Short and Sweet – Letter From the President

Posted on May 5, 2009
Filed Under Destinations, Health, Johnny Jet, Letter From the President, Medjet, Rudy Maxa Top Six, Safety, Travel, Travel Products | 1 Comment

By Roy Berger, Medjet President/CEO

Spring gets ready to roll into summer. Baseball season moves into full bloom. Basketball and hockey get ready to move stage right and crown their champions. And, about this time of year, it becomes Short-Term Membership Season at the MedjetAssist offices in Birmingham, Alabama.

Mom’s, Dad’s, Grandma’s and Pop’s begin to prepare the kids for summer travel.  Some are going off to camp; others are traveling the globe for the first time perhaps with organized tour groups. Then there is the mainstream staying in the States but visiting family and friends from the East Coast to the West Coast. And now with the swine flue virus scare it is more important than ever that people travel with a ‘protection’ plan.

As the bags are being packed we have seen, in increasing demand, parents and grandparents not wanting to send the kids away without a MedjetAssist card with them. And with that demand we always see a spike in short-term memberships during the summer months.

As a Medjet member you are protected wherever and whenever you travel over 150 miles from home.
However, it’s certain you will know someone that is getting ready to take a holiday journey in the upcoming months or preparing to send the kids off for a jaunt.

Recommend that they too carry the Medjet card!  Our short-term memberships of 7, 14, 21 and 30 days are perfect for those perhaps only taking one trip this year.  With the travel economy in the condition it is, we are seeing more folks whose travel patterns have changed and perhaps they now are only taking a trip or two in a given year. And with that we have seen an uptick in our short-term membership sales.

Our short-term memberships start at $95 for seven days and then incrementally increase to 14, 21 and 30 days.  A very small price to pay for your peace of mind, not to mention the doubled peace of mind when you are sending that son, daughter or grandchild away for a summer fun trip and visit.

For complete information on the Medjet Short-Term Membership please visit www.medjet.com or call any of our membership services associates at 1-800-527-7478 and they will be glad to help with the membership option best for your or your loved ones.

Safe Travels

Roy

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Rudy Maxa’s World: Buenos Aires Hot List

Posted on December 3, 2008
Filed Under Rudy Maxa Top Six, Travel | 1 Comment

Rudy Maxa is a contributing editor with National Geographic Traveler magazine and one of America’s premier consumer travel broadcasters on public radio and television. You may know him as “The Savvy Traveler” on public radio’s business show, “Marketplace.”

Buenos Aires Top Six

Sunday’s San Telmo market: Even if you don’t travel to shop, you’ll be fascinated by this display of goods from Argentina’s attics—old irons, radios, silver, crystal, brass door knobs, you name it.  My favorite?  Heavy, beautifully etched colored seltzer bottles for about $25.  Go early—the market in the funky San Telmo neighborhood begins closing at 6 p.m. when men beating drums loudly accompanied by women dancing parade through the streets to signal the close of business.

Alvear Palace: Old World elegance paired with polished service and amenities, this hotel in the middle of the posh Recoleta neighborhood makes no mistakes.  Fresh roses in every room—the hotel owners are nuts about flowers—free Wi-Fi, and an indoor pool make this a luxurious oasis in the big city.  Of special note: A lavish afternoon tea that stretches to 7 p.m. since dinner generally begins after ten in Argentina.   Av. Alvera 1891.

Faena + Univerise and the Park Hyatt Buenos Aires: If Old World isn’t your style, go stark modern—Phillipe Starck in the case of the eye-popping Feana hotel in the city’s new, hip, artists’ neighborhood by the water, Puerto Madero.  All red velvet and mirrors, the Faena has Starck marrying hip with coziness (especially in the bar), and the dining room with the white unicorns on the walls dazzles.  The nightly, intimate tango show (with dinner) is first rate, and you can’t go wrong making the outdoor pool scene.  The Park Hyatt, in Recoleta, is cool elegance and tranquility with a central courtyard where you can happily sip Malbec all day in the shade.  Faena + Universe: Av. Juana Manso 1499.  Park Hyatt Buenos Aires: Av. Alvear 1661.

