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e-Marginalia :: A Passion for Travel
Issue #4, March 1, 2004
http://www.e-margaux.com
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READ ONLINE: If you experience any trouble opening the links in your
newsletter or you would prefer to read online, you may access this
issue of e-Marginalia at
http://www.e-margaux.com/en/e-marginalia/040301.htm. If you wish
to SUBSCRIBE, please subscribe to our newsletter at
http://www.e-margaux.com/en/contact/opt-in.htm.
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In this issue:
~ WELCOME e-MARGONAUTS :: Greetings from e-Margaux
~ FEATURE STORIES :: Top Travel Tales
Santa Fe Photo Workshop,
by Philip Douglis
In Search of the Holistic
Vasectomy, by Joshua Samuel Brown
Veterans' Day in Paris,
by Jim Carroll
The Truth(?) About the
Sistine Chapel, by Marta Steele
~ NEW VACATION RENTALS :: Recent Additions in Paris, France
~ e-MARGAUX LITE :: Quotations, Anecdotes and Humour
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~ WELCOME e-MARGONAUTS :: Greetings from e-Margaux
Spring is in the air. Or perhaps it's only in my mind. Sometimes
it's difficult to tell the difference. I returned from a toasty week
and a half in St. Thomas to a prematurely balmy Northeast. Arriving
in New York City at about 9:30 PM, we stepped off the airplane
braced for the arctic but were happily surprised with 53 degree
temperatures. Not bad. After a couple of days in Manhattan (jogging
in t-shirt and shorts!) I headed up to the Adirondacks to discover
that Lake Champlain was thawing earlier than expected, and anxious
ice fishermen were hustling to remove their shanties from the lake
before it was too late.
Warm, overcast days after a cold, snowy winter inevitably produce
the infamous "mud season" that I've missed out on for over a decade.
But the mucky unpleasantness has been overshadowed by an exciting
new hobby. I'm learning to make maple syrup! Sugaring, as it's
called in the North Country, is a mysterious art, more luck than
science, I'm discovering. My brother and I have tapped (drilled a
hole in the trunk and inserted a special metal tap to collect the
sap) a bunch of sugar maples and have contrived an outdoor,
wood-fired fireplace upon which we boil down the sap into maple
syrup. Of course, we dip snowballs into the boiling syrup and sample
it every couple of minutes to see if it's done, so we haven't
produced nearly as much Grade A Amber as we'd anticipated. But it's
awfully exciting, and it sure tastes fine.
That's a good place to abbreviate my tangential introduction and get
on with it. Welcome back, e-Margonauts! Issue #4 is done at last!
e-Marginalia's first ever travel story contest has ended and it's
time to announce and celebrate the winners. Three stories were so
popular with our site visitors during the past three months that
their authors have been catapulted to victory. The most popular
story was "Exploring Italy by Train" by Nancy Didio, and hot on her
heels, the second and third place stories were "From Potomac to Port
du Punic" by Tasneem and "Dalton Highway" by Nick Lawrence. If you
haven't read these stories you should. No, you must. There's a
reason they're popular! Congratulations Nancy, Tasneem and Nick and
thank you for sharing your travel experiences with us. I hope you
can tolerate the inevitable celebrity-status that follows such
prestigious recognition, and check your mail -- soon you'll be
receiving your reward checks that will put you one iguana step
closer to fortune!
Jealous of the winners? Well, there's no need to be. Trade in your
envy for pen and paper and start composing your own travel story.
Check out the submission guidelines (http://www.e-margaux.com/en/e-marginalia/sub-guide.htm)
and then submit us a piece that will transport us off on the
adventure of a lifetime. Although we accept stories on a rolling
basis, there are some dates that'll help you plan. Veteran e-Margonauts
and newly joined members of the e-Margaux clan take note; submission
deadlines are May 1, August 1, November 1 and February 1. The
quarterly travel story contests (each runs for three months) begin
on March 1, June 1, September 1 and December 1.
Okay, enough housekeeping. But before zipping you off to Technicolor
Santa Fe, New Mexico or Lake Lugu, in China's Yunan Province, I have
some additional news. We're trying out an exciting new commenting
application with these stories. It gives you more control when
commenting/reviewing, and it even permits you to add links to other
websites. How cool is that? Try it out and see what you think. After
reading a story you really love, visit the Comments page and
contribute your thoughts.
And, speaking of contributing, the link below for amusing travel
agent anecdotes was emailed to us by one of our regulars. Do you
have a quotation, anecdote or joke that you would like to share?
Send it along and we'll consider running it in the e-Margaux Lite
section at the bottom of the newsletter. And we'll even give you a
short byline if you'd like.
Too much blather? I'm done. Thanks for reading another issue of
e-Marginalia. I hope that you enjoy it.
