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ANNOUNCING THE NEW WEBSITE! It's official, we have moved to .....
8/28/08
Hi Everyone
For the last 4 days I've been rebuilding the new site almost from scratch...I'm pretty sure that I will be able to share the "beta version" with you by Sunday! I have had to archive the entire blog, because googlepages and the new website builder are not playing nice with each other. So, I won't be adding anything such as pictures, smilebox, and videos until the move is announced to you. I will keep you updated in the process! We hope to add more with this new website , but that will be an evolving process! More Soon!
K.
8/24/08
Hi! So much to share today..... First up.... We have a new home for the website! It will be hosted through Godaddy.com.
It will be a lot of work to rebuild this website, but I plan on starting this week. We're packing up our bags on a new adventure...so to speak! If for some reason googlepages shuts this site down unexpectantly.. I will announce our new site on CruiseCritic website section and my signature on SlowTrav.com.
Lions and tigers and bears..oh my!!!!! Many of us have world class zoos or aquariums near us, and while a season pass might seem a bit extravagant, take a look to see if they have reciprocal priviledges to a zoo or aquarium at your next vacation destination, which then turns out to be a money saving deal for you and your family! A great place to learn more about this is at The American Zoo Association and the reciprocal benefits are here .
A hui hou!
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8/19/08
Here's a great website that lists.........
and How the rest of the world celebrates their Birthday! it's very interesting and worth checking out!
I did try to have it as our wedding cake, but pink wasn't exactly the look I was going for that day!!! To mama...... Hau`oli la hanau! Buon Compleanno! Joyeux Anniversaire!
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8/18/08 Hi! I've decided to just put aside the..... where will the website end up frustration.... and get back to blogging! Yesterday, John went to the Pebble Beach Concours d Elegance in Monterey. The most elegant automobiles are entered into the show and for an extravagantly priced ticket you can wander the Pebble Beach Golf course and view these exquisite works of art.
Here are a few of the pictures that John took...
Enjoy!
Ciao Ciao till tomorrow!
******************************** Hi Everyone!
Still working on finding a new home... I've narrowed it down to 2 possibilities...just trying to work out some technical issues... Thanks to everyone who has offered up a solution! I've explored each one in great detail! I will post more later!
NEWS and I need your assistance!
I just found out that Google has decided to close down Googlepages in the next couple of months. They are introducing a new program BUT The format, templates and other items unique to Googlepages and what I have used on this site that you are visiting DO NOT exist there. Does anyone have any suggestions..on how to create this site somewhere else??
Please email at your earliest convenience
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8/10/08 Hi!
You will find our itinerary and videos to coincide with each location! One website for Greece that I have found to have extensive information is Matt Barrett's Greece Site. I highly recommend it for anyone traveling anywhere in Greece. For those of you that love everything Greek, I found a site to purchase all sorts of items, they also have a list of Greek Festivals around the United States..it's called Greek Internet Market! Opa!
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8/6/08
Hola! One of the my favorite gifts to give over the years for practically any occassion is a Travel Toiletrie Bag filled with travel size items. This is great for Christmas, birthdays, and it works for friends, family and collegues....whether the receiver travels the world or just for a weekend! It's so easy to tailor each one to match their personality! I'm currently hooked on products by Belle-Hop , so you can even add to the toiletrie kit idea with other travel accessories!
You can find them at most luggage stores, but I've also seen several items from the line at Borders Bookstores...and if you had a chance to sign up for Borders Book Rewards, just wait until you receive your coupon to save a few extra $$$$
Target, Beauty Supply places, and even the Dollar Store are great places to find items to stuff the travel kit with....
Have you heard about the latest in comfort for the woman traveler? Check out this article in the New York Times!
Ciao for now!