Sifone & Dragones: This 18-seat restaurant is nice and funky and a great place to have dinner if you reserve early enough.  The ever-changing menu generally features three starters and four main courses, all interesting…such as Thai chicken with tamarind and orange sauce with green leaves salad and mint.  A short wine list matches the menu.  You’ll want to go back again the next night.  Ciudad de la Paz 174; tel. 154-413 9871.

Scannapieco: There are plenty of decent, chain ice cream stores in Buenos Aires, but you want one of the old, Italian places where the ice cream is totally authentic and made with fresh fruit.  You want Scannapieco, operating continuously since 1938 under the same family from southern Italy.   Try the banana or flan ice cream.  Heck, try everything!  Av. Cordoba 4826, Palermo Viejo.

Green Bamboo: Steaks and Malbec are de rigueur in Argentina.   But after a few sides of beef, you may long for a break.  That’s why Green Bamboo, which bills itself as a Vietnamese restaurant but more closely resembles a coffee house with great, Asian fusion dishes, was invented.  If you must have more meat, try the shredded duck.  Costa Rica 5802; tel. 4775-7050.

Rudy Maxa’s Top Six – Geneva

Posted on November 3, 2008
Filed Under Destinations, Rudy Maxa Top Six, Safety, Travel | Comments Off

Rudy Maxa is a contributing editor with National Geographic Traveler magazine and one of America’s premier consumer travel broadcasters on public radio and television. You may know him as “The Savvy Traveler” on public radio’s business show, “Marketplace.”

Geneva

Outstanding Cocktails: Plan for aperitifs at Le Rouge et Le Blanc, a casual, artisanal wine and tapas bar situated on the Right Bank of the Rhône. The cozy and rustic atmosphere makes this an ideal spot to enjoy a romantic date or to make new friends –  any Swiss cultural stereotypes of being cold and serious don’t apply here. Weather permitting, the outdoor terrace affords some of the best views of the Jet d’Eau. Prices are reasonable, and the knowledgeable staff can happily suggest some of Switzerland and Europe’s finest vintages according to your mood. Across the river, the sleek Arthur’s Rive Gauche is a Geneva institution. An afternoon Kir, tea or coffee would be my choice here, before the techno music kicks in. And the jazzy, upmarket Leopard Lounge in the five-star Hotel d’Angleterre can’t be beat for people-watching or funky decor — though the cocktails might set you back a small fortune.

-Rouge et le Blanc, Quai des Bergues 27

-Arthur’s Rive Gauche, 7-9 Rue du Rhône

-Leopard Lounge, 17 Quai du Mont-Blanc

Best Way to Sightsee: Geneva is a pedestrian-friendly city with a safe, clean and reliable public transport system. But this banker’s haven is not a city not known for free rides. That’s why I was thrilled to discover Genève Roule, a grassroots organization that rents free bikes for the day from five central locations throughout the city. Except for the hilly old town, Geneva is fairly flat and boasts a number of scenic, well-marked bike routes, as well as car-free paths along the lake and Geneva’s two rivers, the Rhône and the Arve. Walking and cycling maps are available for free from any tourist information center, which are designated by a blue lowercase “i.” All you need to rent is a passport and a refundable deposit of 50 CHF.  (Seasonal from April 30th through October 30th; www.geneveroule.ch)

Geneva is a little more than an hour’s drive from Europe’s highest mountains, the Mont-Blanc massif. From hiking to shopping to skiing, the Chamonix valley in the French Alps has something for everyone. Reasonably priced round-trip bus service from the Gare Routière de Genève (http://www.geneva.ch/f/GenevaCoachStation.htm) is offered year-round.

