france Travel for Kids

Travel for Kids: France fun things to do with kids in France France, famous for painters, food, medieval cathedrals and much more. You may have been to Paris before, but exploring Paris with your kids will be new and exciting, as they uncover unexpected delights like a boulangerie with the Eiffel tower as bread sculpture. (It was delicious!) As you travel into into the countryside, kids can see for themselves the landscapes immortalized by the Impressionists, and let your children soak up the French joie de vivre. Tip: Don't miss our top picks for children's books on France, recommended by the staff of Travel for Kids, see below. Paris Central Ile-de-France The Loire – Orleans, Amboise, Loire chateaux North Normandy West Brittany Southwest The Dordogne – Lascaux, Rocamadour Languedoc-Roussillon – Carcassonne Southeast Provence Marseilles Cote D'Azur Nice The Cat Who Walked Across France Kate Banks, Georg Hallensleben Irresistible journey of a cat through France, past chateaux and shaded canals, dodging cars in Paris, roaming across lavender fields, to return to his home – a stone house by the edge of the sea. Fabulous double-page illustrations. (Picture book) Katie's Sunday Afternoon James Mayhew Little Katie gets in the picture when she climbs into a Pointillist painting, and joins the swimmers in the cool river. When water pours back into the gallery, Katie fetches a rowboat from another painting to rescue the elegant people in Sunday clothes. A delightful book for summer and fun for little kids. (Picture book) Katie's other adventures with French paintings: Katie Meets the Impressionists Paris Renzo Rossi Illustrated history of Paris, from Roman times when it was called Lutetita Parisiorum, down through Middle Ages with its glorious Gothic cathedrals, 17th century reign of Louis XIV, revolutionary times, Napoleon and the transformation of Paris into the one of the most beautiful cities in the world. (Picture book, fun facts) Eleanor: Crown Jewel of Aquitaine, France, 1136 Kristiana Gregory Fictional diary of 13 year old Eleanor – in just one year, she became Duchess of Aquitaine, then she married Louis Capet, and one week later she was Queen of France! (Chapter book) The Three Musketeers Alexandre Dumas, Deborah Felder Classic swashbuckling, swords-flashing adventure of d'Artagnan and the musketeers, sworn to protect King Louis. The musketeers uncover a plot by the scheming Milady de Winter and Cardinal Richelieu to betray the queen. Fun for new readers. (Easy reader) Kids will also enjoy reading the illustrated abridged version for themselves and listening to the audio CD . Or read the complete version out loud (fun for everyone in the family). The Orange Trees of Versailles Annie Pietri A fabulous tale of intrigue at Versailles. Marion Dutilleul, the gardener's daughter, makes exquisite perfumes for the Marquise de Montespan, favorite of Louis XIV, but Marion discovers the beautiful marquise harbors a dark secret. (Chapter book) Stone Soup Marcia Brown Coming into a French village, three hungry soldiers, returning from the wars, cleverly trick the stingy peasants into sharing their food in a delicious "stone soup." (Picture book) Betsy and the Emperor Staton Rabin Captivating novel of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, in exile on St. Helena. Now a prisoner, living with a local family, Boney finds a kindred spirit in teenage Betsy Balcombe, an uncommon young lady, who plots his escape from the remote island. (Chapter book) The Magical Garden of Claude Monet Laurence Anholt Endearing story of a girl who thinks Monet is the gardener. Anholt's illustrations are seamlessly interwoven with Monet's paintings – you feel as if you're in the water garden, "where lilies sparkle bright as stars." (Picture book) The Impressionist Art Game Wenda O'Reilly Before you go to the museums, "Go Fish" for the Impressionists. The game is simple, but you really look at the paintings on the cards. The accompanying book is a readable, fun introduction to Manet, Pissarro, Degas, Morisot, Monet, Renoir, Cassatt and Caillebotte. Or, you can buy The Impressionist Art Book separately. Fun for all ages. (Activity pack) Sunday with Seurat Julie Merberg, Suzanne Bober "On a sunny Sunday in the park, families play until it's dark." Toddlers can touch Seurat's paintings in this charming board book, French family fun from the seaside to the circus. (Board book) And there's more in this delightful series: Sharing with Renoir , Dancing with Degas , A Picnic with Monet , A Magical Day with