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Hiển thị các bài đăng có nhãn France. Hiển thị tất cả bài đăng
Hiển thị các bài đăng có nhãn France. Hiển thị tất cả bài đăng

Thứ Năm, 20 tháng 12, 2012

France: Where fear, taboo control guns

Mohammed Merah massacred children in a Jewish school in Toulouse this year. Such events are rare though in Europe.Mohammed Merah massacred children in a Jewish school in Toulouse this year. Such events are rare though in Europe.Philippe Coste says Americans display amazing familiarity with instruments of deathWay harder to find efficient weapons in Europe, he says: this may deter potential killersFrench hunters don't own guns, he points out. They only get three-year license to use gunsCoste: There are many illegal guns, but fear and taboo are more efficient gun controlPhilippe Coste is the staff New York correspondent for the weekly L'Express. He also writes a blog on "lexpress.fr." His book, recently published in France, is about populism and the American justice system: "Quand la justice dérape" "When Justice goes off track."

New York (CNN) -- The massacre in Newtown brought back an old memory -- a day in the 1970s when as a 12-year-old French school boy I had held my first gun.

On a Wednesday, a short school day in France, one of my classmates had brought a whole group of kids to his house. The parents were away at the office so we tasted a few drops of his dad's Scotch, checked out his older brother's collection of Playboy magazine, then, as if we needed to complete our transgressions, our young host led us upstairs, opened a drawer in the master bedroom, and pulled out this mass of black metal.

Many of us had seen our grandfathers' hunting rifles, but this was the real thing -- designed to pierce big holes in human bodies. And as we passed the gun along, some of us refused to touch it. The weapon conveyed less the glamorous image of Hollywood thrillers than the ghastly and realistic press account of the end of a gangster, riddled with bullets by the police in the middle of Paris a few weeks before.

Will Newtown change America's attitude toward guns?

Philippe Coste It also brought back the story a teacher had told us about the sound he had heard as a child in World War II, of German SS soldiers finishing off hostages one by one in a courtyard of his village.

As we left the house that day, we all had the strange feeling we had just met the ultimate taboo, an instrument of ugly death belonging either to a dark underworld, or to a higher and overpowering authority.

As a reporter in the United States, I sometimes had to smile at my prudish European state of mind, when I saw, for example, members of the Blood gang in Los Angeles casually eating their pizza, their guns visible in their belts, or every time I pass by the weapons counter at Walmart where families buy guns as if they were shopping for the nearby kitchen appliances.

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The European press as a whole may have once again stigmatized "America's love story with its guns" but the story seems to be less about love or passion than about the amazing familiarity and trivialization of instruments of death displayed by Americans.

On Friday, a relative called me from France. A retired kindergarten teacher, she told me about the "gut wrenching pain" she had felt following the news of faraway Connecticut. As we ended our conversation, she wondered: "Are we that far behind them?" Sure, a few months ago, a young French jihadist named Mohammed Merah massacred children in a Jewish school in Toulouse. In peaceful Norway, a neo-Nazi went on a nightmarish rampage. But both plans stemmed from another world, that of terrorism -- a warrior's logic so determined and deeply rooted in ideology it defied any norm of the society it targeted.

In France, the last mass shooting comparable to the recent American random murders dates back to 2002, when a Richard Durn gunned down eight members of the city council of his home town of Nanterre, a suburb of Paris. And the only known equivalent of Columbine, Virginia Tech or Newtown took place in Dunblane, Scotland, in March 1996 when a former scout leader killed 16 children and one adult in a school. Yet, why doesn't it happen more often?

One explanation comes to mind. It is way more difficult to find an efficient weapon in Europe, and this challenge may deter all but the most determined potential murderers.

I concur with the American gun lobby that gun control amounts to an obvious restriction of individual liberties. Like most French or European citizens, I would add a point: So what? Who even cares that, barring some (even more restrictive) amendments added since the 1980s, most of our gun laws date back to the decrees of April 18, 1939. It was a time of official mobilization against Hitler's imminent offensive, a time when a derelict French government cared less about its citizens killing each other than about the populace, or political factions, turning their weapons against the state for an insurrection.