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8/5/08 Kalimera! It's been a very busy last couple of days..so let me catch you up to speed... We've cancelled our cruise a.k.a. the 2009 Adventure! So, for those of you that haven't heard ...Royal Caribbean decided to cancel Tunisia from our itnerary and change the times for Malta and Athens. We had booked direct with them and I have the highest frequent cruiser status, but they chose not to inform us of the change, I found out by reading the Cruise Critic message board! Throughout the planning of this cruise I've been having "womans intuition" that we really should cancel and come up with a plan B. John ever the practical and logical one has learned over the years it's best not to ignore this. After much discussion we decided to cancel and come up with an alternative plan....Details will be unveiled later...but it will be an extensive Greece and Turkey with Cyprus thrown into the mix Adventure! Here's the icing on the cake .....changing our frequent flyer tickets on United was so easy!!!! Shocking ~ but in a good way!
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7/30/08
Hi!
First stop ~ Ben and Jerry's...the website is an excellent place to wander...it's fun, informative and very interactive..take a look in the flavor graveyard...and click on EVERYTHING to see what I mean!!! The Jamaican me crazy is on the right track of what I'm looking for...but not quite...
The winner ~ is a new product that's won several awards at food shows it's called SMOOZE! I discovered these at Whole Foods and they're just delicious... one taste and you will be transported to a tropical oasis! While nothing will ever be a Lappert's replacement, this is a scrumptious alternative I highly recommend that you track them down to purchase! I love, love, love the guava and passionfruit flavors..though the pineapple and mango are yummy! The packaging is in single portions!
Enjoy! ********************************
7/29/08
Bonjour! I had no idea the Blog had such a following! I received a few emails wondering if everything was ok or if I was traveling...because I haven't posted in a week! Everythings fine and I promise...I will always share the travel plans! It's been a busy week and then John headed out of town on business to Austin for a summit with his team. People flew in from Israel, California and of course those in Texas joined them...His company does have many international locations including an office in Aix en Provence....I so wish that was the locale!!! While in Austin, John loves the Brisket BBQ and they had lunch at his favorite place called Ruby's. Since he was going to be gone for the week, and then possibly working a developers camp for Iphone the entire weekend when he returns, we wanted to spend what little free time we had together, so I took a break from blogging! I'll be posting again sometime Wednesday! Au Revoir!
Karen ********************************
7/22/08
Hi Everyone! This weekend we explored the town of Campbell, located in middle of the Valley of Hearts Delight! For those of you that have visited the area, it's 3 minutes away from the world famous Winchester Mystery House! We stopped by a local shopping center called the Pruneyard and had lunch at the new branch of the award winning MOJO Burger! This is their 3rd and newest location. It's so new that it's not on their website yet. If you are searching for the perfect burger this is the place...They also have salads, chicken options and comfort food ...check out the website for the complete menu...We definitely recommend them! We then continued to downtown Campbell. Which has been wonderfully revitalized in the last couple of years! We visited the Farmers Market, History Museum and Ainsley House. We will be returning to do the historical walking tour of downtown and perhaps listen to a concert on the green The Ainlsey House was relocated to the current location in 1990 It used to be located on the land that is now known as Ebay Headquarters.
Enjoy the photos!
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7/19/08
Extra! Extra! Read all about it!!!!!
It's called World Newspapers A great resource for news in English throughout the world. Just click on the country you are interested in! Also, there's a listing of newspapers throughout the United States, So, if you are taking a road trip or relocating this is perfect! and finally on the left hand side they list magazines to browse through, based on your topic of interest! Have a great weekend!
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Hi! I wasn't planning on blogging for another day or 2, but I thought you would want to know... That the AAA travel stores in Northern California are closing.
EVERYTHING is 30% off the lowest marked price. The link above will take you to the list of AAA offices that have travel stores. Just scroll down until you see 100 mile radius and click on that...All 11 stores will come up! Just call to confirm they are still open! If you don't live in Northern California, you might want to call your local branch to see if this is occurring in your neck of the woods!
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7/15/08
Hi! Just a couple of things for you today! Aaron Brothers is having their Buy one frame get another frame for 1 cent sale,
Costco is having their International Photo contest! You can win a 1,500 Costco cash card!!! Just submit your photo by the end of September 2008!
Talking about photos, Have you clicked on the camera picture on our home page yet? All sorts of tips from the pros on how to take FANTASTIC travel photos and few other fun items for you! Ciao for now!