Matisse . The Truffle Hunter Inga Moore Adorable story of Martine, a truffle hunting pig who can't find truffles (a French delicacy), until she meets a wild boar in the forest. Charming illustrations. (Picture book) Monsieur Saguette and his Baguette Frank Asch Monsieur Saguette's trip to the bakery is full of adventure, in this whimsical tale of a delicious baguette. With the baguette, Monsieur rescues at cat in a tree, wedges it into an alligator's jaws, disarms a robber and saves himself from a flooding sewer. Playfully illustrated. (Picture book) Hot Air Marjorie Priceman It's September, 1783, and everyone's gathered at Versailles to see a new hot-air balloon with three passengers on board – a duck, a sheep, and a rooster. Hilarious and unexpected adventures of the animals on their flight over the French countryside. Exuberant illustrations, a delight for little ones. (Picture book) The House from Morning to Night Daniele Bour Peek inside a French apartment building, like a doll house. Each page is a different time of day – the baker bakes bread early in the morning, the family comes home for lunch, in the afternoon the concierge sweeps the sidewalk, the mother puts the baby to bed at night. (Picture book, reinforced pages) Let's Learn French Coloring Book Anne-Francoise Pattis Loads of fun pictures to color – from les animaux to le bateau (boat), le chat (cat), la fleu r (flower), seasons of the year, days of the week, animals and food. (Coloring book) (More children's books on other France pages) travel for kids | france Travel for Kids Your best choice for family travel 2000-2005 Globetracks, Inc. disclaimers and limitation of liability

Japan Travel International Travel

Metropolis - Tokyo Japan Travel: God speed JAPAN TODAY | METROPOLIS | CLASSIFIEDS | PERSONALS | JOBS Issue Index Original Features Features Mini Features Cultural Features Life in Japan Big in Japan Rant & Rave Cars & Bikes Health & Beauty Interiors Practical Jobfinder Money Talks Tokyo Tech Web Watch Food & Drink Food & Drink Restaurant Reviews Bar Reviews Word of Mouth Travel Travel Features Japan Travel International Travel Travelogue Style Art Artifacts Fashion Tokyo Talk In Store Buyline Music Japan Beat CD Reviews In Person Concerts Clubbing JAPAN TRAVEL Photos by Mary King The mother of all Shinto temples, Ise Grand Shrine is the spiritual home of the Japanese nation. Mary King takes a pilgrimage. D own the ages various rumors and tales have circulated about the sacred mirror of Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess. It was once said that whoever laid eyes on the mirror would immediately be struck blind, a possible deterrent for would-be thieves. Others have claimed to have seen the mirror and reported that it is inscribed with ancient Hebrew lettering, reading “eheyeh asher eheyeh,” the name of the Judaic-Christian God written in Exodus 3:14 and meaning “I AM THAT I AM.” Heavenly abode Japan’s sacred mirror, one of three items of the Imperial Regalia, is kept in the Inner Shrine (Naiku) at Ise Grand Shrine, a sanctuary that many visitors to the Mie Prefecture city of Ise are astonished to discover they are not allowed to enter or even see. Ise Jingu, popularly known as “O-Ise-san,” or officially “Jingu,” holds the most honored position among the more than 100,000 Shinto shrines that are scattered throughout the breadth of Japan. The site of the nation’s most Holy of Holies, and boasting some of the world’s greatest architectural monuments, Jingu is also home to some of the simplest and most mysterious structures. Described as the “starting point for all journeys in Japan,” Ise is regarded as the spiritual home of the Japanese, a place to which most wish to make at least one pilgrimage to in their lives. In fact, more than six million pilgrims and worshipers come to Jingu each year, crossing the Uji Bridge spanning the sacred Isuzu River to symbolically leave behind the temporal world and enter a “pure world” of kami (gods and spirits) and the ancient mythology of the land. Odyssey Passing through the second huge torii at the end of Uji Bridge, a long gravel approach leads you through a natural cathedral of towering cryptomeria. Pilgrim and tourist alike are taken on a divine journey toward the Naiku and Geku, where Amaterasu and Toyouke (God of Abundant Food) are respectively worshipped. It is an unforgettable odyssey, one that spirits you back to the country’s earliest recorded “history” that tells of the “Age of Kami,” the creation of Japan and the origins of its people right through to the Imperial