Everybody Hates A Tourist

Two quick ways to get free points from Accor & Priority Club

Jonathan — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 17:28:35 +0000

There are two schools of thought regarding quick free points earning opportunities. Some people think they are a waste of time, while others believe you should get all the points you can, whenever you can.

I’m in the latter category, which is why I have taken advantage of these free points below. From my experience, I can say that these opportunities can be useful. On my recent trip to Europe, which yes, I still have many diary posts left to write about, I spent my final night in an Ibis hotel in Manchester for almost nothing. A few months ago, I had taken advantage of an Accor Facebook promotion where you could get up to 2,000 free points for playing a game. That 2,000 points could be redeemed for a $60 hotel certificate, which was just under the total bill for my room. So yes, these points do add up. Plus, someday you might find yourself just a few points off an award, wishing you could do something to put yourself over that edge.

Here are the 2 chances:

1) Get 1000 Priority Club points for watching a short video about their Priority Club Visa

Just go to http://www.priorityclub.com/visa1000 and enter in promo code FLLNUVUAA37

The video lasts about 90 seconds, and reports are that the points are deposited quickly, though I have not yet received mine.

2) Get 200 Le Club Accor Hotels Points for a quick game

Accor is offering 200 points for playing a quick game, which you can find here. There’s one catch, which is that the contest is only open to residents of Scandinavia. That said, entering in a country is optional, and the points could still post, even if you can’t win the main prizes. The contest is open from January 28 to March 31, 2013. The Loyalty Lobby link below has the answers to the questions for the game.

HT to the sites below for these deals

1000 Free Priority Club points are back [Milesquest]
Free 200 Le Club Accorhotels Points [Loyalty Lobby]
Why I Never Say No To Easy Points [New Girl In The Air]

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Europe 2013: Nice – Cote d’Azur, Day 8

Jonathan — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 20:24:11 +0000

My first full day in Nice wasn’t actually spent in Nice. Truth be told, I actually didn’t spend a ton of time there, instead opting to use it as a base for day trips around the Cote d’Azur (French Riviera for those of you who are uncultured).

I took a 20 minute bus ride to Eze, a tiny medieval town set on a hilltop overlooking the Mediterranean. The mountain is only perhaps a kilometer or two inland, yet sits some 1,400 feet above the sea. Despite most of the shops being closed for the season, it was still nice to be able to wander the lanes taking photos without any tourists in them. The top of the hill is home to the botanical gardens, which was discounted due to the time of year and the fact that half of the plants were covered up. Those that weren’t were cactuses. I’m not sure why they had such a large cactus collection, but they did.

Eze Village high on the hill above Eze Sur Mer

After visiting the gardens, I then followed a trail called the “Path of Nietzsche” back down to Eze-Sur-Mer. There wasn’t much to do there except walk along the coast, so that’s exactly what I did. Then I just kept walking to the next town Beaulieu-Sur-Mer, then to the next town after that, Villefranche-Sur-Mer. I feel like they can all drop the “Sur-Mer”, we get that they are on the sea. In total, I walked over 13 miles that day, kicking off a 3 day period where I would end up walking over 36 miles. For the most part, the scenery was the same. Blue seas, large yachts, surpassed only in size by the huge villas overlooking the water. You know, boring stuff like that.

That evening, I succumbed to the fact that Nice is filled with pizzerias and took a break from French food. I did research which place had the best reviews. The place I chose was good, though I’ve definitely had better. After that, it was back to the hostel I was staying at to rest up for Monaco the next day.

Song of the Day: Los Campesinos! – The Sea Is A Good Place To Think Of The Future

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Europe 2013: Paris to Nice, Day 7

Jonathan — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 19:37:16 +0000

For the most part, the ride to Nice was uneventful. We finally got out of the clouds and fog about 2.5 hours into the journey, and it was then sunny for the rest of the way. I activated my Eurail pass for the ride, giving me unlimited train travel for the next 15 days of my trip. I had opted for first class, thinking there would be more room to stretch out, but the first class section on the TGV is pretty unimpressive. My seat reservation was sandwiched amongst people who were easily in their 80s. The woman across from me ate a tuna salad sandwich, which did not smell great, but I decided against going nuclear and breaking out the Roquefort I had brought, sticking with some goat cheese and another cured cheese with a baguette instead.

The scenery of central France was oddly reminiscent of central Arizona to me. The scrubby looking plants reminded me of the drive towards Prescott through Presoctt Valley. I guess it makes sense to some extent, since you can make wine in each place, but it was still strange. There was even an area closer to the coast near Cannes that had red rocks like Sedona, but on a much smaller scale.

One of my final sights of the day was a guy standing with a group of other guys, in the process of unbuckling his pants. I was very glad that I was toward the front of the train, as those in the last few cars must have gotten an eyeful of whatever he was planning on doing.