******************************** 7/12 /08 Hi!
Replaced in the last 30 years by headquarters for Yahoo, Google, Hewlett Packard and host of other companies you are familiar with...
Join us each weekend as we a have a little fun in the sun.... If you have lived in or visited "Silicon Valley", you will love the album below!
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7/9/08 Bonjour! When I 1st began to create this site, I turned to the google pages discussion group...because I had absolutely no experience...quite honestly, I thought html was an acronym for hotmail. I received a tremendous amount of support from a particular gentleman whose screen name is Snoupi, in real life Antoine. If you have bookmarked our website you will see a globe favicon. It was a feature that I spent hours struggling with, Antoine surprised me one day by creating this for me, a true gift of time and thoughtfulness! If only more people were like that in the world! I would like to share with you his jewel box of a website or as he describes it ~ a web hideaway dedicated to the Normandy region of France. The music will relax your mind, body and soul. Scroll down on his homepage for his links that will be your personal guide! Enjoy your journey through..... Ma Normandie
Au Revoir!
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7/6 If you haven't heard of Matt and his dances around the world.. Check out his website..Wherethehellismatt.com Here's his latest video.. WOW! Just fabulous! A tip for viewing, DOUBLE click on the video..it will take you to the You Tube site, scroll until you see below the video watch in HIGH quality! It's so much better that way! Also, past videos are listed there.
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All sorts of things to get you organized for your next journey and keep your suitcases to a minimum!
Ciao Ciao for now!
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6/27/08 Hi!
Ciao Ciao for now!
******************************** 6/26/08 In the next 2 months we have a wave of Birthday celebrations for friends and family. Each individual has a favorite destination domestically or internationally, so I try to wrap each present to fit their travel personality! Today, I was in search of gift wrapping options for a soiree we are throwing this weekend...so I thought I would share some ideas for travel themed gift wrapping The 1st idea is well known, but never fails
You can also use this approach with the travel section of the local newspaper or bring home and save for when it 's needed a newspaper you picked up in another locale. ~Trader Joes sells 2 styles of wine bags for 99 Cents. One is an antique globe, the other is vintage luggage labels. Each bag can be used as is, or modified with scissors to fit your gift ~ Scrapbooking paper is fabulous, use embellishments to really make it special, while this option looks expensive, it's under $1.50, and even less if done in bulk! ~ The Dollar Tree store has a big inventory on tropical theme items for the summer, stock up for year round gift giving. While you are there...look for other travel inspired options that can hold a present...styrofoam cooler, sand pail, laundry mesh bag (great for dirty clothes while traveling)! ~Another option, solid colored paper, and then decorate with stickers, either purchased or make your own. Avery's has an excellent selection of online craft ideas and templates. I've wrapped presents in brown paper wrap and made personalized travel stickers utilizing our own photos or clip art. Any office supply store will sell the blank ones.
Cards ~ This is where your photos come in, it is so easy just to print a photo you took onto card stock. While you're traveling look for photo opportunities that will enable you to create a special and one of kind card for a person you care about. A couple examples would be:
A picture of a fierce gargoyle or St. George the dragon slayer is great to send to someone who is going through a tough time!
The Leaning Tower of Pisa can be sent as a Lean on me type card,
A picture of a dinner plate, coffe set up or patisserie window serves as a let's get together!
Let your imagination go wild!
******************************** 6/23/08 Hi! We are up and running again!! Woo Hooo! I'm still rebuilding my favorite places that held so much great stuff to add to the website...the pictures are gone, but my favorite Paris photos are in the Smilebox album..so I've sent them an email for assistance! So, that's the latest...time to get back to Blogging!
~Bed, Bath and Beyond has expanded their travel department BIG TIME!
It's great to finally have our computer back! Ciao Ciao for now!
