The Cicerone

    We had such a response to our suggestion for tea in London, we wanted to add one more of our tips for tea. The Tea Caddy in Paris. This little jewel is just around the corner from Shakespeare and Company, the iconic bookstore where Brits and Americans hang out in Paris. The Tea Caddy is about as British as it gets, and fun to stop into if your are spending the day on the left bank, our favorite part of Paris.

St. James Restaurant in Fortnum and Mason re-opened this month to cheers from those of us who love a good tea party. Tourists think of tea when they think of England and the tourist trade has obliged with every kind of afternoon tea imaginable. But, for our taste, the place to go is the St.James. It is elegant, good and reliably traditional.

Today is Saint Joseph's Day, celebrated in much of Europe as Father's Day.  The feast of Saint Joseph honors the step- father of Jesus and is celebrated with a big feast. The custom can be traced back at least to the tenth century. Because it comes during Lent the food is vegetables and fish; but lots of it and the cook's best dishes. 

Fat Tuesday is the end of Mardi Gras. Celebrations for Mardi Gras began the day after Epiphany and culminate today. In Europe, France and Italy have the biggest celebrations that culminate with a feast that includes King Cake. Strangely enough, the King Cake isn't traditionally baked at home, it is a bakery item. This yeast based cake is supposed to look like a crown and to have traditional colors.&nbs

Many people are making plans for summer Olympics in London. We are getting requests for tips on everything, so we'll be sending along bits of suggestions. Ivy restaurant is an institution in the theater district, been there since 1917. If you want the real deal in old fashioned London, this is it. Even though Ivy may have passed its peak in terms of the"in" place, it still has an atmosphere  that really can't be passed up.

We were shocked to learn that there is fine print for  the Concordia passengers that even travel agents weren't aware of.  When they purchased their tickets, they gave away their rights to sue anywhere other than Italy. Wow! Anyone familiar with Italian courts knows this means no protection for passengers. Why? Because in Italy, attorneys don't work on contingency.

Most travel writers recommend using travel dollars for other than the most expensive hotels. We agree. But there are things to consider about how cheap to go in choosing a hotel. We are doing a series of articles now on problems when traveling in Europe and hotels are on that list.

We love Europe, but there are some real problems you should know about when traveling. The most important is pickpockets. They are everywhere and with the bad economy,  it's getting worse.  Don't let your trip get ruined by losing your money, or some important items like your camera, phone, or computer. And just don't travel with good jewelry. Almost everyone who has traveled in Europe has had at least one loss. So here are some tips.

Epiphany is the last of the twelve days of Christmas, a tradition as old as Christmas itself. Shakespeare's Twelfth NIght was written in 1601. The universal theme is some sort of King's Cake baked with a little surprise. Whoever gets the surprise is king. 

Puerto del Sol is the place to be on New Year's Eve. Nochevieja begins with a family dinner, usually lamb and shrimp. Everyone wears red underwear for good luck. Then the party moves to Puerto del Sol, a huge square, located on the site of the ancient gate to the sun. This is the heart of the city. At midnight, tradition dictates eating twelve grapes, for good luck. The Spanish are known for their late hours, but on this night they really celebrate.