During ski season, you may request your lift pass to be included with your bus ticket fare; skis and equipment can be accommodated, and the bus will drop you directly at the lift of most major resorts. If you’re looking to avoid the lift lines of some of the glitzier, more internationally-known resorts, try Les Contamines-Montjoie located between Chamonix and Megeve. I like the south-facing “Tierces” section, which has nice, long runs for every level. (www.lescontamines.com/index_uk.html)

For a more cosmopolitan experience, take the bus to the charming French village of Annecy, just 22 miles away. Once the capital of the historical province of Genevois, Annecy is best known for its pure mountain air and crystal-clear aquamarine lake, where you can rent paddle and motor boats. Don’t miss the gorgeous Old Town, the sinister Palais de l’Isle jail, or the gelato in the summer.

Farmers’ Markets Worth Visiting: Like their French neighbors, Genevans take outdoor farmers markets very seriously. In the heart of centre-ville, the Boulevard Helvétique market features local fruits and vegetables, cheese, even wine. Some stalls offer picnic style seating, a perfect place to order a bottle of wine and a plate of cheese or charcuterie (dried ham and beef is a local specialty). Don’t miss the rotisserie chicken — it makes a great picnic by the lake later, and is a Saturday tradition for many locals. The neighboring town of Divonne-les-Bains, in France (about a 20-minute drive from Geneva), offers an even larger selection on Saturdays and Sundays. I recommend the oyster stand, where you can select your fresh oysters, watch them be shucked and promptly delivered to your table – with a bottle of white wine, of course – next to a babbling brook. Perfect for a Sunday, when most everything is closed in town.

Best Dining Bargain With a View: At the end of a long jetty on the right bank of Lac Leman you’ll find Les Bains des Pâquis, open 365 days a year from 8 a.m. until 10 pm. This on-the-lake “buvette” offers outstanding breakfast and lunch daily, featuring a few regular menu items and a mouth-watering daily special – for no more than 12 CHF. Cafeteria-style service means you need to actively defend your place in line, but it’s worth it for the excellent food ad the unparalleled view of the harbor and the old city.  On fall and winter evenings, enjoy champagne fondue for 20 CHF per person (table service provided for dinner). Incidentally, you can also find the best deal on a massage in town at the adjacent Bains des Pâquis, at only 60CHF for 50 minutes.

-30 Quai du Mont-Blanc, Les Paquis, Geneva
Phone: 022/7322974

For Exploring Randomly: About a 12-minute tram ride from the center of Geneva lies the historic village of Old Carouge, now a Geneva suburb. Dubbed the “Greenwich Village of Geneva,” Carouge’s quaint streets are dotted with artists’ workshops, galleries, boutiques, bohemian and trendy cafés and some of the city’s best nightlife. For brunch or lunch, I suggest Ô Calme, a comfortable and casual dining experience with such a homemade ambiance that you almost feel like you’re eating in someone’s kitchen. Also a great place for coffee or tea with one of their delicious pastries.

-Rue Ancienne, 36, Carouge 1227)

For Dinner: Try Café des Negociants, one of the best restaurants in all of Geneva, for fine French cuisine and a creative wine list that includes some of the most in-demand and hard-to-find Swiss vintages. Book the wine cellar downstairs for parties of 6 or more.

-29 Rue de la Filature, Carouge; Phone: +41 (0) 22 300 3130).

Something Extra…

For Late-Night Live Music and DJ’s: Visit Le Chat Noir

-Rue Vautier 13, Carouge; www.chatnoir.ch

Rudy Maxa’s World – Top Six, London

Posted on September 15, 2008
Filed Under Destinations, Rudy Maxa Top Six, Travel | 1 Comment

Rudy Maxa is a contributing editor with National Geographic Traveler magazine and one of America’s premier consumer travel broadcasters on public radio and television. You may know him as “The Savvy Traveler” on public radio’s business show, “Marketplace.”

LONDON

Best Market in Town: My favorite food market is the Borough Market tucked under train tracks near London Bridge on the Tate Modern side of the Thames, hard right by the Globe Theater.  Any market that’s been around since the 1st century AD (when the Romans tied on the feedbag there while sacking London) has to be good, and this one is.  The guy selling shellfish dives for ‘em himself.  There’s a vast offering of fresh breads, meats (including whole Iberico hams), fish, handmade chocolates, vegetables, fruits and desserts.  Go early and take coffee at the Monmouth Coffee Co. where you may sit at a community table and (for about $4.50) dig into unlimited great bread and butter and jams with your java.  Order freshly shucked oysters at the Wright Bros. storefront next door, and don’t miss the eye-popping cheese shop around the corner at Neal’s Yard Dairy. It’s open Thursday and Friday afternoons, but get there before opening at 9 on Saturday mornings to beat the crush.  More: boroughmarket.org.uk.

