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.
Jav
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