Eight Paintings Every Traveler Should See (And Where to See Them)

Many travelers have a bucket list of places they want to go before they, well, kick the bucket. They want to see new sights, scale soaring mountains and tap their toes in exotic seas … and slowing down for a museum tour isn’t always high on that list. But sometimes it should be.

Here are eight classic paintings every traveler needs to add to their list before it is too late.

The Mona Lisa in the Musée du Louvre – Paris, France

Some experts speculate that the Mona Lisa is a self-portrait of Leonardo da Vinci

So maybe you’ve heard Leonardo’s leading lady is a disappointment. The painting is small, it is hard to see and the crowds are overwhelming. Well, it is all true. The painting is small and the crowds are big, but few paintings in the world have stirred as much mystery as this 16th century portrait. And even if she is a tad tiny, the Louvre is the largest national museum in France, the most visited museum in the world and is a 12th century landmark in the City of Lights … it can’t all be disappointing, right?

Starry Night in the Museum of Modern Art – New York City, New York, USA

Don McLean’s song “Starry, Starry Night” is based on this painting

Although he only sold one painting in his lifetime, Vincent van Gogh is a big star in the artistic world. Arguably his most famous painting, Starry Night is one of the most replicated prints in the world and is a must-see masterpiece for vacationers heading to the Big Apple. Located in Midtown Manhattan, The Museum of Modern Art has been called the most influential museum of modern art in the world.

Guernica in the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía – Madrid, Spain

The painting revealed Picasso’s horror at Nazi soldiers in Spain

Pablo Picasso’s Guernica painting depicts the bombing of Guernica, Spain by German and Italian planes during the Spanish Civil War in 1937. The mural was commissioned by the Spanish Republican government to adorn the Spanish Pavilion during the 1937 World’s Fair in Paris. It is currently on display at the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia in Madrid where it serves as global reminder of the sobering catastrophes of war.

The Birth of Venus in the Uffizi Gallery – Florence, Italy

Botticelli’s political connections saved his painting from fires that destroyed other “pagan” art

The Italian Renaissance was born in Florence and thus, it is only fitting one of the most famous Italian paintings, the Birth of Venus, is housed in Florence’s oldest, and most famous, museum-The Uffizi Gallery. There is much speculation in the art world as to when and why Sandro Botticelli created his masterpiece-which depicts Venus, the goddess of love and beauty, emerging from a seashell and being handed a flowered cloak by the Horae, the goddesses of the seasons. However, there is no denying The Birth of Venus should be added to every art-loving traveler’s list of must-see paintings.

The Kiss in the Österreichische Galerie Belvedere – Vienna, Austria

Klimt liked closeness-similarly nestled couples appear in two of his other paintings

Gustav Klimt’s Der Kuss, or The Kiss, shows a couple in varying hues of gold mosaic-like colors sharing … that’s right, a kiss. Painted during Klimt’s golden period, The Kiss is considered his most famous painting and it is believed that Klimt himself, along with his longtime partner, Emilie Flöge, modeled for the painting. In 2003, a €100 Painting Coin, was issued with The Kiss on one side and a studio-bound Klimt on the reverse. The painting is currently housed in the Österreichische Galerie Belvedere in Vienna.

The Scream in The Munch Museum – Oslo, Norway

This painting has also been referred to as “The Cry”

If one is good, then four is better … or at least Norway-native Edvard Munch thought so. He created not one, but four versions of his most-famous painting, The Scream, which portrays a tormented sexless figure against a blood-red landscape of Oslofjord. One version of the painting is housed in the National Gallery in Oslo, another is owned by Norwegian billionaire, Petter Olsen and the remaining two paintings are property of the Munch Museum. However, one of the most famous versions, a 32 inch X 30 inch tempera on cardboard, was stolen from the museum in 2004 and has yet to be returned. Now that is something to scream about.

