You Can Now Enjoy English Translations at Parisian Theaters

Want to enjoy theater in Paris but don’t know enough French to understand well? You're in luck. Theatre in Paris, an innovative cultural tourism company, not only offers English subtitles on LED screens on either side of the stage at a number of venues citywide, but also publishes a full-color program about the specific play, as well as background on the actors and even on the theater itself.
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In addition, its guests can attend a short talk on what they are about to see and learn about well-known actors, directors, and plays that have been hosted at the theater before. Seats chosen by the company are central ones with clear views of the LED screen.
The program’s 2016–2017 season includes five new productions: a musical focusing on one of France’s most loved singers, entitled I Love Piaf; the comedy Anything You Want at the historical Théâtre Edouard VII; the French classic Le Cid; Summer 44, the first musical about the events of D-Day; and Cyrano De Bergerac, written by 19th-century French poet Edmond Rostand.

Established in 2014, officials with the award-winning company said it provided translations for 400 performances last year of 10 different productions in nine theaters and attracted guests from over 50 nationalities. It can also arrange dinner or cocktail receptions at the various venues, which range from impressively designed historic locations to the more glamorous Parisian café théâtres and smaller, cozy neighborhood theatersIn the Mediterranean, breakfast is usually light, something to fortify you quickly for the start of a new day. The typical Turkish breakfast, available in almost any hotel or streetside cafe, consists of bread, cheese, olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, and perhaps a few extras like a boiled egg or a bit of butter or jam. Be sure to look for kaymak, a traditional cheese served drizzled with honey.

For the past 15 centuries, visitors to Istanbul have made Hagia Sophia (Ayasofya) their first stop. You should, too. Built as the cathedral of the city in 532, this magnificent structure has been at the center of the religious and cultural life of Istanbul ever since. As you wait in line for tickets, look behind you at the open square stretching south to the Blue Mosque (Sultanahmet). You are standing in one of the oldest public squares in the world, which dates back to the third century BC, when it was filled with classical statues and merchant stalls. Although floods of tourists pour into Hagia Sophia daily, once inside you will have plenty of space and as much solitude as you like to contemplate a building where every stone is history. A Christian church for nine centuries, it was later transformed into the sultan’s mosque—a position it held until 1935, when it opened as a museum.Jav Studens

Insider Tip: Don’t be surprised if you pick up a new friend along the way, even an American one. People are friendly in Turkey, but not that friendly—your new friend, who insists on hearing all about you, is actually selling carpets. A smile and a polite but firm good-bye is enough to send him off to more promising game.

After an hour or two in Hagia Sophia, let yourself drift past the fountains, greenery, and shouts of “Bosporus Tours!” toward the Blue Mosque, which is worth a short visit. Completed in 1606, the Sultanahmet mosque gets its nickname from the stunning blue Iznik tiles that decorate its walls and columns.

Next, head southeast (or to the left, if coming from Hagia Sophia) and do some window shopping in Arasta Bazaar, a long, open pedestrian mall. The Blue Mosque and these shops are built over the ruins of the ancient palace of the Byzantine emperors. Once a glittering complex adorned with every luxury, it now lies hidden beneath the winding streets of the district. You can, however, peek into one of its rooms by entering an unassuming door along the line of shops.

Down a few stairs, and many centuries, is the Great Palace Mosaic Museum (Büyük Saray Mozaikleri Müzesi). Seldom visited by the tourist throngs only a stone’s throw away, this small museum holds exquisite floor mosaics from the emperor’s private quarters, all in situ. Animals, spirits, peasants, and hunters all come to life in these rich depictions of a long-ago IstanbulJav Office

How to Spend 3 Days in Mérida, Mexico

Mérida is the hub of the Yucatán, sitting in the middle of the peninsula with easy access to archaeological sites, funky beach towns, and colonial culture. It’s a hip and visitor-friendly city, with bustling restaurants, cute cafés, and events and festivals that take place downtown. Mérida has certainly been discovered, but you’ll find that prices here are lower than what you’ll find in Cancún, Tulum, and the Riviera Maya. Mérida is small enough that three days is enough time to soak up the sights and sounds and do a little exploring outside of the city. There’s a huge expat community here, so at times it can feel touristy, but after spending a few days here, you may want to relocate too.
DAY 1 Jav XXX Full DVDMost U.S. flights to Mérida arrive in the afternoon, so hop in a cab (or rent a car) and head to your hotel or rental to freshen up and walk around town before dinner. Mérida is a small city that’s easiest to navigate by foot, so walk over to the main Zócalo to get your bearings. (As the sun goes down, the light reflects of the pastel buildings in a warm glow, so make sure to always have your camera handy at sunset.)

