Tour de France Vermont-Style

The Tour de Farms is an annual fund-raising event for three non-profits—ACORN, Rural Vermont and the Vermont Bicycle & Pedestrian Coalition—all working in their own ways to make Vermont more sustainable and healthy.

Held this year on Sunday September 18th, the bicycle event begins and ends in Shoreham on the western side of Vermont. There are three route choices varying in length—10, 24 and 30 miles long. All routes go by various family farms which will be offering food tastings from seventeen Vermont producers and NOFA-VT will be cooking pizzas on the Orwell Green.

Sample the Tour here.

The Tour ends on the Shoreham Green for AppleFest, a harvest festival with food, music and crafts.

The Tour costs $25 for advance registration, $50 on the day.

The Tour is sponsored by American Flatbread, Earl's Cyclery & Fitness, Wolaver's Organic Beer and Vermont Fresh Network.


Excerpted from the upcoming App Vermont Eats: The Essential Green Travel Guide—available soon on iTunes.



Photo courtesy http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=938&picture=bicycle-marathon, Bicycle Marathon by Vojko Kalan

A Piece of Magic Ancient Forest

I learned about some of the last remains of the once bountiful European primeval forest not from a guidebook or fellow traveler, but rather from the book, The Zookeeper's Wife - an excellent read. The Białowieza Forest, originally all within Russian borders, now lies partly in Belarus, known there as Belovzhskaya Pushcha,  and partly in Poland almost due east of Warsaw. Fortunately for everyone the forest was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979 and about fourteen years later as a Biosphere Reserve.

The protected forest covers almost 38,000 acres. Tree lovers and huggers will especially appreciate the grandmother oak trees some over 800 years old and reaching 150 feet tall! Interestingly this patch of forest has alternated through hundreds of years of history between a protected forest reserve and a hunting ground. Most of the wild animals were hunted to near extinction, but now many of the indigenous animals - wolf, lynx, peregrine falcon- can be found at the park zoo including the Wisent (pronounced Vizent) - the European version of the American Buffalo which now has a protected reserve within the park.

To help preserve this treasured plot of forest, tourists are not allowed into the deepest part of the reserve - only researchers are allowed access. Guided tours are available to certain areas. But there are routes in the Hwozna Protective Unit for walking and biking (skiing in the winter), as well as special guided tours through some of the more restricted areas of the park - the Orłówka Protective Unit. All must be arranged through the park.

The Park Website, fortunately with an English version, offers extensive  information about the flora and fauna in the park, museum opening times, entry fees, as well as details about the 105 guest beds available in the adjacent Palace Park.

The Website also instructs you in how to behave should you come upon one of the massive Wisents in your touring - most importantly remain calm (if you can) while you marvel at these incredible creatures and majestic, wise trees.

Białowieza National Park 
17-230 Białowieza, Park Pałacowy 11, Poland 
Tel: (+48) 85 682-9700 or 85 681-2306 
E-mail: bpn@bpn.com.pl; Web; You can reach the park by train and bus.

The Zookeeper's Wife, Diane Ackerman. Norton 2007

Cheap Bike Rental Programs Going Global!

In both my books - Green Earth Guide Traveling Naturally in France and Green Earth Guide Traveling Naturally in Spain - as well as this blog, I have highlighted the cheap and wonderful city bike rental programs in Paris, Lyon, Montpellier, Nice, Nantes, Barcelona and Seville. Now I am happy to report that a successful launch of a similar program in Montreal, Canada called BIXI, is being launched in Boston, Massachusetts, Minneapolis, Minnesota and Melbourne, Australia in June. Later in the summer they hope to be operational in London, England.

BIXI operates very much like the other established city biking programs. You can pay for a day, a month or a one year subscription which entitles you to bicycle use for thirty minutes at a time for free or pay a nominal fee for additional time. For 24-hour passes you will need to pay a refundable $250 deposit. Due to the harsh winters in Montreal, BIXI bikes are available from May to November 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The Web site gives details of bike station locations, safety and prices. Happy peddling!

