Q and A
Day Trips From Heathrow
Q.
I have a nine-hour layover at Heathrow, and would like some tips on where to spend an afternoon without going into London proper. I'd prefer an activity that involves some walking. And please include information on public transportation. -- Sydney Lyle, Rochester
A.  There are many lovely places near Heathrow where you can stretch your legs. The following sites are about 30 to 45 minutes from the airport and are easily accessible by public transportation.
The Royal Botanic Gardens, a few minutes' walk from the Kew Gardens subway station on the westbound District Line, was originally two royal estates, which George III merged in the late 18th century. The site is now a 300-acre center for science and conservation with greenhouses, galleries, follies, a museum and a collection of more than 30,000 plants. You'll find gardens devoted to bluebells, roses, rhododendrons and azaleas; stands of sweet chestnut, juniper and Japanese cedar, as well as greenhouse gardens devoted to alpine, tropical, rain-forest and temperate species. The gardens open at 9:30 a.m.; closing time varies from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m., depending on the season. Admission is $8, figured at a rate of 62 pence to the dollar.
Richmond-upon-Thames, also on the District Line, is one subway stop beyond Kew Gardens. The pretty, prosperous London suburb, with its central Green surrounded by 17th- and 18th-century houses is fun to explore, especially for architecture buffs. Among the noteworthy buildings are the late 19th-century Richmond Theater (on the Green); the 18th-century stone Asgill House at the end of Old Palace Lane; the Museum of Richmond in Old Town Hall on Whittaker Avenue (admission is free); and the early 18th-century Maids of Honor Row, a collection of four three-story houses, built to house the Maids of Honor who attended the Princess of Wales during the time of George II. Nearby is the 2,358-acre Richmond Park,  home to herds of red and fallow deer.  Information: (44-181) 940 9125.
Another option is Windsor Castle, one of Queen Elizabeth II's three official residences. You can visit St. George's Chapel, the State Apartments, Queen Mary's Dolls House, as well as the castle's precincts. Hours are 9:45 a.m. to 4 p.m.; admission is $17.
Signs for subway and bus stations at Heathrow are clearly posted. If you travel after 9:30 a.m., the most economical option for getting to Kew Gardens and Richmond-upon-Thames is to buy a one-day unlimited London Travel Card -- good for buses and subways -- for $5.35.
For transportation to Windsor take the No. 191 or 192 bus from the  station at Heathrow. A round-trip ticket costs $7.25.
Budget Lodgings in Belem
Q.  Can you give me the names of some inexpensive, atmospheric accommodations in Belem? I'd like to keep the price to $50 or under. -- Jonathan Levy, Brooklyn
A.  You won't have a hard time finding atmospheric lodgings in Belem, capital of the northern Brazilian state of Para. In fact, large portions of this 384-year-old port city at the mouth of the Amazon River are loaded with a distinctive Brazilian-colonial ambience -- from the narrow streets lined with blue-tiled, Portuguese-style buildings to the bustling market selling everything from Amazonian fish and manioc flour to medicinal herbs and religious potions.
The Parque dos Igarapes, about four miles from downtown, has 15 bungalows set on 40 acres of Amazon forest. The rustic bungalows, built of wood and straw, are air-conditioned; a double room with private bath is $50. The hotel is at the mouth of the Ariri River and guests have access to canoes, as well as a swimming pool, volleyball court and soccer fields. The hotel is at Kilometer 7 of the Augusto Montenegro Road; telephone (5591) 248-1718, fax (5591) 248-6910.
The Manaca Hotel, in the pleasant suburb of Nazare, is a renovated old house with 16 rooms. It is decorated in a colonial style, with tropical hardwood furniture. The rooms have air-conditioning, private baths, telephones and television sets. Doubles, including breakfast, are $35. The address is 1645 Travessa Quintino Bocaiuva. Information: (5591) 222-6227.
Guest rooms at the Hotel Central, at 290 Avenida Presidente Vargas (Belem's main street), have gorgeous wooden transoms on the windows, 14-foot ceilings and a bathroom with original 1930's tiles. Doubles are $30. Information: (5591) 241-8177.
Left Bank Tours
Q.  I'm going to Paris for the first time and want to take a walking tour of the Left Bank. Can you help? -- Sandra Liever, Portland, Ore.
A.  Organizations offering guided tours of the Left Bank are plentiful. Unless otherwise noted, the companies below offer tours in English as well as in French.
Decouvrir Paris has many tours of Parisian neighborhoods and buildings. Traditional Left Bank tourist haunts like St.-Germain-des-Pres are covered, but Decouvrir Paris also visits less well-known neighborhoods like La Butte aux Cailles, an ethnic neighborhood with Russian and Alsatian enclaves, in the 13th Arrondissement. Tours last 90 minutes and cost $7.50 (figured at a rate of 6.72 francs to the dollar), plus additional entrance fees, when applicable. Information: (33-1) 47.89.41.68.
Paris a Pied, which is based in Minneapolis, has a Left Bank tour that lasts three hours and covers a lot of ground, passing through the Mouffetard quarter, the Pantheon, the Luxembourg Gardens, the Sorbonne and and Cluny. This tour costs $45 and includes a coffee break. Reservations: (800) 594-9535. Information is also available at www.parisapied.com.
Claude Marti has been leading walking tours in Paris for six years. He is certified by the Culture Ministry, which gives his groups access to many courtyards and interesting interiors normally closed to the public. Mr. Marti's tours range from the winding Mouffetard quarter in the Fifth Arrondissement to the renovated neighborhood around the new Francois Mitterrand Library, in the 13th Arrondissement. Tours are in French only; they last two hours and cost $7.50. Information: (33-1) 40.31.56.06.
You might also refer to the weekly publication Pariscope, sold at newspaper kiosks. It gives a day-by-day listing of walking tours under the heading 'Promenades.' Recent examples included a tour of the St. Sulpice Quarter and the Montparnasse Cemetery.
SUZANNE MacNEILLE