Five-Star Museum: For my money, it’s the Cabinet War Rooms (Clive Steps, King Charles Street, Westminster), the underground headquarters where Winston Churchill & Co. orchestrated the British response to German attacks on the UK during World War II.  The communications room, Churchill’s quarters, and maps and charts of military defeats and victories bring that era alive to visitors of all ages.  The admission is steep, about $23 for adults, but it’s worth every pound and the price includes an audio headset.  Details: http://www.visitlondon.com/attractions/detail/439238.

Favorite Restaurants: Above the Borough Market is Roast (enter off Stoney St., tel. 020 7940 1300), a spacious, airy restaurant that features roasted meats and other delectables from the market it overlooks.  Brunch is also served on weekends.  For exquisite Italian, I favor Cecconi’s (5a Burlington Gardens, tel. 0871 332 8585), a polished, elegant dining room perfect for a serious business lunch or romantic dinner just off Bond Street.  Book lunch or dinner at the reasonably priced Boisdale of Belgravia (15 Eccleston St., Belgravia, tel. 020 7730 6920), and you’ll feel like a member of a London private club. Take a cigar and single malt upstairs in the rooftop garden to complete the experience.  Tom’s Kitchen (27 Cale St. in Chelsea, tel. 020 7349 0202) is a brasserie brought to you by Michelin-starred chef Tom Aiken with menu items such as seven-hour braised lamb shoulder with onions and balsamic vinegar ($60 for two).  Relaxed, lively and open for all three meals, this is a great hang spot in Chelsea.  I hesitate to recommend Chez Bruce (2 Bellevue Rd, overlooking Wandsworth Common, tel. 020 8672 0114) because it’s so difficult to score a reservation.  But if you call 30 days ahead early in the morning (London time), you might get lucky and be able to enjoy this simple but cozy eatery with two floors and a sophisticated but satisfying menu of French dishes.  I haven’t been able to get in recently—let me know how you did it.

Tops for Browsing: The Camden Market in Camden Town used to be a bit of a secret, but judging from the seemingly thousands of small booths and stores that now collectively call themselves a “market,” this place has been discovered.  No matter—you can still find bootleg copies of concerts by The Cure, every imaginable kind of clothing, handicrafts, jewelry and, yes, there’s food of every ethnic stripe, as well.  Plus, just admiring the crowd—from Goth to Sloane Rangers—is worth a visit.  Spend a day, have a funky lunch at the nearby Lock Tavern (35 Clark Farm Rd.).  Teens will love this neighborhood, and so will you.  Tell any cabbie, “Camden Market” or take the tube. For more information check out camdentown.co.uk.

Favorite Walk: Take a stroll on the Southbank (the side of the Thames with the London Eye) from Borough Market to Waterloo Station.  You’ll walk along the river and encounter any number of cafes where you can linger for coffee, lunch or cocktails.  Or all three.  If you want to move faster, rent a bike at Gabriel’s Wharf (on the other side of the Thames between OXO Tower Wharf and the London Television Centre—ask anyone) and cycle over the Westminster Bridge and to quiet neighborhoods.  Bike rental details: londonbicycle.com.

Best Place for Hot Chocolate: Beat cold and damp London weather with a stellar cup of rich hot chocolate at The Wolseley (160 Piccadilly, tel. 020 7499 6996), just a couple of blocks off Piccadilly Circus.  This informal but hip eatery had earlier lives as a car dealership and then a Barclay’s Bank. It’s open for breakfast, lunch and dinner with a limited number of reservations accepted.  Walk-ins wait in turn, but you can order hot chocolate in the open seating area to the right as you enter.

