We found some intresting apartments on the internet, but were not sure if their locations were ok, especially with little kids. I used to work with a lady who is from the Beijing area, so I sent her the names of the places that we had found and asked her advice. She talked to some of her friends and gave us some suggestions on where to stay (thanks Sharon). So now we have to combine her advice with what we receive from Christina's co-worker's contact and we'll be ready.
We will be in Beijing in 88 days at 2:30 p.m. local time!!
NM
Friday, June 20, 2008
Monday, June 16, 2008
Getting around in Europe
We have decided to lease a car for our travels through Europe. Taxes on new cars are very high in France (about 20%). So French car companies lease brand new cars to tourists at reasonable rates and then buy the cars back. Now the tax will not apply because it is a used car, so they can sell the car at a better price. Everybody wins!
We have been checking the websites of Renault and Peugeot and they have some good deals. I also read that they have introduced super-efficient turbo diesel engines which have amazing consumption - 3.7 litres / 100 km on the highway and 4.5 for city driving. With the high price of fuel in Europe, it will be nice to have an energy efficient vehicle. The problem though is trunk space. We are going to have a couple of suitcases with us and they have to fit in the trunk. I think we have found the right car though - either the Renault Clio Estate wagon or the Peugeot 307 wagon. Now we have to see which one gives us a better deal.
The cars are brand new, come with full warranty, roadside assistance, full insurance with zero deductible, etc. The nearest pick-up point fo us is Munich. We will probably drop it off in Munich or Frankfurt and then fly home through London.
NM
We have been checking the websites of Renault and Peugeot and they have some good deals. I also read that they have introduced super-efficient turbo diesel engines which have amazing consumption - 3.7 litres / 100 km on the highway and 4.5 for city driving. With the high price of fuel in Europe, it will be nice to have an energy efficient vehicle. The problem though is trunk space. We are going to have a couple of suitcases with us and they have to fit in the trunk. I think we have found the right car though - either the Renault Clio Estate wagon or the Peugeot 307 wagon. Now we have to see which one gives us a better deal.
The cars are brand new, come with full warranty, roadside assistance, full insurance with zero deductible, etc. The nearest pick-up point fo us is Munich. We will probably drop it off in Munich or Frankfurt and then fly home through London.
NM
More house stuff
Krista and Pat came over a couple of weeks ago and we went through the whole house, room by room, trying to figure out the things that we should pack and things that we should leave for them to use.
We all agreed that we will put all the clothes from the master bedroom into Yasmin and Roya's closets. That way we don't have to carry them down to the basement and then up again next year. We will leave all the furniture where they are, and if they want to move something they are welcome to do it. We will clear up a section of the basement so they can store their stuff there as well. The basement is going to be pretty full, with all their stuff and some of our stuff. It is awesome to have Krista and Pat stay in the house while we are gone. One less thing to worry about. Thanks guys!
We are planning to invite them to our annual summer bbq so they get to meet all the neighbours and have a chance to talk to them a little. That way they will know who to go to if they need something - like borrow an egg for baking!
NM
We all agreed that we will put all the clothes from the master bedroom into Yasmin and Roya's closets. That way we don't have to carry them down to the basement and then up again next year. We will leave all the furniture where they are, and if they want to move something they are welcome to do it. We will clear up a section of the basement so they can store their stuff there as well. The basement is going to be pretty full, with all their stuff and some of our stuff. It is awesome to have Krista and Pat stay in the house while we are gone. One less thing to worry about. Thanks guys!
We are planning to invite them to our annual summer bbq so they get to meet all the neighbours and have a chance to talk to them a little. That way they will know who to go to if they need something - like borrow an egg for baking!
NM
Beijing apartments
One of Christina's co-workers has a friend in Beijing, who is a travel consultant. So he has asked for his help in finding us a place to stay while we are there! He may also be able to set us up with a reliable tour guide, itineraries, et. for our sight-seeing trips. Isn't that great?
We also got some website addresses from a friend of mine (an ex co-worker actually) and we have found a few serviced apartments that sound pretty good. We have asked her to let us know if the areas that we have looked at are okay!
Time seems to be moving a little faster now, so we are getting anxious to find a place to stay in Beijing, figure out our visas, etc. We leave for Beijing in exactly 3 months! Stay tuned for more info ...
NM
We also got some website addresses from a friend of mine (an ex co-worker actually) and we have found a few serviced apartments that sound pretty good. We have asked her to let us know if the areas that we have looked at are okay!
Time seems to be moving a little faster now, so we are getting anxious to find a place to stay in Beijing, figure out our visas, etc. We leave for Beijing in exactly 3 months! Stay tuned for more info ...
NM
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