Posts about Shopping
Tips on the best shops and shopping areas in the Context cities.
Almost since Venice’s beginnings, Rialto has been the center of Venetian life, and it remains so today. Monday through Saturday one finds the area filled with locals purchasing fruit, vegetables, fish, meat and flowers. The market rings with the shouts of the vendors, and the crush of Venetians inspecting and buying their goods. Rialto is also a popular space for informal social exchange, especially on Saturday mornings, as Venetians regularly run into friends here, often ducking into a bar together for a quick coffee or ombra (small glass of wine) before continuing on to the next stall. Read more »
Posted by Monica C | This post has no comments
April 18th, 2012 under City Life, Docent Essays, Food and Wine, Shopping, Venice.
Maybe you’ve already had a day in Istanbul during a cruise, or only visited the highlights in a hurry. Either way, it’s high time to return to this, vibrant, bustling city caught between Europe and Asia—for at least 36 hours. Don’t leave without seeing the Byzantine masterpiece of the Hagia Sophia and the historical city within the walls, but also don’t leave without exploring for something more.  Here are our suggestions:
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Posted by Ceylan Zere | This post has 2 comments
March 12th, 2012 under Art, City Life, Culture, Food and Wine, Istanbul, Shopping.
We were delighted to meet Sarah and Tom from Bespoke Beijing a few weeks ago over plates of dumplings, noodles, and plenty of Peking Duck at Duck de Chin. Read more »
Posted by Paul Bennett | This post has no comments
March 5th, 2012 under Beijing, Shopping, Travel News.
The holidays are rapidly approaching, and amidst the shopping crunch we all need to take little time to revel in the spirit of the season. Below are some of our favorite ways to get into the holiday mood in Philadelphia without spending a dime.
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Posted by Carolyn | This post has no comments
December 12th, 2011 under Budget Conscious Travel, Food and Wine, Music, Theater, and Dance, Philadelphia, Shopping, Transportation, Uncategorized.
I hate to be a groaner about all the travel I get to do for my job. And mostly I feel gratitude whenever I am in one of our amazing cities. However, my travel is about experiencing the walks, meeting the docents, learning, studying, and documenting. All of which is a lot of fun, but also a lot like work. There are moments when I’m in transit that I tick off in my head what I would do with an empty day, and I confess there are a lot of shopping stops on that list. Here’s the top shops I would visit—and probably patronize—if I had that empty day (and full wallet) in Paris:
1. Chocolate. In the 6th there are a couple of my favorite places to buy chocolates: for gifts, for inspiration, for their artistry. Patrick Roger at 108 Boulevard Saint-Germain and Pierre Marcolini at 89 Rue Seine. I’m sure there are more and even better ones. Please add your ideas below.
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Posted by Lani | This post has 2 comments
December 6th, 2011 under Family Travel, Food and Wine, Paris, Shopping, Uncategorized.
It’s that time of the year again. Decorations go up, fairy lights start shining and shops are busy gift wrapping.
If you, like us, are looking for an unusual gift, something that will make you popular with your friends and family, we’ve got the right thing for you!
A Context Travel gift certificate is the gift the keeps on giving. It is good for use in any of our cities, including Paris, Rome, New York, London, Florence, Venice, Naples, Athens, Madrid and Istanbul, and valid for any of the services we provide from our daily small-group and private walking seminars to museum reservations.
How does it work?
-Go to our site
-You tell us how much you want to give
-We prepare a lovely gift certificate for you
- We send the certificate to you, or to whoever you want
It’s that easy!
Posted by Petulia | This post has no comments
November 28th, 2011 under Context Travel, Shopping, Special Events.
A few weeks ago I received in the post a package from Indagare. The package contained a set of precious maps put together by the Indagare team. Why are the maps so precious? Because they are packed with tips about restaurants to try, museums to visit, shops and all sorts of useful information. They come in a sleek black case, making them the perfect travel accessory. Intrigued by the idea, I decided to interview Melissa Biggs Bradley, founder of Indagare and brain behind the maps.
Context Travel: Melissa, you come from the publishing world where you were one of the Founding editors of Town &Country Travel Magazine. What made you move from this role to that of Founder of Indagare travel? Read more »
Posted by Petulia | This post has 2 comments
November 27th, 2011 under Books & Literature, City Life, Culture, Food and Wine, New York, Shopping, Travel News, Uncategorized.
Paris is a beautiful and magical place to spend the holidays. The streets are laced with glowing lights, Christmas markets serve up hot cider and delicious tartiflette and creative window displays entice shoppers looking for the perfect gifts or delicacy to enjoy over Christmas dinner. Here is a special idea to create your own Parisian version of the 12 days of Christmas:
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Posted by Lily | This post has no comments
November 14th, 2011 under Architecture, Art, City Life, Culture, Family Travel, Food and Wine, Music, Theater, and Dance, Paris, Shopping, Special Events, Uncategorized.
At the corner of Valencia and Lluria streets stands the fabled J. Murria grocery store. It’s a remnant of another era: The store has lived through more than seventy years of Spanish history, and has the patina to prove it. Murria and the equally impressive Colmado Quilez, a fixture of the Rambla de Catalunya, are among a handful of old-fashioned general stores that carry on the century-old tradition of the Spanish general store. Raw milk cheeses imported from France, wines that range in price from a few euros to a few hundred, shelf after shelf of high-end canned goods, and savory preserves will entice any gourmand on any budget. Read more »
Posted by Michelle Cheng | This post has no comments
June 28th, 2011 under Barcelona, City Life, Culture, Food and Wine, Shopping.
Squeezing a visit to London in 36 hours is more difficult that it sounds. The city it so big and with so much to offer that one would need at least a week to get a sense of the city. We asked some of our wonderful docents, and used some of our own research to put together a perfect 36 hour bit for all of you, busy travelers, flying through London, or stopping by on your way to Paris or Scotland. Read more »
Posted by Petulia | This post has 5 comments
June 3rd, 2011 under Art, City Life, Context Travel, Culture, London, Museums and Monuments, Shopping, Uncategorized.
Almost since Venice’s beginnings, Rialto has been the center of Venetian life, and it remains so today. Monday through Saturday one finds the area filled with locals purchasing fruit, vegetables, fish, meat and flowers. The market rings with the shouts of the vendors, and the crush of Venetians inspecting and buying their goods. Rialto is also a popular space for informal social exchange, especially on Saturday mornings, as Venetians regularly run into friends here, often ducking into a bar together for a quick coffee or ombra (small glass of wine) before continuing on to the next stall. Read more »
