Travel necessities

My plans for my days off include some preparations for my upcoming travels: buying great walking shoes for Europe (I'm thinking about a pair of Toms Shoes - so many people swear by them!), seeking out wedge sandals for a country wedding in upstate New York this weekend and getting new pages added for my passport. I counted the pages left last night and I'm not quite sure if there are enough left for my next couple of international trips - especially with a multi-country European jaunt approaching. Anyone have experience with getting extra pages added in? I don't want to get a new passport, as I have a few visas in my current one that don't expire for another five years. 

Travel Inspiration: Paris, Part 2

Fashion Inspiration: Paris, Part 2 by nyctravelgirl 

Travel inspiration: Paris

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A very good friend just returned from her honeymoon in Europe and mentioned how romantic Paris was, just strolling the streets. Sebastian and I hope to take one cultural day trip to Versailles; however, since we've both been to Paris before, most of our plans for the City of Lights revolve around meandering new neighborhoods, afternoon picnics and sipping champagne (preferably, Laurent-Perrier's Cuvee Rose Brut). Any must-see's that I should know about from your own Paris adventures?

xoxo,
M.

Travel inspiration: London

I spent most of my Sunday watching the Olympics and it made me really excited for my upcoming Europe vacation that includes several nights in England. This will be my fourth trip to London and I'm excited to experience some new things, including my first Premier League soccer game. Sebastian is currently trying to convince me to ride the London Eye with him, but I'm not yet convinced. Shopping at Harrods and strolling through the Tate Modern? Absolutely. The tallest Ferris wheel in Europe? Not so sure.

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Travel inspiration: Edinburgh

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Counting down to my trip to Europe this summer! It's been two years since I've been across the Atlantic - two years too long. While I'm looking forward to visiting my best friend in England and strolling the streets of Paris with my love, the city I'm most curious about exploring is Edinburgh, Scotland. Anyone have any recommendations for Scotland? I have a few stops planned out, but would love some first-person suggestions!

Clean air in Europe?

I distinctly remember shopping at a mall in Madrid that allowed customers to smoke freely inside. You'd buy a dress for a night on the town, and it would already smell like smoke when you put it on! Those days are long gone...http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28876293/

Photo by Jo Naylor

World's top 10 art museums

TripAdvisor recently named its list of the world's Top 10 art museums. I reviewed the list and discovered I've visited 7 of the 10 so far in my life. Not too shabby!

1) Musee du Louvre (Paris, France)

2) Vatican Museums (Vatican City, Rome, Italy)

3) Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, NY)

4) J. Paul Getty Center (Los Angeles, CA)

5) Musee d'Orsee (Paris, France)

6) Uffizi Gallery (Florence, Italy)

7) Art Institute of Chicago (Chicago, Illinois)

8) Tate Modern (London, England)

9) Prado Museum (Madrid, Spain)

10) National Gallery of Art (Washington, D.C.)

My personal opinion: Great list, but could also see the British Museum, MoMA, and Guggenheim(s) as other possible contenders.

More than a fairweather fan

Watching Six Nations Rugby is our favorite new Saturday afternoon pastime. Each weekend, teams from Ireland, England, Wales, Scotland, Italy and France suit up to compete for the coveted championship trophy.

Photo by Éamonn 

Yes, being a loyal fan requires hanging out with British men for several hours and partaking in a pint or two of Guinness. A tough job...but somebody's gotta do it.

Next Matches: Saturday, March 15
Italy v. Scotland (1:00pm)
England v. Ireland (3:00pm)

[Note: I recommend watching at the Red Lion on Bleecker St. or at Mulligans in Hoboken]