Travel Articles

My First Time at Sea

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:44:50 -0500

Is Cruising for you and your budget?

Sat, 28 Nov 2009 17:01:18 -0500

Some say going on a cruise is a bargain....others say it's too extravagant.
I'm far from a cruise expert, but from my recent experience on Crown Princess (Princess Cruises), my conclusion is this: like with any trip you take, it's what you turn it into that makes a difference. Whether you're a budget traveler like me, or have an off-shore account (and if you do, I'd appreciate another cruise if you're feeling generous, perhaps to Tahiti this time??), cruise ships like Crown Princess have something for everyone, including some great budget splurges :)

Staying at Convents in Assisi (revisiting previous blog)

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 15:29:28 -0400

* This article was posted first on Tuesday, October 12, 2010 in a previous blog I kept for my travels in Italy last year.

I’ve taken for granted that staying in Assisi meant staying with Suore del Giglio’s convent on Via San Francesco where everything I could imagine was perfect. I had a spectacular panoramic view of the Umbrian fields below Assisi….a perfect little room just the right size for me….an espresso vending machine right at the front door for that AM jet fuel to catapult you into a day of uphill and downhill hikes on the streets of Assisi….lots of friendly and interesting nuns from all over the world to talk to and befriend…and most of all, a key to the main entrance door so I can come back at whatever time I want at night!! Here, at my current convent - Oasi di Preghiera (The Oasis of Prayer) there is no such key, and there is a curfew I did not know about. Aside from that the nuns are very sweet and friendly, but very few. I’ve only seen maybe 3 or 4 as opposed to a dozen or more at Suore del Giglio.

The place here is perfect if you never want to run into anyone and be safe enough that your room doesn’t even require a key. Really, my room does NOT have a key!!! They do have a simple breakfast at the refractory that’s included in the price, but at Suore del Giglio the nun prepare a breakfast, lunch, and dinner feast for the clients for a very reasonable price. That convent is geared more toward hospitality for tourists and its rules are lenient. This convent doesn’t let you forget it IS a convent, and you are a guest who needs to abide by the rules the nuns follow too: like early bedtime. And you don’t get a key to the door to waltz in after a late night at the local café. Whereas the Suore del Giglio is a bright cheery place, this one is more austere and somber; a place definitely for spiritual interest and not a social one – not even a combination of the two!! Considering most Italians don’t even sit down to eat till 9 PM, how am I supposed to make sure I’m back in my room by 10? I was in Assisi during a very spiritual celebration - The Saint Francis Festival, and I wanted to stay in a spiritual place, but this is also supposed to be a FUN experience too and I surely deserve to have some past 10 PM fun as well. Just because I love staying at a convent with the nuns, it doesn’t mean I have to turn into one myself. There IS life after dark in Assisi too, although not much, but I have friends here I’d like to meet with in the evening for a night out once in a while.

So I bid my lovely nuns at the Oasi di Preghiera a kind arrivederci for their kindness and generosity, and found myself a nice little hotel for nearly the same price per night.

* Unfortunately now the owner of Camere Santa Chiara hotel, Carlos, moved to Argentina to pursue his passion for photography. I will miss him...and I hope someone equally nice as he is running this lovely hotel in his place.

For further information these convents and more, check out previous A Road Retraveled Assisi Episodes:

http://blip.tv/file/594824/ (Ep.#7 unCONVENTional)
http://blip.tv/file/967164/ (EP.# 27 Practical Assisi)

Packing Fragile Souvenirs

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 22:06:05 -0500

This is a spur of the moment blog idea inspired by a twitter friend @vansunder.

In all my travels, I’ve never had a single ceramic or wine bottle break en route - even when my suitcase was literally crushed somewhere between Rome and New York with a pit stop in Frankfurt.

Like all else, it’s best to think in advance of what you might consider bringing home. The things I usually bring home when traveling to Italy are wine, olive oil, ceramics, and more wine (usually Vin Santo that’s difficult to find in the US). Since we can’t pack them in our carry-ons anymore - unless you do your last minute shopping at the airport just before take-off, we have to shove everything in the check-in luggage and pray to the Patron Saints of damaged luggage that they’ll arrive in one piece (is there such a Patron Saint somewhere in Italy?)