For the next four years, the occupants, and the collaborationist regime of Vichy, simplified the system by executing anybody found in possession of a mere hunting rifle. And after the war, the legitimate government made an absolute priority of collecting the assault weapons hidden in private attics all around the country and reaffirming the 1939 law. It is still in place. There are eight categories of weapon, ranging from automatic hardware and machine guns which are prohibited, to hunting equipment allowed with a hunting permit.

To get any category one or four weapons, like the Glock or the Sig Sauer used in Newtown, you need to be 21, to have joined a shooting range for the last six months, provided a blank criminal record and a certificate of physical and mental health not older than two weeks. Then, the local police precinct starts a "morality investigation" in your neighborhood that rivals the clearance work done by the FBI for anybody employed at the White House.

The story seems to be less about love or passion than about the amazing familiarity and trivialization of instruments of death displayed by Americans
Philippe CosteOne more point. Once you buy a gun, you still don't own it. Property rights don't apply to weapons. Even the European community, in spite of its principles of free enterprise and individual liberties, confirmed that there is no such thing as a right to own a weapon. A license is a temporary exception to the rule of prohibition. It is a privilege revoked after three years, before a new application.

World reaction: 'My heart is in Newtown'

These are the rules, but they are just rules. But our fear and taboos about firearms are a much more efficient gun control in our society.

The laws are so strict they cannot be efficiently implemented. That is why, mostly for bureaucratic reasons, more than 16 million weapons are unaccounted for and kept illegally, according to Small Arms Survey, mostly by otherwise law-abiding French citizens. Still, per capita, our murder rate is a fraction of the American one.

This doesn't mean France is not growing more violent. Its underworld is changing and expanding fast. Gangsters now use RPGs [rocket-propelled grenades] and bazookas to attack bank trucks, and military grade fully automatic weapons to kill their guards.

Drug dealers execute their competitors in Marseille with dreadful impunity. The Corsican mob, or its independent networks have killed 20 people in the island in a year. Thousands of military grade weapons are flowing now in western Europe, the remnants of the recent Balkan wars, exported by corrupt officials all around the former eastern block.

A few blocks from the house where I first saw my first gun, teenage dealers stash Kalashnikovs in the basements of project buildings. They are still rarely used, and to most French people, they belong in a parallel world. For now.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Philippe Coste.

ADVERTISEMENT Watch CNN's LIVE TV coverage of the Connecticut elementary school shooting as the story continues to unfold. Details continue to emerge about what precisely happened at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Here is a timeline of events that compiles the latest reporting. An interactive tribute to the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. December 18, 2012 -- Updated 2302 GMT (0702 HKT) Reaction to Newtown school killings December 18, 2012 -- Updated 2037 GMT (0437 HKT) Black vans with tinted windows took the place of school buses carrying dozens of elementary school children. December 18, 2012 -- Updated 1537 GMT (2337 HKT) Friday began with the mundane. A chilly December day, Christmas on many residents' minds.December 18, 2012 -- Updated 1530 GMT (2330 HKT) Placing yourself in the path of flying bullets to protect innocents. It's a job description fitting for a soldier or police officer, but not for a school teacher.December 18, 2012 -- Updated 1519 GMT (2319 HKT) Ken Henggeler poured his grief into the thing he loved most: carpentry.December 18, 2012 -- Updated 1521 GMT (2321 HKT) Nearly three decades ago, a woman disappeared from the Connecticut town of Newtown, leaving behind a trail of questions. December 19, 2012 -- Updated 0056 GMT (0856 HKT) Bob Skuba is a whirl of energy. Outspoken, loud and opinionated, he's the embodiment of East Coast bravado. December 18, 2012 -- Updated 1849 GMT (0249 HKT) Nancy Lanza was raising a quiet, socially awkward young man, the kind of teenager who, a former classmate recalled, would just go stand in the corner. December 17, 2012 -- Updated 1045 GMT (1845 HKT) Robbie Parker has a message for the family of the gunman who killed his 6-year-old daughter and 19 of her school mates. December 19, 2012 -- Updated 0031 GMT (0831 HKT) Adam Lanza brought three weapons inside Sandy Hook Elementary school on December 14 and left a fourth in his car, police said. Those weapons were a Bushmaster AR-15 rifle and two handguns -- a Glock 10 mm and a Sig Sauer 9 mm. December 17, 2012 -- Updated 1312 GMT (2112 HKT) In some cases around the world, mass shootings have been a catalyst for changes in gun control laws.December 17, 2012 -- Updated 1949 GMT (0349 HKT) Security experts predict what comes next: A strong reaction -- maybe an overreaction -- to school safety. And within months, it'll be back to cuttign security budgets.December 17, 2012 -- Updated 2111 GMT (0511 HKT) Learn how to help the victims and families affected by the Connecticut school shooting tragedy.Today's five most popular storiesMoreADVERTISEMENT