line and succeeding generations of emperors and empresses. The auxiliary shrines resemble ancient granaries The Geku (Outer Shrine) was dedicated to the grain deity Toyouke, possibly in a bid to bolster the new imperial cult that started, according to the myth, when Amaterasu sent her grandson, Ninigi no Mikoto, down to earth to rule. The Sun Goddess handed her grandson the mirror that had lured her out of her cave, along with Susano’s sword, and a curved jewel. The mirror (yata no kagami), along with the jewel and sword, remain the Three Imperial Regalia, symbols of divine authority, and to this day the emperor conducts rites to ensure a bountiful harvest as well as secret rituals in which he symbolically mates with the Sun Goddess. The high priestess of Ise, meanwhile, has traditionally been an Imperial princess, reflecting the nation’s early history of shamanesses, priestesses and ruling empresses. Having passed through large open grounds and crossed over a small bridge (hiyokebashi), you gradually move towards the more sacred area of the Naiku. To the right of the main pilgrimage path is located a font for the ablutions made by pilgrims prior to proceeding toward the main sanctuary grounds. Beyond the daiichi torii (first sacred gateway) are steps that lead to the Isuzu River, where since ancient times pilgrims have purified their body and mind by washing their hands in, and rinsing their mouths with, the waters of this sacred river. According to Shinto thought, one’s pure mind and body given by the kami must be ritually cleansed so as to return to a state of purity. Amaterasu Omikami is enshrined in the main sanctuary building, the Goshoden, of the inner sanctum of Naiku, in which the august mirror, her symbol or goshintai, is kept and worshipped. As they are considered most sacred, pilgrims or other visitors may see neither the mirror nor the main sanctuary. In fact, the only people allowed to enter the Holy of Holies, according to my guide, are members of the Imperial Family, although on one occasion, it is rumored, Queen Elizabeth was invited in. Restoration Except for the exalted mirror, all of Jingu’s other sacred shrines and objects must be reconstructed in synch with each 20-year Shikinen Sengyo cycle. The elaborate transference procession and ceremony involves the remaking of some 491 holy treasures, 1600 accessories and 125 kinds of sacred apparel that are then put in their proscribed places by the priests. Formerly used objects are kept in the nearby Jingu History Museum, which is open to the public. It is possible to find two absolutely identical Naiku and Geku standing side by side-one old, one new. In time the older one will be deconstructed and its wooden parts, now forever consecrated, recycled as repair pieces for other shrines around Japan. The newer one-once the transference of holy objects has been consummated-hence replaces the old as a locus of veneration. The shrines themselves are thought to resemble ancient granaries or storehouses and are built from Japanese cypress (hinoki) from the Kiso forestry preserves extending between the Gifu and Nagano Prefectures. Befitting the reverence accorded to these sanctified building blocks, death, loss of a limb, or imprisonment have, over the centuries, been the penalties for felling these jewels. A visit to the majestic Ise shrine allows one to understand why. Where to stay: Oaken, tel: 059-622-2589; Hinodekan, Tel: 059-628-2954; Saekikan, tel: 059-628-2017; Okubun, tel: 059-628-2231. Ise City Tourist Information, tel: 059-623-9655. TRAVELOGUE WORLD TRAVEL TRAVEL FEATURES JAPAN TRAVEL: SEPTEMBER 389: God speed The mother of all Shinto temples, Ise Grand Shrine AUGUST 385: Hattoji Highland hamlet JULY 380: Nagasaki Remembrance of things past 378: Kawagoe From modern Tokyo to "Little Edo" 376: Tottori Tottori's stunning landscapes JUNE 375: Kyushu Bed and bath under the volcano 373: Ryogoku Land of the giants 372: Osaka Universal Studios Japan MAY 371: Osaka Amerika-mura: Osaka's funky town 369: Mie Mikimoto Pearl Island 368: Takarazuka Hyogo-ken's all women theater group APRIL 365: Kawasaki Kawasaki's annual fertility festival 364: Aomori A day on Fear Mountain MARCH 362: Nagano Chill out snowboarding 361: Asuka One foot in the grave FEBRUARY 356: Yamanashi Hakushu's hidden treasures 355: Waseda Tram Trip A streetcar named... 352/3: Aomori Jesus in Japan 351: Kumamoto Under the volcano in Kyushu 350: Sado Island Explore the forgotten charms of Shukunegi ISSUES 348- ISSUES 298- TOP

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