My husband and I visited Brussels, April 26-May 2, 2010, and stayed at La Résidence Les Ecrins (Rue du Rouleau 15, 1000 Bruxelles, Belgique; phone +32 2 219 3657, fax 2 223 5740, e-mail les.ecrins@skynet.be).
Its location cannot be topped — just a block from the Sainte Catherine area and the historic fish market (the old canal is lined by one fish restaurant after another) and within easy walking distance of the Grand Place.
While in Austria in September ’10, my wife, Judy, and I dined at three restaurants that we can recommend.
POLAND banned smoking in public spaces, such as mass-transit vehicles and stations, parks, hospitals, theaters, schools and playgrounds, as of Nov. 15, 2010. In restaurants, bars and workplaces, smoking is allowed in separate ventilated rooms.
In SPAIN, as of Jan. 2, 2011, smoking is not allowed in enclosed public spaces, including restaurants and bars, not to mention the grounds of schools and hospitals. Hotels may set aside 30% of rooms for smoking. Smoking in restaurants’ outdoor patios and at sidewalk tables is still allowed.
by Randy Keck (Part 2 of 2)
My wife, Judy, and I enjoyed the following restaurants in Switzerland in September ’10.
When our group of 12 reached Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina, during ElderTreks “Adriatic Adventure” tour in September 2010, half of us had the pleasure of staying at Pension Botticelli (Muje Bjelavca br. 6, 88000 Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina; phone +387 36 319 057 or 63 890-658), just a three-minute walk from Mostar’s Old Town.
My husband, Norman, and I found a gem of a hotel in Panama City. We stayed at the three-star Hotel Bahía Suites (Calle 31 con Justo Arosemena; phone 011 507 225 8578), in the Calidonia area of Panama City, Aug. 24-Sept. 1, 2010.
Our queen standard room, $69 per night, included a fabulous full breakfast served in the rooftop restaurant with its panoramic view of the city, the Casco Viejo and the Bay of Panama. King standard rooms cost $79 per night.
While on “Oprah” in August, Julia Roberts said that Bali is “Heaven on Earth.” My husband, Carl, and I traveled to Bali in February-March 2010 and would agree with her!
I just read S. Ryan Edgar’s article “Pulling Out All the Stops on a Self-Drive Tour of Europe” (Jan. ’11, pg. 35) and would like to add some comments on driving that his article didn’t include. I rented a car and drove from Paris to San Marino to Andorra and back to Paris over five days, Nov. 13-18, 2010.