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Finding France in North America

5 places to find France in North America - CNN.comvar cnnCurrTime=new Date(1355984961000),cnnCurrHour=1,cnnCurrMin=29,cnnCurrDay="Thu",cnnIsIntl=true,clickID=212106,cnn_cvpAdpre="edition.",cnnCVPAdSectionT1="edition.cnn.com_travel_t1",cnnCVPAdSectionInPage="edition.cnn.com_travel_inpage",cnnShareUrl="%2F2012%2F12%2F19%2Ftravel%2Ffrance-in-north-america%2Findex.html",cnnShareTitle="5%20places%20to%20find%20France%20in%20North%20America",cnnShareDesc="",cnnFirstPub=new Date('Wednesday Dec 19 08:11:55 EST 2012'),cnnSectionName="travel",cnnSubSectionName="trv : news",cnnPageType="Story",cnnBrandingValue="default";cnnPartnerValue="";cnnOmniBranding="",cnnAuthor="Margaret Loftus, Special to CNN",disqus_category_id=207582,disqus_identifier="/2012/12/19/travel/france-in-north-america/index.html",disqus_title="5 places to find France in North America",cnn_edtnswtchver="edition",cnnIsStoryPage=true,cnn_metadata = {};cnn_metadata = {section: ["travel","trv : news"],friendly_name: "5 places to find France in North America",template_type: "content",template_type_content: "gallery",business: {cnn: {page: {author: "Margaret Loftus, Special to CNN",broadcast_franchise: "",video_embed_count: "0",publish_date: "2012/12/19",photo_gallery: "Finding France in North America"},video: {video_player: ""}}},user: {authenticated: "",segment: {age: "",zip: "",gender: ""}}};if (typeof(cnnOmniPartner) !== "undefined") {if (cnn_metadata.template_type_content === "") {cnn_metadata.template_type_content = "partner";}}var photo_gallery = "Finding France in North America";if(typeof CNN==='undefined'){var CNN=Class.create();}CNN.expandableMap=[''];function _loginOptions(){};var disqus_url=(typeof disqus_identifier!=='undefined') ? 'http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/19/travel/france-in-north-america/index.html' : 'http://www.cnn.com'+location.pathname;cnnad_newTileIDGroup(['607x95_adlinks','336x280_adlinks']);Skip to main content CNN EDITION:  INTERNATIONAL U.S. MÉXICO ARABIC TV:   CNNi CNN en Español Set edition preference Sign up Log in Home Video World U.S. Africa Asia Europe Latin America Middle East Business World Sport Entertainment Tech Travel iReport PrintEmailMore sharing5 places to find France in North AmericaBy Margaret Loftus, Special to CNNDecember 19, 2012 -- Updated 1311 GMT (2111 HKT)if (typeof cnnArticleGallery=="undefined"){var cnnArticleGallery={};if(typeof cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList=="undefined"){cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList=[];}}var expGalleryPT00=new ArticleExpandableGallery();expGalleryPT00.setImageCount(8);expGalleryPT00.setAdsRefreshCount(3);//cnn_adbptrackpgalimg("Montreal, Quebec", 1);.cnn_html_slideshow_metadata > .cnn_html_media_utility::before{color:red;content:'>>';font-size:9px;line-height:12px;padding-right:1px}.cnnstrylccimg640{margin:0 27px 14px 0}.captionText{filter:alpha(opacity=100);opacity:1}.cnn_html_slideshow_media_caption a,.cnn_html_slideshow_media_caption a:visited,.cnn_html_slideshow_media_caption a:link,.captionText a,.captionText a:visited,.captiontext a:link{color:#004276;outline:medium none}.cnnVerticalGalleryPhoto{margin:0 auto;padding-right:68px;width:270px}Montreal is the second-largest Francophone city in the world after Paris.Montreal is the second-largest Francophone city in the world after Paris.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":true,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":1,"title":"Montreal, Quebec"}Cafes, shops and restaurants recall the city's European roots.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":2,"title":"Montreal, Quebec"}Quebec City's gabled roofs, winding streets and ramparts conjure an Old World feel. Vieux-Quebec (Old Town) is the only fortified city in North America north of Mexico.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":3,"title":"Quebec City, Quebec"}Quebecois celebrate the arrival of their ancestors in Canada at the Nouvelle France festival in the summer.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":4,"title":"Quebec City, Quebec"}The original town of La Nouvelle-Orléans developed around what is now known as Jackson Square.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":5,"title":"New Orleans, Louisiana"}Visitors to the city now are likely to indulge in beignets at Cafe du Monde.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":6,"title":"New Orleans, Louisiana"}The rocky islands of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, some 15 miles off the coast of Newfoundland, are part of France.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":7,"title":"Saint-Pierre and Miquelon"}Faquetigue Courir de Mardi Gras is a traditional Mardi Gras celebration held near Savoy, Louisiana, that involves chasing chickens.cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList.length]={"currentPicture":false,"x":0,"y":0,"pos":8,"title":"South Louisiana"}HIDE CAPTIONMontreal, QuebecMontreal, QuebecQuebec City, QuebecQuebec City, QuebecNew Orleans, LouisianaNew Orleans, LouisianaSaint-Pierre and MiquelonSouth Louisiana<<<12345678>>>Event.observe(window,'load',function(){if(typeof(cnn_adbptrackpgalimg) == 'function' && typeof(cnnArticleGallery) != 'undefined'){cnn_adbptrackpgalimg(cnnArticleGallery.currentImageList[0].image,"Finding France in North America");}});STORY HIGHLIGHTSMontreal is the second-largest city of French-speaking natives in the world after ParisThe rocky islands of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon off the coast of Canada are still part of FranceFrench is the first language of some residents of Cajun country in Louisiana