Cordoba Green Sampling

While you are hoofing around the old sites in Cordoba and wondering where to eat you will be happy to know that you can find delicious lunch or dinner at Amaltea, serving fresh local food with natural and gourmet twists…. arugula, sun dried tomato and goat cheese salad (with pine nuts)….baby squid and curried rice… these are just a few of the choices. Amaltea, Ronda de Isasa 10 – on the street along the river down below the Mezquita.  Tip – get there by 3:30 as they close the doors up for the lunch hours and they do not serve dinner on Sundays).

Numerous hotels surround the Mezquita in Cordoba and any of them are fine, housed in grand old buildings, most with inner courtyards. On this trip I tried the Conquistador, a marble floored hotel on the east side of the Mezquita, with a courtyard, WiFi and a convenient three blocks or so from the Baños Arabes thermal baths.

Cordoba is making an attempt at a cheap city-sponsored bike program called CycloCity. Currently bikes are only available at four sites: the RENFE train station, the Baños Califales museum, Puerta de Gallegos and at the junction of Ave Barcelona and Libia. Unfortunately you can not yet purchase a user card through the internet, but must wait until you arrive in Cordoba and make your way to the government office on Avenida Mediterraneo, open from 8:00 am until 3:00 pm, to purchase a card. Hopefully the program will expand and be more traveler friendly. In any event we can applaud Cordoba for their beginning efforts.

This is just a tiny tasting of all that the beautiful city of Cordoba has to offer, a city proud of its local artisans and rich, diverse history.

Cheap Bike Renting In Nice

The beautiful and fun city of Nice France has started a public biking program called VeloBleu. It has 90 bike stations housing 900 bicycles accessible 24/7. As with its counterparts in Paris (Velib), Montpellier (VeloMagg), Lyon (Velo V), and Nantes (Bicloo), rental prices are somewhat unbelievably cheap, and the first thirty minutes of any bike use is included in the cheap rental fees, which are: One Day= 1 Euro; One Week = 5 Euros; One Month = 10 Euros; and One Year = 25 Euros. Bikes used for over thirty minutes are subject to a 1 to 2 Euro per hour additional charge.

You must be over fourteen years old to use the service, and use also need a cell phone, as the phone is used to lock and unlock the bicycles. Click here to access the downloadable PDF flyer with information in both French and English on how to use Velo Bleu with a map showing all the bike stations.

Enjoy bicycling on the Promenade Anglais along the magnificent turquoise water!

An Eco Saturday in Paris

Book in at the Hotel de la Porte Dorée, a family run hotel with some green amenities, on avenue Daumesnil in the 12th arrondissement, on the east side of the city, steps away from the Port Dorée metro and bus stops, making the city sites easily accessible. Make sure you are equipped with a map of Paris and the metro and/or bus lines.

The Organic Market Brancusi (Marche Biologique Brancusi) is held Saturday mornings from 9:00 am to 3:00pm. To get there take the purple #8 Metro line from Port Dorée towards Richelieu for two stops to Daumesnil. Switch to the green #6 line towards Charles de Gaulle Etoile. Take that twelve stops to the Edgar Quinet stop and walk down rue de Gaite or through the Montparnasse Cemetery to du Maine Avenue. Rue R.J. Zay off of du Maine will bring you to Place Constantin where you will find the Marche Biologique Brancusi. The teal #13 metro stop, Gaite is closer, but not worth the switching coming from Port Dorée.

For bikers, there is a Paris Vélib bike station at 1 Place Edouard Renard a couple of blocks from the Hotel. Bike to the Market and there is a Vélib station at 90 Ave. du Maine, one to two blocks from the market, near the Gaité Metro stop. For more Vélib information, visit their website for locating stations all over Paris.

Once you have explored the market and eaten some delicious food, you can walk to Park George Brassens, or rent a Vélib bike (there are two Vélib stations along the park – one is Station # 15046, 42 rue des Morillons), where book lovers will particularly enjoy the secondhand and antique book market held in an old horse market pavilion in the Parc on rue des Morillons in the 15th arrondissement of Paris (Métro: Convention). The Parc has vineyards, beehives, 510 rose bushes, walking paths, and more. The book market, held on Saturdays and Sundays from 9am to 6pm, has over 200 participating booksellers, 68 of which rotate through each weekend.