******************************** 6/20/08 Hi! I've been debating whether I should blog about this latest situation..because I didn't know how to put a positive spin on it..and as I said to John... technically it doesn't relate to travel.. but in actuality TECHNICALLY it does! We use our computers to bookmark travel sites, some of those sites we use all the time, some we've stumbled upon and decided to save to view at a later date. We have our documents we create...I know I create our itinerary, sights to see lists, I copy and paste into a word document key advice I've seen on messages boards, maybe letters we've sent to airlines, cruiselines, hotels as attachments. Then, there's our travel pictures..... Now that you have visualized how much you have on your computer... When was the last time you backed up your computer? Yes, we know we are suppose to, but have you??? Think about it...can you afford to have everything on your hard drive wiped out... this VERY minute? 2 days ago, I was reading my to do list and thought... I should back up my Split, Zagreb, and Paris photos (John's are safe) I went out to grab something to drink from the kitchen and heard this loud noise come from the office ...when I entered I saw a blank blue screen! My 1 year old computer, had died. I don't mean let's call tech support and everything will be ok..I mean GONE, everything! Yes, we went through the tech suppport channels, took the hard drive to a known miracle worker in the Silicon Valley...zilch, nada, nothing! I'm not going to trouble you with the incompetence of HP, the lousy customer service, the fact that the the HP way that Bill Hewlitt and Dave Packard worked to create no longer exists.. I just hope that I've inspired at least one of you to back up your computer..today! PS...I still don't have a computer.. (HP didn't include the disk for my new hard drive in the 1st shipment to me) I'm writing this from my mom's house!
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6/16/08 WOW! Tonight we reached 8,000 views on our website! For those of you that have discovered the site....we decided 6 months ago to build a personal travel website to share our photos and future travel plans with our friends and family! Well, one thing led to another..one friend told another friend and so on! I shared this with a Cruise Critic message board buddy and she asked to share it with others. In March I put the current stat counter on the website and exactly 3 months later there has been 8,000 views! We designed our website to be a travel journal, as if I had hand written this to preserve our memories and serve as a reminder of things we learned to use on our next adventure.....and then I loaned it to you to read before your trip! Some tips you will already know, others you knew, but will serve as a reminder and maybe just one or two will help your journey be as memorable as ours have always been!!! Buon Viaggio!!!
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6/15/08 Hi! Everyday last week seemed to bring us another announcement of an airline deciding to charge us for items that had always been part of their standard service! I thought you might enjoy watching this Pan Am commercial from 1958! It's been 50 years since this was filmed ~ unfortunately air travel has changed!
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6/10/08- I just finished putting a few tips on the packing page of our journal One item that I always pack with the me is a scarf or pareo if weather permitting... Below are 2 videos that demonstrate great scarf tying techniques! If you would like to learn 20 ways to tie a pareo, click here for the video Enjoy!
******************************** 6/6/08 Aloha~ Just a couple of things for you today ~ ~ Are you dreaming of swaying palms trees and the land of Aloha? Need an ABC Store or Hilo Hattie's fix?
~ We all want to be as healthy as possible when we begin our journeys...
Travelsmith's, the travel clothing & accessories company that has products usually purchased through a catalog or online are closing their Palo Alto, California outlet store on June 29, 2008. Today, my mom and I went to check it out, I found a very cute reversable dress that originally retailed for $89.00, marked down to $10.00 and then take another 65% off that! Total with tax for basically 2 dresses $3.75! The entire store is marked down an additional 65% off. This also includes their "sister company" Territory Ahead located next door. If you live in the San Francisco Bay Area you might want to check it out! There are 2 other outlet locations. A hui hou!
******************************** 6/4/08 Today this entry is for those with food allergies and their travel companions
Many others have to be much more vigilant when it comes to their own food allergies or chronic, long term health issues. International travel, where there are language barriers, creates another set of obstacles that can be life or death for certain people! I found this website, that could literally be a life saver for those individuals. For those of you that are like me, it's a day without maxing out the daily Imodium recommendation! The company is called Select Wisely! Not only can you order translation cards in a multitude of languages they have extensive tips and resources available for you! Check them out!
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Here are a few ways from around the world to draw your game...
I'm still working on site enhancements and will let you know when I've added to the packing section and finished creating our overall trip report with Sights to See lists, Hotel Reviews and resources we utilized!
******************************** 5/31/08 Hi! Today I have added a few more tips to.... Planning, Money and Health & Safety Sections in the Journal The newest tips are in green colored font Scroll to the bottom of each page.. Some pages have new tips throughout Have a great weekend!
