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12 - The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday January 5, 2008 www.oakvillebeaver.com Fall in love with Paris -- again G BEAVER TRAILS TO DENMARK: Lisbeth De Almeida took The Oakville Beaver with her to Kalunborg, Denmark. Take along a copy of The Oakville Beaver on your next vacation and send it in for publication to Beaver Trails, Oakville Beaver, 467 Speers Rd., Oakville, ON, L6K 3S4 or e-mail to editor@oakvillebeaver.com. STAR CLIPPERS TO TAHITI SUNQUEST Star Clippers entered the French Polynesia cruise market for the first time when it deployed Star Flyer to Tahiti in December, offering 7, 10 and 11-night round-trip Papeete itineraries. The eight ports of call that compose the destination-intense itineraries take the ship to the Society and Tuamotus Islands. Along the way, sunset departures, cruising in lagoons and opportunities to dive and snorkel in some of the most spectacular sites in the world enhance each itinerary. Star Flyer's seven-night sailing calls at Huahine, Raiatea, Taha'a, Bora Bora and Cook Bay and Opunohu Bay, Moorea, with an overnight in Papeete before disembarkation. The 10-night round-trip Papeete cruise takes passengers to the Society Islands and Tuamotu Atolls, with special cruising in the Rangiroa Lagoon. The ship calls at Fakarava, Rangiroa, Bora Bora, Raiatea, Taha'a, Huahine and Moorea. The 11-night voyage adds an overnight call at Huahine. Star Flyer's 7-night Society Islands voyages are priced from CAD $2,049.00 plus port charges of $239.00 p.p., double occupancy. WILL I NEED A PASSPORT? The International Air transport Association (IATA) has launched the IATA Travel Centre, providing up-to-date passport, visa and health information necessary for air travellers. The service is offered free of charge. Simply fill in the blanks with destination, travel dates, nationality and passport information and the web site will instantly return helpful and accurate information ­ from what documents are required to what taxes must be paid. www.iatatravelcentre.com Visit McTavish At: www.mctavishtravel.com ay Paris is not just a city of lights in the springtime, it can be fabulous in the winter as well. And you'll be dancing in the street when you discover the low prices and how few lineups there are for museums. January and February are sale times in Paris and a shop in the Galeries Lafayette Maison is a must. Take an empty suitcase, their homeware department is fabulous. A huge store is entirely dedicated to decorating a stunning home. Even the description of the departments, "cooking in the basement, pleasure for oneself and others on the ground floor, dining on the first floor, relaxation in the lounge on the second floor and a good night's sleep after a bath on the third floor," is enticing. If that doesn't make you want to start packing, their other store across the street will have you shopping for a new look for yourself in no time. Once you've had your fill of shopping, there are lots of new things to do even if you've been to Paris many, many times. For instance, you can follow in the footsteps of the characters in Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code, and the movie adapted by Ron Howard. It's a great way to see these famous sites, rather like an adult scavenger hunt really. The main character Robert Langdon stayed at the Ritz Hotel and walked through the Place Vendome, the rue St. Honore and the rue de Richeliu. You'll do that, too, and just as he drove up the Champs-Elysees, and around the Arc de Triomphe to stop at Gare Saint-Lazare with Sophie Neveu, you will, too. Then you'll head for the Louvre Museum to see the main rooms and the masterpieces. Your guide-chauffeur, a real expert on the Da Vinci Code, will take you through the main rooms where the action takes place, and at the same time show you the masterpieces that are mentioned: Mona Lisa, Virgin of the Rocks, Venus de Milo and more. An emotional moment is the discovery of the inverted pyramid. During the cruise-lunch (drink included) you will admire other monuments mentioned in the novel: the Eiffel Tower, Orsay Museum and more. The afternoon starts off with free time to visit St. Sulpice Church and find out what Silas the monk was looking for. Finally, you will follow the famous "Rose line" to discover one of Arago's medallions (Peter Langdon talks about it in his epilogue), close to the Seine River. Since the phenomenal success of Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code book and the film, the Louvre is even more popular. By booking your place on this tour, you can skip the queues and maximize your time inside the world's largest museum. After the guided tour, you are free to stay and continue exploring the Louvre Museum at your leisure. If you'd rather have a shorter tour, there are 30 different tour operators offering bus trips, and walking tours, all built around the movie. To walk the city of Paris is magic in any season, and in winter the tourists are gone, and you walk with Parisians. Last time I was there I just walked and walked, discovering fun little bistros, and neighbourhoods. I loved watching the locals shop, and adored the combination of past and present. Arts and Leisure Tours: Travel with Flair is running a winter special in Paris between now and February 2008, except for a few trade sfair dates, when hotel space is very tight. In case you haven't heard of this lovely little company, it has been around a long time, and the owners know Europe intimately. In fact they do their own buying, always looking for charming little places in the middle of the old cities, where you're surrounded by history. I've stayed in nine of their properties, and each was absolutely wonderful. Laurielle, one of the partners and a buyer, says this special has a nice choice of hotels, and you can choose either the right or the left bank. Your selection will be small charming hotels in old neighbourhoods where you can walk to everything. A three-star hotel is $934 per person and a four-star hotel is $1,135 per person. The price includes roundtrip airfare from Toronto, four nights accommodation in selected three or four-star hotel, breakfast daily, hotel taxes and service charges, and a city tour. If you want to stay longer you can. Prices start from $225 per night per room and that includes taxes, service charges and breakfast. For more, visit www.artsandleisuretours.com or call 1-800-387-4110. I was not fond of Paris on my first visit, but I've grown to love it. Each and every time I visit, I fall in love all over again. -- Contact Sam Ion at sion10@cogeco.ca. Voted Best Travel Agency Best Cruise Company Best Travel Agent Thanks Oakville! Hopedale Shopping Centre 1515 Rebecca Street, Oakville Relax... you're with us 221 Lakeshore Road E. (905) 827-1100 fax: (905) 827-4982 e-mail: travel@mctavish.com 905-337-2228 www.hookedoncruising.com To advertise in this section call 905-845-3824