(CNN) -- With flights to Paris topping $1,000 these days, travel to France can be très cher. But you needn't cross the pond for that Gallic je ne sais quoi.

Here are five enclaves in North America where French culture thrives:

Montreal,Quebec

Settled by French fur traders and later captured by the British, Montreal grew into a bilingual city with dual identities. And while myriad other tonguesare spoken thanks to a thriving immigrant population, it remains the second-largest Francophone city in the world after Paris. You'll hear bonjours and ca vas in every borough, but the most solidly French neighborhoods are east of Boulevard St.-Laurent -- the de facto border that separates it from the largely English-speaking west side.

Linger over an espresso at one of the terrasses (patios) that line Rue St. Denis in the Latin Quarter. Then head to the vaunted L'Express, a classic Parisian bistro in Plateau Mont-Royal, where everything from the zinc bar to the tight quarters to the duck confit will spark flashbacks of Montmartre.

Go for: The FrancoFolies is a festival celebrating Francophone music with some 250 live acts. June 14-22.

Quebec City, Quebec

Founded by French explorer Samuel de Champlain more than 400 years ago, Quebec City, like Montreal, fell to the British crown a century and a half later. Its Gallic culture, however, remained firmly intact. Today, nearly 95% of the residents are native French speakers. The city's gabled roofs, winding streets and ramparts conjure an Old World feel. Vieux-Quebec (Old Town) is the only fortified city in North America north of Mexico.