******************************** 5/30/08 Hi! I know it's been a couple of days for a blog, but I've been working on gathering ideas for further enhancements to our website!!! I'm searching for inspiration! A little story on finding inspiration.. I wish I could just come up with an idea out of the blue, for example when we were planning our wedding ...there were all these decisions..favors, place cards, style, font, you get the idea. I would wander the shopping malls, bookstores, craft stores for unique ideas that would put me on the path of creating something special! Salesclerks would ask if they could help, and I'd always say I'm searching for inspiration. When we were traveling in Copenhagen wandering the back roads...there it was...
A whole store dedicated to INSPIRATION!!! So, if I don't blog for a day or 2.... I've run off to Copenhagen for some power shopping !!!
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5/27/08 Yesterday....... my mom, John and myself sat down and had what I will call a Mileage Manipulation Meeting. We analyzed each of our frequent flyer accounts ~ who had how much and with what carrier. Future travel itineraries were discussed as to the best airline for the routing and what alliances they were a part of, and what did we need...35, 40 or 60 thousand miles for that "free" ticket. Finally, we added to the equation what was the actual cost out of pocket to buy or transfer miles. It was like an SAT math word problem, maybe worse! I would like to share with you the fruits of our labor... Potentially, saving YOU $$ and adding bonus miles to YOUR account! These are limited time specials, so you will need to have your own Mileage Manipulation Meeting right away!
United is offering 5% bonus miles for miles in a buy or transfer transaction before June 30,2008. Again, the link will take you right to the promotions page that will give you the specific details The 3 of us now have a plan for future expeditures ~ what mileage credit cards to use, where to concentrate our efforts and by doing this, it looks like all travel itineraries will be able to utilize frequent flyer miles until 2011!
******************************** 5/25/08 You know when you're surfing the internet and you wonder ... How did I end up on this website???? Well, here's one for you... I checked out my hometown and it seemed to mention the obvious.. This link will take you to the award winning toilettes, they certainly got my attention!!!!! Here you go..... Bathroom Diaries This brings back memories of when my parents use to take us to the Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo as a pit stop when we headed to Southern California... click where it says tour our rooms online... The public restrooms were so over the top. A totally garish experience, that becomes very cool!
******************************** 5/24/08 Hi! Just a couple of things for you today...... ~ Most of us have heard about American Airlines charging for our luggage.
~I have always enjoyed shopping at this cool store called Cost Plus, their tagline was.....
I thought the perfect career for me would to be one of their buyers...can you imagine...being paid to shop the world! So the other day, when we were having a heatwave I stopped in to pick up some Sarsaparilla for John and signed up for email notifications of sales. Well, they sent me a 10% coupon for my entire purchase in store or online. Just a fyi for you! ~ We just booked our 2009 adventure today! We have both been to Barcelona, though not together and I have been to Athens. If you have any advice for the other ports please send us an email!
******************************** 5/23/08 Coming from California, where we have some of the strictest smoking bans in place, it can be quite shocking to visit another country and see the non-smoking section in an airport with 4 seats and the smoking section with 300 seats. This is a quick silent reminder to yourself…. If you wanted a destination to be like home, that’s where you and your passport should remain. Croatia is such a country, it was sad to see young children with a cigarette dangling from their mouths. We constantly smelled like an ashtray. While speaking with our driver Gianni, I said to him, I noticed that many people smoke, but you don’t. He said to me, my father died from cancer from smoking. I said to him, me too. Instantly, we knew what each other had experienced. A sad commonality a half a world away from each other. Both of our fathers died in their 50’s around the same time. Today this blog is in honor of my wonderful father, who started smoking at 16. When no one, anywhere in the world thought this was such a bad thing. Thank goodness that has begun to change, see the link below! Harry Lewis May 23, 1935-June 8th, 1992
******************************** 5/17/08 Hi! Still uploading over 3,000 pictures! I thought it might make it easy to have a page dedicated just to the Trip Blog, so follow the link to that....if you want to print it out, copy and paste into word, changing the font size to 10!