American Gothic in the Art Institute of Chicago – Chicago, Illinois, USA

Notice how the pitchfork is echoed in the farmer’s overalls

Every traveler has seen a parody of this painting in some form or another, whether it was Kermit and Piggy, Mickey and Minnie or Homer and Marge. But Grant Wood’s original American Gothic masterpiece-who was modeled by his spinster sister and his dentist is proudly displayed at the Art Institute of Chicago. Interestingly enough, this famous Iowan couple never modeled together for the painting and neither of them ever stood in front of the Carpenter Gothic house that sits in the background.

Water Lilies in the Musée Marmottan – Paris France

Monet suffered from cataracts when he completed many of the Water Lilies paintings

Claude Monet’s Water Lilies series is a compilation of 250 oil paintings from the flower gardens at his home in Giverny, in northern France. The paintings are dispersed throughout the world in major museums in France, the United States and Japan. The largest collection of Monet’s work is housed in a 19th Century mansion, the Museè Marmottan, that was the beneficiary of more than 130 paintings, watercolors, pastels and drawings when Monet’s son left them to the museum in his will.

Read about author Cherrye Moore and check out her other BootsnAll articles

Additional photo credits:
Picasso by Mark Berry on Flickr, Botticelli by MrOmega on Flickr, American Gothic by Opacity on Flickr

Mamma Mia! A Bicycling Tour on the Greek Island of Crete

Zakthunos memories

Each September I attempt to extend my New York summer by a week or two and  “get” more cycling miles in a warmer place. The venue should have beauty, culture, history and outstanding beaches. The experience would be enhanced if it is a place I haven’t previously visited. When I planned the September, 2009 trip earlier in the year, the economy was still in its sick state so keeping costs within moderate parameters was also an objective.

I had previously enjoyed a bicycle tour of the Greece mainland and one its islands, Zakynthos with Classic adventures.com in 1998 and noticed in their 2009 brochure they were running one on another of its  islands, Crete in September.

Crete had been on my mind since I had appreciated  the beauty of the Greek islands as settings for “ Momma Mia”, “Zorba,  the Greek” and other motion pictures.  The price of the ten day tour which included almost everything (the use of a Trek road bike, most meals, etc.)  was $3500 ($4100 for a single room.  Round trip airfare which was additional from New York to Crete was $830 via Delta, Air France and Aegean airlines. In my opinion, the price of $320 per night represented a real value for a bike tour—it was substantially less than most other bike tours.

The founder of Classic, Dale Hart is a retired college professor of Greek History and gave us many insights regarding the sites we cycled by.  The tour began in Crete’s largest city, Heraklion, and included such highlights as ancient Knossos, the Lassith and Omolos plateaus, the Minoan site of Karphi, the Potami River Valley, the Libyan Sea, the Plain of Messara, the Amari Valley, Palm Beach, Prevali Monastery, Souda Bay,, Samarian Gorge and the Harbor at Chiana. 

cycling into a very old place

Virtually all parts of the island were included in our biking and hiking itinerary. There were ten biking days.  The group was split into two sections.  The “Extreme” people rode about 60-70 miles daily, usually “climbing” about a mile each day. Cyclists could opt for a less demanding route in terms of both mileage and hills.  The two groups were reunited each evening and used the same restaurants and hotels..The less demanding  group was shuttled in a minibus over the
difficult stretches and could take advantage of cultural and historical attractions along the way while waiting to be reunited with the extreme group.

I was a member of the extreme group.  Another tour ran in May.  Bicycling Magazine called the Tour “one of the best 50 rides on the planet”.  Scenery included spectacular and stunning mountain, sea and canyon vistas,  vineyards and olive groves, donkeys, goats, cows, sheep and birds.  Some of the hotels had swimming pools and/or were easily accessible  to Crete’s famous beaches.   Dinners included Greek culinary specialties such as honey, yogurt, grilled seafood , feta cheese, olive oils, lamb tzatziki ( a succulent mix of yogurt, cucumber, garlic and olive oil). moussaka and baklava.  Breakfasts and almost all dinners (usually with wine) were included.

