Travel to Denmark During the “Year of the Renaissance.”
April 5, 2008
Travel to Denmark During the “Year of the Renaissance.”
by: Charles Brown
These days, just about every town or hamlet in the United States boasts of an “authentic” renaissance festival. Invariably, these festivals feature such attractions as “authentic” renaissance maidens sporting authentic renaissance-era, biker chick tattoos and renaissance cuisine like Ye Olde hotdogs or Ye Olde pizza slices.
So most Americans know all about Renaissance festivals from their experiences stateside. However, just for fun, let’s consider the counterpart festivals in European countries where the Renaissance actually took place.
Denmark, for example, the country that brought us those ubiquitous plastic toys, Legos; has designated the entire year of 2006 to be “The Year of the Renaissance.”
Imagine my surprise, a father who has stepped on many a Lego in the dark with bare feet, to learn that Legos have nothing to do with the Renaissance, and were not in fact invented until much later. All along, I had assumed that I was enduring those pesky little toys because it was good for my children’s education. Shows what I know.
Visit Delray Beach Florida
April 4, 2008
Visit Delray Beach Florida
by: David G. Hallstrom, Sr.
Just south of Palm Beach and less than an hour’s drive north of Miami, Florida, you will find the resort city of Delray Beach, Florida, with it’s over two miles of clean well maintained sandy beaches, historic downtown shopping area, beautiful gardens and parks, world class tennis center, golf courses and it’s large variety of hotels and motels.
Looking for a place to stay? Try the Breakers-On-The-Ocean, (561) 278-4501, with it’s picture perfect beach setting and it’s 200 feet of private beach, complimentary beach cabanas, putting green, ocean front suites and ocean view apartments, the recently renovated and restored Colony Hotel And Cabana Club, (800) 552-2363, with it’s 70 guestrooms, all with vinage tropical furniture, fabrics and colors, hardwood floors, unique appointments and Florida works of art, personal air conditioning and operable windows or the Delray Beach Marriott, (561) 274-3200, with it’s soft sandy beach, heated pool, on site spa and fitness center, rooms with private balconys and it’s Marriott service. If you don’t like these hotels there are numerous others to choose from.
Venice: A City With A Sinking Feeling
April 4, 2008
Venice: A City With A Sinking Feeling
by: Jacob Fiennes
Travel to beautiful Venice this winter and chances are you may hear the screeching of the 16 city sirens that signal the return of the “acque alte”, or flood waters. Especially felt during the winter seasons between November and April these waters engulf several low-lying areas of the city including the magnificent St Mark’s Square, rise up over the canal borders and bubble up through the drains.
The city’s best defense for pedestrians thus far has been the erection of 1.
5 metre high elevated walkways which themselves offer little assistance in the event of a very serious flood.
Proper defensive action, it seems, is not far away. After a lengthy debate over the effectiveness of large mobile flood barriers at the lagoons entrance, plans to expedite them into place are at last under way. The first to benefit will be the main shipping entrance at the Malamocco lagoon mouth. It will have installed a semi-circular breakwater to knock back the high Adriatic seas from southerly winds and a ship’s lock to hold ships whilst the movable barriers are in place.
Six Ways To Get Travel Bargains With Your Frequent Flyer Plan
April 3, 2008
Six Ways To Get Travel Bargains With Your Frequent Flyer Plan
by: Charles Brown
The ultimate tools in a smart traveler’s toolbox are the various loyalty programs offered by airlines and hotel chains. Yet it absolutely baffles me how many people ignore these golden opportunities to get bargain travel deals.
I was spurred to write about this topic after reading a great article in the Fort Worth Star Telegram, called Staying power for frequent-flyer plans. It was about how American Airlines invented the frequent flyer program 25 years ago, and how these plans have changed the travel industry.
Following American’s lead, all the other airlines quickly created their own loyalty programs, and later, the hotel industry created their own versions as well, becoming a win-win for both the companies who wanted customer loyalty, and the travelers who wanted discount travel opportunities.
But how can a traveler or even a person who wants to travel in the future, make the most (ie get the most travel deals) out t of these plans? Here are a few tips”
Turn Your International Travels Into Lasting Memories
April 2, 2008
Turn Your International Travels Into Lasting Memories
by: Charles Brown
No matter how many times you experience international travel, the excitement never fades. But one thing that will fade is your memory of all the exciting experiences and pleasures from your travels.
Why not develop several ways to keep your “vacation of a lifetime” alive in your memory for the rest of your life? Here’s how:
Keep a journal. If the idea of writing everything down bores you, keep an audio journal with an inexpensive tape recorder. But I recommend both a written and an audio journal. When you return home, transcribing your experiences into a more coherent form will help you relive the entire experience.
Take pictures. You don’t have to buy expensive equipment to accomplish this (and in fact, I would urge you to economize on such equipment). Be sure to use your journal to keep track of where your pictures were taken, what the subject matters were, when and where you were there and why you found it so interesting.
Shop for bargains. Every country will offer unique (maybe even exotic) items you can buy for very reasonable prices that will become real treasures when they later sit on your mantel at home.
Travel Saftey - Using Intuition
April 1, 2008
Travel Saftey - Using Intuition
by: Steve Gillman
“We’ve been robbed,” I told Ana. “All of it.” I grabbed the thief, who was no longer acting drunk at all. It was a lesson in travel safety.
It started when both my wife and I had a strong feeling we shouldn’t get on that bus in Cuenca. Neither of us said anything, because a taxi was two dollars, and the bus cost only twenty-five cents. It seems a bit TOO frugal now.
Ana found a seat, but there was no seat for me. I was packed in with the other commuters standing up. I noticed the drunk pushing his way through the crowd, randomly going this way and that, and I knew somethimg was up. I instinctively reached into my pockets to check on my money. I had just visited the ATM. The $170 in my pocket was the most cash we had carried during the entire trip. Still there. The old guy pushed against me like he was trying to find a place to stand comfortably. I checked my again.