After the Parc and book market you can bike or Metro to the St. Germain neighborhood, a lively area full of fun stores and eats, making your way towards any number of sites – Notre Dame Cathedral, the Louvre, Musée d’Orsay – to name a few. If you are planning on one of the museums, you are better off planning in advance for those and purchasing your tickets Online to avoid the crowded entry lines.
You can eat lunch at the first all-organic bar and restaurant in Paris, Phyto Bar, serving terrific organic food. They offer an array of fresh squeezed juices—the grapefruit-kiwi is an especially refreshing combination. The seaweed “caviar,” made with a variety of greens from the sea, is highly recommended. Next door, you will find La Nature a Paris Boutique, their sister store, a tiny, jam-packed health food shop. (Phyto Bar Restaurant and Bar, 47 Boulevard Saint-Germain; Tel: 01 44 07 3699.) The Phtyo Bar Restaurant is about five blocks along rue Monge from the Seine River and the bridge across to the Notre Dame Cathedral. In nice weather there will be book, souvenir and art vendors along the Seine.

If you need a rest after your walking, biking and sightseeing, you can bus, bike or metro back to the Hotel.

Once you are refreshed, the evening offers a number possibilities. One of my favorite Paris excursions is to listen to the nuns sing vespers at the Sacre Couer Basilica – the magic and beauty of their voices can be enjoyed by all. They begin at 6pm and sing for about thirty minutes.

From the hotel you can get to Sacre Couer a few ways. By bus take the #46 from Porte Dorée to the final stop of Gare du Nord (a large train station). From there you could walk all the way, or walk to the Funicular that goes up the hill to the basilica. If you want to go by Metro, you want to be on the #2 blue line. Take the #8 purple line from Porte Dorée two stops to Daumesnil, change to the #6 green line to Nation. At Nation get onto the #2 blue line and take that to Anvers. Here you will be quite close to the funicular, which you can either take, or simply walk up the steep steps.

If you want to stay closer to “home” in the evening, try a delightful experience at the Grand Mosque, serving tea and more. For a truly delicious experience you can wind down with a Hammam steam bath and massage at the Mosque. The Tea room is open seven days a week from 9:00am until 11:30pm, so you can enjoy this almost anytime of day. Check the website for specifics about the Hammam since they have different days for men and women. The Hammam is open until 9:00pm. To reach the mosque by metro from the hotel either get onto the purple #8 line at Porte Dorée for two stops to the Green #6 at Daumesnil (or walk to the Daumesnil stop). Take the Green #6 six stops to Place d’Italie and switch to the orange #5 for two stops to Saint Marcel. Walk two blocks up rue Geoffrey St-Hilaire toward the Jardin des Plantes (worth a stroll and visit on its own), and the Grand Mosque. The Tea room and Hammam entrances are on rue Geoffrey.

Lastly, if you are in Paris during July and August, there are outdoor film screenings in La Villette Park showing at 9:00pm most nights. But, if you decide to enjoy a Hammam Steam bath on Saturday evening, you can go to the movies Sunday night instead.

Traveling Naturally Saturday in Paris:
• Organic Brancusi Market
• Used and antique book fair in Parc George Bressans
• St Germain neighborhood\Notre Dame Cathedral (with possible visits to the Louvre or Musee d’Orsay)
• Lunch at PhytoBar Organic Restaurant
• Return to Hotel for Rest
Evening Options:
• Sacre Couer Basilica Vespers 6pm
• Tea and/or Hammam Bath and Massage at the Grand Mosque
• La Villette Park outdoor movie screenings in July and August only, at 9:00pm most nights (http://www.villette.com/fr/parc-villette-agenda/)

Segway Touring in Spain

Segways, the brain child of New Hampshire’s Dean Kamen, are two-wheeled, electric vehicles that you steer and maneuver with your body’s weight and balance. With three-speeds, the Segway can go a maximum of 10-12 miles an hour, making it quite ideal for city touring.  Segways have been adopted in many European cities as a clean, energy efficient and fun touring option. Some companies merely rent the Segways, others offer tour groups with all participants riding Segways. Most rental and touring companies require users to partake in a 15-30 minute Segway training prior to use.