Classic’s support staff of 3 were all members of the Hart family, Dale, his wife Dianne and son Benton (the heir apparent)  They checked the mechanics of each bike daily. One day Benton discovered and repaired a mechanical flaw in my bike’s shifting mechanism which I had never noticed.  They also fixed flat tires and made emergency bike repairs on the road as needed. One of the hard working, capable and friendly Hart family members drove a minibus which carried cyclists’ luggage between hotels.  It was also used   to shuttle tired cyclists or those who had opted for the less demanding routes.

There also were two days with hiking options.  One (which I did) was a memorable 12 mile trek down Crete’s famous Samaran Gorge. The local Cretan population generally gave us a warm reception.  The condition of the roads was surprisingly good—comparable to those in my home county in New York state.  We were fortunate to have had good cycling weather—daily temps in the mid to upper 70’s and virtually no rain.  According to the historical climate data I checked, this is generally typical for Crete at this time of the year.

climbing along a guard rail

The fourteen members of our cycling group ranged in age from their forties to about 70 and included a mix of couples and solo travelers.  There was a couple from Calgary, Alberta and a solo American woman who has been living in Germany.  The remainder were from various U.SA. locations.

The level of restaurants and hotels was generally good but neither luxurious nor exceptional.

Facilities at this level simply did not exist along some of the outstanding bike routes we took and as I pointed out the price of the tour was by no means excessive.  However  I was never uncomfortable.

Although some of the hotels didn’t have a/c it didn’t seem to be hot in any of them (it may have been in midsummer)  Several times there seemed to be a hot water shortage, but in most cases we were able to get it by either running a the tap for a while or asking the desk to turn it on.

Our hotel for the last two nights was the Almyrida Residence, a modern and new Miami Beach style hotel with ground level and rooftop pools and an adjacent appealing Mediterranean beach.

On the only evening for which dinner was not provided by Classic, ten of us shared an hour long taxi ride to the cobbled streets of the old town of Rethymno for an unforgettable culinary experience—dinner at the wonderful AVLI restaurant, one of Greece’s best.   All of us greatly enjoyed our dinner selections and outstanding Greek wines served  outdoors in a lush garden.

The family support staff

To “work off” some of the excellent menu offerings, the “extreme” bike routes were very hilly and difficult  for most cyclists.  Some of the hills (I should say mountains)  were very steep and long.

There were as many as 15 switchbacks on the way up—at the end (turns) of the switchbacks it was sometimes very windy.  When we finally reached the summit and looked down the view resembled a panorama from an airplane—Our vantage point was so high.  I was impressed by the courage and effort of the cyclists.—all of them were not in the “supercyclist” category, age and genderwise.  Of course, all had the option of demoting themselves permanently or temporarily to the non extreme program (which I did on a very windy day!) They could also take a day off  from the grueling 10 days in a row cycling schedule. (which I also did—spending it with a book and writing this piece on a relaxing and gorgeous Cretan beach).

I still wound up biking about 440 mostly hilly miles in 8 days.  Of the 60+ multiday bike I tours I have done, this ranks among the 3 or 4 most difficult!.

switchbacks above the timberline

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Paris on Less Than $100 Per Day: Enjoy the City Without Breaking the Bank

I think I was born with some sort of cheap traveler gene. Or more likely, it was something cultivated during my youth as I was raised by an expert traveler mother who know how to stretch a tight budget, and a cheapskate father who really just hates spending money in general.

Being raised in this kind of household taught me a few things about the importance of a dollar, but it also taught me something essential about travelling on the cheap: whether it be out of necessity (a limited budget) or out of a reluctance to spend, the fact remains that the better you budget your money while traveling, the more you get to see, do, eat and experience.