Get the full scoop on Quebec's French heritage at the Musée de la Civilization, where a new exhibition tells the story of Francophones who pulled up stakes to settle in North America with interactive features such as a hallway meant to evoke a departure dock. Around the corner, the cozy Café Le St. Malo, with its exposed brick walls and roaring hearth fire, serves up the kind of rustic fare you find in the French countryside, such as cassoulet (a one-pot dish of white beans and meat such as pork sausage and duck confit) and boudin noir (blood sausage).

Go for: Quebecois celebrate the arrival of their ancestors in Canada at the Nouvelle France festival. August 7-11.

New Orleans, Louisiana

Claimed by France as part of the Louisiana Territory in 1682, La Nouvelle-Orléans rose from a swamp on the bend of the Mississippi River to become a strategic port city.

Named for the Regent of France, Philippe, Duc d'Orleans, the original town developed around what is now known as Jackson Square. After the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, a mix of nationalities flooded the city, creating the unique French/Creole-infused melting pot that is the Big Easy today.

Nonetheless, remnants of its French heritage are evident throughout. For one, snacking on beignets and café au lait at the venerable Café du Monde in the French Quarter is as de rigueur for tourists as taking home Mardi Gras beads.

History buffs who can't make it to the Louvre to see one of Napoleon Bonaparte's famous marble bathtubs -- he supposedly signed the Louisiana Purchase while in the tub -- can book Suite 730 at the 100-year-old Le Pavillon Hotel, near the French Quarter, to take a plunge in one said to have been owned by Napoleon (there are three total).

A short walk away on Esplanade Avenue, the Degas House, a bed and breakfast and former home of artist Edgar Degas, hosts "Bottles and Brushes" evenings, where amateur artists can drink wine, paint and soak up the atmosphere in the studio of the French Impressionist master.

Go for: In a nod to New Orleans' Gallic roots, French statesman Charles de Gaulle gave the city a Joan of Arc statue, an exact replica of one that stands in Orleans, which today presides over the French Market and is feted annually with a parade. January 6.

Saint-Pierre and Miquelon, French territory

A remnant of France's exploits in Canada, these rocky islands some 15 miles off the coast of Newfoundland were deeded to the republic in 1816 under the second Treaty of Paris after a century-long tussle with England. Settlers eager to work in the islands' rich cod fishery came from Acadie, Brittany and Normandy in France and the Basque country, which includes parts of Spain and France. Another boom came during Prohibition, when smuggling spirits to the U.S. made some islanders rich.

Today, the archipelago -- a "territorial collectivity" of France -- retains much of the character of its mother country.

Most merchants close up shop at midday to lunch with their families at home. The baguettes and croissants are the real deal. The euro is the currency of the land, though many businesses accept Canadian and U.S. dollars.

You'll find the most action on the tiniest and most populated island, Saint-Pierre. With its colorful clapboard houses, narrow streets, classic cafes and Peugeots zipping around, it's Greenland-meets-Normandy. Join the locals as they break for la collation, a light meal, in the late afternoon; duck into Délices de Joséphine on Rue General LeClerc for a spot of Mariage Frères tea and a Paris-worthy pastry.

Go for: Bastille Day, the anniversary of the storming of the infamous prison in Paris in 1789, is celebrated at Place du Général de Gaulle in St. Pierre. July 14.

Cajun Country, Louisiana

Expelled by the British from what are now the Canadian Maritime provinces and northern Maine during the French and Indian War (1754-1763), many Acadians settled in south Louisiana, spawning a rich culture and their own dialect, Cajun French, that is still very much alive today.

In some pockets, such as the small town of Arnaudville, French rules -- on street signs, in radio broadcasts, political ads and even as the sole language of some residents.

At the Vermilionville Living History Museum and Folklife Park in Lafayette Parish, a replica of an Acadian village depicts life circa 1765-1890. For a modern taste of Cajun life, landmark Lafayette restaurants Randol's and Prejean's host live Cajun music and specialize in local favorites such as crawfish étouffée.