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5/16/08 We're home! very exhausted...so more later this weekend! PS ....our 2.5 hours in Paris yesterday was wonderful... I had a pain chocolat in my hands before I even left the RER station.
******************************** 4/30/08 Well, I thought I would have time to leave you with a few site enhancements and 1 more blog... No such luck...it will have to wait until we return May 16th... Buon Viaggio! This was a version of the Irish Blessing from our wedding on April 30th, 2006 May the road rise up to meet you.
******************************** 4/29/08 As you can imagine with 1 day until we fly out ...I'm scrambling with last minute details.. I just have a few items to share with you today... ~All 2008 Entertainment books are now $15.00 with free shipping! An EXCELLENT way to obtain significant savings for dining and activities. Also, if you are planning domestic travel say to Hawaii, you can order a book to help save you pennies during your vacation! Here's a link to the website! ~This next website was fun to wander around, I've lived near SFO all my life and thought I knew most of our little gems, but I found a few more on this site provided by Hampton Inn ! It's quite a list of a categories, and then landmarks that fit into each one, throughout North America ~A food festival is always a great weekend activity, check out this website Yummy for the Tummy! ~I added a 2nd laughter page for you in the journal! The video needs to be listened to twice, it is a joke commercial that was done during a sporting event! Maybe the World Cup? Ciao Ciao for now!
******************************** 4/28/08 One of the reasons I love DK Eyewitness Books is that they provide descriptions, pictures and a little history of the traditional handicrafts of the country you will be visiting. As you wander through the local markets, you will have a better understanding if an item is just a simple souvenir or has much more significance! It was interesting to learn this about Croatia... a la cravate, as the French say...in the Croatian way. It is a particular treat when you are able to observe an artisan at work! When we were in Italy, we saw glass blowing in Murano, paper being made in Firenze and Alabaster artists in Volterra..
Enjoy the Murano glass blowing demonstration!
******************************** 4/27/08 For an American traveling in Western Europe the language barrier is not too difficult to overcome, as Western Europeans are commonly fluent in 3 or more languages - their national language, the language of a neighboring country, and English. Karen and I usually memorize a few common words and phrases in the language of countries we are traveling to in order to be polite. If the person with whom we are talking knows English, they will switch to it when they notice how horrible we are in speaking their language, but they are pleased that we made the attempt!
When Karen and I were in Olomouc, Czech Republic three years ago, I wanted to ask a vendor at a market some questions. What happened was kind of funny, but you can't say that both of us didn't make a valiant attempt to understand each other! I first asked him in Czech if he spoke English. Me: Mluvite anglicky? Vendor: Sprechen sie Deutsch? ("Do you speak German?" in German) Vendor: Вы говорите на русском языке? ("Do you speak Russian?" in Russian) I then made an attempt at pantomiming, which in this case didn't work, so I shook his hand and we both smiled as I walked away. I was pleased though that at least I knew how to say "No" in the correct language each time!
******************************** 4/27/08 Beginning tomorrow it's time for .... Where in the world is Matt Lauer??
Stay tuned for a bonus blog today from John!
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If you don't have an ipod yet, You can download itunes to see all of the viewing options to choose from! Don't forget to check out the large selection of FREE podcasts in the travel section that you can watch and/or listen to on your computer without purchasing anything! Extra features on my ipod include adding world clocks, alarms, text docs, contact list and photos. Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words when trying to communicate! Let your imagination run wild on how you could use your ipod to enhance your vacation! For addded battery life, there are several different battery charger options. The one we have is byEnergizer.
******************************** 4/25/08 5 days until we leave, BUT more importantly it's 5 days until we celebrate our 2nd wedding anniversary! I walked down the aisle to Pachebel Canon D... Here's a stroll down memory lane...