For me, the main motivation in being a tightwad when traveling is that if I budget well, I can afford to do 2-3 great trips per year versus one. The better you budget, the more you get to travel. It’s as simple as that. Traveling to Paris with my family as a kid (with said expert budget traveler mother) and later living in Paris on a very small student budget also taught me the best ways to enjoy the city without spending a whole lot of money.

Paris is an expensive city and is certainly not a budget destination. However, with a little know-how, some planning and a willingness to do things the cheap way, it actually is possible to not only SEE Paris on less than $100, but also enjoy it. Sure, you may not be spending time on the balcony of the Plaza Athenee or other hotel with a few of the Eiffel Tower, or sipping trendy €20 cocktails at night—but you still can take in all the best sights, eat well and experience all the romance of the City of Lights has to offer without emptying your bank account.

>>Get more tips on conquering Paris on a budget in the Cheap Paris Guide

Finding Cheap Accommodations in Paris

Paris is certainly not a city full of cheap hotels. Even “budget hotels” in the city can still cost you as much as €80-€120 per night. This means that, especially if traveling alone, you’ll probably want to look for other accommodation options if you are hoping to keep your budget under $100 per day.

Hostels and Couch Surfing

Luckily, there are a ton of hostels in Paris, some of which are actually very nice and some which also offer private rooms if you aren’t so keen on the idea of dormitory style accommodations. Whether you are looking for a raging party hostel in Paris, or something a little more subdued, there are enough options that you’ll probably be able to find the right fit. You can also often spend about €10-€20 for a private room.

>>Check out the complete Paris Hostel Guide to get an idea of which hostel in which neighborhood fits your needs. You can also compare Paris hostels and get an idea of what to look for to give you a better idea of which one may be the best fit for you.

Another option is to couch surf. If you aren’t one of those lucky people with friends who live in Paris and can beg off their hospitality, going on the site couchsurfing and getting a free place to stay will certainly loosen up your budget and allow you to spend more money on other things, like drinks out or a few souvenirs.

Plus, Couchsurfers tend to be a friendly and hospitaliable bunch of fellow budget travelers and world nomads, so you stand a good chance at even making some new Parisian friends, getting a glimpse into life as a local and may even get to practice your rusty high school French.

Budget Hotels

If you are you are traveling with at least one other person, you can more easily afford to get a room in a budget hotel—since you’ll be splitting the price of the room. Most of the hotels within a tight price range (under €100 per night) are 2-star hotels. While certainly not luxurious, some of these budget hotels are better than others, so it pays to do a little research before you book your room.

You’ll also find that hotels in certain areas of the city are almost always cheaper, so you may get more room for less money if you opt out of some of the trendier and tourist centers of the city. Hotels in Montparnasse tend to be more affordable in general.
Keep in mind that some budget hotels in France will also not have private bathrooms and several rooms or even an entire floor may have to share a bathroom.

Here are a few lists of budget hotels in various neighborhoods around Paris:

• Budget Hotels in the Latin Quarter
• Budget Hotels in the Marais
• Budget Hotels near the Louvre
• Budget Hotels near the Eiffel Tower
• Hostels and Budget Hotels in Monmartre

Eating Cheap in Paris

Luckily, eating well on a tight budget isn’t too big of a challenge in Paris. While you could certainly spend a small fortune going out to a fancy and very expensive restaurant in Paris, you certainly don’t have to spend a lot to eat great in the City of Lights.

Avoid other tourists

Generally speaking, the more tourists there are milling around an area, the higher the menu prices. Vendors know that most tourists aren’t going to venture too far from the main path, so they can charge what they like. Finding cheap – but good – food in Paris sometimes means ducking down odd streets, taking wrong turns, and more or less following the locals to where they eat.

Paris Street Food

There are a huge range of options for finding filling and delicious meals in Paris, will while sticking to your budget. There are plenty of cheap street food options in Paris—whether you are in the mood to snack on a fresh crepe, a Panini, a kebob or even a gyro—that can make for a cheap snack or meal on the go while you are sightseeing.