At the main square, you’ll see the Cathedral, the theater, and some beautiful government buildings. You might also happen upon a local festival or “Pok ta Pok” tournament in the town square, where local teams don traditional headdresses and body paint to reenact the incredibly difficult Mayan game of Pok ta Pok, where players use just their hips (no hands, no feet) to pass a heavy rubber ball through a hoop. In ancient Mayan cultures, the winning team was sacrificed to the gods, but this version is decidedly less bloody. The events are a fun way for tourists to mingle with locals and get a taste of life in Mérida.

Indulge in romantic Amaro for dinner, a traditional restaurant situated in a courtyard close to the main square. It’s a vegetarian-friendly spot with choices like chaya (a spinach-like leaf) soup, but don’t miss out on meaty local dishes like cochinita pibil (roast marinated pork) and panuchos, bean-filled tacos topped with either roast pork or chicken and lettuce, avocado, tomato, and pickled onion.

For dessert, head to Dulceria y Sorbeteria Colon on the main square, an ice cream shop next to the Palacio de Gobierno. The ice cream here is made with goat milk, which gives it a rich texture and tangy aftertaste, almost like frozen yogurt. Opt for a flavor of something local, like coconut, and eat your ice cream at the tables set up on the sidewalk.
DAY 2

Today’s the day to do a bit of exploring and walking around in Mérida. Wear comfortable shoes, but if you get tired of walking you can always hire a horse and carriage to take you to your next stop.

After breakfast, make your way down the Paseo Montejo, the Champs Elysees of Mérida. The avenue is filled with gorgeous colonial mansions dating from the late 19th century, when wealthy plantation owners competed to have the most beautiful house on the block. There’s not much to see inside the opulent buildings—some are still private and some have been turned into office buildings—but they are great eye candy. If you’d like a peek inside, visit Palacio Canton, a private residence that has been converted into a museum. Built in 1909, the mansion is filled with marble interiors and Beaux-Arts details.Jav Streaming
For lunch, take a stroll through Mérida’s market, located on Calle 56. The sights and smells of produce, roasted pork, seafood, and fresh tortillas can be overwhelming, but do a lap to see what’s offered before you decide on a snack (or snacks). If you like tacos, opt for a stand selling tacos al pastor (look for the vertical spit-roasted meat). There’s also a heavenly pork sandwich, served on a baguette and filled with melt-in-your-mouth roasted suckling pig. Don’t be scared if you’re a vegetarian: you can also find delicious treats like empanadas, chiles rellenos, and fresh juices.

Insider Tip: The market is also a good place to pick up souvenirs for the food lovers in your life. Opt for spices, papakzul (pumpkin seed paste), and habanero hot sauce.

After lunch, head to the main square, where you can venture inside the imposing Catedral de Mérida. Nearby, pay a visit to the Casa de Montejo. The stately home was originally built by the Franciscos de Montejo, the first conquistadors of the Yucatán Peninsula, in 1549. A visit here is quick, but rewarding (and it’s free!). Visitors get the chance to walk through the ground floor of the house with rooms elaborately decorated and filled with household objects. You’ll feel like you’ve gone back in time as you stroll through the lavish library, parlor, dining room, and bedroom. The museum is also home to a gallery that showcases modern works and contemporary photography.

Now it’s time to stroll around town and do some shopping. Mérida is a hub for crafts, and you’ll find beautiful handmade clothing, bags, and hammocks at any of the little shops in the centro. There’s beautiful bead and leather work, vibrant textiles, and folk art. Visit Miniaturas on calle 59 for a delightful selection of tiny figurines and art works.

Return to your lodgings to relax or take a dip in the pool and freshen up before dinner.

Since street food was on the menu at lunch, dinner tonight is the total opposite. Make a reservation at Kuuk, a chic and unique restaurant that has a modern take on ancient Yucatecan ingredients. The tasting menu here is an experiment in molecular gastronomy and will take you through the flavors of the Yucatán with small, artful dishes prepared with fresh ingredients and cutting-edge techniques.

