Eurostar Announces New High-Speed Bordeaux Line

Lovers of high speed train travel and fine claret wines will have something to raise their glasses to tomorrow as tickets go on sale for a new rail service to Bordeaux that will knock more than an hour off the current travelling time from London to this region of France so beloved of the British. 

The tickets, which will cost from $136 return, will be valid for travel from July 2, the date on which a new 188-mile high-speed line will open between Tours and Bordeaux, knocking some 70 minutes off the Paris-Bordeaux stretch (from 3 hours 15 mins, to 2 hours 5 mins).

Although the journey from London will involve a change of station in Paris – between the Gare du Nord and Montparnasse – the improvement in the link will mean that the total travelling time to Bordeaux will be reduced to just under six hours (5 hours 55 mins) – nice and speedy, but still leaving time enough to savour the passing French countryside. 

The British have been enjoying the choice wines of Bordeaux for centuries (a taste for which they speedily acquired during a three hundred period of English rule years up until 1453).  The addition last year of the first-rate La Cité du Vin (wine museum) in the city – described by Telegraph Travel’s Bordeaux expert Anthony Peregrine as “a hi-tech romp of huge imagination and charm” – has only added to the attraction for oenophiles.

But there are plenty of other reasons to visit the city that in 2007 was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site and which was named by Lonely Planet as the best city in the world to visit in 2017.

In his comprehensive guide to Bordeaux, Peregrine says that in addition to its score of wonderful eating and drinking venues, Bordeaux can claim to have the “most graceful streets in France” and a centre that has “a grandiose 18th-century harmony unmatched in Europe”.

There is culture too – of a conventional kind in the Grand Theatre, and of a more contemporary twist in the bars and clubs of the St Pierre district. “Welcome to the Bordeaux nouveau,” declares Peregrine. “It offers the ancient dignity but with added zest and fruitiness. For immediate drinking.”

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Off The Beaten Path: Le Marché de Belleville and More

Visiting Paris soon? Take time to get off the beaten path when you can to visit where some locals might suggest a visit to the following locations.

Le Marché de Belleville

In The Belleville Market you are greeted by the smell: the spices, the fish, the oil and the strange edible roots, the stalls with yams and freshly roasted chicken.

The market in Belleville is one of the most popular and ethnically diverse in Paris, and can take you for a journey around the world in just one morning, when Chinese, Orthodox Jews, Middle Eastern and African women with wax printed head wraps buy groceries for the week, and a little bit of added bric-a-brac.

The customers in Belleville aren’t rich, in fact it is the poorest neighborhood in the city and as a result the prices are low. If you can shimmy your way through the crowd, you can find some really good bargains in Belleville.

The Musée Rodin

The Museum Rodin is without a doubt the loveliest museum dedicated to a single artist in Paris. It is crammed with the sculptor’s sensual and moving works such as The Thinker, The Kiss, The Gates of Hell and The Burghers of Calais.

Auguste Rodin began drawing when he was ten-years-old, and his talent was so obvious that he was admitted to an art school at the tender age of 14. He became both celebrated and infamous at a relatively early stage of his career, and he was often thought of as a bit too advanced for his time.

You should go there on a sunny day, as the garden is an important part of the experience. Outside the museum you can find a series of Rodin’s masterpieces between wide lawns, shadowy avenues and 2,000 rose bushes.

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Culinary Travel: Croque-Monsieur Recipe

Most brasseries and cafés in Paris offer non-stop service, and a staple of their menu is the croque-monsieur, an oozy and crisp grilled ham and cheese sandwich usually moistened by a touch of Béchamel sauce. If you’re extra hungry, get the croque-madame, which adds a fried egg on top.

Good croque-monsieurs have a few things in common: a single layer of French ham and Gruyere pressed between two thin slices of bread. Some, like this one, are filled and topped with béchamel, which makes the whole thing creamier and better. The bread is brushed with butter, and the sandwich is cooked on a griddle or toasted under a broiler so that the cheese almost liquefies and the bits of ham and cheese hanging out the side fall limp and caramelize.

Savor Your Trip To Paris In Your Own Home

Ingredients

5 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon flour
⅔ cup milk
 Sea salt
 Freshly grated nutmeg
4 1/3-inch-thick slices country bread (not sourdough or whole wheat)
4 thin slices French ham
2 thin slices Gruyere cheese

Directions

Preheat a two-sided electric griddle on medium-high to high for about 20 minutes, or preheat the oven to 300 degrees and preheat a cast-iron skillet on top of the stove for about 5 minutes. Prepare a bechamel sauce: in a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter. When bubbles have subsided, add flour and whisk vigorously for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in milk until smooth. Bring to a boil, and cook until thick. Remove from heat, and season to taste with salt and nutmeg.

Spread two slices of bread generously with sauce. Lay two slices of ham on top of each, and top each with a slice of cheese; ham and cheese should slightly overlap edges of bread. Top each with a slice of bread.

In a small saucepan, melt remaining the 4 tablespoons butter. Brush the sandwiches on both sides with butter, making sure that the edges are well covered. If you're using a griddle, place cheese side down, close the griddle and cook until the bread is toasted dark and cheese is leaking out and bubbling. If you're using a skillet, place sandwiches cheese side down and cook on stove top until well browned, then turn and brown again. Transfer skillet to oven, and bake until heated through and cheese is bubbling.

Serve hot.