As is often the case in big cities with many different ethnic populations, some of the best cheap eats in Paris aren’t French food. Couscous is a popular late-night snack for many Parisians, but it’s a filling meal in the day, too. You’re looking for the word “couscoussieres” on a sign, or an indication that it’s a Lebanese or Moroccan restaurant. You can also find cheaper Asian restaurant and delis, falafel stands and a variety of other cheap foreign eats.

Paris Picnics

However, you don’t have to eat foreign food in Paris to stick to your budget. For your morning meal, it’s good to know that many hotels charge extra for a continental breakfast. If your hotel does, and it’s more than €6-7, then you’re probably better off buying your own breakfast away from the hotel. You can get a typical French breakfast of a pastry, a coffee, and an orange juice for as little as €5-6. You can also always pick up a croissant from a local patisserie and eat it at a café with your café au lait (usually €1.50-€3).

For lunch, my family would often spend our mornings shopping at the Paris outdoor food markets, picking up a baguette (usually around€1.40), a few slices of ham or salami or pate, a piece of cheese and a €3 bottle of wine and enjoy a very French, and cheap, picnic lunch in the park.

Bakeries also often offer simple sandwiches on baguettes, which not only taste pretty damn good (I’m partial to the classic jambon fromage), but also only cost a few Euros.

Eating out

Also, while there are plenty of ways to get a meal on the go or pack a picnic for just handful of Euros, as I wrote in 12 Things You should Know Before you Visit Paris, eating a three course meal in France can actually be quite affordable. David Lebovitz, a Paris based pastry chef and author of the book a Sweet Life in Paris writes:

“There’s lot of top-notch restaurants in Paris where you can get a terrific…no, make that superb…three-course meal for 30€ including tax and tip…. I don’t know about you, but I can’t think of any restaurant in San Francisco or New York that offers a three-course meal with wine for less than $50pp, including wine, tax and tip. If you avoid the high-end places, there’s great bargains in Paris.”

>>Read more about figuring out a daily food budget in Paris and how to eat on the cheap in Paris

Drinking Cheap in Paris

There’s just no way around it. Alcoholic beverages (that includes beer) tend to be really expensive in Paris—meaning those who like to indulge in numerous cocktails on occasion may find getting your buzz on in Paris a costly affair. Drinks can easily cost anywhere from €7-€20 for a single cocktail or mixed drink. However, there are some ways you can drink up without spending all the money you had allocated for food the next day.

Before you stop reading this thinking, “If there is no drinking to be done for cheap in Paris, I’m not going,” there are other options for boozing on a budget.

Wine is free-flowing in France and is almost always an affordable option. You can easily get a €2-€3 bottle of wine in grocery stores and down it before hitting the club. Wine in restaurants also tends to be cheap. You can get carafes (pitchers) of house wines at most restaurants for a very affordable price.

There are plenty of Paris happy hours (restaurants and cafes will usually advertise their happy hours in the windows or on chalk boards outside), where you can find drink specials and half priced beers. Happy hour sin Paris tend to last from about 5 pm til 9 pm (then it’s dinner time).

If you want to experience the Night Life in Paris, but don’t want to spend your weight in drinks out at the nightclubs (where a standard cocktail can easily cost €10 or more), than investing in a bottle or two of wine at dinner or after dinner before you go out is a cheaper way to go.

Cheap Ways to get around Paris

The first rule to sticking to your budget in Paris is to skip out on the rental car (I won’t even begin to delve into the hundreds of reasons why driving—and trying to park—is a nightmare in Paris). With a fast, efficient and affordable metro system, there is also no need to have a car when exploring the city.

You should also avoid taking Taxis in Paris. Taxis in Paris tend to be on the expensive side. A ride that is only a few kilometers long can end up costing you a small fortune. This is especially true late at night, when taxi fares go up even more. This means if you are stuck after the Metro shuts down (at 1 am), you may find yourself having to part with a fat stack of cash just to get home. Stick to the metro or be prepared to pay hefty taxi fees if you decide to travel above ground.