Rudy Maxa’s World – Top Six, Twin Cities

Posted on August 8, 2008
Filed Under General, Rudy Maxa Top Six, Travel, Travel Products, Website Tips | Comments Off

Rudy Maxa is a contributing editor with National Geographic Traveler magazine and one of America’s premier consumer travel broadcasters on public radio and television. You may know him as “The Savvy Traveler” on public radio’s business show, “Marketplace.” You will see Rudy contributing his Top Six lists here quite often as he travels the world filming his next PBS series. Now, onto Rudy’s Top Six.

Coolest Museum in Town: Hard to choose given the Science Museum and Minnesota History Museum in St. Paul, the Walker Art Gallery, Weisman, and Minneapolis Institute of the Arts in Minneapolis, but I’d go with the Mill City Museum along the Mississippi River in Minneapolis. Located in one of the flour mills that put Minneapolis on the map beginning in the late 1800s, this museum is hands on and innovative. Don’t miss the very funny short movie, “Minneapolis in 19 Minutes Flat” by local raconteur Kevin Kling.

Favorite Restaurants: In and around St. Paul, it’s Meritage (for a bistro atmosphere and menu), i Nonni (elegant Italian; ask for a table outside, weather permitting), and the St. Paul Grill (American menu with a view of the lush city park). In Minneapolis, my picks are Vincent’s (fine French), Alma (stunningly prepared, locally sourced haute cuisine), 112 Eatery (warehouse district, hip, small-bite menu that’s creative and yummy), Fugaise (intimate, romantic room with an impeccable Continental menu), 20.21 (Wolfgang Puck’s outpost at the Walker Art Gallery), Chambers Kitchen (Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s outpost at the Chambers Hotel), Nick and Eddie (informal hipster restaurant with well-priced, fresh American dishes), Brenda’s Kitchen and Spoonriver (both offer masterful, almost-all vegetarian plates).

Best Walking Tour: In St. Paul, it’s the walking path along the Mississippi on Shepherd Road and the Lowertown, warehouse district for historical buildings from the day of the railroad barons. In Minneapolis, it’s the Mill District, also along (and over) the Mississippi. You’ll find a free download of my riverside walking tour for your iPod by clicking on “Minneapolis” at: nationalgeographic.com/podcasts/walks.html.

Most Interesting House: Summit Avenue in St. Paul is a long, residential, heavily treed street lined with gorgeous mansions. At 240 Summit (near the Cathedral of St. Paul) is the mansion built by the self-made millionaire, James J. Hill, who founded the Great Northern Railroad that linked the Midwest with the West Coast. This sandstone mansion was meticulously constructed under Hill’s critical eye and completed in 1891 at a cost of $931,275.01.” Hill was a meticulous keeper or records. The five-story mansion is open to the public. mnhs.org/places/sites/jjhh/

Best Pizza: Meryl Streep knows pizza. Why else would she favor–while in St. Paul to film the movie “Prairie Home Companion”–one of the three Punch pizza restaurants in the Twin Cities? There are two in Minneapolis and one in St. Paul. All three have simple, attractive dining rooms and serve true, Neapolitan-style pizzas with fresh mozzarella, Marzano tomatoes, and a great house salad sprinkled with pine nuts. No reservations, so try to avoid prime time and long lines. Ask for your pizza “wet.” Trust me.

Don’t Miss This: In St. Paul, it’s the gigantic Indian of Peace standing inside the lobby of City Hall. This 60-ton, 38-feet high slab of Mexican onyx turns 132 degrees every 2.5 hours and is quite an eyeful. It was created by a Swedish sculptor after he witnessed an Indian ceremony in Oklahoma, and installed in 1936. Saturday is Farmer’s Market Day, and St. Paul has one of the best in the Midwest. In Minneapolis, check out the millions of dollars worth of modern art hanging in the public areas of the Chambers Hotel. Start with the Damien Hirst on the wall behind the check-in desk. St. Paul City Hall, 15 Kellogg Blvd.; St. Paul Farmers Market, 7th St. & Wabasha St.; Chambers Hotel, 901 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis.

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