We’ve been to the Netherlands a few times and on any of those visits that happened to be in the early spring we were always on the lookout for blooming tulips. In fact, on one trip at exactly this week of the year we went twice to Keukenhof, described as “The most beautiful spring garden in the world”. They showcase 7 million spring-flowering bulbs with probably none better known than the tulip. There are express buses that go directly from downtown Amsterdam to the garden, some passing by endless fields of yellows, reds, pinks, and purples, and maybe even the elusive black flowers. What we didn’t realize until recently was that some of those bulbs that end up in the Netherlands actually start out here in France.

We’re not opera fans so it surprised me when Bill said that he was ordering tickets to the opulent 19th-century Parisian theater, Opera Garnier. We do enjoy architecture, however, so it all made sense when he explained that in planning for a trip to Paris we would now be going on a guided tour inside the beautiful building that we’d admired from the street in front and from the Galeries Lafayette department store rooftop, 8 stories up. Since we would not be attending a performance, I should probably call the theater by its alternative and perhaps more prestigious-sounding name, the Palais Garnier. 

Last week we talked about the health benefits from traveling so now it seems appropriate to discuss keeping your wallet en forme at the same time. One of our local newspapers, Midi Libre, featured an article from the French financial services comparison site, “Hello Safe”, that listed the daily cost you could expect to pay while on vacation in 136 countries around the world. Acknowledging that costs will depend upon the chosen standard of accommodation and restaurants, for example, the study’s authors used both objective and subjective means to analyze the data. Let’s find out where it’s cheap to go on vacation!