le metro mouche
Thinking ahead to next year’s soldes, visitors by then might be able to navigate their way around the City of Light by cruising along the Seine. With the introduction of the cool, new Voguéo water shuttle, transportation publique is expanding to a more fluvial level. Expected to fully operational in the French capital by the summer of 2013, the catamarans, a part of the Paris metro system, will run every 15 to 20 minutes between the city center and the suburbs of Paris. Thirty different stops are planned along the banks of the Seine, from Suresnes, west of the Bois du Boulogne to Vitry-sur-Seine in the south. Each stop will be equipped with a schedule and route maps, including metro transfers. Better still, there’s the added benefit of multiple stops coinciding with key cultural (and shopping) attractions. Fares can be built into the price of a multi-day transit pass or expect to shell out about 7 euro for a one-way ticket. If that sounds pricey consider the cost of a taxi stuck in traffic as you sail past all the tourists, waving from the prow of your very own bateau.
lounging at the lancaster
Houston is huge. Not only does a population of 2+ million make it the fourth largest city in America but its zoning-free urban sprawl occupies an area half the size of Rhode Island. So I guess I lucked out in choosing to stay downtown at The Lancaster. The perfect balance between history and luxury, The Lancaster hotel is Houston’s oldest, continuously-operating hotel, as well as the city’s first boutique hotel. (It’s also the only hotel in town still owned and operated by descendants of the original developer, Michele DeGeorge) Occupying a landmark building on the corner of Texas and Louisiana avenues in an area commonly referred to as The Theater District, it sits directly across street from the theater where my friend is performing. The central location turns out to be one of the best in Houston, within easy walking distance to all the downtown area attractions and just a few blocks away from the city’s Metro, too. Plus, with downtown doubling as Houston’s central business district, the weekend neighborhood vibe is relatively low-key and relaxing. I can take it at my own pace – which is good considering the mercury is expected to hit an egg-frying 105 degrees.