Please check each Web site for specifics as they vary per company. Most have a weight range of 100-220 pounds per person and some ask riders to be at least 15-18 years of age. Duration of tour or rental and price vary as well from one to three hours and from 35 to 60 Euros. Some companies will offer special theme tours outside of the cities like in natural parks and vineyard touring.


Segway Renting and Tour Companies in Spain include the following:

Madrid, Leon, Oviedo and Santander: http://www.citysegway.es/english_index.htm
Madrid: http://www.madsegs.com
and Bicycle and Segway rentals: http://www.urbanmovil.com
Barcelona: http://www.barcelonasegwayfun.com/home.htm
and http://www.barcelonasegwayglides.com
Girona: http://www.sobrerodes.cat/homesbrs.html
and http://www.segwaytours.cat/en_index.php
Valencia & Castellon: http://www.segwayvalencia.com
and Bicycle and Segway rentals & tours in Valencia: http://www.valenciabikes.com/es/segway-tours
Malaga: http://www.segwaymalagatours.com

European Mobility Week- Promoting Sustainable, Green Transit

Even though Europe is light years ahead of the United States in sustainable transportation, sadly the car still ranks by far as the most used method of transport. For the past eight years European Mobility week, (http://www.mobilityweek.eu) promoting sustainable transport - walking, biking, train and bus – has worked to spread the word about the benefits of non-car transit. The week runs every year from September 16-22 and there are over 1600 cities and towns participating, with Austria and Spain at the top of the list of countries with the most participating towns. This year’s campaign will conclude Tuesday September 22 with Car-Free day.

Some cities already use a high percentage of sustainable transit including Copenhagen, Denmark and Gronningen, Holland with the highest level of bicycle usage comprising 55% of the principal transportation mode. Amsterdam, Holland and Munich, Germany clock in at 40%, with other cities using less, but climbing in numbers. On the low end, in Seville, Spain, bike transport makes up only 8% of the main method of transport, but the city is working on promoting bike use including their cheap Sevici bike rental program.

In Madrid, not known for being a bike friendly city, Trixi (http://trixi.com) bike rental is offering bikes at 1 euro/hour. ConBici is a Spanish organization promoting bike use throughout Spain (http://www.conbici.org). At their web site you can get biking information for over thirty cities in Spain. ConBici is also the driving force behind increasing the number of trains that allow bicycles.

I have found bike rentals to be cheap and easily accessible throughout French and Spanish cities so as a green traveler you can make every day car-free day when you visit these countries.

Biking in Spain

After the Tour de France finished this summer with a Spaniard winning for the fourth year in a row, NPR ran a story on July 29th about biking in Spain and the correspondent, based in Madrid, reported that people in Spain hardly ever biked to work or to run errands, even though Spain produced the last four Tour winners.

Having grown up in New York City – Manhattan to be exact – I know how easy it is to judge (and mistakenly so) a country by its largest city. In any event, while Madrid is not considered to be at all a biker-friendly city, Spain’s next three largest cities – Barcelona, Valencia and Seville – all are, and people in these cities make good use of their bikes for errands, commuting, leisure and sport. Barcelona and Seville both have incredibly cheap city sponsored bike rental programs (Bicing and Sevici), and Valencia has bike shops on what seems like every 10-20 blocks.

There are of course two big issues in Spain for bikers – sharing the road with pretty crazy drivers, and security. Bike rental shops tend to rent bikes with two! locks included and instruct you on how to lock your bike to make it fairly theft proof. I overheard one potential renter exclaim, “They would steal the seat?” and the bike expert replying, “they will steal anything… and everything if they can.”

There is nothing one can do about the crazy drivers, except be careful and stick to bike lanes and sidewalks, and observe the lights.

If you are planning on using a bike for getting around – take note. In Valencia, bikes are only allowed on the Metro during certain days and hours – all day Sundays and holidays they are allowed as well as AFTER 2pm on Saturdays. Otherwise they are not allowed and if you do bring the bike on during a weekday you will find your self being escorted out of the Metro by the Metro policia – I have seen it happen.

There is great biking to be had in Spain for all levels and for all purposes, and you will definitely not be the only one out if you choose to make it your transport choice.