Go for: Unlike the glittery spectacle in New Orleans, Mardi Gras in Cajun Country has changed little since its early days. Revelers on horseback dress up in costumes made from flour sacks or burlap, and ride from house to house collecting ingredients -- including live chickens -- for a communal pot of gumbo. February 12.

0Comments »PrintEmailMore sharingvar OB_permalink='http://edition.cnn.com'+location.pathname;var OB_langJS='http://widgets.outbrain.com/lang_en.js';var OB_widgetId='AR_1';var OB_Template="cnnedition";if (typeof(OB_Script)!='undefined'){OutbrainStart();}else{var OB_Script=true;var str="cnnad_createAd("102417","http://ads.cnn.com/html.ng/site=cnn_international&cnn_intl_pagetype=mmst&cnn_intl_position=607x95_adlinks&cnn_intl_rollup=travel&page.allowcompete=no¶ms.styles=fs","95","607");cnnad_registerSpace(102417,607,95);cnnad_createAd("487748","http://ads.cnn.com/html.ng/site=cnn_international&cnn_intl_pagetype=mmst&cnn_intl_position=336x850_rgt&cnn_intl_rollup=travel&page.allowcompete=no¶ms.styles=fs","850","336");cnnad_registerSpace(487748,336,850);ADVERTISEMENTPart of complete coverage on CNN recommendsHow we'll travel in 2022November 27, 2012 -- Updated 1345 GMT (2145 HKT)Fliers, drivers and rail riders, heads up: the next 10 years will dramatically transform America's traveling landscape.4 must-sees for military buffs November 8, 2012 -- Updated 2003 GMT (0403 HKT)Hundreds of American travel destinations honor the nation's history of military readiness and sacrifice. Here are four fascinating examples.7 gross wonders across AmericaOctober 19, 2012 -- Updated 1245 GMT (2045 HKT)Gross is everywhere. It's in the food we eat, it's in nature, and of course, we ourselves might be the greatest source of grossness. 8 hotels worth a tourAugust 14, 2012 -- Updated 1405 GMT (2205 HKT)Sometimes you don't even have to leave the hotel to take in the sights, because what's right there under your nose is worth further exploration. 7 breathtaking clifftop hotelsNovember 13, 2012 -- Updated 1436 GMT (2236 HKT)Some of the world's most desirable lodgings are clifftop aeries that transport guests far above the fray.Five guys take same photo for 30 yearsJuly 28, 2012 -- Updated 0101 GMT (0901 HKT)When five teenagers sat down and posed for a picture at Copco Lake in 1982, they didn't plan on making it a tradition. But that's what it became. Is the photo better than the vacation?July 23, 2012 -- Updated 1322 GMT (2122 HKT)bv14Brent Larson and his bride look like an ad for their resort, glowing, in love and sun-kissed in paradise. The photo doesn't tell the whole story.Best new cruise shipsNovember 29, 2012 -- Updated 0059 GMT (0859 HKT)Seagoing vacations have come a long way since TV's sunny "Love Boat" sailed across 1970s screens. .cnn_strycrcntrnwsp .cnn_mtpmore { padding:10px 0px 1px 0px; }.cnn_stryccnwsp2 .cnn_stryccnwsp3 { width:100% }Most PopularToday's five most popular storiesFake eagle video, real Obama photo go viralObama: Proposals to address gun violence due by JanuaryA Newtown teacher's boyfriend remembers his loveThe world's toughest sportsman?Opinion: India must teach men not to rape Morecnnad_createAd("423171","http://ads.cnn.com/html.ng/site=cnn_international&cnn_intl_pagetype=mmst&cnn_intl_position=300x150_rgt&cnn_intl_rollup=travel&page.allowcompete=no¶ms.styles=fs","150","300");cnnad_registerSpace(423171,300,150);ADVERTISEMENTcnnad_createAd("543953","http://ads.cnn.com/html.ng/site=cnn_international&cnn_intl_pagetype=mmst&cnn_intl_position=336x280_adlinks&cnn_intl_rollup=travel&page.allowcompete=no¶ms.styles=fs","280","336");cnnad_registerSpace(543953,336,280);

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