******************************** 4/24/08 We are in countdown mode...6 days!!! My to-do list seems to be getting longer. How is this possible????? So, I just have a few tidbits for you today.. **First, is my tip on saving $$$ on the purchase of books, DVD's, CD's and anything else that you find at Borders Books (there are a few exceptions, when it comes to using coupons)! Here's information on the Borders Rewards program, it's FREE to join and every week I receive all sorts of coupons, sometimes up to 40% off on items. John and I use the same card to accumulate our Border's thank you gift certificates. Remember, if you are in the store, ANYTHING you purchase goes towards this, even from the cafe! Here's a special treat for you... A coupon good until May 2nd, 2008..just click on the link I still believe that the library should be your 1st resource when it comes to saving $$$ by checking out books to read, travel books can be photocopied, DVD's watched...BUT there are times when you just need to own the book!
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**Please check with your doctor before using aromatherapy products**
******************************** 4/21/08 Hello - John here. I managed to beat Karen to the computer this evening! She's very devoted to building this site. I've been very fortunate to have had random acts of kindness by strangers when traveling. One of my favorite experiences along these lines was when I was in Sweden for the first time in 2002. It was before I knew Karen, and I was traveling alone on a day trip north from Stockholm to see Skoklosters Slott - a picturesque castle by a lake.
I was in a bit of a bind wondering how to make my way back to Stockholm, when the British tourist suddenly volunteered to drive me to Baista to catch the train! Of course I took him up on the offer, and when we walked over to his car I could see that he was driving a classic red MG convertible. He had driven the car all the way from the UK - through the Chunnel to France, up to Denmark, and then over the Malmo bridge to Sweden! With the top down and a beautiful day out, it was a scenic drive through the country back to Baista. We arrived at the train station with only about 5 minutes to spare before the train would leave! I thanked him and wished him a wonderful time on the rest of his trip. He had traveled about 25 miles out of his way to deliver me to the train - a total stranger who came to my aid when I was stranded.
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******************************** 4/17/08 I know quite a few of you are planning for your summer travel..and thinking, boy it's going to hot in __________(fill in the blank, with your destinations). Years ago we purchased these thingys...which I've learned are called Cobbers at an Art & Wine Festival! Then, they seemed to disappear for awhile!? We have used them for years, when the temperatures are climbing higher and higher and the humidity seems to be a like a wall suspended in air. They can lower your body temperature quickly and keep it that way! As I was browsing through my new Magellan's catalog, I came across them! We have taken them all over the world with us, at the end of the day you can immerse them in water once again or store them in a gallon size ziploc bag to travel! Here's a picture of them ~
Click on the link above for more details !
******************************** 4/14/08 Last night I was reviewing Croatian words....... Even though we know English is widely spoken..we like to be able to know enough for polite conversation, crucial questions and deciphering a menu! Since there was that little problem when we ordered pork chops in Olomouc, Czech Republic where the fruit sauce was actually a PRUNE sauce! and then it dawned on me...what I needed to do was go back to our childhood! Sesame Street is now broadcast in 120 countries... Wouldn't it be great to begin with basics ~ where you could download them on your ipod! ...I would love to learn how to count with The Count in Russian, German, Italian and a host of other languages. It would be so much fun to learn Good Morning, Good Night, Open, Close, Please and Thank you from Elmo! Perhaps Rosita could visit Spain and teach us how to order off the menu! Advanced classes could be taught by Big Bird, Grover and Sully! Until then.. I'll stick with my trick to learn my fruits and flavorings by memorizing the gelato menus while learning cheese, egg, veggies, and ham with the crepe menus. Then each day try to learn a few new words! Here's to sunny days! I always loved this clip!
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4/11/08
Just a couple of images I found online that I put to music...
This weekend try to practice one random act of kindness
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4/10/08
I just returned from Trader Joe's, my favorite grocery store!So, I picked up some of my favorite Greek yogurt called FAGE and thought...I should put this in our blog..It tastes just like the yogurt my mom and I had while on Santorini...You can purchase just the yogurt or a yogurt/honey combo pack. There is a BIG difference between greek honey and the honey bear you squeeze on peanut butter! So go with the combo pack..
If you have access to International Markets, check to see if they carry Attiki honey..this is the best of the best!
Check out the FAGE website for all sorts of info, recipes, etc...and enjoy this delicious and healthy snack, and the more you eat of this, the more you can treat yourself to Baklava!!!!
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4/8/08
Buon Sera!