A Sustainable Saturday in Paris

Rather than reinvent the wheel, I am directing you to the blog of my publisher, North Atlantic Books, which has posted a sample itinerary I prepared based on my book and travels - A Sustainable Saturday in Paris. See http://northatlanticbooks.wordpress.com/2009/05/05/a-sustainable-saturday-in-paris/

I thought it was such a good idea that I have decided to post a few more daily itineraries here. So stay tuned for more to come and if you are not in Paris, enjoy the itinerary vicariously.

Portland, Oregon Gets the Green Thumbs Up

The overnight train from California to Portland is comfortable and easy. It leaves California in the evening so you get a whole day of visiting and touring in. You must have reservations. I boarded in San Jose after visiting the Santa Cruz, Carmel, and Monterey areas. I did not have a sleeper but rather a reclining seat (actually two seats since the train was not full). The Amtrak train is called the Coast Starlight and the cost is $79 from San Jose to Portland, Oregon - about a nineteen-hour ride. Not only is the carbon footprint much smaller by train than by air travel, but the scenery is not to believed! Once you wake up in the daylight in northern California you see Mt Shasta, and then onto the farm and wild lands of Oregon including Klamath Lake.

Portland is a fun and easy city - really not large at all by city standards and very accessible. Bikers predominate, while the public bus system – Tri-Met –seems too go everywhere and offers user-friendly web sites and maps for navigating the city ($2.30/ride).

There is no sales tax in Oregon, which is quite noticeable if you have just come from California or points east. The city is designed in a grid with the river as its center – so there is Northwest, Southwest, Northeast and Southeast. The east to west dividing line is the river; the north south line is Burnside Ave., making it very easy to navigate.

Portland is a green traveler’s delight. Bike paths are everywhere, as is public transport, and there are loads of wonderful local foods and stores. Book lovers shouldn’t miss Powell’s Books. The main store takes up a full city block and you will need the free store maps that are provided at the counters to guide you. Powell’s sells new and used books intermixed and it is all somewhat overwhelming, but fabulous – booklovers will feel like kids in a candy store. There are smaller Powell’s outlets around the city including one at the airport. Powell’s City of Books, 1005 W. Burnside Street (in the Pearl District), Downtown Portland; Tel: 503-228-4651; www.powells.com. Open 9am to 1pm everyday.

You can walk through the Japanese Gardens that sit on a hill on the western edge of the city. You can also visit the Chinese Garden which encompasses a city block in the middle of Chinatown, creating a magical quality as you leave the city behind when you walk through the gates. You can enjoy the delicious and varied tea options at the Tao of Tea café in the gardens or go to their other restaurant on Belmont Street – a fabulous teahouse and eatery with what seems like hundreds of tea varieties. They serve delicious, vegetarian Indian food, with a store next door where you can purchase the organic teas (www.tulsiorganics.com). The Tao of Tea, 3430 SE Belmont Street, Portland; 503-736-0119; www.taooftea.com
Portland Japanese Garden, www.japanesegarden.com
Portland Classical Chinese Garden, NW Third & Everett, Portland; Tel: 503-228-8131; www.portlandchinesegarden.org

If you are in the mood for Yoga, studios abound. In the Pearl District you can go to Yoga Pearl. Open seven days a week with full daily schedules offering different types of Yoga and Pilates starting as early as 6am and ending as late as 8:30pm. There is also a Holistic Wellness Center where you can make appointments for massage therapy, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Naturopathic medicine and Cranialsacral therapy. Here you can also find the Blossoming Lotus raw foods café to refuel after yoga or walking the city. Yoga Pearl, 925 NW Davis, Portland; Tel: 503-525-9642; www.yogapearl.com

For foot massages you can treat yourself to the innovative services at the Barefoot Sage where you can indulge yourself by sitting in large puffy couches while you soak your feet and drink tea and try one of the various foot and leg massages offered. The Barefoot Sage, 1844 SE Hawthorne, Portland; 503239-7116; www.thebarefootsage.com