Song of the Day: Bruce Springsteen – Land of Hope and Dreams

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Europe 2013: Paris, Day 6

Jonathan — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 19:23:28 +0000

On my final day in Paris, I headed to Montmartre, home of many famous artists such as Dali, Monet, and Picasso, as well as Sacré-Cœur Basilica. I’m not sure if it was because it was off-season or if I just wandered through the wrong areas, but I was pretty unimpressed with the neighborhood. Sure, some of the old, winding streets were cool, but otherwise it was pretty dead. I get the feeling that the area’s days of being a prime artistic spot are long gone, and everyone who remains is just there to make a few bucks off the tourists who come by.

I only stayed in Montmartre for about an hour, deciding to spend more time at the Musee d’Orsay instead. The Musee d’Orsay was one of the main things I remember about my first trip to Paris. I recall being very impressed by it, even when I was 15. It’s just amazing to be able to stand in one spot and see famous painting from artists such as Monet, Degas, Manet, & Renoir – and that’s just in one room. The way they had the lighting set up on Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” was absolutely phenomenal, as the painting caught the lights and danced as you moved near it.

By this point, it had started to rain. I had made it through nearly a week of my trip before encountering bad weather, so I guess I can’t complain. I took a train back to Île Saint-Louis, where I stopped in a cheese shop that I had passed previously. I loaded up on some excellent French cheeses for my train ride to Nice the next day.

Song of the Day: Friendly Fires – Paris

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Europe 2013: Paris, Day 5

Jonathan — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 19:01:37 +0000

Progress! Although I didn’t get out and about until around 11, I at least set an alarm for 9.

My first stop was the Pantheon, home of the decaying corpses of such French greats as Voltaire, Hugo, Rousseau, Dumas, Braille and the Curies.

The sign in Braille under Braille’s name was a nice touch, though how you’d manage to reach that point was a mystery, as none of the other signs in the building were in Braille.

I spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around the narrow streets of St. Germain. I imagine this area would be a pain to navigate during tourist season, but on a random day in January I found it to be nice and quiet.

Lunch was French onion soup, which they just call onion soup, mussels with fries, and of course, a cheese plate.

That evening, I went to a bar I had heard had a great selection of French microbrews, La Fine Mousse. It did not disappoint. After sampling a few local beers, I called it a night and headed back home.

Song of the day: Phoenix – Long Distance Call

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Europe 2013: Paris, Day 4

Jonathan — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 22:50:50 +0000

Despite not getting up until around noon, my first full day in Paris ended up being my most ambitious of the trip so far. I ended up walking some 13 miles around the city, starting from Place Monge.

I started by heading to the Jardin des Plantes, which was half a block away. Since it was early January, there wasn’t much growing, but they did have a dinosaur statue.

Dinosaur Statue

I then followed the Seine again, crossing to walk through Île Saint-Louis toward Notre Dame. In the center of Île Saint-Louis, I bought some Berthillon ice cream. I had 3 scoops, one of salted caramel, one of hazelnut, and one of peach. I got some crazy looks from people for eating ice cream on a cold day, but it was worth it.

Seine & Notre Dame

It wasn’t my intent to go to Notre Dame on the same day that Notre Dame was playing in the National Championship game; it just worked out that way. Needless to say, this did not bring them any sort of good luck or even mediocre luck.

The line to go to the top of the cathedral was reasonably short, and the sky was briefly showing bits of blue, so I waited for about 15 minutes and headed to the top.

Given Notre Dame’s central location, the views from the top are some of the best in Paris. Plus you can never go wrong with gargoyles.

Gargoyle

After leaving Notre Dame, I followed the river toward the Louvre. There was a stretch of the Seine where building after building had a pet store in it. I have no idea why there is a need for such a large concentration of pet stores in that area of Paris, but if you’re ever in the city and in the market for a hamster, then I suggest stopping in.

I didn’t stop in the Louvre, as it can take a whole day, and with only a few days in Paris, I didn’t want to do too many things I had done previously. I continued walking through the Tuileries Garden, which had the remains of the Christmas market, closed for the season, then walked the length of the Champs-Élysées.

I passed a mall that advertised “luxury restrooms”, so I had to check it out. Unfortunately, they wanted 3 euros as an entry fee. Considering most restrooms are free and are quite sufficient for my needs, I’m curious what exactly that 3 euros would have gotten me. Alas, that will remain a mystery, as I didn’t have to go that badly.

I arrived at the Arc de Triomphe just after the sun was setting, took a few photos, then headed to see the Eiffel Tower lit up at night.