Call us and start planning that special vacation or event today. 602-843-5100 or visit our website rawhidetravel.com

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Sail Away With Us This Spring

Whether business or pleasure, Rawhide Travel and Tours delivers. Internet Travel sites list hotels and destinations, but offer little else. Our years of experience in the industry will help you design the perfect traveling experience. From romantic getaways to large events, our experienced agents will handle all the details. Traveling does not need to be stressful. You can count on us for great value and dependable service.

We arrange travel air, land and sea. We can arrange the perfect destination package including, resorts, conference rooms and meeting locations, special events, and attractions.

Rawhide Travel and Tours hopes you have a Beautiful Spring Day!

Call us and start planning that special vacation or event today. 602-843-5100 or visit our website rawhidetravel.com


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Glendale, Arizona  85308-3793
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 rawhidetravel.com

In The News: Malta’s Azure Window Arch Collapses

The arch, which has been under threat of collapse for years due to natural erosion and disrespectful tourists alike, gave way under the strain of the gale force winds that were buffeting the island yesterday.  A local man told the Times of Malta, the arch suddenly collapsed into the ocean.

The iconic, landmark arch featured in films and television series including "Clash of the Titans," "The Odyssey," and "Game of Thrones," has collapsed. Malta's Prime Minister Joseph Muscat announced the arch's collapse on Twitter on Tuesday, saying "I have just been informed that the beautiful Tieqa tad-Dwerja in #Gozo has collapsed. Updates soon."

Known as the Azure Window, the limestone arch stood on Malta's Gozo island and served as a picture frame for photographers wanting to capture the sunset over the waters of the Mediterranean. It was "easily the most photographed vista of the islands," according to visitmalta.com.

Steps had been taken by the government to preserve the arch, and visitors had been prohibited from climbing on the arch or swimming beneath it. According to Muscat, however, the landmark was always expected to be "hard hit by unavoidable natural corrosion." "That sad day arrived," Muscat tweeted.

Malta’s Famous Azure Window Rock Arch Collapses, Photographers Mourn

One of the best known photography locations in the world has disappeared. Malta’s famed Azure Window limestone arch on the island of Gozo collapsed into the sea yesterday, leaving a conspicuously, tragically empty space in its wake.

It’s not just the thin arch between the mainland and the massive stone column in the sea that went either—the whole arch, column and all, is just… gone.

Despite the temptation to blame the tourists seen walking along the formation Malta’s Environment Minister Jose Herrera says the collapse could not have been prevented. Humans might have hastened the inevitable, but the arch’s collapse was inevitable all the same.

Call us and start planning that special vacation or event today. 602-843-5100 or visit our website rawhidetravel.com

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Getting Off The Beaten Path In Greece

Thessaloniki is a Perfect Place

Located on the Thermaic Gulf of the Aegean Sea, the awesome destination of Thessaloniki is a perfect place to do this. With a small population of just 300,000, it’s highly unlikely that many people you know will have travelled to this part of Greece. Enjoy time away from the crowds therefore by visiting the ancient squares, towers and fortresses of this old city. You can easily wander the streets for a few days, losing yourself in the history of it all and discovering a world few tourists learn about.

Catch a FERRY to an Island, Even if Planes an Option 
Okay, it’s most likely going to be a tiring, long and very claustrophobic journey on a ferry to the Greek Island of your choice, but it will be worth it! Boat journeys in Greece can be a key way to network and establish connections with other like-minded travellers and locals.

It’s also the old traditional way to journey in these parts and the unique perspective it brings will certainly feel different as well as genuine. Just make sure you hit the outside deck for some much-needed breathing time and have your camera ready to snap the amazing views when you approach land!

4 Islands
From our experience Naxos, Milos, Sifnos and Folegandros seem to tick the right boxes. Advice? There are 4 islands too much in 2 weeks knowing that first and last night might be in Athens? For a trip early July you need to book ferry tickets in advance so you can go directly to Rafina and buy the tickets there?

You could also try to avoid booking hotels in advance to get a feel of each place and adjust your trip based on your discoveries... if you can be very flexible. It is possible to get a nice place with a correct budget (100 euros/night - depends on season and local economy) once you arrive on the different islands? The tourism offices can help find a place?  Remember booking in advance is the only sure thing.

Call us and start planning that special vacation or event today. 602-843-5100 or visit our website rawhidetravel.com

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Culinary Travel: Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki Sauce

Chicken Souvlaki features the fresh-tasting combination of lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil that is so prevalent in Greek cuisine. Serve it alongside a Greek salad of chunked tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and feta cheese. Tzatziki is a traditional Greek yogurt-based sauce flavored with lemon, garlic, and crisp cucumbers.

Ingredients

Souvlaki:

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into (1/2-inch-thick) slices
Cooking spray

Tzatziki Sauce:

1/2 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded, and shredded
1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 garlic clove, minced 

Directions

To prepare souvlaki, combine the first 5 ingredients in a zip-top plastic bag; seal and shake to combine. Add chicken to bag; seal and shake to coat. Marinate chicken in refrigerator for 30 minutes, turning once.

Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade. Thread the chicken and zucchini, alternately onto each of 4 (8-inch) skewers.

Heat a grill pan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add skewers; cook 8 minutes or until chicken is done, turning once.

To prepare tzatziki sauce, combine cucumber, yogurt, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1 garlic clove, stirring well. Serve the tzatziki sauce with souvlaki.

Call us and start planning that special vacation or event today. 602-843-5100 or visit our website rawhidetravel.com

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6008 West Bell Rd # F105
Glendale, Arizona  85308-3793
(602) 843-5100
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