Madrid Eco Travel notes

Madrid is Spain’s largest city, and quite majestic with its broad boulevards and grand buildings. There are street musicians at almost every turn and in the metro. Thursday evening is the night people can put out all manner of unwanted items like furniture to be collected by the city trash trucks. As my Spanish friends and I were heading home from our dinner (11:30pm!!) we saw some wooden bookshelves. The handyman in the group picked them up – they were taller than he – and we were walking along with the four of us and the bookshelves, but then we came upon a much larger pile with a chair, and a number of pieces of wood – doors and shelves – a whole commode size cabinet. Before you knew it, we were all hauling 2-3 pieces of the cabinet down the streets of Madrid, laughing as we went, with the handyman gleeful at his find. The bookshelves had been left behind as the dismantled commode was considered a better haul. We saw others walking down the street with their own finds – recycling at its finest.
The Spanish people have a relaxed and happy quality to them, reflected in their schedule and pace of life. Most people must be at work by 9am – but have long lunches – some have lunch and siesta as part of their day, others don’t have a long lunch and siesta but do not work on Fridays or Friday afternoons. Dinner is served between 9-11:30 at night and then strolling, dancing and hanging out in the plazas is common. Stores are often closed all afternoon, so plan your shopping for the morning or late in the day – starting from 3-5pm depending on the store.
Delicious, inexpensive wine is plentiful, as are divine olives and olive oil, cheeses, seafood (see picture of bizarre delicacy – Percebes) and all manner of fruits and vegetables. This is true all over Spain, not just in Madrid. If you are looking for traditional espadrille shoes made with hemp and canvas, these are plentiful in Madrid. One store filled with a bounty is on Calle Toledo just off Plaza Major.
While Madrid is not really biker friendly for riding through the main streets, there is a 64 km bike path around Madrid and paths through the large park Casa de Campo (about 4000 acres), as well as the smaller Parque del Retiro (322 acres).
Travel between Madrid and Barcelona is some of the busiest in the world, so if you are hoping for a train ticket, book ahead, otherwise you may get caught with no available seats or having to travel first class to make a connection. It is best to buy your tickets through the internet and pick them up at one of the many handy machines in the station. The Atocha train station in Madrid is huge and beautiful with a plant filled atrium, cafes and multiple security bag checks.
Health Food Stores in Madrid:
Natura Si – Supermercado Ecologico/El Supermerdaco Natural; www.naturasite.com; tienda.online@naturasite.com, c/Guzman El Bueno 28, (corner of c/Melendez Valdes) Madrid; Tel: 915 445 663; Metro: Arguelles-Monchoa. Open Mon-Sat 10-8:30 pm without interruption - http://www.naturasi.es/venta.html#1 -direct link for their three stores in Madrid
Yoga in Madrid:
Yoga and Pilates en Galileo, c/ Galileo 23, Bajo A, Madrid; Metro: Arguelles-San Bernardo. Classes during the whole day, Monday to Thursday, and yoga for children.
Yoga center in Madrid, Centro de Yoga Sivananda Vedanta, c/Eraso 4; Tel: 913615150; Madrid@sivananda.es; www.sivananda.es

La Alberca, Spain – Going back in time

La Alberca is a historic village located in the Salamanca region of Spain. The tiny, cobblestone streets are lined with buildings dating from Columbus’s time and before. In this tiny village you can find traditional life mixed with modern day. Off the northwest corner of the main square you will find a store specializing in fair trade goods and some organic treats. Donkeys carting manure filled baskets walk down the streets, as do men carrying tools to work the land. Numerous stores sell the famous local delicacy, “Pata negro”, meaning black leg or hoof, a special “ham” from Spanish black pigs that eat only acorns from cork oak trees. This meat really should not be called ham as there is nothing remotely similar to American ham, rather it is closer to prosciutto. It is a dark meat with a rich and unusual taste, and is very expensive.
There are biking and walking trails in the area, and nearby, the monastery of La Peña de Francia sits about 5,200 feet high on a mountain, with amazing views. It is known for its black Madonna and sanctuary, as well as its guesthouse and café.
It takes almost four hours to reach La Alberca from Madrid, but it is worth it for the time travel experience.

