Q & A
The Joan of Arc Tower
Q. Is the Tour de Jeanne d'Arc in Rouen, where Joan of Arc was imprisoned, open to the public? -- Nicolina Tack, Madison, Wisc.
A. The Joan of Arc tower is the sole remnant of a medieval castle where Joan was imprisoned in 1430 during her trial. It and the other important sites related to her in Rouen, on the Seine, 70 miles northwest of Paris, are around the Place du Vieux-Marche, the old town center.
This is where Joan was burned at the stake on May 30, 1431, and traces from the fire are still visible on the ground, as are marks from the tribunes set up for her judges. About 20 years ago, a 65-foot Cross of Rehabilitation was installed to commemorate this spot, on the northern edge of the plaza. A small gallery of drawings and signs tracing the history of Joan and of the Place du Vieux-Marche stands beside the Jeanne d'Arc church, built in 1978 with Renaissance stained-glass windows saved from St. Vincent Church, destroyed in World War II.
The castle tower is open to visitors. It has a small Joan of Arc exhibit, with objects from the period and from the original castle. Admission to the tower is about $1.35, at the rate of 7.3 francs to the dollar, and free for those under 18. The tower is open from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 2 to 6 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday and Sunday from 2 to 6:30 p.m. Information: (33-2) 35.98.55.10.
The Musee Jeanne d'Arc, 33 Place du Vieux-Marche, houses waxwork scenes from Joan's life, from her childhood in Domremy to her death. It also displays several models of the 15th-century Place du Vieux-Marche and historical objects.
The museum is open from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 1:30 to 7 p.m. mid-April through mid-September, and 10 a.m. to noon and 2 to 6:30 p.m. the rest of the year. Admission is about $3.50, $1.75 for those under 18 and students. Information: (33-2) 35.88.02.70 or www.jeanne-darc.com.
The tourist office in Rouen, perhaps the best source of information on how to organize a small walking tour of the town, is at 22 Place de la Cathedrale, and is open daily. A free brochure in French and English, 'In the Footsteps of Joan of Arc,' is available to guide visitors.
The office also has a roster of accredited bilingual guides for group tours of Joan of Arc sites and of the winding cobbled streets of Rouen's medieval quarter. You can reserve guided tours, about $90, through the tourist office, (33-2) 32.08.32.40, or go to www.mairie-rouen.fr/gb/tourism for more information.
Getting to Newfoundland
Q. I'd like to visit my grandfather's birthplace, near Bonne Bay on the western (French) coast of Newfoundland. Is it better to fly into St. John's and drive across the island, or take a ferry? Is there public transportation? -- Susan Stockwell Yates, Croton-on-Hudson, N.Y.
A. Newfoundland is not the easiest place to reach, and you'll have to weigh time and cost in deciding how to get there. The best source of information is the province's tourism information line, (800) 563-6353.
There are no nonstop flights from New York to Newfoundland; you must go through Toronto or Halifax to St. John's, the provincial capital. According to Travelocity.com, the lowest published fare recently has been $637 round trip on Canadian Airlines, (800) 426-7000, or Air Canada, (888) 247-2262.
Marine Atlantic, (800) 341-7941, runs four or five ferries daily from North Sydney, Nova Scotia, to Port-aux-Basques, in southwest Newfoundland, about 180 miles from Bonne Bay. A high-speed catamaran leaves at 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m., making the trip in under three hours. Another ferry, taking about twice as long, leaves at various times depending on the day. Both ferries cost about $13.50, at 67 cents to the Canadian dollar, plus $42 a car.
There is also a 15-hour ferry to Argentia, on the southeast coast, about 65 miles from St. John's, should you want to visit the capital and drive the 350 or so miles across the island. This ferry leaves North Sydney on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 8 a.m.
According to the tourist office, the only mass transit on Newfoundland is the DRL bus line, (709) 738-8088. It charges $25 for the three-and-a-half-hour trip from Port-aux-Basques to Deer Lake, near Bonne Bay, and $50 from St. John's to Deer Lake.
Hostels in Macedonia
Q. I am interested in biking and hiking in western Macedonia, especially around Lake Ohrid. Do you know of any youth hostels or similarly inexpensive accommodations? -- Nick Simmons, Madison, Wisc.
A. While Macedonia is a frontier for American travelers, the area around Lake Ohrid has been a popular vacation destination for years. Lakes Prespa and Dojran also are developing as summer resorts, and the mountains around Mavrovo attract winter sports enthusiasts.
Foreign tourism in this former Yugoslav republic is still in its infancy, though, so there isn't a lot of travel information available. The Macedonian Youth Hostel Association is an associate member of Hosteling International (www.iyhf.org), but reaching the office in Skopje, the capital, where there is a 26-room hostel, is a bit like playing roulette. The address is Prolet 25, 1000 Skopje; phone (389-91) 239-947, fax (389-91) 235-029.
Another source of information is  the Croatian Youth Hostel Association, Savska cesta 5-1, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (385-41) 482-9294, fax (385-41) 482-9296. According to the Croatian association's president, Goran Richembergh, Macedonia is generally safe for travelers and English not uncommon.
The Mladost Hostel, (389-96)21-626, is on the road to Struga, two miles from Ohrid. It is open all year and charges about $3.50 for a bed and breakfast. The hostel is next to the Magnus Hotel, (389-96) 21-671, which has 38 rooms, a restaurant and its own beach. The Magnus charges about $24 a person, and reservations can be made through the hostel association.
A rare source of information about Macedonia in the United States is Ohrid Travel, 264 Parker Avenue, Clifton, N.J. 07011, (973) 340-3210, fax (973) 340-9124. The owner, Vera Svrgovska, said hotels in the Lake Ohrid area are bargains but fill up quickly in the summer. She pointed to the recently renovated 131-room Palace Hotel, (389-96) 260-440, fax (389-96) 35460. It is right on the lake in Ohrid and has two restaurants. Rooms, priced in German marks, cost $24 to $33 a person, with breakfast, at 2 marks to the dollar.
For more information on the country, see www.vmacedonia.com.
RAY CORMIER