This is my short list of things I bring with me in advance:

1. Thin bubble sheets. I pack them flat on each side of my laptop that I carry with me.
2. Gallon size and larger ziplock bags. Ziplock bags should be your best travel buddies (bring some in all sizes, they’ll come in handy)
3. Rubber bands

The rest of the packing supplies are things I already have with me: clothes, socks, shoes...

To shatter proof my bottles of wine or oil, I first wrap them inside a ziplock bag and seal well. This protects any outside items from the wine in case a bottle DOES break. In case of the ever present possibility of breakage, I prefer to purchase more smaller bottles of wine and/or olive oil instead of a few large bottles. It’s easier to pack in the suitcase, and if one breaks, I have more to spare.

Then I wrap the ziplocked bottle with the thin bubble sheets, and then a few layers of clothes. If I don’t have bubble sheets, I wrap the bottle with even more soft clothes like pajamas and T-shirts. I do this till I get a nice thick cocoon. You can either wrap some rubber bands around the fabric to keep it tightly around the bottle, or stick in in a clean sock if you have one large enough.

For ceramics like plates, I again wrap them thickly in clothes and secure with large rubber bands. For vases, I first fill them up with socks and other clothing items before cocooning them in more clothes. Moral of the story: bring enough clothes ;)

If the fragile objects are small enough to fit in my shoes, I pack the objects inside a small ziplock bag first, then place it in layers of socks and fit them snugly inside my shoes. Ok, these are the shoes in my suitcase, not the ones I’m wearing! :)

I never place any fragile objects around the edges of the suitcase, least of all the bottom where everything falls on top of them. Try to secure them snugly in the center of the suitcase sandwiched between thick layers of clothes, with a few less fragile items or souvenir toting shoes towards the top of the suitcase towards the handle. The reason I suggest the center of the suitcase is because I’ve had suitcases crushed around the edges before. Luckily, all my fragile bottles of wine were nice and safe at the center!!

The rule should always be heavier and most durable items at the bottom of the suitcase when it’s standing up, and lighter and more fragile towards the top near the handle.

As always, I welcome any tips and suggestions I may have missed!! These blogs are a work in progress, always growing and expanding as new information comes my way.

Happy packing!!

Smart dressed Traveler

Sun, 16 Nov 2008 15:11:55 -0500

SHOES:

Wear comfortable shoes when touring on foot. If doing a lot of walking, especially on cobble stones or rugged terrain with loose dirt and stones, wear footwear that’s light and protects your feet..preferably with cotton socks to prevent blisters and absorb perspiration. Keep the dainty sandals for a short and easy stroll, not a trekking expedition.
I’ve seen too many people wearing trendy sandals or worse: flip-flops while walking on the cobble stoned streets of Florence or the dusty and stony Roman forum, with feet horribly cracked and blistered. I also saw a young lady fall on her face in New York while walking on a normal sidewalk wearing flip-flops. So leave the flip-flops home, unless....

I admit I bring a pair of rubber flip flops with me….but ONLY to wear in the shower and to double as slippers around my room. I recommend wearing flip flops if staying at B&B’s, convents, monasteries, or hostels that have communal bathrooms. Often you save money on a room if you don’t mind sharing a bathroom….but you don’t want to go bare foot in communal showers.

On my trips, I usually bring 2 pairs of black walking shoes: one dressier, and one more rugged. I’m known to bring with me black sneakers. Black or designer sneakers (like Sketchers) are fine, but white clunky sneakers are a huge tourist fashion faux pas, especially in Europe.