Paris

Ahh Paris. What can I say? I am one of the multitudes that loves Paris, with its low skyline, the old magnificent buildings, abundant sidewalk cafes - a city brimming with juicy history. There are health food stores, vegetarian restaurants, good coffee, and wonderful treasures to be seen and had.
Velib is the citywide cheap bike-rental system similar to Bicing in Barcelona. Velib stations were plentiful!
• Bio Saint Germain, supermarche Bio – lovely, bright store filled with bio food at 30 Blvd St Germain, Paris, Tel: 44 07 3484; www.biosaintgermain.com
• Phyto Bar, 47 Blvd St Germain, Paris, Tel: 44 07 3699 is a restaurant serving organic food with a sister health food store next door. They offer an array of fresh squeezed juices –the grapefruit/kiwi is an especially refreshing combination. I also recommend the seaweed “caviar” made with a variety of greens from the sea.
• Naturalia is a chain of health food stores, with 25 throughout Paris plus 3 stores dedicated to natural beauty products – www.naturalia.fr.
A truly unique experience is a visit to the Grand Mosque in Paris, built by the French government in the early 1900s as thanks to the North African Moslems that helped defend France. The mosque itself is beautiful in its simplicity with tiled and whitewashed walls and gardens. On one side is a beautiful restaurant and tea room with indoor and out door seating. The outdoor seating is like stepping into another world with blue and white tiled tables amongst trees, plants and birds. I recommend the infusion menthe (mint tea), which is made with a handful of fresh mint leaves in a clear glass of hot water. La Mosquee, 39 rue Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, Paris – restaurant, Salon de The, Souk (gift store), Hammam (steam and hot baths with massage); Tel: 43 31 38 14; http://www.la-mosquee.com. Across the street you can walk through the Jardins de Plantes, the first public garden in Paris which is filled with medicinal and decorative plants.
For inexpensive clothing check out the “fripe” (that is second-hand store), Eileen, 53 rue Monge, within walking distance of the Mosque. It is a tiny, crammed-with-rummage store with clothes piled high and spilling onto the floor, but good prices and a definite adventure. I found a fabulous French jacket there and some shirts – I was looking for “made in France” and I found it at affordable prices ranging from .50¢-25 euros and up.
Bonjour ☺

Switzerland - A week at the Paracelsus Clinic

19-01-08
Switzerland was a delight as usual. I walked miles and miles everyday – up and down – like the goats and sheep. Many hours a day this week were spent doing tests or treatments at the Paracelsus Biological Medicine Clinic in Lustmuhle Switzerland, about one and a half hours east of Zurich.
This is my fourth time at the clinic so I am very used to the routine. I had an intravenous infusion everyday – either an alkalizing mixture filled with vitamins, minerals and various natural, homeopathic remedies, or an ozone infusion which is cleansing to the blood and also has natural remedies. I also did a type of detoxifying body work called MRT for Matrix Regeneration Therapy, a tissue cleansing treatment done on the back that is sort of like Chinese cupping, but with some added features. I also did one of the oxygen therapies they offer. Usually I ride a stationary bicycle while breathing oxygen. This is energizing and makes me feel the closest I probably ever will to Lance Armstrong since I do not get tired or muscle fatigued with the oxygen. This time, I did a passive oxygen therapy, new to me, that involves just sitting for twelve minutes breathing in oxygen that is charged with negative and positive ions, based on research by a Dr. Engler who found this to be very helpful in oxygenating the body. I received injections with various natural remedies for my thyroid, adrenals, and had a number of tests to check hormones, heavy metals, infections, and general health.
I met lovely people – about eleven other Americans were there while I was, one of whom I knew from a previous trip and the others became fast friends as everyone bonded discussing treatments, doctors, and health issues, not to mention life in Switzerland.
I was the most familiar with the area since I have been there before, so I went off in the afternoons, either walking, or to the nearby small city of St. Gallen.
The beauty of Switzerland is that it is like being in Vermont except with the most efficient public transportation probably on the planet. From the clinic, I could walk down the hill – less than five minutes - to a train stop and take the train, arriving in St. Gallen in about eight minutes.
I have my favorite haunts in St. Gallen including the Brockenhuas (German for second-hand store) where I bought two luxurious, silky cotton, Swiss made duvet covers for about $7 each, knowing that new they cost between $200-300 each!
I know every health food store in the city – of which there are five, not including the two major supermarkets which also sell organic and natural products. I enjoyed going to all of them, buying delicious Swiss sheep’s milk yogurt, a little fair trade dark chocolate with a hazelnut filling to die for, some goat cheese and gluten-free bread made with corn and buckwheat, as well as some Italian oranges.
Some great things I found this trip:
• The first Licensed Organic Trout Farm in Switzerland - Mia’s Bio-Forellenzucht, Haupstrasse (Main Street) 62, Niederteufen; Tel: 079-655-8370 (Niederteufen
is really a neighborhood of Teufen and is between the Paracelsus Clinic and the town center of Teufen.)
• I learned from an American friend who has lived in Switzerland for six years that when you say “I am so Full” after eating, in Swiss German this means you are drunk! ☺ I learned this when I said it while out to lunch with my friend and the waitress laughed so hard – I didn’t know why until my friend broke the news to me.
• I met a woman who does nature photography – her photos can be viewed at: www.yessy.com/carolmilisen
I met another woman who works with animal sanctuaries around the world and has adopted two elephants! Explore a couple of the groups she works with at: www.elephantears.org and www.wildnet.org
I discovered Australian chocolate truffles made without gluten or milk – www.boojabooja.com
At the Zurich main train station you can BORROW bicycles for free with a 20 CHF deposit and identification, preferably a passport. Velogate, as it is called is located across from Track (or Gleis in German) 18 at Museumstrasse.
Thankfully I continued to see apothecaries and pharmacies selling natural homeopathic and herbal remedies alongside conventional pharmaceutical products.
A busy, productive week and now I am blissfully on the train from St. Gallen to Geneve, then onto Nice France!

