david_lewis22

<p>When you enter the courtyard of the museum (outdoor area), there is a place to check your cameras, which you MUST do anyway. I've visited the museum several times and never felt it was unsafe to leave my camera bag with them (my bag was not my fanciest so as not to attract attention). I did make a mistake and have a pocket knife in my pocket and had to guarantee to check that, if I remember correctly. Some museums in Egypt do allow pix, such as the one in the city of Luxor. So always ask--it may be permitted, or sometimes a tip may help matters. </p>

<p>Many years ago I took an excellent picture of the Duomo and Campanile from a spiral staircase outside of a column at the top of the Palazzo Vecchio (city hall). I'm headed to Florence again this June 2012. Is it still possible to go to the top of the Palazzo Vecchio? I can't find anything in the guidebooks to confirm this.<br>

-David Lewis</p>

<p>I traveled in Botswana and Zambia in October. We were fortunate in not facing the dust problem (at least most of the time) so often mentioned. I was careful not to change lenses in the field with only one or two exceptions. We were told our maximum weight would be something like 25 lbs for luggage and 10 lbs for the carry-on (camera). I planned for this and used a soft "gym type" bag for clothes but a good Think Tank Disguise 70 since it accepted a Nikon body on an 80-400 VR. I used this lens on a D80 most of the time, so there was a theoretical 600mm effect. I also had my D700 with a shorter zoom. So the reach of the 600 is desirable, but I'm afraid that the weight and bulk of a true 600 would be too much. We had a single engine 12 pass Cessna Caravan for one flight but three other flights in Zambia were on excellent twin engine BAE turboprops. No one ever weighed my camera bag. Our tour group's checked baggage was weighed together and nothing was said about any excess. Note, however, that on the final South African Airways flight to Joburg from Zambia one couple was challenged by the check-in agent and had to check their carry on because of weight! I checked in with a different woman and nothing was said (I kept the bag on the floor). So...prepare for the worst, but you may be quite fortunate. Some luxury tour companies have NO restrictions on weight and state this in their ads, but they are more expensive than the excellent Road Scholar one I took. Could I have taken a 600? Probably not. BTW, I saw one group in Chobe Park with huge lenses. I don't know if those were their own lenses or supplied by the tour company (some do this). This was my fourth trip to Africa but the first where I faced more serious weight restrictions, though, fortunately, they were not enforced in my case. Good luck!</p>

<p>I visited Chartres and Rheims last August. The exterior of Chartres has no scaffolding, but inside, from the choir to the original main altar there is cleaning and scaffolding. At Reims there was scaffolding on the lower left of the main (west) facade. See here: Both are wonderful cathedrals. Also in Reims visit the museum of the surrender.</p>