover hotel (ask concierge for directions) where there are several nice souvenir shops that stock a wide selection of fur hats for reasonable prices.

One last spot and perhaps the least explored, is the gift shop in the main floor of our layover hotel. To find the shop, walk past the elevators in the lobby level and then make a quick right. The shop is on the right side of the hall about 10 steps down. The last time I was there, they had a nice selection of fur hats and they were very reasonably priced, so take a look here before heading out in search of the perfect fur hat.

By the way, most of the "Russian" hats sold to tourists, are made of rabbit fur. These are NOT the same hats that local Russians wear. They may look similar, but the real Russian hats are made of more expensive furs and they cost way more! Lots more!

Hats for tourists come in various sizes and colors and cost anywhere from $30 dollars to $50 dollars, depending on how well you bargain and on how many hats you decide to purchase.

Do you have any other questions about Moscow? please write to us at postcards@me.com
We look forward to your comments and feedback.

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Photo, courtesy of Angela Curlee (dcasw)

Moscow - Free Moscow Guides in English

This is a great little free English city guide that has really good suggestions for "things to do" in Moscow. See if you can find one of these In Your Pocket Moscow Guides. They are usually kept in most Moscow hotel lobbies, restaurants, etc. but if you can't find a copy, just visit their website for more information on Moscow by clicking the following link - www.inyourpocket.com/russia/Moscow

Once you've seen this guide, let us know what you think of it. Also, if you have any other suggestions about places or activities we shouldn't miss while in Moscow, let us know by submitting your ideas to postcards@me.com. We look forward to your feedback.

Dosvitania!

MOSCOW - Must Applications for your iPhone

There are several iPhone Applications that will make your trip to Moscow a breeze. They are the following:

-The Russian Alphabet - This is helpful Application for when you're trying to read anything while in Russia. Their Cyrillic alphabet is as confusing as Chinese writing. Made by Proffit Ink ($1.99).

-Moscow Subway 2010 - This is one of my favorite travel iPhone Applications. It's very easy to use and it's in English! A major plus in Russia, believe me. It contains colorful diagrams of all the metro lines and stops in the Moscow Subway system so you'll never get lost if your choose to ride it. Made by Asteria ($2.99).

-SpeakEasy Russian - An fun Application that tells you in short recordings and by category, how to say all the essentials, "hi, good bye, where's my beer", etc. Very useful in a country where few speak English. Made by Benjamin McDowell ($3.99)

-Moscow Street Map - A map of Moscow Application with options like "tell me where I am" and where I can find the nearest ATM, Bank, etc. - very useful in a country where all directions are written in Cyrillic. Made by Dubbele.com ($1.99)

All these iPhone Applications were generously shared with us by Phil Schmoeller, IAD Flight Officer for UAL. Thanks Phil!

If you have any travel questions or suggestions about Moscow or any other travel destination, share them with us and write to postcards@me.com. We'd love to hear from you!