If you have the energy after dinner, head to La Fundación Mezcalería, a fun and funky bar where you can try a variety of Mezcals while listening to local bands and DJs. Depending on the season it can be loud and hard to find a seat, but there’s a little outdoor courtyard too.
DAY 3


Wake up, fuel up, and do a little educational sightseeing today. Rent a car or hire a driver for a trip out of Mérida to Dzibilchaltun, an ancient Mayan site located 25 minutes from the city. You can hire a guide or just stroll the grounds on your own. The site isn’t the most impressive site in the Yucatán, but it’s a lovely place to visit for a morning. There’s a temple, a main square, and even a crumbling Colonial church. Don’t forget to bring your bathing suit—there’s a swimming hole on site where you can jump from rocks into cool green water.

Insider Tip: The site is home to temple with doors that perfectly align with the rising sun during the spring and fall equinox; huge celebrations are held here to mark both dates.

At lunchtime, get back in the car and hit the beach at Progreso. There’s a long pier for cruise ships and a long strand filled with little beach restaurants. Pick one that strikes your fancy and relax with a cold beer.Jav Big Tits

After you’ve had your fill of the beach, return to Mérida in the afternoon and get a table outside at La Negrita Cantina, a bar with live music, strong drinks, and a delicious assortment of bar snacks that make a great last meal in Mérida.
WHERE TO STAY

No matter where you stay, make sure there’s a pool. Mérida has some gorgeous and affordable boutique hotels like Casa Lecanda and Coqui Coqui; it would be a miss to visit Mérida and not stay at one of those hotels. If you’re traveling with a group, however, you can easily find a beautiful hacienda with a courtyard and pool for under $200.
WHEN TO GO

Mérida has a hot tropical climate that’s lovely year-round (hence the retirees). However, it can get beastly hot during the summer months. There are short tropical storms during the fall, and winter has slightly lower temperatures and clear sunny skies, making it the best and busiest season for a visit.
GETTING HERE

AeroMexico, United, and American Airlines all have direct flights from the United States to Mérida’s international airport

Coolest Treasure Hunt is Not What You'd Expect

Some people may guess that the nation’s oldest federal monuments are in Washington, D.C. That makes sense. But you’re wrong if you think they’re on the National Mall or on Capitol Hill. And think again if you’re envisioning grand classical pantheons or even towering marble columns.
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What would you say if you learned the oldest federal monuments are actually little sandstone markers standing 2 feet tall and a foot square that resemble George Washington’s false choppers? And that they’re tucked away in people’s backyards and under a lighthouse and amid brambles along the Potomac River and even right in front of a Metro stop?
And yet there they are, 40 of them, sprinkled around Washington, D.C., protected by Victorian iron fences. Few people realize they’re even there. Or worse—they’ve seen them but haven’t given them a second glance. But they may very well be the most important monuments in the nation’s capital.

So what are these “boundary stones?” In short, they are the city’s earliest geographical markers.

“Without the boundary stones, there wouldn’t be a Washington, D.C.,” says Stephen Powers, co-chair of the Nation’s Capital Boundary Stones Committee. “George Washington was given 10 years to set up the city here. If he failed, it would go to Philly.”
So the first order of business for the newly inaugurated President was to establish the capital city’s 100-square-mile site. “Before building the White House. Before building the Capitol,” Powers says. “He was under the gun.”

A surveying party led by Major Andrew Ellicott set out in 1791, methodically clearing the land and charting a 10-by-10-mile diamond shape encompassing the “Federal Territory.” They planted stone markers a mile apart along each border, with larger stones marking the north, south, east, and west corners. Within a year and a half, Washington’s parameters officially had been defined, and Washington’s choice location for his capital city was saved. All he had to do next was build the White House and Capitol.

A lot has changed since the boundary stones were first planted, and perhaps the coolest thing about them is the chance they offer to experience Washington’s different neighborhoods—from historic and gritty Anacostia to tiny Chevy Chase, from Northeast’s working-class neighborhoods to Northwest Washington’s enclave of the political elite.