Eiffel Tower

For dinner, it was back to my neighborhood, where I then tried in vain to get to sleep at a reasonable hour. I pledged to set an alarm for the next day so I would not stay in bed until noon.

Song of the day: The Decemberists – The Legionnaire’s Lament

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Europe 2013: London to Paris, Day 3

Jonathan — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 22:56:13 +0000

It was supposed to be easy. I left myself plenty of time to walk to Limehouse station, get on the DLR, switch to the Northern Line at Bank, and take it to St. Pancras International to meet my train to Paris.

In practice, it was much less so. I walked to the station and scanned my Oyster card, just to get to the platform in time to see a train for Bank depart. “No big deal,” I figured, there’s another train in a few minutes.

A few minutes go by.

Then another few minutes.

Then a few more.

All the while, the sign on the platform, which had started at 6 minutes, went to 2 minutes, to 1 minute, back to 2, to 1, then 2, then finally stuck on 2.

By this point, I had to make a decision. Continue to wait for a train that might never arrive, or leave the station & hope I could catch a cab to St. Pancras.

Opting for the latter, I scanned out my Oyster card, only to find that they charge you 8 quid if you enter and leave from the station. It doesn’t matter if you did so because no train ever arrived.

I exited the station, of course finding that there were no taxis around. I stood around for a few minutes, not sure what to do, when finally my savior arrived in the form of a black cab. I got to the station with just a few minutes to spare before the end of the check-in time, and everything was fine, aside from having to spend 8 pounds on a nonexistent train journey and then another 18 pounds on a taxi.

The journey itself from London to Paris was uneventful. The Eurostar has definitely lost its luster since it first began operations, though I’m sure they charge way more now. I rode it on my first trip to Europe back in 1997, and I recall it being much nicer, and the idea of going through the Chunnel was much more exciting. The interiors of the trains could definitely use a round of refurbishment, plus it would have been nice if the outside of the train had been washed at any point this millennium so I could see out the windows.

I arrived at Paris Gare du Nord station then took the Metro to Place Monge, where I was staying. I used Airbnb for the first time, which worked out fantastically well. I got a tiny apartment in a fantastic area for far cheaper than hotels would have been in the same neighborhood.

I took a nap when I got to my place, since I hadn’t slept well the night before due to jet lag and having to be up early. That ended up being a huge mistake, since I then ended up sleeping until noon the next day, and my jet lag has lasted nearly a week at this point. I figured I’d have plenty of time on my trip to let it all sort itself out naturally, but between early starts due to travel, and wanting to actually get out and do things rather than be in bed until noon, it hasn’t worked out too well so far.

It was dinner time when I woke up, so I got some food on Rue Mouffetard, which was about a block from where I was staying. I decided to go with a stereotypical French meal of escargots, duck confit, and a cheese plate, following St. Anthony Bourdain’s advice of always getting the cheese plate in Paris.

It’s interesting how my palette has expanded since my first trip to Paris when I was 15. Back then, I found most French food to be disgusting, but now I really enjoy it. On one of the first days of that trip, I recall ordering a hamburger in a restaurant. I was presented a bun with a hamburger, plus no other condiments or toppings, aside from the plastic bag the hamburger had been microwaved in, and was in fact still encased in between the bun.

I had a brief conversation with the woman at the table next to me, who was also dining alone.. A bit later, her dinner had arrived. It appeared to be some sort of white, pate-looking French delicacy covered in oil. After a bit of back and forth across our language barrier, I ascertained that this exotic French dish was indeed feta cheese.

Feeling refreshed, I then wandered around the city for a while, walking along the Seine toward Notre Dame, which looks spectacular when it’s all lit up at night.

There seemed to be a lot of people walking north of Notre Dame toward some gathering, so I followed. It turned out there was a large outdoor skating rink at the Place de l’Hôtel de Ville. A group of guys was playing a skating game similar to tag, so I stayed and watched a while, as it served as a poor man’s substitute to hockey.

The game probably had an actual name, but seeing as I grew up in Arizona, I have no idea what it would be. I got back to my hotel to find out the NHL lockout had ended that day, so at least I will have real hockey to look forward to upon my return.

Song of the Day – The National – Fake Empire

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Europe 2013: London, Day 2

Jonathan — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 21:46:58 +0000

London, Day 2

After a surprisingly jet-lag-free sleep thanks to Brewdog, I was up at a reasonable hour. I decided to follow the Thames from Limehouse to the city. Theoretically, one can follow the Thames Walk, but between closed gates and a wandering path, it’s better to just follow the road closest to the shore of the river for most of it. I ended up near Tower Bridge, which I then crossed to head toward my ultimate destination for the morning, The Kernel Brewery (http://www.thekernelbrewery.com/).