Beginnings

I am spending far too much time in front of the computer screen working on my book, "Traveling Naturally in Western Europe" - I would rather be hiking and drinking lattés.

Hope you enjoy these samplings:
Health in a Bottle:
If you are traveling in Switzerland (or most other European countries) try these over the top juices made by the Biotta company, headquartered in Tagerwilen, Switzerland which has been making organic juices since 1951. They have twenty-three different juices made with organic vegetables or fruits and processed with natural, dairy-free lactic acid, so even though the juices are bottled they taste like freshly made juice. Biotta farms organically, with 600 acres in Switzerland, 900 acres in Germany and smaller parcels in Israel and Northern Italy. Most health food stores, some pharmacies or apothecaries, and large supermarkets sell Biotta juice, which does taste like health in a bottle. http://www.biotta.ch - web site avaiable in German, French and English.

Alternative Health Care Extraordinaire:
Paracelsus Biological Medicine & Dental Clinic, Lustmuhle, Switzerland - www.paracelsus.ch - is a comprehensive, outpatient clinic employing state of the art biological medicine therapies, including Chinese, anthroposophical, homeopathic and detoxification therapies and treatment of all diseases. The adjacent dental clinic can be visited separately or as part of your whole body care at the clinic. My husband who has debilitating and joint-deforming Rheumatoid Arthritis, lives pain-free and with high energy since starting treatments at this clinic three years ago.

Clever No-Carbon Transpo in France:
Paris and Lyon have city-wide bike rental services. In Paris there are 750 “Velib” stations where bikes can be easily picked up or dropped off with 230 miles of bike lanes in the city. A day pass costs 1 Euro while a full year is 29 Euros and a 7-day pass
is 5 euros – these prices are assuming you have any one bike for no more than 30 minutes. Additional charges apply per every extra 30 minutes you have the bike. For a one-year pass, apply online at www.velib.paris.fr (Choice of French, English and Spanish in upper right corner) for list of bike stations and one year pass. If you want a 1- or 7-day pass, have your credit card ready for one of the automatic ticket machines at the Velib stations. (All passes are subject to 150-euro refundable deposit.) Renters need to be 14 years or older and at least 5 feet tall. You need to have your own helmet. If you want the same bike for an extended stay it may be less expensive to use the Velo-Rent-a-Bike with English website at : www.paris-velo-rent-a-bike.fr/index-gb.php