A tour of all 40 requires knocking on people’s doors, climbing through bushes, requesting permission to enter a water treatment plant, and following a trail map through a historic cemetery. And with 40 miles of perimeter to cover (actually more, since few stones can be accessed in a straight line), it may take days or weeks to visit them all. There are those who bike to find them (or go on the annual Boundary Stones Bike Ride, typically slated in October). Others hike. Powers offers a guided tour in May (contact him through the boundary stones website). However you do it, it’s a true historical treasure hunt, and a fabulous way to visit out-of-the-way corners of D.C., far from its sparkling corridors of power.Jav MovieHere’s a quadrant-by-quadrant primer to get you started:

Southwest Quadrant

President Washington wanted to make sure that Alexandria, one of the country’s busiest ports, would be within the 100-square-mile confines of the new capital. As such, Benjamin Banneker, a prominent surveyor and astronomer, lay on his back for six nights to study the stars and calculate that the southernmost point within those parameters was Jones Point. And that’s where the surveying party began their work, moving clockwise through the Virginia territory from Jones Point.

Wait, back up. Virginia? That’s not in Washington, D.C.! Well, actually Alexandria County was, originally. When the surveyors first assessed the land, they took a chunk out of Maryland and a chunk out of Virginia. Then Virginia wanted its land back. A separation movement blossomed, culminating in the 1847 retrocession of Alexandria County (which today is Alexandria city and Arlington County), shrinking the district by a third. So the current lands comprising today’s Washington, D.C., are actually former Maryland territory.

To see that first boundary stone at Jones Point, head to Alexandria, right along the Potomac. When a lighthouse was built on the spot in the mid-1800s, the stone was built into the seawall—so to find it, you have to peer into the dark recess.

From there, most of Southwest’s stones are in plain view—along a street near the Masonic Temple, in the parking lot of a church, in a park named for Benjamin Banneker. You’ll travel through some pretty neighborhoods, as well as a congested shopping corridor, ending at Andrew Ellicott Park in Falls Church, Virginia.

Note: Each one is named by its quadrant and position from the cornerstone; the first stone you come to after Jones Point, for example, is called SW1, meaning it lies in the southwest quadrant and is 1 mile from the south cornerstone.
Northwest Quadrant

Continuing clockwise through the Virginia territory, the northwest quadrant covers north Arlington then crosses over the Potomac River into northwest D.C. These are grand neighborhoods, with large brick houses and ancient trees—the domain of Washington’s power elite. Here, a couple markers hide away in people’s backyards (NW2, NW3). Go ahead and knock on the doors—someone does at least once a month, say the easygoing residents. And several are firmly planted in front yards, including NW8, hidden by a bush (it’s illegal to remove them, even if they don’t match your landscaping).

One of the most difficult to access stones—NW4—is here too, on the grounds of the Dalecarlia Water Treatment Plant, north of Georgetown. You must contact the facility ahead of time to gain permission, then be accompanied to the stone. And don’t forget your I.D. to get through the gate! But the employees are happy to accommodate you—they know exactly where the marker is, meaning that once you’re inside you don’t scramble trying to find it because you’re guided straight to the spot (and can ask questions and get some insight along the way).

Northeast Quadrant

From the northernmost point of D.C.’s diamond shape, the northeast quadrant encompasses working-class, traditionally African American neighborhoods. The most interesting stone here may be NE7, located within the historic Fort Lincoln Cemetery, which integrates a Civil War fort. NE1, tucked away in a row of Ethiopian shops near Silver Spring, was accidentally bulldozed in 1952; today a plaque memorializes it—several stones have gone missing through the years, though they are slowly being replaced (in fact, SE4 and SE8 were replaced in 2016).
Southeast Quadrant

Continuing southeast back to the original south marker at Jones Point, Southeast contains D.C.’s historic Anacostia neighborhood, once home to civil rights leader Frederick Douglass. A string of stones on properties along Southern Avenue provides one of the best stretches to easily spot a bunch. And SE7 sits at a busy intersection where locals play chess, sell water bottles, and welcome treasure hunters with a curious glance, providing a glimpse into D.C. daily life far from the Hill’s political shenanigans.Jav Teacher

But this quadrant also contains the most difficult marker to find. SE9 sits above the marshy banks of the Potomac River, with no trails to access it. “The easiest way to to get to it is from I-295,” Powers says. “Look for the Maryland/D.C. sign, then scramble through a little hole in the fence. But you really need to know where it is.” You can also access it via Oxon Cove, which requires clambering beneath the highway and over sharp rocks. No doubt, in this natural state, you get a sense of what our forefathers were up against when they set out to survey the original boundaries of our great capital. To think that the stones they laid out remain to this day is a precious reminder of the hopes and dreams of a fledgling nation—and all that it has become today