Best,
George Davis
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~ FEATURE STORY :: Santa Fe Photo Workshop, by Philip Douglis
Digital photography may still be in its infancy, but in just a few
short years it has already become a major factor in travel
photography. More and more travelers now carry compact digital
cameras and are finding them incredibly useful in documenting and
interpreting their journeys. Not only is electronic film "free" for
life, allowing us to shoot as many pictures as we wish without
guilt, but these cameras also allow us to actually see what our
pictures are going to look like both before and after each shot...
Click Here for Story:
http://www.e-margaux.com/en/story/santa-fe-photo-workshop/
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~ FEATURE STORY :: In Search of the Holistic Vasectomy, by Joshua
Samuel Brown
Lake Lugu, in China's Northern Yunan Province; home of the
aboriginal Mosuo tribe, the last purely matriarchal people left in
China. The Mosuo are best known for their practice of walking
marriage, a form of poly-amoury in which the women - masters of the
household - chose their lovers for the evening from among the men of
the tribe. Children are raised semi-communally, taking the mother's
name and living in the mother's home. Theirs, according to all
accounts, is a pure love, devoid of jealousy, duplicity or shame...
Click Here for Story:
http://www.e-margaux.com/en/story/holistic-vasectomy/
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~ FEATURE STORY :: Veterans' Day in Paris, by Jim Carroll
We took off from Burlington International Airport on Thursday night
and made it to Charles de Gaulle airport around 10am local time.
Getting on the RER was no big deal once I remembered where to go for
tickets. Bought a few carnets of metro tickets as well so that we
were set for the next few days. We snagged a bad snack at the
station and got on the train...
Click Here for Story:
http://www.e-margaux.com/en/story/veterans-day-in-paris/
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~ FEATURE STORY :: The Truth(?) About the Sistine Chapel, by Marta
Steele
Late last year I accomplished a goal I had set for myself back in
high school, a very long time ago, nearly ancient history. At that
time I read Irving Stone's The Agony and the Ecstasy and was
completely transported and green with envy over Michelangelo's
epitomal, utterly heroic creativity, in particular that archetypal
artistic monument, the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel... I vowed to
involve myself in such utterly selfless, all-absorbing projects and
aspired toward creating such masterworks in the process. What else,
I thought, was there to live for?
Click Here for Story:
http://www.e-margaux.com/en/story/sistine-chapel/
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~ NEW VACATION RENTALS :: Recent Additions in Paris, France
Place Vauban :: Magical view of the Dome des Invalides' and the
Eiffel Tower from elegant apartment located in the 7th
arrondissement...
Click Here to Visit:
http://www.e-margaux.com/en/vr/place-vauban/
Place Dauphine :: On an island in the the Seine. This renovated
rental on Ile de la Cite is within a few minutes walk of Ile St.
Louis, St. Germain, the St. Michel area and the Louvre...
Click Here to Visit:
http://www.e-margaux.com/en/vr/place-dauphine/
Rue Vaneau :: Chic, contemporary style and an exceptional 7th
arrondissement location within three (3) minutes walking distance to
rue du Bac and boulevard St. Germain...
Click Here to Visit:
http://www.e-margaux.com/en/vr/rue-vaneau/
Rue de Rennes :: The typical Parisian charm of this elegant rental
apartment located in the 6th arrondissement is complemented with
impressive period antiques...
Click Here to Visit:
http://www.e-margaux.com/en/vr/rue-de-rennes/
Rue Bourgogne :: Charming apartment in the 7th arrondissement,
overlooks Rodin museum, with view of the Dome des Invalides...
Click Here to Visit:
http://www.e-margaux.com/en/vr/rue-bourgogne/
Rue de Duras :: Bathed in natural light since all the windows are
oriented to the south, this serene apartment in an 18th century
stone house overlooks a courtyard...
Click Here to Visit:
http://www.e-margaux.com/en/vr/rue-de-duras/
Rue Duphot :: Elegant apartment 1st arrondissement with high
ceilings, classical moldings, parquet floor, and fireplaces...
Click Here to Visit:
http://www.e-margaux.com/en/vr/rue-duphot/
Rue Richelieu :: Light and airy rental apartment in the highly 1st
arrondissement steps from the gardens of the Palais Royal...
Click Here to Visit:
http://www.e-margaux.com/en/vr/rue-richelieu/
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~ e-MARGAUX LITE :: Quotations, Anecdotes and Humour
"There is no end to the adventures that we can have if only we seek
them with our eyes open."
--Nehru
Travel Agent Stories :: If you've got a moment and need a chuckle,
then it's time to head over to
http://www.jimpoz.com/jokes/travelAgent.html to read some
amusing, allegedly "real" travel agent stories. We can't vouch for
anything else on this site (we were referred by an e-Margaux.com
site visitor who likewise qualified her recommendation), but we
thought you might enjoy a laugh or two.
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