WHAT TO WEAR WHEN TRAVELING, ESPECIALLY TO EUROPE

You’d want to blend in more with the local culture for more reasons than one. A little research ahead of time will pay off in the long run when you don't stick out like an uninformed tourist. The more touristy you look, the more of a target for pick pocketing thieves, peddlers, scammers, and swindlers you become. Dress comfortable, but smart. Instead of large oversized T-shirts (worse: logo T’s), Hawaiian prints, sweat pants, white sneakers, velvet sweat suits, hiking vests with 101 pockets and zippers, follow these simple guidelines:

Darker solid colors are more stylish, withstand dirt you can accumulate during your daytime activities, make you look slimmer, and are easier to mix and match. Leave home the whites because they get dingy really fast, and you don’t want to spend half your vacation worrying about dirt, stains and laundry.

Ladies: Make sure your clothes mix and match to create a variety of outfits out of a few pieces. You can accessorize with colorful tops, scarves, or belts to create different looks and styles. The key is to create as many different outfits from as few pieces as possible to make your luggage lighter. I was given the advice once to dress like an onion: in layers. So instead of bringing bulky sweaters, pick a couple of tops that you can layer up. That way, if it’s hot during the day you can take something off, and when it gets cool in the evening you can put it back on again. I also bring with me more tops than bottoms. Tops are lighter, easier to wash and dry, and they’re the first to stand out in photographs. For pants, I prefer to bring a couple of stretch jeans for comfort, and another pair or 2 of black or brown pants that don’t require ironing after being hand washed. For special occasions, I bring a dressy pair of black pants. I stay away from heavy or thick fabrics as they add weight and volume to my luggage.

Guys: Those fishing vests and baseball hats I see so many guys fond of as their travel uniform will not win you bonus points, especially abroad. Like the ladies, do your homework and find out what people are wearing in the country you're visiting, and use that as a guide when you pick out clothes from your closet. Comfort comes first. Just because Italian men walk around like they just dropped off a GQ cover, it doesn't mean you have to go that far. Logo T-shirts, tank tops, loud colored and printed shirts are usually not well advised. A nice button down shirt, a polo shirt, or a nice T with a pair of pants or jeans are fine together. I'd recommend something between visiting the parents and going out to eat with friends. And always bring something nice to wear out to dinner. You'll be glad you took the extra time to dress smart when you won't feel so much like a tourist sticking out in the local crowd.

Bring clothes that are hand washable, withstand wrinkling and don’t require ironing. The clothes that are most wrinkle resistant can be placed in space saver bags that can be found in just about in any department store nowadays. I get mine from Walmart. You just stuff the bag with wrinkle proof clothes, roll out the air, and voila: more room in your suitcase!!! The only hard part about this is you have to repeat it every time you re-pack your clothes, but it makes up for the trouble when you realize how much more stuff you can fit in your suitcase.

If you want to travel light yet need some extra room for souvenirs and shopping, bring some “disposable” clothes that you can get rid off on your trip. These disposable clothes could be socks, undergarments, T-shirts, pajamas, or bum-around clothes that you wear in the privacy of your hotel room. Suddenly, you have extra room for your newly purchased goodies!!!

LAUNDRY:

You can check with your hotel or tourist office for local laundry mats or dry cleaners. But for me, that takes time out of my vacation fun and funds, so I prefer to hand wash my clothes at night in the sink. Just make sure you:

Don’t wash clothes when you have to leave your hotel the next morning because most clothes can take longer than overnight to dry. I usually do my hand washing the first night I arrive at a new hotel that I intend to stay in for a few days.

Bring a sink stopper, and laundry soap/detergent. In times of need, I used body soap or shampoo to do my laundry, but I usually bring a ziplock of powder detergent with me because it makes for more convenient packing. If you don’t mind carrying liquid detergent, you can bring a little bit of Woolite with you…just enough to last you through your trip.

You can either hang your wet clothes on hangers over the shower bar, or lay them down flat on a towel. I found that with many cases, if I wring my clothes inside a dry towel, more water is absorbed from the clothes and they dry quicker.

In case clothes dry too wrinkly, I bring a small travel size bottle of wrinkle release spray. But I make sure I don't bring clothes that wrinkle easily, or require ironing.

I also bring a stain eraser pen. You can find those in the detergent department.

Any ideas and tips you'd like to share, let me know: ARoadRetraveled@mac.com