I always love, love, LOVE a discount! Harry's Bar in Venice is offering one to all Americans! Read all about the details here! and if you haven't seen our tribute to
the world famous Harry's Bar, just wander over to the Journal and into........
Something to quench your thirst!
Salute!
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4/7/08
Dobra Dan!
So, now that I've uploaded all of the photos from the girls getaway, it's time to refocus my attention on the adventure John & I leave on in 23 days!
The past few years we have traveled to many countries in Europe not quite on the Euro!
Organizing currency & coin from each country, was challenging until I started using this ....
It's made by Baggallini, has 5 zippered pockets and the ability to be worn on a belt or clipped inside your pack.
I stash receipts, my folded up currency conversion sheet (see Money section in journal for that tip) copy of phone card & passport in this too!
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4/5/08
I'm back & just beginning to upload photos!
Here's the Ferrari that John mentions below...
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3/30/08
I dropped Karen and her mother off at the cruise terminal yesterday. Driving along the Embarcadero in heavy traffic on the way to the pier, we were behind a brand new red Ferrari the entire time as we inched along. Karen's mother joked that I not follow too closely!
I was reminded that seeing cars that are different from the typical ones back home is just one of the many pleasures of travel.
We saw the tiny Buddycab shown in our photo album on Food/Time/Weather/Transportation outside of the Kon-Tiki Museum in Oslo, Norway. Karen really loved it - she has always been partial to small cars. We even saw a Smart car used as a police car in Prague, Czech Republic!
In Milan, Italy we saw a lot of three-wheeled delivery trucks. In St. Petersburg, we witnessed a few old Trabants still in use - those are the cars that used to be made in East Germany and production stopped after the fall of the Iron Curtain and the reunification of Germany.
One of my fondest travel memories relating to cars was when I rode passenger in a classic MG convertible driven by a British tourist
while I was in Sweden - but that's another blog entry!
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3/28/08
Well, I'm officially packed for the cruise tomorrow! My mom & I are taking off for a girls getaway this week on Celebrity Cruise's Mercury. We have no air as this cruise sails roundtrip SFO, our homeport!!!! Our itinerary includes Astoria, Seattle, Vancouver & Victoria.
I love being on the ocean ~ rocked to sleep each night, then waking up to spend the day reading, relaxing & staring at the wake!!!!!!
Even after cruising for 25 years, I still feel this way!
One of my favorite quotes that I saw in a store in Barbados many years ago was this, & for me it's so true!
Those who sleep close to water
will find tranquility
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3/27/08
Aloha!
As my friends & family know, I love Hawaii. I worked at a Hawaiian Tour Company for over 5 years in sales and had the opportunity to travel there over 20 times. When my mom and I were in Hawaii last October for our Pacific Princess cruise to Tahiti, I stepped off the plane and thought ...aaahhhh, I am home! I also feel that way when I'm in Paris, France but that's another blog entry.
With the winter months so drying on my skin and my soul constantly needing some sort of Hawaii fix, John bought me a great stocking stuffer, that I absolutely love! It's by Alba Botanica and it's the sugar scrub. I highly recommend it for restoring your winterized skin AND of course the aroma that whisks you away to a tropical island ~ swaying palm trees your toes in the sand, and your biggest decision is a pina colada or a mai tai!
Here's a picture of the line, it can be found at Whole Foods and Longs Drugs!
click to make bigger
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3/26/08-my 1st entry
I wanted to share this fabulous website that I stumbled upon called Daily Candy. It has a great travel section, but also local advice for numerous cities around the USA and London. Just look in the upper right corner of the site for other editions! Not only do I like the content of the site, but I love the artwork by Sujean Rim. I'm going to check to see if she creates notecards or prints because I feel like she captured ME!
Here's a couple of her illustrations!
Our favorite candy ...
Karen ~ Lindt Peanut Butter Truffles,
John ~ York Peppermint Patties
We both love anything from Bruges, Belgium!
I decided to do a version of a blog, but to keep it within this site..
as it seems so much easier to maintain this way!
Periodically check back as posts will be random,
but always the subject will be travel ..... Domestic & International
Buon Viaggio!