You can also save money on Metro tickets by purchasing them in bundles. A carnet is a packet of 10 metro tickets, and useful for those visiting the city for less than a week. If you plan on being in Paris longer than that, you can also buy week-long and month-long metro passes that’ll save you money if you plan on spending a lot of time going from one place to another.

>>Read more about how use the Paris Metro

Cheap and free things to do in Paris

Enjoying the sights, smells and sounds of Paris doesn’t have to cost one penny, which makes it easy to enjoy this city and stick to a tight a budget. You don’t need to even get out your wallet to stroll through the Jardin de Luxembourg, snap photos of Notre Dame, or soak up the sun on the banks of the Seine.

Get a cheap view of the city

The best way to really soak in the spectacular views of Paris is usually to climb up something that’s tall. While paying to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower doesn’t cost a whole lot and is definitely something everyone should do at some point, it isn’t necessarily the best view of Paris (you don’t get the image of the iconic tower itself in the skyline).

My personal favorite view of the city are on the lawn of Sacre Coeur in the Montmartre neighborhood (which is perched on top of a large hill in the city).

Sit at a cafe

One of the quintessential Parisian things to do is spend an afternoon people watching from a sidewalk cafe in Paris. Luckily, this will never cost you much money. For a few euros, you can take a break from a morning or afternoon spent exploring the streets and checking out Paris attractions, and have a coffee, enjoy watching stylish Parisians stroll by.

Cheap and free museums

While you will usually have to shell out anywhere from €5-€15 to get entrance into many of Paris’ famous museums, there are ways to enjoy these institutions for free with a little planning.

The first Sunday of every month, museums around Paris open for free (including the Louvre). In May, you will also find the Nuit de Musees (Museum Night) opening the doors of the museums in the city for free after sunset.

In September, France celebrates its cultural heritage with Les Journees du Patrimoine, which opens all of the city’s museums, galleries, monuments and other buildings to the public for free. Nuit Blanche in Paris takes place during the first weekend in October and is an all-night FREE celebration that includes free concerts and shows, as well as many huge art installations, free admission into museums, pools, monuments, galleries and other public buildings, along with being one hell of a great party. And none of it will cost you a dime.

Also keep in mind that some of Paris’ unusual museums are also always free–no matter the time of year or day of the week.

If none of the timing for these free nights does not coincide with your trip, you can also save money on your museum entrance by getting a Paris Museum Pass or looking into other Paris discount cards and passes.

Free Walking Tours

You’d think you’d have to spend a bunch of money to get great walking tour routes of the city, but it just isn’t the case. I recently interviewed Paris blogger and resident Adam Roberts about his new series of free-to-download themed walking tours.

These walking tours take you through different areas of the city and can help you discover hidden corners of the city discovered by a local.

Free Wi-Fi

If you’d rather not spend a few precious Euros of your budget at an internet café or paying for your hotel, you’ll be happy to know that in 2007, free wi-fi would be available in many public places around the city.

This means, you can check in on those emails from more than 260 free internet zones scattered around the city for FREE. Read more about free wi-fi in Paris and find local hot spots.

>>Check out more great, free things to do in Paris and read up on other tips and money-saving techniques in 30 Paris Tips from a local.

photos: View of Paris by Taylor Miles, Cheap eats by Batigolix, formules by Yorch, Paris wine by Ruth L, Paris hotel by Logical Progressions , Metro by pedrosimone7, Montmartre view by ed from Ohio, Paris wi-fi by Fee-ach

A budget traveler by heart, Julie Blakley loves the challenge of conquering not-so-cheap cities on a small budget. As the resident francophile at BootsnAll, Julie also spends much of her time writing the Paris Travel Guide with all of her tips for how to best enjoy the beautiful City of Lights.

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