The Kernel is a small microbrewery that is based from a railway archway on the south side of the city, near Bermondsey Tube station. Filling spaces roughly between Tower Bridge and Bermondsey, the arches are filled with small artisanal shops selling everything from baked goods, cheeses, and meats, to of course, beer.

The Kernel Brewery

I had an excellent imperial brown stout at the brewery itself, which I had first visited about a year ago when they were in a smaller location a few blocks away. After buying a couple of bottles to take with me to Paris, it was time to head to Euston station to meet some friends at Euston Tap (http://www.eustontap.com/), a new beer bar just outside the station. They have a nice selection of beers from the UK and the rest of Europe, plus the United States.

Euston Tap

After a couple of beers, I headed toward St. Pancras station to collect my Eurostar ticket for the next day’s journey to Paris. The British Library was on the way, so I stopped in for a bit. Unfortunately, I seemed to have just missed seeing the original manuscript scroll of On The Road, but the main exhibition room still had some interesting historical items.

My favorite exhibits were some original Beatles lyrics, including the lyrics for “Help!”, “Yesterday”, “A Hard Day’s Night,” which John Lennon wrote on the back of a birthday card to his son Julian.

Original Beatles Lyrics

Oh, and there’s also a copy of the Magna Carta from 1215. Perhaps King John should have written some decent songs if he wanted to get first billing.

Magna Carta

After getting my Eurostar ticket, I went to King’s Cross station next door to see the revitalized building, which includes Platform 9 3/4 from Harry Potter. I had been to King’s Cross about 10 years ago, and at the time the sign was off in a side hall with very few people venturing to see it. Now it’s right in the middle of the station, and also has a Harry Potter merchandise store right next to it.

Platform 9 3/4

Harry Potter Store Kings Cross

After walking around a while longer, it was time to meet up with my friends again, where we had an excellent dinner in Chinatown, followed by a stop at a pub. Finally, it was time to grab one of the last trains back to my hotel, so I could prepare for my adventure to Paris the next day.Similar Posts:

Europe 2013: London, Day 1

Jonathan — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 00:03:23 +0000

Following my shuttle adventure, my flights to Manchester were pretty uneventful. Nobody tried to sing to me, and nobody tried to kill me. I used miles to fly on U.S. Airways in first class and Envoy the whole way. Between it being off-season and having the US Airways credit card, the ticket was only 55,000 miles, which is a fantastic deal.

Port and Ice Cream for dessert

We were slightly delayed coming in to Manchester, and then we had to wait a while to get a gate, so after flying through passport control and getting my bag, I only caught my train to London with about 15 minutes to spare. I believe I could have just used my ticket on the next train, but it was better not to find out.

My traditional first meal back in the UK: Irn Bru and Jaffa Cakes

In London, I stayed at a hotel in Limehouse, which was convenient, at least until it was time to head to St. Pancras to get the Eurostar (more on that in my next post). The London transportation system is so easy to use that you can stay pretty much anywhere, as long as it’s near a station. The one drawback is that it only runs until about 12:30 or so, which can make it difficult to get home if you stay out late.

On Friday afternoon, following checking into my hotel, I headed to Shoreditch to explore. I had been trying to find a restaurant that a friend had recommended, but not remembering the name or the exact location made it okay. In the end, it was fine, since I ended up stumbling upon Pieminister (http://www.pieminister.co.uk/) in Boxpark (http://www.boxpark.co.uk/) for an excellent steak-and-Guinness pie.

Steak and Guinness Pie at Pieminister

Pieminister

Boxpark itself is an interesting concept of small, pop-up shops, though in actual execution it seems heavily dependent on major brands that are trying to look cool. After a quick walk around, it was time to wander further, at which point I found that there is a new Brewdog bar in the neighborhood. Brewdog (http://www.brewdog.com/) itself deserves a separate post, since I’ll be visiting it at least a couple of times once I’m in Glasgow at the end of my trip. Suffice to say, the rest of the evening was spent drinking some great beers before heading to my hotel for a good night’s sleep, aided by the beer.Similar Posts:

Europe 2013: And so the trip began

Jonathan — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 00:08:35 +0000

6:21 am, day one.

The airport shuttle was already waiting for me when I got to the front door. I apologized for being late and said the drivers normally call when they are a couple of minutes away.

The driver said, “Oh, you’re right on time!”

He was already far too excited for that time of morning, but I hoped for the best and hopped into the van.

He repeated his line, “You’re right on time!”, this time adding, “for my Elvis impersonation!”

Elvis was not playing on the radio, so he did an Elvis impression to a Madonna song. After getting lost twice, running a red light, and making 2 more stops halfway across the city, we finally started to head to the airport.

During the journey, he described how all of the gadgets in his van have names. The GPS was named Zelma.

A relevant clip from QI:

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